Solving the National Debt and following Christ: Is there a connection?

My country owes  Ja.1.7 trillion dollars. That's 600,000 for every person in Jamaica.  That's 19.5 billion USD. At least, that's what is was one year ago when the Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips shared this staggering bit of data at the start of the 2012-2013 budget debate. So it's not new, but it came to my attention recently. Might have been a The Jamaica Gleaner editorial as they have been talking about it for some time now, with almost evangelical zeal. But from whatever source, for some reason it disturbed my soul greatly this week. Yes, the fire which killed close to 300 people in southern Brazil caught my attention this morning, as I opened my iPad. Yes, President Obama's inauguration speech caught every-body's attention, and so did his beautiful wife and children. Yes, all the tweeting from The Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, and a one hour special on KLAS FM on Saturday night, featuring one of the greatest singers ever,  Sam Cooke, caught my attention. But my God, 1.7 Trillion! That's a whole lot of money.Where has all that money gone? What have we got to show for it? Roads, Universities, housing, electricity in most of the country, water, hotels...yes but worth  1.7 Trillion?   And how are we ever going to pay it back. Have mercy! Meanwhile many, far too many of my people languish in poverty and suffer on account of the enormous sums of money which we have to pay back each year. Some survive. Some even do well and prosper regardless of the circumstances. But those are the ones who have financial clout to influence the system whether in good times or in bad times. In a sense, similar to what now obtains in poverty stricken Haiti, according to the received wisdom of a friend who understands the " runnings". So not much is left for development. Not much is left to spur economic growth. Not much is left for spending on desperately needed infrastructure; to create jobs; to educate our people; to provide adequate health care and to care for the poor.And therefore, in the language of the prophet Ezekiel, " So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals". Wild animals who have led my people into prostitution; scamming; gun running; murder for hire, gross indecency in attire, language, and music masquerading as culture; and into a kind of political tribalism which pits neighbour against neighbour, father and against son and communities against communities fighting to the death for the sake of their leader

In the midst of this angst, a passage of Scripture kept coming into my mind and my consciousness.

" Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour  out such a blessing that you will not have room enough for it". Malachi 4:10...with the preceding verses placing the whole thing into the proper context. " I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, How are we to return? Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
But you ask, How do we rob you? In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing me.  Malachi 4: 6-9.

Further on I reflected deeply on another passage: " Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light". Matthew 11: 28-30. NIV

A passage of Scripture which inspired Augustine of Hippo  ( 354 - 430...born in North Africa as the son of a pagan  father and Christian mother...he established the doctrine of the church, gave a clear statement concerning the person of Christ, and made the grace of God the theme of theology in the west) one of the great Bishops and early Father of the church to pen the following words which are so full of meaning for us in this age of unbelief and fear:
" I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are very wise and very beautiful, but I have never read in either of them: " Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden".

So this message from the Lord is for all of us across the world who are " heavy laden, who are weary and burdened about a 1.7 trillion dollar debt, or having  over 300 persons perish in a fire, or revolution in your country where you own government has turned on you, or where Christians and Muslims are fighting, or where Jews and Palestinians are at war, or where HIV/AIDS is ravishing your people, or where unbridled capitalism is so rampant that people resort to  " occupy Wall street. Wherever!

So  then the question or command of " test me in this " lies unresolved. Unless of course we chose to ignore fear, let go of prejudice, regard each other as people made in the image and likeness of God. All people! And follow Christ. So the Lord sent a final message from one who paid the price with his life to gain freedom for his people during the dark days of World War 11 - Dietrich Bonhoeffer. And then the " dawn came " after a long night.

A TRUE RELATION WITH CHRIST

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Verse: Matthew 9:9.....As  Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. Follow me, he told the him. And Matthew got up and followed him.


 When we are called to follow Christ, we are summoned to an exclusive attachment to his person. The grace of his call bursts all the bonds of legalism. It is a gracious call, a gracious commandment. It transcends the difference between the law and the gospel. Christ calls, the disciple follows; that is grace and commandment in one. " I will walk about in freedom; for I have sought out your precepts". ( Psalm 119:45)

Discipleship means adherence to Christ, and because Christ is the object of that adherence, it must take the form of discipleship. An abstract Christology, a doctrinal system, a general  religious knowledge on the subject of grace or on the the forgiveness of sins, render discipleship superfluity, and in fact they positively exclude any idea of discipleship whatever, and are essentially inimical to the whole conception of following Christ.

With an abstract idea it is possible to enter into a relationship of formal knowledge, to become enthusiastic about it, and perspex even to put it into practice, but it can never be followed in personal obedience. Christianize without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth which has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits Christ as the living Son. And Christianity of that kind is nothing more or less than the end of discipleship.

In such a religion there is trust in God, but no following of Christ. Because the Son of God became man, because he is the mediator, for that reason alone the only true relation we can have with him is to follow him. Discipleship is bound to Christ as the mediator, and where it is properly understood, it necessarily implies faith in the Son of God as the mediator. Only the mediator, the God-man , can call men to follow him.

Comments. This message in general, and the reflection by Bonhoeffer in particular about following Christ,  were written for two people, in particular,  with whom I spoke about the Lord Jesus recently. One is a strong believer in her denomination but has issues with Christ. The other also goes to church regularly but also clearly has issues with Jesus as the Son of God. More importantly, this message was written for all of us who attend church regularly, and who need to "test ourselves in this", and see if we are indeed " bringing the whole tithes into God's house, and not robbing Him", but being true disciples of Christ. And not just believing  in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit in words only; but truly becoming more and more each day, a disciple of the mediator, Christ, the only one who can call people to follow him. As there is, as the words of Bonhoeffer suggest, a huge difference between the two. Finally the Lord in His wisdom has inspired this message for all who would " follow Obama", or follow Bustamante, or Norman Manley, or any current charismatic leader " until they die". Or any other  human being who can serve to inspire a people to great heights. But to trust in the Only One who through His Life, Death on the Cross, Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, can " give rest to the weary" and " remove all burdens". Whether financially, morally, politically and spirituality. So let us resolve to " test God in this", resolve to follow His Son Jesus, and see if He will not fulfill His promise and open the floodgates of heaven and pour out such a blessings on Jamaica or wherever you live. So much that we cannot find room for it.Amen.

The news of the week and the Good News of the Word of God

I read my Bible to see what men ought to do. And read the newspapers to see what men are doing  - John Newton

What got your attention in the news this week? Oprah Winfrey's  revealing interview with Lance Armstrong - what a sad end to a once very high profile athlete;  President Obama's  ' no hitch this time"  swearing in ceremony - " daddy you did not mess up"...really so cute; the, apparent 'retaliation' killings...two so far... in Duncans Trelawny, following the shooting death of young UK born Imani Green; the shooting death of a young nurse one day and the civil servant the next day?

As I read and listened, once again, for the umpteenth time, my heart 'bled' for my country. As it never had to come to this!

Why?

I would invite you to read again, as you might have been led to read before, the prophetic Word of God, as He spoke to a people, through His servant Moses,  who He knew before hand that they would continue to disobey Him.

"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." Deuteronomy 5:29 NIV.

So why are we living in a land where murder, especially of women and children, is no longer " any big thing"? No longer the big news story for the year, or for the decade! As was the case in former times when Jamaica was a far different place.

From my perspective, it all comes down to how we view the Word of God. In that respect then, as I ponder on the many messages that have gone out from the church to this society, including this Internet Ministry, which goes out to believers as well as unbelievers, a word that I read  just this evening, can help.

" What is the word of God.........The Bible is the Word of God, only to those who are born from above and who walk in the light. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the Bible, the words  of God, stand or fall together, they can never be separated without  fatal results. A man's attitude to our Lord determines his attitude to the Bible. The " saying's of God are of no moment to him; to him the Bible is a remarkable compilation of Literature ' " that it is, and nothing more."  All the confusion arises from no knowing this. But to the soul born from above, the Bible is the universe of God's revealed will."

A quotation from Oswald Chambers, the author of the famous devotional " My Utmost for His Highest".

The prayers of the church then, and the aim of this Ministry, is not only that men and women should read and be exposed to the Bible - the revealed word of God. But more importantly, the ultimate goal is that they should be " born from above", through Holy Baptism, and then be discipled to  grow in the grace of God and to follow Christ.

Hence the under girding prayer of this Ministry  has always been:

" Lord renew thy church beginning with me. Lord renew thy church so that the church may renew the nation". 

For the reality is that unless men and women are truly born from above, they will never heed the call from God, " that their hearts will be inclined to fear me and obey all my commands always...and thus that..... it may go well with they and their children forever".

The Lord also called my attention the importance of the Word of God in two other ways. One was a message that I was first led to send to my church, and then some of the church leaders and then to other leaders in the society. The message appears below.

The Isaiah passage ( 62:1-5)  is very instructive! Not only for  Jerusalem but for St. Andrew Parish Church
Consider the promises in verses 1-5. Accept the prophecy for us in this age, as. ' Jesus is the same .....' And let us also take the instructions in vs 6-7 also as a promise and ' give the Lord no rest until he establishes Jerusalem'.

A church whose foundations are Justice and Righteousness, and where Love and Faithfulness go in front of us.

Let this call to prayer for our church, resonate in our public and private and fellowship group prayers, and trust God to send His grace on our church. 

" Test  me in this, says the Lord Almighty,  and see if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and  pour out so much  blessing that you will not have room for it". Malachi 3: 10.

The key is to begin to use the Word of God more and more in our Prayers and Intercessions as " the word of God is living and active..."
Also, Jesus " drove out the  spirits  with a word....". Matthew 8:16
Finally " The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words  I have spoken to  you are spirit and they are life." John 7:63    
Peace.
LWJ 
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from LIME.

The other one was to be found in the words of a well known hymn. I was actually searching for " What a friend we have in Jesus, when the words below grabbed my attention.

When we walk with the Lord

In the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do his good will,

He abides with us still,

And with all would trust and obey!

Refrain

Trust and obey!

For there is no other way

To be happy in Jesus,

But to trust and obey

Not a shadow can rise,

Not a cloud in the skies.....

Not a burden we bear,

Not a sorrow we share.....

I would invite you to google the entire hymn and reflect on it for yourselves.

Finally we pray God that men and women in high places, whether President Obama or FLOTUS,  or others; those living  in the midst of the challenges of inner city life; those we meet a the workplace;  those next door, our loved ones and relatives and friends,;  those we meet in,  even, and  especially, the  church, we pray God that they may be born from above and thus their eyes may be open to see and obey the Word. As there is no other way for our nation and indeed the entire world to thrive and to prosper, and for " it to go well with them and their children forever",  than to Trust and Obey, the Living Word of God, even Christ the Savior of all mankind. Amen

What time is it? Time to trust in the One true God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit

I read my Bible to see what men ought to do; and read the newspapers to see what men are doing -John Newton


The big news in my country  this week was already an open secret. That world superstar athlete Usain Bolt, and our " pocket rocket" fabulous female sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce would win the nation's top sportsman and sportswoman award for their stellar performances at the Olympic Games  in 2012. Also  a huge talking point, continuing from last week  was our Prime Minister's address to the nation in respect her government's handling of the country's affairs during their first year in office. In that respect the country is divided on whether or not she could have given more specifics about the impending deal with the International Monetary Fund, given our very worrying  economic circumstances. A situation which attracted the attentions of a media house in Chicago,The Chicago Tribune.  And whose rather negative, some would say realistic, outlook on Jamaica's economic state, triggered responses from both the ruling party and the opposition and excited the local press. Murder most foul, continues to be a problem in my country, and the shooting death of a Imani Green , young British girl from south London, over the weekend, and  who was visiting Jamaica with her relatives, has already hit the " foreign press". Thus further tarnishing our image as a country with far too high a murder rate , despite recent and welcome reports of a decline in the number of people who died in this fashion last year. 
Outside of Jamaica, but still near and quite important to us, on account of our relationship with Venezuela through the Petrocaribe Facility, President Hugo Chavez's state of health continues to attract attention here, and there were media reports of Jamaican pastors praying for his recovery. And  no doubt many others have been doing so quietly.

So in the midst of this news, what did the Word of God say to me this week. What important " good news" was revealed by the Spirit of God?
The first message was one which was inspired by an ongoing discussion with a group of journalists and others about " The Correct Faith", and a response to the previous set of messages. The question of belief, and what leads some to believe and not others, and God's grace was the highlight of this note.
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9TH, 2013

  

CH sent me a gracious note in response to the last message assuring me that he reads them, but we have to agree to disagree. Fair enough, as that's all I ask. Because we know that it is only the Holy Spirit Who can convict someone of Sin, and thus lead them to believe in Christ. He and I are  are now discussing less controversial matters " behind the headlines".

In that respect, a quotation from Blaise Pascal which I " happened upon" this morning while reading a wonderful passage in the book of Ephesians led me to share these thoughts.

" No man ever believes with a true and saving faith unless God inclines his heart; and no man when God does incline his heart can refrain from believing".

According to the blurb in my Classics Devotional Bible -  Blaise Pascal ( 1623-1662)....one of the great minds in Western intellectual history, an eminent mathematician and physicist who at the same time was one of the greatest mystical writers in Christian Literature. By the age of 12, Pascal had worked out the equivalent of of many of Euclid's geometrical theorems. At 19 he invented the first practical calculating machine. Later he verified the theory of atmospheric pressure and formulated the theory of probability, a fundamental element of modern theoretical physics........His Provincial Letters ( 1657) is at once a classic in the literature of irony and satire, and a demand for a reemphasis on Augustine's doctrine of grace within the Catholic Church."

No doubt this complete dependence on the doctrine of grace, gave birth to the quotation above attributed to Pascal. Very interesting isn't it. And begins, only begins, to answer the question of why some believe while other do. So we continue to pray " with the incomparable great power available to us who believe" ( Ephesians 1:19), that God may incline Cliff's heart and those of others within this forum and outside, so that they, by God's grace, may come to believe.

In the same way that we, only by the grace of God, have come to faith in Christ. And this, according to Bishop Gregory, is not  only for the  personal satisfaction of being " saved", but  in addition,  for the purpose of transformation. So that " Justice and Righteousness" may always be uppermost in the minds of God's people. As it was in the mind of the prophet Isaiah, more recently in  the the mind persons like  Martin Luther King Jnr, and others, who helped to transform societies. And God knows how much our society is in need of transformation.

But only by the " Good News" of the gospel, and not only by The Headlines of today's' world.

Peace

LWJ

Comment:  Belief  in the one Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, why some do and others do not, is a question with which many have struggled over the centuries. Why did some Jews, like Peter, James, John and  many women believe that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah, whilst others like the Scribes and Pharisees did not? Why did Christianity spread so rapidly from " backwater" Palestine in the 1st Century to become the dominant religion in the huge Roman Empire by the 3rd and 4th Centuries? Why was there such a struggle in the 2nd and 3rd Century and beyond, thus triggering the writing of the Nicene Creed, to decide whether or not, Jesus and the Holy Spirit,  were both  one with the Father? Why in the 21st Century despite Christianity being the accepted faith of billions of people, why do so many refuse to accept the testimony of John,( writing in John 1) that:

" That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to to make our joy complete........

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have no sin, we make him out to be a liar, and his word has no place in our lives."  1 John 1: 1-10 NIV

This is news. Good news!  The reading of which, I was led  this morning at 5:15, when I could have done with some more sleep time. The essence of the message in 1 John, and in the quotation above from Pascal, is that it is only by grace, the mercy of God, that we come to believe. But that grace only comes into a humble heart.  A heart that accepts that we are sinners and in need of help. " Have  mercy on me a sinner " cried the man who was justified before the Lord. many years ago I wrote on the inside cover  of my Bible the following quotations.

" Without Jesus, god is an abstraction. - John 14:6-7

" Without the Holy Spirit, it is not possible to believe that Jesus is God. - John 14:26

" And the Holy Spirit will only enter into a humble heart - Psalm 51:17

And if we do not believe that we are sinners, then we " make  him out to be a liar, and his word has no place in our lives". This verse goes to the heart of the problem in the conversation with this experienced and highly esteemed journalist. And which problem is the " stumbling block " for the faith in Christ by many across the world. As they have yet to come to terms with the reality expressed in the  most popular verse in the Bible, John 3:16. Christ came on earth and died so that " Adam's helpless race" would not die, would not perish, would not be eternally separated from the One true Almighty God.

Is God a liar? Is God's Word untrue?   Was not John a witness to the Living Word?

The second word from the Lord was sent to group of leaders in church, politics and civil society. The message follows closely on the first one. What does it mean when we say that we believe that Jesus is the Son of God? And how that belief manifest itself in how we live in community with others and with the One true Triune God.

FRIDAY JANUARY 11TH, 2013

Two Words from the Lord have been reverberating in my head in the past couple of days. And brought to a climax this morning.

" Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown
when thou camest to earth for me......

" The inseparable link that God has established between Justice and Righteousness" - triggered
by Bishop Howard's sermon on Sunday.......The Christian life is not about satisfaction but about transformation."

Then this:    This morning's  reading of Philippians 2:1-9 triggered by the words of the hymn    .....Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit........each of you should look not only to your own interest ; but also to the interest of others........Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant........
humbled himself
and became obedient to death
even death on a cross...

The kind of attitude which is immortalized in the words of  Charles Wesley's s hymn:
" He left his Father's throne above,
so free, so infinite his grace!
Emptied himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam's helpless race"

Comment: I don't know where this is going, but I feel the " heavy hand " of the Lord on me to write.  I don't even know to whom  I should address this note. No doubt to the church. But who is church!

" Wherever the word of God is preached and heard, there a church of God exists, even if it swarms with many faults" - John Calvin. A quotation tucked in between the words of Paul to the Philippian church.

Jamaica is at a crossroads. In the language of the streets we are in a veritable " preckeh". We owe far too much money. We produce far too little to satisfy our needs and to sell. We buy far too much form others. And the "chickens have not come home to roost".

And so we blame those who have borrowed, perhaps in many instances recklessly, on our behalf. Perhaps in some instances spent the money carelessly, whilst in other instances more base motives might have been  at work. But what role in all of this, for which there resides  some burden of responsibility, does the rest of civil society carry?

From those who by virtue of status and money have had the power to make a difference, but have in many instances, only satisfied the needs of kith and kin. From those who by the sacrifice of former slaves, have managed to gain an education, a passport to a better life, and again in many instances, have fallen prey to " selfish ambition and vain conceit", manifest in their lifestyle, and little regard for those who now share the circumstances of their forebears - enslaved by poverty and injustice and lack of opportunity. From the church, the body of Christ, that once " emptied itself on behalf of the poor and needy slaves", but now in many instances no longer has " Adam's helpless race" in their focus, but are guilty too, in some instances, of pursuing  "selfish ambition" and having " vain conceit".

In the meanwhile, the poor, the dirt poor, seek to survive. Thus prostitution is tempting; every kind of " juggling" is justified, whether legal or illegal ; little regard is paid to the once closely held values of a different and forgotten time. Thus the music and the culture in general mirror
the reality. As the society does not have the money to help. 60% of it being sucked out year after year to pay debt. Not enough to stimulate production and investment. Not enough to provide a social net for the poor. Not enough to provide basic services - health, education, water, light, roads.

We are all becoming dirt poor and living in a " bubble". Despite the outwards trappings of normality which exists in some parts of the society, Jamaica is fast becoming a economically " helpless race".

Is there a " salvation" available? Is anyone or group of people willing to " empty themselves of all but love" and  help our helpless race. Can it be the IMF!  Or is there, according to John the Baptist  " someone else to come"? 

What role does the church, the body of Him who emptied Himself for another helpless race, have to play? Is this a correct analogy, is this a insufficient theology, is this an incorrect interpretation of the Word of God. So why am I so moved to write!

Going to church is a very dangerous thing! You might meet a Judge there. Or a Savior. Depending on our attitude! But where else can we go, and who else can we serve! Interesting isn't it.
We thank God for the remnant and reservoir of goodness that continues to be the glue, the salt and the light that keeps this society going.  Whether in church or outside of church. But God has called his people, the body of Christ,  to a specific task,  in every society, and in every age.
And He has no favorites, as Paul revealed in Acts 10:34, one of the readings for the Anglican church this Sunday. So we, the church are mandated to follow the example of Christ and " empty ourselves" for all helpless people;  whether economically, socially, morally or spiritually helpless. Whether in Majestic Gardens, Tivoli Gardens, Cherry Gardens. Whether in Israel or in Palestine!  Whether in Venezuela or in Cuba! Wherever.
We pray God that by His grace He will cause men and women in this country to rise up and empty themselves for Jamaica's helpless race.  This is what Jesus did. This is what Sam Sharpe and others did. It is now our turn.

Peace.
LWJ
Sent from my iPad

  Comment: This week, I " happened" on a message I wrote, on a Sunday night just like this one, and posted is fresh on my blogsite....www.danielgodsurelywilldeliver.blogspot.com/ .... in the heat of the Summer Olympic Games held in Beijing in 2008. It was entitled simply  " What time is it?" It chronicles the success of Shelly-Ann, Usain Bolt and many others, in whose performances, to this date, we continue to take great pride and find much joy. The problem though, is that though we glorify them, as we should, we have been guilty of not listening carefully to what they have been saying to  the nation. As has been the case with our other " prophets", from Sam Sharpe one of our National Heroes, to Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the most celebrated Jamaican ever. And one whose philosophy about  " up you mighty race", of a once enslaved peoples, helped to inspire civil rights activists in later years...according to the BBC's list of Historic figures. The message which has been lost on our journalists, and other public figures, is captured in a much repeated bible quote by Shelly-Ann ( pocket rocket) Fraser-Price, and which occurs in the Epistle, not the Gospel, written by John, as I  ( re) discovered this morning.

" ...Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world". 1 John 4:4.....and the context is that we have overcome the Spirit which denies that  Jesus has come in the flesh and is of God. So we are over-comers of all kinds of obstacles. No wonder this young lady can rejoice so much when she wins, as indeed she has had many challenges in her short life, but God has carried her through.

This is the message which is needed to be heard right now in Jamaica as many are almost getting hysterical about the failure of the government to sign a new IMF deal. As if, with that behind us, " economic " salvation" is at hand. And if not, we are doomed!

 " How sad". " How sad"! Observed my Rector this morning as He preached on the Baptism of Jesus, and the news that came down from heaven that Jesus was God's Beloved. And in Him,  He,  the One True Almighty God,  was " well pleased". Why? Because He " emptied Himself of all but love, and was prepared to die for Adam's helpless race". And we too, who are Baptized " with the Holy Spirit and with Fire", thus transforming us into " a new creation", how much also does God know us as " His Beloved"!

And if we are His " Beloved", how can we the Baptized, be guilty of seeking " our salvation", whether economically, morally, politically or spiritually, from elsewhere! How can we also  not follow our Lord and Master and " empty ourselves" ;  of  all the cravings of sinful man; the lust of our eyes; and the boasting of what we have or do. All of which according to ! John 2:15-17 are features of those who love " the world" -  that which we can see and touch and feel, and which has no place for faith in the unseen.

What time is it then? Time for this nation, our leaders, our professionals, to listen more carefully to what is really news. Good news! As recommended by our past and present heroes and heroines, and more importantly, as recorded in the unchanging Word of God. And with a heart humbled by the knowledge of the presence of Sin, believe in Christ and seek salvation from and in Him. Become transformed by the Holy Spirit. And then, and only then, will my country prosper and flourish, and be an example to the whole human race. As our national pledge calls on us to be. 

Flashback to 2008: Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forevermore

I started blogging after writing this message in August 2008, in the heat of the Bejing Olympics.
" Happened" upon it this morning and thought it worthy of a " Flashback", even as we celebrate Shelly-Ann and Usain Bolt copping the RJR  Sportswoman and sportsman of the year last night.
LWJ




www.danielgodsurelywilldeliver.blogspot.com/ 

What time is it? Time for the Olympics on television. Time for Usain Bolt to smash another world record and then to perform the " gully creeper" and the "nuh linga." - two of the latest moves in the dancehall scene in the island. Time for the Jamaican women sprinters to sweep the 100 m race. Time for a relatively unknown young lady from a tough inner city community to cause pandemonium to break out, not only in her neighbourhood, but across the length and breath of an entire country. Time for her mother to send a strong message to all Jamaica, and especially the gunmen, that with hard work , everybody's child can achieve what her daughter did. Time for this simple but very wise mother to give thanks to God Almighty for Kerry-Ann's success. What time is it? Time for VC ( Veronica Campbell - the princess of athletics in Jamaica) to retain her 200m title and to send a message to the entire world, that her God comes first. Did you notice that her first act after winning the historic race was to stoop and clasp her hands in prayer. Time for Asafa Powell, one of the favourites to win the 100m final, but who failed again to medal, to win a well deserved gold medal in the relays. Time for Melaine Walker, another young lady from a tough inner city, to bring glory to herself, her country and her community by winning the 400m hurdles in an Olympic record. Time for her people to celebrate wildly. Time even for a moment of disappointment when arguably, the four faster women in the world, failed too carry the baton around the track in the women's sprint relay. Time for Half-Way-Tree, with the help of a big screen TV, to become the country's " Beijing", where masses of people gathered everyday to witness the success of the Jamaican stars and to share in the vibes. What time is it? Time for the news about crime and violence to take a backseat to the events in Beijing. Hopefully time for the gunmen to take a permanent break from their wickedness and give Jamaica a chance to really achieve its full potential both on and off the sporting arenas of the world. What time is it? All too soon, time for the athletes to return home to what will no doubt be a tremendous reception, as a grateful nation, pours out its love and appreciation for the exploits of these men and women. Time to savor the sweetness of the Track and Field section of the Olympics being dominated by the Jamaican stars - third behind the USA and the Russian federation. Time to give thanks to the coaches and the administrators. Time for the Government and the private sector to" step up to the plate" and harness this momentum of an outpouring of national pride and unity, for the long term benefit of nation desperate for good news. What time is it? It's celebration time here on the "rock". But during the course of the week, as we celebrated with wild abandon the victories in Beijing, jumping up and down like mad people, donning the national colours, festooning even our vehicles with the national flag, the Lord reminded us that there is another imperative, another time that we must not lose sight of - Harvest time. As for Christian people, for the Redeemed people of this world, our role is to spread the good news, as we were reminded in church this morning, that in the Eternal Kingdom, unlike in the Olympics, there are no winners and losers, no stars, but we are all rescued from sin and death, by the mercy of God, in and through Christ Jesus. What time is it then? Time to tell the story of Jesus' death on the Cross of Calvary, of the wonderful love of God, poured out in the Blood of the Lamb, for Adam's helpless race. Time to reassure all peoples, that just as how Jesus was raised from the dead, with power ( of the Holy Spirit) so all who have sinned, all who are under God's righteous judgement, can, in Baptism, rise to a new life in Christ Jesus. What time is it? Time to remind people that the time to accept Christ is now, as " no man knoweth when the Son of Man shall come". That Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ shall come again. And that nearer and nearer draws the time when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as waters cover the sea. Time to share the good news with Bolt and Phelps, with the Chinese and with the Russians, with the top class coaches, the high performing media personalities at TVJ, CMC, NBC, CVM, the ill informed President of the IOC Jack Rogge and even with the Prime Minister of Jamaica, who is speaking to the nation even as I write this message from the Lord. Where did I get this message about Harvest time? HARVEST EYES CHRIS TIEGEN AUGUST 4 " Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest" John 4:35 IN WORD The contrast between Jesus and His disciples in this passage is stark. Jesus is busy telling a sinful woman of eternal truths. The disciples are focused on their physical needs. Jesus sets off a spark and sees a whole town ablaze with spiritual hunger. The disciples are obsessed about their daily bread. Jesus was ready to minister to people. The disciples were ready for lunchtime. Don't we see a similar contrast in our own lives? Sometimes we can be outward focused, seeing other people's needs and trying to meet them. More often we are just trying to to get through the day, feeding ourselves and our families, and trying to earn enough to pay the bills. We get caught up in our own agenda and neglect the more urgent need of a hurting world -- perhaps not in principle, but certainly in practice. Jesus urges His disciples to look beyond themselves. He tells them to thrive on a different kind of food -- the will of God and His passion for people who need the gospel. They are to be outward focused, filled with vision. Their ambition should be to see the gathering of the Kingdom of God, not just to get through the daily grind. IN DEED We tend to neglect the eternal purposes of God and hone in on the peripherals of life. But life isn't about going into town to shop ( John 4:8) or about lunchtime ( vs 31). Those are the necessities of sustaining life, not its substance. The substance of life is eternal, and we can invest it in either the kingdom or in the world. Jesus points us to His kingdom. Are your eyes filled with visions of harvest? Do you understand why we are here? Do not be distracted by the daily routine or by the needs of the hour. learn to recognise moments for reaping. Jesus has given us a mission and told us to have a vision for what's going on around us. Focus outward, not inward. Lift up your eyes and look at the fields. It's harvest time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some of special moments for me, as a Christian, at the Olympics were Veronica Campbell's public act of thanksgiving; Bolt and the many others, including the Brazilian 50 m swimming champion, consistently making the sign of the Cross and thus giving God the glory; the eight finalists in the 100m men race gathering for prayer before the race; Bolt's donation of US 50,000 to the victims of he earthquake in China - what effect this might have on millions of Chinese and others in the far east, who have never heard the gospel, only God knows. But no doubt these were special moments for "sowing the seed". Looking back I can understand how and why, as a nation, we have elevated these men to super star status. And celebrate we should and must. But as the Redeemed people of God, we should always be celebrating and giving thanks, every day, every hour, to the One who set us free from slavery to sin and rescued us unto Everlasting Life. This is what must excite us to worship and to tell the good news, in season and out of season. When there is excitement and celebration in the nation and when there is pain and sorrow and grief. Let us then be obedient to our calling, and follow the example of Christ. Let us not be overly concerned about our nation's achievement, the successes of Bolt and VC, but rather use every moment as an opportunity to witness for Christ. This is what the final message from the Lord through His servant Martin Luther is all about. QUICKENING GRACE MARTIN LUTHER Zechariah 12:10 When a Christian begins to know Christ as his Lord and Saviour, through whom he is redeemed from death and brought into his kingdom and inheritance, his heart is aglow with a flaming love of God and he would gladly help everyone to the same experience. For he knows no greater joy than that he possesses this treasure, that he knows Christ. Therefore he goes out and teaches and exhorts other people, praising and testifying to it before all men, praying and yearning that they too might attain to such a grace. That is a restless spirit enjoying the highest  rest in the grace and peace of God, for it cannot be silent or idle, but is always striving with all its power to spread the honor and glory of God among the people, that others too may receive this spirit of grace and may then help with the work of prayer. For where the Spirit of grace is, he quickens our hearts, so that we can, and may, and must begin to pray. Amen

Choosing a road named humility" in 2013: A resolution that leads to God's grace and mercy

Despite some success with road fatalities last year, one single crash, resulting in the death of three persons, a grandmother, a mother and daughter, all Jamaicans living abroad, and who were on their way to the airport, wiped out any notion that things were much better on our roads. And that 2013 would automatically  see a dramatic reduction in road deaths. So too murder. The data for Jamaica for 2012 was encouraging, but since the start of the year we have already witnessed some vicious killings. No as horrific as what took place in the Phillipines, but serious enough to warrant concern.What then will 2013 bring with respect to other social ills? The breakdown in family life; the corrupting influence of some aspects of popular music on the minds of the young; the huge gap between the rich and poor in  my country; the loss of hope in respect of  students graduating from tertiary institutions and their inability to find a job; the grinding poverty of many of our people; the increasing amounts of persons who no longer attend church; the apparent lack of vision of our political leaders, or at the very least their inability to articulate that vision clearly that persons may be inspired to do great things for their country. A sentiment echoed by at least one Caribbean publication which nominated Kirani James the Grenadian Olympic 400 metre champion to be Caribbean person of the Year, as according to them, no Political Leader in the Caribbean was up for contention. Perhaps the only Leader to catch the imagination of the world was President Obama, who was voted by Time magazine to be Person of the Year.
No doubt many persons across the world are reviewing the events of 2012, as we are doing on television as I write even now. And as  has happened since time immemorial. And to what end! Should we listen to the French philosophers who  declared that : " The more things change, the more they remain the same", in English, and Plus ca change, plus ce la meme chose...en francais. Or is there some way to get off this roller coaster called life and find a different pathway. Ultimately, one that will lead to peace and fulfillment and joy.

Perhaps a single thought expressed at the end of sermon shared today by the Anglican Bishop of Jamaica, could be the point of departure for a reflection on this issue. The setting was the journey of the three wise men to find the Christ child. They came one way,  but ( warned by the angels)  went back home using  a different route. And the key question here  for people of faith in God, is,  having experienced the Risen Christ, having had an encounter with Him, have we remained the same, do we have the same attitude to life, or have we been so transformed by the experience, that we have chosen a different pathway.  In that context then I will share the inspired thoughts that the Lord placed in my heart during this past week.
Tuesday morning  
    Early this morning, at 5:00 am, after going to bed following watch night service at about 2:00 am, I was awakened to read and share this message. It is of great importance.

Cursed is the one who trusts in man,

and who depends on flesh for his strength

and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

He will be like a bush in the  wastelands;

he will not see prosperity when it comes.

he will dwell in the parched lands of the desert,

in a salt land where no one lives.

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, 

whose confidence is in him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its root by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and it never fails to bear fruit.

The heart is deceitful above all things

and beyond cure.

Who can understand it?

I the Lord search the heart

and examine the mind,

to reward a man according to his conduct,

according to what his deeds deserve.

Jeremiah 17:5-10 NIV

Inspired thoughts: herein lies the crux of the problem of all mankind. " The heart is deceitful  above all things, and beyond cure". This is the ultimate judgement from The Creator of Heaven and Earth, and all things that live within it". This is the observation from The Holy One of Israel, who is so Holy that no man can see His face and livel This is not the foolish rantings of an inconsequential bystander! This is not the profound discovery of a great philosopher. Or the lyrical style of a poet of yure. This is judgement by the One who posed the ( existential )  question to Job:

" Have  you ever given orders to the morning,

 or shown the dawn its place". Job 38:12 NIV

This then is the context within which we can begin, only begin,  to understand the gift of Christmas and the gift of a New Year. As the Creator God, who searches the heart  of all mankind, and has found us all, beyond cure, with great compassion, which is new every morning, and each New Year,......

........now I understand why this week the Lord woke me up to read, " Because of his great love we are not consumed, for his compass ions never fail. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV.....

......This gracious God then, became man - Incarnation - and suffered and died for us, whose hearts are beyond cure. So then, how can we not love the Lord Jesus, and praise His Holy Name. The Name that is above all names, as the Preacher reminded us at the service.

I pray God my family members, let this Name protect us all from all evil this New Year.

Let us commit to Believe on Him. Let us commit Repent of our sinful and unbelieving  ways. As faith in that Name comes first by an act of will, and not by " our own (limited, very limited)  understanding of life. 

 Precious Name, O how sweet,

Hope of earth and Joy of Heaven.

Happy New Year.

LWJ

Comment:  The distinguishing  feature of the Christian faith is the revelation that the heart of mankind is beyond cure; that  only a Holy God alone understands this; that only a Loving  God alone can cure it; and that only a God who is prepared to " empty Himself",  become man and die on a Cross can be a worthy sacrifice for the incurable heart of man. That's it!  That's why we love the Lord Jesus.... so much, as the gospel song I heard on the way back from church today reminds us. " Accept these prayers from a grateful heart.....Every time I think of you the praises start.....I love you so much, Jesus". So the pessimism that the French Philosophers offer a confused world is not the only offer in town. Nor is the triumphalist dogma of the post modern age that " god has died", (must be a common "g",as  they could not be talking about my God) to be taken seriously, as many of the advocates of this simplistic notion, are carried right into the church for burial when they died. As we have seen here in  Jamaica and across the world time and time again. The reality is that the same God who searched the heart in the time of Jeremiah, is still searching the hearts of all mankind even until this present time. And the results are the same. Everybody needs Jesus. This island needs Jesus...goes the popular song. But that is true of America, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Grenada, the UK, everywhere. As the corruption of the human heart is responsible for all the ills in the world. Social, political,  moral and economic.

The above message was the most significant one for this week. But the doctrine of grace, God's unmerited love and favor and act of empowerment,  by which all of us are led to seek God in Christ, came through regularly this week. And which grace alone is the means by which the human heart is transformed and cured and led to follow Christ. It's an important, nay critical lesson for us to appreciate, lest we feel that our Christian  lives and works, make us " better than " unbelievers". And so another , a more personal note, was penned this week,  to members of a team that I had had the privilege of working with during the course of last year.

Wednesday morning

  

As we "celebrate" the " success"  of achieving the BELOW 300 target - latest available figure 258 - , in respect of road fatalities during 2012. And as we give thanks to God for all those  ( only a few included here) who helped in making this happen . And as we mourn with those who suffered loss during the year. And as we plan for the future, let us remember the words which form the final section of a three part prayer which I have been blessed to pray each morning on arising for many years. The three part prayer:  On Waking; On Rising; On Going to Work,  was written by Jacob Boehme ( 1575-1624) an influential German Lutheran Mystic. The General Caption of the Prayer is : " A Morning Watch". And in my Classic Devotional Bible the verse which is referenced is 2 Chronicles 7:14. If anyone is interested I can send you, in due course, the other two parts.

On Going to Work 

Give me, dear Lord, a pure heart and a wise mind, that I may carry out my work according to your will. Save me from all false desires, from pride, greed, envy and anger, let me accept joyfully every task you set before me. 
Let me seek to serve the poor, the sad, and those unable to work. Help me to discern honestly my own gifts that I may do the things of which I am capable, and happily and humbly leave the rest to others. Above all, remind me constantly that I have nothing except what you give me, and can nothing except what you enable me to do.

 This morning, in particular, I was struck by the awesome truth contained in the final sentence. There is a reason for this, and it has been building up for a couple of days now. It has a name. Humility. A topic about which the Lord has been speaking in various ways, and about which I will write in another forum. I pray God that by His grace, I will learn more and more about this truth and manifest it in my life. And this is my prayer for all who may read this note inspired by the Lord during my devotions this morning. That we have nothing except what the Lord gives us, and we can do nothing except what He enables us to do.  Amen.
LWJ
Sent from my iPad
This note about humility was influenced by a sermon on the subject which my Rector,  Canon Sirano Kitson, preached one Sunday morning recently. And also a reading of the following passage from;  " Rediscovering the  Church Fathers: Who they were and how they shaped the world, by Michael Haykin, a professor of Church history and Biblical Spirituality at Southwestern Baptist Seminary. Excerpts from Chapter 6. " Being Holy and  Renouncing the World: The experience of Basil of Caesarea."

" A key area in Basil's thinking about monastic and episcopal leadership was the responsibility of the monastic leader and bishop to be a man marked by humility. For classical Greek authors " humility" and its cognates were totally negative terms and derogatory in meaning. They regarded humility as the mark of a social inferior, and it was often associated with adjectives such as ignoble, servile, abject, downcast, and servile......

It is not all that surprising that the anthropocentric worldview of the pagan Greek authors would regard humility as shameful. In their eyes, there was nothing exalted about the position of a social inferior, for example, that of a slave. By contrast, the theocentric   ( ipad's spell check  cannot manage this word) worldview of the New Testament saw in humility one of the best ways to describe man's relationship to God. In the mind of the New testament authors, humility teaches us how lowly men and women really are before God.

Ultimately, it was the fragrant humility of Christ's life - from his humble birth through his life of selfless service, to his humiliating death on the cross - that transformed the meaning of this word. He was humility itself. As he said in Matthew 11:28-29: " Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Christ here describes himself as the ultimate embodiment of humility. Henceforth all who genuinely call him Lord, would seek to reproduce in their lives their masters's humility. And when the early Christians reflected on the meaning of Christ's coming into this world, his humility was central to their reflections. A good example of such  reflection is Basil's Homily 20, Of Humility. Like many of his sermons, it cannot be dated more precisely than saying it was given between 363 and 378,
Basil begins by  explaining just how necessary it is for men and women to to strive to be humble:

Would that man had abided in the glory which he possessed with god - he would have genuine instead of fictitious dignity. For he would be ennobled by the power of god, illumined with divine wisdom, and made joyful in the possession of eternal life and its blessings. But, because he ceased to desire divine glory in expectation  of a better prize, and strove for the unattainable, he lost the good which was in his power to possess. the surest salvation for him the remedy of his ills, and the means of restoration to his original state is to practice humility and not pretending that he may lay claim to any glory through his own efforts but seeking it from God.
.......the sermon's focus, in a sense, is the acquisition of glory - the glory lost by Adam in the garden, that glory by which a man is " ennobled by the power of god, illumined with divine wisdom, and made joyful in the possession of eternal life ad is blessings". It cannot be found through wealth and political power - which brings with it  " a glory more unsubstantial than a dream" - nor " strength of arm, swiftness of foot, and comeliness of body" or human wisdom. What is rue glory then ? Simply this: knowing the living God.

Final ( inspired) comment: There is  more, but the above reflection ought to suffice for us  to learn more about this critical issue of humility in the Christian journey. And by which facility alone, can we access the Grace of God,  and thus " return home by a different route" - transformed and empowered, and not just satisfied as my Bishop explained this morning, which sadly is the end  result of many a  Christian journey. And being satisfied with " personal satisfaction" cannot help a nation to be transformed by the presence of  Christians - the salt of the earth.
Also the issue of what transpired in the garden when Adam disobeyed, is portrayed in terms of the desire of divine glory and the lack thereof, leading to something less noble. Far less! Finally this reflection , in my mind, opens up a clear understanding of why the continued influence of the Greek pagan thought, which rules the mind of the post modern man, even though he or she may not realize it, to the extent that such notions leads then away from the path of humility. And there are sufficient examples in the market driven economies of the world to make the issue fairly impatient of debate.

I pray God then as we reflect on the events of 2012, we may realize that the only thing that matters from one year to another, is not the recollection of what shook the world or the news of the day. But rather, how  far along the way, are we on this road called humility?  The only one that leads to an experience with God through grace. And thus truly , having come here as part of the sinful race of Adam, with hearts incurable on account of sin, and therefore estranged from the Living God, at the end, in and through Christ Jesus, we may return to God, " along a different route". Amen.