Healing on the Streets in Dudley

Here's hoping we have some testimonies like these at June Project!

The revival in Dudley seems to be an off-shoot of what's happening in Lakeland, Florida with Todd Bentley. Peter Kirk's been keeping up with events in Florida and the UK response on his blog 'Gentle Wisdom'.

Preaching the Gospel

[From a link on Undercover Theologian.]

I liked this article by Tim Keller on Christianity Today's Leadership Journal on 'The Gospel in All it's Forms' about the different aspects of the 'one gospel' and, especially, his wisdom on preaching them:

1. I don't put all the gospel points into any one gospel presentation.

When studying Paul's gospel speeches in the book of Acts, it is striking how much is always left out. He always leads with some points rather than others in an effort to connect with the baseline cultural narratives of his listeners. It is almost impossible to cover all the bases of the gospel with a non-believing listener without that person's eyes glazing over.

2. I use both a gospel for the "circumcised" and for the "uncircumcised."
- or the moralists and the postmoderns

...I use the biblical definition of sin as idolatry. That puts the emphasis not as much on "doing bad things" but on "making good things into ultimate things." ...I tell them that they are sinning because they are looking to their romances to give their lives meaning, to justify and save them, to give them what they should be looking for from God. ...Then Christ and his salvation can be presented not (at this point) so much as their only hope for forgiveness, but as their only hope for freedom. This is my "gospel for the uncircumcised."

3. I use both a "kingdom" and an "eternal life" gospel.

...I point out the story-arc of the Bible and speak of the gospel in terms of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. We once had the world we all wanted—a world of peace and justice, without death, disease, or conflict. But by turning from God we lost that world. Our sin unleashed forces of evil and destruction so that now "things fall apart" and everything is characterized by physical, social, and personal disintegration. Jesus Christ, however, came into the world, died as a victim of injustice and as our substitute, bearing the penalty of our evil and sin on himself.

4. I use them all and let each group overhear me preaching to the others.

No one form of the gospel gives all the various aspects of the full gospel the same emphasis. If, then, you only preach one form, you are in great danger of giving your people an unbalanced diet of gospel-truth. What is the alternative? Don't preach just one gospel form. That's not true to the various texts of the Bible anyway. If you are preaching expositionally, different passages will convey different forms of the one gospel. Preach different texts and your people will hear all the points. ...

Lots of wisdom there I thought! Read the full article.

Thanks Matt!

Friday Morning at Durham Station

see Kings Mission and Community

Picture Memories

I came across these pictures from my trip to Uganda years ago. Unfortunately they've faded a bit and the scan isn't too good...

In the truck - the boys loved this truck, climbing all over it as we bumped down the 'road' - the girls sitting safely in the middle! We drove about an hour and a half away from the town to a lake, so that they could be baptised. They had become Christians earlier in the year and had been desperately waiting for this day ever since!



Waiting for baptism - the 'White Eagle Boys' had never seen any expanse of water before and they were slightly overwhelmed with the lake. It wasn't long before they were leaping and splashing around in the water though. And they were really excited to be baptised! About 20 that day... (I think I did three!)


Mukama ye ba si 'bwe!' Jesu ge kabaka!

Chasing the Dragon

I've just finished reading an old and battered copy of Jackie Pullinger's book that I picked up in a charity shop. I'm trying to decide whether the inspiration I feel from reading it is a 'far-away' inspiration or something I can apply to my life here and now. I don't like to read books like that without coming away with something concrete I can apply to my life right now.
Apart from being amazed at the love and grace in her, the stubborness to continue, I think mostly I was inspired by the simplicity of her faith and attitude to God's grace. Perhaps some of this is in the style of the book, which is matter-of-fact and generally light-hearted in approach. But I was impressed by the confidence in which she prays and puts herself into the middle of the life of the city. I want to pray with that confidence, as Jesus suggested:

"If you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig-tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go throw yourself into the sea,' and it shall be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matt 21:21-22)

And throughout John 14-16, Jesus repeats this idea:
"You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." (John 14:14)

I was also struck by the many times Jackie tells people (paraphrasing) 'Jesus doesn't expect you to be able to carry on following him in your own power, this is why he gives you the Spirit' - and, with this, her total reliance on the Spirit working in the boys' lives, particularly praying in tongues. A useful reminder. How often is our thirst due to closing ourselves off to those streams of living water..?