Bluedoor Ministries on the Move

Great friends of MKCC, Chris & Dana Byers are branching out in a new chapter in their God adventure with Bluedoor Ministries.

From the 1st August they are going mobile partnering with churches in Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic with evangelistic efforts online, church planting resources, and translation of English materials. Read about how you can best pray and help them here.

Here is a short video from Dana explaining part of their journey.

On The Move from BlueDoorMinistries on Vimeo.

Follow their progress at their blog or twitter.

Codex Sinaiticus

More than 800 surviving pages and fragments from the The Codex Sinaiticus, which was written in Greek on parchment leaves in the fourth century, have been reunited.

It is considered the oldest known Bible in the world over 1600 years old and it has now been published online.

Can God's will bring tears

Someone once said that being in God's will is the safest place to be. Not sure about that sometimes it can be scary. Other times it can be painful and hard to the point of tears and anguish.

If you were a man like King David who was a man after God's heart. Been obedient to God. Chosen & anointed by God to be King. Used to win a great victory. Think you would be entitled to think things would be a little easier than David found them to be. Exiled and hunted by King Saul, living in fear of his life separated from his closest friend.

After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most. - 1 Sam 20 v 41

Sometimes following God's plan can bring tears but only for a season:

He gets angry once in a while, but across
a lifetime there is only love.
The nights of crying your eyes out
give way to days of laughter.

- Psalm 30 v 5

Brotherhood

"I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; greatly beloved were you to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.- 2 Samuel 1 v 26

This is a closing statement on an incredible relationship of brotherhood between the Prince, who could have been King, Jonathan and David, the guy chosen from obscurity by God to be king.

From their first meeting it was a remarkable relationship with Jonathan handing over to David even his sword as a mark of respect. It was a relationship the transcended that with his father.

It saved David's life on more than one occasion. The fought for and protected each other.

Why is this important? Well goes against what probably is our greatest weakness - isolation. We retreat into ourselves with our fear and pride holding us captive.

David on Jonathan's death suggests that his relationship and depth of love for each other surpassed the love of a woman. Some statement.

Honestly I can't quite get my head round that but I am so thankful that God has brought into my life at different times men that are much more than mates they are brothers.

The voice of insecurity

Over the last few days reading through the process of Saul becoming King over Israel I am struck my all the really supernatural events that took place.

• God appeared to the prophet Samuel to tell him Saul was on his way. (1 Sam 9 v 15)
• God confirmed to Samuel that Saul was His man when he met Saul. (1 Sam 9 v 17)
• Samuel prophesied to Saul about what was about to happen. (Then it did) (1 Sam 10 v 1)
• God supernaturally changed Saul's heart. (1 Sam 10 v 9)
• God's Spirit came on Saul and he prophesied. (1 Sam 10 v 10)

I think with all this going on I would have started to believe that God had a plan for me but it seems that Saul was racked with insecurity. A crippling disease. After all these supernatural events Saul is too scared to tell even his family about what had happened and is found hiding when his time comes.

Saul continued to listen to the voice of insecurity in his life rather than the voice of God. It even drove him to attempt murder.

Ultimately God's mantle passed to a new generation through David.

I'm trying to let God's voice drown out the carping shout of insecurity.

On the road to becoming a Saint?

I read in the Telegraph that Cardinal John Henry Newman is close to becoming Britain's first new saint for more than 30 years after Pope Benedict XVI paved the way for his beatification.

Newman born in 1801 and died in 1890 at the age of 89 seems to have had a long wait for sainthood. In fact he has only just been given the title "blessed" and won't be classed a Saint until a 2nd miracle is attributed to him.

Somehow we seemed to have left the Behind a little bit. Why do we have to create so much hierarchy, stardom & elitism in the church. The Bible time after time refers to follows of Jesus as saints. Saint from the Latin sanctus is a human being who is believed to have been "called" to "holiness". It is a way of life not a title.

And Jesus uses the word "blessed" right at the start of His ministry. Matthew 5

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
Blessed are those who mourn,
Blessed are the meek,
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
Blessed are the merciful,
Blessed are the pure in heart,
Blessed are the peacemakers,
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Now I am sure John Henry Newman may have been many of these but these are things you do when you and are seen in us as followers of Jesus when we are alive.

If you follow Jesus you are called to be blessed and are a saint.

U2 but not ME2

This past week I got a phone call offering me a ticket for the upcoming U2 gig at Wembley. My excitement level was rising until I heard the date August 15th. Oh no I am on holiday!

So yet another U2 passes and I miss it. I am left with my memories of the Longest Day, a rainy day at the bowl in Milton Keynes in 1985 when U2 rocked my world.



And here is a video from their latest tour launch in Barcelona.

Phil Wall at MKCC

Today we had the privilege of hosting special guest Phil Wall today at MKCC. Phil became a christian at the age of 20 whilst a policeman. Based out of the Salvation Army he was a travelling evangelist for many years. More recently he founded the charity Hope HIV and now as well as championing the charity he is a leadership coach.

Phil had me hooked from the moment he started. Talking from the last few verses of Matthew 28 here were my highlights.

• They all worshiped Jesus but some doubted. Why have we given doubt such a bad name in the church. (v17)
  
• Doubt and unbelief are not the same thing.
  
• I doubt but I believe enough for God to use me.
• It is a travesty that all we seem to remember Thomas for is doubt. Only a few chapters earlier he was ready to follow Jesus to Jerusalem even if it meant death.
• I'm glad that God uses doubters. Really glad.
• Even when it does not look like it ALL authority belongs to Jesus.
• When we are fully convinced about the authority of Jesus we can have confidence no matter what.
• Some times we the church are so insecure that we get consumed with internal politics and theology instead of engaging the world.
• We worship a god who is constantly lapping at the shores of peoples lives. (Man that has given me enough to think about for a long time)
• The greatest thing we get to do as Christians in this world is kiss the scars of broken people.
• We mist live our lives in such a way that they make no sense unless Jesus exists.
• We apprentice people by how we live.

If you did not here Phil then you can listen or download audio here. Video will be at mkcc.org.uk Tuesday.

Am I an Atheist?

“The greatest source of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips but deny him by their lifestyles. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” – Brennan Manning

Honestly? Sometimes.

But with all my heart I don't want to be.

"....with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." - Mark 9:24

It's God's Word - Stupid

I think it was Bill Clinton that coined the phrase "It's the economy stupid". A attempt to focus minds during his campaign on the core message and the message that would make a difference.

Here is the wrap. God chose to write lots of his wisdom in a book called the Bible. He worked through a group of men, inspired their writing, to give us His Word. AND we get to read it.

We GET to read it! Not have to read it. But GET to read God's wisdom.

There have been times in my life that reading the Bible has just not happened with any regularity. Even in "ministry" I have read it to enable me to preach to others but not to let God talk to me.

If that is you, Hey, you are missing out. Start today and hear God speak to you.

Need some help. Download a reading plan here or use YouVersion reading plan online or iPhone / Blackberry App.

The Anchor WILL hold

Following on from yesterdays post I came across this song. The Anchor Holds. Not my usual type of music.

But felt I should post it as someone who drops by this blog needs to hear it.

You have had dreams and they seem to be slipping away like grains of sands.

The ship is battered.

The sails are torn.

You are facing the storm of life.

JESUS - your anchor will hold IN SPITE of the storm.