You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
(Isaiah 40 v 9–11)
The good news must be shouted out! The Lord Jesus will come with the power of a mighty warrior and with the care of a shepherd looking after his sheep. Just as God would rescue the people of Jerusalem from exile in foreign countries — Jesus rescues His people from God’s punishment and brings them home to Himself. Amazing.
We all want our churches to be places where people feel at home. But in the busy-ness of the average Sunday morning it’s all too easy to let newcomers wander in and out without any meaningful interaction taking place. So here are our top 5 tips to help you welcome visitors to your congregation:
As the summer camp season draws to a close for another year, I imagine there's a number of people out there who might be suffering from the return to normality after serving on a camp.
A number of us here at The Good Book Company are involved in a variety of camps across the country and it's always exciting to see people come back from camp fired up and really excited, but then that rapidly gives way to a slight sadness and despondency as the normal routine of life replaces the constant, dizzying thrills of camp.
Here's a very helpful article to guide us through the Post-Camp Blues and to focus on how great God has been to us.
Irrational bosses can be the bane of our lives: Their demands, unrealistic and their attitudes, abhorrent. Those of us who have to endure them all too often go home from work seething or depressed and, to our shame, end up indulging in a spot of revenge-fantasy. So it’s no surprise that the latest Hollywood offering, Horrible Bosses has found a certain resonance with many. Extreme it may be but there’s something deeply appealing about its basic plot: wreaking revenge on those who make 9-6 an utter nightmare!
Now, before I go on, it would be wise to emphasise that my current bosses are absolutely wonderful! But many of us don’t have that privilege. So how should Christians respond when we find ourselves working for horrible bosses?
According to 1 Peter 2:13-25, by respecting them!
Peter wasn’t being a first century sadist. Rather he was someone who saw beyond the daily grind of the working week to the most important calling of any believer – the calling to be like Christ.
He reasons that suffering for doing wrong is getting what we deserve. Suffering at work when we don’t deserve it – and enduring that suffering in ways that are mindful of Jesus, with no hint of retaliation – is something that both displays and develops godliness.
That is not to say that we should be doormats. We have more freedom than many 1st century servants and so if something in our workplace is seriously awry then it is right we use that freedom help solve those problems. But always in a framework of respect … never out of a desire to see our boss “get what they deserve”.
Respecting an unreasonable boss is not an easy path. There will certainly be days when we need the prayerful support and encouragement of wise friends … But we are followers of a saviour who took the most difficult path. Becoming like him was never going to be easy!
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
(Psalm 125 v 1–2)
A great, biblical response to the looting from Mike Ovey of Oak Hill College.
But the liberal and the diehard both seem to see the looters as profoundly other, patronisingly in the one case, demonisingly in the other. The thought is that the looters are not like us.
http://oakhill.ac.uk/commentary/11_summer/looters_them_or_us.html
In the aftermath of the recent riots, Christians in the UK are starting to grapple with some big questions: How do we explain the violence that has blighted our cities? How do we respond to the needs of our communities? How can we encourage those who have been affected?
As ever, two schools of thought are gradually emerging: One focuses on the spiritual – the need for prayer and gospel proclamation in urban centres. The other on the practical – calling Christians to get involved in the clean-up operations and community-building exercises underway. But to be truly biblical we need to draw those strands together...
Today we need to have a Bible in one hand and a broom in the other as we intercede for our nation.
When our neighbours are hurting, it is right that we roll up our sleeves and offer assistance. In the wake of a violent attack, the Good Samaritan offered first-aid, shelter and financial support to a stranger on the street (Luke 10:25-37). John says that giving to those in need is a natural outworking of our love for a loving God (1John 3:16-18). We need to be proactive in supporting those who are suffering now.
But the gospel is far more profound and transformational than social action alone. The gospel makes sense of the recent carnage by exposing the sin in human hearts (Romans 3:9-18). It points, comfortingly, to a God who is sovereign and has a solution to the pain of this world (Romans 8:22-25). It teaches us reconciliation and true community as we live in light of the cross (1Peter 3:8-12). And it holds out the possibility of real change as people put off the old self and put on the new (Ephesians 4:22-24). Truths that need to ring out today.
So let us encourage one another to be people of Bibles and brooms. And if you have a story to tell about how your church is getting involved in the aftermath of the riots do share it (briefly) so we can all be praying for you today ...
My child, if sinners try to lead you into sin,
do not follow them.
They will say, "Come with us.
Let's ambush and kill someone;
let's attack some innocent people just for fun.
Let's swallow them alive, as death does;
let's swallow them whole, as the grave does.
We will take all kinds of valuable things
and fill our houses with stolen goods.
Come join us,
and we will share with you stolen goods."
My child, do not go along with them;
do not do what they do.
They are eager to do evil
and are quick to kill.
It is useless to spread out a net
right where the birds can see it.
But sinners will fall into their own traps;
they will only catch themselves!
All greedy people end up this way;
greed kills selfish people.
