Once upon a time there was a family of balloons - daddy balloon, mummy balloon and baby balloon. And the time came when the parent balloons decided that baby balloon needed to sleep in his own bed, as he was getting too big to come into their bed at night.
So one night mummy balloon tucked baby balloon in his own bed, and told him lovingly but firmly that he was not to come into mummy and daddy balloons' bed that night.
In the night, baby balloon woke up, and wanted to get into his parents' bed. So he crept quietly into their room, and tried to climb in between them. But there wasn't room. So he thought for a bit, and then he quietly undid the knot on daddy balloon and let a bit of air out. Then he tried to squeeze in - but there still wasn't room. So he undid the knot on mummy balloon and let some air out. Then he tried to squeeze in - but the gap was just too small. So he undid the knot on himself, and let some air out of himself. Now he was small enough to fit in, so he climbed in between his parents. But in doing so, he woke mummy and daddy balloon up. Daddy balloon asked what had happened, and baby balloon shamefacedly told them.
Daddy balloon was cross.
He said: 'I'm very disappointed in you, baby balloon. Not only have you let me and your mother down, but you've let yourself down too!'
Thursday 24 May 2007
Priorities
It's exam time at the moment, so perhaps time for a challenging reminder - this comes from one of the women who helps at our youth group here.
A fortnight ago at youth group we were thinking about reading the Bible, and some of the 'yoof' said they didn't have time to read their Bibles at home, they had too much else on - school, homework, sports clubs, drama, etc.
'What's your priority in life - to know God or to do well at worldly stuff?' she asked them.
'To know God,' came back the answer.
'Well if that really were the case, that would show itself in how you use your time. If knowing God is really your priority, you'd make time, even give things up, so that you read his Word each day.'
I imagine the reply began with 'But'. 'But' is a dangerous word - it's normally the beginning of an excuse. No buts. That youth leader was right - if knowing God is your priority, you'll make time to read his Word (even when exams are on). No ifs. No buts. Just change.
A fortnight ago at youth group we were thinking about reading the Bible, and some of the 'yoof' said they didn't have time to read their Bibles at home, they had too much else on - school, homework, sports clubs, drama, etc.
'What's your priority in life - to know God or to do well at worldly stuff?' she asked them.
'To know God,' came back the answer.
'Well if that really were the case, that would show itself in how you use your time. If knowing God is really your priority, you'd make time, even give things up, so that you read his Word each day.'
I imagine the reply began with 'But'. 'But' is a dangerous word - it's normally the beginning of an excuse. No buts. That youth leader was right - if knowing God is your priority, you'll make time to read his Word (even when exams are on). No ifs. No buts. Just change.
Taking the blame
So, after last night's Champions League final (if you don't like football, read on anyway, it's not really about that), the usual recriminations have begun. UEFA are criticising the Liverpool fans who stormed a barrier outside the stadium. The fans are blaming the police who used tear gas on them. The media are blaming UEFA for not having proper ticketing procedures. UEFA in turn are blaming the fans who travelled to Athens (where the game was) without tickets. One thing's for sure - no-one's going to stand up and say 'Yup, it was my fault. I'm to blame.'
We live in a blame-shifting society, if you think about it. People always try to show it was someone else's fault. It's a natural human trait - you watch a five-year-old caught in the act of hitting someone else try to blame everyone else. It happens so often we don't really notice - when was the last time you heard a politician come on TV and say 'Yes, it was my fault. I'm to blame. This mess was caused mainly by me'?
Our natural reaction is always to shift the blame. It's what Adam and Eve did when they ate the forbidden fruit and committed the first act of rebellion against God - Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the snake. But actually, seeking to move the fault onto others is exhausting (how tiring is it to think up and stick to excuses?)...and ultimately, according to the Bible, it's pointless.
The opening chapters of Romans address people who have all sorts of excuses for why God shouldn't be angry at them for sinning. It's not their fault...they didn't know...someone else is worse anyway...but one day God will no longer let anyone pass the buck. 'Every mouth may be silenced and the whole world (will be) held accountable to God' (Romans 3:19). One day, as people stand before God to be judged, all those excuses will stick in the throat, and all anyone will be able to say is 'Yes, I'm to blame. I've messed up. I've rebelled. It's my fault'.
How much more liberating, and sensible, to admit when we're at fault now. How wonderful to be able, today, not to try to pass the buck or make excuses, but to say to God, as Paul does, 'I am the worst of sinners.' As we look at ourselves, our thoughts and actions and words, we know we've messed up - we know, as Paul did, that we are sinners. Let's be honest, let's admit our sins, let's accept that we're to blame. No-one else. Us.
Because when we do that, and only when we do that, we're forgiven. As Paul says, 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst' (1 Timothy 1:15). That's wonderful - we admit we're to blame, but Christ came to take the blame! But he only does that for those who know and accept they're at fault, not for those who seek to pass the buck. In this culture of ours which seeks to blame everyone else but ourselves, as Christians let's be honest with ourselves, with others and most importantly with God. Let's acknowledge when we get things wrong, let's accept when we should take the blame, and let's turn to the God who forgives everyone who, like Paul, knows they're an awful sinner, and who knows that Jesus has come to save them.
We live in a blame-shifting society, if you think about it. People always try to show it was someone else's fault. It's a natural human trait - you watch a five-year-old caught in the act of hitting someone else try to blame everyone else. It happens so often we don't really notice - when was the last time you heard a politician come on TV and say 'Yes, it was my fault. I'm to blame. This mess was caused mainly by me'?
Our natural reaction is always to shift the blame. It's what Adam and Eve did when they ate the forbidden fruit and committed the first act of rebellion against God - Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the snake. But actually, seeking to move the fault onto others is exhausting (how tiring is it to think up and stick to excuses?)...and ultimately, according to the Bible, it's pointless.
The opening chapters of Romans address people who have all sorts of excuses for why God shouldn't be angry at them for sinning. It's not their fault...they didn't know...someone else is worse anyway...but one day God will no longer let anyone pass the buck. 'Every mouth may be silenced and the whole world (will be) held accountable to God' (Romans 3:19). One day, as people stand before God to be judged, all those excuses will stick in the throat, and all anyone will be able to say is 'Yes, I'm to blame. I've messed up. I've rebelled. It's my fault'.
How much more liberating, and sensible, to admit when we're at fault now. How wonderful to be able, today, not to try to pass the buck or make excuses, but to say to God, as Paul does, 'I am the worst of sinners.' As we look at ourselves, our thoughts and actions and words, we know we've messed up - we know, as Paul did, that we are sinners. Let's be honest, let's admit our sins, let's accept that we're to blame. No-one else. Us.
Because when we do that, and only when we do that, we're forgiven. As Paul says, 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst' (1 Timothy 1:15). That's wonderful - we admit we're to blame, but Christ came to take the blame! But he only does that for those who know and accept they're at fault, not for those who seek to pass the buck. In this culture of ours which seeks to blame everyone else but ourselves, as Christians let's be honest with ourselves, with others and most importantly with God. Let's acknowledge when we get things wrong, let's accept when we should take the blame, and let's turn to the God who forgives everyone who, like Paul, knows they're an awful sinner, and who knows that Jesus has come to save them.
Verse of the week
'What does this mean?' Acts 2:12
This Sunday is the Sunday when churches remember the Day of Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit first came to dwell in all of God's people. Ever since that day, shortly after Jesus ascended back to heaven, every single Christian, regardless of age, race or sex, has had God the Spirit dwelling in them. That's the closeness of the relationship we enjoy with our Creator God - he lives in us.
That's a great privilege - it's also a great challenge. When the first Christians received the Holy Spirit, he enabled them to speak various languages so they could chat to foreign people staying in Jerusalem. And that work of the Spirit amazed everyone who saw and heard the Christians, causing them to ask 'What does this mean?' The conduct of the Spirit-filled Christians prompted people to want to know what it was that made such a difference, and gave them a chance to tell people about Jesus.
So there's the challenge...as Christians, as Spirit-filled people, would people look at the way we behave and speak and say 'They are different. They've got something I haven't got. What does this mean?' One of the works of the Spirit is to enable Christians to live differently, so that others might see the attractiveness of a Spirit-filled life and want to know more. In our culture, increasingly anti-Christian, it's more important than ever that we don't only welcome the privilege of being Spirit-filled people, but accept the challenge too, and allow God's Spirit to work in us and through us so that people will see us and ask 'What does this mean?'
This Sunday is the Sunday when churches remember the Day of Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit first came to dwell in all of God's people. Ever since that day, shortly after Jesus ascended back to heaven, every single Christian, regardless of age, race or sex, has had God the Spirit dwelling in them. That's the closeness of the relationship we enjoy with our Creator God - he lives in us.
That's a great privilege - it's also a great challenge. When the first Christians received the Holy Spirit, he enabled them to speak various languages so they could chat to foreign people staying in Jerusalem. And that work of the Spirit amazed everyone who saw and heard the Christians, causing them to ask 'What does this mean?' The conduct of the Spirit-filled Christians prompted people to want to know what it was that made such a difference, and gave them a chance to tell people about Jesus.
So there's the challenge...as Christians, as Spirit-filled people, would people look at the way we behave and speak and say 'They are different. They've got something I haven't got. What does this mean?' One of the works of the Spirit is to enable Christians to live differently, so that others might see the attractiveness of a Spirit-filled life and want to know more. In our culture, increasingly anti-Christian, it's more important than ever that we don't only welcome the privilege of being Spirit-filled people, but accept the challenge too, and allow God's Spirit to work in us and through us so that people will see us and ask 'What does this mean?'
Thursday 17 May 2007
The gospel according to Robbie
I'm currently trying to put together a sermon series based on Robbie Williams' songs, comparing Robbie's view on life to God's view in the Bible. It's interesting how much Robbie talks about God and about death and about love in his songs - it's also very sad how far he seems to be from understanding what God and death and love are really all about (though he did sit near a friend of mine in a church in NY once...)
Anyway, thinking about Robbie got me thinking about the celebrity lifestyle which is in our faces day after day, and which affects how we each live, particularly if we're at school or university. What does the celebrity lifestyle tell you about how to live? Have sex with lots of good-looking people, settling down forever is just dull, drugs are fine as long as you don't take too many (and if you do, you'll probably get to go out with a supermodel like Pete Docherty); live for the moment, live for yourself, that's how to be happy in life.
But hold on a minute...before we adopt this lifestyle (and I recently heard of someone I know who's given up on the Christian life because it's too restrictive, they just want to live this kind of celebrity-driven, live for the moment lifestyle for a bit until they're older) it's worth thinking about where it leads. After all, if you want to know if a diet works, you look for the effect it's had on people; if you want to know whether you'll look good in a new top, you think about how you'll look in it before you buy it, not after.
So, let's take Robbie. He's slept with some of the most glamorous, good-looking girls in the world; he's experimented with virtually every substance known to man; he's hugely rich; he's hugely famous and popular; he has lived for the moment and lived for himself.
Last February he went into rehab. For depression. Seems it wasn't such a great life after all.
And of course, he's not the only one. Think Britney Spears. Think George Michael. The list goes on...seems it's not such a great life after all.
Jesus, on the other hand, tells us that he's come so that people can have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). The lifestyle he offers might at first glance look 'restrictive' or 'boring' compared to Robbie's, but think about the result. It leads to eternal life in heaven. It leads to security in life on earth; you know you're loved, you know you're valued, and you'll have friends (family, in fact) in every single city on earth. You'll know that in everything God is working for your good. You'll never need to worry about death (not like Robbie). You'll never need to worry about life.
The gospel according to Robbie is pushed onto us by so many magazines and TV shows - it's not surprising we're sometimes tempted to listen. But there's only one gospel which leads to life, to contentment, to security, rather than to depression, rehab, death...and that's the gospel according to Jesus Christ.
I'm praying for Robbie Williams, that he would come to find the life to the full which Jesus offers; and I'm praying for all those Christians I know who are surrounded by the gospel according to Robbie day after day, that they would always remember to look where that lifestyle leads, and stick with the full and eternal life which only Jesus offers.
Anyway, thinking about Robbie got me thinking about the celebrity lifestyle which is in our faces day after day, and which affects how we each live, particularly if we're at school or university. What does the celebrity lifestyle tell you about how to live? Have sex with lots of good-looking people, settling down forever is just dull, drugs are fine as long as you don't take too many (and if you do, you'll probably get to go out with a supermodel like Pete Docherty); live for the moment, live for yourself, that's how to be happy in life.
But hold on a minute...before we adopt this lifestyle (and I recently heard of someone I know who's given up on the Christian life because it's too restrictive, they just want to live this kind of celebrity-driven, live for the moment lifestyle for a bit until they're older) it's worth thinking about where it leads. After all, if you want to know if a diet works, you look for the effect it's had on people; if you want to know whether you'll look good in a new top, you think about how you'll look in it before you buy it, not after.
So, let's take Robbie. He's slept with some of the most glamorous, good-looking girls in the world; he's experimented with virtually every substance known to man; he's hugely rich; he's hugely famous and popular; he has lived for the moment and lived for himself.
Last February he went into rehab. For depression. Seems it wasn't such a great life after all.
And of course, he's not the only one. Think Britney Spears. Think George Michael. The list goes on...seems it's not such a great life after all.
Jesus, on the other hand, tells us that he's come so that people can have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). The lifestyle he offers might at first glance look 'restrictive' or 'boring' compared to Robbie's, but think about the result. It leads to eternal life in heaven. It leads to security in life on earth; you know you're loved, you know you're valued, and you'll have friends (family, in fact) in every single city on earth. You'll know that in everything God is working for your good. You'll never need to worry about death (not like Robbie). You'll never need to worry about life.
The gospel according to Robbie is pushed onto us by so many magazines and TV shows - it's not surprising we're sometimes tempted to listen. But there's only one gospel which leads to life, to contentment, to security, rather than to depression, rehab, death...and that's the gospel according to Jesus Christ.
I'm praying for Robbie Williams, that he would come to find the life to the full which Jesus offers; and I'm praying for all those Christians I know who are surrounded by the gospel according to Robbie day after day, that they would always remember to look where that lifestyle leads, and stick with the full and eternal life which only Jesus offers.
Verse of the week
'Now take off your ornaments' Exodus 33:5
Every now and then I come across a verse that has made no impression on me when I've read it before but I suddenly see what it's on about (usually helped by someone else pointing it out to me in very simple language). Exodus 33:5 is one such verse.
The action is taking place at the bottom of Mount Sinai, after God's rescued his people from Egypt. Moses went up the mountain to get the Ten Commandments, but the people below got bored and decided to make an idol, which God had expressly told them not to do, and worship this golden calf they'd made. They deliberately disobeyed God. God, understandably, was pretty angry, and many of those who were involved died. It looks like the relationship between God and God's people is over; divorce seems to be the likely outcome.
Where do 'ornaments', or jewellery, come into all this? Why does God tell his unfaithful people to take their ornaments off? Is this a divine prohibition on necklaces, bracelets etc?!
No...the key to understanding it is that to make the golden calf, God's people had used their earrings. They'd used their some of their ornaments to sin against God...and yet they were still wearing them! It's almost as though they still want to leave themselves the possibility of sinning in this way again. And so God says 'Take off your ornaments'. If there's to be any possibility of these people being forgiven for what they've done, they need to take steps to make sure they'll never do it again.
Aren't Christians today very much like the people of God then? How often do we sin, and say we're sorry, but not think about how we can stop it happening again? How often do we sin in the same way over and over again, never making sure we don't get into that particular situation or thought process? We're like an alcoholic who goes to a pub and then is surprised that he gets drunk.
God says to us today - 'Take off your ornaments'. Which sins are you struggling with? Identify them, and then think hard about how you can make sure you don't do the things which cause you to do that sin, or don't speak in the way which leads to that sin. Elton John once sang 'Sorry seems to be the hardest word' - well it isn't...it's easy to say, but not so easy to do anything about. Take off your ornaments.
Every now and then I come across a verse that has made no impression on me when I've read it before but I suddenly see what it's on about (usually helped by someone else pointing it out to me in very simple language). Exodus 33:5 is one such verse.
The action is taking place at the bottom of Mount Sinai, after God's rescued his people from Egypt. Moses went up the mountain to get the Ten Commandments, but the people below got bored and decided to make an idol, which God had expressly told them not to do, and worship this golden calf they'd made. They deliberately disobeyed God. God, understandably, was pretty angry, and many of those who were involved died. It looks like the relationship between God and God's people is over; divorce seems to be the likely outcome.
Where do 'ornaments', or jewellery, come into all this? Why does God tell his unfaithful people to take their ornaments off? Is this a divine prohibition on necklaces, bracelets etc?!
No...the key to understanding it is that to make the golden calf, God's people had used their earrings. They'd used their some of their ornaments to sin against God...and yet they were still wearing them! It's almost as though they still want to leave themselves the possibility of sinning in this way again. And so God says 'Take off your ornaments'. If there's to be any possibility of these people being forgiven for what they've done, they need to take steps to make sure they'll never do it again.
Aren't Christians today very much like the people of God then? How often do we sin, and say we're sorry, but not think about how we can stop it happening again? How often do we sin in the same way over and over again, never making sure we don't get into that particular situation or thought process? We're like an alcoholic who goes to a pub and then is surprised that he gets drunk.
God says to us today - 'Take off your ornaments'. Which sins are you struggling with? Identify them, and then think hard about how you can make sure you don't do the things which cause you to do that sin, or don't speak in the way which leads to that sin. Elton John once sang 'Sorry seems to be the hardest word' - well it isn't...it's easy to say, but not so easy to do anything about. Take off your ornaments.
Thursday 3 May 2007
Verse of the week
'And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words' 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18
Encouraging other Christians is not just a polite request in the Bible, it's a command. We are to encourage each other. It sounds an obvious thing to say, but then if we think about how often we encourage Christians we know to keep trusting in Jesus, do we really do it all that much? When was the last time you encouraged someone you know? Encouragement isn't just the job of the church leaders, or of older Christians...it's a command for everyone.
What should we say to encourage each other? Well this verse gives us one great encouragement that we should share - 'we will be with the Lord forever.' Paul is talking of the day Christ returns to this world, returns in glory and power to bring about his perfect recreated world. That is the day that Christians, living and dead, will receive perfect bodies, see Jesus face to face, and live with him and with each other forever. If we're not encouraged by knowing that that is what the future holds for us, then we won't be encouraged by anything!
So why not, this week, aim to encourage at least one Christian you know with these words? Who is it you know who's struggling in their faith, or facing a difficult time in life? Encourage them with these words - help them to look forward to the day when we'll be with Christ forever.
Encouraging other Christians is not just a polite request in the Bible, it's a command. We are to encourage each other. It sounds an obvious thing to say, but then if we think about how often we encourage Christians we know to keep trusting in Jesus, do we really do it all that much? When was the last time you encouraged someone you know? Encouragement isn't just the job of the church leaders, or of older Christians...it's a command for everyone.
What should we say to encourage each other? Well this verse gives us one great encouragement that we should share - 'we will be with the Lord forever.' Paul is talking of the day Christ returns to this world, returns in glory and power to bring about his perfect recreated world. That is the day that Christians, living and dead, will receive perfect bodies, see Jesus face to face, and live with him and with each other forever. If we're not encouraged by knowing that that is what the future holds for us, then we won't be encouraged by anything!
So why not, this week, aim to encourage at least one Christian you know with these words? Who is it you know who's struggling in their faith, or facing a difficult time in life? Encourage them with these words - help them to look forward to the day when we'll be with Christ forever.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)