Planted by Water

This is one of the best books that I have read concerning the nature of the church. It is so right to say that the Church must be understood in the light of the Kingdom and God’s ultimate and eternal plan  - or ‘the cosmic design’ as Snyder calls it. You can safely ignore some of the wrong-headed applications. For example, having clearly demonstrated that the church is a charismatic and organic community, he goes on to defend institutionalism too much; …

I’m a little late for my weekend posting, as I am in charge of crowd control with my 4 kids, as my wife, Alison, is in hospital for a few days. This is just for relatively minor operation that has been planned for a while and she is doing fine - but we are all missing her! I’m in charge of washing, cooking, ironing, cleaning etc. this weekend - but that’s not the only reason I’m missing her!!

So just a quick quote …

Just a quick quote for the week end today:

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn’t  (Erica Jong)

I am setting off this morning down to Swansea where I will be preaching in our related church there. Really looking forward to that! Going with the whole family - and with four young children, it is pandemonium! So I shall have to carry on with the principles of restoration, on Monday. To be going on with, I thought I’d leave you with a quote for the weekend (and perhaps try to make this a regular feature). Nothing too deep for this week:

An apple a day, if well aimed, keeps the doctor …

Apologies for not posting them when I had originally planned, but here are the remainder of the gems from Rivers of Living Water by T.Austin-Sparks. I love his emphasis on ’spirit and life’ and the work of the Cross as the means of bringing life - resurrection life!

The test of the value of everything - the test of our Bible knowledge, the test of all the wealth that we have derived from Bible study, the test of all our association with Christian things, the test of all the work that we …

The ultimate proof of truth is vitality; not just what it is in itself, even though it may be truth, but its effect. And the effect of the truth is always intended to be life: life and truth go together. The proof of everything is in the ‘living’ conditions which may result, can result, and, if given opportunity, will result. (T.Austin Sparks, Rivers of Living Waters)

I thought this was relevant in relation to my last two posts. I am looking for writers of revelation rather than just writers of orthodoxy. …