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...continue reading "Hebrews 3:7-19 – Don’t harden your hearts"
Author: glenscriv
What’s On in Eastbourne
What's On In Eastbourne?
Join us for a week of free events from 26 March - 3 April. Full details here. Listings below...
We are a group of churches in Eastbourne opening our doors wide in the week running up to Easter. We have well-known personalities, fascinating stories, engaging speakers and important issues - all welcome!
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Fri 26th March 10am: Coffee with Carswell
Bishop Wallace Benn in conversation with author and speaker Roger Carswell. All Saints Centre
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Fri 26th March 8pm: Can there be forgiveness?
PC Billy Burns forgave the man who shot him in the face. With Roger Carswell. All Souls church
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Sat 27th March 8pm: Real Science, Real Faith?
Geneticist, Professor Sam Berry & Rev. Dr Steve Jeffery discuss science and belief. All Souls church
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Sun 28th March 8pm: Is Christianity Good For The World?
Rev. Dr Mike Reeves on how the atheists are onto something! Holy Trinity church
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Mon 29th March 8pm: An evening with Fiona Castle
Widow of entertainer Roy Castle, in conversation with Rev. John Cheeseman. Holy Trinity church
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Tues 30th March 8pm: Zimbabwe, cricket & faith: Henry Olonga
An evening with Henry Olonga, international cricketer and singer. All Saints church
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Wed 31st March 1.10pm: When Cancer Calls: Coping with Grief & Suffering
Listen & Lunch with Rev. David Bourne. Holy Trinity church
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Wed 31st March 8pm: An Evening with Jonathan Aitken
The politics, perjury and prison of Jonathan Aitken and how he found God in the depths. All Saints church
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Sat 3rd April 3pm: Touch Rugby for men & women, aged 11+
All ages, all abilities, men and women welcome. Demonstration and coaching provided. With half-time talk. Gildredge Park
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It’s for us BECAUSE it’s about Him
It's common to hear the argument that christological interpretations of the OT are at the expense of seeing the pastoral applications. Effectively the argument is, "If it's all about Jesus then it's not about us."
Well... here's how Paul quotes the OT in Romans 15:3
Christ did not please Himself but, as it is written [in Psalm 69:9]: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."
Psalm 69:9 is Christ speaking. The One on Whom insults fall is Christ. This is obvious for Paul. It's not a conclusion he argues towards, it's a premise he considers to be self-evident so that he can argue from it to other conclusions (i.e. - because Christ is like this, so should you be).
Does this Christ focus detract from the Psalm's application to us? Paul doesn't think so. Here's how he immediately continues.
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. (Romans 15:4)
The OT teaches us - not by putting us directly into the shoes of the Psalmist. Christ is the Zealous Insult-Bearer - it's actually about Him. But it teaches us because it brings us to Him. Then in Him come the applications for us.
But first, this is what we need to be taught - we need to be taught Christ.
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It's for us BECAUSE it's about Him
It's common to hear the argument that christological interpretations of the OT are at the expense of seeing the pastoral applications. Effectively the argument is, "If it's all about Jesus then it's not about us."
Well... here's how Paul quotes the OT in Romans 15:3
Christ did not please Himself but, as it is written [in Psalm 69:9]: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."
Psalm 69:9 is Christ speaking. The One on Whom insults fall is Christ. This is obvious for Paul. It's not a conclusion he argues towards, it's a premise he considers to be self-evident so that he can argue from it to other conclusions (i.e. - because Christ is like this, so should you be).
Does this Christ focus detract from the Psalm's application to us? Paul doesn't think so. Here's how he immediately continues.
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. (Romans 15:4)
The OT teaches us - not by putting us directly into the shoes of the Psalmist. Christ is the Zealous Insult-Bearer - it's actually about Him. But it teaches us because it brings us to Him. Then in Him come the applications for us.
But first, this is what we need to be taught - we need to be taught Christ.
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In praise of “going through the motions”
Isaiah warned us and Jesus repeated it - it's hypocritical to honour the Lord with your lips while your heart is far from Him (Isaiah 29:13; Mark 15:8). It's something I pray about every Sunday, "As I preach or pray or sing, may my lips and my heart be set on the Lord Jesus."
But there's another danger. We can react the other way and disdain anything 'external'. We say to the world: "I reject 'works', I'm all about the inward life." And so we're constantly taking our spiritual temperatures. We neglect ritual (as though it always leads to ritualism). And we start to think of faith as a thing - the one really meritorious work!
The faith-works polarity becomes, in our thinking, an internal-external polarity. Internal - good. External - bad. We start to imagine that mental acts are good old grace while physical acts are nasty old law.
But that's not how it is. There can be a crippling legalism of the heart (ever felt it?) and there can be a wonderful liberation in gospel rituals (ever experienced that?).
Take communion.
Please.
No but seriously, take it. Because here is a gospel ritual which, because it is external, brings home the grace of Jesus all the stronger.
We are not (or at least we should not be!) memorialists. Jesus has not left us a mental duty with the bread and wine as mere thought prompters. We have been left a meal. To chew. And to gulp down. There are motions to go through. And they are the same motions we performed last week. And the week before that.
But here's the thing - these motions are means of God's grace and not in spite of their externalism but because they are external. Here is a gift that comes to you from outside yourself. And it comes apart from your internal state. But nonetheless it is for you - sinner that you are.
So take it regardless of whether your heart is white-hot with religious zeal. Take it regardless of whether you are really, really mindful of the gravity of it all. And as the minister prays the prayer of consecration and your mind wanders... oh well. Don't ask him to start again. Go through the motions I say. Your heart is meant to catch up with the motions. That's why the motions were given. Because our hearts are weak and not to be trusted.
So allow the Word to come to you from beyond. Allow Him to love you first. Don't disdain 'going through the motions.' For many on a Sunday - those grieving or sick or gripped by depression - they need to be carried along by these motions. And for all of us - if we're going to be people of grace, we need these externals.
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Don’t worry, you’re a christ, a son of God
Matthew 6:25-30
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Birds are taken care of by 'your heavenly Father' and you're much better than birds. You are adopted children of the Father.
Grass is clothed better than Solomon (a Christ), and you're better than grass. You are christs, anointed to rule by the Spirit.
Therefore (v30) have faith in this: Apart from Jesus you are one of the heathen (v32) - worse off than birds and grass. In Jesus, you are kings of creation - you are a christ, a son of God. So don't worry.
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Not ‘I do’, ‘I will’
I've just realised my Thursday re-post was something I had already reposted just 6 months ago. Sorry about that. That really is cheating. Here - have something that didn't make it into the marriage course on Monday.
Dita Von Teese (whose marriage to Marilyn Manson lasted one year) said this about marriage vows:
I love the ritual of being married but if I married again I'd change the vows from 'Til death us do part' to 'I'm really in love with you right now.'
Which is yet another reason why I'm glad I made my marriage vows in the form "I will".
Is it true, my American friends, that you usually use the form "I do" for wedding vows? Is that really the best form for a covenant oath?
But really, I'm in no position to judge. I used the Book of Common Prayer vows for my wedding, which involves the promise to 'worship' my wife. I distinctly remember Tim VB talking me into this. I kept saying "But Tim, aren't there commandments against this?" And he just said "Nah, do it!"
I'm easily led astray.
What about you, did you vow anything interesting to your spouse?
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“Just thinking about it makes me smile…”
I've just listened to a seminar on hospitality.
- Some verses on why we should
- Some more verses as examples from the bible.
- Then testimony after testimony from couples who grew up in hospitable homes, who rejoice to welcome people into their families and can't help smiling even at the thought of hospitality.
And in the midst of my admiration, bemusement and self-condemnation, the penny dropped. Ohhh, I thought, so this is how most people feel sitting through those evangelism courses I lap up!
Christ is God’s election in human flesh
Athanasius... declares that Christ the eternal Son is the “living will” of the Father, and as such His Advent is the advent of the decree, God’s choice, in human flesh. (Peter Leithart)
Is God's election secret or revealed? Both. It's hidden. But hidden in Christ - Matthew 11:25-28:
25At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
27"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Christmas is the advent of God's eternal decree - Christ Himself. Lay hold of Him and you lay hold of God's eternal choice.
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Now that’s a wedding sermon
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