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Published on Leave a comment on Luther’s Theology of the Word – 3 Sessions

Luther Preaching

“Christ is completely wrapped in the Scriptures, just as the babe is wrapped in swaddling clothes. Preaching is the manger in which he lies and is apprehended, and from which we take our food.” -- Luther's Sermon on Luke 2

“Even if Christ were given for us and crucified a thousand times it would all be vain if the Word of God were absent and were not distributed and given to me with the bidding, this is for you, take what is yours.” (LW 40, 213)

I believe a return to Luther's theology of the Word might be the most powerful catalyst for change our churches could experience. Luther would have us proclaim Christ with a confidence and liberty which would be utterly transformative.

I ran these seminars for the Staff Team of UCCF Wales. I discuss issues like...

Luther's three-fold understanding of God's Word

The Ministry of the Keys

The Real Presence of Jesus in Proclamation

Law-Gospel preaching

Christ-focused proclamation

 

HANDOUT

POWERPOINT

AUDIO SESSION 1

AUDIO SESSION 2

AUDIO SESSION 3

I also recommended this paper by David Lotz as preparatory reading

Published on Leave a comment on Happy Friday

For those unfamiliar with cricket, this might not be the best introduction. Mark Armitage's classic 2-ball innings begins at 2:00...

Some more bad lip reading (not as fresh as earlier efforts, but some good moment)

And to continue the toilet humour theme...

Finally, here's tweeting at its best and worst...

More here.

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Published on 1 Comment on The Priesthood of Christ and Your Relationship With God

Repost

How much thought do you give to the Priesthood of Jesus?  It seems to me to be a much neglected teaching.  But it’s absolutely crucial, especially when thinking about mental illness.

What’s it all about?  Well here’s Job, Paul and the writer to the Hebrews…

“Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.”  (Job 16:18-20)

“Christ Jesus… is also interceding for us.”  (Romans 8:34)

“Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”  (Hebrews 7:25)

According to the bible we have a Friend in high places.  And He’s praying for us.  Continually.

I remember speaking at a prayer meeting and beginning with these words “You’re all late to prayers.”  One person who’d only just stolen in at the back spoke up sheepishly, “Sorry I had car trouble…”  I said, “You’re not the only one late.  I was late.  Everyone was late.  We are all always late to prayers.  Before we ever think to pray, Jesus has already been offering up to the Father the perfect prayer, the perfect obedience, the perfect worship, the perfect love.  He has been doing it in our place and on our behalf.  And He always will.  Any prayers we pray are just the Amen to His perfect prayer.”

In other words, Jesus is our Priest.  And He will continue to be our Priest forever. Our whole lives are offered up to the Father perfectly by Jesus, no matter where we are or what we are doing.

That’s crucial when dealing with depression or with any kind of dark time.  When it seems impossible to pray, when I don’t even want to pray, Jesus is praying for me.  When my heart is as hard as nails towards God, Jesus is the true Man after God’s heart.  When my internal world is completely chaotic, Jesus is my peace.  And He always lives to intercede for me.  My status before God is not me – it’s Him!

Therefore when times are hard and my heart’s a mess, my hope is not in sorting myself out.  My hope is not in me rising above it all.  My hope is seated far above my stormy circumstances and He is immovably secure.

Emma and I have a friend who wrote to us with a letter addressed to God.  It was full of mixed emotions – wanting to serve God yet feeling completely unworthy.  On the one hand she had great love for God but on the other, terrible anger and feelings of distance and loneliness.  It was an unresolved tension throughout her prayer.  Extremely presumptuously, I wrote a reply to her as Jesus.  It was His Priesthood that I really wanted to communicate.  Here’s what I wrote (in Jesus’ name):

Dear Lucy,

I hear you.  I know you.  I’m for you.

In the midst of your darkness and pain and in the midst of your sin I hear you, I know you and I’m for you.
I have you on my heart before the Father and I pray for you.  Constantly.  However you feel and however you rebel, you are secure before the throne of God.  I’ve got you.

I offer to God the perfect praise, the perfect sacrifice, the perfect obedience, in your name and on your behalf.

You are more than forgiven Lucy.  Your sins have been covered, cleansed and removed as far as the east is from the west.  My work on the cross was complete.  There’s nothing between you and God now.  Only me.  And I am keeping you together.  I will do that forever – I will never leave you or forsake you.

When you feel unable to pray – I am praying for you.
When you feel far from God – I am lifting you to Him.
When you wallow in the darkness – I’ve got you in the light.
When you sin – I am bearing the wounds of your forgiveness.
When you cut – I am robing you in righteousness and love.

I am yours forever,
Jesus

The Priesthood of Christ lifts us out of ourselves and allows us to take our eyes off our own stuck-ness.  Even if we don’t feel it, that’s ok.  It’s true.  Far above and beyond our own hearts it is true.  So then, let’s allow ourselves to be told the truth:

Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong, a perfect Plea,
A Great High Priest Whose name is love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

Published on Leave a comment on Fear of Storms

hurricane 2Part of the covenant curses...

I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a wind-blown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them. (Leviticus 26:36)

Astraphobia (fear of thunderstorms) is the third most prevalent phobia in the US.

Emporer Caligula would hide under his bed during thunderstorms.

Horace, the poet, was reclaimed from atheism by the terror of thunder and lightning.

Mohammed was famously afraid of strong winds, fearing Allah's judgement.

Pre-conversion, Martin Luther, in fear for his life, vowed to enter a monastry during a storm.

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’

28 ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’

29 ‘Come,’ he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’  (Matthew 14:22-33)

 

 

 

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Published on 3 Comments on Adam in Evangelism

AdamChristIn our latest podcast we talk about Adam. Doesn't he complicate evangelism? Why discuss him?

The first thing to say is that 321 is not meant to be an inductive argument. It's not about getting agreement from people about the basics and working towards Jesus. It's simply about inviting the non-Christian into the Christian story and asking them to look around it from the inside.

I certainly do not expect agreement at the outset (otherwise I wouldn't begin with THREE!) What I want to do is paint a picture and ask the non-Christian to suspend disbelief for a few minutes while I explain the gospel.

Once I've explained the logic of Adam and Christ (perhaps from 1 Corinthians 15:21-22), then I can say something along the lines of...

"Do you understand the logic of the story - i.e. that Adam fell but Christ rose? If you get the logic then, sure, I completely understand your problem with Adam. But let's talk about Christ because, as you can see, the two are linked. I know you don't believe it, but the central Christian claim is that Christ rose. Let's examine whether Christ rose or not (from 1 Corinthians 15). If He rose, then Adam fell."

I am well aware that Adam is not a great stepping stone to Christ :)  But then, nothing is a good stepping stone to Christ. Christ makes the bridge Himself.

Once again... we begin with THREE (and with creation and Adam) not because we're seeking to get agreement from the outset. We begin here because that's where the Christian story begins. And we beg the non-Christian's indulgence to let us finish the story.

If the non-Christian wants verification of the story's truth - we point to Christ and His resurrection from the dead. If Christ rose, the story is true (and Adam fell). If He didn't rise then the story is just a fairytale and we can forget it all.

In all this I'm saying "Don't get too hung up on the Adam question. Adam does not vindicate the story, the story vindicates Adam". But as we discuss these things, I find that non-Christians really get the emotional impact of Adam. Seeing humanity as a family, seeing how the whole family tree has been corrupted from the outset, seeing the disconnected state we're all naturally in, this all makes a heck of a lot of emotional sense. The wonder of Christ entering in to this mess to address our problems from the inside. That's a wonderfully attractive proposition. Play on that. And then let Jesus vindicate Adam (not the other way around.)

I speak more extensively about Adam and evangelism here and here.

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Published on 1 Comment on Podcast: Adam in Evangelism? And Original Sin? Really?

TEP-PodcastCover-1024x1024

In the previous episode  we discussed THREE (Trinity). That's the first truth of 321. In this podcast we talk about TWO (Adam and Christ).

Here we'll discuss whether Adam complicates or clarifies our evangelism.

Surely - you might think - Adam introduces more problems than he solves. Well, down through the centuries, the church has stood solidly on the ground of Adam's historical existence. And we have stood on the doctrine of original sin. Why? Because the gospel falls apart without these truths.

So how do we speak of them without being led down a thousand conversational cul-de-sacs?

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SUBSCRIBE

 

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Published on 13 Comments on New Birth is In Christ

TFTEmma's written a great post on what people look for in conversion experiences.  It reminded me of this wonderful sermon by Tom Torrance on John 3.

Here he lays into the modern (20th century) notion of defining the new birth psychologically. Instead we must see regeneration - along with every other aspect of the Christian life - as something found in Christ.

We all know that our forgiveness, adoption, righteousness, election, holiness and redemption are found in Jesus. We ought to know that our new birth is found there too.  It is not a prior experience outside of Jesus which then brings us to Christ. It is the new life which Christ pioneered through His life, death and resurrection.  It is the begotten life of the Spirit which Christ eternally possessed and now shares with those who are His.

Therefore we do not find our conversion in ourselves but in Him. And we do not offer a conversion experience but a Christ who converts.

The implications of this for our discipleship and evangelism are far-reaching - perhaps I'll tease out more later - but for now let's just hear TFT...

 

Behind all that Jesus has been saying there lies the fact of His own birth and incarnation. All that Jesus has said in fact about the new birth refers ultimately to His own birth. He is the only begotten Son of God, and it is in Him that our humanity... is born again out of the old Adam into the new. In other words it is in Christ and through Christ only that we are born again.

...This is not very easy for us to understand today, because we have turned the new birth or conversion into a carnal experience of the soul, and have identified it with a psychological event in our lives. This makes it all the more imperative for us to listen carefully to Jesus here, and to look above and beyond our own historical or psychological experience and find the significance of our new birth in Christ Himself. Christ is the only one, strictly speaking, who is born of the Spirit from above, but He gives the right to all who receive and believe in Him or are baptised in His name to become sons of God - that is, not in their own name but in Christ's Name. Christ Himself is the truth and reality of our new birth...

We must learn to take refuge even from our experiences of conversion, or of new birth, in Christ and find in His birth and in His resurrection the truth and reality of ours...

...In Jesus Christ, from His birth to His death and resurrection, there took place the great "conversion" of our humanity, and its destiny, back to God.

...If we look into our hearts and lives we see how corrupt they still are, how desperately wicked we are, and indeed the nearer we get to Christ the more sinful we feel and know ourselves to be. No, we cannot see our new birth by examining our spiritual experience psychologically, by looking within. We must learn to look away from ourselves to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, for we are dead, as St Paul says, and our life is hid with Christ in God.

This habit that modern people often have of thinking and speaking of the new birth as if it could be perceived in the soul and is something to be possessed in themselves is a great snare to many humble and earnest believers; it drives them to despair or turns them into hypocrites, for though they try to live up to "born again and converted" lived, they know secretly how sinful they are, and that considered in their deepest selves they are not new creatures. That is not the way of Jesus but the way of the Pharisees.
-- When Christ Comes, and Comes Again.

.

Here's a sermon of mine on John 3 which tries to make some of the same points in a more law-gospel kind of way. I.e. We must have this new birth. We can't conjure it up. But Jesus brings it down as a gift.

 

 

 

Published on Leave a comment on On and On with the Tweets

#AddaWordRuinaMovie Slum Dog. Millionaire Otter

#AddaWordRuinaMovie When Harry Met Sally Gunnell

#AddaWordRuinaMovie Batman Begins Pilates

#AddaWordRuinaMovie Die Hard Belieber. (Works as adjective OR imperative)

#AddaWordRuinAMovie Batman Yodels, Batman: Tax Returns, Batman Forever Itchy, Batman Begins Decoupage, Dark Knight Bakes, Dark Knight: Bread Rises

Our grace-fuelled response to God's grace-filled approach is LAW. *Christ's* response on our behalf is GOSPEL.

LAW = the righteous demand upon the living (that kills)
GOSPEL = the gracious promise to the dead (that brings life)

LAW = Life => Death
GOSPEL = Death => Life

LAW = Jesus my Coach
GOSPEL = Jesus my Champion

Genesis, Deuteronomy, Joshua end with deaths. Matthew, Mark, Luke & John end with resurrection. Revelation ends with the death of death

Christian, u will... eat from the tree of life, never taste the 2nd death, receive your true name from Jesus, rule the nations...

...u will... be acknowledged by all heaven, have God's name written on you & sit down with Christ to reign forever (Rev2-3) #EnjoyYourDay

Let's play a game. A tweeting game. I'll feed you the set-up, you tweet the punchline...

#AltogetherNow #FinishtheFunny If you like mange one...

@SirNeilGlen: you'll certainly like mange tout!

#AltogetherNow #FinishtheFunny No sir, smell aint comin from the new factory...

@sparticus: it's coming from the olfactory canal
#AltogetherNow #FinishtheFunny My friend won't lend me his Joseph Heller novel till I've read it!
@punditsfolly: that sounds like a catch 22 situation
#AltogetherNow #FinishtheFunny Might seem random, but which to choose... Euromillions, Thunderball?
It's a lottery

@SirNeilGlen: Not my cup of tea

#FinishtheFunny It might sound funny but my goat spends all its time having babies

Only kidding

What's your 'special possession': the thing u'd run into a burning building to rescue? For the Lord, it's YOU (1Pet2:9;3:18) #EnjoyYourDay

The best resourced parts of the global church are shrinking. The least resourced are growing. Yet how often we hope in The Next Big Resource

He turned away any who came to Him full, but to all who came empty Jesus gave grace upon grace. He hasn't changed. #EnjoyYourDay

What's the point of creation? God gives us our lives so He can give us His life. #GraceUponGrace

Feel you don't have it in you to be a Christian? You don't. But don't worry, it's all in Jesus (1Cor1:30) - and so are you #EnjoyYourDay

God gives us our false loves (Romans 1) then gives us His True Love (Romans 3). #GodisGiver #EvenInJudgement

"@NietzscheQuotes: In reality there has been only one Christian, and he died on the Cross. #Nietzsche" I like this a lot

The LORD's unfailing love&cleansing are not 4 the Ideal You. They're 4 the you that's been a sinner from birth (Psalm 51:1-9) #EnjoyYourDay

Preachers don’t ‘stand in the gap’. They stand in an already-flowing stream. They don’t draw out the living waters. The Scriptures overflow.

Preachers don't 'make the bible come alive'. Preachers are enlivened *by* the Word.

A Decent Shepherd mends the fences. What kind of Shepherd DIES 4 sheep? Jesus. And He rises 2 know u & give u life 2 the full #EnjoyYourDay

What's that? Do I like to Rock? Let me put it this way, I never hibernate my PC. I Shut Down in a Blaze of Glory. That answer your question?

0K magazine leaves me absolutely cold.

Times Knew Roman... A Font of Wisdom

Sorry, I know you deserve a higher Calibri of pun, but no need to get all AdversArial about it.

These font gags are Sans Comic :(

Is it just me or is solipsism nuts?

What is 'vicarious research'? Asking for a friend.

#AddaWordRuinaChristianBook When I don't desire Desiring God, The Well Good God, The Unquenchable Flamethrower, If God, Then What Japes?

"Working for the church while your life falls apart. Singin' hallelujah with the fear in your heart." #Powerful Arcade Fire

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Published on 1 Comment on Happy Friday

Some photos for you:

Carlton

Don't forget the ultimate dance collection here.

6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon (by Notorious B.A.R.R.Y.)

6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon

 

Terrible Real Estate Agent Photos click here for more

Terrible Estate Agent Photos

 

Excellent scene from the Trip:

100 'Cuss Words' by Tim Hawkins (Christians swear by them)

And to finish, two maulings from Newsnight guests:

The last word goes to the Cookie Monster...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW17LiAuHcc&noredirect=1

 

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