The Bible is clear and says that the Law was given to reveal sin, without the Law sin would not be revealed; Romans 3: 20 says that 'through the Law comes the knowledge of sin'; Romans 5: 20 says the 'Law came in that the transgression might increase'; Romans 7: 7 says that 'I would not have come to know sin except through the Law'.
The Law was based on a set of rules that required our performance.
Now I need to point out that the Bible is also clear when it says that 'by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified' (Romans 3: 20), and that 'the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ', why?..so 'that we may be justified by faith' (Galatians 3: 24) and 'where sin increased, grace abounded all the more' (Romans 5: 20). And then we come over into Hebrews 8: 13 and we find this that 'When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete.'
There are so many scriptures that direct us away from Law and towards Grace.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians in Galatians 3: 1 - 3, "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?'
Beloved, the Law is obsolete to you who are in Christ, the Bible is clear and anything else you may be told is a lie. The enemy, the devil, wants you to continue to focus on the Law because he wants to continually challenge you over your CONDITION before God.
Please hear me...Jesus wants you to see your POSITION, in Him.
'For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.' Colossians 2: 9 - 14
Can it be any clearer? We are IN HIM; He has SET US APART to Himself (circumcision); our body of flesh has been BURIED WITH HIM; we are RAISED WITH HIM through faith in the working of God (His work, not ours); He has made us ALIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM; He has CANCELLED OUR TRANSGRESSIONS; He has CANCELLED THE CERTIFICATE OF DEBT CONSISTING OF DECREES (what is this? This is the Law) and He has taken it out of the way because He nailed it to the cross.
Oh Hallelujah! The burden of sin is lifted, the accusation of the enemy is gone, we are IN HIM.
Now if we want a brief definition of Law and Grace these are mine...if it requires my input, if it is subject to my performance, if its outcome depends on me then it is Law; if it rests in the unmerited favour of God then it is Grace.
Last words...a question? Who wants the 'good life'? Hands up. My hand is up.
If we refuse to accept that abundant life does not include the 'good life' then we are saying that the good life depends on me. Anything less than total dependence on the Lord is Law.
Beloved, you can't alloy Law and Grace. Revelation 3, lukewarmness, is the alloying of Law and Grace.
Rest in Jesus for your everything for He is EVERYTHING.
Be like Mary and position yourself at His blessed feet. She reclined there for instruction, for comfort and for service and today that is where we need to be. Remember those feet at which Mary sat went on to be pierced by the malice of mankind and in that piercing He made the way for us to be restored. He has restored to us the Life that our first father so meekly surrendered to the enemy but will we receive?
Insisting that the abundant life of Jesus is something less than complete is saying there is still stuff that we need to do when Jesus has said 'It is finished', the work is done, salvation is procured, mankind is restored, sit here with Me at the right hand of My Father and receive the bounty of His endless, boundless, complete favour and blessing. This is the day of the Lord's favour, the day of Grace, the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
'See', Jesus says, 'I make all things new'...'And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." (Revelation 21: 5)
Friday, May 24, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The 'good life'...just some thoughts
Recently this statement was made...'Jesus did not come to give us 'the good life'. He came to give us abundant life.'
This raised the questions immediately to me...what is 'the good life' and what is 'abundant life'; how can they be defined?
I contemplated that for a few days and the only real thought I had was that while I understood the sentiment behind the statement made I had a great deal of difficulty in separating the two 'lives'. Yes I agree that Jesus 'came to give us abundant life' and I agree that the abundant life of Christ declared in John 10: 10 is much, much more than just 'the good life' but I am unable to separate the two because I cannot believe that He came to bring us an abundance of Life that excludes 'the good life'.
Our first father, Adam, gave away his blessed position. Part of that position was a life of total harmony. He did not toil for toil came with the curse following man's fall (Genesis 3: 17 - 19); whatever he wanted he just took, he could eat of any tree, God provided all he needed (Genesis 1: 29 - 30). The second man, Jesus Christ came to restore all that our first father gave away. Oh yes I agree much more was restored in Christ but can we say that Jesus did not come to restore 'the good life'? I'm sorry I can't buy that!
As I thought of this and during my daily reading and thinking I was drawn to some verses in Luke 5. Jesus is under fire from the scribes and Pharisees for forgiving a man's sins and He replies to their pious declarations by asking "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," - He said to the paralytic - "I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home." The man did.
I contemplated this. What was Jesus saying? He was asking a question...which is easier to say, 'your sins are forgiven', or 'be healed, get up, and walk'. What do you think? I can tell you that the easier thing for me to say is 'your sins are forgiven'. Why is that easier? Simply because that statement requires no physical proof. If I speak healing and the man stays lying on his bed then I look like a goose. Speaking healing requires physical proof, forgiving sins requires no physical proof.
What has this got to do with the statement? As I thought of this I thought, yes, it is easier for me to say but was the forgiveness of sins easier for God? I think not! Forgiveness of sins required God the Father to give up His beloved Son to the depravity of man's cruelty, to a cross of shame, requiring God to lay on Him an eternity worth of our iniquity, and have Him give up His life remembering that death had no claim on Him, He freely gave it up for us. Was that easy? No! It is simple for God to heal, it was not so easy for Him to forgive sins!
Now here is my thought...God gave His very BEST. Can I really say in response that His gift given to restore me cannot, does not, include the restoration of the 'good life' that Adam gave away? Oh yes I hear you, there are many not living the good life, many fine Christians, and yes we live in a fallen world awaiting its redemption but I am sorry despite all that I cannot receive that the restoration of Jesus is only half-hearted in its effectiveness. You know I feel that if we seriously believe the lie that God is in the business of withholding something from us then we are implying that that something is greater than the forgiveness of sins which Jesus gave Himself to give us. I have to say nothing can be greater than the forgiveness of sins. It is the basic clause of the New Covenant under which we are saved...read the terms for yourself in Hebrews 8.
Some time ago I wrote a post to this blog in which I referred to Romans 8: 32. In that post I said this...
So what is the key now to this abundance? I believe it is all about positioning. One of the great strategies of the enemy of all Christians, the devil, is to get you to contemplate continually your condition before God when Jesus died to restore your position before God. So it is all about positioning.
One of the things about preachers to me has always been that they speak good words but often miss the practical application. I don't want to do that. I hear your question...'so how do we position ourselves'?
I think of Mary. Remember Mary? Mary was the sister of Lazarus, who Jesus raised from the dead, and Martha, who was a good cook. You can find her in Luke 10, and John 11 and 12.
Mary liked to be at Jesus feet. Was that because she was lazy? I don't think so. Jesus said it was because she chose 'the good part'. In fact three times you find Mary at Jesus feet in the Bible. In Luke 10: 38 - 42 we find her at Jesus' feet for instruction, she was listening to the Lord's word. In John 11: 32 we find Mary at His feet again, this time for comfort following the death of her brother. As Jesus saw her He was so moved He wept John 11: 35 records! What compassion, what comfort! To have the God of All Glory weep with compassion over you! How wonderful! Then in John 12: 1 - 3 we find Mary at the feet of Jesus again this time in service as she worshipped Him and anointed His feet with very costly perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. Oh Mary! Truly she chose the 'good part'.
Now there is so much we could say about Mary and her time at the feet of Jesus but I want us today to just think of her positioning. Sitting at the feet of Jesus all three times she was making a declaration...Mary's declaration was that Jesus is God, He is Lord of All.
You know there are two scriptures in the book of Colossians that I love. The first is Colossians 1: 19 where it says, 'For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him...' The second is Colossians 2: 9, 'For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form...' Jesus is the fullness of God and He died to position us at His feet. At His feet for instruction, at His feet for comfort, at His feet for worship and service. Without Him we can do nothing.
I could go on and talk about who we are in Christ; I could go on and talk about the three feet sojourns of Mary, I could go on and talk about many things of the all abundance and amazing blessings of the unmerited grace and favour of our Lord. I could take us to Ephesians 2 and talk about the our seated place with Him at the right hand of the Father. We could discuss that the right hand is the hand of blessing. So much to share!
I will finish with this.
In Psalm 103: 2 the writer says this, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits'. His benefits? Yes Jesus came to give us abundant life, so true but not the 'good life'? I think not. The gift of God restored us in every respect. So great is the gift of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, that nothing is withheld from us. Do like Mary, declare Him to be God and that you are not, and sit and receive. Sitting is the place of rest. What does this signify? That it is not about what you may DO to merit His blessing, there is nothing you can do to merit God, but thank God that Jesus has done all that was necessary and in Him you are accepted. Remember Colossians 2: 9? Well verse 10 goes on to say that 'in Him you have been made complete'. In Him we are complete...how can this exclude anything? No!
Receive Jesus, receive Him and with Him receive the fullness of the restoration of God.
Give Him praise, anoint Him with the perfume of your praise for He is worthy.
This raised the questions immediately to me...what is 'the good life' and what is 'abundant life'; how can they be defined?
I contemplated that for a few days and the only real thought I had was that while I understood the sentiment behind the statement made I had a great deal of difficulty in separating the two 'lives'. Yes I agree that Jesus 'came to give us abundant life' and I agree that the abundant life of Christ declared in John 10: 10 is much, much more than just 'the good life' but I am unable to separate the two because I cannot believe that He came to bring us an abundance of Life that excludes 'the good life'.
Our first father, Adam, gave away his blessed position. Part of that position was a life of total harmony. He did not toil for toil came with the curse following man's fall (Genesis 3: 17 - 19); whatever he wanted he just took, he could eat of any tree, God provided all he needed (Genesis 1: 29 - 30). The second man, Jesus Christ came to restore all that our first father gave away. Oh yes I agree much more was restored in Christ but can we say that Jesus did not come to restore 'the good life'? I'm sorry I can't buy that!
As I thought of this and during my daily reading and thinking I was drawn to some verses in Luke 5. Jesus is under fire from the scribes and Pharisees for forgiving a man's sins and He replies to their pious declarations by asking "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," - He said to the paralytic - "I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home." The man did.
I contemplated this. What was Jesus saying? He was asking a question...which is easier to say, 'your sins are forgiven', or 'be healed, get up, and walk'. What do you think? I can tell you that the easier thing for me to say is 'your sins are forgiven'. Why is that easier? Simply because that statement requires no physical proof. If I speak healing and the man stays lying on his bed then I look like a goose. Speaking healing requires physical proof, forgiving sins requires no physical proof.
What has this got to do with the statement? As I thought of this I thought, yes, it is easier for me to say but was the forgiveness of sins easier for God? I think not! Forgiveness of sins required God the Father to give up His beloved Son to the depravity of man's cruelty, to a cross of shame, requiring God to lay on Him an eternity worth of our iniquity, and have Him give up His life remembering that death had no claim on Him, He freely gave it up for us. Was that easy? No! It is simple for God to heal, it was not so easy for Him to forgive sins!
Now here is my thought...God gave His very BEST. Can I really say in response that His gift given to restore me cannot, does not, include the restoration of the 'good life' that Adam gave away? Oh yes I hear you, there are many not living the good life, many fine Christians, and yes we live in a fallen world awaiting its redemption but I am sorry despite all that I cannot receive that the restoration of Jesus is only half-hearted in its effectiveness. You know I feel that if we seriously believe the lie that God is in the business of withholding something from us then we are implying that that something is greater than the forgiveness of sins which Jesus gave Himself to give us. I have to say nothing can be greater than the forgiveness of sins. It is the basic clause of the New Covenant under which we are saved...read the terms for yourself in Hebrews 8.
Some time ago I wrote a post to this blog in which I referred to Romans 8: 32. In that post I said this...
'...from one of the most momentous chapters of the Bible, the Word of God.Can we really accept that abundant life is something reduced from 'abundance'? When Jesus declared abundant life I have to believe He meant abundant life, much more than 'good life' but 'good life' nonetheless.
'He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not with Him freely give us all things?' Romans 8: 32
This speaks of God. Who? The One who spoke and the stars where in the heavens...that 'word' continues unabated the stargazers tell us. How a stargazer could not believe in God just astounds me!
To describe God is difficult, limited by our finity against His matchless glory! I could choose many declarations of our God but this one will have to do...'...He made the stars also.' A throw-away line from Genesis 1, declaring the absolute immense awesomeness of God!
He declared what He thought of us.
How? He gave us His Son. Why?
Grace. Unexplainable, unmerited, ridiculous!
Why? To save us from our sin? Yes.
Is that all? Is the gift of God just salvation? Many think so. They receive Jesus as Saviour and say it is by grace and then beetle off and insist on doing everything else as if we are required to 'merit' the rest in some way.
Sorry I don't buy it. Dear, dear people...I can't walk that anymore. Jesus came to restore to us what our first father gave away in pride and disobedience. Consider what those things were.
As I consider God (matchless in all things) and the scale of His gift (His own Son) I cannot believe anymore that having given everything He now holds back on His grace and requires us to strive and toil for the rest. It is an offence to His matchlessness and the priceless, infinitely valuable scale and worth of His Gift!'
So what is the key now to this abundance? I believe it is all about positioning. One of the great strategies of the enemy of all Christians, the devil, is to get you to contemplate continually your condition before God when Jesus died to restore your position before God. So it is all about positioning.
One of the things about preachers to me has always been that they speak good words but often miss the practical application. I don't want to do that. I hear your question...'so how do we position ourselves'?
I think of Mary. Remember Mary? Mary was the sister of Lazarus, who Jesus raised from the dead, and Martha, who was a good cook. You can find her in Luke 10, and John 11 and 12.
Mary liked to be at Jesus feet. Was that because she was lazy? I don't think so. Jesus said it was because she chose 'the good part'. In fact three times you find Mary at Jesus feet in the Bible. In Luke 10: 38 - 42 we find her at Jesus' feet for instruction, she was listening to the Lord's word. In John 11: 32 we find Mary at His feet again, this time for comfort following the death of her brother. As Jesus saw her He was so moved He wept John 11: 35 records! What compassion, what comfort! To have the God of All Glory weep with compassion over you! How wonderful! Then in John 12: 1 - 3 we find Mary at the feet of Jesus again this time in service as she worshipped Him and anointed His feet with very costly perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. Oh Mary! Truly she chose the 'good part'.
Now there is so much we could say about Mary and her time at the feet of Jesus but I want us today to just think of her positioning. Sitting at the feet of Jesus all three times she was making a declaration...Mary's declaration was that Jesus is God, He is Lord of All.
You know there are two scriptures in the book of Colossians that I love. The first is Colossians 1: 19 where it says, 'For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him...' The second is Colossians 2: 9, 'For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form...' Jesus is the fullness of God and He died to position us at His feet. At His feet for instruction, at His feet for comfort, at His feet for worship and service. Without Him we can do nothing.
I could go on and talk about who we are in Christ; I could go on and talk about the three feet sojourns of Mary, I could go on and talk about many things of the all abundance and amazing blessings of the unmerited grace and favour of our Lord. I could take us to Ephesians 2 and talk about the our seated place with Him at the right hand of the Father. We could discuss that the right hand is the hand of blessing. So much to share!
I will finish with this.
In Psalm 103: 2 the writer says this, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits'. His benefits? Yes Jesus came to give us abundant life, so true but not the 'good life'? I think not. The gift of God restored us in every respect. So great is the gift of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, that nothing is withheld from us. Do like Mary, declare Him to be God and that you are not, and sit and receive. Sitting is the place of rest. What does this signify? That it is not about what you may DO to merit His blessing, there is nothing you can do to merit God, but thank God that Jesus has done all that was necessary and in Him you are accepted. Remember Colossians 2: 9? Well verse 10 goes on to say that 'in Him you have been made complete'. In Him we are complete...how can this exclude anything? No!
Receive Jesus, receive Him and with Him receive the fullness of the restoration of God.
Give Him praise, anoint Him with the perfume of your praise for He is worthy.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Is God real...really?
This blog is my ramblings...my thoughts. I like to write, I admit I am no good at it but I like to do it.
The thing that sets the human being apart from every other created being is the gift of 'choice'. We have a choice. We have a choice to believe in God, we have a choice to accept that 'God so loved the world...', we have choice whether or not we accept that '...He gave His only Son...', we have a choice whether or not we '...believe in Him...', we have a choice whether we accept that we '...will not perish, but have everlasting Life.' We have a choice over whether we believe, and what we believe. This is true. Your choice extends to this blog...if you don't like it then it's okay to turn it off.
I have just been to Cambodia. I stand in my call, not in any strength I have, but in Christ I stand and in great weakness I deliver Jesus to the people. They have a choice. Many receive Him and we rejoice in that. In October we go again, and then again in December.
But today is today and today I say, 'Is God real...really?'
John 10: 10 is an interesting verse. In those few words we have two kingdoms standing side by side. One of God and the other, the enemy of God. There was a book around that I think was entitled, 'Listen to me, Satan', or words to that effect. Frankly I have no interest in the enemy of God and deem him not worthy of my consideration. His ministry is clear...'steal, kill and destroy' and I will not give that ministry any power by my words or actions. Focus on him only results in my eyes being turned away from the 'Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End'. I'm sure the book is a great read but put it down now and pick up Jesus, He is our Word.
Yes, I do ramble.
Where was I?
I was driving home just now and into my mind comes the thought, 'Is God real...really?'
If no then why am I bothering?
If yes then how should I respond?
I return from Cambodia. The blessing was great, the promises are immense, the words are powerful and encouraging, the sense of the presence of God is tangible and real, and then the response comes. The analogy of war is one we often use and I guess this is perpetuated by references like Ephesians 6 which talks of armour and battles not against flesh and blood... The response comes...it is like I step off the edge of a cliff. I know my brothers in Cambodia experience the same. Everything is easy game it appears, my family, my children, my marriage, my work, my finances, my hope, my peace, my trust...no doubt many more things could be listed.
The most vulnerable receive the fiery darts...on and on it goes. We receive Jesus, for crying out loud we are Jesus...His prayer was that just as He and the Father are one, so are we one in Him. But still the response comes. The promises of God so vivid seem to pale...I cannot believe that He pales so why do they pale, why is so much challenged? Why? God are you real? Really?
My daughter, innocent and holding on, is the centre of the vitriol of two girls at school, girls we have welcomed with open arms into our home, one who has slept in our house and eaten at our table many, many times and been made one of our family, now criticizes and bullies my daughter. How can this be? Why is this so?
My marriage. My work. My trust, my hope, my peace, everything is challenged...why?
I don't know the answers to any of these questions. The cliche ridden Christian community gives all the usual responses, 'when you put your head above the trench you will get shot at'...'trials come to make you stronger', this is a good one, 'take heart, if you come under such interest then you must be doing something right'. Forgive me, I know they are well meant, and there is undoubtedly truth in them but still, why?
So I am contemplating this as I drive home. It is then the question comes, 'Is God real...really real?' Do you think that question is from God or from the enemy? The most likely response is that this comes from the enemy, but I'm not so sure. I think that only God is capable of asking that question without His glory, position and I AM-ness being challenged. I think that question actually comes from God. Do I really believe He is real?
The command of God that is relevant to me as a New Covenant Kingdom citizen is to 'BELIEVE'. All other commands are as obsolete as the Old Covenant of Law, totally superseded by Grace. If you don't believe me read the book of Hebrews, and then Romans, and then Galatians...I could go on.
The point is do I really 'believe'?
I could give you scripture after scripture after scripture of the promise of God...the Bible is absolutely full of them if we take off our law glasses and put on grace glasses...from beginning to end the promises flow, and flow, and flow. But do I receive?
You know I think we pick and choose. We read a promise and then we rationalise that promise and ultimately we pick the bits we deem to be acceptable and we discount, reduce, seive out the rest and discard it. It's a bit like our juicer...you shove in an apple, it goes 'brrrrr' and out comes apple juice, and the body, the pulp gets chucked out.
So, as I said this is my blog. These are my thoughts. Let's take one promise, one out of thousands upon thousands...when God says to me, 'The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want', what do I do? I affirm that He is indeed my Shepherd. I marvel that the Shepherd is, in fact, the Lord, Yahweh, God...GOD but then I rationalise the promise, 'I shall not want', and am left in a quandary.
This is my blog, my thoughts...the Lord is calling me to greater things and this is impossible, this will be hamstrung until I can 'receive' the truth, the absolute glory and majesty of the promise that 'I SHALL NOT WANT'. That is where God is calling me. That is the question He is asking me when He says to me, 'is God real, really?' My daughter left me a note in my suitcase when I went to Cambodia, it said, 'Nothing is impossible to God'...awesome words and true but have I, can I, will I receive them?
I have stepped through the door of the call of God but I look back.
Oh, Lord 'I believe, help my unbelief'.
The thing that sets the human being apart from every other created being is the gift of 'choice'. We have a choice. We have a choice to believe in God, we have a choice to accept that 'God so loved the world...', we have choice whether or not we accept that '...He gave His only Son...', we have a choice whether or not we '...believe in Him...', we have a choice whether we accept that we '...will not perish, but have everlasting Life.' We have a choice over whether we believe, and what we believe. This is true. Your choice extends to this blog...if you don't like it then it's okay to turn it off.
I have just been to Cambodia. I stand in my call, not in any strength I have, but in Christ I stand and in great weakness I deliver Jesus to the people. They have a choice. Many receive Him and we rejoice in that. In October we go again, and then again in December.
But today is today and today I say, 'Is God real...really?'
John 10: 10 is an interesting verse. In those few words we have two kingdoms standing side by side. One of God and the other, the enemy of God. There was a book around that I think was entitled, 'Listen to me, Satan', or words to that effect. Frankly I have no interest in the enemy of God and deem him not worthy of my consideration. His ministry is clear...'steal, kill and destroy' and I will not give that ministry any power by my words or actions. Focus on him only results in my eyes being turned away from the 'Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End'. I'm sure the book is a great read but put it down now and pick up Jesus, He is our Word.
Yes, I do ramble.
Where was I?
I was driving home just now and into my mind comes the thought, 'Is God real...really?'
If no then why am I bothering?
If yes then how should I respond?
I return from Cambodia. The blessing was great, the promises are immense, the words are powerful and encouraging, the sense of the presence of God is tangible and real, and then the response comes. The analogy of war is one we often use and I guess this is perpetuated by references like Ephesians 6 which talks of armour and battles not against flesh and blood... The response comes...it is like I step off the edge of a cliff. I know my brothers in Cambodia experience the same. Everything is easy game it appears, my family, my children, my marriage, my work, my finances, my hope, my peace, my trust...no doubt many more things could be listed.
The most vulnerable receive the fiery darts...on and on it goes. We receive Jesus, for crying out loud we are Jesus...His prayer was that just as He and the Father are one, so are we one in Him. But still the response comes. The promises of God so vivid seem to pale...I cannot believe that He pales so why do they pale, why is so much challenged? Why? God are you real? Really?
My daughter, innocent and holding on, is the centre of the vitriol of two girls at school, girls we have welcomed with open arms into our home, one who has slept in our house and eaten at our table many, many times and been made one of our family, now criticizes and bullies my daughter. How can this be? Why is this so?
My marriage. My work. My trust, my hope, my peace, everything is challenged...why?
I don't know the answers to any of these questions. The cliche ridden Christian community gives all the usual responses, 'when you put your head above the trench you will get shot at'...'trials come to make you stronger', this is a good one, 'take heart, if you come under such interest then you must be doing something right'. Forgive me, I know they are well meant, and there is undoubtedly truth in them but still, why?
So I am contemplating this as I drive home. It is then the question comes, 'Is God real...really real?' Do you think that question is from God or from the enemy? The most likely response is that this comes from the enemy, but I'm not so sure. I think that only God is capable of asking that question without His glory, position and I AM-ness being challenged. I think that question actually comes from God. Do I really believe He is real?
The command of God that is relevant to me as a New Covenant Kingdom citizen is to 'BELIEVE'. All other commands are as obsolete as the Old Covenant of Law, totally superseded by Grace. If you don't believe me read the book of Hebrews, and then Romans, and then Galatians...I could go on.
The point is do I really 'believe'?
I could give you scripture after scripture after scripture of the promise of God...the Bible is absolutely full of them if we take off our law glasses and put on grace glasses...from beginning to end the promises flow, and flow, and flow. But do I receive?
You know I think we pick and choose. We read a promise and then we rationalise that promise and ultimately we pick the bits we deem to be acceptable and we discount, reduce, seive out the rest and discard it. It's a bit like our juicer...you shove in an apple, it goes 'brrrrr' and out comes apple juice, and the body, the pulp gets chucked out.
So, as I said this is my blog. These are my thoughts. Let's take one promise, one out of thousands upon thousands...when God says to me, 'The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want', what do I do? I affirm that He is indeed my Shepherd. I marvel that the Shepherd is, in fact, the Lord, Yahweh, God...GOD but then I rationalise the promise, 'I shall not want', and am left in a quandary.
This is my blog, my thoughts...the Lord is calling me to greater things and this is impossible, this will be hamstrung until I can 'receive' the truth, the absolute glory and majesty of the promise that 'I SHALL NOT WANT'. That is where God is calling me. That is the question He is asking me when He says to me, 'is God real, really?' My daughter left me a note in my suitcase when I went to Cambodia, it said, 'Nothing is impossible to God'...awesome words and true but have I, can I, will I receive them?
I have stepped through the door of the call of God but I look back.
Oh, Lord 'I believe, help my unbelief'.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Radical Grace
This post will not make me popular. Too bad.
The time has come to declare myself.
One year ago, after a lifetime of searching, I received the grace of God.
Huh? Haven't you been a Christian a longer time than that I hear you ask?
Yes.
I was born in law, I grew up in law, I received a law salvation (lukewarm), law brings death, I ran away before it killed me, I went into a far country, I spent all, I came back, my Father received me and spoke to me, and day by day until today I am receiving the robe, the ring, the shoes and the party. And it never ends...for all eternity.
One year ago Grace came to me and it was like an oasis in my desert...without any degree of hesitation I went and jumped in, boots and all. And at the risk of censure the grace of God to me is getting more and more...radical...everyday.
Now I could talk for so long...but my battery is declining and I have no powerpoint.
I am not in the business of trying convince you and if you want to depart now, no hard feeling.
So with declining battery I will say this...from one of the most momentous chapters of the Bible, the Word of God.
To describe God is difficult, limited by our finity against His matchless glory! I could choose many declarations of our God but this one will have to do...'...He made the stars also.' A throw-away line from Genesis 1, declaring the absolute immense awesomeness of God!
He declared what He thought of us.
How? He gave us His Son. Why?
Grace. Unexplainable, unmerited, ridiculous!
Why? To save us from our sin? Yes.
Is that all? Is the gift of God just salvation? Many think so. They receive Jesus as Saviour and say it is by grace and then beetle off and insist on doing everything else as if we are required to 'merit' the rest in some way.
Sorry I don't buy it. Dear, dear people...I can't walk that anymore. Jesus came to restore to us what our first father gave away in pride and disobedience. Consider what those things were.
As I consider God (matchless in all things) and the scale of His gift (His own Son) I cannot believe anymore that having given everything He now holds back on His grace and requires us to strive and toil for the rest. It is an offence to His matchlessness and the priceless, infinitely valuable scale and worth of His Gift!
So I believe in radical grace. An outrageous God, outrageous in creation, outrageous in love which made Him outrageous in giving which resulted in an outrageous Saviour which when received results in outrageous grace...radical grace.
When the cross was done did He cease to be outrageous? I don't think so.
Or did He then suspend His outrageousness for our lifetimes until we pass over, or the Lord comes, to then kick-start His outrageousness again? Sorry, I can't buy that anymore.
To receive that offends the nature of God.
He just isn't that, well, changeable.
He is the same, yesterday, today and forever...outrageous.
So my declaration?
I receive with my whole heart and being an outrageous God, who created outrageously, loved me outrageously, gave me personally His outrageous gift, and who pours His outrageous Grace upon me day by day. My future is in Him, my everything is in Him, my Life, my Truth, my Way. He is my future and I will trust Him. No more begging, no my foolish strategy, no more half measure Christianity...we want to be real? Ask this question...is He real or not because that is the only question that is valid. Squabbling, hypothesising over words and meanings get me nowhere...from here on I will trust the Lord.
The time has come to declare myself.
One year ago, after a lifetime of searching, I received the grace of God.
Huh? Haven't you been a Christian a longer time than that I hear you ask?
Yes.
I was born in law, I grew up in law, I received a law salvation (lukewarm), law brings death, I ran away before it killed me, I went into a far country, I spent all, I came back, my Father received me and spoke to me, and day by day until today I am receiving the robe, the ring, the shoes and the party. And it never ends...for all eternity.
One year ago Grace came to me and it was like an oasis in my desert...without any degree of hesitation I went and jumped in, boots and all. And at the risk of censure the grace of God to me is getting more and more...radical...everyday.
Now I could talk for so long...but my battery is declining and I have no powerpoint.
I am not in the business of trying convince you and if you want to depart now, no hard feeling.
So with declining battery I will say this...from one of the most momentous chapters of the Bible, the Word of God.
'He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not with Him freely give us all things?' Romans 8: 32This speaks of God. Who? The One who spoke and the stars where in the heavens...that 'word' continues unabated the stargazers tell us. How a stargazer could not believe in God just astounds me!
To describe God is difficult, limited by our finity against His matchless glory! I could choose many declarations of our God but this one will have to do...'...He made the stars also.' A throw-away line from Genesis 1, declaring the absolute immense awesomeness of God!
He declared what He thought of us.
How? He gave us His Son. Why?
Grace. Unexplainable, unmerited, ridiculous!
Why? To save us from our sin? Yes.
Is that all? Is the gift of God just salvation? Many think so. They receive Jesus as Saviour and say it is by grace and then beetle off and insist on doing everything else as if we are required to 'merit' the rest in some way.
Sorry I don't buy it. Dear, dear people...I can't walk that anymore. Jesus came to restore to us what our first father gave away in pride and disobedience. Consider what those things were.
As I consider God (matchless in all things) and the scale of His gift (His own Son) I cannot believe anymore that having given everything He now holds back on His grace and requires us to strive and toil for the rest. It is an offence to His matchlessness and the priceless, infinitely valuable scale and worth of His Gift!
So I believe in radical grace. An outrageous God, outrageous in creation, outrageous in love which made Him outrageous in giving which resulted in an outrageous Saviour which when received results in outrageous grace...radical grace.
When the cross was done did He cease to be outrageous? I don't think so.
Or did He then suspend His outrageousness for our lifetimes until we pass over, or the Lord comes, to then kick-start His outrageousness again? Sorry, I can't buy that anymore.
To receive that offends the nature of God.
He just isn't that, well, changeable.
He is the same, yesterday, today and forever...outrageous.
So my declaration?
I receive with my whole heart and being an outrageous God, who created outrageously, loved me outrageously, gave me personally His outrageous gift, and who pours His outrageous Grace upon me day by day. My future is in Him, my everything is in Him, my Life, my Truth, my Way. He is my future and I will trust Him. No more begging, no my foolish strategy, no more half measure Christianity...we want to be real? Ask this question...is He real or not because that is the only question that is valid. Squabbling, hypothesising over words and meanings get me nowhere...from here on I will trust the Lord.
Mission
Mission is a big word at the moment and, recently, significant time has been devoted to considering it. I am personally aware of two churches who have been making this the subject of the moment...and as we have been encouraged to all have an opinion by the study we have undertaken I guess you may as well hear mine...or alternatively you can close this page and go and do something else!
I have to say that, for me, making 'mission' a subject is somewhat akin to making grace a subject, it cannot be because grace, and mission, is a person and His name is Jesus.
Mission is Jesus and Jesus is mission.
You know there is one thing that confuses me about the human race and that is our penchant for taking something that is immensely simple and complicating it almost out of existence. That is what I feel we are doing with the subject of mission. We are intellectualising it almost to the point of extinction when embraced as Jesus intended I believe it is the most liberating and purposeful of life's pursuits.
For me it is the only one that really matters. Now please don't misunderstand what I just said for I did not say that 'mission' was the only thing that mattered because that would be glorifying the mission - Christ is the Exalted. The great purpose for my life is to exalt, to glorify, to lift up Jesus...that, for me, is 'mission'. I don't really care for your cleverly crafted interpretations, or your wonderfully designed strategies because the only point is to share the love of Christ.
Now I run the risk, I guess, of being accused of being simple, or something, but frankly I don't care. You can make mission a subject of as many sermons, the theme of as many conferences, the purpose of as many programs and strategies as you like but the bottom line remains. Mission is as simple as receiving Christ. It requires only to believe. It doesn't rely on you to any degree, it is just a response to Him.
If you want to be 'missional' then you must receive Jesus. That is the only strategy you need. If you want scripture then this one will do... 'We love because He first loved us.' Unless you receive His love then your mission sits with you, depends on you and will be frustration, fear and failure. I'm sorry but Jesus is Grace and grace is unmerited favour, favour that is not dependant upon us (Praise the Lord) born out of righteousness which is not ours but His freely given (unmerited favour).
This is the strategy for mission.
Exalt Christ, receive Christ, receive His love, relish His grace, bathe in His grace...He gives more than we can ever contain and so we become an overflow of grace to those we touch, you can't help it if you receive Him, you can't contain Him, He will spill out of you like a mountain stream in spring-time, a living fountain bubbling up to everlasting life.
Mission accomplished.
I have to say that, for me, making 'mission' a subject is somewhat akin to making grace a subject, it cannot be because grace, and mission, is a person and His name is Jesus.
Mission is Jesus and Jesus is mission.
You know there is one thing that confuses me about the human race and that is our penchant for taking something that is immensely simple and complicating it almost out of existence. That is what I feel we are doing with the subject of mission. We are intellectualising it almost to the point of extinction when embraced as Jesus intended I believe it is the most liberating and purposeful of life's pursuits.
For me it is the only one that really matters. Now please don't misunderstand what I just said for I did not say that 'mission' was the only thing that mattered because that would be glorifying the mission - Christ is the Exalted. The great purpose for my life is to exalt, to glorify, to lift up Jesus...that, for me, is 'mission'. I don't really care for your cleverly crafted interpretations, or your wonderfully designed strategies because the only point is to share the love of Christ.
Now I run the risk, I guess, of being accused of being simple, or something, but frankly I don't care. You can make mission a subject of as many sermons, the theme of as many conferences, the purpose of as many programs and strategies as you like but the bottom line remains. Mission is as simple as receiving Christ. It requires only to believe. It doesn't rely on you to any degree, it is just a response to Him.
If you want to be 'missional' then you must receive Jesus. That is the only strategy you need. If you want scripture then this one will do... 'We love because He first loved us.' Unless you receive His love then your mission sits with you, depends on you and will be frustration, fear and failure. I'm sorry but Jesus is Grace and grace is unmerited favour, favour that is not dependant upon us (Praise the Lord) born out of righteousness which is not ours but His freely given (unmerited favour).
This is the strategy for mission.
Exalt Christ, receive Christ, receive His love, relish His grace, bathe in His grace...He gives more than we can ever contain and so we become an overflow of grace to those we touch, you can't help it if you receive Him, you can't contain Him, He will spill out of you like a mountain stream in spring-time, a living fountain bubbling up to everlasting life.
Mission accomplished.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
The feet of Jesus...
Hands up who likes feet? No, me either. You see some pretty dodgy ones that's for sure. Somehow because they are so far away from the CPU they obviously don't get a lot of attention and often they look pretty neglected but we would be very lost without them.
I have been thinking about a verse and it made me think about feet.
The verse goes like this:
Lately we have been encouraged to consider our missional response to this vision and our values.
It made me think about feet. The reference to 'footsteps', I guess, was the inspiration.
If we are Christians I don't think we could reasonable argue with the thought that we are the sent ones of God. Just as Jesus was sent so are we sent...Jesus was pretty plain when He said that. Undoubtedly this is a great challenge to some, if not all. We are the sent ones, like ambassadors sent to a foreign land to extol the virtues of our land of origin. Our role is to extol the virtues of the King of our land of origin. When we accepted Jesus, the King, we moved to a new land and so as we are still here in this world our primary role is to do whatever we can to bring to light the virtues of the King of our land. I guess there are a myriad of ways in which we can do that but one thing is for sure that is the purpose of our remaining. Not to extol the virtues of any organisation, even dare I say it, if that organisation is a church...our purpose is to bring Jesus.
Feet...feet propel us on our journey.
Where do they take us? I have no interest to know where your feet took you this week but I want to give you a thought.
Think of Jesus' feet, (I wonder what they were like?) they took Him to places where there was lack, and disease, and rejection, and condemnation, and even death.
My thoughts are these...He went there so that we, in our own lives need not. He went there so that you need not personally accept and suffer these things. So it is on the basis of what He did that you can say no to these things.
And...He went there so that we would know where to go to co-mission with Him. Oh, I accept that not everyone will know the strength or inspiration to go to these places but God will certainly give you a role to play in touching hopeless, diseased, rejected, condemned and dead lives.
Consciously make yourself available to that role...
You know I think He was serious because after a lot of 'going' He went to the cross where His feet were pierced in the most barbaric way man could conceive. The enemy undoubtedly rejoiced in the thought that he had ceased the ministry of going in Jesus but not so, because having done what was necessary we read in John 20: 19 that when the disciples were gathered together after Jesus had been to the cross 'Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." '
Luke 24: 40 says that 'He showed them His hands and His feet.' Great significance in this act, I think.
I think Jesus stood on His feet as He said, "Peace be with you; as the Father sent Me, I also send you." Still standing He breathed on them to receive everything they would need to fulfil this commission...the Holy Spirit.
Take heart, you have all you need, He will not fail you, just stand up on your feet and make yourself available to the role He has for you to bring the kingdom...not the church...beloved hear this truly, we aren't here to build the church, we are here to build the Kingdom.
Stand and make yourself available to Him and He will show you His Kingdom purpose for you. You see it isn't about what you will do for Him, it's about what He will do through you. No burden there, make yourself available to Him.
Bless you.
I have been thinking about a verse and it made me think about feet.
The verse goes like this:
The church, of which I am a member, has adopted this verse as its vision and we have declared ourselves to be:'But the multitude were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.' Luke 9: 11
'Following in the footsteps of Jesus by Welcoming, Proclaiming and Healing.'Together with this vision are eight core values which you can see by looking at the website.
Lately we have been encouraged to consider our missional response to this vision and our values.
It made me think about feet. The reference to 'footsteps', I guess, was the inspiration.
If we are Christians I don't think we could reasonable argue with the thought that we are the sent ones of God. Just as Jesus was sent so are we sent...Jesus was pretty plain when He said that. Undoubtedly this is a great challenge to some, if not all. We are the sent ones, like ambassadors sent to a foreign land to extol the virtues of our land of origin. Our role is to extol the virtues of the King of our land of origin. When we accepted Jesus, the King, we moved to a new land and so as we are still here in this world our primary role is to do whatever we can to bring to light the virtues of the King of our land. I guess there are a myriad of ways in which we can do that but one thing is for sure that is the purpose of our remaining. Not to extol the virtues of any organisation, even dare I say it, if that organisation is a church...our purpose is to bring Jesus.
Feet...feet propel us on our journey.
Where do they take us? I have no interest to know where your feet took you this week but I want to give you a thought.
Think of Jesus' feet, (I wonder what they were like?) they took Him to places where there was lack, and disease, and rejection, and condemnation, and even death.
My thoughts are these...He went there so that we, in our own lives need not. He went there so that you need not personally accept and suffer these things. So it is on the basis of what He did that you can say no to these things.
And...He went there so that we would know where to go to co-mission with Him. Oh, I accept that not everyone will know the strength or inspiration to go to these places but God will certainly give you a role to play in touching hopeless, diseased, rejected, condemned and dead lives.
Consciously make yourself available to that role...
You know I think He was serious because after a lot of 'going' He went to the cross where His feet were pierced in the most barbaric way man could conceive. The enemy undoubtedly rejoiced in the thought that he had ceased the ministry of going in Jesus but not so, because having done what was necessary we read in John 20: 19 that when the disciples were gathered together after Jesus had been to the cross 'Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." '
Luke 24: 40 says that 'He showed them His hands and His feet.' Great significance in this act, I think.
I think Jesus stood on His feet as He said, "Peace be with you; as the Father sent Me, I also send you." Still standing He breathed on them to receive everything they would need to fulfil this commission...the Holy Spirit.
Take heart, you have all you need, He will not fail you, just stand up on your feet and make yourself available to the role He has for you to bring the kingdom...not the church...beloved hear this truly, we aren't here to build the church, we are here to build the Kingdom.
Stand and make yourself available to Him and He will show you His Kingdom purpose for you. You see it isn't about what you will do for Him, it's about what He will do through you. No burden there, make yourself available to Him.
Bless you.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Chicken or egg...?
No doubt you have heard the dilemma question...'which came first the chicken or the egg?'
I have been thinking about that.
The great oracle 'Wikipedia' declares that this 'causality dilemma' goes back a long way and that to 'ancient philosophers the question about the first chicken or egg also evoked questions of how life and the universe in general began'.
Aristotle (384 - 322 BC) apparently got a bit hung up on this question and came to the conclusion that the chicken and the egg must have always existed. 'If there had been a first man he must have been born without father or mother - which is repugnant to nature. For there could not have been a first egg to give beginning to birds, or there should have been a first bird which gave beginning to eggs; for a bird comes from an egg. The same he held good for all species, believing, with Plato, that everything before it appeared on earth had first its being in spirit'. Interesting thought!
Plutarch (46 - 126) wrote that '...the problem about the egg and the hen, which of them came first, was dragged into out talk, a difficult problem which gives investigators much trouble. And Sulla my comrade said that with a small problem, as with a tool, we were rocking loose a great and heavy one, that of the creation of the world'.
I've got a headache.
I am not a philosopher and make no claim to match with these great minds of the past but the fact is that despite the phenomenal advances we see since Aristotle and Plutarch had their moments the question still frustrates us today. It is frustrating me right now. It is about dilemmas. We are presented with dilemmas. The chicken and egg question is really about the dilemmas we face. Well it is for me.
One thing to note from the references I have shared above is that these blokes clearly had a view that the dilemmas like the chicken - egg tapped into something far greater than just chickens and eggs. Statements like 'creation of the world' and 'first its being in spirit' opens something greater than what we mere mortals are capable of producing.
Now you may not agree with me, there isn't a lot I can do to convince you, but the fact is that I am personally convinced that the greater depths of these questions and considering such things as 'creation' exposes me to God. And when I am exposed to God then I must position myself.
In fact I think mankind experiences this dilemma everyday. Everyday we are exposed in some way to God. We see a beautiful vista and we wonder; we look into the night sky and we wonder; we have a near miss and we wonder; we receive some amazing blessing and we wonder; we receive the blessing of a new born child and we wonder; we get a text and we answer 'OMG'...and in the midst of our 'wondering' we consciously or sub-consciously position ourselves in relation to God. I guess in all those moments we actually make a decision whether we believe in God or not...whether it's all about us or all about Him.
Anyway back to the question...which came first the chicken or the egg?
This question has come to me in recent days and it is a dilemma.
This is about WTL.
If you want to know about WTL can I suggest you go to our webpage, www.cambodiawtl.org.au.
We are standing before a door.
Some time ago God clearly declared that we were entering a period of growth. In fact WTL exists only because God said that WTL would be an 'avenue that we must walk down into growth'. We have been waiting for the growth.
Now I am often a bit slow and in my dullness I have been believing that growth equalled increased funding. The sad fact is that for WTL to do what WTL is called to do we need money and so I have 'believed' that growth equalled more money.
A dear friend said recently words to this effect, "But what does growth look like? Is it more money, or is it something else?"
It didn't hit me right there and then but it has slowly seeped in.
A few other things have happened, (there is a lot going on), and we are standing in front of a door.
We know a little of what lies beyond the door but only a little and frankly it is scary.
If we go through the door we are going to need a lot more money.
Which comes first? The chicken or the egg?
What is he talking about?...I hear you ask.
In our walk before God we absolutely declare Him to be the provider of all things, the One who hold us in His hand and will never let us go, the One who gave everything He had to restore us to Him, the One who is waiting for us to position ourselves to receive the absolute magnitude of the 'riches of glory in Christ Jesus', the One who wants to 'bless us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus', the One who wants us to sit at His right hand in Christ and receive 'the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness', the One who wants us to experience His favour...I could go on and on.
Our dilemma of faith is this...
'Do we wait for the funding, or do we just walk through the door anyway?'
Take Abraham who is one of the giants of faith presented to us in Hebrews 11. God clearly declares there in verse 8 'when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going'. Hmmm...
Isn't it funny how people who preach often get challenged by their own words? I have taken some young people to Cambodia on mission trips. Part of being on one of our little trips is that you have the opportunity to speak...you don't have to but you can if you want. I always encourage these people to prepare their testimonies as a good place to start when preaching because there is nothing, I find, more powerful than our own stories under the hand of God; it is our story given to us by God and we can easily get passionate about our own story. There are a significant number of times when I have had a young person before me quivering with apprehension as the time approaches for them to speak. I always say the same thing...'Don't worry, you have done some preparation, Jesus is here, He is with you, just get up and go to the front and He will meet you there. God doesn't meet us when we are sitting in our chair, He meets us on the way. He wants us to start walking first and then He meets us on the way. Don't worry, He will meet you there'. You know what? He always does. I have seen quivering wrecks go to the front with their little testimony in their shaking hands and watched them not refer once to their little piece of paper and bring the house down, in Jesus name.
My dilemma...
To step through this door we need a lot of money which we don't have...that is that hand.
The other hand says that this is the call of God, step in, get up and go, move forward, step through, get underway, go!...and I will provide.
Which comes first the chicken or the egg?
I hear God say, 'Step through'.
I hear God say, 'Do you need the egg before you have the chicken?'
I hear God say, 'Do you really believe that I need the egg before I can give the chicken?'
I hear God say, 'Take the chicken, I will provide the egg'.
Remember Plutarch who thought that the chicken - egg dilemma was really about the creation of the world? This is all really about the creator of the world. Does God really need an egg to produce a chicken, or a chicken to produce an egg? God spoke and 'made the stars also' (Genesis 1: 16).
Does he really need our bank account full before we step through His door?
What would you do?
I have been thinking about that.
The great oracle 'Wikipedia' declares that this 'causality dilemma' goes back a long way and that to 'ancient philosophers the question about the first chicken or egg also evoked questions of how life and the universe in general began'.
Aristotle (384 - 322 BC) apparently got a bit hung up on this question and came to the conclusion that the chicken and the egg must have always existed. 'If there had been a first man he must have been born without father or mother - which is repugnant to nature. For there could not have been a first egg to give beginning to birds, or there should have been a first bird which gave beginning to eggs; for a bird comes from an egg. The same he held good for all species, believing, with Plato, that everything before it appeared on earth had first its being in spirit'. Interesting thought!
Plutarch (46 - 126) wrote that '...the problem about the egg and the hen, which of them came first, was dragged into out talk, a difficult problem which gives investigators much trouble. And Sulla my comrade said that with a small problem, as with a tool, we were rocking loose a great and heavy one, that of the creation of the world'.
I've got a headache.
I am not a philosopher and make no claim to match with these great minds of the past but the fact is that despite the phenomenal advances we see since Aristotle and Plutarch had their moments the question still frustrates us today. It is frustrating me right now. It is about dilemmas. We are presented with dilemmas. The chicken and egg question is really about the dilemmas we face. Well it is for me.
One thing to note from the references I have shared above is that these blokes clearly had a view that the dilemmas like the chicken - egg tapped into something far greater than just chickens and eggs. Statements like 'creation of the world' and 'first its being in spirit' opens something greater than what we mere mortals are capable of producing.
Now you may not agree with me, there isn't a lot I can do to convince you, but the fact is that I am personally convinced that the greater depths of these questions and considering such things as 'creation' exposes me to God. And when I am exposed to God then I must position myself.
In fact I think mankind experiences this dilemma everyday. Everyday we are exposed in some way to God. We see a beautiful vista and we wonder; we look into the night sky and we wonder; we have a near miss and we wonder; we receive some amazing blessing and we wonder; we receive the blessing of a new born child and we wonder; we get a text and we answer 'OMG'...and in the midst of our 'wondering' we consciously or sub-consciously position ourselves in relation to God. I guess in all those moments we actually make a decision whether we believe in God or not...whether it's all about us or all about Him.
Anyway back to the question...which came first the chicken or the egg?
This question has come to me in recent days and it is a dilemma.
This is about WTL.
If you want to know about WTL can I suggest you go to our webpage, www.cambodiawtl.org.au.
We are standing before a door.
Some time ago God clearly declared that we were entering a period of growth. In fact WTL exists only because God said that WTL would be an 'avenue that we must walk down into growth'. We have been waiting for the growth.
Now I am often a bit slow and in my dullness I have been believing that growth equalled increased funding. The sad fact is that for WTL to do what WTL is called to do we need money and so I have 'believed' that growth equalled more money.
A dear friend said recently words to this effect, "But what does growth look like? Is it more money, or is it something else?"
It didn't hit me right there and then but it has slowly seeped in.
A few other things have happened, (there is a lot going on), and we are standing in front of a door.
We know a little of what lies beyond the door but only a little and frankly it is scary.
If we go through the door we are going to need a lot more money.
Which comes first? The chicken or the egg?
What is he talking about?...I hear you ask.
In our walk before God we absolutely declare Him to be the provider of all things, the One who hold us in His hand and will never let us go, the One who gave everything He had to restore us to Him, the One who is waiting for us to position ourselves to receive the absolute magnitude of the 'riches of glory in Christ Jesus', the One who wants to 'bless us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus', the One who wants us to sit at His right hand in Christ and receive 'the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness', the One who wants us to experience His favour...I could go on and on.
Our dilemma of faith is this...
'Do we wait for the funding, or do we just walk through the door anyway?'
Take Abraham who is one of the giants of faith presented to us in Hebrews 11. God clearly declares there in verse 8 'when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going'. Hmmm...
Isn't it funny how people who preach often get challenged by their own words? I have taken some young people to Cambodia on mission trips. Part of being on one of our little trips is that you have the opportunity to speak...you don't have to but you can if you want. I always encourage these people to prepare their testimonies as a good place to start when preaching because there is nothing, I find, more powerful than our own stories under the hand of God; it is our story given to us by God and we can easily get passionate about our own story. There are a significant number of times when I have had a young person before me quivering with apprehension as the time approaches for them to speak. I always say the same thing...'Don't worry, you have done some preparation, Jesus is here, He is with you, just get up and go to the front and He will meet you there. God doesn't meet us when we are sitting in our chair, He meets us on the way. He wants us to start walking first and then He meets us on the way. Don't worry, He will meet you there'. You know what? He always does. I have seen quivering wrecks go to the front with their little testimony in their shaking hands and watched them not refer once to their little piece of paper and bring the house down, in Jesus name.
My dilemma...
To step through this door we need a lot of money which we don't have...that is that hand.
The other hand says that this is the call of God, step in, get up and go, move forward, step through, get underway, go!...and I will provide.
Which comes first the chicken or the egg?
I hear God say, 'Step through'.
I hear God say, 'Do you need the egg before you have the chicken?'
I hear God say, 'Do you really believe that I need the egg before I can give the chicken?'
I hear God say, 'Take the chicken, I will provide the egg'.
Remember Plutarch who thought that the chicken - egg dilemma was really about the creation of the world? This is all really about the creator of the world. Does God really need an egg to produce a chicken, or a chicken to produce an egg? God spoke and 'made the stars also' (Genesis 1: 16).
Does he really need our bank account full before we step through His door?
What would you do?
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