The deaths of Trayvon Martin, Vanessa Kirkland and the mercy of God

The death of young Trayvon Martin in the USA and young 16 year old Vanessa Kirkland in Jamaica dominated the news this week. One was killed by a Hispanic male while he returning home from an errand. And which alleged murderer, for one reason or another, has not been arrested thus sparking outrage and protests across the country. The other one was killed by police bullets, who alleged that they came under fire from persons within a car which they had reason to believe had been involved in a crime earlier that day, thus provoking outrage and a protests in the inner city ( in the ghetto) where she lived. This happening in a small island State where so far 245 had died at the hands of gunmen and 47 persons have been killed by the police. The President of the USA has spoken out on young Martin's death, and our own Prime Minster has visited with the mother of the young girl. Two young people in two vastly different 'worlds' joined together in the circumstances surrounding their death - a clear abuse of human rights and a violation of the sanctity of human life. It's a cry that resonates across the world wherever violence rears its ugly head and mothers are left to mourn their dead - in France with the killing of those young Jewish children; in Afghanistan with the killing of those villagers by a crazed American soldier; in the Gaza where Jews routinely target anyone brave or foolhardy enough to fire rockets into Israel and in so many parts of Africa where armed conflict still rages. This week as mothers mourn their dead across the world, the Lord not only spoke to me, but also through me, as I had the privilege of preaching this morning in my church. And as I write tonight, I recall in preparation for the sermon, reading how God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah warning the House of Israel how their wickedness and rebellion had led to their "wounds becoming incurable", and that there was no "remedy for their sore" and that there was "no one to plead their cause for them", and no healing was available. All because they had become disobedient and the " hand of God" was against them. Then shortly before Jeremiah prophesied about the coming of Christ, through whom God, who is so rich in mercy and full of compassion, would establish with the House of Israel a new covenant, there comes a verse filled with so much poignancy and pathos, and which also resonates with the state of the world today: " A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachael weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more". Jeremiah 31:15 NIV As a child I was very impressed with a song that had such haunting music, and as I write and consider Rachael weeping for her children, and Trayvon's mother weeping for her son, and Vanessa's grandmother and mother weeping, the song comes into my mind, and thank God for google and iPads the lyrics are readily available. As the snow flies On a cold and grey Chicago morning A poor little baby is born In the ghetto ( in the ghetto) And his mama cries........ The child needs a helping hand He'll grow to be an angry young man someday Take a look and you and me Are we too blind to see? Do we just simply turn our eyes and look the other way? And that story ends as expected, on a cold and grey Chicago morning a young man dies, and then another child little child is born and his mama cries (in the ghetto). But the story of the rebellious House of Israel does not end as we would expect as despite their " backsliding", God has mercy on them and promises to " forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.". The question then is how have we treated with the issue of mothers weeping for for their of children all over the world. Are we too blind to see that these children, made in the image and likeness of God, need a helping hand, instead of bullets in their brains. What was Zimmerman thinking? What were the police in Jamaica thinking? Even if it turns out that Trayvon acted " suspiciously" even it turns out that Vanessa was in the " wrong company" , how can you justify shooting an unarmed man, and how can you justify shooting up a car filled with people? We praise God as the slave forefathers of Trayvon and Vanessa discovered, and as their parents now assert, and as the people of Israel were told, there is a Balm in Gilead in the person of Jesus Christ. And so I sang this morning the first verse of that wonderful Negro spiritual: There is a Balm in Gilead To make the wounded whole Thee is a Balm in Gilead To heal the sin-sick soul Sometimes I feel discouraged And think my work's in vain But then the Holy Spirit Revives my work again If you can't preach like Peter If you can't pray like Paul Just tell the love of Jesus And say he died for all. There is an old and very wise Jamaican saying that, " trouble don't set like rain", in the sense that oftentimes there is no warning when trouble knocks on our doors. And one of the Psalms that has occupied my mind, and upon which I have had to depend a lot this week, and for many weeks, is Psalm 27. " The Lord is my strength and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break our against me, even then will I be confident. 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 my safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock... And out of this experience I sent the following text message to many who were in need, as they, especially some young people, have persisted in being disobedient to the call of the Lord to trust in His Son. " 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. Psalm 27:4-5. And trouble is always around the corner". I don't know what kind of teachings these two young people had been exposed to, and what kind of lifestyle they were living when they died, but the fact is that, all of us who are tired of, and touched by the story of " Rachel weeping for her children", whether in the ghetto in Jamaica, in the streets of Florida, in the homes of California, in the suburbs of Toronto, in the shanty towns in Nairobi or in Lagos, need to remember the compassion and mercy that God in Christ is still being offered to the entire world. Especially as we look to Passion week, ending in Good Friday and yet another glorious Easter. For the reality is that " trouble for all human beings is literally just around the corner". And then no matter how sophisticated you thought you were, and how enlightened you claim to be, and for whatever reason you have rejected the Christian religion in flavor of a secular philosophy ( for an insight into a current debate on this by two young bright and articulate Jamaican men read Ian Boyne's article in today's Daily Gleaner which is available online) when trouble really appears, most if not all will cry out, either publicly like Bob Marley who accepted Christ before he died, or privately, for mercy from God Almighty. This issue of urgency is one which I sought to encourage in my sermon today, especially when one considers when John the Baptist's father declared when he rejoiced at his son's birth and sang what we know in the Anglican church as the Benedictus. the words of which are very instructive and I from quoted the relevant sections today. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up for us a mighty salvation in the house of his servant David.....and we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear.......to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death." So the take home lesson that we need to carry in our hearts from the tragic death of these two young people is that there is an urgent need to spread the gospel, to demonstrate by our lives and witness the mercy and compassion of Christ. We, who are being made new in Christ Jesus daily by the power of the Holy Spirit do not have the option of turning our eyes and looking the other way, as "Rachel is weeping for her children", in the horn of Africa - in Eritrea, in Somalia where there is famine, in South Africa where so many people die from AIDS daily, in streets of Moscow, in the cities of Syria, in the exclusive homes in Chicago, and innthe Muslim communities in Indonesia. As wherever suffering humanity exist, spiritually from a lack of knowledge of and belief in the sufficiency of the shed Blood of Christ or physically from famine, war, privation ignorance and illness, there must we be, spreading the sweetness of the gospel of Christ. And then the whole earth will live to praise the name of the Lord with a new song instead of the sound of Rachel weeping for her children. The kind of song, the words of which I spend a long time meditating this week. Come, thou O fount of every blessing tune my hearts for hymns of praise! Streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! Oh fix me on it mount of God's unchanging love. A meditation which led to the reading in the Book of Hebrews about another Mount. Mount Zion. " You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness gloom and and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned. The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear." But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word then the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we , if we we turn away from him who warns us from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, " Once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens". The words " once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken - that is, created things - so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire". Hebrews 12:18-29 NIV Out of which understanding of the new covenant that God has established with Rachel and her children, and with all humanity, in an through Christ. And therefore a kingdom which cannot be " shaken, and which rock Trayvon's other and Vanessa'a mother can depend on for justice and for comfort, my mind was led to google sing and reflect on the words of a once popular hymn: Jesus is my Savior, I shall not be moved; In his love and favor, I shall not be moved, Just like a tree that's planted by the waters, I shall not be moved. Refrain; I shall not be , I shall not be moved; I shall not be, I shall not be moved; Just like a tree that's planted by the waters I shall not be moved. I pray that this week, as we face countless trials, we shall too not be moved. As the Lord God is our light and our salvation. That as we witness and live with people who are going through many trials, we shall indeed be moved with the compassion of God Almighty and seek to help wherever we can, as we represent the God who comforts the weeping mothers of humanity. Amen.

Trouble in Syria; Trials in Somalia and Hope in Christ Jesus

There must be very few persons in the world who are not concerned about the situation in Syria. I've lost track of the body count. Is it 60,000 or more, who have died at the hands of the Assad regime? I don't get a chance to watch much television, but my iPad came with a CNN app already downloaded, so at my convenience I get to watch videos and read about the terrible human suffering taking place in the city of Homs. And was particularly moved by the story of American journalists, this time seen on CNN, who left the safety of their homes and exposed themselves to harm in order to bring the wider world the story of a young girl delivering a child without any medication. Alone, as her husband had left for supplies and had been prevented by the violence from returning. Doctors working without equipment. Shelling which begins precisely at daylight and goes on all day. The kind of madness which makes our own 'troubles" seem almost minor. The financial woes that many are experiencing in Jamaica, in the USA and in Greece. The " hue and cry" over the sentencing of the once feared and notorious Jamaican Don and gangster, " Dudus" Christopher Coke, of whom it is being said, rather belated and quite inconsequentially, by his fans and relatives, that he is a " bible man". Assuming that it means that in addition to carrying our heinous crimes, he also reads his bible. Prince Harry's inability, so far, to find a girlfriend willing to stand beside him in carrying out his royal duties. Poor chap! But it is not only in Syria where people are suffering. Who can comfort the many parents whose children died in that terrible crash in Switzerland last week. The many who continue to suffer in Somalia, as highlighted by the, brave visit of actor and activist George Clooney last week, and who later met with President Obama for talks on that issue. Who can comfort the relatives of a woman who was allegedly killed by " collateral damage", as police reportedly traded bullets with gunmen in a poor inner city community. Thus further fueling the already intense debate in my country about the excessive use of deadly force. The frightening report of the Chilean diplomat whose daughter was killed by apparently " trigger happy " police in Venezuela. Thank God his son who was driving the ill fated car did not suffer the same fate. In the midst of all this human suffering, I heard a glorious old and well known hymn, just this morning in church, the words of which, though they spoke directly to my situation and my needs, at that precise moment, speaks eloquently also about the God of all compassion who cares for all whom He has created. Whether in Homs in Syria, in Afghanistan where so many people were brutally murdered allegedly by one crazed soldier, in Somalia, in war torn parts of Eritrea in Africa or in the inner cities of Kingston Jamaica. It may seem hard to believe at this time, but history has shown that good always conquers evil, and though God may from our understanding, takes a long time to show His compassion, He always does. That's the existential message which we will celebrate in a few days, as Lent will come to an abrupt and dramatic climax on Good Friday. That God so loved the world......in the killing fields of Cambodia, in the horrors of Nazi Germany, in the infamy of Croatian war, in the genocide committed in Stalin's Russia, in the inhumanity visited upon the people of colour by European colonizers........that He gave His only begottten Son, that whosoever would believe on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. That Jesus so loved his brothers and sisters of the human race that He was prepared to suffer and to die for them, in obedience to His Father's will and purpose. So death is not the worse thing that can happen to us. But to perish, O what a tribulation! And so the songwriter out of the depths of his experience writes and assures us that: Be not dismayed whate'er betide, God will take care of you; beneath his wings of love abide, God will take care of you Refrain: God will take care of you, through every day, o'er all the way; he will take care of you, God will take care of you. Through days of toil when the heart doth fail, God will take care of you; when dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you. Refrain:....... All you may need he will provide, God will take care of you; nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you. Refrain: ..... No matter what will be the test, God will take care of you; lean, weary on, upon his breast, God will take care of you. The challenge that we face as people of God, and ambassadors of Christ Jesus, is how to share this good news with people who are suffering and see no end to their trials. That God will take care of them. if they just believe on the Lord Jesus for salvation. And one of the things that left a great impact on me this week was an " observation/instruction" that the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, led me to read. " On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lighting stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, " Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen." Luke 23:24 One of the things that has stuck in my mind, among many other profound revelations by our Lord, is His assurance that if we "lift Him up", He will will draw all men to Himself. Which is consistent with the message in the Old Testament that, " it is not by might nor by power but by my Spirit " says the Lord. In the sense that sometimes we forget that how we spread the gospel and how people receive it is all a mystery, but God is a supernatural God, and can do " immeasurable more than we can ask or imagine". So the Jesus about whom we testify with words and deeds, is a risen Lord. He is not confined and constrained by circumstance and geography and extent of suffering. So let us no longer look to " dead solutions", to mere mankind and his limited understanding, who is after all dust and to dust he shall return, for relief from suffering and pain. Personally or nationally. But rather look to the Almighty God, who not only fed the five thousand miraculously, but even more miraculously, provided an eternal sacrifice for the sins of mankind, and with power raised His Son from the dead. It is in this context then that I was moved to send out the following message to some persons who are need of this assurance during this week. Now who would wish to continue to live like that, as we all did, when better, so much better, is offered as a free gift. And then, only then can we do the "good works' which He has prepared in advance for us to do. Otherwise, who knows for whom we are working! " As for you, were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift from God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:1-10 NIV Sent from my iPad The question which arises is how many times will the Lord send His Word to those whom He created in His own image, and for who He died on Calvary? How long will the Lord persist in the face of the disobedience? How long will he put up with people who reject the gift of Christ's redemptive act on the cross of Calvary. Will this Good Friday, once again have little or no meaning for millions across the world, in the USA, in Europe and in the Caribbean and Latin America who have been exposed to the gospel A meditation I read this week suggests that disobedience and rebellion are not good things. GOD'S GREAT DELIGHT Matthew Henry Verse 1 Samuel 15: 22 Here we are plainly told....... that humble, sincere, and conscientious obedience to the will of God is more pleasing to him than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. A careful conformity to moral precepts recommends us to God more than all ceremonial observances ( see Micah 6:6-8; Hosea 6:6). Obedience was the law of innocency, but sacrifice supposes sin come into the world and is but a feeble attempt to take away which obedience would have prevented. It is much easier to bring a bullock or a lamb to be burnt upon the altar than to bring every high thought into obedience to God and the will subject to his will. Nothing is so provoking to God as disobedience, setting up our wills in competition with his. This here is called rebellion and stubbornness, and is said to be as bad as witchcraft and idolatry ( v. 23 KJV). It is as bad to set up other gods as to live in disobedience to the true God.....Those are unfit and unworthy to rule over men who are not willing that god should rule over them. But the story of disobedience gets worse. This week I was led to read, in the book of Revelations how terrible things have been prophesied to happen to all mankind on account of Sin and evil. And the passage ends with these awful words: " The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood - idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts". Rev. 9:20-21. NIV Just this morning in the Jamaica Obserer headlines revealed how a young gunman was once given instructions to kill someone who is now, and was at the time, an even more senior member of Government. The former Minister of Finance and now Minister of Transport and Housing, Hon Omar Davies. This gunman who confessed, according to the article of killing more than person, refused to carry out the order, and as a result, almost lost his own life. For disobeying the " Don". I don't know if the Minister is a believer, but God who " makes the rain fall on the just and on the unjust", was " taking care', or both gunman and Minister in that moment. This young man, formerly a member of the " fatherless crew", is now a Christian having repented of his sins, and obeyed the call to serve Christ. As is the case of many other former gang members. And hopes one day to return as priest to serve his former community. This week also I sent the following message to some members of my church: My prayer is that we may influence a suffering world through the prayers of a believing and obedience heart. A heart that believes in a Risen Lord Jesus. A heart that believes in the power of an Almighty God to raise the dead. A heart that loves God and neighbour, in Homs, in Eritrea, in Moscow, in the Sudan, in Afghanistan and in the inner cities of Kingston Jamaica - and is less concerned about denominational affiliation or national identity but revels in the joy and suffering of being a worldwide ambassador of Christ. A heart that believes that the God who sent His only Son to die on the Cross of Calvary will take care of us, wherever we live and whatever our situation. As only His power can bind the principalities of evil and set people free from sin and death and suffering. Amen.

A Prince from England: A King from heaven

Last week, a member of the Royal house of Windsor, Prince Henry ( always known as Prince Harry), the grandson of the Queen of England, paid a visit to my country and caused quite a stir. Winning a race ( illegally) with world the reigning Olympic 100 meters champion Usain Bolt, by false starting and refusing to stop; confirming his fame as a marksman by scoring maximum points at a shooting range at the local army's headquarters; wearing high fashion, as yet available, Russell and Bromley high fashion desert shoes; and displaying his good manners and also perhaps a bit of youthful exuberance by penning a gracious note on his departure by starting with " wow", expressing his thanks for having made good friends and having had a wonderful time, and ended by requesting that we organize a "round two" for him. And that was it. Apart from the inevitable post event discussion on whether or not we got value for the 3 million Ja. dollar spent - a bit over 30,000 USD - that was it. Great fun was had by all who had a chance to meet him and watch the events on TV. And then he left for other shores. But his visit heralded more than just the celebration of sixty years of his grandmother's coronation as Queen, as in an inner city, on that very same day, police in an alleged shoot out with allegedly armed gunmen, killed six persons. Including a 13 year old child. Thus setting off a very public firestorm of protests, charges and counter-charges of the abuse of power and the over dependence of the police on the use of deadly force. This against the background of ten persons killed in one day earlier this year and a significant increase in the amount of police killings. The huge challenge that my country faces is that armed gangs are rampant in many of these inner city communities. They command huge resources because of their criminal activities, including extortion, and thus exert tremendous influence in both the upper and lower echelons of the society. The now notorious Christopher Coke, better known as Dudus, currently languishing in a jail in the USA, is a case in point. And they are not afraid to engage the security forces with deadly force themselves. Therein lies the dilemma! How do policemen, who put their very lives on the line, every-time they leave their homes and families, walk the difficult line of having respect for the human rights of every individual, which every civilized society has to demand, whilst protecting their own lives. But there were more challenges this week. How does Barack Obama respond, on the one hand to a saber-rattling Israeli Prime Minister, perhaps legitimately concerned about the threat of nuclear weapons in Iran, but apparently unconcerned about the possible firestorm that could attend such action; and on the other to the Republican party front runners, Rommney and Santorum, who apparently wish to give Israel a " blank cheque " to engage in a Bush style preemptive strike? How does my Prime Minister in a poor third world country, recently elected to office with a mandate to " balance people's lives whilst balancing the books", engage the International power brokers in a discussion on that subject, without getting caught up in a firestorm about a " Greek style bail -out , whilst awaiting the results of her Finance Minister's negotiation with the IMF? How does a church respond with compassion to one its own accused of a sexually related crime whilst seeking to influence " sinners"? How does a society respond to the headlines, on two separate occasions this week, in the most popular Daily Newspaper - the Daily Gleaner - which featured the growing challenge of, not just Lesbian, but aggressive lesbian behaviour, in some of its high schools. There are no easy and simple answers to this challenges. And Prince Henry ( always known as Prince Harry) cannot help us one bit in this regard. But there is a member of another House of Royalty, of the House of David, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who according to the hymnwriter, left his throne and his kingly crown in heaven, over thousand years ago, and came to earth - and the world has never been the same since. The same Christ whom they crucified, is now risen and ascended and seated at the right hand of God the Father, left behind witnesses to His Glory and power. And these disciples, guided by the Spirit of Christ, wrote a a book - New Testament. Which together with the experience of Jesus' forefathers, the Jews who also guided by the same Spirit of God, and wrote an earlier book - the Old Testament, constitute the Bible, and in which we have answers to all of life's challenges. Last week I wrote about the late John Stott, who was the chaplain to the same Queen whose grandson visited with us, and whose book, " Decisive Issues facing Christians Today" , I've been reading as part of my Lenten disciplines. And which message ended by a discussion of the importance of having the mind of Christ - the only way that we will be able to think straight in these complex times and through these complex issues. In summary at the end of the second chapter, Stott makes the point that for our encouragement, so that we neither oversimplify the issues, nor be overwhelmed by them, God has given us four gifts. 1. A mind to think - God has made us rational intelligent creatures 2. He has given us the Bible - and its witness to Christ, so that we can direct and control our thinking by grasping the fourfold framework and great themes of Christianity: Creation, The Fall, Redemption and The end. 3. He has given us the gift of The Holy Spirit - the Spirit of Truth, who opens up Scriptures to us and illumines our minds so that we can understand and apply them. 4. God has given us the gift of the Christian community - as the context in which we do our thinking. Stott claims that its rich hetrogenicity is the best safeguard against blinkered visions.......with rich insights contributing to the interpretation of Scripture from different backgrounds, it will be hard to maintain our prejudices. So this week, on two separate occasions, The Spirit of Christ of the House of David, guided hand and my mind to open the Bible and read the following passages of Scripture. And which revelation I then sent to other members of my home church. THE FIRST MESSAGE Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourself of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! Ezekiel 18:30-32 Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. Luke 22:31-32 NIV I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours...........I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name - the name you gave me - so that they may be one as we are one. John 17:9-11 NIV . ......but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:24-25 NIV And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11 NIV Lord renew thy church beginning with me, Lord renew thy church that the church may renew the nation(s). Amen I cannot begin to explain the reassurance and the power that the knowledge of the fact that, not only did my Lord pray for all those who believed in His Kingship, and all those who would come to believe also, but the awesome reality that, Jesus always lives to intercede for me. Many years ago I heard a preacher, make the point during a radio broadcast, that whenever in Scripture a name is repeated, the warning is not just for the individual, but also for the church. So when Jesus warns Simon( Peter) and calls his name twice, and says that Satan has asked to " sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you", our Lord was also issuing a prophetic word about the church. So all of us who have had Satan " raise up in our very faces" this week and before, can take very great comfort, that Jesus has, and ever lives to pray for us. What a comfort! What power to fight against evil! What joy in the midst of trials! For both church and individuals. I pray that all members of the security forces could " have this knowledge and depth of insight", so that they may " remain blameless until the day of Christ's coming". That as they do what is right and just, and commit their lives to Him, Jesus will indeed pray for their protection from evil. I pray that they might appreciate , despite great provocation, that the God and Father of Jesus, born of Mary, but descended from David, " takes no pleasure in the death of anyone, but that they should repent and live". THE SECOND MESSAGE - WAS SENT IN TWO PARTS. THE FIRST PART ACTUALLY FOLLOWS ON THE SECOND IN TIME Sent to the church this morning - just being obedient. Didn't think about it but the recent news and headlines in yesterday's Gleaner must have contributed to it. As well as Israel's saber-rattling about Iran, and the GOP's, well Rommney and Santorum, almost unqualified support about a preemptive strike, and an early reading of John Stott's chapter on Nuclear War last night. The times are indeed evil. And only the mind of Christ can "penetrate" it, in the words of the boys on the street. LWJ It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. Romans 9:16 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 renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 NIV The nature and the extent of the promise in this passage is staggering - to know God's good, pleasing and perfect will. Can we imagine what effect this knowledge, accompanied with obedience, would have on our personal lives, on the witness of our church, and on the life of this nation? But first we must ask ourselves, what is it that is leading us in the opposite direction - to conform to the pattern of this world. Lent is a good time for this kind of " searching". And then to repent and ask for forgiveness, and then to " offer our bodies, including and especially our minds, as living sacrifices. And if the truth be told, the answers to the " searching" cannot be many, as they are literally staring us in the face. In times like these....we need a Saviour....we need a Bible....we need an Anchor. Finally read the intervening chapters 9-12 and pray without ceasing for Israel. Peace LWJ I pray that President Obama may indeed " have the mind of Christ", as he contemplates matters of great complexity and of profound seriousness to the entire world - especially as recent events have shown in Afghanistan, that not all soldiers are rational. And certainly not all leaders. I pray that my own leader may indeed " have the mind of Christ", as she proceeds resolutely to rescue the poor and the helpless in our society from the ravages of the " mindless market place". I pray that all of us who are " salt and light" to a nation mired in the darkness of immorality, may not succumb to the temptations of this world, but rather have our minds " renewed and transformed by God's Holy Spirit. Then, and only then will we live in a world and in a nation where there shall be less abuse of people's human rights ; more protection from the forces of evil; more equity in how we deal with one another as nations and economies; and a greater reliance of the only true King that this world needs. Jesus, descended from David, born of Mary, risen from the dead and who ever lives to intercede for those who believe in His Deity. Amen.

Solving difficult problems with the mind of Christ

Joel Andem, Kelvin " Richie Poo" Tyndale, Livity Coke, Tesha Miller, and Christopher " Dog Paw" Linton, are household names in Jamaica. And they were very much in the news this past week. Why? Claims and counterclaims to the contrary that these known gang leaders, who most Jamaicans believe, rightly or wrongly, to be responsible for the deaths of a great many persons in our crime infested society, and who are being held in a High Security Remand Centre manned by soldiers, have been the subjects of abuse from the army. That was the " talk of the town" this week. And as you would expect, apart from the human rights activists and well thinking journalists, they received very little sympathy from the society, as they are regarded as " terrorists". Admittedly, at a much lower level of notoriety than those responsible for the unleashing terror in Pol Pot's Cambodia, or Stalin's Russia, or in Hitler's Germany, or in pre-apartheid South Africa, but nonetheless, together with others, regarded by many as contributing significantly to the over 1500 persons who were killed in Jamaica in 2010. So we are not talking about angels here! Hence my dilemma. One part of me, my " fallen" nature, felt that they were getting only a small part of what they had been accused of dishing out to grieving families. The other part of me, my " redeemed self ", was confronted by words from Holy Scripture. Words from my blessed Christ Himself. "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you......... If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that........But love your enemies, do good to them,and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your father is merciful". Luke 6:27-36 NIV. So, rather than harbouring any thoughts of condemnation them, and wishing any evil on them, I began praying for these notorious criminals and banished all thoughts of revenge from my mind. Full appreciating that part of the issue, as advanced by the Commissioner of Police, may reside in an attempt to gain public support in order that they may escape the harsh scrutiny of the soldiers, return to the custody of normal guards, and thus be in a position to continue to give orders to their cronies on the outside. But I was resolved to arrive at a position that regardless of the situation, they like anyone else were to be treated humanely and kindly. Thus began a serious conversation with the Lord this week , about " knowing the mind of God", and " having the mind of Christ". As in these challenging times, and indeed throughout the ages, only those who have the " mind of Christ" , have been able to, and continue, to "think straight", when confronted by serious ethical and moral issues. I have been greatly assisted in this conversation by my Lenten discipline - reading John Stott's " Decisive Issues facing Christians Today". Following the opening chapter, about which I wrote last week, Stott continues with another question: Complexity: Can we Think Straight? ......." We should certainly not underestimate the complexity of the issues which confront mankind today. True, every generation has felt baffled by its contemporary problems.......yet the number, scale and gravity of the questions facing us at the end of the 20th century do seem unprecedented, owing particularly to the scientific revolution. for example, the problem of war and peace has always troubled the Christian conscience, but the development of nuclear weaponry has greatly aggravated it. ( I wonder how we regard the current situation involving Iran, Israel and the USA). Similarly, the new micro-technology has added to the problem of long-term unemployment ( clearly Stott had no inkling of how another problem, "casino economics" would play out in the downturn in the world economy and lead to the "occupy wall street" protests), while the unraveling of the genetic code and the possibility of genetic engineering have necessitated the new filed of " bio-ethics" ( an field which is has already run into serious controversy over end-of-life issues). According to Stott, some Christians have given up in despair at arriving at common Christian position on difficult contemporary issues, as there are whole spectrum of Christian views - as we know very well in Jamaica whenever the issue of the death penalty is debated either privately or publicly. Whilst others have posited glib and naive answers to complex issues. He however wrote that " we dishonour God if we assert that there are no solutions, and also if we offer slick solutions. For on the one hand he has revealed his will to us, and on the other hand he has not revealed it in a set of neat propositions." It is from that context of despair and oversimplification of complex issues that Stott then advances a third and better way of having a : CHRISTIAN MIND And for support, among others passages of Scripture, he turns to St Pauls exhortation in Romans 12 for the " renewing of your mind"......... " Paul exhorts us, however, not to be conformed to the world, but instead to be " transformed" by the renewing of our mind with a view to discerning God's pleasing and perfect will. Here, then, is the apostle's assumption both that Christians have or should have a renewed mind, and that our renewed mind will have a radical effect on our lives, since it will enable us to discern and approve God's will, and so transform our behaviour. the sequence is compelling. if we want to live straight, we have to think straight. if we want to thinks straight, we have to have renewed minds. For once our mind are renewed, we shall become preoccupied not with the way of the world, but with the will of God, which will change us. For Christian conversion means total renewal. The Fall led to total depravity( a doctrine rejected, I suspect, only by those who misunderstand it; it has never meant that every human being is as depraved as he could possibly be, but that every part of our humanness, including our mind, has become distorted by the Fall.) So redemption involves total renewal.........our old outlook led to conformity to the crowd; our new outlook had led us into moral non-conformity, out of concern for the will of God. Our fallen mind followed the way of the world; our renewed mind is engrossed with the will of God, as revealed in the Word of God. Between the two lies repentance, metanoia, a complete change of mind or outlook. Paul writes not only of a 'renewed mind', but also of 'the mind of Christ'.He exhorts the Philippians: " let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus". (2:5) That is, as we study the teaching and example of Christ, and consciously put our minds under the yoke of his authority ( Matthew 11:29) we begin to think as he thought. His mind is gradually formed within us by the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ. We see things his way, from his perspective. Our outlook becomes aligned to his. We almost dare to say: "we have the mind of Christ". ( 1 Corinthians 2:16)" Its gets even more interesting and informative as Stott then proceeds to share his viewpoint on how we can understand all contemporary issues, with a Christian mind based on four foundational and historical truths about the Bible. Creation The Fall Redemption The End which then he argues allows us to have a better appreciation of The Reality of God....we learn to evaluate everything in terms of the glory it gives to, or withholds from, God The Paradox of Man....unique dignity as creatures made in God's image and a unique depravity as sinners under his judgment The Future of Society ....we must serve, but there are limits to what we can achieve. We must wait, but have no liberty to do so in idleness. A chapter which is then followed by two fascinating chapters on "Pluralism: Should we impose our views" and " Alienation: have we any influence". All of which I hope to write about in more detail, by God's grace, next week. But already I am beginning to wonder if possible explanations of some of the disparate views held by Christians in Jamaica and Africa in general, and our fellow Christians in North America and Europe over the question of Homosexuality, may be emerging. Some of the disparate views held by Evangelical Christians and more " moderate or conservative" voices in Christianity over the issue of sharing the gospel with the Jews, the Muslims and others of " faith" may be emerging. In fact part of the conversation included my writing a series of notes to some members of my church, locally and abroad, on the issue of evangelism and Muslims and Jews. And which conversation, in terms of my contribution, ended in this fashion: "During my walk yesterday, as I prayed about our conversation, the Lord reminded me that: "We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body" ( 2 Cor. 4:10). And as I write, the Spirit of the Lord reminds me of a verse which has kept me sane in the midst of my personal struggles...... " For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows". 2. Cor. 1;5. In the sense that Christ's death compels us to preach to good news to all people. Black, white, Jew, Muslim, Atheist, whoever. With the same passion and love in our hearts that caused our Lord to leave "his throne and his kingly crown", and, " camest to earth for me". But then it was too late to send this addition to the conversation, as I had to go to work. But God does not forget. So last night in the dead of night this verse came back in my mind. And then this morning, at this hour, which is unusual, as my normal hour for getting awake is 6:15am-6:30, the Lord added to the conversation. Beginning in Proverbs and then to Jeremiah: " The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jeremiah 17: 9-10 ...... in response to the repeated rebellion of His people Israel. And later on the Prophet cries out: " Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved,for you are the one I praise". Finally, and the Spirit of the Lord placed this thought in my head, we need to return to St. Paul's theology of "Christ and him crucified". As it is when we take our eyes off that cross, when we stop " carrying around in our bodies, all the time, the death of Jesus", that we no longer think with our minds, like Jesus did. Peace. Lucien The point of all of this is that revenge has never been and will never be, part of Christian thinking, as judgment belongs to God, and God alone. So no matter how badly others treat us, and persecute and even kill us, we have a higher standard to follow. Christ Himself who died for the ungodly and is merciful to even the wicked and ungrateful. Even to those in prison accused of murder. Even to those politicians accused and convicted at the " bar of public opinion" of corruption and malfeasance of all kinds. Even to those talk show hosts, alive and deceased, who in their heyday were and are notorious for disrespecting and questioning the reality and relevance of the God of Abraham and His Son Jesus Christ and His body the church. Without even realizing that many, if not most of their freedoms, of speech and movement and of human rights, flow not just from living in a democracy, but rather living in a society sustained by laws that presume that all men are created equal under God - the Creation. And have only gone bad because of " the Fall, and can be made better, can be redeemed on account of the Redemptive Blood of Christ, shed on the Cross. And at the end it is appointed to all men to die and then comes the judgment. Then Joel Andem, and Livity and Richie Poo and all of us will meet Him who created and sustains us with His grace.

Ash Wednesday, murder, repentance and the mission of the church - the body of Christ

One of the many legacies of our colonial past, is the celebration of the start of Lent, Ash Wednesday, as a public holiday. Sadly, and one cannot help but wonder about this paradox, Ash Wednesday is no longer a public holiday in the UK. And perhaps in very few places in the world outside the Caribbean. Maybe, if this current trend continues in years to come, in the same way we are being challenged by forces within and certainly without by the same for former colonial masters, to modernize one of our " antiquated" laws, we may one day, in pursuit of greater productivity and production, be called upon to dispense with such an " archaic" practice. But thank God, for now, many of us (while others choose to go to the beach, or watch the Reggae Boyz play at the " office", or start the preparation for Carnival , or argue about the Biblical correctness of such a practice) welcomed the day to engage in serious introspection and repentance of things done and things left undone. And further, to use the time to prepare oneself for a period of fasting ( sacrifice of one sort or another) prayer and the giving of alms to those in need, and for the ultimate celebration, at the end of six weeks, of Good Friday and Easter. This then for me was the highlight of the week. But another event took place which was of significant moment also and clearly not unrelated to the purpose of Lent - the painful visit to my office by a father, mother and daughter who had just lost a twenty year old son and brother, brutally hacked to death by, so far, unknown assailants. So the tears flowed, especially from the broken father's eyes. And I wondered about the state of my country whilst calling on the name of Jesus for help. Lord have mercy! Christ have mercy! This past week also, committed to the discipline of reading a useful book during Lent, I took up one written by the late Rev. John Stott. An Evangelical Anglican, prolific writer and deep thinker, whose sphere of influence included the royal family, as he was the former Chaplain to the present Queen of England (and Jamaica also) but also extended across the globe through his involvement in the now powerful Lausanne movement - which hosted a hugely successful meeting involving over thousands od Evangelical Christians in South Africa last year ( Check them out on facebook). The title is " Decisive Issues facing Christians Today : Your Influence is vital in today's turbulent world", and the first edition came off the press in 1984. As I opened the first chapter entitled " Involvement: is it our concern", and read how one of the best known Christian leaders of all time, by his witness for Christ, effected so much change in then British society, I could not not help but notice how much 18th century Britain resembled the state of my own country. And thus I was moved by the Spirit of God to send the following note to some of the senior leaders in my church. .....I've been contemplating which book I should read for my Lenten discipline. Tonight, the Spirit led me to take up, again, John Stott's, " Decisive issues facing Christian today". And as I read I felt a powerful impulse to write. Why? Chapter 1: Involvement: Is it Our Concern It is exceedingly strange that any followers of Jesus Christ should ever have needed to ask whether social concern was their, and that controversy should have blown up over the relationship between evangelism and social responsibility. For it is evident that in his public ministry Jesus both " went about....teaching...and preaching". In consequence, " evangelism and social concern have been intimately related to one another throughout the history of the Church. The Evangelical Heritage of Social concern There were some remarkable examples of this in 18th Century Europe and America.. The Evangelical revival, which stirred both continents, is not to be thought of only in terms of the preaching of the gospel and the converting of sinners to Christ; it also led to widespread philanthropy and profoundly affected society on both sides of the Atlantic. John Wesley remains the most the striking instance..............Historians have attributed to Wesley's influence rather than to any other the fact that Britain was spared the horrors of a bloody revolution like France's. The change which came over Britain during this period was well documented in J. Wesley Bready's remarkable book, England Before and After Wesley.......... Bready described " the deep savagery of much of the 18th century, which was characterized by the " wanton torture of animals for sport, the bestial drunkenness of the populace, the inhuman traffic in African negroes, the kidnapping of fellow countrymen for exportation and sale as slaves, the mortality of parish children, the universal gambling obsession, the savagery of the penal code, the welter of immorality, the prostitution of the theater, the growing prevalence of lawlessness, superstition and lewdness; the political bribery and corruption, the ecclesiastical arrogance and truculence......... But then things began to change...slavery was abolished, the prison system humanized, conditions in factory and mine were improved, education became available to the poor, trades unions began..... " Whence, then this pronounced humanity....it derived from a new social conscience. And of that social conscience admittedly was the offspring of more than one progenitor, it nonetheless was mothered and nurtured by the Evangelical Revival of vital, practical Christianity..... The Evangelical Revival " did more to transfigure the moral character of the general populace, than any other movement British History can record". For Wesley was both a preacher of the gospel and a prophet of social righteousness. he was " the man who restored to a nation its soul.". The evangelical leaders of the next generation were with equal enthusiasm committed to evangelism and social action. The most famous among them were Granville Sharp, Thomas Clarkson, James Stephen, Zachary Macaulay....and of course their guiding light, William Wilberforce....they came to be known as the Clapham sect..... " This group of Clapham friends gradually became knit together in an astonishing intimacy and solidarity. They planned and laboured like a committee that was never dissolved.....they congregated by common impulse in what they choose to call " cabinet Councils" wherein they discussed the wrongs and injustices which were a reproach to their country, and the battles which would need to be fought to establish righteousness.......delegating to each man the work he could do best....... The same story can be told of the USA in the last century. Social involvement was both the child of evangelical religion and the twin sister of evangelism. This is clearly seen in Charles G. Finney, who is best known as the lawyer turned evangelist and the author of Lectures on Revivals of Religion(1835)........ It was hardly surprising to learn, therefore, that through Finney's evangelism God raised up " an army of young converts who became the troops of the reform movement of his age". In particular " the anti-slavery forces...were drawn largely from the converts of Finney's revivals The 19th century is known also for its expansion of Christian Missions which it witnessed. it must not be imagined, however, that the missionaries concentrated exclusively on preaching, or indeed that their social concerns were restricted to aid and relief....... The American missiologist Dr. R. Pierce Beaver has written: Social action in mission can be traced from the time of the apostles....Concern was never limited to relief. The itinerant missionary carried with him a bag of medicines, new or better seeds and plants, and improved livestock. Nevius introduced the modern orchard industry into Shantung. The Basel missionaries revolutionized the economy of Ghana by introducing coffee and cocoa grown by families and individuals on their own land. James McKean transformed the life of Northern Thailand by eliminating its three major curses - smallpox, malaria and leprosy. Wells and pure water often came through the help of missionaries. Industrial schools were stressed through the 19th century, and industries were established.......... ......... I am struck by the timing of these " revelations" in addition to those matters about which I have been writing to you, and others, of late. May I, then, suggest that .......................................... you consider the following. 1. Examine carefully whether or not the Anglican Church has become guilty of preaching a version of the gospel which St Paul labels, " emptying the Cross of its power" ( 1 Cor.1:17), and (3:4). As it is only a gospel which has at its foundation, not words of human wisdom, but God's power, which can lead to a revival in this blessed nation. At event which we must long for with all our heart. 2. Acknowledge that such an outpouring of the Spirit in a revival, should lead us, among other things, to follow in the footsteps of others like the Clapham sect, which bonded together in a common cause to "restore to a nation its soul". 3. If you examine the social commentary on British society in the 18th century as described in Stott's book, it is remarkable how much the present day Jamaican society bears close resemblance to that which existed over 200 years ago. And, therefore, the rescuing of such a society can happen again, despite the major challenges we face. But through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, inspired by believing Christians with a vision for their country, God can once again raise up a "mighty army of converts", willing and able to take up the struggle to fight to establish righteousness...and to sow the seeds of goodness and reform in every aspect of human life in this country and indeed the entire world. I would humbly suggest that ...............we seriously consider prayerfully, among other priroties, the establishment of such a " Council of like minded persons" committed to discussing the wrongs and injustices in our country and to define the battles which must be fought to " restore to this nation its soul". 4. But the first order of priority must be the revival of the preaching of a gospel, by the entire church, which has as its foundation, the power of the Cross of Christ. A gospel which over centuries has enabled the church to preserve a remnant which will always persevere and not turn away when the battle gets rough; will always believe that good will overcome evil, every-time and eventually; that the world is desperately awaiting, despite its conflicting signals, a Church that is willing and able to engage in a moral war for the souls of individuals and of nations and renewal of its structures. Peace. Lucien One of the things, I would suggest that the entire church, needs to use the period of Lent to repent of, is its inability in recent years, as the body of Christ, to impress upon all its members, the importance of combining social action with evangelism and the maintenance of "church life". It is an issue which should concentrate the minds of the leaders of the Traditional " mainstream" churches as well as the " Evangelical" churches and the increasingly powerful, at least in numbers, the Seventh Day Adventists. Because, unless matters of Justice and Righteousness which receive equal treatment in the Bible, both in the Old and New Covenant, as in the same way that Isaiah could declare that " Justice and Righteousness kiss each other", so too Jesus declares that He came not only to bring good news to the poor but also to set the captives free, so too must we as Christians, place an equal emphasis on Social Action and proclaiming the message of forgiveness of sins and everlasting life in and through Christ and Christ alone. And not through Christian Science movements, or other New Age groups as was the topic under discussion on a radio programme on RJR this evening ( one of more popular radio stations in Jamaica) hosted by Gerry D - or any group which claims to have access to a Holy God without going through a mediator, who died on the Cross for that very purpose. For God in Christ Jesus made Himself vulnerable and available to all mankind in the midst of all the brokenness of human life as is manifested in the many and various ills about which we are grappling here in Jamaica, and indeed all in other parts of the world. Drug addiction, pornography - I heard a statement by a pastor on another station whilst returning from church this morning, that pornography accounts for 40-50% of the use of the Internet... is that really true?) gambling, murder, poverty, teen-age mothers and absentee fathers, extra judicial police killings and other forms of atrocities, corruption in high places. This is really what the Bible calls "a corrupt generation" despite the veneer of sophistication and respectability which we would like to think is the pervasive social picture. Which leads me to another note which the Spirit of God inspired me to write to the same set of leaders in my church this week, on account of the church's seemingly lack of urgency in addressing frontally the many social ills on account of the " persecution" in how secular society has confronted the the disciples of Christ in recent times. And for which we need to spend a lot of time asking God for forgiveness during this Lenten period. Increasingly the language the church uses to describe our society is " pluralistic". Which is also the language of the non-believer. Last night the Lord woke me up and, beginning with Ezekiel seeing the " heavens torn open", akin to the message in the gospel reading for Sunday, and Stephen who saw the heavens opened and Jesus descending, as he was being persecuted and about to die, and the persecution which descended upon the disciples after and led them to spread the gospel far and wide to not only the Jews but now for the first time to the Greeks, He showed me a different perspective. And as I awoke this morning, the words of Jesus came into my mind....this corrupt generation. That's how He described the society, and he came that they might " escape from it". Similarly the disciples spoke of the impending judgment that the society would face if they were not " in Christ". We need to be careful lest our language downplays the urgency that the situation demands as people are in terrible danger. Yesterday among the folks who I saw early was a family, mother father and daughter who had lost a 20 year old son and brother. . Brutally chopped up and killed. A couple weeks before I had had reason to encourage the father to accept Christ. He remembered and so did I. If memory serves me correct he was at best lukewarm. But this was not a time to dwell on that, as he was a terribly broken man. But his wife, a small frail woman, but strong in the Lord was a tower of strength and though hurting was singing songs of praise. Our lack of persecution in these times perhaps accounts for our lack of urgency and for the difference in perspective. Something to consider during Lent. LWJ Something to think about indeed. And repent of. Finally I had reason to send a young man, the following text. And used the opportunity to send it to other young men and women for whom I have been praying. " How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. Psalm 119:9. You need start reading your Bible go to church and accept Christ. Otherwise you are going to destroy your life and those around you". What triggered this warning? A very public brawl in the middle of the town and for which reason he was in danger of spending time in the lock-up. Indeed, we have much to repent of during this much maligned, ill understood, almost alien, and quite irrelevant period to many, especially young people in my country and across the world. We could, however, learn much from its many disciplines, the chief of which is repentance before God and man, and then ask for mercy. For the times are evil. Very evil indeed. But God is not only able, but very willing to pour out on Jamaica and on the entire world the Spirit of His Son, the only mediator between God and man, so that we may be empowered to live a holy life and restore righteousness and justice to a nation . A nation greatly affected by murder and immorality, poverty and injustice. A nation in danger of losing not only hope but its very soul.

Whitney Houston, an unbelieving church and a Word from Ezekiel

By now the entire world knows that prescription drugs were found in Whitney Houston's hotel room after she died, and that contrary to the need for her, a recovering addict to alcohol and other substances to stay off alcohol completely, she was reportedly seen drinking alcohol heavily in the days prior to her death. Thus raising the legitimate question posed by CNN drug addiction experts ,of whether or not prescription drugs played a role in her untimely demise. By now, also, everybody has been reminded of how this issue of drug addiction has played havoc with the lives of many of these recording artistes, some of whom went on to become world famous entertainers, including stars as far apart, in time and music genre, as Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. By now many people within the Caribbean and in the West Indian diaspora know that this year Jamaica will celebrate 50 years of Independence and are hoping for another " world beating" performance from our athletes in London during the summer Olympics. What many folks may be hearing for the first time, is that the Annual Healing Conference organized by Anglican church in Jamaica, under the leadership of Bishop Daniel, and which has over the ( 30+) years of its existence, ministered to individuals across the denominational divide, and outside the borders of Jamaica, will this year, as would be expected, place a focus on Jamaica's 50th anniversary. And one of the questions that the church in my view, and the the wider secular society, will have to face squarely in this time of reflection and self-examination, is what has been our response as the body of Christ, to the many structures that have destroyed the lives of millions across the world. As it is one thing to be moved with Christian compassion and respond to structural problems and get involved in drug rehab programs, and to provide food for the hungry and shelter for the homeless, and clothes for the naked. But can that be the sum total of the response of the disciples of the Christ who came, not just to forgive and to heal, but to conquer Sin and Death on the Cross..."O death where is thy sting". Those fundamental issues which account for all the problems which adversely affect mankind. Thus enabling us to put on the full armor of God as we " fight not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms". Ephesians 6:12. NIV. So what better time to engage in such reflections, when those individual who are hurting and sick and struggling with sin and troubles many and varied, and who together form a metaphor for the trials of the wider nation of Jamaica, meet for healing, teaching, worship, sharing and praying over a weekend, seeking the intervention of an Almighty and Compassionate God. So, as intense and compelling as the story of Whitney Houston was for me all of this week, climaxing in the funeral service yesterday, equally compelling and riveting has been the repeated reading of a meditation about which I shared before, but in another context. And which reflection demands a response from a church which claims to be the body of Christ, as it seeks to define what it means when we pray, " Thy Kingdom Come." PERSONAL LIFE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Harry Emerson Fosdick ( 1878-1875)....A Baptist American minister who gain became a national figure in his country on account of a radio program on which he preached his " National Vespers". Verse: Isaiah 5:7 " The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are teh garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. Anyone who cares about character must care about social conditions, for every unfair economic situation, every social evil left to run its course means ruin to character. And the God of the Bible, because he cares supremely for personal life at its best, is zealously in earnest about social justice; his prophets blazed with indignation at all inequity, and his Son made the coming kingdom, when God's will would be done on earth, the center of his message. To fellowship with this earnest purpose of God we are all summoned; God believes in the glorious possibilities of life on earth; he is counting on us to put away the sins that hold the kingdom back and to fight the abuses that crush the character in men. To believe in God, therefore, - the God who is fighting his way with his children up through ignorance, brutality, and selfishness to a "new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" - is no weakly comfortable blessing ( see 2 Peter 3:13). It means joining a moral war; it means devotion, sacrifice; its spirit is the Cross and its motive an undiscourageable faith. And our underlying assurance that this war for a better world can be won is not simply our belief that it can be done, but our faith that god is, and that he believes that it can be done. When we pray we say, " your kingdom", and we are full of hope about the long, sacrificial struggle, for the purpose behind and through it all is first of all God's. Our earnestness is but an echo of his. Wow! Before I add any comment to what Fosdick is challenging us about, recall his assertion that " this war for a better world can be won" and what follows as you ponder on what I about to reveal. This morning, the God who prepares my soul to write week after week, without failing, for many years now, unless illness intervenes, woke me up this morning with Ezekiel 37:4 in my head. And as I took up my Bible to read the verse, I was already aware that the passage had to do with the " Dry bones of Israel". But the words of the actual verse was uncertain. So I read: " The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and i saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley; bones that were very dry. He asked me, Son of man, can these bones live? I said, O Sovereign Lord, you alone know. Then he said to me, prophesy to these bones and sat to them, Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!" Ezekiel 37:4 And as I worshiped God and gave Him thanks for the Word, my mind went to the Corinthian passage: " When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence and superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith may not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. 1 Cor. 2: 1-5 NIV. So with those thoughts in mind, although they do not all apply to me except for verse 4-5, perhaps I should not comment much on Fosdick's challenge in the light of God's powerful Word. But rather focus on the fact that indeed, even when we despair about our country Jamaica, beset with so many problems ( "Jamaica no problem" is a slogan not a reality) including a climbing murder rate -recently heralded as 141 deaths in 43 three days; high levels of unemployment and poverty; relatively flat economic growth for many years, these " dry bones" can live. Focus on the reality that we too have a major problem with drug addiction - as heralded in the Daily Gleaner today. Major problems with family life -as was made manifestly and internationally obvious during an after the " Sniper Killings in D. C. ", involving the Jamaican youngster Lee Boyd Malvo and his "mentor", fulfilling the role of an absent father figure, John Allen Mohammed. Major problems with immorality and the use of violent lyrics in dance hall and hugely popular genre of music - as manifest in the life and music of Vibes Kartel now in jail accused of multiple counts of murder. Major problems with social and economic injustice where there is a huge gap between the income of the rich and the working class, and even the struggling middle class. Accompanied by similar disparities in access to justice, both perceived and real. All of which social and economic problems according to Fosdick, if left unchecked, " means ruin to character". In the end, therefore, it is not simply as Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston's cousin, announced that, "God had called her home". No ! Whitney and Michael and many others died, because a " social evil" was left unchecked, and led to ruin and death. And God in His wisdom has allowed these things to take place in order that mankind may learn, what He was at pains to teach the children of Israel; " Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.". And many are dying of hunger, and disease, and war because of greed and idolatry ( two sides of the same coin) a lust for power, and unforgiving hearts, all because we have disobeyed the Biblical mandate, as Cain did when he murdered Abel, to be " our brothers keeper". So what's the answer? To try and persuade mankind rather than push for legislation to change people's behaviour - in response to the increasing reality of gambling in my country. To provide education so that people may learn to think and reason and not act out in violent behaviour so often. To engage in public education in an effort to change human behavior in a pluralistic society where the church no longer has power to say, " Thus says the Lord", and be obeyed. To increase our efforts to provide outreach programs in all churches so that we may have some kind of impact on our nation. All those activities have merit and indeed have been the hallmark of the church's response to pressing needs in recent times. But I wonder as I reflect on Whitney's death, and the state of my country at 50 years, if that all that Sam Sharpe and others did to break down the structures that held our forefathers captives in slavery for so long? Is that all that John Wesley did to dramatically change the structures in the UK in the 18th century so that Trade Unions were formed, slavery was abolished, the prison system was humanized, education became available to the poor.....John Stott"s Decisive issues facing Christians today? And as I am thinking my mind goes back to one of my favourite passages in the Bible, the Mark version: " When they came to the disciples ( after the Transfiguration, which was read in church this morning). they saw a large crowd around them and he teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran out to greet him. What are you arguing with them about, he asked." Mark 9: 14-15. NIV And what follows I believe has great resonance for us. As Jesus proceeds to heal the boy who was possessed by a spirit which, in addition to robbing him of his speech, if left unchecked, really would kill him. So Jesus after hearing how the disciples had tried to drive out the spirit and failed, lamented about their lack of faith. And then cured the boy thus helping the boy's father to grow in faith. The key is that when the disciples asked what did they do wrong, Jesus made the profound observation that " this kind can only come out by prayer". My understanding of all of this is that the church needs to repent of its inability to successfully engage the forces of evil. " The thief has come to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they have life and have it more abundantly", says Jesus. The reality of life on earth, as revealed by Jesus Himself, is that we are in a moral war. Not just against those who provided Whitney Houston and countless others with drugs. Not just those who would use Roe vs. Wade to kill millions of innocent babies over the centuries. Not just the homosexual lobby who would use one of the manifestations of the, " fall of mankind", and for which structure that was in opposition to man, Jesus died, to push for an alternative lifestyle to what God ordained. Not just the greedy who would " add house to house, and field to field" as Isaiah warned. But against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. As was the struggle in which Job was involved. And that kind of moral war to save the souls of potential Whitney Houstons can only be won by deep, persistent and believing prayer in the power of God to overcome evil. This is the good news, the gospel of Christ's death and resurrection on the Cross of Calvary. Lent commences this week with the observance ,around the world, of Ash Wednesday. Let us use this period to repent of our unbelieving nature, and cry out to God, as that father did: " Lord I believe; help thou mine unbelief". And who knows what kind of resurrection will take place in Jamaica in its 50th year, and indeed the world. Then these "dry bones" will truly live as Ezekiel prophesied, and which prophesy can only find fulfillment in and through Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Amen.

Whitney Houston's anthems and an Anthem for Jesus Christ

I had heard Whitney Houston songs for years but never watched her videos. So tonight I went on YouTube and they had a special set of videos for this world famous superstar who really died too soon at age 48 years, yesterday. As I watched and listened, the lyrics of one song in particular were almost strangely prophetic. To the beat of very haunting music she sang," If tomorrow is judgment day and I'm standing on the front line and the Lord asks me what I did with my life, I'll say that spent it with you...your love is my love and my love is your love...if I lose my fame and fortune and I am the street and I sleeping in Grand Central Station, it's ok if you're sleeping with me......if I should die...don't cry for me....and no matter what the people say I'll be waiting for you on judgment day. Wow! So did Michael " gone too soon" Jackson die at a similar age and perhaps under the same circumstances. And many others have trod the same path at a relatively young age. As a child music was my life, followed by football, athletics and perhaps church in that order. Many songs became " anthems" for my friends and and I. So we knew all the words, and can remember some even at this age. The Drifters, Ben E King, Dionne Warwick - Whitney's aunt - Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Nat King Cole, Sam Cook, The Supremes, The Jackson Five. And then later on we listened to and appreciated the music of many of the contemporary singers, although by then other more important priorities had overcome my love for popular music, as my love for Christ grew and eventually became supreme. Sadly, there are many folks, not just youngsters as I was then, those I can understand, but more mature persons like myself, in the world in general, and in my country in particular, who still " worship" these superstars and spend so much of their time with iPods, watching videos, and attending the latest stage shows locally and abroad. Being forever young! So when judgment day comes as Whitney sang in " Your Love is my love", what are we really going to say to the Lord? That we had a good time on earth! That we wore the sexiest dress as I saw Rhianna wearing - outrageously revealing - as I came home and saw her being interviewed on TV prior to performing at the Grammys! That we went to Carnival in Trinidad every year, even at eighty and about to go into a wheel chair! Really now! That we were there when Celine Dion delivered a blockbuster performance at the now highly rated Jazz Festival on Jamaica's famous Northcoast. So when we die as Whitney sang, do we really think that our superstars and our beloved will be waiting in heaven for us on judgment day. In fact do we really think there is going to be a judgment day at all! And how does all this help a nation gripped with one of the highest murder rate in the world, and stifling by years of anemic, at best , economic growth. Which has left so many of our people in poverty and in desperate circumstances whilst many live as if there is no tomorrow. Perhaps the suddenness of Whitney's death will cause a few to pause and think. Maybe! In the midst of all of this the Lord led me, again, to reflect on the words of what I believe should be the " Anthem " for the church. A song which has influenced greatly this Sunday night Internet Ministry which is ongoing now for over four years, and to which lyrics I have been led back to time and time again. But this is the first time that He has put it into my head to advocate for it to be an Anthem. Coincidence? I think not! 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. and griefs and torments numberless, and sweat of agony; yea, death itself - and all for me who was thine enemy. Then why, O Blessed Jesus 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. Perhaps Whitney, and Michael, and other less known folks who died recently in my country including a popular talk show host Wilmot Perkins who once " flirted " with Christianity", came at some point near their death to love Jesus. I don't know, and it is not my business to judge. Only God can, and should. The point is that anyone who comes to appreciate the love of Christ, and in turn loves the Lord Jesus equally, in this profound way as the writer of this hymn did, then there is no limit to God can and will do through him or her in this nation and in the world abroad. That's why it should be an " anthem ' for the church so that everybody will know and reflect deeply on the words. Words which are radically opposed to the " prosperity gospel" - a doctrine which encourages people to love God for what He can do for them in a material way, rather than loving Jesus...only because He suffered and died for us...who were His enemies! Words which reflect the call of Jesus to " Love the Lord thy God with all thine heart.......". Truth which calls for a return to the radical gospel of sin and grace, the muting of which in parts of the world, according to the Rev. Timothy Keller may explain the shift of the center Christianity from the North to the South. A point which I raised with some of the leaders of the of my church and some media persons in a note today: "Something to think about as the church grapples with this issue of the gay and lesbian lifestyle. I am currently reading a book by the NY Times best selling author Rev. Timothy Keller. His fame came from " The Reason for God: Belief in an age of Skepticism". The name of his latest book is " Kings" Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus". In a chapter entitled ' The Trap", he quotes from Andrew Wallis " a distinguished historian of world Christianity", who makes the point that wherever other great religions began, that is still their center today. Islam; Middle East. Buddhism: Far East. Hinduism: India. Not so Christianity - moving from Jerusalem to the Hellenistic Mediterranean world to Northern Europe and North America over centuries. In the past decade a major corner was turned: " More than 50 percent of Christians now live in the southern hemisphere." In the year 1900 Wallis points out, Africa was only 1 percent Christian. Now Christians make up nearly half the African population.......at the turn of this century USA had 2.4 m Episcopalians and other Anglicans......whilst Nigeria had 17m and Uganda 8m. Why this constant shift? Wallis argues that " One must conclude, I think, that there is a certain vulnerability, a fragility, at the heart of Christianity. You might say that this is the vulnerability of the Cross"...the heart of the gospel is the cross, and the cross is all about giving up power, pouring our resources and serving. Wallis hinted that when Christianity is in a place of power and wealth for a long period, the radical message of sin and grace can become muted or even lost. Then Christianity starts to transmute into a nice, safe religion, one that's for respectable people who try to be good. And eventually it becomes virtually dormant in those places and the center moves somewhere else........." A call to return to the radical gospel of sin, the proper understanding of which, according to Bonhoeffer - the German Pastor and theologian who paid the supreme sacrifice for opposing Hitler during World War Two - in a meditation which affected my greatly this week, can be the only basis for discipleship. A TRUE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST - DIETRICH BONHOEFFER VERSE MATTHEW 9: 9 Excerpt ...Discipleship mean an adherence to Christ, and, because Christ is the object of that adherence, it must take the form of discipleship....with an abstract idea it is possible enter into a relationship of formal knowledge, to become enthusiastic about it, and perhaps even put it into practice, but it can never be followed in personal obedience. Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth which has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits Christ as the living Son. And Christianity of that kind is nothing more or les than the end of discipleship. In such a religion there is trust in God, but no following of Christ. Because the Son of God became man, because he is the mediator, for that reason alone the only true relation we can have with him is to follow him. Discipleship is bound to Christ as the mediator, and where it is deeply understood, it necessarily implies faith in the Son of God as the mediator. only the mediator, the God-man, can call men to follow him. The point is that, unless and until we properly appreciate the, " nails and the spear and the manifold disgrace", that happened on the cross, " yea death itself and all for me", then we will never have the need for a mediator between us sinners and a Holy God. And so we have many in our society who flirt with Christianity, but " run away" when called upon to be disciples. Because being a disciple means that you just cannot go around listening to Whitney Houston, Bob Marley and Michael Jackson all day long. Discipleship means that Christ has to be your first and only love - solely because He died for you, and not because you wish to go to heaven or escape hell or " grow your business" or find a lover, or keep him or her, or win the Lotto, or win the elections. Many have a place for " Father God" in their hearts but no place for sacrificing as a disciple. And there is no such Christianity, and people need to know how far they are from " doing the will of God" - which is to believe in His Son whom He sent to die on a cross for us Only a total surrender then, to Christ as a disciple will enable the love of Christ, and the power of God through the Holy Spirit, to flow like the promised streams of living water to rescue people from the worshiping of idols of money, sex, drugs, guns, their political heroes, their favourite talk show hosts and favourite artistes, the act of which collectively, is devastating the lives of so many, young and old. In Jamaica and in Whitney Houston's home, the USA. And causing them not only to die too soon, but worse to perish. And Jesus came because God so loved the world....that people should not perish. I pray God that people will indeed use this song as an anthem so that they not perish and help others not to perish. Amen