Stained Glass Interview 2

This is the second part of the interview with Ken Hancock.

Stained Glass Interview

This is the first part of the interview with Ken Hancock broadcast in the north of Scotland last month.

Stained Glass Radio

I've just spent a mostly pleasant half hour being interviewed on the telphone by Ken Hancock for a radio programme called Stained Glass Radio! The subject was being born again and arises from my book on the subject published by Evangelical Press. The interview will be interspersed with music and should be broadcast a week Sunday I believe. It goes out across North East Scotland but is alos broadcast in the Highlands and islands and can be heard via the internet. I feel like a swan madly kicking just below the surface when doing these things but hopefully it he will make something of it and the Lord will use it to bless others.

Moody Radio Broadcast

I mentioned the other week recording some interviews with Paul Butler of Prime Time America. Apparently the 8 minute radio broadcast on being born again has now aired and can be heard at Paul's blog here. Paul is clearly very skilled in being able to put together this fairly coherent piece from my ramblings. Thanks to him. The one we did on Proverbs will hopefully be aired later in the year.

A real blog

We are still committed to the idea of real blogging, which some of you certainly like. So, Wednesday, of course, was midweek meeting. I prepared during the day then slipped out in the afternoon to a nearby BUPA home where I speak from time to time. It is very difficult to make any impact as most of the residents are in quite a poor way. Anyway we try. The evening meeting was well attended (for us - that is in double figures). We have an Iranian in the congregation who is coming on Wednesdays now. He likes to pray in Farsi, which is difficult. I believe we should be able to say 'amen' so I ask him to summarise for us afterwards in English. We are learning the key words - Father, we thank you, etc. I don't want to stop him praying in Farsi as Islam will only allow Arabic and so if I say only English I seem similar. He had a friend with him this time and we hope to begin some Bible studies soon. We are going through Deuteronomy and this week we came to some of the most difficult couple of verses in the Bible (the law about a woman's hand being cut off - see Deuteronomy 25). I knew the visitor was likely to be there and so I could have left this out perhaps but I feel that we simply need to be honest. As it turned out going through Deuteronomy 24, 25 with people from the Middle East present gave things an interesting edge that would have been missing otherwise.

Thursday I was in the study for the morning then headed off, with Rhodri my son, to South Wales. En route we stopped off at a hotel near Heathrow where I'd arranged (through EP my publisher) to meet a man called Paul Butler, who is a producer for Moody Radio's magazine programme Prime Time America, which is syndicated across the USA. (His blog looks very interesting indeed). He was on his way to Uganda and wanted to interview me about two of my books, which I was glad to do. (He'd seen my video here). We found a corner in this nice hotel (it proved to be rather busy in the end) and he interviewed me on 'being born again' and on 'Proverbs'. I didn't enjoy the experience as I'm much happier in print where you can fiddle to your heart's content. When I speak. I tend to ramble a little. I'm also, on one hand, quite imprecise and, on the other, compensate sometimes by drowning my sentences in a heap of qualifications. Anyway hopefully he has enough material from the half hour to come up with two decent 8 minute pieces. We'll see. Rhodri and I then carried on our journey to Cwmbran where we were with the family for a few hours (more on that in a separate post). We were home around midnight.

Friday was set apart for more preparation for Sunday but I was quite tired and couldn't get much done. in the evening we had the regular clubs for children and young people. Numbers are up to around 15 (from 10) for the younger ones but down to under 20 (from 25) for the older ones. One of our deacons spoke (on the Pharisee and the tax collector). In the younger club they carried on with the mural they are doing and we played hockey in the hall. Gwion (just old enough for the older club) and Owain (only 8 but joined in fine) stayed with me as Eleri and Rhodri had gone to a meeting at the London Welsh School. The poet Ifor Ap Glyn was doing an evening for them. Ifor grew up in London and speaks English like a North Londoner. He has lived in North Wales for the last 20 years, however, and speaks Welsh like a gog. Eleri said it was an excellent evening with a good number present. She was in quite late so I put the boys to bed (for a change). Gwion was reading a Garfield book and so I read a book about sharks with Owain, learning that the whale shark is the biggest fish in the world and that (most) sharks must keep swimming or they'll die.

Great minds

"Nothing could be more eternally important than Christian people knowing what the Bible teaches about the new birth and knowing that they have experienced it. One wonders why it’s taken so long for a book on the new birth to be written! But now it has and I pray every reader rejoices in God for the rich beauties of Christ Jesus so compellingly shared in its pages."

Thabiti Anyabwile, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

"Regeneration, or new birth, meaning simply the new you through, with, in, and under Christ, is a largely neglected theme today, but this fine set of sermons, criss-crossing the New Testament data with great precision, goes far to fill the gap. Highly recommended."
J . I. Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, Canada

"I cannot too strongly celebrate the publication of this book. Owing in part to several decades of dispute over justification and how a person is set right with God, we have tended to neglect another component of conversion no less important. Conversion under the terms of the new covenant is more than a matter of position and status in Christ, though never less: it includes miraculous Spirit-given transformation, something immeasurably beyond mere human resolution. It is new birth; it makes us new creatures; it demonstrates that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. All the creedal orthodoxy in the world cannot replace it. The reason why “You must be born again” is so important is that you must be born again."

D. A. Carson, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois

"For those curious about the Christian faith to those deeply committed to Christ and his ways, come read and behold the glory of any and every sinner’s only hope — the miracle of the new birth that brings forth new life in Christ that will never end."
Bruce Ware, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky

"Theologically thorough and yet heart-warmingly pastoral and practical, this important book should help God’s people to value the remarkable status and responsibility of being ‘born again.’" Richard Cunningham, Director of UCCF, UK

"Expository and practical, this rich survey of New Testament teaching explores the nature of the new birth and the life which flows from it. Full of refreshment and encouragement, it reveals more deeply the glory of Christ and the gospel and motivates a renewed commitment to live out this good news and share it with others."
David Jackman, President of The Proclamation Trust, London

"When I was a boy my grandmother asked me, ‘Have you been born again?’ Though I didn’t understand what she meant at the time, that question led to my conversion to Christ. In this wonderful book, Pastor John Piper rescues the term ‘born again’ from the abuse and overuse to which it is subject in our culture today. This is a fresh presentation of the evangelical doctrine of the new birth, a work filled with theological insight and pastoral wisdom."
Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama

"Many will be thankful that John Piper is here addressing the key need of our times. Every awakening begins with the renewed discovery of Christ's teaching on the new birth. Here is that amazing teaching in lucid yet comprehensive form; with a relevance to readers worldwide."
Iain H. Murray, Banner of Truth

"Have I been born again? is not a question to be answered hastily. In this book, Piper strips away our complacency, arguing that many people falsely believe they are Christians. By examining the Bible’s teaching on the new birth, he shows us how to be certain our faith is genuine. Because no issue could be more critical, I believe this is the most important book Piper has written."
Adrian Warnock, blogger

"Classic Piper—crystal clear exposition and a must read."
Alistair Begg, Parkside Church, Chagrin Falls, Ohio

This is just a reminder about my book What the Bible teaches about being born again. The above comments refer, of course, to John Piper's new book on regeneration Finally Alive. I've not seen a copy but he looks to be covering similar ground. I was aware of it but it was Jeremy Walker who drew my attention to the interesting comment by Thabiti Anyabwile.

Note - must seek more endorsements next time I write something.

Akkerman in Haverhill

On Saturday I went with Rhodri to see Jan Akkerman and Gareth Pearson at Haverhill arts centre. They'd been in London on Wednesday but that's prayer meeting night and in a very short tour this was the only reasonable prospect, although I was a little cagey about using a Saturday night like that. Anyway in the end we made something of a trip of it travelling the 66 miles by way of Saffron Walden. We also took pictures of each other at Ugley and had a little look at the impressive Audley End, which is shut up at this time of the year. Saffron Walden is oozing with history and this was a good bit of reconnoitring for a future trip. It has several old buildings (Tudor, Georgian, etc) lots of antique shops and a nice market square. Everything was about to close by the time we got there and so we had a quick look around then had some chips and headed off across country and over the Essex/Suffolk border to Haverhill.

I saw someone describing Haverhill as the ugliest town in Suffolk - which is rather unfair but you can see their point. We looked for somewhere for a coffee and there wasn't really anywhere we could see so we went into a Wimpy. Rhodri had coke which was fine and I had a coffee which was not. He decided he wanted ice cream. They brought this very nice looking ice cream but it was tasteless. Rhodri was sat with his back to the counter but with a mirror in front of him. Through the mirror he could see a tub of Sainsbury's Basics ice cream. That's what they'd given him! I guess such a product is aimed at shutting little kids up but shame on Sainsbury's for producing it and on Wimpy for serving it.

The arts centre is actually a lovely old place inside and out and we had a great concert. Pity there weren't more there. It was good to see Graham, Gareth's dad, who I was in school with, and who goes to my home church. The Akkernutters (Leigh, Lloyd, Jim,etc) were out in force. Gareth did a nice set and talked a bit as he does. It's a shame that great talent and personality are not enough to win you fame and fortune. It was good to see Gareth again and pass on a copy of Steve Nichols' Getting the Blues which seemed appropriate. I also gave one to Jan later (plus a copy of my own book) and had a chat ranging over the happiness of sea lions, Rabindranath Tagore and the Rabbi's tunnel, etc. His own set was superb. He wandered on stage picked up his battered Lowden and said it was cold waiting upstairs so he'd decided to come down (!). He then sat (Gareth had stood) and got going. First we had what he called a medley of old Dutch carpenter songs (ie Focus stuff - beginning with bits from Eruption, unheard until then the Akkernutters told me, Le Clochard, Sylvia, Anonymus, etc). He then played two of the suites from his acoustic album and rather different version of Tranquiliser. I think it was Firenze and something else next (probably not) and then a bit of Django type stuff plus another track. He then got into a storming version of Hocus Pocus that was mesmerising. Sadly (though not surprisingly) a string broke part way in and so we never got to hear the whole thing. Instead he called Gareth up to do another number while he re-strung. They finished off with a fascinating duet playing with Michael Jackson's Billie Jean which Gareth had tackled earlier. Slightly surreal, Jan ended thanking Gareth then Graham (who's been driving Jan around - usually with his head out of the window trying to have a smoke!) then me (!) then Leigh. He would have named the whole audience if he could have - or at least the Welsh ones!

After a quick chat and some photos we headed off into the wet night and got home just outside my personal curfew looking forward to the Lord's Day.

Check this link

Guy Davies has kindly reviewed the book. I appreciate the criticisms. See here:
Exiled Preacher: Being Born Again by Gary Brady

Being born again

The book again sorry

So I read the book yesterday and I thought it was okay but by this morning it seemed to me the worst thing I'd ever read but then I came across the review reproduced below and it gave me some renewed confidence. I know Andrew's a really nice guy but we've never met and I'm not paying him for this so hopefully he's not overdoing it too much here. Anyway he says (after referring to speaking to young people over the weekend) ...

One book which was of tremendous help to me in my preparation, however, was Being Born Again by Gary Brady. My first encounters with Gary have been via his excellent and pretty eclectic blog, and I have come to respect his meditations on historic Christianity, as well as his more quirky thoughts on such varied things as hats and soft drinks! Being born again is Gary's latest book to be published by Evangelical Press, with his previous two volumes being commentaries on Proverbs and Song of Songs respectively. The stated purpose of the book is to provide an introduction to the whole topic of the 'new birth' or 'regeneration'. This is a much needed study, given the cloudy thinking on this issue amongst unbelievers and believers alike. Gary writes with the aim of reaching those who are not born again, and of inspiring those who are to appreciate and share their faith.

The book seeks to answer a series of questions which one may have about 'being born again', and does so through the use of solid exegesis, vivid illustration, and copious quotation from other writers. Themes such as the essence or definition of 'being born again', the ruling out of those things which it is not, and an assessment of how it is pictured all serve to give the reader a broad biblical picture of what it means to experience regeneration. Issues including why regeneration is needed, when it takes place, and how it is evidenced are all dealt with in reasonable detail, as is a chapter pleading for those who do not know the Saviour to seek God for salvation.

The procedural basis and suppositional background of the book is Reformed evangelical. The ordo salutis outlined in the book is largely that which can be traced in Murray's Redemption Accomplished and Applied, although this volume is much easier to read than the former. The tone of the text is warm and pastoral without being light, and there are moments of lyricism which are a delight to read. For instance, when writing of the need for regeneration in order to please God it is stated that:

'Faith is a flower that will only grow where the field has been prepared and transformed' [p.86]

Such phrasing (and there are numerous other examples) makes what are at times abstract concepts easier to digest, and lends a flow and fluency to the book which ease the reader through fairly deep theological waters. The same can also be said of the pastoral emphasis of the book, where the author is keen to address the consciences of his readers as well as their heads. Efforts are made to dispel false assurances of regeneration as well as needless doubt - a balance which is difficult to strike in preaching, not to mention the written medium.

Being Born Again is full of helpful quotes and illustrations from a variety of authors, classic and modern. This serves to give the book an air of being well-read, without it seeming bookish or dry. My one regret is that the multiplicity of quotes from other authors do not contain footnoted references that can be followed up. Nor does the book contain an exhaustive bibliography. I imagine that the absence of these two elements is connected with the book's purpose of reaching non-believers and informing young believers about regeneration without cluttering the page or their minds.

All in all Being Born Again is an excellent resource, on a much neglected topic. The author has gone to considerable pains to write faithfully, clearly, and in a God-honouring way about this amazing work of God in the hearts of sinful men and women. I would give this book to a young believer who desires to know more about their faith (perhaps after they have worked through Peter Jeffrey's more basic Bitesize Theology) or to someone who is thinking deeply about their need of salvation. Every Christian who reads this book will find food for their soul, and inspiration to make Christ known to an unbelieving world. (It was a pleasure to recommend both Peter Jeffrey and Gary Brady's books at the youth training day on Saturday).

I close with a quotation which deeply touched me, as the author pleads with believers to pray for the salvation of others. As someone who is currently awaiting and excited about the arrival (DV) of their first child, the following words stirred and humbled me about how I ought to long for new life to spring up in the hearts of those who don't know Christ:

"We must be gentle and show respect and keep a clear conscience, of course, but we should be as eager for new births as most women are to bear their own children. Like Paul we should labour until Christ is formed in others (Galatians 4:19)".

Holidays

Our kids are back in school today which seems a little strange after the holiday weekend. Eleri's sister and family were here from Saturday afternoon. They went yesterday but before that we took a bus into town and did Trafalgar Square and 1700-1900 in the National Gallery (Van Gogh, Monet, etc). See here and here. It has snowed more than once over the weekend here but it all came to nothing.

Sunday was good with quite large congregations morning and evening including various visitors. It was good to look at the resurrection once again.

Last Friday we headed down to Wiltshire, where Eleri's other sister lives. We met up with them and Eleri's parents and the other sister and family. We are 17 all told and so careful arrangements were necessary. Eight of us slept in one home, six in another and two of our boys stayed with a friend down that way. We also met up in a village hall in North Bradley and had our Saturday lunch on a barge at the Lock Inn (see here) some of us sampling their famous boatman's breakfast. Good stuff.

Previous to that, of course, I was in these lectures on the atonement from Garry Williams. We spent a great deal of time looking at chapters in Owen and Edwards but also looked at Socinus and the Amyraldians as well as one or two other things. At the end Garry went over the important paper he gave at the EA Symposium in 2005 against Joel Green. You can read it here.

Meanwhile the proofs for my new book on regeneration came so I have been busy sorting that out. More here.