Life + Faith

Hey, I’m Jon.
And this is where I write about life and faith, no niche included. Just an honest attempt to be faithful and fruitful for Jesus. If that’s something you want more of, subscribe.

  • Chicken Nuggets or Gospel Nuggets

    Every now and then I like to spoil my four-year-old daughter by taking her out for fast food. Her food of choice is usually chicken nuggets. You know, those small morsels of processed chicken enveloped in a thin batter. If she’s hungry enough she’ll eat six in one sitting.

    These little pieces of chicken are called nuggets because they’re small enough to eat quickly and they temporarily satisfy our hunger. Unlike a large piece of chicken, where we might need to use a knife and fork, chicken nuggets provide a quick go to for food.

    Throughout the New Testament, either in the Gospels or in the Letters of Paul and Peter and John, we can find gospel nuggets. These are bite-size pieces of the Good News that remind us of who God is and what he has done in Jesus. Unlike chicken nuggets these are easily digestible and all-satisfying truths of the Christian faith.

    One such nugget I came across recently is from Titus 3:3-7. It reads:

    “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

    In reading this I am reminded of the position I used to be in before knowing Jesus, and now the position I find myself in because of Jesus.

    Formerly I was in a place that was foolish. In this position I sought to gain pleasure for myself, looking out solely for my own needs and wants. This leads down a path that is unhelpful and unhealthy. Seeking pleasure in the wrong place, and in pursuing wrongful passions, we end up being people who are prideful, egotistical, and self-centred.

    Knowing the position we are in it is then revealed to us that through the love and kindness of God we can be rescued from this inwardly focussed life. Instead, through the mercy of God, we have been saved through Christ Jesus. We haven’t done anything to achieve such kindness and love but God has done it all. From one reality our eyes are opened to another reality. This new reality understands that through the Spirit our hearts have been changed and we have been rescued from our own selfishness.

    Because of this we are (1) included into God’s family, (2) made right with God, (3) have an inheritance given to us from God, and (4) our hope is put into perspective because of eternity with God.

    That is four gifts that God has freely given to us because of his kindness, love, and mercy.

    What an amazing gift!

    • As you ponder your own position with God have you come to understand the gifts God seeks to give you?
    • As you dwell on this gospel-nugget can you see the all-satisfying grace of God?

    As you go about your day today, take this gospel-nugget and chew on it. Digest it. Understand it. And may it nourish you in a way that no fast food outlet can.

    This post was originally published elsewhere on the interwebs but is no longer available.

  • God’s Love Expressed: Through Our Love For One-Another

    In the passage 1 John 4:7-21 the beginning and the end command us to love one-another.

    It’s like a love one-another sandwich.

    In v7-8 it reads,

    “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

    And v21 says,

    “And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.”

    Whether there is an issue within the churches John is writing to, I’m not sure. But he certainly makes it clear that loving one-another in an important part of what it means to be in community together.

    Because love has come from God we are to love one-another.

    To love one-another is an expression of what it means to love God; a visible expression of God being a God of love.

    God's Love Expressed Through Our Love For One-Another

    Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to find churches who have within their history periods of time where loving one-another is lacking.

    But a church devoid of love is like a tap without water.

    A church devoid of love is like a football team without players.

    A church devoid of love is like an orchestra without its conductor.

    A church devoid of love is like cushion without stuffing.

    A church devoid of love is like a car tyre without air.

    A church without love is an unmitigated disaster.

    And I wonder whether John would suggest they are really a church at all.

    In his book, ‘The Compelling Community’, Mark Dever writes,

    “To follow Christ is to love other Christians…Love between believers isn’t a sign of maturity; it’s a sign of saving faith.” (Dever, 52)

    And John seems to suggest this here in our passage. The church, when loving one-another, show they are people who truly believe in the Lord Jesus, acknowledge his saving grace, and understand his atoning sacrifice for sin.

    We may know these truths individually and personally. But, we should also see and know it together as a community, as a church.

    Love between believers is the sign of a faith that is grounded in Christ and confirmed by the Holy Spirit.

    In the same book, Dever says,

    “Our greatest confirmation of the gospel is the community of the local church. Therefore, our best strategy for reaching the world is to fan that community into a raging inferno of supernatural witness that will be far more attractive than any adjustment to our music, small groups, or sermons could ever be.” (Dever, 192)

    The love of one-another within the local church is what is attractive to others. It is the love of one-another that stands out to visitors and non-believers. It feeds into the mission and evangelistic edge of the church that we are called to be part of.

    As Jesus meets with his disciples for the last time before his death he says these words in John’s Gospel, 13:34-35,

    ““I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

    And in Romans 12:10, Paul writes,

    “Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Out do one another in showing honour.”

    Through the love we have for one-another people see the gospel worked out in practice as we build one-another up through love.

    When a local church is going through hardship, significant conflict and disagreement, there will often be less people drawn to the church. The effect of a church lacking in love will mean that there are less new people coming along and less people turning to Christ. On the other hand, when a church displays love for one-another the love of Christ is displayed for all to see. It can be seen and felt within the church itself and draws people in.

    It is through our love for one-another in our church that expresses the love God has for us.

    In my previous blog post I started by talking about the movie Frozen. How Anna can only be saved by an expression of true love.

    We too can only be saved by an expression of true love. This expression of true love is God sending his Son Jesus as an atoning sacrifice for our sin. Through the cross God expresses his saving love for us. And building on this, we too can be part of God expressing his love for others by the way we love one-another in our church.

  • God’s Love Expressed: Through The Cross

    God’s Love Expressed: Through The Cross

    In our house princess stories and movies are high on the agenda. Over the last few years the movie Frozen has been a regular viewing experience.

    You may know the story yourself.

    We sit on the couch and watch the journey of Elsa and Anna, both princesses of the royal family trapped within the walls of the castle. Yet, it isn’t until Elsa becomes Queen that the gates are opened and the connection with the people is renewed. But because of Elsa’s special powers, and their uncontrollability, the city is sent into a perpetual winter and she runs away to hide and live by herself.

    Princess Anna goes on an adventure to find her sister and have her return, but in the process she is struck by Elsa’s icy powers. From here on in there is a distinct concern for Anna who can only be saved by an expression of true love.

    I won’t spoil the ending.

    But Frozen is a story with twists and turns, and is of course a story of love.

    In the Bible we read of the way God has expressed his love toward us. In fact, the whole Bible is God’s love story toward his creation. We see this from Genesis to Revelation, as God seeks to be with his people who are so often rejecting his love.

    In 1 John 4:9-10 we read about the pinnacle of this story, the pinnacle of God expressing love. It says,

    “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

    This is the extent of the love God has for us; his expression of true love for his creation.

    God's Love Expressed Through The Cross

    I wonder how you express love?

    I wonder how you express the love you have for others, for your family, your friends, your pets, the things you do, the things you have?

    A little while ago Ed Sheeran released his single, ‘Perfect’. In the lead up to the release of the song he publicly stated that he wanted this to be his best song ever. Here are some of the lyrics:

    I found a love for me

    Darling just dive right in

    And follow my lead

    Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet

    I never knew you were the someone waiting for me

    ‘Cause we were just kids when we fell in love

    Not knowing what it was

    I will not give you up this time

    But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own

    And in your eyes you’re holding mine

    Baby, I’m dancing in the dark with you between my arms

    Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song

    When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath

    But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight

    Ed here (yes, we’re on a first name basis) is expressing love. He is expressing his deepest love for his girl through song. It is a clear expression of love.

    And while 1 John 4 isn’t talking about romantic love it nevertheless describes the love God has for us.

    John describes the love God has for us as sacrificial love. He points out that God has shown his love for us through, (1) the sending of his one and only son, and (2) as an atoning sacrifice for our sin.

    The way God has shown his love for us is through Jesus.

    The way God has shown his love for us is through the cross.

    It is a cross-bound, life-sacrificing love.

    This love is a relational love, meaning God has such a strong affection for us, he cherishes us so much, that he is willing to die for us.

    This is a love that is deeply personal, a love that shows his commitment and faithfulness to us. This committed love, this affection for us, is displayed for us through the action of sacrifice. He loves us so much that he sent his one and only Son to be an atoning sacrifice for us.

    He loves us so much that he sent himself, in human form, to take our place on that cross.

    This sacrificial love is the love God has for us.

    In the original languages the particular word for ‘atoning sacrifice’ is only used twice in the whole of the New Testament. Here in v10 and also back in 1 John 2:2. As one commentator has put it, it is a term to,

    “…emphasise that God sent Jesus Christ to be the atoning sacrifice to remove the guilt we have incurred because of our sins so that we might have eternal life. This is the great expression of God’s love, and on this basis the author can say God is love.” (Kruse, 161)

    Due to our sin, both the sin we do as action and the sinful nature we find ourselves battling against as fallen creatures, we are in need of a saviour.

    The reality is that our hearts are naturally inclined to sin. Sin isn’t just what we do that is bad, or immoral, or hurtful, it is more than that. It is a heart position. It is the state of our heart that means we are against God in everything we do.

    The bible speaks of our heart as being against God and His goodness.

    Our hearts, from birth, are defective.

    Our hearts are selfish and messy.

    Essentially we’re a mess.

    And so, we find God sending his one and only Son in order for our sinful natures to be transformed. Transformed into life-giving, self-sacrificing, love-promoting hearts. Sin is forgiven, our hearts are changed, and we begin to be changed into creatures perfected by his love.

    Ironically, Ed Sheeran’s song, which I read out earlier, points to this. You may not remember but he sings,

    When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath

    But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight

    Did you see it? Do you get it?

    We are a mess yet because of God’s great love for us he looks upon us because of the cross and says, ‘you’re perfect’. As we dance with God through what we call life God understands our mess, and because of the cross calls us perfect.

    Our mess is made perfect through his sacrificial love.

    Through the atonement God’s love is expressed. And through the atonement we find ourselves transformed away from selfishness and mess and made into people of perfected, sacrificial love.

  • New Children’s Ministry Initiative Makes Worship Leaders Walk Out Of Service

    In an effort to be more inclusive of children in their services Pleasantville Baptist Church has encouraged those under the age of 12 to bring their own instruments to church for the opening bracket of songs.

    For three weekends in a row the services at PBC have included a time for inviting children to the front with their instruments. In preparation for the change to the Sunday service the PBC Worship And Musical Praise Singing Committee (otherwise known as WAMPS for short) decided to provide instruments for those who need them. Thinking particularly of visitors, or children who don’t have their own instrument, WAMPS provides a surprisingly large wicker basket full of maracas, shaker eggs, castanets, handle bells, tambourines, jingle sticks, and, for one lucky child, a kazoo.

    New Children's Ministry Initiative Make Worship Leaders Walk Out Of Service

    Those attending on Sundays have taken this idea to heart. Each week families make sure their children now take their favourite musical instrument to church, alongside the few coins they contribute to the offering. Dale Lewis, father of three boys aged 9, 7 and 4, says it has really encouraged his children in their worship of God. He said, “After this initiative was introduced our boys have really enjoyed bringing their recorders and joining in with the music team.”

    Part-time Children’s Director, Kimberly Hutchinson, is particularly pleased with this initiative. She’s been suggesting this idea to the WAMPS committee for the last four and a half years, finally getting them to agree to it after the positive response during their Christmas service.

    However, in dramatic scenes this past Sunday, worship leaders Ella McKenzie and Cory Smith couldn’t cope. Not having led worship at PBC for a couple of months they were surprised to see so many children in front of them with their random assortment of instruments. During the seventh repeat of the chorus to one of the church’s favourite songs, ‘Shout To The Lord’, both McKenzie and Smith had had enough. They stopped singing, put down their instruments, and told the congregation they “…couldn’t continue to lead worship with the racket being made in front of them.”

    The congregation were left confused as to what was happening up the front. Unfortunately, no one heard what McKenzie and Smith said because the children kept worshipping with their own instruments; drowning out any possible sound from the late-1980s microphones still waiting to be upgraded.

    In a meeting with the Senior Pastor during the week both McKenzie and Smith explained their decision to walk out.

    “We walked out because all these other instruments meant we couldn’t feel the Holy Spirit. At our six-hour practice during the week we agreed that the four songs we’d chosen would take the congregation on a journey of reflection and into the moment. We didn’t feel this could be achieved with the out-of-tune kazoo being blown on 1 and 3. Don’t get us wrong, we think it would be lovely for the children to be involved somehow, but perhaps that could be clapping their hands as they stand next to their parents.” 

    As we write, the emergency WAMP meeting is now entering its fourth hour. Sources are suggesting that a literal understanding of Psalm 150 may be turning the tide in the children’s ministry favour.

    “Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
        praise him with the harp and lyre,
    praise him with timbrel and dancing,
        praise him with the strings and pipe,
    praise him with the clash of cymbals,
        praise him with resounding cymbals.”

    As Matthew Finkle, one of the children’s ministry volunteers, said upon arriving for the meeting, “Won’t somebody please think of the children?!”

    Other satire pieces, where I attempt to amuse myself, can also be found at the following:

  • What’s The Deal With Cranky Calvinists?

    Seriously.

    What’s the deal with cranky Calvinists?

    I don’t understand.

    I don’t understand why any Calvinist should be cranky. I mean, it’s called the Doctrines of Grace for a reason.

    You know, grace and stuff.

    What's The Deal With Cranky Calvinists

    Sometimes I meet with pastors and Christians who have been significantly impacted by the rise of New Calvinism. And sometimes I leave with a sour taste in my mouth. It seems the ‘grace and stuff’ portion is missing. All that is left is hard doctrine expressed in a way that sounds like a resounding gong and clanging cymbal.

    In recent years, Calvinism has made a massive impact in the Christian world, and its only been on the increase in the 10 years since this article was written. So much so there was a recent documentary produced about it. It’s certainly impacted me.

    When I lived in the Chouf Mountains of Lebanon for two years I devoured John Piper’s teaching on TULIP, the main structure of Calvinistic thought. I first came across Piper over 15 years ago now, while listening to his biographical messages on significant Christians in church history. This made me put words to a theological system that I’d grown up under. In some ways nothing had changed, but in many ways everything had changed.

    Yet, after 15 years of knowing what I’ve known about God, the Bible, and the Gospel I look around at this rise in Calvinism and am sometimes saddened. I’m either saddened, angry, or cynical – I’ll be honest. For some reason people jeopardise their relationship with others over a system of thinking about the Bible.

    While I believe it is the more consistent system in understanding God and His Word I realise it is just that. A system. It’s not Jesus himself.

    Anyway, this rant-like post has been inspired by my reading of William Jay. In his autobiography he writes about Calvinists in his own day. Thankfully he came across some good ones, as he says,

    “In my considerable acquaintance with the religious world, some of the most exemplary individuals I have met with have been Calvinists. Of this persuasion were the two most extraordinary characters I ever knew – John Newton, and Cornelius Winter. They held its leading sentiments with firmness; but their Calvinism, like that of Bunyan, was rendered, by their temper, milder than that of some of their brethren; and they were candid towards who who differed from them; and esteemed and loved them as fellow-heirs together of the grace of life.” 

    Well, to have that said of you would be a terrific thing. But, evidently these cranky cage stage Calvinists must’ve been around in his day too (circa early-1800’s).

    If you are a Calvinist, or lean that way, then I encourage you to be a pleasant and understanding Calvinist, not a cranky one.

    Remember, grace and stuff.