Cornhill - London - Day Update #2

I woke up in the morning and the headache was gone! I felt great. I slept awesome nine hours and was ready for Cornhill. Had some cornflakes and coffee with Sam for breakfast and then I headed off for Cornhill. However, there was a catch: I don’t want to use the subway if not necessary (since it’s expensive and I’m trying to keep my expenses as low as possible). So there was a trip ahead of me to Cornhill – on my own! But it wasn’t that hard, although one wrong turn could delay me enough to be late.

Cornhill - London - Day Update #1

This is actually an update of a day and a half. I left Bratislava on Saturday at 6pm. I was surprised because the bus full. I didn’t expected it to be that full. There were many gypsies, but the hardest thing was that they stunk. A lot! So my main job during the whole trip was to be loving and not hating. On the bus we were watching some movies, what would be OK if those movies were appropriate to watch – which they weren’t. So I ended up totally bored. I didn’t want to watch the movies and I could read (cause it was too loud). Finally they turned it off (at 12:30am!) and I went to sleep – actually, I tried to. Altogether I slept about three hours and didn’t feel refreshed the next morning. We went through Austria, Germany, Netherland, Belgium, France and finally (through the Channel Tunnel) UK.

But there was another problem: the bus was over 2 hours late and I ran out of all my water. So I ended up dehydrated – quite a lot actually. When I got to London I was suppose to meet Andy (I’m staying at his place) in other part of London. So I was going to take the Underground which was lots of fun cause I had no idea where I was going. I hoped I knew but it was much of a guess. In the end I made it and met with Andy.

So around 8pm I came “home” with Sam (Andy’s roommate) and I fixed me some water while I was drinking liters of water to try to get rid off the awful headache that was driving me crazy for six hours by this time. After the dinner I took a shower and went to sleep – finally (since I didn’t really sleep the previous night).

Cornhill starts tomorrow…

Cornhill - London

Tomorrow evening I’m leaving to London for a little over a week. Proclamation Trust has a school called Cornhill Training Course. They have a 1-year full time course for Bible teachers/preachers. At first, I wanted to take this course before I go off for seminary, but they told me that their experience tells them that it’s better for me to go first to seminary and then come to Cornhill. But in March there was a preaching conference here in Slovakia and the speak was David Jackman who founded Cornhill. We met and I was asking him some questions and then he invited me to come to Cornhill for summer school. It’s a one week long “school”.

At first I thought it impossible that in my already busy summer schedule there would be a free week that would also be the same week when the summer school takes place. But guess what? I was so!

So I stated some talk and investigation cause I was interested in going there. But then I came to another “catch” – money. The course itself would cost me some €90 and then room and board would be really expensive (since Cornhill is in the very center of London). But Jesus said it best: With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God (Mark 10:27).

People at Cornhill were so helpful and kind that they offered me the entire course for free! And not just that, they also found me a place where I can stay and eat! I mean, seriously, if this is not God taking care, then tell me what.

You see, all the problems with money come because of the ministry I’m involved in. Because it would be seriously impossible for me to do school, have a part-time job and do ministry at my church. So could of years ago I stood before a decision: ministry OR money. I put my trust in Jesus’ words: seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). And I can tell you one things for sure: He does take care of his own!

Then there was yet another problem: how do I get to London? Having about €10 in my wallet (that’s about all I have:) I figured that it would be enough to get me to London and back! Could of days after I got the news from Cornhill that they will help me in these ways I was on the phone with grandpa and I was telling him how awesomely has every worked out. To my surprise he said: Well, that being the case, you can know that we will pay your travel expenses.

Friends, God has shown great mercy by allowing me to come to Cornhill. Even though it will be only a week I believe I will learn a lot and that every step it took to get there will be well worth it. My (naive) plan is to post a “day update” at the end of every day. There are two reasons why I’ll be doing so:

1. I want to share with you about the wonderful things God is going to do,
2. It will “force” me to reflect every day on what God was doing and so I won’t go to sleep being ignorant of his grace.

Well, that’s all for now. The first “day update” should be up on Sunday evening.

Marek

Sermon update #3: You loved them even as you loved me

Today I preached again (this is not complaining:) The text was from John 17:20-26. The question was: What does Jesus mean when he says of the Father: You loved them even as you loved me. What kind of love is he talking about and how to get it?

20.6.2010 - Marek Tomašovič - You loved them even as you loved me
Download the sermon - Download the notes



I'm sorry, but the sermon is only in Slovak
(but there's Google Translate;)

Sermon update #2: Joy comes by hearing

Last Sunday I preached my second sermon. It was on John 17:13 what is part of Jesus' High priest prayer where Jesus prays: But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

13.6.2010 - Marek Tomašovič - Joy comes by hearing - download the sermon - download the notes



The sermon as well as the notes are in Slovak. 

End of the Spear

Couple of days ago I watched a movie End of the Spear. It's based on a true story of five American missionaries who met a tribe of Waodani in Ecuador. One of these missionaries was Jim Elliot, who's famous quote is: He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

These five men die in the quest of bringing the Gospel to this lost tribe. But what is extraordinary, their wives take up where they left off. They go to the tribe that killed their husbands and they continue where they stopped.

Trailer for the movie End of the Spear


A little more info of Jim Elliot.

There are two quotes I want to share with you. Son of one of those missionaries asks his father just before he leaves for his last journey:

- If the Waodani attack will you defent yourself? Will you use your guns?
- Son, we can't shoot the Waodani. They're not ready for heaven. We are.

The other one comes when one woman from the Waodani tribe (that meanwhile became a Christian) is confronted with a man from her tribe. This is the way she tries to explain him the Gospel - in their language:

They came to tell you…Waengongi has a son. He was speared…but he didn't spear back. So the people spearing him…would one day live well.

I find it extremely beautiful how she related the Gospel to her people without stripping it of its power. Oh, if we could do just the same to our own people.

God's Offspring

When Paul stood in front of "very religious men of Athens" on Areopagus he quoted one of their writers (Aratus) who wrote in his poem Phainomena: "For we are indeed his offspring." (Acts 17:28). Paul takes this statement as very true and immediately confirms this by saying: "Being then God's offspring..." (v. 29).

So knowing that we are the offspring of God, what does it mean? Paul says in Romans: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God...The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:14.16-17).

So when the Bible speaks of Christians being sons of God and God's offspring, it really is talking about being real children of God. What is a child in the Bible?

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate
(Psalm 127:3-5)

So if we take what God says about children and apply it back to Him, just then we really get to see the picture of what it means for us and for God that we are His children. God considers us as His heritage, "treasured possession among all peoples" (Exodus 19:5). We are the fruit of His labor (death on the cross) and His "reward". We are what makes Him look glorious - like arrows in the hand of a warrior (for His love and justice is vindicated in the death of His Son Jesus Christ).

Let's look at the patriarchs and their sons. Let's take Abraham and Isaac as an example (but this works even for Isaac and Jacob or Jacob and his sons). Abraham saw in Isaac a fulfillment of the promise God gave him (land and descendants). We can even say that Isaac was something in what Abraham could boast in. Abraham loved his son above everything else in this world but not more then he loved God. And let's now look at God whether we can find any parallels. God sees in Christians the ultimate fulfillment of the promise once given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for now (literally and more fully) they are a blessing to all the nations (Genesis 12:3 - in you all the families [nations] of the earth shall be blessed). Jews were to be a blessing, a lamp, to the world but they were centered in Israel (thus their influence was limited) and eventually they failed in this mission. But Christians are nowadays spread all around the world and so the promise of being a blessing to all the nations of the earth is fulfilled even more. God loves His children and "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Abraham offered his son Isaac as a proof of his love for God. God offered His Son Jesus as a proof and means of His love for us.

So what is the conclusion? How is this to affect our lives? Many times we hear saying: We are the children of God. But many times we lack what it really means to be His children. How is He looking at us? How does He relate to us and we to Him? Being children of God means much more then just a status. It means a reality. Reality which we are to live in. Reality where God loves us and considers us as His treasured possession, heritage, fruit of His labor. Reality in which we are His true children.