Teapot Theology » faith

blessed hurricane

Johnny Douglas — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:24:21 +0000

I attended “Together on a Mission” conference, a few years ago and have always appreciated some of the podcasts coming out from this New Frontiers conference. Yet this year the most moving and challenging preach of all was brought by someone who wasn’t even there.

PJ Smyth leads GodFirst Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, a 5-year old church plant. He was scheduled to speak this year in Brighton but withdrew hours before travelling, due to a cancer scare. Technically, therefore, PJ didn’t preach at “Together on a Mission”. In truth, however, he preached not just once but twice. He delivered his first preach via a text message which Terry Virgo read out to the conference. He described finding the lump, his painful biopsy and the way he was navigating his way through this crisis with his wife and three young sons. Then he ended his text-message sermon with a simple statement: “We worship while we wait.” It was as powerful a preach as anything he could have delivered in person.

PJ’s second ‘preach’ came at the very end of the conference, again by text message. The results of the biopsy, five thousand people listened and prayed for good news. PJ shared in his text message that the results had been utterly disappointing. The lump was indeed lymphoma. He has cancer and is now undergoing chemotherapy. Then he concluded his second message with a cry of faith: “Blessed hurricane,” he said, “that blows us closer to God.” Even on the morning that he discovered he had cancer, PJ Smyth still exuded faith in his mighty God. It will be forever one of the finest sermons he might ever preached.

I find PJ’s example very challenging, humbling and a lots else, and hopefully you do too. He was echoing the words of Hudson Taylor, who in the midst of great tragedy declared that “It doesn’t matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is whether it comes between you and God or whether it presses you nearer his heart.”

So whatever trials and difficulties may face us today, let’s learn from the example of PJ Smyth, Hudson Taylor and the real-life up-close examples of faith around us. Let’s worship while we wait and somehow find the trust and praise of God for his blessed hurricanes which drive us closer into him. As PJ explained at the end of his text message: “I am secure in the fortress of Romans 8:28 – We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

quoteable quote: perspective

Johnny Douglas — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:14:24 +0000

“If you attempt to talk with a dying man about sports or business, he is no longer interested. He now sees other things as more important. People who are dying recognize what we often forget, that we are standing on the brink of another world.”

– William Law, 18th-century British theologian

quoteable quote: God’s presence

Johnny Douglas — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:05:53 +0000

“I want the presence of God Himself, or I don’t want anything at all to do with religion…I want all that God has or I don’t want any.”

A W Tozer

random ruminations

Johnny Douglas — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:20:04 +0000

Meals, and the grace of hospitality…..

Procastination is considered a sin, according to Joe Thorn

Success v Blessing, helpfully explored by Pete Wilson

Bishop Tom Wrights closing preach in Durham, calling for a renewed passion for social justice.

Marilynne Robinson speaks helpfully about the unity of science and faith.

Great leadership checks for working with young adults. A classic list…..

The brilliant free global ministry-leadership event, the nines, scheduled for late September. Register and it’s yours!

q?

Johnny Douglas — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:05:23 +0000

almost complete….?!

Johnny Douglas — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:54:05 +0000

but never quite…..!
Somebody told me recently about being a few pieces short of a 1000 piece jigsaw: ouch! Throughout my life there have been moments when I looked at myself and felt as if there were more pieces of me missing than pieces in their proper places. How much energy has been expended compensating, explaining, finding excuses for those absent pieces. And how much time has been spent repairing the consequences of things I’ve done because pieces were missing.

Eugene O’Neill, who would not necessarily be numbered as a most obvious Christian voice, describes my (and our) situation so clearly in these words: “Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is glue.”

While most of us like to be gracious to ourselves over the problem of missing pieces, yet lack charity, grace or good-old-fashioned generousity towards others! Jesus, using another word picture, spoke of the ease in spotting a speck in another’s eye while ignoring the log in our own. I love and treasure the grace of God so very much….. despite never wanting to attempt a large-numbered jigsaw!! How about you…..?

loved,… and thankful

Johnny Douglas — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:39:11 +0000

I love the freshness of this:-

“Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness.” Psalm 138:2, The Message

We give more applause to a team playing a 90-minute-kick-about than to the maker of creation. We have more hopes in lanky-lumpy footballers than we do to the God who made us! We sing more songs in raw-curious-national-jingoistic-pride than to Jesus Christ who saved us . . .!!

Though we may not act like our Father, there is no greater truth than this: We are his. Unalterably.

He loves us. Undyingly.

He holds us. Forever. That’s settled,…. and secure.

quoteable quote:- adversity

Johnny Douglas — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:37:44 +0000

“Do not fear the conflict. Do not flee it. Where there is no struggle, there is no virtue. Where love and faith are not tempted, it is not possible to be sure whether they are really present. They are tried and revealed in adversity, in difficult and grievous circumstances.”

St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)