Young boy claims he visited heaven, saw Jesus prior to making miraculous recovery as doctors prepared to declare him brain-dead

A 13-year-old Alabama boy who miraculously recovered after doctors declared him brain-dead and were set to harvest his organs to donate to five other children, said he was in Heaven walking with Jesus and a sibling who died before he was born.

"I saw a dark male figure with a beard," the teenager, Trenton McKinley, told CBN Wednesday. "He held my hand as I walked through a field. I was holding a baby in my arm. My mom told me she lost a boy from a miscarriage before I was born. I know it was my brother."

McKinley's mother, Jennifer Reindl, who has been singing praises to God and sharing her story since her son's miraculous turnaround, said she continues sharing her story because she wants to change lives.

Trenton McKinley, 13, before and after the accident that temporarily left him brain dead.

"I hope our story changes lives and am thankful for all the prayers and kind words. I am forever thankful to the Lord and out of gratitude will speak in the Lord's favor and as a witness to his miracle ... my hopes are that our story brings hope to any mother out there facing such odds ... from one mother to another mother I send love and prayer. Happy Mother's Day and God bless you all," Reindl wrote in a statement on Facebook Wednesday.

Two months ago, according Fox 10, McKinley was riding in a small utility trailer being pulled by a dune buggy for children when his friend pressed on the brakes suddenly, causing the trailer to flip. The teenager got caught in the trailer as it flipped after he threw his friend's 4-year-old niece into the grass to save her.

"I hit the concrete and the trailer landed on top of my head. After that, I don't remember anything," McKinley told Fox10.

Reindl told the network her son had seven skull fractures and died for about 15 minutes. Doctors did not expect a recovery to celebrate.

"All I saw was a stretcher with his feet hanging out. He was dead a total of 15 minutes," Reindl said while fighting back tears. "When he came back, they said he would never be normal again. They told me the oxidation (oxygen deprivation) problems would be so bad to his brain, that he would be a vegetable if he even made it."

Her son was on life support and barely breathing for several days so she decided with his father to sign documents allowing the donation of his organs to five waiting children.

"His eyes were solid black and dry and I knew he would not hesitate to save five more lives," Reindl told CBN.

The day before doctors planned to shut off his life support, McKinley started recovering.

"The next day I got a call ... they canceled the final brain wave test ... right before they hooked him up his hand moved, then his feet ... so they looked at his eyes and they were back ... he had blue eyes ... now they are green with small white specks like glitter ... they say when you look upon God ... pigment changes ... and my baby was in Heaven for a whole day ... he is a miracle," Reindl said.

GLORY TO GOD!!!

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We really are family: The power of Christian connectedness

Sister Sledge clearly knew they were on to a good thing. Connecting with family – past and present is a big and booming business all over the world. In the USA, genealogy is the second most popular hobby after gardening. Here in the UK, connecting with family, past and present generates multiple internet sites, books, TV shows and sell out national events in the NEC and Alexandra Palace, such as 'Family Tree Live – an amazing family history experience'. Clearly our culture cares about connecting.

We are family: not just biologically but spiritually.

AJ Jacob, author of It's all relative, attempted to pull together the world's largest family reunion and world's largest family photo recently – ambitiously hoping to reunite 4,500 family members past and present. The idea of the world family tree, he says, gives him a profound sense of belonging to something larger than himself. 'It's the ultimate social network and it has to be worth making these connections – it may even hasten world peace.'

Why are people across the globe so into connecting with family, past and present?

Anne-Marie Kramer, a sociologist from Warwick University and author of Genealogy and Kinship says genealogy allows people to 'personalise the past' while connecting with the wider family in the present is important to most people's sense of self. 'The crux of it is a need to feel rooted and connected.'

The hugely popular BBC1 show Who do you think you are? allows celebrities to delve into their family history to uncover secrets and surprises from their past. The show has provided some golden moments, such as Jeremy Paxman dissolving into tears as he learnt of the Salvation Army providing shelter and a lifeline for his destitute grandmother; Boris Johnson clocking he is related to the royal families of Europe; Sunetra Sarker discovering she is related to Ghandi, and probably the most surprising of all – Danny Dyer realising he was a direct descendant of Edward the Third. His was one of my favourite responses by a mile. He shook his head in stunned disbelief and repeated the words 'I can't be...I can't be...me, a boy from Canning Town, Custom House, and THIS is my blood line. I think I need a moment.'

It made me think. I've heard it said that 'Church is not somewhere you go to, it's a family you belong to.' Have you or I ever experienced that WOW moment as we realise the mind-blowing, world changing spiritual family we are part of?

We know family terminology runs throughout the Bible. We are familiar with the idea that God calls us his children and every follower of Jesus is part of one big globe-embracing, history-spanning spiritual family, with Jesus himself saying, 'Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother' (Mark 3:35).

But if we are honest, do we really feel, and more importantly, act like we are one big family? And how strong is our sense of 'belonging' to it, in all its global breadth and historic depth?

My brother bought my kids the brilliant book 'Everyone a child should know.' It shares the life-stories of 52 inspiring Christians – one for every week of the year. There are the usual suspects – Charles Wesley, Spurgeon, Martin Luther and Billy Graham. But there are also social activists Rosa Parks, William Wilberforce and George Muller. Artists and creatives Rembrandt, CS Lewis and Bach. Argula von Grumbach, an advocate for struggling Christians, and George Washington Carver, a genius inventor who used peanuts to help the poor.

With the passing of Billy Graham it struck me that not one of the 52 are still living. I looked for the follow up book 'Everyone a child should know – who are still alive and kicking', but couldn't find it.

I thought of the incredible Christians, some on our doorstep, some further afield, who are alive and well and still in the world-changing family business right now. I started to feel a real sense of urgency to share their stories with my own children, and kind of accidentally started an blog which was a Living Advent Calendar, where each day of Advent you could open a door to uncover an inspiring life of a person opening doors of love, hope and transformation for others. It amazed me how easy it was to fill every day of Advent with ordinary people who, fuelled by their faith, are doing extraordinary things. I loved that my children were excited as they discovered the new life story each day.

Today in Cambodia, our brother Chom No and his inspiring family are helping vulnerable families escape trafficking and exploitation. Today in Tegucigalpa our sister Jesse is helping to break the cycle of poverty for families living and working in the toxic squalor city of the city rubbish dump. Today in Kampala, our sister Immy is caring for vulnerable children in the pre-school she set up and runs with her brilliant team. Today in Belfast, Joanne is running the Lagan Dragons Boat Club for Breast Cancer Survivors. Ordinary people just like us, but living extraordinary lives.

Our global family is amazing. What a spiritual family tree we have. Wouldn't it be amazing if we and our children could have that Danny Dyer WOW moment on a regular basis as we explore and engage with the incredible, world-changing, light-into-darkness, hope-into-despair family we belong to.?

Ann Voskampf's brilliant resource The Jesse Tree illuminates the significance and wonder of the family tree of Jesus in a totally fresh way. My kids' realisation that the prostitute Rahab, the adulterer and murderer David, the disobedient Solomon and the liar Jacob are part of the family line of Jesus, and that they too are part of his spiritual family was an incredible epiphany for them. God chooses and uses real people with real flaws, real needs, real quirks to carry out his amazing purposes. Let's share their stories, their struggles and sacrifice, their faith and their flaws, to create a deeper sense of belonging to an amazing global family which spans the generations. So that we, and our children could know that we follow in the footsteps not only of the biblical heroes of faith, but of ordinary men, women and children who were poets, painters, musicians, carpenters, entrepreneurs, creative writers, dancers, artists, hymn writers, evangelists, reformers, politicians, and preachers.

Could we shift the next generation's aspirational horizons by creating a strong sense of belonging to a global family tree connecting us with Wilberforce, with Bonhoffer, with Carver, with Aylward, with Liddell, but also with the hidden heroes of our world today like Chom No, Immy, Jesse and Joanne?

Knowing who we are connected to reminds us that no matter how insignificant we feel, we have an important place in the world, giving us the 'roots and wings' we long for.

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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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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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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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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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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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'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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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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Scottish Anglican cathedral is UK's first to host same-sex weddings

An Anglican cathedral in Scotland is to become the first in the UK to host same-sex weddings.

Glasgow's St Mary's Cathedral is now taking marriage bookings for same-sex unions after the Episcopal Church's General Synod made the landmark decision to amend canon law and approve gay marriage in June.

St Mary's Cathedral is to host same-sex weddings.

'It is hugely exciting to open up wedding services to all couples who want to get married,' said the cathedral's provost, the Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, according to The Herald.

'People at St Mary's were part of the campaign to allow gay and lesbian couples to get married in Scotland so it is not surprising that we would want to be able to offer such weddings in the cathedral itself.'

He added: 'St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow is one of the most stunning places that anyone can get married. It is wonderful that more people now have the chance of coming here for their special day.

'I want to live in a world where same-sex couples can feel safe walking down the street hand in hand and in which they can feel joy walking hand in hand down the aisle of a church too.'

The motion to change the law of the Scottish Episcopal Church was passed narrowly in June, and the divisive legislation comes in effect today. It includes a 'conscience clause' meaning no priest will be forced to celebrate LGBT weddings if they do not want to.

Since the Church of England has not changed its canon law on marriage, it's expected that some seeking a same-sex wedding in the UK will now choose to get married in Scotland.

Holdsworth said: 'We already have one booking from a couple coming up from England who can't get married in their local Church of England parish. We are glad to be able to welcome them and expect there will be many others who will follow them'.

The cathedral congregation's lay representative Dr Beth Routledge celebrated the move toward a church that is 'open, inclusive and welcoming'.

She said: 'When members of the congregation go to Glasgow Pride later this year, we'll have a real sense of having helped to bring about greater equality for members of the LGBT communities.'

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'We didn't start the fire': How Nero used Rome's tragic inferno to persecute Christians

On this day in AD 64 began a fire of almost apocalyptic proportions in the city of Rome. The inferno was tragic and decisive, not just for the ancient metropolis, but for the Christians who were blamed for it.

'Now started the most terrible and destructive fire which Rome had ever experienced', wrote the historian Tacitus in around the year 116. Fuelled by high winds and chaos amongst the people, the fire would burn for six days, seven nights, and consumed most of the city.

'The Fire of Rome', by Hubert Robert.

Tacitus wrote: 'Terrified, shrieking women, helpless old and young, people intent on their own safety, people unselfishly supporting invalids or waiting for them, fugitives and lingerers alike - all heightened the confusion. When people looked back, menacing flames sprang up before them or outflanked them.

'When they escaped to a neighbouring quarter, the fire followed - even districts believed remote proved to be involved. Finally, with no idea where or what to flee, they crowded on to the country roads, or lay in the fields. Some who had lost everything - even their food for the day - could have escaped, but preferred to die.'

But who started it? Various popular stories attribute it to the Roman Emperor Nero, who allegedly not only started the fire, but played the fiddle while he watched the city burn.

It's almost certainly untrue however: Nero was miles away in Antium when the fire began, and the fiddle wouldn't be invented for another 1500 years. But Nero was an opportunist, and used the scorching of Rome as an opportunity to rebuild, constructing for himself a lavish new palace – this naturally made some suspicious.

The fire needed a scapegoat, and Nero targeted Christians – he blamed Rome's destruction on the new religious sect, torturing and executing hundreds of believers on account of the fire.

Tacitus wrote: 'First those were arrested who confessed they were Christians; next on their information, a vast multitude were convicted, not so much on the charge of burning the city, as of "hating the human race."'

The faith community was killed for sport, eaten by animals, some stories – perhaps apocryphal – said that they were even lit up and burned alive as torches.

Here began a period of sporadic persecution against the faith, but more direct oppression would not come till about the mid-third century. As a subversive, obscure minority, the Christians were an easy target.

The fire of the summer of '64 may have been an accident, but Nero's use of it was certainly intentional. The tragedy showed Christians to be, as Tacitus wrote, the 'victims of the ferocity of one man'.

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Should churches take up offerings during services?

There's an old joke about a plane that got into trouble. A passenger noticed he was sitting next to a priest, and in a panick he said: 'Quick! Do something religious!' So the priest took up an offering.

It's a very traditional practice and for many it's inseparable from worship. But many churches are ditching it. Some argue it's not 'seeker-friendly' – if someone comes in to church for the first time, or is on the fringes of the church, they might resent being asked for money. Others point out that in many places we're heading towards a 'cashless society'; people don't carry cash nearly as much as they used to, and many give to the church by standing order throught their banks.

Furthermore, it can seem like an interruption to the rhythm of worship – we might be singing a glorious hymn to the praise of the eternal God, and the next minute we're scrabbling for cash in purses or wallets. And that's not even to mention the congregations where the offering time is used to guilt out the congregation into giving more – and sometimes more than they can afford.

There are good reasons for getting rid of the offering. But there are good reasons for keeping it, too. Not everyone is tech-savvy, happy giving online. It's a weekly reminder that ministry costs money, even if that's never explicitly spelt out. We shouldn't be squeamish about acknowledging the importance of money – the earliest Christians weren't. The Apostle Paul regularly mentioned it (2 Corinthians 8, 9, Galatians 2:10; Acts gives us a picture of the disciples sharing everything (Acts 4:32,34-35).

But the best reason for keeping the offering as part of church worship is this: it reminds us, week by week, that we are accountable to God for what we do with our money. Nearly half of Jesus' parables are about money and possessions. According to one count, the Bible has around 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 on faith, but more than 2,000 on money and possessions.

It's the easiest thing in the world for us to put our lives outside the church and inside it into boxes, as though they don't have anything to do with each other. The offering reminds us that they do – there's no part of our life that doesn't involve God.

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84 Things you think of When worshiping God

What thoughts do we have during contemporary worship?

1.     Are we standing up for this?
2.     He hasn't said 'stand'...
3.     A couple of people are standing up now. I don't think it's enough though, they might be wrong...
4.     Imagine the humiliation if we're not meant to be standing.
5.     Ok we're standing.
6.     I am so excited to worship God this morning. Let's worship!
7.     Oh no, not this song.
8.     No matter. I am not here to be entertained. Worship is a decision.
9.     At least it's quite upbeat.
10.     Gosh, Ian's gone early with the arm-raising. That's a bold move, Ian.
11.     You're on your own, Ian.
12.     Ah, he's realised and is pretending to scratch the back of his head. Smooth.
13.     This isn't so bad I suppose.
14.     Oh no! Don't repeat the verse!
15.     This song is going on forever.
16.     Seriously, if this is what heaven is like, I think I'm going to be spending eternity hiding in the bathroom.
17.     Oh it's over. What's next?
18.     They're segueing... funky key change... drum fill thingy...
19.     YES! Hillsong. Now we're gonna worship.
20.     That's right Paula, you bob your little head.
21.     Do I hear some clapping?
22.     Let's clap!
23.     Oh no, disaster. There are two completely separate clapping rhythms.
24.     I'm not sure if I'm in the correct group.
25.     This is such a metaphor when you think about it.
26.     Thank goodness. No clapping in the chorus.
27.     Oh dear, respite over, back into the verse...
28.     Why haven't the words changed?
29.     Seriously, who's on SongPro duty today? I bet it's one of the young people. This is what 'empowerment'   gets you.
30.     Argh this is a disaster. People are just humming.
31.     Thank goodness.
32.     Oh no that's the wrong verse.
33.     Please Lord, if you could come back RIGHT NOW and end this, we'd all appreciate it.
34.     They're wrapping it up. Good move.
35.     Hold up. I think they're improvising now. That's a risk.
36.     Worse! They're asking us to sing out our own praises to God.
37.     I never know what to do at this point.
38.     ...'Mmm'
39.     'Oh Lord...'
40.     Come on you fool. Think of something worship-y
41.     'Oh Lord I really... mmm...'
42.     'I really just... praise you Lord...'
43.     Profound.
44.     Thank goodness that's over.
45.     What's next?
46.     They're going to teach us a new song. Well this is never awkward.
47.     Trying to follow the tune... very quietly and...
48.     Nope, messed it up. I don't think anyone noticed.
49.     This is a terrible song. This will never, ever be popular. I guarantee this is the only time we ever sing  this.
50.     Oh the chorus is alright.
51.     Trying again with the verse... no, still not quite following.
52.     Paula's bobbing again.
53.     Yes to this chorus though. This is catchy stuff.
54.     Ooh, nice bridge thingy.
55.     This chorus is amazing! This song is fantastic. This might be my new favourite worship song.
56.     Oh don't do this one now. We were right in the presence of God. Or adding a track to our Spotify   playlists at least. This is such a dirge.
57.     Still, worship is not about being entertained. Worship is about God.
58.     Worship is a lifestyle. I think I went to a seminar about that once. They definitely said worship is a lifestyle.
59.     And a threshing floor.
60.     I think.
61.     There was definitely something about threshing floors.
62.     Maybe worship isn't a threshing floor.
63.     What actually IS a threshing floor?
64.     Uh oh - new problem - there's a line coming up about 'falling on to our knees'.
65.     What are we supposed to do with that?
66.     Ian's raised his arms instead.
67.     I'm not going down on my knees unless everyone else does. It's just a figure of speech, right?
68.     We must be near the end of the worship now.
69.     Ouch, that's awkward. They're going for another song, and the pastor's just walked on to stage.
70.     What's he going to do? He's in the corridor of uncertainty now...
71.     Stop playing you fools! The pastor's here!
72.     Nope, they've started the song.
73.     What's he going to do?
74.     He's raising the microphone.
75.     The band's playing an extended intro.
76.     They're getting louder too.
77.     This has turned into a Mexican stand-off.
78.     I am going to have to find another church.
79.     Panic over. He's styling it out.
80.     He's drifting back off the stage...
81.     Oh no, don't dance, man!
82.     Still don't actually know what this song is.
83.     It's '10,000 reasons'! JACKPOT.
84.     'Bless the Lord oh my soul...'

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3 pieces of advice for receiving rebuke from a fellow Christian

"Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed." – Proverbs 27:5 (MEV)

Receiving a Godly rebuke from a concerned brother or sister in the Lord is a good thing. We Christians ought to be our brother's or sister's keepers, genuinely concerned and able to correct those who are on the erring side of things. But while it's always easy to point out someone else's faults, it's not easy to be on the receiving end of it.

Have you been rebuked or corrected by a fellow Christian and not known how to receive it? I hope to help you extract the good fruits that come from a loving and righteous rebuke from a fellow Christ-follower. James tells us that it is a very good thing:

"Brothers, if any one of you strays from the truth and someone corrects him, let him know that he who converts the sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20)

No one is perfect, and I'm sure all of us have been rebuked at some point in our lives. Do you want to make the most of it? Here are some tips to help you accept a loving rebuke and benefit from it.
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1) See the rebuke as a message of concern

Many of us become bitter after being rebuked, even by a person we know to be genuinely concerned about us. Why is that? It's because we see the rebuke as an attack on our person, and not as a message of concern.

Consider what the Lord Jesus said with regards to the response of His peope to what He had done for them:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you, how often I would have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not!" (Matthew 23:37)

2) Check the facts

Think about the rebuke you received and compare it with what you really did, said, or even think. Was it true? Was it precise in pointing out what was wrong and what it sought to address in you? If it was, then you should not reject it.

Rather, you should work with it. And that's important even if the way they delivered the rebuke wasn't as loving as you would have liked it to be.

Proverbs 27:6 tells us, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." No matter how painful the rebuke is, the fact that a good friend pointed out what was wrong means that he or she is concerned with us and wants that wrong made right. It will really save us from the error of our ways.

3) Thank God for loving rebukes

When a Godly friend rebukes our wrong, we should think of that person as a blessing. It's God's desire to make us holy and Christ-like, and He will use all means possible to make that happen (see Romans 8:28-30). Always remember what Hebrews 12:5-6 tells us,

"My son, do not despise the discipline from the Lord, nor grow weary when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and scourges every son whom He receives." (see also Proverbs 3:11-12)

Always keep in mind that the rose's fragrance is released all the more when it is crushed. God bless you!

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