You humble me, Lord

I used to work in a store called Peckhams. We sold all sorts of different wines and spirits as well as fresh deli items- it was typical upper middle class fayre as were the customers. One item we did stock though was ‘K Cider’. This was 6% alcohol in a can for 79p. The reason we stocked it however was because one guy would buy it- sometimes 12 cans per day on separate occasions. One night he broke down in the store and explained he was living in a bedsit. Most nights he was too drunk to make it back to the bedist in time for curfew and as a result would have to sleep outside. His fingernails were bloody from scraping the ground- he thought he was in bed pulling the sheets over himself. One night, 30 minutes before closing (11.30) he was slumped up against our door, barely recognisable as a functioning person. i handed over the keys to a workmate and walked him to his bedsit. Before letting him go in, i asked him if i could pray for him. In his stupor he simply said ‘All i want is a house’. Nervously, i prayer for him- handing over his needs to God and asking for another chance on his behalf. We went separate ways, sceptical that what had just happened was heard.

3 weeks ago, and roughly 8 months later, the same guy walks into Re:Hope. He was much more weathered from the last time i saw him, bandaged up on his head and his left eye had some blood in it. His fingernails were clean. We’re in the middle of second worship and alot of people are getting prayed for, its hard to hear but coyly i approach him, call him by his name and ask how his situation is. He is surprised since he clearly doesnt remember me but gains some trust in me expressing an interest. He talks about how the council found him a flat in Blairdardie, he no longer lives on the streets when he cant make the walk home. However, he goes on to talk about one night when he was walking home from the shop after getting bread and is savagely beaten up outside his front door. He spent the next 3 months in hospital in a coma. He lost his flat since he doesnt have a cosigner or a next of kin. His one chance to break out left him back where he was-back in the bedsit- but this time with less of a desire to drink. I pray for him again although this time he is far more weary and soon leaves.

On sunday, He came back in. This time he recognised me. I was at the communion table- sharing the joy of the empty tomb and the blood shed for us with anyone who came back to recieve it. He spends some time observing people do this and starts to talk about a prgramme he watched on channel 4 last wednesday. It was about the last supper and the death of Christ. Wondering where he was going with the conversation, i turned to him to see him crying. He simply says- ‘I want to be a Christian’. Weary, i lean in to see if i smell alcohol but hes fine. His bandages are off and his fingernails are clean. He asks how he can do it. I explain that for now, all he needs to do is ask for forgiveness. We pray, and he offers his life as no longer his and asks for mercy. I ask if he wants to take communion with me, barely able to explain what it symbolises. I find the words from something i had heard from a friend who had said the words before. We pick up the bread and dip it in the wine;

He knew you’re name on the cross.

You Humble me, Lord.

Think Piece

What does Jesus, living in me, expect from a relationship?

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it looks like to live out a Godly relationship.

Definition time:

Godly: of relating to, or proceeding directly from God. Divine.
Relationship: The state or Character of being related or interrelated.

ergo; 2 people relating to one another in God.

Word: “Submitting to one another in the fear of God”
Ephesians 5: 21

If God isn’t at the centre of our relationships and instead our pride has gripped us, we cannot yield ourselves to one another. Without him we let our selfish and prideful motives get in the way and cause damage, satisfying urges within our selves for self-justification. If we obey what Christ would have us do, we prove that he is our God.

Word: ” For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for al, therefore all have died.”
2 Corinthians 5:14

The think points come up here:
- Does He/She have the same heart for God as i do?
- Where is God taking this person and at what pace?
- Does God want me to enter another covenant when i can’t uphold my one with him?

Food for thought, but i think these are the primary questions we should all be praying over and lifting up. If we’re going to have God at the centre of a relationship, it needs to be the case from the outset. Have you asked these questions? Is God at the centre right now?

I really have neglected this blog, and after being ripped on for not updating i guess i should make a point to share what I’ve been thinking about.

I’m in a season of what i call ‘manning up’, that is, finding out what it means to be a man (in Christ) and then doing those things. For now, it’s all about relationships and identifying what needs to be submitted to God to be the man he wants us to be; the actions we take that are ungodly and unhelpful. The biggest ones that seem to come up again and again are all ‘me me me’; Self pity, Self Absorption, Self Justification and Selfishness.

I’ll blog on all these soon, but as a taster; I’m going to touch on these and look at what God has to say in 2 Timothy, Proverbs and Ezekiel.

God Bless.

ReAwakening

The Reawakening Conference will take place on the 20th and 21st of Feburary 2009 at Partick Trinity Church/Partick South. The student conference aims to rise up student leaders in our broken generation and call them to be a people of the word, prayer, mission and holy character; willing to follow Jesus anytime any place and at any cost. See the video link for more details!

I cant get embed to work…lol

The importance of being Earnest

Last week, Scott Burns preached at church and made some interesting points on distinctiveness and holiness. More specifically, how the ‘big C Church’ has lost it’s identity as a people striving for Holiness because of wandering in the ways of the world. One such loss of distinctiveness really gets to me and during Scott’s message i couldn’t help but think about it. Sincerity is lax and Compromise is rife among the Christian student generation. I once met a Christian girl who claimed;

“The Bible is just a metaphorical life manual that’s becoming more and more dated, that is why the church is failing”

There is such a void in standing up for what we believe in and letting others in the way of our relationship with God. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:33:

“God is not the author of confusion.”

What this is saying is that God is not going to contradict himself and attempt to confuse you by writing opposite things in his book. Not to mention numerous commands do be doers of the word. One i have to hand is something i raised in bible read through this week (1 Peter 2:8):

“They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do”

Challenging. In fact, it is a key note that it is us who fail God. That our disobedience and straying from Holiness is what is to blame. NOT the Bible.

Another quote from a friend of mine on faith hiatus :

“But the Bible was written by men?!!”

Wait…

The Bible was written by over 40 authors! Not only is it written by over 40 authors, but it is written over a period of 1,600 years! Each author agreed on: history of the world, their idea of what God is like, their rules for living, prophecies for the future, and man’s sinfulness. Because there are so many authors and the books were written over such a vast amount of time, there is no way that all of these authors could have got together and talked about writing the same thing over and over and over again.

Think about it like this. If you listen to a U2 song, you know its U2. If you listen to another of their songs, you can still tell its Bono and co. There is distinctiveness. In the same way, we are supposed to compare spiritual things and in every book of the Bible we can hear God. (not that he sounds anything like U2). So, God used men to write the bible? Yeah, but God is still the author. He Breathed those words, he inspired those men to write and he lives through every verse of it.

Lets not abandon the central idea of the bible, however. These are God breathed words. Words printed so that we may better understand God’s will for us and walk in his light and strive for holiness and distinctiveness. I think about how i came to hold my humble and crumbling ESV in my hands and how it has survived not only the punishment i have put this copy through, but all of the translation, revision and even conquering. It is God in these verses, alive for you to listen to. 2 Peter 1:21 reminds us of this:

“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”

Have confidence in God, don’t let lies deceive you. Stand for what you believe, what is right. Even if you’re the only one standing.

God, give us the confidence to serve you and give us discernment to see through the lies of our adversary.

Onwards and Upwards

So in the coming week i start my internship with Re:hope. Its been a long process to get to here but im confident in whatever plans God has for me.

For the past few months i’ve been coached by Stephen Irwin which has put me where i’m at now. The Coaching won’t change, just now i have the added bonus of Mike taking me through the programme and helping me grow in Christ. Exciting times all round!

My step ‘onwards and upwards’ came from a study on what discipleship is. J.H Arnold had this to say;

Discipleship is not a question of our own doing; it is a matter of making room for God so he can live in us

After surrendering alot to God and completely reversing my way of thinking, sparking concern from friends and family, im in a place now where i need deeper learning and study. I have no idea where the extra time will come from, pray for an 8th day for me guys! All i know is God’s grace is the reason i’m changing without even knowing it, and the more i listen to him, the more he’ll shape me.

I never learned much while talking anyways.