I spent some time in church this morning, before participating in Holy Communion, in deep reflection on the words of a powerful hymn, about which I had previously shared:
And now O Father mindful of thy love.......
Look father look on his anointed face,
And only look on as found in hin;
Look not on our misusings of thy grace....
And I realized how much these words apply very profoundly to each and every human being - not just Christians, even though as believers we carry a particularly heavy burden. As the reality is that when Christ died on the Cross of Calvary for our sins, grace ( as we did nothing to deserve such " amazing love" ) a window of opportunity was opened for every human being born of the Sin of Adam, to escape the " deserved" wrath of God, and to be reconciled with the Creator of heaven and earth. But how badly, how arrogantly, how persistently rebellious, how forgetfully, how dismissively, how easily have we "misused" that grace. For some of us, it happens even before we leave the church building on a Sunday morning after a" wonderful service For others, even after God's mercy has been particularly evident in our lives and we have been duly thankful - for a few days. And for others the temptations to " follow the way of the world", are just too much and we fall, and wonder why we cannot be obedient to Him who died for us on the Cross. It's a daily struggle. Being thankful for God's grace and mercy and being equally aware of how we " misuse" this grace - judging others, being unkind in thought and word, getting angry easily, keeping malice, going through the day and getting caught with living, and not remembering the Lord for hours, having an unforgiving spirit when God in Christ forgave and forgave and forgave and forgave and.......
But as I was reminded week by the Psalmist, we have so much more to give thanks for in the midst of our " misusings of thy grace".
Praise the Lord O my soul and .......
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbour his anger forever;
he does treat us as our sins deserve,
or repay us according to our iniquities......
for he knows how we are formed, and he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103 1-14 NIV
Thank God indeed.
The other, and now clearly related issue, which struck me this week was that, it is precisely because " we are dust", shaped in iniquity, and living according to the flesh, why we cannot truly live the Christian life until, we are transformed by the Spirit of Christ. The problem is that unbelievers cannot comprehend this revelation, and many believers, are not yet at the place where they can accept that we can be " like Christ", though sinful. As if we are condemned to
" misuse God's grace" forever. And our Lord did not die on the Cross to give us a partially holy life, a incomplete salvation but the " abundant life". The following meditations by Oswald Chambers I found very instructive this week, and should help us " to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be build up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:12-13.
SANCTIFICATION JULY 23
"Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us...sanctification"
1 Cor. 1:30
The Life Side. The mystery of sanctification is that the perfections of Jesus Christ are imparted to me, not gradually, but instantly when by faith I enter into the realization that Jesus Christ is made unto me sanctification. Sanctification does not mean anything less than the holiness of Jesus Christ being made mine manifestly.
The one marvellous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh. Sanctification is " Christ in you". It is His wonderful life that is imparted by faith as a Sovereign gift of God's grace. Am I willing for God to make sanctification as real to me as it is in His Word?
Sanctification means the impartation of the qualities of Jesus Christ. It is His patience. His love. His holiness, His faith, His purity, His godliness that is manifested and in and through every sanctified soul. Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy; it is drawing from Jesus the holiness the holiness that was manifest in Him,and He manifests it in me. Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation. Imitation is on a different line. In Jesus Christ is the perfection of everything, and the mystery of sanctification is that all perfections of Jesus are at my disposal, and slowly and surely I begin to live a life of ineffable order and sanctity and holiness: " Kept by the power of God".
Now we can begin to understand why Herod, (representing the evil powers of this world) tried to kill the Christ child. Why evil forces continue to try and " dilute" the message of the Gospel. Why false prophets are so prevalent in our churches and trying to lead God's people astray.
Why the hymn writer was moved to pen these words in that glorious song:
Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown
When thou camest to earth for me........
O come to me heart Lord Jesus
There is room in my heart fro thee
Thou camest, O Lord, with the living word,
That should set thy people free,
But with mocking scorn and a crown of thorn
They bore thee to Calvary:
O come to my heart Lord Jesus
There is room in my heart for thee.
Because any day we children of God realize our full potential in Christ Jesus, there will indeed be a mighty army of God marching through the Land: " setting the captives free, searching for the lost, binding up the wounded, healing the sick and caring for the dying" , all for the glory of God. But first we have to repent of our " misusings of thy grace", and invite Jesus to :
" Come into my heart Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for thee"
Amen.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The king of Pop, and the the " Good news" of Jesus Christ
The death of the " King of Pop", Michael Jackson has dominated the news, and quite likely private discussions over the past few weeks. Certainly one of the many lessons, we who believe in the complete sufficiency of the Atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind that was wrought on the Cross of Calvary by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, is the urgency that we should apply to sharing the good news " The Gospel", with the rich and the poor; the famous and the ordinary, those near to us and those far away. As all are in desperate need of Salvation, whether they know it or not. As the news filters through and we get some further insight into the complex and tragic story of this talented entertainer, the take home lesson is that, many many people, some of whom we least suspect and appreciate, in various situations in life, are going through " a literal hell" here on earth. And the only answer for their plight is an intimate and surrendered relationship with the God of all Creation, which is only available in and through Christ Jesus, and which relationship begins with repentance - a turning around - and continues with baptism, discipleship and a promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit to effect righteousness and justice, compassion and mercy, in and around that individual.
To that end the Lord led me to reflect deeply on a well known hymn in my tradition, and which a local priest reminded us during a funeral on Saturday, epitomises the " love of God" which pursues us relentlessly, and has been doing so long before we loved God. So, ever since Calvary, everyone, can return to the God of Creation regardless of their circumstances, as the hymn writes notes:
O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee:
I give you back the life I owe,
That in they ocean depth its flow
May richer, fuller, be.
O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee:
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee:
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise that is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee:
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.
We are not privileged, nor are we required, to know, how many opportunities so many people are given , through various means and circumstances to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus.
But what we know is that Scripture tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of which is in Christ Jesus - no demons, no angels, no tribulation, not even death. As the Lord takes no delight in the death of a sinner but rather :
" Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? Declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their wicked ways and live?" Ezekiel 18:23 NIV
So this applies to both the non-believer and the believer, as all of us need to be consistent in seeking holiness, as without holiness, we will not see God's face. But we who believe have an even greater responsibility according to the Prophet Ezekiel.
" At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me. Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning for me. When I say to a wicked man, " you will surely die," and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.
Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.
Ezekiel 3:16-21. NIV
Small wonder then that one of the most beautiful passages of Scriptures connects with this theme of preaching the good news.
" As the scripture says, " anyone who trusts in him ( Jesus Christ) will never be put to shame." For there in no difference between Jew and gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses those all those who call on him, for " Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved".
How, then, can they call on the one who 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? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, " How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
Romans 10:11-15 NIV
One of the many problems that we who bring the good news face, both from within and without the faith is the authenticity of the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. Hence the reflections from Oswald Chambers on this issue are extremely pertinent.
WHAT MUST I BELIEVE?
THE FACT OF THE BIBLE AND THE THEORY OF INSPIRATION
The Bible is a world of revelation facts, and when you explain the Bible, take into account all the record of it. the Bible nowhere says that we have to believe it is the Word of God before we can be Christians. The Bible is not the Word of God to me unless I come at it through what Jesus says, it it of no use to me unless I know Him.. The key to the understanding of the Bible is not intelligence but personal relationship with to Jesus Christ. I begin my theories after I have got to on he inside. You may believe the Bible is the Word of God from Genesis to Revelations and not be a Christian at all.
THE MYSTERY OF THE BIBLE
Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. ( 2 Peter 1: 21)
What does the Bible say about itself? That it is inspired by the Holy Spirit, but through men, not through mechanisms. it is not that the Holy Spirit took up men in a miraculous way and used them as channels; the chief item is the man, and each Book bears the stamp of the man. The mystery of the Bible is that its inspiration was direct from God, not verbally inspired, but the inspired Word of God - the Final Word of God; not that God is not saying anything now, but He is not saying anything different from the Final Word Jesus Christ. All God says is expounding that Word. The Final Word and the only Word are very different. Be reverent with the Bible explanation of itself.
Finally as we contemplate the many temptations that we all face as sinful human beings, though thank God, ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven in Jesus, the Lord led me through another hymn which assures us of God's abiding presence at all times and in all situations ( caused by the devil, the flesh and the world) - we just have to call upon the name of Jesus.
O Jesus, I have promised
To serve the to the end;
Be thou for ever near me,
My master and my Friend:
I shall not fear the battle
If thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If thou wilt be my guide.
O let me feel thee near me:
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.
O let me hear thee speaking
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me,
To hasten and control;
O speak and make me listen
Thou guardian of my soul.
O Jesus, thou hast promised
To all who follow thee,
That where thou art in glory
There shall thy servant be;
And, Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end:
O give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
O let me see thy footmarks,
And in them plant my own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in thy strength alone:
Uphold me to the end;
And then in heaven receive me,
My Master and my Friend.
Thank God for Jesus indeed. Amen
To that end the Lord led me to reflect deeply on a well known hymn in my tradition, and which a local priest reminded us during a funeral on Saturday, epitomises the " love of God" which pursues us relentlessly, and has been doing so long before we loved God. So, ever since Calvary, everyone, can return to the God of Creation regardless of their circumstances, as the hymn writes notes:
O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee:
I give you back the life I owe,
That in they ocean depth its flow
May richer, fuller, be.
O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee:
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee:
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise that is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee:
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.
We are not privileged, nor are we required, to know, how many opportunities so many people are given , through various means and circumstances to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus.
But what we know is that Scripture tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of which is in Christ Jesus - no demons, no angels, no tribulation, not even death. As the Lord takes no delight in the death of a sinner but rather :
" Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? Declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their wicked ways and live?" Ezekiel 18:23 NIV
So this applies to both the non-believer and the believer, as all of us need to be consistent in seeking holiness, as without holiness, we will not see God's face. But we who believe have an even greater responsibility according to the Prophet Ezekiel.
" At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me. Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning for me. When I say to a wicked man, " you will surely die," and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.
Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.
Ezekiel 3:16-21. NIV
Small wonder then that one of the most beautiful passages of Scriptures connects with this theme of preaching the good news.
" As the scripture says, " anyone who trusts in him ( Jesus Christ) will never be put to shame." For there in no difference between Jew and gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses those all those who call on him, for " Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved".
How, then, can they call on the one who 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? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, " How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
Romans 10:11-15 NIV
One of the many problems that we who bring the good news face, both from within and without the faith is the authenticity of the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. Hence the reflections from Oswald Chambers on this issue are extremely pertinent.
WHAT MUST I BELIEVE?
THE FACT OF THE BIBLE AND THE THEORY OF INSPIRATION
The Bible is a world of revelation facts, and when you explain the Bible, take into account all the record of it. the Bible nowhere says that we have to believe it is the Word of God before we can be Christians. The Bible is not the Word of God to me unless I come at it through what Jesus says, it it of no use to me unless I know Him.. The key to the understanding of the Bible is not intelligence but personal relationship with to Jesus Christ. I begin my theories after I have got to on he inside. You may believe the Bible is the Word of God from Genesis to Revelations and not be a Christian at all.
THE MYSTERY OF THE BIBLE
Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. ( 2 Peter 1: 21)
What does the Bible say about itself? That it is inspired by the Holy Spirit, but through men, not through mechanisms. it is not that the Holy Spirit took up men in a miraculous way and used them as channels; the chief item is the man, and each Book bears the stamp of the man. The mystery of the Bible is that its inspiration was direct from God, not verbally inspired, but the inspired Word of God - the Final Word of God; not that God is not saying anything now, but He is not saying anything different from the Final Word Jesus Christ. All God says is expounding that Word. The Final Word and the only Word are very different. Be reverent with the Bible explanation of itself.
Finally as we contemplate the many temptations that we all face as sinful human beings, though thank God, ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven in Jesus, the Lord led me through another hymn which assures us of God's abiding presence at all times and in all situations ( caused by the devil, the flesh and the world) - we just have to call upon the name of Jesus.
O Jesus, I have promised
To serve the to the end;
Be thou for ever near me,
My master and my Friend:
I shall not fear the battle
If thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If thou wilt be my guide.
O let me feel thee near me:
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.
O let me hear thee speaking
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me,
To hasten and control;
O speak and make me listen
Thou guardian of my soul.
O Jesus, thou hast promised
To all who follow thee,
That where thou art in glory
There shall thy servant be;
And, Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end:
O give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
O let me see thy footmarks,
And in them plant my own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in thy strength alone:
Uphold me to the end;
And then in heaven receive me,
My Master and my Friend.
Thank God for Jesus indeed. Amen
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Lord Jesus we love thee because you died on the Cross for all mankind
When you live in a country where violent crime, and in particular murder, is, unfortunately a way of life, and when you know that man's heart is not just wicked, but " desperately wicked", and can only be changed by the good news of the Gospel of Christ, there is always an anxiety to
" win souls", and so change one's country. For the same reason, in discussions with relatives, or people in the media or professionals or politicians, or people who seek your professional help, or those who have turned their back on the faith, there is a temptation to " defend the Word of God" as the only source of help for the unbelieving. However, in very clear messages the Lord issued a caution to me and to others as I continued to read the Complete Works of Oswald Chambers this week.
The first message came from a Section of the Book entitled " The Origin of Our Salvation and a sub-text " The Reason Why" which featured four reflections on the Cross of Christ.
1...for Doctrine
2....for Direction
3.....for Disposition
4....and Discipline ( Gal.2:20) which is the one that contained the first message.
" I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me". NIV
Chambers - This is not a theological statement, it is a statement of Christian experience wrought by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one Who regenerates us into the family to which Jesus Christ belongs; through the eternal efficacy of the Cross we are made partakers of the Divine nature.
" I have been crucified with Christ" (RV). Paul's personal identification with the death of Christ is simply the presentation of how that death will work out in the life of anyone. The Cross of Christ is the Self-revelation of God, the exhibition of the essential nature of the Godhead.
Nowadays the great passion is the passion for souls, but you never find that passion in the New Testament, it is the passion for Christ that the New Testament mentions. It is not a passion for men that saves men; a passion for men breaks human hearts. The passion for Christ inwrought by the Holy Spirit goes deeper down than the deepest agony the world, the flesh and the devil can produce. it goes straight down to where our Lord went, and the Holy Spirit works out, not in thinking but in living, this passion for Christ. Whenever the passion for souls obscures the passion for Christ, Satan has come in as an angel of light.
For me this was a very profound moment as, no doubt some of us, including myself, have often allowed our desire to promote the gospel, to write Internet Messages, to send text messages, to do " good works" in inner cities and many other aspects of our lives, to relegate a focus on the Cross of Christ to a few minutes in the morning, at mid-day and at nights. Rather than allowing what Isaiah calls " steadfast " gazing on the Lord. And which steadfast approach to a relationship with Christ is the only basis on which, the Holy Spirit will flow out through us and effect God's will in this " broken and confused world. It is not that I was not aware of the importance of spending time with the Lord, as in fact words from Psalm 27 have provided much courage in the face of recent adversity:
" The Lord is my light and my salvation
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life--
of whom shall I be afraid?
........One thing I ask of the lord,
this is what I seek:
that i may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life........
for in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling.....
But on reflection, I can see where I was more concerned about the state of the nation, the heinous crimes being committed and what ought to be the response of the church, rather than spending quality time brooding on the Cross of Christ. In fact, though I welcomed the " rebuke"
from the Lord and gave thanks, I am not sure how I got there, as the reason why this Internet Ministry started has all to do with Christ and not "doing work", for Christ. I was in Singapore attending a Leadership Conference in Evangelism, to which I had been invited by a group by the name of Haggai International. ( They have been in the business of training leaders, ordained and lay members of the church, to be evangelists, and then to return home, especially in South East Asia and Africa where it was proving difficult for " outsiders" to gain access to the population).
One day during devotions I witnessed a brother weeping as we sang:
As the deer pants for water,
So my soul longs after you.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Refrain.
You alone are my strength, my shield,
To You alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
I was so moved by this experience, as I had never witnessed anyone in my Anglican church weeping with joy for Christ in this manner, that I wrote to a dear " Sister in Christ", who is a Priest and shared with her, my amazement. And God bless her soul, as she replied appropriately and shared with me an old Hymn from my Hymnal, the words of which have blessed me so much over the years, and to which I returned, time and time again this week, as sought to love my Lord Jesus for Himself alone.
My God, I love thee, not because
I hope for heaven thereby,
Nor yet because who love thee not
Are lost eternally.
Thou, O my Jesus, thou didst me
Upon the Cross embraced;
For me didst bear the nails and spear,
And manifold disgrace,
And griefs and torments numberless,
And sweat of agony;
Yea death itself ---and all for me
Who was thine enemy.
Then why, O blessed Jesu Christ,
Should I not love thee well?
Not for the sake of winning heaven,
Nor of escaping hell;
Not from the hope of gaining aught,
Not seeking a reward;
But as thou hast loved me,
O ever-loving Lord.
So would I love thee, dearest lord,
And in thy praise will sing;
Solely because thou art my God,
And my most loving King.
I am sure that I told this story before, but since then the Lord has added many others to this Ministry, so that it was worth telling again. The point here, however, is that we must be vigilant in "keeping our eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of our faith", lest we stray far from the only power which enables us to " bear fruit " for the Lord. As no amount of desire to change the hearts of wicked gunmen is going to make a difference, unless a renewed church, a repentant church, a church which spends time " brooding on the Cross of Christ", and whose Holy Spirit will then enable us to carry out God's will in God's time, so that all the honor and glory may be given to Him when such a change of heart takes place.
And just to make sure that this revelation was not just something that happened by chance, the Lord led me, in a Bible which has meditations from Saints of old, using the passage from Isaiah which was of such great help to me recently, to reinforce the message - in another meditation from Oswald Chambers and another very special " Anglican hymn".
" You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you".
Isaiah 26:3 NIV
IS YOUR MIND STAYED ON GOD OSWALD CHAMBERS CLASSIC DEVOTIONAL BIBLE
Verse Isaiah 26:3 Passage Isaiah 26: 1-6
Is your mind stayed on God or is it starved? Starvation of the mind, caused by neglect, is one of the chief sources of exhaustion and weakness in a servant's life. If you have never used your mind to place your before God, do it now. There is no reason to wait for God to come to you. You must turn your thoughts and your eyes away from the face of idols and look to him and be saved( see Isaiah 45:220.
Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to devoted entirely to him....When you have thoughts and ideas that are worthy of credit to God, learn to compare and associate them with with all that happens in nature --the rising of the sun, the shinning of the moon and the stars, and the changing of the seasons. You will begin to see that your thoughts are from God as well, and your mind will no longer be at the mercy of of your impulsive thinking, but will always be used in the service of God....
Remember whose you are and whom you serve. Encourage yourself to remember, and your affection for God will increase tenfold. Your mind will no longer be starved, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.
The day I first read the above meditation, the Spirit of God led me to the great passage
in the book of Romans.
" Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God --this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. the you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will". Romans 12: 1-2 NIV
As I write here tonight this renewing of the mind which only comes when " Your eyes are stayed on God" is the answer to the prayers of the faithful for those who come to church and spend most of their time chatting and thus losing out so much on what is being revealed in church; the answer to the prayers of the faithful for those who spend so much time being entertained by the television, on the Internet, on the cell phone, on their "blackberries"; the answer to the prayers of the faithful that the church may be renewed so that the nation may be renewed. Amen.
Next week, reflections on the " Anglican Hymn " Jesus, the very thought of thee...."
And reflections of the reading of God's Word by non-believers and by us, the baptised of Christ.
And more as the Spirit of God directs. Please continue to pray for this Ministry.
...
" win souls", and so change one's country. For the same reason, in discussions with relatives, or people in the media or professionals or politicians, or people who seek your professional help, or those who have turned their back on the faith, there is a temptation to " defend the Word of God" as the only source of help for the unbelieving. However, in very clear messages the Lord issued a caution to me and to others as I continued to read the Complete Works of Oswald Chambers this week.
The first message came from a Section of the Book entitled " The Origin of Our Salvation and a sub-text " The Reason Why" which featured four reflections on the Cross of Christ.
1...for Doctrine
2....for Direction
3.....for Disposition
4....and Discipline ( Gal.2:20) which is the one that contained the first message.
" I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me". NIV
Chambers - This is not a theological statement, it is a statement of Christian experience wrought by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one Who regenerates us into the family to which Jesus Christ belongs; through the eternal efficacy of the Cross we are made partakers of the Divine nature.
" I have been crucified with Christ" (RV). Paul's personal identification with the death of Christ is simply the presentation of how that death will work out in the life of anyone. The Cross of Christ is the Self-revelation of God, the exhibition of the essential nature of the Godhead.
Nowadays the great passion is the passion for souls, but you never find that passion in the New Testament, it is the passion for Christ that the New Testament mentions. It is not a passion for men that saves men; a passion for men breaks human hearts. The passion for Christ inwrought by the Holy Spirit goes deeper down than the deepest agony the world, the flesh and the devil can produce. it goes straight down to where our Lord went, and the Holy Spirit works out, not in thinking but in living, this passion for Christ. Whenever the passion for souls obscures the passion for Christ, Satan has come in as an angel of light.
For me this was a very profound moment as, no doubt some of us, including myself, have often allowed our desire to promote the gospel, to write Internet Messages, to send text messages, to do " good works" in inner cities and many other aspects of our lives, to relegate a focus on the Cross of Christ to a few minutes in the morning, at mid-day and at nights. Rather than allowing what Isaiah calls " steadfast " gazing on the Lord. And which steadfast approach to a relationship with Christ is the only basis on which, the Holy Spirit will flow out through us and effect God's will in this " broken and confused world. It is not that I was not aware of the importance of spending time with the Lord, as in fact words from Psalm 27 have provided much courage in the face of recent adversity:
" The Lord is my light and my salvation
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life--
of whom shall I be afraid?
........One thing I ask of the lord,
this is what I seek:
that i may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life........
for in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling.....
But on reflection, I can see where I was more concerned about the state of the nation, the heinous crimes being committed and what ought to be the response of the church, rather than spending quality time brooding on the Cross of Christ. In fact, though I welcomed the " rebuke"
from the Lord and gave thanks, I am not sure how I got there, as the reason why this Internet Ministry started has all to do with Christ and not "doing work", for Christ. I was in Singapore attending a Leadership Conference in Evangelism, to which I had been invited by a group by the name of Haggai International. ( They have been in the business of training leaders, ordained and lay members of the church, to be evangelists, and then to return home, especially in South East Asia and Africa where it was proving difficult for " outsiders" to gain access to the population).
One day during devotions I witnessed a brother weeping as we sang:
As the deer pants for water,
So my soul longs after you.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Refrain.
You alone are my strength, my shield,
To You alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
I was so moved by this experience, as I had never witnessed anyone in my Anglican church weeping with joy for Christ in this manner, that I wrote to a dear " Sister in Christ", who is a Priest and shared with her, my amazement. And God bless her soul, as she replied appropriately and shared with me an old Hymn from my Hymnal, the words of which have blessed me so much over the years, and to which I returned, time and time again this week, as sought to love my Lord Jesus for Himself alone.
My God, I love thee, not because
I hope for heaven thereby,
Nor yet because who love thee not
Are lost eternally.
Thou, O my Jesus, thou didst me
Upon the Cross embraced;
For me didst bear the nails and spear,
And manifold disgrace,
And griefs and torments numberless,
And sweat of agony;
Yea death itself ---and all for me
Who was thine enemy.
Then why, O blessed Jesu Christ,
Should I not love thee well?
Not for the sake of winning heaven,
Nor of escaping hell;
Not from the hope of gaining aught,
Not seeking a reward;
But as thou hast loved me,
O ever-loving Lord.
So would I love thee, dearest lord,
And in thy praise will sing;
Solely because thou art my God,
And my most loving King.
I am sure that I told this story before, but since then the Lord has added many others to this Ministry, so that it was worth telling again. The point here, however, is that we must be vigilant in "keeping our eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of our faith", lest we stray far from the only power which enables us to " bear fruit " for the Lord. As no amount of desire to change the hearts of wicked gunmen is going to make a difference, unless a renewed church, a repentant church, a church which spends time " brooding on the Cross of Christ", and whose Holy Spirit will then enable us to carry out God's will in God's time, so that all the honor and glory may be given to Him when such a change of heart takes place.
And just to make sure that this revelation was not just something that happened by chance, the Lord led me, in a Bible which has meditations from Saints of old, using the passage from Isaiah which was of such great help to me recently, to reinforce the message - in another meditation from Oswald Chambers and another very special " Anglican hymn".
" You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you".
Isaiah 26:3 NIV
IS YOUR MIND STAYED ON GOD OSWALD CHAMBERS CLASSIC DEVOTIONAL BIBLE
Verse Isaiah 26:3 Passage Isaiah 26: 1-6
Is your mind stayed on God or is it starved? Starvation of the mind, caused by neglect, is one of the chief sources of exhaustion and weakness in a servant's life. If you have never used your mind to place your before God, do it now. There is no reason to wait for God to come to you. You must turn your thoughts and your eyes away from the face of idols and look to him and be saved( see Isaiah 45:220.
Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to devoted entirely to him....When you have thoughts and ideas that are worthy of credit to God, learn to compare and associate them with with all that happens in nature --the rising of the sun, the shinning of the moon and the stars, and the changing of the seasons. You will begin to see that your thoughts are from God as well, and your mind will no longer be at the mercy of of your impulsive thinking, but will always be used in the service of God....
Remember whose you are and whom you serve. Encourage yourself to remember, and your affection for God will increase tenfold. Your mind will no longer be starved, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.
The day I first read the above meditation, the Spirit of God led me to the great passage
in the book of Romans.
" Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God --this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. the you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will". Romans 12: 1-2 NIV
As I write here tonight this renewing of the mind which only comes when " Your eyes are stayed on God" is the answer to the prayers of the faithful for those who come to church and spend most of their time chatting and thus losing out so much on what is being revealed in church; the answer to the prayers of the faithful for those who spend so much time being entertained by the television, on the Internet, on the cell phone, on their "blackberries"; the answer to the prayers of the faithful that the church may be renewed so that the nation may be renewed. Amen.
Next week, reflections on the " Anglican Hymn " Jesus, the very thought of thee...."
And reflections of the reading of God's Word by non-believers and by us, the baptised of Christ.
And more as the Spirit of God directs. Please continue to pray for this Ministry.
...
Sunday, July 5, 2009
New life in Christ Jesus
For the past three weeks the Word of God, and commentary on His Word, have come alive to me like no other period in my life. As I have literally had to depend on His Word for life and thus to experience that which Jesus told his disciples:
" The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life". John 6: 63 NIV.
Two prayers, in particular also meant a whole lot to me during that period. One is the prayer which sustains this Internet Ministry:
" Lord renew thy church beginning with me. Lord renew the church that the church may renew the nation".
So I spent a lot of time praying for my own renewal, the renewal of my home church - St. Andrew Parish Church - and the wider body of Christ including the Pentecostal, the Church of God, the Baptists, the Methodists, the Moravians, the Salvation Army, the United Church, the Seventh day Adventists, the Roman Catholic church, the Anglican church and all the other evangelical churches - and the renewal of my nation, parish by parish. And just this evening I recalled that in our national pledge is a prayer; "...that Jamaica may play her part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race.
I prayed in particular that the Lord would use His renewed church to drive out the wickedness in the hearts of men which has occasioned so much bloodshed in my country. So much murder, so much pain, so much loss of hope so much destruction of the good name of my people. And further that those who are influencing our children into a life of immorality may be stopped as this moral plague on our land is but the flip side of the " coin " of murder.
One hymn which is sung during Holy Communion, together with other " signals" from God, including a deep meditation on the great repentance Psalm ( Psalm 51) and in particular :
" Create in me a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit in me", led to a deep outpouring of repentance for named sins. A process which is the first and most important step in renewal of an individual and I dare say the church and the nation.
And now, O Father, mindful of the love
That brought us, once for all on Calvary's Tree
( You can almost hear the well known crusade hymn echoing in the back ground; " All the way to Calvary He went for me, He went for me.......for thou I have so many many sins, Jesus washed them all the way and pardoned me)
And having with us him that pleads above,
We here present, we here spread forth to thee
That only Offering perfect in thine eyes
The one true, pure, immortal sacrifice.
(...power, power, wonder working power in the precious blood of the Lamb)
Look, Father, look on his anointed face,
And only look on us as found in him;
Look not on our misusings of thy grace,
Our prayer so languid, and our faith so dim:
For lo, between the our sins and their reward
We set the Passion of thy Son our Lord.
( One of the truths about which the Lord reminded me , and demonstrated in no uncertain fashion, so that never will I ever forget, is that " dim faith and languid prayers" have no place in the Christian life. They are literally an insult to the One who died on the Cross for our Salvation, and of no value whatsoever when real trouble, evil attacks you. They may provide a kind of
" baby like pacifier" for the young Christian but have no place in the life of the mature believer. Further we have so much to repent of for " misusing God's grace", " forgetting our first love", rebelling against His commands, disbelieving His promises, judging others, being so easily angered and demanding of our " rights", ignoring our neighbours, being lukewarm in our support of our church, being highly critical of the pastor and other members.......... And in all of that forgetting that we are the greatest of sinners, and hence the reason why Christ died. Finally, that God that in His mercy, does not see our sins - if we repent regularly and with a contrite and broken heart - but looks on the Passion of our Lord and sets aside His just wrath.
And then for those, our dearest and our best,
By this prevailing Presence we appeal:
O fold them closer to thy mercy's breast,
O do thine utmost for their soul's true weal.
from tainting mischief keep them white and clean,
And crown thy gifts with strength to persevere.
( I found this verse very helpful in my prayers, not just for " our dearest and our best", and there are many for who I pray, but for all for whom I have been praying regularly that they would surrender their lives to Christ Jesus. And many of them who are part of this Internet Ministry and read the messages, fall into this category - not yet baptised, not yet in an intimate relationship with Christ Jesus, or having at one time made a commitment have now fallen away).
And so we come: O draw us to they feet,
Most patient Saviour, who canst love us still;
And by this food, so awful and so sweet,
Deliver us from every touch of ill:
In thine own service make us glad and free,
And grant us never more to part with thee
( Finally, my " take home message" from this verse, is a deep recognition that quite often in our " doing God's work" it is quite possible to " forget our first love" and fail to spent quality time with God in Christ Jesus. So " grant us never more to part with thee" means for me to be always seeking to know and to feel the presence of Jesus with me, in all places, in all circumstances, for His glory alone.
And so I close with the second prayer that is ongoing, very demanding - you cannot know Christ without suffering - very humbling but yet very rewarding.
" I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing his sufferings, becoming like him in his death ( Baptism), and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
I also pent a lot if time reading John Stott's commentary on " The Sermon of the Mount" where in essence Christians are called to be manifestly " different" from non-believers.
Bonhoffer's " Life Together: A discussion on Christian fellowship - where we are called to remember that " Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Christ.........Christians need each other because of Christ - therefore there is no such thing as a single Christian staying at home and worshiping God by themselves - ....in Christ we have been chosen from eternity, accepted in time, and united for eternity.
And finally this very evening I took up the full works of Oswald Chambers, whose shorter book,
My Utmost for His highest", I read at nights before retiring to bed. And the reading of which has already impacted my life profoundly, as I was led to read again, but with a different attitude, believing in all my heart, one of the great prayers in the Bible.
" I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so Christ may dwell in your hearts though faith. And i pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together to with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Ephesians 3:16-19. NIV
I will certainly write about my experiences with Stott, Bonhoffer and Chambers, all great theologians who have made God's Word more easily understood by us ordinary readers of this precious book. I have no doubt that through these prayers, and the prayers of the faithful in Jamaica and worldwide, that God will indeed renew the church, the nation and indeed that whole human race. But first it begins with you and I. And repentance with a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise is the first order of business.
I praise God for hearing the cry of His servant, on whom I waited patiently, and who then turned to me and lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire and set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place on which to stand and put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. I praise God for the love of family, new Christian friends and the prayers of the faithful, but more than ever I thank God for Jesus, in whom and through whom we have all been given new, renewed and eternal life.
Amen.
" The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life". John 6: 63 NIV.
Two prayers, in particular also meant a whole lot to me during that period. One is the prayer which sustains this Internet Ministry:
" Lord renew thy church beginning with me. Lord renew the church that the church may renew the nation".
So I spent a lot of time praying for my own renewal, the renewal of my home church - St. Andrew Parish Church - and the wider body of Christ including the Pentecostal, the Church of God, the Baptists, the Methodists, the Moravians, the Salvation Army, the United Church, the Seventh day Adventists, the Roman Catholic church, the Anglican church and all the other evangelical churches - and the renewal of my nation, parish by parish. And just this evening I recalled that in our national pledge is a prayer; "...that Jamaica may play her part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race.
I prayed in particular that the Lord would use His renewed church to drive out the wickedness in the hearts of men which has occasioned so much bloodshed in my country. So much murder, so much pain, so much loss of hope so much destruction of the good name of my people. And further that those who are influencing our children into a life of immorality may be stopped as this moral plague on our land is but the flip side of the " coin " of murder.
One hymn which is sung during Holy Communion, together with other " signals" from God, including a deep meditation on the great repentance Psalm ( Psalm 51) and in particular :
" Create in me a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit in me", led to a deep outpouring of repentance for named sins. A process which is the first and most important step in renewal of an individual and I dare say the church and the nation.
And now, O Father, mindful of the love
That brought us, once for all on Calvary's Tree
( You can almost hear the well known crusade hymn echoing in the back ground; " All the way to Calvary He went for me, He went for me.......for thou I have so many many sins, Jesus washed them all the way and pardoned me)
And having with us him that pleads above,
We here present, we here spread forth to thee
That only Offering perfect in thine eyes
The one true, pure, immortal sacrifice.
(...power, power, wonder working power in the precious blood of the Lamb)
Look, Father, look on his anointed face,
And only look on us as found in him;
Look not on our misusings of thy grace,
Our prayer so languid, and our faith so dim:
For lo, between the our sins and their reward
We set the Passion of thy Son our Lord.
( One of the truths about which the Lord reminded me , and demonstrated in no uncertain fashion, so that never will I ever forget, is that " dim faith and languid prayers" have no place in the Christian life. They are literally an insult to the One who died on the Cross for our Salvation, and of no value whatsoever when real trouble, evil attacks you. They may provide a kind of
" baby like pacifier" for the young Christian but have no place in the life of the mature believer. Further we have so much to repent of for " misusing God's grace", " forgetting our first love", rebelling against His commands, disbelieving His promises, judging others, being so easily angered and demanding of our " rights", ignoring our neighbours, being lukewarm in our support of our church, being highly critical of the pastor and other members.......... And in all of that forgetting that we are the greatest of sinners, and hence the reason why Christ died. Finally, that God that in His mercy, does not see our sins - if we repent regularly and with a contrite and broken heart - but looks on the Passion of our Lord and sets aside His just wrath.
And then for those, our dearest and our best,
By this prevailing Presence we appeal:
O fold them closer to thy mercy's breast,
O do thine utmost for their soul's true weal.
from tainting mischief keep them white and clean,
And crown thy gifts with strength to persevere.
( I found this verse very helpful in my prayers, not just for " our dearest and our best", and there are many for who I pray, but for all for whom I have been praying regularly that they would surrender their lives to Christ Jesus. And many of them who are part of this Internet Ministry and read the messages, fall into this category - not yet baptised, not yet in an intimate relationship with Christ Jesus, or having at one time made a commitment have now fallen away).
And so we come: O draw us to they feet,
Most patient Saviour, who canst love us still;
And by this food, so awful and so sweet,
Deliver us from every touch of ill:
In thine own service make us glad and free,
And grant us never more to part with thee
( Finally, my " take home message" from this verse, is a deep recognition that quite often in our " doing God's work" it is quite possible to " forget our first love" and fail to spent quality time with God in Christ Jesus. So " grant us never more to part with thee" means for me to be always seeking to know and to feel the presence of Jesus with me, in all places, in all circumstances, for His glory alone.
And so I close with the second prayer that is ongoing, very demanding - you cannot know Christ without suffering - very humbling but yet very rewarding.
" I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing his sufferings, becoming like him in his death ( Baptism), and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
I also pent a lot if time reading John Stott's commentary on " The Sermon of the Mount" where in essence Christians are called to be manifestly " different" from non-believers.
Bonhoffer's " Life Together: A discussion on Christian fellowship - where we are called to remember that " Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Christ.........Christians need each other because of Christ - therefore there is no such thing as a single Christian staying at home and worshiping God by themselves - ....in Christ we have been chosen from eternity, accepted in time, and united for eternity.
And finally this very evening I took up the full works of Oswald Chambers, whose shorter book,
My Utmost for His highest", I read at nights before retiring to bed. And the reading of which has already impacted my life profoundly, as I was led to read again, but with a different attitude, believing in all my heart, one of the great prayers in the Bible.
" I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so Christ may dwell in your hearts though faith. And i pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together to with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Ephesians 3:16-19. NIV
I will certainly write about my experiences with Stott, Bonhoffer and Chambers, all great theologians who have made God's Word more easily understood by us ordinary readers of this precious book. I have no doubt that through these prayers, and the prayers of the faithful in Jamaica and worldwide, that God will indeed renew the church, the nation and indeed that whole human race. But first it begins with you and I. And repentance with a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise is the first order of business.
I praise God for hearing the cry of His servant, on whom I waited patiently, and who then turned to me and lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire and set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place on which to stand and put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. I praise God for the love of family, new Christian friends and the prayers of the faithful, but more than ever I thank God for Jesus, in whom and through whom we have all been given new, renewed and eternal life.
Amen.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Christian maturity and the healing of a nation
This week, in the midst of, still ongoing , situations, wherein I have had no other choice but to depend on God and God alone, the Lord taught me about Christian maturity. It began during a meditation on an extended reading of the Gospel for this Sunday in the Anglican church worldwide. There were lots of questions at the end, the answers to which will no doubt be revealed over time. But the questions are profound and urgent as my country continues to " bleed" both literally and metaphorically, as each time the news begins, almost inevitably the lead story is about murder.
And sometimes, not one, but two and even three in one newscast.
So the questions which occupied my mind as I read the familiar story about the " farmer who sowed seeds" were; why is it so easy for the devil to take away the word, and why are the roots of some Christians so shallow and so they fall away when trouble and persecutions comes. As the result of both situations is that many people in my country are still being help in captivity by the " evil" one and so murder and rape and lying and cheating and wanton immorality comes natural to them. And further, many children of God, children of light, fail to exert their influence on the
" madness" taking place in my country.
But the God is always ahead of us, then lead me to another passage, and there are others, on Christian maturity, which produces good fruit - leading people to repentance and a knowledge of Christ which then transforms their lives and when multiplied several times over, will result in a
a civilized nation. So both passages are very instructive if followed carefully.
THE QUESTIONS
Again Jesus began to teach by the lake......He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:
Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched , and they were withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. . Still others fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.
Then Jesus said, ' He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'
When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, ' The secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that:
" they may ever be seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven".
Then Jesus said to them, " Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty or even a hundred times what was sown.
Mark 4: 1-20.
Clearly there are other questions! But the big one is where do we fall in this story?
First of all, are we on the inside or on the outside where we are in danger of seeing and hearing what God wants for our lives and for our nation but remaining ignorant by choice? Hearing the answers to the questions that mothers and sisters cry out daily: " Why Lord". " How can we stop this madness Lord". " Lord have mercy". But ignoring them.
Secondly if we are on the inside, are we in danger of falling away, and not bearing the kind of fruit, not doing the job, for which God has places us in this nation and at this time because of troubles, persecutions, the seeking to much after wealth, overcomes by a fretful heart or getting too comfortable with the many material things of this land? If so then how do we : change course" to use a popular political term, turn around our lives and produce fruit, live lives which are pleasing to God, who will then through us " heal this land" of murder and violence and uncouth and uncivilized behaviour?
THE ANSWERS
The answer is a bit long. But this is what the Lord lead me to write and so I am being obedient.
Praise God for those who will be patient, and benefit from spending time in the " word". As this is the kind of attitude which is needed for maturity in the faith and for the healing of a nation - to be immersed in the " word".
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism,; one God and Father of all, who is over all and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. That is why it says:
" When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."
(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?. He who descended is the very one who ascended high higher than all the heavens, in order to fill he whole universe). It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors an teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. from him the whose body, joined and held together by very supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work,
So i tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live like the gentiles so, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is within them due to the hardening of their hearts( ignorance is a dangerous thing and a dangerous sign). Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on your new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore each of you must put of falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer ( pay your rightful taxes) , but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen ( Be a Barnabas, an encourager not a critic always). And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person --such a man is an idolater - has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath come on those who are disobedient. Therefore so not be partners with them.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ( for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But every ting exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. That is why it is said:
" Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you".
Be very careful then how you live --not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God for every ting, in the name of our Lord Jesus.
Ephesians 4:1-5:20 NIV
Now we know why some are still on the outside, out of ignorance. While some have no root, and others have had the " word" been choked. We all have a lot to repent for on the basis of this extended and very profound reading of the " word". Only then can we become mature and bear the kind of fruit that will lead to the healing our nation - as the times are indeed very evil and the craftiness and deceitfulness of mankind very prevalent. But thank God for Jesus, through whom, (and who is) the living "word" has come to set us free from all sin and empower us to live a holy life, individually and collectively as the body of Christ, by God 's Spirit and to live a life pleasing to God, the Holy One of Israel.
Amen
And sometimes, not one, but two and even three in one newscast.
So the questions which occupied my mind as I read the familiar story about the " farmer who sowed seeds" were; why is it so easy for the devil to take away the word, and why are the roots of some Christians so shallow and so they fall away when trouble and persecutions comes. As the result of both situations is that many people in my country are still being help in captivity by the " evil" one and so murder and rape and lying and cheating and wanton immorality comes natural to them. And further, many children of God, children of light, fail to exert their influence on the
" madness" taking place in my country.
But the God is always ahead of us, then lead me to another passage, and there are others, on Christian maturity, which produces good fruit - leading people to repentance and a knowledge of Christ which then transforms their lives and when multiplied several times over, will result in a
a civilized nation. So both passages are very instructive if followed carefully.
THE QUESTIONS
Again Jesus began to teach by the lake......He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:
Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched , and they were withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. . Still others fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.
Then Jesus said, ' He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'
When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, ' The secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that:
" they may ever be seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven".
Then Jesus said to them, " Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty or even a hundred times what was sown.
Mark 4: 1-20.
Clearly there are other questions! But the big one is where do we fall in this story?
First of all, are we on the inside or on the outside where we are in danger of seeing and hearing what God wants for our lives and for our nation but remaining ignorant by choice? Hearing the answers to the questions that mothers and sisters cry out daily: " Why Lord". " How can we stop this madness Lord". " Lord have mercy". But ignoring them.
Secondly if we are on the inside, are we in danger of falling away, and not bearing the kind of fruit, not doing the job, for which God has places us in this nation and at this time because of troubles, persecutions, the seeking to much after wealth, overcomes by a fretful heart or getting too comfortable with the many material things of this land? If so then how do we : change course" to use a popular political term, turn around our lives and produce fruit, live lives which are pleasing to God, who will then through us " heal this land" of murder and violence and uncouth and uncivilized behaviour?
THE ANSWERS
The answer is a bit long. But this is what the Lord lead me to write and so I am being obedient.
Praise God for those who will be patient, and benefit from spending time in the " word". As this is the kind of attitude which is needed for maturity in the faith and for the healing of a nation - to be immersed in the " word".
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism,; one God and Father of all, who is over all and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. That is why it says:
" When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."
(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?. He who descended is the very one who ascended high higher than all the heavens, in order to fill he whole universe). It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors an teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. from him the whose body, joined and held together by very supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work,
So i tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live like the gentiles so, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is within them due to the hardening of their hearts( ignorance is a dangerous thing and a dangerous sign). Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on your new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore each of you must put of falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer ( pay your rightful taxes) , but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen ( Be a Barnabas, an encourager not a critic always). And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person --such a man is an idolater - has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath come on those who are disobedient. Therefore so not be partners with them.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ( for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But every ting exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. That is why it is said:
" Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you".
Be very careful then how you live --not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God for every ting, in the name of our Lord Jesus.
Ephesians 4:1-5:20 NIV
Now we know why some are still on the outside, out of ignorance. While some have no root, and others have had the " word" been choked. We all have a lot to repent for on the basis of this extended and very profound reading of the " word". Only then can we become mature and bear the kind of fruit that will lead to the healing our nation - as the times are indeed very evil and the craftiness and deceitfulness of mankind very prevalent. But thank God for Jesus, through whom, (and who is) the living "word" has come to set us free from all sin and empower us to live a holy life, individually and collectively as the body of Christ, by God 's Spirit and to live a life pleasing to God, the Holy One of Israel.
Amen
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Challenging Stories
The first story is that the couple who were so viciously attacked last week, and both reported by the media to have been murdered, has a bitter sweet ending. The husband survived and I spoke with him this week. He was all choked up with the joy of being alive yet devastated by the loss of his wife - and in so tragic a fashion. In fact their daughter is haunted by the memories of finding her mother all chopped to pieces, inside the very church where she and her husband worshipped faithfully for many years.
The second story is a chance encounter with a Lecturer in Social Science at our local University whose training - an Anthropologist - has given him a deep insight into the inner working of the minds of our local gangster who so ruthlessly kill and main each other and " innocent" victims, including women and children, which is a significant departure from the behaviour of criminals in our early history. At the Conference where I met him, we were both speaking to the theme
" The cost of Trauma to our nation. He spoke of social issues. I shared on Road traffic Injuries.
The scientist reminded us of the basic responses of human beings to danger - freezing, flight and fight, in that order. And then offered a reason why so many of our inner city youths had "learned" to bypass the first two and go directly to the fight mode. They were uneducated and unable to reason and to forgive. Hence they carried " belly " anger at those who had done them wrong for whatever reason for many years before avenging the wrongful deed. Hence they take preventive action, pre-emptive strikes, " murder" against those who threaten them or their families. His position is that human beings are naturally selfish and do not naturally forgive, and so when faced with hunger and privation and hurt, real or perceived, those who do not have the ability to reason will act in the violent manner which now bedevils and scars our native land.
So the answer to the problem - education in its widest application. My amazement is that this scientist, with peculiar skills, was not being employed, by our Government, in the fight against crime and violence in the nation, but was, very instructively, a consultant to the Ministry of National Security of a Foreign government. No doubt the church should be in contact with this individual.
The really important story though, is that if we are so aware of the many, varied and predictable imperfections of human beings, which result in such atrocities, why aren't governments and agencies leading the charge to get people into the church - into a family where, sin is freely admitted, repentance offered and salvation ( a new relationship with God and each other ) is assured in and through Christ Jesus. Why aren't we in the church being more successful in convincing sinful mankind ( "Since then we know what it is to fear god we try to convince men" 2 Cor.5:11) to seek God first and all other things after?
Perhaps by word and by deed we Christians have not told, nor reflected the true and powerful story accurately. For some time now the following Scripture passage has helped to answer some deep questions in my soul.
" I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. but one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, i press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things"
Philippians 3:10-15 NIV
The key issue here is the overwhelming desire to know Christ. Far too many of us are immature in our thinking and we do not really wish to know Christ but what we can get from Him. And to receive a blessing from God is a wonderful thing and it is to be cherished and spoken about, but how much more of a blessing it is to know with certainly, He who died for us all - for His sake alone.
My God, I love thee, not because
I hope for heaven thereby
Nor yet because those who love thee not
Are lost eternally.
Thou, O my Jesus, thou didst me
Upon the Cross embrace
For me didst bear the nails and spear
And manifold disgrace.........
Then why, O blessed Jesu Christ,
Should I not love thee well?
Not for the sake of winning heaven,
Nor of escaping hell.
Not from the hope of gaining aught,
Not seeking a reward;
But as thyself hast loved me,
O ever-loving Lord
So would I love thee, dearest Lord,
And in thy praise will sing
Solely because thou art my God
And my most loving King
If as church we have not learnt to seek Jesus and Him alone for his own sake, we stand guilty of betraying our Saviour and the teachings of the early church - we have become corrupted by the passing of time.
Let us read again the " attitude" of our early brothers and sisters as recorded in the letter to the Hebrews and compare it with our attitude in this " corrupt generation" - Acts 2:40
As the reality is that we have become far too comfortable with the things of this world. And it is the loss of them, and the lack thereof, in the first place, why many of us seek God in and through Christ Jesus. A long life and good health and recovery from illness. A good life with a good marriage and successful children. Good standing among our peers. Protection from evil. Financial independence. Sound wisdom and good judgement. A dependable and nice looking vehicle. A high tech television set and access to all the sports, game shows and soap operas. The now ubiquitous cell phone - who really wants to know Christ and Christ alone unless somewhere along the way we can also watch L A Lakers, Tiger Woods, Barcelona, our favourite race horse, HDTV, Usain Bolt or Rising Stars in the USA UK or Jamaica. But when " trouble comes", when disaster strikes, when suffering beckons - our very souls recoil in horror and disappointment. Most of us.
But was this so in the early church?
" And what more shall I say? I do not have the time to tell about Gideon, Barack, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection ( I want to know Christ .....and so somehow achieve resurrection from the dead). Some faced jeers and floggings, while still others were chained and put in prison. they were stoned, they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskin and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated -- the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. Good had planned something better for us so that together we would be made perfect.
Hebrews 11: 32-40 NIV
And that perfection comes in the form of a person - not a belief or religion but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Time and again in the Bible this issue of suffering with Christ, in order that we may reign with Him, surfaces. Even in the New Testament reading appointed for today in my church.
" ..........The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children , then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8: 12-17 NIV.
The problem is that, as the Priest pointed out today, during a sermon featuring the familiar story of Moses and the Burning Bush and God's declaration to Moses, " take off your sandals as the place where you are standing - in God's presence - is Holy ground", both in the church and worse outside, unlike Moses we really don't fear God anymore. And so we become quite presumptuous unlike the hymn writer who wrote the famous hymn : " My God how wonderful thou art", and in particular the verse:
O how I fear thee, living god,
With deepest, tenderest fears,
And worship thee with trembling hope
And penitential tears...
This is the attitude that is sorely needed in the church today. Penitential tears, as we have not sought Jesus for Himself alone, we have not feared the Almighty God, and we have sought to manipulate the power of the Holy Spirit for our private and collective agendas. All of us.
So the real story of God's Kingdom needs to be told so that, through power, sinful mankind, unforgiving mankind, selfish mankind can find healing of body mind and spirit, and our country can be healed. A story of sacrifice and suffering with Christ. A story of dying to the desires of self and living according to the Spirit and power of Christ. A story of a life completely surrendered to Christ and Christ alone. For this world is not our lasting home, so let us not hold onto anything to tightly, but place our trust in Christ and Christ alone, who will be there to welcome us into our everlasting home one day. Where there will be no pain or tears or sorrows, no hardness of hearts, no Kobe Bryant, no Lebraun James no Lionel Messe no Kaka, no wives nor husbands but fullness of joy for the children of the resurrection in and through Christ Jesus - the Lamb who sits on the heavenly throne and who is worthy together with God, and the Holy Spirit, to receive honor and praise and worship especially on the day when we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday.
So let us indeed thank God for mercy day by day, and pray for protection from evil daily if not minutely, but most of all repent, let us shed penitentail tears for not seeking Christ and him crucified above all other things - lead us then Lord not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The second story is a chance encounter with a Lecturer in Social Science at our local University whose training - an Anthropologist - has given him a deep insight into the inner working of the minds of our local gangster who so ruthlessly kill and main each other and " innocent" victims, including women and children, which is a significant departure from the behaviour of criminals in our early history. At the Conference where I met him, we were both speaking to the theme
" The cost of Trauma to our nation. He spoke of social issues. I shared on Road traffic Injuries.
The scientist reminded us of the basic responses of human beings to danger - freezing, flight and fight, in that order. And then offered a reason why so many of our inner city youths had "learned" to bypass the first two and go directly to the fight mode. They were uneducated and unable to reason and to forgive. Hence they carried " belly " anger at those who had done them wrong for whatever reason for many years before avenging the wrongful deed. Hence they take preventive action, pre-emptive strikes, " murder" against those who threaten them or their families. His position is that human beings are naturally selfish and do not naturally forgive, and so when faced with hunger and privation and hurt, real or perceived, those who do not have the ability to reason will act in the violent manner which now bedevils and scars our native land.
So the answer to the problem - education in its widest application. My amazement is that this scientist, with peculiar skills, was not being employed, by our Government, in the fight against crime and violence in the nation, but was, very instructively, a consultant to the Ministry of National Security of a Foreign government. No doubt the church should be in contact with this individual.
The really important story though, is that if we are so aware of the many, varied and predictable imperfections of human beings, which result in such atrocities, why aren't governments and agencies leading the charge to get people into the church - into a family where, sin is freely admitted, repentance offered and salvation ( a new relationship with God and each other ) is assured in and through Christ Jesus. Why aren't we in the church being more successful in convincing sinful mankind ( "Since then we know what it is to fear god we try to convince men" 2 Cor.5:11) to seek God first and all other things after?
Perhaps by word and by deed we Christians have not told, nor reflected the true and powerful story accurately. For some time now the following Scripture passage has helped to answer some deep questions in my soul.
" I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. but one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, i press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things"
Philippians 3:10-15 NIV
The key issue here is the overwhelming desire to know Christ. Far too many of us are immature in our thinking and we do not really wish to know Christ but what we can get from Him. And to receive a blessing from God is a wonderful thing and it is to be cherished and spoken about, but how much more of a blessing it is to know with certainly, He who died for us all - for His sake alone.
My God, I love thee, not because
I hope for heaven thereby
Nor yet because those who love thee not
Are lost eternally.
Thou, O my Jesus, thou didst me
Upon the Cross embrace
For me didst bear the nails and spear
And manifold disgrace.........
Then why, O blessed Jesu Christ,
Should I not love thee well?
Not for the sake of winning heaven,
Nor of escaping hell.
Not from the hope of gaining aught,
Not seeking a reward;
But as thyself hast loved me,
O ever-loving Lord
So would I love thee, dearest Lord,
And in thy praise will sing
Solely because thou art my God
And my most loving King
If as church we have not learnt to seek Jesus and Him alone for his own sake, we stand guilty of betraying our Saviour and the teachings of the early church - we have become corrupted by the passing of time.
Let us read again the " attitude" of our early brothers and sisters as recorded in the letter to the Hebrews and compare it with our attitude in this " corrupt generation" - Acts 2:40
As the reality is that we have become far too comfortable with the things of this world. And it is the loss of them, and the lack thereof, in the first place, why many of us seek God in and through Christ Jesus. A long life and good health and recovery from illness. A good life with a good marriage and successful children. Good standing among our peers. Protection from evil. Financial independence. Sound wisdom and good judgement. A dependable and nice looking vehicle. A high tech television set and access to all the sports, game shows and soap operas. The now ubiquitous cell phone - who really wants to know Christ and Christ alone unless somewhere along the way we can also watch L A Lakers, Tiger Woods, Barcelona, our favourite race horse, HDTV, Usain Bolt or Rising Stars in the USA UK or Jamaica. But when " trouble comes", when disaster strikes, when suffering beckons - our very souls recoil in horror and disappointment. Most of us.
But was this so in the early church?
" And what more shall I say? I do not have the time to tell about Gideon, Barack, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection ( I want to know Christ .....and so somehow achieve resurrection from the dead). Some faced jeers and floggings, while still others were chained and put in prison. they were stoned, they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskin and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated -- the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. Good had planned something better for us so that together we would be made perfect.
Hebrews 11: 32-40 NIV
And that perfection comes in the form of a person - not a belief or religion but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Time and again in the Bible this issue of suffering with Christ, in order that we may reign with Him, surfaces. Even in the New Testament reading appointed for today in my church.
" ..........The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children , then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8: 12-17 NIV.
The problem is that, as the Priest pointed out today, during a sermon featuring the familiar story of Moses and the Burning Bush and God's declaration to Moses, " take off your sandals as the place where you are standing - in God's presence - is Holy ground", both in the church and worse outside, unlike Moses we really don't fear God anymore. And so we become quite presumptuous unlike the hymn writer who wrote the famous hymn : " My God how wonderful thou art", and in particular the verse:
O how I fear thee, living god,
With deepest, tenderest fears,
And worship thee with trembling hope
And penitential tears...
This is the attitude that is sorely needed in the church today. Penitential tears, as we have not sought Jesus for Himself alone, we have not feared the Almighty God, and we have sought to manipulate the power of the Holy Spirit for our private and collective agendas. All of us.
So the real story of God's Kingdom needs to be told so that, through power, sinful mankind, unforgiving mankind, selfish mankind can find healing of body mind and spirit, and our country can be healed. A story of sacrifice and suffering with Christ. A story of dying to the desires of self and living according to the Spirit and power of Christ. A story of a life completely surrendered to Christ and Christ alone. For this world is not our lasting home, so let us not hold onto anything to tightly, but place our trust in Christ and Christ alone, who will be there to welcome us into our everlasting home one day. Where there will be no pain or tears or sorrows, no hardness of hearts, no Kobe Bryant, no Lebraun James no Lionel Messe no Kaka, no wives nor husbands but fullness of joy for the children of the resurrection in and through Christ Jesus - the Lamb who sits on the heavenly throne and who is worthy together with God, and the Holy Spirit, to receive honor and praise and worship especially on the day when we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday.
So let us indeed thank God for mercy day by day, and pray for protection from evil daily if not minutely, but most of all repent, let us shed penitentail tears for not seeking Christ and him crucified above all other things - lead us then Lord not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Healing Conference and the sharing of stories of God's goodness in Christ Jesus
Not even the text message from a staff member, informing me of the horrible death of two of our very dear patients, could dampen my spirits for long this weekend. I paused to mourn their senseless death, at the hands of a mad man and asked God why should a couple in their 80's, God-fearing and faithful be allowed to die like that. Why?
But that was only one story for the week. The other was a story of joy, of worship, of teaching, of fellowship, of celebrating God's goodness to us in and through Jesus Christ. And most importantly, of healing, as I spent the weekend, at the now must-go, cannot-miss, Annual Healing Conference organized by one of the Bishops of the Anglican Church. But which takes on, without apology, a Pentecostal flavour - in the sense of the constant and uninhibited praising of God, giving glory to God, giving God thanks and just lifting up the name of Jesus throughout the entire weekend.
I will try, but it is hard to describe such a wonderful event in the life of the church. One really has to be there to experience the kind of total joy that the people of God have when they are
" set free" to praise God, to hear sound, bible based, challenging, relevant, contextual and inspiring teaching; to listen to the kind of music which lifts one's spirit into the very heavens with the angels and archangels; to hear stories of healing; to be quiet and contemplative as we hear the word of God and listen to music that quiets the soul before retiring to bed; to listen to a sermon from someone whose life is totally caught up with the joy and peace of an encounter with the risen Lord; to hear his story about healing in his family; and to experience healing from the mighty touch of God working through human hands.
And so on my way back early to catch the Confirmation service at church in Kingston I found myself singing, though I can't really sing:
"Stand up and praise Him if you love my Jesus
Stand and praise Him if you love my Lord".
And one of my favourite hymns and also that of my late Bishop, friend and spiritual father of blessed memory, Herman Spence came into my mind on the way. God is really a good God teaching us about learning from each other and about balance. As why else would He, in a short period of time, and I was not even thinking about those two songs, place music from two quite different traditions in my head.:
Blessed Assurance Jesus is mine:
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God;
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
Refrain
This is my story, this is my song.
Praising my Saviour all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song.
Praising my Saviour all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Refrain
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blessed;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
Refrain
The Highlights of the Conference;
1. The Teaching - even though it is an Anglican production, the Conference has taken on a distinct Ecumenical flavour as , not only do members of other denominations ( Baptists, Methodists, and others) attend regularly, they participate as presenters. As was the case this year. Rev. Karl Henlin, President of the Baptist Union did three presentations; two on Saturday morning and one in the afternoon. All under the Theme; " Stories of Healing : Our Lord's and ours". The sub themes were:
a. The Healing Ministry of Jesus - an overview
b.Congregations as communities of Healing
c.Faith and Healing - What is happening here?
Take home messages for me, from the stories of healing in the bible - The Paralytic; Blind Bartimaeus; The Lepers and others.
- God made the world good, perfect, wonderful and awesome. Sin and hence the " broken-ness" of mankind and creation 'messed' up the world.
- God's plan ever since been to restore and heal and fix it back together. And so He became Incarnate - sent his Son to take on human flesh and to restore what was broken.
- Jesus did not wait for people to come to Him but He went to them
- Jesus got this message of restoration to the world in two ways.
One by telling stories. The other by dramatic events - healing. Which was more that a physical touch, but a dramatic sign, a foretaste ( that's what I remembered, why Blessed Assurance came into my mind) of the kingdom of God. So that people could see and hear God's voice speaking the abandoned, the outcast, people of " no account", and to fix up back their lives again.
-Three things marked the life of Jesus. 1. Teaching. 2. Preaching. 3. Acts of Healing - miracles
- These stories were much more than just random events in the lives of individuals, but a dramatic demonstration of God's Kingdom of wholeness and restoration, breaking into the world, giving us just a glimpse of world where there will be no more tears or sickness, where everything will be restored to it's right relationship with God - as the only source of all power and might and be worshipped for ever.
-Each act of healing then was for wholeness to return to an individual and a community and ultimately to nations. So Jesus healed the whole person in order that he or she would then go on to tell their stories to others, of the love of God, the power of God and the Compassion of God
- Therefore, congregations, where the disciples of Jesus gather for worship, and share a life together ought to be communities of healing. Where we love one another and not indulge in sins of pride and other such destructive behaviours. Where we, having been healed by God's mighty power can therefore go out and tell our stories to others - evangelism. But first healing has to take place in the community of faith - the church.
-Healing and faith is a much misunderstood issue and requires that the bible be read in context, as always and be read in the plural more - the message is not for individuals only but for the body of Christ the church-
Our faith must always be rooted in God and not in " faith". There is a profound difference. One is rooted in the purpose and will of God, and finds joys and provides hope in any circumstance, whether death or life - " Though He slay me, yet will I praise Him" - Job. The other is rooted in our strength and imagination about persistent and great prayers, an assumption that whatever we pray for " in faith", God will give us. And so when disaster strikes confusion reigns and faith in God is disturbed - not so Job and not so real Christianity. So God will sometimes provides physical and mental and emotional healing and even dramatically, but on other occasion although no such visible healing takes place, the soul is healed, to the glory of God.
2. The Sermon this morning at the Healing Service
a. Our stories need to be like those of Jesus and point to God as the only source of all power. If God can take on human flesh in Jesus Christ, then he can use anyone of us to do His divine purpose. God can strengthen us as a community of healing through grace and mercy.
b. When we tell our stories we must get rid of the doubt as the Bible says that comforter, the Holy Spirit can empower us to greater works than Jesus did.
c. We must greatly appreciate the far reaching nature of the work of Christ as he began in Palestine and his stories reached the entire world. So every time we tell our stories of the good news at home or at school, the power of God to sent these stories to far off places and touch lives is unimaginable.
d. We must tell stories of our experience with the risen Lord out of obedience to Him.
e. We must never be afraid of the cynics and the sceptics as the Holy Spirit will enable us to open doors and touch cold hearts
3. The Music - led by Rev. Grace Jervis, Antoinette Bradshaw a guest singer from a Pentecostal church who had a wonderful anointing and anointed voice and a story to tell of her " rescue " by the power of God Almighty, Harold on the keyboards and a percussion group, was simply awesome and lived up to the tradition and high expectation of the Conference. As the quality of the music has done much to enhance the worship and teaching experience.
4. The fellowship - it is difficult to describe the joy of people at one, " just praising the Lord all the daylong". But it was special and has been so for the over twenty five years that I have been attending
5. The Healing Service - over the years many persons of experienced healing of one sort or another. And they come back and tell their stories in formal and informal sessions throughout the weekend and so all of us keep coming back with an expectation and a sure hope that somehow God will find a way through the dark nights of life - even if death occurs. As one day there will be no more tears or sickness and wholeness will return to God's creation.
So we pray God that next year, more of our members, and even people from other traditions will come and see and " taste that the Lord is good". And then by God's mercy we will have less stories of death and violence and more of peace and joy. Praise the Lord. Alleluiah. Amen
But that was only one story for the week. The other was a story of joy, of worship, of teaching, of fellowship, of celebrating God's goodness to us in and through Jesus Christ. And most importantly, of healing, as I spent the weekend, at the now must-go, cannot-miss, Annual Healing Conference organized by one of the Bishops of the Anglican Church. But which takes on, without apology, a Pentecostal flavour - in the sense of the constant and uninhibited praising of God, giving glory to God, giving God thanks and just lifting up the name of Jesus throughout the entire weekend.
I will try, but it is hard to describe such a wonderful event in the life of the church. One really has to be there to experience the kind of total joy that the people of God have when they are
" set free" to praise God, to hear sound, bible based, challenging, relevant, contextual and inspiring teaching; to listen to the kind of music which lifts one's spirit into the very heavens with the angels and archangels; to hear stories of healing; to be quiet and contemplative as we hear the word of God and listen to music that quiets the soul before retiring to bed; to listen to a sermon from someone whose life is totally caught up with the joy and peace of an encounter with the risen Lord; to hear his story about healing in his family; and to experience healing from the mighty touch of God working through human hands.
And so on my way back early to catch the Confirmation service at church in Kingston I found myself singing, though I can't really sing:
"Stand up and praise Him if you love my Jesus
Stand and praise Him if you love my Lord".
And one of my favourite hymns and also that of my late Bishop, friend and spiritual father of blessed memory, Herman Spence came into my mind on the way. God is really a good God teaching us about learning from each other and about balance. As why else would He, in a short period of time, and I was not even thinking about those two songs, place music from two quite different traditions in my head.:
Blessed Assurance Jesus is mine:
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God;
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
Refrain
This is my story, this is my song.
Praising my Saviour all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song.
Praising my Saviour all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Refrain
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blessed;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
Refrain
The Highlights of the Conference;
1. The Teaching - even though it is an Anglican production, the Conference has taken on a distinct Ecumenical flavour as , not only do members of other denominations ( Baptists, Methodists, and others) attend regularly, they participate as presenters. As was the case this year. Rev. Karl Henlin, President of the Baptist Union did three presentations; two on Saturday morning and one in the afternoon. All under the Theme; " Stories of Healing : Our Lord's and ours". The sub themes were:
a. The Healing Ministry of Jesus - an overview
b.Congregations as communities of Healing
c.Faith and Healing - What is happening here?
Take home messages for me, from the stories of healing in the bible - The Paralytic; Blind Bartimaeus; The Lepers and others.
- God made the world good, perfect, wonderful and awesome. Sin and hence the " broken-ness" of mankind and creation 'messed' up the world.
- God's plan ever since been to restore and heal and fix it back together. And so He became Incarnate - sent his Son to take on human flesh and to restore what was broken.
- Jesus did not wait for people to come to Him but He went to them
- Jesus got this message of restoration to the world in two ways.
One by telling stories. The other by dramatic events - healing. Which was more that a physical touch, but a dramatic sign, a foretaste ( that's what I remembered, why Blessed Assurance came into my mind) of the kingdom of God. So that people could see and hear God's voice speaking the abandoned, the outcast, people of " no account", and to fix up back their lives again.
-Three things marked the life of Jesus. 1. Teaching. 2. Preaching. 3. Acts of Healing - miracles
- These stories were much more than just random events in the lives of individuals, but a dramatic demonstration of God's Kingdom of wholeness and restoration, breaking into the world, giving us just a glimpse of world where there will be no more tears or sickness, where everything will be restored to it's right relationship with God - as the only source of all power and might and be worshipped for ever.
-Each act of healing then was for wholeness to return to an individual and a community and ultimately to nations. So Jesus healed the whole person in order that he or she would then go on to tell their stories to others, of the love of God, the power of God and the Compassion of God
- Therefore, congregations, where the disciples of Jesus gather for worship, and share a life together ought to be communities of healing. Where we love one another and not indulge in sins of pride and other such destructive behaviours. Where we, having been healed by God's mighty power can therefore go out and tell our stories to others - evangelism. But first healing has to take place in the community of faith - the church.
-Healing and faith is a much misunderstood issue and requires that the bible be read in context, as always and be read in the plural more - the message is not for individuals only but for the body of Christ the church-
Our faith must always be rooted in God and not in " faith". There is a profound difference. One is rooted in the purpose and will of God, and finds joys and provides hope in any circumstance, whether death or life - " Though He slay me, yet will I praise Him" - Job. The other is rooted in our strength and imagination about persistent and great prayers, an assumption that whatever we pray for " in faith", God will give us. And so when disaster strikes confusion reigns and faith in God is disturbed - not so Job and not so real Christianity. So God will sometimes provides physical and mental and emotional healing and even dramatically, but on other occasion although no such visible healing takes place, the soul is healed, to the glory of God.
2. The Sermon this morning at the Healing Service
a. Our stories need to be like those of Jesus and point to God as the only source of all power. If God can take on human flesh in Jesus Christ, then he can use anyone of us to do His divine purpose. God can strengthen us as a community of healing through grace and mercy.
b. When we tell our stories we must get rid of the doubt as the Bible says that comforter, the Holy Spirit can empower us to greater works than Jesus did.
c. We must greatly appreciate the far reaching nature of the work of Christ as he began in Palestine and his stories reached the entire world. So every time we tell our stories of the good news at home or at school, the power of God to sent these stories to far off places and touch lives is unimaginable.
d. We must tell stories of our experience with the risen Lord out of obedience to Him.
e. We must never be afraid of the cynics and the sceptics as the Holy Spirit will enable us to open doors and touch cold hearts
3. The Music - led by Rev. Grace Jervis, Antoinette Bradshaw a guest singer from a Pentecostal church who had a wonderful anointing and anointed voice and a story to tell of her " rescue " by the power of God Almighty, Harold on the keyboards and a percussion group, was simply awesome and lived up to the tradition and high expectation of the Conference. As the quality of the music has done much to enhance the worship and teaching experience.
4. The fellowship - it is difficult to describe the joy of people at one, " just praising the Lord all the daylong". But it was special and has been so for the over twenty five years that I have been attending
5. The Healing Service - over the years many persons of experienced healing of one sort or another. And they come back and tell their stories in formal and informal sessions throughout the weekend and so all of us keep coming back with an expectation and a sure hope that somehow God will find a way through the dark nights of life - even if death occurs. As one day there will be no more tears or sickness and wholeness will return to God's creation.
So we pray God that next year, more of our members, and even people from other traditions will come and see and " taste that the Lord is good". And then by God's mercy we will have less stories of death and violence and more of peace and joy. Praise the Lord. Alleluiah. Amen
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