How To Make Gravy

Worship

2008-11-06T08:56:00.001+09:00

Miroslav Volf:

"Christian worship consists both in obedient service to God and in the joyful praise of God. Both of these elements are brought together in Hebrews 13:15–16, a passage that comes close to giving a definition of Christian worship: ‘Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.’ The sacrifice of praise and the sacrifice of good works are two fundamental aspects of the Christian way of being-in-the-world. They are at the same time the two constitutive elements of Christian worship: authentic Christian worship takes place in a rhythm of adoration and action.

Why does Christian worship need to branch out into action and adoration? What is the reason for this biformity of worship? In what follows I will try to answer these questions.

First, why cannot worship consist simply in active life in the world? Why does adoration need to take place as a distinct activity beside action? Because God did not create human beings to be merely God’s servants but above all to be God’s children, and friends. As much as they need to do God’s will in the world, they also need to enjoy God’s presence".

Carson, D. (2000, c1993). Worship : Adoration and action. Produced by the Faith and Church Study Unit of the Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Fellowship. (electronic ed.) (207). Grand Rapids: Published on behalf of World Evangelical Fellowship by Baker Book House.

Me, Myself and Iphone

2008-09-16T20:08:00.001+08:00

If you like Jesus, and you like gadgets, read this.

Church Plant Design

2008-09-02T12:41:00.001+08:00

On a scale from fun/easy to hard work/soul destroying I'm quite sure church planting can offer experiences on the entire spectrum.

But working on the design for the church plant is definitely down the fun/easy end.

Ok, so you can enjoy and give us your thoughts:

[1] We have a working name for the church plant, "Providence Church". Now before you react you need to keep in mind a few things:

(a) first off, we wanted a name that didn't sound too wacko or off the map, hence having 'church' in the title.

(b) second, we wanted a name that had both Christian significance, but that could also resonate in some way with people who don't have any Christian background. I think "Providence" does that.

[2] Now for the fun designs put together by our gifted design genius Edd. So here they are:

Concept 1

Concept 2

Concept 3

Feedback is welcomed. If you get to show people who aren't church goers that kind of feedback would be even more welcome.

Song of Songs

2008-08-18T15:44:00.001+08:00

Hi All,

Starting a new 4 week series next week on the Old Testament book of the Song of Songs.

I thought you could help me:

What questions do you have about the Song of Songs?

Ever heard a sermon series before? What was good/bad?

I look forward to any thoughts. Thanks.

GGF Update - Interserve

2008-07-27T20:58:00.003+08:00

Tonight at the 5pm service we continued exploring Paul's second letter to the Corinthian church, as Tim Thorburn helped us to grasp what it means to rejoice in our weakness. He reminded us that it is in our weakness that we truly know and experience God's power, and the truth really hits home that His 'grace is sufficient' for us. Let us keep acknowledging our full dependence on God, and modelling the humility and 'weakness' of Paul, and Jesus himself, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross!"

We were also privileged to hear from Tanuja Martin, who has been serving at Tansen Hospital in Nepal with her husband Wayne.

Tanuja shared amazing stories, photographs and insights with us, giving us not only a picture of life as a missionary in Nepal, but also an eye-opening and challenging insight into the daily reality for the Nepalese people, many of whom struggle with poverty, lack of education and infrastructure, social inequality, and the constant threat of riots, guerilla warfare and the kidnapping of boys to be trained (or rather, indoctrinated) as Maoist soldiers.

Tanuja shared with us the heartbreaking story of one of her patients who died very young, only hours after giving birth to her third daughter - a pregnancy she shouldn't have had because of heart failure, but was pressured to in the hope of producing a son - only for that unwanted baby girl to be rejected by her father. However, there was hope in that story, as that baby girl was adopted by a Christian Nepalese family.

Likewise there are other stories of hope as the Nepalese Christian church grows, and more people - including the hard-to-reach high caste Nepalese doctors with whom Wayne and Tanuja work - hear the good news about Jesus Christ. But the poverty, sickness, death, injustice and uncertainty still go on, and it is a difficult and emotionally exhausting work that Wayne and Tanuja have been giving themselves to over the past few years.

As we reflect on what we heard from Tanuja tonight, let's pray that the Martins have a refreshing time in Australia over the next 6 months, before they go back to Tansen in January '09. And let's join with them in praying for the work of God's Kingdom in Nepal; that God would raise up missionaries from within Nepal and elsewhere, to spread His Gospel and be His hands and feet in that needy country - particularly that He would provide a primary school teacher for Alecia and Siobhan and the other missionary children in Tansen. Let's pray that the new Maoist government would not destroy or restrict the religious freedoms that have allowed so much growth in the church over the past years, and that God would bring more growth, in both breadth and depth, and would raise up Nepalese Christian leaders and teachers to train the Body for works of service to the glory of Christ.

See Blodwyn's "Postcard from Nepal" here for more information and prayer points about Nepal.

Note that our Global Gospel Focus program at the 5 is slightly different from what it says on the GGF postcard. Our missions-focused preaching will begin next Sunday, 3rd August, and will go for three weeks.

I encourage you all to try to make it to the 'Taste of Taiwan' event on Saturday 9th August, it promises to be a fun and encouraging evening together.

In Christ,

Deb Karajas

Global Gospel Focus

2008-07-10T10:25:00.001+08:00

In the coming weeks at church will have the privilege of focusing beyond ourselves and onto what God is doing around his world.

Here's some explanation from the Missions Workgroup:

"Global Missions Month is a time dedicated to informing, challenging and encouraging members of all St Matt's congregations to share in the work of God's Kingdom throughout our world. There are several ways in which we hope to achieve this:

* On each of the four Sundays during Global Missions Month, the sermons will focus on parts of Scripture that will help us to better understand God's mission in our world, and the parts He calls us to play in it. [Ed. Note that at 5pm church our missions preaching goes for 3 weeks beginning 03 August].

* On each of those Sundays, there will also be a time of input from different mission organisations that St Matt's and its members support (TEAR, Interserve, OMF and CMS), helping us to be informed about how those organisations are working to spread the Gospel of Christ and opportunities that exist for us to partner with them.

* On Friday 8th August, a Youth Missions Night will be hosted at St Matt's, with invitations to other affiliated youth groups, and input from Phil and Irene Nicholson.

* On Saturday 9th August there will be a special event hosted by Phil and Irene Nicholson, called 'A Taste of Taiwan', where we will have a unique opportunity to find out about life and missions in Taiwan, and will even have a taste of its cuisine. Phil and Irene are missionaries with OMF, pioneering new ways of doing church with Taiwan's largely unreached working class.

Our hope is that the various events and talks throughout Global Missions Month will not merely make us more knowledgable about missions throughout the world, but will

- genuinely inform and motivate us to pray regularly and fervently to "the Lord of the harvest... to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matt 9)

- encourage and equip us to love, serve and pray for our brothers and sisters who are already out in that harvest field, and

- challenge us to to invest some of the abundance with which God has lavished us to further the work of His Kingdom throughout the world.

How can we do this??

It is our hope and prayer that everyone at St Matt's, whether as individuals, families or small groups, will "adopt a missionary". There are many forms this might take, depending on your passions, gifts and resources, but essentially it means personally partnering with a missionary, or missionaries, in the work they are doing in "the harvest field", and as a bare minimum should involve regular prayer support and communication.

The St Matt's Missions Working Group can and will support you in this important commitment through regular prayer updates from St Matt's link missionaries, and if you are stuck for ideas in how to care for and support your adopted missionary then we would happily meet with you or your small group to help you find some achievable and sustainable ways in which you can do that effectively.

Please pray with us that Global Missions Month will be the beginning of a deeper, richer, more effective partnership between the people of St Matt's and our link missionaries, and that God would hear our prayers and reap a great harvest from every tribe and tongue and nation."

Why We SHOULDN'T Plant Churches

2008-05-26T14:16:00.001+08:00

OBJECTION! OBJECTION!
Originally uploaded by Sailor Lynx

It's been a while since I have posted, but I thought I might turn to the subject of church planting.

To begin with I thought I would get your help. The next Master's Class on Thursday 5th June is on 'Why Plant Churches?'.

But my question for you is what kinds of reasons might you give for why we SHOULDN'T plant churches. Here are some objections I have heaerd:

1. We shouldn't plant churches because we don't need new churches we just need the current churches to be stronger.

2. We shouldn't plant churches because we weaken the church from which the people leave to start the new church.

3. We shouldn't plant churches because we should be trying to build large churches that can influence our society/diocese/suburb for the gospel.

I guess given that I am planning to lead a church plant, I don't agree with all these objections.

But do you have more objections to church planting that you think should be discussed on the 5th June?

Bring them on ...

Quotes on Singleness and Kids

2008-04-01T16:37:00.001+08:00

Chaos
Originally uploaded by Dave Pearson

Writing a talk on the 7th commdment this week and came across these quotes from Stanley Hauerwas (from "The Truth About God" 1999):

"The term "planned parenthood" doesn't quite fit how Christians ought to have children, for children are not our choice as much as they are God's choice for us. Much harm has been done to children in our era through children being reduced to projects of the parents. Children are not our achievements, or our rights, or our projects. They are God's gifts. Of course, the gift of chlidren is sometimes a gift that disrupts our lives, creating all sorts of anarchy. Sometimes our dull little lives need the gift of some divine anarchy. Christians know that our lives are not merely meant to be safe, therefore God gives us something more interesting to do with our lives than maintaining mere security. God gives us children".

And:

"Those who are single in the church also bear parental responsibilities since, in baptism, everyone in the church is a parent. As Sunday school teachers, confirmation mentors, and faithful examples of the faith, single people can do much to nurture our children in the faith [...] Because Christians do not have to marry to be faithful to Christ, marriage is viewed by us as a calling to be tested by the church. It is not the single who must explain their status to the church but the married".

Welcome to the Jungle

2008-03-20T10:29:00.001+09:00

jim halpert
Originally uploaded by greatspacecoaster15

I'm working on some talks for a day conference for Ecom on the Christian and Work called "Welcome to the Jungle" (14th June).

Here is a good quote I came across from Tim Harford's new book "The Logic of Life":

“Not many people lie on their deathbeds wishing they had spent more time in the office. Ah, the office: the mournful gloaming under the fluorescent strips, the monotonous swish of the photocopier, the ‘ping’ as e-mails arrive from bullying bosses, work-shy colleagues and backstabbing rivals. Much of it is little better than spam. In fact, spam is a blessed release: a missive from another world, sent by a transparent crook and wasting no more than a second or two. Real e-mail also comes from time-wasting criminals, but it takes a lot more effort to deal with”.

Any reflections on the workplace??

Been Caught Stealing

2008-02-20T11:52:00.003+09:00

Quit Stealing our Letters
Originally uploaded by steviebreech

She said it loudly and unashamedly to her girlfriend: "Have a look at this dress I just stole".

I got on the train at Fremantle to come back to Shenton Park yesterday afternoon. It was fairly crowded being the school rush hour. Some teenage girls got on who looked old enough to leave school, but young enough that they shouldn't have.

One girl turned to her friend on the seat behind, opened her bag up and said "have a look at this dress I just stole". She brought out a red dress still with the tag on it. "It's cute" the friend said. "Yeah, when I saw it I though I just had to have it so I took it to the change room" - took it to the change room not to try on, but to put in her bag!
She then ripped off the price tag in front of us, and threw on the seat next to her.

First off, you have to love the real world of public transport.
Second, I was a little taken back by the mundane nature of the discussion. It clearly wasn't the first time.
Third, being in the middle of a series on the 10 commandments I have been thinking about all the subtle ways we might break the command 'do not steal'. There was not subtlety here!
Fourthly, it is so easy to be self-righteous: 'what an idiot, doesn't she understand what would happen if we all did that?' Easy to be self-righteous until I remembered once doing the same kind of thing in primary school (in a less brazen and far less competent way however).

In fact in our sinful selves we have all stolen from God - in more ways than we probably understand.

Jesus said:
"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners".

HMS Compromise, Slowly Leaving the Shore

2008-02-14T18:16:00.001+09:00

Sometimes people just get up one day and ditch Jesus.

But as a Christian, it is more likely that the little compromises we make along the way bit by bit will be the things that finally undo us - like the compass that is slightly off course, when left uncorrected moves the boat a long way from it destination.

In Genesis chapter 13 Lot decides to leave the land of Canaan promised to Abraham (Gen 12) and go the prosperous land of the plain, toward Sodom.

But notice the progression:

Lot pitched his tents ‘near Sodom (13:12);

Lot was living ‘in Sodom’ (14:12);

Lot was ‘sitting in the gateway of the city’ (19:1), a position of influence in the city (like the Mayor - if any of us knew who the mayor is).

The drift is slow, but obvious for Lot. What began as the hunt for prosperity finished with total compromise.

When it comes to sin and compromise, we sometimes think: How close can I get to the hook without being caught? We're probably best not finding out.

The Tension of Intentionality

2008-02-13T09:28:00.001+09:00

Peace Love Happiness Friends 63/365
Originally uploaded by Pink Sherbet Photography

Someone recently talked to me about the tension they feel in wanting their friends to know Jesus. On the one hand, friends are friends and nobody wants to feel like a project. On the other hand, as someone who has had their life transformed by the good news about Jesus, it's not something you want to hold in.

Another way of saying it is that in life as a Christian we want knowing Jesus to shape all that we are and do. So we want to approach all our relationships with a mindset that is shaped by the gospel. We could say we want to have 'gospel intentionality'. Without this kind of gospel intentionality, our friendships will become purely secular (ie solely of 'this world', and interested only in the things of this world).

So how does 'gospel intentionality' lead to real friendships and not just projects?

Going back to basics it might be easiest to say that as a Christian we know how much God has loved us. And it should be only natural to want others to know and experience that same love. While this way of thinking doesn't do away with the tension all together, it is a good starting place for our relationships.

There are also some practical things that can help reduce the tensions. But enough from me. Any suggestions?

Our City

2008-02-07T15:00:00.001+09:00

Steve McAlpine is a good friend of mine and used to be on staff at St Matt's, and who has recently returned to living in Perth. This post of his was too good not to share:

"And while we are on the topic, since Perth is so easy to live in, I have noticed a few things about this fair city:

First it makes people incredibly receptive to the gospel. There are so many opportunities to get into conversations with people about God. At the beach people flock to me asking how they can ever repay their creator for this amazing natural and completely free scenery and leisure centre of sand, sun and surf. People washing their four by fours in front of their McMansions keep stopping me in the (litter-free) streets and saying “Yes Steve, it’s all great stuff, buts it’s not enough, what must we do to be saved?” [more]

Nothing To See Here

2007-12-27T08:06:00.001+09:00

Geraldton from sunset beach
Originally uploaded by Tez.Au

On holidays until 14th January so no more posts until then.

Don't forget the 5pm Kick-Off morning on Saturday 19th January.

See you then! Nigel

Who Are We?

2007-12-11T16:10:00.001+09:00

Communication
Originally uploaded by Johannes de Jong_

On Saturday 19th January, we are planning a kick-off morning for 5pm church and the plans for 2008.

As a part of that morning, I wanted to give some time to discussing the kind of church 5pm is and the opportunities we have for serving God in the future.

Every church is brought together by Jesus in his gospel; every church has a philosophy of ministry that shapes the way they do what they do; and every church is made up of people with particular gifts and opportunities that are God-given and effectively unique to that group of people.

So to get us thinking, what would you say are the unique gifts and opportunities God has given us at 5pm church?

To get the ball rolling, I might suggest the following that shapes who we are:

1. Commuters. It might seem obvious, but only a few of us actually live in Shenton Park. Most of us commute - some from close by, some from far away. I don't think we should under-estimate the impacts of being a commuter church brings. We probably need to re-think some things we do more conscious of geography (eg PABS groups and training nights based more on geography).

2. Family. We are God's family together with opportunities to be a loving Christian community. Also, a good number of us are parents of young children which provides a whole set of challenges and opportunities as Christians.

3. Workers. An overwhelming majority of us are in part-time or full-time work. Which means that for a large part of our time we are dispersed throughout the city. What opportunities does this present us to live for God, and how can we as a church encourage and celebrate what God does throughout the city through us?

Bring on your thoughts ...

Church Planting

2007-10-23T16:26:00.001+08:00

Here is a good quote from the Acts 29 Network newsletter:

"Jesus did not die on a cross so that we could start a cool church. He died to glorify Himself as the mission is completed through His redeemed people. Without the cross, we have no mission. Without a mission, we only have religion. Without a mission, we have no passion because we have no cure for the hopeless condition of humankind.
Jesus said, As the Father has sent me into the world, even so I am sending you. (John 17:18; 20:21)"

2008 Top 10 Ideas

2007-10-01T16:04:00.001+08:00

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.

Hi All,
As I mentioned on Sunday night, now is the time for us to be thinking about what 2008 might look like for us together as a church.

I am really keen to hear your top 10 ideas for 2008. Perhaps we could have a few categories:

Category A. Sunday Church Services
Category B. Weekly Small Groups
Category C. Mercy Ministries (eg soup kitchen)

I look forward to your ideas coming. Bring them on ...

Good News Week Has Arrived

2007-08-26T07:24:00.001+08:00

The feeling of belonging to your dreams
Originally uploaded by Silvia♥

Good News Week is finally here! Each day we will review what has happened and update things to pray for.

As an encouragement that God's words are powerful, remember what God said to Moses in Exodus 4:

11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

Again and again in the Bible God uses people like us, to share his words. I pray that he will use you to invite and speak to friends, and that the gospel will bring new life to your friends.

Pray today for:
- the Sunday services that visitors who come will be welcomed
- that Ray Galea will speak clearly and engagingly of Jesus
- that those who are invited will come back to hear Ray again

No Sitting on the Fence

2007-07-19T21:36:00.001+08:00

Wire_fence
Originally uploaded by MrBisaya

In Luke chapter 12, Jesus says something shocking:
8 “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9 But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

It is shocking because there is no middle way - there is no sitting on the fence.

Either we acknowledge Jesus before other people, or we don't. Jesus doesn't give us a third option of a lifetime-of-keeping-silent.

But how amazing will it be to have Jesus calling your name before the angels in heaven. "This one's with me".

Making Opportunities? Or Taking Opportunities?

2007-07-12T16:17:00.001+08:00

During the week I was doing a seminar at Ecom on the difficulty that many of us in feeling that we are too busy, and so don't have any time to talk. In particular, workers who feel they are too busy to every talk to colleagues or friends about their faith.

The apostle Paul on two occasions (Eph 5:16; Col 4:5) tells Christians to 'redeem the time'. Which is a way of saying 'buying back the time'. We all know time is short. Our lives are short, and Jesus could return at any moment. Life is short! So because we by more time, what we can do is use our time well, what Paul calls 'redeeming the time'.

Many of you will be familiar with Colossians 4:5

'Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders;

make the most of every opportunity'(NIV).

What the second half of the verse literally says is 'redeeming the time'. Which 'making the most of every opportunity is a pretty good translation of isn't it.

But there is an important difference: do we take opportunities God gives us, or do we make opportunities?

I have always thought about 'make the most of every opportunity' as the idea that in our everyday lives God presents us with different opportunities to talk about him and we shouldn't miss them.

But 'redeeming the time' might be something that we actively seek after. We don't just passively wait for God to give us opportunities, we might go looking for some as well (which of course are still part of God's sovereign plans).

So when it comes to talking about Jesus, are we to be opportunity makers, or opportunity takers?

A Week in the Word

2007-06-24T15:41:00.000+08:00

Are you interested in reading through the entire Bible over 2 years?

Need some regular reminders to keep at it?

Want to share ideas and discuss what you are reading?

Then sign up for A Week In The Word.

Have a look at: http://aweekintheword.blogspot.com/

Email me to sign up.

"Real Life" - A Week of Good News!

2007-06-24T15:30:00.000+08:00

Sunday-to-Sunday (25/8 - 2/9) in late August and early September we have a week of outreach events.

We're calling it "Real Life" and it follows on from previous Good News Weeks.

Our speaker is one of Australia's great speakers: Ray Galea from Multicultural Bible Ministries in Sydney's western suburbs (hear Ray at http://www.mbm.asn.au/).

How can you get involved?

1. Pray! For preparations, for Ray and the Trinity College team who are joining us, for friends ..

2. Help organise or assist a particular event. 5pm church are responsible for organising the Saturday night Jazz evening.

3. Invite a friend, family member or colleague to an event appropriate to them.

4. Participate: we don't expect everyone to come to everything, but we think you will benefit greatly by being involved. Don't miss out!

More info to come.

Swimming Upstream

2007-05-24T19:07:00.000+08:00

For those of you who missed the 5pm Weekend Away, we looked at the book of Daniel chapters 1-3. Daniel lived in a pagan world, and his situation has many similarities to our own setting.

So here is a part of the talk about how to live as a Christian in a pagan world:

"There are a few different ways that Christians have tried swimming against the tide. Or different ways that Christians have throughout history been swimming in the stream.

1. Stop swimming and float downstream (total assimilation)
The first approach is attractive because it is the easiest and definitely the most fun and the one in which you meet a lot of cool fish.

The first approach is to just stop swimming and float downstream. It takes little effort, and you can even do it in you sleep. And the rapids are a hoot!

We could call this assimilation. Where the way the Christian copes with living in a secular or pagan world is just to become like the world in every way. You no longer have the tension of living in a secular and pagan world as a Christian because for all intents and purposes there is nothing Christian about you any more.

2. Swim upstream every now and then
The second approach is to swim upstream every now and then. Like you could decide to swim upstream on Tuesday and Sunday nights (for example). Like swimming against the tide when you are hanging around with your Christian friends, but the rest of the time you are basically the same as the culture around you. Like you have the outward appearance of being Christian (going to church, going to HUB), but actually all your hopes and dreams and desires for your life and your future are no different from the surrounding culture. Your body might be at church, but your heart is out there. And because you only swim upstream every now and then, where do you end up do you think? Well, you don’t end up-stream!! You end up down-stream!!

3. Swim upstream in disgust
The third approach is much harder than the first two. And it is more suited to certain personality types: like Alpha-males.

The third approach is to swim upstream and as you do that – spit in disgust at the other fish going downstream. Not only do you muster all your energy to keep swimming upstream, you have the mental resolve to despise the other fish around you – all they can do is swim with the tide. At night you lecture your kids saying ‘remember kids, even a dead dog can swim with the tide’. You don’t love the fish swimming down stream. You don’t care might what happen to them at their destination. You despise them. And look down your noise at them.
And even though you make a lot of money selling them imported Fish Protein Pills, as you bank your cash you secretly look forward to the day when they are all gone and you finally can live without them.

And you don’t mind how much damage happens to the stream from your v12 Fish Jet-ski, because once you’re upstream who cares how festy the stream becomes downstream.

4. Build your own swimming pools (ghetto)
The fourth approach takes more effort than all the others but is much more hygienic. This involves swimming by leaving the stream and going out and building your own swimming pools.
It’s a very attractive proposal this one. If you build it right, you don’t have to worry about logs in the stream or leaves; and all the signs around the pool can make it clear that you should keep left when doing your laps. And the really good thing is that by eliminating the unwanted fish, all the swimmers are now swimming in the right direction.
You become the tide!! Instantly you become the majority. Freed from worrying about those fish swimming past in the wrong direction you can focus your time and energy on Christian Fish political parties and debating the merits of home schooling. And after a while you can forget all about all the fish out there in those streams. In fact, you don’t even have to bump into them anymore.

This is the Christian ghetto approach. Like the immigrants who never learn the host language and who set themselves up as a sub-culture within the host culture that never really has to engage with the host culture.

There are some ways that Christians have in history lived in hostile and unchristian cultures.
1. Total assimilation
2. Outwardly Christian, but inwardly completely the same as the culture
3. Despising the surrounding culture
4. The Christian ghetto.

None of these options seem completely satisfactory do they? "

The Good Life

2007-04-17T14:59:00.000+08:00

Sometimes it feels like being a Christian is all cost and no benefit. Depending on your circumstances, there will be things that as a Christian you are missing out on. Or maybe there are things you have to endure as a Christian that you wouldn't have to otherwise. Sometimes God's commands in Scripture can appear restrictive, even unreasonable.

But God does not desire for us anything but our good. And what God asks of us is always for our good. Isaiah 48:17 says:

This is what the LORD God says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
"I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
your righteousness like the waves of the sea".

God says that his teachings are 'what is best for you'. God does not short-change us. His ways are what is best for us. Sin always promises to offer us a better way. But if God has made us then he knows what is best.

So next time you are struggling to follow God's way, remember what God says to you in Isaiah 48:11
"I am the LORD your God, who teaches what is best for you'.

Reading the Old Testament: The Song of Songs

2007-03-06T12:33:00.000+09:00

Just about to start a 5 week series at City Bible Forum on the surprising book of the Song of Songs. I wondered why I was so unfamiliar with the Song of Songs - until I realised it was in the sealed section of the Old Testament!

Looking at the structure of the Song of Songs is an example of how the structure of books (especially in the OT) can help us understand their meaning.

In order to properly understand the message of a book of the Bible, it is helpful to understand the structure of a book. By ‘structure’ we simply mean identifying what the different sections of the book are. Which sounds simple enough, but when done well, it can lead to helpful insights into the meaning of the book as well (ie its theology).

The Song of Songs is one of those books that is a bit hard to understand on first reading. As you read through the book, however, you will notice a repeated phrase:

2:7 Daughters of Jerusalem,
I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.

3:5 Daughters of Jerusalem,
I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.

8:4 Daughters of Jerusalem,
I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.

This repeated phrase is know as a ‘structural marker’ and breaks the Song of Songs into four main sections (1:1–2:7; 2:8–3:5; 3:6–8:4; 8:5–14).

At which point you might be wondering: so what is the big deal?

Well, it helps us see that the Song of Songs is as much about waiting for love, as it is about finally enjoying that love.

A message about ‘waiting for love’ sounds foreign to the ears of our culture. For our culture despises waiting for anything, let alone the passion of physical love. Likewise for Christians, passionate love is not to be controlled or denied, but it is to be ‘waited for’: that is, enjoyed in the way that God wants and in the time that God brings for each of us.

At the same time, a message about ‘waiting for love’ can help us as Christians who wait for Jesus who we haven’t yet seen, but whom we love (1 Peter 1:8). And as we wait, the Song of Songs helps us understand the extent of God’s love for his people.