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The Gospel According To... Mumford

Every now and again I hear something on the radio that makes me want to stop in my tracks and yell 'YES' at the top of my voice. This usually happens on a Saturday afternoon when I realise that Sunderland are destroying United or that Rafa hasn't rotated ...

Recently however I heard Mumford and Sons sing these words

It was not your fault but mine
and it was your heart on the line
I really "messed" it up this time
(radio edit/live lounge/bad word edited/you know what the unedited version says)

I wanted to yell 'yes' at the top of my voice because I connected with the raw honesty of these words as an accurate communication of the gospel message. We all have 'messed it up', it's totally our fault but Jesus places His heart on the line by dying in our place on the cross. There's real integrity in these words by Mumford that's too often lacking in our worship songs, songs which rarely mention the fact that we are seriously 'messed up' by sin. I grew up singing that I should be 'in right - out right - up right - down right - happy all the time' because Jesus had come into my life but very rarely did I sing with honesty that I had screwed up.

Mumford & Sons have forcefully reminded me of the heart of the gospel and I pray that more worship leaders and song writers will follow their example.


2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Duracell Joy: Part 3

Last week I got a little nervous as Dave (our worship leader) began his introduction to worship by talking about Billy Joel.. I soon realised the huge importance of the point he was making. He was reminding us that in one of Joel's most famous songs we hear these words "we didn't start the fire - it was always burning since the world's been turning." Our focus last week was this verse in Philippians he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Dave was reminding everyone that God began the work in us, He started the fire and that's why we worship Him. Everything we do as Christians is a response to what Jesus has already done for us. Tonight we followed on that thought a bit more as we saw that humility and a concern for the interests of others should be some of the markers of Christian faith. We have no reason to boast in ourselves because God began the work and He will complete it. Jesus considered our need for rescue to be greater than His need for equality with God.

Tim Hughes puts it this way...

King of All Days - oh so highly exalted,
glorious in heaven above,
humbly you came to the earth you created,
all for love's sake became poor.

Long lasting joy is only possible when in humility we consider others needs more important than our own. This is at the heart of God's character and is revealed fully to us at the cross. Paul issues a challenge to us in chapter 2 of Philippians when he says Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Billy Joel sings that the fire has been "burnin since the world's been turnin" The Bible says that God's love for us was in existence way before that!

Duracell Joy: Part 2

Back in May this year I finished the Belfast Marathon but I didn't actually start it! I was part of a team of people (all of whom were much fitter than me.) We all did our bit but none of us completed the 26 point whatever miles. We did the race for a while and then stopped. In a sense we all ran for a bit and then gave up when someone else took over the responsibility of running.

The good news of the Bible is that God never gives up on us, He completes everything He starts. He doesn't hand over responsibility for us to someone else because He never gets tired. Tonight in Fusion we were continuing our series in Philippians and thinking in particular about this encouraging part of the letter.

'He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.'

The world we live in is in a hurry: instant coffee, high-speed broadband, next-day delivery, fast track to management, express checkouts and drive through restaurants are indicators of this. The good news is that God is not in a hurry. Waiting time is not wasted time for Him or us. Chris Tomlin sings 'Strength will rise as we WAIT upon the Lord.' All of us are a work in progress, God has not finished with us. He will finish this work. He will not give up on us. Our job is to trust Him even when it feels like things are tough. We need to remind ourselves that it is Jesus who saved us, that it was the Holy Spirit who began this work and that God will keep us in His hand.

Maybe I'll run the whole marathon in May 2010, it'd be great to actually start and finish the race!

Surprised by Scripture: Part 2

What do Russell Grant and King Saul have in common? Up until today I would have answered.... "very little."
So what's changed?

Today I came across an event in Saul's life that I don't think I've ever been aware of before. He's facing an enemy invasion and is really intimidated by it, unsure of what to do he seeks the advice of Samuel the prophet. No problem at all, right? Good idea to get advice from a religious leader, right? Well it is if they're alive! Samuel was dead and Saul contacts him via some wacko medium. Interestingly earlier in Saul's life he had expelled mediums and spiritists from the land. Now in a time of panic and insecurity he disobeys a direct command from God about contacting the dead.

"Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:31

Seances, mediums, psychics, fortune tellers, magic 8 balls and Russell Grant's interpretation of your birthday all have at their root a lack of faith in God's guidance. Christians need to demonstrate trust in Him by avoiding all these practices.

God makes a promise that if taken seriously would put the fortune tellers out of business.

^{Isaiah 58:11}
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

The LORD will guide you always.
Saul should have contacted the living God for guidance - not a dead prophet!