A Glance at Galatians Pt 2

Pt 2 :: A True Testimony

In Galatians 1, Paul wants to make it certain that he has a true testimony and that the Gospel he preaches is the true Gospel. At the time there was a lot of false Gospel teachers around that were leading the Galatians astray and so its important that this is the true Gospel. So I am going to look at how he describes his testimony...

But firstly: When asked to do your testimony what is it normally about? I guess you. You (including me) say that I was like this, then I knew Christ and then I changed...I stopped this and this and no longer did this and I was full of Joy. Sometimes our testimonies can be more about how we saved ourselves rather then Christ saving us. But Pauls testimony is extreme and holds an interesting framework as well as a great hope.

Before he knew Christ, Paul has a lot to boast in, being a very zealous Jew! But he persecuted the church and was zealous for all the wrong things. He was going after righteousness through works when really Paul needed Grace. Like perhaps many of us before knowing Christ - we were running after the wrong things, thinking they would give us somethng that would fulfil us. But we are actually running the wrong way.
But something amazing happened to Paul that is apart of his testimony and yet he didnt do anything to deserve it nor did he do anything to recieve it.
In verse 1:15-17, Paul says that God did several things:

1. He set Paul apart before he was born
2. He called Paul by His Grace
3. God was pleased to reveal Jesus to Him
4. God commisioned him to preach among the Gentiles.

In many ways I find this is a rhythm to our testimony, that actually before we knew Christ we were zealous for the wrong things and then it was God that saved us, it was God that set us apart and called us by His Grace. It was God that was pleased to reveal Jesus to us and it was God that has told us to share Christ with everyone. Isn´t it amazing that God was pleased to reveal Jesus to us, considering all that we have done and do - he is pleased. We did nothing to change our lives around, it was all Christ.

I find that there is so much hope in this. That no matter how bad we were or cut off we were, infact it is God that brings us back and its not based on our merits or what we do! What Christ did on the Cross and what he is doing now in our lives is more powerful then what we were or are like or what Paul was like! It gives us hope that when we preach Christ and the true Gospel that it is God that changes lives and is pleased to reveal Christ!! We therefore need to keep looking at the Cross and keep reminding ourselves that our testimony is based on what Christ has done and not what we have done.

Time or Event orientated?

One thing for sure is that culture is different all around the world. Culture within culture is different and you can´t escape culture - you are in it. This is seen by how you dress, what you watch, what you do in your spare time, how your family functions, how you view people, how you communicate and how you see things as right and wrong. No culture is perfect, but we can learn from each culture.
I have been learning a lot about peruvian culture and my own culture. Its very easy to tar with one brush, but I can only comment on what I see, which I know is limited.

I come from a culture that has very high stress levels. Everything is about time and nearly everyone wears a watch. Time wasting is seen as bad. If you have left someone waiting for 10 min you have to apologise for wasting their time. Because time is precious and the more effeciant you are with time the more you get done. When I was doing Relay I had a 2 hour planner that allowed me to plan and schedule everything down to eating and sleeping - this was so I got more done in the day. Although honestly it was very hard to keep. But in the west this is normal, time is a priority and we cant waste it.

But I have now entered a new culture and the use of time is different. The culture here is seen as more event orientated. The concern isnt about how much time I spend with a person or if I am late, the concern is the people I am with and the event taking place and whether I am making the most of it. Its made it clear to me that when I was in England it was very easy to think of the next thing. For example, when I am in the middle of a coffee with someone I think about what time it is, how long left and whats the next thing I am gonig to do (not always, but sometimes)... But that kind of attitude doesnt fit here - its out of place because if I show this attitude it means I am saying that I dont care about the person I am with or the event I am in and I am more concerned about the task ahead. Although, even in England - what does that show about my attitude?

It is difficult not to compare and we must adapt to what ever culture we are in. I also know that one isn´t better then the other, but I wonder as a christian whether sometimes our attitude to time isn´t good? Sometimes we need to slow down and start to spend time with people and not worry about the task ahead or trying to get done as much as possible in a day. Sometimes my days here are filled with being with people and not having a diary but just seeing what happens. I know this doesnt suit everyone and it can be frustrating, perhaps some would see that a waste of time. But it changes the way you think and how you view each moment. It means you dont fill your diary up with thing after thing and not leave any room for a person to call or drop by. Its also one way to build relationships and share the Gospel that suits this culture and I am learning so much from it. But how much of this will stay with me when I return and how much of it will be recieved well or seen as a waste of time?

A glance at Galatians Pt 1

Looking through the lens...

Currently during my quiet times I have been going through Galatians, feasting on its richness and trying to absorb it in. Its difficult to be fed spiritually when you cant speak the language but its equally encouraging to read a letter like Galatians and know that there are some universal truths that will always remain. I am going to explore some of them with you and write up my thoughts and how it is helping me here. Its not going to be an indepth study, but its going to be a glance and hopefully a helpful one at that...

Pt 1 :: One True Gospel

How easy is it to desert Christ? When you think about it right now, its very easy to say that it would never happen. Right now, we can be sure that we would never desert Christ or follow a different Gospel, but what about tomorrow or next week when Christ doesnt seem to fit into my modern living or when God doesn´t feel so close - what happens to our heart? Is it a time where we turn to Christ or desert Him?

What I have noticed in Galatains is Pauls shock to how quickly they are deserting Christ (1v6). And the way they are deserting Him is by going to a different Gospel. Pauls message to the Galatains is very clear - there is only one true Gospel. If anyone preaches something different to this, they are accursed! (1v8-9) This is no fluffy language, Paul is hitting it between the eyes and is making it clear that the Gospel is true and precious. Nothing can match to it, but yet people want to distort it - some days I want to distort it. Why? Because some days the message of the Gospel has razor sharpe teeth and bites hard, it shows me all of my sin and cuts through my pride. The problem is, is that I want to rule the Gospel rather then let the Gospel rule my life, I want it distorted so that it pleases me and allows me to live an easier life. But the message is clear - there is only one true Gospel and it if we are to follow Christ then He must rule over us. IF we reject or change the Gospel then we reject Christ and we are accursed.

This makes me think alot. I have to be careful about what I say when talking about the Gospel through bible studies, teachings or working with students. I am held acountable with the words I use and I have to check myself - am I telling the true Gospel or a watered down, different Gospel? Not only do my words count but also my actions do. Am I telling the Gospel in love and Grace with a heart for the person and our relationship or because I see them as a project or to win evangelism points? Sometimes our actions can shout a different Gospel and this to is dangerious.

But the great thing about there being a one true Gospel is that we know what our foundation is, we know the truth in which we stand on and we can trust it. We can trust Jesus and while I am here in Peru where there is much distortion of the Gospel, especially in catholisim here, then I need to be sure what is real and what I can grasp hold of and pour my heart out with. Its very easy to get trapped and apathetic, but I dont want to do that because the one true Gospel is bringing good news to the lost and they so need to hear it here, they need that truth and security and to know the Love of Christ and how their sins can be forgiven. Paul was so right in expressing such hard language here, he knew how important and precious the Gospel is and how it needs to be treasured and how we need to warn our hearts against distorting it, because once we begin to distort it we start to move away from the hope we have to a complete darkness of superstition.

Just Living in Peru

I guess one of the questions most asked is - "What is it like to live in Peru?". I guess when most people think of mission or perhaps South America, you think of mud huts, half naked people and eating strange food. I assure you that its not like that here. There are many differences to England, but actually they are not bad differences and I have not experiences culture shock, although I am sure it is to come... but let me share with you some differences...

• They have a small breakfast, a huge lunch and a small dinner...
• They wake up very early, 5/6 am and go to bed early 9/10pm
• The sun sets at 6pm everyday
• You don´t put the toilet paper in the toilet but in a bin.
• They have more amazing fruit here and its fresh!
• They have pasta and rice for nearly every meal
• The buses are very cheap and they cram as many people as possible in them - its quite fun!
• I am living in a desert.
• They love to play games at parties, no matter what age the people are!
• They take spending time with people seriously and are not "time orientated" but "event orientated"... so when something starts at 7, people wont show up till 8 or later, that can be for anything!
• I live amoung mountains and volcanoes
• We have earthquakes here
• They eat purple maiz...well its more of a jelly, so they drink it - its nice!!

(The picture is of the city I am living in at the mo, and the volcanoe is El Misti)

Ministering Cross Culturally

Recently I have been reading a book about Cross Culture mission while being in Peru. It has struck me that mission is much more then just giving an explanation of the Gospel, but there is a a huge part of sharing the Gospel which requires us sharing our time and lives. This can be hard if we are from a culture that demands the use of our time to be for certain use and pressures, such as work, or meetings or other things. But I have been challenged by the Peruvian culture that time to be with each other is a good use of time and a great oppertunity to share the Gospel, not just only with words but with our use of time and relationships.

What I think tends to happen is that we and myself included is share a British culture Gospel to the mission field, be that Peru, France or Asia... the problem is, is that British culture is by no means the standard at which the world should live and the cultural things that we have and do can restrict us and imprison us. So when we share the Gospel there can be an emphasis on British time keeping or way of doing church or CU or anything like that which fits well in our culture but not in a different culture. There isn´t much we can do about some of them, but in some ways we need to be ready to integrate and change in order to be flexable. Because the Gospel can reach all cultures and its the Gospel we have as our standard and how to live as a body of Christ and how to love one another.

There is a brilliant quote in this book that I want to share:
"We must understand that transforming a society does not mean moving people from their prison (culture) into ours but rather helping them to know Christ and be transformed personally and communally into people and communities of the Spirit. If we are to minister successfully to the members of a different society, therefore, we must learn about and participate in their culture" - Ministering Cross Cultrally, pg 120

I wonder how that would not only translate in different countries but in Britian when trying to reach internationals. How can we reach the Gospel to them when sometimes it may fall on deaf ears because we have not shown respect and interest in their culture first and we have not learnt ways to communicate to them that will build relationships with them?
Or we have tried to impose our culture on them rather then sharing Jesus with them?

It makes me think a lot about how barriers can be put up straight away just because we dont understand the culture and where they are coming from as they enter our churches or CUs.

So the question is, how can we as Christians reach international people as they enter our churches with an understanding of their culture that will enable us to reach them with our lives and the Gospel rather then a British way of doing things?

Hola from Peru

So here I am. Home for the next year or so. The dust of the streets clinging to your clothes, the smell of street food vendors, feeling like a giant among a crowed of people (impressive for someone 5"3), being introduced to many people and not understanding a lot. In some ways I am relying more on God then ever. You know when Paul says in Philippians 3 that he counts everything as loss for the sake of Christ? That he cannot boast in anything but the cross? In many ways I connect with that, because right now I cannot boast in anything. I cannot communicate with people and my pride has been dashed from me (which is good), to be honest, the only thing I can boast in is Christ. He is the one that is with me, He is my Shepard, and understands me when noone else can - that is a comfort. I dont really have anything I can cling on to here except Him...and its good. Its good to know that the Gospel is true and that there is nothing else worth boasting in except Christ and the Cross.

What does it mean to be a Relay worker here? Its not like Exeter. In some ways I was more tempted to stand on my knowledge and understanding - but that is somewhat unhinged when your in a different culture, when you cant speak the language. I believe sharing the Gospel is so important, but what if you cant speak? I wonder how Paul managed in places where he couldnt speak the language?

But from what I have seen, I think the next step is to show the Gospel, by how we love, live and how we are in church and towards the people in church and to the poor and in everything. My mouth is stappled shut, but I know Jesus and He can still use me, even with my poor spanish. At this stage I cannot do anything else and I hope when I get the words, then they will accompany the actions.

Its a slow process, its not a quick Two Ways to live sketch (even though its a good thing to use), but its about sharing your life with everyone and sharing Jesus. Its amazing how Jesus can use us in ways we never thought possible or even how we think we should do it.

It is different here, but I love it and I know its hard at times, but I have to cling on to Jesus everyday... :O)

Relay in Peru - The next step

Two years ago this summer I was sitting on the porch of a farm house in the Andes, Peru. I was talking to God and realising that the month in Peru was coming to an end. I asked Him "Will you call me back here?" and He replied, "Yes, but you have to wait"

Lets fast forward a year and I am now in a crowded room full of students and new Relay workers. John Piper is speaking and he asks all those that believe that God is calling them to mission to stand. I was on my feet. Standing in a room full of students that felt that God was calling them to mission abroad. The room buzzed with excitement and fear. What was God going to do now that we were willing to go?

Now today here I am, with Relay over and a summer packed full of visits, outreach, rest and reading coming to an end.

As I look forward I see that two weeks today I leave this country and follow Jesus into Peru to do the next part of Relay. I will be learning Spanish for 3 months and then for the remaining months I will be working alongside the Student movement and help them encourage and equip Peruvian students to reach their non Christian friends on campus. There is also the task of building up a CU there with the help of the student movement.

I am aware of my weaknesses right now and very much aware of how much I need Jesus. I cannot do this without Him, it is not possible. I believe that this time in Peru is such a gift and I want to treasure it and enjoy it and serve God in every opportunity that comes my way.

Please pray for me.

Also, because I wont have as much internet access as I have had, my blog will not be updated as regularly. However, the posts that may be put up will hopefully be an insight into what I am doing and what its like being a Relay Worker in Peru :O)

A Christian starting Uni?

You are about to enter what is described as the "best years of your life". I can agree to this, yet there are many Christians that go to uni and fall away. Other things become a priority, the uni life of getting drunk, sex and even being under pressure to get that first class degree.

What we most praise we will prize. If your hearts praises the above things then God and church will slip from your life. Perhaps think about this before you start Uni or if you are starting another year at Uni and know that God wasn't at the center of all that you are doing. Are you going to praise and prize Jesus above everything? Is Jesus worth more then anything that Uni offers you? Are you prepared to be a missionary on campus - being light and salt to your hall mates and course mates?

I was thinking about ways that you may find helpful. Here are 10 things that may help you continue the race as a Christian on Campus.

1. Get stuck into Church. Try to choose a church quickly to avoid being stuck 6 months later with church hopping. The truth is that there isn't a perfect church, so you have two ways you can approach getting stuck into church and one of them will lead you to nowhere...
a) Find a church that serves you and feeds you.
b) Find a church that you can love and serve.
Church is so important, its your family and community, we are not individuals in Christ, we are a church. Think carefully about what the church teaches - if its not from the bible, I wouldn't bother going.

2. Get to know your hall mates. This is essential. Spend time with them, hang out with them and build relationships. You have a whole year with them and you may want to live with them next year. Share Jesus with them with being honest about what you do and how you live. It doesn't mean you have to go out getting drunk with them, but you can hang out with them and be a witness.

3. Get stuck into Christian Union. The Christian Union is a wonderful place to meet new Christians on campus, to be inspired and encouraged by older Christians and to be equipped for mission on campus. It is not so much as a social club, but a place to be encouraged and equipped to reach out to your non christian friends.
*Christian bubble ALERT* - be careful not to be warped into a Christian bubble. This is dangerous, you will spend all your time with Christians and christian music, books and theology. None of which are bad, but if that's all you do then you are in danger of never being able to reach your non christian friends because you are to wrapped up in the safety of your Christian bubble.

4. Join other societies. Don't just do CU events, the CU should be enabling you to join other societies so you can reach out to them with the Gospel. Therefore find something you are interested in and join the group and make friends! Keep going to their events.

5. Go to your classes. It is tempting to skip classes for several reasons - missions week, feeling tired, can't be bothered etc... they are not excuses! Its important to get to know your class mates and build relationships with them - you will be with them for 3/4 years, which gives you amazing opportunities! Plus you are here to do a degree, you can work for Jesus by being studious on your course.

6. Eat Well and Sleep. It is tempting for your first few months to survive off pizza, junk food and as little sleep as possible. University is exciting but you might die before you finish it with that lifestyle. Learn how to cook, get someone to teach you and eat lots of fruit and veg. Also get sleep - you will need it, esp the older you get!!

7. Invite friends to church or CU or Alpha. This may seem scary but in the first few weeks of Uni, anyone will go to anything because they want to try everything. So why not invited them to Church, CU or Alpha? Get them thinking and asking questions. They may be more open to Jesus than you think!

8. Make friends with internationals. You may have lots of international students on your course or in your halls. Why not invite them for dinner or sit next to them in class? Its scary being away from home and not having English as your first language. Just because they are "different" to you shouldn't be an excuse. Building friendships with them will be a wonderful way to share English culture and their culture.

9. Be accountable to/be mentored. I would recommend finding an older Christian that you can either be accountable to or be mentored. I was mentored as first year and I think without it I may of wondered away a bit. Its a great opportunity to ask lots of questions and study the bible. Perhaps there is a Relay worker or Staff worker to meet up with? I use to make Dave Bish meet up with me for coffee and I asked him loads of questions!! Its worth doing.

10. Read and Pray. When I say read, its good to read anyways, but I mean read the bible. Try to find a time in the day where you can read your bible and find out more about Jesus. It may be hard at first but it will be like honey to your soul. Learn to be disciplined in prayer, see that talking to the creator of the universe is a good thing and a wonderful gift that we can do. See God work in many ways in your life, seek Him and continue running the race.

I hope you find these helpful. Don't feel like you *have* to do these things out of duty, but enjoy Uni and the people you meet and the conversations you have. It will be scary and exciting and totally worth it.

Today I...

Today I am astounded by the truth of the Cross.

Today I am in awe that Jesus would die for me.

Can I tell someone this news when I am on the train or bus? Will my pride and self consciousness get in the way? If this is good news, why am I so reluctant to share it? Whats worse - the loss of pride now, or their eternity cut off from God.

A cart full of ART #5

I love reading. I love books. My favourite type of shopping is looking around bookstores. I like looking at the art on the book cover, the interesting titles and what stories lay hidden in its pages, waiting to be uncovered. I have many favourite books that range from, Lord of the Rings, CS Lewis, Discworld and Little women. But there is one book that remains my favourite and perhaps it may seem like a cliche, but I genuinely love it. It is of course the bible - the no.1 best selling book in the world. Why do I love it? Beause the Word of God is like a colourful explosion. It grips you, it tugs at your heart, it convicts you, it reveals to you a remarkable story with stories within stories to convey to man who the most wondereful creator of the universe is.

Before reading the bible, I didn't understand it. I thought it was a book full of rules. I would flick through its thin wispy paper and see ink letters after ink letters thinking they were irrelevant. But then I started reading it, starting to uncover the story held in its pages. This book contains 66 books and each one with a vibrant message. There are poems, songs, lists, letters, law and stories. This is no rule book. This breathes life and shows meaning. I love it so much because every time I open its pages I find something new, a gem that I missed earlier or a story that I didn't understand before. But what is most fantastic is that each page is telling me more about Jesus. We ask who is God?

Well Open the bible and see for yourself. Sometimes we may not like what we see, sometimes it will surprise us, sometimes it will make us cry. But the bible is fantastic - get your teeth stuck into it and enjoy the feast of life giving words!