The unexpected and untimely death of a loved one brings profound and permanent change to one's life. Suddenly the cell phone is not so important anymore. Suddenly there is no need to check on one's e-mail everyday, nor to update one's self on what is happening back home with the murder rate and the politics. Suddenly the US elections or the news about the Lambeth conference in the UK is no longer a " hot item".
Suddenly one has to leave children and a grandson and head back home. Suddenly Air Jamaica seems a better choice than American Airlines. Suddenly there is no longer a mother and mother-in-law to call home on arriving at the airport. Suddenly there is no need to go and fix a cup of tea in mornings or to help with the dressing to go to church on a Sunday morning. No one who, without fail, will wish you good night, before retiring to her bed. No voice heard reading the bible aloud or saying her prayers night and day. No one to remind to you pick up the lunch box, or to wish you a safe journey. No one to go with you to the gas station , just because she wants a " drive out". No one to call you in the evening and ask, " how soon are you coming home"? No more winsome smiles. No more asking about the great grandson, the grandchildren and the children. No longer will the gardener and the the lady who comes to wash, receive precise instructions and constant reminders about their jobs. No more sharing of the love which she had for all - even for stray animals - and especially for her family. No more pain, no more burning. At 85, the Lord whom she served and trusted called her home. It was time to go.
So this morning the Lord woke me up with words of hope in my heart. Words which I shared with my wife and so we sang it intermittently all morning.
When I am down and oh my soul is weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait her in the silence,
Until you come and sit a while with me.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up; To be more than I can be.
On the other hand, the death of God's only Son, ushered in a profound and permanent change in the life of every human being. This is what the Lord taught/reminded/revealed to me this week before , " grandma", died. And the regular and frequent celebration of this death - Holy Eucharist or Communion or Lord's supper, is of vital importance in the life of every believer. As it is by this death that, no more, shall sin and death reign in the life of all mankind. No more shall sin hold sway over anyone who believes that Jesus died for them. No more shall we be subject to condemnation on account of being " born and shaped in iniquity". Suddenly, on the Cross, we were rescued. Suddenly, through the Redemptive Act on the Cross of Calvary, we have access into the very presence of God. Suddenly, through the Atonement, the life changing power of the Holy Spirit is available to all. Suddenly and dramatically, God revealed Himself and demonstrated His love to all mankind. Suddenly God raised Jesus from the dead and set in place a " New Creation". Suddenly God's Holy Spirit was poured out on His disciples and has been poured out on all who truly believe ever since. At age 33, God sent His only Son to die,
so that all mankind could have ( everlasting) life. It was time for Him to die, so that others could live - forever.
This is why the following words from the Holy Scriptures are so vital in the spiritual journey and life of every Christian, and indeed for all who are searching for greater meaning in life.
Then they asked him, " What must we do to do the works that God requires?
Jesus answered, " The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."............" For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
At this the Jews began to grumble about him........
" Stop grumbling amongst yourselves, Jesus answered. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets:
' They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to me.........
Jesus said to them, " I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ( Which is what The Holy Eucharist or Communion or Lord's Supper is all about), you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
On hearing it many of his disciples ( and many modern day believers, skeptics and cynics,
shy away from Christianity on account of hard teachings like this) said, " This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
....Jesus said......" the Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe".
For Jesus had known from the beginning ( as He knows now) which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, " This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.
From this time many of the disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
" You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, " Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life".
John 6:28-68 NIV
This is the faith grandma had, and why we are convinced that she is with the Lord in Eternal Life. This is why the final words of that great hymn, " And can it be...", that we sang in church this morning was so comforting.
.....Bold I approach the eternal throne,
and claim the crown , through Christ , my own.
This is the faith that the Apostles taught the early church, and from which faith, those who
pay little attention to, and infrequently share, in the Holy Eucharist, do so at their own peril, and that of their witness here on earth.
These words, which are spirit and life, should be shared with every unbeliever, or those who have any doubts about the vital importance of believing that Christ is the alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all life. Let us read them again:
"The work of God is this: To believe in the one he has sent."
" Everyone who listens to the Father learns from him and comes to me".
" No one can come to me unless the one who sent me draws him"
" That's why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him".
The great challenge for the church is to believe, once again, as was taught by the Apostles, in the life changing power of The Holy Eucharist/Communion/Lord's Supper. And then, being so empowered, to share the gospel with all others. Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, New Age, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Atheists. All who do not have the faith of St Peter.
" Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls"
1 Peter 1:8-9 NIV
The early church fathers were not reluctant in sharing their faith with their fellow Jews
- so why should we shrink back and be intimidated or satisfied because they are " people of faith". But faith in what!
" On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying." Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: ' We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
" I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth'.
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed"
Acts 13:44-48 NIV
So as we mourn the death of a loved one, so we gain strength from the One who died
to give us New Life. Equally so, as we mourn the death of many innocent ones in our country;
mourn the death of innocence in our young people; feel the pain of Black America which is being ravaged by HIV, violence and discrimination ( if you have not yet seen the documentary Black in America, watch out for the repeats); we find hope in the Resurrection of our Lord.
A sure sign that all is not lost, and that New Life, only in and through Jesus Christ, can once again reign in our country, reign in Black America, and the entire world. Whether in Muslim countries, increasingly secular Europe, decadent America, and chaotic Zimbabwe. This was grandma's faith. This is our faith.
The question of the ages then remains, , if not Christ, to whom shall you turn? For who else has the words of Eternal Life? Amen.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Spirit gives life. The flesh- our unredeemed lives -counts for nothing.
I know that I am supposed to wait until Sunday night to send a new message. But when the Lord wakes you up at 4:am, and usually I have no problems sleeping, even more so when I am on holidays, then this is no ordinary situation. Actually, I have been sensing this need to write again ever since the last message, as this issue of, " what gives meaning to our lives", is of such profound significance - both for believers as well as non-believers. And I will write on Sunday, God willing, as there are other important issues about which the Lord has spoken.
So what is this message which is so important that the Lord would change the pattern of this, His inspired Internet Ministry? The answer! The critical importance of one of the truths, one of the foundations of the Christian faith, which all of us, both believers and non-believers ( of which there are many in this Ministry who are searching - thank God), need to believe, reflect on deeply, and allow this truth to direct our lives. As without a proper appreciation of the life changing difference between Jesus as teacher and Jesus as Saviour, our faith has no power to effect the kind of change which Jamaica, the USA, and indeed the entire world is so desperately in need.
As I read the following short meditation from Oswald Chambers last night before going to bed, and committing my spirit to the Lord, I knew that this was what the Americans term,
" huge". Not that I had not apprehended this truth before, but the way Chambers explains it is so arresting. Especially when you add the some of the words of that haunting hymn which the Lord has placed in my heart since the last message.
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me........
Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading.
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies.
Mercies for you and for me?
Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing for you and for me;
Shadows are gathering , deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me
O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home.
The message here is that, what will make a huge difference in our lives, is not whether or not Barack Obama becomes the next President of the USA. Or if Peter Phillips manages to defeat Portia Simpson-Miller as leader of the PNP and Opposition in Jamaica, or whether Bruce Golding does well as Prime Minister. No it all depends on our worldview. What we believe about the Universe. Our understanding of who God is. And what gives meaning to our lives.
And the Holy Scriptures tell us that it is all about Jesus :
" In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being......." Hebrews 1:1-3 NIV
So then, it is critical for us to know the truth, the life-changing truth, about Jesus, and not what the world, sundry philosophers and CNN, would have us believe.
OSWALD CHAMBERS MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST
THE GATEWAY TO THE KINGDOM JULY 21
" Blessed are the poor in spirit" Matthew 5:3
Beware of placing our Lord as a Teacher first. If Jesus is a Teacher only, then all He can do is tantalize me by erecting a standard I cannot attain. What is the use of presenting me with an ideal that I cannot possibly come near? I am happier without knowing it. What is the good of telling me to be what I never can be -- to be pure in heart, to do more than my duty, to be perfectly devoted to God? I must know Jesus as Saviour before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of an ideal which leads to despair. But when I am born again of the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus did not come to teach only; He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The Redemption means that Jesus can put into any man the disposition that ruled His own life, and all the the standards God gives are based on that disposition.
The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces despair in the natural man --the very thing Jesus means it to do. As long as we have a self-righteous, conceited notion that we can carry out the Lord's teaching, God will allow us to go on until we break our ignorance over some obstacle, then we are willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. " Blessed are the paupers in spirit", that is the first principle in the Kingdom of God. The bedrock in Jesus Christ's kingdom is poverty, not possession; not decisions for Jesus Christ, but a sense of futility ---I cannot begin to do it. Then Jesus say--Blessed are you. That is the entrance, and it does take us a long while to believe we are poor! The knowledge of our own poverty brings us to the moral frontier where Jesus works.
So what is this message which is so important that the Lord would change the pattern of this, His inspired Internet Ministry? The answer! The critical importance of one of the truths, one of the foundations of the Christian faith, which all of us, both believers and non-believers ( of which there are many in this Ministry who are searching - thank God), need to believe, reflect on deeply, and allow this truth to direct our lives. As without a proper appreciation of the life changing difference between Jesus as teacher and Jesus as Saviour, our faith has no power to effect the kind of change which Jamaica, the USA, and indeed the entire world is so desperately in need.
As I read the following short meditation from Oswald Chambers last night before going to bed, and committing my spirit to the Lord, I knew that this was what the Americans term,
" huge". Not that I had not apprehended this truth before, but the way Chambers explains it is so arresting. Especially when you add the some of the words of that haunting hymn which the Lord has placed in my heart since the last message.
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me........
Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading.
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies.
Mercies for you and for me?
Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing for you and for me;
Shadows are gathering , deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me
O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home.
The message here is that, what will make a huge difference in our lives, is not whether or not Barack Obama becomes the next President of the USA. Or if Peter Phillips manages to defeat Portia Simpson-Miller as leader of the PNP and Opposition in Jamaica, or whether Bruce Golding does well as Prime Minister. No it all depends on our worldview. What we believe about the Universe. Our understanding of who God is. And what gives meaning to our lives.
And the Holy Scriptures tell us that it is all about Jesus :
" In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being......." Hebrews 1:1-3 NIV
So then, it is critical for us to know the truth, the life-changing truth, about Jesus, and not what the world, sundry philosophers and CNN, would have us believe.
OSWALD CHAMBERS MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST
THE GATEWAY TO THE KINGDOM JULY 21
" Blessed are the poor in spirit" Matthew 5:3
Beware of placing our Lord as a Teacher first. If Jesus is a Teacher only, then all He can do is tantalize me by erecting a standard I cannot attain. What is the use of presenting me with an ideal that I cannot possibly come near? I am happier without knowing it. What is the good of telling me to be what I never can be -- to be pure in heart, to do more than my duty, to be perfectly devoted to God? I must know Jesus as Saviour before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of an ideal which leads to despair. But when I am born again of the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus did not come to teach only; He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The Redemption means that Jesus can put into any man the disposition that ruled His own life, and all the the standards God gives are based on that disposition.
The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces despair in the natural man --the very thing Jesus means it to do. As long as we have a self-righteous, conceited notion that we can carry out the Lord's teaching, God will allow us to go on until we break our ignorance over some obstacle, then we are willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. " Blessed are the paupers in spirit", that is the first principle in the Kingdom of God. The bedrock in Jesus Christ's kingdom is poverty, not possession; not decisions for Jesus Christ, but a sense of futility ---I cannot begin to do it. Then Jesus say--Blessed are you. That is the entrance, and it does take us a long while to believe we are poor! The knowledge of our own poverty brings us to the moral frontier where Jesus works.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Are you growing in knowledge only, of God's Word? Or in application.
When you are young and on holidays in the Miami, life is quite simple. It's all about the children. Disney, Epcot centre, shopping malls, movies -for kids. That's it. As you get older and the kids are now married and actually living in Miami - or nearby - life is more complicated.
As, it's now all about the grandchildren - so far we have only one. I am tempted, after a week with this two and half year old child behaving like an army officer, to say " Thank God". As this grandson demands all your time and attention. But only on his terms.
" No grandpa, do not change my clothes. Only grandma". Grandpa is good for playing outside and with his toys; " Grandpa can you please come and play with me", says the little angel. But suddenly the orders flow again, and it gets worse when his mother is around - " No grandpa, do not not take me out of my car seat, only mommy." Can I believe this child is not yet three! But life is good, even though complicated, as I am learning to deal with today's articulate, very confident and completely unafraid of age and authority, grandchildren. So I thank God for him everyday, but pray for wisdom to love and understand, this young man whose actions and vocabulary are way beyond his years.
But in the middle of this grand parental bliss, and, yes, the joy at seeing my children again, I get a chance to read another of the books of my favourite fiction author - the late Robert Ludlum. And a question posed to the principal figure in the book by one of his Vietnamese capturers, about the American way of life , intrigued me greatly. Probably since this is the country in which my grandchild's values will be formed. Perhaps because Barack Obama's movement seeks for change. But how much, I am not sure.
" And he led a good American life , your father?" " He thought so ( Janson answered). He made a good living. Owned a nice home, nice car. Could buy the things he wanted to buy". Phan Nguyen sat back in his chair, and his broad weathered features were alert and quizzical. " And this is what gives meaning to your life?" he asked. ( Extract from The Janson Directive)
So I thought about what gave meaning to my life, and thanked God for Jesus. Thanked God for my parents and all who taught me about the love of God as manifested in and through Christ Jesus. Thanked God that both of my children, and their spouses, so far from home, and in the vortex of the powerful influence of this very secular society, are in church on a Sunday morning, praising the Lord. And the words from that wonderful hymn then came flooding into my mind:
Jesu the very thought of you
With sweetness fills the breast;
But sweeter far thy face to see,
and in thy presence rest....
O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who ask how kind thou art,
How good to those who seek!
Then I read the gospel appointed for this Sunday and the part that intrigued me the most was:
" Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he had found one of great value, he went away and sold everything and bought it." Matthew 13:45-45.
NIV.
This America is a land, not only of the bold and the free, but of plenty. Plenty food. Plenty entertainment. Plenty cars. Plenty cell phones. Plenty televisions - there are more television sets than people in each home 2.73:2.55 according to results of a Nielsen Media research team in 2006. And the average time spent watching exceeds 4 hours/individual. But, in terms of transcendent matters, matters of faith and religion, although Evangelical Christians constitute a formidable political force, American is decidedly a secular state - at least from my observations.
The Christian influence on this society is not marked. Is not felt in a significant way.
No doubt that's why Chris Tiegen's meditation on careful listening - careful understanding of,
and careful obedience to, what God is saying to us through His Word is so vital - as that is what in fact gives meaning to life. And in this context two things occupied my thoughts, as I spent the time babysitting( did I say baby - I must be crazy) my grandson with my wife. One, because of the media attention given to the Lambeth Conference ( meeting of Anglican Bishops every ten years) in the UK, where the issue of same sex marriages is now the cause of a deep division in the worldwide Anglican community. What kind of aberrant ( American ? ) theology, understanding of God, what kind of cultural forces which give meaning to the American - and increasingly a significant part of the globe - way of life, could seek to validate unrepentant practicing homosexuals as Christians. Two, on account of his importance in this country, and no doubt for the world if he becomes the next president, Barack Obama's theology and doubts about aspects of the Christian faith, which is the subject/headline of this week's Newsweek magazine.
CAREFUL LISTENING
Carefully how you listen Luke 8:18
IN WORD Many times we think that by hearing the Word of God and understanding its meaning, we have integrated it into our lives. We read numerous Bible passages and listen to countless sermons, thinking that if we have intellectually comprehended the message and agreed with it, it is ours. But Jesus' parable of the soils says that there is more to the story than than hearing and believing His Word. Some hear and believe and then fall away in times of testing. Others hear and believe and then do not mature because of life's worries. Hearing and believing are not enough.
Those who bear fruit for God and fulfill His purpose for their lives are those who first hear the Word, then believe it, then retain it, and then persevere in it ( vs 15). They let it sink into their hearts. They meditate on it. They build their lives around it. It becomes part of them, and they abide by it because it has reshaped them. it defines their identify - and their behaviour.
( It gives meaning to their lives and hence it is of priceless value - my words).
IN DEED Recent surveys and demographic studies have indicated that Christians and non- Christians in the USA have remarkably similar behaviour patterns ( I wonder what the result would be in Jamaica?). Why? Because many of us stop at hearing and believing. We are not careful about how we listen. We are like those of whom James speaks:
" Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like" ( James 1:23-24). This is a type of self-deceit (1:22). It gives the impression that we are growing in the Word, but we are growing in knowledge only. Real growth comes from real application--diligence integrating the Word into our hearts and then living it. Careful listening brings radical change and lasting fruit.
God's purpose for His Word is that it be unhindered by testing, worries, riches and pleasures. It is to be a seed that lands on our fertile soil, takes deep root, and grows steadily. Be careful. Listen in way that will fulfill His purpose.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My prayer is that my very precocious grandchild will grow up in a church that will encourage him to apply the Word to his life and not only to hear and believe. This too is my prayer for Barack Obama, that radical change and lasting fruit in America, and the American way of life, will come by His living out the Word after careful listening. This too is my prayer for those Christian leaders, who are anxious to teach and show God's love to all humanity - including unrepentant and practicing homosexuals, that they will teach not only about believing, but also about obedience. Finally, this is my prayer for myself and my country, that in the midst of the crime and violence that is the cause of so much pain, that we may listen carefully to what God is saying to us, about the meaning of life, about the priority we give to His Word, and how obedient we are to that Word.
And as I woke up this morning, excited about going to worship the Lord, He reminded me of the importance of Holy Communion - and no doubt how to maintain a focus on His Kingdom and what truly gives meaning to life - through these words by H. Bonar.
Here, O my Lord I see thee face to face;
Here faith would touch and handle things unseen;
Here grasp with firmer hand the eternal grace,
And all my weariness upon thee lean.
Here would I feed upon the Bread of God;
Here drink with thee thee the royal wine of heaven;
Here lay aside each earthly load;
Here taste afresh the calm of sin forgiven.....
Then I prayed that all of us may be convicted of sin, and of our unworthiness
before a Holy God. As then and only then, will we cry out to God for help
and find that help in and through the Redemption wrought on the Cross
of Calvary - which is ultimately what truly gives meaning to life.
Amen.
As, it's now all about the grandchildren - so far we have only one. I am tempted, after a week with this two and half year old child behaving like an army officer, to say " Thank God". As this grandson demands all your time and attention. But only on his terms.
" No grandpa, do not change my clothes. Only grandma". Grandpa is good for playing outside and with his toys; " Grandpa can you please come and play with me", says the little angel. But suddenly the orders flow again, and it gets worse when his mother is around - " No grandpa, do not not take me out of my car seat, only mommy." Can I believe this child is not yet three! But life is good, even though complicated, as I am learning to deal with today's articulate, very confident and completely unafraid of age and authority, grandchildren. So I thank God for him everyday, but pray for wisdom to love and understand, this young man whose actions and vocabulary are way beyond his years.
But in the middle of this grand parental bliss, and, yes, the joy at seeing my children again, I get a chance to read another of the books of my favourite fiction author - the late Robert Ludlum. And a question posed to the principal figure in the book by one of his Vietnamese capturers, about the American way of life , intrigued me greatly. Probably since this is the country in which my grandchild's values will be formed. Perhaps because Barack Obama's movement seeks for change. But how much, I am not sure.
" And he led a good American life , your father?" " He thought so ( Janson answered). He made a good living. Owned a nice home, nice car. Could buy the things he wanted to buy". Phan Nguyen sat back in his chair, and his broad weathered features were alert and quizzical. " And this is what gives meaning to your life?" he asked. ( Extract from The Janson Directive)
So I thought about what gave meaning to my life, and thanked God for Jesus. Thanked God for my parents and all who taught me about the love of God as manifested in and through Christ Jesus. Thanked God that both of my children, and their spouses, so far from home, and in the vortex of the powerful influence of this very secular society, are in church on a Sunday morning, praising the Lord. And the words from that wonderful hymn then came flooding into my mind:
Jesu the very thought of you
With sweetness fills the breast;
But sweeter far thy face to see,
and in thy presence rest....
O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who ask how kind thou art,
How good to those who seek!
Then I read the gospel appointed for this Sunday and the part that intrigued me the most was:
" Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he had found one of great value, he went away and sold everything and bought it." Matthew 13:45-45.
NIV.
This America is a land, not only of the bold and the free, but of plenty. Plenty food. Plenty entertainment. Plenty cars. Plenty cell phones. Plenty televisions - there are more television sets than people in each home 2.73:2.55 according to results of a Nielsen Media research team in 2006. And the average time spent watching exceeds 4 hours/individual. But, in terms of transcendent matters, matters of faith and religion, although Evangelical Christians constitute a formidable political force, American is decidedly a secular state - at least from my observations.
The Christian influence on this society is not marked. Is not felt in a significant way.
No doubt that's why Chris Tiegen's meditation on careful listening - careful understanding of,
and careful obedience to, what God is saying to us through His Word is so vital - as that is what in fact gives meaning to life. And in this context two things occupied my thoughts, as I spent the time babysitting( did I say baby - I must be crazy) my grandson with my wife. One, because of the media attention given to the Lambeth Conference ( meeting of Anglican Bishops every ten years) in the UK, where the issue of same sex marriages is now the cause of a deep division in the worldwide Anglican community. What kind of aberrant ( American ? ) theology, understanding of God, what kind of cultural forces which give meaning to the American - and increasingly a significant part of the globe - way of life, could seek to validate unrepentant practicing homosexuals as Christians. Two, on account of his importance in this country, and no doubt for the world if he becomes the next president, Barack Obama's theology and doubts about aspects of the Christian faith, which is the subject/headline of this week's Newsweek magazine.
CAREFUL LISTENING
Carefully how you listen Luke 8:18
IN WORD Many times we think that by hearing the Word of God and understanding its meaning, we have integrated it into our lives. We read numerous Bible passages and listen to countless sermons, thinking that if we have intellectually comprehended the message and agreed with it, it is ours. But Jesus' parable of the soils says that there is more to the story than than hearing and believing His Word. Some hear and believe and then fall away in times of testing. Others hear and believe and then do not mature because of life's worries. Hearing and believing are not enough.
Those who bear fruit for God and fulfill His purpose for their lives are those who first hear the Word, then believe it, then retain it, and then persevere in it ( vs 15). They let it sink into their hearts. They meditate on it. They build their lives around it. It becomes part of them, and they abide by it because it has reshaped them. it defines their identify - and their behaviour.
( It gives meaning to their lives and hence it is of priceless value - my words).
IN DEED Recent surveys and demographic studies have indicated that Christians and non- Christians in the USA have remarkably similar behaviour patterns ( I wonder what the result would be in Jamaica?). Why? Because many of us stop at hearing and believing. We are not careful about how we listen. We are like those of whom James speaks:
" Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like" ( James 1:23-24). This is a type of self-deceit (1:22). It gives the impression that we are growing in the Word, but we are growing in knowledge only. Real growth comes from real application--diligence integrating the Word into our hearts and then living it. Careful listening brings radical change and lasting fruit.
God's purpose for His Word is that it be unhindered by testing, worries, riches and pleasures. It is to be a seed that lands on our fertile soil, takes deep root, and grows steadily. Be careful. Listen in way that will fulfill His purpose.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My prayer is that my very precocious grandchild will grow up in a church that will encourage him to apply the Word to his life and not only to hear and believe. This too is my prayer for Barack Obama, that radical change and lasting fruit in America, and the American way of life, will come by His living out the Word after careful listening. This too is my prayer for those Christian leaders, who are anxious to teach and show God's love to all humanity - including unrepentant and practicing homosexuals, that they will teach not only about believing, but also about obedience. Finally, this is my prayer for myself and my country, that in the midst of the crime and violence that is the cause of so much pain, that we may listen carefully to what God is saying to us, about the meaning of life, about the priority we give to His Word, and how obedient we are to that Word.
And as I woke up this morning, excited about going to worship the Lord, He reminded me of the importance of Holy Communion - and no doubt how to maintain a focus on His Kingdom and what truly gives meaning to life - through these words by H. Bonar.
Here, O my Lord I see thee face to face;
Here faith would touch and handle things unseen;
Here grasp with firmer hand the eternal grace,
And all my weariness upon thee lean.
Here would I feed upon the Bread of God;
Here drink with thee thee the royal wine of heaven;
Here lay aside each earthly load;
Here taste afresh the calm of sin forgiven.....
Then I prayed that all of us may be convicted of sin, and of our unworthiness
before a Holy God. As then and only then, will we cry out to God for help
and find that help in and through the Redemption wrought on the Cross
of Calvary - which is ultimately what truly gives meaning to life.
Amen.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Navigating our way in a difficult world with Jesus Christ
As is the case with most, if not all of us, we do not understand what God is doing in our lives until much later. Such was my experience in quite a dramatic way, this week. I had been mulling over a very popular Jamaican phrase all week, in fact, ever since I heard it expressed most forcibly, some time ago, by an inner city resident. " Trouble don't set like rain". In the sense that, unlike bad weather, which gives ample warning, trials in life, oftentimes appear unheralded.
So, out of the blue, a middle aged female patient, whom I subsequently discovered had been recently diagnosed with cancer, came into my office, and died on an examination bed, before I got to her - and she was rushed into the room by my staff, immediately on arrival. In fact, when I got there, her husband was quite unaware that she had died. After sharing with him the bad news, and spending time consoling the family, I returned and committed her, in prayer, to the Lord - both herself and her husband are Christians. Then we had to clear the waiting room to allow the undertakers to prepare and remove the body. As this was uncharted waters for all of us, ( first in all my years in private practice) I asked a pastor, who was a patient to come and pray for us, in the same room, for, as you can imagine, all of us were quite traumatised by this very dramatic event. Interestingly, during her prayers, the priest quoted Isaiah's famous words:
" For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are my ways your ways......."
Word from Isaiah 55, from which book, the Old Testament reading is taken, in my church, for this Sunday, and on which I had been reflecting deeply.
Especially;
" As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish.......
so is my word that goes out of my mouth;
it will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
A revelation which greatly encouraged me in understanding the divine assistance which this Internet Ministry receives from the Lord, and also the text message ministry.
After all of this was over, and I had time to catch my breath, I asked the Lord why He had sent this lady, not for my help, but to die in my office? And I got an answer. Eventually. In bits and pieces. A response, which all of us in Jamaica, where sudden death by the gun or on our roads, is now, unfortunately, a way of life, could do very well to ponder. But not only death. Life too. As for many around us, relationships go bad very suddenly and often without warning. And in many cases, there is nothing as devastating in life as what was perceived to be a good relationship, to suddenly and dramatically go sour . So too the advent of illness. Curable and incurable alike. Financial problems are legion in today's world. So we have much to think about in respect of " life coming at us very fast". And God knows.
But before I get to the answer to the question, again on reflection, He had prepared the way by placing in my heart, during my devotions one early morning the first few words of the chorus of an old hymn, which I had not sung for many years, and which words I could not recall. So Google came to the rescue, again, and I spent some time reflecting on this " gift" from the Lord.
Be not dismayed what e'er betide
God will take care of you:
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you
Refrain
God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way:
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you
Through days of toil doth when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you:
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.
Refrain
All you may need He will provide,
God will take care of you:
Nothing you ask will be denied,
God will take care of you
Refrain
No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you:
Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
God will take care of you
Refrain
THE ANSWER:
This morning, in the early hours of the day, the Lord, after leading me to reflect on a meditation
from Chris Tiegen, led me through the Beatitudes, as written by Matthew, and the ensuing
chapters ( 5-7) and taught me so much, how a life dedicated to knowing Him and serving Him, is so very different from life in this world - counter-culture is the word used by John Stott to describe this particular aspect of Jesus' teachings. And the one verse of Scripture which seems so relevant to this issue of ," Trouble don't set like rain", was :
" Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." Matt. 6: 34. NIV
And, as I went for my exercise walk later, ( devotions come first - is what a good friend, who is now gone to glory, taught me many years ago) the companion verse came into my head.
" I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 17:33 NIV
What do I make of all of this? Firstly, that if we listen carefully, by placing a priority on hearing from Him, we will realize, over time, that God is always warning and instructing us. In many and different ways - through diverse circumstances and people. It therefore means that we have to believe that without His directions and guidance we would be lost in this world. That this world, without God, and even with Him, is a very dangerous place - both for body and soul.
But that even in the midst of the storms of life, in Christ Jesus, we are assured of the kind of peace which nothing on earth or in heaven can destroy.
Secondly, we have to develop, what Chris Tiegen calls " Holy Hunger" in order to hear from God, and whose meditation this morning led me to the Beatitudes - and more. A command which is also expressed in the latter part of Matthew's 6th Chapter:
" O you of little faith? So do not worry saying, " What shall eat? or 'What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow .......troubles of its own"
Matt 6:30-34 NIV
The development of this Holy Hunger comes only as the Spirit of God lives in us by grace and by faith more and more each day. And, such a hunger is in great competition with the "hungers" of this world. For the new 3rd generation, G3 i -phones; for the new sexual and heightened sexual experience; for, not just better, but super returns on our investment; for the latest information on the Obama campaign - is McCain running? In fact, just for the political high, some would wish that the Obama /Clinton race was still on track. Hunger for the latest dance hall song or music video or movie; for the latest " suss" (gossip); and even in the church for more "excitement" in worship, in prayer and in the sermon; for a more charismatic and decisive leader who can deal with crime or the sub-prime mortgage crisis. The message is that only when we have, by God's grace, in and through Christ Jesus, overcome the beguiling, enticing, and very seductive "hungers" of this world, will we bear fruit, a hundred times over. And which theme is the central message in the gospel appointed for today from Matthew 13. For too many of us respond like the farmer who sowed the seed on the path and which was eaten by the birds, snatched away by the devil, on account of lack of understanding. And God had prophesied this fact a long time ago about those who were not willing to humble themselves and seek Him first above all else:
You will ever be hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people's heart have become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them."
Matt 13:14-15. NIV
Others hear the word, but have no root ( hunger for excitement about God rather than for God Himself, who is found only in and through suffering with Christ Jesus) so when persecution and trouble - that don't set like rain - comes, they fall away and bear no fruit. And still others have the word choked by the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth ( or other hungers). Only those, who in the Luke version of the story, have a noble and good heart ( hunger for God) , who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Pray God that as we, by grace, become more determined to know Jesus, at all cost,
as explained by Oswald Chambers in his book of meditations " My Utmost for His Highest",
we will bear fruits of righteousness in this beleaguered country, and indeed the entire world, where life comes at us at bewildering speed - and from so many different directions.
THE SPIRITUAL SAINT JULY 11
" That I may know Him"
Philippians 3:10
The initiative of the saint is not towards self-realization, but towards knowing Jesus Christ. The spiritual saint never believes circumstances to be haphazard, or thinks of his life as secular and sacred; he sees everything he is dumped down in as the means of securing the knowledge of Jesus Christ. There is a reckless abandonment about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we shall realize Jesus in every domain of life, and He will bring us back to the same point again and again until we do. Self-realization leads to the enthronement of work. Whether it be eating, or drinking or washing disciple's feet, whatever it is, we have to take the initiative of realizing Jesus in it. Every phase of our actual life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus.. Our Lord realized His relationship to the Father even in the most menial work. Jesus knowing ....that he was come from God, and went to God, took a towel....and began to wash the disciples' feet.
The aim of the spiritual saint is " that I might know Him." Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing Him. I am here not to realize myself, but to know Jesus. In Christian work the initiative is too often the realization that something has to be dome and I must do it. That is never the attitude of the spiritual saint; his aim is to secure the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances he is in.
Amen.
So, out of the blue, a middle aged female patient, whom I subsequently discovered had been recently diagnosed with cancer, came into my office, and died on an examination bed, before I got to her - and she was rushed into the room by my staff, immediately on arrival. In fact, when I got there, her husband was quite unaware that she had died. After sharing with him the bad news, and spending time consoling the family, I returned and committed her, in prayer, to the Lord - both herself and her husband are Christians. Then we had to clear the waiting room to allow the undertakers to prepare and remove the body. As this was uncharted waters for all of us, ( first in all my years in private practice) I asked a pastor, who was a patient to come and pray for us, in the same room, for, as you can imagine, all of us were quite traumatised by this very dramatic event. Interestingly, during her prayers, the priest quoted Isaiah's famous words:
" For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are my ways your ways......."
Word from Isaiah 55, from which book, the Old Testament reading is taken, in my church, for this Sunday, and on which I had been reflecting deeply.
Especially;
" As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish.......
so is my word that goes out of my mouth;
it will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
A revelation which greatly encouraged me in understanding the divine assistance which this Internet Ministry receives from the Lord, and also the text message ministry.
After all of this was over, and I had time to catch my breath, I asked the Lord why He had sent this lady, not for my help, but to die in my office? And I got an answer. Eventually. In bits and pieces. A response, which all of us in Jamaica, where sudden death by the gun or on our roads, is now, unfortunately, a way of life, could do very well to ponder. But not only death. Life too. As for many around us, relationships go bad very suddenly and often without warning. And in many cases, there is nothing as devastating in life as what was perceived to be a good relationship, to suddenly and dramatically go sour . So too the advent of illness. Curable and incurable alike. Financial problems are legion in today's world. So we have much to think about in respect of " life coming at us very fast". And God knows.
But before I get to the answer to the question, again on reflection, He had prepared the way by placing in my heart, during my devotions one early morning the first few words of the chorus of an old hymn, which I had not sung for many years, and which words I could not recall. So Google came to the rescue, again, and I spent some time reflecting on this " gift" from the Lord.
Be not dismayed what e'er betide
God will take care of you:
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you
Refrain
God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way:
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you
Through days of toil doth when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you:
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.
Refrain
All you may need He will provide,
God will take care of you:
Nothing you ask will be denied,
God will take care of you
Refrain
No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you:
Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
God will take care of you
Refrain
THE ANSWER:
This morning, in the early hours of the day, the Lord, after leading me to reflect on a meditation
from Chris Tiegen, led me through the Beatitudes, as written by Matthew, and the ensuing
chapters ( 5-7) and taught me so much, how a life dedicated to knowing Him and serving Him, is so very different from life in this world - counter-culture is the word used by John Stott to describe this particular aspect of Jesus' teachings. And the one verse of Scripture which seems so relevant to this issue of ," Trouble don't set like rain", was :
" Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." Matt. 6: 34. NIV
And, as I went for my exercise walk later, ( devotions come first - is what a good friend, who is now gone to glory, taught me many years ago) the companion verse came into my head.
" I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 17:33 NIV
What do I make of all of this? Firstly, that if we listen carefully, by placing a priority on hearing from Him, we will realize, over time, that God is always warning and instructing us. In many and different ways - through diverse circumstances and people. It therefore means that we have to believe that without His directions and guidance we would be lost in this world. That this world, without God, and even with Him, is a very dangerous place - both for body and soul.
But that even in the midst of the storms of life, in Christ Jesus, we are assured of the kind of peace which nothing on earth or in heaven can destroy.
Secondly, we have to develop, what Chris Tiegen calls " Holy Hunger" in order to hear from God, and whose meditation this morning led me to the Beatitudes - and more. A command which is also expressed in the latter part of Matthew's 6th Chapter:
" O you of little faith? So do not worry saying, " What shall eat? or 'What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow .......troubles of its own"
Matt 6:30-34 NIV
The development of this Holy Hunger comes only as the Spirit of God lives in us by grace and by faith more and more each day. And, such a hunger is in great competition with the "hungers" of this world. For the new 3rd generation, G3 i -phones; for the new sexual and heightened sexual experience; for, not just better, but super returns on our investment; for the latest information on the Obama campaign - is McCain running? In fact, just for the political high, some would wish that the Obama /Clinton race was still on track. Hunger for the latest dance hall song or music video or movie; for the latest " suss" (gossip); and even in the church for more "excitement" in worship, in prayer and in the sermon; for a more charismatic and decisive leader who can deal with crime or the sub-prime mortgage crisis. The message is that only when we have, by God's grace, in and through Christ Jesus, overcome the beguiling, enticing, and very seductive "hungers" of this world, will we bear fruit, a hundred times over. And which theme is the central message in the gospel appointed for today from Matthew 13. For too many of us respond like the farmer who sowed the seed on the path and which was eaten by the birds, snatched away by the devil, on account of lack of understanding. And God had prophesied this fact a long time ago about those who were not willing to humble themselves and seek Him first above all else:
You will ever be hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people's heart have become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them."
Matt 13:14-15. NIV
Others hear the word, but have no root ( hunger for excitement about God rather than for God Himself, who is found only in and through suffering with Christ Jesus) so when persecution and trouble - that don't set like rain - comes, they fall away and bear no fruit. And still others have the word choked by the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth ( or other hungers). Only those, who in the Luke version of the story, have a noble and good heart ( hunger for God) , who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Pray God that as we, by grace, become more determined to know Jesus, at all cost,
as explained by Oswald Chambers in his book of meditations " My Utmost for His Highest",
we will bear fruits of righteousness in this beleaguered country, and indeed the entire world, where life comes at us at bewildering speed - and from so many different directions.
THE SPIRITUAL SAINT JULY 11
" That I may know Him"
Philippians 3:10
The initiative of the saint is not towards self-realization, but towards knowing Jesus Christ. The spiritual saint never believes circumstances to be haphazard, or thinks of his life as secular and sacred; he sees everything he is dumped down in as the means of securing the knowledge of Jesus Christ. There is a reckless abandonment about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we shall realize Jesus in every domain of life, and He will bring us back to the same point again and again until we do. Self-realization leads to the enthronement of work. Whether it be eating, or drinking or washing disciple's feet, whatever it is, we have to take the initiative of realizing Jesus in it. Every phase of our actual life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus.. Our Lord realized His relationship to the Father even in the most menial work. Jesus knowing ....that he was come from God, and went to God, took a towel....and began to wash the disciples' feet.
The aim of the spiritual saint is " that I might know Him." Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing Him. I am here not to realize myself, but to know Jesus. In Christian work the initiative is too often the realization that something has to be dome and I must do it. That is never the attitude of the spiritual saint; his aim is to secure the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances he is in.
Amen.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Sports, Mercy and Christianity
I suppose like most men I like sports a lot. So it was great to watch the Williams sisters play a really good final - at long last - at Wimbledon this week. And today's men's final between Federer and Nadal was " something special" - unless you are like my wife who hates to see Federer lose. Back here in Jamaica, we are all "waiting to exhale " and hoping that when we do in August, after the Olympics, our fastest women and men in the world will bring tears of joy to a nation as they mount the victory podium in Beijing, and listen to the national anthem.
But on another level, of what help is this great fun and enjoyment to us in Jamaica when wicked men can hack a woman to death and slit the throat of her 8 year old daughter? What manner of " animals" are these? Drugged up or just filled with evil? And the fact that one of the main suspects was killed, in like manner, in less than 24 hours, brings no joy, but further pain, as another life, made in the likeness and image of God is lost.
In the midst of this madness, the debates rage about crime plans, the effectiveness of peace treaties, hard policing, the cost of social interventions - up to 1Billion US is one informed estimate -preventive detentions and protecting civil liberties. And the very church, at least my denomination ( Anglicans), whose only purpose is to be a " light" in this very dark world, is caught up and deeply divided. Not over how to make a difference, but over issues of human sexuality, and a decision, by some, to back same sex marriages among practicing homosexual priests. Lord have mercy on us!
Which is exactly what the Lord spoke to me about this week. Mercy! Grace and mercy. Because the problem with our society is that the Sovereign God of heaven, the Creator of the Universe, is calling our nation back to wholeness, to peace in our homes, communities and workplace, in and through Jesus Christ - for no money, for free - and amazingly, we continue to reject this offer.
Jamaica would change overnight if we accepted this gift of mercy from God. But no, we are intent on " working it out ourselves" and seeking to get the church on board as a
partner to promote "social justice". And God is saying
to us this week, first through the gospel appointed for today in the Anglican church :
" Come to me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". Matthew 11:28 NIV
A verse which reminded me of that great hymn
Just as I am, without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for,
And that thou bid'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O lamb of God I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Will welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
because Thy promise I believe
O Lamb of God I come......
The message is that all of us who are weary about the killings in our country, need to realize that " nothing but the Blood of Jesus", can wash away the sins of a nation.
Nothing but the mercy of God, wrought by Jesus on the Cross of Calvary, can free us from evil intent. Whether it is murder - in the womb or outside the womb - pride or bombast which is so dramatically on display in Zimbabwe, or greed - which is idolatry, and which sin, for many but not all, without and without the church, if we are honest, regardless of the debate about legality, and for which we need to repent, is at the root of the Cash Plus and Olint foreign exchange trading phenomenon. Whether it be homosexual or heterosexual immorality - sex outside of marriage and sex before marriage - pedophilia, prostitution, or addiction to pornography, nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash away our sins and bring wholeness to our bodies.
This fact of our helpless, " fightings and fears within and without", is the essence of St Paul's cry for help in the Romans passage appointed for today:
" When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
For in my inner being I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging
war.......What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue
me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Further, in order to ensure that I did not underestimate this important message of depending on God and God alone, I was led to reflect on this passage of Scripture
this week during my devotions.
" We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about
the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened
that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many". 2 Corinthians 1:8-11.
Could it be that we in Jamaica have been made to " feel the sentence of death", and to experience the , " beyond our ability to endure", so that we might learn to rely on God and God alone and not on ourselves? Could it be that our " hardships that we are suffering", will only be removed when we begin to pray more effectively for mercy from God, and then He alone will get the honor and praise - and not Professor Robotham ( the sociologist) , Ian Boyne ( the journalist), or Minister McMillan ( the politician)? Then and only then will the nation be able to sing with Spirit and with truth:
Your grace and mercy,
Brought me through.
I am living this day
Because of you.
I want to thank you and
praise your name.
Your grace and mercy, brought me through.
Finally through a meditation by Chris Tiegen,
the Lord taught me this week a very important lesson
on mercy. That only when we have truly come to appreciate the extent of God's mercy on us, will we be able to accept and then reflect God's love, through our word and deeds, to others who are all in need of this love - whether they know it or not. This experience of mercy is what drives the true evangelist - to spread the Gospel; the true worshipers - to celebrate God's goodness and Sovereignty; the true disciple - to die to self and to live for Christ and to serve others in Christ; the true priest or bishop - to represent a merciful and loving God, but a God also of judgment to the congregation. It is this appreciation of helplessness before a Holy God, which the "liberal priests" in the Anglican communion need to experience so that they can ask for mercy. So too our nation's "wise men and women". So too the wicked, the misguided and the unrepentant. May the God who declares in Scripture that:
" For God has bound over all men to disobedience
that he may have mercy on them all"; (Romans 11:32
NIV) : may He have mercy on us all.
COMPASSION OF THE NEEDY JULY 1
" Which of these three do you think was a neighbour
to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
Luke 10: 36
IN WORD The story of the Good Samaritan is one of Jesus' more familiar parables. it is an illustration of surprisingly good behaviour ( for a Samaritan) and of surprisingly bad behaviour ( for priest and Levites). We use it as a useful guide for ethical action -- going above and beyond the call of duty in the way of compassion.
When we read this as a moral instruction and decide which character we ought to emulate, we naturally avoid the portrayal of the indifferent priest and want to think that we are more like the Samaritan. We know in reality we have a little of both in us --some indifference tempered by some compassion, or compassion tainted by indifference. We're an unfortunate mix of all who encounter this victim.
But eventually God makes us look deeper at this practical parable and see it as a striking picture of our world. In this big picture, our race has fallen into the hands of robbers; it has been stripped, beaten and left for half-dead. We have all been ravaged by the wages of sin, and we suffer. This parable is not just a lesson on what to do, it is an illustration of what's been done to us. We stop asking which character we ought to be and God shows us which character we really are. The answer He reveals is humbling. First and foremost, we are not the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan. We are the victim.
IN DEED Everyone who has ever really known Jesus by faith has first known helplessness. We once lay beside the road and hoped someone would stop. He did. He was our good neighbour. By God's design, this should have been the beginning of compassion for us --we don't just become merciful by thinking about others in need, we become merciful by experiencing mercy. When Jesus spared us,
he gave us a sobering command: " Go and do likewise" ( v 37).
The Samaritan in this story looks a lot like Jesus.
So should we.
And as I end probably the most profound words on mercy ever written, flow into my mind:
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Saviour's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain
For me, who Him to His death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou my God, should st for me?.....
'Tis mercy all: the immortal dies;
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angels minds inquire no more....
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:
"Tis mercy all, immense and free.
For O my God it found out me...
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray --
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heat was free.
I rose went forth and followed Thee...
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head.
And clothes in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own ...
But on another level, of what help is this great fun and enjoyment to us in Jamaica when wicked men can hack a woman to death and slit the throat of her 8 year old daughter? What manner of " animals" are these? Drugged up or just filled with evil? And the fact that one of the main suspects was killed, in like manner, in less than 24 hours, brings no joy, but further pain, as another life, made in the likeness and image of God is lost.
In the midst of this madness, the debates rage about crime plans, the effectiveness of peace treaties, hard policing, the cost of social interventions - up to 1Billion US is one informed estimate -preventive detentions and protecting civil liberties. And the very church, at least my denomination ( Anglicans), whose only purpose is to be a " light" in this very dark world, is caught up and deeply divided. Not over how to make a difference, but over issues of human sexuality, and a decision, by some, to back same sex marriages among practicing homosexual priests. Lord have mercy on us!
Which is exactly what the Lord spoke to me about this week. Mercy! Grace and mercy. Because the problem with our society is that the Sovereign God of heaven, the Creator of the Universe, is calling our nation back to wholeness, to peace in our homes, communities and workplace, in and through Jesus Christ - for no money, for free - and amazingly, we continue to reject this offer.
Jamaica would change overnight if we accepted this gift of mercy from God. But no, we are intent on " working it out ourselves" and seeking to get the church on board as a
partner to promote "social justice". And God is saying
to us this week, first through the gospel appointed for today in the Anglican church :
" Come to me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". Matthew 11:28 NIV
A verse which reminded me of that great hymn
Just as I am, without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for,
And that thou bid'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O lamb of God I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Will welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
because Thy promise I believe
O Lamb of God I come......
The message is that all of us who are weary about the killings in our country, need to realize that " nothing but the Blood of Jesus", can wash away the sins of a nation.
Nothing but the mercy of God, wrought by Jesus on the Cross of Calvary, can free us from evil intent. Whether it is murder - in the womb or outside the womb - pride or bombast which is so dramatically on display in Zimbabwe, or greed - which is idolatry, and which sin, for many but not all, without and without the church, if we are honest, regardless of the debate about legality, and for which we need to repent, is at the root of the Cash Plus and Olint foreign exchange trading phenomenon. Whether it be homosexual or heterosexual immorality - sex outside of marriage and sex before marriage - pedophilia, prostitution, or addiction to pornography, nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash away our sins and bring wholeness to our bodies.
This fact of our helpless, " fightings and fears within and without", is the essence of St Paul's cry for help in the Romans passage appointed for today:
" When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
For in my inner being I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging
war.......What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue
me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Further, in order to ensure that I did not underestimate this important message of depending on God and God alone, I was led to reflect on this passage of Scripture
this week during my devotions.
" We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about
the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened
that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many". 2 Corinthians 1:8-11.
Could it be that we in Jamaica have been made to " feel the sentence of death", and to experience the , " beyond our ability to endure", so that we might learn to rely on God and God alone and not on ourselves? Could it be that our " hardships that we are suffering", will only be removed when we begin to pray more effectively for mercy from God, and then He alone will get the honor and praise - and not Professor Robotham ( the sociologist) , Ian Boyne ( the journalist), or Minister McMillan ( the politician)? Then and only then will the nation be able to sing with Spirit and with truth:
Your grace and mercy,
Brought me through.
I am living this day
Because of you.
I want to thank you and
praise your name.
Your grace and mercy, brought me through.
Finally through a meditation by Chris Tiegen,
the Lord taught me this week a very important lesson
on mercy. That only when we have truly come to appreciate the extent of God's mercy on us, will we be able to accept and then reflect God's love, through our word and deeds, to others who are all in need of this love - whether they know it or not. This experience of mercy is what drives the true evangelist - to spread the Gospel; the true worshipers - to celebrate God's goodness and Sovereignty; the true disciple - to die to self and to live for Christ and to serve others in Christ; the true priest or bishop - to represent a merciful and loving God, but a God also of judgment to the congregation. It is this appreciation of helplessness before a Holy God, which the "liberal priests" in the Anglican communion need to experience so that they can ask for mercy. So too our nation's "wise men and women". So too the wicked, the misguided and the unrepentant. May the God who declares in Scripture that:
" For God has bound over all men to disobedience
that he may have mercy on them all"; (Romans 11:32
NIV) : may He have mercy on us all.
COMPASSION OF THE NEEDY JULY 1
" Which of these three do you think was a neighbour
to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
Luke 10: 36
IN WORD The story of the Good Samaritan is one of Jesus' more familiar parables. it is an illustration of surprisingly good behaviour ( for a Samaritan) and of surprisingly bad behaviour ( for priest and Levites). We use it as a useful guide for ethical action -- going above and beyond the call of duty in the way of compassion.
When we read this as a moral instruction and decide which character we ought to emulate, we naturally avoid the portrayal of the indifferent priest and want to think that we are more like the Samaritan. We know in reality we have a little of both in us --some indifference tempered by some compassion, or compassion tainted by indifference. We're an unfortunate mix of all who encounter this victim.
But eventually God makes us look deeper at this practical parable and see it as a striking picture of our world. In this big picture, our race has fallen into the hands of robbers; it has been stripped, beaten and left for half-dead. We have all been ravaged by the wages of sin, and we suffer. This parable is not just a lesson on what to do, it is an illustration of what's been done to us. We stop asking which character we ought to be and God shows us which character we really are. The answer He reveals is humbling. First and foremost, we are not the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan. We are the victim.
IN DEED Everyone who has ever really known Jesus by faith has first known helplessness. We once lay beside the road and hoped someone would stop. He did. He was our good neighbour. By God's design, this should have been the beginning of compassion for us --we don't just become merciful by thinking about others in need, we become merciful by experiencing mercy. When Jesus spared us,
he gave us a sobering command: " Go and do likewise" ( v 37).
The Samaritan in this story looks a lot like Jesus.
So should we.
And as I end probably the most profound words on mercy ever written, flow into my mind:
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Saviour's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain
For me, who Him to His death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou my God, should st for me?.....
'Tis mercy all: the immortal dies;
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angels minds inquire no more....
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:
"Tis mercy all, immense and free.
For O my God it found out me...
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray --
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heat was free.
I rose went forth and followed Thee...
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head.
And clothes in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own ...
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