Second coming of Christ nearer after Trump's decision on Jerusalem, claims US pastor

A pastor in America is claiming the end of the world is nearer after Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

While US allies, other world leaders and religious leaders lined up to condemn to move almost unanimously, Trump had support from his most loyal fanbase – white evangelicals.

US President Donald Trump announced the decision to almost universal condemnation on Wednesday.

A small segment of evangelicals are even claiming the move is an important part of biblical prophecy and could herald the second coming of Christ.

David Reagan, the founder and director of the Texas-based Lamb and Lion Ministries, said the move was long overdue.

'I totally support his decision because Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, always has been for 4,000 years. The Jews have had that as their capital and it has never ever in all of history been the capital of another state, not a Muslim state or an Arab state. It is long overdue. Every US president has made a promise to move the embassy as part of their campaign and then as soon as they're elected they forget about it. But this is a good indication that Trump will keep his campaign promises,' he told news website Sputnik.

The belief that the 'end times' is near is based on the understanding that Jews must control Jerusalem and build a third temple on Temple Mount, one of the holiest sites in both Islam and Judaism, after both the first and second temples were destroyed.

Reagan, who claims to be an expert in biblical prophecy, explained the background of what he thinks will happen at the end of the world.

'Evangelical Christians in America generally agree that most likely there will be a war against Israel which the scriptures call the "war of annihilation" in which all the Muslim nations which have a common border with Israel, who are named in Psalm 83, will attack Israel and Israel will defeat them. Then the Arab world will go into a panic and cry out for Russia to come to their aid. And the Russians will come down with a specified group of Muslim nations, countries like Persia (Iran) and Turkey and they will be destroyed on the mountains of Israel.'

He added the Antichrist will come from within the European Union and would 'try to settle the situation in the Middle East' by making a treaty with Israel. 'And we believe, Daniel Chapter Nine [of the Bible] teaches that the moment he signs that agreement with Israel that is when the tribulation will begin,' he told Sputnik.

'He will have risen to power peacefully through his charisma and his super-intelligence in Europe and then he will seek to make a worldwide empire. He will launch a war for the purposes of the conquering the world which is described in Revelation, Chapter Six, and that war morphs into a nuclear war and by the middle of the tribulation he has the control of all the nations of the Earth,' he said.

'He (the Antichrist) marches into Jerusalem and goes into the rebuilt temple, which will have been rebuilt during the first three and a half years of the tribulation, and declares himself to be God. The Jews will immediately reject him and he will begin to persecute them and try to annihilate them from the face of the Earth. We believe Satan hates the Jews with a passion because it was through them that God gave the Bible and it was through them that God gave the Messiah...and Satan hates them and will try to destroy them once again, like he did in the Holocaust,' Reagan went on.

'When they are gathered in the valley of Armageddon at that point Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, he will speak a supernatural word and will destroy all the armies of the Antichrist and he will begin to reign over all the Earth. He will reign for a thousand years, what we call the millennial reign.'

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What President Trump's Jerusalem proclamation means for Palestinians

There are those who claim that acknowledging Jerusalem as the capital of Israel may not affect the daily life of its residents because Israel already controls the city and has been changing its demography and boundaries for over 50 years.

In spite of the fact the Jerusalem municipality is responsible for both East and West Jerusalem, in reality Jerusalem has remained divided, whether by ethnicity (Jewish or Arab) in some neighborhoods, or a separation wall in others.

US President Donald Trump has recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

All this said, President Trump's recent announcement left me with a heavy heart as I contemplated the implications of his proclamation.

Many Palestinians have struggled and altered their lives to keep their Jerusalem residency over the years. Many of my own friends have to deal with Israeli bureaucracy to maintain or regain their residency simply because they are Christians or Muslims born in Jerusalem. To Israel, they pose a demographic threat to maintain Jerusalem's Jewish majority, and therefore, many Palestinians in Jerusalem find themselves residents at best and stateless at worst.

During the past few years Jerusalem has had its share of violence with many casualties, many of whom have been under the age of 23. This has led to tight security checkpoints, not permanent but frequent, primarily at entrances to Palestinian neighbourhoods in and around Jerusalem. This limits the neighbourhood to having one entrance and exit. Going to work or school takes twice, if not three times, as long as the commutes from Jewish neighbourhoods.

As someone who has lived in the Old City for many years, I have encountered, how the Holy City becomes restricted to certain religious groups simply so that others can move freely, especially during religious holidays and political tensions. Even during Muslim holidays, young men are restricted from entering the Old City and only women, children and elderly men are permitted. This restriction is not imposed on Christians or Jews during their holidays and national celebrations, even when some of the Jewish national celebrations are purposefully and clearly inflammatory and provocative as they triumphantly march through Palestinian areas­ – for example each year during the annual Jerusalem Day celebration, marking the anniversary of Israel's success in capturing East Jerusalem from Jordan.

Palestinian house demolitions have increased in Jerusalem while Israel confiscates Palestinian land for Israeli settlers to expand and encroach on Palestinian neighbourhoods. You have only to visit the City of David to see this prominently displayed, with islands of settlers who have relocated to a Palestinian neighborhood to proclaim their national and religious history at the expense of the majority who have lived for generations there.

How can we understand all of these prolonged injustices when it comes to US support acknowledging Jerusalem as the capital of Israel?

President Trump, supposedly the leader of the free world and advocate of democracy, supports and even rewards Israel's undemocratic policies and behaviour favouring one people group over the other in Jerusalem. This inherent contradiction is prominent for Palestinians, for what is freedom and democracy when its leader further undermines both of these elements for 40 per cent of Jerusalem's population?

As a Christian Palestinian, I feel that same contradiction exists when I see the policies advocated by many American Christians. As Christians, we should help those with residency issues and those whose homes are threatened by demolitions, and mobilise our voices to restore their rights as Jerusalemites and as human beings created in God's image. Theological perspectives which support an end of days eschatology that is predicated on US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, or blanket support for the Israeli government regardless of the injustice it imposes on a substantial minority of Jerusalem residents, fail to make sense to me.How can Christians, Christ-followers, support injustice and occupation when Jesus did the opposite, speaking for the voiceless and the marginalised?

During this Advent season, I ask myself and my fellow Christian brethren worldwide, how should we respond? What is an appropriate response in this situation, for me as a local and for many of you living outside the Holy Land? I think of the shepherds who came from nearby and the Magi who came from a faraway land, seeking the new king Jesus. While the Magi had power, status and wealth, they did not find the new king in a place one would have expected.

This Christmas, perhaps we need to look inward, because the place we may find our king is not in the halls of power, or at the seat of an imperial outpost like Herod, but living precariously under occupation. This is the case of Palestinian Christians today, who see themselves as the fifth gospel, the living testimony of Christ's message in a world dark with evil and injustice. How can international Christians live in this fifth gospel with us, proclaiming God's goodness and subversive message of powerlessness confounding the powerful?

This is the challenge posed to us during Trump's proclamation of neo-colonial sanction for the Israeli occupation's acts in Jerusalem. Then, as now, Jesus won't be found among the powerful and privileged, but the poor and oppressed. And what will the Christian world's response be? Will you seek him in the halls of Herod? Jesus has a message for both oppressors and oppressed, but you won't find him among the oppressors. Will the Christian world stand with their Christian brethren this Christmas?

I'm not sure, but as a Palestinian Christian, I invite you to stand with us as we bear witness to the message of that first Christmas, that God incarnate has come to dwell among us with a message of hope and peace, and that message is not meek and mild but challenges the powers where justice has come to the world and all that is wrong needs to be made right.

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The parable of the workers in the vineyard: God gives us what we need, not what we deserve

The parable usually known as 'The workers in the vineyard' in Matthew 20: 1-16 is a strange tale. It seems to go against the principle of fairness – and it turns out that this is the point. And it turns out too that as well as being about God's generosity, it is about economics and justice.

It's one of the parables Jesus tells to illustrate what the kingdom of heaven is like. A landowner hires men to work in his vineyard early in the morning and agrees to pay them the standard wage. He goes back a few hours later and hires more, promising to pay 'what is right'; then again a few hours later; and then again just before the end of the day.

When the time comes to pay the men, they all get the same – starting with those who came last. Not surprisingly, those who'd worked all day aren't impressed. But the landowner rebukes them: 'Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

In his book Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth Bailey draws out the oddities of the story. Any landowner would know how many men he needed to work his land for the day; he would have no need to go back for more.

Bailey writes of his own experience of living in Jerusalem, where unemployed Palestinians would gather near the Damascus Gate in hopes of work. 'I usually looked the other way when I passed, trying not to think about the humiliation those young men suffered and the quiet desperation that their presence reflected,' he says. But they, he notes, were gone by noon – in Jesus' story, the men were still there at the end of the day, because 'no one has hired us'.

Rather than humiliate them in their own and their families' eyes by giving them charity, however, he gives them what they needed – a job.

And Bailey also notes the order in which they're paid. If the first-comers had been paid first they would have left happy, and so on down to the last-comers. But the master wants everyone to see what he has done – perhaps so their characters can be tested and exposed. As Bailey says: 'The story focuses on an equation filled with amazing grace, which is resented by those who feel that they have earned their way to more.'

So the story is about God's gracious generosity expressed in a very practical way. It's been interpreted as referring to the first of Jesus' disciples and those who came later; as the Pharisees who worked all day in the heat of the sun before Jesus' disciples came in at the last minute; or even as a picture of the Jews and the Gentiles.

But it also speaks to us of work – why it matters, how workers should be treated and how employers should be generous. It's a warning against jealousy and legalism.

And most of all it's a picture of God's enduring love: the landowner makes the journey to and from the vineyard again and again, deliberately seeking out those who are lost and helpless, treating them with respect and giving them honourable work. In Jesus' parable, they can go home with their heads held high. They have been given not what they deserved, buy what they needed. 

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5 things the Bible teaches us about Angels

In the Bible, one of God's names is the "Lord of Hosts." This translates to the "Lord of armies," signifying that God has armies at His disposal, beings we call angels.

What are angels? The Bible has a lot of things to say about them, and knowing who they are and what role they play in God's plans can help us live our Christian lives to the fullest.

While the Bible tells us not to worship angels (and God's angels themselves will stop you from worshipping them), we are not to ignore or disregard them as "unnecessary" because "God is all we need." Yes, God is all that we need, but at times, if it's helpful, He will allow His angels to do something to us or for us.

Angels in the Bible

To help you appreciate the work of angels and their importance in our Christian life, here are some things that the Bible teaches us about them.

    They minister to or serve those who will inherit salvation

"Are they (angels) not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14)
God sends His angels to minister to those who are inheriting salvation. Picture this: a rich family man has servants to whom he entrusts his own children. Such servants are commanded to take care of the rich man's children.

In the same way, God commands His angels to minister to those who are saved and are continually being sanctified.

"Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways." (Psalm 91:9-11)

Isn't that awesome?

    They act as messengers or couriers of our God-given prayer answers

We read several times in the Bible that God sent angels to bring answers to the prayers of His people. Daniel's experience shows this:

"And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.""

Here we see God's angels in action. We read there that an angel was sent to bring the answer to Daniel's prayer, but the enemy stopped that angel. And so God sent the archangel Michael so that the angel could bring the message to Daniel.

    God uses them to bring blessings and provisions to our lives

Angels don't only protect us and bring God's messages to us. God also commands them to bring us our provisions. Consider Elijah's experience after he ran away from Jezebel:

"But [Elijah] himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you."" (1 Kings 19:4-7)

God used an angel to bring real, physical food to Elijah. He can still command them to do that today.

    They rejoice at the repentance of a sinner

Angels rejoice every time a sinner repents of his sin and turns to Jesus for salvation. Jesus Himself said,

"Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10)

    They must not be worshipped

No matter how "holy" or awesome an angel could be, no human should ever worship them. God's angels will never accept any worship from anybody. They themselves will always point to Christ Jesus and worship no one but God.

Read what an angel told John when the latter tried to worship him:

"And I (John) fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."" (Revelation 19:10)
Are there angels that are not from God?

Not all angels are of God. The Bible tells us that Satan was able to deceive many of them and they, like him, were cast out of heaven. If an angel accepts your worship, points you to a savior other than Jesus, denies that Christ came in the flesh, or sets himself up higher than God, recognize that angel as not of God but the devil. (see Luke 4:5-8; Galatians 1:8; 1 John 4:1-3; Isaiah 14:12-15)

Satan will always try to masquerade as an angel of light (see 2 Corinthians 11:14) so he can turn Christians away from God and towards himself. He will deceive people into denying Christ as having come in the flesh (see 1 John 4:1-3). Be warned never to agree with him (see 2 Corinthians 6:15).

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5 facts about heaven from the Bible

Heaven is so real, but many don't believe it is. Sadly, there are Christians who have a wrong picture of what Heaven is like. Because of this, they live poor and powerless Christian lives.

Knowing what Heaven is like will help us focus our hope in Christ and His promises. After all, while we are here in this fallen world, we are living in situations and conditions so different from what God has in store for us. Don't you get excited at the thought of that?

Here are some facts about Heaven that should excite you and give you more reasons to run the race with perseverance and fight the good fight of faith in Christ.

Facts About Heaven

    We can live forever in Heaven because of what Jesus Christ has done

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

If we believe in Christ's finished work, we can have everlasting life in Heaven.

    Even the most beautiful places on earth cannot compare to Heaven

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them,embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:13-16)

There's no place on earth that could ever compare to the beauty of what God has prepared for us in Heaven. That is why many faithful men and women were willing to trade their temporal bliss for eternal happiness and joy in God.

    There's no suffering in Heaven

"And I heard a loud voice from Heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."" (Revelation 21:3-4)
God Himself will dwell with His people, and because of this there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, and no more tears. He will wipe away our tears.

    Only those who are saved by Christ and obey the will of God can enter in

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21-23)

Only those who follow Christ hard can enter Heaven. If we are Christians but we don't live a life that pleases God by obeying His will, we will not be given entry!

 Heaven can be experienced now

"Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."" (Luke 17:20-21)

While there is a Heaven that waits for the faithful after death, Heaven can also be experienced here and now because of what Christ has done. God's Holy Spirit dwells inside all who believe, and as we obey the Lord He will dwell with us even as we are here on earth:

"Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." (John 14:23)

Can you just imagine the joy of experiencing Heaven on earth? If you are excited by this, just imagine the joy of living in Heaven!

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Why do bad things happen to me when all I do is follow Christ?

Christ suffered persecution, and so will who follow Him.

 

Many Christians today are discouraged by what's happening around them. I've heard stories of believers young and old about how they faced different kinds of hardship when all they did was to love God.

All they ever did was go to church, attend prayer gatherings, and be of service to their fellow believers and those who didn't know God. But still they faced hardship.

Perhaps, you might be one of them, a people who've had bad things happen to them when all they ever did was follow Christ. If you're one of them, I want to encourage you:

God knows what you are going through.

Don't be surprised

Friends, it's a fact that when we follow Christ, we will do nothing but what is good and pleasing to God. We will love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. We will love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

That sounds great, but the truth is that not everyone loves God. And because not everyone loves God, everyone won't love their neighbors as themselves.

So, don't be surprised when you are persecuted, ridiculed, mocked, and even rejected for following the Lord Jesus Christ. Actually, it's an honor to go through all of it if it's for the sake of the Lord:

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12 NKJV)

Why will they persecute me?

To help you understand why we shouldn't be surprised that persecution or all sorts of bad things happen to us even when all we do is follow Christ, here are some things to consider.

1) We have an enemy

As Christ-followers, we must realize that we are at war. We have an enemy, and even if he was already defeated and disarmed by the Lord Jesus Christ (see Colossians 2:15), he will still try to harass us. Ephesians 6:12 tells us,

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

2) Our Lord Jesus Himself was persecuted

In John 15, the Lord Jesus Himself warns us that persecution is coming to us. Why? Read what He said:

"Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also."

3) To refine us and prepare us

You might not want to hear this, but hardship is very important to our walk with Christ. Everyone who chooses to follow Jesus must count the cost of following Him, and that cost includes being willing to suffer and go through difficult times for His sake.

Consider these passages:

"And when [Paul and Barnabas] had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."" (Acts 14:21-22)

"So [the apostles] departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name." (Acts 5:40-41)

Be prepared

Friends, I am not scaring you. I want to encourage you to be steadfast and prepare yourself for whatever comes. God loves us, and wants us ready for anything. Remember what 2 Timothy 3:12 tells us and be honored if you face hardship while following Christ.

"Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

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THE NIGERIAN GREAT INDEPENDECE DAY

With gratitude to God Almighty, I the admin of Gozpelworld, wish to congratulate the whole Nigerians happy independence, today been the 1st of October 2017, Nigeria did not celebrate independence but really they also celebrate the peace and unity of it's great Nation.

Nigeria celebrates her 57th independence.

Today, I am so happy that our Hausa brothers and sisters really mean to unite and make peace with not just the Igbo's but with the whole country at large. it's no longer news that quit notice giving to the Igbo's was suppose to be expired on the last day of September, but as God will have it, just as the word of God will tell us; the peace i give you, the world cannot give.

                                                         Happy Birthday Nigeria.

This celebration is not only for me, but for the whole Nigerian, both home and abroad, may God who has given us this peace, give us Joy, happiness, and continue to shower his blessings upon us, may he never let war prevail against us, war is not for Nigeria, we have lived in peace for so many years, war does not say who is right but it says who is left, God bless you all. Amen

#Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria

#Long live Nigerians

#Long live Gozpelword

#Long live All.

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On telling the truth – and shaming the devil

I have to admit that there's one place in the gospels where, despite Jesus' critique of them, I do have some sympathy for the Pharisees. In Matthew 16:3 Jesus castigates them for failing to read the signs of the times. I have some sympathy with them because those signs of the times aren't always that easy to read. We live in a rapidly changing world that seems to be increasingly unstable and uncertain. Just what is going on?

In Church Mission Society – and indeed in the Church as a whole – we have to be students of the times in which we live. Good practice in mission is always shaped by context. We have to ask, 'How can we faithfully follow Jesus in this place and at this time?' The principle of incarnation always forces us to ask that question.

There is one sign of the times which I want particularly to highlight, because in truth it's critical for mission. But before doing so I ought to say that I'm concentrating on a western phenomenon, which may not apply in every global context – though I suspect that its influence will be felt far afield. But, that said, here in the West, truth, as a concept, is increasingly undervalued. That's particularly ironic in a culture founded on the triple pillars of the Renaissance, the Reformation and the Enlightenment.

It's ironic, but nonetheless true. We hear a lot today about 'fake news' and 'alternative facts'. Just a couple of weeks the head of the UK statistics agency had to take the Foreign Secretary to task for continuing to overestimate radically the amount the UK pays to the EU. Not long before that the President of the United States was roundly condemned for a selective re-telling of his own words following the demonstrations and death at Charlottesville.

In truth we should not be surprised. At New Wine this year Michael Lloyd, Principle of Wycliffe Hall suggested that when a culture turned its back on the one true God and embraced many 'gods' then multiple versions of the truth would emerge. And so we see.

But lest we think it's only 'out there' I fear we fool ourselves. Not many weeks ago a prominent Christian website reported General Synod as having taken a decision that it in fact had not done.

I fear we're witnessing a phenomenon in which a number of overarching narratives are being constructed (whether that's to deny climate change, or to assert constant 'liberal slippage' in the church) and the facts are then manipulated to fit. So no longer does truth define the narrative; the narrative defines truth – or what purports to be truth.

But how do we react? If I'm honest I feel a good of outrage at the blatant peddling of falsehoods. But what good is my outrage to anyone else? (And what good does it do to me?!). There is, I am sure, a better way.

Paul tells the Ephesians to 'speak the truth in love' so that we will 'grow up in every way into Christ the head' (Ephesians 4:15). So we need to be uncompromising speakers of truth: 'Tell the truth and shame the devil' runs the old adage, and there's a lot of truth in that, not least as he is, in Jesus' words, 'the Father of lies' (John 8:44).

But that is not enough. We're to 'speak the truth', yes. But we're to do so 'in love'. And not doing so is not an option.

That does not water down our commitment to truth. Not at all: we're to be 100% people of truth. But we're to be 100% people of love as well, with no compromise on either side of the equation.

Our commitment to truth and love must be complete and uncompromised. It is so in Jesus and must be nothing less so in those who seek to serve him. Jesus was not a constructor of a convenient narrative: he fearlessly followed his Father's will, and did not count the cost in so doing. So must those who would be his disciples.

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Four bad reasons to be kind to other people

Why are you kind? Why do you serve and demonstrate love to other people? Of course, the 'right' answer – certainly if you're a Christian – is that as follower of Christ you simply want to replicate his example. And even if you're not, there are definitely times when you decide to act kindly just because you want to be kind – because you're a nice person.

If we're really honest though, that's not always the case. Sometimes, our motives for being kind to other people are a little more mixed than that. It seems to me that there are a number of other possible reasons behind our desire to serve others. And while none of these reasons prevent good works from being accomplished, or people from benefiting from kind acts, they're not actually the type of kindness that Jesus calls us to in the gospels.

In Mark 9 v 35, Jesus invites us to become 'the very last... and the servant to all'. The kindness that he models (through washing the feet of his disciples and more) is one of submission and service to everyone around us - from our closest friends to the people we find most difficult. Jesus asks that we love one another for no other reason except that he is calling us to do it. So here are four other reasons why we might choose to be kind which – while they still might result in good being done – aren't directly following that example.

Kindness... because of how it makes me feel

Sometimes we decide to do a good thing for someone else because of how it makes us feel inside. We enjoy the warm fuzzy feelings of helping another person who is less fortunate than ourselves, whether that's by donating something we no longer need, giving a bit of money away, or helping an old lady to cross the road. There's nothing wrong with those things per se, or even the feelings of warmth and pleasure we get from serving another person. Sometimes though what we're really doing here is assuaging our own guilt about the privileges we enjoy. If you're wealthy, giving a bit of money away doesn't really involve any sacrifice; if you've finished with your old baby clothes, then handing them to a new mum comes at no cost to you. Again, none of these things are bad things to do – but if we're using them as a way of feeling better about ourselves, then that's not pure, Christ-like kindness.

Kindness... because other people are watching

I was once walking along with a well-known worship leader near to where I worked at the time. Ahead of us, slumped in the doorway of a cafe, I saw the figure of a homeless man who I had passed hundreds of times before. In all those occasions, I may have stopped to buy him a coffee twice. This time however, I knew the well-known worship leader was watching. I stopped us in front of the man, engaged him in warm conversation, and bought him a sandwich from the cafe. I hoped the well-known worship leader would be impressed, and tell other famous worship leaders of this extraordinary Christ-like kindness that he had witnessed. Perhaps on some level I hoped he would write a song about me, or at the very least add me to the sleeve notes of his next album. Neither of these things happened.

In Matthew 6 v 1, Jesus says, 'Be careful not to practise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.' He knew what he was talking about, and I had totally failed that test. We all have an innate desire to impress others, to be thought of as good and moral people. Yet if this becomes the motivation for our kind acts, then we're not truly kind, but a bit manipulative.

Kindness... because of what we might get in return

Then sometimes, we actually have quite selfish motives for being kind. There are situations and occasions where we know that if we do something, we'll get something in return. We basically put ourselves in someone else's debt, so that at some point they'll pay us back. As a child, I learned that it was much more profitable for me to be helpful around the house, or to offer to wash the car or mow the lawn in the week directly after my father had been paid. A week earlier, and all I'd get was a word of thanks and a ruffle of the hair. If I was 'kind' when my dad was flush with cash, I might get a couple of pounds for my trouble.

Yes, I was an abhorrent child, and was subsequently washed in the redeeming blood of Christ in order that I might slowly become transformed into the bastion of virtue you now see before you. But my hunch is that lots of us still do this sort of thing, if in slightly less machiavellian ways. Offering to babysit for someone so that they'll feel obliged to return the favour, or even – and let's be honest, we've all done this – buying a round early so that it won't be your turn when more people arrive. This isn't kindness for its own sake, but for ours.

Kindness... for strategic reasons

Then as Christians, known as we are for our fabulous do-gooding (a double-edged insult if ever there was one), we even theologise our mixed motives. Sometimes we behave kindly for strategic reasons, serving others in order that they might realise there is something different about us, and begin to ask questions. In fact, there have been a number of huge social action missions in the UK over the last 15 years which all had this central idea at their heart. Young Christians descend on a town or city, and begin clearing gardens, painting walls and putting on 'fun days' for the local community. None of these things are bad, and all offer an opportunity to love and serve others. The problem is when our kindness is only offered because we're hoping for a particular response from those who receive it. Strategic kindness is still loving others on our terms.

I also realise that quite often, we just do kind things because we're kind people. But I use these examples to illustrate what Christian service ISN'T.

It's not about feeling good about ourselves

It's not about looking good in front of other people

It's not about what you might get in return

It's not even about being strategically kind so that people might respond.

Christian service is simply enacting the Big Idea of the Kingdom of God – where everyone looks out for and cares for everyone else – and an act of worship and obedience to Jesus. In fact, in some way it's also an act of service to Jesus himself. In Matthew 25, he famously says, 'truly I tell you whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for me.' As Graham Kendrick once wrote in his song The Servant King: 'Let us learn how to serve... each other's needs to prefer, for it is Christ we're serving.'

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How to pray in your darkest times

On one of the worst days of my life I strode out of the house and over the hills.

It was summer. The sun was warm and pleasant, the sky was a pleasingly deep shade of blue and there was a gentle breeze.

But although it was such a beautiful day, I felt shrouded in darkness as I walked. The relentless pressure from seemingly impossible circumstances was taking its toll. I felt like the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins who once wrote: 'O the mind, mind has mountains; cliffs of fall – frightful, sheer, no-man-fathomed.'

The agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as he faced the imminent prospect of his own crucifixion must have been far worse of course. And yet – somehow – in that valley of the shadow of death, Jesus managed to pray.

As we continue our fortnightly pilgrimage through Mark's gospel we stand upon holy ground as we see Jesus throwing himself on the earth (Mark 14:35) and praying in agony. What can we ourselves learn from how he prayed?

1. He asked his friends to support him. Mark notes that Jesus takes with him Peter, James and John (v33) – no doubt because he wished for their company and their help. But he quickly found out – when his friends fell asleep – that they could not be relied upon. And we, too, may rightly seek help from others. But we also may do well to remember that even the best-intentioned human friends may let us down in our greatest time of need.

2. He spoke intimately with God. 'Abba, Father,' Jesus begins his prayer (v36), using the Aramaic word which always denotes intimate affection and devotion. Jesus remembered that however painful his situation was, he could speak to God not as some distant impersonal force and still less as a hostile, uncaring deity – but rather as his heavenly father. And so can we.

3. He remembered God's sovereignty. The first thing he says to God is, 'For you all things are possible'. We can only pray because God is sovereign – God is the King who reigns. Ultimately God is in control – even when evil seems to have the upper hand, we don't understand what he is doing and it is incredibly painful. It is the recognition that with God all things are possible that drives us to prayer in the first place.

4. He said what he wanted. 'Remove this cup from me' is what Jesus boldly asks. That's quite a request. On one level it is perfectly understandable: no-one would want to go through the excruciating pain of crucifixion. On another level, it is the salvation of the world about which we are talking here and yet – extraordinarily – Jesus is able to say clearly that he would like the cup to be removed. I can see no reason why we cannot be completely open and honest with God about exactly what we would like too.

5. He submitted himself to God's will. Having stated what he wants, Jesus then adds: 'Yet not what I want, but what you want,' (v36). True prayer always seeks to align itself with the will of God, recognising that, 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God's ways higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts,' (Isaiah 55:9).

It's sobering to realise that the answer to Jesus' prayer was 'no'. The cup was not removed from him. Our agonies will never approach his, for none of us will have to bear the sins of the world. And yet as Tom Wright comments: 'If even Jesus received that answer – no – to one of his most heartfelt prayers, we should not be surprised if sometimes it's that way for us too.'

My prayers on the hills on that bleakest, darkest sunlit day were not answered with a 'yes' at once either. And yet, looking back, I can see God was doing things I could never have imagined at the time. Moreover there have been times since when I have seen God answer prayer with breath-taking specificity in wildly improbable ways. Prayer is not about putting money in a slot machine and getting chocolate out of the bottom. It's about a relationship with a God who may well take us through pain to accomplish things well beyond our mental horizon.

As Robert Velarde has written: 'When Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, "Yet not as I will, but as You will," He offered a tremendous but seemingly simple insight into prayer: God is in charge.' And so as I go through my day today I pray simply: 'Lord, keep me in the centre of your will – even when I don't know what it is.' Amen.

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Pope Francis to world leaders: 'listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor'

Pope Francis has called for world leaders to 'listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor', ahead of tomorrow's World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which will feature a joint statement with Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Bartholomew I.

On Friday Pope Francis will release an ecumenical statement with the Orthodox Church about caring for the environment.

Pope Francis said yesterday that a full message about the importance of environmental care, from both him and 'our dear brother Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople', would be released Friday, according to Vatican Radio.

'In [the message],' the pontiff said, 'we invite all to assume a respectful and responsible attitude towards Creation.'

He added that they 'also appeal, to all who occupy influential roles, to listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, who suffer most from ecological imbalances.'

The Pope instituted September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the Catholic calendar in 2015, in an ecumenical move that joined the Orthodox Church – which has marked the day since 1989.

Pope Francis has frequently made humanity's relationship to the environment a central theme of his pontificate. In 2015 he released the major encyclical Laudato Si, in which the pope called for a committed fight against global warming to protect 'our common home'. In 2016, Francis proposed adding care for the natural world to the seven 'works of mercy' Catholics are meant to perform.

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Is God angry? If so, why?

We don't like to think of God being angry, do we?

After all, the New Testament declares that 'God is love' – and that instinctively sounds rather appealing. The idea of the Lord being angry in some way is something from which we might well instinctively recoil. It also doesn't feel very appealing in terms of marketing God to your average spiritual sceptic in this day and age!

But when we read the teaching of Jesus we have to conclude that, yes, God indeed does experience anger – or 'wrath' to use the word that the Bible seems to prefer. And as we continue our fortnightly pilgrimage through Mark's gospel, Jesus helps us understand what that means – and what it doesn't mean too.

As he approaches his crucifixion, Jesus falls to the ground in the Garden of Gethsemane and prays, 'Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want,' (Mark 14v36).

We might think that 'the cup' is simply a figure of speech relating to the suffering Jesus knows he will endure on the cross; after all, in contemporary English we use another piece of crockery as simple metaphor, saying we have a lot 'on our plate' – albeit in the rather less serious context of saying how busy we are.

But Jesus' disciples would have known 'the cup' was not just a colloquialism. For as Jeremy McQuoid writes, 'The cup was an Old Testament motif pointing to the wrath of God, used in the context of exiles when God poured His wrath out on decadent, sinful Jerusalem by allowing Babylonian invaders to tear the holy city apart.' And Donald English, former chair of the World Methodist Council, comments: 'The cup, in a number of Old Testament passages, is about suffering and punishment, usually at God's hand.'

For example, in Jeremiah 25 we find God saying, 'Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath.' And Isaiah 51 speaks of those who have 'who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath'.

Still not convinced? Think of it this way: there are three basic options when we consider the way the universe is. Perhaps there is no God – and so the cosmos is a place in which, ultimately, evil doesn't matter, and those who get away with wickedness in this life will never, ever be held accountable. Or maybe, secondly, there is a God – but he doesn't really care about right and wrong at all.

The third option is that there is a God and he does care about justice and injustice. And that's the Christian view of things. In fact, God cares so much about these things that when he sees oppression, injustice and violence his reaction is one of anger. The Church of England's funeral liturgy describes God as 'justly angered by our sins'.

The problem is that our anger is often rather hot-headed, cruel and unfair. Sometimes we are simply taking out our own failings on others. But God's wrath is not like that at all. The Anglican theologian J.I. Packer writes in his classic Knowing God: 'God's wrath in the Bible is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is. It is, instead, a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil.' And another Anglican theologian, Ian Paul, cites Stephen Travis in Christ and the Judgement of God speaking of the wrath of God as 'an attitude rather than a feeling' and Michael Green describing it 'as God's settled opposition to all that is evil'.

Perhaps all this sounds rather abstract. But we need to be clear that God is justly angry about evil, oppression, injustice and sin – including mine and yours – and that 'the cup of God's wrath' is a motif the Bible uses to speak of his reaction.

And then perhaps we will just begin to understand the magnitude of what Jesus is struggling with in the Garden of Gethsemane. For he knows – with a wide-eyed clarity we can scarcely comprehend – that on the cross he is going to drink that cup himself, even though he has done nothing to deserve it, so that we don't have to.

Steven Lee, a pastor at College Church, Wheaton, Illinois, puts it so well: 'Jesus drank the cup of God's wrath for us so that he could extend the cup of God's fellowship to us... We don't get wrath anymore – now we get God. We get the sweet, satisfying reality of his eternal fellowship in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. This is the cup we drink now and forever. This is the cup that we offer to those who don't know him yet, imploring them in God's mercy: Come, drink this cup with us – because Jesus drank that cup for us.'

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Cameroon bishop was killed for opposing homosexual clergy, local priest alleges

A Cameroon bishop who was found dead in June was killed for his opposition to homosexual clergy, a local priest has alleged.

Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala of Bafia, Cameroon was found dead in mysterious circumstances in June.

Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala of Bafia was found dead on June 2, 2017, in mysterious circumstances – his body discovered in a river four miles from his abandoned car after he went missing on May 31.

Now it has been alleged that the 58-year-old bishop was killed for opposing homosexual priests, according to Crux.

Speaking in a memorial Mass homily for the bishop on Thursday, Monsignor Joseph Akonga Essomba gestured towards government ministers and certain clergy present at the service and said: 'Shame to all those people in black suits and black spectacles always sitting in the front rows of the Church.

'Shame to all those priests who have come here, pretending to sympathise. These are the people who killed our bishop, because he said 'No" to the homosexuality perpetrated by those priests.'

Bishop George Nkuo of Kumbo, Cameroon said: 'The same reasons for which Christ was crucified apply to the killing of the bishop.

'He was killed because he stood for the truth. Any pastor, any bishop, any priest who stands for the truth should be ready to face the sword. It's a beautiful way to die.'

A police investigation into Bishop Bala's death concluded that he had drowned. However, Cameroon bishops rejected the report, insisting he was tortured and 'brutally assassinated', according to their evidence.

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Veteran Christian country star Glen Campbell dies at 81

The veteran country musician Glen Campbell died yesterday at age 81, after an ongoing battle with Alzheimer's disease. Campbell was a born-again Christian who had shared how his faith saved him from a cocaine addiction.

Glen Campbell was a American country icon and born-again Christian who was open about his faith.

 Glen Travis Campbell, who famously recorded hits such as Rhinestone Cowboy, Wichita Lineman and Gentle on My Mind died at an Nashville Alzheimer's facility surrounded by his family, his publicist announced.

His family wrote in a statement on the singer's website: 'It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and legendary singer and guitarist, Glen Travis Campbell, at the age of 81, following his long and courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease.'

Campbell announced he was suffering from the disease in June 2011, after which he embarked on a farewell tour across the US that concluded in November 2012.

The acclaimed singer-guitarist has won six Grammy Awards and had nine no 1 records in his five-decade career.

The artist's stardom also led to personal troubles, including drug abuse and alcoholism. However in 1981 Campbell became a born-again Christian and added hymns to his musical repertoire.

He said in 1990: 'Christ has delivered me from all the evil I was in. I'm happier now than ever in my life...I love singing gospel music and hymns. Being a Christian, I love to tell people about Christ and what he's done for me and can do for them.'

After three failed marriages, Campbell settled with his fourth wife, Kim Woolen in 1982.

He told the magazine Guideposts about how his faith enabled him to leave behind his cocaine addiction and his alcoholism. He said: 'When God lifted my obsession for alcohol it was as if he raised the curtain on a whole new life. He changed me in ways I never could have changed myself, and that is the key. Kim and I have a real marriage now, an honest marriage.

'Today I truly have a peace "which passeth all understanding". I really don't understand it. But I thank the Lord all the time. I am a man richly blessed, despite myself. For all that God has given me, there is nothing for which I am more thankful than Kim.'

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What are demons and how do they operate? Christian exorcist explains

An excorcist in Los Angeles has warned Christians about the things they must never, ever do if they are to avoid demonic possession.

Dabbling with the spiritual world can be seen as innocent fun and games by many people but the exorcist, identified only as Father Robert because of the sensitivies of his work, said they are anything but.

Not only are they going against God's commands, they are actually opening the door to demons, not good spirits.

It's this interaction with demons that makes him say that the Ouija board is an absolute no no for people.

'The Ouija board is something to be avoided at all cost. This is a direct invitation for a demon to move the object on the board,' he said in an interview with FaithWire. "God and angels have nothing to do with parlor games. These methods of conjuring spirits go against the first commandment. This is the reason why King Saul initially had all sorcery banned from Judah.'

Sadly, many Christian churches and seminaries do not teach in depth about the spiritual world and particularly the presence of demons and because of this, many people are ignorant about them.

That goes against Jesus' teaching practice as he openly spoke about demons and how to combat them during his earthly ministry.

In fact, it's because Jesus talked about them so much we can know they are real, explains Father Robert.

'Jesus talks about it. Therefore, they exist,' he told Faithwire.

Father Roberts, who is a priest in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, has learned a lot about demons and how they operate.  He explained that they actually have the 'nature of angels' because they were originally created by God as angels.  And because of that, they also have 'infused knowledge of creation.'

But they changed from being good to bad after rebelling against God.  They were expelled from Heaven because they refused to serve their Creator and His creation.

Father Robert revealed an interesting limitation, though.  While we can think demons are all-powerful and can do anything for us that we ask them to, the truth is they are limited by 'what God allows them to do.'

And he starkly warns that humans are deceived if they think demons or demonic power will benefit them or work on their behalf in any way.

'They will get us to believe that they will do things for us but they said from the beginning they will not serve God.  Do you think that they will serve us?' he said.

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Why does God allow some people to be born handicapped? Billy Graham has a great answer

Most people would say life is hard, but there are some things that can make life feel harder and one person born with a physical handicap couldn't help but feel that way.

They got in touch with Billy Graham to ask why God allows some people to be born with a physical handicap and others with none at all.

The person, who wrote anonymously, admitted they felt 'angry at God' for allowing them to be born with the handicap that had 'held me back all my life.'

'I blame Him for keeping me from leading a normal life,' the person wrote.  'I know some people are worse off, but I'm still bitter.  Why shouldn't I be?'

Graham, 98, has spent his whole life studying Scriptures and preaching God's Word but he had to admit in his reply that there are some things even he cannot fully understand.

But he started with what he does understand and that is: God definitely understands when people feel angry and bitter about their circumstances. But He loves them all the same and knowing that love makes all the difference to our happiness.

'The most important thing I can tell you is that God understands your feelings—and yet He doesn't reject you or get angry at you. In fact, God loves you—and once you discover this truth, your life will never be the same,' he explained.

Graham then pleaded with the person to turn away from their bitterness.  He also assured them that this was something God actually wants to help them with.

'Admittedly I don't fully understand why some people go through life without serious physical problems, while others (such as yourself) struggle with limitations all your life. But I do know this: God knows what you're going through, and He wants to help you move beyond your bitterness and anger,' he said.

In fact, Graham encouraged them to remember the Apostle Paul who suffered greatly with persistent physical problems and yet was still used greatly by God to touch many people and bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

He recommended reflecting on the teaching in Hebrews 12:15 not to allow any bitter root to grow inside as nothing good can come from it and it will only be like 'poison to the soul,' he said.

Next, he said every person needs to remember the suffering of Jesus Christ who suffered far more than any of us and finally he suggested remembering the words of Job in Job 29:15 in which he says he describes himself as 'eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.'

'Ask God to show you ways you can help others who are handicapped,' said Graham. 'Turn your bitterness over to Christ.'

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'The Lord is their refuge': 7 Bible verses about the poor

As Gozpelworld reported earlier, the Bishop of Burnley has said that the Church of England's approach to mission is 'almost entirely focused on the needs and aspirations of the wealthy'.

In powerful words at the New Wine Christian festival, he added: 'The simple and hard truth is that, in the poorest parts of the country, we are withdrawing the preachers. The harvest is rich, but the labourers have been re-deployed to wealthier areas. We are seeing the slow and steady withdrawal of church life from those communities where the poorest people in our nation live.'

So what does the Bible say? Here are seven Bible verses about the poor:

1. The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them (Isaiah 41:17).

2. If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them (Deuteronomy 15:7).

3. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honour. (1 Samuel 2:8).

4. 'Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,' says the Lord. 'I will protect them from those who malign them' (Psalm 12: 5).

5. You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge (Psalm 14:6).

6. Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' he said. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me' (Mark 10:21).

7. Looking at his disciples, he said: 'Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God' (Luke 6:20).

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Can Business and Ministry work together?

Most people think that ministry is only limited to pastors and other church leaders, but this is not so. The word "ministry" came from the greek word "diakoneo" which means "to serve," or the word "duoleuo," which means "to serve as a slave." Following these definitions, a person can do ministry to the Lord Jesus in pretty much any capacity.

The Bible has various examples showing that ministry can take on many forms, such as Tabitha's service to the poor and Stephen's attending to the needs of Hellenistic widows, both of which can be found in the book of Acts. This simply shows that any person can be of great service to the Lord's purposes!

In fact, the great reformer Martin Luther once said "[t]he idea that service to God should have only to do with a church altar, singing, reading, sacrifice, and the like is without doubt but the worst trick of the devil." We should break free from the idea that ministry is confined within the four walls of the church!

Think about it. Your business can be used to bring the Gospel to people! Do you own a restaurant? You can feed the homeless once in a while and use that same feeding event to spread the Gospel. Are you a salesman? Let your graceful speech and friendly attitude bring someone close to Christ!

Whatever you do

Paul said "[whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" (see Colossians 3:23). Our motive here is that in all that we do, whether in our careers or not, we do it unto the Lord. Anything you do can be an act of service to God!

The greatest servant

Let's consider the greatest servant of all: the Lord Jesus Himself. Matthew 20:28 says "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." And what did He do? He didn't just stay in the synagogues to teach during His time – He "went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him" (see Acts 10:38). He had all kinds of people follow Him, and He taught them how to pray and love God. He fed thousands of people, taught many, including a Pharisee named Nicodemus (see John 3), healed the sick, and raised the dead.

More than that, before He left the earth to sit at the right hand of God, Jesus commanded His disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations" (see Matthew 28:18-20). This means that every Christ-follower, whether a businessman, a teacher, a chef, a delivery man or a pastor, is given the mandate to reach all kinds of people with the Gospel. Serve the Lord in every way you can!

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7 Things that will help keep your Children to God in every Holidays

1. Summer camp or festival or Retreat

It's not too late to book into a summer camp programme or come as a day visitor to a festival. There's a lot to pick from, whether it's a 72-hour continuous worship event like David's Tent or a preaching and teaching event like Keswick – or even our family favourite Le Pas Opton, the Spring Harvest site in France. There may be a chance to get in on one of Urban Saints' or Scripture Union's children's camps, too. Residential events can be a fantastic way for our children to encounter God in a new way while making friends and enjoying outdoor activities and stimulating Bible teaching.

Festivalgoers at Greenbelt

 

 2. Nature

It's great to be outdoors this time of the year enjoying God's creation on our doorstep. Why not take a trip to your local woods, beach or park? Children of all ages will enjoy a good treasure hunt. For younger children, give them a paper bag to collect things in that remind them of God's attention to detail. For older children, task them with a mission to capture an image on their phone to illustrate a Bible verse. For example: Psalm 96:11-12, 'Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all trees of the forest sing for joy.' Preserve these images, or even the items collected in the bag – they may come in useful in a couple of month's time when you are preparing Christmas cards and gifts.

3. Books

When my eldest daughter was baptised recently, her account of her journey to faith included the impact made on her by a book. When she was 13, she had read The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson, first published in 1962. As someone passionate about helping the Church recover a love of great Christian literature, it was amazing for me to see evidence of the inspiring power of reading so close at hand. This summer, why not encourage the children in your life to read something that may turn out to have a lifelong impact on their faith?

Here are some I would recommend for a start: Jesus Story Book Bible (5 to 9-year-olds),

Diary of a Disciple – Luke (8 to 11-year-olds), Hero Bible (8 to 11-year-olds) The Hiding Place (12 to 16-year-olds). Don't forget to invest in an audiobook that you can all listen to in the car and load up the Kindles for a long afternoon on the beach.

4. Films

When the rain is coming down, a film can be a cheap and convenient way to entertain the children for a couple of hours. But why not turn it into an opportunity to help your children think about their faith? There are some great films out there, including classics such as : Joseph King of Dreams, Prince of Egypt and the Narnia films. Or for older children you could try: Exodus: Gods and Kings, Noah, Soul Surfer, Miracle from Heaven, God's Not Dead.
There are of course a myriad great family films not created by Christians but that could provoke fantastic conversations about faith and life. Just be intentional about making the most of the opportunities in the film – watch the films with your children if you can or strategically place a meal in the middle so you can have a 'half time' discussion.

5. Church

Summer is often more relaxed in church; many churches run all-age services instead of sending the children out to Sunday school. I am a big believer in integrated church, so why not experiment in the summer with ways to help your children engage in the service? Teach them how to sketch something inspired from the sermon, or how to do spider diagram themes from the talk, how to follow along in the Bible, or how to jot down questions they have. There is probably a church near you running a holiday club week this summer. These are usually lots of fun, and easy to invite your children's friends along to.

6. Prayer

There are so many challenges around regular family devotions, but during the holiday season why not experiment with some different forms of prayer with your children? Ideas could include reading through one of the gospels over the summer at bedtime. Or watching BBC Newsbeat after tea and praying for the situations it highlights. Or beginning each car journey with a one-minute prayer after the seatbelts are all on. You could keep a prayer journal for a week, or set up a prayer space in your home/holiday home. If you can't get to a church service on Sunday because you are abroad, why not find a church building open to visitors during the week, where you can take 10 minutes to pray together as a family.

7. Homework

Quite a few of my children are set long summer projects by school. For some it is an art project, others have to read a number of books, or begin research or revision, or keep a scrapbook of their activities. If your children have something similar, why not get involved and encourage them to be open about their faith in the project? This will not only help your child to overcome the 'sacred-secular divide,' but it will also help normalise church and faith not just for your child but for the wider school community. Use images from your summer camp, passages of the Bible, or Christian art work to inspire you

I love the summer holidays, and remember as a child those long lazy days paddling in streams, flying kites and building dens made of sticks. With six children of my own it's very tempting to fill up the time with organised activities, but I also relish the opportunity to spend extra time with them, to enable them to have those lazy days like I did and watch them interact with each other and God before the new term begins. I want them to be forcefully reminded each summer that grace matters more than grades, that hospitality is more important than homework and that spiritual curiosity is more important than SATS scores.

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Shining light or shrinking violet: Did Jesus contradict himself?

A recent survey suggested that the 'good deeds' of American Christians go mostly unnoticed by the average US citizen. In some ways, it was good news perhaps that believers weren't pompously parading their charity to the world so that everyone knows about it. Then again, the negative consequence was also raised – if people don't know they can get help from the Church, then they won't ask for it.

It probes a paradox at the heart of Christian living: are good deeds meant to be public – a living light to the world – or purely private, as hidden and humble as can be? Jesus seems to have said both, but is that really possible? Did Christ contradict himself?

Pope Francis has made a focus on the poor a defining note of his papacy.

 

Jesus seems to have been unrelenting in his judgment on those who advertise their piety to the world. In the Sermon on the Mount, he warns: 'Be careful not to practise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

'So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you' (Matthew 6:1-4).

They're challenging words, and Jesus gave similar warnings about prayer and fasting – they should be done in secret. We all know that the feeling of 'doing good' can be alluring, such that we focus on that more than the purpose of these deeds – actually helping people in need. The danger is even greater when, as in our present culture, social justice is actually pretty fashionable. Causes are cool. In a twisted way, we can use charity to make us look good and feel great – but the needy get forgotten.

So, Jesus says, don't do it. Then again, he also said the opposite. Only the chapter before, in the very same sermon, Jesus implores his audience: 'You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

'You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven' (Matthew 5:13-16).

Here, we're told to be bright and bold, to let our deeds be so public that they shine before the world. And again the logic holds up: the Church is actually meant to do things on earth, to illuminate, heal and preserve what's good in creation. To defend the helpless and speak for the silenced. It can't do that if it's hidden.

Can those in need be helped if they don't know the Church is there for them?

 

Likewise, when Jesus tells people to 'turn the other' cheek when struck, or go two miles when you're only forced to go one, these are pretty public acts. They send a message. As the biblical scholar Tom Wright would put it, Jesus declared that God was becoming King on the Earth, taking charge, establishing a radical, counter-cultural alternative reality that took shape through the people of God. It has to be public.

So which is it – public or private? Did Jesus deliberately demand the impossible?

What Jesus seems to be doing is going beyond external acts to the human heart. The problem of the hypocritical Pharisee looks external but is really within: he wants the prestige that comes from public piety – his lengthy prayers betray his true audience. He's not truly seeking God. To combat that spirit, Jesus says – go into your room and pray, where no one will see you but your heavenly Father. Likewise, don't use your giving to make you look good – give in private, where you'll get nothing in return but the gift of giving itself.

In the opposite direction, Christians are called to a heart that looks outward to the world: humble in spirit, but also abounding in generosity. Our lives exist for the sake of others, and so we're implored to be a light that shows other the way; to stand up and show a weary world a hint of a new reality. In this case, when there are people in need, the life of a purely private faith is too constrained –  it can't be seen, and so people can't be helped.

The Christian faith abounds in paradox, and this ethical conundrum is another. But perhaps the complexity of the human heart demands something a little bigger than we can comprehend. We're pulled in directions that appear to contradict, because if we only had one imperative (eg be as public as possible, all the time) we might start thinking we had faith and God in a box. Instead, we're called to be inward and outward, humble and bold, to think much of the world, and not too much of ourselves – to know with godly wisdom when to stand out and when to step back.

Jesus famously preached on that mountain: 'Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect' (Matthew 5:48).

It probably wasn't meant to be easy.

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Who was the meanest man in the Bible?

There are plenty of examples of really good people in the Bible, and plenty of examples of wicked ones. But there's only one who's described as just plain mean.

Before David became a king, when he was still being chased through the desert by Saul, he relied on the goodwill of local people to provide him and his men with food. Generally this seems to have granted readily enough, but then he tried Nabal. He sent his men with a polite greeting: 'Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!' (1 Samuel 25:6). Nabal, however, was described as 'surly and mean in all his dealings', and he lived up to his name, refusing David's men point blank and accusing David himself of being nothing but a runaway servant.

David, not surprisingly, saw red. But before he unleashed his soldiers, Nabal's wife Abigail took matters into her own hands. She met David with ample provisions and begged for her husband's life: 'Pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal... his name is Fool, and folly goes with him.'

When he finds out what Abigail has done, Nabal has what appears to be a stroke (verse 37) and dies; Abigail becomes one of David's wives.

Being known as the meanest man in the Bible is not much of a legacy. From the start to the end of the story we don't hear anything good about Nabal. There are other people in the Bible of whom that's true, but this story is different: his faults aren't that he's particularly wicked or bloodthirsty or deceitful or proud. He is just not a very nice man.

His faults are, in other words, too close to home.

The story makes us ask: what's the legacy I'm leaving? When I die, how will I be remembered? Am I kind, generous and sensible, or am I surly, mean and foolish? In Proverbs 10:23 it says: ' A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.' That godly wisdom was shown by Abigail; Nabal is just remembered as a fool.

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I TESTIFY BY ADA

For the lord himself is my portion
He lifts my head in glory
For my horn the lord has exalted
He teaches me to prosper
i have come with stories to tell
i have come with testimonies
Take a look at me you could see it
say you can call me testimonies
Every day testimonies

it is my time and it is my season
all around me testimonies
And because the Lord is my shepherd
i shall never want.
Everyday testimonies
Everywhere testimonies
see the word is working i'm so full of praise
In the morning testimonies
And in the evening testimonies
now i tell the stories of how i overcame,
i testify. ... i testify
Your life is not ordinary
It's filled with signs and wonders
For the hand of the Lord is upon you
He fills your life with laughter
You have come with stories to tell
you have come with testimonies
when i look at you i can see it
you are full of testimonies
It's your time yes this is your season
All around you testimonies
And because the Lord is your shepherd
you shall never want
Everyday testimonies
Everywhere testimonies
see the word is working
And you re so full of praise
In the morning testimonies
And in the evening testimonies
Now we tell the story of how we overcame
Every day testimonies
Everywhere testimonies
glory hallelujah
i'm so full of praise
In the morning testimonies
And in the evening testimonies
now i tell the story of how i overcame
i testify. ...
i testify
oh oh oh
The Lord is my shepherd oh
for he leads in glory
to his glory
i testify (oh oh)
for i am like the tree (oh
planted by the waters (oh oh)
i testify
my leaves are evergreen
A thousand shall fall down by my side
ten thousand shall fall down by my side
i testify i testify
from glory to glory
here we go
from glory to glory
here we go
to glory to glory (i testify)
this is my song testimony
this my story testimony
see the word is working
i'm so full of praise
every where testimonies
Every day testimonies
Glory hallelujah
i'm so full of praise
every where testimonies
in your family
testimonies
Now we tell the story of how we overcame
Every day testimonies
Everywhere testimonies
glory glory glory my Jesus is ali ii ive
eh testimonies
every day testimonies
see the word is working and i'm so full of praise
when you look at me testimonies
when i see you testimonies
now i tell the stories of how i overcame
i testify. ...
i testify
i testify
you will testify
i testify i testify
faithful ever sure
you are marvellous, wonderful
i lift my voice to say, i testify today today today...

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The wisdom of John Stott: 9 quotes from a giant of 20th century evangelicalism

John Stott, who died today in 2011, was one of the great figures in 20th century evangelicalism. A scholar, pastor and preacher, he was revered for his wisdom and statesmanship and influenced generations through his writing and speaking. He placed his formidable intellect at the service of the Church, but found time to indulge his great passion of birdwatching. His work continues today through his books and the work of the Langham Partnership global fellowship.
John Stott died on July 27, 2011, at the age of 90.Langham Partnership International

Here are nine quotes from John Stott's writings.

1. Our love grows soft if it is not strengthened by truth, and our truth grows hard if it is not softened by love.

2. Every Christian should be both conservative and radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it.

3. The truth is that there are such things as Christian tears, and too few of us ever weep them.

4. In countries to which Christian civilization has spread, large numbers of people have covered themselves with a decent, but thin, veneer of Christianity. They have allowed themselves to become somewhat involved, enough to be respectable but not enough to be uncomfortable.

5. Social responsibility becomes an aspect not of Christian mission only, but also of Christian conversion. It is impossible to be truly converted to God without being thereby converted to our neighbour.

6. The overriding reason why we should take other people's cultures seriously is because God has taken ours seriously.

7. In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?

8. The Bible isn't about people trying to discover God, but about God reaching out to find us.

9. Christianity is not just about what we believe; it's also about how we behave.

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