abk4u: Reckless Grace

    A series examining Christian authors who have shaped lives; trying to find ‘a book for you’

 

“GODS RECKLESS GRACE IS OUR GREATEST HOPE”

    prod-i-gal –adjective
1. recklessly extravagant
2. having spent everything

 

   Thus starts Timothy Keller’s book “The Prodigal God”.

   Its an upside down, topsey turvey, title if there ever was one! Obviously referring to Jesus’ parable about the prodigal son, Keller, right from the word go, is doing a total U-turn on the conventional understanding of the story.

   The parable of the prodigal son is a story in which a wayward young brother takes his inheritance and wastes it all on foolishness and excitement. Eventually, penniless and sorrowful, he returns to his father’s house, where his father runs to meet him, showering him with gifts and love. It is from here that we have the saying “kill the fatted calf.”  The older brother, who had stayed and served his father all those years, is upset to see to how his brother is treated upon his return.

   Traditionally the focus is placed on the younger wayward brother and his return to his father. Jesus attracted followers who were ‘younger brother types’- tax collectors and sinners. Surely, Keller asks, this story would bring the crowd to tears as they realise that they too can be forgiven by God? But then he answers his own question.

“No, the original listeners were not melted into tears by this story but rather they were thunderstruck, offended, and infuriated. Jesus’ purpose is not to warm our hearts but to shatter our categories… His story reveals the destructive self-centeredness of the younger brother, but it also condemns the elder brother’s moralistic life in the strongest terms. Jesus is saying that both the irreligious and the religious are spiritually lost.”

    The book highlights the 2 pathways which, perhaps, the human race falls into: that of the older brother, and that of the younger brother.

   Interestingly it is to the religious “older brothers” that Jesus directs this parable. The Pharisees and scribes are the ones who need this parable most of all. Having studied scripture all their lives and having kept thousands of self-imposed laws and regulations they regarded themselves as superior “holy” people. They were the bees-knees (or so they thought).

  In the parable, the Father goes out to both of the brothers. He runs out to welcome back the younger brother. And during the celebrations, he goes out to find his older son and invite him in too. Whether we have lived as rebels from God, or if we have strived to be perfect without God’s help, either way we need God’s grace to bring us back home. The basic thesis of Keller’s book is that God is a prodigal God. Prodigal means to be recklessly extravagant, to give until you have nothing left.  Essentially, he argues, God is a prodigal God. He gives us his grace and mercy and forgiveness in a manner which could be termed reckless and extravagant, but equally termed wonderful and glorious!

    One point made in The Prodigal God, was one that surprised me. It had never really crossed my mind before.

    The parable was the third of three to be told. In the first 2 someone loses something (a sheep, and a coin) and then, throwing all other cares aside, goes out searching for it. They refuse to give up until it has been found. We are soon surprised though,

“By the time we get to the third story, and we hear the plight of the lost son, we are fully prepared to expect that someone will set out to search for him. No one does. It is startling, and Jesus meant it to be so.”

   Who, we are asked, should have gone out searching for the younger brother?

   Any true elder brother would have given everything to find his lost, wayward sibling.

   Imagine how this accusation would have hit the Pharisees listening. They were being accused of failing their brothers. They had not fulfilled their duty towards God. Jesus’ parable, which had looked all set to condemn the tax-collectors and sinners, had in fact turned 180 degrees and was now pointing both barrels at themselves.

   Thankfully, this failure on the part of the older brother, points us to the brother who has completed his task. The Lord Jesus Christ came to ‘seek and to save that which is lost.’ As Keller says,

“Our true elder brother paid our debt, on the cross, in our place.”

   The Prodigal God goes on to talk much more about the sins of both the younger and elder brothers, the reckless grace of the father and the feast of celebration. Of course, the book must end with the startling end of the parable. Jesus used a really shocking cliff hanger:

    The father finds his eldest son skulking outside the great hall, in the dark, he invites him to come back inside and to join in the celebrations.

    And that’s it.

    The story ends.

    We get no answer, either positive or negative.

    Jesus leaves the Pharisees with the question for themselves: Are you going to stay in the dark? Or will you share in the reckless extravagant grace of God?

    We need to ask ourselves the same.

 

 

• The Prodigal God, Timothy Keller, Hodder & Stoughton

Evacuate an Embassy

   No-one ever said that being an Ambassador was going to be easy. Living in a foreign land, surrounded by an alien culture and a semi-hostile- or at the very least, semi-suspicious- people. 
   That is why, in international relations, Ambassadors and Embassies are regarded as sacrosanct. Nations may well despise their enemies, and even their allies, but they must treat foreign representatives with all honour and pomp.
   That is also why the  events of yesterday (Tuesday 29th November 2011) have caused such a stir across the UN and EU. Any situation which causes the USA, Germany, France, Russia, the UK and the UN Security Council to agree must be serious indeed.
   A few days ago the UK, along with Canada and America, imposed new sanctions on Iran. The Iranian Parliament responded with a vote to downgrade diplomatic relations with Britain. Yesterday, coinciding with the anniversary of the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist (blamed on Britain), a mob of Iranian students stormed the British Embassy compound (known as one of the strongest ‘fortresses’ in Tehran). Offices were ransacked, papers burnt and general chaos ensued. Thankfully all the staff have been accounted for and, as we speak, many are being evacuated.
   Step back and consider for a moment.
   Christians are all Ambassadors in an alien land. We are men (and women) on a mission of utmost importance.

    “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

   Moses, Noah, Enoch and many others all lived as strangers and exiles on the earth. They knew that they were foreigners, waiting for the call home.
   However, our mission, our message, is going to cause much more havoc and disturbance than sanctions on Iranian banks ever could. Jesus said:

    “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

     The message of the Gospel is one which causes divisions and anger: All have sinned, all are condemned by “international” law, all will receive the judgement they deserve; but God sent his son to die for the sins of his people, through faith in Jesus Christ and repentance comes eternal life. Before one can realise the wonder of God’s grace they must first be faced with, and acknowledge, the depravity and helplessness of their own soul.
    This message has caused the torture and death of many ambassadors. Before his execution, Paul described himself as an ‘ambassador in chains.’
    What hope can a Christian have then when he is stuck behind enemy lines and facing an angry mob?   
    When I quoted Matthew chapter 28 earlier, I missed the end of the quote off. Read it again and see why a Christian should be encouraged:

    “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

    I don’t want to push the analogy too far, but the hope a Christian bears is this: He is not alone, his Prince and Commander-in-Chief is with him. Our Lord does not leave us unaided to proclaim his Gospel, we have a mighty compound (unimaginably more mighty than an embassy’s walls) encompassing us and keeping us safe.
   Dwell on that for a while.
   Remember this: despite the attacks against our walls, our God cannot be breached, he is our shield and our defender. We may be Ambassadors in an alien land, but we are not alone!

We rest on Thee, our shield and our defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender
We rest on Thee and in Thy name we go

Oxygen:2012

Young Life (NYLC), a national youth organisation aimed at ‘reaching the lost and discipling the found’, has recently bought out the Oxygen booklet, ready for 2012.
The book is designed for use during morning or evening devotions. Near the front is a day-by-day prayer diary with suggested topics for supplicationary prayer, along with adequate room to add in people and needs as they arise.
A reading scheme- covering the whole Bible in 1 year- is also included. Each of the 365 days comes with space for notes and thoughts alongside the applicable Old and New Testament passages for that day.
The introduction also includes references and tips relating to having a daily quiet time with God.
Last year, along with a number of others, I undertook the UGS: 2010 reading Scheme (Unashamed Gospel Studiers!). I found it a great encouragement and blessing (please excuse my excessive use of clichés!). In the upcoming 12 months, many people at my YL group and church will be using the Oxygen quiet time diary and reading scheme. I look forward to the opportunities to discuss and share with others what we have been reading during the week.
As a tool to assist in regular Bible reading and study Oxygen looks like it will be worth its weight in Gold (Gold prices are currently fairly high too!). Why not join in the scheme and see how it can help you for 2012?
http://www.younglife.org.uk/younglife/resources.html
1 for £1.95,   6 for £10,   20 for £30

A good selection of other Bible reading schemes can be found at http://psalm121.ca/brindex.html

“Tea and cake, please.”

“THE MERE CHINK OF CUPS AND SAUCERS TUNES THE MIND TO HAPPY REPOSE.”    _{George Gissing}
                                                                                                                      

  I am English therefore I adore tea. Be it the PG Tips basic or the refined Twinings Breakfast variety, I could drink a teapot full!

  Watching the BBC Drama, Death in Paradise- the oh-so-very-British Detective Inspector Richard Poole dropped onto a 100 degrees Caribbean Island and in desperate need of a good old cup of finest- I am reminded of myself in India 4 years ago!

   After 3 weeks of drinking the local ‘cup of char’ using, at best, powdered milk and, at worst, no milk at all, I was craving tea of any reasonable sort!

   It was therefore with jubilation and celebration that my peers and I discovered a delightful continental tea shop in the city of Shimla! Shimla was used by the British Raj to administrate India during the winter months, due to its warm climate. It was built in a much more English manner than most of the other northern Indian cities, boasting- I kid you not-  a range of mock Tudor houses!

   The picture on the right shows me joyously holding the first packet of English Breakfast Tea I had tasted in weeks! I rather like the image- it symbolises the happiness and refreshment that I had been missing and yet earnestly seeking! As you can see, my fingers were cracked and dirty after 2 weeks of hiking in the Himalayas and a week of DIY at a local school! The tea was definitely needed!

    The Bible uses thirst and the quenching (quenchatition?!) of thirst as a vivid illustration of both our need for righteousness and also our need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. But the Bible also talks about how God’s Word, the scriptures, should excel the greatest earthly delights and pleasures, aka English Breakfast Tea. 

    The Psalmists regularly described God’s Word as honey:

    “How sweet are your words to my taste,
        sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
   “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

   God himself describes his desire to bless the Israelites with abundant fruitfulness in terms of wild honey:

    “But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
        and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

   Honey, in the Bible, was something which was basically a luxurious food- something to be desired after. Personally I don’t like honey much. So I tend to substitute ‘tea’ of even ‘fudge cake’ instead of ‘honey’ in these passages. It helps me to appreciate the magnitude or personal nature of the Psalms. Essentially the Psalmist, if in my position, would be saying a prayer of praise, roughly along these lines, “How refreshing are your words to my taste, more refreshing than tea to my lips!” “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than a  sticky toffee pudding and dripping melted fudge.”
   I love the language of scripture, and certainly would not advocate adopting the paraphrases above! However it does give one pause for thought. The Psalmist was comparing God’s Word to a delicious delicacy. And honey’s consistency is not really much different to that of a sticky toffee pudding!
   The Lord’s desire is to feed us spiritually with the choicest portions, with the finest servings of the Kingdom’s kitchens.
  One of Solomon’s proverbs underpins this point well. Solomon wanted nothing but the best spiritual food from God:

   “Two things I ask of you;
        deny them not to me before I die:
    Remove far from me falsehood and lying…
     …feed me with the food that is needful for me…”

   Solomon appreciated the need to both turn from bad, unwholesome, food which would clog the arteries, dull the brain and lead to death; and to also turn to the food fresh from God’s table, food which sustains, invigorates and energises.
   Perhaps you have realised that I am not talking about physical food any more!
   The illustration of food is helpful. It shows us the main purpose of God’s Word: to sustain the Christian, to fill him with the energy needed for the day/week/year and, perhaps chiefly, to remind us of our utter dependence on the Lord God each and every minute of our existence.
   But this duty of spiritual dining should not be burdensome. Quite the reverse. We are not dining as servants (in the kitchens) but as sons and daughters of the King, in the Great Hall of God. As we delve into scriptures, we are not doing so alone, but in the presence of our Saviour and  High Priest, Jesus Christ; and with the Father, who graciously gives us every starter, side plate, sorbet and mint; and with the Holy Spirit who points us toward the Father and the Son.

•    Jesus said this,  “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me…” It is in the Bible that we learn about God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• It is in those pages that we discover God’s purpose for our lives “For this is the will of God, your sanctification…”.
• It is in scripture that we have the tools of worship and praise, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”.
• In fact, we are told, the Bible is good for everything we can possibly need! “ …you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

   Certainly, when I sit down to read my Bible I don’t always get the same joy as I do when eating a sticky toffee pudding, or even drinking a cup of English Breakfast tea, for that matter. Perhaps, before opening up my Bible (and during, and after as well) I should be praying that the Lord would open my heart to his words. That scripture would invigorate and sustain me. That it would both teach and admonish me. And that, when I read His words, I will be delighted, and also filled with a joy that is vastly superior to that of drinking my first proper cup of tea in 3 weeks!
  If we are praying that we would savour every last morsel of the Bible, that we would praise and love the author, then the Lord certainly won’t refuse our prayers; indeed, we have this great promise to lay claim of:

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.”1 Peter chapter 3  verse 12

abk4u: Biblical Theology

“…Vaughan Roberts and Graeme Goldsworthy explained the plotline of the Bible to me.”

      With a title such as “Biblical Theology” I am actually surprised that you have read this post as far as you have! It certainly doesn’t catch the imagination and fan the metaphorical flames of excitement. Christians tend to hear the words Biblical and Theology and either think  “Organised Religion: eugh!” or “Good stuff… better left to the academics and uber-christians though!”

     If I was to say words to the effect of ‘Biblical Theology is for normal Christians too!’ then I might just be driving the final nail into the coffin of the contemporary and  relevant ethos which this blog has rather failed to achieve!

    Well….I never was particularly contemporary or relevant anyway- so here it goes:

    Biblical Theology is for normal Christians too!

   The 2 books (and authors) which have most succinctly pointed me towards Biblical Theology and its relevance are:

• God’s Big Picture, Vaughan Roberts 
• Gospel and Kingdom (The Goldsworthy Trilogy), Graeme Goldsworthy

   I read the first book about 4/5 years ago. As a relatively young Christian I was delighted to discover that the Bible actually had a pattern- a beginning, a middle and an end. The Bible is essentially one big story, woven throughout human history. This revelation dramatically influenced my understanding of a) how the New and Old Testaments fit together; b) the sheer paradoxical (by human standards) nature of the Gospel; c) how the Creation and the New Creation are the perfect bookends of time, and the gatehouse to a glorious future.

   During 2011, I read Gospel and Kingdom by Graeme Goldsworthy, having found it on a recommendation list. I quickly recognised the themes and basic principle behind the book. Turning back to the foreword in God’s Big Picture, I realised that Vaughan Roberts had actually written his own book as a layman’s version of Gospel and Kingdom. Reading the later (and more complex) of the two books, I better cemented my understanding of how the Gospel has affected the whole of history. Goldsworthy helped me to better understand how to interpret Old Testament stories in the light of the New Testament.

   Essentially Biblical Theology- as opposed to Systematic Theology- is the study of the main themes of the Bible as the Bible presents them, in their own place and context.  I hate to quote wikiwedia, but in this instance it actually explains the idea pretty succinctly:

Biblical theology seeks to understand a certain passage in the Bible in light of all of the biblical history leading up to it and later biblical references to that passage.

   On the other side of the Theological coin is Systematic Theology, which attempts to study and summarise Biblical topics in an ordered manner, outside of their immediate context. Both systems have merit and an all-rounded Christian should make use of both. Probably most human beings are drawn to the Systematic course of action. It seems simpler, more practical and better at producing rock solid results. But I highly doubt that God meant to write us a ‘Christian Textbook’ where we can flick to page 42 to read about “Marriage” and page 133 for “Redemption”! I made this comment in an earlier blog post:

In[his book] Goldworthy helps us to understand why finding answers in the Bible can seem like such hard work. The Bible, he says, is not a text book with an easy-use index. If we found a simple answer to 'How much money should I tithe?' under 'T' for tithe, then we wouldn't need to prayerfully search through God's word, trying to learn from Jesus' example or by understanding the role of grace in a believer. The Bible wasn't written as a glorified dictionary of Christianity, rather its fundamental aim is to make us grow.        Forming a Theology of Work, Wonders and Wigwams

   Spoiler Alert: The following paragraphs will reveal some of the thoughts and illustration used in God’s Big Picture and Gospel and Kingdom


     So, what is the Bible all about?

     The main definition, argued by the authors, is a great one. They define the ‘unifying theme’ of the Bible as…

The Kingdom of God:
God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule and blessing.

    Perhaps you disagree? Well, read the book then!

    The books both track God’s People, God’s Place and God’s Rule and Blessing throughout scripture, culminating with the promises of Heaven.

    Viewing all of scripture as a part of the greatest story of all-time is certainly an eye opener. Goldsworthy gives a number of examples as to how this theology should shape our interpretation of Old Testament passages. The first one- one which I have heard elsewhere- is that of David and Goliath.

  Now who has heard a sermon, talk or discussion which places us in the metaphorical shoes of David? We must  fight the giants in our lives, using the stones of prayer, faith, love etc. etc.?

  Perhaps David and Goliath could be used as an illustration for Christian warfare, but that certainly isn’t the main thrust of the story:

     David was the anointed King of Israel, God’s chosen one. While the powerless Israelites watched on, David went forth as the representative and champion of Israel, and killed the enemy of God’s people…. Do you see now how the Gospel of Jesus Christ is in fact the primary purpose of this story?  We should not associate ourselves with David, instead we should think of ourselves as the scared and powerless Israelites, watching while Jesus- our champion- defeats the powers of death and sin on our behalf!

    I could continue, but I must wrap this abk4u post up!

   Biblical Theology is vital for Christian living. A Gospel-centred understanding of scripture is vital for Christian living. Jesus is all throughout the Bible, these books can be a valuable resource in opening our eyes to his presence.

    And [Jesus] said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.    (Luke 24:25-27 ESV)

• God’s Big Picture, Vaughan Roberts, IVP
  http://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/god-s-big-picture?ref=1296817608
• The Goldsworthy Trilogy, Graeme Goldsworthy, Paternoster Press
  Including Gospel and Kingdom, Gospel and Wisdom and The Gospel in Revelation
  http://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/the-goldsworthy-trilogy?ref=1296817608

abk4u: Bunyan, the Bedfordian

         

“…Bunyan taught me that Christians are living in a war zone.”
“…Bunyan taught me that man is created by and for the Lord God, and that he delights in his work.”

   I am starting the ‘a book for you’ series, perhaps unsurprisingly, with someone who is held in high esteem- both in his home  town of Bedford, but also in the bigger wider world. John Bunyan was, undeniably, one of the greatest Puritan writers England has ever seen.
   The Pilgrim’s Progress (…From this World  to that Which is to Come) has been translated into over 200 languages. Some claim that it ranks second only to the Bible in terms of all-time sales (although others place Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book in that position!).
   Although I could talk about Bunyan’s most famous allegorical work for many an hour, I want to focus on one of his other bestsellers: The Holy War.

As I travelled through many regions, I came upon that famous land called Universe. This spacious country lies between the two poles and amid the four points of the heavens. Adorned with hills and valleys, it is abundantly fruitful, well-populated, and splendidly situated……

…..In this gallant country of Universe, there lies a pleasant and peaceful municipality called Mansoul. The picturesque architecture of this town, its convenient location, and its superior advantages cannot be equalled under heaven.

  
   It would be embarrassing to admit how long it took me to connect the town’s name Mansoul with its obvious meaning! Putting that to one side, Bunyan’s allegorical descriptions of each individual Soul has shaped my understanding of the Lord’s delight in his people, and the lengths he has gone to in order to secure our eternal safety.

According to the most authentic records, Mansoul’s first founder and builder was one called Shaddai. He built it for his own delight, making it the masterpiece of all that he did in that country. When first built, it was said by some that the angels came down to see it and sung for joy.

   In The Holy War, Bunyan tells the tale of Mansoul, a city which is infiltrated by Diabolus (an old English/Latin word meaning Devil) and his consorts. The simple Laws and Statutes of the previous King are destroyed, and the city descends into lasciviousness and ungodly living. The new tyrant places his own people into exalted positions: Lord Lustings becomes Mayor and Mr Forget-Good is appointed City Recorder. New Magistrates, Aldermen and Constables included Mr Unbelief, Mr Haughty, Mr Swearing, Mr No-Truth and Mr False-Peace. Having gained control of the city and garrisoned it against attack, Diabolus continues to enjoy Mansoul’s flagrant rebellion against King Shaddai.
   The story tells us of the King’s Generals who come and besiege the rebellious town. We learn about the belittlement and imprisonment of Mr Conscience. The defences of the site are expounded; we learn that the most succesful attacks are those made against Eye Gate or Ear Gate. And then, wonderfully, we hear about the King’s Son who bravely comes to capture the rebellious city.
   As a young boy, it was this book which, perhaps, gave me my earliest grasp of man’s sin and of God’s Grace. Mansoul was conquered, the evil mongers fled, the inhabitants left at the mercy of the King’s forces. But Prince Emmanuel (God with us) graciously offers forgiveness and mercy to the stricken, repentant and miserable town.
   The Prince’s claim, made to Diabolus, of ownership over Mansoul, is a beautiful thing. Remember, this is Christ’s claim over the believer’s heart:

This town of Mansoul is mine by an undoubted right, as all can see who diligently search the most ancient and authentic records… In the first place my father formed Mansoul with his own hands. The palace which stands in the middle of the town was formed by him for his own delight. This town of Mansoul is my Father’s by the best title possible, and those who deny this lie against their own souls. Secondly, you master of lies, this town of Mansoul is mine.
(1) I am my Father’s heir, his firstborn, and the delight of his heart. I have, therefore, come against you in my own right to recover my own inheritance from your slavery.
(2) Not only do I have a right to Mansoul because I am my Father’s heir, but because he has given it to me. It belonged to him, and he gave it to me…
(3) Mansoul is also mine by right of purchase. I have bought it, Diabolus, I have bought it for myself…. I purchased Mansoul because it had trespassed against my Father….When the appointed time had come, I gave my body, soul, life and blood for Mansoul, and so redeemed my beloved Mansoul.
(4) This is not a half-way measure. My Father’s law and justice, which were both transgressed, are now completely satisfied and reconciled that Mansoul should be delivered.
(5) Now I have come against you, this day, by commandment from my Father…Therefore, by assured, you fountain of deceit, and also, let Mansoul be assured, that I have not come against you without my Father. 

   
   Having freed Mansoul from its deceptive and manipulative tyrant, the Prince extends mercy to the repentant town folk, who cry out to him for forgiveness.   
The Prince commands the citizens of the City to keep alert for infiltrators and enemy agents living amongst them. The city walls are full of holes where men can conceal themselves and wreak havoc on Mansoul.
   At first the town rejoices at their King and his son. Emmanuel lives amongst them, in the citadel of Mansoul. The King’s Lord Secretary joins them and preaches and exhorts them. The Prince gives every man, woman and child new robes, pure, white and clean. They rejoice with feasting and happiness.    
  Sadly however, over time, the Mansoulians start to slip downwards in their zeal against Diabolus’ infiltrators and agents. They get forgetful, and start to ignore the great Prince living in their palace. They drag their white robes in the dust and dirt, not bothering to wash them clean.
   Eventually, and quietly, the Prince leaves the city, leaving the Lord Secretary (symbolising the Holy Spirit) behind to watch over the citizens.
   Mansoul comes under new and horrifying attacks, each more deadly and fearsome than the last.  Mansoul, time and again, is sent back to the Court of King Shaddai and Prince Emmanuel, in supplication for aid and support.
   Ultimately, the King’s city cannot fall to the assaults of Diabolus. The citizens, through adversity and trial, learn to return to the arms of their Prince. Mansoul, Emmanuel says, will be taken into a new land….

After a little while, I will take this famous town of Mansoul down to the ground. But do not be troubled by what I am saying. I will carry the stones, the timber, the walls, the dust and the inhabitants into my own country, the Kingdom of my Father. There, I will set up the town in such strength and glory, as it never had in the Kingdom where it is now situated.

       Bunyan has taught me well. Each soul is precious in God’s sight because he created us- he is the author of creation- and breathes life into us. We are his delight and joy. He has bought us at a terrible cost. The Christian lives in a battlefield. There is no time to let down one’s guard. The devil will assault us continually, but the war has been already won and the victory is secure. One day, Christ Jesus will take us home to be with the Father in glory.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.   John 16 v33

A Book 4 U

 
   My Church runs a program at a local school called “A Book for you”. I’m not actually involved with the work itself, but I understand that the particular book in question is the Bible (please correct me if I have misunderstood!).
  The Bible should be our favourite book, because it contains the words of eternal life. It is none other than the Word of God. The Lord speaks to us through the Bible. That is awesome, amazing, wonderful and stupefying!
   Graciously God also uses the written work of other- fallible- authors to instruct and teach us as well.
   When I examine my bookcase, I am thankful to all the people who have taught me real Biblical truth. I have been shaped by many Christian writers.
   If you visit the ‘Readings and Revolutions’ page of Wonders and Wigwams then you will find an extensive (and ever updating) list of many of my favourite and most useful books, with short synopsises. But over the next few weeks and months I want to share with you, in a bit more detail than previously, some of the authors, teachers and books which have shaped me and taught me. I hope you will find some of them useful for yourselves.
   Keep your eyes peeled for “abk4u” posts!

   Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.(1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)

Mice and Custard

     -an epic tale of a mouse and a (relatively speaking) oversized biscuit

 

   Its one of those family stories which, over the many retellings and spin-offs, has achieved legendary status amongst your relatives- up there with King Arthur and the Knights of the round table, Robin Hood, Big Foot and Thor.

    Its a story which only gets better with the retelling- somehow becoming more epic, more gripping, more dramatic and more real with each rendition.

   To an uninitiated outsider it is meaningless, un-epic, and frankly, a tad boring. However to my clan it is the bread and butter (so to speak) of dinner-time conversation.  

   I’d better tell you.

 

  Mice and Custard, and Epic tale of a mouse and a (relatively speaking) oversized biscuit-

     I was still in nappies and sleeping in a cot when this epic tale begins. We were living in a temporary abode - more of a shack, to be honest- and the conditions were basic. The small bungalow, number 64, had seen much, much better days. The current owners have refurbished the building and little remains of the shell we occupied those 20 years ago.

    On good days, the roof leaked. On bad days…… well, you get the idea. If any unwanted visitors were to ‘visit’ then we would graciously give them the most comfortable armchair (directly beneath the leak!)

    Wherever you went in the house you could expect company. Mice would play beneath the dining table, dance in the bath and work in the bedrooms. An entire battalion of the beasts were there with us. And the audacity  of them too! They knew that we were powerless to prevent their frolics! They flaunted their freedom in front of us, without any shame!  One morning my mother awoke to discover half of her supper, on the bedside cabinet, had been whisked away during the night!

   It was with great joy and delight, therefore, that my parents awoke one morning to discover the plight of the audacious and greedy mice! A semi-circular hole, or door, was situated in the skirting board in one room. It was from here that  the mice would rally forth to intimidate and pillage. However this particular night’s raid had ended badly! The mice, after an especially good haul had returned to their hole dragging their loot behind them. Unfortunately one mouse – with eyes bigger than his belly- had failed  to judge  the exact size of the door. He had, to our amusement, attempted to drag an entire custard cream into his storehouse. In his haste, he had succeeded in jamming the  confectionary right across the doorway leaving him and his mates stuck inside their own hole!

    It was some days before we eventually saw our mice reappear- this time looking a bit greener and sickly. They never touched custard creams again after that!**

 

     Can we learn anything from this epic tale? Probably. I firmly believe, as did Jonathan Edwards, C.S. Lewis and many others, that nature around us is wired so as to teach us as much as possible. Of course, we must take these lessons with a pinch of salt; after all, nature has suffered from the fall, just as mankind has.

    The obvious lesson to draw from our mice is the one which mothers are teaching their children at this very moment: if your eyes are bigger than your belly then you will get a stomach ache. Or, as the bible puts it, ‘be sure your sin will find you out.’

   Greed- the desire for more, more, more- is a sin which can creep up on us unexpected. It is essentially covetousness and idolatry, faithlessness and adultery all rolled into one. We pin our expectations or desires onto something other than God, we yearn for something God has not given us. Therefore we place that object above God, we reject what God has given us for that which he, in his infinite wisdom, hasn’t given us. 

   But perhaps you think I am exaggerating.

  Stop and consider.

   Is it really an overreaction to describe ‘a little greed’ as adultery towards God?

   It isn’t, is it? Greed is trusting our own fickle fancies over God’s eternal and omnipotent wisdom. That is sin. That is idolatry.

   Sure, a mouse probably cannot be blamed for its greedy theft of a custard cream; but that doesn’t excuse the sin which it highlights in you and me.

   Proverbs says:

   A greedy man stirs up strife,
        but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.
(Proverbs 28:25 ESV)

   1 Timothy says:

    But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
(1 Timothy 6:6-10 ESV)

    That is something which we need to remember daily- hourly even.

   But how do you actually stay content when surrounded with all the temptations and goodies which are thrown our way?

   But the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched. That is the answer. Only the Lord brings true contentedness. We are complete in Jesus Christ. Because he has died for us, we can live for him! All the ‘acceptance’ or ‘fulfilment’ we yearn for, and all the possessions we may need have been achieved in Jesus Christ! It  may take time to accept that truth, and it would take more than a lifetime to understand it. But it is true. Tullian Tchividjian, an American pastor explains it better than I could:

 

“Because Jesus was strong for me, I am free to be weak;

Because Jesus won for me, I am free to lose;

Because Jesus was Someone, I am free to be no one;

Because Jesus was extraordinary, I am free to be ordinary;

Because Jesus succeeded for me, I am free to fail.

This is beginning to define my life in brand new, bright, and liberating ways. I believe God wants this liberating truth to define your life as well…and the life of the church corporately. Because I’m telling you right now, when you begin to understand that everything you need and long for, in Christ you already possess—it enables you to live a life of scandalous freedom, unrestrained fearlessness, and unbounded courage. When you don’t have anything to lose, you discover something wonderful: you’re free! Nothing in this broken world can beat a man who isn’t afraid to lose! And when you’re not afraid to lose you can say crazy, counterintuitive stuff like, “To live is Christ and to die is gain!” That’s pure, unadulterated freedom.”

 

     A mouse eating a custard cream.

    Amazing how God can use a simple illustration in nature to remind us of our desperate need of the Lord Jesus.

 

 

** You probably had to be there!