"It is finished!" Words spoken, No, shouted, from a death bed. Following the pronouncement of having been forsaken. Left alone, deserted, strung out to die. Calling for a father who has turned his back Unable to cast his eyes on a son so full of disappointments, Shame. Broken dreams; shattered hopes. What had become out of all that was possible. And so, "It is finished" - signalling the end, the final deathblow? But wait, one [...]
when Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment in the jewish law He responded with in summary, “Love God love people” – ha, as i was typing that i accidentally typo’d “love gold” and how fitting that is but i’m sure i don’t have to go into that. Jesus added that the full law and the prophets (basically their bible at the time) rested on these two things (relationships) in fact if you study [...]
why is it so hard to live a Jesus-following life? the things i want to do i don’t do and the things i don’t want to do i find that i can’t stop myself from doing. Woe is me this wretched man, chief of sinners, sucker of note, i might as well... STOP! [not hammer time] Romans 12.2-3 ‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing [...]
so this teacher of the law comes up to Jesus and says, “So what is the most important command in the law?” it’s a trick question and yet Jesus floors the gang of them by summing up the whole law as “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength. and love your neighbour as yourself.” [paraphrase, Matthew 22.37-38] and since then, christians through the [...]
i was chatting to my buddy rob today about a talk he heard where the guy said ‘when God forgives your sin, He forgets about it completely and it’s like it never happened’ and i don’t think that’s precisely true. i think the point is that despite not forgetting about your sin (if God is all knowing then surely He still remembers that you did sin) He chooses to treat you and regard you as [...]
'The entire nation of Israel operated on a Sunday to Friday calendar. Saturday was the Sabbath - no work, no play, and no good works. Saturday was the holy day, and all who would give homage and honour to God would keep the Sabbath holy. Right out of the gate, the church moved the holy day to Sunday. On the Sabbath, Jesus was still dead. On Sunday, He rose from the dead. I have to [...]
so this morning we had an Oikos gathering at Seattle coffee shop in Century City where all good Oikos gatherings happen - basically the idea is for an informal setting for people passionate about Jesus (yet maybe not so passionate about church or struggling with church in its current form and style) to have a space to talk openly about loving God and loving people and struggles with church and new exciting books or ideas [...]
i attended a funeral last nite for one of my ex youth guys (well a pre-funeral actually as the funeral is on saturday but this was called a 'roer diens?' or something and was an opportunity to celebrate his life and give testimony) who was stabbed to death on the weekend tbV and i were two of about 4 white people in a hall filled with coloured people fromJamestown where he lived and where it [...]
it is important for us to realise just how insulting and offensive the son’s attitude towards his father is, because otherwise we will never fully ‘get’ just how incredibly over-the-top ludicrously insane the father’s response is. the father hands over to his son the inheritance (and if it is half of everything he owns then it must be at cost to him and to his lifestyle and comfort/luxury) and the sons heads off and wastes [...]
"i believe Lord, help me overcome my unbelief." [Mark 9.24] a verse i am really drawn to in the Bible that falls nicely alongside my life themesong of 'there must be more than this' - the knowledge that God can do it, but will He choose to...? and the other day, altho it's not very CC (Christianly Correct) as i lay with my wife crying out in immense pain with the hugest of mammoth headaches [...]