The re-election of Barack Hussein Obama as President of the United States of America was by far the biggest news story this week. In Jamaica, where very few people had a vote, many stayed up late to watch the final results.
I know of responsible professionals like teachers, who had to go to work the following day, staying up until 2-3 o'clock Wednesday morning. My own wife who has never voted in her entire life stayed up until after 1:00 am. And of course the faithful in that now famous park in Chicago, stayed right to the very end to hear his acceptance speech and to see his wonderful family on stage again - as they did four years ago. Me? I went to bed early - partly because I was confident that the Lord would not allow a warmonger like Romney to win and partly because I had to function well at work the next day - and watched the entire speech at my convenience on YouTube on Wednesday night.
So what provoked this love for and devotion to this man? A man who would under normal circumstances would be voted least likely to become president of the USA, much less to be re-elected at a time when the economy was in bad shape. A man with no power base, no money to speak of, and a man starting off with a huge disadvantage as a black man in, what is in large part, although changing rapidly, a white man's country. I believe, as I said in a sermon today that I was privileged to share with my congregation, that in part the answer to that question lies with Obama's emotional and political maturity, and the fact that, as the exit polls revealed, people believed that he cared more about their problems.
In fact the same exit polls revealed data that pose(s) a real challenge to the Christian community both in the USA and in Jamaica. As while most Jamaican Christians were rooting for Obama, even though we had some challenges with his stance on abortions and same sex marriages, the data showed that most people in the USA who claimed to be regular church goers voted for Romney. Do they know something that we don't"? Do we know something that they don't? Could we be so unaware of, or acted in defiance to the Holy Spirit's guidance, because we were blinded by our love for someone of African descent? Or is it that we just do not wish to have Romney and his aggressive Bush-like behaviour get anywhere near to the White House - the seat of power for the only super power in the world? Could they have been so blinded to the movement of the Holy Spirit by their revulsion of having a black man retain power in their country, or are their more concerned about the direction which the country under his leadership is heading?
Whatever the answer is, the reality is that this Obama is no ordinary man. " The best that the black community has to offer - well educated, clean living and possessed of an absolutely wonderful family - and yet not good enough for them, amazing ", according to my daughter who lives in the USA. We can all recall his fortuitous victory in Chicago in the early days of his political life, when the his more powerful opponent self-destructed; the amazing fortune of being in the right place at the right time to deliver his now famous speech endorsing while endorsing a losing Presidential candidate John Kerry; and to cap it all beating the formidable Hillary Clinton in the primaries. As they say “the rest is history". Clearly a power greater than we can comprehend has catapulted him into this most influential position in the history of mankind. What awaits him only God he knows?
So what then did the Lord reveal to His servant this week as the world went “mad “about Obama? Some Republicans, from their uttering, quite literally so, whilst the rest of us were either simply ecstatic or just plain relieved.
Monday Nov, 5...the day before the election
This matter of “falling asleep" in the presence of Jesus is no ordinary one. I was led to include the e-mail...part 1.... below in last night's Internet message. Then this morning, on going to one section of the Bible, I "found", this very thought provoking passage from Martin Luther. A bit truncated, as it is too long to send this morning, but I will send the entire thing later.
THE TERRIFYING OF THE CONSCIENCE AND THE PREACHING OF THE LAW
Martin Luther
Vs: 2 Chronicles 34:21....the story of Josiah, the finding of Book of the Law from Moses and obedience because they feared the Lord.
We must preach the law for the sake of the evil and wicked, but for the most part it lights upon the good and godly who although they need it not, except so far as may concern the old Adam, yet accept it.............The ungodly suck only a fleshly liberty out of the gospel, and become worse thereby; therefore not the gospel but the law belongs to them............
The gospel is like a fresh, mild, and cool air in the extreme heat of summer, a solace and comfort in the anguish of the conscience. But as this heat proceeds from the rays of the sun, so likewise the terrifying of the conscience must proceed from the preaching of the law, to the end that we may know we have offended against the laws of God.
Now when the mind is refreshed and quickened again by the cool air of the gospel, we must not then be idle, or " LIE DOWN AND SLEEP" ( my emphasis). That is, when our consciences are settled in peace, quieted and comforted through God's Spirit, we must prove our faith by such good works as God has commanded us. But so far as we live in this vale of misery, we shall be plagued and vexed with flies, with beetles, and with vermin, that is, with the devil, the world, and our own flesh. Yet we must press through, and not suffer ourselves to recoil.
Sent from my iPad
Comment - The reflection above is a continuation of a discussion which began in the last message about the need to the children of God to be eternally. And the additional point here, as argued by Martin Luther…one of the most famous fathers of the early church …is that the law is to be preached to the unbelievers, so that they may fear God. And then when the gospel is preached and our anguish relieved, then we are encouraged not to “fall asleep”, not to become distracted, but again be vigilant.
The theme which undergirded my sermon today was the need for Christian maturity. And one of the passages to which the Holy Spirit led me was the story of “The Parable of the Sower (of Seeds), as recoded in Luke. The focus was on the seed that fell among thorns and got choked. The explanation which Jesus gave to his disciples ended with the warning….and they did not mature.
So clearly this issue of maturity was, and continues to be an important issue on God’s agenda for His church. So why did the “seed not mature”? Because they are “choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures”. The problem then is twofold. Many unbelievers have heard the gospel, but either because they do not fear God or have, according to Luther “sucked a fleshly liberty out of it”, have not benefited from it. In the sense that their interpretation of God’s mercy, God’s grace which cost His Son Jesus His life, is to forget about the cost of this grace, make it cheap, and accept the Christian faith on their “ liberal terms”. Hence we have the phenomenon of persons re-interpreting the gospel or re-writing it in such a way that there is no “fear of God’s wrath”, in order to justify or validate their lifestyle.
The other problem, of equal concern, is the many Christians who have failed to mature and help to be Light in this dark world, because their faith has been wrecked by anxiety, fear, an unwillingness to sacrifice which has spawned an unhealthy love of pleasures, and the unbridled love of riches.
Thursday Nov 7… two days post election
After I read and reflected on the words of the hymn below this morning, during my devotions (which was the hymn send by a friend to me when I was in Singapore and witnessed men crying spontaneously during a early morning worship service out of a deep love for Jesus, and which experience affected me in a most profound way......and which correspondence gave birth to the weekly Internet Ministry) one passage of Scripture came to my mind. And which one led to a reflection on another. Both of which were in shared in an earlier response to a discussion we had on “the correct faith”.
For Christ's love compels us - 2. Corinthians 5:14: Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men - vs 11.
The point is that the purpose of the entire Bible is to teach us both to fear God and to love Him and to be reconciled to Him in and through Christ Jesus - Eternal Life. And the point of the words of the hymn below is to teach us that He first loved us....revelation coming from both the Old Testament and the New. And so when we come to love God in Christ for " the correct reason", then Christ's love compels us....to be obedient....to try to persuade others....to love our neighbour....to love justice...to love righteousness....to have a special love for the poor and the needy....to be humble.........to persevere in the face of opposition, trials and persecution.
So where does Barack Obama, for whose victory I cried out to the Lord....primarily because Romney is a " warmonger".....and yes the African-American factor was huge...... despite my opposition to some of his policies, fit into all of this? Interesting question. As in all things a love for Christ first, will help to understand all else.
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 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,
nor seeking 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.
Now, who with a “correct understanding of the faith “could fail to love and be obedient to such a God. So then, the love for same Christ Jesus compels me to write to you and others and to continue to pray for Barack Obama as I continue to pray for my own soul. And yours.
Peace LWJ
Sent from my iPad
Comment - The issue of having “a fear of God” as taught by the preaching of the law continues in this reflection above, which was sent to some senior journalists in my country as part of an ongoing discussion about the “correct faith”. An issue, the correct faith, which we all hope President Obama will come to terms with one day soon. An issue which demands our constant prayers for the American Christians who voted for Romney. An issue which requires our eternal vigilance for those of us who “voted “for Obama despite our misgivings about some of his policies. As at the end of the day our allegiance must lie only with the One who died on the Cross of Calvary for all mankind
Saturday Nov 10…the final bit of communication as I prepared the sermon for today
Finally recalling the story of the Good Samaritan and the question Jesus posed at the end, which one of these three men was a neigbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers. The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise. So too the greatest manifestation of mature Christianity is for us to have mercy on our neighours. For this is precisely what Jesus did on the Cross of Calvary. In the same way that 1 Corinthians 13, reminds us that if we can speak in tongues of men and angels and have not love we have nothing, so too if we are not merciful to those around us we have not matured. We have to be prepared to show love and mercy to those who are different from us, to those who oppose our faith, and even to those who persecute us, as God is merciful to the wicked and the ungrateful. No doubt this is the reason why early Saturday morning the Lord woke me up with the words of the hymn on my mind:
Nothing in my hand I bring
Simply to your Cross I cling
Naked come to you for dress
Helpless, look to you for grace
Foul I to the fountain fly,
Wash me Saviour, lest I die.
My friends we all need to come to the point, and reflect deeply on it, that were it not for God's grace and mercy we would all be still subject to His wrath, and be without hope, and without God in the world according to the Scriptures.
So this call for a maturing of our faith and a revelation that God ultimately is a God of love, compassion and mercy comes at critical time in the history of our country.
How this understanding of the Christian faith plays out as we grapple with the hot button issues of homosexuality and gay marriage will determine what kind of society we bequeath to our children. How this understanding of the faith plays out in how we elect our political leaders and support them will in large measure determine how relevant the church will be to the young, the irreverent, and the cynical. How this understanding of the faith plays out will determine how we deal with the burning social challenges of crime and violence, the gross immorality, the rampant greed and grinding poverty in our country.
At all times we must preserve the fundamentals of our faith; no forgiveness without an acknowledgement of the shedding of the Blood of Christ, and that all of sinned and fallen short of God's glory. But at all times we must seek to have Christ live within us and through us, so that steams of living waters, the promised Holy Spirit will bring times of refreshing to our country. As in the final analysis the hope of all mankind does not depend on the fortunes of Barack Hussein Obama, but rather as the Psalmist says in the word appointed for today:
Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortal men who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God.
The Maker of heaven and earth
the sea and everything in them -
the Lord remains who remains faithful forever. Psalm 146:3-6 NIV
So let us support President Obama, as he is a good man
a man of peace, but reserve all glory and honor for the God-man
even Jesus Christ who died for our sins on Calvary and lives in our hearts
by the power of the Holy Spirit and by grace and faith.
Comment – So we have come full circle. At the core of His being, this God who is Spirit, and took the form of Man in Jesus Christ, became incarnate, and suffered and died on the Cross of Calvary, in order that our sins may be forgiven, and His wrath removed, is therefore a God of mercy and compassion. Could it be then, like the rest of us, despite his many faults and sins, Obama sought to show the kind of mercy to all his constituents, despite being “theologically incorrect”. Could it be the reason why the divine hand has been with him, protecting him from wild living in his youth, keeping him focused in his studies, shielding him from the love of riches and directing him to work with the poor and needy in Chicago. Do we then, either in the USA or in Jamaica or anywhere else in the world, who claim to love the Lord and correctly interpret the Scriptures and yet are lacking in mercy “closer to the Kingdom” than he is? And what does mercy entail? To deny the reality of sin? No! But rather, to remember that we too are “naked and helpless” and so be kind to the “wicked and the ungrateful”, as God in Christ continues to be. And to put our trust, not in “ princes”, like Obama, or any other leader, but to trust only in the God of Jacob and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
More on Hurricane Sandy, local events, Obama or Ronmey: Christ and authority
It was almost unbelievable. The rows and rows of destroyed homes on New Jersey's waterfront, looked like something more like Hiroshima after the explosion of the first Atomic Bomb and which brought Japan to these knees in World War 11. Then the stories broke of the long lines of persons waiting on gas to " tank up" their generators. Some waiting from the night before. The flooding of the train-lines in Manhattan, the mass evacuation of hospitals, "the bucket brigade" of soldiers carrying gas up many flights of stairs to feed the voracious appetite of the standby generators for the hospital - 900 gallons per hour. The numbing cold, the flooded basements, the army of people walking to and from work, the unfortunate deaths from falling tress. All of this taking place in the United States of America, the world's only superpower. Amazing what the forces of nature can do. So sad that so many suffered, and continue to suffer. We here in Jamaica, a small poor underdeveloped country despite our problems, have much for which to give thanks. Some in the capital city Kingston are still without light. many in the eastern end of the country are trying to put the pieces of their lives together. But we did not suffer the same kind of devastation that hit the New York/ New Jersey area of America.
And yet we continue with the madness, as just tonight, the local television station reported that two women had been murdered. Before that, yet another pregnant woman was killed - allegedly by her boyfriend. Who was then set up on by an angry mob, and had to be rescued by the police. In the midst of all of that, news broke of two security guards beating a young male student who was allegedly caught in an " uncompromising position in the bathroom with another male"! The two guards were fired immediately and have since been arrested by the police. Their actions were also condemned by members of civil society locally, and no doubt internationally, as the video of the beatings were reportedly posted , at least for a while on you-tube. Of course most Jamaicans along with the rest of the International community, have a great interest in the elections to be held in the USA on November 6, to see whether or not Barack Obama will be given a second term.
As I considered these things happening around me, and no doubt my own personal struggles, the word from the Lord this week was as follows:
Thursday Nov 1,...sent to some people who have authority in my church
Last night while reading the story of the transfiguration of Jesus in the Luke account, I was very struck by the fact that the narrative recorded the fact that Peter and his companions were " very sleepy", at the time when Jesus' full glory was being revealed. Immediately I recalled also the same sleepiness, this time on account of their great sorrow, on the part of the disciples when Jesus faced His greatest trial in Gethsemane. And Jesus' warning them to pray without ceasing less they fall into temptation.
Clearly the Spirit of God was saying something important. For my part, I made sure not to allow any sleepiness to overcome me, as happens sometimes during my bedtime devotions and even while praying before falling asleep and the Lord protected me from much suffering on account of it.
Then tonight as I thought about writing, I recalled the five wise and five foolish virgins and how they all fell asleep waiting on the bridegroom.
All of this preceding a revelation during my early morning devotions that the Kingdom of God is not a place but rather a person. And wherever Christ reigns there the kingdom of God is......and which revelation came after reading the gospel for this week when Jesus told the man that he was " not far from the Kingdom", for having answered so wisely. Then the Lord led me through several passages in John including......, " you diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life".
Our role then is make sure that we submit to to the authority of Jesus in our lives...then the kingdom of God will spread more and more in this country. But first we have to learn to "wait upon the Lord", and not fall asleep....cease to be vigilant. So my lesson this week on submitting to authority was for a specific purpose and very timely indeed.
Praise God
LWJ
One of the things we have to learn as a discipline in life, as people of God, is to be vigilant. Personal trials may just a heartbeat away, or they may come another day, or week. But come they will. Problems for a church, for a community, and for a nation quite often do not announce themselves long in advance, so that one can prepare. In my country there is a wise old saying which captures it perfectly, " trouble don't set like rain". And the one thing the enemy, the devil, wishes to achieve, is for us to lose focus, to be so overwhelmed by our circumstances, to be distracted, so that when the Lord speaks to us in a special way, or reveals Himself in a special manner, or warns us of impending trouble, we
"are sleepy, tired and act foolishly". No wonder then that the Scriptures advise us to " keep our eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of our faith" - the Lord Jesus Christ. I was watching a program on local television TVJ entitled " Profile" hosted by Ian Boyne, locally and Internationally acclaimed journalist for some of his interviews. His guest was Shelly-Ann Frazer-Pryce, the famous Jamaican female sprinter who won the 100m gold medal at the recently concluded Olympic Games in London. As good interviewers are wont to do, he pressed Shelly -Ann to reveal what were some of her motivating factors that had made her so successful. And what kept her going during her ( inevitable) " down times". One of the things she revealed which brought joy to my heart, coming from, not just a young woman, but a young and now rich and famous one, who could easily have attributed, as others have done, her success to hard work only. Yes she did that too, but made special note that she spoke to God a lot. This story, in my mind cements the need for all of us to get into the discipline of speaking to God " a lot". As according to the Word, He is a God who can do " abundantly more than what we can ask or imagine". And not just because of what He can do, but as our pastor reminded us in a " teaching sermon" this morning at church, because of Who God is. A God who loved us long before we loved Him. A God who delights in our company. A God who demonstrated the full extent of His " Agape" ...self-sacrificing...love for us, on the Cross of Calvary, even " while we were still sinners". So then, this is a God who according to the young people we need to " get next to". To be vigilant in speaking to, and listening to, and most importantly in being obedient to Him. Yes the storms of life will come, but we have a God who is " a very present help in times of trouble".
Friday November 2.......send to a journalist who hosted a discussion on the beating of the male ( homosexual) student by the security guards.
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it may go well with them and their children forever. Deut. 5:29. Heard you this evening. This cry from the Lord offers a better solution to social decay than what you discussed. Indeed the only permanent solution.
LWJ
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from LIME.
One of the things that an influential member of civil society who appeared on the program on Nationwide FM 90 ( A revolution in media) bemoaned, was the fact of the rise in intolerance in the society at large, to people who were " the other". And she cited terrible atrocities which she had personally witnessed being meted out to " persons of unsound mind", to " street people", and to the " physically challenged, as examples of this kind of mindset in our nation. And which action against the male student was to be seen in that larger context. Others have pointed to the rise in mob behaviour in general in our country, as also part of the social decay in our land. One of the ironies in this particular situation, is that some, not all, of the critics are blaming the church for essentially for " fanning the flames of intolerance" by preaching that homosexuality is a Sin. Which in my understanding of the Scriptures it certainly is. But what they fail to point out is that, certainly in the Jamaican context, the mores and values which shaped our society and made it once peaceful and stable, the breakdown of which many are now lamenting without : of love for God and neighbour, compassion for the helpless and needy, forgiveness for those who sin against you and even persecute you; were the direct products of the kind of teaching and preaching as found in Deuteronomy 5:29. And in large measure if truth be told, within the limits of an imperfect world, " things did go very well for them and their children for a while". As that was the kind of society in which I was privileged have my upbringing. one that " feared God". Now people fear neither God nor man, and do whatever they are " big and bad enough" to do. With impunity!
And the point I was, therefore, making to one of Jamaica's most respected journalists, who to be fair, in recent times, is being more nuanced in his approach to this "vexed", issue, is that, what we once had, can be regained, but only if we are once again prepared as a society, to submit to the authority of God in Christ Jesus. Otherwise we will be forever lamenting the many and varied ills of our nation. As persons who submit to Christ, do not submit to mob rule, on the one hand, but rather act in love an compassion. Nor do they, on the other hand, rebel openly and publicly, or for that matter in privacy of their homes as if God does not see them there too, against their Creator, who made them to be holy, as He God is holy. As a people of God then we have to be vigilant, and not " fall asleep" in our sharing of the love of God to all persons, regardless of colour, creed, sexual orientation, status in society, perceived antagonism to the things of God, or even openly disrespectful and dismissive, as we continue to " lift up the name of Christ". And He will then " draw all men unto himself". What then applies to Jamaica, is also equally important for the USA, in respect of the need for the leaders of that country, and its people, if they wish that " it may go well with them and their children forever", is to submit to the authority of the written Word of God, the Holy Bible, and the living Word, Christ Jesus. How this will play out on Tuesday night , as we say here in Jamaica "only God He knows."
Saturday November 3,...sent to the same journalist and to others in the profession
Then he said to Thomas, Put you finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.
Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God. John 20:28 NIV
Christianity, if false, is of no importance. And, if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important. - C.S. Lewis ( who before he became one of the best known Christian writers and apologetic was an atheist).
New every morning is the love,
Our wakening and uprising prove,
Through sleep and darkness safely brought,
Restored to life and power and thought.......
Thank God for Jesus. Thank God for life. Thank God for a new day.
Peace
LWJ
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from LIME.
This message does not need much comment from me. The critical issue here is captured by C. S. Lewis, a favourite of many who do not even profess Christ, but who appreciate his candor and clarity. So then, is Christianity of moderate importance to you? And if that option is not available, do you go against the whole grain of history of the Jamaican and American and indeed world history, and " throw it out the window". Or do you like Thomas declare, to Jesus...and then submit to His authority....as not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of God...... " My Lord and my God.
That's an even more profound choice that than between Obama and Romney. As one will determine the future of America for another four years, or even perhaps a few more, but the other will determine your future, not just for life here on earth, but for infinity.
Saturday November 3....sent to my church leaders
Hark my soul! It is the Lord; 'tis thy Saviour, hear his word; Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee, 'say poor sinner, lovest thou me? " When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of John do you truly love me more than these. Yes Lord, he sad, you know that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my lambs. Again Jesus said, Simon son of John, do you truly love me? He answered, Yes, Lord you know that I love you. Jesus said, Take care of my sheep............... John 21:15-16 NIV " It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 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. The we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching................" Ephesians 4:11-14 NIV " 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 each other 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 through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: When he ascended on high he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men. Ephesians 4:1-8 NIV This Word came at a time when I was taught, and accepted, a lesson about submission to authority, and the diversity of the body of Christ. And so I repented. PeaceLWJ Sent from my iPad
The final word for this week was a reminder about unity in the light of the findings of the recent Census in Jamaica which revealed that the mainline churches were losing ground to the more charismatic churches in terms of the number of persons who claimed an affiliation with a particular denomination. Much has been written about this phenomenon, and much equally, has been spoken about it on radio and television. In the context of this discussion about being vigilant as people of God, this final word from the Lord this week, tells us that what is of importance as church, is our commitment to preserving the unity of the church, and respect for the diverse gifts within the body of Christ. Those who do otherwise, and " ridicule the efforts and witness of other churches", are not acting in love and with an understanding of who is the giver of all gifts and for what purpose. A careful reading of the Ephesian passage, and to which I was led to read in the middle of the night, will reveal that our main purpose as church is to become " mature in Christ". And which maturity will ensure than we will not be " blown here and there by every wind of teaching". If truth be told maturity is not a common feature of today's church, so heavily influenced by the world around us; so easily led astray by the temptations of our time; so easily falling asleep when the challenges of life threaten our faith. No wonder the Luke passage about the Sower of the Seed says that " and we do not mature".
Mature Christians do not become less vigilant in defending the faith even in the face of " mighty powers" Mature Christians do not " run with the crowd" and cause the name of Christ to be dishonored. Mature Christians depend on the Rock that is Christ when the storms of life come blowing. Mature Christians seek to maintain the unity of the body of Christ. Mature Christians talk and listen to God a lot, and obey Him always, that it " may go well with them and their children and their neighbours and their country forever. Amen
And yet we continue with the madness, as just tonight, the local television station reported that two women had been murdered. Before that, yet another pregnant woman was killed - allegedly by her boyfriend. Who was then set up on by an angry mob, and had to be rescued by the police. In the midst of all of that, news broke of two security guards beating a young male student who was allegedly caught in an " uncompromising position in the bathroom with another male"! The two guards were fired immediately and have since been arrested by the police. Their actions were also condemned by members of civil society locally, and no doubt internationally, as the video of the beatings were reportedly posted , at least for a while on you-tube. Of course most Jamaicans along with the rest of the International community, have a great interest in the elections to be held in the USA on November 6, to see whether or not Barack Obama will be given a second term.
As I considered these things happening around me, and no doubt my own personal struggles, the word from the Lord this week was as follows:
Thursday Nov 1,...sent to some people who have authority in my church
Last night while reading the story of the transfiguration of Jesus in the Luke account, I was very struck by the fact that the narrative recorded the fact that Peter and his companions were " very sleepy", at the time when Jesus' full glory was being revealed. Immediately I recalled also the same sleepiness, this time on account of their great sorrow, on the part of the disciples when Jesus faced His greatest trial in Gethsemane. And Jesus' warning them to pray without ceasing less they fall into temptation.
Clearly the Spirit of God was saying something important. For my part, I made sure not to allow any sleepiness to overcome me, as happens sometimes during my bedtime devotions and even while praying before falling asleep and the Lord protected me from much suffering on account of it.
Then tonight as I thought about writing, I recalled the five wise and five foolish virgins and how they all fell asleep waiting on the bridegroom.
All of this preceding a revelation during my early morning devotions that the Kingdom of God is not a place but rather a person. And wherever Christ reigns there the kingdom of God is......and which revelation came after reading the gospel for this week when Jesus told the man that he was " not far from the Kingdom", for having answered so wisely. Then the Lord led me through several passages in John including......, " you diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life".
Our role then is make sure that we submit to to the authority of Jesus in our lives...then the kingdom of God will spread more and more in this country. But first we have to learn to "wait upon the Lord", and not fall asleep....cease to be vigilant. So my lesson this week on submitting to authority was for a specific purpose and very timely indeed.
Praise God
LWJ
One of the things we have to learn as a discipline in life, as people of God, is to be vigilant. Personal trials may just a heartbeat away, or they may come another day, or week. But come they will. Problems for a church, for a community, and for a nation quite often do not announce themselves long in advance, so that one can prepare. In my country there is a wise old saying which captures it perfectly, " trouble don't set like rain". And the one thing the enemy, the devil, wishes to achieve, is for us to lose focus, to be so overwhelmed by our circumstances, to be distracted, so that when the Lord speaks to us in a special way, or reveals Himself in a special manner, or warns us of impending trouble, we
"are sleepy, tired and act foolishly". No wonder then that the Scriptures advise us to " keep our eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of our faith" - the Lord Jesus Christ. I was watching a program on local television TVJ entitled " Profile" hosted by Ian Boyne, locally and Internationally acclaimed journalist for some of his interviews. His guest was Shelly-Ann Frazer-Pryce, the famous Jamaican female sprinter who won the 100m gold medal at the recently concluded Olympic Games in London. As good interviewers are wont to do, he pressed Shelly -Ann to reveal what were some of her motivating factors that had made her so successful. And what kept her going during her ( inevitable) " down times". One of the things she revealed which brought joy to my heart, coming from, not just a young woman, but a young and now rich and famous one, who could easily have attributed, as others have done, her success to hard work only. Yes she did that too, but made special note that she spoke to God a lot. This story, in my mind cements the need for all of us to get into the discipline of speaking to God " a lot". As according to the Word, He is a God who can do " abundantly more than what we can ask or imagine". And not just because of what He can do, but as our pastor reminded us in a " teaching sermon" this morning at church, because of Who God is. A God who loved us long before we loved Him. A God who delights in our company. A God who demonstrated the full extent of His " Agape" ...self-sacrificing...love for us, on the Cross of Calvary, even " while we were still sinners". So then, this is a God who according to the young people we need to " get next to". To be vigilant in speaking to, and listening to, and most importantly in being obedient to Him. Yes the storms of life will come, but we have a God who is " a very present help in times of trouble".
Friday November 2.......send to a journalist who hosted a discussion on the beating of the male ( homosexual) student by the security guards.
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it may go well with them and their children forever. Deut. 5:29. Heard you this evening. This cry from the Lord offers a better solution to social decay than what you discussed. Indeed the only permanent solution.
LWJ
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from LIME.
One of the things that an influential member of civil society who appeared on the program on Nationwide FM 90 ( A revolution in media) bemoaned, was the fact of the rise in intolerance in the society at large, to people who were " the other". And she cited terrible atrocities which she had personally witnessed being meted out to " persons of unsound mind", to " street people", and to the " physically challenged, as examples of this kind of mindset in our nation. And which action against the male student was to be seen in that larger context. Others have pointed to the rise in mob behaviour in general in our country, as also part of the social decay in our land. One of the ironies in this particular situation, is that some, not all, of the critics are blaming the church for essentially for " fanning the flames of intolerance" by preaching that homosexuality is a Sin. Which in my understanding of the Scriptures it certainly is. But what they fail to point out is that, certainly in the Jamaican context, the mores and values which shaped our society and made it once peaceful and stable, the breakdown of which many are now lamenting without : of love for God and neighbour, compassion for the helpless and needy, forgiveness for those who sin against you and even persecute you; were the direct products of the kind of teaching and preaching as found in Deuteronomy 5:29. And in large measure if truth be told, within the limits of an imperfect world, " things did go very well for them and their children for a while". As that was the kind of society in which I was privileged have my upbringing. one that " feared God". Now people fear neither God nor man, and do whatever they are " big and bad enough" to do. With impunity!
And the point I was, therefore, making to one of Jamaica's most respected journalists, who to be fair, in recent times, is being more nuanced in his approach to this "vexed", issue, is that, what we once had, can be regained, but only if we are once again prepared as a society, to submit to the authority of God in Christ Jesus. Otherwise we will be forever lamenting the many and varied ills of our nation. As persons who submit to Christ, do not submit to mob rule, on the one hand, but rather act in love an compassion. Nor do they, on the other hand, rebel openly and publicly, or for that matter in privacy of their homes as if God does not see them there too, against their Creator, who made them to be holy, as He God is holy. As a people of God then we have to be vigilant, and not " fall asleep" in our sharing of the love of God to all persons, regardless of colour, creed, sexual orientation, status in society, perceived antagonism to the things of God, or even openly disrespectful and dismissive, as we continue to " lift up the name of Christ". And He will then " draw all men unto himself". What then applies to Jamaica, is also equally important for the USA, in respect of the need for the leaders of that country, and its people, if they wish that " it may go well with them and their children forever", is to submit to the authority of the written Word of God, the Holy Bible, and the living Word, Christ Jesus. How this will play out on Tuesday night , as we say here in Jamaica "only God He knows."
Saturday November 3,...sent to the same journalist and to others in the profession
Then he said to Thomas, Put you finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.
Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God. John 20:28 NIV
Christianity, if false, is of no importance. And, if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important. - C.S. Lewis ( who before he became one of the best known Christian writers and apologetic was an atheist).
New every morning is the love,
Our wakening and uprising prove,
Through sleep and darkness safely brought,
Restored to life and power and thought.......
Thank God for Jesus. Thank God for life. Thank God for a new day.
Peace
LWJ
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from LIME.
This message does not need much comment from me. The critical issue here is captured by C. S. Lewis, a favourite of many who do not even profess Christ, but who appreciate his candor and clarity. So then, is Christianity of moderate importance to you? And if that option is not available, do you go against the whole grain of history of the Jamaican and American and indeed world history, and " throw it out the window". Or do you like Thomas declare, to Jesus...and then submit to His authority....as not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of God...... " My Lord and my God.
That's an even more profound choice that than between Obama and Romney. As one will determine the future of America for another four years, or even perhaps a few more, but the other will determine your future, not just for life here on earth, but for infinity.
Saturday November 3....sent to my church leaders
Hark my soul! It is the Lord; 'tis thy Saviour, hear his word; Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee, 'say poor sinner, lovest thou me? " When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of John do you truly love me more than these. Yes Lord, he sad, you know that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my lambs. Again Jesus said, Simon son of John, do you truly love me? He answered, Yes, Lord you know that I love you. Jesus said, Take care of my sheep............... John 21:15-16 NIV " It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 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. The we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching................" Ephesians 4:11-14 NIV " 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 each other 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 through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: When he ascended on high he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men. Ephesians 4:1-8 NIV This Word came at a time when I was taught, and accepted, a lesson about submission to authority, and the diversity of the body of Christ. And so I repented. PeaceLWJ Sent from my iPad
The final word for this week was a reminder about unity in the light of the findings of the recent Census in Jamaica which revealed that the mainline churches were losing ground to the more charismatic churches in terms of the number of persons who claimed an affiliation with a particular denomination. Much has been written about this phenomenon, and much equally, has been spoken about it on radio and television. In the context of this discussion about being vigilant as people of God, this final word from the Lord this week, tells us that what is of importance as church, is our commitment to preserving the unity of the church, and respect for the diverse gifts within the body of Christ. Those who do otherwise, and " ridicule the efforts and witness of other churches", are not acting in love and with an understanding of who is the giver of all gifts and for what purpose. A careful reading of the Ephesian passage, and to which I was led to read in the middle of the night, will reveal that our main purpose as church is to become " mature in Christ". And which maturity will ensure than we will not be " blown here and there by every wind of teaching". If truth be told maturity is not a common feature of today's church, so heavily influenced by the world around us; so easily led astray by the temptations of our time; so easily falling asleep when the challenges of life threaten our faith. No wonder the Luke passage about the Sower of the Seed says that " and we do not mature".
Mature Christians do not become less vigilant in defending the faith even in the face of " mighty powers" Mature Christians do not " run with the crowd" and cause the name of Christ to be dishonored. Mature Christians depend on the Rock that is Christ when the storms of life come blowing. Mature Christians seek to maintain the unity of the body of Christ. Mature Christians talk and listen to God a lot, and obey Him always, that it " may go well with them and their children and their neighbours and their country forever. Amen
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Hurricane Sandy and disruptions to our lives: Christ and change
This blog below was written on Sunday night and is just being posted now as we had not reliable Internet service until just now. No one could have predicted the severe damage that Hurricane Sandy caused in the USA, especially in New Jersey. Nor that which took place in the eastern part of our island. Our hearts and prayers are therefore with them.
After four days we got back power form our local Electricity company JPS last night at about mid-night. And thank God we had a generator which we used for periods in the days and up until10pm at nights in order to preserve our frozen food and provide light. Reportedly 70% of Jamaican homes, with a population now of 2.69 million persons according to the latest Census, were without power during the direct hit by Category 1 Storm Sandy, whose eye passed directly over my home in Kingston our capital city late Wednesday afternoon. Needless to say life changed very dramatically for me during those few days, and even more so for those folks who unfortunately were also without water, or whose homes were devastated by the storm. I am still without Internet service so I am going by a friend's home to send off this message in a while...yes God provides in all situations.
In a few hours, the same storm Sandy, with conditions favoring the development of what the Americans are now calling a " Perfect Storm" is predicted to to disrupt the lives of over 60 million persons living along the Eastern Seaboard of America. Their lives will change change dramatically in a very short time.
In times like these when we come face to face literally, not metaphorically as in many other instances, with the reality of how puny, weak and helpless mankind really is in the face of a greater power than us, it is perhaps only then that some people will even think about God as the One who wields ultimate power in this world.
At a time like this then, when many of us had our lives disrupted however temporarily, the messages from the Lord this week were very dramatic and life changing indeed.
Thursday Oct 25.
The first message came from a reading again of the story of the demon possessed man ...who name was Legion, as they were so many demons in him......as recorded in Luke 8:26-38 NIV. I was impressed by the the fact that Jesus was met by this man as he arrived in the region of the Gerasenes.....and also how he recognized Jesus as the " Son of the Most High God".........how the demons begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the abyss. And so as I reflected I wrote an e-mail to some friends in my church:
" Read again the story in Luke 8:26-39.
Revelation - Jesus and anything which is not of God cannot co-exist. Evil will always be cast out...and defeated, which I added on reflection tonight..... when Jesus is around. So once the Lord is with you, fear, doubt, malice, anger, an uncharitable spirit, greed, any kind of sinful thoughts and actions. in the same way the demons could not stay in the man one Jesus was with him. They knew exactly what was their fate - to be cast into the abyss.
The key thing in life therefore is not to try too hard to be a Christian, as like the man possessed we cannot rid ourselves of sin no matter how hard we try, but rather to pray without ceasing with a repentant heart, and believe St Paul's prayer as recorded in Ephesians 3:16-17.......
" I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may live in your heart through faith".
And although God has no " bad plans " for those who fear him, be mindful of St Paul's assertions in 2 Corinthians 1: 5....." For just as the sufferings of Christ flow into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
For even though the presence of Christ will drive away anything which is not of God, so too will His presence bring both suffering and comfort in the midst of suffering. And then the Lord will use you/we the "weak ones", to achieve His purpose in the lives of individuals and nations, so that no one can boast, and His Name alone will be glorified for ever. So let us pray without ceasing that christ may dwell in us so that " our demons too" may be cast out.
And then we will be able to " tell the whole town" ( vs 38) what God in Christ has done for us on the Cross of Calvary.
May the Lord's peace be with you.
LWJ
The point here is that just as how Sandy, this " perfect storm" is about to disrupt the lives of millions of people in the US, anyone who has had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ will have his or her life disrupted. Whether temporarily or not, depends on our decision to be obedient to Him. Or not. Life can never be the same again, whether in this life or the one to come. This life altering change...metanoia..... lies at the heart of the gospel message as the old " sinful man", disobedient, rebellious, self-seeking, self -satisfying and self-sufficient cannot exist in the presence of the Risen and Ascended Lord Christ. One has to go.
That's why the Scriptures declare that:
" If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!....2. Corinthians 5:17 NIV. In fact this verse was included in a response to a non Christian friend who questioned and warned me at the same time, after last week's message about the " correct faith", as prayed for by St. Francis of Assisi, as he was concerned about the kind of religious intolerance which occasioned the shooting by the Taliban of a young girl recently. And the response to him, as directed by the Lord was not to " defend myself", but to share with him the passage of Scripture which speaks about Christians being charged with the message of reconciliation and being the Ambassadors of Christ vs 11-6:1-2. NIV. The same Christ who " died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a wordily point of view, Though once we regarded Christ in this way we do do no longer".
" From now on..." means a complete turn around, a complete change of heart, which the Greek termed Metanoia, in the same way that the demon possessed man regained his right mind and made a complete change from what he was before Christ came into his life
A few days ago the results of the latest National Census was released. And among other things, the reality of the significant drop in the number of persons claiming an affiliation with the " mail line" churches, Anglicans, Methodists, Roman Catholics, Moravians and to a lesser extent Baptists, has been the subject of great debate in my country. The Census also showed correspondingly that there was has been a significant increase in the " newer" churches, Pentecostals, Church of God and Seventh Day Adventists.
Most worrying however, was the data which indicated that more and more Jamaicans, over 600,000 do not claim any affiliation at all.
In this midst of this debate the Lord led me back to read, once more, Bonhoeffer's ...the German priest and martyr who along with other Christians opposed Hitler and his totalitarian anti-God regime and paid the ultimate price with his life.....The Cost of Discipleship. And he begins with a startling and very profound ...written in 1937, almost 80 years ago......statement :
" Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of the church. We are fighting today for for costly grace".
It's a subject that warrants a lot more space than this blog affords, but suffice it to say, that one of the problems which still plagues the church today, is the encouragement of a doctrine which suggests that one can encounter Christ and not have to sacrifice, not have to change anything, not have to die to self and sin, not have to undergo a metanoia, not have to have one's life disrupted, as " God's grace is sufficient".
What effect this " cheap grace", this message from the evil one, this message from the pit of hell, has had on the church in Jamaica and the shifting numbers ought to be the subject of deep and abiding prayer by the " remnant ", the faithful who have decided to " give up everything with God's help" here in my country. What effect this issue of cheap grace has had on the church in the USA and other areas of " liberal thought" , ought also to be the subject of deep and abiding prayer by the faithful there and everywhere. And the issue is not the numbers that has " crossed lines", as that in and by itself is immaterial in the building up God's Kingdom. The key thing is what power does the church have to make a difference in the lives of hurting, suffering, confused and alone people, created in the image of God, and loved by God their Creator. The murderers, the prostitutes, the abused children, the poor and the destitute, the homosexual, the greedy, the gossipers, the proud and haughty, the fornicators, the vulnerable boys and girls, the underpaid workers, and even the " wicked and the ungrateful" , about whom the Scriptures declare that " God is merciful".....and all those ignorant of God's salvation in and through Christ. In essence those who are " sick and in need of physician"
Unless we have that kind of change of heart, first for ourselves, and then for others, in respect of where we are coming from spiritually, and what God in Christ offers, then we will be satisfied with " comfortable Christianity" which does not place any demand on us, does not disrupt our plans to be rich and famous" and ambitious and our desires to be " first in the kingdom. In other words we will be happy with the doctrine of cheap grace, about which Bohoeffer warned almost 80 years ago when evil raised its ugly head, not just to devour Germany, but the entire western civilization. What then will the response be in our generation when, the very same evil dressed up in the more subtle and beguiling garb of " religious tolerance, let all ideas contend movement, the prosperity gospel, intellectual freedom and liberal's within the church" raises it ugly head against the inerrant Word of God! All we are called to to do, like Bonhoeffer was, and as Adventist friend of mine remind me recently, is to be faithful to God and obedient to the Christ who lives in us by faith and by grace. But our lives cannot never be the same again. This disruption is forever.
Why for ourselves first: This is the Word I was led to read this week
" You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful poor. blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so that you can see.
Those who I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.......Revelation 3:17-19 NIV
The point here is that John, under divine guidance, was writing to the church members in the church in Laodicea. ....baptized and practicing Christians who deeds were neither cold nor hot...lukewarm...no metanoia...no change of heart.
If then those who were guilty in the time of Christ of this kind of bad attitude, were warned so severely, and yet encouraged too, are we in the 21 st century going to judged any differently.
My friends in Jamaica, the USA and anywhere that the gospel is proclaimed, a life that is not " disrupted" by an encounter with Christ, cannot be " salt" in a nation. And that which has lost its saltiness is fit only to to be thrown away.
I pray God that all of us will remember Sandy, and other life changing forces, as an opportunity to reflect on who has ultimate power o this world. To reflect on the power that Christ has to " cast away sin" in our lives, as he did for the demon possessed man. To reflect on the urgent need for all of us to accept that the grace that God offers in Christ out of love for all mankind, as a costly one indeed, and which then requires sacrifice on our part. So that we too become ambassadors of the message of that grace which the world so urgently needs, whether at a time like this , in the case of Sandy, or during the time of Hitler, or just your average day when we all need Jesus, every hour, as the song writer urges, as the times all always evil and challenging.
Sent from my iPad Sent from my iPad
On Oct 21, 2012, at 11:30 PM, Lucien Joneswrote:
The early reports informed us that it was a young girl. A mere wisp of a girl about 12 or 13 years. Now we are being told that she was in fact older and pregnant too. But does it matter. The fact is that once again a nation was rocked with the news of a young woman, raped, probably strangled and burnt to death. And so we mourn for our troubled land. This weekend I was privileged to address a group of Lay magistrates ( they perform an important function in the justice system, attesting to persons identities and doing petty sessions) and inter alia, I recalled a noted Professor of Education and well respected historian, Errol Miller, suggesting in a speech, delivered many years ago, that, " the barbarians were no longer at the gates of the city, but were in fact right here with us". A reference no doubt to the state of Rome before that famous city was " sacked" by barbarians - people of uncouth and uncivilized nature. The question which arises in our minds , as we continue in this country to live with these acts of terror and barbarism, is no longer whether or not the barbarians are sharing space with us in the city, but rather, how will we rescue a nation from the hands of evil and wicked men.
And as we contemplate this issue, of violence against our women and children in particular and the broader society in general, which is the most pressing problem confronting the nation, the recently concluded national census makes for interesting reading. The main line ( once prominent churches.....Anglicans, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Moravian.....have suffered significant declines in their membership. The more Evangelical and recent churches....Adventists, Church of God and Pentecostals...have the lion share of those who identify themselves with a church. While the number of persons who do not claim any affiliation is also steadily climbing. Food for a lot of thought within religious circles, and beyond.
This week then as I read and listened to the news to see what men are doing and read my Bible to see what men ought to do, the following passages of Scripture and words of inspiration struck me.
A prayer by St Francis of Assisi - the famous preacher, mystic and founder of many monasteries and a great " father of the early church, who is probably most famous in recent times as the author of the much quoted poem, "Lord make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred let me sow love....
" Most high, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me, Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect charity, sense and knowledge, so that I may carry out your holy and true command"
The implication of this prayer by St. Francis is there is in fact an incorrect faith. An incorrect understanding of the gospel. An incorrect understanding of who Christ is, what He came to do, and therefore an incorrect doctrine. The further and very profound implication of this prayer is that an incorrect faith and doctrine and belief, regardless of the numbers of people who are attracted to that doctrine, has no power to rescue Jamaica or any other nation, or anyone from the power of Sin, which is at the root of all the problems we have here in my troubled country. So whether most Americans or Jamaicans are Religious, and whether or not most of them are of the Christain faith, is really of little moment in respect of the power which flows out of the church to heal the sick, to rescue those who are held captive to " liberal views", and to bring good news to the poor. What really matters in the final analysis, is one's relationship with God in and through Christ Jesus. As it is only when one is " in Christ" that the promised Holy Spirit will flow out of that person and through the church to be "salt" in a nation and "light" for the world.
A word from the prophet Micah -
"What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs that I crave.
The godly have been swept from the land;
not one upright man remains.
All men lie in wait to shed blood;
each hunts his brother with a net.
Both hands are skilled at doing evil;
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,
the powerful dictate what they desire-
they all conspire together.........
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me."
One of the things that the word of God teaches us, is that wickedness and barbarians have been in existence forever. Godly men have been swept from " the land " before. There is a long a and sad history of bloodshed in the land...remember Cain and Abel. Judges perverting the course of justice or corruption among leaders is not a new thing. And the socially disruptive and patently unfair practice of the powerful dictating what they desire is as " old as the hills. Thank God, that the prophet Micah, remembered and declared that God is a faithful God who never leaves His people without hope.
That is why, despite the murder and the rape, and the "enlightened" columnists, like Mark Wignall writing in the Jamaica Observer today http://www.jamaicanobserver.com/ ( one the popular ones in my country) who mock the value of prayer to an Almighty God, the popular song which we sang at the small inner city church where I was privileged to preach this morning, shares a different perspective.
In times like these you need a Savior
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grip the solid Rock.
Chorus
This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One;
This Rock is Jesus, the only One!
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the solid Rock
In times like these you need the Bible,
In times like these O be not idle......
The Word of God - This morning in my church, the Epistle appointed for this Sunday is one of the most profound passages of Scripture, which offers a full and sufficient account of the power of the Word of God.
" For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two edged sword. It penetrates even to diving soul and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account". Hebrews 4: 12-13 NIV
The reality, based on the inerrant word of God, as Jesus said " Scripture cannot be broken", is that " nothing in creation is hidden from God". Not the barbaric killings in my country. Not the judges who are " taking a bribe"! Not the corrupt rulers who are taking " gifts". Not the rich and powerful who " force their will" on the weak, vulnerable and and unsuspecting. One day every man woman and child will have to give an account to God. There is no getting away from this reality, however much we may seek to "hide behind our lofty rhetoric", and " much vaunted intellect". As the Bible says, " it is appointed to every man once to die and then the judgment".
Therefore one day, one day all who knowingly and willingly partake in the rebellion against the Holy One of Israel; all who kill and main and rape our women and children; all who use their power to keep people in subjection; all who, though responsible for protecting and promoting justice, but instead seek to pervert the course of justice; all leaders who " sell their souls" for personal gain, will have to give an account to God Almighty.
An inspired word from Oswald Chambers ( the author of " My Utmost for His Highest"...probably the most popular book outside of the Bible)
GREATER WORKS OCTOBER 17
"And greater works than these shall he do; because I go to My Father".
John 14:12
Prayer does not fit us for the greater works: prayer is the greater work. We think of prayer as a common-sense exercise of our higher powers in order to prepare us for God's work. In the teaching of Jesus Christ, prayer is the working of the miracle of Redemption in me which produces the miracle of Redemption in others by the power of God. The way fruit remains is by prayer, but remember it is prayer based on the agony of the Redemption, not on my agony. Only a child gets prayers answered; a wise man does not.
Prayer is the battle; it is a matter of indifference where you are. Whichever God engineers circumstances, the duty is to pray. never allow the thought -- " I am of no use where I am": because you can certainly be of no use where you are not. Wherever God has dumped you down in circumstances pray, ejaculate to him all the time. " Whatsoever ye ask in My name, that will I do". We won't pray unless we get thrills, that is the most intense form of spiritual selfishness. We have to labor along the line of God's direction, and He says pray. " Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into His harvest.".
There is nothing thrilling about a laboring man's work, but it is the laboring man who makes the conceptions of the his Master possible. You labour at prayer and results happen all the time from His standpoint. What an astonishment will it be to find, when the veil is lifted, the souls that have been reaped by you, simply because you had been in the habit of taking your orders from Jesus Christ...end of quote.
One of the many things that Chambers points out here is that an incorrect faith leads to an incorrect motive for praying. We need to be aware then that one of the more spiritually destructive " doctrines" which the enemy, the devil, has placed into the hearts of vulnerable believers, is one in which prayers are offered up so that Christians can become prosperous. The so called " prosperity gospel". It may be quite an attractive proposition, but within it have been sown the seeds, which if left unattended will lead people away from the Cross of Christ with its suffering and shame - and thus make people become traitors to the cross, the ultimate heresy. And the subtlety of the enemy is so dangerous as this kind of mindset finds it way into all kinds of desires and feelings and " prayers" which have nothing to do with the Redemption about which Oswald Chambers emphasizes. And any " faith " which undermines the power and importance of the Cross of Calvary, has no power to rescue anyone or any nation
Our role as faith children of God, and of a correct faith and a certain hope, then, is to pray with great fervor, that the God who sent His Son to die on the Cross for all mankind, even when we were still sinners, according to the living Word of God, will indeed send more laborers into His vineyard, so that through us, the power of the holy Spirit will flow and convict mankind of Sin, Righteousness and Judgment - according to the word of God ( John 16:8-11 NIV ) which is living and active. Then it will not really matter which denomination has the highest number of the faithful. Then will the number of non-believers decline. Then will there be awakened a new social consciousness. Then and only then, will men treat women with the kind of respect and dignity that is due them; then judges will cease accepting bribes; then leaders will eschew taking gifts from their followers; then the rich and powerful will no longer have their own way with the system, or with vulnerable women; then believers will wait upon the Holy One of Israel with a certain hope and a correct faith. Then will the barbarians be routed. Then will my country have peace once more. The will my Lord be given all the honor and praise due to Him.
Amen
After four days we got back power form our local Electricity company JPS last night at about mid-night. And thank God we had a generator which we used for periods in the days and up until10pm at nights in order to preserve our frozen food and provide light. Reportedly 70% of Jamaican homes, with a population now of 2.69 million persons according to the latest Census, were without power during the direct hit by Category 1 Storm Sandy, whose eye passed directly over my home in Kingston our capital city late Wednesday afternoon. Needless to say life changed very dramatically for me during those few days, and even more so for those folks who unfortunately were also without water, or whose homes were devastated by the storm. I am still without Internet service so I am going by a friend's home to send off this message in a while...yes God provides in all situations.
In a few hours, the same storm Sandy, with conditions favoring the development of what the Americans are now calling a " Perfect Storm" is predicted to to disrupt the lives of over 60 million persons living along the Eastern Seaboard of America. Their lives will change change dramatically in a very short time.
In times like these when we come face to face literally, not metaphorically as in many other instances, with the reality of how puny, weak and helpless mankind really is in the face of a greater power than us, it is perhaps only then that some people will even think about God as the One who wields ultimate power in this world.
At a time like this then, when many of us had our lives disrupted however temporarily, the messages from the Lord this week were very dramatic and life changing indeed.
Thursday Oct 25.
The first message came from a reading again of the story of the demon possessed man ...who name was Legion, as they were so many demons in him......as recorded in Luke 8:26-38 NIV. I was impressed by the the fact that Jesus was met by this man as he arrived in the region of the Gerasenes.....and also how he recognized Jesus as the " Son of the Most High God".........how the demons begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the abyss. And so as I reflected I wrote an e-mail to some friends in my church:
" Read again the story in Luke 8:26-39.
Revelation - Jesus and anything which is not of God cannot co-exist. Evil will always be cast out...and defeated, which I added on reflection tonight..... when Jesus is around. So once the Lord is with you, fear, doubt, malice, anger, an uncharitable spirit, greed, any kind of sinful thoughts and actions. in the same way the demons could not stay in the man one Jesus was with him. They knew exactly what was their fate - to be cast into the abyss.
The key thing in life therefore is not to try too hard to be a Christian, as like the man possessed we cannot rid ourselves of sin no matter how hard we try, but rather to pray without ceasing with a repentant heart, and believe St Paul's prayer as recorded in Ephesians 3:16-17.......
" I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may live in your heart through faith".
And although God has no " bad plans " for those who fear him, be mindful of St Paul's assertions in 2 Corinthians 1: 5....." For just as the sufferings of Christ flow into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
For even though the presence of Christ will drive away anything which is not of God, so too will His presence bring both suffering and comfort in the midst of suffering. And then the Lord will use you/we the "weak ones", to achieve His purpose in the lives of individuals and nations, so that no one can boast, and His Name alone will be glorified for ever. So let us pray without ceasing that christ may dwell in us so that " our demons too" may be cast out.
And then we will be able to " tell the whole town" ( vs 38) what God in Christ has done for us on the Cross of Calvary.
May the Lord's peace be with you.
LWJ
The point here is that just as how Sandy, this " perfect storm" is about to disrupt the lives of millions of people in the US, anyone who has had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ will have his or her life disrupted. Whether temporarily or not, depends on our decision to be obedient to Him. Or not. Life can never be the same again, whether in this life or the one to come. This life altering change...metanoia..... lies at the heart of the gospel message as the old " sinful man", disobedient, rebellious, self-seeking, self -satisfying and self-sufficient cannot exist in the presence of the Risen and Ascended Lord Christ. One has to go.
That's why the Scriptures declare that:
" If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!....2. Corinthians 5:17 NIV. In fact this verse was included in a response to a non Christian friend who questioned and warned me at the same time, after last week's message about the " correct faith", as prayed for by St. Francis of Assisi, as he was concerned about the kind of religious intolerance which occasioned the shooting by the Taliban of a young girl recently. And the response to him, as directed by the Lord was not to " defend myself", but to share with him the passage of Scripture which speaks about Christians being charged with the message of reconciliation and being the Ambassadors of Christ vs 11-6:1-2. NIV. The same Christ who " died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a wordily point of view, Though once we regarded Christ in this way we do do no longer".
" From now on..." means a complete turn around, a complete change of heart, which the Greek termed Metanoia, in the same way that the demon possessed man regained his right mind and made a complete change from what he was before Christ came into his life
A few days ago the results of the latest National Census was released. And among other things, the reality of the significant drop in the number of persons claiming an affiliation with the " mail line" churches, Anglicans, Methodists, Roman Catholics, Moravians and to a lesser extent Baptists, has been the subject of great debate in my country. The Census also showed correspondingly that there was has been a significant increase in the " newer" churches, Pentecostals, Church of God and Seventh Day Adventists.
Most worrying however, was the data which indicated that more and more Jamaicans, over 600,000 do not claim any affiliation at all.
In this midst of this debate the Lord led me back to read, once more, Bonhoeffer's ...the German priest and martyr who along with other Christians opposed Hitler and his totalitarian anti-God regime and paid the ultimate price with his life.....The Cost of Discipleship. And he begins with a startling and very profound ...written in 1937, almost 80 years ago......statement :
" Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of the church. We are fighting today for for costly grace".
It's a subject that warrants a lot more space than this blog affords, but suffice it to say, that one of the problems which still plagues the church today, is the encouragement of a doctrine which suggests that one can encounter Christ and not have to sacrifice, not have to change anything, not have to die to self and sin, not have to undergo a metanoia, not have to have one's life disrupted, as " God's grace is sufficient".
What effect this " cheap grace", this message from the evil one, this message from the pit of hell, has had on the church in Jamaica and the shifting numbers ought to be the subject of deep and abiding prayer by the " remnant ", the faithful who have decided to " give up everything with God's help" here in my country. What effect this issue of cheap grace has had on the church in the USA and other areas of " liberal thought" , ought also to be the subject of deep and abiding prayer by the faithful there and everywhere. And the issue is not the numbers that has " crossed lines", as that in and by itself is immaterial in the building up God's Kingdom. The key thing is what power does the church have to make a difference in the lives of hurting, suffering, confused and alone people, created in the image of God, and loved by God their Creator. The murderers, the prostitutes, the abused children, the poor and the destitute, the homosexual, the greedy, the gossipers, the proud and haughty, the fornicators, the vulnerable boys and girls, the underpaid workers, and even the " wicked and the ungrateful" , about whom the Scriptures declare that " God is merciful".....and all those ignorant of God's salvation in and through Christ. In essence those who are " sick and in need of physician"
Unless we have that kind of change of heart, first for ourselves, and then for others, in respect of where we are coming from spiritually, and what God in Christ offers, then we will be satisfied with " comfortable Christianity" which does not place any demand on us, does not disrupt our plans to be rich and famous" and ambitious and our desires to be " first in the kingdom. In other words we will be happy with the doctrine of cheap grace, about which Bohoeffer warned almost 80 years ago when evil raised its ugly head, not just to devour Germany, but the entire western civilization. What then will the response be in our generation when, the very same evil dressed up in the more subtle and beguiling garb of " religious tolerance, let all ideas contend movement, the prosperity gospel, intellectual freedom and liberal's within the church" raises it ugly head against the inerrant Word of God! All we are called to to do, like Bonhoeffer was, and as Adventist friend of mine remind me recently, is to be faithful to God and obedient to the Christ who lives in us by faith and by grace. But our lives cannot never be the same again. This disruption is forever.
Why for ourselves first: This is the Word I was led to read this week
" You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful poor. blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so that you can see.
Those who I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.......Revelation 3:17-19 NIV
The point here is that John, under divine guidance, was writing to the church members in the church in Laodicea. ....baptized and practicing Christians who deeds were neither cold nor hot...lukewarm...no metanoia...no change of heart.
If then those who were guilty in the time of Christ of this kind of bad attitude, were warned so severely, and yet encouraged too, are we in the 21 st century going to judged any differently.
My friends in Jamaica, the USA and anywhere that the gospel is proclaimed, a life that is not " disrupted" by an encounter with Christ, cannot be " salt" in a nation. And that which has lost its saltiness is fit only to to be thrown away.
I pray God that all of us will remember Sandy, and other life changing forces, as an opportunity to reflect on who has ultimate power o this world. To reflect on the power that Christ has to " cast away sin" in our lives, as he did for the demon possessed man. To reflect on the urgent need for all of us to accept that the grace that God offers in Christ out of love for all mankind, as a costly one indeed, and which then requires sacrifice on our part. So that we too become ambassadors of the message of that grace which the world so urgently needs, whether at a time like this , in the case of Sandy, or during the time of Hitler, or just your average day when we all need Jesus, every hour, as the song writer urges, as the times all always evil and challenging.
Sent from my iPad Sent from my iPad
On Oct 21, 2012, at 11:30 PM, Lucien Jones
The early reports informed us that it was a young girl. A mere wisp of a girl about 12 or 13 years. Now we are being told that she was in fact older and pregnant too. But does it matter. The fact is that once again a nation was rocked with the news of a young woman, raped, probably strangled and burnt to death. And so we mourn for our troubled land. This weekend I was privileged to address a group of Lay magistrates ( they perform an important function in the justice system, attesting to persons identities and doing petty sessions) and inter alia, I recalled a noted Professor of Education and well respected historian, Errol Miller, suggesting in a speech, delivered many years ago, that, " the barbarians were no longer at the gates of the city, but were in fact right here with us". A reference no doubt to the state of Rome before that famous city was " sacked" by barbarians - people of uncouth and uncivilized nature. The question which arises in our minds , as we continue in this country to live with these acts of terror and barbarism, is no longer whether or not the barbarians are sharing space with us in the city, but rather, how will we rescue a nation from the hands of evil and wicked men.
And as we contemplate this issue, of violence against our women and children in particular and the broader society in general, which is the most pressing problem confronting the nation, the recently concluded national census makes for interesting reading. The main line ( once prominent churches.....Anglicans, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Moravian.....have suffered significant declines in their membership. The more Evangelical and recent churches....Adventists, Church of God and Pentecostals...have the lion share of those who identify themselves with a church. While the number of persons who do not claim any affiliation is also steadily climbing. Food for a lot of thought within religious circles, and beyond.
This week then as I read and listened to the news to see what men are doing and read my Bible to see what men ought to do, the following passages of Scripture and words of inspiration struck me.
A prayer by St Francis of Assisi - the famous preacher, mystic and founder of many monasteries and a great " father of the early church, who is probably most famous in recent times as the author of the much quoted poem, "Lord make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred let me sow love....
" Most high, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me, Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect charity, sense and knowledge, so that I may carry out your holy and true command"
The implication of this prayer by St. Francis is there is in fact an incorrect faith. An incorrect understanding of the gospel. An incorrect understanding of who Christ is, what He came to do, and therefore an incorrect doctrine. The further and very profound implication of this prayer is that an incorrect faith and doctrine and belief, regardless of the numbers of people who are attracted to that doctrine, has no power to rescue Jamaica or any other nation, or anyone from the power of Sin, which is at the root of all the problems we have here in my troubled country. So whether most Americans or Jamaicans are Religious, and whether or not most of them are of the Christain faith, is really of little moment in respect of the power which flows out of the church to heal the sick, to rescue those who are held captive to " liberal views", and to bring good news to the poor. What really matters in the final analysis, is one's relationship with God in and through Christ Jesus. As it is only when one is " in Christ" that the promised Holy Spirit will flow out of that person and through the church to be "salt" in a nation and "light" for the world.
A word from the prophet Micah -
"What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs that I crave.
The godly have been swept from the land;
not one upright man remains.
All men lie in wait to shed blood;
each hunts his brother with a net.
Both hands are skilled at doing evil;
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,
the powerful dictate what they desire-
they all conspire together.........
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me."
One of the things that the word of God teaches us, is that wickedness and barbarians have been in existence forever. Godly men have been swept from " the land " before. There is a long a and sad history of bloodshed in the land...remember Cain and Abel. Judges perverting the course of justice or corruption among leaders is not a new thing. And the socially disruptive and patently unfair practice of the powerful dictating what they desire is as " old as the hills. Thank God, that the prophet Micah, remembered and declared that God is a faithful God who never leaves His people without hope.
That is why, despite the murder and the rape, and the "enlightened" columnists, like Mark Wignall writing in the Jamaica Observer today http://www.jamaicanobserver.com/ ( one the popular ones in my country) who mock the value of prayer to an Almighty God, the popular song which we sang at the small inner city church where I was privileged to preach this morning, shares a different perspective.
In times like these you need a Savior
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grip the solid Rock.
Chorus
This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One;
This Rock is Jesus, the only One!
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the solid Rock
In times like these you need the Bible,
In times like these O be not idle......
The Word of God - This morning in my church, the Epistle appointed for this Sunday is one of the most profound passages of Scripture, which offers a full and sufficient account of the power of the Word of God.
" For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two edged sword. It penetrates even to diving soul and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account". Hebrews 4: 12-13 NIV
The reality, based on the inerrant word of God, as Jesus said " Scripture cannot be broken", is that " nothing in creation is hidden from God". Not the barbaric killings in my country. Not the judges who are " taking a bribe"! Not the corrupt rulers who are taking " gifts". Not the rich and powerful who " force their will" on the weak, vulnerable and and unsuspecting. One day every man woman and child will have to give an account to God. There is no getting away from this reality, however much we may seek to "hide behind our lofty rhetoric", and " much vaunted intellect". As the Bible says, " it is appointed to every man once to die and then the judgment".
Therefore one day, one day all who knowingly and willingly partake in the rebellion against the Holy One of Israel; all who kill and main and rape our women and children; all who use their power to keep people in subjection; all who, though responsible for protecting and promoting justice, but instead seek to pervert the course of justice; all leaders who " sell their souls" for personal gain, will have to give an account to God Almighty.
An inspired word from Oswald Chambers ( the author of " My Utmost for His Highest"...probably the most popular book outside of the Bible)
GREATER WORKS OCTOBER 17
"And greater works than these shall he do; because I go to My Father".
John 14:12
Prayer does not fit us for the greater works: prayer is the greater work. We think of prayer as a common-sense exercise of our higher powers in order to prepare us for God's work. In the teaching of Jesus Christ, prayer is the working of the miracle of Redemption in me which produces the miracle of Redemption in others by the power of God. The way fruit remains is by prayer, but remember it is prayer based on the agony of the Redemption, not on my agony. Only a child gets prayers answered; a wise man does not.
Prayer is the battle; it is a matter of indifference where you are. Whichever God engineers circumstances, the duty is to pray. never allow the thought -- " I am of no use where I am": because you can certainly be of no use where you are not. Wherever God has dumped you down in circumstances pray, ejaculate to him all the time. " Whatsoever ye ask in My name, that will I do". We won't pray unless we get thrills, that is the most intense form of spiritual selfishness. We have to labor along the line of God's direction, and He says pray. " Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into His harvest.".
There is nothing thrilling about a laboring man's work, but it is the laboring man who makes the conceptions of the his Master possible. You labour at prayer and results happen all the time from His standpoint. What an astonishment will it be to find, when the veil is lifted, the souls that have been reaped by you, simply because you had been in the habit of taking your orders from Jesus Christ...end of quote.
One of the many things that Chambers points out here is that an incorrect faith leads to an incorrect motive for praying. We need to be aware then that one of the more spiritually destructive " doctrines" which the enemy, the devil, has placed into the hearts of vulnerable believers, is one in which prayers are offered up so that Christians can become prosperous. The so called " prosperity gospel". It may be quite an attractive proposition, but within it have been sown the seeds, which if left unattended will lead people away from the Cross of Christ with its suffering and shame - and thus make people become traitors to the cross, the ultimate heresy. And the subtlety of the enemy is so dangerous as this kind of mindset finds it way into all kinds of desires and feelings and " prayers" which have nothing to do with the Redemption about which Oswald Chambers emphasizes. And any " faith " which undermines the power and importance of the Cross of Calvary, has no power to rescue anyone or any nation
Our role as faith children of God, and of a correct faith and a certain hope, then, is to pray with great fervor, that the God who sent His Son to die on the Cross for all mankind, even when we were still sinners, according to the living Word of God, will indeed send more laborers into His vineyard, so that through us, the power of the holy Spirit will flow and convict mankind of Sin, Righteousness and Judgment - according to the word of God ( John 16:8-11 NIV ) which is living and active. Then it will not really matter which denomination has the highest number of the faithful. Then will the number of non-believers decline. Then will there be awakened a new social consciousness. Then and only then, will men treat women with the kind of respect and dignity that is due them; then judges will cease accepting bribes; then leaders will eschew taking gifts from their followers; then the rich and powerful will no longer have their own way with the system, or with vulnerable women; then believers will wait upon the Holy One of Israel with a certain hope and a correct faith. Then will the barbarians be routed. Then will my country have peace once more. The will my Lord be given all the honor and praise due to Him.
Amen
Sunday, October 21, 2012
A correct faith, freedom from the barbarians and Christ's Redemption
The early reports informed us that it was a young girl. A mere wisp of a girl about 12 or 13 years. Now we are being told that she was in fact older and pregnant too. But does it matter. The fact is that once again a nation was rocked with the news of a young woman, raped, probably strangled and burnt to death. And so we mourn for our troubled land. This weekend I was privileged to address a group of Lay magistrates ( they perform an important function in the justice system, attesting to persons identities and doing petty sessions) and inter alia, I recalled a noted Professor of Education and well respected historian, Errol Miller, suggesting in a speech, delivered many years ago, that, " the barbarians were no longer at the gates of the city, but were in fact right here with us". A reference no doubt to the state of Rome before that famous city was " sacked" by barbarians - people of uncouth and uncivilized nature. The question which arises in our minds , as we continue in this country to live with these acts of terror and barbarism, is no longer whether or not the barbarians are sharing space with us in the city, but rather, how will we rescue a nation from the hands of evil and wicked men.
And as we contemplate this issue, of violence against our women and children in particular and the broader society in general, which is the most pressing problem confronting the nation, the recently concluded national census makes for interesting reading. The main line ( once prominent churches.....Anglicans, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Moravian.....have suffered significant declines in their membership. The more Evangelical and recent churches....Adventists, Church of God and Pentecostals...have the lion share of those who identify themselves with a church. While the number of persons who do not claim any affiliation is also steadily climbing. Food for a lot of thought within religious circles, and beyond.
This week then as I read and listened to the news to see what men are doing and read my Bible to see what men ought to do, the following passages of Scripture and words of inspiration struck me.
A prayer by St Francis of Assisi - the famous preacher, mystic and founder of many monasteries and a great " father of the early church, who is probably most famous in recent times as the author of the much quoted poem, "Lord make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred let me sow love....
" Most high, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me, Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect charity, sense and knowledge, so that I may carry out your holy and true command"
The implication of this prayer by St. Francis is there is in fact an incorrect faith. An incorrect understanding of the gospel. An incorrect understanding of who Christ is, what He came to do, and therefore an incorrect doctrine. The further and very profound implication of this prayer is that an incorrect faith and doctrine and belief, regardless of the numbers of people who are attracted to that doctrine, has no power to rescue Jamaica or any other nation, or anyone from the power of Sin, which is at the root of all the problems we have here in my troubled country. So whether most Americans or Jamaicans are Religious, and whether or not most of them are of the Christain faith, is really of little moment in respect of the power which flows out of the church to heal the sick, to rescue those who are held captive to " liberal views", and to bring good news to the poor. What really matters in the final analysis, is one's relationship with God in and through Christ Jesus. As it is only when one is " in Christ" that the promised Holy Spirit will flow out of that person and through the church to be "salt" in a nation and "light" for the world.
A word from the prophet Micah -
"What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs that I crave.
The godly have been swept from the land;
not one upright man remains.
All men lie in wait to shed blood;
each hunts his brother with a net.
Both hands are skilled at doing evil;
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,
the powerful dictate what they desire-
they all conspire together.........
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me."
One of the things that the word of God teaches us, is that wickedness and barbarians have been in existence forever. Godly men have been swept from " the land " before. There is a long a and sad history of bloodshed in the land...remember Cain and Abel. Judges perverting the course of justice or corruption among leaders is not a new thing. And the socially disruptive and patently unfair practice of the powerful dictating what they desire is as " old as the hills. Thank God, that the prophet Micah, remembered and declared that God is a faithful God who never leaves His people without hope.
That is why, despite the murder and the rape, and the "enlightened" columnists, like Mark Wignall writing in the Jamaica Observer today http://www.jamaicanobserver.com/ ( one the popular ones in my country) who mock the value of prayer to an Almighty God, the popular song which we sang at the small inner city church where I was privileged to preach this morning, shares a different perspective.
In times like these you need a Savior
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grip the solid Rock.
Chorus
This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One;
This Rock is Jesus, the only One!
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the solid Rock
In times like these you need the Bible,
In times like these O be not idle......
The Word of God - This morning in my church, the Epistle appointed for this Sunday is one of the most profound passages of Scripture, which offers a full and sufficient account of the power of the Word of God.
" For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two edged sword. It penetrates even to diving soul and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account". Hebrews 4: 12-13 NIV
The reality, based on the inerrant word of God, as Jesus said " Scripture cannot be broken", is that " nothing in creation is hidden from God". Not the barbaric killings in my country. Not the judges who are " taking a bribe"! Not the corrupt rulers who are taking " gifts". Not the rich and powerful who " force their will" on the weak, vulnerable and and unsuspecting. One day every man woman and child will have to give an account to God. There is no getting away from this reality, however much we may seek to "hide behind our lofty rhetoric", and " much vaunted intellect". As the Bible says, " it is appointed to every man once to die and then the judgment".
Therefore one day, one day all who knowingly and willingly partake in the rebellion against the Holy One of Israel; all who kill and main and rape our women and children; all who use their power to keep people in subjection; all who, though responsible for protecting and promoting justice, but instead seek to pervert the course of justice; all leaders who " sell their souls" for personal gain, will have to give an account to God Almighty.
An inspired word from Oswald Chambers ( the author of " My Utmost for His Highest"...probably the most popular book outside of the Bible)
GREATER WORKS OCTOBER 17
"And greater works than these shall he do; because I go to My Father".
John 14:12
Prayer does not fit us for the greater works: prayer is the greater work. We think of prayer as a common-sense exercise of our higher powers in order to prepare us for God's work. In the teaching of Jesus Christ, prayer is the working of the miracle of Redemption in me which produces the miracle of Redemption in others by the power of God. The way fruit remains is by prayer, but remember it is prayer based on the agony of the Redemption, not on my agony. Only a child gets prayers answered; a wise man does not.
Prayer is the battle; it is a matter of indifference where you are. Whichever God engineers circumstances, the duty is to pray. never allow the thought -- " I am of no use where I am": because you can certainly be of no use where you are not. Wherever God has dumped you down in circumstances pray, ejaculate to him all the time. " Whatsoever ye ask in My name, that will I do". We won't pray unless we get thrills, that is the most intense form of spiritual selfishness. We have to labor along the line of God's direction, and He says pray. " Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into His harvest.".
There is nothing thrilling about a laboring man's work, but it is the laboring man who makes the conceptions of the his Master possible. You labour at prayer and results happen all the time from His standpoint. What an astonishment will it be to find, when the veil is lifted, the souls that have been reaped by you, simply because you had been in the habit of taking your orders from Jesus Christ...end of quote.
One of the many things that Chambers points out here is that an incorrect faith leads to an incorrect motive for praying. We need to be aware then that one of the more spiritually destructive " doctrines" which the enemy, the devil, has placed into the hearts of vulnerable believers, is one in which prayers are offered up so that Christians can become prosperous. The so called " prosperity gospel". It may be quite an attractive proposition, but within it have been sown the seeds, which if left unattended will lead people away from the Cross of Christ with its suffering and shame - and thus make people become traitors to the cross, the ultimate heresy. And the subtlety of the enemy is so dangerous as this kind of mindset finds it way into all kinds of desires and feelings and " prayers" which have nothing to do with the Redemption about which Oswald Chambers emphasizes. And any " faith " which undermines the power and importance of the Cross of Calvary, has no power to rescue anyone or any nation
Our role as faith children of God, and of a correct faith and a certain hope, then, is to pray with great fervor, that the God who sent His Son to die on the Cross for all mankind, even when we were still sinners, according to the living Word of God, will indeed send more laborers into His vineyard, so that through us, the power of the holy Spirit will flow and convict mankind of Sin, Righteousness and Judgment - according to the word of God ( John 16:8-11 NIV ) which is living and active. Then it will not really matter which denomination has the highest number of the faithful. Then will the number of non-believers decline. Then will there be awakened a new social consciousness. Then and only then, will men treat women with the kind of respect and dignity that is due them; then judges will cease accepting bribes; then leaders will eschew taking gifts from their followers; then the rich and powerful will no longer have their own way with the system, or with vulnerable women; then believers will wait upon the Holy One of Israel with a certain hope and a correct faith. Then will the barbarians be routed. Then will my country have peace once more. The will my Lord be given all the honor and praise due to Him.
Amen
And as we contemplate this issue, of violence against our women and children in particular and the broader society in general, which is the most pressing problem confronting the nation, the recently concluded national census makes for interesting reading. The main line ( once prominent churches.....Anglicans, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Moravian.....have suffered significant declines in their membership. The more Evangelical and recent churches....Adventists, Church of God and Pentecostals...have the lion share of those who identify themselves with a church. While the number of persons who do not claim any affiliation is also steadily climbing. Food for a lot of thought within religious circles, and beyond.
This week then as I read and listened to the news to see what men are doing and read my Bible to see what men ought to do, the following passages of Scripture and words of inspiration struck me.
A prayer by St Francis of Assisi - the famous preacher, mystic and founder of many monasteries and a great " father of the early church, who is probably most famous in recent times as the author of the much quoted poem, "Lord make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred let me sow love....
" Most high, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me, Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect charity, sense and knowledge, so that I may carry out your holy and true command"
The implication of this prayer by St. Francis is there is in fact an incorrect faith. An incorrect understanding of the gospel. An incorrect understanding of who Christ is, what He came to do, and therefore an incorrect doctrine. The further and very profound implication of this prayer is that an incorrect faith and doctrine and belief, regardless of the numbers of people who are attracted to that doctrine, has no power to rescue Jamaica or any other nation, or anyone from the power of Sin, which is at the root of all the problems we have here in my troubled country. So whether most Americans or Jamaicans are Religious, and whether or not most of them are of the Christain faith, is really of little moment in respect of the power which flows out of the church to heal the sick, to rescue those who are held captive to " liberal views", and to bring good news to the poor. What really matters in the final analysis, is one's relationship with God in and through Christ Jesus. As it is only when one is " in Christ" that the promised Holy Spirit will flow out of that person and through the church to be "salt" in a nation and "light" for the world.
A word from the prophet Micah -
"What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs that I crave.
The godly have been swept from the land;
not one upright man remains.
All men lie in wait to shed blood;
each hunts his brother with a net.
Both hands are skilled at doing evil;
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,
the powerful dictate what they desire-
they all conspire together.........
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me."
One of the things that the word of God teaches us, is that wickedness and barbarians have been in existence forever. Godly men have been swept from " the land " before. There is a long a and sad history of bloodshed in the land...remember Cain and Abel. Judges perverting the course of justice or corruption among leaders is not a new thing. And the socially disruptive and patently unfair practice of the powerful dictating what they desire is as " old as the hills. Thank God, that the prophet Micah, remembered and declared that God is a faithful God who never leaves His people without hope.
That is why, despite the murder and the rape, and the "enlightened" columnists, like Mark Wignall writing in the Jamaica Observer today http://www.jamaicanobserver.com/ ( one the popular ones in my country) who mock the value of prayer to an Almighty God, the popular song which we sang at the small inner city church where I was privileged to preach this morning, shares a different perspective.
In times like these you need a Savior
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grip the solid Rock.
Chorus
This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One;
This Rock is Jesus, the only One!
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the solid Rock
In times like these you need the Bible,
In times like these O be not idle......
The Word of God - This morning in my church, the Epistle appointed for this Sunday is one of the most profound passages of Scripture, which offers a full and sufficient account of the power of the Word of God.
" For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two edged sword. It penetrates even to diving soul and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account". Hebrews 4: 12-13 NIV
The reality, based on the inerrant word of God, as Jesus said " Scripture cannot be broken", is that " nothing in creation is hidden from God". Not the barbaric killings in my country. Not the judges who are " taking a bribe"! Not the corrupt rulers who are taking " gifts". Not the rich and powerful who " force their will" on the weak, vulnerable and and unsuspecting. One day every man woman and child will have to give an account to God. There is no getting away from this reality, however much we may seek to "hide behind our lofty rhetoric", and " much vaunted intellect". As the Bible says, " it is appointed to every man once to die and then the judgment".
Therefore one day, one day all who knowingly and willingly partake in the rebellion against the Holy One of Israel; all who kill and main and rape our women and children; all who use their power to keep people in subjection; all who, though responsible for protecting and promoting justice, but instead seek to pervert the course of justice; all leaders who " sell their souls" for personal gain, will have to give an account to God Almighty.
An inspired word from Oswald Chambers ( the author of " My Utmost for His Highest"...probably the most popular book outside of the Bible)
GREATER WORKS OCTOBER 17
"And greater works than these shall he do; because I go to My Father".
John 14:12
Prayer does not fit us for the greater works: prayer is the greater work. We think of prayer as a common-sense exercise of our higher powers in order to prepare us for God's work. In the teaching of Jesus Christ, prayer is the working of the miracle of Redemption in me which produces the miracle of Redemption in others by the power of God. The way fruit remains is by prayer, but remember it is prayer based on the agony of the Redemption, not on my agony. Only a child gets prayers answered; a wise man does not.
Prayer is the battle; it is a matter of indifference where you are. Whichever God engineers circumstances, the duty is to pray. never allow the thought -- " I am of no use where I am": because you can certainly be of no use where you are not. Wherever God has dumped you down in circumstances pray, ejaculate to him all the time. " Whatsoever ye ask in My name, that will I do". We won't pray unless we get thrills, that is the most intense form of spiritual selfishness. We have to labor along the line of God's direction, and He says pray. " Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into His harvest.".
There is nothing thrilling about a laboring man's work, but it is the laboring man who makes the conceptions of the his Master possible. You labour at prayer and results happen all the time from His standpoint. What an astonishment will it be to find, when the veil is lifted, the souls that have been reaped by you, simply because you had been in the habit of taking your orders from Jesus Christ...end of quote.
One of the many things that Chambers points out here is that an incorrect faith leads to an incorrect motive for praying. We need to be aware then that one of the more spiritually destructive " doctrines" which the enemy, the devil, has placed into the hearts of vulnerable believers, is one in which prayers are offered up so that Christians can become prosperous. The so called " prosperity gospel". It may be quite an attractive proposition, but within it have been sown the seeds, which if left unattended will lead people away from the Cross of Christ with its suffering and shame - and thus make people become traitors to the cross, the ultimate heresy. And the subtlety of the enemy is so dangerous as this kind of mindset finds it way into all kinds of desires and feelings and " prayers" which have nothing to do with the Redemption about which Oswald Chambers emphasizes. And any " faith " which undermines the power and importance of the Cross of Calvary, has no power to rescue anyone or any nation
Our role as faith children of God, and of a correct faith and a certain hope, then, is to pray with great fervor, that the God who sent His Son to die on the Cross for all mankind, even when we were still sinners, according to the living Word of God, will indeed send more laborers into His vineyard, so that through us, the power of the holy Spirit will flow and convict mankind of Sin, Righteousness and Judgment - according to the word of God ( John 16:8-11 NIV ) which is living and active. Then it will not really matter which denomination has the highest number of the faithful. Then will the number of non-believers decline. Then will there be awakened a new social consciousness. Then and only then, will men treat women with the kind of respect and dignity that is due them; then judges will cease accepting bribes; then leaders will eschew taking gifts from their followers; then the rich and powerful will no longer have their own way with the system, or with vulnerable women; then believers will wait upon the Holy One of Israel with a certain hope and a correct faith. Then will the barbarians be routed. Then will my country have peace once more. The will my Lord be given all the honor and praise due to Him.
Amen
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Wanted: A Nation with a new social conscience - found only in and through Christ Jesus
The past week disappeared really quickly. But not rapidly enough for us not to experience the continued manifestations of the social challenges that we face as a nation. As this week, news broke of an apparently deranged grandson committing the gruesome murder of chopping off the head of his grandmother. And then over this weekend a once popular DJ Captain Barkey, and his lady friend ,were mercilessly gunned down in New York, allegedly by the lady's ex-boyfriend. In the middle of this, to my complete disgust, Peter Tosh a very gifted musician once associated with Bob Marley; and who died in a hail of bullets years ago; and who was known to be a " bad word cursing, ganja smoking outrageous person, with none of Bob Marley's redeeming qualities; and one who I heard with my own ears calling God, dog spelled in reverse, is to be given at very prestigious national award tomorrow at a National Heroes Day Ceremony. What next really! And what kind of example we are setting to our young people. I wonder whose agenda is being served in this instance, as this is certainly not in the national interest.
No doubt deep in my soul as the Holy Spirit prayed for me with words that cannot be expressed, according to Holy Scriptures, as I was more concerned with illness in my church family and death in my wife's family, the Lord led me to write to senior members of church and state, a continuation of the conversation which began last week.
Monday Oct. 8th
I really thought that this conversation had ended - at least on this topic. But on arising this morning and starting my devotions by praising the God who created heaven and earth, but who, by mystery, and love, lives in my heart in and through faith in Jesus Christ, who came down from heaven to rescue his flock, as prophesied in Ezekiel, and then this word, how can I help but write.
"The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not the shepherds take care of the flock? You eat curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all kinds of wild animals...." Ezekiel 34:1-5 NIV
Is this not the same thing Dr. Gayle is saying, that because of negligence, at best, and greed and self-preservation at worse, as a nation, as church, as state, as civil society, we have allowed wild animals to ravage our young boys in particular. There is no question that as a society our youths and even older ones bear responsibility for the choices they have made. And they have rebelled against God and against all kinds of authority. But the God we know declared further on the Ezekiel passage:
"For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them". Vs 11 - clearly a prophetic word about the life, death and resurrection of Christ.
What this means is that, regardless of the wrong choices that people have made, in the final analysis it is sin that has led them astray. And grinding poverty, and the various temptations and influences that the world offers has also pushed them into that direction. But God still loves them, and longs to welcome all of us back into His arms. And He has proved this by dying for all mankind even when " we were still sinners". So we as Church have a duty to help to rescue these young poor boys, who have strayed and become injured, from becoming food for all the wild animals. And so does the state, and civil society.
This is the message from the Word of God this morning.
Peace
LWJ
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Monday Oct 8th...part 11
That's the good news. The bad news is the prophetic word in verses 7-10.
Let all of us who ears to hear listen well. For Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. There is also a word for the sheep if we read the entire chapter carefully.
Peace
LWJ
The prophetic word which was announced in the verses quoted above declared that God would remove those sheep who did not obey His Word...which translates inot today's world a message that those leaders in church and in state who continue to " feed on the flock" and not take care of them and protect them from " wild animals" would face judgment of one sort or another.
Wednesday Oct 10
Just now I was arrested by the reading of Jesus " praying all night ". And then also read that the following morning He chose twelve Apostles from His ( many ) disciples. And what an impact they were to make on the world before, and and more so after, the next great recorded prayer, the " High Priestly" prayer as recorded in John 17.And so I prayed, and prayed about the important things in my life that were facing me, including the renewal of my church and nation. Then I was led to read again John Stott's seminal work , " Decisive Issues facing Christians today".
The following points were noted early in the book - and not in any particular order of importance.
1. Evangelism and Social Concern have been intimately related to another throughout the history of the Church....Christian people have often engaged in both activities....without feeling any need to define what they were doing or why.
2. As Jesus both went about teaching...preaching....and doing good and healing.
3.The Evangelical Revival, which stirred both continents......lead to widespread philanthropy, and profoundly affected society on both sides of he Atlantic.
4. John Wesley remains the most striking instance.
5. He is probably remembered as an itinerant preacher.....but the gospel he preached inspired people to take up social causes in the name of Christ.
6. 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.
7.18th Century Britain was characterized by deep savagery....the bestial drunkenness of the populace.....the inhuman trafficking 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 prison system and penal code....the welter of immorality....the growing prevalence of lawlessness ( sounds like 21st century Jamaica doesn't it)
.8. But then things began to change......in the 19th century slavery and the salve trade was abolished....the prison system was humanized....conditions in the factory and mine were improved...education became available to the poor....trade unions began....
9. When, then this pronounced humanity?...this passion for social justice.
10. There is but one answer commensurate with stubborn historical truth.
11.It derived from a new social conscience.
12. The Evangelical revival did more to transfigure the moral character of of the general populace, than any other movement British history can record.
13. For Wesley was both a preacher of the gospel and a prophet of social righteousness.
14. He was the man who restored to a nation its soul.
There is more, but I stop there, for the time being. As the point is clear; Jamaica's soul can be restored. But it requires the passionate, and believing, preaching of a sound, not superficial gospel. At all levels. By every Christian leader.Next.....Reginal Coupland in his biography of Wilberforce justly commented: It was indeed a unique phenomenon - this brotherhood of Christian politicians. There has never been anything like it since in British public life. Dare we hope! Perhaps this ought to be the subject of all night prayers, among other issues.
Peace.Our prayers remain steadfast for anyone among us who is ill or recovering from illness.
LWJ
Sent from my iPad
One of the things we need to be reminded of a nation,is that "there is nothing new under the sun". As the reality is that whatever crisis we are facing as a nation, others have been there before, and worse, and have done more than just survived, but indeed have thrived. And we do not even have to cast our minds back to 18th Century Britain as John Stott reminds us, but just take a look at Germany and how they manged with the help of other nations, to root out Hitler's Nazism and now that nation is a leader within the free world. What Stoot helps us to put in perspective is the fact that once we are committed to Christ and Him crucified, wonderful things can flow into and out of a nation. But they are dangers as the next message shows.
Thursday Oct 11.
For the dream to be fulfilled men and women must be obedient to the call for both righteousness and the pursuit of justice to be manifest in their (our) lives.
This morning - I hate, I despise your religious feasts,I cannot stand your assemblies,
Even though you bring me burnt offerings,I will not accept them,
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river,righteousness like a never ending stream."Amos 5:21-24 NIV
Peace
LWJ
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On Oct 11, 2012,
No doubt it is an irony that Peter Tosh sang about " Equal rights and Justice", but had no idea from Whom came that notion, and to Whom, God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, should be given all the honor and glory. This is the challenge facing the nation's leaders in both church and state in respect of how we treat the poor and vulnerable in our society. Words are not enough. Solemn masses or inspiring praise and worship sessions are no sufficient. Creatively and profoundly written lyrics don't cut it with the God of Abraham, as He will not listen to the music of " our guitars", but rather our right living with one another, and how diligently we seek His Son Christ Jesus, the only true source of righteousness
The final message Friday Oct. 12
Fulfilling the dream contd.
Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
try me, O Lord, and know my thoughts I pray:
see if there be some wicked way in me,
cleanse me from every sin and set me free.........
fill me with fire where once I burned with shame....
O Holy Ghost, revival comes from thee;
send a revival - start the work in me:
thy word declares thou wilt supply our need;
for blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.
Peace.
LWJ
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On Oct 12, 2012
Already I am in receipt of early word of the next phase of this conversation. The important issue here though as we close, is that it is incumbent on each one of us, to invite the Lord to search our hearts, as we seek to roll back the tide of violence and immorality which threatens to engulf our country. As we are all guilty, in some form or another, in helping to create the monster that is destroying our people at night and even in the broad daylight. Only then will a true revival of our nation arrive from above, from whence cometh our help, according to the Psalmist in the 121:1
For unless the Lord builds the house in vain do we build. Psalm 127:1
Monday, October 8, 2012
Research, Media Exposure and God's Revelation in and through Christ Jesus
Sometimes I wish that I could write about something more uplifting, but the harsh reality is that my country has been caught in a literal life and death struggle since the 1970's, when the use of the gun was introduced to the island, and the nation has never been the same again. Consequently for many years now, the murder rate has remained well above the 1000/year mark, giving us the dubious distinction of being one of the "murder capitals" of the entire world. So when I heard a conversation this week on National Radio ( RJR), on the anniversary of the start of the infamous DC Sniper killings, involving our own Lee Boyd Malvo, I paid very careful attention. The host Dionne Jackson Miller, invited a Social Anthropologist, Dr. Herbert Gayle to share his perspective on the Lee Boyd Malvo Case. And he shocked all of us who were listening, with the revelation that Malvo's case was not even exceptional - this young man who had been involved in the shooting death of ten persons. Wow! The reality, he explained, having had the benefit of studying some 120 " career killers" across the region, 60 of whom were from Jamaica, was that he had met fourteen year youngsters in Jamaica, who had already killed six persons.
He further revealed that it was not the absence of a father figure in the lives of these youths, as we all believed in Malvo's case, which led him to become easily manipulated by the older Mohammed, but actually the absence of a mother, further compounded by the absence of a father. This was the critical combination, at an early age, which has made these young boys so vulnerable to the murderous " Dons" who provide them with all that they need, and then go and kill without using their brains - hence the popular name for them, " press triggers". In his opinion then, as difficult as it may to accept at this time, every perpetrator, is in a real sense a victim. And the only way to " rescue " the society from these young men, the consequences of which actions is manifest in the murder stats and the pain and almost constant grief and horror which dominates the news daily, is to break the cycle. Rescue the pregnant and lactating mothers who below the poverty line and just cannot cope. Rescue the mothers who cannot cope with caring for their young boys. rescue the young men who are unable to fend for themselves and thus fall easy prey to the murderous intent of those who would easily lead them astray - in one direction or another. All of which requires a massive intervention by the society. That very same week, a noted Social Activist, Entrepreneur, Pastor and Columnist , who made a conscious decision years ago, to relocate his operations to an tough inner city community, wrote a pice on this very same issue - the crisis facing the nation on account of the criminal acts of young men. His thesis, which has gained a lot of traction over the years, is that it is the politicians who created the " garrisons" ( areas where only members of a certain political party can live safely) and the Dons to defend them, in pursuit of power, and therefore to break the cycle we have break the political influence and control. A lot of food for thought indeed, especially at a time when the nation is still trying to come to terms with the horrific acts of extreme violence which occurred a week or two ago.
As I pondered these things in my heart and prayed constantly for country for my country and sought to hear the voice of the Lord through his Word, I was moved to write, as the Psalmist said, "I believe, therefore I speak". So I wrote since I believe that my God is able to deal with any trials that may beset His people.
Wednesday October 3.
I had just finished watching the Presidential debate between Romney and Obama ( and feeling quite a bit a bit shell-shocked at the polls ) when I was led to read the passage mentioned below. The message here is that there are much more important things happening in my country that should cause us pause than whether or not President Obama does well and wins a second term. That unless as a church we seek a deeper understanding of some of the root causes of our most pressing issues, and respond prayerfully and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, then we too would be guilty of not producing fruit...with dire spiritual consequences for us as church and for the nation. That unless we repent of our own negligence in attending to the needs of the very poor and vulnerable in our society, then we may very well be found guilty of " praising the Lord with our lips and not with our hearts". This note then, with my heart " full" was sent to leaders in church and state.
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance" and, "The ax is already at the foot of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire". John 3:8 & 9 NIV struck me very forcibly tonight. As a church and as individuals we have to produce fruit, otherwise...... And not only will we suffer but the society in which we are will suffer too, at least in the short run.
In that context did you hear the remarkable discussion on BTH on RJR last night, and which discussion was re-broadcast this evening? That Lee Boyd Malvo, as a "career killer", is not even exceptional, as there are, or is, a fourteen year old in Jamaica who has already killed six persons. They call them " press triggers". As they use no brain but do the " Don's bidding without thinking. And the main problem is the absence of a mother figure, compounded by the absence of a father figure, at a tender age. They are thus easily led by " influential ' figures into negative behaviors.And more, by Dr Herbert Gayle, a Social Anthropologist, talking to Dionne Jackson- Miller about research that he has conducted on 120 " career killers", 60 in Jamaica, and other parts of the Latin American region. His recommendations were also discussed. As church, an as national leaders, we should request the tape and listen to it carefully. As this explains, in some way, why the horrible rape recently, and other " cold killings", over the years. And the church, with members all over the island, can intervene in a much more co-ordinated way, as part of the solution in rescuing our nation. Dr Henley Morgan's article in The Jamaica Observer today deals with the very same issue. Jean Lowrie-Chin was part of the discussion and wrote about Dr. Gayle's research in her last article. And also wrote a poem about Lee Malvo. Kinda puts the " importance", of the IMF discussions and the Presidential debate tonight in perspective!
Peace
LWJ
Thursday October 4.
Early that morning during my devotions, the Lord led me back to a familiar passage and to write a part 11 to the leaders in church and in state. The essence of which is that the church needs to be aware of what kind of power God has placed within us - the very disposition of Christ Himself, by the indwelling Holy Spirit. And thus our divine weapons of faith in, love of and obedience to Christ Jesus, are quite different from what the state has at its disposal. But at the same time we are called to work collaboratively with the rest of the society to rid the nation of these prevailing social ills. And the key thing is that although all may seem lost, we already the outcome of this titanic struggle between good and evil. In Christ, on the Cross, the victory over evil is already secured, regardless of how much Satan continues to wreak havoc in my country. This is the kind of faith which we need to uphold and impart to our fellow Jamaicans in the " midst of the war".
" For though we live in this world we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ". 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIVI was led to this passage this morning after meditating on words from the hymn, " Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lordabide in him always, and feed on his word.Make friends with God's children, help those who are weak;forgetting in nothing his blessing to seekand the last verseTake time to be holy, be calm in thy soul;each thought and each temper beneath his control.....A major challenge that the church faces is the temptation to wage war as the world does.And based on Dr. Gayle's analysis, and the perspective by shared by Dr. Henley Morgan in his article, we are faced with a war to rescue our young men and ultimately our nation, from these horrible acts of crime and violence. The challenge is compounded by the fact that the world expects the church to wage war as it does too. But does it really matter, if in the end, the nation benefits. Yes it does. Do you remember Gideon? That's who came into my mind as I began to write."The Lord said to Gideon, You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her......" Judges 7:2 NIV
So let us join with the government and " give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar"......join with others in our commitment to save our young men and nation. But " give to God what belongs to God"....trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding......wage war in this country with the divine power that we have in the Spirit of Christ to " demolish strongholds" of evil in the body politic, according to Henley Morgan. Who asserts that it is they who established, or gave birth to the Dons, ( and by extension the Garrisons) and who in turn have wreaked havoc in the minds of our young men for their own nefarious purposes. So the task at hand is to " demolish strongholds" in the political culture and in the inner-city communities, both of which in tandem and in concert, have spawned the " press triggers" in our society. And we must, " take captive every thought", that fights against the truth and make it obedient to Christ Jesus. So that in the end all the glory will be given to the Lord God Almighty from whom, and in the person of Christ Jesus, comes " divine power" to successfully wage war anywhere.
Peace.
LWJ
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Finally to day I was privileged to share the word at my church. And taking a cue from the letter to the Hebrews chap 2: 1 which states:
" We must pay careful attention, therefore to what we have heard so that we do not drift away", and the Genesis passage which deals with " a man leaving his mother and father and become united to his wife and they shall become one flesh, and the Passage in Mark( all appointed in my church for the readings for this Sunday) which deals with divorce, '' What God has joined together let no man put asunder, after introducing the discussion on radio to the congregation, I continued:
The Edited Sermon
The question which then arises by going back to our text, is, are we paying close attention to these things so that we do not drift away. For, as we can all attest, there is a lot of drifting away from the hard truths in our society and we seek other more comfortable constructs to explain away our problems. We have drifted away from the harsh reality that grinding poverty, the garrison experience, the nasty underbelly of our politics and the "dog- hearted", Dons, have all combined to produce these " press trigger" youths, in our society. And if they are so cold about murdering people, let us be clear that, raping a eight year girl, along with four other women, and committing robbery with assault, comes naturally.
So in the midst of this conundrum what is the Word of God saying to us today, that will not only inform us, but more importantly empower us to make a difference in this society.
In this respect, I found myself pondering on the word from Genesis and which is expanded in the Gospel that. "for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh". And as stated in the Gospel, "what God has joined together let man not separate".
Before the Lord led me to the a further revelation in St Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, I pondered on the fact that if God had not truly joined some married couples together, in the sense that, no deep commitment was made, then perhaps divorce is not such a dangerous thing. But who knows what really happens in the heart of a man and a woman when they present themselves to the Lord in Holy Matrimony. But as intriguing as that discussion may be, it is quite irrelevant and of little moment compared to what the Lord led me to read in 1 Cor. 6: 15-20
" Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, The two will become one flesh. But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside of his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Let us pause here for a moment to reflect on this passage of Scripture, the consequences of which have profound implications for how we live as a society.
1. The first point is that it is the act of having sex with a prostitute which makes one become one flesh with her. So then this "one flesh issue", which is from God, and ordained from the time of Adam, speaks directly to the great responsibility that ought to be associated with sexual intercourse. For although sin has taught us otherwise, it was always the plan of God that people should become "one flesh " within the context of marriage. It is no wonder then, no mystery, why the culturally accepted practice of men having sex with multiple partners, some of which acts produce offspring, who are then quite often " abandoned" by the men, quite often result in the production " press triggers" youths, according to Dr. Gayle? Clearly we have strayed, as the text from the book of Hebrews points out, and we have drifted away from the commands of God with devastating consequences. There is a very good reason why the Scriptures advise us to " Flee from sexual immorality". As now see absolutely clearly the connection and thus the reason why God insisted on marital fidelity, and sexual purity, as the rest of the reading from Corinthians points out.
2. The second point is that the reason why God, " hates divorce" as the prophet Malachi advises us in chap 3:15 & 16, is that He wishes to have "godly offspring". That is children born out of an experience of " one flesh in Holy Matrimony". Now all of us have come face to face with the reality of children being born out of wedlock, if not personally, certainly relationally. And as a compassionate caring church, we welcome all of God's children into our midst and care for them and love them equally without bias. But the reality is, and truth demands, that we understand quite clearly, that it is not part of God's plan that children should be born out of wedlock, but as part of the " one flesh" experience. So in having many of our children , estimated to be in the region of 80%, born out of wedlock, this nation has severely strayed and drifted away from God Word with serious consequences in how they have been socialized
3. The third point is that as a nation we need to take this issue of divorce more seriously. All of us , and more so myself in my profession, are faced with persons who, for one reason or another decide to call is quits in their marriage. . Most prominent among the stated reasons is infidelity and not far behind is the combination physical and emotional abuse. This is neither the place nor the time to engage in a fulsome discussion on this matter, more than to say that how we treat with this growing problem has resonance not only for us as Christians but also for the wider society. In the sense that Holy Matrimony is a sacred act, and in fact one of the sacraments of the church ...the others include Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. And therefore both the entrance into and exit from, need to be taken very seriously, as the Gospel reading reflects a deep concern by Jesus. Therefore if continue we drift away and stray from God's original plan for marriage, as is it is now the in thing where one can get a divorce fairly easily, then there will be consequences for a society.
However, despite the importance of preserving that which God has joined together in Holy Matrimony, the more profound point the prophet Malachi was making when he said, " I hate divorce", was that Judah, part of the kingdom, had broken faith by " marrying the daughter of a foreign God". The children of Israel had " broken faith with the wife of their youth...God Almighty. And That my friends was the ultimate act of straying and drifting away from what the children of Israel had heard over the years from God through Moses...thou shall have no other God apart from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The great challenge we have in our society is that Jamaicans have broken faith with the God of Sam Sharpe, the God of Marcus Garvey and the God of Paul Bogle, all of whom worshiped and taught a nation to trust in the God of Abraham. And now we have grown to trust in foreign gods, like our political leaders, the Don man...remember the placards shown on TV prior to the Tivoli incursion....the popular dance-hall artistes, a " gospel that promises material benefits and downplays the following of a crucified Christ, the Lotto, our bank account, and the last or in some cases the first, resort of migrating to the USA
So back to the text as we close. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews was concerned that the newly established church was about to " stray and drift away", because of persecution and head back into Judaism. Which was far more comfortable than being a disciple of Christ. We face a similar problem here in Jamaica, for as a church we are constantly under pressure to " drift and stray" and construct a more comfortable Christianity which does not place much demands on us. A kind of Christianity that lulls us into a false sense of security and has no place for the command of Jesus, to deny self, take up our cross and follow Him. And all of that happens when we do not pay careful attention to God's Word.
The message for us this morning, as we contemplate the horrible acts of violence and savagery which occurred a week ago, is that when people stray and drift away, on account of the difficulties they face being obedient to the word of God, communities suffer. Society suffers and a entire nation suffers. For far too long we have been avoiding this " delicate " conversation about children being born out of wedlock and divorce, on the one hand, and the politics of the Garrisons and the growth of the Dons and their "press triggers" youths on the other hand. There is a connection. And we need as a church to first examine our our role in the development of this monster of immorality, and violence in our society. This breaking faith with the God of Abraham. This worshiping of foreign gods. It is only when we have repented of our own sins, surrender completely to the Crucified Christ, and walk in His footsteps, live in and through Him and him alone, by the power of the Holy Spirit through whom God has joined us to Himself, only then can we, with authority, challenge the society and raise the bar on how we expect people to relate to each other in this modern world.
Therefore, for our country to be rescued from the hands of young cold murderers, we as the called out people of God, the Baptized, have to, not only resist the temptation of committing sexual sins, which war against our souls. But even more, commit to to deny self, deny any right we think have as free people, and take up our cross and follow Christ. And thus be united with Him and be one with Him in the Spirit. Then we will be able to wage war a with divine power against the poverty, the Garrison experience, the political tribalism, the murderous Dons, and the evil forces that cause our people to stray and drift away from the Living God and into a life of crime and violence. Let us then pay careful attention to what we have heard from God's Word today, so that in the weeks and months to come, we may not drift away from the truth as revealed by those who delve deeply into experience of life in Jamaica. And more importantly not stray from God's truth as found in the Holy Scriptures. And which eternal truth alone has the power to rescue people from sin and death unto everlasting life in and through Christ and Him Crucified. Amen
He further revealed that it was not the absence of a father figure in the lives of these youths, as we all believed in Malvo's case, which led him to become easily manipulated by the older Mohammed, but actually the absence of a mother, further compounded by the absence of a father. This was the critical combination, at an early age, which has made these young boys so vulnerable to the murderous " Dons" who provide them with all that they need, and then go and kill without using their brains - hence the popular name for them, " press triggers". In his opinion then, as difficult as it may to accept at this time, every perpetrator, is in a real sense a victim. And the only way to " rescue " the society from these young men, the consequences of which actions is manifest in the murder stats and the pain and almost constant grief and horror which dominates the news daily, is to break the cycle. Rescue the pregnant and lactating mothers who below the poverty line and just cannot cope. Rescue the mothers who cannot cope with caring for their young boys. rescue the young men who are unable to fend for themselves and thus fall easy prey to the murderous intent of those who would easily lead them astray - in one direction or another. All of which requires a massive intervention by the society. That very same week, a noted Social Activist, Entrepreneur, Pastor and Columnist , who made a conscious decision years ago, to relocate his operations to an tough inner city community, wrote a pice on this very same issue - the crisis facing the nation on account of the criminal acts of young men. His thesis, which has gained a lot of traction over the years, is that it is the politicians who created the " garrisons" ( areas where only members of a certain political party can live safely) and the Dons to defend them, in pursuit of power, and therefore to break the cycle we have break the political influence and control. A lot of food for thought indeed, especially at a time when the nation is still trying to come to terms with the horrific acts of extreme violence which occurred a week or two ago.
As I pondered these things in my heart and prayed constantly for country for my country and sought to hear the voice of the Lord through his Word, I was moved to write, as the Psalmist said, "I believe, therefore I speak". So I wrote since I believe that my God is able to deal with any trials that may beset His people.
Wednesday October 3.
I had just finished watching the Presidential debate between Romney and Obama ( and feeling quite a bit a bit shell-shocked at the polls ) when I was led to read the passage mentioned below. The message here is that there are much more important things happening in my country that should cause us pause than whether or not President Obama does well and wins a second term. That unless as a church we seek a deeper understanding of some of the root causes of our most pressing issues, and respond prayerfully and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, then we too would be guilty of not producing fruit...with dire spiritual consequences for us as church and for the nation. That unless we repent of our own negligence in attending to the needs of the very poor and vulnerable in our society, then we may very well be found guilty of " praising the Lord with our lips and not with our hearts". This note then, with my heart " full" was sent to leaders in church and state.
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance" and, "The ax is already at the foot of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire". John 3:8 & 9 NIV struck me very forcibly tonight. As a church and as individuals we have to produce fruit, otherwise...... And not only will we suffer but the society in which we are will suffer too, at least in the short run.
In that context did you hear the remarkable discussion on BTH on RJR last night, and which discussion was re-broadcast this evening? That Lee Boyd Malvo, as a "career killer", is not even exceptional, as there are, or is, a fourteen year old in Jamaica who has already killed six persons. They call them " press triggers". As they use no brain but do the " Don's bidding without thinking. And the main problem is the absence of a mother figure, compounded by the absence of a father figure, at a tender age. They are thus easily led by " influential ' figures into negative behaviors.And more, by Dr Herbert Gayle, a Social Anthropologist, talking to Dionne Jackson- Miller about research that he has conducted on 120 " career killers", 60 in Jamaica, and other parts of the Latin American region. His recommendations were also discussed. As church, an as national leaders, we should request the tape and listen to it carefully. As this explains, in some way, why the horrible rape recently, and other " cold killings", over the years. And the church, with members all over the island, can intervene in a much more co-ordinated way, as part of the solution in rescuing our nation. Dr Henley Morgan's article in The Jamaica Observer today deals with the very same issue. Jean Lowrie-Chin was part of the discussion and wrote about Dr. Gayle's research in her last article. And also wrote a poem about Lee Malvo. Kinda puts the " importance", of the IMF discussions and the Presidential debate tonight in perspective!
Peace
LWJ
Thursday October 4.
Early that morning during my devotions, the Lord led me back to a familiar passage and to write a part 11 to the leaders in church and in state. The essence of which is that the church needs to be aware of what kind of power God has placed within us - the very disposition of Christ Himself, by the indwelling Holy Spirit. And thus our divine weapons of faith in, love of and obedience to Christ Jesus, are quite different from what the state has at its disposal. But at the same time we are called to work collaboratively with the rest of the society to rid the nation of these prevailing social ills. And the key thing is that although all may seem lost, we already the outcome of this titanic struggle between good and evil. In Christ, on the Cross, the victory over evil is already secured, regardless of how much Satan continues to wreak havoc in my country. This is the kind of faith which we need to uphold and impart to our fellow Jamaicans in the " midst of the war".
" For though we live in this world we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ". 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIVI was led to this passage this morning after meditating on words from the hymn, " Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lordabide in him always, and feed on his word.Make friends with God's children, help those who are weak;forgetting in nothing his blessing to seekand the last verseTake time to be holy, be calm in thy soul;each thought and each temper beneath his control.....A major challenge that the church faces is the temptation to wage war as the world does.And based on Dr. Gayle's analysis, and the perspective by shared by Dr. Henley Morgan in his article, we are faced with a war to rescue our young men and ultimately our nation, from these horrible acts of crime and violence. The challenge is compounded by the fact that the world expects the church to wage war as it does too. But does it really matter, if in the end, the nation benefits. Yes it does. Do you remember Gideon? That's who came into my mind as I began to write."The Lord said to Gideon, You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her......" Judges 7:2 NIV
So let us join with the government and " give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar"......join with others in our commitment to save our young men and nation. But " give to God what belongs to God"....trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding......wage war in this country with the divine power that we have in the Spirit of Christ to " demolish strongholds" of evil in the body politic, according to Henley Morgan. Who asserts that it is they who established, or gave birth to the Dons, ( and by extension the Garrisons) and who in turn have wreaked havoc in the minds of our young men for their own nefarious purposes. So the task at hand is to " demolish strongholds" in the political culture and in the inner-city communities, both of which in tandem and in concert, have spawned the " press triggers" in our society. And we must, " take captive every thought", that fights against the truth and make it obedient to Christ Jesus. So that in the end all the glory will be given to the Lord God Almighty from whom, and in the person of Christ Jesus, comes " divine power" to successfully wage war anywhere.
Peace.
LWJ
Sent from my iPad
Finally to day I was privileged to share the word at my church. And taking a cue from the letter to the Hebrews chap 2: 1 which states:
" We must pay careful attention, therefore to what we have heard so that we do not drift away", and the Genesis passage which deals with " a man leaving his mother and father and become united to his wife and they shall become one flesh, and the Passage in Mark( all appointed in my church for the readings for this Sunday) which deals with divorce, '' What God has joined together let no man put asunder, after introducing the discussion on radio to the congregation, I continued:
The Edited Sermon
The question which then arises by going back to our text, is, are we paying close attention to these things so that we do not drift away. For, as we can all attest, there is a lot of drifting away from the hard truths in our society and we seek other more comfortable constructs to explain away our problems. We have drifted away from the harsh reality that grinding poverty, the garrison experience, the nasty underbelly of our politics and the "dog- hearted", Dons, have all combined to produce these " press trigger" youths, in our society. And if they are so cold about murdering people, let us be clear that, raping a eight year girl, along with four other women, and committing robbery with assault, comes naturally.
So in the midst of this conundrum what is the Word of God saying to us today, that will not only inform us, but more importantly empower us to make a difference in this society.
In this respect, I found myself pondering on the word from Genesis and which is expanded in the Gospel that. "for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh". And as stated in the Gospel, "what God has joined together let man not separate".
Before the Lord led me to the a further revelation in St Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, I pondered on the fact that if God had not truly joined some married couples together, in the sense that, no deep commitment was made, then perhaps divorce is not such a dangerous thing. But who knows what really happens in the heart of a man and a woman when they present themselves to the Lord in Holy Matrimony. But as intriguing as that discussion may be, it is quite irrelevant and of little moment compared to what the Lord led me to read in 1 Cor. 6: 15-20
" Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, The two will become one flesh. But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside of his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Let us pause here for a moment to reflect on this passage of Scripture, the consequences of which have profound implications for how we live as a society.
1. The first point is that it is the act of having sex with a prostitute which makes one become one flesh with her. So then this "one flesh issue", which is from God, and ordained from the time of Adam, speaks directly to the great responsibility that ought to be associated with sexual intercourse. For although sin has taught us otherwise, it was always the plan of God that people should become "one flesh " within the context of marriage. It is no wonder then, no mystery, why the culturally accepted practice of men having sex with multiple partners, some of which acts produce offspring, who are then quite often " abandoned" by the men, quite often result in the production " press triggers" youths, according to Dr. Gayle? Clearly we have strayed, as the text from the book of Hebrews points out, and we have drifted away from the commands of God with devastating consequences. There is a very good reason why the Scriptures advise us to " Flee from sexual immorality". As now see absolutely clearly the connection and thus the reason why God insisted on marital fidelity, and sexual purity, as the rest of the reading from Corinthians points out.
2. The second point is that the reason why God, " hates divorce" as the prophet Malachi advises us in chap 3:15 & 16, is that He wishes to have "godly offspring". That is children born out of an experience of " one flesh in Holy Matrimony". Now all of us have come face to face with the reality of children being born out of wedlock, if not personally, certainly relationally. And as a compassionate caring church, we welcome all of God's children into our midst and care for them and love them equally without bias. But the reality is, and truth demands, that we understand quite clearly, that it is not part of God's plan that children should be born out of wedlock, but as part of the " one flesh" experience. So in having many of our children , estimated to be in the region of 80%, born out of wedlock, this nation has severely strayed and drifted away from God Word with serious consequences in how they have been socialized
3. The third point is that as a nation we need to take this issue of divorce more seriously. All of us , and more so myself in my profession, are faced with persons who, for one reason or another decide to call is quits in their marriage. . Most prominent among the stated reasons is infidelity and not far behind is the combination physical and emotional abuse. This is neither the place nor the time to engage in a fulsome discussion on this matter, more than to say that how we treat with this growing problem has resonance not only for us as Christians but also for the wider society. In the sense that Holy Matrimony is a sacred act, and in fact one of the sacraments of the church ...the others include Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. And therefore both the entrance into and exit from, need to be taken very seriously, as the Gospel reading reflects a deep concern by Jesus. Therefore if continue we drift away and stray from God's original plan for marriage, as is it is now the in thing where one can get a divorce fairly easily, then there will be consequences for a society.
However, despite the importance of preserving that which God has joined together in Holy Matrimony, the more profound point the prophet Malachi was making when he said, " I hate divorce", was that Judah, part of the kingdom, had broken faith by " marrying the daughter of a foreign God". The children of Israel had " broken faith with the wife of their youth...God Almighty. And That my friends was the ultimate act of straying and drifting away from what the children of Israel had heard over the years from God through Moses...thou shall have no other God apart from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The great challenge we have in our society is that Jamaicans have broken faith with the God of Sam Sharpe, the God of Marcus Garvey and the God of Paul Bogle, all of whom worshiped and taught a nation to trust in the God of Abraham. And now we have grown to trust in foreign gods, like our political leaders, the Don man...remember the placards shown on TV prior to the Tivoli incursion....the popular dance-hall artistes, a " gospel that promises material benefits and downplays the following of a crucified Christ, the Lotto, our bank account, and the last or in some cases the first, resort of migrating to the USA
So back to the text as we close. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews was concerned that the newly established church was about to " stray and drift away", because of persecution and head back into Judaism. Which was far more comfortable than being a disciple of Christ. We face a similar problem here in Jamaica, for as a church we are constantly under pressure to " drift and stray" and construct a more comfortable Christianity which does not place much demands on us. A kind of Christianity that lulls us into a false sense of security and has no place for the command of Jesus, to deny self, take up our cross and follow Him. And all of that happens when we do not pay careful attention to God's Word.
The message for us this morning, as we contemplate the horrible acts of violence and savagery which occurred a week ago, is that when people stray and drift away, on account of the difficulties they face being obedient to the word of God, communities suffer. Society suffers and a entire nation suffers. For far too long we have been avoiding this " delicate " conversation about children being born out of wedlock and divorce, on the one hand, and the politics of the Garrisons and the growth of the Dons and their "press triggers" youths on the other hand. There is a connection. And we need as a church to first examine our our role in the development of this monster of immorality, and violence in our society. This breaking faith with the God of Abraham. This worshiping of foreign gods. It is only when we have repented of our own sins, surrender completely to the Crucified Christ, and walk in His footsteps, live in and through Him and him alone, by the power of the Holy Spirit through whom God has joined us to Himself, only then can we, with authority, challenge the society and raise the bar on how we expect people to relate to each other in this modern world.
Therefore, for our country to be rescued from the hands of young cold murderers, we as the called out people of God, the Baptized, have to, not only resist the temptation of committing sexual sins, which war against our souls. But even more, commit to to deny self, deny any right we think have as free people, and take up our cross and follow Christ. And thus be united with Him and be one with Him in the Spirit. Then we will be able to wage war a with divine power against the poverty, the Garrison experience, the political tribalism, the murderous Dons, and the evil forces that cause our people to stray and drift away from the Living God and into a life of crime and violence. Let us then pay careful attention to what we have heard from God's Word today, so that in the weeks and months to come, we may not drift away from the truth as revealed by those who delve deeply into experience of life in Jamaica. And more importantly not stray from God's truth as found in the Holy Scriptures. And which eternal truth alone has the power to rescue people from sin and death unto everlasting life in and through Christ and Him Crucified. Amen
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