Keep on keeping on...

Hey all,

Just a few comments to give you a chance to think through what we looked at last night at Growth Groups. As you'll know we were in Hebrews 10:19-12:4. It may be that you spend a few mornings this week looking at different parts of the passage, praying it through. As I'm sure you'll remember from NWA, it's a massive passage showing us what it looks like to live the Christian life, as we take on board these huge promises we've seen over the last few weeks.

10:19-39 - Take on board Jesus' finished work and keep on taking hold of it with both hands!

As you read through these verses, feel the tone in which it's written. Hear the loving heart of the guy who's writing as he begs these Christians to appreciate all that Jesus has done for us (v19-24), and to keep on going, to keep on holding fast to the hope to which God has promised us we'll get (v23).

The writer clearly sees there's a danger (v26) - the danger of forgetting what Jesus has done, of effectively trampling over Jesus and all he has done to save us (v29). And the way you do that is by giving up on Jesus, of throwing away our confidence in Jesus, of not enduring (v36), and instead 'shrinking back' (v38-39); basically giving up.

11:1-40 - Faith is not some fluffy, blind, abstract thing; it's taking God at his word, trusting in his promises even when we can't see what's been promised yet - that's what faith is!

Verse 1 gives us a really helpful definition of faith. Faith is trusting God's promise, even when what we hope for can't yet be seen. (Please, note that hope = our certain future 'hope', the new creation, rather than a vague 'I hope tomorrow will be sunny'). We then a massive list of men and women from the Old Testament who themselves exercised this kind of faith. The writer's saying, 'Look, this kind of faith has always been what God's wanted!' And it's pretty amazing, crazy stuff. Take Abraham for example, v8! He was told to leave his land and go to a new place where God would bless him; he'd never been there before, yet he trusted God's promise and left - he acted on the promise. It looks crazy (see Noah, v7... "building a booooat!! - how barmy would that have looked!

Why not spend some time looking at different people listed, thinking over how they demonstrate true faith, taking God at his word.

And yet have a read of v13, 16 and v39-40 - these guys we're looking forward to something even better that had been promised by God - the new creation! 

12:1-4 - So let's fix our eyes on Jesus, the one's guaranteed us our future, and shows us true endurance; get ready for a marathon!

So if trusting God's promises with our eyes on the future is what the Christian life's all about, then we should make sure absolutely nothing stops us from doing that. He tells us in these verses to get rid of any sin or distraction that's gonna hinder us, and fix our eyes on Jesus. Not only is he the author of our faith, the one who guarantees our future. He's also shows us what it looks like to endure and keep going.

We chatted about what kind of things would stop us from keeping going in the Christian life - some things we came up with were general weariness, going through suffering which makes us think God's no longer real or with us, the attractions of this world - maybe a relationship, career, etc. What do you think?

The writer also stresses the real need we have to help each other keep going - have a look at 10v24-25 - keeping going as a Christian is a community project!

Hope that provides some fuel for your prayers and encourages you!

"I've lost many arguments, I've never lost a re-run..."

Last night was the CU's Easter Celebration Service. It marked the final event of the One.Hope

Today's been a real encouragement. This morning we had the monthly church student prayer meeting, a great way to begin the day, being reminded from Hebrews 4.14-16 that we can approach the throne of grace, and bring our prayers to a High Priest who sympathizes with our day-to-day weaknesses. Also, been trying to nail my final essay of term, looking at the use of the Psalms in the NT to interpret the passion of the Lord Jesus. main event. I'll blog about that later this week.

Walking here and there I've been listening over some Carson on Ezekiel 37 & Romans 8. Great to go over some of the truths we've been sinking our minds into at Focus, and see the OT groundings for the desperate need for the Spirit to bring life from death. Carson's a joy to listen to and really hammered home the fact that for Paul it's absolutely nonsensical for a Christian to still be living according to the flesh, i.e. always wanting to be number one. 'Thinking apart from God. Goals and ambitions apart from God. Desires apart from God. Desperately sad and utterly hopeless.'

Instead we're called to set our minds on the things of the Spirit. To have the mindset of Christ, as Carson said, 'someone so touched by the Spirit of God that you can't deny the effects.' He had some really practical applications for how we view conversion, sanctification and revival...

Firstly, Biblical conversion has to be life-transforming. It is. Yes, there is a decision. Yes, there is growth by grace. But, from a biblical point of view conversion without life-transformation is a contradiction of terms. The Spirit makes us ashamed and fearful in the presence of a holy God. It makes us love what was previosuly unattractive. It is God's work. Not pressing a cheap-decision, where one things one has done God a favour. It is the work of the Spirit of God.

Secondly, Biblical ethics turns on keeping in step with the Spirit. God changes your mindset, now work it out. You can't wander away! It's unthinkable to strive to be number one - that's fleshly thinking. It's theologically ridiculous. It's biblically ridiculous.

And thirdly, revival is nothing other than a fresh out-pouring of Spirit. Every conversion is the work of the Spirit. Every step in sanctification is the work of the Spirit. When God's Spirit comes on his people by powerful display, the cheap and the dirty is percieved for what it really is, i.e. it is viewed from God's perspective. From the Spirit's perspective, and so we'll be ashamed. 'Stop asking stupid questions betraying our desire to know what we can get away with'. Real guilt. God have mercy on me, as a sinner. There is revival. You cannot organise it, you cannot ape it or whip it up. And biblical revival is achieved by the transforming power of proclamation of the Word empowered by the Spirit.

A Safe Stronghold Our God is Still...

And though they take our life,
Goods, honour, children, wife
Yet is their profit small;
These things shall vanish all
The city of God remaineth.

Martin Luther

Spending time in Hebrews 11 & 12 this morning, with the call to endurance, of eyes fixed on the one whom completes our faith, who makes faith possible, who we have faith in as the completer of the promises. The significance of being promise-aware people is unmistakable - the great roll-call of faith 'heroes' in ch11 are those who had faith in the promises despite their present situations. Yet the truth of 12.1-13 is that our Father is disciplining us as we endure, that the situations we go through are forming us, 'that we may share his holiness', yielding the 'peaceful fruit of righteousness'.

The command to lay aside every weight, every constraining factor and unhelpful distraction, and to throw off every sin that clings so closely. Reading Justin Taylor & Kelly Kapic's foreword to their edited version of John Owen's 'Overcoming Sin & Temptation', with Owen's tagline ringing in my ears: 'Be killing sin, or it'll be killing you'. Know your enemy, examine yourself, outside and within, so that you are aware of your weakness, of the areas where the creepers are growing up. But they are fleeting pleasures... the blame of Christ will always be of greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt. Father, help me to believe it!

Let us...

Loving reading Hebrews at the moment... the most beastly section on how Jesus is...
> the superior High Priest, by the power of an indestructible life (7.16) continuing forever so able to save at all times those who draw near to him, holy and blameless, who offered a sacrifice once for all (7.27).
> so he has a more excellent ministry than the old covenant as he mediates a new covenant which deals with the last one's fault: the fact that we sin!
> But Jesus entered once for all, his own blood securing an eternal redemption, once for all (!), in a body prepared for him, choosing to do his Father's will (10.9).
> And he's the only high priest who SITS DOWN! Job done! It is Finished!

And so, the writer finishes the section with some application... and isn't it great!

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
> let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
> Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
> And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Back home...

Enjoying getting a better understanding of who Jesus is, as I read Hebrews 1 & 2 and John 1. Christmas truly is a celebration of an amazing event... The Word became flesh! Being encouraged to get a much bigger view of the Lord Jesus Christ - creator, sustainer, redeemer. GOD! Eternal. Life-giver. Know Jesus! These are times when we need to be clear on who he is!

Great to spend a few hours in Don Vegas as The Gentlemen played at St. Mary's Wheatley, and Maz told of the bad news and the good news.

Mike showed his legendary status is well-deserved as he drove the choon-machine all the way to the 'ham, and we enjoyed a full english before driving down to Donny with a big red sun belting through the mist. There's something unique about night-driving. Post-gig we headed back to the north-west with Nancy, another former Durham-er, and it was great to be encouraged by hearing about gospel-work amongst the youth of Liverpool, as well as general post-uni life.

Who are you TRUSTING in?

The last few weeks I've been trying to read Jeremiah and sometimes it's clearer than others how I'm meant to respond to the word. But today Jeremiah was pretty clear: there are two ways two live...

"Cursed is the man who trusts in man" (17.5-6)
> he makes flesh his strength
> whose heart turns away from the LORD
> like a desert shrub, he will not see any good come

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD" (17.7-8)
> whose trust is the LORD
> he is like a tree planted by water
> that does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green
> is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit

Who you trust is who you put your trust in - and this results in blessing or curse.

To have my roots in the LORD, the fountain of living water (17.13) - to understand the world as the Bible shows me it, to know I am 'ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven'. To not get depressed when my plans fail, to not buy into the materialist dream, to remove self from the driving seat, to know I'm worthy because I'm loved and not try and be loved by being worthy.

Keep me trusting who God is!

(Also, check this video out!)