Steven Colborne's Blog, page 87

Blog Spotlight (Nov 2017)

I recently added a new page offering readers the opportunity to introduce their blog and thereby get a bit of free promotion. I said I would feature a few blogs each month and this is the first post to do that.

Thank you so much to those who have submitted info about their blogs. There are many brilliant blogs to choose from already. Please don’t be disappointed if you’re not featured this month, there’s every chance you will be featured in the coming months.

So without further ado, here are three great blogs I’d like to shine the spotlight on this month…

1) Disciple Life

I’m Tim and my blog is called: “Disciple life – I’m living the miraculous life, you can have it too!”. Since I saw the first movie of the Last Reformation my life has taken a new turn. My God lives and I live to make disciples. As the Bible says, when the Gospel is preached signs and wonders will follow: we are called to heal the sick and cast out demons! My blog is about testimonies of my encounters with different people in shops, trains, planes, on the street etc. My goal is to encourage the body of Christ to be obedient to His commands.

May you be blessed by it!

http://www.disciplelife.blog

2) A Perennial Follower

Hi I’m David. For about five years I’ve been on a bit of a spiritual path exploring and reading about different religions of the world. I believe all are beautiful in their own ways and point towards certain truths about the universe and God. I’m particularly interested in mysticism and find that it is the link that connects all the religions at their core. In my blog, I discuss various spiritual themes, comparative religion, mysticism, as well as issues society currently faces, and my own life.

If you’re interested and want to read or follow me, my blog is at http://perennialfollower.wordpress.com

3) Padre’s Ramblings

My blog consists primarily of musings and ramblings on generally spiritual themes. That said, travel and public speaking increasingly make an appearance on the page. In my life’s journey I have been a preacher, a teacher, and a chapel manager. I am an ecclesiastical historian, and theologian. I have worked in inter-faith dialogue and as a Holocaust educator. All have given me insights to things spiritual, and of things human. I hope my musings may be of some help to those who read them.

Please find me at: https://padresramblings.wordpress.com/

If you’d like to submit your blog for possible inclusion in a future ‘Blog Spotlight’, simply visit my Promote Your Blog page and follow the instructions.

Peace and blessings,

Steven

‘Unlocking the Bible’ by David Pawson (book review)

[image error]I came across David Pawson via a friend; the same person who prayed for me to be baptised in the Holy Spirit a few months ago. When I first saw his copy of Unlocking the Bible I thought ‘What on Earth is that?’, such was the hugeness of the volume and the unfamiliarity of the author’s name.

I looked up the name David Pawson on YouTube and watched a few videos. It quickly became apparent that he was a knowledgable and interesting speaker. I watched this elderly gentleman being interviewed about the End Times and teaching on the Holy Spirit, and before long I was on Amazon investing in a few of his books.

I’m not normally a fan of long books. I tend to be of the opinion that anything meaningful can be expressed in a concise way. I believe authors should have concern for their readers when they write, and having studied a little philosophy, I have at times been hugely frustrated when writers appear to produce volume upon volume of self-absorbed gobbledygook.

But although Unlocking the Bible is a large volume, the simple and accessible writing style immediately put my mind at ease. Pawson is very English in his style, and immediately his wit and humour appealed to me, as well as the simplicity of his writing (which by his own admission, a twelve-year-old could understand).

The book is actually written by a ‘ghostwriter’ who transferred a whole host of Pawson’s teaching notes, tapes, videos, and transcripts, into what eventually became Unlocking the Bible. Pawson explains the whole backstory in the book’s introduction. I had Pawson’s voice in my head as I read the book, which I suppose is evidence of what a good job the ghostwriter, Andy Peck, has done.

What is essentially a Bible commentary is arranged not in the order of the 66 books of the Protestant Bible, although it is these 66 books that are covered by Pawson. He arranged the content according to his own logic, in a way that helps the reader to appreciate the context and purpose of each book (so, for example, all of the ‘worship and wisdom’ books are grouped together).

There are countless wonderful insights in this book, as well as anecdotes, poems, stories, and other lovely touches that help make the book a highly satisfying read. As I have said, everything is explained with simplicity. Pawson absolutely loves to find patterns in Scripture, so in almost every chapter there is a chart, or a diagram, or a map.

I must admit there were times when I found Pawson’s preoccupation with patterns a little insidious, as though he might have been reading things into the text that weren’t intended by the inspired authors. But I will give Pawson the benefit of the doubt, and simply express gratitude for his effort to try to ‘unlock’ the Bible in this way.

The only time I struggled with this book was right at the end, in the commentary on the book of Revelation. It’s hardly surprising that I did struggle, as anyone who has read Revelation will know that it’s not straightforward to interpret. As with a lot of exegesis, there is a subjective element, as the ambiguities in the text mean they must be read in one way or another. Pawson does his best to explain and explore a range of alternative viewpoints before settling on those interpretations he finds most luminous.

I have explored several Bible commentaries, and this is by far the best I have come across. And seeing as you can pick up a copy on Amazon for a very affordable price, I would encourage all readers to add this volume to their library. At over 1300 pages it’s quite an undertaking, but also a wonderfully rewarding read.

Christian Love

I recently read a tweet from a Christian that touched me in a profound way:

We become more and more joyless and call it Jesus. More and more hateful and call it holiness. Less and less creative and call it maturity. We like fewer and fewer people and call it sanctification. We must think Jesus had the worst personality on earth.

I believe that on the whole Christians are well-intentioned, and because Christians have a profound fear of God (and hell) they are desperate for others to know Jesus and practise sound doctrine. But I also recognise that if we’re not careful, the fear of God can turn us into horrible people.

I have been guilty of rebuking people for what I have regarded as ungodly behaviour. When Christians do this we feel as though we are sticking up for the gospel and helping people. But let us always keep in mind what Jesus said about judging others:

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:3-5 NKJV)

It seems to me that no two Christians believe exactly the same things. So we should be especially careful about rebuking one another, and aim instead to show love and kindness, care and understanding, and empathy, with our neighbours.

Surely the fruit of the Spirit, as we read about in Galatians, should be evident in the lives of believers if we are truly committed to living in a godly way:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23a NKJV)

Perhaps you have noticed yourself turning into a hard-hearted, joyless, uncreative, self-righteous Christian who is so eager not to be tainted by ‘the world’ that you find yourself living in a hateful bubble. If so, is it time to re-examine your faith and seek God afresh?

Song Two Out Now

Just a note to let you know that the new song from my music project, the T.E.N. Project, has just been released and is available for one month only from today (10th November).

The track fuses synths and acoustic guitar with a looping melodic line that’ll be stuck in your head for days. The track will also make you think…

Click here to listen now!

Blessings, Steven x

Your Prayers Were Heard

Today I am feeling immensely grateful for everyone who responded to my recent request for prayers. I was in a difficult situation with a troublesome neighbour, and I feared he was going to act aggressively and possibly violently towards me (here’s the backstory).

By the mercy of God, the situation is greatly improved. I bumped into my neighbour on the street today for the first time in about three weeks, and although there was initially some tension, I apologised for any hard feelings and miraculously we had a friendly chat.

I can honestly say I feel much more at peace with the situation now, and I have learned a lesson, which is the lesson of this recent post about how we should respond when we feel someone is being unreasonable or unkind.

The air has been cleared, God heard your prayers, and now I feel much more able to relax in the run-up to Christmas. He may keep playing loud music for a few hours a day, but all things considered it’s no big deal, and I have so much to be thankful for.

God bless you, dear friends, and thank you Lord for this relief!

Feedback Needed!

Thank you so much to everyone who has left me kind comments about the new Promote Your Blog page on Perfect Chaos. It’s great to have another way to interact with you all and thanks to everyone who has left a comment promoting their blog already.

Today I made a couple of other updates to the blog; a Request a Prayer page and also a Mailing List page. These are fairly self-explanatory. I hope that the Request a Prayer page will be used by people who perhaps aren’t connected to a church or a believing family, but have a pressing need that they are concerned about.

It would be great to get your feedback on all the recent changes. I’ve become so used to the layout of the blog that making changes always makes me feel a little anxious, and today I’m wondering whether the home page is now too ‘busy’?

If you’d like to help me out, please leave a comment with the things you like about the blog and anything which you find frustrating or feel could be improved (I realise I’m sounding a bit like ‘customer services’ here – sorry about that!).

God bless you and I’m praying that you all have a wonderful week ahead!

Steven x

Promote Your Blog

Inspired by several other bloggers who are doing something similar, I’ve decided to create a page on my blog offering all my readers the opportunity to promote their blogs, free of charge.

If you’d like to participate, please visit the Promote Your Blog page where you can read about the opportunity being offered and participate if you’d like to.

I hope this addition to the site will help you to reach new readers, and I’m excited to see who chooses to participate (there’s no catch so feel free to get involved!).

God bless and have a wonderful weekend.

Steven x

P.S. The new page is at perfectchaos.org/promote-your-blog

Is it Really Worth it?

I wanted to write a short blog post about fighting battles. When life presents you with a circumstance where you feel you are being treated unfairly, is it wise to put up a fight, or is it better to absorb the frustration, let go, and move on?

Let’s look at one area in particular: money. Money causes friction and is the battleground of capitalist culture; just look at the way lawyers, solicitors, estate agents, and bankers operate. We live in a world where people are constantly trying to acquire wealth, and are willing to take a bite out of each other in order to get the financial ‘security’ they crave.

If you’ve ever watched The Apprentice – well, that’s what I’m talking about.

I’ve noticed that there’s a direct correlation between how rooted I am in my faith in God, and how I respond to situations where I feel someone is trying to take advantage of me. When I’m rooted in the teaching of Scripture, the need to ‘fight back’ evaporates, because my mind is centred on the One who is able to meet all my needs in ways I can’t even imagine.

There is one scripture in particular that speaks volumes on this subject, and it can be found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians:

“To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?” (1 Corinthians 6:7 ESV)

To most people in capitalist societies this teaching is totally counter-intuitive. Our instinct is to put up a fight. But I believe fighting always shows a lack of faith in our Creator, who we must trust to fight our battles in the spiritual dimension, and who will judge those who have treated us unfairly.

A Reformation 500 Treat

Over the last few days I think I’ve read the words “95 theses” about 95 times, such is the buzz in the blogosphere about the anniversary of the birth of the Protestant Reformation. If you’re not aware, the 95 theses were a series of propositions contained in a document penned by Martin Luther in 1517 in order to voice his displeasure concerning the abusive practices of the Roman Catholic church.

The document was widely circulated throughout Germany and other parts of Europe and today, exactly 500 years from the day Luther nailed the document to the church door in Wittenberg, there is celebration among reformers who see Luther’s actions as a landmark in church history.

Whatever your denominational persuasion, it’s hard to deny the impact that the Reformation has had in Europe and elsewhere. In many European countries, the Lutheran church is still the state church and there are approximately 72 million people in the Lutheran World Federation communion.

Other denominations sprang up out of the Reformation movement as well, most notably the Calvinist (or ‘Reformed’) churches, named after French theologian John Calvin, and there are currently approximately 80 million people who are members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

At the heart of the Reformation movement was a return to the Bible as the sole infallible rule of faith for the church. In Roman Catholicism, both the Bible and tradition are seen as authorities, but the reformers insisted on sola scriptura (scripture alone). Every Christian must ask him-or-herself,  “Who or what is my authority in matters of faith?” Rome has historically had one answer, and the Reformed tradition another. This is still the case 500 years on.

As well as being (among other things) a monk and theologian, Martin Luther wrote many hymns, and I’d like to offer you all a special Reformation 500 treat which is a heavy metal version of Luther’s most famous hymn ‘A Mighty Fortress Is Our God’. I love this arrangement by Tim Bushong and I hope you enjoy it too.

Did the 16th century Protestant Reformation go far enough? Many Christians today are asking that question, and a new movement has been birthed which is seeking to return to the kind of Christianity we read about in the Book of Acts. For more information on this new (final?) reformation, visit The Last Reformation website.

The State of It All

Britain is broken. Individualism is now the unspoken religion of the masses. There is no fear of God; no love of neighbour. Instead, fearing sickness and death, our citizens ask “How much money can I earn in order to buy security?” And they bully their way to each new promotion, trampling down their neighbour in the process, because they see others doing the same, and have no values to guide their conduct.

Most of our emotions are now defined as mental illnesses, and are treated with pills that have little effect other than to harm the body, and confuse the mind. We have a medical system in chaos, but because we are conditioned to regard doctors as saints, few people speak out about the way capitalism has corrupted healthcare. Doing so would be unpatriotic.

We are a multicultural country now, and we are told to celebrate this. But in truth, we are all confused, lacking identity, and lacking community. We no longer know what it means to be proud of our country; to have a shared sense of purpose. So many voted for Brexit because they are angry about what our society has become.

Since the Second World War we have enjoyed great privilege and power, but secularism has crept in and gradually we have lost sight of the God who blessed us so richly. To an increasing number of people in British society, God is irrelevant or even offensive.

The coffee shop assistant, on his break, puts his foot up on the chair and plays the sound from his phone loudly. He can’t keep his eyes open. He has had only two hours sleep, as he was out partying for most of the night. He is in no fit state to work. He has no sense that he is a servant; that his conduct matters. He doesn’t value his work – it is just a means to an end. He is a broken soul, in broken Britain.

Reading the papers and checking social media, there are stories about the murder of babies and adults. Everyone is asserting their rights, even the right to kill their offspring, to change their gender, to put themselves first. There is no compassion, but instead, everyone is asking, ‘What about me?’ Every man for himself. Every woman for herself. This is broken Britain.

Families are fragmented and devoid of values. Relationships are about lust and sex rather than mission, humility, and service. So many are confused about gender and sexual orientation, and society’s solution is to offer surgery and pills rather than love and care. Our childrens’ role models are pop stars who are famous for fame’s sake, not because they have something valuable to offer society.

Our Prime Minister,

bereft of ideas,

speaks of ‘The British Dream’.

It is a fantasy,

there is no such thing;

she is running on empty.

Britain is broken,

and I am so sad

about the state of it all.