I returned to my home in Jamaica on New Year's day and was soon greeted with the news in one of our print media that, " THE ORGY of violence which resulted in more than 1,600 people being murdered across the island last year has continued in 2009 with 13 persons killed in the first 48 hours".
And the carnage on roads continued with three dying in one crash on New Year's day with others following as the days passed. That was my introduction to the New Year. But other "stuff" happened before the old year passed which did not augur well for the new. In a gated, previously crime- free, community in Miami where I spent the Christmas holidays, manholes went missing and so did car tyres. All four on a car right next door, and five other vehicles were reportedly vandalized. On the International scene we grieved, once again, as yet another New Year's disaster took place in a night club - this time in Thailand, and once again the Israelis and the Palestinians are at war.
So where is the Happy New Year that we were all wishing for each other? What is the basis for making all those resolutions? What is the basis for some very prominent pastors, " predicting", that despite the forecast for a downturn in the world's economy, Jamaica will enjoy good economic fortune this year. My Bishop answered this very question in a very insightful sermon this morning at church. New life and new beginnings and happiness, as one year passes into another only comes when there is a new life in Christ Jesus. Otherwise we are trapped in the same old problems which flow from one year to another relentlessly, thus fulfilling the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes that, "there in nothing new under the sun".
So what was my experience with the Lord this past week as we entered a new year? Not necessarily in that order, but the following things happened to me. Firstly, I woke up one morning with a song in my heart - " Do you hear what I hear", and having some difficulty recalling this not unfamiliar Christmas carol in its entirety, I " googled " it and found a wonderful revelation. Initially I thought the message from the Lord was all about the importance of listening carefully to Him. But on reflection on the sequence of the Carol I found additional messages.
Said the night wind to the little lamb.
" Do you see what I see?
Way up in the shy, little lamb.
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as the kite......
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
"Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the the sea..
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
"Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king,
Do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold--
Let us bring him silver and gold...
Said the King to the people everywhere,
"Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere,
Listen to what I say!
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light.....
First of all, only those who listen carefully to the Lord will truly hear what He is saying. Only those who believe and trust in faith will hear God speaking. Secondly the message from the Lord is passed from one medium to another until the King reveals the truth to everyone - that we should all pray for peace, and that only the Christ child can bring us goodness and light up the darkness of our lives. Finally, as the Bishop pointed out this morning, in this context of the song arising in my heart at this time, New Year is all about Christmas. And Christmas is all about a new dispensation - what the theologians call the year of the Jubilee.
The second message was even more pointed, and follows on the first. Those who hear God, even " beyond the sacred pages of Holy Scripture", must be obedient to His revealed Word in Scripture. One morning, last week, my meditations and a " voice in my head", led me to this dramatic passage of Scripture.
" So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven".
Acts 26:19. NIV.
St. Paul was testifying to the authorities to whom he had appealed for justice after the Jews had sought to have him killed for spreading the " gospel". And in doing so, recounted the story of his conversion on the road to Damascus, and about which vision from heaven he now affirms his obedience.
The point here is that God is a talking God and will inform us of His Will. So we ought to be very careful as children of God, to indulge in passing resolutions, which are not ordained by the Lord. And making optimistic predictions which flow from the " foolishness" in our hearts rather than from the Word of God. But the important thing is to be obedient when the message is clear.
So how do we know when God speaks ?
I got an answer from Oswald Chambers on Day 2.
WILL YOU GO OUT WITHOUT KNOWING? OSWALD CHAMBERS' MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST JAN 2.
"He went out, not knowing whither he went." Hebrews 11:8
Have you been " out" in this way? If so, there is no logical statement possible when anyone asks you what are you doing. One of the difficulties in Christian work is this question ---" What do you expect to do?" You do not know what you are going to do; the only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing. ( This was the essence of the prayer of a young pastor who prayed for us at my workplace on the first working day in the year) Continually revise your attitude towards God and see if it is a going out of everything, trusting in God entirely. it is this attitude that keeps you in perpetual wonder -- you do not know what God is going to do next. Each morning you wake up it is to be a " going out", building in confidence on God. " Take no thought for your life...nor yet for your body" ---take no thought for the things for which you did take before you " went out".
Have you been asking God what is he going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what he is going to do; He reveals Himself to you. Who He is. Do you believe in a miracle-working God, and will you go out in surrender to Him until you are not surprised an atom anything He does?
Suppose God is the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him -- what an impertinence worry is! Let the attitude of the life of be a continual " going out" in dependence on God, and your life will have an ineffable charm about it which is a satisfaction to Jesus. You have to learn to go out of your convictions, out of creeds, out of experiences, until so far as your faith is concerned, there is nothing between yourself and God.
Wow! " God does not tell you what he is going to do; He reveals Himself". Is Christmas an answer for all of us who are seeking to know God's will and predicting, and planning for, all kinds of things about which know nothing?
The last two messages are very clear and rooted in Scripture. One is a passage that I have been searching for. And the Lord woke me up in the middle of the night this past week to point me to it.
" For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him". Philippians 2:29 NIV.
No equivocation here. Journeying with Christ, in the new year or the old involves suffering. Sacrifice. Leaving behind attitudes and behaviours and places where we used to go, things we used to watch, and "stuff" we used to do and say. Plus the' persecution' from those who oppose us - even within the family.
Lastly, the Christian life is not about our deserving anything from God. Good economic fortune. Health and strength. Healthy relationships. Freedom from thieves and robbers, gunmen and fatalities on our roads. But rather being the recipients of God's mercy and being in a right relationship with Him, in and through the Christmas and Good Friday experience - culminating in Easter.
This is what I was told to read last night. And it began like this.
CHRIS TIEGEN EXTRAVAGANT MERCY JAN 3
" I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners "
Mark 2:17
............IN DEED God desires to be known in His mercy. Not just mercy, in fact but extravagant mercy. Incomprehensibly extravagant mercy. Mind-boggling mercy.....
ROMANS 9:14-16 & 11:32
" Just as it is written: Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all. For he says to Moses;
I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whim I have compassion.
It does not therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy......For God has given over all men to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all".
So last night I prayed with all my heart for mercy. Not for good fortune. But for God's mercy. For all my family. And myself. Immediate. Extended. Community. Church ( Anglican/Episcopalian, Baptist, Moravian, Roman Catholic, United, Church of God, Pentecostal and Seventh Day Adventist, all Evangelical churches) Internet. Road Safety. Work...as I recalled the experience of someone who was invited to go with someone else for a visit with family. The person suddenly feeling weak and tired, declined and instead, in obedience to a feeling deep in the soul, went upstairs to pray. Moments later, the person with whom the individual would have been travelling, was killed in a hail of bullets - in the car. The person testifying was not a Baptized Christian but grew up in the knowledge of God and prayed regularly.
Our God is a mysterious God, and is not to presumed upon, but to be listened to, and obeyed and to be asked for mercy. In the new year and in the old as He reveals Himself to us more and more in and through the Christ whose birth created a New and Eternal Life. Amen.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Obama mania and Christmas
I spent my Christmas in Obama country. Deep in Obama country. Actually it began at the airport in Jamaica where I bought the latest Newsweek magazine featuring Obama. Then in Miami; The Herald, CNN, CBS' feature 60 minutes, all " got into the act". You just could not escape him. Time magazine - special edition. Life magazine - special edition. Ebony - special edition. The inauguration plans; the campaign revisited again and again; Obama revealed - literally, as the press went ballistic over a shot of Obama in his bathing trunks. You really had to try hard and remember that it was Christmas and that Jesus Christ ought to be at the center of all things.
So in the midst of this Obama mania the Lord sent me through friends, His Word, and reflections from a past Saint, reasons why we need to vigilant about maintaining our focus on our Saviour's birth, death and resurrection.
The first one was a message from a friend, young Rev. Michael Elliot, who received a message from another friend. The message? My interpretation. Even with the best will in the world, which Obama admittedly has, only Christ alone satisfies the deepest longing of the human heart. Only Christ alone can raise us up, "When I am down and O my soul is weary; When troubles come and my heart burdened be...."
A Christmas Message from the Baptist World Alliance
What do you do: when you suffer severe loss and the cancer of loneliness gnaws away at the source of your energy,when the beast called malaria destroys the life of many and threatens to wipe out your family,when the dreadful sounds of war still drown out the gentle voices of little children,when your dream of a land to call your own remains stubbornly anchored in the realm of unlikely possibility? Just what do you do?
What do you do: when the economic tsunami that shakes the world rocks the foundations of your material security,when you look into the near future and see your name on the list of those who must be axed if the enterprise in which you work is to survive,when the uncertainty of preserving your ownership of the space in which you live, space you call your own, takes hold of you,when recent challenges to your health serve as undisputed evidence of your mortality? Just what do you do?
What do you do: when the dreams you once cherished retreat into oblivion before the darkness of unexpected misfortune,when the hopes you once embraced skittle from the calendar of the possible in ways that even the blind can see,when the doubts that flow over the contours of your mind take hold of you and threaten to erase the confident faith you once held dear, when the despair dealt out by the tragedies of this life erodes the vibrant hope and abundant joy you once enjoyed? Just what do you do?
You listen to the voice of the messenger who announces the message of Christmas: "Do not be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). The message of Christmas is about the coming of one who deals a comprehensive blow to the edifice of the argument serving our fears and erects, in its place, a lovely fountain from which flows endlessly the Good News that makes Christmas the special time it is: Jesus is here! God is here! We can take leave of our fears and find strength and security in the salvation that God makes available to us! May the confident faith that Christ's coming announces be yours throughout this season and in the coming years!
Neville Callam General Secretary Baptist World Alliance
The second one came right out of the Bible. And followed a deep meditation on the well known hymn; " I need thee every hour". Especially the line : " Stay Thou nearby Lord; Temptations lose their power when Thou art near...."
" Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you what the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid"
John 14:27 NIV
The message -which came out of my experience this Christmas. There are very few things that I absolutely need to get in life. I don't absolutely need to get the latest cell phone - the Blackberry Storm ( forget about the Pearl and the Curve). I don't absolutely have to buy those nice silk ties, the lovely dress shirts, the latest " Sketchers shoes", the flat screen HD TV. I can really do without them. I thank God for the gifts, but it is time to learn that that I can live without the " latest stuff". This is the essential point - within a wider context - made by Thomas Friedman in his latest book " Hot Flat and Crowded". The same world famous author who wrote the highly acclaimed, " The World is flat" and who now returns to focus on the America which seems to have lost its way, and highlights one such example, which resonates well with the rampant commercialism which threatens to replace the focus on Christ at Christmas. In the same way that, at this time, Obama threatens to do also.
"In some ways, the subprime mortgage mess and housing crisis are metaphors for what has come over America in recent years. A certain connection between hard work, achievement, and accountability has been broken. We've become a subprime nation that thinks it can borrow its way to prosperity - putting nothing down and and making no payments for two years. Subprime lenders told us that we could have the American dream - a home of our own - without the discipline or sacrifice that home ownership requires"
So yes, we absolutely need to read books, but not a lot of the other " stuff". But more importantly, what we absolutely do need in our lives, is a peace that only Christ can bring.
But what kind of Peace is this that we celebrate at Christmas. Chris Tiegen, to whom the Lord led me after reading the John passage on Peace, has one answer.
JESUS OUR PEACE
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.".. Matthew 10: 34
IN WORD Isaiah prophesied about the coming " Prince of Peace". ( 9:6) The angels declared peace on earth in Luke 2:14 as they announced the coming Lord. But Jesus had a different declaration. People will fight about the truth of His words. They will draw swords against each other in heated conflict over His claims. The fact of His cross and resurrection would become history's greatest scandal. When persecution comes, friends and family members will turn each other in. And when judgement comes, He will be the dividing line by which families and nations are split.
Was His prophecy true? History bears it out. There is no more controversial figure in the entire human race than Jesus. He has been blessed as God incarnate and cursed as a man-made delusion. He has changed countless lives even while " scholars" have disputed whether He ever existed.
No, the kind of peace the world seeks is harmony on this planet. Jesus makes it clear that His peace is of a different order. It reconciles God with His traitorous and humanity with its holy God. It puts a new Spirit in a once conflicted heart. It is a peace within and a peace from above, but it is not a universal peace among our race. Many hate Him. It will always be so. Such is the rebellion of man......................
Some of my friends, who are not Christians, but who are part of this Internet Ministry, are often "scandalized" by Jesus' claims and therefore the church's assertion that " Jesus is the only way to the our Father in heaven". It is a point of view widely held in secular America and in particular, the media. So, here in Miami we often hear " Happy Holidays". And many editorials, even in Jamaica, focus on the " good works" aspect of the Christmas story. Sharing with the less fortunate, loving our neighbour and even tolerance of other people's view of God. It is a view which found its way into the Life magazine's special edition on Obama. It is a view which we must gently, but firmly renounce, even with those who are humbly seeking for answers to deep questions, as Obama obviously is . As to countenance any other view would be to do violence to what transpired on the cross of Calvary, and which divine act of Atonement, began, on earth, at Christmas.
' ......He was prepared to bear witness to his faith in God's purposes, discuss the influence of theology on his political philosophies, address the questions he raised in his first book: " How do we transform mere sentiment into love?" On the other hand there was certainly that if faith meant anything, it surely meant a call to action, to help the least among us, to be our brother's keepers. On the other, he was fully prepared to confess his doubts and talk of mystery, of what he didn't fully understand.
At a time when America grows even more diverse, when more than two thirds of people believe that ' many religions can lead to eternal life', Obama rejected " certainty theology" in favor of something more inquiring, more inclusive........'
Therefore as much as we all celebrated, and continue to do so, Obama's famous victory on Nov. 4. And as much as we celebrate Christmas with the exchange of gifts, enjoy the sweet fellowship of family, share with others in need, our greatest priority at this time is the Peace of God that passeth all human understanding. And which Peace only Christ alone offers.
Obama spoke to a particular need among Americans and indeed the entire world on Nov 4.
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
In a sense both Neville Callam earlier, and Chris Tiegen, in the following quotation, echo a similar but profoundly different sentiment, to a different set of questions. And the answers from both, serve to highlight the difference between frail man, Barack Obama, who needs our prayers, and God Almighty who at that first Christmas, became incarnate as Jesus Christ, and who alone is to be worshipped and glorified.
" For everyone who has ever wondered how God sees him or her; for everyone who has ever doubted God's love when a prayer has gone unanswered or a life has become broken; for everyone who has ever cried out to God, " Are you there?" or " Do you care?". Jesus is that answer: He has come to do God's will and His will is very, very good........."
So in the midst of this Obama mania the Lord sent me through friends, His Word, and reflections from a past Saint, reasons why we need to vigilant about maintaining our focus on our Saviour's birth, death and resurrection.
The first one was a message from a friend, young Rev. Michael Elliot, who received a message from another friend. The message? My interpretation. Even with the best will in the world, which Obama admittedly has, only Christ alone satisfies the deepest longing of the human heart. Only Christ alone can raise us up, "When I am down and O my soul is weary; When troubles come and my heart burdened be...."
A Christmas Message from the Baptist World Alliance
What do you do: when you suffer severe loss and the cancer of loneliness gnaws away at the source of your energy,when the beast called malaria destroys the life of many and threatens to wipe out your family,when the dreadful sounds of war still drown out the gentle voices of little children,when your dream of a land to call your own remains stubbornly anchored in the realm of unlikely possibility? Just what do you do?
What do you do: when the economic tsunami that shakes the world rocks the foundations of your material security,when you look into the near future and see your name on the list of those who must be axed if the enterprise in which you work is to survive,when the uncertainty of preserving your ownership of the space in which you live, space you call your own, takes hold of you,when recent challenges to your health serve as undisputed evidence of your mortality? Just what do you do?
What do you do: when the dreams you once cherished retreat into oblivion before the darkness of unexpected misfortune,when the hopes you once embraced skittle from the calendar of the possible in ways that even the blind can see,when the doubts that flow over the contours of your mind take hold of you and threaten to erase the confident faith you once held dear, when the despair dealt out by the tragedies of this life erodes the vibrant hope and abundant joy you once enjoyed? Just what do you do?
You listen to the voice of the messenger who announces the message of Christmas: "Do not be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). The message of Christmas is about the coming of one who deals a comprehensive blow to the edifice of the argument serving our fears and erects, in its place, a lovely fountain from which flows endlessly the Good News that makes Christmas the special time it is: Jesus is here! God is here! We can take leave of our fears and find strength and security in the salvation that God makes available to us! May the confident faith that Christ's coming announces be yours throughout this season and in the coming years!
Neville Callam General Secretary Baptist World Alliance
The second one came right out of the Bible. And followed a deep meditation on the well known hymn; " I need thee every hour". Especially the line : " Stay Thou nearby Lord; Temptations lose their power when Thou art near...."
" Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you what the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid"
John 14:27 NIV
The message -which came out of my experience this Christmas. There are very few things that I absolutely need to get in life. I don't absolutely need to get the latest cell phone - the Blackberry Storm ( forget about the Pearl and the Curve). I don't absolutely have to buy those nice silk ties, the lovely dress shirts, the latest " Sketchers shoes", the flat screen HD TV. I can really do without them. I thank God for the gifts, but it is time to learn that that I can live without the " latest stuff". This is the essential point - within a wider context - made by Thomas Friedman in his latest book " Hot Flat and Crowded". The same world famous author who wrote the highly acclaimed, " The World is flat" and who now returns to focus on the America which seems to have lost its way, and highlights one such example, which resonates well with the rampant commercialism which threatens to replace the focus on Christ at Christmas. In the same way that, at this time, Obama threatens to do also.
"In some ways, the subprime mortgage mess and housing crisis are metaphors for what has come over America in recent years. A certain connection between hard work, achievement, and accountability has been broken. We've become a subprime nation that thinks it can borrow its way to prosperity - putting nothing down and and making no payments for two years. Subprime lenders told us that we could have the American dream - a home of our own - without the discipline or sacrifice that home ownership requires"
So yes, we absolutely need to read books, but not a lot of the other " stuff". But more importantly, what we absolutely do need in our lives, is a peace that only Christ can bring.
But what kind of Peace is this that we celebrate at Christmas. Chris Tiegen, to whom the Lord led me after reading the John passage on Peace, has one answer.
JESUS OUR PEACE
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.".. Matthew 10: 34
IN WORD Isaiah prophesied about the coming " Prince of Peace". ( 9:6) The angels declared peace on earth in Luke 2:14 as they announced the coming Lord. But Jesus had a different declaration. People will fight about the truth of His words. They will draw swords against each other in heated conflict over His claims. The fact of His cross and resurrection would become history's greatest scandal. When persecution comes, friends and family members will turn each other in. And when judgement comes, He will be the dividing line by which families and nations are split.
Was His prophecy true? History bears it out. There is no more controversial figure in the entire human race than Jesus. He has been blessed as God incarnate and cursed as a man-made delusion. He has changed countless lives even while " scholars" have disputed whether He ever existed.
No, the kind of peace the world seeks is harmony on this planet. Jesus makes it clear that His peace is of a different order. It reconciles God with His traitorous and humanity with its holy God. It puts a new Spirit in a once conflicted heart. It is a peace within and a peace from above, but it is not a universal peace among our race. Many hate Him. It will always be so. Such is the rebellion of man......................
Some of my friends, who are not Christians, but who are part of this Internet Ministry, are often "scandalized" by Jesus' claims and therefore the church's assertion that " Jesus is the only way to the our Father in heaven". It is a point of view widely held in secular America and in particular, the media. So, here in Miami we often hear " Happy Holidays". And many editorials, even in Jamaica, focus on the " good works" aspect of the Christmas story. Sharing with the less fortunate, loving our neighbour and even tolerance of other people's view of God. It is a view which found its way into the Life magazine's special edition on Obama. It is a view which we must gently, but firmly renounce, even with those who are humbly seeking for answers to deep questions, as Obama obviously is . As to countenance any other view would be to do violence to what transpired on the cross of Calvary, and which divine act of Atonement, began, on earth, at Christmas.
' ......He was prepared to bear witness to his faith in God's purposes, discuss the influence of theology on his political philosophies, address the questions he raised in his first book: " How do we transform mere sentiment into love?" On the other hand there was certainly that if faith meant anything, it surely meant a call to action, to help the least among us, to be our brother's keepers. On the other, he was fully prepared to confess his doubts and talk of mystery, of what he didn't fully understand.
At a time when America grows even more diverse, when more than two thirds of people believe that ' many religions can lead to eternal life', Obama rejected " certainty theology" in favor of something more inquiring, more inclusive........'
Therefore as much as we all celebrated, and continue to do so, Obama's famous victory on Nov. 4. And as much as we celebrate Christmas with the exchange of gifts, enjoy the sweet fellowship of family, share with others in need, our greatest priority at this time is the Peace of God that passeth all human understanding. And which Peace only Christ alone offers.
Obama spoke to a particular need among Americans and indeed the entire world on Nov 4.
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
In a sense both Neville Callam earlier, and Chris Tiegen, in the following quotation, echo a similar but profoundly different sentiment, to a different set of questions. And the answers from both, serve to highlight the difference between frail man, Barack Obama, who needs our prayers, and God Almighty who at that first Christmas, became incarnate as Jesus Christ, and who alone is to be worshipped and glorified.
" For everyone who has ever wondered how God sees him or her; for everyone who has ever doubted God's love when a prayer has gone unanswered or a life has become broken; for everyone who has ever cried out to God, " Are you there?" or " Do you care?". Jesus is that answer: He has come to do God's will and His will is very, very good........."
Sunday, December 21, 2008
A Christmas Message: The need for a sense of urgency.
14 dead. 8 women, 5 men and a child. In one single road crash. What a tragedy! That's what happened in the hills of a rural parish in my country this week. And so the entire nation is in mourning. Everyone, related or not, has felt the pain of this awful loss of human life. All of us, especially those with special responsibility in this area, including the Prime Minister, have been moved with a special sense of urgency, that this should never happen again. In a sense, the same feeling pervades the nation in respect of murder - 0ver 1500 for the year already - but which sense of urgency to stop the madness, has been dulled by the chronic nature of the problem, as it has been happening for years.
This same sense of urgency, has been the hallmark, thus far, of the Obama administration, as he has moved swiftly to appoint key members of his cabinet in an effort to calm the fears of big business and small savers, nationally and internationally. And many leaders across the world, including my own country, are similarly seized with this sense of urgency to deal with the fallout from the worldwide financial meltdown. On the social front, many nations are dealing urgently with the consequences of drug abuse, HIV/AIDS infestations, road traffic injuries, teenage pregnancies and a whole host of issues which profoundly affect the quality of human existence on this globe.
In parts of the world, all of the above, even for a short while, take a backseat as we celebrate Christmas with family and friends; sorrel and rice and peas; grandmarket night; special outfits for the season; many Christmas parties; church services; the exchange of gifts; the eating of Christmas pudding; the trips back home. Until the New Years day when the cycle begins all over again.
And the Lord, who is always ahead of us, used the events of this week, which triggered this reflection on the need to cultivate a sense of urgency, to speak clearly about His sense of urgency. The story began with King David writing in the Psalm appointed for this Sunday.
" He swore an oath to the Lord
and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob;
I will not enter my house or go to my bed---
I will allow no sleep to my eyes,
no slumber to my eyelids,
till I find a place for the Lord".
Psalm 132: 2-4. NIV
David's priority was to bring honor to the Lord by erecting a house for the Lord to dwell in.
And when the Lord answered David in 2 Samuel 7, and issued a promise that he would " raise up your offspring to succeed you" and that such an child would have a kingdom for ever, there is a hint of the coming of God's Son Jesus - " whose kingdom would reign forever".
The story about the sense of urgency continued with the encounter of Mary with the angel Gabriel where she was told that: " The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" . One of the most profound questions ever posed by man to God is found in an extended reading of David's desire to build a house for the Lord. After the Lord had promised David that his family would be given such a signal honor, David's answer/proclamation was : " Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?"
2 Samuel 7:19
We could ask the same question about God taking on human flesh, and being born by the power of the Holy Spirit to a simple virgin girl in Nazareth. " Is this your usual way of dealing with man O Sovereign Lord? No, but the lesson from the Cross of Calvary, is that all of mankind was in danger of perishing. There was therefore a sense of urgency, and the priority of God, out of an abundance of love, was and continues to be perishing man, sick man, and man suffering from injustice. Why? All , every single one of us, " have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". And since God has declared that "the wages of sin is death", God sent His Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
So in the fullness of time Jesus was sent on that first Christmas to heal the sick, rescue the perishing and set the captives free - from teenage pregnancy, from drug abuse, from HIV/AIDS infection, road traffic injuries, murder, greed, and ultimately sin and death.
So if Christ came at Christmas over two thousand years ago, with a sense and message of urgency " Be ye reconciled to God", why are we His disciples, not filled with the same sense of urgency? Why are we, focusing primarily on the "gifts" of Christmas and not the GIFT of the Son of God - Jesus Christ? Why aren't we responding to St Paul's injunction to " Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus"? Why don't we have the same attitude of Christ to be obedient, even to death on the Cross.
The Lord led me this week to reflect on two hymns which we sing in church regularly, to find answers. As unless we are seized with the same mind of the hymn writer and invite Jesus into our hearts on a regular basis, and to appreciate that such an invitation will lead us to share in the suffering of Christ, then we will have neither the sense of urgency nor the power to set the captives free - but will always be relegated to analysing and pontificating and even moved to tears, about the many problems that confront our people.
1.Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown,
When thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem's home was there found no room
For thy holy Nativity:
Refrain
O come to my heart Lord Jesus
There is room in my heart for the thee.......
4.Thou camest O Lord, with the living word
That should set thy people free
But with mocking scorn and with a crown of thorn
They bore thee to Calvary
O come to my heart Lord Jesus
There is room in my heart for thee
I am thine O Lord, I have heard thy voice
And it told thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee
Ref.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To the cross where Thou has died
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To thy precious bleeding side
Consecrate me now thy service Lord,
By the power of love divine
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine
Ref.
O the pure delight of a single hour
That before thy throne I spend
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee my God
I commune as friend to friend.......
Ref
O Blessed God that your people would be moved to brood on the cross constantly,
as without a desire to share in its sorrows and pain, Christianity has no power
to move with a sense of urgency. O God that we would be moved to spend quality time in prayer. O God that we would be moved to invite your Son this Christmas to come into our hearts.
Into my heart. Into my heart. Come into my heart Lord Jesus.
Come into today, come in to stay. Come int0 my heart Lord Jesus..
as our body, the entire Christian church, is now the temple of God.
So David's desire to establish the temple of God has found fulfillment
in the body of Christ - the professing authentic church. And it is through this body, imperfect as it is, that God continues to rescue mankind, once we are repentant,obedient and filled with a deep longing for God's honor, and for the rescuing of our neighbour. That's the real Christmas message. Not the one on CNN or RJR or Nationwide
Amen
Merry Christmas to you all, and may the Holy Spirit come upon us, and may the power of the Most High overshadow us, as we seek to respond, in and through Christ Jesus, to the sufferings of humankind with a strong sense of urgency and with power.
This same sense of urgency, has been the hallmark, thus far, of the Obama administration, as he has moved swiftly to appoint key members of his cabinet in an effort to calm the fears of big business and small savers, nationally and internationally. And many leaders across the world, including my own country, are similarly seized with this sense of urgency to deal with the fallout from the worldwide financial meltdown. On the social front, many nations are dealing urgently with the consequences of drug abuse, HIV/AIDS infestations, road traffic injuries, teenage pregnancies and a whole host of issues which profoundly affect the quality of human existence on this globe.
In parts of the world, all of the above, even for a short while, take a backseat as we celebrate Christmas with family and friends; sorrel and rice and peas; grandmarket night; special outfits for the season; many Christmas parties; church services; the exchange of gifts; the eating of Christmas pudding; the trips back home. Until the New Years day when the cycle begins all over again.
And the Lord, who is always ahead of us, used the events of this week, which triggered this reflection on the need to cultivate a sense of urgency, to speak clearly about His sense of urgency. The story began with King David writing in the Psalm appointed for this Sunday.
" He swore an oath to the Lord
and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob;
I will not enter my house or go to my bed---
I will allow no sleep to my eyes,
no slumber to my eyelids,
till I find a place for the Lord".
Psalm 132: 2-4. NIV
David's priority was to bring honor to the Lord by erecting a house for the Lord to dwell in.
And when the Lord answered David in 2 Samuel 7, and issued a promise that he would " raise up your offspring to succeed you" and that such an child would have a kingdom for ever, there is a hint of the coming of God's Son Jesus - " whose kingdom would reign forever".
The story about the sense of urgency continued with the encounter of Mary with the angel Gabriel where she was told that: " The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" . One of the most profound questions ever posed by man to God is found in an extended reading of David's desire to build a house for the Lord. After the Lord had promised David that his family would be given such a signal honor, David's answer/proclamation was : " Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?"
2 Samuel 7:19
We could ask the same question about God taking on human flesh, and being born by the power of the Holy Spirit to a simple virgin girl in Nazareth. " Is this your usual way of dealing with man O Sovereign Lord? No, but the lesson from the Cross of Calvary, is that all of mankind was in danger of perishing. There was therefore a sense of urgency, and the priority of God, out of an abundance of love, was and continues to be perishing man, sick man, and man suffering from injustice. Why? All , every single one of us, " have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". And since God has declared that "the wages of sin is death", God sent His Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
So in the fullness of time Jesus was sent on that first Christmas to heal the sick, rescue the perishing and set the captives free - from teenage pregnancy, from drug abuse, from HIV/AIDS infection, road traffic injuries, murder, greed, and ultimately sin and death.
So if Christ came at Christmas over two thousand years ago, with a sense and message of urgency " Be ye reconciled to God", why are we His disciples, not filled with the same sense of urgency? Why are we, focusing primarily on the "gifts" of Christmas and not the GIFT of the Son of God - Jesus Christ? Why aren't we responding to St Paul's injunction to " Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus"? Why don't we have the same attitude of Christ to be obedient, even to death on the Cross.
The Lord led me this week to reflect on two hymns which we sing in church regularly, to find answers. As unless we are seized with the same mind of the hymn writer and invite Jesus into our hearts on a regular basis, and to appreciate that such an invitation will lead us to share in the suffering of Christ, then we will have neither the sense of urgency nor the power to set the captives free - but will always be relegated to analysing and pontificating and even moved to tears, about the many problems that confront our people.
1.Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown,
When thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem's home was there found no room
For thy holy Nativity:
Refrain
O come to my heart Lord Jesus
There is room in my heart for the thee.......
4.Thou camest O Lord, with the living word
That should set thy people free
But with mocking scorn and with a crown of thorn
They bore thee to Calvary
O come to my heart Lord Jesus
There is room in my heart for thee
I am thine O Lord, I have heard thy voice
And it told thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee
Ref.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To the cross where Thou has died
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To thy precious bleeding side
Consecrate me now thy service Lord,
By the power of love divine
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine
Ref.
O the pure delight of a single hour
That before thy throne I spend
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee my God
I commune as friend to friend.......
Ref
O Blessed God that your people would be moved to brood on the cross constantly,
as without a desire to share in its sorrows and pain, Christianity has no power
to move with a sense of urgency. O God that we would be moved to spend quality time in prayer. O God that we would be moved to invite your Son this Christmas to come into our hearts.
Into my heart. Into my heart. Come into my heart Lord Jesus.
Come into today, come in to stay. Come int0 my heart Lord Jesus..
as our body, the entire Christian church, is now the temple of God.
So David's desire to establish the temple of God has found fulfillment
in the body of Christ - the professing authentic church. And it is through this body, imperfect as it is, that God continues to rescue mankind, once we are repentant,obedient and filled with a deep longing for God's honor, and for the rescuing of our neighbour. That's the real Christmas message. Not the one on CNN or RJR or Nationwide
Amen
Merry Christmas to you all, and may the Holy Spirit come upon us, and may the power of the Most High overshadow us, as we seek to respond, in and through Christ Jesus, to the sufferings of humankind with a strong sense of urgency and with power.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Jamaica; USA; The World; The Church: I have something to tell you.
Almost every time I have been led to reflect on this story in the Bible - Luke 7:36-50 - I am moved to tears, as it captures in dramatic form, the very essence of what Christianity is all about. And what the world outside of belonging to and ruled by Christ is all about. The contrast is stark and the choice is clear cut. Accept that we are sinners and in need of the Redemption, forgiveness of sins - Salvation - offered by the death of Christ on Calvary. Believe, mistakenly, with eternal consequences, that we are not so bad, or just ok, and that Christ's death is of no consequence to us. Just something of - dubious - historical value. The story!
Jesus was dinning with some Pharisees, one of whom was named Simon ; " when a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them"
Simon, the Pharisee, then became angry and wondered in his mind that if Jesus were truly a prophet then he would know that the woman who was touching him was a sinner.
Then came one of the most profound revelations in history. " Jesus answered him, Simon I have something to tell you.......Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which one will love him more?
Simon gave the correct answer - the one who had the bigger debt canceled.Then Jesus admonished Simon for not washing his feet, not giving him water, but praised the woman who behaved differently and then pronounced forgiveness for her sins - which only God can do.
Because she loved much.
The two great challenges that all Christians face are; one, to accept fully, not halfway, that our sinful nature placed us in debt to God, which we can never pay back. And that Christ's death on Calvary has canceled all debts - and thus we should be forever grateful like the sinful woman.
And thus fully embrace the thoughts of the songwriter who penned these words, on which I was led to reflect this week:
My God how wonderful Thou art........
O how I fear thee , living God,
With deepest, tenderest fears,
And worship thee with trembling heart,
And penitential tears....
And secondly to share with whomsoever we meet on this earth, this profound and life changing truth. This is the " something " that we have to tell the world. But we can only be authentic in our telling if we are first constantly repenting before Almighty God and in tears about our sinful state like that 'woman'.
Whilst walking this week after reading the story, it came home forcibly to me that we have attempted to be too sophisticated in our analysis of what has gone wrong with the world around us, when there is only one problem and one solution to that problem. The problem is lust - the desire to have something, anything right now, regardless of the consequences. I just must have it.
It is lust for money which is at the root of the Governor of Illinois' decision to sell Obama's Senate seat, and which has seriously distracted the President -elect and caused people to question his integrity, even before he has had a chance to take office. The same desire for oil security or even the removal of Saddam so inflammed the minds of George W. Bush and Co. Ltd. which provoked them to invade Iraq with now disastrous consequences. Look back on history and you will find the same story repeated time and time again. It was the unbridled lust for riches and power which caused the colonial powers to rape Africa and rationalise their action by relegating non whites to a subhuman category. The same thing happened in Nazi Germany,
Pol Pot ruled Cambodia, in Bosnia and in Rwanda. Closer home, the same madness caused politicians to give guns to their henchmen in a bid to secure power at all costs, and which seeds sown long ago, are now causing us the reap the whirlwind of gun violence, abductions, rapes and general mayhem in our country. The same virus of lust now affects our body politic, the police force, the business sector, the professionals, the media, the entertainment industry, and is at the root of the HIV epidemic, the breakdown in family life, teenage pregnancy - I just must have it now.
And God have mercy and forgive us, that philosophy has invaded the church for some time now. I just must have God's blessings now. Not in eternity. And this lust, and lack of patience made Cash Plus and Olint, two Ponsi schemes, appear to the unwise, as " blessings" from God, with consequences far exceeding the loss of money. And which " theology" has turned God into a " celestial bellhop" who pours out blessings to those who fast and pray long enough, and who have faith that can move mountains. In short a God made in our own image, and because of which the nation, which badly needs leadership from the authentic church, has suffered immensely.
The solution to the inherent lust in the hearts of all mankind is what Jesus shares with Simon.
The question which asks in essence; " Do you realize how much you have rebelled against the living God and deserve to die - for all men have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God?.
The question is who are we? Simon or the "sinful woman". The Simons of this world, both inside and outside the church have not fallen at the feet of Jesus, because they do not realize how much they are indebted to the God, the Creator of heaven and earth and all mankind, who came down as man in the form of Jesus. They are having a good time either ignoring Jesus or in
" perpetual praise" without time for repentance.
I was led to read another section of Scripture this week, and when the full impact hit me , I was moved to send out the following text message : " In him was life, and that life was the life of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it..... though the world was made through him the world did not recognize him" John 14-5& 10. What a tragedy?"
The problem Obama faces in the USA, and Prime Minster Golding here in Jamaica, is not only the crisis affecting the world economy, but the crisis affecting the entire world. That God, the Creator was , and still is , in the world, through the authentic church, rescuing mankind from its propensity to succumb to lusts of various kind - the kind which led a respected Wall Street Banker to bilk a significant number of " intelligent New Yorkers" of billions of USD - and the world has neither understood Him nor recognized Him. That's the crisis! That's the tragedy.
And as one Baptist preacher observed this morning, as we continue to celebrate Advent - the second coming of the Jesus - if we think we are in crisis now, all of that will be nothing compared to the crisis of the return of Christ as judge.
Maybe that sinful woman recognized something that we have missed, why she loved Jesus so much. Perhaps that story moved the same hymn writer to pen another verse of the story about the " Wonderful God"
Yet I may love the too, O Lord,
Almighty as thou art,
For thou hast stooped to ask of me
The love of my poor heart
No doubt that's why the Lord led me to read the following meditation along with the story.
AMAZING GRACE OSWALD CHAMBERS DECEMBER 12
" My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Mark 15: 34
IN WORD Are you aware that every crack of the whip on Jesus' back, every thorn piercing His scalp, every stroke of the hammer is what God thought about our sin? Have you considered that every time Jesus tried to breathe, cried out in thirst, tried to heave His body up against the pull of gravity, it was punishment deserved. Not by Him, of course. By us.
Does that sound harsh? Surely we aren't all that bad, are we? We' re human, of course and therefore imperfect; but do we really deserve such punishment?
According to the Bible, we do. And if we really think about it, as well intentioned as we assume we are, we can all recall times when we have shunned the personality of the Holy for something that utterly violated it. On purpose. What cosmic treachery! We're foolish to think that it was just an innocent mistake and that God will overlook it. Look at the Cross to see what God thought about it.
Jesus knew the answer to His question in vs 34, even as He asked it. He wasn't seeking the divine reason behind His suffering; He was pointing us to it. The quoted Psalm that begins with this cry of anguish ( Psalm 22) speaks of God's deliverance of all His people. That's the answer. He was forsaken so we wouldn't be.
IN DEED " God has made him who had no sin to be sin for us" ( 2 Corinthians 5:21). Whenever your faith grows apathetic, whenever your sense of His Grace grows dim, whenever your mercy towards others finds its limits, think of that. Contemplate the staggering absurdity of the infinitely Holy suffering the consequences for those who rejected His holiness. Let your cry become; " My god, my God, why haven't You forsaken me?" And be grateful. Let His grace amaze you and prompt your zealous passionate worship.
So who are you going to model? Who I am going to model ? Simon or the " sinful woman". Not only will our fate hang in the balance when Jesus comes again - not for another Christmas, but for judgement - depending on how we answer and live out that choice, but also those to whom God has sent us to spread the gospel. That's the sad reality and for which judgement too will meted out unto us.
Amen
Jesus was dinning with some Pharisees, one of whom was named Simon ; " when a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them"
Simon, the Pharisee, then became angry and wondered in his mind that if Jesus were truly a prophet then he would know that the woman who was touching him was a sinner.
Then came one of the most profound revelations in history. " Jesus answered him, Simon I have something to tell you.......Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which one will love him more?
Simon gave the correct answer - the one who had the bigger debt canceled.Then Jesus admonished Simon for not washing his feet, not giving him water, but praised the woman who behaved differently and then pronounced forgiveness for her sins - which only God can do.
Because she loved much.
The two great challenges that all Christians face are; one, to accept fully, not halfway, that our sinful nature placed us in debt to God, which we can never pay back. And that Christ's death on Calvary has canceled all debts - and thus we should be forever grateful like the sinful woman.
And thus fully embrace the thoughts of the songwriter who penned these words, on which I was led to reflect this week:
My God how wonderful Thou art........
O how I fear thee , living God,
With deepest, tenderest fears,
And worship thee with trembling heart,
And penitential tears....
And secondly to share with whomsoever we meet on this earth, this profound and life changing truth. This is the " something " that we have to tell the world. But we can only be authentic in our telling if we are first constantly repenting before Almighty God and in tears about our sinful state like that 'woman'.
Whilst walking this week after reading the story, it came home forcibly to me that we have attempted to be too sophisticated in our analysis of what has gone wrong with the world around us, when there is only one problem and one solution to that problem. The problem is lust - the desire to have something, anything right now, regardless of the consequences. I just must have it.
It is lust for money which is at the root of the Governor of Illinois' decision to sell Obama's Senate seat, and which has seriously distracted the President -elect and caused people to question his integrity, even before he has had a chance to take office. The same desire for oil security or even the removal of Saddam so inflammed the minds of George W. Bush and Co. Ltd. which provoked them to invade Iraq with now disastrous consequences. Look back on history and you will find the same story repeated time and time again. It was the unbridled lust for riches and power which caused the colonial powers to rape Africa and rationalise their action by relegating non whites to a subhuman category. The same thing happened in Nazi Germany,
Pol Pot ruled Cambodia, in Bosnia and in Rwanda. Closer home, the same madness caused politicians to give guns to their henchmen in a bid to secure power at all costs, and which seeds sown long ago, are now causing us the reap the whirlwind of gun violence, abductions, rapes and general mayhem in our country. The same virus of lust now affects our body politic, the police force, the business sector, the professionals, the media, the entertainment industry, and is at the root of the HIV epidemic, the breakdown in family life, teenage pregnancy - I just must have it now.
And God have mercy and forgive us, that philosophy has invaded the church for some time now. I just must have God's blessings now. Not in eternity. And this lust, and lack of patience made Cash Plus and Olint, two Ponsi schemes, appear to the unwise, as " blessings" from God, with consequences far exceeding the loss of money. And which " theology" has turned God into a " celestial bellhop" who pours out blessings to those who fast and pray long enough, and who have faith that can move mountains. In short a God made in our own image, and because of which the nation, which badly needs leadership from the authentic church, has suffered immensely.
The solution to the inherent lust in the hearts of all mankind is what Jesus shares with Simon.
The question which asks in essence; " Do you realize how much you have rebelled against the living God and deserve to die - for all men have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God?.
The question is who are we? Simon or the "sinful woman". The Simons of this world, both inside and outside the church have not fallen at the feet of Jesus, because they do not realize how much they are indebted to the God, the Creator of heaven and earth and all mankind, who came down as man in the form of Jesus. They are having a good time either ignoring Jesus or in
" perpetual praise" without time for repentance.
I was led to read another section of Scripture this week, and when the full impact hit me , I was moved to send out the following text message : " In him was life, and that life was the life of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it..... though the world was made through him the world did not recognize him" John 14-5& 10. What a tragedy?"
The problem Obama faces in the USA, and Prime Minster Golding here in Jamaica, is not only the crisis affecting the world economy, but the crisis affecting the entire world. That God, the Creator was , and still is , in the world, through the authentic church, rescuing mankind from its propensity to succumb to lusts of various kind - the kind which led a respected Wall Street Banker to bilk a significant number of " intelligent New Yorkers" of billions of USD - and the world has neither understood Him nor recognized Him. That's the crisis! That's the tragedy.
And as one Baptist preacher observed this morning, as we continue to celebrate Advent - the second coming of the Jesus - if we think we are in crisis now, all of that will be nothing compared to the crisis of the return of Christ as judge.
Maybe that sinful woman recognized something that we have missed, why she loved Jesus so much. Perhaps that story moved the same hymn writer to pen another verse of the story about the " Wonderful God"
Yet I may love the too, O Lord,
Almighty as thou art,
For thou hast stooped to ask of me
The love of my poor heart
No doubt that's why the Lord led me to read the following meditation along with the story.
AMAZING GRACE OSWALD CHAMBERS DECEMBER 12
" My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Mark 15: 34
IN WORD Are you aware that every crack of the whip on Jesus' back, every thorn piercing His scalp, every stroke of the hammer is what God thought about our sin? Have you considered that every time Jesus tried to breathe, cried out in thirst, tried to heave His body up against the pull of gravity, it was punishment deserved. Not by Him, of course. By us.
Does that sound harsh? Surely we aren't all that bad, are we? We' re human, of course and therefore imperfect; but do we really deserve such punishment?
According to the Bible, we do. And if we really think about it, as well intentioned as we assume we are, we can all recall times when we have shunned the personality of the Holy for something that utterly violated it. On purpose. What cosmic treachery! We're foolish to think that it was just an innocent mistake and that God will overlook it. Look at the Cross to see what God thought about it.
Jesus knew the answer to His question in vs 34, even as He asked it. He wasn't seeking the divine reason behind His suffering; He was pointing us to it. The quoted Psalm that begins with this cry of anguish ( Psalm 22) speaks of God's deliverance of all His people. That's the answer. He was forsaken so we wouldn't be.
IN DEED " God has made him who had no sin to be sin for us" ( 2 Corinthians 5:21). Whenever your faith grows apathetic, whenever your sense of His Grace grows dim, whenever your mercy towards others finds its limits, think of that. Contemplate the staggering absurdity of the infinitely Holy suffering the consequences for those who rejected His holiness. Let your cry become; " My god, my God, why haven't You forsaken me?" And be grateful. Let His grace amaze you and prompt your zealous passionate worship.
So who are you going to model? Who I am going to model ? Simon or the " sinful woman". Not only will our fate hang in the balance when Jesus comes again - not for another Christmas, but for judgement - depending on how we answer and live out that choice, but also those to whom God has sent us to spread the gospel. That's the sad reality and for which judgement too will meted out unto us.
Amen
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Christmas : All about Peace or does it herald conflict?
It was from a movie that I heard the Lord speak tonight. But it was a movie about God's Word. Moses. The message began a couple days ago, and continued yesterday. As far as I know. But no doubt it had been gathering steam for some days now. I had sent a text message to a friend, for whom I have a lot of respect, as she carries the burden of my country in her heart. I enquired about her health. The response was that she was well, but concerned about the state of the nation - as so many of us are. And then came a text reply which asked how was I doing? My reply was that, I too was concerned, but not hopeless, as Lazarus had been raised from the dead. She then wondered in the next text if we were going to wait for the death and resurrection of Jamaica. I laughed aloud to myself, as I had anticipated that kind of answer, with its implied "accusation", that we Christians - she is not an unbeliever, and like many Jamaicans aware of God's Word, but yet to submit to the Lordship of Christ - were willing to wait and not act until Jamaica, like Lazarus died.
My response was that Jamaica was already spiritually dead. I don't know how many of you watched the very riveting documentary on CNN produced by Christiane Amanpour entitled;" They cried bloody murder". Its a story about about Genocide; in Germany, Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur and Croatia and the attempts by individuals to warn the rest of the world about the impending disaster. In one section the " Good Samaritan" wondered, in horror, "how could they kill children", with such impunity. Well, we in Jamaica are asking the same question, and there is no Genocide here. Just people who are spiritually dead, carrying our their atrocities, in the midst of others whose souls are equally dead , but whose, equally morally despicable actions do not provoke the same kind of societal outrage. Then the text message conversation came to an end, as my friend asked a very profound question which, as I replied, could not be answered through that medium. "How do we resurrect spiritually without religious conflict"?
I had pondered an answer, especially since we have become such a religiously plural society. And then tonight I was led to watch Moses, and the clear answer, which I knew well already, was that it is not possible.
Resurrection of any individual or nation from spiritual death, from a broken relationship with God, ever since Adam and Eve, has been shown not to be possible without conflict. The conflict began in the Garden of Eden with God's promise that childbirth, the cultivation of the land and Satan's life would be full of conflict and pain. The end of the conflict began in another Garden -Gethsemane when a fateful decision was made. And climaxed on Calvary when that decision was played out in full view of both believers and non-believers. " Surely this man was truly the Son of God", cried the Roman soldier. And although the conflict between good and evil has ended and Christ has gained the Victory, on our behalf, over death and sin, we who believe, will have that conflict played out in our lives until our end comes on this earth.
Internal conflicts resulting from the decisions we make, how we see ourselves, and how others view us as a result of such a changed lifestyle. Conflicts even within our own household, between husband and wife, parents and children, and in-laws, as promised by God's Holy Word, once we have decided to follow Christ. So by extension, conflicts between friends and neighbours, within political parties, in professional groups as the ethics of the Christian faith clash with the ethics of philosophy, the market place and what William Barclay calls " Ethics in a permissive age", or situational ethics. For a really great critique of that kind of ethical practice and its practical implications, read Ian Boyne's article in the Daily Gleaner today www.go-jamaica.com
Therefore, for my nation to recover from the killing of babes and sucklings, from the abduction, raping and killing of our women, from the wanton slaughter of our young men, hard decisions , which will inevitably bring all kinds of conflicts, will have to made by believers and non-believers alike, about what kind of rock we stand on. What is the foundation of our hope, our decision making and our understanding of who or whose we are? What moral principles guide us, and from whence came those guideposts. This kind of deep thinking is required for us to have any hope of resurrection of our nation. An exercise which led ancient philosophers from Plato to Sartre in their search for meaning in the universe to conclude that : " a finite point has no meaning unless it has an infinite reference point".
Finally in this brief message are words from a song, on which, led by by our Rector, we meditated this morning at church, as he preached on this very same subject about the meaning of Advent - the season which immediately precedes the Christmas celebration. A season which heralds the second coming of Christ -a time of judgment and not the peace with which we associate the first coming. A time of conflict. And the question is therefore, ' On which Rock shall you stand when Christ comes again'? And that the decisions we make now have eternal consequences. I pray God that all of us, believers and non-believers alike will one day sing this song with conviction, as the story about Moses cannot be told with mention of Israel's " backsliding" in the desert. About them worshiping a Golden Calf when Moses took a long time to come back from his meeting with God on Mount Sinai. About their lack of faith even after God had rescued them with mighty miracles - the passage through the Red Sea was simply stunning tonight as I watched. I almost forgot that it was a movie. So too the Rector bemoaned our lack of faith. Our becoming familiar with Holy Things. Our overly dependence on the superficial and those things that do not last.
" All men are like grass and their glory like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of God stands forever" was ( a modern translation of ) part of the Scripture reading for today. But the song really captures the essence of his message as it does
for this Internet message.
In times like these, you need a Savior,
In times like these, you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock
In times like these, you need the Bible,
In times like these, O be not idle!
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.
In times like these, I have a Savior,
In times like these, I have an anchor,
I’m very sure, I’m very sure,My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.
CHORUS:This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One,
This Rock is Jesus, The only One!
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds,And grips the Solid Rock.
Once we decide that Christ is our Rock. There will be conflict. But to whom else shall we turn.
And who else had the words of eternal life. Let us be very sure. For as I write I am thinking
about a friend of my wife whose son was killed in a plane crash today. A event, whether heralded or unannounced, sooner or later we will all have to face.
My response was that Jamaica was already spiritually dead. I don't know how many of you watched the very riveting documentary on CNN produced by Christiane Amanpour entitled;" They cried bloody murder". Its a story about about Genocide; in Germany, Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur and Croatia and the attempts by individuals to warn the rest of the world about the impending disaster. In one section the " Good Samaritan" wondered, in horror, "how could they kill children", with such impunity. Well, we in Jamaica are asking the same question, and there is no Genocide here. Just people who are spiritually dead, carrying our their atrocities, in the midst of others whose souls are equally dead , but whose, equally morally despicable actions do not provoke the same kind of societal outrage. Then the text message conversation came to an end, as my friend asked a very profound question which, as I replied, could not be answered through that medium. "How do we resurrect spiritually without religious conflict"?
I had pondered an answer, especially since we have become such a religiously plural society. And then tonight I was led to watch Moses, and the clear answer, which I knew well already, was that it is not possible.
Resurrection of any individual or nation from spiritual death, from a broken relationship with God, ever since Adam and Eve, has been shown not to be possible without conflict. The conflict began in the Garden of Eden with God's promise that childbirth, the cultivation of the land and Satan's life would be full of conflict and pain. The end of the conflict began in another Garden -Gethsemane when a fateful decision was made. And climaxed on Calvary when that decision was played out in full view of both believers and non-believers. " Surely this man was truly the Son of God", cried the Roman soldier. And although the conflict between good and evil has ended and Christ has gained the Victory, on our behalf, over death and sin, we who believe, will have that conflict played out in our lives until our end comes on this earth.
Internal conflicts resulting from the decisions we make, how we see ourselves, and how others view us as a result of such a changed lifestyle. Conflicts even within our own household, between husband and wife, parents and children, and in-laws, as promised by God's Holy Word, once we have decided to follow Christ. So by extension, conflicts between friends and neighbours, within political parties, in professional groups as the ethics of the Christian faith clash with the ethics of philosophy, the market place and what William Barclay calls " Ethics in a permissive age", or situational ethics. For a really great critique of that kind of ethical practice and its practical implications, read Ian Boyne's article in the Daily Gleaner today www.go-jamaica.com
Therefore, for my nation to recover from the killing of babes and sucklings, from the abduction, raping and killing of our women, from the wanton slaughter of our young men, hard decisions , which will inevitably bring all kinds of conflicts, will have to made by believers and non-believers alike, about what kind of rock we stand on. What is the foundation of our hope, our decision making and our understanding of who or whose we are? What moral principles guide us, and from whence came those guideposts. This kind of deep thinking is required for us to have any hope of resurrection of our nation. An exercise which led ancient philosophers from Plato to Sartre in their search for meaning in the universe to conclude that : " a finite point has no meaning unless it has an infinite reference point".
Finally in this brief message are words from a song, on which, led by by our Rector, we meditated this morning at church, as he preached on this very same subject about the meaning of Advent - the season which immediately precedes the Christmas celebration. A season which heralds the second coming of Christ -a time of judgment and not the peace with which we associate the first coming. A time of conflict. And the question is therefore, ' On which Rock shall you stand when Christ comes again'? And that the decisions we make now have eternal consequences. I pray God that all of us, believers and non-believers alike will one day sing this song with conviction, as the story about Moses cannot be told with mention of Israel's " backsliding" in the desert. About them worshiping a Golden Calf when Moses took a long time to come back from his meeting with God on Mount Sinai. About their lack of faith even after God had rescued them with mighty miracles - the passage through the Red Sea was simply stunning tonight as I watched. I almost forgot that it was a movie. So too the Rector bemoaned our lack of faith. Our becoming familiar with Holy Things. Our overly dependence on the superficial and those things that do not last.
" All men are like grass and their glory like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of God stands forever" was ( a modern translation of ) part of the Scripture reading for today. But the song really captures the essence of his message as it does
for this Internet message.
In times like these, you need a Savior,
In times like these, you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock
In times like these, you need the Bible,
In times like these, O be not idle!
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.
In times like these, I have a Savior,
In times like these, I have an anchor,
I’m very sure, I’m very sure,My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.
CHORUS:This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One,
This Rock is Jesus, The only One!
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds,And grips the Solid Rock.
Once we decide that Christ is our Rock. There will be conflict. But to whom else shall we turn.
And who else had the words of eternal life. Let us be very sure. For as I write I am thinking
about a friend of my wife whose son was killed in a plane crash today. A event, whether heralded or unannounced, sooner or later we will all have to face.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Mumbai, Kingston, Washington DC: What a time we live in!
Once again, terrorists this week made the headlines , as the security forces in Mumbai, India, had to do battle with a "suicide attack" force. After the dust had settled, well over one hundred people lay dead, scores more were injured, and an entire world was once again traumatised by this latest orgy of violence. All of this brought into our homes, in living colour, and in real time, by CNN. What a world we live in! Recently, it might have been as close as last week, but I am not sure, we tend to lose track with so many murders, one man was killed. And soon thereafter, in an apparent reprisal attack, four lives were snuffed out. Including two teenagers. The police claim that a lot of this madness has to do with a " Lotto Scam", that earns billions of dollars from gullible foreigners. What a time we live in !
In a direct response to the horrific killings, especially in regard to our women and children, the Jamaican Parliament, in a " Conscience Vote" last week, opted, by a large majority, to retain the death penalty for those convicted of premeditated ( capital) murder. This so, despite the fact that the real problem is our inability to catch the criminals in the first place, let alone convict them. But most Jamaicans are in favor of retaining capital punishment so our legislators voted accordingly? In fact, I am reliably informed that a mob caught some " gunmen" last week in a rural area and took matters into their own hands. The end result? One had his throat cut. The other had his head bashed in. Both died instantly, and the community, by and large, with perhaps a few exceptions, were happy. What a country we live in ?
This is the world which President -elect, Barack Obama and his team, will contemplate, when he takes office on January 20, 2009. This is a country where, we in Jamaica, buffeted by the worse economic climate in many years, and under siege from gunmen, are looking for another "Obama", to steer us through troubled waters. But this is also the season of Advent, in our Anglican tradition it began today, when the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas day is heralded, and also we look forward to His Second coming. It cannot therefore be coincidence, that the Lord spoke through two of His servants to me, and to many others, yesterday and today, in a very special way. On the first occasion yesterday, when a good friend and church brother, Dr. Lascelles Newman was installed as the third President of the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology, a past President of Jamaica Youth for Christ, Gerry Gallimore, preached the sermon.
He took his cue from Esther, that much celebrated Old Testament Heroine, whose faith in God, and obedience to her " mentor" Mordecai, saved the Jews, in that region and in that time, from complete annihilation. Two of the more more famous words from that book include Mordecai's assertion that, " And who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this". Also her declaration, when she elected to go to the King without an invitation, in order to save her people, knowing full well that the penalty for such an action could result in death, but trusting in her God, said , " If I perish I perish". Esther 4: 12-16 NIV
Although Gerry Gallimore's sermon was directed as Dr. Newman in particular, we Christians, who celebrate the coming of our King Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit, share in this Divine Royalty, we too, like Queen Esther, are called to be in this royal position for a time such a this.
This assertion was the essence of what I heard yesterday and which knowledge has touched my heart, not for the first time, very powerfully. This call to action in a deeply divided world, in a country wracked by violence, despite our own trials and issues of personal safety, is what sets us apart from non-believers. We have been called by the same God, who " in the fullness of time", sent His Son Jesus, for " such a time as this" - not for all night partying, getting drunk and disorderly, sleeping with the boss and driving irresponsibly and increasing road fatalities.
The " time like this" is when the Bible said that we were " without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ". ( Ephesians 3: 12-13 NIV) And therefore we who have brought near by the Cross of Christ are here in the world and in Jamaica for a time such as this. A time when people are fast losing hope and wondering where to turn as " everywhere we turn macka juk we".
So the first responsibility as " Esther" people and more importantly, as " Easter" people, we who celebrate the birth, death and resurrection of Christ, is to understand our mission here " at a time such as this", in the world and in Jamaica. And God who is always ahead of his people led me this past week, to ponder deeply on the following meditation which speaks directly to our lack of focus and lack of understanding of why we are here. A meditation which non-believers could well find of benefit
A PERSONAL PRAYER FOR OBEDIENCE
JOHN BAILLIE
Verse Judges 2:17
Holy God to whose service I long ago dedicated my soul and life, I grieve and lament before thee that i am still so prone to sin and so little inclined to obedience:
So much attached to the pleasures of sense, so negligent of things spiritual:
So prompt to gratify my body, so slow to nourish my soul:
So greedy for present delight, so indifferent to lasting blessedness:
So fond of idleness, so indisposed for labour:
So soon at play, so late at prayer:
So brisk in the service of self, so slack in the service of others:
So eager to get, so reluctant to give:
So lofty in my profession, so low in my practice:
So full of good intentions, so backward to fulfill them:
So severe with my neighbours, so indulgent with myself:
So eager to find fault, so resentful in being found fault with:
So little able for great tasks, so discontented with small ones:
So weak in adversity, so swollen and self-satisfied with in prosperity:
So helpless apart from thee, and yet so little willing to be bound to thee.
O merciful heart of God, grant me yet again thy forgiveness. Hear my sorrowful tale and in thy great mercy blot it out from the book of thy remembrance. Give me faith so to lay hold of thine own holiness and so to rejoice in the righteousness of Christ my Savior that, resting on his merits rather than on my own, I may more and more become conformed to his likeness, my will becoming one with his in obedience to thine. All this I ask for his holy name's sake. Amen
The second responsibility as Esther people who live in time such as this, is to care deeply about our people - both inside and outside the church -, to confess our sins, and to live a holy and committed life. For as the Pastor for the Anglican church in Port Antonio - in the east of the island- Rev. Grace Jervis, declared in an equally powerful sermon this morning, and which John Baillie affirms, if we in the church, we who are called to a royal position, in such a time like this, are broken and hurting, sinful and disobedient, idle and late at prayer, how can we help those with no faith in God in and through Jesus Christ. Thus cut off from God and with no hope and in the very same position that we once held, until God sent His Son for such a time as that. How can we help if we do not care deeply as the prophet Isaiah cared as revealed in chapters 63 and 64. Our preacher took us through the reality of the chosen people of God and who are our forebears. People who knew of the goodness of God - just like us in Jamaica who have been blessed in so many ways. But a people who were always rebelling against God. And so God, in as sense, became their " enemy", and fought not for them , but against them. The question, is, with all the wickedness which abounds in our land, has God " turned against Jamaica? Or rather like the children of Israel, have they turned against themselves?
In response to this rebellion Isaiah called for " revenge.
" Oh , that you would rend the heavens, and come down...and cause the nations to quake before you". 64:1. Is the Jamaican parliament calling for revenge? But instead of " exacting revenge" God called His people to confession.
" All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags". 64:6.
Is there a need for us in the church to confess our sins rather than calling for revenge? Is there a need for our political leaders, present and past, our business leaders, those in the very vigilant press, those in the professions and indeed all who would " hang them high", to confess our sins which might have led this nation into a time such as this?
Finally our preacher pointed out, that Isaiah, who cared deeply for his people was led to recognize God as Father and as potter - our Creator and Sustainer.
" Yet, O Lord, you are our Father
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand".
So we who are in the church have been called specially for such a time like this. Not to run away to the safer havens in North America and Europe - unless God has specifically sent us there for a purpose. Not to despair like people who have no hope, and like those whose only understanding of Christmas, is the shopping after Thanksgiving and the celebration on the Day. Not to seek revenge , but to confess our sins, recognize our weaknesses, fast and pray. And go forward with the courage of Esther, and with the attitude that " if I perish I perish ", while trusting in God's ability to protect us, in our unyielding quest to rescue our country from gunmen, corrupt police, grinding poverty, injustice, immorality and cautious political leaders.
But first like Esther and Isaiah, we must care deeply about our people, and follow our Savior's example of loving those who hate us and persecute us, and not only those who love us in return for our love. It's a difficult, if not impossible task, but what with man is impossible, with God's Holy Spirit, all things are possible, even in such a time like this. Amen.
In a direct response to the horrific killings, especially in regard to our women and children, the Jamaican Parliament, in a " Conscience Vote" last week, opted, by a large majority, to retain the death penalty for those convicted of premeditated ( capital) murder. This so, despite the fact that the real problem is our inability to catch the criminals in the first place, let alone convict them. But most Jamaicans are in favor of retaining capital punishment so our legislators voted accordingly? In fact, I am reliably informed that a mob caught some " gunmen" last week in a rural area and took matters into their own hands. The end result? One had his throat cut. The other had his head bashed in. Both died instantly, and the community, by and large, with perhaps a few exceptions, were happy. What a country we live in ?
This is the world which President -elect, Barack Obama and his team, will contemplate, when he takes office on January 20, 2009. This is a country where, we in Jamaica, buffeted by the worse economic climate in many years, and under siege from gunmen, are looking for another "Obama", to steer us through troubled waters. But this is also the season of Advent, in our Anglican tradition it began today, when the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas day is heralded, and also we look forward to His Second coming. It cannot therefore be coincidence, that the Lord spoke through two of His servants to me, and to many others, yesterday and today, in a very special way. On the first occasion yesterday, when a good friend and church brother, Dr. Lascelles Newman was installed as the third President of the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology, a past President of Jamaica Youth for Christ, Gerry Gallimore, preached the sermon.
He took his cue from Esther, that much celebrated Old Testament Heroine, whose faith in God, and obedience to her " mentor" Mordecai, saved the Jews, in that region and in that time, from complete annihilation. Two of the more more famous words from that book include Mordecai's assertion that, " And who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this". Also her declaration, when she elected to go to the King without an invitation, in order to save her people, knowing full well that the penalty for such an action could result in death, but trusting in her God, said , " If I perish I perish". Esther 4: 12-16 NIV
Although Gerry Gallimore's sermon was directed as Dr. Newman in particular, we Christians, who celebrate the coming of our King Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit, share in this Divine Royalty, we too, like Queen Esther, are called to be in this royal position for a time such a this.
This assertion was the essence of what I heard yesterday and which knowledge has touched my heart, not for the first time, very powerfully. This call to action in a deeply divided world, in a country wracked by violence, despite our own trials and issues of personal safety, is what sets us apart from non-believers. We have been called by the same God, who " in the fullness of time", sent His Son Jesus, for " such a time as this" - not for all night partying, getting drunk and disorderly, sleeping with the boss and driving irresponsibly and increasing road fatalities.
The " time like this" is when the Bible said that we were " without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ". ( Ephesians 3: 12-13 NIV) And therefore we who have brought near by the Cross of Christ are here in the world and in Jamaica for a time such as this. A time when people are fast losing hope and wondering where to turn as " everywhere we turn macka juk we".
So the first responsibility as " Esther" people and more importantly, as " Easter" people, we who celebrate the birth, death and resurrection of Christ, is to understand our mission here " at a time such as this", in the world and in Jamaica. And God who is always ahead of his people led me this past week, to ponder deeply on the following meditation which speaks directly to our lack of focus and lack of understanding of why we are here. A meditation which non-believers could well find of benefit
A PERSONAL PRAYER FOR OBEDIENCE
JOHN BAILLIE
Verse Judges 2:17
Holy God to whose service I long ago dedicated my soul and life, I grieve and lament before thee that i am still so prone to sin and so little inclined to obedience:
So much attached to the pleasures of sense, so negligent of things spiritual:
So prompt to gratify my body, so slow to nourish my soul:
So greedy for present delight, so indifferent to lasting blessedness:
So fond of idleness, so indisposed for labour:
So soon at play, so late at prayer:
So brisk in the service of self, so slack in the service of others:
So eager to get, so reluctant to give:
So lofty in my profession, so low in my practice:
So full of good intentions, so backward to fulfill them:
So severe with my neighbours, so indulgent with myself:
So eager to find fault, so resentful in being found fault with:
So little able for great tasks, so discontented with small ones:
So weak in adversity, so swollen and self-satisfied with in prosperity:
So helpless apart from thee, and yet so little willing to be bound to thee.
O merciful heart of God, grant me yet again thy forgiveness. Hear my sorrowful tale and in thy great mercy blot it out from the book of thy remembrance. Give me faith so to lay hold of thine own holiness and so to rejoice in the righteousness of Christ my Savior that, resting on his merits rather than on my own, I may more and more become conformed to his likeness, my will becoming one with his in obedience to thine. All this I ask for his holy name's sake. Amen
The second responsibility as Esther people who live in time such as this, is to care deeply about our people - both inside and outside the church -, to confess our sins, and to live a holy and committed life. For as the Pastor for the Anglican church in Port Antonio - in the east of the island- Rev. Grace Jervis, declared in an equally powerful sermon this morning, and which John Baillie affirms, if we in the church, we who are called to a royal position, in such a time like this, are broken and hurting, sinful and disobedient, idle and late at prayer, how can we help those with no faith in God in and through Jesus Christ. Thus cut off from God and with no hope and in the very same position that we once held, until God sent His Son for such a time as that. How can we help if we do not care deeply as the prophet Isaiah cared as revealed in chapters 63 and 64. Our preacher took us through the reality of the chosen people of God and who are our forebears. People who knew of the goodness of God - just like us in Jamaica who have been blessed in so many ways. But a people who were always rebelling against God. And so God, in as sense, became their " enemy", and fought not for them , but against them. The question, is, with all the wickedness which abounds in our land, has God " turned against Jamaica? Or rather like the children of Israel, have they turned against themselves?
In response to this rebellion Isaiah called for " revenge.
" Oh , that you would rend the heavens, and come down...and cause the nations to quake before you". 64:1. Is the Jamaican parliament calling for revenge? But instead of " exacting revenge" God called His people to confession.
" All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags". 64:6.
Is there a need for us in the church to confess our sins rather than calling for revenge? Is there a need for our political leaders, present and past, our business leaders, those in the very vigilant press, those in the professions and indeed all who would " hang them high", to confess our sins which might have led this nation into a time such as this?
Finally our preacher pointed out, that Isaiah, who cared deeply for his people was led to recognize God as Father and as potter - our Creator and Sustainer.
" Yet, O Lord, you are our Father
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand".
So we who are in the church have been called specially for such a time like this. Not to run away to the safer havens in North America and Europe - unless God has specifically sent us there for a purpose. Not to despair like people who have no hope, and like those whose only understanding of Christmas, is the shopping after Thanksgiving and the celebration on the Day. Not to seek revenge , but to confess our sins, recognize our weaknesses, fast and pray. And go forward with the courage of Esther, and with the attitude that " if I perish I perish ", while trusting in God's ability to protect us, in our unyielding quest to rescue our country from gunmen, corrupt police, grinding poverty, injustice, immorality and cautious political leaders.
But first like Esther and Isaiah, we must care deeply about our people, and follow our Savior's example of loving those who hate us and persecute us, and not only those who love us in return for our love. It's a difficult, if not impossible task, but what with man is impossible, with God's Holy Spirit, all things are possible, even in such a time like this. Amen.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Best of Times: The worst of Times
A friend celebrated his 80th birthday last night and I had the privilege of bringing greetings from one group of his well wishers. I did not say it then, but thought after, that he was, and by extension we all are, living in what Charles Dickens famously described as, " The best of times and the worst of times".
Best because it is good to be alive to witness the first African American about the assume the Presidency of the most powerful nation on earth. Best, because advances in technology allow us to communicate with each other across the world with the "speed of light", thus making us truly, a global village But worst, because, certainly here in Jamaica, murder has reached frightening levels, thus throwing an entire nation into a state of panic. Worst, because the economic fallout of failed alternative schemes at home, the meltdown in the financial markets abroad, and what some in the media are describing as indecisive political leadership, have all combined to produce extreme hardship, the kind of which has not been seen in this country for decades. So despite some of the good things taking place around us, many are fast losing hope and wondering what to do.
And as I listened to the news report about the brutal killing of four people in the western section of the country, whilst traveling to work this week, I reflected on how much and how quickly our nation would change, if only more people were to turn to the Lord Jesus. How quickly things would turn around if many of those very same leaders in the media, and the political and business arena, who are lamenting the high crime rate and the cowardly focus on murdering women and children, oftentimes after sexually abusing them, would seek Christ. But then I realized that they are not willing to give up their pleasures and comforts and their own limited understanding of life, in order to save the nation. So as prophesied by Hosea;
" There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed......
my people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge.
Hosea 4:1-6 NIV
But there is yet another problem. We Christians, who are supposed to be the " light to the world". We who are supposed to represent ' The best of times" in and through Christ Jesus
have been guilty of contributing to "The worse of times". In two ways. The first one is a double edged sword. In the sense that some us , both the ordained and the lay members of the church, have not heeded the warnings from Ezekiel :
" You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered, they became food for all the wild animals". Ezekiel 34: 4-5. NIV
Now there is no question that everyone has to take responsibility for his or her actions. And therefore the church cannot be blamed this particular - there have been others - spirit of madness which has overtaken Jamaica, and indeed many other parts of the world. But the reality is, that it is precisely because of the inability of humankind to rid themselves of depraved and wicked behaviour and to stop rebelling against God, why the Sovereign ruler of this Earth, out of deep and tender love, sent His Only Son, to die on a Cross at Calvary. So that " bloodshed may not always follow bloodshed". It is therefore incumbent on us who follow Christ, who are His disciples, out of love for the our brothers and sisters, wherever they are , and whatever they have done as , " all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God", to seek the salvation for their souls. But no, far too often, together with those who do not know better, we have been more than willing accomplices in passing judgement on the stray, the lost, the sick, the weak and the injured. And not just those who suffer from physical ailments , but equally importantly, those who are afflicted spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically - there is difference between the two.
Think about it , do our hearts really reach out to the prostitute, the thief, the rapist, the murderer, the child abuser, the homosexual, those with course manners, the unkempt, the mischief maker, the wife beater, the foul mouthed, the annoying and even violent street boys. The Rastafarian, the Jehovah's witnesses, the Muslims, the Mormons. The fallen politician or tele-evangelist, the disgraced lawyer, the unethical doctor, the embarrassed teacher. Those who have stopped going to church and have become the worse critics. The unapologetic atheist, the rich and famous who feel that they have no need for religion. The young and impressionable who are falling prey to pornography, the don, violent lyrics and the "bling bling " culture. Do we really love them, who like us, have been made in the image of God, despite their wayward behaviour. Or have we forgotten the words of St. Paul:
" Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters not adulterers, not male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Cor. 6.9-11. NIV
So some of us were murderers....but were washed and sanctified and will see God's face.
So why are we in a hurry to hang them. Some were homosexual offenders ....but were washed and sanctified and rescued from their vile acts. So why are we, even figuratively, " stoning them"? One of the most powerful lines ever written comes from a well known hymn:
Amazing love, how can it be that God my God shouldst die for me. And this is it.
" 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.
We may very well fail to convince men and women, girls and boys - Adam's helpless race - that it is never too late nor too early to submit their lives to the One who died for them. As ultimately, it is only the Holy Spirit who can convict anyone of Sin. But we must try. But we will only try if we truly love those who persecute us and do not share our faith. We must share the live changing, the game changing, the nation changing gospel, by word an by deed, with all who come into our lives. For as people who have been rescued, washed and sanctified, ultimately, we have no greater purpose on earth but to share the gospel. But is this the reality. No, and that's why it is the worst of times in the nation. People who called themselves Christians but are not prepared to act like Christ, but like Caesar or like Pontius Pilate and wash our hands of our brothers sins. O Lord have mercy on us.
The other part of the two edged sword is :
" Is it not enough for you to feed on good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water. Must you also muddy the rest with your feet. Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet....... See I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken".
Ezek 34 :17-24 NIV
Clearly there are many ways to interpret that piece of Scripture, but what is on my heart is the way many churches set up roadblocks to prevent people from placing their focus on Christ and Christ alone for their salvation ...muddying the waters. Telling young girls, in particular, that they cannot wear make up to church or jewellery or that " red dress". " Not in my church "!. Really now, what does that have to do with accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour. Or in the case of my Anglican church, how many times have heard that "the Cannons do not permit that action". Now, there no gainsaying the need for rules and regulations and discipline in the life of a Christian, but equally so there no need to go overboard and " drive away the weak sheep".
Telling divorced women, even for unfaithfulness, that they cannot get married again - ruling them harshly and brutally. Demanding that those who fall away - chiefly on account of sexual sins - that they must " sit on the back bench", be "read out" of church, and be required to get
" baptized again". Or even worse, telling people that if they " don't get in the Spirit", then they are not really "Holy Ghost filled". Do we have any idea how many lives have been ruined, and the weak led further into a sinful life on account of this " muddying of the stream". No wonder then, that " bloodshed follows bloodshed in my country.
Finally the issue of sound doctrine. What do we understand? What do we believe? This week, once again, the Lord led me to reflect very deeply on the 6th chapter of 2 Corinthians. I do not claim to understand it fully. But what I do know, is that if we did, then the power which is available through the Holy Spirit, would be much more active in our lives, and bloodshed would not be following bloodshed, almost inevitably in the nation - for a lack of knowledge. For our hope is rooted in our dying so that the life if Christ may be manifest in and through us.
" Since therefore by God's mercy we have this ministry ( the ministry of mankind's reconciliation with God through Christ as stated in Chap 5-6) we do not lose hope.....For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, " Let light shine out of darkness", made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
But we have this treasures in jars of clay to show that this all-surrounding power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed, but in despair; persecuted , but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Christ may be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus', so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you".
I must tell you that I have found this passage extremely challenging. But also the basis for my hope as Christian in this troubled world. This is indeed the radical Christianity which St. Paul practiced and which we have diluted and shied away from. It demands too much. And hence the weak nature of the church in the 21st century. But let us recall that we are called o follow a suffering Christ - not a triumphalist Christ. Not a " gentle Jesus meek and mild". Not a Jesus who came only to bring " Joy to the world", and " Peace to all mankind " as we will soon sing at Christmas, in a very limited understanding of that Joy and Peace. But appreciating that Someone died for that Peace and Joy. And therefore, if we are faithful, so must we too.
Otherwise bloodshed will always follow bloodshed and at the judgement what will we say to the Lord? Or more importantly what will the Lord say , " Come or Depart".
Amen.
Best because it is good to be alive to witness the first African American about the assume the Presidency of the most powerful nation on earth. Best, because advances in technology allow us to communicate with each other across the world with the "speed of light", thus making us truly, a global village But worst, because, certainly here in Jamaica, murder has reached frightening levels, thus throwing an entire nation into a state of panic. Worst, because the economic fallout of failed alternative schemes at home, the meltdown in the financial markets abroad, and what some in the media are describing as indecisive political leadership, have all combined to produce extreme hardship, the kind of which has not been seen in this country for decades. So despite some of the good things taking place around us, many are fast losing hope and wondering what to do.
And as I listened to the news report about the brutal killing of four people in the western section of the country, whilst traveling to work this week, I reflected on how much and how quickly our nation would change, if only more people were to turn to the Lord Jesus. How quickly things would turn around if many of those very same leaders in the media, and the political and business arena, who are lamenting the high crime rate and the cowardly focus on murdering women and children, oftentimes after sexually abusing them, would seek Christ. But then I realized that they are not willing to give up their pleasures and comforts and their own limited understanding of life, in order to save the nation. So as prophesied by Hosea;
" There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed......
my people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge.
Hosea 4:1-6 NIV
But there is yet another problem. We Christians, who are supposed to be the " light to the world". We who are supposed to represent ' The best of times" in and through Christ Jesus
have been guilty of contributing to "The worse of times". In two ways. The first one is a double edged sword. In the sense that some us , both the ordained and the lay members of the church, have not heeded the warnings from Ezekiel :
" You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered, they became food for all the wild animals". Ezekiel 34: 4-5. NIV
Now there is no question that everyone has to take responsibility for his or her actions. And therefore the church cannot be blamed this particular - there have been others - spirit of madness which has overtaken Jamaica, and indeed many other parts of the world. But the reality is, that it is precisely because of the inability of humankind to rid themselves of depraved and wicked behaviour and to stop rebelling against God, why the Sovereign ruler of this Earth, out of deep and tender love, sent His Only Son, to die on a Cross at Calvary. So that " bloodshed may not always follow bloodshed". It is therefore incumbent on us who follow Christ, who are His disciples, out of love for the our brothers and sisters, wherever they are , and whatever they have done as , " all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God", to seek the salvation for their souls. But no, far too often, together with those who do not know better, we have been more than willing accomplices in passing judgement on the stray, the lost, the sick, the weak and the injured. And not just those who suffer from physical ailments , but equally importantly, those who are afflicted spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically - there is difference between the two.
Think about it , do our hearts really reach out to the prostitute, the thief, the rapist, the murderer, the child abuser, the homosexual, those with course manners, the unkempt, the mischief maker, the wife beater, the foul mouthed, the annoying and even violent street boys. The Rastafarian, the Jehovah's witnesses, the Muslims, the Mormons. The fallen politician or tele-evangelist, the disgraced lawyer, the unethical doctor, the embarrassed teacher. Those who have stopped going to church and have become the worse critics. The unapologetic atheist, the rich and famous who feel that they have no need for religion. The young and impressionable who are falling prey to pornography, the don, violent lyrics and the "bling bling " culture. Do we really love them, who like us, have been made in the image of God, despite their wayward behaviour. Or have we forgotten the words of St. Paul:
" Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters not adulterers, not male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Cor. 6.9-11. NIV
So some of us were murderers....but were washed and sanctified and will see God's face.
So why are we in a hurry to hang them. Some were homosexual offenders ....but were washed and sanctified and rescued from their vile acts. So why are we, even figuratively, " stoning them"? One of the most powerful lines ever written comes from a well known hymn:
Amazing love, how can it be that God my God shouldst die for me. And this is it.
" 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.
We may very well fail to convince men and women, girls and boys - Adam's helpless race - that it is never too late nor too early to submit their lives to the One who died for them. As ultimately, it is only the Holy Spirit who can convict anyone of Sin. But we must try. But we will only try if we truly love those who persecute us and do not share our faith. We must share the live changing, the game changing, the nation changing gospel, by word an by deed, with all who come into our lives. For as people who have been rescued, washed and sanctified, ultimately, we have no greater purpose on earth but to share the gospel. But is this the reality. No, and that's why it is the worst of times in the nation. People who called themselves Christians but are not prepared to act like Christ, but like Caesar or like Pontius Pilate and wash our hands of our brothers sins. O Lord have mercy on us.
The other part of the two edged sword is :
" Is it not enough for you to feed on good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water. Must you also muddy the rest with your feet. Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet....... See I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken".
Ezek 34 :17-24 NIV
Clearly there are many ways to interpret that piece of Scripture, but what is on my heart is the way many churches set up roadblocks to prevent people from placing their focus on Christ and Christ alone for their salvation ...muddying the waters. Telling young girls, in particular, that they cannot wear make up to church or jewellery or that " red dress". " Not in my church "!. Really now, what does that have to do with accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour. Or in the case of my Anglican church, how many times have heard that "the Cannons do not permit that action". Now, there no gainsaying the need for rules and regulations and discipline in the life of a Christian, but equally so there no need to go overboard and " drive away the weak sheep".
Telling divorced women, even for unfaithfulness, that they cannot get married again - ruling them harshly and brutally. Demanding that those who fall away - chiefly on account of sexual sins - that they must " sit on the back bench", be "read out" of church, and be required to get
" baptized again". Or even worse, telling people that if they " don't get in the Spirit", then they are not really "Holy Ghost filled". Do we have any idea how many lives have been ruined, and the weak led further into a sinful life on account of this " muddying of the stream". No wonder then, that " bloodshed follows bloodshed in my country.
Finally the issue of sound doctrine. What do we understand? What do we believe? This week, once again, the Lord led me to reflect very deeply on the 6th chapter of 2 Corinthians. I do not claim to understand it fully. But what I do know, is that if we did, then the power which is available through the Holy Spirit, would be much more active in our lives, and bloodshed would not be following bloodshed, almost inevitably in the nation - for a lack of knowledge. For our hope is rooted in our dying so that the life if Christ may be manifest in and through us.
" Since therefore by God's mercy we have this ministry ( the ministry of mankind's reconciliation with God through Christ as stated in Chap 5-6) we do not lose hope.....For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, " Let light shine out of darkness", made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
But we have this treasures in jars of clay to show that this all-surrounding power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed, but in despair; persecuted , but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Christ may be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus', so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you".
I must tell you that I have found this passage extremely challenging. But also the basis for my hope as Christian in this troubled world. This is indeed the radical Christianity which St. Paul practiced and which we have diluted and shied away from. It demands too much. And hence the weak nature of the church in the 21st century. But let us recall that we are called o follow a suffering Christ - not a triumphalist Christ. Not a " gentle Jesus meek and mild". Not a Jesus who came only to bring " Joy to the world", and " Peace to all mankind " as we will soon sing at Christmas, in a very limited understanding of that Joy and Peace. But appreciating that Someone died for that Peace and Joy. And therefore, if we are faithful, so must we too.
Otherwise bloodshed will always follow bloodshed and at the judgement what will we say to the Lord? Or more importantly what will the Lord say , " Come or Depart".
Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)