Good Effect

Over the last few months, I
have had the privilege of interviewing three great men of God in preparation
for books to be published. I have found the experience thrilling. The way that
God has used these guys is awesome. Men of faith, ready and willing to be used
by Him; having a good effect on the world around them.





But their story is our story
too. Every one of us has a story to tell. Every one of us can have a good
effect. It may not make a book, but it makes a life – in other words, each one
of us has the ability to change the lives around us for good.





Martha
Graham says ‘There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a
quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is
only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it,
it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.’





The Bible says ‘God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of
spiritual gifts.’ (1 Peter 4: 10, NLT).





The Psalmist says we were knitted together by God, secretly and intricately
woven. (Psalm 139).





I don’t know who you are, as you read this, but God does. You are
unique. And you have a unique contribution to give. I may never read of it; I
may never see it. But God does. And your family and friends do. Don’t underestimate to good effect
that only you can have on the world around you. (Matthew 5: 16, Titus 2: 7).









 

Nominal Christianity or the Real Thing?

There’s an interesting article in today’s Times (Can’t link to
it as you have to pay to see it- that’s a whole other set of thoughts!) The article
by Daniel Finkelstein notes the recent survey that indicated for the first time
that over 50% of the nation ‘has no religion’.



He points out (correctly in my view) that this may be a
reflection of someone automatically saying in the past that they were ‘C of E’
(ie they went to the local church for funerals, weddings and Christmas) and now
felt freer to say they had no firm belief.



Finkelstein goes on to point out the high level of faith
still attributed to political power- for example, of our last four Prime
Ministers, two were kids of clergymen and one a Christian socialist who read
his Bible every night. (Thus, Cameron was the exception, in case you were wondering...). And, again in the
article, they key role church and Christian charities take in our nation’s
welfare.



I’m not as pessimistic about the Christian faith in the UK
as the statistics suggest. I think it’s simply a weeding out (Biblical pun!) of
the C of E brigade. I see an increase in spiritual interest in the population.
I see many more willing to talk about faith and spiritual issues than was the
case, say, 20 years ago. I see real change happening through Alpha courses (many
at C of E churches). I see resurgence in Christianity among the denominations.
I see continued growth in the non-denominational churches. I see more in the UK
coming to a real faith in Christ than I have seen in my lifetime - this is
reflected in the numbers of responses to the work of Mission24, for example.



The decline in nominalism is a breakthrough for the real
thing.

India - 70 Years On - Still the Jewel

At the age of 17, I heard God speak to me. Your views on
this will depend on who you are and what you believe. For me it was a very real
moment- the only time (so far!) I have heard God audibly speak to me.



His words were ‘Ralph, I want you to go to India.’



I responded by trying a few Christian agencies, but nothing
materialised.



At college I met my future wife. Roh is of Indian origin. I
reasoned India had come to me – I didn’t have to go anywhere!



And then, nearly 30 years later, Roh and I are in a Christian
meeting. The leader of the meeting calls anyone to the front who has a heart
for India. We went forward, expecting to be praying for the country. The next
thing we know, someone (who doesn’t know us and is not aware of the back story)
is prophesying over us and sending us out to India!



We went there a few months later with some experienced
missionaries. I expected, because of the call in my youth, that there would be
some longer term relationships established. And that’s just what happened. The moment
I met Joel, a pastor and apostle who lives near Hyderabad, I felt God prompting
me that this was the man I would work with.

Joel and I have worked together for nearly 20 years now. Roh
and I have taken many teams. But right now we can’t.



As India celebrates 70 years of independence, it is also facing
increased persecution of Christian’s and Muslims. There is extensive violence
and a Government who appear to be turning a blind eye to it.



It is no longer safe to take teams out to help with medical camps
and children’s clubs. Hindu fundamentalists are causing widespread persecution.



Seventy years ago, India became independent. It may no
longer be the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, but it is surely still
a jewel in God’s crown:



The LORD their God
will save his people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock. They will
sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.’ Zechariah 9: 16.



I pray that despite the persecution, the church will stay
strong, knowing God’s care and protection.

William Booth - Rare Audio

Most of church history is written. You study documents, commentaries, histories written many years before.

Just now and again you get a visual- a picture that tells you something of the subject.

It’s very rare indeed to get an audio contribution. So this is something special- a recording of William booth from over 100 years ago!

Booth was an amazing young man. He said at the age of 15 ‘God shall have all there is of William Booth’.

He became a Methodist rider, resigned and began to work in the hardest places, where poverty and vice were at their worst. He gathered those to help and support him in the work. The Salvation Army was born.

One of his most famous quotes was:

‘While women weep as they do now, I’ll fight. While little children go hungry, I’ll fight. While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight. While there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor girl lost on the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God- I’ll fight. I’ll fight to the very end.’

And then we have this. An audio recording, discovered comparatively recently. Listen to this man from another age and allow his words to stir you to fight!

 

‘You don’t demand a certificate of virtue before you drag some drowning creature out of the water.’

Further Reading:

 William Booth - Janet & Geoff Benge
The Biography of William Booth - William Booth (son)

Summer Travels – Summer Reading: Top 10 Travel Books

As you take time out over the summer, always remember to
take a good book on holiday with you. And as you travel yourself, here are a
few travel books to keep you company:

1.      
A Time of Gifts – Patrick Leigh Fermor

A young man walks from London to Constantinople
between the two world wars, discovering a land and people that were soon to be
lost as Nazi Germany began to take control. Beautifully written and fascinating
history.

2.      
Solomon Time – Will Randall

A teacher takes the opportunity
to travel to the Solomon Islands. Totally out of his comfort zone, he falls in
love with an entirely different way of life. Lots of humour and some great
descriptions of a beautiful, hidden paradise.

3.      
News From Tartary – Peter Fleming

The older brother of James Bond
writer Ian travels with a companion through some of the hardest and least
travelled lands, from Peking to Kashmir, back in 1935. A now-vanished way of
life and the strangest of encounters.

4.      
Chasing the Monsoon – Alexander Frater

In 1987 a travel writer decides
to follow the Indian monsoon and in doing so, discovers the hidden India.

5.      
Summer Journey Through The Fens – Edward Storey

Writer and poet – and local boy –
travels through the Fens, exploring its history, and writing with wit and
sensitivity about people past and present.

6.      
Pies and Prejudice – Stuart Maconie

DJ and writer Maconie travels through
his beloved North of England, discovering the real North and the real people
that make it up. I love his sense of humour.

7.      
A Walk Across America – Peter Jenkins

From the Atlantic to the Pacific,
a student walks across America, discovering hidden lives and finding a faith he
never knew he needed.

8.      
As I walked Out One Midsummer Morning – Laurie Lee

From a peaceful Cotswold village
to the violence of Spain on the verge of war in 1934, Lee sees things through a
poets eyes. His writing is hard to beat. Quite beautifully written.

9.      
The Whispering Land – Gerald Durrell

Searching for animals, Durrell
travels through South America in the late 1950s. His style is funny and his
travels through Patagonia are amazing.

10.  
Patagonia – Bruce Chatwin

Another Patagona book – I really
need to go there! In December 1974, journalist Bruce Chatwin decides to travel
south into the hidden lands of South America’s Patagonia. There he meets hidden
Welsh valleys in foreign lands and a wild land of changing seasons. Stylish
writing.

 

A Real Church Welcome

The welcome poster is from Coventry Cathedral. I put it up as a Facebook post originally and it gained a lot of comment and interest- so here it is on the blog.



I hope and pray our church is like this. We probably need to improve, but I hope we're on the way.



I love the welcoming language. I love the categories of people mentioned. And I love it that on Facebook, a couple of friends who admit they no longer have their Christian faith of old, both said they'd go to a church like that!

Never Give Up

I love the London Marathon. I've run it twice.



I didn't love it at the time though! The last six or so miles are hard. You have run out of all energy, your body wants to give in. But you keep going.



As you run into The Mall on that final mile, there's thousands of people cheering you on. It's that which gets you over the finish line. People you will never meet, cheering you on by name (assuming your name is on your shirt!) The noise. The applause. It gets you there.



I love this short clip from the BBC of runners helping each other. Lets do the same in the race of life. Don't give up. Keep going. And for those of us with a Christian faith, the Bible says there's a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on over the finishing line.



This is how a modern translation puts it: "Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it." (Heb 12:1-2)



Never give up.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/39685573

Wednesday 22nd March 2017

On Wednesday 22^nd March, a terrorist drove down
the pavement of Westminster Bridge, crashed his car and then ran into the Palace of Westminster.
He killed four people, including a policeman.



The media was full of the story. 24 hour news coverage meant
it was never off our screens. Many of the comments after the attack were angry.
Some were more measured. Some sounded statesmanlike, especially from Andrew Neil.



One of the things Andrew Neil said was that terrorism would
never prevail, because there were thousands upon thousands of Keith Palmer’s
(the policeman killed) in our country.

I did a bit of research, and within minutes, I had found
them. I could fill this page with them. People who, on March 22^nd
2017 were serving our nation, helping our children, promoting good, and in the
over-used phrase of mugs and t-shirts, ‘carrying on’.



There’s the fun day at Ashton for the Community Family
Support Programme. On the same day, the ‘Eggstravaganza’ day at Honiton for early
years children. The Hospice of St Francis was given £5,500 by a firm of
lawyers, the proceeds of a quiz night, on that day.



On that day, 22^nd March, The Luton and Dunstable
District Netball League were in action. On the same day, there was a lecture at
Bangor University on the use of technology to help with less resourced
languages.



There was even a decision to change our text books in terms
of what it says about dinosaurs because of new finds, announced in the science
journal ‘Nature’ on that day.



None of these made the headlines. But each underlines goodness,
a willingness to give, a willingness to explore, investigate, develop and
promote good in the world we live in. Above all, it shows would be terrorists
that we live in a society that works well and that will continue to ‘carry on’.
There are indeed thousands upon thousands of Keith Palmer’s in our nation. And to
every one of them – thank you.

Martin Luther and the Expletives

He wasn’t an ordinary monk. For a start, he had a tendency to swear. Church historians are divided as to whether this was simply his rough upbringing or deliberate in order to shock the establishment. Maybe both.

His moment came as he read the book of Romans- you can read about it here. It changed him. And it changed the world. He spoke of salvation by faith alone- so different to the salvation by works message from the Pope.

The Pope didn’t like it of course and even sent spies to listen in on his preaching. So much so that Luther was provoked to comment in one of his more down to earth moments that ‘if I fart in Wittenberg today, the Pope will smell it in Rome tomorrow’!

Luther was a man whose message changed the world. Because of him we have the Protestant church streams, we have the Reformation, we have genuine faith in Christ. What an influence.

 

This October, we celebrate 500 years since Luther’s initial challenge to the world- set out in his 95 thesis nailed to a church door. And it’s good to remember and celebrate. My good friend Andy Johnson (who has written books on Luther) is holding a conference 500 years on from those amazing times. You can register here: Reformation 500.  

New Year Resolutions

As we approached the New Year, I posted the following on Facebook. Its simple statements obviously hit a chord as many 'likes' and 'shares' followed.

So, with thanks to the original author, Julie Baumgardner, it's posted here. May it be true for all of us, all of the time.