The Mustard Seed

Bryn Jones - Radical to Ragged

'I see subtle changes in many churches as I travel around. What was once a radical commitment has become a ragged one. What was a group of Christians with dedication to Christ, a sharp edge to their gospel and a determination to fill their city with it, has now become simply "the best church in town". The songs are brighter than anybody else's, the music is well-orchestrated, they have a rousing song-leader and better preaching than most other churches.

"Tremendous!" you say? No, it stinks. For all too often it has blunted the edge of their commitment. There is no room in the darkness of today's world for complacency. 

Bryn Jones, God's Kingdom - Here and Now. 

Kierkegaard On Being Christlike

Present-day Christendom really lives as if the situation were as follows: Christ is the great hero and benefactor who has once and for all secured salvation for us; now we must merely be happy and delighted with the innocent goods of earthly life and leave the rest to Him. But Christ is essentially the exemplar, that is we are to resemble Him, not mere profit from Him.

Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/15-soren-kierkegaards-most-challenging-quotes#CZVicfSLoUU4lsBC.99

Andrew Murray on Worship

The man who would truly worship God, would find and know and possess and enjoy God, must be in harmony with Him, must have the capacity for receiving Him. Because God is Spirit, we must worship in spirit. As God is, so His worshipper.

From With Christ in the School of Prayer

What Would Jesus Do?

Those who say, "Jesus would have approved of this" or "Jesus would have allowed that", show they do not know him. For they speak of him in the past tense as if he were dead, when he is very much alive.

How To Study Unto God

'The most holy men are the most excellent students of God's works, and none but the holy can rightly study them or know them. His works are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein, but not for themselves, but for him that made them. Your study of physics and other sciences is not worth a rush, if it be not God that you seek after in them. To see and admire, to reverence and adore, to love and delight in God, as exhibited in his works - this is the true and only philosophy; the contrary is mere foolery, and is so called again and again by God himself. This is the sanctification of your studies, when they are devoted to God, and when He is the end, the object, and the life of them all.'

Richard Baxter

Covenant and Forgiveness

To live in covenant is to live in forgiveness. Forgiveness produces generosity, and prevents cynicism, bitterness and hard-heartedness.

The 'Sermon on the Mount'

 When he saw the crowds, Jesus went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to teach them... (Matthew 5:1-2)

via rogeraubrey.typepad.com

Keeping My Word

To give my word is, in effect, to commit all that I am, all my energy, ability and resources, to whatever I have said I will do. To then not keep that word is to deny who I am; to not keep that word is to damage my own integrity and hurt whoever I made a promise to.

What's In Your Heart?

'Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord.' (2Chronicles 29:10)

Everything about covenant living comes back to man's own heart towards God. What's in your heart? In Hezekiah's heart was the desire to make a covenant with God. This heart attitude restored a nation. This heart attitude saw covenant established, the house of God cleansed, the priesthoood revived, worship restored, the passover reinstituted. The kingdom was advanced. Enemies were defeated. 

Hezekiah's heart and mind were towards God - not until late in his reign did he make the mistake of thinking of himself (see 2Kings 20:17-19; 2Chronicles 32:31).

The House That Wisdom Built

A few years ago at All Nations Church we enjoyed an excellent teaching series on the Book of Proverbs. It was called The House That Wisdom Built. You can listen to it by clicking here.