I've left my country blues behind

I don’t care

How you feel 

I've left my country blues behind

for the happiness of the city shores -

Where I’ll sing 

of the polluted sunshine 

And

dance to the drum of the markets. 

K.Oni

Book review: Fools rush in where monkeys fear to tread

Humour has been lost on most protestant writers but not on Carl Trueman. Fools Rush In is a collection of writings by Trueman, not united by any internal theme beyond being reflections. Trueman’s reflections are insightful and satirical. 


Rodney Trotter who wrote the preface for this book sums up the audience likely to enjoy this book: 


A custard in the face is the funniest thing one man has ever seen; to another, it is a degrading act of physical assault. This book is, I suspect, designed to be enjoyed by the former, and to offend the latter.


I enjoyed, laughed out loud and pondered Trueman’s points. I felt at home, comfortable, entertained, as well as reflect on the seriousness of the irony of modern day evangelical and reformed church culture.


Here are some quotes from Fools Rush In. (I am aware of the dangers of  reading quotes out of context)


When prayers become the equivalent “Yo, how you doing?!” then something has gone awry… how many of us sit in judgment of the sermon, grading it for quality, length, clarity, interest, as the minister brings us the word of God? If we have any grasp of God’s holiness, and any inkling of the importance of the prophetic task of preaching, we wont be giving the minister a grade; rather, we will be sitting and listening to what he has to say, acutely conscious of our own unworthiness to hear God as he speaks to us…. then, when the song we sing can be summarised, ‘Jesus is my best boyfriend’ we can be sure that something is seriously out of joint.  -something is missing - a sense of the deep holiness of God. p65


So why did the markets not stop the problem? After all, according to some conservative pundits, the markets are like the force of gravity-neutral, impersonal, scientific, perpetually moving toward an economic equilibrium that promote freedom, prosperity, and all-round good health -social, cultural, and above all financial. The answer, of course, is that market forces are ultimately functions of human behaviour, albeit on a macro-level; and human beings as depraved and as blinded as they are, generate market forces that reflect that depravity. P88


It is not a financial bailout that is needed; it is individual repentance by countless thousands of people. 


I am not much of a web wanderer but on the odd occasion I do a bit of web surfing, I am struck by how many Christians, pastors, professors, and laity have blogs, face book and twitters going. How many million Christian hours are wasted writing this stuff, engaging in mindless blog treads, and telling the world about personal trivia? And what does it tell us about the expansive visions and ambitions out there? Apparently the world is now everyone’s birthright. P91 


When I see Christians blogging so much, I wonder how many sermons are being prepared on the fly because of lack of time, how many parishioners go unvisited, how many prayers remain unsprayed, how many words of love and affections to spouses and children are never said, how many books - let alone the bible-are left unread, and how many fellowship atrophy through lack of any real, meaningful social and spiritual intercourse. Indeed, to summarize: how many online communities (sic) prosper to the detriment of the real, physical communities into which the Lord has placed each and every single one of us? How many complain of the insufficient time to do the boring routines of the Christian life- worship services, Sunday school, visiting the sick and the aged, fellowship, bible reading, prayer - and yet always somehow manage to fit in a quick twitter or blog or pod cast or change their face book status? P92


The world also teaches that everyone is special, has a unique contribution to make, and must have a prize of some kind. All people need to tell the world about their greatness, their uniqueness…. This belief that we are each special, by and large is complete tosh. Most of us are mediocre, make unique contributions only in the peculiar ways we screw things up, and could easily be replaced as a husband, father, or employee by somebody better suited to the task.  P116


…far to many Christians have senses of destiny that verge on the messianic. The confidence that the Lord has a special plan and purpose just for them shapes the way they act and move. Now, just for the record, I am a good Calvinist, and I certainly believe that each individual has a destiny: what concerns me is the tendency to always think of ourselves as special and unique (which we all are in some ways- DNA, etc.) bleeds over into a sense of special identity whereby the future, or at least the future of myself, comes to be the priority and to trump all else.... Church is the meaning of human history not just an individual. It is the church that is the big player in God’s wider plan not me. P116


I highly recommend the purchase of this book especially if you enjoy humour. I promise you will eventually LOL. 


K.Oni


Purchase book here: http://www.prpbooks.com/Fools-Rush-In-Where-Monkeys-Fear-to-Tread-2191.html&session=9a62ae8d65b23b6fb6b38525d5c4ed91

Book review: Solid Ground

Over the past decade or so, some within evangelicalism have begun to question the uniqueness of the Bible. Those who question the uniqueness and inerrancy of the bible have suggested that we ought to treat the bible as a book (special) but not as the unique book that perfectly illumines all things. God’s overall authority is brought into question; his glory is diminished as Scripture is not all God-breathed. The essays featured in this book explore that glory by unfolding the richness and perfections of the triune God. Contributions to this book includes well-known figures such as R.C Sproul, J.I Packer and Mark Dever. A thorough convicting defence is presented for the church to return to its central, long-standing, and vital conviction that the bible is the Word of God, and so without error in its original autographs, the only infallible rule of faith and practice.

Mark Dever writing about the importance of the Word in the Church especially the centrality of preaching states “I know that some today are suggesting that we need a less rational, more artistic, less authoritarian and elitist, more communal and participatory way of communicating Gods truth than this ancient way of one person standing there giving a monologue, while others sit and listen in silence. Such a critique of preaching is being made by many today, including evangelical authors. I think the ‘ancient method’ may be especially appropriate today, however given our isolating subjectivist, anti-authority, confused and confusing culture. Given this, there is just something downright appropriate about Gods people gathering and all closing their mouths, opening their ears, and listening to one person preach. Not just tell stories about his relationship with his kids and his dog, but actually preach God’s word to God’s people”.

Preachers should be driven by God’s word and not tend themselves to the itching ears of the audience.
If preachers don’t preach expositionally, they will never preach more than they already know, and constant topical subject may also lead the congregation to be conformed to the preacher’s mind rather than to God’s mind. Preachers ought to preach the word for in the history of revivals, preaching has been the principal means for revival.

The church need to stand on the authority of the Bible and maintain its uniqueness. Scripture is the Churches only infallible rule of faith and practice, without it, there is no ultimate authority. Everything becomes arbitrary.

Some may argue that Scripture itself is ambiguous to which Martin Luther would reply, “If scripture is obscure and ambiguous, what point is there in God given it to us? Are we not obscure and ambiguous enough without having our own obscurity, ambiguity, and darkness augmented for us from heaven”. God will always make good of his words and “there is nothing in scripture so plain that some men have not doubted it”.

Do you believe Scripture is the only infallible rule of faith and practice? If yes this book will help solidify your convictions, and if negative or unsure, this book will help you see the reasons why you ought to believe in the inerrancy of scripture.

K.Oni

Purchase book here: http://www.prpbooks.com/Solid-Ground-The-Inerrant-Word-of-God-in-an-Errant-World-2187.html

The awfulness of sexual sin

Paul says in Ephesians 5:1 "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among the saints."

Survey your heart my dear saints and how many times this week as sexual immorality been named among you? Survey your hearts again and how many times this week as sexual immorality been found in your heart, when you are alone, or with whom you commit your secret sexual immorality? How many times as it been found?

Paul denounces this sin as to be so awful, so unholy, so crippling to the people of God that it ought not to be named among them. That is, it is not to be found with them, they are not to carry it to the church or to the meetings (the gathering of the saints) because it is not proper for the people of God to possess such an awful, unholy sin.

But how many of us are found with such wretchedness? How many of us constantly defile the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit? Our culture and society have no such notion of the importance of holiness or sanctification, therefore such immorality are offered to be bought on the open market. And we, as fools have gone to such markets and purchased this awful product with money and time, where we ought to spend and give to righteous and holy causes.

The will of God for his saints is that they abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thes 4:3) for God has not called us for impurity but in Holiness.

God will punish those who practise and indulge in sexual immorality especially those who call themselves saints, and if they continue in this abyss without truly repenting or fighting this dung, then they will perish in hell too. The awful judgement was pronounced on Israel 'we must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day’ 1 Cor 10:8. And if you continue in such awful practices without repentance or a willingness to fight then you will not inherit the kingdom of God; 'Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Cor 6:9-10. But this was some of you in your old ways for you have been washed and cleansed; you have been given a new life so walk in a manner worthy of it.

If anyone has not repented let us mourn for them like Paul would have mourned for the poor saints in Corinth if he should return and found them un-repented. 'I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced' 2 Cor 12:21.

Have you practised these awful unholy sins? Are you practising them still? - If you are take courage and take hold of the gospel for Jesus says to you 'I give you time to repent’, (Rev 2:21) but will you refuse and perish in hell?

If you do not repent of your awful unholy sins your lot will be found with these poor creatures, 'but as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for the murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death', Rev 21:8.

I have a better opinion about you who may indulge in this awful unholy sin for I believe you are wise and truly love the Lord Jesus who has purchased and redeemed you not with perishable things but with imperishable. Therefore, let this awful unholy sin not be named among you.

 K.Oni

*This post has not dealt with the awful effect that sexual sin can have in the heart of a believer, or how it can destroy fellowship and how it can lead to utter forsakeness and inability of one's faith.  

A prayer for my soul - Do I fear

O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear.
In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known.
In wrath remember mercy.
God came to earth from heaven. You became nothing. You lived as a man
You ate as a man, you suffered as a man and you died as a man. 
You came for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your elect. 
You crushed the head of the wicked and dismantled the rulers and authorities of this world.
You trampled sin, you buried death and unloosed life. 
Your death brought me life - but my Lord I fear.
I have not lived according to my new life, my flesh fails me.
I am haunted by my past, tomorrow I know I will fail.
Revive me in the midst of my fears O LORD
In the midst of my fears make your power known. 
That I may praise you with joy once again
That I may sing your praise in the assembly of the righteous.

K.Oni

Rich lists and ill manors

I’ve worked it out and I’m the 513,219,541th richest person in the world. The fact that I fall into the top 10 per cent of wealthiest people around our globe is more shocking to me than the affluence revealed in this year’s Sunday Times Rich List.

Lakshmi Mittal and his family top the roll for the eighth year in a row. They are now worth a staggering £12.7 billion. The combined wealth of the 1,000 richest coming in at £414 billion is up five per cent on last year. In these days of austerity, with many struggling financially, and the lowest-paid seeing their comparatively miniscule salaries drop in real terms, the rich are still getting richer. It is the gulf between rich and poor that is most disturbing; your average dinner lady earns £7 an hour.

Despite my own status among the world’s wealthiest, am I a touch jealous? Probably. A little. What I could do in Topshop with just a few grand. What about a Caribbean holiday to escape this rain, a car, a Pashley bicycle, my own house...I could go on.

Equally interesting is the list of top 150 givers. I was surprised to find the artist, David Hockney as our most generous philanthropist. The 100 benefactors who give away at least one per cent of their wealth are highly praised. Although this is peanuts in comparison to Bill Gates who encouraged 40 billionaires to donate half of their fortune to charity, with Gates himself aiming to give away 95 per cent of his wealth.

I wonder who would feature in God’s rich list? Or why The Times don’t do a list of the 1,000 poorest people in our nation? I suppose those people would be harder to find. Who wants to celebrate poverty?

In his protest song, Ill Manors, Plan B highlights our misconceptions of those who live on council estates:

“He's got a hoodie on give him a hug,
on second thoughts don't, you don't wanna get mugged”.

He also rages at the disparity between rich and poor, asking:

“Who closed down the community centre?
I kill time there used to be a member,
what will I do now until September?”

He predicts another round of summer riots if we don’t start to address this growing gap.

The question, ultimately, has to be what am I going to do about it? Firstly, I need to recognise my own abundant wealth both in physical and spiritual terms. I am blessed and have plenty to share with others. Fact.

I also must come to terms with my own poverty. In what ways am I poor? I’m poor in generosity and grace when I fail to acknowledge that everything I have comes from the Creator. 

By aligning ourselves with those we call rich and those we call poor, we will learn much and may even be transformed in the process.

Next week, I’m taking up the Live Below the Line challenge to feed myself on £1 a day, joining with millions of people worldwide daily living on this amount. In all honesty, I’m dreading it. When Jesus meets the rich young ruler he understands the magnitude of the task of giving up our wealth. Yet he responds by offering some profound and enduring words, which in these times of crisis we can cling to: “All things are possible with God.”

With God we can give up some of our money to help others, restrain from buying that extra gadget/car/outfit/ (fill in the blank), campaign for a fairer tax system, hug a hoodie and feast on everything we have been given.

With God we can lessen the inexcusable gap between rich and poor.

Katherine Maxwell–Cook, Multimedia Co-ordinator & Writer, Evangelical Alliance

Poor Jugger Bee

To what purpose she disturbed the bee

Which made the bee buzz her ears

Reclining her to slap her cheeks 

Producing a sound that made the sunflower screech

And drew the birds to sing a burial song.

To what purpose; she made her speech

Hiding her tears beneath the trees

To say - ‘Poor bee, I only wished to see

You suck and persuade you to pollinate 

My plant.’

Jugger bee is what he was known

A famed clown in this district and above

One time, he led an unusual march

For the proper burial of fallen leaves in town. 

Poor Jugger bee, sigh many adoring Ants and Moths

Cried, many alluring flies and bugs

For a dear poor friend, our Jugger bee is gone;

Mourned for many days and once each year

A remembrance for Jugger Bee is enacted by the butterflies song. 

K.Oni