Blog/ Goff Hope | King's Community Church, Norwich | Newfrontiers

Christmas - it's amazing!

2011-12-23T10:46:00.003Z

I like Christmas! You wont get any humbug from me, even if I do get a bit wound up by all the hype and excess, because there are many good things about Christmas to be celebrated and enjoyed. Personally, I look forward to time with the family at home - the great company, the laughter, the food.. log fire.. games.. pressies.. And yes, I am very aware how blessed I am to be able to enjoy all of the above when so many in the world keenly feel the absence of such things at this time. I’m very grateful.

I also like Christmas because of the focus on Jesus - even if he does so often get lost amongst all the nonsense. Let him be heard! Now this is where I’m afraid I do have a bit of a gripe - some of those awful carols... (I’m going to get into trouble here..!) like ‘Away in a manger’. Who said baby Jesus never cried? He really was human you know! And what about the line.. ‘Christian children all should be mild (??!!) obedient, good as he.’

And then there’s the de-radicalizing of Scripture - listen out for the reading of Isaiah chapter 53, read with polished poise.. “Who has believed our report...” when actually it should be read with shocked amazement, something like.. “Who on earth will ever believe this??!” because what Isaiah goes on to describe, centuries before it happened, is a Saviour King who would willingly be humbled & humiliated, beaten & killed, all for the sake of carrying the guilt and punishment of lost people like us. Astonishing! And long may it amaze and astonish us and result in loud and long celebrations!!

My prayer is that Jesus will be seen and heard because he really is the Saviour of the world - and we are in need of saving. Yes, he came for the last, the least, the little and the lost, to pay a price that we could never pay to bring us into a life & future that we could never earn, and for that, I am eternally grateful!

So have a great Christmas - be amazed.. and very grateful to God!

Goff

(You can now follow Goff on Twitter)

Knowing & enjoying God..

2011-10-23T13:48:00.002+01:00

Someone asked me this morning for details of a quote that I used whilst preaching, and I promised to put it on my blog this afternoon! It is actually my all time favourite quote outside of the Bible and I can practically quote it by heart! The reason that I love this quote is because it expresses so well the truth about God's grace and his kindness towards us.
It is from J I Packer's classic book, 'Knowing God', from the chapter entitled 'Knowing and being known'.
I hope you enjoy it!

“What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it – the fact that He knows me. I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me. I know Him, because He first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when His eye is off me, or His attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when His care falters.

This is momentous knowledge. There is unspeakable comfort – the sort of comfort that energises, be it said, not enervates – in knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love, and watching over me for my good. There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me. There is, certainly, great cause for humility in the thought that He sees all the twisted things about me that my fellow-men do not see (and am I glad!), and that He sees more corruption in me than that which I see in myself (which, in all conscience, is enough). There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, He wants me as His friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given His Son to die for me in order to realise this purpose. We cannot work these thoughts out here, but merely to mention them is enough to show how much it means to know, not merely that we know God, but that He knows us.”

Awesome!

Goff

Joy on the Journey..

2011-10-02T16:25:00.003+01:00

Joy is in short supply nowadays, believe me, I’ve just been reading the weekend papers. So it’s very timely that we have just begun our new preaching series @kingsnorwich entitled ‘Joy on the Journey’. Based on the Book of Philippians, this series seeks to show that living life as a Christian really should affect your demeanor in a very noticeable way, even (or perhaps I should say especially) in challenging circumstances. Ask the apostle Paul; his life was not exactly a tea party, what with the numerous beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, personal setbacks & abandonments, yet he demonstrated that a Christian, living with an ongoing, intimate relationship with Jesus, is able to walk through the severest circumstances and still know joy and peace of mind.

Paul describes this dynamic, life-changing relationship with Jesus as ‘being in Christ’, and not as the pinnacle that super-Christians might one day aspire to, but the fundamental stance of every Christian. Of all the expressions in the New Testament, the phrase ‘in Christ Jesus’ is one of the most difficult to translate well. In union with Christ Jesus is probably the closest in English, but in other languages you have to use expressions like ‘tied to Christ Jesus,’ ‘one with Christ Jesus,’ or ‘standing together with Christ Jesus.’ One writer put it like this: To be in union with the living Christ is to live continually in his presence just as a bird in the air, a fish in the water, or the roots of a tree in the soil”.
You see, there’s no such thing as a ‘nominal’ Christian. In the vocabulary of Paul and the New Testament you are either ‘in Christ’ or you’re still ‘dead in your trespasses and sins’. The problem is that we have often lowered the bar in terms of what it means to be a Christian (“Just believe, give mental assent”) and with it, the expectation of what the Christian life should be like. Gordon Fee puts it like this: Knowing Christ is not some kind of intellectual exercise. Rather it is to live in relationship with him in such a way that one comes to know him intimately. And to know him is to be conformed into his likeness.

I’m not writing this blog to make you feel bad! Quite the opposite. In these uncertain, fear-inducing days I believe that Christians not only have astonishing resources to draw on - if they will start living in Christ, they also have the only real answer for their dismayed neighbors who have no idea what the future holds for them.

I close with a quote from Martyn Lloyd-Jones: ‘A Christian is not merely one who is a little less miserable than he was. He is one who rejoices.’! And I for one, am very glad about that!

Goff

You can now follow Goff on Twitter @goffhope

Recipe for a good church..

2011-08-16T09:49:00.000+01:00

What makes a good church? Well I guess there’s all sorts of criteria from doctrine to decor, but right up there, high on the list of New Testament priorities is hospitality: And I’m glad about that! Why? Well for a start because one of the things I enjoy most in life is the great pleasure of sitting around the table enjoying a good meal with good friends! You can’t beat it - a friendly atmosphere, lively conversation, tasty food and maybe a nice glass of something red... Perfect!
A few weeks ago Angie and I were away in Calgary serving the church there, and in the process we enjoyed some great Canadian hospitality from Richard & Margaret Graham (Richard leads Harvest Christian Fellowship). As well as being warmly welcomed into their home, I really enjoyed those pancakes covered in maple syrup!!

Yes, hospitality is good and I’m so glad that King’s has a pretty strong reputation here, going back to those early days when we practiced ‘Open House’ on a Sunday morning, when the church family would take it in turn to open their home to as many as wanted to go for Sunday lunch. Of course the church is a bit big to do that nowadays, but I am very keen that we shouldn’t lose that great tradition (yes, some traditions are very good!). Of course receiving hospitality is only half the story, there’s the giving of it that makes it work! If no one gave it, then no one would receive it!! And then even more importantly, hospitality is not only inviting your best friends round. The Greek word from which we get the word ‘hospitality’ literally means ‘to love the stranger’, so actually, real hospitality stars to kick in when we not only open our homes to one another, but start to look out for those on the edge of things who could really use a friendly invitation. And I’m convinced that God loves that, because His love begins to flow and the church moves from being an organisation to being a family.
So can I encourage us all this summer, to take advantage of the BBQ season and the extra time we have on our hands, and invite some folk over. It’s great fun AND it builds the family!

Goff

Things you need to know...

2011-06-26T21:22:00.002+01:00

Well, I got to preach on one of the most controversial chapters in the Bible this morning. Millennium, rapture, intermediate state - what are we to make of it all, and chapter 20 of Revelation in particular? Unfortunately at this point many Christians quite understandably switch off with a ‘blow it, I’m not sure I want to get into all that’ mentality, and that’s a shame because I believe that God does not want us to be ignorant about our future. Knowing what your future holds is very important, especially when you get to face it a bit closer up! An understanding of God’s plans for this world is also important - knowing whether it will it wind up, blow up or go up. As a pastor, I feel the responsibility of teaching and preparing people well so that they can face the uncertainties of life and death with a faith that is grounded in God’s Word. So here’s a few headlines, some key truths that I believe we need to extract from the debate:

What happens to Christians when they die?
I believe that the Bible clearly teaches that Christians go straight into the presence of Jesus - no waiting, no ‘soul sleep’ - the immediate enjoyment of Jesus’ presence! I base this on 2 key passages, firstly Jesus’ words to the believing criminal on the cross ‘today you will be with me in Paradise’ Lk 23v43 (the word ‘paradise’ is used interchangeably with ‘heaven’ in 2Cor 12v4) and secondly Paul’s words in 2Cor 5v6: “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord” Every Christian should be clear on this, it enables you to approach death well! Now as it happens, I believe that Revelation ch20 also teaches this when John speaks of the 1st resurrection in verse 5, but I base my interpretation of that difficult passage on the clearer teaching of the earlier references that I mentioned.

What happens when Jesus returns?
In each of the many instances in the Bible where this event is mentioned there is reference to trumpets and angels and cosmic shakings - so you won’t miss it!! See Matt 24, 1Thes 4, 2Pet 3. It will be glorious! It will also be awesome - really awesome, as every person stands before a Holy God to give account. We read of that this morning in Rev ch20 where we also read of the Book of Life in which is written the names of those whose faith in Jesus will exclude them from judgment since He has taken their sins on Himself! So there will be a separating out of Christians from unbelievers, as Christians are caught up to meet the Lord in the air (the rapture). See 1Thes4v17. At that time we will receive new bodies ready for the new heaven & earth, so we won’t be drifting around in space!
The Bible also teaches that the second coming of Jesus will be a very decisive day. Sin, suffering and satan will be decisively dealt with once and for all as God makes all things new. See 2Thes2v3, 2Pet3v8,12, and Matt 24. And that leads me to the controversial question:

What is the millennium all about?
Millennium means 1000 years and is spoken of only here in Revelation ch20. It is a period of time when satan is spoken of as being bound, and when saints who have died reign with Jesus, prior to the final destruction of satan. Pre-millennialists believe that this will be after Jesus returns (Jesus comes pre the millennium!), and Post-millennialist, you guessed it, they believe that this will be before Jesus returns. Now if as Pre-millennialists believe, this 1000 years occur after Jesus returns, then it follows that there is more grief ahead, 1000 years later, when satan causes havoc again and has to be dealt with all over again. I don’t think so. I believe that Jesus’ second coming will be decisive and conclusive.
Post-millennialists believe that any time now satan will be tied up so that the world gets better and better for 1000 years before Jesus returns. But that surely means that his return is a long way off, and... Not convinced! Lastly, what if the millennium isn’t a literal period of time, and what if we conclude that satan is already bound & restricted as a result of Jesus’ death and resurrection, bound in that he cannot hold the nations in deception because the gospel is going out into all the world, saving people from every tribe and nation? That’s A-millennialism - it’s now! Satan’s influence has been limited, and dead Christians reign with Jesus - Now! And when Jesus returns, then satan will be dealt with decisively and permanently - no delay, no come back appearance 1000 years later - dealt with! To my mind, that fits best with the teaching in the rest of Scripture and is why I am an A-millennialist!

Goff

How long..??

2011-05-30T11:56:00.004+01:00

As we reach the vision of the bowls of God’s wrath poured out on the earth in our series on the Book of Revelation, I am convinced of the value of systematic expository preaching. Otherwise, who would ever choose to preach on this? Yet Marcus did a superb job this morning drawing out the true significance and importance of God’s wrath (see the download on the King’s website). No one should ever enjoy preaching on such a subject but a failure to preach it is to ride roughshod over God’s word and God’s character. He is Holy, awesomely so, and he is just. Were he less than perfectly just then he would not be worthy of all adoration and praise, there would be no guarantee of ultimate justice in the world, and Christ’s work of atonement for our sins would be devalued.
As we said at the start, the Book of Revelation has not been given to tickle our fancy but to strengthen our hearts and John’s first readers, many of whom were suffering terribly at the hands of their Roman persecutors would have been crying out to God “How long O Lord must we endure this suffering at the hands of evil men? When will justice come?”
In fact this vision of the 7 bowls of wrath gives the answer to the cry of the martyrs: “They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” ” Rev 6:10

How long? How long do we have to put up with injustice and suffering, with wanton wickedness and might-is-right arrogance? The question echoes down the centuries and across cultures, begging to be answered. Will it always be like this or will wrongs one day be righted?

This vision is all about a new exodus that is coming. The sight of what appeared to be “like a sea of glass like crystal” is the heavenly analogy of the Red Sea. This identification is confirmed by the mention of the new “song of Moses” that follows and the contents of the bowls of wrath that so closely resemble the plagues that God brought on the Egyptians as they hardened their hearts against God’s people and purpose.
Quite what the various plagues are referring to is unclear but there is no mistaking the awful, hellish torment that God’s justice will, and has already begun to bring upon a world that resists and opposes him. But God will bring an end to injustice, relief to the suffering on that Great Day when King Jesus appears... Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. Rev 19:11. That last battle (if it can really be called a battle because as soon as Jesus appears it is over!) is said to take place at ‘Armageddon’ (ch16v16) which in Hebrew means ‘mount of Megiddo’ and is where righteous Israelites was attacked by wicked nations. Like the place name ‘Babylon’ so ‘Armageddon’ does not refer to a specific geographical place but the whole world.

Yet amidst all this talk of wrath and judgment there is heard a song of worship, the song of the Lamb, because just as the first exodus was only made possible by the offering of the passover lamb, so too the last exodus - the redemption of a great multitude form every tribe tongue and nation - is only possible because Jesus the Lamb of God, paid in full the price our sins.

And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Revelation 15:3–4

It was for good reason that we called this series 'Living Life with Heaven;s Perspective'

Goff

Life is war..

2011-05-15T19:55:00.001+01:00

That’s not all it is, but for the Christian it certainly is that, as was made clear from the next vision in our series on the Book of Revelation that we studied this morning. Satan has declared war on the church and is angry. He is angry because of the triumph of the Cross, his having been thrown down, and in the sure knowledge of his impending doom (Rev 12v12 &13).
As I Twittered earlier in the week - Satan troubles us, not because he is strong, but because he has been defeated and knows that his time is short. But he is still angry and seeks to intimidate and deceive God’s people. That’s why Peter says in his letter written to Christians facing persecution: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ” 1 Pet 4:12.

Having been thrown down, Satan presently seeks to work, as it were, hand in glove with as many authorities and world powers as will give him room to pull their strings. (apologies for mixing the metaphors of glove & string puppets!). 666 is the number of humanity (man was created on Day 6) and can refer to worldly authorities in Nero’s Rome or London, New York, Beijing - anywhere and everywhere that satan finds opportunity to targets his anti Christ agenda.

So how are Christians to respond to this? Well that same vision, as well as telling us that the accuser has been thrown down and that his time is short, also tells of Christ’s care and love for his church, so we should be very encouraged! But in that same passage the Holy Spirit twice says to us: ‘Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints’ (ch13v10, ch14v12). We’re not to fear or be intimidated, but we are to wake up to the fact that we are at war, that we have an enemy whose is scheming against us, that we are wrestling against principalities & powers, and that we are called to stand firm, endure and not drift with the spirit of the age.

John Piper in his book ‘Don’t Waste your Life’ writes about the peacetime mindset: ‘In peacetime we tend to ask, What can I do to be more comfortable? To have more fun? To avoid trouble and, possible, avoid sin?... This way of life is utterly inadequate to awaken people to the beauty of Christ. In wartime we ask different questions. We ask: What can I do to advance the cause? What can I do to bring the victory? What sacrifice can I make or what risk can I take to ensure the joy of triumph?

And what promises there are throughout the Book of Revelation for those who will adopt a wartime mindset, resist the ‘spirit of the age’, take their stand against satan’s taunts & temptations and conquer in Jesus’ name:
“Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I’ll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels. Rev 3:5 (The Message)

Goff

Before the last trumpet sounds...

2011-05-01T15:51:00.002+01:00

We looked today at the vision of the 7 Trumpets in Revelation chapters 8 & 9. The last time we heard 7 trumpets in Scripture, they were in the hands of 7 priests when, led by Joshua, they marched around the city of Jericho for 7 days, then 7 times on the 7th day, sounding their trumpets and bringing about the downfall of Jericho leaving the way open for the passage of the people of God into the Promised Land. Undoubtedly this memory was in John’s mind as he saw this vision.
In language reminiscent of another key moment in Israel’s history, the Exodus, the trumpets announced the tragedies and demonically inspired torments that inflict people on the earth in these last days. How true the symptoms ring with what we so often witness around us: ‘...their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them..... They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people ... They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, (meaning ‘destruction’) and in Greek he is called Apollyon (meaning ‘destroyer’) Rev ch 9.
Don’t we see the handiwork of the destroyer, satan, at work in our day, shattering dreams, dashing hopes and tormenting people’s minds so that they even contemplate ending their own lives?

It is against this backdrop that we read in chapter 10 of an important interlude, a pause before the sounding of the last trumpet. It is a pause that is motivated by God’s grace. Here in these last, urgent days, a message of hope is held forth in the form a small open book. For me there can be no doubt that this speaks of the Gospel which, as John ‘eats it’, is a sweet as honey, but leaves a bitter taste in his stomach as he is burdened with an evangelist’s calling to share its content with an often unreceptive world.

This interlude develops further with attention now on the church, God’s temple and dwelling place, which is measured as a sign of God’s protection - he knows all who are his! Then, in the imagery of the Two Witnesses, the church is commissioned and given authority to go two by two in the spirit and power akin to that of Moses and Elijah and preach & prophesy this message of God’s grace to the nations!

We live in days of God’s grace when whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. These are Gospel days, urgent days, when, in the midst of turbulent times God is not silent but is speaking not only through creation, and through the trials of life, but supremely through the Gospel - the Good News of Jesus. And it the church, you and I who have been entrusted and empowered to declare it and make Jesus known!
There is a limit to the number of these days of God’s grace (1260, see below!!). One day the 7th and last trumpet will sound, announcing both the end of the Gospel age and the arrival of King Jesus!

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt 28:19-20

Goff

(You can now follow Goff on Twitter)

Additional note:
The 1260 days in ch11v3 is the same as the 42 months in ch11v2 and the 42 months in ch13v5, and is the time that satan is allowed to threaten & oppose the church. It is also the same as the period of time through which God promises to nourish the church: ‘for a time, and times, and half a time. ch12v14 (2.5 years).
Personally, I do not think that the number of 42 weeks is literal but figurative for the period of tribulation repeatedly prophesied by Daniel (7v25, 9v27, 12v7, 11-12). This is half of 7 years, which suggests a period cut short by half. It is these last days.

Marked for Life..

2011-04-17T15:28:00.005+01:00

I don’t have any tattoos and I can’t say that the idea really grabs me - I mean, as I understand it, they are pretty much there for life, and life changes. Who wants to to be advert for a football team or a girlfriend who has long since disappeared without trace? It seems to me that being there for life makes it quite a big deal and worth thinking long & hard about!

This morning we got to that point in the Book of Revelation (ch7) where the 144,000 are sealed (tattooed) and we asked the question “Who are these people, and what is this all about?”
Some have suggested that this should be interpreted literally and that it speaks of Jews who will become Christians before Jesus returns, on the basis that it says that 12,000 from each tribe were sealed or marked.
I don’t think that is the right interpretation for a number of reasons, a couple of which I’ll mention here. Firstly the order of the tribes does not follow the traditional convention of naming Reuben first, Dan is omitted, and Manasseh is named. Secondly, this sealing of the 144,000 is exactly what Jesus promised in the Letter to the church in Philadelphia, “I will write on him the name of my God” Rev 4:12. And thirdly, the 144,000 are later identified as those who have been redeemed from the earth (Rev 14:3).
I therefore take the 144,000 to represent the church on the earth; it is these who are marked with God’s seal of ownership to safeguard them through the difficult times on the earth. After all, didn’t Jesus comfort his disciples with the thought that although he was to ascend to heaven, the Holy Spirit would be send to them and that he would not leave them? This is totally in accord with Scriptures such as 2 Corinthians 1:22 ‘and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.’ and Ephesians 1:13 ‘in him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit’.

So, the 144,000 represent the church on the earth, secure in the knowledge that they are numbered and known. Then, in verse 9 we see the multitude that no man can number, from every tribe, language and nation - the church universal, from every age of church history, present in heaven. Later, in chapter 13 we will see satan’s counterfeit, the mark of ownership that he seeks to place on people.
The point being made is that it is vital that we are clear who we belong to, and if we belong to Jesus then we have the indelible mark or seal of his ownership on our lives, more permanent than any tattoo, and grounds for great confidence and assurance!

“But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” ” 2Tim 2:19

Goff

Conditional Grace??

2011-04-10T15:59:00.002+01:00

In our series on Revelation we have now concluded the letters to the 7 churches, and for the most part, they have made sober reading. Strong words indeed from Jesus demanding drastic adjustment from his followers. Look at the words that Marcus spoke on this morning, words addressed to believers at Laodicea: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. ” (Revelation 3:16). We have seen wonderful promises and woeful warnings. Lots if “ifs” and lots of “buts”.
So does that mean that God’s grace is conditional? Do we have to earn or buy (ch3v18) Jesus’ favour and blessing?

Make no mistake, both the promises and the warnings are real and we dilute them at our peril. There is no doubt that Jesus’ words to these churches and to us, deserve serious attention and response. The stakes are high and there is much to be gained or lost. But back to our question about conditional grace - surely that’s an oxymoron isn’t it? Surely grace is either a gift or it is nothing..??

Let me put it like this: God’s saving grace towards us is unconditional and cannot be earned or deserved. That is clear from many scriptures including Ephesians chapter 1. “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ” Eph1:4–5. But look at those words: he chose us in him ...that we should be holy and blameless before him.
There’s an implication here, he chose us.. to be holy. So if there is no appetite for Christ-likeness in our lives, then one has to ask whether we have genuinely been born again, whether Christ is really in us. That appetite for Christ-likeness will show itself in a fight with sin, and it is that fight that the believers in the churches of Revelation (and you & me!) are urged to engage in, with the promise of reward to those who overcome. And here’s the key: it is our union with Jesus that makes all the difference!
We have been saved by grace alone. Period! But there are also grace gifts that our heavenly Father wishes to work in us by the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness etc and it is our responsibility to resist the world’s distractions and satan’s temptings and position our lives so as to live in the good of all that is ours - in Christ!

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Goff
(You can now follow Goff on Twitter)

Thief in the night...

2011-03-27T14:30:00.006+01:00

Some of us remember the 70’s movie ‘A thief in the night’, supposedly based on the end time teaching in the Book of Revelation. In it, a woman is exploring Christianity, but wakes one day to reports that millions of people, including her husband, have mysteriously disappeared. It turns out that they were faithful Christians who had been raptured. The moral of the story being ‘make sure you’re ready for Jesus’ return or else you will be left behind.’

Toby was preaching this morning about the church at Sardis and Jesus’ diagnosis of their spiritual condition. In the middle of Jesus’ address to that church come the words: ‘“Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. ” (Revelation 3:3,).
The Church at Sardis, contrary to its own perceptions, was not doing well. They had the reputation of being a ‘lively’ church, but in fact, says Jesus, they were spiritually dead. As Toby preached this morning, it seems that they were dead, particularly in terms of their witness and faithfulness to Jesus. If they do not repent and discover afresh the priority of Jesus and the gospel in their lives, then Jesus will come against them, unexpectedly, like a thief.
Far from speaking of the glorious coming of Jesus at the second coming, this verse speaks of Jesus coming against that wayward church in the 2nd century - and churches throughout the church age that behaved in such a way.

But doesn’t Jesus speak somewhere else about coming like a thief in the night? Yes, when speaking to his disciples about his return he said: “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ” (Matthew 24:42–43, ESV).
But if you read the whole of that chapter it will become clear that Jesus uses the analogy of the thief in the night to make the point of their needed alertness in the face of his unannounced coming - thieves catch people out - he is not however, making a statement about the style of his coming.
Earlier in Matthew chapter 24 when speaking of his return, Jesus speaks of lightning, of the heavens being shaken.. “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ” (Matthew 24:30) And that is far from thief-like!
More on this as we go further in the book of Revelation, but let me make the point here that I believe that Scripture teaches that the second coming of Jesus, far from being a secret thing, will be awesome in every way! There will be trumpets, lightning, cosmic shakings, and central to it all, the appearing of Jesus in all his splendor for all the people of the earth to see. And we who belong to him will be caught up to meet him in the air!

I don't know about you but on that day I want to be able to say along with the apostle Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. ” (2 Timothy 4:7–8,)

Goff

Jezebel, Jesus, and the future..

2011-03-20T15:18:00.003Z

Bit of a tricky passage I had to preach on this week - the Letter to the Church at Thyatira. It raises some interesting themes such as Jezebel, judgment, and ruling over the nations, however the main theme of the passage is clear and I trust I kept to that when preaching. In this blog I’ll try to fill in the gaps & give some more detail to things briefly alluded to.

The main theme I explored was ‘The Church and the workplace’, because in Thyatira this is where church members were in danger of wrecking the witness of the church due to a tendency to compromise with workplace culture under the guise of spiritual tolerance. I think that there is an allusion to the Book of Daniel in the opening words of Jesus to this church (v18), and what better role model in this instance than Daniel with his resounding “No!” to cultural compromise. Destinies rest in the answer we give at such moments, and deception lurks in the shadows, ready to beguile, confuse, and ultimately to wreck us.
And that’s what the Jezebel theme is all about. There was someone in the church who encouraged the ‘enlightened’ to fraternize with the workplace culture, going along with their morality in the name of mission, when they, like Daniel, should have said ‘No!”. Jezebel was the one who taught her husband, King Ahab, to compromise, such that .... he did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. ” (1 Kings 16:30–33, ESV)

What about the promise of ruling of nations, rods of iron & things in verse 27? Once again we need to look to the OT to enlighten us, and we find that this is a quotation from Psalm 2, a Messianic psalm, one that points to Jesus: “I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” ” (Psalm 2:7–9).
So what is being said to the believers at Thyatira is that if they remain faithful to Jesus, then they will be co-regents with Christ. And when, I hear you ask, might that be? Time to declare my colours!
I believe that Jesus’ (‘millennial’) reign has already begun, and that this book of Revelation shows us that Jesus is now exalted, glorified, and seated on His throne. Heaven’s perspective is that Jesus is Lord over the nations, Now! and in fact in a few chapters time, we will read of His powerful exercise of power over the nations. King Jesus is in control!
So how do we reign with him? Well, in a measure, we do now, but when we die, in that moment we will be in his presence, co-regents with him, sharing his rule (2Cor 5:8), in what we call the intermediate state, awaiting the ‘Day of the Lord’ when Jesus comes again to make all things new, This will be no halfway house awaiting a further onslaught of evil after another 1000 years. No, when Jesus comes again it will be a great day, an all decisive day when sin and satan are dealt with once and for all, and heaven and earth are restored to what God always intended.

And in closing, faithful believers at Thyatira were also promised the Morning Star. What’s that? Simply, it’s Jesus, he’s the bright, morning star that we live for and whose coming we look for:
““I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. ” (Revelation 22:16–17)

Goff

Life is longer than you think...

2011-02-27T13:36:00.002Z

How long do you think you’ll live? You might think that if you make three score years and ten (that’s 70!) that you’ll be doing well. Actually, life goes on a lot longer than that.
This morning Marcus was preaching from Revelation chapter 2, the letter to the church in Smyrna, to Christians who were facing the very real threat of death. Into that context Jesus announced himself as ‘“ the first and the last, who died and came to life. ” (Revelation 2:8, ESV) and went on to say “... Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. ” A crown, or reward of life for people who die? Jesus goes on to explain how that works...“ The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’ ” verse 11.

Let me explain. Remember what Jesus said to Nicodemus? He said that he needed to be born again. Nicodemus pointed out that he had already been born and that doing that again would be tricky to say the least! Jesus explained that he needed a second birth, he needed to be born spiritually, made alive by the Holy Spirit, and that life was eternal. So there are 2 births. Ever since Adam & Eve sinned, we have been spiritually dead - and predicted by God: “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” ” (Genesis 2:17). The day they sinned they were banished from God’s presence; they died spiritually.

So, there are two births (physical and spiritual), and two deaths (physical and spiritual), and what Jesus was saying to the Christians in Smyrna who were in fear for their lives was this: “You don’t have to be afraid of the first death, physical death, because you are not going to be hurt by the far more important second death, spiritual death.!” Note, it is those who conquer who are promised this. Later we are told how it is one conquers: “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. ” (Revelation 12:11,). It’s by Jesus’ blood! It’s through Jesus dying for us; He is the conquering King, and as we know, everything we receive in the Christian life comes to us through Christ, as we confess Him as Lord of our lives.

Two births, two deaths, and yes, there are two resurrections - the first spiritual, when you became a Christian, and the second, on the day that Jesus returns to make all things new! This will all come together when we get to chapter 20 and make that difficult chapter easier to follow! Just make a note of it now and remember - 2 births, 2 deaths and 2 resurrections! For the Christian, death is no longer what it used to be for us - and neither is life: it’s a lot longer than you think; it’s eternal!

Goff

A message for the Church..

2011-02-20T17:53:00.002Z

This week we moved on to chapter 2 of Revelation, and Toby preached on the message from Jesus to the church at Ephesus (check out the download on this website).
Can you imagine being on the receiving end of that message - in the church at Ephesus! Imagine the scene, one Sunday morning, when the church is gathered together, one of the elders standing up and saying: “Listen up church, John has sent us a special letter containing a message from Jesus himself to us!” Imagine the rapt attention, the anticipation! All texting, twittering and fidgeting stops! He reads on, quoting Jesus’ words: “I know your works....” Can you imagine? I think that morning would be life changing for many; the realization that Jesus is intimately interested in the daily life of everyone in that local church, that he is deeply concerned about their circumstances, their priorities, their attitudes and their personal devotion, would, I think, have a radical impact.

The truth is, of course, that all of the above is true for every local church. Jesus, the Lord of the universe, is not just vaguely interested in his church, he is walking among the individual lampstands. He knows each local church intimately. He commends, encourages, warns. We’re an open book to him and his longing for His bride is seen in his concern & ambition for each particular congregation. Every time we assemble there should be that same sense of awe and anticipation to hear His voice, to hear Him speaking through prophecy, the scriptures, the preaching, because Jesus really is present and active in His church. That is what these opening chapters of Revelation tell us, and we would do well to take it to heart.

I finish with a quote from Terry Virgo, from his book entitled ‘A People Prepared’. I quote: 'Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Eph 5:25). She is his special delight in all the universe. She is his joy, his preoccupation, his passion, his darling bride. In all creation one thing fills the heart of Christ - his beloved church. We need to rediscover the incredible value & sig of the local church in God’s plan & perspective. She is not to be ignored and despised; she is to be honoured & cherished. Each lampstand is not plastic but golden - of peerless worth to Christ.’

Goff

Revelation: speaking of the church..

2011-02-13T15:50:00.006Z

I owned up this morning to having attended a Speed Awareness Course this week due to the fact that I was caught speeding a few weeks ago. That’ll teach me - maybe! One thing the course did teach me was just how much of the journey one can miss through lack of proper concentration. There we were, focussing on all sorts of things on the DVD, only to miss the glaringly obvious; there was a ------------- in the room! (I can’t tell you what, because you will probably end up on the same course!!)

Speaking of missing things on the journey leads me on to the prime purpose of the Book of Revelation. God did not give it us to confuse or amuse; he gave it us to alert us to his presence and agenda in this world, lest we get so preoccupied with the here & now that we end up at our destination (hopefully the right one) clueless as to how we got there. Revelation does, I believe, have much to say to the church of every generation. There are stunning truths and insights to be found that will transform fearful Christians into fearless Christians. But there is more, there are events described that we have yet to witness on the earth, events that will nonetheless take place. In saying the above I have aligned myself with a particular school of interpretation of Revelation of which there are several.

5 views on interpreting Revelation:

Historicist interpretation: This approach views the book of Revelation as one prophetic vision of church history, from John’s day to the Second Coming, something akin to one long calendar. It’s extremely difficult to establish who’s who and where we are in this process as there are all sorts of possibilities as to what refers to which event in history, and we seem to reach the final day on several occasions as we read.

Preterists’ interpretation: This view argues that Revelation was totally grounded in the days of its writing, that the visions only meant something to Christians then, and they were fulfilled with the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. Babylon the Great then represents apostate Israel who aid Rome (the Beast) in persecuting Christians, and it was therefore written to encourage Christians that their Jewish persecutors will be judged.

Futurists and Dispensationalists interpretation: Moving to the other extreme, Futurists think that most of Revelation will take place in a period of final crisis just before Christ’s return. The most popular form is Dispensational futurism which sees the seven churches written to in Revelation as referring to the church in its seven stages throughout history, ending up with Laodicea which speaks of the lukewarm church at the end of the age, i.e now. This view has the difficulty that it would have had little relevance to the lives of the Christians in John’s day (and indeed Christians throughout history) yet John clearly expects his readers to make connections between the visions he sees and the circumstances of the first century.

Idealists (Symbolic) Interpretation: This approach avoids all the difficulties of trying to identify the happenings in the book of Revelation by identifying its purpose as being to convey spiritual lessons to believers. The imagery is not to be interpreted, cannot be interpreted, as it speaks of happenings in the realm of spiritual warfare. However you just have to read chapter 1 verse 1 to see otherwise.

Progressive parallelism interpretation: This view acknowledges that Revelation spoke to Christians in John’s day, to Christians in our day, and everywhere in between! But as well as conveying timeless truths and lessons for believers, there is also a final, ‘actual’ consummation in view, and so the symbolism does take on actual, tangible fulfillment. This view acknowledges a prophetic, predictive content to Revelation, but gives due credit to the apocalyptic nature of the book, drawing on Old Testament imagery to give interpretation to the symbolism. This view also identifies a series of visions, each with a message of its own. The ‘end’ is therefore reached several times, at the conclusion of each vision, before another vision brings us to the same conclusion from a different standpoint. This is the view that we shall be following.

Meanwhile, as we make the journey, the Church is shown in Revelation for all she is - radiant, resplendent, Golden Lampstands in whose company the risen, ascended, glorified Christ walks and makes his presence known. Jesus is in his church, working in and through her.
Last word from Michael Eaton: You can’t say ‘I love Jesus but I don’t love his church’. If you don’t love the church you don’t love Jesus. For he loves it. He was the one who Himself announced that his plan for the world involves building his church.

Have you seen it? Are you taking your place & playing your part? Next Getting Connected course is this coming weekend (see The Loop for details).

Goff

Revelation: A strategy for seeing..

2011-02-06T17:05:00.004Z

Today I began our new preaching series ‘Living Life with Heaven’s Perspective’ based on the Book of Revelation, and I shall be using this blog to post some of my preaching notes, plus information referred to in passing while preaching.

Revelation is a book to be understood - that’s the whole point of the last book in the Bible, and revelation in general. Revelation is to reveal! ‘Apocalupto’ means to uncover, to draw back the curtain. What is needed, amid all the confusion over Revelation, is a strategy for seeing, and that’s what this morning’s message was all about.

Revelation is a book to be seen. It is, for the large part, a vision or series of visions, and visions need to be seen and interpreted. The phrase ‘I saw..’ occurs again and again. How then should we interpret it? How do we go about finding the ‘correct’ meaning for the images and symbols presented to us?

Revelation is the last book in the Bible! Apart from stating the obvious, what I mean is that in it John, under the Holy Spirit’s guidance draws together many strands of Biblical images and expectations into their fulfillment here in Revelation. John’s mind is saturated in Scripture (518 references in total) and he draws widely from Genesis to the Prophets. Revelation only makes sense in the light of the Old Testament - and that’s where we should look in seeking to interpret symbols & prophecies - not to science fiction.

Numbers count in Scripture. Numbers carry significance in the Bible and in Revelation in particular. That need not mean that they don’t carry a literal meaning as well.
7 is the number of completeness, being the Sabbath, celebrating the completed work of Creation Gen 1, Lev 8
4 seems to be a number that expresses the completeness of the created world, i.e. there are references to the 4 corners of the earth (ch7:1, ch20:8), the 4 winds (ch7:1), the 4 living creatures (ch4)
6 is the number of man, created on Day 6. Gen 1
12 is the number of completeness in terms of God’s people in the OT., there being 12 tribes forming 1 nation.
Add the 12 Apostles, and you have 24 elders (ch4 etc) speaks of the heads, or foundation of both Israel and the church, 12 tribes plus 12 apostles.
144,000 It is suggested that this is the whole company of God’s people.

Revelation exposes Satan as a counterfeiter. Many of the symbols & images begin to make sense when we realize this. For instance, there is a counterfeit trinity. Satan counterfeits God the Father by producing a counterfeit “son”, the Beast ( Rev 12:3 & 13:1). Then there a counterfeit Holy Spirit - in Rev 12:11-18. another beast comes out of the earth (13:11). This beast is later identified as “the false prophet.” (16:13) The false prophet works “miraculous signs (13:13) reminiscent of the miraculous signs worked by the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. Through miraculous signs, the Holy Spirit draws people to worship Christ. Analogously the false prophet promotes worship of the Beast. The Beast has 10 crowns on his head (13:1). In 19:12 Christ has many crowns on his head. The beast has blasphemous names (13:1), Christ has worthy names (19:11-13,16). The beast has great power (13:2), Christ has divine power and authority (12:2,10). The beast experiences a counterfeit resurrection and receives worship. He puts his mark of ownership on his followers as opposed to the seal of the Spirit - and so on. Other counterfeits: the prostitute as opposed to the Bride of Christ etc

The Controlling Centre of Revelation is Jesus Christ and his Kingdom. Right from the start, in chapter 1, we are introduced to Jesus Christ, no more veiled by his humanity as he was when walking this earth. Now he is all glory! He is awesome - really awesome, so much so that John falls down as if dead. This is the One at the centre of Revelation; this is the One who presides over world history, and is the One who is coming in the clouds!
It seems to me that this is the biggest key in interpreting the Book of Revelation and getting heaven’s perspective (which our materially focussed generation so badly needs) - we need to see Jesus for who he is, awesome in splendour.
Only when we encounter his majesty will we discover his mercy; only as we glimpse of his glory will we appreciate his grace.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,..” Revelation 1:17

Next week ‘The Church as you’ve never seen it before’

Goff

Revelation - beyond our grasp?

2011-01-30T17:32:00.001Z

When we first announced that we would be starting a new preaching series on the Book of Revelation in the new year, I was very excited at the prospect. That was back in November, and although I am still excited, with just a week to go before we start, not a little apprehension has joined the mix!

My strong interest in the book goes back over 30 years to my days at London Bible College (now London School of Theology) when I chose to study the Greek text of Revelation in my last year, and was privileged to have the late Donald Guthrie as lecturer.
I remember thinking that by the end of the year I would have it all worked out and be clear on the true meaning of this mysterious book! Thirty years, and many commentaries later, I confess to still being on that journey, hopefully with rather more humility in the presence of God’s last words to man.

Does that mean that the Book of Revelation is beyond our grasp? The answer, I’m afraid, is yes and no! Can we understand it in a way that will encourage us, equip us and build us up in our faith? Absolutely! Can we understand the full meaning of all that is written? Probably not, and for that reason, we need to approach the book with a good dose of humility and not be dogmatic on points that are not clear to us.

Vern Poythress in his excellent little book, ‘The Returning King’ puts it like this: ‘Revelation is a picture book, not a puzzle book. Don’t try to puzzle it out. Don’t become preoccupied with isolated details. Rather, become engrossed in the overall story. Praise the Lord. Cheer for the saints, Detest the beast. Long for the final victory.’

Following that advice, we will be unpackaging the big themes of the Book of Revelation in the weeks and months ahead. We will be studying it systematically, vision by vision, and with the Spirit’s help, and in the context of the whole of Scripture, expect to hear God speak to us in a way that will radically alter our worldly perspectives and change our lives.
I mention the issue of the context of the rest of Scripture because much mischief has been done by reading Revelation in isolation from its canonical context. Eugene Peterson has done the maths and informs us that.. ‘The Revelation has 404 verses, there are 518 references to earlier scripture. If we are not familiar with the preceding writings, quite obviously we are not going to understand the Revelation.’

We are giving the series the title: ‘Living Life with Heaven’s Perspective’, making the important connection with our daily lives. Why? Because, In Vern Poythress’ words, ‘God gave us Revelation not to tickle our fancy, but to strengthen our hearts.’

In the weeks to come I will be using my Blog to follow up what is preached on Revelation, and add further comments and study aids. Here goes....!

Goff

Fighting talk!

2011-01-23T17:47:00.002Z

Everyone loves a good story, and the narrative of David & Goliath is one of the best known - and I really enjoyed what Marcus preached from this famous account this morning. Check out the download entitled ‘Fighting Talk’. Maybe ‘enjoyed’ is the wrong word; it challenged me! When he described the armies of Israel, armed, equipped, poised for battle, but feebly inactive due to their fear and the intimidation of the enemy, I was challenged. How often am I like that when confronted by ‘enemy activity’? How often do I respond with passivity to fears or injustice or temptation? I am challenged.

At this point I am reminded of a story I heard a while ago about how C J Mahaney asked his listeners after he had just preached, if they had been blessed by the message. When they replied positively that they indeed had been blessed, he shocked them with a stark warning: “Beware!” he shouted, “You are in great danger of being deceived! The Scripture warns us to be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.!”
We can be guilty of the very passivity that the armies of Israel were guilty of that day when David went out against Goliath.

I hear too many people bemoaning that they are victims of their circumstances when actually they should be nothing of the sort - and I allow this to be true of myself too often. We may be outnumbered, overwhelmed or under the cosh, but that should never diminish the fact that we are sons and daughters of the living God, alive in Christ, sharing the triumph of his death and resurrection, and members of a new kingdom that is advancing and will never fail or fade. O how we need to engage in fighting talk in those moments! “No, I’m not putting up with that accusation / temptation / discouragement / ......... (fill in the gap). Satan, you are a defeated foe and the Lord of the armies of heaven is on my side!”

I was reading Psalm 13 this morning. Look at how David refused to be overwhelmed and how he turned the tone of his complaint. Watch out for that wonderful word but!
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

That’s fighting talk!

Goff

Gifts & Giving

2010-12-22T21:08:00.002Z

What a great run up to Christmas we’ve had at Kings this year - the Jonathan Veira concert 10 days ago, followed by the London Community Gospel Choir last Thursday, and then the King’s Carol Concert Sunday evening - brilliant! And every one of those events has witnessed a very clear (and in some cases loud!) telling of the gospel.

You hear quite a lot of folk this time of year saying how they don’t like Christmas and can’t wait for it to be over. Every now and again I come across Christians who say that they don’t celebrate Christmas because of the secularization. Shame. Granted, for many the real meaning of Christmas has been lost, and yes, there’s a lot of hype, overindulgence and overspending, but that’s no reason to lose sight of the very special-ness of Christmas.

I like Christmas! Obviously, as Christians this is a very significant season when we retell the story of Jesus’ birth through the singing of carols and the reading of the Gospels and those wonderful Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. Then there’s all the gifts & giving. Yes I know that people overdo it, and yes, it can bring out greed and so on, but it’s good to give gifts! The Message puts it well: “You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.’ ” Acts 20:35.
Speaking of gifts, I’ve been teaching lately on the first chapters of Genesis and amongst other things, pointing out that first promise of Jesus’ coming is way back in Genesis chapter 3, just after Adam’s fall: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” ” (Genesis 3:15, NIV) A future offspring of Eve would crush satan’s head, whilst he himself would be bruised (crucified) in the process. Isn’t that an amazing expression of God’s grace, of his heart to redeem fallen mankind? Just moments after Adam’s rebellion we have God’s promise of a way back, through the gracious, undeserved gift of a Saviour - to be revealed in the fulness of time. Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given!

Have a great Christmas!

Goff

Rock of help

2010-12-05T18:02:00.003Z

I think it’s important to suitably mark & remember special days. I’m not thinking of Sunday observance - well Sunday is very much a work day for me anyway (and not the only one I hasten to add!). I’m thinking more of anniversaries that remind us of significant moments in our lives.
This week Angie and I celebrate 21 years here in Norwich, and I am incredibly grateful to God. I’m grateful that He brought us here, and for the way that He led us. As seems to be the norm in these things, it was not a particularly easy move - there were lots of uncertainties and challenges, and reasons not to come! But we set out, in the fog as it happens, uncertain as to exactly what lay ahead. The rest is history as they say, and God has been very good to us!

It was a Jewish custom to set up stones or monuments at significant moments, when God had helped or delivered them, by way of reminder. I guess they really didn’t want to ever forget what God had done (although of course they did) and it’s difficult to miss a big lump of stone. The idea was that every time you passed it or bumped into it, you’d be reminded.. “Oh yes, God did that...!” On one particular occasion when God routed the Philistines and brought the Ark of the Covenant (signifying God’s presence) back to Israel, it says in 1 Samuel 7:12, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”

Well, we haven’t set up any stones, but as I look at Kings, at the church family that God has gathered and used for the glory of Jesus both here in Norwich and across the nations, I am profoundly grateful for all the He has done - and for allowing us, by His grace to play a small part.
To quote a very old song: ‘Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done’! Oh it’s true!
Ebenezer, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”

Goff

Sing a new song!

2010-11-28T15:36:00.002Z

A really helpful and practical word from Mike Betts this morning. This issue of perspective, of seeing things as they really are, keeps coming up at present - and how vital it is! How easy it is for an anxious thought, or a disappointment to wreck our day. How easy to take your eye off the ball of what really matters, and ending up the loser. (I trust that wont happen to Norwich this afternoon against Ipswich!).
Mike’s first point from Psalm 96 on how to keep clear vision was: Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! in a word - sing, and make it a fresh, new song of who God is!
I have long been absolutely convinced of the powerful effect on God-centred, Jesus glorifying worship - and not just on a Sunday. What a difference it makes, any time, any place, to sing, to ascribe greatness to our God. Of course it’s not always that easy or convenient - you’d look a little odd bursting into song on the train or in the supermarket, but there is something to pursue & fight for here.

Sam Storms put’s it like this: Singing enables the soul to express deeply felt emotions that mere speaking cannot. Singing gives focus and clarity to what words alone often make fuzzy. Singing sensitizes. It softens the soul to hear God’s voice and quickens the will to obey. I can only speak for myself, but when I’m happy I sing. When I’m touched with a renewed sense of forgiveness, I sing. When God’s grace shines yet again on my darkened path, I sing. When I’m lonely and long for the intimacy of God’s presence, I sing. When I need respite from the chaos of a world run amok, I sing. Nothing can do for me what music does.*

Me too! And so I fight for time alone at the start of each day to worship, and I use every means to fed my spirit with songs of praise - iPod, cd’s or just humming!
So why is it that this makes such a difference? I believe it’s because this is what we were made for: to glorify God and to enjoy him forever!

I’d encourage you to muse on Psalm 96 some more - and try it!

Goff

* ‘The Singing God’ by Sam Storms

Unashamedly an optimist!

2010-11-21T17:05:00.001Z

I was with a good friend of mine yesterday who is facing a significant challenge just now. Having faced some challenges myself recently I know something of how that can feel, and more importantly, what a wonderful opportunity those moments can be for us to discover God’s amazing grace, presence and help. And it is just as well that the Bible doesn’t instruct us to sort ourselves out first before we can find God - quite the opposite! Toby was preaching this morning on that awesome invitation of Jesus “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” or if you prefer The Message: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matt 11:28-30.

I am challenged by those words of Jesus (and Toby - download it!) because all too often Christians come over as being intense, uptight, verging on stressed! Of course, if you’ve been anywhere near King’s lately you will have noticed the emphasis on joy and celebration (thanks Evan!) and rightly so! We are , after all, hugely privileged people with amazing promises hanging over our lives.

Someone recently described me as being an optimist. I like that and take it as a compliment! After all, what’s the opposite - a pessimist, and who wants to be known for being one of those? Not that I was born an optimist or have always been one - far from it - like many british males, I can be as withdrawn, introspective (even a tad melancholic) as the next. But as I say, we have wonderful promises hanging over our lives because of what Jesus has done for us already, and what he has promised us for the future. In fact, Martyn Lloyd-Jones thought that every Christian should be an optimist. I quote:

Every Christian must be an optimist. You never know when God is going to appear, you never know when the Holy Spirit is going to descend, you never know when Christ is going to deal with you and remove your burden and give your soul release. Just when you are about to convince yourself that the night is going to be endless - the dawn breaks; just when you feel sure that the struggle is all in vain and that your fighting is useless - just then, and when least expected, you are rewarded with victory.

Have a really good week!

Goff

Stay close!

2010-11-15T13:39:00.002Z

There’s a horrible story at the head of the news today of a couple on honeynoon in Cape Town. Did you hear it? Carjacked at gunpoint, the man was later dumped unharmed while his new wife was taken, killed, and her body left in the car. Truly horrific. Evil. And for what purpose? Money? To feed a habit? Some kind of perverse ‘pleasure’? Who knows.

I’m not going to sermonize on the state of the human heart because I know my own only too well. Yesterday I was preaching from John’s Gospel chapter 15, on the words of Jesus “I am the true vine”, and the essence of that discourse is, to put it bluntly, “the fruit of my life really matters but I can’t produce the good stuff.” If only we would get this matter clear once and for all. God wants me to be something that I can never be in my own strength - period. So there’s no point it me being religious or pious or super-spiritual in a vain attempt to squeeze some fruit out of my life. At best it’s bitter fruit, at worst foolish pride.

But once we’ve got clear on this impossibility, it opens the door to the amazing, awesome, wonderfully liberating alternative - namely that my life (and yours) can become something radically different and increasingly fruitful as the result of an encounter with Jesus and a vital, living, ongoing connection to Him!. Jesus put it very clearly to his disciples: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ” (John 15:4, ESV)
So the bad news is that we can’t produce good, God-pleasing fruit in our lives. No way, not even a bit! But the outstandingly good news is that in getting connected to Jesus as Saviour and Source of our lives, the Forgiver and Focus of our lives, then not only do we get to massively enjoy knowing Him, we also find that bit by bit, a different kind of fruit emerges in & through our lives that pleases our heavenly father. What a great deal! It’s a win, win situation!

Of course our twisted culture tries to persuade us that there is more joy to be had in illicit sex, in drug-induced highs, in gold & goodies than in Jesus, but surely, that lie is wearing thin isn’t it? And isn’t it time that we Christians pointed out the obvious truth with greater boldness? Sam Storms puts it like this: My aim as a father, preacher, teacher, and now grandfather is to hammer home with unrelenting zeal that the joys of knowing Jesus are simply incomparable. His capacity to please knows no rival..... In the presence of our great God and Saviour there is joy that is full, not partial, half-baked, measured, or parceled out; at his right hand there are eternal pleasures, not the fleeting, transient, toxic sort that promises so much and delivers so little.’

So abide in Jesus this week (& for the rest of your life!!). Stay close!

Goff

Perspective is everything..

2010-10-27T12:16:00.000+01:00

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about perspective, the perspective we have on life. Have you noticed how ‘everything’ can change in a microsecond - one moment all is sunshine & smiles, then a thought, a call, a text, a tax bill, a pain, a possibility, and suddenly it’s gloom, doom, worry, racing pulse and sweaty palms. It’s incredible how quickly our outlook on life can change, and here’s the tragedy, 90% of the time, our fears are totally unfounded; we’ve just got way ahead of ourselves, explored all sorts of possibly nasty scenarios. Result? We’ve just been robbed.

This last year I have really learned the importance of ‘taking my thoughts captive to Christ’, that is, not allowing stray thoughts or fears - those ‘what if’s’ - to run wild in my thinking, because they can literally rob & wreck you. Jesus Christ is Lord of my life, because I am a Christian, and so my day and destiny is in his hands and therefore I am totally secure - whatever.

But what about the other 10% of the time, when there is real substance to our fears, when our health, wealth or wellbeing really is under threat? Well that’s when our perspective really does matter. If we have ‘ground level’ perspective, and by that I mean short-sighted, nose-to-the-tree perspective, then our situation will very soon appear to be hopeless and therefore miserable. But again, as Christians, we need to remind ourselves that there is a far bigger (higher level) story that our lives are a part of, and quickly step back from the brink of short-sighted collisions with challenges & obstacles at ground level. The Bible says that we are overcomers! This great word is a favourite of the apostle John. Look at these verses from 1John 4&5.
Little children, you are from God and have overcome... for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world...... everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Do you get the picture? Christians (that is, those who have been born again, have put their trust in Jesus Christ and have a new life and destiny in Him) can ‘come over’ even the very real challenges and obstacles that come our way, because we are now a part of the greatest story in the universe - the story of God’s redeeming love and grace - and as such, we need fear nothing!

Perspective is everything!

Goff

Who need's help?

2010-10-17T16:31:00.003+01:00

I guess lots of people are blogging about the Chilean miners this weekend. As well as being a good news story (and there’s not enough of those around) it’s also a very powerful illustration of being rescued out of a very dark, life-threatening place, and being brought out into the light. And that’s the Gospel! That’s what Jesus does!
The parallels are close; Jesus, God in human flesh, came down into our murky world in order to identify himself with us, take our predicament upon himself, rescue us from a situation where we were powerless to save ourselves, and lift us up, giving us a new start with a bright and lasting future!

Perhaps the most difficult thing for us human beings to admit is that we can’t save ourselves or that we need help at all. You could say that this a reflex built in from birth: “I want to do it!.... Let me do it!” - heard that before? In fact, the doorway to the whole ‘Christian’ deal lies right here. The access to authentic Christianity is paved with the words “Jesus, I need you in my life!” One writer put it like this: ‘The first sign of spiritual life is the realisation that you are spiritually dead.’ Think about it! And we never move on from that place, in fact, if you are a Christian and you feel that you’re doing just fine & don’t really need to pray too much or often, then it’s probably a sign of spiritual decline.

I knew a guy who worked the following routine into his thinking: If at the beginning of the day he found he was convincing himself that didn’t need to get time alone with God to pray etc, or that he didn’t really have time, then he’d say to himself “So you don’t need God today then?” That usually got him thinking straight - and praying!!

So here’s two health checks: If you feel little or no dependence on God, then you are probably in a dangerous place. If however, you are only too aware of your need for sustaining help, then fear not! Just ask! That’s what the apostle Paul meant when he said ‘when I am weak, then I am strong’ 2Cor12:10

Keith Hazell reminded us this morning of the pleasure of hearing God’s voice...... and the importance of taking time to listen!

Goff
(You can now follow Goff on Twitter)

Coffee matters!

2010-10-12T20:41:00.003+01:00

I was speaking with a guy today in the city (Norwich that is!), and when we got to the subject of what I do & where I work, it didn't take long to make the connect with the King's Centre... "that place down King Street with a glass frontage..?" "Yes", I replied, and invited him to come and have a cappuccino on the house. It reminded me of the years I dreamed of a local church right in the heart of the community that was accessible and very inviting, because church never used to be like that!

When we got the premises in King Street, in pursuit of that dream, we teased out the question: "What do we want the shop window of Kings to be?" Now I remember the days when you had to circumnavigate heavy, squeaky doors and thick curtains just to get into a church building - how inviting is that?? Shop windows always say something about what & who's inside, and what does that say? So I was determined that our shop window would say something like: "friendly", "inviting", "sociable", "enjoyable" because I firmly believe that the church should be good news as well as tell good news!

Now, 10 years on, The King's Centre is a very busy place - every day - with literally hundred's of people, all sorts of people coming & going, and our shop window is a coffee shop, "King's Coffee", making it the easiest thing in the world to come in. And that's just how it should be! And as well as a warm welcome from Mel & her team, the coffee is great too - I know because I've appointed myself as the head of quality control, which means that I just have to check it every day!

Today I'm grateful to God and living the dream - part of a church family that it's great to be a part of, enjoying a shop window into the city that is inviting, welcoming, serves great coffee (and more!), and that says something about the amazing grace & goodness of the God we serve!

Keep up the good job Mel - but no chocolate on my latte thanks!

Goff

The hopping, skipping, dancing Body of Christ!

2010-10-05T09:09:00.001+01:00

One of our key staff at Kings had an operation last week. Dave Less who plays a major role on our conferencing team (as well as doing a host of other tasks!) fell off his bike last winter, tore a ligament in his shoulder that needed to be stiched back together again. It doesn’t sound like much fun, and David assured me that it wasn’t! Result? Well, apart from being sore, the worst of it is that he has to keep his arm in a fixed position 24 : 7 for 6 weeks - and that’s the biggest pain! And we’re minus a key player!

Something that set me off on the course of life & ministry that I am on today was the realisation, some years ago now, that the church is far, far more than a bunch of people siitting in the same room for an hour or so on a Sunday morning. Important though the preaching of the Bible and corporate worship is, nevertheless, if that’s all we’re doing, I would go as far as saying that we haven’t got church.

I remember God impressing on me that the church is to be the Body of Christ - a living, moving, hopping - skipping - dancing - thoroughly alive body, and not a paralised, passive body being kept alive artificially by the life support system of a one-man-ministry. What a revelation that was for me - to think that every single person in the church family has a God-given and Spirit-energised gift; a part to play in the dynamic of church life, without which, the whole body of the church family just won’t work right!

Right now I am very well aware that David’s immobility is affecting life at Kings on a daily basis. How much more could your immobility be restricting all that God intends for us at Kings? I remain passionate about the fact that the church is a dynamic, mutli-faceted, multi-gifted body of believers, each rising to the challenge to play their part, and living out their lives together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ for His glory and fame!
And hey, we’re not just any body - as we all come alive and serve together with the gifts that we have been given, we are the Body of Jesus Christ, visible to the communities around us!

So whether you are brand new to Kings or have been here for years, let me encourage you to stir up the God-given gift within you and start using it, serving for the glory of God - and get well soon David!

Goff

The hopping, skipping, dancing Body of Christ!

2010-10-05T09:09:00.000+01:00

Church - dull or dazzling?

2010-09-28T09:14:00.003+01:00

This last weekend I flew to Copenhagen to be with David Bjerre and the church family at CCC (Copenhagen Community Church). I have to confess to being something of a people watcher when traveling - well it passes the time when you’re hanging around at airports waiting for a flight. All those focussed individuals weaving their way through the crowds, following their own schedule, (I wonder what that is?) getting to the next place in their journey in life, (I wonder where he’s heading?) criss crossing the concourse with multitudes of others, each on their own personal journey. It got me thinking about the course of our lives, the way that as God has had led us individually through many years of twists & turns, how he drew us to himself, redeemed & cleaned us, and in particular, the way he is sovereignly weave our lives intricately together to form the church. The church is no random mass of people; it is much more than that!

At CCC Sunday morning I was amazed to discover that were 12 different nationalities present - I know because Finn Allan who was leading the meeting asked, and then we prayed for all those nations! Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God declared that he would gather together his people, the church, in a spectacular way: ‘I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of ruby, your gates of crystal, and all your walls of precious stones.’ Isaiah 54v11f.

Do you get the picture? This is not a brick building where all the bricks are identical - quite the opposite! There is to be a dazzling array of different colours, sparkling gems, and each one set in place with great care - and not just merged into a general mix. Antimony was a substance used for eye shadow, and as I understand it, eye shadow is used to make each eye stand out or sparkle. So God’s plan is not just that we get joined together, but that the more different backgrounds and nations are present in a local church, the more spectacular & beautiful it becomes!

“Church” means ‘gathered ones’, and I am convinced that Jesus takes great pleasure in local churches that welcome the stranger, that embrace people from different nations, and find grace to set their own preferences aside so as to become something far more attractive and unique: One new mankind in Christ! Well done CCC!

Goff
(You can now follow Goff on Twitter)

Taste & see...

2010-09-14T07:49:00.001+01:00

Jesus is the bread of life – I was preaching on this tasty theme on Sunday and I haven’t been able to get this image out of my mind! It is so graphic and mouth watering. You just have to think of fresh bread, straight out of the oven, still warm, and immediately your senses are working…. the smell…. the feel… the taste… absolutely irresistible! And here’s the bonus – it’s nourishing and good for you (well, for most people fortunate enough to be able to enjoy it).

Isn’t that such a great illustration of what Jesus wants to be to us – the bread of life? Doesn’t that give us such a helpful picture of what it means to live as a Christian – to hurry into his presence eagerly each day like a hungry person rushing to the bakers, and to enjoy him and take him into our lives for the day ahead? There’s no empty ritual here, instead there’s a motivation of delight, anticipating something (or someone) very tasty!

John Piper goes as far as to say that in fact the very reason God gave us an appetite for bread was so that we could get some idea of what Jesus wants to be to us. I quote him:
‘One of the reasons God created bread—or created the grain and the water and yeast and fire and human intelligence to make it, and I mean the really good kind, that’s not mainly air—is so that when Jesus Christ came into the world, he would be able to use the enjoyment of bread and the nourishment of bread as an illustration of what it means to believe on him and be satisfied with him. I believe that with all my heart. Bread exists to help us know what it is like to be satisfied in Jesus.’

O taste and see that the Lord is good!

Goff

What's your story?

2010-08-29T16:32:00.005+01:00

We always used to think that August was a ‘flat’ month as far as Sunday meetings go, especially the Bank Holiday weekend when everyone seems to be away. Not anymore! We have had some outstanding times this year with great preaching on the theme of the resurrection, awesome worship and lots of people!!

Amongst other things, we sang a hymn this morning (Evan style!) that took me back to the days of school assemblies: I will sing the wondrous story of the Christ who died for me.. Remember it? The refrain of the chorus goes: Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story…. And it got me thinking.
I was travelling this week (Copenhagen & back) and threw a book in my bag entitled: “The Drama of Scripture” by Craig Bartholomew & Michael Goheen. Usually I read a page or two and then the hassle & distractions of a short flight take over & the book gets put aside. Not this one! From the moment I read the following, I was riveted:

‘In order to make sense of our lives and to make our most important decisions, we depend on some story. Some story provides the broader framework of meaning for our lives…. I can only answer the question, “What am I to do?” if I can answer the prior question “Of what story do I find myself a part?” Wow – that focuses your thinking! Read on…
‘Is there a true story of the whole world in which I am called to live my life?... What is the real story of which my life is a part?’
This book is a must read for any serious minded Christian or enquirer, but back to this morning’s hymn!

Yes there is an astonishing story into which my life (and yours?) has been woven, into which God has graciously written me a part, and it’s a story that God crafted before time began. It’s a story inspired by divine love that worked its way powerfully and providentially through the centuries to the climax of the Christ who died for me.!
And it is this story, yet to be concluded but of which we know the outcome (listen to James’ preaching from this morning!) that must define the life and choices of every Christian.

It is said of our post-modern culture that no one believes in a big picture any more, that there is no overarching story, so people just live their own self-centred little dramas. How small. How sad. How hopeless – literally. But God has, in Christ, presented mankind with a wonderful story of astonishing hope, help and happiness – and that is why I was so gripped by that old hymn, and challenged to see that my life is caught up in the greatest story ever told.
So yes, I most definitely will sing the wondrous story of the Christ Who died for me!!

Goff
(Goff now Twitters!)

New Day - Every Day!

2010-08-22T18:43:00.002+01:00

It has been so good to hear & read reports of Newday. Last week, between 6 and 7 thousand young people for Newfrontiers churches around the nation and beyond gathered at the Showground for this years’ event. I have been hearing brilliant reports of great worship and many lives impacted by the gospel, which is priceless, and only time will tell the true impact of last week, as an army of young people return home or set off for university courses and so on, with a new zeal to live for Jesus.

I’m reminded of the opening verses of Colossians where Paul, writing about the gospel says: ‘…the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing- as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,’ Col 1:6. This is what the gospel does! This is what happens when people, young and old, hear and understand the grace of God in truth! It is powerful! It is effective! And it bears fruit and grows and spreads out as the good news of God’s wonderful grace, expressed in Jesus Christ, captivates the human heart, changes lives and results in radical Christ-followers.

In case you’re thinking that this is a bit extreme and that ‘normal’ Christianity is not quite like that, let me quote what Milton Vincent points out about the gospel: “Outside of heaven, the power of God in its highest density is found inside the gospel. This must be so, for the Bible twice describes the gospel as “the power of God.” Nothing else in all of Scripture is ever described in this way, except for the Person of Jesus Christ.’ He goes on to say… ‘Indeed, God’s power is seen in erupting volcanoes, in the unimaginable hot boil of our massive sun, and in the lightning speed of a recently discovered star seen streaking through the heavens at 1.5 million miles per hour. Yet in Scripture such wonders are never labeled “the power of God.”*
(* quoted from: 'A Gospel Primer for Christians' by Milton Vincent)

This morning at Kings, Steve reminded us that this gospel, this “power of God” is at work in the life of every born again believer! When we hear, understand and respond to this gospel of God’s grace in Christ Jesus, it really is a New Day – Every Day!

Have a great week – in Christ!

Goff

Too heavenly minded..?

2010-08-09T17:53:00.003+01:00

During August we are doing a short preaching series on the Resurrection, exploring the significance of Jesus’ rising from the dead and the impact of this event on our lives – present and future. And they are huge!!

At yesterday’s meeting @ City Centre there was a big focus on our future hope as Christians, a focus that came across both in the worship and the preaching – and for me, it was awesome! Jesus’ triumph over death was a turning point in history, and on it turns the destiny of every person who puts their faith in Him. Because Jesus broke the power of death and rose from the grave, death is no longer what it used to be; it has lost it’s sting – for the believer. This is a truth that, in my opinion, many Christians have too week a grip of, with the result that they are troubled with anxieties and fears about the future.

Then for some reason, that old adage went through my mind, about being too heavenly minded to be of any earthly use; ever heard it? I guess it conjurers up the image of a mystical individual in a sort of trance, who’s forgotten about everybody else, and even how to dress and feed himself! Is that what a strong future hope does to you? Absolutely not, in fact the New Testament teaches that our hope should actually make us more effective in the here and now – especially in the way we treat others. Look at this from Colossians ch1:
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
Do you see that? Love for all the saints exactly because of the hope laid up for you in heaven!

John Piper, commenting on these verses put it like this:
‘A strong confidence in the promises of God and a passionate preference for the joy of heaven over the joy of the world frees a person from worldly self-centredness, from paralyzing regret and self-pity, from fear and greed and bitterness and despair and laziness and impatience and envy. And in the place of all these sins, hope bears the fruit of love.’

Evan, keep working on that new song – we need more of this focus on our future hope in Christ because it changes us and builds the church!

Goff

Don't forget to be grateful!

2010-08-04T17:19:00.002+01:00

I have been known to forget things.. often, so it was some consolation this morning when Angie forget a dental appointment – very un-Angie! She’s obviously been with me for too long!
Of course being forgetful can at times be positively advantageous, as in the case of quickly forgetting bad things that happen to us, and even biblical when it comes to unhelpful complacency:But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.. Phil 3:13. But on the whole, forgetfulness is unhelpful and leaves us bereft of things, such as car keys, wallets, and more importantly, peace, joy and all the benefits of being a new creation in Christ!

One thing I am determined not to be forgetful of is God’s goodness to me in healing me from cancer. Even as the weeks pass, I remind myself daily of how blessed I am, how good God has been to me, and how valuable each day is with all it’s opportunities. And I find that daily reminder to be very helpful, keeping me from any sense of gloom or personal discouragement. Psalm 103 is very helpful counsel: ‘Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits…’

So being grateful to God for his benefits to me this last year really does do me good. Gratitude does that; you should try it. But even more fundamental to our joy and daily well being is the discipline of not forgetting, but bringing to mind each day (repeatedly!) the awesomeness of being a Christian, of being called, forgiven, made new, alive in Christ and bound for heaven, in short, remembering the Good News, the Gospel! Milton Vincent puts it like this:

‘The gospel is so foolish (according to my natural wisdom), so scandalous (according to my conscience), and so incredible (according to my timid heart), that it is a daily battle to believe the full scope of it as I should. There is simply no other way to compete with the forebodings of my conscience, the condemnings of my heart, and the lies of the world and the devil than to overwhelm such things with daily rehearsings of the gospel’

Be grateful, not forgetful!

Goff

(you can now follow Goff on Twitter)

Keep It Simple S…!

2010-07-25T15:56:00.002+01:00

I have to say that I am really enjoying having Evan (and Tracy!) Rogers here in Norwich. Evan’s approach to worship is so down to earth, real, and above all, simple. At a time when there seems to me to be a trend in Christian worship for songs to be increasingly complicated (unsingable?), I find it very refreshing to be singing songs celebrating the uniqueness of Jesus (There’s no one like Jesus), about Jesus being centre of my life (Jesus is number 1), and the fact that God reigns sovereignly over all things (Still on His throne) and so on. A few weeks ago I received an email from an older person at Kings saying how much he had enjoyed the enthusiastic Sunday morning worship, and how it had brought tears to his eyes to be encourage to let go a bit and not be so British (his words!). As Evan encouraged us to participate this morning with a few actions…(you needed to be there!), and as I looked on at ‘cool’ teenagers celebrating Jesus, it just reminded me how important it is for us not only to preserve our first love for Jesus, but also to beware of the sophistication and introspection that is rampant in our culture. Isn’t this what Jesus was getting at when he said to his disciples “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." Luke 18:17

I have been struck lately by some of the very simple descriptions that the Bible gives of what it means to be a Christian. ‘..called to belong to Jesus Christ’ Romans 1:6, ‘..called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ.’ 1Cor1:9. These are simple but profound words, profound because when lived out, the result is changed lives. Of course, we need to read our Bibles to discover more of who Jesus is, what pleases him, and so on, so that our relationship with him grows well, but at the centre, the driving force in our lives should always be a faith in Jesus Christ that is expressed and celebrated with child-like simplicity and enthusiasm. We should never get ‘too old’ for that!

Have a great week – a singing heart helps!

Goff

PS Evan's worship CDs are available through the King's Bookstall

Musings on the seashore..!

2010-07-16T11:33:00.001+01:00

Sitting on a wall by the seashore 'early' in the morning' that is,
before 10, I found myself musing...

A year ago I sat in the same spot fighting off anxious thoughts &
calling out to God to heal me. Back then I was very aware that I had a
problem - a real problem - that I could not fix. No amount of positive
thinking or mind over matter could fix this. I needed help.

Have you noticed how Jesus used the healing of the paralysed man in
Luke 5 to demonstrate the point that he has the authority both to heal
us outwardly and inwardly? In fact it must have been a bit of a shock
for that sick guy to be told 'your sins are forgiven!' 'That's not my
problem!' he might have replied. But of course, Jesus wanted him - and
us - to know that the 'all clear' from the disease of sin is actually
of far greater significance and duration than the 'all clear' from
something as nasty as cancer.
To hear the 'all clear' from the latter is absolutely wonderful -
believe me - but I am coming to understand a little more, how awesome
it is to be declared righteous, to hear Jesus declaring me all clear
from the damning disease of sin.

Free indeed! Forever!
There really is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!
So enjoy it - I do!

Goff

--
Sent from my mobile device

Don't be robbed!

2010-07-04T21:02:00.002+01:00

This week it’s off to Brighton for the ‘Together on a Mission’ conference at Brighton. Last year I had to cancel the day before the conference, on ‘black Monday’ when the consultant first told me that I had a problem. So this year it will be particularly sweet to go with a light and grateful heart! In fact, it would be true to say that every day is pretty special to me as I reflect on the kindness and faithfulness of God to me, I guess that my perspective has changed somewhat and I am more aware of the things that really matter – and the things that don’t! And I won’t be robbed!

I wrote a blog a few weeks ago, anticipating what it would feel like getting the ‘all clear’ from cancer, and making a comparison with how we react to having the ‘all clear’ from the terminal disease of our sin. Well let me tell you that the former is fantastic! That day, that conversation, that moment will stay with me all my days. Awesome! Thinking of what could have been… how different the next few years could have been, I am blessed & grateful.
And I have to say that going through this last year has made me even more aware and grateful to God for the gift of new life in Christ… and how different my eternal destiny has now become! The awesome truth that the disease of my sin – every last spot of it – has been dealt with, removed from me and placed on Christ, with the result I now live in newness of life, eternal life, and all because of what Jesus has done for me on the cross! I’m truly alive! That’s the best news a human being can ever hear – and it surely must make a radical, joy-effusing difference to every day, otherwise we are being robbed.

So, if you are a Christian, if you have put your faith in Christ as your Saviour, then for heaven’s sake, live in the good of it – every day! Otherwise you are belittling the most valuable gift on the planet.

Have a great week!

Goff
(you can now follow Goff on Twitter)

Very welcome news!

2010-06-26T20:45:00.004+01:00

It’s almost a year to the day since I received the news: ‘you have prostate cancer, and we haven’t caught it early…’ Those words quickly became engraved in my mind as I grappled with the implications. Nothing quite prepares you for this and I remember crying out to God ‘I’m not sure I can do this!’

Just three days later we were off on a week’s planned holiday, all the while wrestling with the implications. I took to disappearing off on my own to a quiet spot by the sea early each morning to call out to God and align my mind through worship with the help of my Ipod. This was to become a vital pattern throughout the year, arresting potentially wayward and fearful thoughts by getting myself into God’s presence first! What a difference that makes! I began to realise how careless we can be, entertaining unhelpful thoughts and fears for far too long to our great detriment.

Within a few days of getting that news, a little card belonging to my grandfather who died over 50 years ago, literally fell into my lap. On it were 2 verses: Phil 4:8 Whatever things are true – honorable – just – pure – lovely – of good report – any virtue – any praise, think about these things. (bold his), and 2Cor 10:4 Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. That card now lives in my Bible as a constant reminder of God’s timely word to me., along with many other wonderfully encouraging words and promises that began to leap out at me.

Next it was hormone treatment and the possibility of radiotherapy; I say possibility because there was some concern that the cancer had spread too far. As it happened, the oncologist decided to go for it, informing me that there was a 30% chance of success. So began 8 weeks of treatment – with the wonderful diversion of Ali & Dan’s wedding right in the middle!

So to the present. On Friday Angie & I went back to see the oncologist to review my progress. It was not an easy drive to the hospital, and you may be able to imagine my response when he said: ‘The cancer is in remission, it is undetectable…!!’ I reminded him of the 30% chance he’d given me and he replied ‘Your results are as good as it gets!’ It was wonderful and quite overwhelming to hear those words! How I’d longed and prayed to hear that, and now here it was happening!

I think I am a different guy as a result of these last 12 months. I am grateful to God for each day, for Angie and every blessing that my heavenly Father gives. And I am more aware of the things that really matter. The early morning will always be God’s, a time when special help can be found, and I will not entertain fearful thoughts. Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Above all, I have found Jesus to be a wonderful Saviour, a secure refuge and a gracious healer and have discovered more of what it means to abide, dwell and live in Him. And I am grateful, very grateful!

Thank you Lord for your great kindness to me!

Goff
(You can now follow Goff on Twitter)

The most important thing...

2010-06-20T14:43:00.003+01:00

There weren’t many people leaving Cape Town this week (although a few England supporters may have been tempted!) but Evan and Tracy Rogers finally manage to get visas finalised, flights arranged, and they made the journey to Norwich. We’ve been working towards this for several months now, ever since that ‘God moment’ back in January, the Sunday that I taught Evan’s song ‘Still on His Throne’ at Kings and commented that I’d love to get Evan come visit Norwich. Within a couple of hours of speaking those words, my good friend Clive Cernik, who was staying with us at the time with Heather his wife, got the message that Evan and Tracy would not be able to continue in Dubai and were wondering where on earth (literally) to go next. Well Norwich of course! And here they are. I love it when God brings a plan together!

So why are they here? Well firstly because of that ‘God moment’ – we do believe in listening to God’s whispers and taking them seriously. And secondly because worship is very important, in fact you could say that celebrating God, singing and declaring his great worth, his goodness and grace, is THE most important thing. A couple of weeks ago I was paid the highest compliment by a student who was graduating from the UEA and moving on from Kings after 3 years. During his time here I had met frequently with him and had the privilege of mentoring him a little on his journey. In saying goodbye he said: “Thanks Goff, you’ve taught me how to enjoy God more.” Why is that a great compliment? Because that is exactly what we were all made for – to glorify God and enjoy him forever! To quote John Piper: ‘In missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory.’

I am sure that Evan has a thing or two to teach us about enjoying God. He is a great musician, song writer and an enthusiastic worshipper. So when their time here is up, I want us all to be able to say “Thank you Evan, you have taught us how to enjoy God more.” Meanwhile, as Evan and Tracy learn to find their way around, look out for them and make them feel at home!
You might like to check out his website: http://www.evanrogers.org

Goff
(You can now follow Goff on Twitter)

An amazing discovery..

2010-06-13T18:57:00.003+01:00

It’s been a great privilege this weekend to spend time with the leaders from City Church Cambridge. They have recently done a preaching series entitled ‘Amazed by Grace’ and Nick Green, who leads City Church invited me to speak on what it means at a personal level, to live a grace-filled life.
We started Friday evening over a Chinese meal & cheesecake, after which I spoke briefly of my own journey of the discovery of God’s grace – from younger days when although believing in God, I had a nagging sense that he was mainly frowning at me in displeasure, to the amazing realisation some years later that he actually likes me!

The discovery of God’s amazing grace towards us is life changing or it is incomplete. First, a simple definition: ‘Grace’ in this context is the underserved lovingkindness of God that sought us out and accepts as we are, all made possible through the gift of his Son, Jesus, given for us. And, of course, such a discovery changes everything!

Landmarks for me on my journey of discovery were hearing Terry Virgo speak on Enjoying God’s Grace on his co-called EGG tour, back in the late 1980’s. (still available I think - I’ll try find a link!). Next, the parable of the Prodigal Son was to make a big impact on me. When I began to realise that this story is there in the gospels to show me that God is an attentive, devoted father who, far from being remote, stuffy and irritated by me is actually animatedly enthusiastic about his children – even when they have messed up! He is the watching, waiting, running, embracing, kissing father who more than likes me – he actually delights in me!!! (see Henri Nouwen’s ‘The Return of the Prodigal'; Helmut Thielicke, ‘The Waiting Father’; and perhaps most recent & readable, Tim Keller’s ‘The Prodigal God’)

That leads me to another landmark for me, a passage in the book ‘Knowing God’ by JI Packer which has become perhaps my favourite quote outside the Bible. It’s quite long, but worth the read!

“What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it – the fact that He knows me. I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me. I know Him, because He first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when His eye is off me, or His attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when His care falters…. There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me. There is, certainly, great cause for humility in the thought that He sees all the twisted things about me that my fellow-men do not see (and am I glad!), and that He sees more corruption in me than that which I see in myself (which, in all conscience, is enough). There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, He wants me as His friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given His Son to die for me in order to realise this purpose. We cannot work these thoughts out here, but merely to mention them is enough to show how much it means to know, not merely that we know God, but that He knows us.”

God’s grace really is amazing!

Goff
(You can now follow Goff on Twitter)

Christ in you!

2010-06-06T19:11:00.001+01:00

Listening to the news this week about the awful happenings in Cumbria, I, like most of us, was shocked. How did this happen? How could a seemingly nice guy do that?
Of course there are probably factors that I am totally unaware of in the life and circumstances of Derrick Bird, and so rather than speculate I found myself pondering the question of what I might be capable of in certain circumstances, but for the grace of God. OK, maybe not a rampage like that, but what about a cutting word or a spiteful thought, or the strong urge to punch someone on the nose.. or worse? If you are a member of the human race, you’ll know what I mean. Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount equates that with murder. It’s the same seed.

The Christian doctrine of original sin (far from meaning that when we sin, we are very original!) means, in the words of the puritan writer, Thomas Watson, ‘Adam’s sin is ours by propagation. Not only is the guilt of Adam’s sin imputed to us, but the depravity and corruption of his nature is transmitted to us, as poison is carried from the fountain to the cistern.’ In other words, if I look hard enough, I will find the seeds of every sin lurking in my heart – and that is scary!
And that of course, is why I need (and have!) a Saviour. You can argue (and the puritans did) that the more aware you are of the cancer of sin lurking in the hidden recesses of your heart, the more it will cause you to wonder at God’s saving grace and prize the gift of forgiveness and new life in Christ.

Speaking of new life in Christ, I was preaching this morning on those famous words from John ch3 ‘You must be born again’. I was struck by the radical nature of Jesus’ words. Speaking to a respectable, God-fearing man, instead of saying to him ‘Nicodemus, you need a little adjustment in your life’, what he actually said was, in effect ‘Nic, for all you efforts, your life is broken, it is fundamentally flawed and you need radical heart surgery.’

Thank God for the life-changing Gospel of new life in Jesus Christ!
How relieved and glad I am that in receiving and embracing Christ as saviour, we are not only accepted and forgiven, but a new and life-changing force invades our lives with the agenda of making us more and more like Jesus!

Christ in you, the hope of glory! Colossians ch1:27

Goff
(You can now follow Goff on Twitter)

News from Copenhagen

2010-05-30T13:08:00.003+01:00

What a great weekend it’s been here in Copenhagen! Angie & I been here visiting the many friends that we have here at Copenhagen Community Church (CCC), spending time with the leaders and planning for the future.

Yesterday, Saturday we began talking together over brunch together - Angie & I with David, Finn Allen and Joy, reflecting on how far CCC has come since the last time we sat in the same place having brunch last September. (No, we don’t just eat brunch all the time on these visits!). Last September we still couldn’t find a new place for the church to meet, and we spent our time together exploring all possibilities and praying for a good place. Now, just 8 months later we not only have a great place in a central location, but it has also been extensively renovated and transformed into a brilliant place for church to gather and also a high quality conference centre to serve the business community. Check it out at http://www.copenhagencc.com. And please PRAY that bookings will now start coming in so that it can be the blessing that God wants it to be.
(Special thanks to Jim Drew & Jon Mullender who have done an outstanding job with publicity, websites, and setting up the new building)

This morning (Sunday) the church met in the new building. Brilliant! What a place! What great people! What special friends they have become! What great worship – including some African dance! There were 11 nations present and it was so good to hear people praying out in their own languages. We prayed in groups for the nations (see pic), including Josef & Elin in Turkey . I read from Isaiah 43 about God’s hear to gather a people from north, south, east & west, from all the nations, and then I preached on “Church – the Family God is looking for”

It is such an honour for us at Kings to be connected and working together with CCC.
Pray for CCC and the wonderful opportunities that are opening up for them here in Copenhagen. Pray for growth, for influence, and that God will amazingly provide for them – especially financially – at this key time in their history.
You can check out their website at http://www.ccchurch.dk

Back to Norwich this evening and then a couple of days off!

Goff
(You can now follow Goff on Twitter)

Jesus makes all the difference

2010-05-23T17:04:00.002+01:00

Knowing Jesus makes a huge difference – at least it should! Life can never be the same again – nor can death. Everything is changed by an encounter with Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, when one becomes a ‘Christ-one’, a Christian. Of course there are those who try to follow Jesus from a distance, keeping their options open. Their lives don’t tend to change much and they worry, fear & preoccupy themselves with all the same things as people with no faith.

How special it is then to cross the path of someone whose faith in Jesus just shines through everything about them – in the good times, the tough times, and even when health deteriorates and eternity beckons. Daniel Hopley was one such special guy. In life and death his life shone brightly, giving testimony to his Lord and Saviour.

Angie and I were privileged to attend Daniel’s funeral and Thanksgiving last Tuesday and yes, there was much sadness and sorrow at a life cut short, and a sense of great loss. But there was also testimony after testimony giving thanks to God for a young man who made such a lasting impression through the way he lived and bore witness to his Saviour in every situation of life. Even, or rather I should say, especially in his last months, when battling with pain in his body, he was an inspiration to be with, more concerned about those around him than he was about himself, and anyone visiting Daniel went away uplifted and encouraged! Trevor spoke of how he wanted to honour his son, recalling his exploits, achievements, and his bright witness

Perhaps most moving of all was to hear Jo relate their first date and how Daniel had told her that Jesus was the most important person in his life and how he looked forward to going to be with him one day. Not the usual stuff of a first date – but this was no ordinary guy! Jo went on to say how she went on to enjoy wonderful times with Daniel, sharing his zest for life as well as his devotion to Jesus, and how she was grateful to God for every day of those 7 years.
.
It’s not often you can say of a funeral / Service of Thanksgiving that it was inspiring, but this one really was. The brightness of Daniel’s devotion to Jesus shone through it all, reminding me that knowing Jesus really does change absolutely everything.

Goff

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All clear...

2010-05-16T15:11:00.002+01:00

All Clear…

I saw the consultant the other day. While we were talking, I had a vivid feeling of what I will feel like when I get the all clear from cancer… Wow! The Relief! A weight lifted & a lightness of heart at the prospect of the enjoyment of life ahead! I can hardly express how I felt at the thought.

Then in the moments that followed I sensed God whispering to me about the fact that He has already given me the all clear from a far more serious, debilitating and damning disease – sin. Again, I sensed in those moments a welling up of indescribable relief, joy and gratitude as it dawned on me afresh just what it means to have been saved and forgiven! Every last shadow in the hidden corners of my heart – dealt with! No hidden sin cell lurking, waiting to pounce with unstoppable insidiousness to rob me of my righteousness – or more precisely, of Jesus’ righteousness. No, I am thoroughly and totally and lastingly clean because the blood of Jesus is completely successful, totally effective in terminally dealing with my sin!
Being in Christ is like being totally covered by the rays (zaps!) of his cleansing and restorative righteousness. I am a new creation! Remember the song?

I am a new creation, No more in condemnation,
Here in the grace of God I stand
A joy that has no limit, A lightness in my spirit
Here in the grace of God I stand
(Dave Bilbrough)

And this has opened up to me not just the prospect of the enjoyment of life ahead but a whole eternity of delight in the presence of my God & Saviour!!

So this is where I now live, day by day, moment by moment – In Christ, in the radiance of His presence which is changing me from one degree of glory to another! Why on earth live anywhere else?

So how do you feel about having the all clear from all your sins?... It’s awesome! Followers of Jesus are very blessed people!

Goff
(You can now follow Goff on Twitter)

Waiting...

2010-05-10T19:38:00.001+01:00

Sitting in a waiting room this week, watching a 24 hour news channel, I got into conversation with the person next to me who observed that the volcano in Iceland had at last been pushed off the top news spot, to be replaced by the election coverage. One lot of hot air for another, I flippantly commented. We both felt tired of the non-stop barrage of repeated headlines that those channels churn out. "This is doing my head in…. how do you suppose you switch channels…?"

You get like that when you spend a lot of time in waiting rooms watching the same item over and over again, believe me! I've sat in the same waiting room at the hospital every weekday for the last 7 weeks, awaiting treatment – and it's nearly over. Just 3 more days, 3 more sessions, and it's over.

May I a say a big "Thank You" to all those who have been such a big support, standing in for me here & there, putting up with my slightly distracted state of mind, and of course, praying for me. All very much appreciated.

But back to the waiting room briefly - your world shrinks somewhat in those circumstance (literally, as you just can't travel far) and the things that really matter become more obvious as you watch and chat a little with people facing varying degrees of uncertainty in their lives. And on the subject of uncertainties, with no outright winner in the election, uncertainty seems to be the order of the day wherever you look – except that of course, as a Christian you are able to buck the trend in the sure knowledge that there is nothing haphazard, circumstantial or unplanned about your future. But there is a 'waiting' that I don't believe we are as actively focused on as Scripture says we should be…. waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13.

Personally I make a point of looking at the sky every now & again, and saying to myself: "one of these days……….! Now that kind of waiting is very energizing, inspiring and motivating!

Have a great week

Goff

An important choice...

2010-04-25T17:00:00.001+01:00

Choices, choices, choices – we are surrounded by choices; from the brand of goods to buy to the colour of politician to vote for, we are bombarded with competing voices vying for our attention. Which to choose? You may well have become a little jaundiced in your view and feel that it really won’t make much difference which ????? you choose, and you could well be right! But there is once choice that many of us are faced with every day that does make a very big difference to our lives.

You don’t have to look very far in order to see that we live in an increasingly fear-ridden world. For some reason it would appear that deep in our being lies a fear sensor that constantly scans our personal horizon, looking for possible scenarios to be anxious or fearful about. And news editors know this only too well and take great pleasure in capitalizing on this in built attraction. Just look at their favourite words: ‘Catastrophic…’, ‘Disastrous…’, ‘Fallout…’ and so it goes on. As a result, many today are living fearful lives – even if they do dull the reality with pills or Happy Hour.

One of the most frequently used phrases throughout the Bible is the imperative “Fear not!”, and whenever it appears, good reason is given as to why one should not / need not fear:

"Fear not,… I am your shield; your great reward." Gen 15:1
“Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you..” Gen 26:24
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you” Isaiah 41:10

And here’s a favorite: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” Isaiah 43:1

And all of these are promises that every Christian can claim as their own, because they do indeed, belong to God.

It seems to me, as I face some challenges of my own, that we are faced with a crucial choice every day that really does matter: Will we live in fear or in faith?

Henri Nouwen puts it more vividly: Will we choose to live in the house of fear or the house of the Lord? Will we surround ourselves with those fear inducing “what if’s” or will we choose to surround ourselves with God’s presence and promises?

"I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant." - Psalm 34:4

Yes please, that’s my choice!

Goff

A father's perspective...

2010-04-19T17:00:00.002+01:00

Please allow me a rather personal blog this week on account of the wedding of my daughter Ali at the weekend – and what a weekend it was! The sun was shining, the sky was blue, my daughter looked wonderful and (I’m feeling that this ought to rhyme, but I fear it wont!) she was marrying an excellent guy, Dan, who clearly loves her and God. Perfect! Isn’t that what a father prays for his daughter almost from the day she is born? As I stood there at the ceremony next to Ali singing “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Saviour..” I didn’t really try to hold back tears of great joy!

There are many parallels that I could draw with God’s Father heart for us, but I will focus on just one. I have prayed regularly and passionately for Ali about this day throughout her life, strongly desiring her good and her happiness, and then feeling so delighted to see her so clearly blessed. How much more does our heavenly Father watch over us, plan for our good, and delight in our happiness?!

I think that I caught just a little glimpse more of the Father heart of God towards us this last weekend as I took great delight in my daughter’s happiness!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
- Jeremiah 29:11

Goff

Come with us!

2010-04-14T17:00:00.001+01:00

I made a brief visit to Copenhagen at the weekend to witness the opening of Copenhagen Community Church’s new premises. Well, it was outstanding from every point of view – and I’m not just talking about the excellent building that they now have!

Firstly, it was so good to be back amongst friends - with David & Margit Bjerre, and with the whole church family who have become such good friends. I have been very touched by the way that they have prayed for me as I face health challenges, and once again, they insisted on praying for me in the meeting – and God spoke to me very helpfully through that time.
Thank you CCC.

Then the building – it is outstanding! They have changed the layout and refurbished it to a very high standard, and as well as being a meeting place for CCC, it will also serve as an excellent conference facility. It is such a great building to be in – which could not be said for their previous premises!! Although it served them well in days gone by, their place on the 3rd floor above the Irish Pub in the centre of Copenhagen had outlived its usefulness (and the ceiling was falling in – honestly!!).

As we stood in the new place, with the sun streaming through the glass frontage, it was as if the church had come out of hiding, from up there on the 3rd floor, and is now on street level, open, accessible and visible for all to see. And that, of course, is just how it should be – not that the building is anything in itself, but figuratively, the Church of Jesus Christ, His Body, is to be seen and HIS presence felt through us. That is one of the things that I pray most, not just for CCC but for us at Kings as well, that people coming into contact with us will sense that God is with us.

In the words of Moses to his father in law: “Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the LORD has promised good..”

Goff

Don't miss it!

2010-04-05T17:00:00.001+01:00

I have recently been getting into the routine of visiting the hospital every day, Monday to Friday for a dose of radiotherapy. As one who has never been particularly fond of the inside of hospitals (who is?!), I am none the less grateful for the NHS and the excellent medics who work day in & day out under quite pressing workloads. I am also grateful to a band of excellent friends who I know have been praying for me through this.

What I have become very aware of through this time is that each day gives me a brand new opportunity – an opportunity either for gloomy self pity or alternatively an opportunity for a fresh joyful infusion of the grace and goodness of God.

Which to choose…?! That really ought to be a very easy decision to make, but the strange thing is that for some perverse reason, the temptation (and I use that word deliberately) to opt for the gloomy option continues to have some appeal. Ridiculous! What fool would choose that option?

God’s word for us on this is found in Hebrews 12:15: See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, What this means is that there is ample, fresh grace available for every situation we will ever face. The issue is, will we make sure that we avail ourselves of it? I believe with every fibre of my being that God’s word is true when He says to us "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Let me encourage you to join me in making sure that not one day slips by, not one opportunity is missed to avail yourself of God’s fresh gift of grace to help and transform any and every situation. It’s a battle well worth fighting for!

Don’t miss it!

Goff

True freedom!

2010-03-28T17:00:00.000+01:00

It seems to be quite a rare thing nowadays for people to put their hand up and take the blame for their misdemeanours. I’m nor sure I can remember, for instance, the last time I heard a politician do that (even when apparently caught red handed), and when Tiger Woods steps up and admits the full shame of his philandering and the betrayal of his wife, he is immediately suspected of engaging in some stage-managed ploy to save his brand name.

I guess you don’t have to look very far to realise that actually we are all pretty skilled at sidestepping blame and pushing it onto others. We started young didn’t we? No child has to be taught the line “It wasn’t my fault, it was him!”, and the innocent look to go with it comes quite naturally from a very young age.
And yet that inbuilt reflex to sidestep, although employed in the name of self-preservation, actually has the opposite effect of leaving us diminished and uncomfortable, because when we sidestep we take our guilt with us.

Easter celebrates the most liberating truth of the Christian message, that instead of sidestepping we can stand right where we are and have our sin and guilt lifted from us forever, as we humbly admit “Guilty as charged” and look to Jesus to step into our place and take our blame on himself.
Martin Luther put it like this: ‘Christ alone bears our sins. Therefore beware, as you place your sins on your conscience, that you do not panic, but freely place them on Christ…. Hence you must say: “I see my sin in Christ, therefore my sin is not mine but another’s. I see it in Christ.” It is a great thing to say confidently: “My sin is not mine.” “My sins have been transferred to Christ; He has them!”

Jesus died on a cross, taking yours and my sin upon himself, so that if we will put up our hands and admit “Yes, guilty as charged” and put our faith in Him to save us, then just as Jesus rose from the dead, so we too can enjoy full forgiveness, a clear conscience, and the newness of life that comes from knowing Him.

This is true freedom!

Goff

Grace abounding!

2010-03-23T16:00:00.000Z

I have a good friend who clearly has a gift from God of generosity. He is very thoughtful and attentive to situations and people around him, continually looking for the opportunity to bless or give. I’m sure you would agree that this is a very attractive quality – especially if you have been on the receiving end! It’s great to be around people like that!

There are other people I know who, how can I put it, are either oblivious to everyone & everything outside of themselves or are just plain mean-spirited. And who likes to be around them?

This has a bearing on something that is very much on my mind on the moment, namely the fact that the Apostle Paul repeatedly uses the phrase ‘in Christ’ to describe the life of a Christian. For Paul, a Christian is someone who has had a dynamic encounter with Jesus Christ, as a result of which, he or she has died to themselves and now lives this new ‘resurrection’ life that flows out of the fact that Jesus is alive, present and active in us by the Spirit. If it’s real, then it must issue forth in a changed life – albeit step by step as we discover God’s grace for each situation, including grace to put us back on our feet when we fall.

So those ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ bands that the younger generation sometimes wear are totally appropriate for many life situations. After all, I want to be like Jesus, don’t you? So be provoked by my friend, and be alert, looking for every opportunity to exceed in this grace of giving – just as Jesus continues to lavishly pour his grace and goodness on us. That’s what he’s like!

Goff

For me, to live is...

2010-03-07T17:00:00.000Z

What a great weekend! Our annual 18 – 30’s weekend (MOBILISE EAST) is always a great event and this year has been no exception. To see around 150 young people worshipping God and zealous to be radical in their devotion to Jesus, is awesome! This years’ guest speakers were Sam and Marlene Poe who are great examples of a radical couple who have taken many bold steps in life and ministry over the years, and in fact are just now embarking on a fresh adventure as they go on from here to Zimbabwe where they will be living for several months, serving the churches.

Of course, every age group is equally important in church life, but as a church leader, I count it a particular privilege to have this Mobilise age group in the mix because there is little doubt that these are the years when important choices are made that can affect the trajectory of the rest of ones life. What will be the motivating factor in the big decisions of life – money, success, comfort, self-indulgence?? Of course, those things get dressed up in very attractive garb and are well able to grab us and set the course of our lives, but they are not enough! We were made for more! I am eternally grateful for the discomfort that God graciously laid on me back in my early twenties, causing me to realise early on that living safe and for self would never be enough.

The apostle Paul says it best: It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me Galatians 2:20.

For to me to live is Christ! Philippians 1:21. Any other priority in life is just never going to be enough – whatever age you are!

Thanks MOBILISE for the provocation, or should I say reminder - us older guys know about radical too!

Goff

Worship matters!

2010-02-14T17:00:00.000Z

One of my favourite quotes from John Piper goes something like this: ‘Our aim in mission is to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of the glory of God,’ Oh yes! That IS what it is all about, the mission of the church, our personal witness, the declaring of the gospel – in fact all our endeavours should be towards that end.

The obvious thing about this aim is that you’ve got to know something about the white-hot enjoyment of God & His glory if you’re going to pass it on, and unfortunately there are too many Christians who have lost the capacity to marvel at the majesty of God. It just all too easy for our lives to get cluttered and our devotion to Jesus weakened – and we’re the worse off for it. Sam Storms in his book One Thing says this: ’Worship is eminently practical because adoring and affectionate praise is what restores our ultimate value. It exposes the worthless and temporary and tawdry stuff of this world. Worship energises the heart to seek satisfaction in Jesus alone.’

So, away with dull devotion! You can call us a happy-clappy church any time – and we’ll take it as a compliment! And I think I know what I’m going to preach about next Sunday!

Have a great week,

Goff

Your Kingdom Come!

2010-02-07T17:00:00.000Z

I have been encouraged to pray some big prayers lately! Some of that encouragement has come from the outstanding prayer times we have been having as a church lately. For a year or two now, we have been meeting at 6:30am Friday mornings for an hour of prayer, (all welcome!) and something has happened as we’ve come into this new year; we’ve stepped up a gear! We’ve been enjoying God’s presence in a quite remarkable way and have felt provoked to pray big prayers.

This morning Marcus preached very simply on the subject of healing, making the point that Jesus healed people – A LOT! And then we prayed some big audacious prayers for people to be healed (you can download Marcus’ preaching online).

Meanwhile I have been studying the Book of Revelation quite a lot recently as I prepare to teach on the subject to the Leadership Training group, and that has also encouraged me to pray big prayers, because there we get to see how things really are; how Jesus has triumphed and what his great victory through his death and resurrection has achieved. Nothing will ever be the same again! Jesus has changed the shape of history forever! He has redeemed the lives of all who put their trust in him, given us an eternal hope & future, defeated death and cast down every demonic force in the universe. And he has started to reign – now!
So when we pray “Your Kingdom come!” as Jesus taught us to do, it’s not just a wistful longing for paradise, it’s a bold prayer that the reign of King Jesus will break out here and now in the present, causing lives, homes, families and communities to be wonderfully transformed, sicknesses healed, people set free from addictions and fears, because that’s what Jesus does – that’s what his victory has accomplished!

Your Kingdome come! Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

Have a great week!

Goff

For the glory of God!

2010-01-15T17:00:00.000Z

A while back my friend and colleague Marcus was preaching on the theme that everything is for the glory of God. As an illustration he said that when his daughters started to ask him endless “why Daddy” questions, he would just reply “For the glory of God, Sophie.”!
I was reminded of that yesterday when I came round from an operation only to learn that I would have to go through it again, for a third time! My first reaction was, of course, “Why Lord? I could really do without this!” but then of course, if you allow that questioning thought to linger, it’s only a short step before you start questioning God’s care, concern and power to act. So I shut down that enquiry with a drowsy “for your glory, Lord – I do trust you, your goodness to me and believe that somehow all this is for your glory.”

I have recently been studying the Book of Revelation, the context for which was a church trying to make sense of the suffering that they were going through under the persecutions of the Roman Empire. How do you make sense of that?
Well, John was taken in his vision, into the control centre of the universe, the heavenly throne room, and there he began to see how things really are in the world. Have you ever seen in war movies those command centres where submarines, ships, tanks and so on are moved around on a massive screen as strategies are plotted and executed? On the ground, it must be almost impossible at times to understand what’s going on, but when you can see the big picture, then you begin to see.
That’s why it’s so important to be a worshipper and to fellowship with Jesus rather than with our fears & doubts, so that we begin to get heaven’s perspective, and in due time, we will see His glory breaking through in every situation. I believe it!

Look at these opening words of Revelation…

Revelation 1:4 ’Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him..’

Now read on in chapter 1 and consider the magnificent vision of the Reigning King Jesus on the throne!
It really is all for your glory Lord!

Goff

Captivating thoughts...

2010-01-03T17:00:00.000Z

On a personal note, I am very aware that I go into the New Year a different guy to the one going into 2009, and it has nothing to do with New Year resolutions!
Of course, as Christians we would all want to say that it is our intention and desire to become more Christ-like each day as a result of our living in a dynamic union with Christ enjoying his indwelling presence, but our progress can be imperceptibly slow - at least to ourselves! That should not however deter us from actively seeking to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18. It’s not a pretty or glorifying sight to see believers growing old missing the grace of God and remaining self-centered and tetchy.

Changes in me came about quite unintentionally on my part. It was back in July when I was diagnosed as having prostate cancer, and that kind of discovery affects you, believe me! Suddenly I became aware just how much I needed God’s help and grace on a daily basis. Devotional times were no longer an option; now they were vital as I became keenly aware that my joy, my peace, my hope, my help and a lot more were to be found in Christ and nowhere else.

Let me just tell you of one very special moment for me these last months. When first faced with that kind of news your mind goes into overdrive as you begin to explore all the “What if..?” scenarios. Well that’s what I was busy doing last July (and satan was doing a good job offering suggestions) when the word of God literally fell into my lap. I had just inherited my grandfather’s preaching notes and was fingering through them, when a small card with the words ‘Sermon index’ scribbled on it, fell out. Turning it over, I discovered that it was one of my grandfather’s visiting cards, dated 1954, with these words on it: Whatsoever things are true, honourable – just – pure – lovely – of good report – any virtue – any praise, think on these things. Phil 4:8. Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2Cor 10:5. Then it said this: ‘That the Lord may enable you in all things for His glory is my sincere prayer.’
Well, I grasped those words with both hands, and I can honestly tell you that it has been life-changing.

As we go into a New Year, I would encourage you to take hold of those same ‘God words’ for yourself and your situation, whatever it is, or whatever you may face in the year ahead. Don’t be ‘loose’ in your thinking! Don’t allow those ‘fear’ thoughts run their depressing course but instead, actively & prayerfully take them captive to Christ, and I assure you that peace and joy will follow!

Be blessed!

Goff

Home is where..?

2009-12-13T17:00:00.000Z

In the course of preaching this morning, I touched on the subject of ‘home’, or more precisely ‘homelessness’. (The context was the Genesis chapter 11, The Tower of Babel and the scattering and fragmentation that resulted.) This afternoon I am enjoying thoroughly enjoying some long awaited time at home, relaxing!

Over the Christmas period trainloads of people will make their way ‘home’ to spend time with people they care about, love, or maybe just feel some connection to.
The concept (and hopefully the experience!) of ‘home’ is a rich one, and a theme that for many conjures up images of log fires, warm welcomes and a sense of belonging. Tim Keller put it like this: Home is where, when you go there, they have to let you in. !! Exclamation marks mine! The context, his book The Prodigal God - which incidentally would make an excellent Christmas present if you still need some ideas – the context was a discussion about the inner homelessness that many people feel in their lives, having left ‘the Father’s house.’

Henri Nouwen picks up the same thought: ‘Though we think of ourselves as followers of Jesus, we are often seduced by the fearful questions that the world presents to us. Without realizing it, we become anxious, nervous, worrying people caught in the questions of survival.. as soon as these so called real issues begin to dominate our lives, we are back in the house of fear’ There is certainly no shortage of fearful questions being voiced around us about the economy, the world and the future etc, that can easily overwhelm us. But as you make your way home this Christmas, let me encourage you to listen to another voice. Again, Henri Nouwen: “Do not be afraid, have no fear”, is the voice we most need to hear. It is the voice that announces a whole new way of being, a being in the house of love, the house of the Lord…. This is not simply a place in the afterlife, a place in heaven beyond this world. Jesus offers us this house right in the midst of our anxious world… “Make your home in me, as I make mine in you” John15v4

Now there’s an invitation not to be missed!

Goff

Dazzling..!

2009-11-29T17:00:00.000Z

This weekend, Dubai is in the headlines. Its amazing rise to fame with all its staggering buildings – the Burj Dubai, the highest building in the world having just been completed – looks like it is stalling, as the government fails to cover its bad debts. Angie & I arrived in Dubai last Wednesday evening on perhaps our last visit to Gateway Church after almost 5 years, in which we have worked closely together with Clive & Heather Cernik and the church.

On Thursday Clive & Heather took us to see ‘Atlantis on the Palm – Where wonder meets water’ as the website puts it, and it was quite spectacular: an amazing complex at the top of the famous palm-shaped development in Dubai that is visible from space, reaching out into the blue waters of the Gulf.

On Friday I got to see a spectacle even more marvellous – the wonderful sight of many nations worship as one. ‘Jesus I put you first, you above all else.. You are Number 1’. Evan Rogers was leading worship, and it was special. Here and there, a line in a different language underlining the beautiful mix of people present from very different backgrounds and nations united in Jesus. A touch of heaven!
This is what we live, work and pray for – and that Jesus is coming back for – the church, a company of people, a family, a bride, made up of people from every nation and made one in Him. And as I looked out over Gateway Church last Friday morning I saw just a little of the dazzling beauty of what Jesus is doing in our day; He is gathering and building His church and it is very special. The words prophesied by Isaiah concerning the Church came to mind:
"O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones. All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children..” Isaiah 54:11

In a couple of weeks, after approaching 5 years in Dubai, Clive and Heather will be returning to the UK, awaiting God’s direction as to where they should go next! Meanwhile they leave behind in Dubai a very special church now numbering close to 400 people, that we at Kings have had the privilege to serve and support. Please do pray for them, and for Steve & Heather Oliver and family as they leave Clarens, South Africa to pick up where Clive & Heather left off.

Goff

Special!

2009-11-08T17:00:00.000Z

What a memorable weekend! It started off with an early morning flight to Copenhagen on Friday to spend the day in Copenhagen Community Church’s new building, exploring how we can develop it for all that we want to do there. Last Sunday was CCC’s first Sunday in the new building and David Bjerre tells me that it was a very special occasion, with a great sense of God’s presence.

Friday evening we enjoyed a great meal with all the leadership team and their wives, celebrating God’s goodness and reflecting on plans for the future. I do so enjoy ‘doing church’ like this, taking bold steps of faith together in the context of great friendship. If you were at Pakefield for our ‘Together’ event a few weeks ago you will have heard of our Relational Mission initiative, that is, our desire to keep these 2 key values of mission and relationship clearly in view in all that we do. We are friends on a mission together, and isn’t that very New Testament? We think it is – and it is a very enjoyable way to work, as we witnessed Friday evening in Copenhagen around Alun and Joanna’s meal table. Special!

Speaking of special, mid way through Friday evening I received a very special text – no, not a verse, but a message on my phone! It was from Ali my daughter, announcing her engagement to Dan – he had come and asked my permission a week or so ago so it wasn’t a total surprise, but it was special, sharing her joy.
So Saturday it was back home to Norwich to join in the family celebrations, and then to preach this morning on (you’ll never believe this!) Adam & Eve: All you need is…? That just happened to be where we’ve got to in our series from Genesis! Doesn’t our God do things so very well – and I’m grateful!

Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. Psalm 63:3

Goff

Too easily pleased?

2009-11-01T17:00:00.000Z

I am really enjoying our current preaching series on the first chapters of Genesis. For too long this key section of the Bible has been lost to controversy and so I’m delighted that Sunday by Sunday we are hearing God’s words loud and clear on the big questions of life that are addressed there. Marcus did a great job this morning on the implications of our having been made in God’s image: You are special! Next week Simon’s subject will be Sex in Eden, or something like that!

How refreshing to be getting God’s perspective on how our lives were purposed and planned to be lived, because all too often in our generation it seems that any other voice is permitted and preferable, no matter how outrageous, and God is gagged.
And here’s the irony – God’s voice is outlawed because the common notion is that he is a kill-joy out to that rob us of any pleasures that we may find for ourselves, when in fact God’s design is to do us more good than we can imagine!
CS Lewis in his book The Weight of Glory wrote the following: Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. . We are far too easily pleased.

Alister McGrath tells the parable of the moth. The moth is made to be attracted to the light, probably to help it navigate by the fixed point of the moon on a dark night. But with the arrival of artificial light, candles and floodlights, the moth got confused and ended up crashing & burning. Isn’t there a parallel with our situation? We’re made with an attraction to God and his ways for us, but we get attached to lesser lights that promise much but end up causing us to crash & burn. ’But suppose there is something that we are really meant to desire, that will not destroy us but bring us fulfilment & joy? This is the heart of the Christian hope.’

Have a great week

Goff

"Today, if you hear His voice..."

2009-10-18T17:00:00.000+01:00

It’s always great to have Keith (and Nova!) Hazell around. As well as being great company and wonderfully normal, Keith has a prophetic ministry that I really appreciate. Kings Community Church has been significantly shaped, and encouraged to take some bold steps over the last 20 years through Keith’s prophetic encouragements and provocations. Of course, we recognise that actually it is God working through Keith, and we always weigh up such prophecies against Scripture, and God’s leading in other ways, but oh we do love to witness God’s leading!
Keith was preaching here at Kings this morning, encouraging us to be ready for God’s surprises, to be ready for new opportunities, new opening or ‘gateways’ as a church, realising that they can often be surprising – and challenging!

Last weekend Angie and I were in Copenhagen with CCC (Copenhagen Community Church) celebrating with them the fact that papers had just been signed on their new building – praise God! And it’s a great building, offering great opportunities in the heart of that influential international city. I love the fact that God has allowed us at Kings to be strongly involved with CCC – what a great opportunity for us! I believe that many of us from Kings will be making the (easy!) journey to Copenhagen to serve CCC in all sorts of ways. And the beauty of this arrangement is this: my going to Copenhagen has released Josef to go to Turkey where he is working amongst, lets just say, a very mixed company of people , presenting Jesus in words and deeds. And lives are being wonderfully changed!

Doesn’t this all sound very familiar? Isn’t this just what Jesus did – challenging and changing people’s lives, offering new possibilities and opportunities wherever he went? When we discover and welcome God’s call and leading in our lives, something special happens. We experience God’s love and care for us personally, and a whole new world opens up before us. We are invited to leave our former, familiar, self-centred world and enter His world where Jesus is doing wonderful things, drawing men women and children to himself, bringing hope to the helpless, mending broken lives, making all things new. And to think – we are invited, no, we’re called to live in His world! This is what it means to be a follower of Jesus! There really is no better way to live your life, certainly none more fulfilling – it’s what you were called for!

Enjoy the journey this week!

Goff

New beginnings...

2009-10-04T17:00:00.000+01:00

Marcus began our new preaching series this morning, entitled ‘New Beginnings’. We are going to be preaching on the first chapters of the book of Genesis. When we think of the book of Genesis we usually think ‘controversy’, but our aim is not so much to get locked up in controversy as to attempt to draw out the massive, wonderful, life-changing truths that it contains. I thought Marcus did an outstanding job, preaching on chapter 1 verse 1, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. You can hear it by downloading it from this website, so I’ll just give you the headlines, his main points.
In short, what this key verse tells us is that it’s not about us, it’s all about Him. God, in Christ is The Hero, The Creator, The Owner and the Purpose giver. It’s all about you, Jesus! And you, the life-giver, make New Beginnings possible for us all. Have a listen!

Speaking of new beginnings, we heard this week that CCC (Copenhagen Community Church), our good friends in that great city, have secured a new building in which to meet. Having filled to capacity that room up above the Irish Pub in the heart of the city, we have been praying & looking hard for a new place to meet. Well, this week the deal was done, and we have secured a great premises at street level, again in the city centre. Thank you Lord! There’s plenty of space to grow, and we have plans to make use of it throughout the week, making lots of friends and making Jesus known! Angie & I will be there next week, and I will be preaching at CCC next Sunday – I look forward to it very much! Thanks to all of you at Kings who have been praying for a new building.

Lastly, Gateway Church in Dubai are also facing new beginnings. Clive and Heather Cernik, who we all know, love and have supported strongly for several years now, feel that their work in Dubai is done. Clive has led Gateway church for getting on for 5 years and under his leadership, God has built a great church there in Dubai. They will be leaving Dubai at the end of the year, so please pray for them as they look for the new beginning that God has for them!

If you are facing a new situation or a new challenge, let me encourage you to put your trust and confidence in the One who loved you enough to pour out his life for you, taking all your faults and failures on himself, making it possible for you to enjoy new life, a new beginning, in his company, in Christ!

Have a great week
Goff

Living with Jesus today...

2009-09-20T17:00:00.000+01:00

I got back from holiday this week in time to hear Mike Betts preach at Kings this morning on the subject: “The surrendered life”. Basing his message on the response of king Hezekiah when faced with intimidation and potential invasion, Mike used a wonderfully graphic verse from Isaiah chapter 37, describing Hezekiah’s action on receiving a threatening, fear-inducing letter: Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; , and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. .

Mike made the point that actually, living a life surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus is, in fact, the only authentic way to live the Christian life. In a world that is so insistent on “my rights”, even our presentation of the Gospel can be affected and distorted.
Over the summer I read an interesting book by Jean Vanier in which he graciously challenges our selfish agendas and the need for Jesus to take pre-eminence in our daily lives. I quote: The gospel begins with two disciples following Jesus and it ends with Jesus saying to Peter, “Follow me”… They do not always know where he is leading them but they trust him and walk with him. We, too, are called to follow Jesus day by day, not always knowing where he will lead us but trusting him, seeking to become like him…. Our journey in faith will be a growth in trust in Jesus as he gradually leads us to live in the Father. Just as we are called to grow in human maturity, goodness and wisdom, we are called to grow in union with God, dying more and more to our self-centred needs.

I sincerely believe that what Mike shared this morning is key both for our joy and the effectiveness of our witness as followers of Jesus in these urgent days. Speaking of urgent days, Thomas Kelly put it much more starkly: The times are too tragic, God’s sorrow is too great, man’s night is too dark, the Cross is too glorious for us to live as we have lived, in anything short of holy obedience.

So let me urge us all, as followers and friends of Jesus, to daily seek to dwell in him, seeking his agenda over our own, and discovering the joy and fruitfulness that it brings.

Have a great week!

Goff

Call to Action!

2009-09-04T17:00:00.000+01:00

I am really looking forward to this weekend. Angie & I set off for Copenhagen today, to be with our very dear friends in Copenhagen Community Church, there in the heart of that beautiful city. I am particularly happy about going because just a while ago I thought I might have to pull out and miss being there at the beginning of this new season for CCC. God is very good!

Setting off on a visit like this reminds me how much I love & value the church, the Body of Christ across the nations; the friends, the fun and joy of meeting up again, the sense of anticipation of what God is doing, the privilege of being on this great mission together. This is, after all, the greatest mission on planet earth – in the universe in fact - Jesus’ plan & intention to gather a people from across every nation to belong to Him.

One writer put it like this: His supreme design in this world is to bring together a people. He saves & redeems & rescues & cleans, and so makes his saved and purified people to be ‘the church’….The kingdom – the royal activity of God – uses the church as it’s channel of influence out into the world. M Eaton

And we are a part of that! This weekend we will be launching a new preaching series entitled: Call To Action! based on that great passage about our warfare as Christians, in Ephesians ch6.
Paul said that he thanked the Lord Jesus that he considered him faithful, appointing him to his service. Yes, what a privilege! This is the highest cause we can live for, living for the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world!

Goff

It's all about You, Jesus...

2009-08-30T17:00:00.000+01:00

It was great to have Adam Bradley with us at Kings today – and not just Adam, but his wife Lorna and their delightful girls including latest addition Zoe, born just a few weeks ago! Adam has led Christ’s Community Church in Attleborough for about 4 years, and under his leadership the church has flourished and God has given significant growth.
And it wasn’t just because he’s a nice guy that I enjoyed his visit, but because of what he had to say. He preached on the question: ‘Who is this man?’, meaning Jesus Christ, and based it on that rich passage from Colossians 1:15

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

As the song says, it really is all about You, Jesus! You can download Adam’s preaching from this website, I just want to say here how vital it is that we always preach Jesus. He is the only Saviour. He is the only way to know the Father. John Piper puts it like this:

there is no spiritual life – no eternal life – apart from connection with Jesus and belief in Jesus…. In the new birth, the Holy Spirit supernaturally gives us new spiritual life by connecting us with Jesus Christ. For Jesus is life. (quoted from Finally Alive)

Let me take it further; it’s not just that Jesus makes us alive, in fact, everything we need, every blessing received comes to us ‘in Christ’. In an earlier generation, Thomas Watson wrote it like this:

Jesus Christ is the sum & quintessence of the gospel; the wonder of the angels; the joy & triumph of the saints. The name of Christ is sweet, it is as music in the ear, honey in the mouth, and a cordial at the heart… Jesus Christ, our Mediator, has perfection in every grace. Col 1v19 He is a panopy, magazine and storehouse of all heavenly treasure, all fullness… There is a never-failing fullness of grace in Christ. (Quoted from A Body of Divinity)

As I say, it really is all about Jesus, about knowing him, about being In Him, living our lives in a dynamic relationship with him – being ‘in Christ’.

Think on Him!

Goff

Stay close!

2009-08-25T17:00:00.000+01:00

Tragically, the statistics of war, the casualties, are on our screens every day. It is something that cannot and should not be ignored. We are fighting a war.
Every soldier would, I’m sure, tell you that it is fundamental for survival that you know when you are in a battle zone. Everything changes. No more casual or careless moments. No sauntering off on your own. Senses are alerted. Everything changes. There are mines, hidden bombs, snipers to contend with, and so constant watchfulness is the order of the day – and the night.

I think I have become more aware lately of the warfare that we are engaged in as Christians. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is advancing – and we are called to be a part of that advance. The outcome is certain, but there is an enemy to contend with who seeks to deter, discourage, depress and do us damage.
Psalm 18:34 says: He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. God wants us to not only use the protective shield of faith, but also to steal a march on our enemy and take ground!

I read the following recently, written by Amy Carmichael: The fight to which we have been called is not an easy fight. We are touching on the very centre of the devil’s power and kingdom, and he hates us intensely and fights hard against us.
Then she says something surprising. Instead of urging us to great action & exploits, she says… So first, give much time to quietness. For the most part we have to get our help directly from our God… we must each learn to walk with God alone and feed on his word so as to be nourished.

What a great arrangement – walk in close fellowship with God, be conscious of your life being in Christ, and not only do you stay safe, you get to enjoy his delightful, empowering presence!
One more great line from Amy C. Fill up the crevices of time with the things that matter most.

Stay close!

Goff

Winning the Test...

2009-08-16T17:00:00.000+01:00

Confidence plays an important part of any sports person’s success.

Dial that up with a bit of healthy aggression and competitive determination and you have a winning formula. I don’t normally use illustrations from the world of cricket as I know little about it but I did feel God prod me this week about the way we pray and handle the deliveries that our adversary hurls at us, and lessons to be learned from cricket

I think I read somewhere the English middle batting order pretty much caved in and collapsed in the last innings. I guess that once a batsman’s head goes down and he becomes intimidated by what is coming his way and uncertain what to do with it, then his performance is unlikely to be great and victory is going to be most unlikely.

Same for the Christian with the challenges and assaults that our adversary hurls at us – if we stand there overwhelmed and passive then we won’t make the progress that our heavenly father intends for us.

Here’s my point: I believe with all my heart that God wants His people, whom He has redeemed, to stand with greater confidence, and in prayer boldly face those things that come against us. I believe that Jesus teaches us to pray strongly, and to decisively deal with those missiles, dispatching them aggressively to the boundary and beyond. We have been given the right through what Jesus has accomplished for us on the Cross and we are invited to pray big prayers!

Goff

What if..??

2009-07-26T17:00:00.000+01:00

It really isn’t an exaggeration to say that we live in a fear-filled world. Just turn on the news and you’ll hear the latest attention-seeking, fear-inducing headline. Presently it’s swine flu, last month it was the economy, next month…??
There always seems to be something to fear, either inside us or around us, to the point that we can hardly imagine what it would be like to live a fear free life.

I recently made a profound discovery that I really should have made years ago. I was reading a book by Henri Nouwen when I came across the phrase: ‘Fearful questions never lead to love-filled answers; underneath every fearful question many other fearful questions are hidden.’ Wow – just think about that! A fear-filled question springs to mind – or rather, gets thrown at you by demonic forces (Ephesians 6v12). “What if…?” “How will I…?” There are endless questions like that that seek our attention, and foolishly, all too often we give our attention to try to answer those questions. And do we come up with peaceful answers? If left to our own logic & reasoning, no. Result? Fear. Henri Nouwen is right, underneath every fearful question there’s just other fearful questions lurking.

So what’s the answer? Don’t go there! Instead, take every such thought captive to Christ (2 Cor 10v5) because he does have peace-filled answers to every situation that we will ever face. He has promised! Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27.

As Christians, we are in Christ , that means that we have the opportunity to live every moment in a vital, living relationship with Him, and he is the Prince of Peace! So who would you rather fellowship with this week; your fears or Christ?
Your choice!

Goff

What does Jesus want from us?

2009-07-02T17:00:00.000+01:00

Let me introduce my friend Josef to you. Josef is a great Dane, that is, he’s a great guy and he’s from Denmark! Until recently he has been leading Copenhagen Community Church (CCC) which meets in the heart of Copenhagen, but in the last few months he has been spending most of his time in Antioch (modern day Antakya, Turkey) doing what he does best! (and I have been helping CCC!). I recently received the following which was written by Josef, and as you read it, you will get a feel for the kind of guys he is….

“What does Jesus want from us?” This question was given me yesterday from a young Afghani girl, who together with her mother and sister, had just accepted Jesus Christ to be her Saviour.

She asked this question, I believe, because she had tasted God’s goodness when she was prayed for. The Holy Spirit was touching her deep, and she had been crying for joy, as she felt the deep love from Jesus Christ touch her inner being.

She was used to living in a religion which set up rules for how to live, and if the rules were not followed, she could be in trouble – not only from God, but from other people of the same religion. The problem with rules is, that even if you follow them on the outside, you can still reject them on the inside.

How could I explain to this precious family that true Christianity is not another religion with a set of strict rules? Christianity is, when it’s taught properly from the pattern of the New Testament, a matter of coming to the end of our own performance and religious pride. To humbly say: “I could never do enough for such a Holy God. By my own nature and sin, I was an enemy of God who is good. Therefore I surrender to Him, and accept what He has done for me, when he paid for my sins.”

Jesus Christ died my death and paid my debt. He suffered my pain and bore my shame and my guilt on the cross. Nobody forced him to die, but he willingly died on that cross because of his love for sinners like me.

What a loving and caring God! Not only did he condemn sin and shame and guilt, but when he righteously had done so, he himself removed the punishment from the sinner and made him righteous, clean and pure by his own blood. We are forgiven. That is called grace. We received something we did not deserve.

But that’s not all! There is more. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, when he died on the cross, we are now cleansed by Jesus Christ. We are pure and clean in the eyes of God. If we believe in Jesus Christ, we are made righteous.

But there is even more! The bible tells us that now we are not his enemies any more, but he has even adopted us to be his sons and daughters. That means: Our filthy old cloths are taken away, and we have been given royal new clean cloth to wear.

God has, by Jesus Christ made us new inside and outside. We are now his children, his sons and daughters, and we will never be anything else. We will always be his children, and no one and nothing can ever separate us from Him. We are now and will always be His children. And like children we can honour or, as children sometimes unconsciously do, dishonor our father, but we will always be accepted and loved by God our father.

When this is clear, and we are secure in the knowledge that we can never lose our new heavenly citizenship as children of God, and that we are loved and accepted by him forever – then we can we answer the question “What does Jesus wants from us?”

He does not want us to do anything to be accepted by him. We are already, as you just have read above, accepted by his love and forgiveness, when we believed in Jesus.

So what does he want? He wants his love to be received, enjoyed, consumed and appreciated. Like a costly gift he wants us to admire it, look at it, embrace it, and then show our gratitude and love to the giver – Him.

God bless your day.
Josef

Josef will be preaching at Kings on Sunday 12th July

Wired to live; waiting for heaven

2009-06-21T17:00:00.000+01:00

Wired to live; Waiting for heaven
21/06/2009

This morning the phone rang at about 7:30 and I knew what it was about before I took the call. We had been expecting this call for a few days now – but that didn’t make it any easier. The news was that a very dear person in the church family at Kings had… how do you put it?... died. This special lady, who has been a dear friend and an inspiration to many of us at Kings for over 20 years, died after a battle with cancer that had been going on for some time. Yet such was her resilience and confidence in God that all through that time, she just continued to exude joy, serve unstintingly and face each day with her trademark appetite for life! We shall miss her very much.

For me, Hazel found the right balance that I believe us Christians should have when facing the present and the future. Regarding the present, we have been wired by our Creator God to live life, enjoying the gift of life that He has given us, with enthusiasm and gratitude. As for the future, we have a great hope and therefore no need to be fearful, but we are not to have an unreal anticipation to depart this life before time.

My times are in your hands; Psalm 31:15

That’s why we do have a bit of a problem finding the right words to sum up what happens when a Christian breaths their last in this life, because death is no longer what it used to be. The New Testament writers got around it by using the expression: ‘… he fell asleep’ Acts 7:60, 13:36 etc. That’s quite a good way of saying it. Christians often speak of ‘going home’ which is a great way of putting it, but that can be confusing unless you explain the address! I jest, but the reality behind those words are very special, and it is wonderfully true.
Above all else, I can confidently say that Hazel has gone to be with Jesus.

I have no doubt that she enjoyed her welcome!

Goff

Working together in Copenhagen

2009-06-12T17:00:00.000+01:00

Angie & I are here in Copenhagen for the weekend to once again spend time with our friends at Copenhagen Community Church (CCChurch). We began with a leaders meeting yesterday evening and we have quite a packed agenda for the next few days, including a brief visit to Malmo, Sweden, on Saturday. Having said that, there’s no question in my mind that we won’t have a lot of fun along the way! Josef has put a strong foundation of friendship into the church here with the result that they enjoy eating together and generally enjoying one another’s company almost as much as we do at Kings – so tonight we have a social with the leaders and their wives. Great!
Jim Drew and Jon Mullender arrive shortly to help with some of the administration and publicity needs here, so there will be quite a gang of us here from Kings!

This is so much a part of our vision as we do church; we are friends on a mission together, and that is very New Testament. Just think of the language of the New Testament… ‘my dearly beloved..’, ‘who I long to be with..’ I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.’ or how about this one: But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 1Thessalonians 2:17.
The church is not an institution, it’s a family, it’s people from every walk of life and every nation, whose lives have been impacted and changed by the grace of God discovered in Christ. And He is the One who is gathering and building His church across the nations. Just the other day I was speaking with my friend Byron in Beijing, and shortly Josef and Elin will be returning to Turkey, tomorrow will be a new experience for me – my first time in Sweden, and so it goes on!

I love being just a small part of this - the most significant endeavour in the whole universe: God’s redeeming purpose in a broken world, saving and restoring, healing and transforming, and bringing together a people, a family, for the praise of His Glory! That’s the Church!

See you next week,

Goff & Angie

Very good news...

2009-05-31T17:00:00.000+01:00

It's been a great weekend, at least for me. Well Chelsea won the FA cup, I got my first sail of the season, and Saturday evening it was the King's Ball - Brilliant! Mind you it wasn't easy to work out who everyone was, dressed up in ball dresses and DJ's.

To cap it all, preaching on forgiveness from Luke 7 deeply moved me as I came face to face once again with the outrage of the Gospel, TOTALLY ACCEPTED & FORGIVEN solely on the basis of what Jesus accomplished for me, and not one jot of help from my efforts. Amazing - and that's what the woman who annointed Jesus' feet in Luke 7 was :amazed and grateful. Psalm 32 says that the only really happy (blessed) people are those whose sins have been forgiven. Absolutely right, but let me just add that the happiest are those who keep a keen awareness of just how much they needed (and continue to need!) to be forgiven.

Stay Grateful,

Goff

Our future hope...

2009-05-21T17:00:00.000+01:00

What a great time we had last Sunday. Don’t let anyone tell you that church is boring! Jonathan Conrathe was speaking and he provoked my faith with his expectation for God to change lives and heal people. God has certainly used Jon over the years and he has some wonderful accounts to recall of missions in various parts of the world where he has seen many come to Christ and witnessed some wonderful healings. The Gospel IS good news to the poor. Jesus DID come to set captives free and give recovery of sight to the blind and our broken world stands in need of this life-changing gospel.(Luke ch4)

So if that’s true that Jesus came not only to die for our sins but also, as the Suffering Servant, to bear our pains and sickness – by his stripes we are healed Isaiah 53 – how come Christians don’t always enjoy perfect health and still die?
Well, theologians talk about us presently living in the overlap of two ages, the present age and the age to come. The Kingdom reign of Christ has, with His death and resurrection begun! My sin has been dealt with on the cross! Death has been defeated, guaranteeing me life beyond the grave! I have been made new in Christ! Now although we rightly speak of the ‘finished work of Christ’, meaning that we don’t have to add anything, in fact can’t add anything to what Christ has done, nevertheless we don’t yet see the full realisation of what He has accomplished for us. We are still living in a world where evil exists. Every day we have to contend for our faith, and sometimes suffer injustice and endure suffering. The New Testament writers wrote in terms of us enjoying the first down payment of an inheritance that is stored up for us in the future (1Peter ch1). We have a great future hope!

Meanwhile, we are urged to pray “Your Kingdom come!” And that means engaging in the proclaiming of the Gospel and praying for the healing of the sick and the setting free of people held captive to all sorts of enslavements.
So thank you Jon for provoking me to pray and believe God to heal, bless and set people free. The Kingdom is here! Your Kingdom come!

Goff

Life in Scotland...

2009-05-10T17:00:00.000+01:00

Last weekend Angie and I were away in Scotland, where I was speaking at the Dundee City Church weekend away – and we had a great time. Scotland was awesome and the church was a delight. Angie & I haven’t been to Scotland for 30 years, and never further north than Edinburgh, so it was a new experience for us, and we loved it – mountains, lochs and a lot of weather!
We were also introduced to the ‘Ceilidh’, that hugely entertaining from of Scottish dancing where you basically get swung around until totally exhausted, clad in a kilt. Now that was a first – me in a kilt! I’m hoping that the lighting in the barn prevented any recognisable photos!?!

I was speaking on the subject ‘The Spirit-filled Community’ from the book of Acts. This theme has been with me for some time now and has challenged me about the way we do church; the way we worship, the way we preach, the way we treat each other, the things that are important to us, the way we lead, and so on. As I travel I have the privilege of seeing Churches like City Church, vibrant, Spirit-filled, built on New Testament foundations, and hugely enjoyable to be a part of. It is churches like this and, I trust Kings, that our nation needs to see and feel the impact of. The Church really is God’s instrument in the world.

Thanks Craig, Anne and all at City Church; it was a privilege being with you. Just keep those kilt photos under lock & key!

Goff

Meekness and majesty...

2009-04-26T17:00:00.000+01:00

We’ve had a ‘worship feast’ lately, what with Mark Tedder last weekend and then An Evening with Graham Kendrick Friday evening. It was a sell out, with over 700 packing into the King’s Centre, and what a great evening – outstanding worship as well as some inspiring performance songs, new & old from Graham.

Graham Kendrick has been around for a good number of years now, in fact it must be over 25 years since he first began to write songs and perform, and in that time he has served the Christian community in this nation and beyond, very significantly and with great integrity. No small achievement.
This weekend I was teaching on our Leadership Training programme on the subject Leadership in Action, and I touched on the whole subject of personal integrity and handling ourselves well as Church leaders. Unfortunately, all too often we hear of leaders and those in prominent positions, tripping up, falling into sin and having to withdraw. And the ripples of disillusionment are felt by many. Starting well is one thing, but finishing well is quite another.

In his little book entitled Humility – True Greatness , C J Mahaney writes:
.. no matter our age or vocation, humility is our greatest friend and pride our greatest enemy.. Contrary to popular and false belief, it’s not “those who help themselves” whom God helps; it’s those who humble themselves.
I have another book on my bookshelf with the very helpful title: It’s Not About ME (by Max Lucardo). Which brings us back to the theme of worship, because true worship always seeks to magnify God, making HIM great, and puts us in that safe place of God-centred wonder and gratitude.

Make space in your week for worship; it will do you good and keep you safe – focussed on the God of meekness & majesty.

Goff

Copenhagen and sounds of Beijing...

2009-04-19T17:00:00.000+01:00

It’s been an eventful few days – Thursday and Friday in Copenhagen with Josef and the leadership team of CCC (Copenhagen Community Church) and then back to Norwich where we had Mark Tedder with us to lead worship at Kings City Centre.

First, Copenhagen. I travelled with Steve and we arrived in time for some catch up time Thursday evening with Josef, David, Finn Allan, Joy and Bono over a good meal together. Josef has recently returned from Antioch, Turkey, and it was great to hear of the progress that he is making there. As for Copenhagen, it was really encouraging to hear of the things that have been happening at CCC - the visitors that have been finding their way to the meetings lately, and the sense of the presence of God. Great!
Part way through the meal we heard the news that the hotel where we were staying was burning down! In the end it turned out to be the building next door, but it made for a few moments of interest! Life is never dull when with these guys!
Friday morning we went looking again for a new venue for the Sunday morning meeting. At present the church meets on the 3rd floor above the Irish Pub in the heart of the city, but they are full to bursting. Last time I was with them we came upon a great location on the ground floor, just around the corner, which could accommodate 300+, so we went back for another look and had a very encouraging discussion with the manageress. This could be great – do pray about this! It’s a Hospitality School that specialises in catering…. Sounds to me like a great place for a church to meet!

Then back to Norwich, and Mark Tedder. Angie & I got to know Mark & Carrie when we were in Beijing. Mark was leading worship at BICF, and we became good friends, so it was great to meet up again, exchange news, and then have Mark lead worship at the City Centre site this morning. What a great time – a wonderful sense of God’s presence as Mark taught some songs from his new album, The Door, recorded live in Beijing. Outstanding! If you want a copy, be quick because we’ve nearly run out. My favourite track so far? Track 8: ‘Be Still’

Have a good week!

Goff

Worship matters...

2009-04-13T17:00:00.000+01:00

My fellow elder Toby has a phrase he picked up somewhere along the lines that at any time he is potentially just 10 minutes away from discouragement! Now let me assure you that Toby is a well adjusted, positive, faith-filled guy! But what he means by this is that there are so many avenues of thought surrounding us, that we just have to go down any one of them without due care and hey presto, we’ve discouraged ourselves. Just take a look at the main stories in the news any day of the week. And that’s why worship is so very important.
I’ve just got back after my morning jog during which my faithful ipod floods my mind with great worship, with the help of Brenton Brown, Stuart Townend, Chris Tomlin, Mark Tedder and others. This has been my habit for many years because I have discovered that as well as keeping me reasonably fit physically, it keeps my life in the enjoyment of God, and, to quote James Fraser, There is a beckoning joy in God’s gateways.

This coming Sunday we have the privilege of having Mark Tedder to lead worship at Kings, City Centre site. Angie & I had the pleasure of getting to know Mark & his wife Carrie whilst in Beijing, and so when I heard that they were in the UK to lead worship at Spring Harvest, I was keen to get them to Norwich for the weekend. Mark will bringing copies of his latest CD / DVD The Door which was recorded live in Beijing last year . So bring some extra cash with you on Sunday and get a copy!

Before we get to Sunday, I have a couple of days in Copenhagen with that excellent church that we are getting alongside to work with there. As soon as their website is back up & running, I’ll point you at it for more information to fuel your prayers!

Have a blessed week!!

Goff

Get in God's orbit!

2009-03-29T17:00:00.000+01:00

Well we’ve started: after months of planning & praying, today we started our multi-site working as a Church. 10am at Kings City Centre, and 11am at Kings Mile Cross, AND we had the hour change to cope with!
I didn’t realise when we set the date, that our first Sunday would coincide with a couple of other notable challenging events – the Boat Race and the Australian GP.

Apart from providing me with some great afternoon viewing to relax to after a busy morning, it also made me think of how we seem to love to push ourselves to achieve things, how we seem to have an inbuilt desire to strain for something just over the horizon. Before the Boat Race there was a brief interview with Roger Bannister who famously ran the mile in less than four minutes at a time when many thought that four minutes was an unbreakable barrier. In the interview he said: “Most people just don’t know what they are capable of.” Of course that is true in many senses, good and bad. That’s why as well as experiencing exhilaration, we also experience shame. Just last week I was reading an article about that trial going on in Austria examining what a father did to his own daughter… enough said.

In God’s image, we are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made; no animal or machine could conquer Everest, write a symphony or enjoy winning a race. Yet don’t we also have the capacity to mess up and do serious damage to one another? The book of Proverbs is a great guide on how to live life well (and I strongly recommend Bill Hybels book Making Life Work , £5:50 in the Kings Bookshop) and the wonderful conclusion that the writer of Proverbs returns to again and again, after all its wise instruction is this: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” . In other words, if we want to live well and live to the full measure of how we have been made, then we need to be in God’s orbit, honoring the One who made us, knows us, and without whom we continue to hurl through life in our own self-centred little orbits of self-aggrandisement , crashing into one another and disappointing ourselves.

How do we do that? By daily (in the morning, in my judgment) getting on our knees, acknowledging and enjoying God’s greatness, and committing all our amazingly impacting words and deeds to Him. It works best that way – after all, that’s how you and I were designed to operate, for His glory, not ours.

Have a great week – and thanks to all of you great people at Kings who have worked so hard to launch our second site in Mile Cross.

Goff

Exciting opportunities...

2009-03-22T16:00:00.000Z

I visited Copenhagen briefly this week – what a great city! I’ve been there several times but this time the sun was shining, which makes all the difference. And I had an exciting reason for being there!

Over the last few months I have been having discussions with Josef Kristensen and fellow leaders of Copenhagen Community Church (CCC) about our involvement with them. Some of you will remember Josef from the days when he used to come to Norwich regularly for Leadership Training – he was that very friendly, warm-hearted Dane who was always smiling. The truth is that Josef can charm his way out of any sticky situation – and I’ve been in some very sticky situations with Josef, believe me… the one with the motorbike…painful! – whatever, he really is a great guy, and his heart for people can be seen in the church that he has drawn together in Copenhagen.

The thing is, Josef has a passion to go gather people somewhere else – in Antioch, Turkey! So who can fill the gap and help the church in Copenhagen expand and blossom in his absence…?
“Oh Goff, it would be really great if you could come and help us, the people here would just love you..!!”
“Yes Josef.. I’ll pray about it!”
So I did, and then Keith Hazell, that lovable prophet visited. Dangerous!
“Goff, put on your running shoes (Keith doesn’t know that I run most days) because you’re going to be running in and out of 4 or 5 nations..!”
“OK Lord, your plans are good, and working with friends is always the best way.”

So that’s how we’ve become involved. The plan is that I will visit regularly, some short visits of just a day or 2, on other occasions, longer, and wherever possible, taking with me some of the excellent, gifted people from King’s. And working together with the excellent guys at CCC, we’ll believe to see that Church shine brightly and be Good News in that great city! Anyone out there up for it? Then give me a call!

Have a great week

Goff

Springing the traps...

2009-03-15T16:00:00.000Z

Preaching this morning on ‘Running the race God has planned for you’, I touched on the subjects of things that can spoil your race and traps that can snare you. It’s something that has been on my mind all week as I’ve been preparing to preach – those snares that David speaks of in the Psalms. It conjures up a very vivid picture of how the unsuspecting can quickly find themselves trapped, caught by the foot, and unable to move or shake free. There really are those kinds of traps around that Christians can find themselves caught in – Satan sees to it; it’s what he does.

In our culture some of those traps are pretty obvious, but that doesn’t make them any less avoidable it would seem. Take for instance the internet. Everyone knows it’s there and the danger it poses, yet it ensnares heaven knows how many with its pornographic images. Of course we don’t like to call it that, but that’s what it is.
So it is equally important that we get real, recognise the problem and help people walk free of this pernicious trap. I mentioned this morning that David the Psalmist got stuck in a great big bear trap called Bathsheba, so if this godly guy got snared, don’t let too many of us say we’re immune to her lure.

Let me then give some practical help to see some traps sprung:

Firstly, break the power of the secret; tell someone. Satan loves to keep us trapped in secrecy & shame, and away from the help, prayer & accountability of Christian friends.

Secondly, truth sets us free, so be aware what God says about the purity of sexual intimacy as he intends it, what he says about impurity, and how he wants you to walk in freedom. To help you in this, you might want to take a look at http://theresurgence.com/porn_again_christian to see some material that Mark Driscoll has written in his typically forthright and helpful way!

Thirdly, take some bold action. Getting rid of ready access to the internet isn’t such a big deal in the light of eternity & a life to be lived powerfully for God. Another idea is to sign up for some security software that keeps someone else alert to what you’re viewing. Take a look at http://x3watch.com. And don’t forget to put some good routines into your life that will fill your heart & mind with some inspiring, God-glorifying stuff on a daily basis! Philippians 4:8

The Gospel Good News is all about Jesus setting people free! Above all else he wants you and I to walk free – and when we do, he get’ all the glory!

Goff

Keep it simple s----d!!

2009-03-10T16:00:00.000Z

The other week I went to hear Tim Keller speak at Westminster Chapel. I’ve mentioned Tim Keller before in my Blog, but if you’ve not come across him before, you can check him out at www.Redeemer.com.
Now there are a lot of things that impress me about TK but one illustration that he used keeps coming back to me. He was speaking about our repeated need to let the truth of the Gospel sink in – for the penny (or dime) to drop – and he gave the illustration of a Coke vending machine in the lobby of the apartment block where he lives. In a matter-of-fact sort of way, whenever you put money in that machine, you have to bash it on the side in order that the money will drop down into the mechanism and deliver the goods. Similarly, he observed, we regularly need a bash on the side of the head in order for the truths of the Gospel to sink in and deliver the goods of Grace in our lives.

I was thinking of that illustration again Sunday morning when we were Breaking Bread in our morning meeting at Kings, and I could almost hear Jesus saying “Do this again, and again, and again, at every opportunity when you come together, so that you make sure that you keep on remembering me and what I have done and accomplished for you – and don’t stop till I come back again!!” I think I may also have felt something on the side of my head as well, but I’m not sure.

So my Blog this week is just a simple reminder to myself and maybe to you too, to daily give ourselves a prod, or maybe even a stiff talking to, so that our wayward minds don’t get the opportunity to take us down blind, dark alleys starved of the Grace of God and the joy of the Glorious Gospel of the happy God. After all, in these days there’s no shortage of bad news capable of doing that. Just don’t go there!
Have a really good week!

Goff

18-30s Weekend

2009-03-01T17:00:00.000Z

This weekend we hosted our annual 18 to 30’s event a Kings: “Living an Extraordinary Life”. Great title – and a great weekend with around 200 enthusiastic guys (that’s male & female!) zealous for God.
Don’t let anyone tell you that the church is in decline or that it’s full of old people! Not true. Jesus said that he would build his church and that’s exactly what he’s doing. OK, so some ‘churches’ are struggling and are in decline, but maybe that’s because the supply of life, the presence of the Holy Spirit, actually stopped flowing years ago, and what we’re seeing is something like a tree that, having stopped producing fruit years ago, is finally succumbing to weathering & decay.

Talking of weathering and decay, yes, they did let me in! Well actually I sneaked in because I just knew it would be hugely encouraging and I wanted to be provoked myself! Stef Liston was speaking Friday evening and Saturday morning, and as ever, he communicated superbly (see the website for downloads) and then Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning it was Graham & Sue Hall. Graham was, for many years a fellow leader with me here at Kings and so it was a weekend of reminiscing too.
Talking late into the night with Graham and Sue about those early years here in Norwich, it made Angie & I realise that we have been Living an Extraordinary Life here in Norwich, and that God has done some truly amazing things here. Kings is a very special church - yes we’re unashamedly biased! We were recalling how, in those early days there was no youth work here, and no students, but we prayed. In fact we went up to the UEA campus quietly one evening and started to pray that God would give us the privilege of being able to serve students coming to Norwich, to show them what church could be like, and to pass on to them a compelling vision of the glorious church that Jesus is building throughout the earth (and, of course, feeding them!). So this weekend, seeing an army of young people at Kings, zealous for God, and stirred with thoughts of ‘Living an Extraordinary Life’ made me very grateful to God, and humbled at the way Jesus builds His church.
One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts…They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. Psalm 145:4f

Goff

There is great value in serving!

2009-02-22T17:00:00.000Z

I really enjoy baptisms and this morning was no exception. Seven people with seven different stories of how their lives have been wonderfully impacted and changed. This is what it is all about – people coming into a living, personal faith in Jesus!
What also really encouraged me this morning was the frequently repeated testimony of how the church family at Kings had played a very significant part through their love, friendship and encouragement. Who says that larger churches are impersonal?! Actually, I am convinced that larger churches like Kings actually have the opportunity of welcoming and receiving a wider spectrum of people who in turn feel much less conspicuous than in a smaller church. OK, I’m biased, and feel hugely privileged to be able to play a part in a church family like Kings with so many wonderful people so committed to love and serve people & God’s purposes.

Serving is a major part of life of Kings, it’s something we value highly and encourage widely, not only because we believe it to be very rewarding and a great way to quickly get connected, but more importantly, because it is what Jesus urged us to do. The apostle Paul recalls: remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35 The Message puts it like this: You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said “You’re far happier giving than getting.”

So I’d like to take this opportunity of appreciating and thanking all the outstanding people at Kings who serve so brilliantly week in and week out, and help make Kings the special church family that it is.

Goff

"Your Kingdom come!"

2009-02-05T17:00:00.000Z

Right now, we at Kings are very alert to the pressing illness of a number of dear friends. We feel something of their pain and we are provoked to pray, and call on God for their healing. That horrible ‘C’ word just makes us cross! It’s a word that has the ability to strike fear into the toughest human heart in microseconds.
So we pray!
After all, didn’t Jesus heal all the sick that were presented to him? And didn’t he say that his disciples would do greater things? And are we not his disciples?
So we pray!
And we long to see the wonderful result of what happens when the Kingdom, the Royal Activity of God, breaks out NOW, TODAY, bringing healing and restoration and Glory to Jesus. Because that’s what the Kingdom of God is all about, and Jesus taught his disciples to pray those words often: when you pray, pray ‘Our Father….. Your Kingdom come! Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..!”
And so we pray!
The interesting thing is that Jesus also taught that the Kingdom of God (or Kingdom of heaven as it is sometimes called) is at hand, already among us, NOW, and so it is. (Luke 10:9 Heal the sick .. and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

So it’s already here, but we’re told to pray it in?? Yes, you see it has begun but it is not yet complete. The Kingdom, the Royal Activity of God came into our world when Jesus came, and his death and resurrection won a great victory whereby his Kingdom is now an unstoppable force that is advancing, taking ground every day with fresh breakouts in and around the lives of ordinary people, saving, healing, restoring and so on.
One of these days King Jesus will appear in great majesty and glory, and on that day his Kingdom will be complete, and will hold total sway over all things, all people and all places. Then there will be no more evil, sickness or suffering! Wonderful!
Meanwhile we pray: “Your Kingdom come!” and we call on the God of all grace for a breakout of his wonderful Kingdom power NOW in the lives of these dear people that we love.

Goff

PS Angie & I travel to Copenhagen this weekend to spend time with the church there. If you have a moment, we’d appreciate your prayers too! Thanks!

A week of great consequences..!

2009-01-29T17:00:00.000Z

Our prayer meeting yesterday evening marked the end of our week of prayer, our annual ‘24x7 Prayer’. I am so appreciative of the enthusiastic army of Kings-folk, young & old, who sign up to take an hour’s slot in the Prayer Room, some at the dead of night, to pray for things personal, national and international. Well done!
Posted on the walls is information of all the endeavours that we are engaged in at Kings, along with prayer cards carrying handwritten requests for prayer – every one important, each expressing a heart-felt desire for God’s intervention.
Yet it is perfectly understandable, in the midnight hours (or actually at any time!) to entertain the thought “Why am I doing this? Is anybody listening?” Yet under-girding the prayer of every Christian is the promise of God’s unswerving and responsive attention.

I recently spoke on the verse: Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.( Hebrews 4:16). This verse torpedoes so many misconceptions & obstacles to prayer. For instance, the temptation for most is to feel distinctly lacking in confidence when praying, and to feel that the most appropriate time to pray is when you’ve been doing rather well on the religious score card, and even then, one shouldn’t really make requests for oneself – that’s selfish! But that is totally back to front. This verse tells us – or should I say, in this verse God tells us that an excellent time to pray is in a time of need, that we should do so in order to receive mercy & grace to help us, and that we can do so with confidence, because it has absolutely nothing to do with our spiritual score card and everything to do with the finished work of Jesus on the cross on our behalf. Doesn’t that just make prayer more enjoyable and do-able?

And one last thing – that word ‘confidence’ actually means to speak freely, openly, with confidence. In other words, prayer for the Christian should not be the reciting of artificial, archaic dead words like some sort of mantra, but the conversation of friends. Karl Barth put it like this: In obedience the Christian is the servant of God, in faith he is the child of God, but in prayer he is the friend of God, called to the side of God, and at the side of God, living, ruling & reigning with Him.

Thanks again Kings for your every effort this past week – we await the great stories that will surely result!

Goff

"It's a miracle!"

2009-01-20T17:00:00.000Z

The news was dominated at the end of last week by the amazing story of the US Airlines jet that crash landed into the Hudson river, right on the doorstep of densely populated Manhattan, with not one fatality. BBC reported: Captain Chesley Sullenberger was praised by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his "masterful" landing. The state governor spoke of a "miracle on the Hudson".
The same day I read a news article about a couple who, with medical help, had been able to conceive after the husband had undergone cancer treatment that would normally prevent the couple from conceiving. Again, It’s a miracle! was their response.
Now without wanting to read too much into those spur of the moment exclamations, it does make me think that in those extreme moments of personal vulnerability, when there is an unlikely turnaround, there seems to be an inbuilt response of gratitude that sees something more significant than ‘good luck’. Fatalism (or more precisely determinism) even in good situations, won’t quite do. There’s a sense that something or someone is acting kindly towards them.

As economies wobble and people face uncertainties of all kinds, I do believe that it causes us all to dig a little deeper into the meaning of it all – and the significance of our lives. It’s not that religion is a crutch or the opiate of the people that dulls the senses, quite the opposite! In the words of C S Lewis, God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. With so much spurious noise going on all around, I am convinced that it is God’s desired intention to break through, to still our storms, and thus gain the attention of a generation that badly needs to be awakened to His presence and purpose without which, there is no meaning.

Goff

By the way – I do apologise for getting out of routine with my Blog. I do intend to get back to writing it weekly, Sunday afternoon! Having said that, this weekend I shall be in Germany taking a weekend for Newfrontiers’ leaders, so I shall try to Blog a few words from Germany!

Let the nations be glad!

2009-01-11T17:00:00.000Z

What a start to a new year – bloodshed in Gaza, adding to the grim lists of war zones around the world, starvation in Zimbabwe, and very uncertain times for all of us, with the world’s economies in chaos. I must admit that I am finding watching the news just now to be quite an ordeal – there isn’t much joy around!
Which prompts me to reflect again on a great little book by John Piper entitled ‘Let the Nations be glad’. Not many would object to that! Taking the title from Psalm 67, John Piper points out that the worship of God in all the world is the ultimate goal, and that in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory. What a wonderful way to describe the task of the church, not to browbeat or lecture, but to bring people into the enjoyment of God that we were all made for.

It follows then, that it really is important that as Christians, we live with a very real enjoyment of God, and that there is a gladness about us as people who have tasted the goodness of God and His reign in our lives. In fact, joy is a sign that the Kingdom of God (that is, the royal activity of God) has come in our lives, For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17. In fact Jesus attested to this when he stood up in the synagogue in Nazareth and read from Isaiah 61: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me…,etc etc, because he went on in quoting that passage to say: to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Now that is something that is very attractive in days when gloom seems to lurk around every corner – and it is the inheritance of every Christian.
So the opportunity is there now, for Christians everywhere to enjoy God, and in so doing stand out from the crowd and the gloom that hovers.
Don’t allow the gloom to swamp you! Keep yourself in the love and enjoyment of God. It’s our calling and our mission!

Happy New Year!

Goff

Jesus - Hope of the World

2008-12-22T17:00:00.000Z

The Sunday before Christmas is always an eventful day, and today was no exception. In fact this morning we nearly had our own live nativity – I noticed a young woman heading for the door at the end of the meeting, bent over apparently in some pain. I went over to ask if she was OK and realised that it was someone I knew was pregnant. Her husband suddenly appeared and said that they were off to have a baby…! Now knowing Chris, I wasn’t sure if he was joking, but I wasn’t going to hang on to find out! Well I later heard that Christine gave birth half an hour or so later to a little boy. Congratulations Chris & Christine!

So to the evening carol service. I do love these occasions, and like everyone else, enjoy seeing what Marcus will get up to in his graphic and legendry presentations of the Christmas message. This year he was literally drawing it all together on a ten metre illuminated white board. What struck me was the presence, wedged between the cosmos on the left of the board and the state of humanity on the right, a simple crib. How small, how seemingly pathetic. Who would think that here was the answer to all the world’s brokenness and darkness? In our wish to be considered intelligent we really struggle with this, and philosophers and scientists in book after book shout their offence. Yet the cosmos & the angels knew it and celebrated the birth, and Satan and his demons knew it and sought to prevent the birth, and you and I can know it, or rather know Him who came to live among us and die for us. And in knowing Him, Jesus, the hope of the world, we are changed! And better still, we shall see him one of these days, as He really is, risen, ascended, magnificent - and we will enjoy eternity with Him!

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:21-24

Have a great Christmas

Goff

Salt, light and the Kingdom of God

2008-12-14T17:00:00.000Z

As I watch and read news reports of the awful situation in Zimbabwe, I feel deeply moved and quite overwhelmed. I can barely imagine what it must be like to live in those conditions. Contaminated water, nothing to eat, cholera rampant…. decay everywhere. You would have to be quite a hard-hearted individual not to be moved with compassion, so it was not a difficult decision to give away a part of our recent Gift Day offering to the Newfrontiers Appeal.
When I read that there is a desperate need for purification chemicals to restore Harare’s water supply, it made me think of how the church is called to be salt & light in society. Salt speaks of stopping decay, and light speaks of dispelling darkness. If you follow the analogy through, it must mean that right now the church in Zimbabwe has a vital role to play. Of course, the aid agencies will also play a vital role – if allowed – but let’s also be praying for the churches, some of whom we know as friends, that they will be able to demonstrate God’s grace in a desperate situation.

Of course it’s not just in Zimbabwe that the church needs to be salt & light. In our nation, and all over the world, there are signs of sickness in society. We too have a vital role to play as God’s instrument in the world. Michael Eaton puts it like this: 'The kingdom – the royal activity of God – uses the church as it’s channel of influence out into the world… The life of God becomes visible in us.'

And as you feel prompted to give, remember that generosity lies at the heart of the Gospel. The apostle Paul urged the Christians in Corinth, and us, to excel in this grace of giving (2 Cor 8). And here’s the thing – although we want to give purely out of a desire to bless others, we find that in giving, we become the richer, though not necessarily in monetary terms. The Message translates the words of Jesus quoted in Acts, rather well: ‘You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, 'You're far happier giving than getting.'" Acts 20v35.

So, with the festivities of Christmas a week or so away, please pray for Zimbabwe as you practice generosity!

I shall be visiting the new Newfrontiers church in Valencia this week – more salt, more light! Have a good week.

Goff

Seeing clearly...

2008-12-07T17:00:00.000Z

I had my eyes tested this week. I’m convinced that the letters on the bottom line get smaller every year! It’s always nice to see things clearly, but nowadays I need more & more help from a good pair of glasses – is that a B or a D….?
Speaking of seeing more clearly, a favourite method Jesus used to help his hearers to better understand spiritual truth was to use parables - stories that carried spiritual meaning. Of these parables, one of the best known & loved is The Prodigal Son, although of course, it is never called that in the Bible. Anyway, as I was saying, parables were used by Jesus to help us see things, spiritual realities, more clearly, and this parable is particularly helpful because it gives us a glimpse of what God is like in his attitude towards the wayward (the prodigal son) and the well intentioned (the older brother) – which just about includes all of us.

Now when it comes to seeing God more clearly we are on very important ground – get it wrong here and the whole life of the believer is affected. Is God scary, sad, good or bad…? What we believe here matters. Now I really don’t want to mention that book ‘The Shack’ again (see previous blogs), but just to say that that book will not give you clear vision of what God is like, in fact in my opinion, it is distinctively unhelpful. So for all those who keep mentioning it to me, may I suggest a far better read that will give you clearer insight into what God is like – The Prodigal God by Tim Keller. No, that’s not a typo, that’s the title; Tim Keller points out that the word ‘prodigal’ doesn’t mean ‘wayward’ but actually means ‘recklessly spendthrift – to spend until you have nothing left’ , and therefore it is most appropriately used to describe God in his grace & generosity. Wow, you want to read it already, don’t you?!

I just love this parable, and it has helped me enormously in my understanding of the warmth and commitment of God the Father towards us. And I have read some excellent books written on it, such as Henri Nouwen’s ‘The Return of the Prodigal Son’ (outstanding) and Helmut Thielicke’s ‘The Waiting Father’ (nearly as good), so could there be any fresh insights in Tim Keller’s book? Answer – oh yes, absolutely!
When I heard Tim Keller speak a couple of weeks ago he happened to say that his wife reckons that the best sermon he ever preached was on the parable of the Prodigal Son – and wives are good judges, believe me!
So I hope that this has encouraged you to spend your money wisely when reading Christian literature – Go get a copy!!

I leave you with a few lines from the introduction: I believe that if the teaching of Jesus is likened to a lake, this famous Parable of the Prodigal Son would be one of the clearest spots where we can see all the way to the bottom. (we’re back to clear vision)… I have seen more people encouraged, enlightened, and helped by this passage, when I explained the true meaning of it, than by any other text.’
It should be in the King’s bookshop this week – it’s one of those nice little hardbacks that make great presents!

Goff

Getting Connected

2008-11-30T17:00:00.000Z

This weekend saw us host yet another ‘Getting Connected’ event at Kings. Basically this is an event for those who enjoy coming to Kings and are now thinking of moving on to get involved and become part of the church family. I just love these weekends because it gives me yet another chance to get excited about God’s great plans for the church! Basically I paint a picture of what I believe the Bible teaches about the local church, what it should look like, how it is God’s instrument in the world, and how vital it is for every Christian to take that step & find their place.
You see, the church really matters – and so does the connection and contribution of every individual Christian. Why? Because it’s God’s Plan A – and there’s no Plan B!
Michael Eaton puts it like this: ’The Kingdom – the royal activity of God uses the church as it’s channel of influence out into the world… it means that God’s way of reaching people & extending the Kingdom’s influence is through using the church… the life of God becomes visible in us.’

This weekend has also been dominated by the awful scenes of sheer terror in Mumbai. As I write, just short of 200 people have died in the atrocities and a whole city terrorised. And that’s not the only story in the news lately that make one deeply concerned about the state of our world. Whether it’s violence in a major city that fills our TV screens, or domestic violence hidden away behind closed doors, it acts as a stark reminder that the human condition is very sick indeed and is in need of the transformation that only Jesus can bring about in the human heart. And it is the church that has been entrusted with this Gospel, to speak it & live it.

That’s why it is so important the church, your local church and mine, functions the way God planned it to, with everyone playing their rightful part. In his excellent book Courageous Leadership, Bill Hybels writes: There is nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power breathtaking. Its potential unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addictions, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world. Whatever the capacity for human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness.

This is what we have been called to give our lives to – and it is so worth it! So go on; Get Connected!

Goff

Preaching to the heart...

2008-11-24T17:00:00.000Z

I had the privilege of hearing Tim Keller this week. He was at Oak Hill Theological College speaking on the subject ‘Preaching to the Heart’, and it was well worth the journey to hear him. Tim Keller moved to New York in the late 1980’s to plant a new church for a largely non-churchgoing population. Today, Redeemer Church has grown to over 5,000 and has spawned more than a dozen other congregations. Tim Keller obviously knows something about communicating with our generation and preaching to the heart – which leads me back to what he said this week.

Basically his point was that the whole of the Bible is applicable to our lives, and in fact, unless you know how a text is to be used in your life, then you don't understand it yet. He went on to say that the Bible is basically an invitation from our covenant (promise making & keeping) God, inviting us to a life with Him. Wow – no more dry, theoretical sermons please!
A day or two later I picked up a copy of Mark Driscoll’s new book, ‘Death By Love’ which is an extraordinary collection of very real (and mainly painful) life situations that Mark has helped people through by showing them how the Gospel, what Jesus has done for us, is very applicable and totally sufficient for every situation we may face.
Written with Mark’s usual directness and wit, this is a very helpful and compelling book for anyone who ever struggled with the issues of pain and suffering, and how to resolve the difficult stuff of life as a Christian. Buy it! It will be in the King’s Book Shop at around £10. I leave you with quotes from a couple of the stories:

Hank, Jesus knew you were going to end up in the mess you are in. While hanging on the cross, Jesus prayed that your debt of sin would be forgiven, and then Jesus answered his own prayer by dying in your place for your sin……

Mary, Jesus is the only way out of the mess that is your life and marriage. Jesus relates to the disgrace, shame, and defilement that you have suffered. Jesus was betrayed by someone he loved and considered a friend…..

Goff

Let's be Frank

2008-11-16T17:00:00.000Z

Last Tuesday evening was scary! It was billed as a men’s evening when, over a meal together, we would dare to be very frank about things that men only usually think about. Around 100 guys came along, maybe because we had made it clear that we would be frank about .. you guessed, sex. And us church leaders were going to lead the way, with the lead guy going first – yup, that’s me! Now you know why it was scary! You see, us men just aren’t used to talking about the private world of our feelings, fantasies & failings. We’d rather go fix something practical like a burst tyre before trying to fix some of those private things inside. We’re hunters, fighters, sorters – we’d rather do things than talk about them!

A couple of evenings later we had a ‘Grill the Elders’ evening when once again, us leaders would be put on the spot and asked questions – a piece of cake after Tuesday evening! Anyway, one of the questions I got was: ‘How come there’s so few men in the church?’ Well I kind of answered it, but it’s been on my mind ever since.
I have a book in front of me that has the title: ‘Why Men Hate Going to Church’, by David Murrow, and he makes some interesting points, mainly along the line of how men & women are different, and how a lot of the things we do in the church setting are, how can I put this.., easier for women to connect with. For instance, us men might not mind singing along with a few thousand others at a football match, but in someone’s front room at Home Group???? Ouch! That may be OK for Ned Flanders but not for a lot of men. Lee Strobel admits having had this fear: ‘I’d think to myself, “Boy, I never want to end up like that.” In other words, If Christianity requires a person to become a social misfit who has no social life, count me out. I saw Christians as being boring, out of touch and living a plain vanilla lifestyle that’s devoid of excitement, challenge, or fun.’

So what about the heroes of faith in the Bible – David, Sampson, Joshua, Daniel, the disciples, Paul etc? You can’t say they were wimps; they were warriors, men of courage & daring, endured beatings & prison and often laid down their lives.
So a belated answer to the question at ‘Grill the Elders’ as to why there are so few men in the church, is probably that churches have all too often lost sight of the compelling mission that arrested and energised Christ followers in the New Testament. Or if they haven’t totally lost that vision, they have just spiritualised it into words and pictures instead of doing the stuff and getting practical, applying this Gospel calling into every-day-living.

Toward the end of the week I attended a meeting with a number of Newfrontier’s leaders from across the UK at which Dave Stroud spoke on the subject ‘Changing Society’. He reminded us of men like William Wilberforce, William Booth, John Cadbury – Christian men whose devotion to Christ and His Cause was very practical and showed itself in actions that changed society.
I am challenged to make sure that I put before the men (and the women!) at Kings, a vision of Christ and His Cause that will grab their attention, and energise their abilities & giftings, making sure that there is every opportunity to be practical and take action & responsibility to make a manly difference!

Goff

Keeping in step

2008-11-10T17:00:00.000Z

A number of people picked up on an illustration I used whilst preaching yesterday – rowing. No, not the recreational round the lake type, the real thing that we did rather well at the Beijing Olympics. Several years ago (more than I care to remember) I used to row, and I have a good selection of pewter tankards to prove it. That’s what you get presented with when you win a regatta, and of course, they have to be tried out!

Anyway, back to yesterday’s preaching. The context was Acts chapter 4 where I was exploring the attributes of authentic church life from the very exciting dynamic of those first Christians, and one of my points was that they were A Community of Friends. I must say that I do love this attribute of New Testament Christianity that comes across so clearly in the book of Acts, where we see believers opening their homes, their lives, their resources to one another. Anyway, I then spoke about the way the church, the Body of Christ works, and said: it’s no good being powerful if you can’t keep in step. This is where I used the illustration from rowing, that a number of people commented on.
You see, when rowing, it is absolutely vital that you all move together, that you all slide forward on those sliding seats at the same time, and that you all make your contribution, pulling your oar through the water at the same time, being very mindful of everyone else, keeping in step with them. Otherwise, not only will the effect of your contribution be lessened, it can actually frustrate and work against everyone around you, injuries happen and the boat quickly grinds to a halt. I hardly need to draw out the parallel with church life.

The point is that Jesus, now risen and ascended, gives gifts to his church, to build up the Body, not to individuals to build up their egos. (Ephesians ch4) How often do we hear of highly gifted people getting into trouble and causing pain to those around them because they failed to keep in harmony and submit their giftedness to those around them?
How special to hear the great apostle Paul say that although he found a great door of opportunity open to him at Troas, because his dear brother Titus wasn’t there, he didn’t feel able to continue, and moved on. (2Corinthians 2v12).
I for one, am delighted that this is the way Jesus intends his church to be built – not through superstars parading their talents, but through a community of friends, indwelt by the Spirit, and submitted to one another and the Lordship of Christ.

What an enjoyable and safe way to build!

Goff

Fellowship - a better word?

2008-10-26T16:00:00.000Z

This weekend saw our first ‘Together’ event for all the Newfrontiers’ churches in the east of England. Around 1400 attended the weekend at Pontins, Lowestoft,

Now I have to say that I’m not a huge fan of Hi di Hi holidays – that TV series just brings back too may painful images – but this was different! Getting together with friends & families to enjoy fellowship (that strangely Christian word!) and identify with one another in our mission together, was great. David Stroud who heads up the Newfrontiers UK Team, and leads Christchurch London (check out their impressive website: www.christchurchlondon.org ) was the main speaker, along with Mike Betts. But let me go back to that strangely Christian word, ‘fellowship’.

Sometimes I wish there was a better substitute word that is more familiar. If you know of one, please contact me via the website! It just sounds so old fashioned, and smacks of naff Sunday afternoon tea at the vicarage with quiche and cucumber sandwiches! I’m sorry, maybe that’s just my damaged background speaking!
Some have tried to find a deeper meaning by going for the Greek word behind it – ‘koinonia’, but that, to me, is equally unknown and is a bit super-spiritual. Not many of my neighbours speak New Testament Greek.

So please help me on this one and help me find a better English word. Now our starting point is the New Testament word (koinonia) which means a sharer, partaker, partner. Then, the best meaning I can find to our old English word ‘fellowship’, is ‘going together as partners’. So the two ideas involved are 1) relationship, friendship, and 2) a common purpose, objective. Friends-on-a-Mission sort of thing, the kind of thing that is beautifully expressed in the daily life of the church in the book of Acts where believers prayed, worshipped, opened their homes and their lives with great generosity to one another because they were caught up in a common passion to make the Good News of the Living Jesus known. That’s what it means to fellowship together, and it’s not cliquey (or quiche), it’s life-changing to anyone who gets near to it – as evidenced by the thousands that were added to that church daily.

I’m reminded of a great quote in the book ‘Courageous Leadership’ by Bill Hybels. It’s too long to quote in full, but here’s a bit: There was once a community of believers who were so totally devoted to God that their life together was charged with the Spirit’s power. In that band of Christ-followers, believers loved each other with a radical kind of love. They took off their masks and shared their lives with one another. They laughed and cried and prayed and sang and served together in authentic Christian fellowship… Acts 2 tells us that this community of believers, this church, offered unbelievers a vision of life that was so beautiful it took their breath away. It was so bold, so creative, so dynamic that they couldn’t resist it.’ go read the whole quote, on page 18! That’s ‘fellowship’ and that’s how I want to King’s to be known, and that’s something of what we enjoyed this weekend!

Goff

Who are you when no one's looking?

2008-10-19T17:00:00.000+01:00

Well, needless to say, I survived man flu last week, and went on to have what has been a great weekend. What kind of a patient am I? Well I think I’m the longsuffering sort who doesn’t make a fuss…., wait a minute, I’ll just go ask Angie!! Reminds me of something I heard a while ago: “Our self-assessment is about as accurate as a carnival mirror.”!! You know the sort – you stand in front of one and it elongates you into a stick insect, and the next compresses you into two foot sumo wrestler!

So where am I going with this week’s Blog? Well, I ended the week teaching a group of leaders on our Leadership Training programme, on the subject ‘The Character of a Leader’, and I felt uncomfortable. Nothing to do with the group; they’re great. It’s just that when you look into the mirror of Scripture on a subject like this, you get a bit of a wake up call. And D.A. Carson didn’t help. Take a look at this quote from his book ‘The Cross & Christian Ministry’ (highly recommended, just so long as you’re ready for a little ego deflation). I quote: ‘God made us to gravitate towards him, to acknowledge with joy and obedience that he is the centre of all, that he alone is God. Here comes the bite! The heart of our wretched rebellion is that each of us wants to be number one. We make ourselves the centre of all our thoughts and hopes and imaginings’. Now, just in case you managed to slide out of that one, read what he says next: ‘We ruefully acknowledge how self-centred we are after we have had an argument with someone. Typically, we mentally conjure up a rerun of the argument, thinking up all the things we could have said, all the things we should have said. In such reruns, we always win. After an argument, have you ever conjured up a rerun in which you lost?’ !! Ouch! Come on, put your hand up – me too!

There is, of course a wonderful solution to this condition. It involves seeing and savouring Jesus Christ, and making Him your centre.

So what kind of patient am I? OK, so I winged a bit…. well all right, too much! But God is good, and so is Angie, and grace is all about being treated in a way you don’t deserve. Speaking of which, I slipped off for a great end of season sail Saturday afternoon. Perfect!

Then there was Sunday, with our good friend Clive Cernik here in Norwich fresh from Dubai where he leads the Gateway International Church. His preaching on the Reversal of Babel, how the confusion and scatering of Babel is reversed as Jesus gathers into His church, people from every tribe, tongue & nation, with a unity in the Spirit that, of course, needs to be worked out in the process of accepting and loving one another - and not insisting on our own way...... envisioned, and challenged again! God's ways are very good!
Don't miss them by insisting on your own.

Have a great, Jesus-centred week!

Goff

When we need reasons...

2008-10-13T17:00:00.000+01:00

Sorry I’m late with my Blog this week – I’ve got Man Flu. Guys, I’m sure you’ll understand, I mean I’m just about incapacitated, out of action, dying! Of course, the female species have no understanding of how we suffer, but there it is.
If you’re anything like me, when you get flu of some infection, you can’t help trying to work out how & where you picked it up – I’ve been thinking back over the last 3 or 4 days looking for someone to blame! Who was it who wheezed & coughed all over me….?? What a sad case I am, I mean, what difference does it make?

Speaking of the reason for pain (sorry, that was a really bad intro to the subject) it would be true to say that this quest for an answer to one of life’s greatest challenges is often a pivotal issue for people exploring the Christian faith: “If there is a God and he is good, why….??” For years, the best response to this has been C.S. Lewis’ The Problem of Pain, which is a great book, and the result of his own searching and confrontation with pain. Another very readable book that I’ve recently come across is a book entitled: ‘The Reason for God’ by Tim Keller.
A few months ago I was in New York visiting my friend Byron Brenneman at his home church in the Bronx, and we attended a conference at which Tim Keller was speaking, along with Mark Driscoll, C.J Mahaney and others. What impressed me about Tim Keller was that he is clearly a very intelligent and widely read guy, and yet he communicates in a very easy manner. Maybe that explains why he has been able to grow a church from zero to several thousand attainders in multiple congregations in New York. Their website is well worth a look: www.redeemer.com It's a great website.

Anyway, back to his book. It’s called: ‘The Reason for God – Belief in an Age of Scepticism’ and as well addressing the issue of suffering, there’s chapters on injustice, hell, science & the Bible and a lot more! If you have an enquiring mind and like a book that’s well written & easy to read, then just buy it. We have it on the Kings Bookstall at a bargain price! I’m taking my sick body off to bed to finish reading it!

Have a good week.

Goff

Tales, truth and the Trinity

2008-10-05T17:00:00.000+01:00

I wrote a blog about The Shack several weeks ago (‘God in Three Persons’ 10th April) but feel provoked by the affirming reviews it’s getting in the Christian press, to write some more! There is something very important at stake here. Throughout the history of the Christian Church, one of the primary test of orthodoxy, that is, the way to distinguish between authentic Christian belief and error has been the Nicene Creed, and in particular, the wording concerning the Trinity. Adopted in 325 AD, it was the outcome of a hotly contended debate; Are God the Father and the Son of the same substance or similar substance? Guys such as Athanasius paid a high price, safeguarding crucial Biblical truth concerning the Godhead. Go wrong here and all the major doctrines of our faith start to unravel.

But hey, The Shack is just a story! Exactly – in fact ‘Ah sketch’ is an anagram for The Shack! But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter. In fact, being a story, it actually means that we need to be even more discerning. Let me explain.
A story-teller has a purpose, a journey in mind for the reader. Instead of giving facts, formulae & beliefs, a novelist uses a story line to engage the imagination & get you thinking. A good story line works on the reader’s emotions, encouraging a favourable, compelling response. In other words, a good story teller is manipulating you!

So back to The shack – anyone who reads it is immediately wrong-footed. Of course it’s a compelling story! Of course your emotions reach out to the plight of the ‘hero’! Of course you are pleased by the positive outcome! That’s what a ‘good story’ is all about! But does that make it good doctrine? Absolutely not! And there’s the danger. The author obviously wants to make you think about the Trinity, but he is taking you on a dangerous, dare I say heretical journey, because if you DO take your understanding of who God is & how the Trinity works from this book, then you are being led into heresy. Is God the Father to be compared to, and I quote: 'a big black woman with a questionable sense of humour.', called Elousia, Jesus, a young carpenter, and the Holy Spirit, a flighty Asian woman called Saraya? That’s what the author intends. No matter how well-intentioned these fictional characters might be, PLEASE don’t confuse them with the God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

I’ve taken a slightly different line here, and not itemised the theological issues raised. I could talk about Arianism, Modalism & idolatry. Maybe another time. Meanwhile, if you have 8 minutes, I recommend you have a listen to what Mark Driscoll has to say about this. Check out: ‘Mark Driscoll the shack’ on Youtube.com

And if you haven’t read the book, please let me recommend a couple: For an easy read, there’s ‘Walking with God’ by John Eldridge, or one that’s excellent but a bit more stretching: ‘The Reason for God’ by Tim Keller. Both on the Bookstall – along with the new Brighton Conference CD, Salvation’s Song: price only £11.00!

Goff

Does Jesus want you to be rich?

2008-09-28T17:00:00.000+01:00

So read the title of an article in The Week magazine last week, reporting on the growing popularity of the so-called ‘Prosperity Gospel’. One speaker is quoted as saying: “Get your calculators out, I know this is going to beep your horn.”
OK, so what are we to make of this?
Does Jesus want to bless us / do us good? Yes He does.
Does our heavenly Father promise to take care of us & provide for us? Yes, He does.
Might that include financial and material provision? Yes it might.
Does that always include financial and material provision, thus making it my right? Ah, there’s the crunch.
In the Old Testament, God’s blessings were most often material, so the measure of how blessed a man was, could be seen by the number of sheep and camels he possessed. However, even in the Old Testament there’s clear warning not to equate God’s blessing solely with riches, since God may, for his own reasons choose to withdraw them for a higher purpose. See Job and Joseph, for instance.
Coming into the New Testament you could say that you find almost the exact opposite. The blessings that Jesus won for us on the cross are far more significant (and lasting) than cash and cows! Jesus has made us righteous, made us alive with abundant, eternal life, given us a hope and a future, AND promised us that His grace, His undeserved, loving favour and provision, will always be more than sufficient. So WHATEVER circumstances we find ourselves in, wealth & abundance or jail, shipwreck & beatings, as in the case of the apostle Paul, we can experience the priceless gift of His gracious presence and provision for the moment – and that’s something that no financial market can take away!
That’s how Paul & Silas could sing in prison! That’s how Paul was able to boast: ‘I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.’ Philippians 4:12

So yes, call on God & trust Him for all your needs. Enjoy ALL the benefits God gives you, including the material things. Be generous with what He entrusts you with. But don’t equate His blessing with wealth – and don’t give with the motive of wanting to get rich, because that sounds to me very much like the love of money – and that is sin.

Last word…

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Goff

Who said church was boring?

2008-09-22T17:00:00.000+01:00

Well let’s face it, it often is – although not at Kings!
I heard a great story yesterday about a young lad in the King’s Church family who went to school last week for the very first time. Were there lots of tears? Was he desperate to get home? Not a bit of it! In fact he loved it so much that wanted to go on Saturday and was really disappointed when his mum explained to him that the teachers wouldn’t be there!
I can’t say that was my experience, but isn’t that great? Doesn’t it say something about his teachers – and something about child-like enthusiasm?
When we think of Jesus’ words about receiving the Kingdom of God like a child, we usually think that he was referring to the need for us to have a simple, trusting faith, and no doubt that’s true. But I am provoked by young Reuben’s enthusiasm and excited anticipation! That surely was just as much what was in Jesus’ thinking.
Then my mind went on to think about that verse in Roman chapter 8 that says that we have received the Spirit of adoption that causes us to cry out (literally ‘scream!) “Abba! Father!”, and then there’s that promise of Jesus when speaking of the coming of the Spirit: “I will not leave you as orphans.” There’s a link here, I think, between child-like enjoyment & enthusiasm and the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives.
Who needs boring? So who needs more of the Spirit? Yes please!

Way to go, Reuben! Hope your second week at school is as good as the first!!
And for all you guys launching into a new academic year, especially if you’re starting a new course in a new place, enjoy! And you’re invited for lunch next Sunday @ Kings!

See you there

Goff