The Ups & Downs of Temptation

Interview with David Walliams in The Times Magazine (26/9/09).

“Low self-esteem,” he goes on, “draws you to something like performing. I remember reading a book about Robbie Williams, it said, ‘He’s got low self-esteem but a big ego’. That’s probably what most performers have got. Otherwise you wouldn’t look to this external thing to make you happy.”

The Lord has really been opening up the first chapters of Luke to me of late. In ch.4 we have recorded the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. In the second temptation Satan offers Jesus not, as I always thought, all the kingdoms of the world – but ‘all their authority and splendour’ (v6). Interesting. The devil has been given ownership of their ‘authority and splendour’ – and he can give those things to whoever he wants (v6). It should, at the very least, make us revisit our amibitions in life – whether personal, business or Christian. We are so easily dazzled by the bright lights of ‘success’ – ‘it must be ok or the Lord wouldn’t be blessing it’, we say. But who is ‘blessing’ the cults, pagan religion, Hugh Heffner, Saudi Arabia….etc – with their manifestations of ‘authority and splendour’? The devil wants to give us ‘authority and splendour’ – but beware of his terms & conditions (v7).

Finally, at the end of the temptations we read that the devil left Jesus ‘until an opportune time’ (v13). As I thought about what those ‘opportune’ times were, two immediately came to mind. Firstly, on the eve of Calvary – Jesus said, ‘the prince of this world is coming’ (Jn 14:30). At the point of greatest stress, in the face of inescapable suffering– the devil makes a move on Jesus – but, praise His name, ‘He has no hold on me’.

But, secondly, the other ‘opportune time’ that came to mind was, on the face of it, an unexpected moment. A moment of great affirmation, recognition and break-through for Jesus – the moment Peter finally acknowledges Him as the Messiah, the Son of God (Mt 16:16). And it is precisely at that moment of ‘success’ in ministry – that Satan also makes a move on Jesus ....Because Jesus, as you are this special & amazing person you ought to get special treatment, not for you the way of the Cross, no, no, no… But there is no chink of pride or ego to be played upon in the heart of Jesus Christ – and the seduction is rebuked out of hand (v22-23).

We, however, do not generally fare so well under either aggravation or adulation – the devil sees opportunities to bring us down in both. A wise saint once prayed: ‘give me neither poverty or riches, but give me only my daily bread. (Pr 30:8). He knew the pitfalls of the extremes (v9).

Our prayers would be seasoned with much wisdom if they asked: ‘Lord, give me neither low self-esteem or a big ego’.

Full List of Posts Aug 09 -

The Gospel According to Brian
Paying God Forward
Musings from Mullin
Theology FAQs
Art Attack
Turning the Other Cheek
Small Group Spin
Evangelical Eggheads
Donald's Diet
More Bible Reading Plans
Breaking the ice
Permission to Speak
Bible Ready in 2010
Happy Christmas (Peanuts)
Captain Caveman's New Blog
realism & encouragement
On the side of caution...
9 Marks Conf - Edinburgh
Be a tent peg
All that glitters is not gold...
Atheism's Poster Child
What's under your bonnet?
The end of History
Just 'words'?
Noughties Nostalgia
The church I go to...
The Arts & The Church
A prayer for our children
No getting away from it...
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Response
The eXcellence Factor (again)
The Ups & Downs of Temptation
When Sinners Say I Do (D Harvey)
How Great is our God!
SNAG Programme 2009-10
Danger! Ministry is too good
Zambia Calling (6)
Zambia Calling (5)
Zambia Calling (4)
Zambia Calling (3)
Zambia Calling (2)
Zambia Calling (1)

When Sinners Say I Do (D Harvey)

A 'must-get' book on marriage - available on Amazon HERE.

The sermon above: 'Falling Out of Love' - gives an extended taster of some of the life-changing Gospel principles that Harvey unpacks in it.

Saturday Nights at Greenview 09-10

New SNAG Programme - each evening commences at 7.30pm (cafe open from 7pm).

Whatever happened to…?
The forgotten beliefs of the evangelical church.

Sat 10th October 09
Creation (‘All of Scripture is a footnote to Genesis’)
Bob Fyall

Sat 14th November 09
The Church (Bride or Bridesmaid? Getting our priorities right.)
Stephen McQuoid

Sat 12th December 09
Heaven & Hell (Metaphors or Realities?)
Jim McLatchie

Sat 16th January 10
Revival (Real renewal not ‘boom & bust’)
Ian Shaw

Sat 13th February 10
Original Sin (Real evil in a real world)
Alasdair Fyfe

Sat 20th March 10
The Second Coming (Stagnation or Expectation?)
Edward Lobb

Danger! Ministry is too Good.

An expression I find myself using a lot in ministry is: ‘your strengths are also your weaknesses’. So, for example, someone whose great strength is getting things done and being very efficient can often have the downside of not being very sensitive to the opinions or feelings of others as they plough ahead with their projects – but if they were then they probably wouldn’t get so much done etc etc.

This is one of life’s paradoxes and dilemmas – being great in one area often comes with a cost in other areas. However, where this kind of trade-off becomes too much – is when we trade the most important thing for some secondary aspect of it. Let me try and explain….

I’m a great fan of the '5-Live Film Review' podcast with Mark Kermode & Simon Mayo. It's a popular programme due to the wit, dry banter, and eloquence of the presenters. However, despite its acclaim the presenters noted to one guest that their verdicts on films didn’t seem to affect whether listeners went to see them or not. The guest (Jeremy Isaacs) commented in response, ‘you’ve transcended your subject matter’. That is, people just listen to enjoy the chat and comment rather than to be informed by its content.

I think, as a preacher, I experienced an almost physical pang on hearing that observation. In other words the performance was so good that the content had become irrelevant. There is a big danger here for our churches – a pursuit of excellence in presentation that supercedes content. So what matters most is style, professionalism, slickness, feel and experience – and the subtlety of this danger is that whereas we think a preoccupation with ‘excellence’ faciltates the communication of truth – it actually in many cases obscures it.

I note, with some concern, a fixition in some places that preachers should preach without notes. The thinking being that the message will be communicated much more effectively by a person able to walk the platform, have uninterrupted eye contact and speak without apparent reference to memory aids. I have seen this done and then cringed when the listeners applauded at the end – clearly more impressed by his ‘no hands’ skill than challenged by the content of what was said. It was said of Jonathan Edwards that he preached holding his notes about an inch from his nose (he was short sighted) holding a candle in the other hand so as to read them in the evening gloom – but as he preached men clung to the pillars of the church such was the fear of God that came upon them.

What is a danger in preaching ministry is also true in 'praise ministry' – so that the sensation and experience of the medium becomes more important and valued than its content. A similar thing happened in some Charismatic circles where just having spiritual experiences, such as speaking in tongues, effectively became the most important factor in people’s faith. So Charismatic Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists etc could all get together irregardless of their views on justification or sanctification – because such beliefs effectively became secondary to the experience of spiritual gifts. We can see the same potential danger with music & praise in some quarters – serious doctrinal issues can be ignored because what ultimately matters is just enjoying the same worship and music ‘experience’.

But the doctrinal content of the gospel matters – as does it being understood. Great preaching or praise is not ultimately about delivery, eloquence, skill or sensation – it must be about the comprehension of truth or it is dust. So let’s be wary in all our ministries that we aren’t trying to be so good that we leave behind what matters.

Zambia Calling (6)

Day 23 (Above: The Witch Doctor we met in Makalulu / Admiring the Victoria Falls.

Last blog before I head home - now down in Livingstone at the Zimbabwe border. The 8 hour bus ride here (and same again tomorrow when I return to Lusaka) - worth it for the chance to visit the Victoria Falls.

The past week has been full on with activities - on Tuesday I did some outreach work in a township called (Makalulu) outside Kabwe. I went round with a Pentecostal pastor handing out free Christian newspapers. People (with the exception of a few JW's) were all immediately ready to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour - my Pentecostal brother was translating. The Lord knows their hearts and we prayed for them. The conditions were pretty bad - John Speirs (who was with another group) remarked that he had visited the slums in India but at least they had order to them - these 'were just a shambles'. We also intruded on a Witch Doctor session - we prayed for those there - my Pentecostal brother really got into 'his stride' at this point rebuking a multitude of spirits.

From Wed to Frid it was north to the Copperbelt and visits to a Christian school, a building project to house street kids and seeing the literature work of SGM.

Anyway tomorrow back to Lusaka and then Tuesday home.

Zambia Calling (5)

Day 12
Above: Two 'Hunters' - with Smart Fundi ('Fundi' is Bemba for Hunter) & sorting the beans for dinner - no broken teeth! )

Feeling a bit more relaxed now my 'George Verwer Warm-up' talk to over 500 people is over. I spoke on the subject of 'Called & Commissioned' from Jeremiah 1 - the need for Biblical faithfulness rather than success as the basis of our 'Call & Commission' whether in the local church or Mission field. Today I lead a workshop on 'Integrity & Zeal in Christian Ministry'.

My UK room-mates (I'm staying in guest-lodge called 'Diakonia') all left on Saturday after the PABCM. I'm now sharing with a two South Africans and a Canadian who lives in Vienna - all working with OM. Proc-Christo college is progressing a merger with OM which it hopes will open up more opportunities (through OM's network) to get its Missionaries into other countries.

The Pro-Chrsito vision is to mobilse Africans supported by African churches to go to the Mission field (starting in the unreached places of the continent. This means a big culture change for many African churches who have left financial support for Mission to outside donors. The hope is to break this dependence and get the local churches to take responsibility for a new generation of indigenous workers. The Africans have the great advantage of being accepted in many places where 'white workers' are viewed with suspicion or just seen for their 'cash value'. The Africans also are prepared often to work in conditions and accept hardships that many Westerners baulk at. So there is the sense of God starting something new in Africa. Exciting times.

One worker from Botswana (Helen) gave her report last night - she talked about the absence of any 'marriage culture' among the people she was trying to reach & the neglect of children due to a drinking culture (kids are out in the streets late at night). It struck me that many areas of Glasgow are just the same - there are many outward differences but the spiritual issues are just the same. People are in darkness and only the Gospel can bring light.