From Disgrace to Amazing Grace

Having come under some Justified criticism for failing to blog much lately, I resolve to mend my ways as part of my new year's resolution. Its not that I do not mean to, I have come up with a lot things to blog about, so I will stick with my travel demands as an excuse and ask your forgiveness.
So back on the path with a book review. If you have not read Jonathon Aitken's new book "From Grace to Amazing Grace" then put it at the top of your list.
My daughter sent it to me for Christmas and once started, could not put it down. Jonathon, writes from the heart. As man who has seen a fall from the heights as a cabinet minister in the UK to prison where he found the Lord, he writes as one who knows Grace.
I had heard various versions of John Newton's testimony but discovered they were mostly romanticised and designed to make a point. However I found the real story so much more challenging and encouraging.
Newton's mother was a believer and a member of the dissenting church and taught Newton to memorise scripture, she died while he was still a small but and the book takes you though his life going to sea while still only 11 years old. Then forced into the Royal Navy where he was a problem sailor. Eventually ending up a slaver then a slave. He was converted during a wild storm while returning to England, but he still continued to work in the slave trader as the captain of a slaver.
As he grew in the faith and came under the influence of people like Wesley he became a great teacher and preacher. Called to the Ministry (in itself a long and difficult process) he was for several decades a leading light in the Evangelical movement in England and the Church of England having a profound influence in the setting up of the Bible Society and CMS.
He was also a mentor and guide to William Wilberforce and worked with him in the abolitionist movement. It is important to say here that while I love the movie "Amazing Grace" Newton was nothing like the character in the movie.
Probably Newton is best remembered for the most sung hymn of all time "Amazing Grace"
It was first sung on New Years day in 1734, for his friend William Cowper (the poet) but did not become famous in his life time. In fact it was one of his lesser known Hymns (of which he wrote many). His hymns were distributed world wide through the Onley Hymn book which is a collection of Hymns by Newton and Cowper (you can download it from the Amazing Grace movie educational resource page )
It was in America that the Hymn became popular with the current tune added some 60 years after it was written. In fact the last verse (When we've been there 10,000 years.....) was first seen in print in Hariet Beecher Stowe's Anti slavery book "Uncle Tom's cabin" in 1852.
So needless to say this book in a must read.

The Father loves Justice

For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice: upright men will see his face. Psalm 12.7 NIV

After more than a month away in England (one reason I haven't blogged for a while), speaking to a lot of groups, I needed to be constantly reminded of why I do what I do. I read this verse right at the beginning of my journey and it inspired me. How many sermons could you preach on this one verse.
I understand the Hebrew words for justice and righteousness are pretty much the same. As Evangelicals we so often think of righteousness as good living. earnest prayer, bible study etc. Justice does not seem to get a look in. Yet the Bible is very clear on this. We are to be servants. People who reach out to the poor and downtrodden. Jesus speaking in Matthew 25 (sheep and goats) makes it clear how He feels about justice.
I do believe that when Gods love is in us, Justice is a natural outcome. (1 John 3:17). Compassion is part of us and unavoidable.

Forgive like we have been forgiven

Our Series on the Lord's prayer is continuing. And Sunday Pastor Bob was right on form. He tied in Daily Bread and forgiveness and it gave me new insight into this very idea. You see to in Eastern culture to share Bread with someone is to accept them, to be right with them. And it says "Give us this day OUR daily Bread. Not MY. That means all of us ... in this together. Including the hungry, including the brother with whom fellowship has been broken all of us.
I was also stuck by A quote Bob used from Dietrich Bonhoffer. from Life together "The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. So everybody must conceal his sin from himself and from the fellowship. We dare not be sinners. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. The fact is that we ARE sinners!
How right Bonhoffer gets it so often.
I think one thing that can really bog us down in our walk is when we harbour unforgiveness in our heart. We are so offended when others sin against us and become self righteous and judgmental, yet we are also sinners, who sin against God often. And against others. We should not be surprised at how others sin when we consider our own.
I feel very challenged about this especially when I consider how judgmental we become when some well know Christian person has sinned and it becomes public knowledge.

Our Father

Was really blessed by Pastor Bob's first sermon back as our full time Pastor on Sunday. He is doing 5 weeks on the Lord's Prayer and just did the first line "Our Father Who Art in Heaven"
When the disciples said to Jesus, "teach us to pray." He could have said My Father, but he choose to say "Our Father". He is my Father but he is also yours.
Wow isn't that awesome? I have been meditating on that these last few days. After 40+ years a believer I am still overwhelmed that I get to call him Father.
If you want to hear this sermon, it should appear on the ECC (HK) web site in the next few days, I will publish the link when it is put on.

Who is our God?

I am sorry its been so long so long since my last post. I have been traveling & speaking in Australia & New Zealand for about a month and have had plenty of things I wanted to post just not the time to sit at a computer and do it. So Panda I promise that I will try and post more often.

So if you want more information on the trip have a look at the adventure Blog.

During my trip I had plenty of opportunity to marvel at creation and His amazing handiwork. But I also had plenty of evidence of people choosing other gods.

It seems to me that in Western society at least, man's god has become more and more himself. The thirst for 'things', the desire for self gratification.

Even Christians. We so often think make our "christianess" our god. "Look at me, see how spiritual I am" our desire to play the part rather than live it can so often take the place of God in our lives and we become our own god, deciding for ourselves how we should live and what we should do. It sometimes hard to convince Christians that we are called to a life of serving him, which is the same as saying serving others. When Jesus said deny yourself and take up your cross, he basically said you no longer live for yourself. Please note that his does not mean "stop having a good time" or "stop enjoying life" But it does change our choices.

Then he (Jesus) told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who comes with me has to let me lead. Your not in the drivers seat - I am" Luke 9:23 msg

Brother David has gone home

The man known as "God's Smuggler to China " has gone to home.

He was an amazing and visionary man, who like Brother Andrew, believed that we all have a responsibility toward the suffering church. He instigated 'Project Pearl", which saw one million Bibles delivered to China on a barge in a single night!

He had a profound influence on my life. Even before I met him, simply by reading his book. I got to travel with him to China and around Australia when he spoke.

I know this much that in heaven he will rejoice with many Chinese believers who came to faith because he was faithful in bringing them the word of God

For the whole story click here

Working Together

Ephesians 4

Nothing breaks my heart more than seeing believers who can't get on, who cannot be reconciled to one another and cannot find it in their hearts to forgive.

Sometimes I think that the only Army that likes to kick their comrades when they fall is the Christian one.

This is what Paul says (Message):

To Be Mature
In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, .......

I Like that bit "pouring yourselves out for each other in Acts of Love. It goes on .....

.... alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.
You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.


Are you getting this we are all one in Christ. But we do have different gifts

But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. ................... He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.


Don't you love that ".... all moving rhythmically and easily with each other. It isn't as hard as we make it. When we see Christ in one another and so seek to serve one another.

Why don't we get it

I am always amazed that whenever you start to talk about the fact the Christians are supposed to make a difference in the World to reach out to people in need and care for those who are unable to care for themselves, some start screaming he is preaching Salvation by works again.
So let me say right up front, I believe these Verses in Ephesians 2 with all my heart, and praise God that it is true:

8. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9. not by works, so that no one can boast.

Then we need to read the next verse which says:

10. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We so often stop at the first 2 verses, because Grace all sufficient. But once we know him we can't just go on living the way we did. We can't just ignore the need around us. How can we see so many around the world living in poverty and just do nothing, while we waste resources as if they do not matter. Farmers in the West are paid to plough food into the ground while the billions struggle to get a bowl of rice in a day and the protest from believers to their Governments is muted.
We cannot keep living as if the poor don't exist. It is time for the Church to live as we are called. To listen to the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles. Paul said if we say we have not love, we are as a clanging gong,... all outward show. In 1 John it says if we see need and feel no compassion, then how can God's love be in us?

FROM JAMES 2 IN THE MESSAGE

Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.”
Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.
Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?
Wasn’t our ancestor Abraham “made right with God by works” when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn’t it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are “works of faith”? The full meaning of “believe” in the Scripture sentence, “Abraham believed God and was set right with God,” includes his action. It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named “God’s friend.” Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?
The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn’t her action in hiding God’s spies and helping them escape—that seamless unity of believing and doing—what counted with God? The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.

The Wonder of it All

Not long ago I was in the car with a Pastor friend of mine and we drove past a Theological College, with a proud history. This College is very wealthy, owns a great deal of property and has the most magnificent buildings you can imagine all built out beautifully crafted carved stone.
But they have almost no Students!
In recent times this college has taken a very liberal view of theology. My Pastor friend told me that he had heard one of their lecturers speak, a well known theologian, author of many books, but one who does not believe in God. At least not the in way we Evangelicals do.
What he said seemed plausible, very plausible. Especially to a mind that wanted to doubt.
In response, I said I feel so very sad for people who have never looked up at the stars on a clear country night with awe and wonder. It usually brings me to worship through praise, singing 'How Great Thou Art" at the top of my lungs. I cannot fathom creation without a Creator. It simple makes no sense to this simple mind.
I also feel sad for anyone who has not been brought to tears when considering the absolute wonder of God's Grace. That I should know God, that I am forgiven, that the burden of guilt and fear is lifted. How can anyone think that it is worth bothering with a God who doesn't care, who lives 'way up there'. Frankly if that's all there was, I would join those who say we are better off not believing.
But there is more ..... Praise God!

Then sings my soul my Saviour God to thee. HOW GREAT THOU ART