Yo-yo Gospel

When I was in Primary School during the yo-yo years of the 1970s, I was the proud owner of a Coca Cola yo-yo.   I could do all sorts of tricks with it.   It was made of glass, was a good weight and felt great in the hand.   Other kids had yo-yos too, but no-one had a Coca Cola yo-yo like mine.   I was generous and shared it around, letting others use it.  Some could also do tricks, and I liked to see the delight on their faces when they used the glass Coca Cola yo-yo.  For them, it was like getting off a skateboard and onto a hoverboard.   The glass yo-yo was very advanced compared with the common plastic models!   Many kids liked it, but one lusted after it - he had an unhealthy desire to own it.

One day, my yo-yo was stolen when I was at school.   I knew who stole my yo-yo.   He'd lusted after it for weeks.   He claimed to be my friend.   He also claimed his dad bought him a Coca-Cola yo-yo on the day mine was stolen.   Although I was only 8 years old, I understood the concept of James' explanation of unchecked temptation leading to death:

... each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.   Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.  (James 1:14-15 NIV)

In Genesis 4:7, God addressed Cain on the topic of sin and temptation:

... if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. (NIV)

Sadly, Cain was only walking in the steps of his parents who failed to resist temptation in Genesis 3 and caused a severed relationship from God for all of mankind (the fall).

Todd Friel (of Wretched Radio) has an analogy that explains how Genesis 3, an ancient chinese toy and the theft of my yo-yo in 1977 all link together. 

You can see his presentation here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrNNpUmK_TQ

As you watch this presentation, remember the key words:  severed relationship and fall.

It's another great analogy for the tool-kit!

Not this kind of yo-yo!

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Unusually, I am referencing Alice Through the Looking Glass 2 weeks in a row!   Last week was a reference to Humpty Dumpty, and this week I want to comment on a quote of time Personified, or the Anthropomorphism of time by Lewis Carroll.   In fact, I will argue that Carroll actually even attempts to deify time.

Mr. Time (Time) is the antagonistic character in the story Alice Through the Looking Glass.   Some might argue that the Red Queen is the antagonist, but I beg to differ:   the Red Queen is simply a grumpy, badly behaved, hard-hearted, jilted Princess who just wants to know she is loved by her sister, the White Queen;  Mr. Time, however, puts himself in the position of God Almighty, controlling eternity and without whom the world as Alice knows it would not exist.

The most profound and telling statement from Mr. Time is heard when he introduces the Grand Clock:  

The heart clock

"He is me and I am he",

(displaying his heart clock at the same time).   Is he claiming to be God?

There is none like God Almighty.   He is the Alpha and Omega.  

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Rev 1:8 NASB)

He always was and always will be. 

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"  (Exo 3:14 NASB)

God co-exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  They are individual entities, yet they are One.  

Mr. Time thinks he is immortal, but he is not.   His world begins to unravel as Alice travels back through time itself, and life is sucked out of him.

Yet in comparison, Jesus said of Himself,

I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again.  No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. (John 10:17b-18a NET)

There was nothing that Mr. Time could do to save himself or give life to others, but Jesus says in Revelation 21:6,

I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. (Rev 21:6 NASB)

and even whilst He was being crucified on the cross, He gave life to others:

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43 NIV)

So what's the problem with time personified and Alice Through the Looking Glass?   Isn't it just a harmless children's animation?

The Grand Clock

Carm.org says about cults:

From the view of Christianity a cult distorts the doctrines that affect salvation sufficiently to cause it to be unattainable.

Time personified would have everyone believe that he is in control of destiny and chooses the time of death of each and every individual; that he is immortal and can not die.

Other world religions also twist the truth of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.   All are man-made; none have been instituted by God Almighty whose plan from eternity past was for salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.  

Jesus is the only immortal man who has existed from eternity-past and has demonstrated His authority to lay down His life and to take it up again.   Hope can only be found in Him.

Alice Through the Looking Glass reminds us to test all concepts against scripture and to be aware of teachings that may lead us away from the Word of God.

What I'm Reading: The Atheist Who Didn't Exist

The Atheist Who Didn't Exist by Andy Bannister

It took a bit of persistence to really get into this book, but after I worked out Bannister's quirky sense of humour, I started to enjoy his logical discussions.

Bannister sticks the boots into Richard Dawkins and other New Atheists, which I initially thought was a bit unprofessional, but the more I read, the more I realised he wasn't actually judging Dawkins and others, but countering arguments in a way that Dawkins would have trouble taking offence to.   In fact, Bannister was quite respectful of Dawkins as a person.  I expect they would be able to sit at a dinner table together and have a friendly, robust conversation without too much offence.

In chapter 11, Bannister pays credit to Dawkins:

For all of the fun I poke at Professor Dawkins, I do value him and his fellow New Atheists for forcing me to think.   Thus my challenge to my sceptical friends is whether they are similarly willing to critically examine their own assumptions and beliefs.  After all, it's only when you're willing to go down to the basement with a flashlight and poke around your foundations that you can really know whether what you're building stands on rock, sand or simply hot air.

I especially like Bannister's consideration for Dawkins's daughter:

I have no idea what Dawkins's daughter, Juliet, does or does not believe - but if she is an atheist like her father, I hope she isn't having to fend off argumentative Anglicans dinging her around the head with soundbites like "You are only an atheist because your daddy is".  Or maybe Dawkins displayed incredible philosophical consistency and raised her as a Mennonite, just so he couldn't be accused of foisting his beliefs on his child.

Bannister sets out his objective of the book at the end of Chapter 1:

... my hope is that it will encourage you not to be afraid of some of the atheist sound bites that are frequently hurled like brickbats from various directions in our culture.

Each of Bannister's chapters start with a nonsensical story, like The Aardvark in the Artichokes, and The Lunatic in the Louvre.   This, too, was disconcerting until I followed the logical progression of each chapter to where the nonsense was used by Bannister to demonstrate the equally ridiculous arguments of the New Atheists.  As I progressed through the book, the logic grew stronger and the nonsense more relevant.

In the chapter Humpty Dumpty and the Vegan, Bannister quotes Humpty Dumpty (ie. Lewis Carroll) from Through the Looking Glass,

When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean.

This forms the basis for a discussion about who gets to define "good" and "evil", as these definitions for fundamentals and moral absolutes for atheistic arguments.   (Humpty Dumpty's dilemma!)

Bannister often turns atheistic arguments on themselves throughout the book.  For example, in chapter 2 he quotes Christopher Hitchins (an Atheistic writer),

That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.

Hitchins's most quoted statement has been turned around to argue against his very own case.

Whilst the book certainly tips the scales well onto the positive side for me, I see one glaring omission from Bannister's very logical approach:  there's plenty of discussion about "proof" but I'm yet to find deep discussion about faith in the sense that God's Word is self sufficient and self proving.   He missed the most important logical point.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isa 55:10-11 NIV)

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Heb 4:12-13 NIV)

This is a good book to challenge you to think, affirm your foundations, and add to your toolkit.


Bannister, A., 2015, The Atheist Who Didn't Exist Or: The Dreadful Consequences of Bad Arguments, Monarch Books, Oxford.  (I reviewed the Kindle version which I purchased from Amazon.)

4 Ways to Sharpen Your Leadership Skills

I have taken this post directly from an article by Dr. Scott Barfoot in the DTS Magazine - Fall 2016, pp. 12-13.   It's good enough to reproduce in its entirety.   All I would add is that I think Dr. Barfoot's fourth essential should be first!

See http://www.dts.edu/magazine/?issue=6a96170b-2997-492b-9ac0-8a1f1d892555 for the full magazine and http://www.dts.edu/read/four-ways-to-sharpen-your-leadership-skills-barfoot-d-scott/ for this article.

                                                                                                                     

In the early nineties, I was shepherding a small Baptist church in rural New Brunswick, Canada. As a single man in those days, I lived with various families in the community. One family, who owned a meat production business, graciously allowed me to stay with them for a couple of months. I helped prepare various cuts of meat as part of my room and board. I will never forget the importance of having a sharp knife. In fact, even if the knife appeared only a little dull, it just wouldn’t cut it!

If you and I are going to be all that God wants us to be, we have to experience regular, personal, and spiritual sharpening through close interaction with iron-men and iron-women.

I can still picture this husband and wife team pulling out the sharpening rods every few minutes. I watched sparks fly as their knife and rod collided in an almost rhythmic fashion. I have never witnessed such incredible sharpening skills! The ancient wisdom of Proverbs 27:17—“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”—sparks a vital truth for us today. If you and I are going to be all that God wants us to be, we have to experience regular, personal, and spiritual sharpening through close interaction with iron-men and iron-women. In other words, we best grow when we most glow.

There are four essentials for casting a network of iron-friends that include building an inner circle of support, expecting critics and receiving criticism well, engaging with a like-minded community of learners, and connecting in prayer with our Lord every day. Each of these essentials can serve as God’s refining instrument to keep us sharp and effective for ministry leadership today and into the future.

Build a Support System

First, build an inner circle of support. It is vital to have a small group of trusted confidants—spiritually mature family and associates who walk with the Lord, pray for you regularly, and have your best interests at heart. These iron-friends know your story and see God’s fingerprints in your life. Lean on them. Seek their counsel. Give them permission to ask the hard questions and to journey by your side. I’m not sure where I would be without my wife, Debbie. Time and time again I lean on her for wisdom, feedback, and perspective.

Several years ago we were involved in a major church transition. With all the relational heat and friction mixed with my touch of a messiah complex, I felt completely worn down. She approached me with both graciousness and boldness, “Honey, you are not God. The world and all of its problems do not revolve around you. You are not that powerful!” Although hard to hear, she hit the nail on the head. God was in control, and I needed to move forward and trust him to help us ford the seemingly uncrossable river. Debbie’s support as an iron-friend and confidant honed my perspective and spurred me forward.

Criticism is an Opportunity to Grow

Second, expect critics and receive their criticism well. Clashes with faultfinders can certainly cause all kinds of pain. However, it can also provide a powerful tool and even an iron-friend to make us better. In Leading Your Church through Conflict and Reconciliation: 30 Strategies to Transform Your Ministry, Fred Smith rightly noted that "criticism properly given and properly received accounts for much of the progress in a person or an organisation" without which can lead to either dullness or lack of productivity.  Nonetheless, we also know that unbridled criticism can cause destruction if not contained. Charles H. Spurgeon winsomely advised his students in Lectures to My Students: Addresses Delivered to the Students of the Pastors’ College to limit criticism by having “one blind eye” and “one deaf ear” to disparagement. “To go about the congregation ferreting out disaffection, like a gamekeeper after rabbits, is mean employment and is generally rewarded most sorrowfully.”

“When someone criticizes you, stop and look in the mirror. If it is true, make the changes that are needed. If it is not true, then they must be talking about someone else.” ​

I especially cherish the advice passed on through family from a seasoned pastor who experienced his share of disapproval over several decades of pastoring the same church. “When someone criticizes you, stop and look in the mirror. If it is true, make the changes that are needed. If it is not true, then they must be talking about someone else.”

Keep Learning from Others

Third, engage with a community of learners. Foster an insatiable thirst to keep learning from those around you. Attend a seminar, take a seminary course, join a Bible study group, mentor a young person, listen to a sermon podcast, ask questions, be curious. Learn and grow. Excel as a student of God’s Word and his world to keep refreshed and razor-edged for the work of the gospel ministry.
One of the many things I love about the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program is participating in the various general course and cohort-based learning communities. It is transformational to watch sparks fly as faculty mentors and small groups of students engage in robust dialogue around Scripture. Real-life ministry challenges the goal of spiritual and organizational enhancement. And all of this is at the heart of forging godly servant-leaders worldwide.

Cultivate a Relationship with the Lord

Fourth, connect in prayer with the Lord every day. Jesus cultivated a close and abiding relationship with the Father through prayer. When Jesus was about to experience his greatest agony, he demonstrated his greatest act of love. Through prayer and communion with the Father, he found clarity, strength, and determination to say, “Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). In humility, Jesus loved his disciples to the end (John 13:1)—even to death on a cross (Phil 2:8). Jesus’s garden prayer was answered as he, in obedience to the Father, chose the path of loving self-sacrifice over fearful self-protection. Christ—the ultimate iron-friend—calls us to imitate his way of life. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).

Never underestimate the importance of having a network of iron-friends. The influence of your inner circle, your raging critics, like-minded fellow learners, and Jesus himself can be used by God to serve as a refining instrument keeping us sharp and productive for his glory, our good, and the work of the gospel.

Dr. D. Scott Barfoot (ThM, 1999) serves as director of DTS’s Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program. Scott aspires to equip and empower global executive, pastoral, and educational ministry leaders who impact the next generation for the cause of Christ. You can find more on leadership at www.xpastor.org
 

Pay Attention

Pay attention!

Jesus asked Mary, "Woman, whom are you seeking?" when she found the tomb empty and the body of the crucified Jesus missing (Jn. 20:15).

I have puzzled over this question.  Why did Jesus ask this question, and why did John report it to us in his gospel?   The (obvious) answer to the question doesn't seem to help unless we ask questions of the text.   What was the lesson for Mary, and what's the lesson for us today?

Jesus knew who Mary was seeking, so the question was not framed to give Him an answer to a puzzle, but rather in His regular style, He used a question to help another come to realise a truth.

So why did He ask the question?   The simple answer to the question, "Woman, whom are you seeking?" was "Jesus" or even "My Lord" as she had previously told the 2 angels a moment earlier.   But these weren't her answers to His question, and she still missed the point.

The other disciples missed the point too:

Before Jesus appeared to Mary, she had run from the empty tomb to the disciples and reported that His body was missing (see John 20:1-9):

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) (NIV)

There are some clues in this passage:

(1) the other disciple ("the one Jesus loved") is believed to be John, the author of this gospel.   John himself reports in 20:31, "but these" (John's gospel) "have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name." (NASB)  He is most likely reporting from his own perspective the lack of understanding by the disciples, himself and Mary that Jesus had to rise from the dead;

(2) the head cloth used in the burial was folded and separate from the other burial cloths.  In the same way as a napkin is folded and placed on a table at the end of a meal, this folded headcloth signified that Jesus's work was finished.  See also Jn. 19:30

So we have Mary standing at the empty tomb, face to face with the risen Jesus (but she doesn't recognise Him) and He has asked her the question, "Woman, whom are you seeking?"

There's another clue in Hebrews 2:1:

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. (NIV)

So firstly, John had reported all these things so that we may (a) believe and (b) have life and secondly, John is reinforcing the lessons that Jesus taught His disciples that He had to rise from the dead.  These truths are drawn out when we consider whom it was Mary was seeking.  The final clue is the one from Hebrews 2:1 warning us to pay heed to what we know.

Remember the 4 types of people:
1. Those who know what they know (secure and confident);
2. Those who know what they don't know (learners);
3. Those who don't know what they don't know (unreached);
4. Those who don't know what they know (ignorant).

I trust that you are in the first group, knowing the truth and living it because you know it and recognise it.  Considering Jesus's question to Mary, we should also ask the same question so that we remember Who we are seeking (and serving) and not fall away (fall into the 4th group).

It's Harvest Time!

In our region, it is harvest time.   A few weeks ago, I saw one farmer harvesting the first of his silage, yet other farmers in the region are yet to start.   Wherever you live, there is a harvest.   After the silage, as the weather continues to improve into early summer, the hay will come.   We don't have to travel too far to see the grape harvest in the latter part of our summer.

We read a story about a vinegrower in Mark chapter 12:

"A man planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.  At harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his portion of the crop.  But those tenants seized his slave, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.  So he sent another slave to them again. This one they struck on the head and treated outrageously.  He sent another, and that one they killed. This happened to many others, some of whom were beaten, others killed.  He had one left, his one dear son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and the inheritance will be ours!'  So they seized him, killed him, and threw his body out of the vineyard." (Mark 12:1-8 NET)

God prepared a beatiful land for His people and entrusted it to them.  This land (Israel) is described in Exodus 3:8 (and others) as "land flowing with milk and honey" and Ezekiel 20:15 further describes it as "the glory of all lands" (NASB) and "the most beautiful of all lands" (NET).

He sent prophets to prepare the people to return to the Lord their God, but those prophets were rejected, mistreated and even killed in His name (see Mark 6:21-28 as an example).

God sent His one and only Son, Jesus to redeem the debt, but He too was rejected and murdered.   Ironically however, His death was the absolute redemption for all sin and as v.11 says, this is marvellous!

  "This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" (Mark 12:11 NET)

Praise God that He ushered in the Age of Grace during which all men can turn to Him:

"What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others."

and Jesus has become the Cornerstone of the church

"Have you not read this scripture: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."

Jesus put a spiritual emphasis on harvesting as an eternal endeavour when he said,

Don't you say, 'There are four more months and then comes the harvest?' I tell you, look up and see that the fields are already white for harvest! The one who reaps receives pay and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together.   (Jn.4:35-36)

The farmer has to have wisdom about the right time to harvest; in a spiritual context we might be called to sow, or we might be called to reap, so we need to sensitively discern!

For in this instance the saying is true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap what you did not work for; others have labored and you have entered into their labor." (John 4:37-38 NET)

If the crops are not harvested at the right time, they will spoil.   Don't miss the opportunity!  I love Isaiah's enthusiasm when God calls for someone to go:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isa 6:8 NASB)

We should be this enthusiastic to go when called!

A time is coming when another harvest will take place; that is the harvest of the wrath of God. 

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe." Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe." So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles. (Rev 14:14 NASB)

We are the redeemed who have accepted the debt paid on our behalf by Jesus, so we have the responsibility to proclaim His message in this age to save others from the harvest of God's wrath in the age to come.



Credits:
Grape image www.oregonlive.com

Rock Gardens In the Air

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.  (1 Thess. 4:16-17, NASB)

Toby Mac raps a song titled "In the Air" in which he has a lamenting dream about his friend not being part of the rapture:

I had a dream last night about the other side
And I must confess that it was quite the ride
I had a dream last night and the fact that you weren't there
Gave me quite the scare (Ah-huh)
You see people were afloat all around me
Yet their weightless state never seemed to astound me
Everything was grand 'til I noticed one thing
That you my friend weren't on the scene

William Fay had a dream too:

One night I had a dream.   A woman clutched a little girl, struggling to hold her child's head above the water.   Nearby, a wave plunged a man into its salty depths.  He choked for air as he thrashed his arms against a ceiling of water.  All around, the ocean churned with drowning people ...  

Then a huge rock appeared, and a voice called into the darkness.   People began crawling up the rock's craggy sides to safety.

But when they got to safety, something happened that drove me almost goofy.  The people who emerged from the waves got busy.  They got involved building rock gardens, rock lives, rock jobs, listening to their rock music and going to rock meetings where they talked about the people who were still drowing in the ocean.   But nobody went back to the water's edge to help. (Fay, p.5)

There may be a number of reasons why we don't fulfil the commission set by Jesus (going into all the world and making disciples):

Fear of rejection

The parable of the sower in Mark 4 and Luke 8 teaches us that the message will be rejected by some as the seed falls on the path; some will fall away as the seed falls on rocky ground; some will be unfruitful as the seed falls amongst the thorns; but some seed will fall on good soil and reproduce 30, 60 and 100-fold.

It's a biblical principle that Jesus' disciples will be rejected:

All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Mark 13:13 NIV)

But this rejection also brings with it a blessing:

Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. (Luke 6:22 NASB)

Share the gospel first.  Build relationships later.   Remember, it is for His sake.

Fear of reproach

In Acts 5, Peter and the Apostles were investigated for speaking the name of Jesus:

"We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." (v.28)

and Peter's reply should give us encouragement when we fear the reproach of man:

"We must obey God rather than men". (v.29)

and when they were flogged for preaching the name of Jesus, they rejoiced and continued with their task!

... after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. (vv. 40-42)

Don't know how to start?

It's the age of religious tolerance.  Whether you consider that is good or bad is a matter of perspective. The point is that religious tolerance is a topical contemporary discussion and it is reasonable to respectfully discuss religious matters and opinions with others.  William Fay suggests 5 questions that help to lead someone to a discussion about faith in Jesus Christ:

1. Do you have any kind of spiritual beliefs?
2. To you, who is Jesus Christ?
3. Do you think there is a heaven or hell?
4. If you died, where would you go?  If heaven, why?
5. If what you are believing is not true, would you want to know?  (Fay, p.33)

With this last question, the person gives you permission to share with them.

Fortunately William Fay's ocean and Toby Mac's In the Air are only dreams, but they serve as great reminders to us of our very real and current mission:

... Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."   (Matt. 28:18-20 NASB)

We are not alone in our mission.  Note Jesus' last words in the Gospel of Matthew:

"I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

He is with us!


(Toby Mac's plan to rectify the problem is seen in the latter part of his song, and Fay's strategy for sharing Jesus is spelled out through his book, but I won't spoil them for you...!)

References:

Fay, W. (1999). Share Jesus Without Fear. 1st ed. Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, pp.5, 33.

Damn the Absolute!

"Damn the Absolute!"   Please pardon the expression which is a quote of William James from Os Guinness in Fool's Talk, but it does take us straight to the jugular.

Why is the absolute so scary for some?

The Barna Research Group reports that 57% of Americans claim that knowledge of right and wrong is a matter of personal experience and a whopping 74% of Millennials (born 1984-2002) agree that “Whatever is right for your life or works best for you is the only truth you can know."   Sadly, in the same study under the category of "The Morality of Self-Fulfilment", 76% of practicing christians agree that "The best way to find yourself is by looking within yourself", and 61% (of practicing christians) agree that "People can believe whatever they want as long as those beliefs don't affect society."   Does this mean that they believe that what they've got (inside themselves) is better than that which Jesus Christ offers?   This is not okay.   The eternal destinity of every individual in the world depends on what they believe.

Ray Comfort addresses Relative Morality in his documentary-style movie Evolution Vs. God which you can stream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0u3-2CGOMQ.  The Relative Morality part starts at the 21 minute time-mark.   In this video, Ray Comfort discusses the problem of failing to have moral absolutes.  That problem has a huge impact on the society around us.  A culture without absolutes can not survive.

Another problem with the absolute is its origin.   We can find absolutes in many areas:  time, morality, cultural norms... but each one of these absolutes has an impact on our belief system and our worldview. 

This brings us to the pointy end of the discussion:   if we can look within ourselves to find ourselves, then there is no need for any absolutes.   If we had no absolutes, we would have no crime, no sin, and no need for ... wait!   Did I say "No Sin"??   There's the answer.  If we do away with absolutes, then we will have no moral absolutes, no law of God and no sin.  Therefore we would not need to admit to our sin (because it wouldn't exist) and have no need for conviction of sin or salvation.   We would be unaccountable to any and every person (and God).   There, very simply, is the psychology of the rejection of absolutes.

In Romans 7:15-24, Paul eloquently describes the problem of the fleshly human nature and the desire to do that which is contrary to the law of God.   He says in Romans 1:20,

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Yet, we see excuses to disregard God, and one such excuse is the deliberate rejection of absolutes.   Rejection of absolutes means rejection of God's grace and offer of salvation, and the embracing of evil practices and acts.   So it gets worse...

Although they knew God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them (Rom. 1:32)

It sounds very much like the culture we live in, yet Paul's letter to the Romans was penned around 2,000 years ago.

On the flipside, the beauty of this problem is that the whole issue of absolutes and moral absolutes can be used in an apologetics sense to turn people to the truth which does in fact exist and is found in the Word of God.  

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16)

The Lord declares in Isaiah 55:11,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

 A discussion about the purpose of absolutes in God's plan for mankind must lead people to the sin problem: the separation of man from the intended perfect relationship with God, thus exposing the need for the Saviour, Jesus.




References:

Barna Group. (2016). The End of Absolutes: America's New Moral Code - Barna Group. [online] Available at: https://www.barna.com/research/the-end-of-absolutes-americas-new-moral-code/ [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].

Guinness, O. (2016). Fool's Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion. 1st ed. Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Our Temporary Home

Looking around

Do you ever feel out of place?   That you don't belong?   That you don't fit in?   That's because we don't belong here on earth; at least, not in the long term.   This is our temporary home.

King David also wondered about the evil around him, and why wrongdoers seem to prosper, and wicked, violent men grow like a healthy tree, but he also recognised God's guiding hand on those who are righteous.   You can read more about these thoughts of David in Psalm 37.  

Jesus told his disciples, "If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world."  Jn. 15:19a,b

Looking ahead

2 Peter 3:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. v10 (NASB)

But according to His promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. v13 (NASB)

 
In his book The Late Great Planet Earth, Hal Lindsey correctly interprets 2 Peter 3:13 when he says that we want to be in the new heaven and earth.   The NASB says we "are looking for" whereas the NIV says we "are looking forward to" (the new heavens and the new earth).   We should be looking forward to it because that is how God has programmed us - to desire righteous living, and perfect relationship with Him!

Then Christ will put the atoms back together to form a new heaven and earth, in which only glorified persons without their sinful natures will live.   There will be no more rebellion of man's will against God; only righteousness, peace, security, harmony and joy.   That's where we want to be!  (Lindsey, 179)

Chris Hadfield says in An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth,

"I am actually leaving the planet today", 

but we can't all be as sure as Hadfield about the day we will leave!   The fact is that we will leave. 

A day is coming when Jesus will return and take believers to be with Him.   We will spend eternity with Him in glorified form, in the new heaven and the new earth.   How are you preparing for His return?

 

Hadfield, Chris, 2013, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, Macmillan, London

Lindsey, Hal, 1970, The Late Great Planet Earth, Zondervan, Grand Rapids

The Cat Hunt

The Cat Hunt, or The Theology of the Seeker

Does the mouse hunt the cat?   Does the deer hunt the man?   Is a seeker really a seeker?  Why does Francis Thompson call God the "Hound of Heaven"?   A friend often says, "My wife chased me for years until I caught her":  I think he's giving us a clear and sound theological analogy of God's calling on our lives.  Why has "seeker" philosophy crept into our modern-church vocabularies?


God called to Adam and Eve, "Where are you?"   In their sin and shame, Adam and Eve hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden (Gen 3:8-9, NIV).  They did not seek him in their shame, but He sought and found them and confronted them in their sin.  About fleeing from God, Thompson wrote:

I fled Him down the nights and down the days...
I fled Him down the Labyrinthine ways...
I hid from Him, under running laughter...
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after...

Still with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbed pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
Came on the following Feet ...   (Thompson, Hound of Heaven, abridged)

In his autobiography Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life in the pentultimate chapter Checkmate, C.S. Lewis reflects on his philosophising as an athiest:

Amiable agnostics will talk cheerfully about "man's search for God".   To me, as I then was, they might as well have talked about the mouse's search for the cat.

You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet.

In his epic song Deathbed, band Reliant K's Matt Thiessen sings as a man lamenting his life at its end:

I was so scared of Jesus
But He sought me out
Like the cancer in my lungs
It's killing me now ...

After all, seeking (and saving, or seeking with a purpose) is Jesus' mission:  "The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."  (Lk. 19:10)

I have two close friends who each know that God has called them to surrender their lives to His control.  One says in all seriousness, "God has been chasing me for years.  He'll catch me one day."  The other says, "God demands my all.  Until I'm prepared to surrender all to Him, I'm not going to say yes."   I hope and pray that they don't leave it too long and miss out.

God doesn't stop when He "catches us".  He provides ongoing care and relationship.  Take Psalm 139 as an example: 

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me" ... "Where can I go from your Spirit?"   (vv. 1, 7)

This is a rhetorical question, answered by the writer David,

"If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there.  If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will lay hold of me."  (vv. 8-10)

So what's the application of this article?  If you're reading this as a believer, don't fall for the modern lie that the gospel has to be watered down for "seekers".   People have an eternal cancer that will separate them from the presence of God unless they recognise their desperate need of salvation, so take them directly to their sin and need of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.   If you are reading this as a non-believer, don't run from the Saviour, Jesus; rather surrender to Him and allow Him to save you from your sin.   He loves you so much that He died on the Cross to take the punishment for your sin, so that you don't have to make the payment with eternal death on judgment day.

PS:  The photograph is not included to make light of a very serious matter, but rather to provide a visual by which you may remember the truths in this article. 

Photo credit:  https://hrexach.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/shootfair.jpg?w=462&h=453

Who is this Jesus I worship?

Who is Jesus?  

His full title is The Lord Jesus Christ.

He is Lord

He is the Almighty Creator.   "In the beginnning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made."  Jn. 1:1-3.  "For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.   He is before all things and in Him all things hold together."  Col. 1:16-17

Lord is defined as Authority or Master.  So, in His person, He is Lord.   That is, He has authority over all creation including created beings.   Even though not all creation acknowledges Him as Lord or gives Him Lordship, the fact remains that He is Lord over all.   Phil. 2:10-11 makes it clear that everyone will acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, "Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Do you acknowledge His Lordship to the exclusion of all else?

He is God in the flesh, Jesus

"You shall give Him the name Jesus because he shall save his people from their sins."  Mt. 1:21

"He is the image of the invisible God", Col. 1:15.   Wow!  God made Himself visible to man and walked amongst us.   He was born as a baby, experienced all the trials and temptations, had feelings and compassion, yet was entirely God at the same time, "In Christ, all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form" Col. 2:9.

When He commenced His ministry, people were wondering who He was.  The account of Jesus healing the paralytic man can be seen in the parallel passages of Matt. 9, Mark 2 and Luke 5.   Jesus healed the paralytic man, but this was a 2-stage miracle:

In the first instance, Jesus healed the man's spiritual needs.   Clearly his spiritual needs were more important than his physical needs.  Jesus said, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Mark and Luke report that the teachers of the law thought to themselves, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?", and accused Jesus of blasphemy, that is, claiming to be God.

Even though Jesus had already forgiven the paralytic man for his sin, and the forgiveness was complete, there was no physical and tangible evidence for the people who were present.   It is easy for people to use words, but the words can be empty and meaningless.   Jesus decided to demonstrate with physical evidence that He was indeed God Himself and had the power to forgive sin.  

Jesus then performed the second miracle, healing the man's physical problem, "Get up, take your mat and walk."   The physical healing demonstrated His authority and power over creation, an attribute belonging to God alone, thus defeating the allegation of blasphemy arising from the first miracle.

The paralytic man was saved from his sins and healed from his physical disability by God in the flesh, Jesus.

He is the Christ

Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do people say I am?"  (Mark 8:27)    Peter, the unskilled, unschooled fisherman, knew who He was, "You are the Christ."  But even with this special revelation, Peter was not able to grasp the full implications of Christ the Messiah's role in saving His people (Mt. 16:17, 22).  Peter was looking for a mighty warrior, not a servant-Messiah who would die for the sins of the people.  Yet at times, even His family did not recognise who he was and doubted his sanity when He started His teaching ministry:  "He is out of His mind."  (Mark 3:21)

For many hundreds of years, people were looking forward to the Messiah appearing and had many clues to His origin, (for example, Micah 5:2).   Everyone including the Samaritan woman knew that the Messiah was coming, "I know that the Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming", she said in John 4:25.   Then Jesus declared "I who speak to you am He".   What an exciting day for that woman and her village!  The long-awaited Messiah was amongst them in bodily form, healing their spiritual disease and teaching them.

Jesus will come to claim His bride, the church.   He will then return in great glory as the triumphant Messiah-King (Micah 2:12-13, Rev. 19:11-16 and others).   Many will mourn, so be ready and don't be amongst the mourners!  (Matt 24:30)

"Behold, I am coming soon!"  Rev. 22:7

"He who is coming will come and will not delay" Heb. 10:37


Credit:  The beautiful photograph is from https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/jesus-forgives-sins-and-heals-a-man-stricken-with-palsy?lang=eng#gallery=img-3

What I'm Reading: Breakout Churches

Breakout Churches by Thom Rainer, published 2005, ePub Edition in January 2009

Thom Rainer as President of the Rainer Group is a church growth consultant who was inspired to write this book based on Jim Collins' book, Good to Great.

The book Breakout Churches tells the story of 13 local churches that did not accept the status quo.  These are not just 13 randomly selected churches - they had to meet a very strict set of criteria, and were measured against a control group.   The 13 churches were shortlisted from 50,000 churches researched.

The Rainer Group believes that any healthy church should be reaching one person with the gospel every 2 weeks.   They were looking for churches that had an annual conversion rate of 26 people; that is, it takes 20 members one year to reach one person.   There were other strict criteria too, including the requirement that the decline or slump, then the breakout, occured under the same Pastor.

Each of the 13 churches had a "Chrysalis factor" which was the trigger for growth.   The Chrysalis factor had some commonalities in the 13 churches that the control group did not have.

A common factor of breakout churches is that they have "Servant Leaders", which is a great study in itself and may feature as a blogspot in the future!

I am forever struck by Rainer's claim that

"It is a sin to be good if God has called us to be great".

Rainer quotes Bill Orr,

 "Churches do not remain plateaued.  They either begin to grow again or they begin to die."   

(That quote was a trigger for me to read the book "Autopsy of a Deceased Church", also by Rainer!)

Rainer provides some fascinating graphs of breakout church growth, and spends some time discussing leadership.  The key to Rainer's discussion of leadership focuses on the Acts 6/7 leader as a "Legacy Leader" (less than 1% of senior pastors according to his research).   He discloses that many of these legacy leaders (or Breakout Church Pastors) are reluctant leaders, and further, that there were no autocratic leaders in Breakout Churches.

Reinforcing the value of small groups, one of the Breakout Churches reported that most of their ministry occurs in small groups that meet in homes, and they have a strategy to plant a new church every time they reach 500 members.   This comes with a warning:

"Members who are involved in worship services alone tend to drift toward inactivity."   

Small groups provide opportunities to grow in spiritual health.

Growth will not occur unless local church leaders are willing to confront reality.  When you confront reality as a church leader, you will have what Rainer refers to as the "ABC moment" (Awareness, Belief and Crisis).   Rainer points out the risk of a church being inward looking, and the "deadly path" that follows as slow erosion.   The common factor in the ABC moment was that many of the leadership shared the experience, not just the senior pastor.

In his "how-to" or "where-to-from-here" chapter entitled "The Who/What Simultrack", Rainer quotes Collins emphasising:

'(the importance of getting) "the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus and the right people in the right seats" and then figuring out where to drive the bus'

Rainer describes the fascinating concept of the Freedom/Expectation Paradox and demonstrates why all Breakout Churches are alone in the High Expectation/High Freedom quadrant.

He describes how in some churches, the (program) becomes the tail wagging the dog, and some churches that don't have a vision even have the wagging tail, but no dog.   In speaking about innovation, he points out that innovation follows the growth of the church, unlike many churches where a new facility is constructed with the hope that it will engender growth itself.

Resilience is a key factor throughout the book.   Rainer says,

"The cost of becoming a breakout church, ironically, is most often the result of problems and conflicts with other believers.  Many of the comparison church leaders grew weary of the struggle with fellow Christians.  The breakout church leaders had no fewer conflicts, but they decided to persevere despite the pain and struggles."

Breakout Churches is a sound read and in my opinion is a good companion book for Becoming a Level 5 Multiplying Church by Todd Wilson and Dave Ferguson.   Breakout Churches is another quality book that can't be summed up adequately in a short article!

Breakout Churches is published by Zondervan.   I read the ePub version which I downloaded from iBooks.   At the time of publishing this article, it was on Amazon.com.au for $11.99.

Beware the Slow Fade

Are you a Master of Sin, or a Slave to Sin?   To ask another way, do you have mastery over sin or is sin your dictator?

Who (or what) is at the door of your heart?    Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me" (Rev. 3:20 NASB).   There's also a predator at the door:  "... if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door; it desires to have you but you must master it." (Gen. 4:7b NIV)

Notice the order of words in Gen. 4:7:  first is the attitude, then the attack.   The sin is not crouching waiting for you to open the door and make a decision, but in fact the decision of the heart is first, then the sin attack.   What is your heart attitude toward sin?   Cain's was already decided:  he had a bad attitude.  He knew the Lord and His commands, but due to his heart attitude, his offering was not accepted.   We see later in the OT that grain offerings were acceptable if made in the right attitude of heart, and that obedience is better than sacrifice:  "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?   To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."  (1 Sam. 15:22 NIV).

"Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts" (CS Lewis, Screwtape Letters). 

Yes, the sin slide is a gradual one.   Jude gives a warning about this when he speaks of "The way of Cain" (Jude 11) and warns against ungodly men and their methods.   "These men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals - these are the very things that destroy them" (v.10) "... they follow their own evil desires" (v.16)

Isn't it typical of God to give Cain another chance after his sacrifice was rejected?   We see this incredible grace of God as a scarlet thread throughout the entire scriptures, reinforced in the letter to the Church at Laodicea (Rev. 3:20).

Rom. 5:20, "The law was added so that the trespass might increase.  But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.

We are given the solution to the sin slavery problem:  Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14).  We are no longer powerless over sin because God sent His own Son ... to be a sin offering (Rom. 8:3).

There is certainly a conflict of the two natures, the old man and the new:  "The good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want." (Rom. 7:19)

CS Lewis has a lot to say about the conflict between the two natures in his brilliant book "Screwtape Letters":

"There is a subtle play of looks and tones and laughs by which a mortal can imply that he is of the same party as those to whom he is speaking.   That is the kind of betrayal you should specially encourage, because the man does not fully realise it himself; and by the time he does you will have made withdrawal difficult"

and then Screwtape offers a solution to man's sin-slide,

"The man who truly ... enjoys any one thing in the world, for its own sake, and without caring twopence about what other people say about it, is by that very fact fore-armed against some of our subtlest modes of attack."   

Do you single-mindedly desire to serve God and focus on Him to the exclusion of all else?

A rendering of Acts 1:8 shows us that as believers we have received power through the Holy Spirit to be God's witnesses, thus overcoming sin as we witness to the world.   What then is the application of this discussion?  Commit to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, desiring God and none other, being aware of the attitude of your heart and inclining your heart toward God more every day and resisting sin.   "Submit yourselves, then, to God.   Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

Slow Fade by Casting Crowns

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands
As darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white are turned to gray
And thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattering leads to compromises, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises leave broken hearts astray

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

People never crumble in a day

Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QASREBVDsLk

Songwriters: John Mark Hall

Slow Fade lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Drawing credit:  https://screwtapelettersjlams.wordpress.com/

Is Christianity Religion?

Do you live under strict religiosity or Christian freedom?

Do you strive to keep "the rules", or do you revel in the grace of God?  Not in the sense, "Shall I go on sinning so that grace may increase?" (Rom. 6:1), but in the knowledge that in His grace, God has provided a remedy for our sin problem in the person, death and resurrection of Jesus.   See Rom. 6:23.

The Pharisees were "experts in the law" who placed sets of rules around the law to strive for righteousness, but in their great knowledge, learnings and zeal, they were blinded to the truth of the One who was sent to make them righteous (Rom. 5:19)

We see that the Pharisees with their co-accused, the Sadduccees, even planned to murder Jesus, the One who came to save them:  "So from that day on they plotted to take His life" (Jn. 11:53).   Their sin was increasing, not decreasing whilst their righteousness was diminishing:  first, they allowed the death of John the Baptist, then they asked for the murder of Jesus, then they murdered Stephen themselves.

In his book "Pharisectomy", Peter Haas claims that "we all have a hidden Pharisee lurking inside us." He doesn't mean something wierd like there's another person inside us, but simply that we have a tendency to be legalistic and attempt to earn our salvation.   He says, "... the Pharisees were so obsessed with maintaining their ceremonial purity that they'd rarely even eat with a normal person (aka a non-Pharisee)." (p.4)   The Pharisees lived under a heavy yoke, but Jesus says, "I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matt. 11:29-30

I am often asked if I'm religious.   Here's my answer:   Religion is man trying to reach God.   Christianity is God coming to man.

Image credit:  https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ac/ac/41/acac41de1288876076f639b6e9741f1d.jpg

What I'm Reading: Fool's Talk - Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion

Fool's Talk:  Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion, by Os Guinness.

I will never promote a book above scripture or encourage you to read something in place of scripture, but there are many instructive books that help us to understand and apply it.  Read in the light of God's Word, some books can be very helpful.   This is one such book.

... and wow, what writing!   Even on my first reading, I bounced back and forth several times through what I'd read, re-reading and highlighting passages of impact.   The problem is, I don't want to highlight the entire book!

Guinness' entire thesis is based on the premise that we have lost our ability to persuade people of their need of a saviour, and he spends some time proving this thesis, then outlines a comprehensive method for overcoming it.

Across 12 eloquently written chapters, Guinness builds a case.   He even addresses the problem of education, knowledge and eloquence and how these attributes get in the way.

"Just as to a man with a hammer, everything is a nail, so in the age of science and technology, everything is a scientific and technical matter to be solved by scientific and technical means." (p.31)

Guinnes denies that he is a scholar or academic, yet he is a highly educated man with a Ph.D:

"Many of us today, and I include myself, are not naturally adept at creative persuasion.  But the reason is not that we are not educated enough, but that we have too much education of the wrong sort."  (p.177)

Interspersed with a very healthy humour, the book contains many challenges that strike at the heart:

In talking about persuasion through story-telling and paradigm shift, he says,

"The method acts like a spring-loaded trap that promises cheese but delivers a coup de grace to the unsuspecting mouse" (p.42) and,

"The cross, Martin Luther wrote, was the devil's mousetrap.  The devil smelt cheese, and wham, felt steel."  (p.72)

In his section "Cross-centred and Cross-shaped", Guinness says that proclamation and persuasion must never be separated, but that Christian advocacy must ...

"... be shaped ... by five central truths of the faith - creation, the fall, the incarnation, the cross and the Spirit of God",  (p.27),

and he goes on to expound each of these pillars in the context of proclaiming the gospel through persuasion.  I found this section very helpful and practical, for example, he says,

"True to the incarnation, Christian persuasion always has to be primarily person-to-person and face-to-face, not argument to argument, formula to formula ..." (p.27)

This concept reminded me of Screwtape's description of a man in C.S. Lewis' Screwtape letters,

"Think of your man as a series of concentric circles, his will being the innermost, his intellect coming next, and finally his fantasy.  You can hardly hope, at once, to exclude from all the circles everything that smells of the Enemy:  but you must keep on shoving all the virtues outward till they are finally located in the circle of fantasy; and all the desirable qualities inward into the Will." (Ch. 6)

Guinness gives warning (The Defence Never Rests) and Exhortation (The Way of the Open Hand) and beautifully explains bible passages to encourage our Christian Advocacy work.  The most striking of these is the account of Jesus telling the parable of the vineyard (Lk. 20:9-19 and Guinness pp.179-181)

In wrapping up, Guinness gives a very good and practical overview of the psychology of the mind, and how an understanding of peoples' thought processes can bring an individual to faith.

I have two criticisms of this book.  The first is relatively minor in comparison with the second;  there is the loose quote which Guinness uses of Frankfurt on page 192, which I would argue does not add value to the thesis, and on page 242, Guinness apparently refers to the God of the Christian faith and the god of Islam as one-in-the-same.   His intended meaning is not clear in this section though.   This needs to be carefully measured against scripture.   An explanation that I found helpful is here:  https://carm.org/god-christianity-islam



This has to be one of the best books I have read in terms of thesis, purpose, flow and structure.   It's a very academic book, yet it's not!   This is a 5-star book.  There's so much more I could write, but the post is long enough - you'll just have to read the book if you want more of it.  

(For those cynical readers who wonder whether I was given a free book:  No!  I purchased this book.  I'd tell you if I was given the book to review!  I have used an e-book version on Kindle.)

Rose Coloured Glasses and Facebook Testimonies

 

Rose-coloured glasses and facebook testimonies:  I have used this title because there seems to be a trend amongst evangelicals to paint their life stories through rose-coloured glasses, and to impress on others how great their lives are.   The reality is that without God's intervention, our lives are not that great, so why do we pretend?

Rahab's testimony: 

I am a business-woman in a small middle-eastern city in Moab, A'bel-shit'tim.   I have high-ranking clientele who don't know that I also work as a secret agent for the Israelite Army.   I have been very brave: whilst my house was under surveillance, I smuggled Israeli Officers out of the city.   When my city was raided by the Israelites, they rescued me and my family because of what I have done for them.  I became a grandmother of the Kings of Israel, and eventually the Messiah.  (See Joshua 2&6, Mt. 1:5, Heb. 11:13, Jas. 2:25)

David's testimony: 

I am the King of Israel and Judea.   I have everything I want and need.  I have a beautiful wife, Bathsheba, and a wonderfully healthy son, Solomon.   I have a great right-hand man and advisor, Nathan.  (See 2 Samuel 11&12)

Paul's testimony: 

I have had the best upbringing and education in all of Israel and received rapid promotion.   I am a great detective, identifying and prosecuting those who would try to introduce new thinking.   I have done much travelling, and I'm very resilient.   I once fell blind, but found a wise specialist who was able to heal me.   Although I've been in shipwrecks that were not my fault, I used my leadership skills and miraculous powers to save people, including myself.   (See Acts 9,22&26-28, 2 Cor.11:16-28)

Do these short testimonies ring true in your heart?   There is no falsity in them; but there is a misleading of truth that makes you feel uncomfortable.   The testimonies only share the "good bits", and there is even a little "twisting of the truth" to make the witness look better.   Is there value in witnessing if we only share the "good bits" of our lives?   Facebook is a classic example of this falsity in our cultures.   People feel depressed because they see how great everyone else's lives are portrayed on facebook whilst their own lives are messed up, mundane and ordinary.  Their kids are sick, they are on a tight budget, working hours are long and hard, and they need a holiday.  But it seems like all their friends have a great life; kids are never sick, they win all their sports events and they are always on holidays.

What is your purpose in sharing life stories?   The writer of Ecclesiates gives us a warning: 

"For there are many words which increase futility.  What then is the advantage to a man?" Ecc. 6:11 (NASB) or as rendered in the NIV:  "The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?" 

Are you using your words wisely?

Ray Comfort, in his excellent book "God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life", says

"If non-Christians respond to the gospel message only to improve their lives, they will be disillusioned when persecution comes, and they may fall away from the faith.   This is because many respond experimentally, simply to see if the "wonderful life" is as good as Christians say it is" (p.28)

"Jesus didn't shield the newly converted Saul of Tarsus from what was in store for him as a Christian.  Instead, Jesus said that He would "show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:16).  Stephen was cruelly stoned to death for his faith.  James, who told his brethren to "count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (James 1:2), was murdered with a sword.  John the Baptist also felt the sharp steel of persecution.  Down through the ages, Christians have been hated, persecuted, thrown to lions and - like John Hus - even burned at the stake for the sake of the gospel. (p.29)

John recognised that it was not about himself, but all about Jesus: 

"He must become greater;  I must become less",  Jn. 3:30 (NIV)

 and Paul said,

"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weaknesses", 2 Cor. 11:30 (NIV)

Rahab's true testimony: 

I was a prostitute in a small middle-eastern city in Moab, A'bel-shit'tim.   I have sinned a lot in my life.   Many men come to my house for illicit purposes, but on one occasion, the God of the Israelites sent two honest men to my house for safekeeping.   I harboured them and helped them to escape, but God had His hand on me all the time.  I was scared of being found out.   I lied to the officials when they asked me about the men.   Some time later, the Israelite Army raided my city, but again, God was gracious toward me and my family and we were rescued and I was grafted into the line of the Messiah.  God gave me a wonderful husband, even though I did not deserve one.  (See Joshua 2&6, Mt. 1:5, Heb. 11:13, Jas. 2:25)

David's true testimony: 

I am the King of Israel and Judea, but I wasn't always King of both nations.  I was annointed, but I became afraid of Saul and ran away.   I am a great warrior, but a few years ago I became complacent and stayed home when I should have been leading my troops at war.   I looked for fulfilment in fleshly things, and saw a beautiful woman who was not my wife.  In fact, she was the wife of one of my Officers.   I took her and had a sinful relationship with her, then tried to cover up by having her husband murdered.   God confronted me through the prophet Nathan and my sin was exposed.   I was convicted of my guilt and sought redemption.  I begged with God not to cast me out of His presence or take His Spirit from me.  God has graciously redeemed me and blessed me again, but I didn't deserve it.   God still punished me and took my beautiful baby boy, but now he has blessed me with a wonderfully healthy son, Solomon who will be my successor.   I praise God for a great right-hand man, prophet and advisor, Nathan who confronted my sin.  (See 2 Samuel 11&12 and Ps. 51)

Paul's true testimony: 

I have had the best upbringing and education in all of Israel and received rapid promotion, but I was a pharisee and legalist.   I took offence at the gospel of Jesus Christ and persecuting His followers consumed me.   I murdered many of them.   I was present and consented to Stephen's stoning.   Jesus confronted me on the road and struck me blind, but in His grace, he sent me to a believer who placed his hands on me and healed me.   I met the One I was persecuting and now I travel for him.  My travel has been hard.   Men want to kill me and they pursue me.   I have been in many bad situations - too many to even list in this blogspot!   I can only give glory to God, and will only boast of my weaknesses and what God has done for me.   (See Acts 9,22&26-28, 2 Cor.11:16-28)

Do our testimonies lead people to understand their own desperate need for salvation, and the grace of God, or do we selfishly paint a great picture of ourselves to the eternal loss of souls?   Are we pretending or are we honest?   Pretending was fatal for Romeo and Juliet:  "Thus with a kiss I die", and it almost cost Edmund his life in C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe when he was tempted by the "good things".

I should have called this blogspot "It's all about Jesus"

Do you surf the NET?

Do you surf the NET?   I don't mean the interNET;  I mean the NET Bible.   This blog is (in part) intended to point believers to helpful and useful resources, and the NET Bible is one such resource that might prove almost invaluable to you or someone you know.

The NET Bible (New English Translation) is a relatively new translation by biblical language scholars and first released in 1996.  Continual refinements and recent improvements have made this translation very easy to access and study, especially if you do computer-based bible research.   It is completely free to use online or to download, or if you prefer a hardcopy this can be purchased.   Although there are some big names involved in the development of the translation, let's focus on the Author of the scriptures rather than the men who are the scholars and instrument of God:  2 Tim 3:16, "Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (NET)

Lumina is the measure of light being radiated in all directions from a solitary source.   It is appropriate that the NET Bible calls it's interface page "Lumina".   The NET Bible can be directly accessed at the Lumina interface here:  https://lumina.bible.org

The Lumina interface provides for comprehensive searches, selection of any scripture, daily bible readings, scholarly notes and provision to make and record your own.   The daily bible readings are structured for reading the entire bible in a year (or 90 days if you prefer!)   You can customise your homescreen to exclude non-scriptural headings, chapter and verse numbers.  In a parallel column, you can select commentary notes, Dr. Thomas Constable's notes, maps, original language text and parallel bibles.

I could set out to do a critical review of the NET Bible, but it has already been done by many others.  Here is a fairly balanced review by a critic named Michael Marlowe if you want to dig deeper into the translation.  In places, Marlowe seems to attempt to discredit the translation, especially in his comments about the source of the translators, but in doing so he actually paints it in a pretty good light.   http://www.bible-researcher.com/net.html  (The NET Bible has 22 editors and translators;  17 are or have been professors at Dallas Theological Seminary, and another 5 were students there).

My blogspot today does not seek to endorse the NET Bible translation, or Marlowe's review; simply to highlight the NET to you as an option for study.   I have found that the NET Bible is a very credible translation.

The downloads page is here:  https://bible.org/article/net-bible-download.  You can also download the NET Bible phone App (Lumina) and the Olive Tree Bible App in the App Store or here:  https://www.olivetree.com/store/home.php?cat=262&language=1&sort=title_popular&free=on.