How beautiful is your city?

" Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the lamb down the middle of the great street of the city." Rev 22:1-2.

The Bible tells us that God loves cities and that as Christians we are destined to live and serve in them for eternity.

London is my earthly city, and I truly love her. I invite readers from all over the world to tell us what is so beautiful about their city. To help me describe London I have enlisted the help of William Wordsworth

Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802

Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This city now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning: silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er sawI, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at its own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

So, if you love your city then I would love to hear about it.

God bless
Dave

Hello Everyone, hope all is well.

The above photo was taken in september 2005 on Waterloo bridge, London. What really struck me about him ( he did tell me his name, but I will not publish it here, although I don't think he would mind. He also gave me permission to show this photograph to others), was his reluctance to look at those from whom he was begging, no doubt he felt a sense of shame.

My prayer for him is that God will show him how much he is loved, and that he will come to salvation. God does not want his children to hide their faces like this. Christians can take comfort when hard times come; in fact we are to "count it all joy". It is not so for people like my friend in the photograph. Let's pray for him.

My church is currently engaged in a week of prayer and fasting, and among other things, we are praying for God's light to shine throughout the city of London.

It is a privilige that through the internet I can reach out across the globe and ask you to join us in prayer for this great capital city. God's word is sadly not as prevalent as it once was in our nation.

John Piper says that the most important thing we have to give the poor is The Gospel; I think he is right. The Bible says that;"for "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

God bless you all.
Dave

The Power of Photographs

Photography and the Bible are two of my passions, and whilst I was wondering how to combine them, I came across this most sobering post by ScottyB entitled Best Photos of 2005. It consists of a collection of photographs published in Time Magazine; any attempt from me to describe them would be futile, so please just go and look for yourself.

I would also strongly recommend the sermon from John Piper, especially if you have a heart for the poor. In it Piper reminds us that, " a forgiven sinner, through the blood of Christ has a compassionate heart".

God bless
Dave

How did I get here?

I have this friend you see; Preacher, Psychiatrist and prolific blogger, a true first fiddler of a man except in matters of DIY and common sense; you know the type. So it's new year's day and I am sat at my computer looking at my favourite photography website (PhotoSig) and waiting for Rolf Harris to start painting The Queen, when in bursts my friend ( he is incapable of a quiet entrance ) accompanied by his four children.
" You know what you need Dave?"
" Ear plugs?"
" No"
" what then?"
" What you need, my friend, is your very own blog."
"I do?"
" You most certainly do, and old Adrian here is gonna set one up for you." Now he is known to move in the prophetic; and I have no desire to disobey God. So following a twenty minute typing frenzy, peppered with words as close to swearing as my friend ever gets, I am the proud keeper of a blog.
" What next?" I asked.
" you blog."
" About what?"
" Anything you like "

So I suppose that is what I will do then, blog about things I like, things like The Bible, Photography, family, friends, sport, and whatever else comes to mind.

God bless
Dave