Steven Colborne's Blog, page 91

My Testimony (video)

I’ve shared my testimony in writing on this blog but having started a YouTube channel a few months ago I thought I would have a crack at making a video about how I came to faith in Christ. I hope you will be blessed and encouraged by my story.

Reclaiming the Rainbow

When I was a new Christian and engrossed in reading the Bible for the first time I was struck by the beautifully vivid stories we find in the Old Testament. We all know many Old Testament stories, whether we have read the Bible or not, as so many of them have been made into plays, musicals, and movies.

The story of Noah really spoke to me and I felt a personal connection to that story because the day that the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat after the flood was the seventeenth day of the seventh month, which is by birthday. I thought it was wonderful that this passage that represented a new birth for creation was the day of my own birth. I shouldn’t read to much into this coincidence, however, as the Hebrew calendar was different to our own…

I believe the flood really happened. God became so angry with His rebellious creatures that He wanted to start over and so He sent rain for forty days to completely submerge all life on the planet except for Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark. Once the flood was over, God made a covenant with Noah; that He would never again destroy all life on Earth in this way. It’s a beautiful passage:

Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

(Genesis 9:8-17 NKJV)

So there we have it. The reason why we witness the wonder of the rainbow today is because God said to His creatures that no matter how far we stray from honouring Him and obeying Him, He will never again destroy all life with flood water. When I see a rainbow it reminds me of God’s goodness, of hope, of His awesome power, and that He is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God.

In light of this, isn’t it utterly abominable that the rainbow in the 21st century has become a symbol of rebellion against God and of that attribute that is so despicable in God’s sight – pride?

Our society has strayed painfully far from God’s commandments and has become so secular that seemingly “anything goes” when it comes to sexuality. The natural union between a man and a woman has become just one in an ever-increasing number of socially acceptable sexual scenarios in a culture that worships sexual promiscuity while forgetting what sex is really about.

And those who defend LGBTQ+ culture are proud of their rebellion.

I am sad because I love God and I love God’s commandments. They have been given to us so that we can live a life pleasing to God, and receive all the good promises that we find in the Bible. God is awesome. He is so awesome that He created the universe. He is powerful beyond measure and not to be trifled with!

So I hope that as a culture we will reclaim the rainbow for God – the God who according to the Bible is going to judge us all.

New Vlog: 5 Awesome Christian Resources

In this new vlog I look at a bunch of resources that have contributed very positively to my Christian walk, and I hope that at least some of them will help you too. God bless!

Art Attack! Four Awesome Paintings

Among the things I count myself capable of drawing are a tree, a sheep, and a cloud. And you could probably mistake any one of these three for the other two, such is the childish technique that I use. God has not blessed me with a painter’s hands (or at least I can say I’ve never taken the discipline seriously enough to practise and grow into a competent artist).

But I am lucky to have several friends who are very talented artists and whose paintings blow me away. I thought I would share with you four paintings by artists I know. Each of these has really touched me and impacted my life in a significant way.

1. ‘Heading for the Light’ by David McAdam

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This painting is currently hanging on my living room wall. To me it represents a vision of the Christian coming to faith in Christ, with the believer stepping up out of the darkness of the world, as signified by the dark walls, and walking into the blinding light of God our Saviour. Looking from a slightly different angle, the painting might also represent death; leaving this world of darkness and entering into the light of eternal life in heaven.

(See more from David McAdam on his blog, here)

2. ‘Jeremiah 17:7-8’ by Helen Cassidy

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This painting was given to me by a friend when I had just come out of hospital and was battling with a particularly tough spell of depression. The scripture from Jeremiah is hopeful and uplifting, and really spoke to me during that dark moment. Helen has painted many other pictures in a similar style and has a real talent for drawing and a love for serving God.

(As far as I’m aware, Helen doesn’t have a website, but you can contact her via Facebook here)

3. ‘Wandsworth Common’ by David McAdam

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Having lived in Wandsworth on and off for around 15 years I have really gotten to know the parks in the area. This common in particular has been a big part of my life over the years, and this wonderful painting captures the Bellevue Road area, where there are cafes and restaurants right next to the grassy common. I bought a print of this painting from David and it’s currently hanging in my living room.

(See more from David McAdam on his blog, here)

4. ‘The Bridge’ by Anthony Hodgson

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This wonderful painting depicts the crucifixion of Christ and how He is a bridge from the darkness into the light. Anthony and I have become good friends recently and earlier this week we travelled to Norwich Cathedral to pick up this painting which has been featured as part of an exhibition there. The painting has actually been on tour in various venues around the country and is a powerful tool for evangelism.

(You can see more art from Anthony on his website, here)

I feel immensely blessed to have such talented friends! If you like this artwork please give this post a ‘like’, leave a comment, or visit the artists online. I’m sure they would all really appreciate your interest.

God bless and feel free to share a link to your favourite pieces of Christian art in the comments below. I’d love to check them out.

Do unbelievers ‘suppress the truth’?

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18 NKJV)

Reading this verse in Paul’s letter to the Romans and the surrounding context raises a question in my mind that I would like to briefly discuss. Is everyone who doesn’t believe in Jesus and the Gospel suppressing the truth?

I used to be an atheist, and the idea of God seemed silly to me, and even angered me. I thought that such belief was irrational and illogical. Saying that God exists seemed to be like saying fairies or unicorns exist, it was just crazy.

Was I suppressing the truth? I don’t feel I was because in all truth I hadn’t received a revelation of the reality of God. He was no more than a concept. I believe that we come to know about God’s existence when by His grace He chooses to reveal Himself. This is the only way we can believe.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV)

It is perhaps a different thing to know God exists (because you have received a revelation) and still suppress the truth. That would be like lying to yourself. I don’t believe the majority of unbelievers are suppressing the truth in this way. It’s just that they are yet to receive a revelation of who God is. Surely, God is in control, and it is He who decides who knows Him.

What do you think? Are unbelievers suppressing the truth?

Friday Encouragement

Here in London, it feels as though summer has arrived. I’m thanking God for the freedom of being able to walk around in shorts and a t-shirt, and for the clear blue sky and sunshine which has brought a cheery undercurrent to my day. I hope you’re having a good Friday and are looking forward to the bank holiday weekend.

I just wanted to share a passage from my Bible reading for today:

Remember your promise to me;

it is my only hope.

Your promise revives me;

it comforts me in all my troubles.

The proud hold me in utter contempt,

but I do not turn away from your instructions.

I meditate on your age-old regulations;

O LORD, they comfort me.

I become furious with the wicked,

because they reject your instructions.

Your decrees have been the theme of my songs

wherever I have lived.

I reflect at night on who you are, O LORD;

therefore, I obey your instructions.

This is how I spend my life:

obeying your commandments.

(Psalm 119:49-56)

Being a faithful follower of Jesus in a fallen world can be a lonely calling sometimes, as the broken world laughs and mocks at what we disciples know to be precious truth. Thankfully, we have God’s Word to remind us that we’re on the right path, and we have our brothers and sisters in the faith to encourage us.

And if God is for us, who can be against us?

How Wise Are You?

I used to be one of those people. Frowning down upon God’s Holy Word as being incoherent and naive, contradicting itself and containing many errors. I believed I had a theology which was superior to that of all the theologians I was reading.

I even wrote a book, Ultimate Truth: God Beyond Religion, criticising what I saw as all the errors in Christian doctrine and theology. It was satisfying, it gave my ego a boost, and it made me feel proud and wise.

At various times along my spiritual journey the Lord has brought me low and humbled me, and I have really needed those times in order to avoid being puffed up in my own eyes. In order to receive the truth we need to be humble and we need to revere God’s Word as being superior to our own ideas.

Why should we do this? Because God’s Word is truth (John 17:17). The Bible is God’s message for mankind in our age; His way of speaking into our lives about everything we need to know in order to live a godly life.

Do you take pleasure in criticising the Bible? Then take heed of these verses:

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” (1 Corinthians 3:18-20)

The Pioneer School

I want to introduce you to the best resource I’ve found for people who have a genuine desire to understand Christianity and who Jesus is. This resource will be very helpful for Christians at every stage in their spiritual journey, as well as for non-believers with an interest in Christ.

I came across this teaching through The Last Reformation movement. You may have heard me mention this movement in a previous post. It is a vibrant and rapidly growing move of the Holy Spirit in our time, and focuses on a return to authentic Biblical Christianity and the kind of discipleship we read about in the book of Acts.

If this interests you, the best starting point is the movie The Last Reformation – The Beginning which you can watch for free on YouTube here. This will give you a sound understanding of what the movement is about. When you have watched this, I recommend working your way through The Pioneer School, which is a series of free YouTube training videos led by Torben Søndergaard.

The series sheds light on many key biblical topics, including baptism, the Holy Spirit, casting out demons, fasting, and a whole lot more. There are a total of 24 lessons, most of which are between one and two hours long. Yes, that’s a big investment of your time, but I believe it is well worth it. I have just finished episode 15 but am planning to complete the course in the coming weeks.

The Pioneer School video series does not feature a highly technical production, but it is obviously very well thought out and the teaching is presented in a clear and accessible way. Try not to judge this book by its cover, because it’s all about the content, and I believe if you stick with it you will be transformed and receive many revelations about what it means to follow Jesus.

For the latest videos and other posts from Torben Søndergaard, “like” his Facebook page which can be found here or visit www.thelastreformation.com. The first video in the Pioneer School training series can be viewed here.

My Holy Spirit Baptism

I’m going through a season of growth at the moment and have been asking God to reveal those things that I lack spiritually when it comes to salvation and embracing everything He has for me in Christ. I’ve been a little confused in the area of Holy Spirit baptism, because although I often feel ‘filled with the Spirit’, especially during worship, until today there hadn’t been a significant event I could recall where I could say I experienced Holy Spirit baptism.

I sent text messages to several friends yesterday asking if they had been baptised by the Holy Spirit and “Yes!” “Wow!” “It’s amazing!” were the kind of responses I got. So I felt more confused because I couldn’t recall such an event from my own walk as a Christian. I was back at that familiar place that has arisen many times during my spiritual journey where I find myself asking ‘What am I missing?”.

I met my friend Nick (not his real name) in a cafe today and we talked about many things to do with our spiritual walks and what God is doing in our lives. Nick and I had been texting about the specific issue of the Holy Spirit, and we got our Bibles out and looked at a few scriptures that were relevant to Holy Spirit baptism. I knew Nick had some experience of this as he has attended various seminars as part of the Last Reformation movement (see below).

It felt as though our conversations were leading somewhere, and after a while I suggested we go for a walk and we agreed that we would find a quiet area and then Nick would pray for me to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We made our way through busy central London to Russell Square, and found a quiet grassy area where we could pray.

I felt hopeful about what I might experience but I can’t say I had 100% confidence I was going to experience anything. This is partly because I considered that to a certain extent I already “had” the Holy Spirit, and partly because I didn’t know whether God would choose to work through Nick in order to give me a new experience.

As Nick began to pray, for the first few seconds I felt nothing, but then *WHAM* it was as though an aeroplane had flown directly over my head, I felt a wave of what could perhaps be described as fire passing through me and suddenly everything was clearer and there was peace. I wasn’t expecting that! It happened as Nick was praying for the Holy Spirit to ‘fill me up’ – I did feel filled up and wanted him to keep praying because it was an amazing feeling!

We paused for a moment to discuss what was going on and were both delighted that I had experienced something. We agreed to continue praying. Nick was intermitently speaking in tongues and urged me to open my mouth and start speaking in tongues, which I did, and it felt strong and powerful and natural. I didn’t want this experience to stop and wished that Nick had continued asking the Spirit to ‘fill me up’ more and more, but he started praying about other things and the power halted. What can I say, Nick isn’t very experienced with this so it was a learning experience for both of us!

After a few minutes we stopped praying and started walking and talking about what had happened. I said I was so grateful to God that He had given me this experience, and I felt that now I could relate to my friends who had had similar experiences. It felt like an important step on my spiritual journey.

There is so much still to learn. In the coming months I hope to continue to grow as a Christian, learning more about what true Biblical discipleship means and living the authentic Christian life. If you resonate with this ambition and haven’t yet seen the Last Reformation movie, it is essential viewing, it changed my life and I can’t recommend it strongly enough! I’ve embedded the movie below for your convenience

The Bible and Homosexuality

I’m aware that this is a topic that inflames opinions and passions. In order for me to explain my views it will be necessary to explain a bit about my background, and what has led me to believe the things I believe. I sincerely hope that you will stick with me to the end of the article and I hope it will be an interesting read.

Who Am I?

I’m a Christian, and have been following Jesus for about a decade. Before that I was very promiscuous spiritually and sexually.

As an atheist during my teenage years I had pretty much no regard for sexual morality. I wanted to have sex with beautiful women as much as possible. I was driven by lust and there was really nothing in my life that was inhibiting me from pursuing carnal pleasure at every opportunity. At university and then working in the music industry this kind of life seemed acceptable – there was no authority teaching me that my behaviour was destructive. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll were my life.

When I was about 20 years old, after watching my parents’ relationship fall apart, and my mother suffer from an aggressive form of cancer that would ultimately take her life, I started to question everything. I wanted to find out about suffering, about sickness, about spirituality, and about truth. My search for enlightenment had begun.

I was drawn to the New Age movement, and spent my days meditating and listening to spiritual teachers like Deepak Chopra, Alan Watts, Eckhart Tolle, Ramana Maharshi, and Mooji, among others. At one time I was drawn into a cult led by Ratu Bagus which involved a spiritual practice called ‘shaking meditation’ which ultimately left me feeling wrecked and hopeless. I was obsessed with Eastern religion and the ‘gurus’ who claimed to hold the key to enlightenment or self-realisation. I put my trust in these figures, believing that by following them I would find the peace of mind I desperately craved.

My mental health deteriorated and I started to experience psychosis. For years I was living in a state of confusion, a kind of dream world which eventually led to me acting strangely and crossing the boundaries of socially acceptable behaviour. I experienced panic attacks, deep depression, delusions, aggression, and I tried to kill myself, although I was so confused at the time that I wasn’t even aware of what I was doing.

You won’t be surprised to learn that I ended up in hospital. Not from the suicide attempt, but after a serious episode of psychosis that led to me attacking my housemate and then sleeping rough in south London for a few days. I was sectioned and taken to a psychiatric ward. This was in 2007.[1]

During that first spell in psychiatric hospital, I asked a member of staff for a Bible. Even to this day I am still not sure what prompted me to do this, and judging by my experience as an atheist and adherent to New Age spirituality, it was a strange thing to do. But when I began to read passages of Scripture in my hospital room it was as though God was talking into my life circumstances and I was experiencing the reality of God and learning about His character for the first time.

Why Care What the Bible Says?

In order for us to truly believe in God, we need to experience some kind of revelation. For me this came through my experience of psychosis, which was very spiritual, and also from reading the Bible. For many people God is an empty idea that frustrates or even angers them, and I used to be that way myself. During my youth it seemed so irrational to me that there could be a God, because the veil had not been lifted, and the revelation had not yet come. It seemed as though there was no difference between believing in God and believing in fairies or flying spaghetti monsters (to use a phrase Richard Dawkins uses to ridicule believers).

But the Bible says “…seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”[2] I was certainly seeking with my whole heart, and I believe that often when we are truly broken – after searching everywhere for truth and only finding heartbreak – that is the moment when God reveals Himself. This is what happened in my case.

Since that spell in hospital in 2007 the Lord has been with me and has never left me. I didn’t stop experiencing turbulent mental health, and I have questioned various aspects of the Christian faith, but through it all I experienced the peace and love of Jesus. The gospel made sense to me for the first time, and I began to enjoy a personal relationship with God, which is something that can’t be explained, only experienced.

The Bible is different to all other books. It is God’s chosen way of revealing Himself to humanity. We find within the pages of Scripture everything that we need to know in order to live a godly life. The Holy Spirit gave me a solid conviction that the Bible is infallible and inerrant, which I take to mean it is exactly as God intended it to be for the purposes He had and has in mind.

With God and the Bible firmly established at the centre of my life, I became a different person. When we fear God our approach to moral issues changes. We choose to seek God’s will in all matters, accepting His authority with humility, and trusting that He knows best. I put an end to sexual immorality after reading in Scripture that it displeases God.

If you are struggling with issues to do with sexuality and morality, I believe you will find the answers if you truly humble yourself and seek God’s will. Let’s look at a few passages from the Bible that are relevant to the subject of homosexuality, and then you can choose whether you want to obey God, or go your own way.

Old Testament:

Leviticus 18:22 NLT

“Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.”

Leviticus 20:13 NLT

“If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act…”

New Testament:

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NLT

“Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or are greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people – none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.”

Conclusion

I believe the above scriptures make it pretty clear how God views homosexuality. But there is good news. Jesus came to bring the gospel to sinners who are willing to repent and turn towards God, and receive forgiveness. If you practice homosexuality, you have an opportunity to turn to God and receive forgiveness because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

We are all sinners, so you have no reason to believe you are being singled out or judged more harshly than anyone else. I admit that I am a sinner in need of forgiveness, and I want to live God’s way, not my own way. That means making sacrifices and giving up things that displease God. I would encourage you to accept God’s free gift of grace today; turn to Him and receive all that Jesus has done for you.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

[1] I cannot do justice to my entire spiritual journey in this blog post. I have written a book, The Philosophy of a Mad Man, where I go into more depth about what happened.

[2] Matthew 7:7

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