Getting to know you!

In his book "Five things every Christian needs to grow" (my emphasis), the late R.C.Sproul makes the point that living the Christian life, effectively, is not something that "just happens". Just as a Gold Medal winner in the Olympic Games didn't just happen to arrive at the Stadium one day, and just happened to jump higher, run more quickly, or lift the heaviest weight, but did so as the result of years of training, practice, and discipline; so the Christian does not "just grow" in his faith. 

The Christian life is a vital relationship with Father God, through the Lord Jesus, the Christ and, like all relationships, it requires to be worked at. As I type this, my wife and I have been married for more than 48 years. That sort of marriage requires a lot more than the physical attraction we had for one another 50 years ago (when we started to be "an item"!). Our relationship with the Father requires to be worked at, as well! Paul encourages us: "...  work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Phil 2:12-13).

R.C.Sproul offers five disciplines that will help us to live our Christian lives to the full. The first of these is Bible Study. That is the topic that, God willing, I shall seek to deal with over the next however many posts it takes. A friend; here in France; has often stated that the Church in the "West" is dying from ignorance - ignorance (as in 'lack of knowledge') of the Word of God. I agree fully! however, knowing that there are those who do not enjoy reading as much as I do, I plan to use some video clips. I plan to go through a particular series produced by The Bible Project; and also to intersperse those with some of the "Shorts" - a series of short answers to important questions, produced by SOLAS (The Centre for Public Christianity).

As I am going to be away for few days, and have extremely limited internet access, so this first post is going to be merely introductory. Of course, if a topic arises that I sense needs to be dealt with, then the series will be interrupted!

So, here are your two "starter" videos. Watch, and enjoy. I trust that they will be sufficient to whet your appetite for what is to follow.

For the SOLAS video intro, please click on the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/solascpc/videos/1424789827556253/?t=60 

Sorry, this link appears not to be working! Please "copy and paste"!

A German take on the Holocaust!

Some posts are longer than others; and so are some video clips.  However, this is well worth watching - all the way through.

Political promises!!

It was the great apostle, Paul, who wrote  "I have become all things to all men,..." (I Cor 9:22).  I thought of those words as I read the reports of an Easter reception for Christian leaders, in Downing Street on Wednesday , at which the Prime Minister reportedly affirmed his belief that the nation needed Christian values.  He claimed that: “The greatest need we have in our country is to have strong values and to teach our children and to bring people up with strong values. The values of the Bible, the values of Christianity are the values that we need – values of compassion, of respect, of responsibility, of tolerance.”

This sounds to me - cynic that I am when it comes to the majority of contemporary politicians - a bit like Paul.  Mr Cameron seems to want to be "all things to all men".  Of course, Paul went on to say: "... that I might by all means save some."  His concern was the salvation of men, and women, and young people, and children, for whom Jesus the Christ hung and died on a cross.  Mr Cameron's concern would sometimes appear to be the survival of David Cameron and, possibly, of the Conservative Party!

You see this is the same David Cameron who is currently backing the U.K. Government consultation - not on whether or not marriage should be redefined, but simply on how the Government might go about achieving such a redefinition!  This is the same David Cameron who refused to back disciples of Jesus who are currently having their appeals heard by the European Court of Human Rights with regard to, for example, wearing a cross at work.  This is the same David Cameron who promised special income tax breaks to married couples, as a means of supporting and encouraging marriage, but who has (to date) totally reneged on that promise.  This is the same David Cameron who had backed the relaxation of Sunday trading laws for the duration of the 2012 Olympiad - with the distinct possibility that such relaxation could become permanent.

So I remain somewhat cynical!  Perhaps someone close to him will point him to those places in the New Testament in which it is made clear that it is our actions that count, not merely our words. It would be good if the Prime Minister were to match his fine words with political action.

I, for one, am not holding my breath!