Minor Prophets - Major Messages

Of the four minor prophets that we have looked at so far on Sunday mornings - Malachi, Haggai, Micah and Obadiah - which one has had the most impact for you?

Baby Jesus

Here's a video clip from Talladega Night's on baby Jesus. It supports the point I made that many people who does not follow Jesus simply cannot get past the baby in a manger to the King on the throne - it's also quite funny!

Get rid of terminology

I've just read a very helpful book called 'Pillar & Prophets' by Carl Medearis. Until recently Carl worked in the middle east simply as a follower of Jesus. I heard him speak at New Wine a few years ago and was very impressed in what he said. The book he wrote is about how we as followers of Jesus can talk to and interact with our Muslim friends. I found it a very respectful book and helpful in how to talk with Muslims. His second to last chapter was very helpful. He talks about the question, 'Would Jesus require a Muslim to "convert" to Christianity?' You're initial reaction may be - well, yes! But in Scripture we are never commanded or encouraged to use the word Christian. The Acts reference to 'Christian's' may infer that it was used perjoratively. But Jesus was not a Christian - he was a Palestinian Jew, who was a pain in the side of the religious community. Medearis says that 'his personal mission was not to found a new religion called "Christianity", but rather to...seek and save the lost' (83). He also tels us that Paul says there is neither Jew nor Gentile, etc. There are those who follow Jesus and those who don't. Therefore isn't it possible for someone to follow Jesus but culturally still be a Muslim. Jesus is still one of Islam's biggest prophets. In fact in the past Sufi Muslims lived according to the teachings of Jesus. One of the Muslim monk wrote, 'The person who catches the disease of Christ can never be cured'. He wasn't being nasty in this quote simply stating that once you encounter Jesus there is no turning back. So maybe it is possbile? What do you think?

Great song - powerful message!

How God saves...

Reading some stuff on the sovereignty of God - enjoying reading some books by a guy called Greg Boyd and also reading some stuff on the atonement. The atonement is to do with the cross and how the crucifixion affects us. There's a big conservative Christian emphasis on the atonement as penal substitution - ie God was so angry he had to punish someone. But although there is stuff on the 'wrath of God' in Scripture, there is more on his grace and love and I think it's wrong to have at the core of salvation an angry and punishing God. What do you think?

God of this city - what a song to sing over Brighton!

Prayer - love this!!!

What's your testimony?

Last Sunday I shared some testimony of the way that God spoke to me and challenged me during New Wine. Testimony is a powerful tool in the life of a Christian. Very often as Christians we can look at what God is not doing rather than what God is doing. As soon as we look at what God is not doing we enter a vacumn and there is no spiritual air to breathe. However if we look at what God has done and is doing we fuel our spiritual life with air and we grow in our faith and our faith increases. A new thing that would be good to try is to text testimonies to my mobile and I'll get them displayed on the screens at church on Sundays - we could call them 'Textimonies'. Go on! Let the church hear what God is doing!

New Wine

What a great week at New Wine. One of the highlights was when the Maasai warriors joined us on main stage and worshipped with us. They sang 'All who are thirsty' in Kei Maasai as we sang it in english - beautiful!

A pastor called Bill Johnson preached to us on Thursday evening on the expansion of the kingdom. He led us through praying for healing and it seemed that many people were healed. I've got the DVD of the talk if anyone wants to watch it - maybe a lifegroup wants to use it. I also bought the DVD of Brother Andrew to be borrowed.
Here's a view of the worship from my percussion rig.

Here's a picture of the band that I played with this week.

New Wine - Wednesday

Another great couple of days at New Wine.  Last night we had a gospel choir join us in worship - which rocked and then Brother Andrew (God's Smuggler) spoke and he was outstanding.  He is 80 years old and spoke so powerfully and passionately!  A complete inspiration.

I talked the other day about the Maasai and have included a picture of them.