“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5 (KJV)

We recently took delivery of our new washing machine and I just could not wait to get it going. Our old washing machine had given up, so we required a new one in the shortest time possible. So, we went for a bigger and better replacement that would best meet the needs of our growing family. I had installed the previous one that served us well for many years and didn’t anticipate having any trouble installing this new one. I quickly raced through the manual, muttering that I needn’t have bothered, as I felt nothing would have changed since I installed the last one, and got the machine running so that we could start tackling the mound of washing that had since piled up.

My wife joyfully loaded the machine and started the washing cycle. All seemed well until it got to the spinning cycle, and all hell broke loose. The machine started shaking violently, dancing and shifting about and hitting fixtures in the laundry room. The noise was terrible and the situation looked increasingly dangerous. I even tried to weigh the machine down by sitting on top of it, but to no avail. I scratched my head to see what could have gone wrong, but couldn’t lay my finger on the fault. So, we called the help line to seek assistance and it was then that I realised my mistake. I had assumed that the new machine was just like the old one, having failed to notice a crucial difference. For safety of transport, new machines have their drums bolted to the main body of the machine. These bolts must first be removed before use or there is a risk of damaging the machine. This was what I (the now chastened know-it-all technician) failed to do and nearly damaged our new expensive washing machine. Thankfully, once I took the bolts out, the problems disappeared, leaving us to enjoy the peace of mind that a quiet perfectly functioning washing machine gives to those who carefully read and follow the instructions in the operating manual.

So, what lesson did I learn from this episode? It is that operating manuals are included in the packaging of an appliance for a good purpose – to ensure that it works properly and to the maximal effect. I also learnt that the person best placed to write the manual and correct faults is the designer and manufacturer of the appliance. The spiritual equivalent of these mechanical lessons is that a life created by God can only fulfil its potential and is best lived according to the instructions contained in the operating manual of life that God has compiled and given to us. This of course is the Bible.

Secreted within its covers are solutions to any of life’s myriad of problems that can ever arise. The good news is that heeding the bible’s dictates even helps us to avoid needless sufferings as well as proffers solution to intractable problems, Ps 119:105. The challenge for many Christians is to take time to read the bible on a regular basis and get to know it so well that they can imbibe its guiding Spirit and develop the kind of mindset that enabled our Lord Jesus Christ to accomplish His mission on earth. So, if you wish to avoid the torrid real life equivalent of my dancing washing machine drama with all the attendant aches and pains, then be advised to set quality time apart, however little, to acquaint yourself with God through His word. Your reward for time invested will be to see your life finally turn out just as God’s word had predicted.

Prayer:

Lord, your word is light unto my path and a lamp unto my feet. Give me a hearing ear and a willing heart so that I can have the mind of Christ and live to glorify your name

“But let your word 'yes' be 'yes,' and your 'no' be 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one.” Matthew 5:37 (HCSB)

A relative, a civil rights activist, once shared a wise word with me. He said, ‘If you are determined to pick a fight with the government, first ensure that your taxes are in order, because that is the first place they will look to undermine you’. To be credible, you must always walk the talk. Jesus expressed the same truth in a more dramatic way in Matt 7:4-5. He said ‘First take out the log in your own eyes before trying to remove the speck in your brother’s eye. In other words, charity must really begin at home.

In ancient times when making religious sculptures was a highly profitable business, it was no surprise that it also attracted charlatans who wanted easy money, but peddle inferior goods. These people sell defective goods as the real thing by filling the cracks in them with wax to make them appear perfect. The buyers only realise that they have been conned when the wax later melts revealing the concealed fault. So, to counter this trend, which was evidently bad for business, the genuine artisans began to sign off their works with the inscription sine cere, meaning without wax, to show that their work had no defect and is genuine. This is the root word of the English word sincere, which means genuine, straight, authentic, unadulterated and honest.

Church statisticians would have us believe that there are over two billion people who identify themselves as Christians in the world, but the important question is does God concur with this number? We do not need to task our brains to know that not everyone claiming to be a Christian is actively seeking to make heaven – certainly not with the number of scandals plaguing the Church. Consequently, the major problem facing the Church is addressing the issue of integrity, since from the world’s perspective, we are full of too many cracks that undermine our credibility to being the people of God in a fallen world. As far as they are concerned, we are not sine cere, and as a consequence, they have no time for us. Regrettably, we have become a Church without integrity.

Someone once said that the real you is who you are when no one in looking. You are a person of integrity if when given the opportunity to do wrong and never be found out, you still chose to do right. Therefore, to have integrity is to treasure character over image. It is staying true to yourself and never being two faced. It is when there is no discordance between your public and private persona and there are no unresolved skeletons lurking in your cupboard, for integrity means what you see is what you get.

Integrity means that like Daniel, whenever people search your life for incriminating evidence with which to destroy you, the worst charge they can level against you is that you are a fanatic for God. It means to live in the liberating fear of God, leaving no room for the enslaving fear of man. So, whatever your ambition in life as a Christian, if it is not to make heaven, it is not worth your while. Determine today that you life will be sine cere or heaven-worthy, so that the justifiably sceptical world can begin to believe again not only that our God is good, but that He is worth their while.

Prayer:

Lord, let the truth that nothing is hid from you, be my guiding principle, so that I will seek to please you and not be concerned about my image. Help mould my character so that the image it reflects will glorify your name. Amen.

Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you.” 2 Corinthians 6:17 (HCSB)


As a teenager, whilst holidaying in Kano, Northern Nigeria, I started watching a game show on SKY TV in the hotel where I was lodged as a particular contestant was being introduced to the viewers. The presenter first introduced this grinning man as a Pastor and then cheekily added to the mocking laughter of the studio audience that he’d been married three times. Even as a youngster, I instinctively felt uncomfortable with what I was seeing, because the name of the Lord was being cheapened before a world that is always quick to dismiss His claim upon our lives.

Fifteen years later, whilst on another family holiday in Sweden, the news that was then shaking the nation was the story of another Pastor who had seemingly made a habit of knocking off his wives whenever he tired of them, only to marry another wife later on. He seemed to have taken to extreme God’s injunction that He hated divorce, and so decided that being a serial monogamist and a murderer to boot is a novel way out of his marital troubles. Again, this was not the kind of publicity that glorifies the name of the God we claim to serve.

These two examples point to a greater problem in the body of Christ and is the reason we struggle to be effective witnesses in drawing people to Christ – we increasingly struggle to differentiate between what constitutes the Church as opposed to the world. The two are now so intertwined that we no longer know where one ends and the other begins. Whilst retaining a semblance of spiritual authority, we have nonetheless relinquished the moral authority that authentic living of the Gospel in a fallen world confers on us. Therefore, to our cry of ‘Repent and be saved’, the world now scoffs and retorts, ‘Physician heal thyself’, proving that as God’s only agent of change, the Church is fast losing whatever relevance it has with the unbelieving world.

Many in the Church erroneously believe that the way forward is outdoing the world at what they do best. So, they take on the toga of becoming the vanguard of the liberal path advocating secular humanism and all what not at the expense of declaring the righteousness espoused by the word of God. It is no surprise that the returns for selling their souls to the devil for the pottage of worldly acceptance is that they reap the disdain of the very people they seek to convince. Even the world, which knows that you can only judge a tree by its fruit, also patently acknowledges the fact that no honour can emanate from a people steeped in dishonour, as like always produces like.

So, to impact our world the way God always intended, we need to heed His direction to come out from among them and be separate or holy. Wisdom tells us that you don’t save a man who fell into a pit by jumping in after him. Both of you will perish. Rather, you throw him a rope and help pull him out. This is the honourable task God has given the Church and we can only succeed if we do it His way. So, let us return to the Lord and be holy and He will receive us and use us to glorify His name.

Prayer:

Lord, your word warns us not to be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Help me to be holy as you are holy, so that my separated life will glorify your name and shine your light into the darkness of the world. Amen.

No individual or institution in Britain can possibly be ignorant of the incessant sabre rattling and beating of drums of war against Iran and its people, which features in the British media now. Yet again, the Middle East is experiencing intransigence and confrontation from a West hell bent on supporting a war, which regrettably includes the Queen’s Monarchical Britain. It is this information that urges me to question the Church of England hierarchy and its response to this highly dangerous state of affairs.

Without doubt, any military attack against Iran will result in collateral damage – a convenient sanitised term frequently used by the West’s warmongers to disguise civilian carnage, which, as always will involve great numbers of children in addition to adults. An Israeli or Western bomb does not differentiate between Iran’s military and its innocent civilian population.

The indiscriminate maiming and slaughter of great numbers of Iranian children will create a humanitarian disaster, leaving many orphans in its destructive wake, a concern that directs millions of us to ask the peace loving Church of England Hierarchy this question.

“If you have not already done so, will you soon, before it is too late, be publicly condemning, via all the media channels available, the distinct probability of an atrocious, mad and inhumane act, the bombing of Iran, and the unavoidable blood bath, death and grief that will follow?”

On the other hand, a clear majority in England do NOT expect the Church of England’s hierarchy and its influential members in the Queen’s House-of-Lords to remain silent.

Only the passing of time and the conscience of the Church of England hierarchy will reveal the answer to that question, but the Church, like the rest of the country is fearfully aware that the clocks of war are ticking relentlessly towards a blood bath in Iran that a Church in pursuit of peace and compassion should seek to prevent.

William Gladys February 2012.

“... but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”  Eph 4:15 & 16

When each Christian does what God has set before them the body of Christ (the Church) grows and becomes more effective.  By the same token when we do not do what God is telling us to do the body of Christ “walks with a limp” because, as Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, that particular joint is not supplying what it should to make the body whole.

Everything that we do has a knock-on effect in our own lives just as much as in others.  Each choice we make to stop being selfish and reach out to our community causes a change in direction for that community.  Look around you and think for a moment: what would your town be like if  in the 19th Century someone had not decided that they would start farming in a particular area?  Farms need other services – an outlet for produce, farrier, labour, etc.  Successful farms or large properties often became the nucleus of present day villages and towns.  What if the pioneer had decided to settle elsewhere?  What if the Vikings had run out of steam and never left Scandinavia?  What if Martin Luther was put off by the thought that he may be making a fool of himself by publishing his theses that eventually led to the start of the Protestant movement in the Church?

The 16th century poet and clergyman John Donne wrote: “No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.”

We have no idea of the ramifications of the smallest of our actions, however God knows it in minute detail.  If He thought for one millisecond that us showing His character in our community was worthless or would have bad results then He would not prompt us or open doors before us, instead He would put us in a place without interaction with others.  Each day make the choice to do what God sets before you – no more, no less.

Prayer:

Lord today I want to do what is right in Your eyes, I want to make a positive difference in people's lives, I want to leave a good heritage for those who follow after me.  I choose to heed Your voice, to listen and do what You ask, in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  1 John 4:8

Since God is love and God dwells in us and wants to shine out through us, it follows that love will be the prime characteristic of God that we portray to others. Love is a single word with many different practical manifestations.  To a woman a gift of a diamond ring or a box of chocolates show that the giver loves her but so too, to a degree, does someone mowing the lawn or taking out the rubbish bin!  To some people a light touch, a smile or a few kind words may show them more love than they've known in years.  

One of the most well known scripture passages is 1 Corinthians 13; it is frequently quoted at weddings and funerals of believers and non-believers alike, especially the verses that define love.  As God is love, we can substitute the word “God” for “love” - God never gives up, God is not proud, God keeps no record of wrongs, and so on. 

When God shines through us we should be able to substitute our own names for “love” too – here's how it would read in a translation of the Bible called The Message: I never give up, I care more for others than for self, I don't want what I don't have, I don't strut, don't have a swelled head, don't force myself on others, am not always "me first," don't fly off the handle, don't keep score of the sins of others, don't revel when others grovel, take pleasure in the flowering of truth, put up with anything, trust God always, always look for the best, never look back, but keep going to the end.  Wow!  If we lived like that everyone would know that God was shining out of us!  These are the best ever practical manifestations of love.

How about taking up the challenge of seeing how much of God's love shines out to others through you?

Prayer:

Lord I want to show people Your love.  Thank You for Your word that reveals Your truth, please show me how I can put it into practice.  Amen

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Having prejudice is having any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favourable or unfavourable, towards a person or thing.  This is something that we are all guilty of in some areas of our lives for example preferring a certain colour car as colour has nothing to do with performance.  Where it is unacceptable is when it causes us to respond to people differently because of what we see, or as the old saying goes: tarring people with the same brush.

It is all too easy to look at someone and make a judgement on the cause for their behaviour or appearance. A friends of my parents suffered from Petit Mal seizures and often found himself in situations where strangers around him treated him as though he was drunk, ignoring him or calling him names, rather than seeing that he had need of some assistance. 

Young people wearing hooded tops had some bad press a few years ago prompting a widespread aversion to Hoodies and this lead to many innocent people being confronted in shops and even out in the street with friends.  The elderly are not people without a hope and a future, they are people with bags of experience and skills.  Young people are not a noisy waste of space, they are future parents, future wage-earners, future politicians, future movers and shakers!

We need to take off our blinkers and treat all people with the same respect – just as we would wish them to do to us. Prejudice is like a chain that binds us to being re-active rather than pro-active, it causes us to turn away from need instead of towards it, it shackles us to old patterns of behaviour.  There is more than enough of this in the secular world and no place for it in Christianity.  Let's shake ourselves free from all that entangles us and holds us back from showing God to our community. 

Prayer:

Lord I want to be able to see people as though through Your eyes.  Whenever I am tempted to pre judge someone please remind me that You did not pre judge me – if You had then I would have been destroyed years ago.  I ask that all that has hindered me from ministering You to certain people be removed from my life now.  I want to be more fruitful for You.  Amen.

Then the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink?  And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You?  And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You?  And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me.  Matt 25: 37-40

The best way to find out how to show God's character in your community is for you to spend time in the community.  This can be difficult for people who have to commute to work but there is always a way!  Before you go out pray and ask God to show you areas where you can shine His character in your community.  You may be surprised.  

Take a walk around your neighbourhood, look at posters or pick up a local newspaper, and find out what is on when.  Many organisations or groups will welcome someone popping in to a meeting to see what they do.  Again, pray before you go and ask God what He wants to accomplish through you.  Here are some things that I have become involved in during the last 10 years apart from my full time ministry work, some take only 30 minutes a month, others take more time. 

I helped to set up a group providing activities for the young people of the village because all that was on offer was Halloween and Valentine's Day disco's; the group is mainly Christian and provides days out, sports activities, craft days etc.  I joined the Neighbourhood Watch so that I could deliver notices to properties in the village and use the opportunity to pray for the occupants.  I joined the Parish Council because I wanted Godly decisions to be made regarding spending, planning and the way forward for the village. 

I have become a school governor because I am concerned about the increasing secularisation of education.  Most recently I have been co-ordinating an event in the village to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and have successfully stood against alcohol being sold at this family event.    

On the surface these may not seem to be places that God can shine however if we are concerned about standards or integrity in areas of our community why not be the person who brings God's standards and His character into these spheres?  If we don't act someone else with a different agenda will.

Prayer:

Father God please open my eyes to the part that you want me to play in my community.  I want to be key in seeing Your rule come to my neighbourhood.  Amen

And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendour and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.   2 Corinthians 3:18  Amplified

It is God's character that shines through us, His nature.  We are the means by which people on earth can receive a touch of God's love, His grace, His righteousness, healing, faithfulness and so on.  However we have to be transparent for God to shine through us.

Our transparency comes from the depth of our relationship with God.  If you think of a house that is empty and derelict with the windows boarded up – that's like us before God moves into our lives.  Then the windows are uncovered and people can see that the house is lived in. 

As God works in our lives it is like layers of dirt on the windows being washed off, layer by layer, inside and out, until the light inside can shine through unhindered by years of dirt.  As we draw close to God and allow Him to reveal things in our lives that are not part of His plan for our future it is up to us to deal with them.  We have free will, free choice, and although God's desire is for us to change so that He can shine out of us, He will not force us to.  

As in any house, a major clean-up does not happen overnight, however if we allow Him do it regularly then it becomes part of our lifestyle.  Remember that God changes things in our lives in the order that He chooses, not the order that we choose.  What is certain is that as we allow Him to change us we are being transformed into His likeness – that can only be a blessing for us and for all who we interact with! 

Prayer:

Lord I need the windows of my heart and mind to be cleaned so that You become visible to others.  I give You freedom to do whatever You need to cause me to become more transparent.  Amen.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”  Matt 5:14 & 15

We live in the East Midlands and use the M1 motorway quite a lot.  A while ago I noticed that as we were driving home in the dark there was yellow glow in the sky – of course it was the city of Leicester.  I used it as a mental marker as to how much longer it was going to take me to get home.  Even when the weather is wet or misty I can identify where we are, but it is clearest on the darkest night.

We can be those “markers” for our community – the people who always shine, no matter how dark it seems.  Actually, as we are the light of the world, the darker our surroundings are the more God shines out of us, and like that city we cannot be hidden.  We stand out as being different: behaving differently, responding differently, and getting involved differently.  If we act in the same way as our unsaved neighbours then there is nothing to draw the not-yet-believers to us, there is no fruit for them to seek, no evidence of God at work.  

I  remember one particular Sunday when we were in Bible College and the Director said “don't say 'this little light of mine, let it shine, let it shine....' No, you are a great big blazing searchlight!”  That has stuck with me and when I feel least effective for God I remember that I am a blazing light for Him, not because if what I do but because of who lives inside me.  If the King of Kings lives in you then you too have the brightest light of all within you ready to shine in a dark world – will you permit it to?  If you are not sure whether He lives in you, visit this section of The Way www.theway.co.uk/faith/whats_christianity.php and listen to the video.

Prayer:

Lord I want you to shine out of me with power, changing my community and giving others a perspective of You that they would not otherwise get.  I pray that You use me in new ways.  Amen