"The Cross"

I listened to this sermon yesterday. It's C.J. Mahaney speaking at Covenant Life Church on the benediction at the end of 2 Corinthians 13. We should always live in light of the cross.

You can download it here or listen to it online here.

David Prior, in his commentary on 1 Corinthians, says:

"We never, therefore, move on from the cross of Christ - only into a more profound understanding of the cross."

God Bless.

Dear Freedom

John Piper Interview with Adrian Warnock

Revision time provides an opportunity for somewhat excessive blog trawling, but every now and then I find something that makes all the procrastination worthwhile... This video is one of those things.

Adrian Warnock had the privilege of interviewing several of the main speakers at New Word Alive this year (I'd recommend watching all the interviews here or here) and this is part of his interview with John Piper. Piper talks about his prayer life and his own personal quiet times. I've found his suggestion to read and pray all at the same time, something that he learned from George Müller, to be incredibly helpful. I hope you also find this a blessing.

God bless.

Dear Freedom

In view of God's mercy...

This is yet another fantastic video from uccf:thechristianuinons, which is very clear and very worth watching.

God bless.

Dear Freedom

"Give Up Your Small Ambitions..."

Today I’ve been reading Michael Griffiths’ book “Give Up Your Small Ambitions”, which is an in depth look at missions, with a particular emphasis on those considering going. He says this:

“Francis Xavier was the Jesuit director of missions in India, China and Japan in the sixteenth century. He once said that he longed to be back in Paris “to go shouting up and down the streets to tell the students to give up their small ambitions and come eastward to preach the gospel of Christ”. More than 400 years later, my sentiments would be very similar.”

He goes on to say of the Christian Union movements that:

“In the Inter-Varsity Fellowship [what is now UCCF] Annual Report for 1969, we are reminded that after the first world war “up to fifty per cent of the CU members went abroad as missionaries” and that again after the second world war “a large number of members went abroad”. Yes, but why no now? We need less humming and hawing by the churches and societies. Give us the men and we will finish the job, the Lord being our Helper. The evangelical student movements especially must not give and uncertain sound, but call as loudly and clearly today for world evangelisation as they did in the earliest days.”

I look forward to hearing, and hopefully agreeing, with more of what Griffiths has to say.

God bless.

Dear Freedom

"This was spoken..."

Yesterday I heard two separate talks on exactly the same thing, which was odd since I’m pretty sure they didn’t collaborate with one another – in fact I’m positive that they didn’t since one of the speakers has now been dead for over 50 years! Both speakers exhorted their listeners to use the Old Testament in their evangelism.

The first speaker I listened to was Jim Elliot. Yes, I know, you’re sitting there thinking that I must be delusional as he’s been with the Lord for a long while now, but, thanks to the incredible abilities of modern technology, the Billy Graham Centre in Wheaton College have two recordings of Jim Elliot’s sermons from 1951 which are available to listen to; one on the feeding of the five thousand and one on the resurrection. I listened to the latter and was amazed at just how engagingly, relevantly and passionately he preached into a 21^st century context, despite speaking 57 years ago.

Jim justified his comments about the use of Old Testament scripture in evangelism by using the example of the apostles and their use of all Old Testament scripture (see Acts), even the most obscure and seemingly unrelated, to explain the gospel to their audiences. In a way we live in a similar environment, although this may be becoming less the case as years go on and our cultures become increasingly secularised. We live in a culture where people know the Old Testament stories – they know something of Adam and Eve, of Noah, of Joseph, of Moses, of Samson, of David, of Solomon and so on… These stories all point to the life, work, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and we can use them as a springboard for our evangelism while that knowledge is still in the undercurrent of our culture.

I would encourage you to listen to Jim – it can be found here:

Jim Elliot speaking on the resurrection.

The second speaker was Zac Wyse, the UCCF staff worker for Manchester and the surrounding areas. He was speaking on Isaiah 52-53 and the suffering servant. At the end of his talk he asked a fantastic question for group discussion. He asked us to explain the gospel to one another without making explicit reference to the events of the New Testament. This is a fantastic habit to be in especially if we are explaining the gospel to our Muslim or Jewish friends who are far more likely to accept the credibility and authenticity of books such as Isaiah.

God bless.

Dear Freedom

Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it...

I’ve been really challenged and struck in recent days and weeks for Jesus’ call for us to serve him sacrificially and whole heartedly. Here are a few quotes that I’ve come across that have really challenged me…

In his book Sacrifice, Howard Guinness challenges young men and women to live in a way that, first and foremost, honours God. Lindsay Brown, in his book Shining Like Stars, gives the following quote:

“Where are the young men and women of this generation who will hold their lives cheap, and be faithful even unto death, who will lose their lives for Christ’s, flinging them away for love of him? Where are those who will live dangerously and be reckless in his service? Where are the men of prayer? Where are the men who count God’s Word of more importance to them than their daily food? Where are God’s men in this day of God’s power?”

One of the best songs that I’ve heard recently uses Philippians 1:21 as its theme…

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

The song is sung by Daphne Schaffer and is called “To Live is Christ”:

"I make a vow
My life will always honour Christ
Whether I live or die

I belong to Him
He bore my sin
I owe this life to my saving King

Hallelujah, I am not my own
You are in control
Hallelujah

For me to live is Christ
And to die is gain
No matter what price I pay
I choose to give this life away

Only by the cross I am saved"

Finally the words of Jim Elliot continue to challenge me to the core:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

I pray that God would give courage to his people to live in this way.

God bless.

Dear Freedom