Forgiven & accepted by God because of Jesus. Father, son and brother. Minister in C of E, Wilmington, Kent.
Wilmington, Kent
Joined May 2009
- Tweets3.6K
- Following914
- Followers665
- Likes18K
Carl Chambers 🇬🇧 💓 🇺🇦 retweeted
Grant that in every fall I may sink lower on my knees,
and that when I rise it may be to loftier heights of devotion.
—The Valley of Vision, 243
Carl Chambers 🇬🇧 💓 🇺🇦 retweeted
We often assume that if sufferers are bringing God’s glory into their suffering, they will not scream or bleed but sit quietly, hands folded, and smile peacefully.
Glory is never found in such pretense.
This is true also, I think, for those with addictions or being unfaithful in marriage
Each is falling for clear lies about truth and goodness, therefore missing out on really understanding grace
There is real joy knowing Jesus took all our guilt and shame
All our guilt .. means we needn’t be afraid to see more than we do
All our shame .. means we are loved and accepted inspite off all we’ve done (and failed to do)
Very true ….
I have an article in the latest edition of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (JETS). It's on "John Owen in Scotland: A Historical Case Study in the Contextual Interpretation of Puritan Sermons." Available FREE here:
etsjets.org/wp-content/uploa…
Carl Chambers 🇬🇧 💓 🇺🇦 retweeted
Hebrews 3:12–13 reminds us that the danger of drifting from God is personal, but the responsibility to care is shared. We are called to encourage one another daily because sin deceives and hearts can become hardened.
We can become skilled at explaining away what is happening within us. Resentment becomes “having standards.” Withdrawal becomes “needing space.” A destructive habit becomes “the only thing getting me through.” Trusted brothers and sisters can help us recognize what we have learned to excuse.
That requires thoughtful care. Someone may need gentle correction; another may need comfort, practical help, or relief from guilt they should never have carried. We must listen well enough to understand.
This is the ordinary life of the church body.
Carl Chambers 🇬🇧 💓 🇺🇦 retweeted
Comedian Russell Brand has made his newfound Christianity a public part of his identity, even writing a book about how to become a Christian in 7 days. Now he's on trial in London, accused of raping & sexually assaulting 6 women.
One mark of authentic conversion is fully owning and repenting from past sins. If Brand did the heinous things he's accused of, he needs to come clean.
roysreport.com/russell-brand…
Fully agree
If Brand has repented & turned to Christ, a sign wld be humility & a desire to confess all his sin: before God & others
The gospel says we are far more wicked than we know, but far more loved than we’ll ever fully understand. There’s joy understanding this
“when a club are being comprehensively mishandled, the code of silence can turn into a wall of protection. A wall of protection that shields those who make the big decisions, rarely face public scrutiny …”
@matthewsyed on Man U but true elsewhere I’m sure ..
This is true
such revelations may hurt the church
The church has in some way failed in protecting the sheep (eg ignorance cos deceived or weakness)
There is a degree of guilt and shame as with all failure
But this is magnified if such harm is covered up or dismissed once revealed
Carl Chambers 🇬🇧 💓 🇺🇦 retweeted
Divorce is the death of a family.
Your children instantly lose 50% of your time, often their house, every tradition, and even their past, as memories that involved both of you become increasingly unsafe to share around your new partners.
In its place, they don't get two homes and two Christmases. They get awkward third spaces. Forever, even into the room where you take your final breath, they're left unsure how to negotiate the blending of outsiders into what was once their intact, perfect family.
Sometimes this destruction is forced on you by a spouse's betrayal, or required to keep your children safe. But when it is chosen because the two adults just fell out of love, it is wrong.
Divorce is an enemy that should be fought, never welcomed, never celebrated.
Adults may drift apart.
The children are torn apart.
My wife and I decided to get a divorce.
There were no fights, just two adults who realised they drifted apart from each other.
This is probably the hardest thing I had to go through.
First of all, telling our girls...seeing them so sad was heartbreaking. But we are still a team as parents and will do everything for them!
Also we have to sell our house, the house I wanted to live in forever and raise my kids in...
Going back to a smaller appartment will be rough.
I still have a lot of to handle, that's why I wasn't active here on X.
I'm really grateful for all the people who reached out and asked where I was 🙏🏼
This women will always be a part of my life, she gifted me with two perfect daughters.
I wish her all the best, great memories were made in those years!
I'll be back soon. Thank you everyone 🙏🏼
Wise words
Jesus Christ teaches that the God who made the universe has taken individual interest in husband & wife: He unites them
He does this to illustrate his commitment to his people: Christ & the church
What he joins, let no one separate
He will help any & every struggle
Divorce discourse going around on X atm.
Still thinking about the time I had plans with my friend, married mom of 2, for dinner. She showed up at the restaurant proclaiming "I just left my husband!"
Shocked, I stumbled over my words to say, "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"
She exclaimed, "Yes! I feel amazing!"
Obviously I was confused. "Is your husband okay?"
She replied dismissively, "Yeah, he's fine. Kids will be fine. This is for the best."
The entire meal was incredibly awkward as she launched into a story about how she met the love of her life in college, dated him for a couple of years, and he broke up with her after he refused to commit. She said she was devastated at the time. She loved him. He strung her along (evil behavior in a man, wasting a woman who is devoted to you), and it took her a long time to get over him.
Soon after, her mother got ill and she married her best friend who was there for her... her now soon to be ex-husband. "But," she said, "There was no passion!" Not like her college boyfriend. And after 10 years, she was tired of trying to make it work with the man ot seemed she'd settled for.
So this mother of 2 was now walking out on her husband, destroying her family, because it wasn't *passionate* enough. Evil behavior on her part.
There were several lessons I took from this. Unfortunately they go directly against the advice of what a lot of "marriage-minded" large accounts are saying, trying to get people married and increase the fertility rate. But,
1) You shouldn't marry someone you're not overwhelmingly attracted to. You shouldn't marry someone you're not passionate about.
I see so many conservative and right-wing accounts balk at this, saying something along the lines of "these things grow" or "they fade over time anyways, so it doesn't matter." But it sure does seem to matter. All the happy couples I know love each other passionately and have been together for over a decade. I really think there is some kind of projection going on here to just convince people to pair up with people they don't actually want to be with.
And unfortunately, a lot of people are going to have to get in shape (or at least be willing to get in shape together), improve their hygeine, and work on their social skills to make this happen.
2) If you do make the mistake of having kids with someone you're luke warm about and they're a decent person, I'm sorry, it's too late. You got to make it work.
You're not allowed to be selfish after you have kids. You're going to have to figure out how to build passion if you want it so much. And if it's not there, then just commit anyways. Your kids are more important than your feelings. Feelings matter before kids. You were supposed to use those to decide prior to this whole mess.
I still feel sorry for her husband. I doubt he was okay. I think men deserve to have someone marry them who sees them as their dream guy. And I don't mean some rich, 6ft millionaire. Most women are reasonable despite what you hear on the internet. The dream guy is the man you connect with on a mental, physical, and spiritual level. Marrying a guy who isn't your dream guy, is taking advantage of him. You are wasting his devotion. It was bad selfish behavior on her part. Entirely evil.
I also think men who are seen as a dream guy and choose to engage with that woman, yet do not intend to marry her, are equally terrible human beings. They are also taking advantage of that woman. Not everyone has it in them to love passionately multiple times in their lives. Letting a woman waste that love and devotion on you is pure evil. She could have used that energy on someone else and instead you were selfish. And now another man is suffering for it.
Carl Chambers 🇬🇧 💓 🇺🇦 retweeted
When someone thinks verbal repentance and a few tears are all that is necessary for restoration to leadership or marriage, the addiction to deceit remains alive and well.
Carl Chambers 🇬🇧 💓 🇺🇦 retweeted
Suffering awakens us out of our haunted sleep of spiritual self-sufficiency into a serious search for the divine.
Carl Chambers 🇬🇧 💓 🇺🇦 retweeted
Please pray today for Church Society Partner Church, Dagenham Parish Church in the Diocese of Chelmsford, and the Vicar Joel Edwards.
Carl Chambers 🇬🇧 💓 🇺🇦 retweeted
One of my clients who is a survivor of abuse by Chris Brain has asked me to release this statement, which also addresses the role of the Church of England :
Are there any you know whom you long to understand this?
The wonderful truth is that our loving Heavenly Father both wants them infinitely more to. And he alone can open their eyes & move their hearts.
So let’s ask him to …. Starting with ourselves
