"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Tim 3.16, ESV)
Many people look at Scripture in a manner akin to any other historical texts - as documents written by men of old, in days unlike ours, and therefore of interest possibly but certainly not relevant. Unfortunately, that's because they don't see the real authorship behind it.
A decision made last week by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has only proven similar: they voted to allow practising gays as clergy, a case that sparked the same worldwide debate as occurred last year when the Anglican Church faced similar issues. One advocate said, "We live today with an understanding of homosexuality that did not exist in Jesus' time and culture. We are responding to something that the writers of Scripture could not have understood." Except the Corinths of 2000 years ago were exactly the same as the Brightons, Amsterdams, Seattles, etc of today, of course. The writers may not have understood how modern culture will look and act today necessarily, but the Author of Scripture most certainly would. Nothing takes God by surprise.
The Bible is more than a book, more than a guide, more than just a manual; it is God's revelation to us of Himself, it is prophetic, it is inspired through man (as opposed to the common assumption that it was written simply by man), it is His living Word... it is literally "breathed out by God".
The Bible is 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents - way too many factors to allow for conspiracy or coincidence! And yet this collection of books shares the wonderful common storyline: of a glorious plan to create and rescue a people made to glorify and enjoy God forever. That has never changed. "Times they are a changin" as someone once said, but Jesus Himself affirms, "Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10.35).
In which case, ask the following when talking to others about the Bible: Do we understand the Bible in the light of our own lives and surrounding culture? Or do we understand our lives and surrounding culture in the light of the Bible?
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Saturday, September 5, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Beacon Touchpaper #13: "A Wise Man Once Said..."
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction..." (Prov 1.7, ESV)
If, like me, you've been taking a certain brother's "handy household hint" to heart and been reading through the book of Proverbs on a daily basis, then I'm certain God has already been speaking to you. You'll know that these are not just maxims, or axioms, or any other little words ending in 'm', but divinely-inspired Truths that are just as applicable in the age of mobile phones and imperialism in a cup (aka Starbucks franchises) as they were when they became the collection as we know it over 2500 years ago.
King Solomon and the other writers of this book (he wrote the verse quoted above) knew the essence of real wisdom: it was not found in astrology, or mathematics, or philosophy, but founded upon the fear of the Lord (see also Psalm 111.10). If you really want to know true wisdom, then fearing ("revering/respecting/honouring") the Lord will bring humility, worship, identity, morality, and so on. If our lives truly revolve around Him, then as we learn more and more about Him, about ourselves, and about the world we live in ("knowledge"), we learn how to apply that in such a way that it is honouring to Him and best for us ("wisdom").
For a season, as appropriate, keep reading through this wonderful book each day - not instead of your quiet times, but as well as; we're talking just a few extra minutes - and learn some of these great truths off by heart too. Try these for starters:
10.9: "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out."
19.17: "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed."
23.17: "Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day."
30.5: "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."
Let these Truths seep deep into your hearts, and as we abide in His word, and as His word abides in us, may He bring forth amazing fruit in our lives and in those around us. For His glory!
Read more!
If, like me, you've been taking a certain brother's "handy household hint" to heart and been reading through the book of Proverbs on a daily basis, then I'm certain God has already been speaking to you. You'll know that these are not just maxims, or axioms, or any other little words ending in 'm', but divinely-inspired Truths that are just as applicable in the age of mobile phones and imperialism in a cup (aka Starbucks franchises) as they were when they became the collection as we know it over 2500 years ago.
King Solomon and the other writers of this book (he wrote the verse quoted above) knew the essence of real wisdom: it was not found in astrology, or mathematics, or philosophy, but founded upon the fear of the Lord (see also Psalm 111.10). If you really want to know true wisdom, then fearing ("revering/respecting/honouring") the Lord will bring humility, worship, identity, morality, and so on. If our lives truly revolve around Him, then as we learn more and more about Him, about ourselves, and about the world we live in ("knowledge"), we learn how to apply that in such a way that it is honouring to Him and best for us ("wisdom").
For a season, as appropriate, keep reading through this wonderful book each day - not instead of your quiet times, but as well as; we're talking just a few extra minutes - and learn some of these great truths off by heart too. Try these for starters:
10.9: "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out."
19.17: "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed."
23.17: "Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day."
30.5: "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."
Let these Truths seep deep into your hearts, and as we abide in His word, and as His word abides in us, may He bring forth amazing fruit in our lives and in those around us. For His glory!
Read more!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
"God's Fruity People" - notes for sermon 19/07/09
(hear the sermon here)
On the fourth section of our purpose statement: “Living life Jesus’ way, by His Spirit, on His mission, for His glory”.
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On the fourth section of our purpose statement: “Living life Jesus’ way, by His Spirit, on His mission, for His glory”.
How do we glorify Him?
God frequently uses a picture of His people as a vine, and Jesus continues to use the image during His time here on Earth; during His final evening, just prior to His arrest, He spoke to His disciples in such a way that He is preparing them for a new age in the Kingdom... they were the foundation for a spiritual community that covered the globe.
John 15.1-17
This is both a sobering and exciting passage, depending on where we stand right now, but it's something we must take seriously: unfolding the Word of God should always be allowed to impact our lives, or there's no point at all...
So... The 1st question is: Are we living for Christ? Or are we not? Hot or cold, the choice is ours, but we cannot be lukewarm; Jesus does not give us that option: He said to the church in Laodicea (Rev 3.14-22) - "Because you are lukewarm... I will spit you out of my mouth"!
It's all or nothing, hot or cold. Take your pick. Let’s remember this while we continue...
1. "Abide in me"
How do we do that?
Firstly, this is about relationship! This is not a credit system! Nothing we say or do will change how much God loves us as His children! This is all about a relationship with our loving Father!
2. Bearing fruit
How do we glorify God? v8: by bearing fruit, and see also see v16 - we have been chosen/appointed for it!
Something I should point out: whether we bear fruit or not affects not just ourselves, but others too... we don’t sin in a vacuum, sin has consequences, and our fruit-bearing is the same. For example:
2 things ensure a greater crop:
A change of heart, if genuine, will produce a crop. If we really want to glorify God - because of Who He is, because He loved us first - then we do that by bearing fruit FOR Him by abiding IN Him (v8)
Elements do conspire to limit our effectiveness for the Gospel:
CELL QUESTIONS:
John 15.1-17
This is both a sobering and exciting passage, depending on where we stand right now, but it's something we must take seriously: unfolding the Word of God should always be allowed to impact our lives, or there's no point at all...
So... The 1st question is: Are we living for Christ? Or are we not? Hot or cold, the choice is ours, but we cannot be lukewarm; Jesus does not give us that option: He said to the church in Laodicea (Rev 3.14-22) - "Because you are lukewarm... I will spit you out of my mouth"!
It's all or nothing, hot or cold. Take your pick. Let’s remember this while we continue...
1. "Abide in me"
How do we do that?
Firstly, this is about relationship! This is not a credit system! Nothing we say or do will change how much God loves us as His children! This is all about a relationship with our loving Father!
A branch on its own cannot produce life; it needs to draw that life from the vine... As His children, we should show our love for Him by allowing His Holy Spirit to work through us to bear fruit. He's like the SAP: Father = Vinedresser/Gardener; Son = Vine (although we should never stretch that analogy too far: the Holy Spirit is a person - the third person of the eternal Godhead - and not some Star Wars-like "force". But as we are Christ here on Earth - His body - so His Holy Spirit dwells in us and works through us... Okay?)
>Thus... "Abide" = keeping in fellowship with Christ, so His life works through us to produce... fruit! This is a continual, daily, personal relationship with our Saviour. But how do we cultivate that/abide?
- Spending time in the Word
- v7 ="If you abide in me, and MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU" & also v10: "If you keep my commandments, you WILL ABIDE IN MY LOVE"
- with the Holy Spirit/ prayer
- trust
- confession of sin (so no hindrance)
- obedience
Abiding is not automatic ("abide in me" is a command/request, not an assumption): it demands worship, meditating on the Word, prayer, sacrifice, service - and all breathes new life in us!
2. Bearing fruit
How do we glorify God? v8: by bearing fruit, and see also see v16 - we have been chosen/appointed for it!
Something I should point out: whether we bear fruit or not affects not just ourselves, but others too... we don’t sin in a vacuum, sin has consequences, and our fruit-bearing is the same. For example:
- A prepared preacher is far more important than a prepared sermon: affects delivery, preparation...
- Where I am... affects how I lead my marriage, family
- Elder = affects the church
- Cell leader = affects the cell; leading W’s too
- No one gets off lightly: we all lose out if you're not fulfilling your potential for Christ!
- It affects the Gospel too... how we live our lives at home, in the workplace, where we play... we can miss opportunities if we're "DRIED UP/ NOT FIRED UP"...
Jesus says that (v2) "every branch that DOES bear fruit will be pruned, in order that it may bear MORE fruit." PRUNING IS GOOD FOR US... Pruning is not nice, but is necessary! If you’re a gardener, you’ll know that!
2 things ensure a greater crop:
1. The removal of dead branches (v6):
- removing the dead tissue that brings disease and weakness
- there are 2 schools of thought about whom Jesus is speaking of here, both of which we can learn from regardless:
b. (more likely) believers (v2: “every branch of MINE that does not bear fruit he takes away”) who are failing to abide and therefore fail to produce fruit, or worse: remember 1 Cor 5! Don't end up in that position! Get right with God, quickly!
3. The Crop
What does this fruit look like?
- (He is not saying that you can lose your salvation! YOU CAN’T! - Jesus has already made that clear in 6.37 “whoever comes to me I will NEVER cast out” and 10.27-30 “no one will snatch them out of my hand”) – Jesus would not contradict himself...
- Either way - unbelievers or disciplining believers failing to produce fruit – the message is the same: Get right with God, do it quick!
- Left to its own devices, a branch would/could still bear fruit, but it'll be inferior (eg wild)
- The removal of an entire shoot or limb revitalizes a plant by removing weak, problematic, or excessive growths... so energy goes into further fruit and isn't wasted
- = trimming the living tissue (anything that is – not necessarily wrong - robbing us of spiritual vigour which should be focussed elsewhere)...
- Expert Vine-dressing is a very specific art and can take yrs of training: God is the ultimate/knows best!!!
- "PRUNING IS GOOD FOR ME"!!!
- Conviction – the NewFrontiers leaders hearing from God to end our Stoneleigh Bible weeks: the subsequent fruit in our communities and around the world had been far greater than of we'd continued...
- chastening/discipline
- restriction/circumstances changing or not changing
We are chosen and appointed... to bear fruit... for His glory
What does this fruit look like?
- Remember: FRUIT IS FOR OTHERS: Fruit is for eating & reproducing! It's not just about us. Remember my point earlier: the spiritual condition of preacher/ elder/ husband/ member...
- Doesn't occur overnight: takes cultivation
- Character: The fruit of the spirit (Gal 5.22-23) = Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control...
- Winning others for Christ: Rom 1.13: “I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles”
- Growth in holiness & obedience: Rom 6.22: “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life”
- Giving /generosity: Rom 15.28: “When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them (ie Jerusalem church) what has been collected (Greek="sealed to them this fruit") (from Macedonian and Achaian churches), I will leave for Spain by way of you”
- Service: Col 1.10: “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”
- Praise: We are meant to use fruity language! Heb 13.15: “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name”
A change of heart, if genuine, will produce a crop. If we really want to glorify God - because of Who He is, because He loved us first - then we do that by bearing fruit FOR Him by abiding IN Him (v8)
Elements do conspire to limit our effectiveness for the Gospel:
- Sin: confess/deal with it! Keep a short account with Him
- Temptation - know your weaknesses and seek ways to protect yourself: accountability, avoidance of certain times/ circumstances/ people/ places...
- Deut 30.19 = "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life"
- Rev 3.19: Jesus said to the Laodicean church after His stark warning: "Be zealous and repent..."
- The choice is before you: life or death?
- Do you want the smell of death lingering around you? No fruit-bearing? It's all too easy to be a “Professional Christian”, wearing a mask... How awful a thing for God’s own people – bought by Christ’s blood – to be dead wood... Some people look and act like Christians but aren't truly saved; it is also possible for God's own people to squander their inheritance and fail to abide in Him...
- Or would you rather the “Aroma of Christ” around you: a life lived abundantly, His way, seeing His transforming wonders first-hand in your life and in those around you as a result
- Ask yourself the question “AM I GROWING?” Compared to 3 months ago, 6 months, 1 year, 5 years ago... "Am I growing?"
Bring glory to Him by abiding IN Him, in order to bear fruit FOR Him.
THAT'S how we glorify our King.
CELL QUESTIONS:
- Share examples of pruning in your lives (circumstances/conviction, etc) and how you’ve grown/learnt as a result...
- How can we as God’s people avoid being “lukewarm” in our current post-modern, post-Christian culture? What are the pitfalls to keep a lookout for?
- Take another look at the listed fruit of the Spirit that Paul gives us in Gal 5.22-23: any of those you'd particularly like to see more of in your life right now? Pray for each other...
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Sunday, July 5, 2009
Beacon Touchpaper #12: "Daily Doings"
"But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’" (Acts 2.16-21, ESV)
How many times do we refer to the Holy Spirit in prayer and when we meet? Honestly? And how many times do we refer Him as "it"? And why do we still have a common tendency to really only expect signs and wonders in our meetings and not outside?
This past weekend, those of us who made it to "Church on the Farm" were blessed by God's presence in a big way. He touched hearts, changed lives, healed bodies. His Spirit was welcomed as a person - as He should be - and He came in power. He ministered to us through the preaching of the Word, through fellowship and private moments of sharing and counsel, and through signs and wonders. Yes, a lot of that was through the meetings, but admittedly there were 5 of those in 2-and-a-bit days, and that was kind of the intention of an otherwise unusual weekend compared to our usual. But you know what? God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are not constrained to our meetings or to our quiet times. The sun and moon "turning" that Peter and Joel spoke of may not be fulfilled yet, but everything else in that passage refers to the Christian life from that moment nearly 2000 years ago, via now and into the future.
Prophecy, healing, visions, words of knowledge, any demonstration of the supernatural breaking into the natural is meant to be everyday life for you and me.
We are not all called to be prophets, but we are all called to live and walk by the Spirit. The same Spirit that helped create the sun and the oceans, that worked in power through Christ's ministry on earth and raised His lifeless body from the dead, is the same Spirit alive in you and me. When Peter recited the above Scripture from the prophet Joel, he was demonstrating that what the people were witnessing at that moment - the supernatural breaking into the natural - was an expected result of Christ's work in and through His people.
With "Healing on the Streets" commencing in Whitstable this month, and our own opportunities through Re:Act in a few weeks, let us expect what has tended to be the unexpected. Don't despise or grieve the Holy Spirit; spend time with Him and in the Word. Signs and wonders will follow when we allow the Spirit to guide us in our daily doings. It's already expected!
(for a full review of the "Church on the Farm" weekend, including some testimony, check out http://every-days-an-adventure.blogspot.com/2009/06/carry-on-camping.html )
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Saturday, June 27, 2009
"Building the church, reflecting the Kingdom" - notes for sermon 14/06/09
Continuing our series preaching through our purpose statement - "Living life Jesus' way, by His Spirit, on His mission, for His glory" - we are now studying the section on mission. What does it mean to be on a mission? What is our mission?
Jim shared 2 weeks ago about God’s promise to (and through) Abram that all the world would be blessed through him and his offspring (and subsequently of course, SPIRITUAL offspring), and then Ben shared last week that our Great Commission from Jesus is to GO into all the world and make disciples of all nations... The blessing through Abraham is not shared by osmosis! We have a job to do!
But did God’s plan finish at “Right, off you go and tell the world about me...”? No! His plan continues into providing the perfect environment for nurturing, teaching, disciplining, mobilising, resourcing us to fulfil His purpose TOGETHER. A place where His Kingdom is perfectly reflected: His church.
I wonder what the disciples initially thought when he gave them that Commission? But also, I wonder what they thought when Jesus made His first official announcement about the church: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it...” (Matt 16.18)
The understanding of what Christ’s church should look like, should act like, has been something that has been argued and debated over pretty much ever since that moment unfortunately – just take a look at all the variations of “church” around us, some Biblically legitimate, others not: there’s Protestant/ Roman Catholic, high church/ low church, Jehovah’s Witnesses/ Mormons, Greek Orthodox/ Lutheran, “Emerging” Church/ “Emergent” Church...
Let's a closer look at what God truly intends: at how the church’s primary design fulfils its purpose, that of worship, and its subsequent mission:
Read Ephesians 2.11-22
1.The Raw Materials
Look at those first few verses of this passage and see how Paul describes where we once were: “Gentiles in the flesh”, “separated from Christ”, “alienated”, “strangers”, “having no hope”, “without God”. In fact, earlier in chapter 2, Paul had described us as “by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind”: without a saving faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, we are all subject to God’s condemnation as sinners. Every single one of us is guilty of “original sin” – God designed that Adam should represent the entire human race and so through his choice to rebel, all of mankind is condemned; our relationship with him is broken; this original sin is perfectly evident from a very young age – and all our own individual acts simply add to the case against us. Our selfishness, our own desires to put ourselves before God, to elevate ourselves or others or objects or lusts to the status of God, warrants just punishment from the High King.But now we are “brought near by the blood of Christ” (v13)!! Hallelujah! He has “reconciled us to God in one body through the cross”! That condemnation that we deserve as sinful creatures from a perfect, holy, just God has been crushed and killed by His amazing grace and love in Jesus Christ, the One Who paid our penalty. God has taken raw materials – you and me and our brothers and sisters across the world – and is crafting them into His radiant church. It doesn’t always look like it, but have a guess at whose fault that is...?
Take the man Peter as an example: it was he whom Jesus was addressing when he said in Matthew 16.18: “...You are Peter (which means “stone”), and on this rock I will build my church”. This is a hotly debated verse, and Roman Catholics have taken it to mean that Peter was the first Pope – I won’t even go there other than pointing out that Peter had no more authority than any of the other Apostles, plus that Peter himself teaches on the priesthood of all believers later in the NT; Jesus was not talking about an office, or an infallibility in this flawed man’s own words. This “ROCK” that Jesus mentions is Peter’s confession only seconds before – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” – and his central role is establishing the early church. That’s it... But this man Peter is the very same one who only just a short while after this earth-shattering revelation actually rebuked Jesus for speaking of His need to suffer in the near-future and was lambasted in turn for allowing Satan to work through him. Peter had entertained the devil’s attempts to hinder Christ’s mission, and was so human-centred in his understanding of Jesus that he failed to see the truth for himself.
This same man denied his relationship with Jesus during the Saviour’s arrest and trial. THREE TIMES he was given the chance to stand beside his master. Three times he failed.
This same man caused no end of problems, as told in Galatians 2, which Paul had to confront and deal with; Peter began separating himself and eating only with Jews, who still believed it was important to follow kosher dietary laws and actually making the Gentiles feel like second-class Christians. This was wholly against Christ’s intention for a church where everyone was the same, there was no longer Jew or Gentile...
But do you know what? THANK GOD JESUS STILL CHOSE THIS MAN, DESPITE KNOWING WHAT HE WAS LIKE AND CAPABLE OF AND WOULD DO. It proves the point: “I will build my church...” Not Peter, not Paul, not you, not me. Jesus will, using raw materials like us and Peter so that He, Jesus, gets all the glory when, strangely enough, it works beautifully.We all have a part to play – we’ll look at that shortly – but this is Jesus’s church. Hallelujah!
2.The Building Plans
But what is the purpose of the church? What are we here for?
It has often been said that in saving the nations, the church is God’s plan “A”, and that there is no plan “B”. Very often, people look away from the church and look elsewhere for answers to the world’s problems – and there are some very good instances of great things being done outside of the church for the world’s poor and oppressed – but Christ’s church should be leading the way. Plus, of course, those non-church organisations don’t change the destiny of people’s souls...
In this passage, Paul tells us that we – once those very raw materials – are now “members of the household of God” (v19), “a holy temple in the Lord” (v21), “a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (v22).
At first glance, it may appear by reading through the Bible that God kept changing His mind: He created the garden of Eden, but Adam and Eve screwed that one up, so He banished them, then destroyed all but a few couples with the flood and started again, then tried again with the Israelites, who again screwed things up, so God sent Jesus to finally get things done. That can be how it appears. But: the church was God’s plan “A” all along... all the other instances were precursors of what was to come in Christ:
In Genesis, God "walked" with His people (5.22,24; 6.9); in Exodus, he decided to "dwell" with them (25.8) - He dwelt in the tabernacle until their sins caused His glory to depart (1 Sam 4); then He dwelt in the temple (1 Kings 8.1-11) until, again, Israel sinned and the glory departed (Ez 10.18-19); God subsequently dwelt in Christ's earthly body amongst us, the body that men took and nailed to a cross; today, by His Spirit, God dwells in the church, His spiritual temple (1 Cor 6.19-20 & Eph 2.20-22). God dwells here on earth in a corporate people, not just of one nation, but from across the nations, in anyone who trusts in Christ as their Saviour.
But why should this be a properly organised body? Why not just a multitude of individuals saved for eternity? What’s the difference?The Greek word from which “church” is translated, "ekklesia", occurs 114 times in the New Testament. This is the word used in Matt 16 when Jesus says “I will build my church”. But this word, ekklesia, was used in the New Testament period to describe more than the gatherings of Christians, but also to refer to assemblies called to perform specific tasks. The church is the people of God, the body of Christ, destined for a specific purpose. In this fellowship are those people who have accepted and entered into the reign of God. This reign is not entered into by nations, or even families, but by individuals, to BECOME HIS PEOPLE. For worshipping God, for nurturing each other, for evangelism and acts of mercy in the world. To reflect His kingdom.
The church is designed perfectly to demonstrate the Kingdom in word and deed. Worshipping Jesus TOGETHER, contending for the gospel TOGETHER, for harmony, love for our enemies, sharing a life in common; IT’S RADICAL!!! The people in Acts 5.12-14 didn't dare join them, but God added to the church in multitudes. Howzat?!!!
The church is the unique instrument for bringing God glory through worship and mission. This is our mission: to proclaim this Truth to the world in word and deed. TOGETHER.
3.The Building Process
Verses 21 & 22: "Christ Jesus... being the cornerstone, in Whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple; being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit... " What a process! Let’s unpack that...
First of all, remember that Jesus said “I will build my church...” He is the cornerstone, or foundation stone, of His church. Everything rests on Him. He is the primary foundation stone, the critical stone in the foundation’s corner that ensures the building is square and correct.
Ps 127.1 says: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain”. Unless the building is constructed His way, with His oversight, instruction and blessing, it will be meaningless. That verse does not say we don’t labour, that we let God do all the work – we have a part to play – but we must ensure He is in charge, and we seek Him at all times for strength, guidance and blessing while we do. Jesus is the cornerstone, and we must act as such at all times. He must be at the centre of everything we do. For the very same reason, Paul clarifies here at the end of v.22, that it is “... by the Spirit...” That’s the same reason it’s in our purpose statement! We must recognise the Spirit’s work in our own lives and as we labour in our building work... Don’t grieve Him. He’s a person.
Now, Paul gives us further explanation of how the foundation was built around this glorious cornerstone of Jesus: v.20“...built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets ... Jesus Himself being the cornerstone...” With Christ as the stone that decides the correct position and accuracy of what follows, the church’s foundation continued to be established on the Apostles and prophets of the time: men who God had ordained for a purpose at that time. There are no more Apostles with a capital “A”, or prophets, who spoke and wrote the infallible words of God or continue to lay the foundation of Christ’s glorious church. A foundation gets laid once and once only. Play around with your footings and you’ll get subsidence. The foundation has been laid clearly and categorically by men that God ordained for a purpose at that time. And here in our Bible we have the unchanging blueprint to study and follow...
Since then, although the specific office of Apostle is no more, there are men with clear apostolic gifting - the ability to pioneer church plants, to minister cross-culturally, the calling to lead and influence multiple churches and so on – and thank God we in New Frontiers receive the benefit of such men that God has given us in that capacity. (Terry Virgo, Graham Hall, Tom Shaw, for example).
Continuing this thread of the current building process, Paul tells us 2 chapters later in Ephesians, that God has given us the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds (pastors) and teachers... why? “...to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ...”! The work continues! The show must go on! We have a mission to fulfil!
As for evangelists and prophets, we had the benefit of David Morris serving us so well recently, a man with a clear evangelistic gifting, and men such as Julian Adams – who will be serving us next week at Church on the Farm – are clearly gifted in the prophetic. Their prophecy does not continue to lay the foundation of the church – that has already been done – nor is it infallible or equal to Scripture – the canon is closed – but folks such as these guys are still provided by God to serve the church and “... equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ...”
And as for shepherds and teachers: Pray for your elders! (The lot of an elder is not easy and open to criticism...) God has given them the responsibility of looking after the likes of you and me – they need all the help they can get! Pray for those that support them too. The “great” apostle Paul asked for prayer himself on many occasions, recognising his own need for help. I know I keep saying it, but pray for these guys as they lead us...
All these guys are provided by our Father in heaven to equip us for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ – you and me – that we might fulfil His Great Commission to the best that we can. TOGETHER.
4.Conclusion:
The church is still being built, by and upon Christ, through His wonderful Holy Spirit, with us as co-labourers. Jesus calls us, those raw materials, one by one to salvation, but also calls us together for His mission. The NewFrontiers purpose statement = "A worldwide family of churches together on a mission". We are being joined together, both locally and globally, in Him and for Him, creating a beautiful, radiant dwelling place for God here on earth, and our actions and decisions should reflect that. More are added day by day, across the world, and I stand in faith and get excited about Christ’s name being glorified in Herne Bay more and more in the years to come. I believe it!
Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it...” There is nothing the devil can do that will resist Christ’s church. He might try, he does try, but keep close to Christ, foster your relationship with the Holy Spirit, because there is nowhere more exciting, or safer, than the true, Bible-based, Spirit-led church of Jesus Christ.
As Bill Hybels says in his book “Courageous Leadership”: "There is nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addictions, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world. Whatever the capacity for human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness... Still to this day, the potential of the local church is almost more than I can grasp. No other organisation on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close."
Are you playing your part? Are you saved in the first place? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the perfect Son of God, who died that we might be cleansed of all our wrongdoing and selfishness, and rose again that we might have eternal life with Him, unhindered, unstained, rescued from eternal punishment? Do you really believe that?
If you do, are you actively involved in His church, being joined together with your brothers and sisters for His glory and His purposes? Are you helping others to trust Him? Are you sharing the good news with others? Are you doing everything He is calling you to do?
We are no longer raw materials, we are being built together into a dwelling place for the Almighty God. Let’s live like it.
Read more!
Jim shared 2 weeks ago about God’s promise to (and through) Abram that all the world would be blessed through him and his offspring (and subsequently of course, SPIRITUAL offspring), and then Ben shared last week that our Great Commission from Jesus is to GO into all the world and make disciples of all nations... The blessing through Abraham is not shared by osmosis! We have a job to do!
But did God’s plan finish at “Right, off you go and tell the world about me...”? No! His plan continues into providing the perfect environment for nurturing, teaching, disciplining, mobilising, resourcing us to fulfil His purpose TOGETHER. A place where His Kingdom is perfectly reflected: His church.
I wonder what the disciples initially thought when he gave them that Commission? But also, I wonder what they thought when Jesus made His first official announcement about the church: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it...” (Matt 16.18)
The understanding of what Christ’s church should look like, should act like, has been something that has been argued and debated over pretty much ever since that moment unfortunately – just take a look at all the variations of “church” around us, some Biblically legitimate, others not: there’s Protestant/ Roman Catholic, high church/ low church, Jehovah’s Witnesses/ Mormons, Greek Orthodox/ Lutheran, “Emerging” Church/ “Emergent” Church...
Let's a closer look at what God truly intends: at how the church’s primary design fulfils its purpose, that of worship, and its subsequent mission:
Read Ephesians 2.11-22
1.The Raw Materials
Look at those first few verses of this passage and see how Paul describes where we once were: “Gentiles in the flesh”, “separated from Christ”, “alienated”, “strangers”, “having no hope”, “without God”. In fact, earlier in chapter 2, Paul had described us as “by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind”: without a saving faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, we are all subject to God’s condemnation as sinners. Every single one of us is guilty of “original sin” – God designed that Adam should represent the entire human race and so through his choice to rebel, all of mankind is condemned; our relationship with him is broken; this original sin is perfectly evident from a very young age – and all our own individual acts simply add to the case against us. Our selfishness, our own desires to put ourselves before God, to elevate ourselves or others or objects or lusts to the status of God, warrants just punishment from the High King.But now we are “brought near by the blood of Christ” (v13)!! Hallelujah! He has “reconciled us to God in one body through the cross”! That condemnation that we deserve as sinful creatures from a perfect, holy, just God has been crushed and killed by His amazing grace and love in Jesus Christ, the One Who paid our penalty. God has taken raw materials – you and me and our brothers and sisters across the world – and is crafting them into His radiant church. It doesn’t always look like it, but have a guess at whose fault that is...?
Take the man Peter as an example: it was he whom Jesus was addressing when he said in Matthew 16.18: “...You are Peter (which means “stone”), and on this rock I will build my church”. This is a hotly debated verse, and Roman Catholics have taken it to mean that Peter was the first Pope – I won’t even go there other than pointing out that Peter had no more authority than any of the other Apostles, plus that Peter himself teaches on the priesthood of all believers later in the NT; Jesus was not talking about an office, or an infallibility in this flawed man’s own words. This “ROCK” that Jesus mentions is Peter’s confession only seconds before – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” – and his central role is establishing the early church. That’s it... But this man Peter is the very same one who only just a short while after this earth-shattering revelation actually rebuked Jesus for speaking of His need to suffer in the near-future and was lambasted in turn for allowing Satan to work through him. Peter had entertained the devil’s attempts to hinder Christ’s mission, and was so human-centred in his understanding of Jesus that he failed to see the truth for himself.
This same man denied his relationship with Jesus during the Saviour’s arrest and trial. THREE TIMES he was given the chance to stand beside his master. Three times he failed.
This same man caused no end of problems, as told in Galatians 2, which Paul had to confront and deal with; Peter began separating himself and eating only with Jews, who still believed it was important to follow kosher dietary laws and actually making the Gentiles feel like second-class Christians. This was wholly against Christ’s intention for a church where everyone was the same, there was no longer Jew or Gentile...
But do you know what? THANK GOD JESUS STILL CHOSE THIS MAN, DESPITE KNOWING WHAT HE WAS LIKE AND CAPABLE OF AND WOULD DO. It proves the point: “I will build my church...” Not Peter, not Paul, not you, not me. Jesus will, using raw materials like us and Peter so that He, Jesus, gets all the glory when, strangely enough, it works beautifully.We all have a part to play – we’ll look at that shortly – but this is Jesus’s church. Hallelujah!
2.The Building Plans
But what is the purpose of the church? What are we here for?
It has often been said that in saving the nations, the church is God’s plan “A”, and that there is no plan “B”. Very often, people look away from the church and look elsewhere for answers to the world’s problems – and there are some very good instances of great things being done outside of the church for the world’s poor and oppressed – but Christ’s church should be leading the way. Plus, of course, those non-church organisations don’t change the destiny of people’s souls...
In this passage, Paul tells us that we – once those very raw materials – are now “members of the household of God” (v19), “a holy temple in the Lord” (v21), “a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (v22).
At first glance, it may appear by reading through the Bible that God kept changing His mind: He created the garden of Eden, but Adam and Eve screwed that one up, so He banished them, then destroyed all but a few couples with the flood and started again, then tried again with the Israelites, who again screwed things up, so God sent Jesus to finally get things done. That can be how it appears. But: the church was God’s plan “A” all along... all the other instances were precursors of what was to come in Christ:
In Genesis, God "walked" with His people (5.22,24; 6.9); in Exodus, he decided to "dwell" with them (25.8) - He dwelt in the tabernacle until their sins caused His glory to depart (1 Sam 4); then He dwelt in the temple (1 Kings 8.1-11) until, again, Israel sinned and the glory departed (Ez 10.18-19); God subsequently dwelt in Christ's earthly body amongst us, the body that men took and nailed to a cross; today, by His Spirit, God dwells in the church, His spiritual temple (1 Cor 6.19-20 & Eph 2.20-22). God dwells here on earth in a corporate people, not just of one nation, but from across the nations, in anyone who trusts in Christ as their Saviour.
But why should this be a properly organised body? Why not just a multitude of individuals saved for eternity? What’s the difference?The Greek word from which “church” is translated, "ekklesia", occurs 114 times in the New Testament. This is the word used in Matt 16 when Jesus says “I will build my church”. But this word, ekklesia, was used in the New Testament period to describe more than the gatherings of Christians, but also to refer to assemblies called to perform specific tasks. The church is the people of God, the body of Christ, destined for a specific purpose. In this fellowship are those people who have accepted and entered into the reign of God. This reign is not entered into by nations, or even families, but by individuals, to BECOME HIS PEOPLE. For worshipping God, for nurturing each other, for evangelism and acts of mercy in the world. To reflect His kingdom.
The church is designed perfectly to demonstrate the Kingdom in word and deed. Worshipping Jesus TOGETHER, contending for the gospel TOGETHER, for harmony, love for our enemies, sharing a life in common; IT’S RADICAL!!! The people in Acts 5.12-14 didn't dare join them, but God added to the church in multitudes. Howzat?!!!
The church is the unique instrument for bringing God glory through worship and mission. This is our mission: to proclaim this Truth to the world in word and deed. TOGETHER.
3.The Building Process
Verses 21 & 22: "Christ Jesus... being the cornerstone, in Whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple; being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit... " What a process! Let’s unpack that...
First of all, remember that Jesus said “I will build my church...” He is the cornerstone, or foundation stone, of His church. Everything rests on Him. He is the primary foundation stone, the critical stone in the foundation’s corner that ensures the building is square and correct.
Ps 127.1 says: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain”. Unless the building is constructed His way, with His oversight, instruction and blessing, it will be meaningless. That verse does not say we don’t labour, that we let God do all the work – we have a part to play – but we must ensure He is in charge, and we seek Him at all times for strength, guidance and blessing while we do. Jesus is the cornerstone, and we must act as such at all times. He must be at the centre of everything we do. For the very same reason, Paul clarifies here at the end of v.22, that it is “... by the Spirit...” That’s the same reason it’s in our purpose statement! We must recognise the Spirit’s work in our own lives and as we labour in our building work... Don’t grieve Him. He’s a person.
Now, Paul gives us further explanation of how the foundation was built around this glorious cornerstone of Jesus: v.20“...built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets ... Jesus Himself being the cornerstone...” With Christ as the stone that decides the correct position and accuracy of what follows, the church’s foundation continued to be established on the Apostles and prophets of the time: men who God had ordained for a purpose at that time. There are no more Apostles with a capital “A”, or prophets, who spoke and wrote the infallible words of God or continue to lay the foundation of Christ’s glorious church. A foundation gets laid once and once only. Play around with your footings and you’ll get subsidence. The foundation has been laid clearly and categorically by men that God ordained for a purpose at that time. And here in our Bible we have the unchanging blueprint to study and follow...
Since then, although the specific office of Apostle is no more, there are men with clear apostolic gifting - the ability to pioneer church plants, to minister cross-culturally, the calling to lead and influence multiple churches and so on – and thank God we in New Frontiers receive the benefit of such men that God has given us in that capacity. (Terry Virgo, Graham Hall, Tom Shaw, for example).
Continuing this thread of the current building process, Paul tells us 2 chapters later in Ephesians, that God has given us the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds (pastors) and teachers... why? “...to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ...”! The work continues! The show must go on! We have a mission to fulfil!
As for evangelists and prophets, we had the benefit of David Morris serving us so well recently, a man with a clear evangelistic gifting, and men such as Julian Adams – who will be serving us next week at Church on the Farm – are clearly gifted in the prophetic. Their prophecy does not continue to lay the foundation of the church – that has already been done – nor is it infallible or equal to Scripture – the canon is closed – but folks such as these guys are still provided by God to serve the church and “... equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ...”
And as for shepherds and teachers: Pray for your elders! (The lot of an elder is not easy and open to criticism...) God has given them the responsibility of looking after the likes of you and me – they need all the help they can get! Pray for those that support them too. The “great” apostle Paul asked for prayer himself on many occasions, recognising his own need for help. I know I keep saying it, but pray for these guys as they lead us...
All these guys are provided by our Father in heaven to equip us for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ – you and me – that we might fulfil His Great Commission to the best that we can. TOGETHER.
4.Conclusion:
The church is still being built, by and upon Christ, through His wonderful Holy Spirit, with us as co-labourers. Jesus calls us, those raw materials, one by one to salvation, but also calls us together for His mission. The NewFrontiers purpose statement = "A worldwide family of churches together on a mission". We are being joined together, both locally and globally, in Him and for Him, creating a beautiful, radiant dwelling place for God here on earth, and our actions and decisions should reflect that. More are added day by day, across the world, and I stand in faith and get excited about Christ’s name being glorified in Herne Bay more and more in the years to come. I believe it!
Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it...” There is nothing the devil can do that will resist Christ’s church. He might try, he does try, but keep close to Christ, foster your relationship with the Holy Spirit, because there is nowhere more exciting, or safer, than the true, Bible-based, Spirit-led church of Jesus Christ.
As Bill Hybels says in his book “Courageous Leadership”: "There is nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addictions, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world. Whatever the capacity for human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness... Still to this day, the potential of the local church is almost more than I can grasp. No other organisation on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close."
Are you playing your part? Are you saved in the first place? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the perfect Son of God, who died that we might be cleansed of all our wrongdoing and selfishness, and rose again that we might have eternal life with Him, unhindered, unstained, rescued from eternal punishment? Do you really believe that?
If you do, are you actively involved in His church, being joined together with your brothers and sisters for His glory and His purposes? Are you helping others to trust Him? Are you sharing the good news with others? Are you doing everything He is calling you to do?
We are no longer raw materials, we are being built together into a dwelling place for the Almighty God. Let’s live like it.
Read more!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Beacon Touchpaper #11: "The Feast Prepared"
"...that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God..." (Eph 3.17-19)
I couldn't unfold the above passage better than Martyn LLoyd-Jones himself, so I'll hand over to the good "Doctor":
". . . The secret of the early Christians, the early Protestants, Puritans and Methodists was that they were taught about the love of Christ, and they became filled with a knowledge of it. Once a man has the love of Christ in his heart you need not train him to witness; he will do it. He will know the power, the constraint, the motive; everything is already there... The servants of God who have most adorned the life and the history of the Christian Church have always been men who have realized that this is the most important thing of all, and they have spent hours in prayer seeking His face and enjoying His love. The man who knows the love of Christ in his heart can do more in one hour than the busy type of man can do in a century...
...Are we seeking the Lord's face? Are we coveting the knowledge of His love? The Apostle prayed for every single member of the Church at Ephesus that he or she 'might be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length and breadth and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.' How tragic it is that any of us should be living as paupers, out on the cold street, while the banqueting chamber is open and the feast prepared..."
Where are you? Where am I? Out on the cold street or in the banqueting chamber? Press in, the feast is prepared!
Read more!
I couldn't unfold the above passage better than Martyn LLoyd-Jones himself, so I'll hand over to the good "Doctor":
". . . The secret of the early Christians, the early Protestants, Puritans and Methodists was that they were taught about the love of Christ, and they became filled with a knowledge of it. Once a man has the love of Christ in his heart you need not train him to witness; he will do it. He will know the power, the constraint, the motive; everything is already there... The servants of God who have most adorned the life and the history of the Christian Church have always been men who have realized that this is the most important thing of all, and they have spent hours in prayer seeking His face and enjoying His love. The man who knows the love of Christ in his heart can do more in one hour than the busy type of man can do in a century...
...Are we seeking the Lord's face? Are we coveting the knowledge of His love? The Apostle prayed for every single member of the Church at Ephesus that he or she 'might be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length and breadth and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.' How tragic it is that any of us should be living as paupers, out on the cold street, while the banqueting chamber is open and the feast prepared..."
Where are you? Where am I? Out on the cold street or in the banqueting chamber? Press in, the feast is prepared!
Read more!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Beacon Touchpaper #10: "Opportunity Knocks"
"(pray) ...also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel..." (Eph 6.19, ESV)
Don't you just love an evangelist? Charismatic, engaging, passionate, GIFTED. They seem to have the 'knack', and we can all be tempted to wish we were a little bit more like them at times. A touch more confident in our responses; a bit quicker in clever retorts; a tad more elaborate in how we express the gospel of our King Jesus. Then, after realising we probably never will be, we hunker down and get on with being just another one of the 'regular folks', while we let the evangelists roam around the country and see many people get saved simultaneously and respond en masse at altar calls. Or something like that.
Now, you and I know that's a bit of a caricature on both sides, but I'm sure most of us have probably experienced something similar in our thoughts over the years. In reality, evangelists are just as human as you or I: yes, they have a specific calling, but they aren't supermen either. I know for a fact that one guy some of you may have heard of has been highly praised for his gifting and the supernatural manifestation in his ministry - both in salvation and in healing. But truth be told, beforehand he's been terrified and scared it'll all go down like a lead balloon. Our God's bigger than that - hallelujah! - and thank God for that man's humility too.
The trouble is, there is also a danger that we could rest on our laurels and let these guys do all the 'fancy' work for us. Yes, they have a specific gifting, but we all have a part to play. We are all expected to participate in the sharing of the gospel. What does the apostle Paul tell us in Ephesians 4 about apostles, prophets, EVANGELISTS, pastors and teachers? That they're there to "do the important, heavy duty stuff" for us? Nope: it's "to equip the saints for the work of the ministry."
With our Front Edge weekend coming up, this is an opportunity for us all to scrum down and expect the unexpected. To pray, like Paul himself asks, "...that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel." Let's all pray that prayer like crazy - we can all do this; we can all expect that the God of the universe will give us the right words to say, will help us spot opportunities to invite folks to the service on Sunday 17th, and will let His Holy Spirit work through each one of us 'regular folks'. "On His mission, for His glory", as someone once said...
Read more!
Don't you just love an evangelist? Charismatic, engaging, passionate, GIFTED. They seem to have the 'knack', and we can all be tempted to wish we were a little bit more like them at times. A touch more confident in our responses; a bit quicker in clever retorts; a tad more elaborate in how we express the gospel of our King Jesus. Then, after realising we probably never will be, we hunker down and get on with being just another one of the 'regular folks', while we let the evangelists roam around the country and see many people get saved simultaneously and respond en masse at altar calls. Or something like that.
Now, you and I know that's a bit of a caricature on both sides, but I'm sure most of us have probably experienced something similar in our thoughts over the years. In reality, evangelists are just as human as you or I: yes, they have a specific calling, but they aren't supermen either. I know for a fact that one guy some of you may have heard of has been highly praised for his gifting and the supernatural manifestation in his ministry - both in salvation and in healing. But truth be told, beforehand he's been terrified and scared it'll all go down like a lead balloon. Our God's bigger than that - hallelujah! - and thank God for that man's humility too.
The trouble is, there is also a danger that we could rest on our laurels and let these guys do all the 'fancy' work for us. Yes, they have a specific gifting, but we all have a part to play. We are all expected to participate in the sharing of the gospel. What does the apostle Paul tell us in Ephesians 4 about apostles, prophets, EVANGELISTS, pastors and teachers? That they're there to "do the important, heavy duty stuff" for us? Nope: it's "to equip the saints for the work of the ministry."
With our Front Edge weekend coming up, this is an opportunity for us all to scrum down and expect the unexpected. To pray, like Paul himself asks, "...that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel." Let's all pray that prayer like crazy - we can all do this; we can all expect that the God of the universe will give us the right words to say, will help us spot opportunities to invite folks to the service on Sunday 17th, and will let His Holy Spirit work through each one of us 'regular folks'. "On His mission, for His glory", as someone once said...
Read more!
Beacon Touchpaper #9: "Easter: How do you eat yours?"
"...because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved..." (Rom 10.9, ESV)
Easter in our country has traditionally become the time of year to celebrate:
(1) chocolate, (2) the multiplication abilities of cute rabbits, (3) "How do you eat yours?" Creme Egg adverts, and (4) the colour yellow. Regular polls in the national press have pointed out worrying numbers of children AND parents who struggle to recall exactly why we have a public holiday at this time each year. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised...
But also, perhaps, we should take the opportunity to recall what we believe too. Why do we as God's people celebrate Easter? And how seriously do we apply that?
Believing in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead is more than just accepting a fact. It is far more than "merely" looking at evidence, weighing up the pros and cons, and acknowledging a historical moment. Believing that God raised Him from the dead is having an absolute confidence in God's providence, His power, His love, His mercy, His grace, His justice... It's believing that God is completely for us. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all agreed long before time began to see this rescue plan through to completion, and have been and always will be committed to their choice to adopt you and me. That commitment is sealed in Christ's death and resurrection.
Without the core truth of Jesus's death and resurrection, applied to our everyday lives and our relationship with Jesus Himself, even the Christian Easter can be as hollow as a chocolate egg...
Easter: How do you eat yours?
Read more!
Easter in our country has traditionally become the time of year to celebrate:
(1) chocolate, (2) the multiplication abilities of cute rabbits, (3) "How do you eat yours?" Creme Egg adverts, and (4) the colour yellow. Regular polls in the national press have pointed out worrying numbers of children AND parents who struggle to recall exactly why we have a public holiday at this time each year. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised...
But also, perhaps, we should take the opportunity to recall what we believe too. Why do we as God's people celebrate Easter? And how seriously do we apply that?
Believing in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead is more than just accepting a fact. It is far more than "merely" looking at evidence, weighing up the pros and cons, and acknowledging a historical moment. Believing that God raised Him from the dead is having an absolute confidence in God's providence, His power, His love, His mercy, His grace, His justice... It's believing that God is completely for us. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all agreed long before time began to see this rescue plan through to completion, and have been and always will be committed to their choice to adopt you and me. That commitment is sealed in Christ's death and resurrection.
Without the core truth of Jesus's death and resurrection, applied to our everyday lives and our relationship with Jesus Himself, even the Christian Easter can be as hollow as a chocolate egg...
Easter: How do you eat yours?
Read more!
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