All posts tagged Jesus

What language will we speak in Heaven?

by Hugh on December 17, 2011 in Faith with 7 Comments

Now you may think that this is a pointless question. Some hypothetical conversation that we couldn’t possibly know the answer to… But the New Creation is clearly a place where there is praising, worship and relationship with God and one another. If Jesus’ resurrection body is anything to go by then we will surely be able to speak to one another – either with common language or common understanding.

But here’s the point, and why it’s a very relevant question. What if you’re deaf? Continue reading →

Advent – (Dis)Grace

by Hugh on December 12, 2011 in Faith with No comments

Here’s Advent thought number 2. It’s that time of year when we head back to the first few chapters of the gospels to remind ourselves of the Christmas story. Enter Zechariah and Elizabeth, they really kick the ball rolling with Christmas, although sadly often missing from your average Nativity play.

It’s a shame really. They’re model believers – Luke 1:6 tells us that they’re ‘upright in God’s sight’ and ‘observe all God’s laws blamelessly’. On top of that they’ve been waiting and praying patiently, praying for a child and for the child who will come to save (Luke 1:13), in the end their prayers are answered, and both come, one after the other. Continue reading →

Christ in the Old Testament

by Hugh on December 5, 2011 in Faith with 1 Comment

Sometimes looking for Jesus in the Old Testament feels a bit like looking through a ‘Where’s Wally’ book. Turn each page and if you look hard you’ll see Jesus. It seems a bit of a trite approach to the Old Testament… Hermeneutics for dummies… and leaping to Jesus. Looks like a rabbit, sounds like a rabbit… but it must be Jesus…

Now I’m not sure that’s a wrong approach. The New Testament often uses pictures from the Old Testament to point to Jesus… and Jesus is indeed in ALL the Scriptures (Luke 24:27). Take Deuteronomy for example… Jesus is… Continue reading →

Harvest – more than Baked Beans

by Hugh on September 27, 2011 in Faith, Talks with 1 Comment

A friend on Twitter helpfully summarised what I’d been preaching in the Harvest service…

“As @hughbo taught us this morning, harvest is more than baked beans..”

I hope the message was a little more profound than that, but it does contain elements of truth. It was Harvest Sunday this week, at least it was in our church. Due to staff shortages I ended up preaching on Psalm 65. I’ve never done Harvest before, not since I was a kid. It brought back memories of Harvest suppers, produce auctions and competitions to see who had the biggest marrow.

I guess in short, my attitude to Harvest is fairly flippant. Especially in Hove, it doesn’t really seem all that relevant. But God’s word was so relevant… Psalm 65 is an awesome song of praise at the Harvest festival. We saw:

God’s Grace
God’s Greatness
God’s Goodness

Thanks to Jonathan Fletcher for the G’s. Anyways… my attitude to harvest has improved in light of studying this Psalm!

You can listen to the sermon here.

The Grace of Law

by Hugh on September 7, 2011 in Faith, Talks with No comments

We kicked off the new term of Costa Tuesdays last night. As a whole church we’re looking at the book of Deuteronomy. We began by looking at Deuteronomy 5:1-33, the 10 Commandments.

We called the night ‘The Grace of Law’, a title pinched off Tim Keller, although unusually none of the content was. We didn’t have time to go through all the commandments, and think exactly how we apply them today. We just wanted to do one thing… to see the God’s Law is good!

Here’s three reasons that we looked at why God’s Law is good:

It’s Giver is good – the God who gives these laws is the God of covenant relationship (v.2), the God who speaks to his people (v.4), and the God who rescues his people (v.6) – God is presented as fundamentally good!
It’s Purpose is good – one of the refrains throughout the law given here is it’s purpose for good, so that “it may go well with you in the land” (v.16), and “so that you may live and prosper” (v.33).
It Protects what is good – the 10 Commandments acts like a fence, seeking to protect the good things that God gives – eg. the law against adultery is designed to protect the gift of marriage, and the law against idols is designed to protect the gift of God himself.

We concluded with a time of discussion, but not before one clarification… The Law can’t make us good!

We saw Moses as mediator (v.23-27), but Jesus as a better mediator… Moses who says “they will obey”… and Jesus who says “I will obey”. I love v.29 where we see God’s desires…

“Oh that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always.”

Why I Love Pentecostals

by Hugh on September 3, 2011 in Faith, Life with No comments

There are a number of reasons for this. Since I came to Uni, back in 2005, and ever since I’ve met Pentecostal Christians. Some have challenged my prejudices and have taught me lots, others have confirmed my worst stereotypes. However, this is not a general comment, but rather the 2nd part of my reflections of being part of a church in Malawi.

The second church we experienced in Malawi was a more modern, independent church with a Pentecostal feel, where our hosts and a number of other ex-pats were members. Sadly we couldn’t join them on the Sunday, but were pleased to accept an invitation to a home group meeting.

In contrast to Area 50 Baptist Church, the ex-pat community have more than they need – so it was great to see the Christians being so generous with what they had. The South African family I stayed with were part of this church, they taught me 3 key lessons about the Christian faith:

Firstly, they live out their faith, their faith moves them to action, not just to principles for life, or a theory, what they believe they actually do, and really seek to put into practise. To me, the God Channel, which they often had on sounds just like “how to live the good life”… but if you actually live out some of these principles it is powerful!

Secondly, and this is an outworking of the first, they showed me what generosity and hospitality look like in practise. They put up 3 strangers for 10 days, they welcomed us into their home, they said “Don’t feel at home. Be at home.” The reason they welcomed us so well was because though they didn’t know the details, they knew it was gospel work that had brought us there. Their generosity could be seen in lots of practical ways: tithing, adoption, hospitality, offering employment, serving their church, taking in extended family, supporting their workers and those in need around. Theirs is a faith very practically lived out.

Thirdly, they have a strong sense of Spiritual Warfare. While I would be cautious about attributing events “to the devil” they very much embraced this idea, not in an unhelpful way, but in a way which sought to do good to others and to serve the gospel as a way of “fighting back”. While not all their beliefs I’d agree with, you couldn’t fault the way they actually put them into action!

Jesus in Malawi

by Hugh on September 2, 2011 in Faith, Life with No comments

I’m off to Malawi soon. Going back again with a colleague to support some Christian ministries there. Are work is largely focused on training and equipping Christians to handle the Bible.

Last time I went, I penned some thoughts about the Christian scene in Malawi, here they are:

In my time in Malawi I was able to experience 2 very different types of Christianity. Firstly was the Baptist Church of Area 50, the place where we had come to minister, what seemed like quite a traditional church by Malawian standards, made up from local people.

When we joined the Baptist church on Sunday morning there were some very unusual things I was not used to – for a start the service was in Chichewa, the local language. The time together began with Sunday school (for everyone), children’s groups, and Bible study for young adults and new Christians, alongside a teaching session for everyone else. As I sat and listened to one of the elders teach I realised that there was certainly some truth in the saying that Christianity in Africa is a mile wide, but only an inch deep – great passion to teach and be taught, but little understanding of how to teach and rightly handle the Bible.

There was a certain relaxedness about the meeting, people would arrive ‘late’, walk in and out to look after children. There was no printed service order, and apparently no structure. There seemed to be a slightly odd mix between old and new – the church would sing a few hymns from the Baptist hymn book, which seemed to be poorly translated and a little dirge-like. In contrast there were times of spontaneous worship, 2 or 3 would leap to the front and lead us in a song, the women’s choir would perform – no instruments, just voices singing and hands clapping were more than enough to raise the roof!

“Up, up Jesus… down, down Satan”

One of the key aspects of Malawian Christianity which was evident was their contentfulness. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the members of the Baptist church were not well off, their church building is basic, the homes in the area are pretty rustic, and the jobs of most are not well regarded. But there is a basic contentfulness. While the lure of money and power is a temptation in every culture, and clear also in Malawi, among the Christians there does seem to be a genuine feel of being content: the church building is basic, work is hard, in fact life generally in Malawi is very tough (just look at the mortality rates), but in spite of these things the Christians seem very content, even joyful. How Christians in the West could learn, as the ones with so little seem to have all they need!

The Urgency of Student Mission

by Hugh on August 18, 2011 in Faith, Life with No comments

I wrote a few days ago about the three types of student you’ll find on any campus. I suggested that the best way to be a Christian student is to redeem these categories for the glory of God. I hope to explain now what God says about students and why sharing the gospel with them is so vital.

The thing you have to know is that God’s wrath is being poured out against students (Rom 1:18). Woooh, hang on, I thought this was going to be a little pep talk about how fun evangelism is… Well, maybe, but first you’ve gotta see God’s wrath… It’s all there in Romans 1-2 where we meet our 3 types of student:

First we see the Idealists. They thought it better to ignore God, something in them cries out for God, their concern for justice betrays their Atheism. They suppress the truth of the goodness of God and exchange it for the lie of the goodness of community, the omnipotence of society. Look at Romans 1:18-23, Paul speaks of those who deep down know about God, but choose to replace him with their own ideals.

Second we meet the Hedonists. Look at Romans 1:24-32, we see God gave them over to all kinds of desires. People who do what they want, live for their own pleasure, be it greed, sex, lust, gossip… they seek after these things, because that’s what their depraved minds tell them to do!

Finally we meet the Legalists. Romans 2:1-11, Paul is speaking of those who pass judgement on others, who look to their own good and hard work for their justification. Their work will be marked, but not their degrees and career performance, no they will be judged on how they responded to God, how they responded to his work.

The truth is that God’s wrath is being poured out against all these kind of students. In fact against all kinds of people. God is giving students over to their desires of secular community, of life lived for self pleasure, of days worked for self glory. Yet, in the face of God’s Judgement, see Paul’s stand, Rom 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation”.

So Christian student, in the face of students living for self, in the light of Gods judgement… Don’t be ashamed of the gospel! Don’t be ashamed to name yourself a Christian during those first meetings, don’t be ashamed to befriend the somewhat uncool Christian hallmate, don’t be ashamed to be known to be at the CU meeting and going to church, don’t be ashamed to standout from the Hedonists at the pub crawl, the Idealists at the SU and the Legalists in the library… be prepared to give an answer for your hope, live and speak for Jesus.

You may look around at your new hall mates, your class mates… perhaps with envy at the ‘fun’ they have… perhaps in disdain at their godlessness… rather look on them with compassion with the knowledge that only the Gospel, only the righteousness of God, revealed in Jesus Christ is the power for Salvation in their lives.

The Search for Love

by Hugh on June 28, 2011 in Faith, Life with 4 Comments

The other week I posted some thoughts on Love and Status by Alain de Botton. I was especially intrigued by the idea of the search or quest we have for love, both in the sexual/romantic sense, but also the search for acceptance and affirmation by society more widely. This in turn prompted a conversation with David, an old uni friend, in an establishment called ‘Tossed‘, which in turn prompted a conversation on the necessity of innuendo in life.

But what of this search for love, where does it lead? If life is made up of these two great quests for love then where do we find it?

For some it may be success, money, career progression, the perfect home, the kind of material things that suggest we have found acceptance, even love from society. Victor Hugo said “Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced we’re loved”, and we tend to use these markers of success to convince ourselves that we are indeed loved by society.

Or it may be that the search for romantic love is more pressing for us. We crave the attention and affection of another, we yearn for the intimacy of sex, of sharing life together.

Yet we live in a world where success is temporary, where money is insecure, where the perfect home is a myth. A world where beauty is fleeting, and faithfulness is passée. A world where depression leaves us feeling empty and divorce leaves us broken.

When we think of the reality of society, the reality of our own hearts, there is no way that our deepest desires, that our search for love in this world will ever find true consummation. Augustine, who himself battled with this quest came to this conclusion - Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.

We spend our lives searching around with that U2 feeling… we sigh and say “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”… as Bono recounts the highs of this quest, he’s still left with an inevitable feeling of emptiness as true love is not found. But where is that true love, where does our quest find it’s end?

Well let me suggest we need God to show us, we need revelation, at least a pointer or idea that we can find it! Douglas Coupland knows he needs some revelation when he said “My secret is that I need God, that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God… to help me love, as I seem beyond being able to love.”

In the Bible, Romans 5:8, it says that “God demonstrates his love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us”. This is something of an answer to our question, it tells us loads about love, what it is and where we can find it… more on that to come…

Helpers on The Song

by Hugh on June 13, 2011 in Books, Faith with No comments

Whatever point of view you take on the Song of Songs, it’s clearly a difficult piece of writing. Narrowing down exactly what type of literature it is, what the text means and of whom the text is speaking is not easy. That’s why it’s important to have good friends to help you out. Preparing a recent sermon on Song of Songs 8:5-14 meant I could dip in to lots of different people… here’s what I found…

Barry Webb – Five Festal Garments

It’s a real shame Webb’s book is relatively short, only 20 pages on the Song. It’s especially helpful for seeing how the Song fits together and what it’s purpose is. He really focuses on the structural and thematic issues drawn out in the Song, but really it’s too short to be persuaded by his arguments alone, but I guess it points to further reading.

Tom Gledhill – The Message of the SofS (BST)

Gledhill is fairly thorough with the text, drawing out most of the details and discussing the issues. He takes a naturalistic approach and focuses on the human details, but I don’t think really helps to point us to Christ, or really to be that relevant in pointing us to application.

Tremper Longman III – SofS (NICOT)

Longman is technical, but concise, he doesn’t faff around. He opts for a dual approach, but doesn’t really focus any time to showing us Christ. I think his interpretations are a little off in places. But it’s strength is making the technical accessible.

G. Lloyd Carr – The SofS (Tyndale)

Carr gives good discussion to interpretation and opts for the natural/literal approach. I like Carr’s simple word by word approach, which breaks the text down, making it easy to deal with. I found he sets things out plainly without being too dogmatic on issues. Again, fails really to point us to Christ.

C.H. Spurgeon – The Most Holy Place

Not a commentary, rather a collection of sermons. Spurgeon goes heavily on the Typological approach, seeing Christ in everything. But he doesn’t crowbar it, he takes us from Human love to Christ’s love and there is his focus. It’s wordy and poetic, and perhaps doesn’t really engage the text thoroughly, but certainly draws loads out to feed the soul!

Gary Brady – Heavenly Love

Simple, non-technical. Goes for a dual approach of human love pointing to heavenly love. Doesn’t really help to solve textual questions, but goes with a clear meaning and is packed with loads of good illustrations. Helpful at a devotional level to any reader and gives great ideas to the preacher to illustrate and apply.

I guess my big frustration in reading on the Song of Solomon is that nobody seems to interpret it in the way I think it should be! Most commentators seem to opt for a naturalistic approach, which has recently been popularised by Mark Driscoll. While a lot of the old greats like Spurgeon, and folk like Daniel Newman and Mike Reeves seem to opt for a Typological / Allegorical approach.

Personally, the best stuff I’ve found on the Song, wasn’t Driscoll’s series (as he claims!), but Pete Woodcock’s series from Cornerstone Kingston, which genuinely takes a dual approach. I think the way it’s supposed to be taught…