Filled with Hope and Gratefulness - Watoto Children's Choir

This amazing choir of Ugandan children are in Guernsey this weekend. If you're in the Island - don't miss them! The Watoto Children's Choir has sung in the past in the US White House and this choir has performed before the Welsh Assembly and even Her Majesty the Queen! Just listening to them on BBC Radio Guernsey it was so moving to hear their stories:

• Precious, who was abandoned as a baby outside a hospital and taken in by the 'Baby Watoto' programme
• Eric, who wants to be a pastor when he grows up (Yay!!)
• Kim, whose parents have disappeared after their house was destroyed

and many more! Watoto offers hope and a future to so many young children and single women too through their neighbourhood projects.

When the small group of children on the radio interview sang 'I am Grateful' I was moved to tears. They have so little compared to children in our community and yet they are so thankful for their lot. Their music and dance is powerful and inspiring. Plan on catching them while they're here, or go to their website.

See them at: Eldad Elim Church, Union Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey Sat. April 27th 6pm

Vazon Elim Church, La Mare road, Vazon, Guernsey, Sun 28th April, 10.45am & 5pm.

Is there any Hope? A Glimpse beyond the Grave.

"Hope is vital - it's not a question of what you hope for, but who you hope in." These words on BBC Radio 4 recently challenged me. We all hope for things - whether for relief from pain or distress, a great holiday, or a home that is our own, and these are all legitimate. But hope for life beyond the grave is a huge ask. Nobody knows what waits for us there because no-one has come back to tell us.

But hang on a moment - somebody has! This Easter Day we celebrate the greatest day in history. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins on the first Good Friday and then rose again from the dead on the following Sunday. More than 500 eye witnesses confirmed sightings of him with some them touching his body and others speaking with him. The early Christian church would never have grown to become the world's major religion if the resurrection was a fraud or a lie. The disciples would not have given their lives as martyrs in painful deaths if they knew they had stolen the body. All the Jewish leaders had to do was go to the guarded tomb and produce Christ's remains and the new faith would have been stopped in its tracks. They did not because they could not. Christ is risen!

Through the storms of major illness that have come my way over the last couple of decades I have had several moments very close to death. I even reviewed my own 'final arrangements' again last week as I prepared to undergo potentially dangerous (for me) cardiac procedures in hospital a few days ago. One day I will walk that valley right through, but I have a serious and sustaining hope. Since Jesus rose from the dead I shall also rise, because I believe in and am following Him. Jesus said; 'Because I live, you shall live also' (John 14:19).

In the words of the Old Testament writer of the Psalms "Put your hope in God". The message of this great resurrection day is that hope in Him will see you through this life's struggles and even into eternity. Christ is risen indeed!

To Cross or not to Cross?

I suppose that one of the most iconic items produced in historically Christian countries in celebration of Easter is the traditional hot cross bun. Very early on Good Friday morning in our island community there will be a long queue at the door of a small independent bakers to collect their freshly made buns.

Tradition says that early Greek Christians marked cakes with a cross, but of course, the Bible does not say anything about followers of Jesus Christ needing confectionery to aid their faith or express their worship! In less enlightened times people began using these hot cross buns as a kind of good luck token, claiming that if a ship sailed with them on board it would be protected against shipwreck and other such phoney baloney.

So don't get me wrong - I am not an advocate for the hot cross bun - but my blood was stirred to see in our local supermarket that under the 'hot cross bun' display there was a pile without the crosses!! I suppose that this is in an effort to avoid offending religious minorities - political correctness gone religious - but it just kind of illustrated to me a bit of a challenge this Easter.  Is my life marked by the cross the Christ or is it just fruit and flavouring? Is the cross central to the story of my faith or is it disposable when mentioning it might offend someone? The Bible does say that the cross will appear foolish to people who don't want to believe and it also foretold that the cross would one day become an offence to many, not just a religious minority.

So I want to come back to the cross of Christ this Easter, and thank Jesus for giving His all for me there. To cross your buns?  Well- that's up to you - I don't find they taste any different anyway!

Donkey speaks out!

Some years ago on a Palm Sunday I interviewed the donkey of the story! Guernsey people are known colloquially as donkeys due to our historic stubbornness (I'm not sure if that is being entirely fair - to donkeys!). There is even a statue of a kicking donkey in the island, supposed to reflect how the islanders kicked out the German occupying forces at the end of World War II but I think that probably had to do with outside forces rather than the islanders' own actions. Anyhow, the epithet has stuck and so the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey has local appeal!

But what was it that led Jesus to choose a donkey rather than a white charger? Well, a couple of things really, but predominantly it was a sign of humility. In selecting this kind of mount the King of Kings was harking back to his birth in a stable. See our conquering hero now - humble and riding on a donkey! I doubt that any invading monarch or attacking general ever arrived in such a manner. So it is all the more surprising that the crowds lining the path into the city cried 'Hosanna' - literally 'rule now!' and laid palm branches in his path.

The palm branch is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life originating in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. So the folk watching the donkey riding Christ must have been impressed with something about him, despite his humble mount. Another aspect of the choice Jesus made was the fulfilment of Bible prophecy - the Old Testament had suggested this day would come in Zechariah 9:9.

But for me the most significant part of that famous donkey-ride is that the very same people who applauded his arrival were to chant a different slogan just 5 days later. "Crucify him!" they yelled, when the implications of supporting him had been laid bare. Perhaps this Holy Week we would do well to ask ourselves which cry really reflects our attitude to the donkey-riding Lord.

"Is there any word from the Lord?"

I am reading Andrew Robert's great book Churchill: Walking with Destiny and am amazed at how his warning voice was so loud and clear during the wilderness years of 1935-39. Churchill spoke again and again of the coming conflagration that would consume the youth of the world between 1939 and 1945 in World War II. His speeches were so rousing and stirring that members of the House of Commons, where he was a back-bench MP, often stamped and cheered him afterwards, but did nothing in response to his pleadings. He was a virtually lone figure during that period as Hitler's Nazi Germany re-armed and prepared for war on a massive scale. The voice of the prophet was being sounded in the wilderness but just about nobody was listening, at least not those in power. The result was that Britain was so unprepared for war when it came that it is only by the grace of God - and the leadership of Winston Churchill in the crisis - that the total disaster of a Nazi occupation of the UK was averted.

We need a prophetic voice today in the corridors of power or the front pages of our media. An Old Testament king once asked the pertinent question "Is there any word from the Lord?" and that query rings loud and clear at this time in our land. There is a national crisis of violence, of corruption in huge corporations, of extremism in political views, of racism, of knife crime, of bullying and disrespect for authority, and political impasse that threatens the future well-being of our great democracy. What would Winston Churchill be saying if he was an MP today?

And where are the Christian prophets? I know that Mrs May, the British Prime Minister, has had at least one audience with the Archbishop of Canterbury over the Brexit issue and that's good. But let's pray that God will raise up a person, or a people, of such prophetic lives and words, that in this wilderness of human need, those in power, and those around us, will have to admit that there has been a word from the Lord'!

And, when it comes, let's hope that our leaders will be more responsive to that word than were the government of Great Britain in the 1930's!

A Different Slant to Mothers' Day

Millions of Britons will be dashing around petrol forecourts and supermarkets today scrabbling to snap up blooms for their Mums! And don't they deserve them? And more! Parents are some of the unsung heroes of our society today and Mothering Sunday is just one of those occasions when we can say thank you.

Mind you, I read that the sales of gin have doubled in the last two years in the UK, and that there is usually a surge in gin purchases during the run up to this weekend. That is amazing when you consider that in the 18th Century it was called 'Mother's Ruin' due to the huge social problems being caused by alcoholism and over indulgence in the spirit at that time.

The origins of Mothering Sunday, though, are far from the way we celebrate the day today. Centuries ago it was considered important for people to return to their home or 'mother' church once a year. So each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would visit their 'mother' church - the main church or cathedral of the area. Most historians think that it was the return to the 'Mother' church which led to the tradition of children, particularly those working as domestic servants, or as apprentices, being given the day off to visit their mother and family.

 Maybe this Mothering Sunday we might spare a thought - and perhaps a prayer - for another 'mother church', the mother of Parliaments at Westminster. It certainly does need prayer, and although Teresa May does not have children of her own, she could really do with a bit of Divine help too this Mothering Sunday.

Crisis? Now that's what I call a crisis.

Rescue workers are continuing the search for survivors of Cyclone Idai, which swept through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe last week, destroying towns and villages in its path. My good friend Pastor Pious Munembe, General Superintendent of the Elim Churches of Zimbabwe, reports that the area of Chimanimani, just south of Mutare where we used to live, has been cut off from rescuers by roads and bridges being swept away. Around 300 people are missing in Zimbabwe, along with around 100 dead, and many more are reported to be unaccounted for in Mozambique and Malawi. This is what the UN says could be "one of the worst weather-related disasters ever to hit the southern hemisphere".

Dr Munembe tells me that a town called Ngaone the Elim Church together with the pastor's house was damaged. I know that other townships and villages nearby where there were very basic facilities anyway prior to this catastrophe have been even more heavily affected. In Mozambique there is a desperate need for more helicopters, food aid, shelter and clean water. In Malawi, a good friend of ours Jackie Griffiths has said: “82,725 people have been displaced with many camping out in schools or one of the 187 camps that have been set up in all 14 of the affected districts… Many of our Elim members have been affected as well as church buildings damaged or destroyed.  As well as loss of life or injury due to falling buildings and damage or destruction of buildings, crops which were just a few weeks away from harvest, have been totally destroyed.  This is going to have a long lasting effect.”

In addition to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal in the UK (www.dec.org.uk) the Elim Churches are organising a financial appeal which will coordinate the spending of funds through our own contacts, missionaries, church leaders and workers on the ground. If you would like to give to that Elim Relief Association appeal you can do so now by clicking here. Let's give them a hand to get out of this time of deep trouble.

Prayer that provokes hatred - a spiritual phenomenon

The desperately sad events in Christchurch this week where 50 people have been brutally murdered as they prayed in a Mosque have shaken the whole nation of New Zealand. Like Guernsey, it appears to be a gentle, if somewhat perhaps a little out of date, enclave of old fashioned values. It was a haven of refuge for refugees from civil war in places like Syria and Afghanistan and it is tragic that those escapees should perish in the land of their refuge. I am praying that there will be no retaliatory attacks on churches in places like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Northern Nigeria where tensions are already running high.

That people should be attacked as they pray is no surprise. Apart from the obvious cowardice of the thug involved - after all it takes no courage at all to slaughter innocents who cannot fire back - there is a demonic hatred in the world towards people who pray. Extremists regard such actions as repugnant, as if the prayers of ordinary people are invested with something that scares them. Of Christian prayer, the Bible says that the "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:14). And that is scary to those whose life consists of conspiracy theories and hatred. St Paul teaches that our spiritual weapons, including prayer, "have divine power to demolish strongholds" (2 Cor. 10:4). There is an old bit of poetry which says:
"The devil trembles when he sees
the weakest saint upon his knees."

I hope that Christians will take this opportunity to express love and grace to Muslims they may know or meet. But I also hope that this spotlight on Islam may provoke more fervent prayer for the Muslim world. Muslim immigration in the West is a real opportunity for the church to reach out and bless them with the good news of God's love. Maybe that's one reason why the devil filled one man's heart with hatred and the desire to slaughter them. But he will not win.

"God is generous beyond all measure or comparison. God's inexpressible generosity, however, does not stop at saving us: it provides for all our needs and blessings throughout our entire lives". (Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace, 55). In preparing my Sunday talk about "A Journey into Generosity" I have been struck by the awesome giving of God to us. No wonder St Paul wrote "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!". In the same chapter he also urges followers of Jesus to be generous in their lifestyle as a reflection of the heart of God. Such generosity is a real advertisement for the faith - and the flip-side of that is that there is probably no worse advert for Christianity than mean, greedy, self-seeking disciples.

How Much is Enough?

Our expenses can be roughly divided into two camps: needs and wants. Needs seem fixed and non-negotiable, while wants can fluctuate. Though even in meeting our needs there are daily choices - named brands or standard, luxury or basic? It’s logical that if our income can cover our necessities, everything else becomes a choice. Enough is not a number – it’s a state of mind or heart – an attitude. Needs and wants will fluctuate, income will rise and fall – God calls us to a commitment that does not depend on plenty but is consistent whether in want or in abundance. (Luke 21:1-4 – the widow’s mite).

C. S. Lewis said "I'm afraid that biblical generosity is more than merely giving away that which we could afford to do without anyway". It's an issue of the heart - after all, the bible says that God loves a cheerful giver and that each of us should determine in our hearts what to give (2 Cor. 9:7). And we can only really be generous when in our hearts we are trusting him - leaning on God to be true to his promises. Jesus said that our heavenly Father knows our needs and that if we seek His kingdom first of all, then he will make sure that our genuine needs are met (Matt.6:32-33).

"Give and it shall be given to you" is also a bible challenge and a promise. Let's choose generosity in every aspect of our lives and see what a difference we could make as we pass through this world.

Father Deficit

Amanda Platell, in the Daily Mail (Sat. 23rd Feb 2019), commented on the reasons why so many young girls - and some boys - are being admitted to hospitals across the UK with self-harm. Alongside the usual suspects of social media bullying she dares to mention an almost taboo subject - the absence of a father figure in their lives. She says "Take it from me, the relationship between a dad and a daughter is both sacred and empowering". She goes on to say that fathers need to affirm and admire their daughters to prepare them for a world of hostility and potential harm.

This is up-to-date but not new. A research project by the University of Birmingham in 2011 found that "father deficit" is a huge problem in our society. The research shows that young people subjected to "father deficit"are often isolated, unsupported and much more likely to be involved in anti-social behaviour, crime and substance abuse. They also found that such young people fight a daily battle with their emotions and negative feelings. Fathers have a great responsibility.

This morning I preached on the Father Heart of God from Luke 15. If you would like to hear it, you can see the video here https://youtu.be/V71DlR7m4Sk and the talk begins at about 25 minutes in and lasts around 30 mins. You see, there is a "Father deficit" in many Christians minds and hearts also and it leads to similar problems with low self-worth and negative emotions. I recommend you take the time to watch the video and consider this vital topic. Thanks.

Was Winston Churchill a Hero or a Villain?

Was Winston Churchill a villain or a hero? At first glance this question is ridiculous, especially to members of an older generation in Britain. I can only remember my father shedding tears once in all his life but he did so watching the televised broadcast of Winston Churchill's funeral on the BBC. Dad had lived through the Blitz in London as an evacuee from Guernsey and for him there was no greater symbol of victory against Nazi fascism than the bulldog features of the great man himself.

John McDonald, the shadow Chancellor and member of the UK Labour Party's frontbench, caused uproar this week responding to the question during an interview. He was pushed to a one-word answer and came down on the side of villain. Nicholas Soames, Churchill's grandson, said that he believed his grandfather's war record spoke for itself and was not in danger of being tarnished by the comments of a "Poundland Marxist!". McDonald defended his position in the press subsequently by pointing to Winston Churchill's record of sending in the military to the Welsh mining village of Tonypandy to suppress a strike, but he also acknowledged Winston's heroic stand against the evils of fascism.

So the question may be a stupid one, as the answer is complicated. My view is that at different times in his life he could have been described as both. Churchill himself was deeply embarrassed about his role in the First World War's Gallipoli campaign which went so badly wrong and in which hundreds of thousands of young men died. He might also have been viewed as a villain by the French because of his destruction of the French fleet after the surrender of France to the Nazis. He was certainly a very difficult man to work for, as many a tear-stained secretary has pointed out. But he was a human being, capable of great glory and yet making enemies and mistakes. He was as flawed as any of us who are marked by human frailty and sin.

The vicious ire stoked by John MacDonald's comment is not helpful in overcoming the terrible divisions that there are in British politics today. And we must avoid the temptation to either idolise prominent people from the past or demonise potential leaders in the present. We are all a mixture of villain and hero, and capable of great heights and profound depths in our behaviour. Thank God for a divine mercy revealed in the lives of flawed leaders like Moses, King David, Samson and Simon Peter that was able to take the clay of human frailty and create the fabulous tableware of redeemed lives.

Was Emiliano Sala Worth £15 Million?

The tragic and sudden death of Emiliano Sala, together with pilot David Ibbotson, is causing huge sadness around the footballing world. In Cardiff, Nantes in France, but particularly in his homeland of Argentina, his loss is felt so keenly by so many. Here in Guernsey we are uniquely linked to the tragedy due to the fact that the light aircraft in which he was a passenger ditched some 25 miles north of our island. Locals have followed the intense search both for survivors and then latterly for wreckage and bodies with bated breath. Our prayers are with the families of both men, and for their friends, team-mates and supporters.

One sad aspect of the disaster is the report that now Nantes are instigating legal action to recover the £15 million that they are due in respect of the transfer. There must be confusion over who is liable for this loss and whose insurers should cover it, and it appears somewhat insensitive and premature to be jumping straight into litigation even before the body was recovered and confirmed as Sala's, as it was on Thursday.

Some might claim that nobody should be worth such a sum, certainly not such a young person, but I want to say that the loss of the money might actually focus minds on the true value of any individual. My answer to the question of whether he was worth £15 million is "No - he was worth infinitely more than that!". It's a reflection of modern thinking that we would perhaps lament the loss of a footballer more keenly than another in similar circumstances but that would be wrong. This young man was precious in the eyes of his family, his loved ones and friends, but ultimately, in the heart of God. God gave his only son Jesus to redeem men and women who bear his image and share his spirit and the loss of any of us is a cause for immense sorrow. And David Ibbotson was of equal value too, whether or not his flying skills were in any way to blame - which nobody is yet suggesting.

Forget the £15 million - it's only money! Disregard the fact that a major team might get relegated from the Premier League - it' only a game! Focus on the families of both men in prayer and support, praying that David's body will also be found soon. And let's not kid ourselves that life is a given, or a guarantee, for any of us - we need to be ready and face our eternal future with hope - hope in Christ.

Now that's what I call a crisis!

Please pray for the people of Zimbabwe. While we in Britain feel the effects of political uncertainty and deadlock over Brexit, we should be grateful that we are not oppressed by a militaristic regime intent on suppressing dialogue and protest. The dear people of Zimbabwe are suffering 90% unemployment, the doubling of fuel prices overnight, runaway inflation and food shortages. According to BBC news this morning, hundreds of people have been arrested arbitrarily and people with guns are roaming the city streets. Police reportedly stand by and watch looting, whilst roads and shops are closed, along with banks and government departments.

Also, like in North Korea and other totalitarian regimes, the authorities have blocked the Internet and prevented WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook from being used in order to control news to the outside world as well as to prevent citizens from communicating with one another. Meanwhile the President is reported to be away in Russia seeking assistance in building up his military and other such aid. What a tragedy for a once proud nation that used to be known as the bread basket of southern Africa and now looks more like a basket case.

What can the outside world do? It is unclear. Sanctions usually only hurt suffering populations even more. But maybe pressure can be put by international investors and governments to force change. Until then, I hope that the world will pray and ask God to be merciful to that nation once again and send the rain of His Spirit on the church there, giving wisdom and great grace to the leaders and people who are enduring this situation. The God of the Bible says: "If my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health". (2 Chron 7:14 The Message). Let's pray that will happen today.

Do We Belong in Europe?

I just enjoyed breakfast with four amazing people from Madrid, the capital of Spain They were passing through Guernsey airport after visiting the tiny northern Channel Island of Alderney. They are evangelical Christians and pastors in a large church in the Spanish capital. Prior to meeting with them I had read a report that said that 12 evangelical churches are being opened in Spain per month - yes monthly!✻ Now this group feel a missionary concern for little old Alderney and already have a member of their church working there and sharing her faith. What was clear from my friends is that they don't want us to leave! They feel a great affinity with us and thank God for what our involvement with them has brought about.

Speaking as a retired missionary I just want to say how much I thank God for the decades during which there has been freedom of movement between Britain and the nations that make up mainland Europe. Here in Guernsey we are only 30 miles from France with its only 2% of Protestants and can see it clearly (we are 90+ miles from the UK). If that freedom ends I know that God will continue to bless and prosper his work in the UK and in Europe, but I can't help thinking that an effective door of opportunity may have been closed.

I blogged recently about fear as I think that both sides of the Brexit debate seem vulnerable to this at the moment. We need to recognise when fear is becoming debilitating and deal with it early before it eats away at our peace. God's love, and trusting in his loving care for us, in the antidote to fear, and the words of the Bible can help us to overcome. 'Don't be afraid' is said 366 times in the scriptures - one for every day of the year and one for a leap year!

But as I pray for the UK parliament and for its government when they come to the critical vote on Tuesday (15th Jan 2019) I am also praying that the door of opportunity for cross-cultural mission and cross-border friendship will not close. After all, the UK may be going to leave the EU but there is no way that it can leave Europe!

✻http://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/2225/In_Spain_12_evangelical_churches_are_opened_every_month

How's your temperature?

Mike Pilavachi, the well-known British youth speaker and leader of Soul survivor, tweeted this last week: “Never be cool. Never try and be cool. Never worry what the cool people think. Head for the warm people. Life is warmth. You'll be cool when you're dead.” Well that is a relief!!"

I know why people might want to be "cool" - I suppose I do too really - but hey, is cool what God wants for His church? "Head for warm people" is really sound advice I think. Maybe being cool is great but warmth always wins hearts and influences people.

Part of my worries about coolness is that I remember too well the cold-hearted Christianity of the past. Too many sincere believers made the mistake of imagining that holiness had to be cold, scowling and judgemental. They were cooled right down to the extreme!

Jerry Bridges says this: "Godliness is never austere and cold. Such an idea comes from a false sense of legalistic morality erroneously called godliness. The person who spends time with God radiates his glory in a manner that is always warm and inviting, never cold and forbidding."✱

Should church be cool?  I'll leave that to you to decide. But should Christians be warm? Yes - a thousand times yes. Sometimes I can be so project oriented, or task driven that I fail to spot the needs of those around me. I learned in African culture that they always had time to chat, time for friendship, for mutual support. Warm hearted people in a hot climate! Maybe it would be better to do the job just a little less perfectly but be warm and attentive to the people around us?

Come on - smile a bit!🤣😁 Give me warm Christians rather than cool church any day!


✱ Jerry Bridges, Holiness Day by Day (NavPress, colorado Springs, 2008) 11

4 Questions that have Changed my Life.

As 2018 draws to an end there are many questions in my mind. Some are biblical, like "why do bad people prosper?" (Psalm 73) and "shall we accept good from the Lord and not trouble?" (Job 2:10). Maybe years ago Christians would have been discouraged from asking too many questions about their faith, but now we realise how mistaken that can be. Questions are good if they stir us up to think more deeply, and perhaps to find answers. Even if they don't achieve that they serve as pointers to a better way of understanding all that is around us. Here are 4 questions that have changed my thinking and my life over the years:

1. "If you were arrested today and charged with being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" I was first asked this in the 1970's when Christians were being arrested in large numbers, especially in Communist countries. They continue to be persecuted right now, in even greater amounts, and even up to martyrdom. I heard on the BBC news that in 2018 around 250 Christian believers per month were killed for their faith. This has finally caused the UK government to act, beginning with an enquiry led by the Bishop of Exeter that will report back by Easter 2019. The question changed me in the 70's and challenges me even more today.
2. "What is God saying to you through all of this?" It was 1998 and I had just been released from a long spell in hospital, mostly in Intensive Care, after an illness that had nearly taken my life. It had forced me to relinquish my ministry and leave the leadership of a great church that I loved, and had subjected me to a condition known as the most physically painful borne by man. As I tottered around my local shops, a dear friend met me and asked me this. I did not have the strength to punch her! Rather, her question floored me like an uppercut to my soul. I was so busy pleading for healing and trying to survive that I had not for a moment considered that God might be saying to me in all this. The Bible says "faithful are the wounds of a friend" and this lady was a faithful friend to me that day! My attitude was changed for ever by that question and I still seek to hear God in every situation I face.
3. "If you only had one more book in you, what would you want to say?" The person who has been editor of 3 of my 4 published books, asked me this in 2018. Maybe I do only have one more book in me - only God knows, but this question has served me well. It has focused my mind on what I am learning and want to communicate to others. In a phrase - "God can be trusted" - that's what I want to say! What if you only had one more sermon to preach, letter to write, or year to work? Even more crucially, what if you only had one more day?
4. "What would you do if you were 10 times bolder?" I was at Leadership Academy with my good friend and colleague Matt Gregor when we were asked this powerful question. It has stayed with me like a mantra every time I face a challenge about the church I serve, the people I meet or the circumstances I face. I want it to be my provocation throughout the coming New Year. I long to be able to say that by the end of 2019, and by God's Holy Spirit's power, I will have been ten times bolder than I have been thus far. A similar question is "what would you do if you knew that you could not fail?" Hmm. Food for thought.

Have a very happy, prosperous and peace filled New Year!

Step Away from the Treadmill

 We spent three days in Southampton last week as I needed some tests done in the hospital there and whilst in the city we visited the famous West Quay shopping centre. Wow! What a temple to the gods of Christmas shopping! There was so much going on but none of it related to anything I could recognise as linked to the real reason for the season. Not one of the songs being played so loudly was a carol or mentioned God and you could be forgiven for thinking it was Santa's birthday coming, or an event promoted by the Society for the Protection of Elves and Reindeer!

I love the atmosphere of a real family Christmas and the whole celebration of God's great gift of His Son. I also really enjoy this festival of lights in the middle of a dark and dreary winter here in the West. One thing that does bother me, though, is the pressure that it seems to put on upon us all. The need to prepare for a perfect Christmas Day - to get or to give the very latest gadget - to ensure that our kids have all they want or ask for - the rush to make sure we have got everything in before the shops close for 24 hours (yes only 24 hours and some may even stay open then!).

There will be many Bible readings in churches up and down the land in carol services this year. The one I don't expect to hear is my favourite, in the Message version. It goes like this:
Jesus said: "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28-30).

How I need to learn those "unforced rhythms of grace", rather than stumble along in the clumsy footsteps of so many who seem to head for Christmas, lemming-like, heads down in the rush of this crazy season. I don't think Jesus came into the world to give us stress, headaches, pressure and a sense of impending failure. He came to search out and to save people who are lost. He came into a messy stable to bring the fragrance of God instead of the stench of cow poo, and the light of God's glory instead of the shadows of self-doubt and fear. So step away from the treadmill. Put down your heavy bags and choose to walk with Jesus at His pace, His peace, and His perfect plan.

Happy Christmas!

The very highest energy of which the human mind is capable

"Brothers and sisters, pray for us". This is what St Paul wrote to the new believers in Thessaloniki towards the end of his first letter. He knew that these were young Christians, recently converted from paganism or Judaism, and very green indeed. Yet he recognised that he needed their prayers, and would not be able to function in the teeth of fierce hostility where he was (in Corinth) if God did not help him. He had entered into a partnership with those whom he led where they each depended upon the other praying for them.

Later, in his first letter to Timothy, St Paul sets out a further vital imperative in intercessory prayer. "Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation." (1 Tim 2:2 The Message). In the case of the UK, there has not been a more urgent need for such praying in probably 50 years. Next Tuesday, the British government is facing almost certain defeat in a motion to endorse the EU Withdrawal Agreement that Prime Minister Mrs May has signed with the EU leaders in Brussels. Whatever your opinion of this deal, or the whole matter of the UK leaving the EU, the leaders elected to the House of Commons need our prayers at this time. We should also pray for Theresa May and her ministers that they may have supernatural wisdom - it looks like they're going to need it!

Whatever happens, don't be afraid. Look at my previous post and repeat those wonderful fear-fighting Bible texts! God is in charge, but He does call us to join Him by prayer - training for reigning if you like. So, even if you are a new Christian still wet behind the ears, St Paul's advice is good advice, and what we should be about in the next few days. “The act of praying is the very highest energy of which the human mind is capable” (E M Bounds, Power Through Prayer). So why not rise to it now!

Project Fear Throttles Hope and Peace

There's not much fun in British politics at the moment. Was there ever? No surprises there then! But Brexit is like two toddlers riding towards an unknown future with terror on their faces. Maybe one really wanted to be there - like the Brexiteers - but the other wanted to stay safe with Mummy - "comme les Remainers" (pardon my French!) - but now they are careering together towards who knows what! When the whole debate about Brexit first arose in 2016 and the nation faced the now infamous referendum, the term "Project Fear" was coined. It was used to describe attempts by the government to head off Brexit and get people to vote remain. Did it fail?  Not really, because now FEAR is the watchword of both sides! If Britain goes with the deal Mrs May has negotiated, or leaves without a deal, the people are being fed a diet of fear. As Christians, we really need to make sure that "Fear doesn't Make the Decisions Around here!"

People are very afraid today. Fear is endemic in our society, as Jesus prophesied it would be in the last days. ‘Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world’ (Lk. 21:26). Fear is a powerful force in its own right, whether the thing feared comes to pass or not. It can grip our hearts and minds and make it impossible to enjoy life - like those toddlers unable to see the fun they could be having on the roundabout! You may have heard it said that New Testament says 'don't be afraid' 366 times - one for every day of the year and one for a leap year!

Whatever happens in Westminster or Brussels God is still on his throne and is not wringing his hands in fear that the wrong decision will be made. Extremists on both sides may accuse me of sitting on the fence or failing to discern real dangers, but I prefer to trust the God who says that he loves us and has an exciting plan for our lives.

In my book Braving the Storm I offer a list of 10 fear-fighting Bible texts and I will include them here. Go on - choose to trust God and don't be afraid to enjoy the ride!

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Deuteronomy 20:3b,4

Do not be faint-hearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before [your enemies], for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.

1 Chronicles 28:20

…Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you ...

Isaiah 43:1,2

But now, this is what the LORD says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.’

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 118:6

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Proverbs 29:25

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

Hebrews 13:5,6

…because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’

2 Timothy 1:7

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Psalm 56:3,4.

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? 

Brexit-bruised Premier finds Comfort Close at Home!

I don't think the British Prime Minister has much to laugh about this weekend! After the kind of week she has endured at the hands of her Conservative Party colleagues - never mind the Opposition - Mrs May is probably quite bruised. You have to admire her, though, for her tough-minded determination to push through with what she believes to be the best for the country, whether or not she turns out to have been right. It remains to be seen whether she will survive in office for very much longer, but I think she probably will do so, and yet confound the ranks of snorting behemoths that confront her.

In a Daily Mail interview Mrs May puts her ability to withstand criticism and opposition down to the sterling support of her husband, Philip May. His cooking, encouragement and unflappable belief in her, combined with his quiet and loving support of her, have got the Prime minister this far, and may well see her through. If this proves to be the case, then the first couple of the UK are to be commended for offering a role model of marriage in a period of intense activity and crisis.

I know how much Diane's support has meant to me throughout our life together over these last 46 years of marriage, and especially through the two decades of acute and chronic pain from which we are just emerging. I would wish that kind of support for you and for all I know that are passing through high pressure circumstances right now. The bible says that two are better than one and asks "how can one be warm alone?" If you are on your own, seek out company with others who share your faith and perhaps your loneliness, as we simply weren't made to face this difficult thing called life alone.

Well done Mr May!  But I don't think your work is over yet!