Today we will be having a book review:

A while back I saw a Christian film 'Pilgrim's Progress', based on the famed book by John Bunyan.

Therefore, recently as I was grabbing a book to read in my bath, I picked up this classic book and began to read it. Often it is very true that the books are way better than the films they are in, this is also the case with Pilgrim's Progress.

As I was reminded of the story and how real the analogy was to general Christian walk, I was just stirred by God's goodness: that despite, our failures, shortcomings, and being astray sometimes he still loves us and never sends us away.  This grace, this mercy just could not relent but it brought me to wanting to cry and just worship God for his goodness.

So I encourage you to read the book.

If you happened to have never heard of the book its about a journey of a man called Christian, to find the celestial city and freedom from sin. Whilst on his journey, he often strays away from the path to his goal and encounters many people who both seek to help him and to destroy him. The whole book is an analogy for a Christian life and journey to God. Hope you'll read it ir have read it, stay blessed!

So recently during my Greek Seminar reading we have been encountering the word agapeo meaning to love, implying that it is a higher, everlasting form of love. We also encountered the word Philo which is a verb meaning to love, but also to be familiar with, be used to, or kiss. Often Philo is used to describe familial Love between parents and children or siblings, even friends. As I am continually looking at the bible in its Greek form, I notice that both words are being used.
in John 21:16:

"He said to him a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Tend my sheep."

In this sentence Jesus is using the word Agape. but Simon replies with Philo. 

I looked at that and I was like WOW. This just speaks volumes, although Peter did not necesserily answer exactly what Jesus asked, Jesus was still gracious, in accepting his human love that. peter's response, "I love you" could mean: I am familiar with you, I love you like my friend, you are my dear, my own. 

Jesus' answer to Peter's confession: "Tend my sheep", can tell us a lot about ministry and living a missional life. namely that we must first know God, have a relationship with him and be used to him, spending time in his presence, following after him. I hope that was interesting and thought provoking, Be blessed!

Last Sunday I was at church and as I was worshipping God, I sort of recognised this man that comes to church often, siting at the back, not engaging in worship or praying at all. As I was seeing him I remembered that one time we were split into groups to pray, we invited him to join but he flatly refused, saying that he does not know what we are doing (we were just praying, we are not crazy!). I thought that to be fine at the time. But last Sunday compassion for that guy just overtook me and I just started praying for him in my own worship that he may know God. It suddenly hit me that this man will either be saved or will end up hating God even more. I was at peace because I knew that the Holy Spirit knows what he is doing and the fact that this guy comes to the church is saying something already.

Another realisation that I had was that the problem is not really with the militant atheists like Dawkins or Hitchens. Mark Driscoll has said once they get much publicity but little following. So, instead I think that the concern should be with the people that simply do not think about the eternal things or about things that are greater than them. They seize the day (Carpe Diem); remember their mortality (memento mori) etc. Yet, Proverbs says that it is better to go into the house of mourning than to a house of laughter. Should we not laugh? Of course! Heaven is an eternity spent in the joy of God, but in a worldly context there is wisdom in those place of “mourning”, there is fear of God, acknowledgment that our lives are but a vapour.

That’s the problem: the people who are perishing because in the midst of their lives spent in pursuit of consumerism and pleasure they perish into eternity, never laying hold of a security that is only to be found in Jesus Christ.

Plato, in his analogy of the cave described a mission of a good philosopher that is to show the truth to the people who still live in darkness as a duty even if it would put their reputation and life at risk. That is our mission I believe and as the church and Christians we need to think about more of how to prompt, people to think about more spiritual things.  Its not an ideal conversation topic, I know but I’m thinking that it is certainly an interesting way to start witnessing to people, I’m just thinking to myself of whether I will always be up for it, but I think that I can! Soo the rant is over, be blessed!

So, it has been a while since I last published a post. That’s because I was sooo busy with work, uni and other stuff that I had barely any time. So today I was having my second exam of university. The course was Intensive Greek 1. Over past few months I was taught Greek up to a GCSE level from scratch and having a test was extremely important to me because in order to carry on with my degree programme I would have to do a classical language.

It was always my dream to study Greek and to be able to read the bible in its original text. It gives me such a thrill and pleasure to look at the original text and understand it (when I can). So the pressure was ON! I needed 50% in order to carry on with the course, which does not sound like a lot but believe me its still hard.

So as I was worrying (wrongly) about this exam and getting all my friends to pray for me, I realised that it is God who holds my dreams. There in that moment I surrendered my dreams. I said to the Father, that he could do whatever he wants with my dreams, to crush or to raise them. At that moment I never felt so happy, knowing that I let go of my self, and embraced him and his will.

A creature, I always thought, is the happiest in its own purposeful place. Likewise, we are the happiest when we let go of ourselves and truly pour out our worship through surrender to God. Was I still nervous? Of course, very much so, but I knew that whatever happens my God can work everything for the good of his glory and my benefit. So my challenge to you is this: what are your dreams? And have you surrendered these dreams with which you are so concerned about? This is not a one off thing this is something we all needs to do everyday, saying that I am certainly not perfect at this either, hopefully I’ll improve. Hope this blessed you.

Few months ago I was having an exam in my module of Intensive Greek. I was afraid, I was trying to revise but nothing would stick. Yet throughout this entire time of worrying and asking God for peace, God has been speaking to me that he will take care of the exam. He asked me to trust him.

I gladly accepted this word, yet I still continued to worry and stress! I came to the exam; it was very hard. However, I felt ok about it. Then results came in the following week and I was told that I passed with a 2:1! I was so happy and joyful, encouraged to not give up on learning Greek but to carry on. After the massive flood of joyful emotions I remembered God’s word: that he would sort it out.

Immediately I thanked him for the result and for being with me. At the same time I was convicted to repent from not trusting him. Despite my failure to spend enough time in reading the word, despite my lack of prayer, God was still good to me. He’s love is completely unconditional.

I know now that it never is about our performance, because if it were, I would be screwed. He is faithful despite our faithlessness, despite our ups and downs in our walk. God is steadfast he cannot change; he is Eternal (or if you want to sound fancy, atemporal).  He will fulfil his promises, because he cannot lie, he is not a man (Num. 23:19). Just think of Sarah, she laughed when she was promised that she would conceive, and despite her unbelief, God fulfilled his promise.

So I challenge you: believe his promises, ask him what he thinks about your situations. Often we do not do that because we are afraid of the answers he will tell us, but he will not hurt us. Everything he tells us he does so out of love. I am by no means perfect in all of this. I am still growing. Yet, I believe that nobody is a master at doing all this stuff, but that is the lifestyle of faith, by which we are justified, its not about us and what we do, instead its about him.

God bless!