EN100 A Reasonable Jump
17/01/12 19:48 Filed in: John
Faith is not quite the leap into the dark that many people assume.
It is usually about making a reasonable jump based on trustworthy information. Buying a car or house, meeting up with some new friends from work, following a direction using satnav - all of these are expressions of faith where the ‘believer’ has listened to something and then acted on it.
A student recently asked me about proof and I answered with a diagram which eventually became this cartoon. You can only finally have proof when you have taken the step of faith. You can only be sure of your purchase once you have it in your hands, you know that you believed your friends correctly when they arrived at the place that they had promised.
Similarly, when Jesus promises new life, forgiveness, joy, hope… that he will take up residence in your life with a fresh vibrancy - all of this remains uncertain unless you 1. take in the information (which means mainly absorbing the content of the Bible) and then 2. make faith steps based on it.
My personal experience is that when we listen and then respond to the call that Jesus makes on our lives - THEN he brings proof in His own time in His own way. While I am very happy (and willing) to discuss the trustworthiness of the Bible documents I cannot prove the reality of a living God. That is an experience that is open for you to find out for yourself.
This challenge is both scary and exciting.
Thanks to Mike Tindall for suggesting the text.
LWH18 Psalm 114
02/11/11 18:10 Filed in: Psalms
From the Long Walk Home blog:
Life has been pretty hard around these parts recently, hope has been something to be fought for, clung to and I’ve had to remind myself not to despair or give in. That’s not an easy thing to do when you are just clenching your teeth grimly wish hoping that things will be ok. Thankfully that’s not the kind of hope I’ve been clinging to. Psalm 114 points us in a very simple way to the bigness of the God who defines Hope and whose character we Hope in.
Sorrow.
30/10/11 20:57 Filed in: Lamentations
Lamentations 3v19-24:
I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”Falling Into Their Own Nets
27/10/11 10:15 Filed in: Psalms
Psalm 141: “ But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death. Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, from the snares they have laid for me. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.”Commissioned by Scripture Union for the Wordlive site.
War & Peace
27/10/11 09:29 Filed in: Psalms
Psalm 120v6-7: “Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.”Commissioned by Scripture Union for the Wordlive site.LWH17 Psalm 113
27/10/11 08:57 Filed in: Psalms
From the Long Walk Home blog:
“This is one of those Psalms that takes us from our tiny little where we are today life, grabs us by the hand and keeps on pulling us out and out and out to see the big picture. “EN96 Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
03/10/11 07:48 Filed in: John
What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
The magnificent epilogue text can be read here.
Asking your father for a fish.
30/05/11 08:42 Filed in: Luke
Luke 11 v9-11: "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?"
Commissioned by Scripture Union for the Wordlive site.
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EN91 The Parable of the Blind Kite Flyer
Taken from the introduction of Peter Lewis' excellent book on The Lord's Prayer.
Here are a few of my notes:
Peter Lewis Intro Lords Prayer
- Prayer: what do we get out of it?
- Blind kid with a kite - can't see it but enjoys the pull. We often associate prayer with push.
Why pray?
1. God commands it.
2. God is glorified in it.
3. People need our prayers.
- the self contained life knows little of love, but love opens us up to share others burdens and minister to others needs.
4. We change as we pray.
5. Things change as we pray.
- ArchWillTemple: prayer coincidences etc.
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EN89 Shahbaz Bhatti
06/03/11 14:25 Filed in: Acts | Revelation
I think that Barnabas Fund does a good job of explaining the context.
Here he is, speaking for himself.
May the tragically sown seeds of this event be drawn into abundant life wherever this event is broadcast.
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LWH11 - Psalm 108 and Contentment
01/02/11 23:34 Filed in: Psalms
For the Long Walk Home blog.
Been crazy busy with my day job (and will continue to be for the next week or so) so had to really squeeze these ones in.
In order: a first image related to a discussion on contentment, followed by two mooring/anchoring images that came to mind.
Been crazy busy with my day job (and will continue to be for the next week or so) so had to really squeeze these ones in.
In order: a first image related to a discussion on contentment, followed by two mooring/anchoring images that came to mind.
LWH2- Psalm 100
03/10/10 13:01 Filed in: Psalms
Here is the latest batch of images for The Long Walk Home blog. This one is a rather dark reflection on Psalm 100.
EN82 Attachment Disorder
30/07/10 11:00 Filed in: Matthew
The Bible text is found here.
I was thinking about how Social Networking devices like Laptops and Phones can get in the way of important relationships - especially God.
Living Spring/Broken Cisterns
14/07/10 20:46 Filed in: Jeremiah
A recent memory verse.
Click for a larger view.
Click for a larger view.
The Pensive Blog: small group prayer etiquette
11/07/10 22:45
This sequence won't make much sense without first reading this blog post.
Background: I have started illustrating a mate's blog - which means every time she produces a post - I will do something to accompany the writing. This particular piece is actually a bit overkill, but I wanted to get the ball rolling and do something. Send us a comment if you like it.
Background: I have started illustrating a mate's blog - which means every time she produces a post - I will do something to accompany the writing. This particular piece is actually a bit overkill, but I wanted to get the ball rolling and do something. Send us a comment if you like it.
EN81 Grazing/Mining
Psalm 36:8,9, Romans 11:33 and 1Peter 2:2.
There is a ton of stuff you can digest online - much of it is pretty interesting. You can explore what experts in a variety of fields are thinking and doing minute by minute. The trouble for this Christian was that he ended up listening more to what editors,writers and other artists were saying and less to what his Saviour has said.
In the end, enough is enough. You have to acknowledge that while grazing the surface has some value, the treasures that God has freely given us should be mined regularly - there are abundant riches that will surprise, astonish and ultimately nurture/nourish.
Thanks for the textual assistance: JT, DF, RL, TW.
The Big Wedding Day: Revelation the 19th
My friends Kev and Kath are getting married in about three weeks. It is a massive chapter change for them and wonderfully they have included us in the celebrations. After stumbling upon a new personal style of adorning text, Kath asked me to do some more and this was the result.
It is an extended meditation on the Christian worldview narrative - from the Creation, to the Fall, to Jesus' Cross-work and finally the consummation.
May God richly bless this couple as they step out in awe of the truly BIG day. All the rest will fall into place.
EN73 The Mustard Seed
04/11/09 15:18 Filed in: Matthew
This piece has a whole host of problems. It started as something to do with the BNP claiming Jesus' point of view for their racist agenda and then became something more to do with being possessively small-minded with the Gospel growing. There are also problems with my application of scripture. Sigh.
But I really like the artwork.
Satisfaction and True Peace
07/06/09 20:46 Filed in: Psalms
Deuteronomy 6v6-7
28/04/09 21:20 Filed in: Deuteronomy
Waking up to reality
This is an illustration I did ages ago for CCB for a series called ‘The World We All Want’.
EN22 The Persistent Geldof
22/06/05 13:51 Filed in: Luke
The Bible epilogue text can be found here (you may have to scroll down a bit to find the exact part...).
Live 8 was spread widely across the media. There is a tension I have noticed among christians between the focus on social action or evangelism. Some people are able to happily wed the two, others appear to emphasise one above the other. This strip picks up on the tension but also poses a question about our perseverance in prayer. It is all very well having theological convictions - if you don't have a living and vibrant relationship with God (which implies prayer as a regular activity) your principles probably wont mean a great deal.
The two warring parties are a married couple I know quite well.
EN12 The Naked Athlete
01/09/04 13:50 Filed in: Hebrews
