Are you going to finish strong? Nick Vujicic

My good friend Patrick Troughton sent me this video clip of a most remarkable man called Nick Vujicic. As you can see from the clip he has no arms and legs, yet he is, to use his own words, 'so full of verve'. God came into his life when he was fifteen years old and has used him to bring hope and inspiration to millions around the world.I have posted a short biography of him below (from Wiki) and hope you will find it inspirational.AK

Nick Vujicic (born December 4, 1982) is a preacher, a motivational speaker and the director of Life Without Limbs, an organization for the physically disabled. He regularly gives speeches across the world on the subject of disability and hope.

Early life
The first-born child in his devout Serbian Christian family, Nick Vujicic was born in Melbourne, Australia with the rare Tetra-amelia disorder: limbless, missing both arms at shoulder level, and having one small foot with two toes protruding from his left thigh. Initially, his parents were devastated. Vujicic was otherwise healthy.


Growing up
His life was filled with difficulties and hardships. One was not being able to attend a mainstream school because of his physical disability, as the law of Australia required, even though he was not mentally impaired. During his schooling, the laws were changed, and Nick was one of the first disabled students to be migrated to a mainstream school. He learned to write using the two toes on his left "foot," and a special device that slid onto his big toe to grip. He also learned to use a computer and type using the "heel and toe" method (as demonstrated in his speeches). He can also throw tennis balls and answer the phone. He can also shave and get a glass of water (also demonstrated in speeches).


Epiphany
Being bullied at his school, Nick grew extremely depressed, and by the age of eight, started contemplating suicide. After begging God to grow arms and legs, Nick eventually began to realize that his accomplishments were inspirational to many, and began to thank God he was alive. A key turning point in his life was when his mother showed him a newspaper article about a man dealing with severe disability. This led him to realize he wasn't the only one with major struggles. When he was seventeen, he started to give talks at his prayer group, and eventually started his non-profit organization, Life Without Limbs.

Career
Nick graduated from college at the age of 21 with a double major in Accounting and Financial Planning. He began his travels as a motivational speaker, focusing on the topics that today's teenagers face. He also speaks in the corporate sector, although his aim is to become an international inspirational speaker, in both Christian and non-Christian venues. He regularly travels internationally to speak to Christian congregations, schools, and corporate meetings. He has spoken to over two million people so far, in twelve countries on four continents (Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America).

By the age of 25, Nick hoped to become financially independent. He wishes to promote his words through television shows such as the The Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as by writing books. His first book, planned for completion by the end of 2009, is to be called No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!

His motivational DVD, Life's Greater Purpose, is available on the Life Without Limbs website.[8] Most of the DVD was filmed in 2005, featuring a brief documentary about his home life, and how he does regular things without limbs. The second part of the DVD was filmed at his local church in Brisbane, and was one of his first professional motivational speeches. His motivational speeches can be seen on the Premiere Speakers Bureau Website. Vujicic currently lives in California.

His secular DVD "No Arms, No Legs, No Worries" is available online through his corporate motivational speaking company "Attitude Is Altitude."

Nick's first worldwide television interview, featured on 20/20 (ABC) with Bob Cummings was aired on March 28, 2008.

'It is not the critic who counts':Who said this?

It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,
who strives valiantly;
who errs and comes short again and again;
because there is not effort without error and shortcomings;
but who does actually strive to do the deed;
who knows the great enthusiasm,
the great devotion,
who spends himself in a worthy cause,
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement
and who at the worst,if he fails,
at least he fails while daring greatly.
So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Another man who made a difference-George Verwer

If you have twenty minutes to spare, watch this. It is a video of George Verwer speaking the day after he received his honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Biola University.After the introduction you will hear George speak with great passion to the young graduates.I personally have been blessed by both his books and friendship over the years- he has never ceased to inspire me.But more than that,through the missionary organization he founded (O.M.), many thousands have been trained as evangelists with thousands more coming to know Christ through them.He was truly one man who made a massive difference.Catch his passion.

One man who made a difference-Oskar Schindler

This film clip is taken from the ending of the superb movie Schindler's list.The Allied forces have arrived in German occupied Czechoslovakia and Schindler must leave the factory, or be arrested, which he had used as a front to save his Jewish 'workers'. will be arrested. In this very emotional clip he is saying good bye to the Jews he had saved from the concentration camps,and death.He had saved about eleven hundred of them, but still he feels he could have done more.

Schindler was only one man. He was also a playboy who had become very wealthy due to the war, but by this stage, after almost a miraculous change, he had spent all his money on bribes protecting the Jews from the Nazis death camps.For this he was became a hero to the Jews for what he did. Those who were saved by him or who were part of later generations of those he had saved are known as Schindler's Jews.( See a short biography of Schindler as the first comment).

We too have only one life and each of us have the opportunity now to use it for good, today and for the rest of our lives. Let us pray each day for ourselves and others that we will be used by him:'Let your Kingdom come in us, let your will be done on earth in us as it is in heaven'.Christ said to his disciples:"My food,is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." We have only one life to do this, may we be his servants in the harvest field he has assigned for us.

Encouragement from Spurgeon

“These were potters, and those that lived among the plants and hedges: there they lived with the king for his work.”
1 Chronicles 4:23
POTTERS were not the very highest grade of workers, but “the king” needed potters, and therefore they were in royal service, although the material upon which they worked was nothing but clay. We, too, may be engaged in the most menial part of the Lord’s work, but it is a great privilege to do anything for “the king;” and therefore we will abide in our calling. The text tells us of those who dwelt among plants and hedges, having rough, rustic, hedging and ditching work to do. They may have desired to live in the city, amid its life, society,and refinement, but they kept their appointed places, for they also were doing the king’s work. The place of our habitation is fixed, and we are not to remove from it out of whim or to suit our fancy, but seek to serve the Lord in it, by being a blessing to those among whom we reside.

These potters and gardeners had royal company, for they dwelt “with the king” and although among hedges and plants, they dwelt with the king there. No lawful place, or gracious occupation, however mean, can debar us from communion with our divine Lord. In visiting hovels, swarming lodging-houses, workhouses, or jails, we may go with the king. In all works of faith we may count upon Jesus’ fellowship. It is when we are in His work that we may reckon upon His smile. All you unknown workers, who are occupied for your Lord amid the dirt and wretchedness of the lowest of the low, be of good cheer, for jewels have been found upon dunghills before now, earthen pots have been filled with heavenly treasure, and ill weeds have been transformed into precious flowers. Dwell with the King for His work, and when He writes His chronicles your name shall be recorded.
CHS

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize- for all those who feel like giving up

Wiki states that "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize" is a folk song that became influential during the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Although the song was composed as a hymn well before World War I, the lyrics to this version were written by civil rights activist Alice Wine in 1956. It is based on the traditional song, "Gospel Plow", also known as "Hold On", "Keep Your Hand on the Plow", and various permutations thereof.

This is a great song which I heard only yesterday for the first time. Imagine little Paul and Silas being in a song sung by such a Rock and Roll megastar as Mr Springsteen! It is an encouraging song that aims to lift us out of the 'slough of Despond'.Be encouraged by it therefore and hold on like Paul and Silas the intrepid missionaries who suffered so much!Ak


Paul and Silas bound in jail
Had no money for to go their bail
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Paul and Silas thought they was lost
Dungeon shook and the chains come off
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Freedom's name is mighty sweet
And soon we're gonna meet
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

I got my hand on the gospel plow
Won't take nothing for my journey now
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Only chain that a man can stand
Is that chain o' hand on hand
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

I'm gonna board that big greyhound
Carry the love from town to town
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on


Now only thing I did was wrong
Stayin' in the wilderness too long
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

The only thing we did was right
Was the day we started to fight
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

One, two!
(The only thing we did was wrong)
(Staying in the wilderness too long)
(Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on)

(The only thing we did was right)
(Was the day we started to fight)
(Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on)

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Hold on, hold on
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Ain't been to heaven but I been told
Streets up there are paved with gold

Missional Church Life: Jonathan Dodson

This a great post which gives ideas on how the church can be missional ( evangelistic, outgoing, inclusive,friendly to outsiders,Christ-like,unselfish) on a day to day basis in the world.The question we must ask ourselves is not: 'is it right' which most Christians would agree that it is, but rather 'am I prepared to pay the price'. It should also be said that many committed followers of Christ are often too busy with Church work, to even dare think about doing some of these things! We may have to therefore prioritise our time.Remember no one says on their death bed: 'If only I spent more hours at the office' and no Christian will ever say : 'If only I went to more committee meetings'! But they may say if only I had spent more time with my kids or wife,or in prayer, or reaching the lost. Think and pray it over this and see how you could be a little more 'missional'.AK


Eat with Non-Christians

We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal, invite a non-Christian friend. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversations. Have cookouts and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.

Walk, Don’t Drive

If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox or convenience store, walk to get mail or groceries. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations. Attract attention by walking the dog, carrying along a 6-pack to share, bringing the kids. Make friends. Get out of your house! Last night I spent an hour outside gardening with my family. We had good conversations with about four of our neighbors. Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Engage. Pray as you go. Save some gas, the planet, and some people.

Be a Regular

Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places at the same times. Get to know the staff. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of leftover pastries to our church 2-3 times a week. We use them for church gatherings and occasionally give them to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a regular.

Hobby with Non-Christians

Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try city league sports or local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons, such as sewing, piano, knitting, or tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.

Talk to Your Co-workers.

How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form moms’ groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively non-Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.

Volunteer with Non-Profits.

Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take a Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!

Participate in City Events

Instead of playing XBox, watching TV, or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, cleanups, summer shows, and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.

Serve Your Neighbors.

Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, or fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police and Fire Stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative. Just serve!

People get ready there's a train a coming

This is a great song sung by the late Eva Cassidy. It speaks of a simple gospel message:'all you need is faith'. Rightly understood it is correct, but it can often be abused and misinterpreted.Such sayings as:'Love God and do what you like'(Augustine) are of a similar genre as is Jesus' teaching 'to only believe' from John 3.16 and elsewhere.What is sure there is hope for the hopeless sinner who truly puts his trust in Christ and who will begin to be transformed by the life of Christ within.AK

'The wonder of His love.' Psalm 17.7

When we give our hearts with our alms, we give well, but we must often plead to a failure in this respect. Not so our Master and our Lord. His favours are always performed with the love of His heart. He does not send to us the cold meat and the broken pieces from the table of His luxury, but He dips our morsel in His own dish, and seasons our provisions with the spices of His fragrant affections.

When He puts the golden tokens of His grace into our palms, He accompanies the gift with such a warm pressure of our hand, that the manner of His giving is as precious as the boon itself. He will come into our houses upon His errands of kindness, and He will not act as some austere visitors do in the poor man's cottage, but He sits by our side, not despising our poverty, nor blaming our weakness.

Beloved, with what smiles does He speak! What golden sentences drop from His gracious lips! What embraces of affection does He bestow upon us! If He had but given us pennys, the way of His giving would have gilded them; but as it is, the costly alms are set in a golden basket by His pleasant carriage.

It is impossible to doubt the sincerity of His charity, for there is a bleeding heart stamped upon the face of all His gifts. He gives liberally and not grudgingly. Not one hint that we are burdensome to Him; not one cold look for His poor pensioners; but He rejoices in His mercy, and presses us to His heart while He is pouring out His life for us.

There is a fragrance in His spikenard which nothing but His heart could produce; there is a sweetness in His honey-comb which could not be in it unless the very essence of His soul's affection had been mingled with it. Oh! the rare communion which such singular heartiness He gives to us! May we continually taste and know the blessedness of it! C.H.S.

The Prodigal Daughter-Drama

I would encourage you to watch this amazing piece of drama. Though it starts slowly it gently building up to a most powerful finish.

UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING TO THE MUSLIM CHALLENGE

If you have 25 minutes to spare and want to understand and respond to the Muslim challenge I would encourage you to listen to this excellent video. It is clear that the speaker Phil Parshall who has spent some 40 years working among Muslims has a very great love for those of that faith.In this lecture he provides a short history of Islam and concludes that in order to reach them with the gospel the Church must contexualise the gospel and make it relevant to the people they seek to reach. AK

“We dwell in Him.”:1 John 4:13

DO you want a house for your soul? Do you ask, “What is the purchase?” It is something less than proud human nature will like to give. It is without money and without price. Ah! you would like to pay a respectable rent! You would love to do something to win Christ! Then you cannot have the house, for it is “without price.”

Will you take my Master’s house on a lease for all eternity, with nothing to pay for it, nothing but the ground-rent of loving and serving Him forever? Will you take Jesus, and “dwell in Him?” See, this house is furnished with all you want; it is filled with riches more than you will spend as long as you live. Here you can have intimate communion with Christ, and feast on His love; here are tables well stored with food for you to live on forever; in it, when weary, you can find rest with Jesus; and from it you can look out, and see heaven itself. Will you have the house?

Ah! if you are homeless, you will say, “I should like to have the house; but may I have it?” Yes; there is the key—the key is, “Come to Jesus.” “But,” you say, “I am too shabby for such a house.” Never mind; there are garments inside. If you feel guilty and condemned, come; and though the house is too good for you, Christ will make you good enough for the house. He will wash and clean you, and you will yet be able to sing, “We dwell in Him.” Believer! Three times happy you are to have such a dwelling-place! Greatly privileged you are, for you have a “strong fortress” in which you are forever safe. And, “dwelling in Him,” you not only have a perfect and secure house, but an everlasting one.

When this world shall have melted like a dream, our house shall live, and stand more imperishable than marble, more solid than granite, self-existent as God, for it is God Himself. “We dwell in Him.” CHS

The Presence of the Lord: Eric Clapton and Blind Faith.

There is something about this song that seems so authentic as regards an inner experience of God.It was written in 1969 and for a short time after this Eric Clapton claimed to have had a 'born again' experience.And sadly, though many declare as Eric did here :'I have finally found a way to live just like I never could before', like the Galatians, and virtually all of us inluding myself, though we start in the Spirit, we then trust in the flesh for our strength.

Many people have indeed been touched by God in a very personal way at one stage of their lives.Many are still 'going on' with God some are not.Some so called 'very sound'believers who have at one time tasted of God's presence however are living on the strength of their past experience. They now know more theology,they have done more evangelism, they have led more Bible study groups, they have even preached in churches, but, the closeness, the sweetness, the joy of that presence that they experienced 5,10,20,30 years ago is now but a distant memory.In short they have either lost their first love,or they have settled down to living the Christian life without his presence.Their Christian walk is purely in their heads but not in their hearts.

What a tragedy is this. If if this true of you my dear brother and sister-go now to Him, fall at his feet and He will take you into his heart-as Christ says of Himself:'I am lowly and gentle of heart and you will find rest for your souls.'Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow.As F.W.Faber declares:

God loves to be longed for, He loves to be sought,

For He sought us Himself with such longing and love;

He died for desire of us, marvelous thought!

And He longs for us now to be with Him above'

He calls you today:please heed His call.AK


Presence of the Lord
I have finally found a way to live just like I never could before.
I know that I dont have much to give, but I can open any door.
Everybody knows the secret, everybody knows the score.
I have finally found a way to live in the color of the lord.

I have finally found a place to live just like I never could before.
And I know I dont have much to give, but soon Ill open any door.
Everybody knows the secret, everybody knows the score.
I have finally found a place to live in the presence of the lord.
In the presence of the lord.

I have finally found a way to live just like I never could before.
And I know I dont have much to give, but I can open any door.
Everybody knows the secret, I said everybody knows the score.
I have finally found a way to live in the color of the lord.
In the color of the lord.

'GOD'S SHIP' : LOGOS HOPE IN BELFAST

Yesterday morning I made my way down to the Belfast docks to have breakfast on the O.M. (Operation Mobilization)missionary ship Logos Hope.To be honest, as I was driving up towards the docks and saw the ship, my breath was taken away. Then on greeting the OM-er at the gangway I got so emotional that I was nearly in tears as I gave him a hug ;so this was the great ship that I had heard so much about for so long: the ship that God gave George Verwer and his friends to bring Christ to the world!

The Logos Hope is funded by Christians throughout the world and at the moment the crew consists of Christians from 45 nationalities. The morning I spent there was a great blessing as I talked to the missionaries, listening to their stories about how God has used them to change the lives of those who are without hope, and also of course, buying a few books on their great bookshop(it is in fact is the largest floating bookshop in the world!)

If you are in Belfast this week,or hear that the Logos is in a Port near you in the future, please take the opportunity to pay them a visit and learn how they seek to bring hope to a world in pain and need.Below I have listed their three main purposes which was taken directly from their website.AK

THEIR PURPOSE-BRINGING KNOWLEDGE,HELP & HOPE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD

1.BRINGING KNOWLEDGE

Logos Hope visits port cities throughout the world, supplying vital literature resources, encouraging inter-cultural understanding, training young people for more effective life and service, promoting greater global awareness, providing practical aid and sharing a message of hope in God wherever there is opportunity.Aid and relief work, is an expression of God's love and concern for needy people. In terms of Logos Hope’s future destinations, this will include providing medical aid, construction projects, major donations of literature, as well as spontaneous gifts of food and clothing.

2.BRINGING HELP

Aid and relief work, is an expression of God's love and concern for needy people. In terms of Logos Hope’s future destinations, this will include providing medical aid, construction projects, major donations of literature, as well as spontaneous gifts of food and clothing.

Ship’s personnel will also be donating textbooks and reference volumes to schools, libraries, colleges and universities, distributing medical or food supplies, renovating clinics and orphanages, and assisting in the construction of schools and church buildings.

3.BRINGING HOPE
The Logos Hope community lives and works together on board as a practical outworking of their service for God. In today’s troubled world this example of harmony and unity among international diversity, is a powerful witness.

Each crew member has a personal, living faith in God, stemming from a restored relationship with Him, bringing hope, meaning and focus to his or her life. The ship community desires to share this message of hope in a restored relationship with God in the ports visited. This is done with greatest respect for and sensitivity towards the culture of the community hosting the ship.

Paul's final words to his prodigy: What can we learn from these today?

I can't impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don't ever quit. Just keep it simple.

You're going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They'll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you're doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God's servant.

You take over. I'm about to die, my life an offering on God's altar. This is the only race worth running. I've run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that's left now is the shouting—God's applause! Depend on it, he's an honest judge. He'll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming.


God be with you. Grace be with you.

Has Mark Driscoll gone into acting?

Sabretooth preparing to fight in the latest X-men film Wolverine.



Pastor Mark Driscoll preaching in Mars Hill church Seattle.

THE FINAL SAY IN THE BOOK OFJONAH: BROTHER ANDREW

"But the Lord said, 'You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?'" (Jonah 4:10-11).

God has the final say in the book of Jonah.

Jonah sulks next to the withered remains of a lush vine. The sun is hot. A scorching east wind buffets him. There is no air conditioning. No comfortable sofa to sit on. And Jonah doesn't like the drama playing out in front of him, but he can't change the channel. All he can do is listen to God's voice-over commentary.

Jonah believes he has rights. He has a right to some comfort. He has a right to that vine even though he didn't plant it or water it or fertilize it.

God believes the people of Nineveh have rights. They have a right to know that God is angry with them and has judged their wicked behavior. They also have a right to know that if they repent, God offers them grace. Nineveh has a right to know the way of salvation.

But Nineveh can never know of their rights unless Jonah gives up his right to live his own life in his own way.

So whose rights prevail? Jonah can go to the nursery and select another tree to plant for his shade and comfort. But if the Ninevites don't hear God's message, what hope do they have? They are lost!

It's a matter of perspective, and Jonah definitely has the wrong perspective. So God sets him straight.

I think also God desires for Jonah to feel just a little of what God feels for this city. God has compassion for Nineveh. For people who don't know their right hand from their left. Is he talking about the children? Or the mental and physical limitations of Ninevites? Or simply ignorant people? Jonah never asks.

God also has compassion for the animals. They are part of His creation. It was God who told Israel not to muzzle an ox while it is working, which produced Paul's statement, "Does God take care of the oxen?" (I Corinthians 9:9). Jonah, if you don't care for the people, shouldn't you at least care what happens to the animals?

When God stops speaking, Jonah has nothing to say. The book is finished. We are left to wonder about Jonah's reply. Nothing? Is Jonah listening? Is he rebuked and prepared to change his attitude? Or will he sit and continue to pout? Or perhaps he will run away again, turn his back on Nineveh, never pray for them, never follow-up on them to find out if their repentance led to a long-term transformation.

The choice is Jonah's.

The choice is ours.

Today we are left to wonder if we, God's people, will have any compassion for a lost world.

Who will defend Brian McLaren?

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this Reformed critique of Brian McLaren. Unfortunately in this discussion no one is here to defend him against these theological heavyweights -Any volunteers?

Or perhaps you agree with their assessment of postmodernism and the Emerging Church.State your case if you like.

Clever dog or what?

This amazing and most enjoyable clip is of a dog who doesn't want to get wet! Can you think of any spiritual lessons that we could learn from this?

He is Risen.

Were you there?

Christian theology teaches that we were all there - As Paul declared about himself: 'I have been crucified with Christ'. We all in fact must spiritually die with Chtist on the cross and from that experience something of His new life!

An Easter message from Colin Jenkins of the Seamens Christian Friends Society

May our prayers be with Colin and his family and all in this great society as they reach out to seamen throughout he world.AK

www.seasoulfood.blogspot.com
SCFS Update No. 28; March 2009


Dear friends and fellow workers,


Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation…”
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

150 years ago in Ireland in 1859 revival was the news everywhere. This year the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is encouraging its members to “Awake!” and to engage in both PRAYER AND MISSION. There is a beautiful worship song which says ‘a ship that's in the harbour is still and safe from harm; but it was not built to be there - it was made for wind and storm!’

Since Christmas I have been aboard a few ships ‘stranded’ in Cork because of the recession - the drop in demand has left a backlog of supply. One ship has an especially sad story. It's now been ‘safe in the harbour’ for a couple of months...but it's ‘dead in the water’. It's so sad to see a ship not doing what it was designed to do. The crew weren't being paid and had even run out of food. Eventually the Irish Port Authorities took the ship, repatriated the Ukrainian seamen and plan to sell the ship to reimburse the crew. The crew told me that many people came and took photos of their ship, but few even said hello! The ship's name is Defender, and there was a lot written in the papers about it. I have had lovely times aboard this ship with different crew members over the past 3 years. They have been so friendly and hospitable. The first time I boarded this 40 year old ship I was nervous. The ship is registered in Cambodia and it looked foreboding. I made my way down the steep gangway to the dimly lit mess room. Few at that time on board spoke English, but they told me how their ship had just escaped from a watery grave...it had almost sunk in strong winds in the North Sea and they had all been terrified. They cut their cargo of timber loose into the sea to lighten the ship.... Another time the ship had been arrested as a cigarette smuggler had been found on board, as well as the crew not being paid properly...
Every time I see this ship I imagine how grieved the owners are to have 'lost' their ship. It's not doing what it was designed for - GOING between ports and MAKING MONEY. As I reflected on this I became conscious of how grieved God also must be when we his children do not do as he wants. With the command ‘GO and MAKE DISCIPLES’[1] foremost in my mind I reasoned that just as ships are made to MOVE; to GO; and to MAKE MONEY, the purpose of the Church and of each believer is threefold:

TO BUILD UP – E.g. In Fellowship and Bible Study.
TO REACH UP - Prayer, and Worship, and
TO REACH OUT - Mission, witnessing and evangelism.[2]

It's wonderful to be spending the 150th anniversary of revivals in Ireland encouraging people To REACH UP to God and TO REACH OUT to others in PRAYER AND MISSION. This has been my privilege during my latest deputation during February and March. Thank you for all your prayer support during this time for Sunhwa, Aidan and I. What a joy to be told by a few folk that they pray faithfully for us every day! May God bless you richly! Meeting children (who gave beautiful Christmas presents and letters) and senior citizens (warm and colourful woolly hats etc) who are actively involved in helping us in Cork thrilled my heart! At my meetings I updated (and introduced for the first time in some churches) our mission and ministry here in Cork. In some churches I shared from Psalm 107 (the Seafarer’s Psalm) about the importance of REACHING UP and PRAYER. In others I shared from Jonah about the importance of REACHING OUT and MISSION (and having a heart free from prejudice and racism). God is so good. I never imagined that I would be able to stand in front of people and bring his word to them! With God all things are possible! Give thanks that he can use even me (and even you!)

I’ve also enjoyed wonderful opportunities on board different ships over the past 2 months; making new friends and keeping up with regular visitors. Nationalities met include: Filipino, German, Polish, Spanish, Korean, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Russian, Lithuanian, Latvian, English, Scottish, Irish, Croatian, Romanian, Ghanaians, Cape Verde, Indonesians, Hungarian, Dutch, Chinese, Kazakhstan and Burmese. The summer season is fast approaching when many cruise liners will come to Cork. Please pray for me to contact the right people and be granted access.


May God help us to all be like little ships carrying his great news to every creature and every nation.


Happy Easter!


With love in the Lord,


Colin, Sunhwa and Aidan Jenkins.

URGENT PRAYER NEEDED: SHI WEIHAN’S COURT HEARING RESCHEDULED TO THIS THURSDAY

On 20 March 2009 Shi was due to have his third court hearing but at the last minute the court unexpectedly, and without reason, postponed it. We have just heard that the hearing is due to take place this Thursday, 9 April at 9am (2am BST).

Shi has been in prison since 19 March 2008 and the court has twice rejected the police case against him due to insufficient evidence.

Please pray:

- That this Easter will be one which Shi will spend in freedom, with his family

- For justice to prevail and that the government and National Security Bureau comply with the law in Shi’s case

- Ask God to protect Shi’s lawyer and grant him the wisdom to know how to proceed.

Email me at akevangel@gmail.com if you would like further details about Shi’s situation.

Do all good dogs go to heaven?

This morning I took my 13 year old soft coated wheaten terrier (terrorist) to the vet to have him put down. A sad day indeed for me and I could not believe how emotional I felt about my old dog when the vet gave him the fatal injection. But I knew his time had come and it was the humane thing for me to do.I felt a bit like the old man in the film called 'of mice and men' who in the end had to do the same with his canine friend. A few days ago Barney watched me dig him a grave in the garden in preparation for his final resting place.But as they say in the U.K. he had a good innings and I thank God for the enjoyment he brought to my family.I remember when I was about four years old and had found a dead chick outside my house. I ran in to tell my mum who understandably had more things to worry about than a dead sparrow chick. But I wanted the world to stop and mourn.It was only later when I started to read the Bible, when I was about 15, and read where it says along the lines: 'there isn't a sparrow that falls to the ground that your heavenly Father doesn't know about and how much more does he care for you'.He had shared that moment with me.
Wow. Though God doesn't always intervene the way we would like him to or perhaps expect- we can take it by faith that what he says is true and that he knows what is best no matter what happens.There are things such as life and death that are outside our control and which we must leave in his hands, and do what the wise man in Proverbs encourages us: 'trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding'
The great unwashed, uncombed, shaggy Barney after a walk in the woods.

Many thanks to Brenda and Cliff of 'Diary of a Wildlife photographer' http://inspirationalphotos.blogspot.com/ who was able to produce the following picture from one of the photographs my daughter took.You can also click their link on my favourite links. Their photographs are brilliant.

PRAYER FOR THE G20 SUMMIT

This is from an email sent from George Verwer to encourage Christians to pray for the very influential G20 summit, and in respect to Paul's word to Timothy and the Church, to pray for governments and for all in authority. AK


Dear brothers and sisters,

As I’m sure you know the heads of the 20 leading economies in the world meet this week in London with some huge issues on the agenda.

I think we need to give special attention in our prayer personally and in our team prayer this week to these meetings. There is a 7-day prayer guide which you can get on the Micah Challenge website, and this following prayer from Joel Edwards, the International Director of Micah Challenge, possibly sums up the issues.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Isaiah 60:1-3

Father, we stand before you in prayer as the global economic crisis casts a shadow over the peoples of the world. We have been reminded that in a world as closely associated as ours, each of our actions affects the whole. We are sorry when we have failed to act beyond our narrow interests. Help us to live as a community and care for others, especially the vulnerable and the poor amongst us.

As the G20 meet we ask for wisdom for the leaders of the world. Where nations have pushed their agenda on others, bring partnership and love. Where people have lived their lives disconnected from their brothers and sisters in other countries, bring solidarity and compassion. Where efforts for good have been frustrated, bring break-through. May we see the dawning of a new world with your values at its heart. A world of justice, mercy and humility.

Lord, we thank you for the promises which governments have already made in the Millennium Development Goals because we know their power to lift millions of people out of poverty. May that same spirit of global partnership be evident at the G20. May the poor not be forgotten in the midst of crisis.

Father, help us to rise up. For who will raise a voice and reach out a hand to conform this world more to your plan if not us your people? As your children worldwide, let us rise up – in prayer, in speaking out, and in demonstrating your way of life – that out of the ruins of this current crisis might rise up a hope for a better world.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen
Maybe we would use that as the basis for some intercession for these meetings in the next few days.

.

Where are the Young Men?

Three minutes of powerful, inspiring preaching from Pastor John Piper.

A WESLEYAN THEOLOGY OF EVANGELISM by Leon O. Hynson

I discovered this excellent essay on Wesleyan evangelism at the Wesley online site. It is quite long but if you are interested in either Wesley or Evangelism it is well worth the read.The second part has been put on as a comment. Be inspired. AK
Introduction

Our task in this essay is to consider a theology of evangelism that will be

1. Biblically based; 2. Historically Wesleyan; 3. Of Contemporary Significance.

Initially, it seems necessary to work with some definition of the task and the key words "theology" and "evangelism." One could, of course, develop a three-hundred page opus with a full Prolegomena to all of the classifications of theology. The Wesleyan heritage has by and large not engaged in that kind of exacting effort, although we could cite John Fletcher, Richard Watson, John Miley, Randolph Foster, or Luther Lee, as notable exceptions.

Our effort here will require a simple approach to theology. For the philosophers of religion, theology is "God talk"; for the systematic theologian it is the rational analysis of the ways of God, through consideration of His self-revelation in Christ, in Scripture, and in the natural order. The cynic has described the work of the theologian by a biting analogy: it is, said Diderot, the story of a man wandering lost in a dark forest at midnight with a flickering candle to provide a little light. Along comes a theologian and blows out the light. In a more positive vein, the definition employed in this essay will be functional: "Theology is telling the faith of the fathers in the language of the children."

Now, "evangelism"-a word which has the highest and most honorable significance, but which like many words has fallen prey to the abuses of certain persons who sometimes stress a theology of human wretchedness that would upstage Karl Barth or a do-it-yourself religion that might have driven Pelagius into the arms of Augustine. The consequences of such abuse is the state of affairs that exists today concerning evangelism. A company of "cultured despisers" of evangelism has emerged over the years, thinking of evangelism in the narrow terms set by the unlearned and ignorant.

It is easy for us to rationalize our neglect of this essential Christian work, by appealing to such unattractive examples. Mr. Wesley (not Dr. Wesley), a man of the people, saw these types in his age. On one occasion he wrote:

"Let but a pert, self-sufficient animal that has neither sense nor grace, bawl out something about Christ, or his blood, or justification by faith, and his hearers cry out, 'What a fine gospel sermon.' "

But what Wesley judged to be an aberration of the gospel and an embarrassment to a reasonable person, did not become the guideline for his Christian activity. He engaged in an incessant effort to "reform the nation and especially the Church and to spread Scriptural (note, Scriptural) holiness across the land." He became the evangelist-reformer without peer in the eighteenth century (with all due credit to Jonathan Edwards, and George Whitefield). He rode up and down the land for more than fifty years, telling the faith of the fathers in the language of the children; expressing it in an admirable union of the "reasonable man" with a cool mind and style (the typical 18th century Englishman) and the man whose heart was strangely warmed, who shared God's good news wherever he went. It is all too easy for us to accent "cool mind" and ignore warmth of spirit. In our world many (most?) persons live and act on the largely affective level. To preach or teach on the rationally coherent and logical level alone i8 to miss the mark with many. This is the Wesleyan concern: to appeal to heart and mind, emotion and intellect on the level where real communication occurs. Wesley wrote this introduction to the Standard Sermons:

I design plain truth for plain people: therefore of set purpose, I abstain from all nice and philosophical speculations, . . . from even the show of learning, unless in sometimes citing the original Scripture.... I have accordingly set down in the following sermons, what I find in the Bible concerning the way to heaven. 1

This is evangelism in the Wesleyan manner and spirit.

This focus upon evangelism is found continually in Wesley's writing and preaching. His preoccupation was with evangelical tasks, but he did not construe that narrowly, as a few spiritual laws by which someone is converted to Christ. Wesley sought to develop the full Christian character and the mature, witnessing, sharing believer.

This is spelled out especially well in four appeals that Wesley wrote in 1744-1745. "An Earnest Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion" was written first, followed by three "Farther Appeals." The content of these essays so admirably summarizes Wesley's thought that they may be taken as the summa of Wesley's theology of evangelism. Indeed, I see the title "An Earnest Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion" as a definition of the Wesleyan approach to evangelism.

In these essays, Wesley is actually engaged in a polemic with certain "men of reason and religion." He appeals to them to recognize some of the essentials of evangelical faith, i.e., the heart of evangelism.

His concern is about:

1. The doctrines of Christian faith;

2. The manner of teaching them;

3. The effects which should follow the teaching of these.

In developing these concerns, we should recognize the ways they are pursued.

1. Doctrine. Three themes:

a. The doctrine of the faith that saves and that opens up new evangelical and ethical possibilities and expectations.

b. The life of Christian love (sanctification, perfect love) which enlarges the Christian's personal and social awareness and capacity for service.

c. The work of the Holy Spirit as a present (contemporary motivating) reality and presence (as opposed to those who relegate the Spirit's work to the ancient era of church history).

2. Manner

a. The reasoned approach to evangelism

b. The gracious appeal to the will; to an uncoerced free decision recognizing the essential freedom of persons. The right to say Yes or No. Right of private judgment.

c. Going where the people are-Field Preaching.

3. Effects-Moral change-Social transformation. Physical relief for sick and poor.

Gerald R. Cragg writes of Wesley's theology:

The particular emphasis of his theology derived from his preoccupation with evangelism. He included all the traditional elements of the Christian system of belief, but he so arranged them as to bring into the sharpest relief the doctrine of salvation.2


I. The Doctrines of Christian Faith

A. The Doctrine of Faith

Wesley's theology was an attempt to "describe the true, the scriptural experimental religion...."3 It was a theology of evangelism attuned to human failure and disorder and to God's grace and love. It was existentially sensitive, for Wesley had walked the way himself. Before he became an evangelist, he had to wrestle with his own failure, his angst, his lack of contact with Christian reality and certitude. He could not tell the way of faith until he saw with "spiritual sight," to use his metaphor, until he received the gift of faith. He could not tell the good news until he moved beyond the pre-understanding of his Oxford years to the liberating fulfillment of Aldersgate. "Experimental religion!": Religion that corresponded with life! With psychological, rational, and spiritual needs! A religion of love that calls a person into a service of love to the neighbor! Religion that works faithfully, hopefully, lovingly!

Without being too certain about the years from 1725-38 (on which good men differ), it is claimed that Wesley became an evangelist after Aldersgate. Before Aldersgate, he did not know or understand the preaching of faith. Peter Bohler had counseled Wesley in the early days of 1738. "Preach faith until you have it: then, because you have faith you will preach it." Albert Outler comments: "Wesley had preached faith until others had it-and that was what broke the drought in his own spirit."4

May I suggest that Wesley, like Luther and St. Paul before him becomes a mirror and an exemplar of the struggling ascents to faith; struggles that St. Paul depicts in Romans 10 and Luther in his anguished search to find a gracious God. Each man in his own way portrays the anguish of the human quest for the treasure that finally is seen and known as gift. St. Paul wrote, certainly out of his own experience:

But what the Scripture says about being put right with God through faith is this: 'You are not to ask yourself, who will go up into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down). 'Nor are you to ask, who will go down into the world below?' (that is, to bring Christ up from death). What it says is this: 'God's message is near you, on your lips and in your heart'-that is, the message of faith that we preach (Rom. 10:6-8).

Paul continues to claim that all who call on Christ will be saved, that to call they must believe, that faith comes out of the context of hearing the good news, that the good news must be proclaimed. The good news is Christ in whom faith discovers a spirit-transforming personal presence. And this faith is the gift of God made alive in the catalyst of preaching the Word. Those who seek the glory of the divine-human encounter by their own struggles or contributions to the relationship are only candidates for futility and despair. Doubt is sometimes a necessary preparation for spiritual illumination, for the moment of grace. However, it must finally become self- doubt and self-surrender to the giftedness of faith. Doubt is an understandable stage along the way. It is often a step in a person's progress from self- trust to confidence in God. To doubt the Almighty is not surprising; it is the shadow side of our own self-sufficiency. Soon enough, self-trust leads to the despair of human emptiness. The nakedness of Adam and Eve portrays the existential and spiritual finitude of all. We stand before God and one another naked, without recourse. Preeminently contingent or dependent, we require an adequate structure of trust. That structure is not found in our subjective resources. It is only in God whose image and likeness we bear and which bears us. We are marked by an infinite need for an infinite God.

This is perhaps Tony's most famous story. I hope you enjoy it and are challenged by its message.AK

'A Wretch Like Me' by George Verwer

George Verwer is probably one of the most well known missionaries around today, he is also one of the most honest.This message must have cost him a lot to bring, but it resulted in many young people, who were going through similar temptations, finding some help!George doesn't pull any punches about his own failures and encourages those who have also failed to find forgiveness and grace in Christ.

Having said that about George, I think I remember another well known missionary who once cried out that he was a 'wretched man' and later referred to himself as 'the chief of sinners'.Then man speaks about the grace of Christ and how much greater it was than sin :'where sin abounds,grace abounds all the more'-And the missionary? Of course it was St.Paul! AK

Sin is serious and incessant, but you don't have to live in defeat.

Once when I told my story at a missions conference, a woman informed me I had a demon.

Another time I told my story, and shortly afterward one of our mission ships sank. Someone wrote to me that was the judgment of God on me. (Actually, we had hoped to replace the ship; no one was hurt when it sank, and we thought of it as a blessing from God.) But I've come to expect that kind of response.

Most people don't want to hear Christian leaders admit their sins or say they still, on occasion, sin. And almost no one wants to hear a leader say he's come to terms with his sinful nature. But I have. And I say so publicly.

I wouldn't call my temptation by pornography an addiction. My exposure to it has been infrequent. I don't look at it online. I won't pay for it. And I haven't had regular access to the magazines since I was a teenager.

A neighbor prayed for me for two years, she said, and at a Billy Graham crusade at age 16, I had a powerful conversion experience. After that, I knew that the pornography had to go, and so I burned my few magazines. If it were not for my conversion, pornography could have become a terrible addiction. Still, through most of my adulthood, I was subject to awful temptations and sometimes fell.

Over the years, I can honestly say, I haven't gone looking for pornography. It comes to me. And it takes me by surprise. One time while riding to a strategic meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, I found a magazine left in the lavatory. That happened again when I was aboard an ocean liner en route to Scandinavia.

A defining moment for me occurred more than 30 years ago as I was walking in the woods outside London. From a distance I saw something hanging in the branches of a tree. It was a pornographic magazine, shot through with bullet holes. Someone had hung it there for target practice. Suddenly, I was the target.

I wish I could say I destroyed that magazine and got the victory, but the truth is, in the woods that day, that magazine made a fool out of me.

I was in the woods for quite a while after my lustful episode before I could crawl my way back to the cross and ask for forgiveness. Most of the time since then, I have been able to withstand Satan's temptations. I wish I could say that was true every time, but I'd be lying.

And, in the woods, I found a new approach to my own sinfulness: when I sin, I ask forgiveness. Time after time.

What's victory really look like?
What is victorious living for the sinner? The absence of sin? The defeat of Satan at every temptation? Going undefeated for a whole season? If that's the measure, then I fail. And, I suspect, we all fail, and we will continue to fail without relief.

In my own life, giving myself the benefit of the doubt, I estimate I successfully resist temptation maybe 95 percent of the time. But with the number of temptations we face, that's still a lot of failure!

Over the course of my 45 years as a Christian, I have failed, and not only in the area of lust. There are far worse sins than sexual failure with a magazine. In my own life, irritability and anger are greater issues. For others, it's arrogance, or condemnation, or legalism.

Victorious living, given our sinful nature, is not the absence of sin, but knowing what to do when we sin. 1 John 2:1 says, "sin not." It is John's desire that his followers will not sin. But notice the verse continues, "but if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ the righteous One."

When I sin, I am ready, quickly, to confess. And when I confess, I undercut Satan's power. Satan is the deceiver, the adversary who wants me to believe lies (either "I really haven't done anything wrong" or "I've sinned so horribly that I'm disqualified to serve the Lord").

By honest confession, my strength to battle the next temptation is bolstered by the knowledge that the Evil One has nothing with which to condemn me. Christ is my defender before the Father, and Christ says I am forgiven. Satan has nothing to say.

Since the moment of my salvation, I have never doubted God's word about his love for me. It is vital that we realize God loves us and accepts us—even when we fail. That has been life-sustaining for me. Even when rejected by people for my sins, or for telling about my sins, I have always felt God's love. I have an open invitation to return to him as soon as I am ready to admit that sin, once again, has gotten the better of me.

God's love is not a license to sin. Grace without discipline can lead to disgrace. While God can forgive my disgraces, for the Christian leader, too many disgraces and my credibility and people's ability to trust me as a leader is gone. Paul said, "I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize" (1 Cor. 9:27). If I had not dealt with my habit quickly and kept it in a small arena of my life, my sin would have grown to the point that I would be disqualified. It is only through the power of Christ that I am able to bring myself under subjection.

I have made myself accountable to my wife in the area of lust, and she has been an enormous source of affirmation for me. She prays for me. She listens to me. I report my occasional struggle to her and she does not condemn me. I remember telling her, now as an older man, that a quick glimpse at pornography had caused quite a stir in me physically.

"Well," she said, "at least it proves you've got something left." I can be honest with my wife, and she with me.

A sinner mentoring sinners
I have tried to be affirming for those who seek from me an accountability relationship. As creatures bent to sinning, we cannot master our sins alone. We need others who accept our sinfulness, but who will keep us from surrendering to it.

My special "mentoring" ministry began with my own public confession. I was invited to speak to the Urbana missions conference in 1967. My message was not about missions. It was about sexual sin.

That was the first time I gave my testimony in a large setting. Some were upset that I spoke so bluntly, but I told those young people that they, like me, needed to repent of sexual immorality. Some 4,000 stood up at the invitation, many weeping with repentance.

FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE READ THE FIRST COMMENT