In a huge storm that terrified hardened fisherman, Jesus slept. He seemed distant, uncaring to them. Yet this was the very same Jesus who wept. Does God sometimes seem asleep to you too? When they woke him, Jesus asked perhaps one of the most staggering questions in the Bible: Why are YOU so afraid? Jesus asks you this same question today. It is a real question. He cares about the answer. He wants to hear what it is you... Read more
Earlier this week I posted about how Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters SO he waited. I believe in a God who heals. I also believe he heals not just miraculously but by doctors and the medicines they develop. On and off this year I have been sharing the story of my journey with blood cancer. Now I am about to start the next phase. So on the 11 October I will be starting chemotherapy with FCR on the Flair... Read more
Only the compassion of Jesus can sustain us when we face real challenges. This morning, I am heading to UCLH to be told what form of chemotherapy or related treatment I will need to take. I know many have prayed for my supernatural healing. But as I was thinking of this yesterday, I was reminded of Jesus’ response to hearing that his friend was sick: Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her... Read more
Professionalism can be the enemy of Christian compassion. A certain extent of professionalism is appropriate in many Christian careers. It is a necessary feature of self-care. It helps you keep sane and to serve the people you are caring for the best. Professionalism must always be kept within limits by Christians, however, no matter what field they are working in. Excessive professionalism can strip our humanity away. Professionalism has little if any home in pastoral ministry. I am not a... Read more
Much of modern Evangelicalism and in particular its views on social justice would sound alien to Jesus. Many Christians have moved a long way from Jesus and his view of the World. Christians are followers of Jesus. Shouldn’t we behave like him? Shouldn’t our concerns mirror his? To follow Jesus we must know him. And we must reflect him. We are called to be his representatives in the World. The whole point of my recent series on the commands of... Read more
So those following my health story may remember that a month ago my lymphocyte count was 53 which represented a relatively fast growth (for CLL anyway) and a doubling time of around three months. Last Tuesday I went back to UCLH and had another blood test four weeks later to the day and it is now 70 which is exactly what the exponential growth curve my count has been on for the last seven months would have predicted. At the... Read more
Suffering will come at some stage in every Christian’s life. It will either drive you deeper in your relationship with God or turn you away from him. Your call which… As part of Blood Cancer Awareness Month I am supporting Leukaemia Care’s Spot Leukaemia campaign and talking about the need to recognise symptoms in yourself and get help early, as well as my experiences as a Christian going through it. In a raw and open half an hour interview... Read more
As far as I knew my condition was relatively stable back in April, when I posted about my first year of being diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL). One year in I had just about got used to the new normal. Little did I know then that like the path in this photo I took of the South Downs, my journey was about to take a detour. I have been living in what some people call “CLL purgatory”. I was... Read more
Last Sunday, my dear friend and pastor Tope Koleoso preached the second part in a series on Loving God which was kicked off the previous week by one of our other pastors. Tope opened up much more than he typically does, and shared personal stories which helped illustrate his point that LOVING God is absolutely central to everything in the Christian life. I urge you to watch it, since although you may think you know all there is to know... Read more
Can I be sure I am going to Heaven? In one of my recent articles, a pastor from the 1600s offered the suffering Christian the encouragement that whatever they are suffering here on earth is “all the hell you shall ever know.” A commentator on that post asked “can a Christian lose their salvation?” Lets make this personal: What if I slip up and fall? What if I commit a big sin? What if I ‘backslide’ on my faith, perhaps even... Read more
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