SPIN LIKE THE WIND-the blog of Nigel James.

MY PUBLICATIONS.

I've just updated the links to my publications, lower down on the left-hand side of this website, to re-direct them to the Ignite website which will give you the most recent discount prices on some of the books.

NEW AUDIO SERMONS.

There are 6 new talks now available to download from the 'Some of My Sermons' list. They have all been preached at City Temple during 2010.

•  INCARNATION-a short message Christmas themed message.
• BUILDING A HEALTHY FUTURE- a message aimed at young adults,encouraging them to plant strong foundational habits now that lead to a robust faith.
• WHAT'S THE POINT OF COMMUNION?- A Cross centred message about the importance and significance of the Lord's supper.

Then three from our series on the book of Acts:

• The PERSECUTED CHURCH-from Stephen to the present day.
• UNNAMED PEOPLE ARE IMPORTANT TOO-Cornelius and his servants. (FEATURING PAUL CARPENTER)
• LED BY THE SPIRIT-Paul and Barnabas on Cyprus. (FEATURING BENNY PRASAD)

TEN REASONS WHY I'M ENJOYING OUR HOLIDAY IN ELLMAU.

Ellmau is in the Austrian Tirol, midway between Salzburg and Innsbruck.

The Scenery.  The Tirolean mountains are really spectacular, and the Wilder Kaiser range is no exception. Here is the view from our bedroom window

 

The Hotel. Sporthotel Ellmau is the best hotel we’ve ever stayed in. They do the basics very well, and add in some nice extras like free coffee and cake, free packed lunches, live music, and their food and recreation are superb. I've been enjoying a sauna and steam-room everyday.

 

The Food.  Extravagant breakfast buffets, and 5 course evening meals. So far I’ve experienced wild boar, venison, rabbit, ostrich,  and Gill has had a selection of fish including baramundi.

The Golf. We’ve played 9 holes at the posh Wilder Kaiser course, and nine holes at the smaller but equally well placed Kaiser Golf par 3 course. There’s something special about playing golf with mountains in the background.

 

The TV. Not that I’m an addict but the satellite TV has BBC Entertainment and BBC World News, so I’m up to date with the world situation and have watched some ‘quality BBC programmes’ I wouldn’t have seen at home.

The Music.  Been listening to Mark Butcher’s new album. This is a startlingly good debut from the ex-Surrey and England batsman. A great mix of blues, soul and rock from an accomplished singer/guitarist. He was a classy cricketer as well.

The Bible teaching. Keith Warrington’s Hope Bible Studies were delivered at the Elim conference back in June but I didn’t get to listen to them live so I bought them on CD and put them on my i-Pod. Outstanding talks from an exceptional Bible teacher.

 

The Walks. We’ve bought a three-day pass on all mountain railway, cable cars, gondolas, etc so have ventured to the top (about 1550 metres) and walked around making good use of our hiking poles and the free packed lunches-and regular stops at scenic spots or mountain cafes for a cold drink.

 

The Day Out. Early in the week we visited Lake Achensee, which is a lovely spot- we liked it so much we’d gladly have a holiday there in the future. A leisurely stroll around part of the lake turned into quite a challenge with some scary mountain paths and a precarious path under a waterfall.

 

The Wife. Gill and I don’t spend as much quality time together as we should-so this is our time…. And we are loving it!

 

PALEM LEPROSY VILLAGE.

Here's some video footage of the visit Gary and I made to the Palem leprosy village outside of Rajahmundry city on our recent trip to India. I've visited the lepers on every mission to India in each of the last six years. Prasad faithfully feeds and clothes them regularly, and our Christmas giving at City Temple last year went towards constructing toilets for each of the homes in the village. Ignite paid for a village church a couple of years ago.

In Holland!

Visiting our friends Wouter and Maaike in the Netherlands. Went on a bike ride today- first time ever for Gill and she only fell off once.

VISITING THE SIN HILLS.

Safely back in the UK now but here's a video of Gary and my trip with Prasad to a tribal village in an area called the Sin Hills:

MR. SIMTH I PRESUME?

Spot the deliberate mistake on the Seethanargam Ignite Church dedication plaque that we unveiled last night!

 

By the way, Gary is doing a better job than me of posting regular updates and video footage of our mission trip, so check them out at www.garyideas.typepad.co.uk

INDIA UPDATE.

I've posted a new photo album from our visit to the Gateway School, and I've also put a rough video edit together as well-

After an 18th month absence I'm back in India visiting Pastor Prasad and his family, to work with them in Gateway ministry, Ignite India and the Gateway School. This time Gary Smith from Ignite is with me on his very first trip to India, complete with a hat and a Yorkshire accent that makes him look and sound like Geoff Boycott. Here's Gary and I travelling on the new school bus back to drop kids off in their villages at the end of the school day:

 

The children have recently changed to a new school uniform, and just before we boarded the bus I was able to play some cricket with a few of the boys. Here's one of them resplendent in his pink outfit:

 

As if Cricket wasn't enough exertion at the end of the school day, the whole school line up for drill, exercise, and to sing the national anthem before they go home:

Last night I spoke at a family birthday party and at the MR PALEM Ignite church, and tonight Gary will be speaking in a village where we may be building a church. 

Thanks to the wonders of iPhone apps, here's a preview of what Pastor Prasad will look like when he's very old and with a grey beard: 

 

After a fallow period when I've been too pre-occupied with writing a dissertation, I thought I'd return to the occasional series about choices I have made. Every choice listed so far, over the last year or so of blogs, has been a positive, good choice. I want to mention now some choices that I made that have caused difficulty, struggle, and pain in my Christian journey.

 Here are the first three:

1.Seeking favour of man rather than God-  For many years as a believer I wanted to be accepted and seen as being worthy, and as a result was often seeking re-assurance, status, affirmation from people around me-especially authority figures. It has taken years for me to learn that the true place of acceptance, favour and value is in the arms of a loving Heavenly Father. Reaching the place of seeking to be a God-pleaser rather than a people-pleaser has been a long journey.

 Acts 5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than human authority.

2.Succumbing to fleshly desires –I have been a living embodiment of the phrase 'the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!   I have been fighting a long battle in an attempt to ensure that I don't become dominated by fleshly desires for food, sleep, pleasure, for example. Someone once said that you have to master yourself before your self masters you.

 Gal. 5:19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure,

3.Not protecting my soul from emotional and physical ties- as a teenager and a student I entered into a series of relationships with girls that seemed exciting and appropriate at the time, but actually damaged me and damaged them. I've discovered that if you give your heart to someone outside of a Godly relationship that you then can't give the 'all' to Jesus that he requires. If half of your heart is elsewhere, then no wonder you are half-hearted about your faith!

Prov. 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do

BACK IN INDIA.

After an 18th month absence I'm back in India visiting Pastor Prasad and his family, to work with them in Gateway ministry, Ignite India and the Gateway School. This time Gary Smith from Ignite is with me on his very first trip to India, complete with a hat and a Yorkshire accent that makes him look and sound like Geoff Boycott. Here's Gary and I travelling on the new school bus back to drop kids off in their villages at the end of the school day:

 

The children have recently changed to a new school uniform, and just before we boarded the bus I was able to play some cricket with a few of the boys. Here's one of them resplendent in his pink outfit:

 

As if Cricket wasn't enough exertion at the end of the school day, the whole school line up for drill, exercise, and to sing the national anthem before they go home:

Last night I spoke at a family birthday party and at the MR PALEM Ignite church, and tonight Gary will be speaking in a village where we may be building a church. 

Thanks to the wonders of iPhone apps, here's a preview of what Pastor Prasad will look like when he's very old and with a grey beard: 

 

BAD CHOICES.

After a fallow period when I've been too pre-occupied with writing a dissertation, I thought I'd return to the occasional series about choices I have made. Every choice listed so far, over the last year or so of blogs, has been a positive, good choice. I want to mention now some choices that I made that have caused difficulty, struggle, and pain in my Christian journey.

 Here are the first three:

1.Seeking favour of man rather than God-  For many years as a believer I wanted to be accepted and seen as being worthy, and as a result was often seeking re-assurance, status, affirmation from people around me-especially authority figures. It has taken years for me to learn that the true place of acceptance, favour and value is in the arms of a loving Heavenly Father. Reaching the place of seeking to be a God-pleaser rather than a people-pleaser has been a long journey.

 Acts 5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than human authority.

2.Succumbing to fleshly desires –I have been a living embodiment of the phrase 'the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!   I have been fighting a long battle in an attempt to ensure that I don't become dominated by fleshly desires for food, sleep, pleasure, for example. Someone once said that you have to master yourself before your self masters you.

 Gal. 5:19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure,

3.Not protecting my soul from emotional and physical ties- as a teenager and a student I entered into a series of relationships with girls that seemed exciting and appropriate at the time, but actually damaged me and damaged them. I've discovered that if you give your heart to someone outside of a Godly relationship that you then can't give the 'all' to Jesus that he requires. If half of your heart is elsewhere, then no wonder you are half-hearted about your faith!

Prov. 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do