School, tragic childhoods, and evangelism

Recently, in school, one of the year 7 kids who I occasionally teach was misbehaving. He was abusive to me and another member of class, wouldn't leave the room when either of us told him to, wouldn't follow any instructions, verbally abused ther kids, and hit one of them. I was, understandably, not impressed. I gave him an after-school detention, and filled in an incident form reporting his behaviour.

After the lesson, I went to see his normal maths teacher (if any teacher can be truly described as "normal"), and she told me something which explained his behaviour (if not vindicating it). There are huge problems ast home, such that he has been in and out of care homes for the last three years, and that day he was going back into a new care home. He's 11.

For the first time, I realized quite how sad the situations of some of the kids who I teach are. I wished I could un-hand in the incident form, which could get him into a huge amount of trouble. But more than that, I wished there was something that I could do to help...

...which is how I come onto evangelism. I ended up thinking, and this not for the first time, how little many Christians really reach out to the poor. Most of our evangelism is aimed at the middle classes (e.g. wine tasting evenings, where people have to pay £12.50!!! to hear the gospel). Yet it is probably not just our evangelism that is the problem, but our attitude that lies behind it. Do we really believe that Christ came for and to the poor? Do we really do evangelism out of compassion, as we should (Matthew 9)?

Many have suggested that it is often good to concentrate our evangelism on the rich and educated, so that we can raise up a generation of church leaders. I end with a wonderful quote which reportedly came from Mark Aston (of StAG, in Cambridge). He was asked whether he believed that poor and uneducated people could ever be expected to become good and useful church leaders and pastors. His reply (in sentiment, not in exact words): "I think it very unlikely that wealthy or educated people will ever become good church leaders and pastors, unless they are very much humbled."

Brothers and sisters, let us make more effort to reach the poor, and give them a true and lasting hope.

I need the Sabbath to survive

Just over a week or so ago, Daniel, on his blog, posted about the necessity of believers keeping the Sabbath (not as the Jews did, but in a Christian way), and it caused controversy. I am confused about this. Why don't believers want to keep the Sabbath?

After busy weeks wherever we work, is it not natural and good for us to want to spend a day especially with God, and with other believers? If the Sabbath is made for man (Mark 2:27), then shouldn't we view it as a wonderful gift from God? I personally think it's a wonderful idea of His - we need a day for both physical and spiritual rest, and He's given us one.

Yesterday, I went to church twice. Both times I was challenged (once very strongly) from the Word. Both times, as Christ was present in the special way in which He is when believers meet together, I was enabled to see God more clearly, and by His grace to be more joyful in what we have received from Him. I was able to meet with my brothers and sisters, pray with them, and have fun with them.

Before and in between the meetings , I was able to spend more time in meditation upon God's greatness, and in communion with him, than I have time to manage on a weekday. My housemates and I were able to pray together for one another. I was able to listen to one of them playing hymns and songs on the keyboard. I was able to read some helpful words of John Flavel. And I was even able to grab an extra hour in bed, mid-afternoon. The Sabbath is wonderful! It provides a spiritual kick with which to go out into the world to face a difficult week ahead.

One final note: those who are privileged to be in full-time ministry or training need to realize that others aren't in that situation. If you are blessed with being able to open the Word many times a day, remember that that isn't the case for all of us. Some of us need a Sabbath. Please don't encourage us to try to survive without.

Died He for ME, who caused His pain? For ME, who Him to death pursued?

I'm sure that all genuine Christians would agree that "And can it be?" is a great hymn, in which we confess our astonishment that the eternal Son of God should be willing to die for me; i.e. us individually, and personally. Which makes it so tragic when Christians reject the doctrine which teaches that Christ died for individuals personally.

I'm talking, of course, of so-called "limited atonement", a truth which has gained bad press because of the name it is given. The atonement has no limit, it is infinite, but it is also particular, and it is personal. If we deny that Christ bore the sins of the elect in particular, then all we really believe is that Christ died for sinners in general, and then I was elected to salvation. We can believe that Christ saved me, personally, but not that His death was for me, personally (or we can, but only with inconsistency). We need to uphold this truth, not just because it is true; not just because it is important; but because it is wonderful.

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For those who are concerned at the supposed lack of textual support for this doctrine, I leave you witha a single text for a starter, Hebrews 10:13-14:

"Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Here we see two groups of people: the enemies of God, and those who are being made holy. And what is the distinction between the two? Not faith; not election; not the indwelling Spirit. No, the only distinction given is that the sacrifice of Christ has already made those who are being made holy to be perfect in the sight of God. The sacrifice alone imputes righteousness, and only to the people of God.

Getting up in the morning

It's 5:50pm, again, and I have to get up, to get out of the house, to get a train to Reading, to get a bus to Tilehurst, to get to school. It can be hard work, and I've only been doing it for a week.

I don't write this for sympathy, but to make a point. I expect that, to most people, 10 to 6 in the morning is early to get up (even if they have children), and they wouldn't do it unless (as I do) they had to.

Which makes the attitude of godly men of the past very striking. By the time I struggle to get up in the morning, Samuel Rutherford would have been at prayer for nearly 3 hours. Joseph Alleine would have been nearly half way through the four hours he spent in prayer with the Lord, as would Charles Simeon. Apparently John Welch, a Scottish minister of the 16th and 17th centuries considered a day in which he didn't pray for 8 hours to be day poorly spent.

My guess is that many Christians of today would consider this unnecessary, perhaps geeky, or fanatical. But this is how we should seek to be. The guys mentioned above were all used greatly by God, if not in their own lifetimes, then after.

So guys, how about more of us get up at ten to six to pray, and me, even earlier?

Panelled houses

I was reading Haggai 1 the other day, and was convicted:

Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:
"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your panelled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" (v3-4)

We (or at least I) often put down the ineffectiveness of churches nowadays to having a lack of concern for Biblical doctrine, or a desire to use our own methodology, rather than Biblical methodology (esp. in corporate worship and evangelism), or to having lower-than-Biblical standards for personal holiness. And all of these failings are tragic, for they rob God of the glory that is due to Him.

But it strikes me that the main reason why the temple of Christ (the church) is weak, is quite simply that we are self-indulgent. We spend our time panelling our houses (probably not literally), rather than spending our money and effort and prayer on building God's.

What's the problem with today's church? We are. I am. It's quite simple, we (I? You?) need to be more committed to loving and serving Him.