personal manifesto

'I will be careful to live a blameless life - when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. The perverse in heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil' Psalm 101.2-4. Not a bad personal manifesto - one that begins 'I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise.' But you don't hear it preached that often these days! We need the Holy Spirit and lots of grace!

God's coming to earth

'But will God really dwell on earth with human beings?' 2 Chronicles... 6.18. The New Testament has something to say about this, surely! We sometimes lose the awe and wonder of such a divine move, though!

Mission

'One of the most gratifying aspects of the contemporary church is its rediscovery of its identity as a body in mission. Mission in the world is not just one aspect of its being; it is the very heart of its existence. The relevance of the church is identical with the relevance of its mission. Understanding and carrying out God's objectives in the world is its highest calling' - Andrew Kirk, from his latest book, The Church and the World. Superb and unique examination of this significant subject.

Foreigners

George Orwell, 1984:
'If he were allowed contact with foreigners he would discover that they are creatures similar to himself and that most of what he has been told about them is lies. The sealed world in which he lives would be broken, and the fear, hatred, and self-righteousness on which his morale depends might evaporate.'

 

Unbelievable truth

I just heard a preacher say, 'This passage is so full of truth it's unbelievable.' That's unbelievable! What are we doing to Scripture for goodness sake?!

The practice of the love of God

"My sole occupation is love.
All my occupation now is the practice of the love of God, all the powers of soul and body, memory, understanding, and will, interior and exterior senses, the desires of spirit and of sense, all work in and by love. All I do is done in love; all I suffer, I suffer in the sweetness of love. There is nothing better, or more necessary, than love." - John of the Cross
Thanks Graham Hill for the quote

on the day of Mandela's death

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” —Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela