grace!, Grace!!, GRACE!!!

I woke up this morning reminded of my sinful state, knowing I was once an object of wrath.

There was every chance today was going to be a bad day. I stayed up too late last night and stayed in bed too long this morning! I didn't feel that tired, but it had the feel of a day where everything could go wrong.

So what did I do?

I sent up a prayer, a simple acknowledgement of God's authority and I asked if God could help me today.

That's when I begin to see the evidence of God's grace, the very fact that I can pray and pray with confidence, that's a sure sign of grace.

So I hit the A20 and M25 and guess what they are pretty clear! a nice straightforward journey to work - God's grace.

I park for work with plenty of time, so I read my bible and say another little prayer and walk to work. On the way I realise there is a training session this morning starting at 8:30 and I usually get to work for 8:45/9, yet somehow I am at work at 8:25! God's grace that I got to the KIT (training session) on time, and that I even got this job (see previous posts around September time)

My day went OK a few hiccups, a few nice moments, enjoying being with colleagues. Then I head home, a home that's a sure sign of grace that I have a roof over my head.

And then my girlfriend comes over, and we go to the movies and watch a film (Marley and Me)the film was nice, easy to watch, fun and a little bit emotional, but it was the company that blew me away, my gorgeous girlfriend a sure sign of grace!

I don't always recognise God's grace as often as I should, but when I see it I appreciate it. It is amazing that he not only saves us, when we deserved punishment but loves us and cares for us, so much that he will answer our prayers, us, you, me our tiny insignificant prayers, God finds worth in them and finds love to answer them.

I can truly say God lavishes me with grace. When I look at what I deserve, and see what I get I know it is only God's grace. I'm sure if you look from the same perspective, you will give the same answer.

Les Miserables

It has been an inordinately long time since I last blogged, due mainly to life's increasing business of business.

Last week was mine and Rachel's 6 Month anniversary of dating each other. To celebrate this I took her to see Les Mis on Saturday night. It was a wonderful afternoon and eening filled with God's provision.

We headed to the station, where we had the romantic photo booth shots. I had just enough loose change to pay for this!

We caught the train and headed into London, we found the restaurant and were told we had a twenty minute wait for a table, which was fine and we had a beverage, when returning to get a table we found out that if we had been 10 minutes later we would have had anything from an hour wait to 2 hours!

We had a shared starter, a main and shared dessert, all with just enough time to leave and get to Les Mis on time. So we arrived at Les Mis at just the right time and were blown away by the amazing story of Jean Valjean. Now I don't want to spoil the story for those who haven't seen it as it is definitely worth going to. But it is a story of amazing love, mercy and grace against which stands the law and injustice. It had a spiritual thread running throughout and drew me closer to God.

We returned back to Sidcup and I walked my beautiful girlfriend home, and said goodnight and went to sleep with the sounds of Jean Valjean in my heADDDDDDDD!!!!!!! (that was me trying to sing at the end, doesn't really work on screen.)

Life is sometimes hard but that doesn't mean it's not fair!

At the moment everything feels like a slog, I have two exams tomorrow, and the stress is mounting! Life seems hard at the moment, lots of pressure as we hurtle towards Christmas, I don't feel like I've had time to catch my breath, let alone blog!

In the words of the prophet Habakkuk (paraphrased), though life is unfair, though things don't seem to make sense, yet I will rejoice in my God.
Though things at the moment are hard (not due to any particular circumstance, just the cumulation of working life), I have found that God is still as worthy as he ever was.

At New Community Church at the moment, we are currently undergoing a move of buildings and a change in the new year to two meetings, whilst as a student work in the church we are moving from the chuch centre to the University Campus, as we want to be at the heart of student life, with the gospel in our hands, building relationships and making disciples.

Is it too much change? It seems that the slightest change, the smallest upheavel can frustrate people, if you don't understand the reasoning, if you don't see the purpose, then the change is a nuisance. Take for instance website changes, Facebook changes its layout and people get up in arms about it, but after a while they get used to it, I suppose it is because we are creatures of habit, but too much comfort is no good.

But don't misunderstand me, we are not moving for changes sake, we feel the purpose of God strongly as a student work to move to Campus, it is a strategic and prophetic move for advancement of the gospel, into one of the darkest places in our area. In the bible we see that the gospel is not hidden but shone out, we see that the Israelites were constantly on the move, even when they were settled in the promised land, their borders constantly changed, and in the new testament we see missionaries open up new areas with the gospel, planting churches and changing lives.

So at times life is hard but it is often better than being comfortable, the times I grow most are when I am stretched, the times I rely on God most are when I'm at the end of my abilities and look to God to see things happen, this is where I am at and pray will always be on my knees, praying for God to move.

Delirious, driving and stepping up

I went to the delirious gig at the O2 last Saturday night, they were so good. To think that for nearly 13 years they have been entertaining crowds on both sides of the pond with their soaring guitar riffs and God-centred lyrics. Saturday night had passion, emotion and intensity. What impressed me is that Delirious can switch between the emotion of songs such as Jesus Blood or All Gods Children to the pace and charisma of God is Smiling Over Us and History Maker.

Delirious were ably supported by Tree63 who are an old favourite of mine, and the gig was well worth the ticket price of £18 for the “VIP” section at the indigo O2. Somehow the VIP tickets were all that were left, so we managed to avoid the queues and get into the lift with Jon Thatcher (the bassist from Delirious), and then enter the VIP lounge where the band and their kids were sitting before the gig! It pays sometimes to book late!

What impressed me most about Delirious is that through all their successes and criticisms they still love God and are unashamed to bring his message. Martin Smith spoke a couple of times about God moving and anything he missed was aptly filled with the lyrics of songs such as Jesus blood.

All in all for those in Loughborough next week, you are in for a treat.

This Saturday I’m hopefully getting a car, quite possibly a Seat Ibiza 1.2, so it will be interesting to start driving around, rather than walking, cycling or catching the train.

Lastly thought I’d just mention at the moment at NCC the real emphasis is on being missional re: Mark Driscoll’s word at Brighton and also to see people stepping-up, as a church we have been increasingly shaped by Luke 5 and the disciples catching many fish, and we are also being stirred as we go through Acts, there is real momentum and expectation, which is exciting, we just need to make sure we don’t lose sight of God and that we are ready and willing to be used and to step out and to step up.

Pride, anger and Sin

Football is a game that I enjoy passionately. However recently a lack of time has prevented me from playing. So upfit and eager I trained for the first time in ages and played a 6 a side game. Now for those of you who don't know I'm a defender, I play to win and try to stop attacks and generally anyone coming past me. I only know one way to play football, and most sports for that matter, it's all or nothing, phrases like "it's only a game" only serve to aggravate me as the inference behind the comment is always you are playing too hard or don't take it seriously. I have no 99% only 100%, sometimes I'll admit my 100% is not great but it is always 100%. The problem comes where playing at 100% often means going over the limit, my blood starts boiling and tackles fly. Unfortunately football brings out the worst in me, it flares my temper and causes me to take vengeance which isn't right, but I know no other way to play.

The pride part is where I believe I'm better than I am or that I deserve status and acknowledgement. Now i am a leader, I don't believe that statement is a proud one as it takes a lot for me to write that, however I oftne have thoughts, of "I could do that better" or "I deserve to be more important" etc. etc.

Why am I blogging about my shortcomings? Because I am becoming more and more aware of them, as I have started working, I have become more tired and when I am tired I am more often tempted into sin or more likely to make foolish errors. It is only God's grace that holds me, his love that perpetuates me, I am weak, but I am so glad God uses weak people. I am a leader but have done nothing to deserve such a title, yet God has placed it upon me out of his love and grace, praise be to God.

Whatever God has given you whether much or little use it wisely and widely. It is better to have few gifts used to their maximum than many gifts that are squandered.

Engaging with the world the creation debate

Whilst browsing the BBC website I noticed this interesting article on creationism
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7613403.stm

Creationism has reached prominence due to the election in America. Sarah Palin stated that she felt creationism should be taught in schools. The God debate has had a profound impact on the US elections with debates on abortion and creationism. At the start of the campaign, when candidates were being selected, the question was asked whether the candidates believed in evolution
The response from three candidates was no. McCain answered yes but attempted to defend his position, to what is a difficult question if you consider micro-evolution.

Often you will hear that people don't care about God anymore, but I perceive that if you engage people they have a view on it. It appears to me that the issue of creationism and whether there is a God is becoming prominent again.

Today on my lunchbreak I wanted through Borders bookshop. I found several books that engaged my interest Radio 4s John Humphrey's "Confessions of a failed atheist" a book about agnosticism, Dawkins now infamous "The God Delusion" and although I did not see it there the referenced Christopher Hitchens book "God is not great". People are willing to put there view forward on christianity and whether God exists. (Now I have not read these books but only browsed them). What encourages me is that we have Christian books emerging such as John Piper's "The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World" and Tim Keller's "The Reason for God".

We need to be those who engage with the world not defensively but offensively. We need to read atheistic literature that attacks God and respond to it, because this is what people think and feel about the King of Kings and we need to engage with them to show them his glory and grace.

Hopefully I'll post my thoughts on the US elections and all that is happening and has happened soon.

A Working Man

I've started work! This seemed a distant reality back in August, when I was applying for anything going. On Thursday and Friday I had my induction in the City office and the last two days I've been at College in Angel studying towards my ACA. I've had to deal with the hustle and bustle of commuting and learning Accountancy all over again.

There is a contrast between being unemployed and working, both have their hardships. Being unemployed requires discipline to get things done and to get up and going, it can be easy to lose half a day when you're unemployed. When you are working there is a different problem, you have to get to work but it is finding time to fit things in around work. Whilst unemployed I struggled to use the abundant time I had to read, now I fit it in while I'm on the train, somehow with less time I am more productive.

It's odd being at college this week, as it reminds me of 6th Form except that I am getting paid to learn! This gives me extra motivation.

However, whichever situation you find yourself in work as if working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23) whether unemployed or working honour God with your time, your heart, your mind all of your life!

Hopefully I'll be able to keep blogging whilst working. It's a busy season at the moment though, with new job, and students coming back soon.