Monday, December 21, 2009

A challenge

For those believers who have committed themselves to the visions of their local congregations, there are often demands that are inconvenient, requests that are expensive, calls to duty that are seemingly unpleasant. When next you hear the call to arms for a prayer meeting, outreach or mission and you are tempted to give it a miss, you may want to bear in mind the lessons contained in this following allegory.

AN ALLEGORY

The army of darkness gathered on the field of battle flushed with confidence as they surveyed their swelling ranks. The putrid smell of arrogance wafted over the plain towards the battalion of light gathered on the other side.

Along the lines of light, the brave shuffled uneasily as they noted the gaps in their ranks. Each one looked nervously over their shoulder to see the empty space they hoped would not be there.

The mocking chants of the self-assured carried to the army of light on an ill-wind threatening the death and destruction of dreams.

Time moved on, whittling away at the vain hope of more soldiers joining the lines of light. The fell ranks of darkness howled derision that added to the despair of the waiting.

Tension mounted, the clock ticked louder but the battle was not to be joined by others. The horror of war gathered as a cloud over the gap-toothed ranks of light. Tonight one would fight for three.

The question “Why?” arose in the resigned throats of light. “Why could they not come and make this field of death a harvest of life?”

The resounding tramp of ten thousand feet marching in unison across the land seized the attention of the thin line of light. Each soldier grasped his shield of faith and sword of the spirit and waited, each one trying to fill the place of three.

The self-assured marching feet bore down on certain victory over so few. This few would have been many had their comrades-in-arms not been held willingly captive by the new, the “It was only this once”, the transient.

As the clash of arms resounded through heaven and earth, the absent heard the amplified question “Why? Why are you not with us, beloved? Why do you not want to stand with us who die for you tonight?” Each of the missing replied with a clarity that denied the clash of steel its voice, “I am weary”; “I want to see what will happen in another field – just this once, I promise.”

The missing justified their words with reasonings of “It’s only once, how can it hurt? Tomorrow I will return.” Heaven shook with the resonance of truth, “What do you know of tomorrow?”

On the field the valiant few fought with fury, driving back the nightmares of hell with thrusts, parries and strikes. Soldiers fought for themselves and for the missing – one sword doing the work of three. Each became triple tired, thrice fatigued in the battle to save the missing.

Suddenly, silence.

The crawling mist of battle began to part across the bloody field. The small line of light still stands, though bloodied, worn and tired. The small battalion still stands…for now. Will they last another fight when wielding the sword for the willingly missing?

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Diverse cultures honouring God.

Worship. A wondrous practice that transcends mere singing, chanting, or whatever it is you do to magnify the God of all, Yahweh, Jehovah, Pappa, Daddy God, however you know Him. If you watch the television form of Christianity - for it is a form with its pretensions, superstars, dress sense [sic], modes, methods and systems – you could be convinced that God only accepts one form of musical worship. Yes, there are other forms! The music that God might seem to favour is that produced in Western societies with guitars, drums, wind instruments, microphones and, let us not forget, the choir, conducted by a preferably attractive young woman.

If you wander away from what is presented as mainstream and walk into the Cathedral world, you would be sure that God favoured any instrument that did not have to be plugged into the mains, except perhaps a pipe organ. Choirs are to be suitably attired for acceptance in the Middle Ages, and the only qualification for inclusion is a good singing voice. Doctrine or unbelief are not important.

Is God a Westerner? Is He besotted with medieval pomp and ceremony? Does He rock in the aisles with the guitarist with more metal in his face than Iron Man? Where, oh where, is the ethnic, the cultural sounds and rhythms of the outback, the African plain, the South American forests and mountains, the North American prairies - sorry, there is nothing ethnic left out there - in P.C. speak that would be native American reserves, i.e. ghettos? I am not speaking about the creations of the so-called Christian marketing geniuses who package the likes of South African township music. I am speaking about the real, earthy sounds, the forms of expression and words that rise from cultures that have believed in Christ and follow Him.

Why is culture invariably sacrificed on the altar of conversion to Christianity? The varied sounds of Africa that are intrinsic to the African heart and mind are replaced, for instance, by Australian hit songs that enrich the Australians financially and in terms of profile, while giving a foot-tapping experience to the uninitiated, but hopefully soon hooked, so that the next album will sell.

One can walk into Christian bookshops - they’re the ones that have the temerity to consider themselves ministries - and it would appear that what is acceptable to God is governed by what is marketable to man.

Do I have a problem with Western music? Absolutely not. What I do have a problem with is that we, the Westerners, are making the same deadly mistake as our missionary forebears. We want Africans to be European in both belief and culture. In those early years, African converts could be seen donning Western garb in order to enter Western-style church services. Ties and jackets in 30° Celsius heat – before the age of air-conditioning.

Christianity came to Africa and became, more often than not, the delivery system of Western culture and its form of civilization. For sure, many in Africa came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and that must be treasured and celebrated. But why should such converts be forced into Western sensitivities, practices, modes, dress, music and expression in general?

Surely, if the cultural practices of a people do not contradict the Word of God, they should be celebrated, not just tolerated at best or banished.

Over the years I have had the honour to teach the Word of God in churches of many races and cultures. My heart breaks when I enter churches in Central Africa and South Africa and find the leadership at pains to sound Western and sing Western songs that do not resonate with their culture, their land (what little they have left) and their history. Not everything in the history and culture of a people is necessarily evil. It was this misunderstanding that saw this great Continent referred to as Darkest Africa.

It is a tragedy to walk into rural villages where all social and spiritual interactions happen around a fire, or other focal point, in a communal place and yet when they receive the Gospel, a church building must be erected with everyone facing in the same direction, silently listening to the specialist on an elevated platform. Again, if some part of that original communal meeting ran contrary to Scripture, then it must be repented and omitted.

My prayer is that every African church, wherever it is situated, that honours the Word of God, should not feel the need to imitate that which is essentially alien to them. Why should already poor communities feel the need for expensive electrical equipment when God has created them with beautiful voices with which to worship, and rhythm and dance unique to the various cultures of this amazing Continent?

If ethnic churches wish to take on Western ways, then so be it. My argument is that in the pursuit of a relationship with Christ, why should such cultures feel the need to do so?

Thursday, December 10, 2009

WHO AM I?

When we introduce ourselves for the first time, we divulge a limited amount of information: name and, perhaps, something about a mutual friend. However, as the relationship develops we release more and more information. Most of it is clear and unambiguous - you know the kind of thing: where one works, where we went to school, hobbies, interests, even hopes and dreams.

The problems seem to arise when we want to share what we believe. If you are a Muslim, your dress code may give you away. If one is a Roman Catholic, the crucifix may act as a giveaway. But how does a true Christian introduce himself or herself?

“I am a Christian” can mean so many things: I am a Christian because I was not born into a Jewish family. I am a Christian because I am not a Muslim. I am a Christian because you have to fill something in on those wretched forms.

What does being a Christian actually mean? More to the point, what do we or should we mean when we declare our commitment to Jesus Christ?

What does the ordinary person think when they hear that one is a Christian? “She must be a churchgoer”, “Oh no, a Bible basher”, “Here comes Mr. No-Fun”. Alternatively, things can get worse: “Another hypocrite”.

The term ‘Christian’ can mean different things to many people. How do we effectively communicate who we are without, as far as possible, sending an ambiguous message? Remember, we are speaking about the things we say, not the way we act. Our actions will be judged over time but what we say can draw an immediate reaction. As the old saying goes, “You only have one chance to make a first impression.”

Therefore, it would seem that the term ‘Christian’ is a catch-all for everything that is not Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or any other religious belief. If so, then it is not enough to say, “I am a Christian” and expect a response that may offer some fruit-bearing potential.

I can hear the anonymous voice bleating, “But the Bible describes us as Christians.” It does? I thought it was the sinners at Antioch who first called the believers ‘Christians’. Including that occurrence, the term is only used three times: once by a pagan king, once by a pagan population and once by Peter – that hardly qualifies as the criteria necessary for a description.

Please do not misunderstand; I am not ashamed of being a Christian because I know what I mean by the term. I am not ashamed of Christianity, either, because I know what I mean. However, those who are lost in their sin do not have my understanding. They are 21st Century people brought up on a diet of “Religion causes war”, “Christianity is a religion of sects in conflict with one another”, etc.

The 21st Century world declares that it was Christianity that went to war in the so-called Crusades. In fact, it was not a Christian endeavour at all but was instigated by the satanically-motivated Pope Urban (Roman Catholic) who was one among a number who incited violence in the Middle East. The Crusades were not Christian; they were a Papist-underwritten conflict fuelled by misguided religion, bigotry and hatred.

So, how are we to react? We must continue to practise our ancient faith with all the vigour we can muster, but, at the same time, employ a language that this new world can grasp.

When all is said and done, men and women of all backgrounds want one thing. That is relationship. Whether the sinner likes to admit it or not, we are all created in the image of God. That image is, about one thing: relationship, as in the perfect relationship between the Three in the Triune Godhead.

Our language then must be one of relationship. So perhaps the key to effective communication is not the use of a label, but the description of a relationship. When our relationship with the Christ lifestyle is observed, perhaps then the hungry and the thirsty will believe that the Christianity of the Bible really does have something to offer them.

Jesus came to this earth to, among other things, help us to understand God by showing us the Father’s character through His daily interaction with the disciples and the general populace of the region. In showing us God, we see Jesus relating to His friends and they, in turn, responding to Him. The three and a half years they spent together was marked by open, honest two-way relationship. That relationship manifested itself through conversation, teaching, disagreements, meals together, tears shed, mistakes made, service, and forgiveness offered and given. Was the three and a half year sojourn undertaken only as a means of getting to the Cross, as vital as that was? Was the run-up to Calvary also a vital and an integral part of God’s self-revelation designed and revealed so that we might interact with Him freely?

Who am I? What do I believe? For me, the answer is simple: I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Monday, November 30, 2009

IS CHRIST THE CENTRE THIS CHRISTMAS?

Can you believe that the so-called festive season is upon us once again? Apart from the usual over- indulgence that marks this season, the church community manages to get itself in a knot over something that has important connotations, in terms of associations, but in the greater scheme of things is quite insignificant.

Is December 25th the birthday of Jesus? To be honest, I am sure it is not – after all, who would leave their sheep out in the open in mid-winter? However, whether it is or not is an argument that rather detracts from more meaningful truths associated with the Incarnation.

Let us take stock: The God of all, the ultimate Master of the Universe, the Planet-Breather, comes into our world in the most vulnerable way. He makes use of the womb of a teenager as a foyer through which He may enter the main house, which is life upon the planet of man.

This God of gods becomes so many cells multiplying on the wall of a uterus and then develops into a crying baby yearning for sustenance and security in the midst of a squawking and mooing stable: God in a donkey’s food trough.

He grows through toddler stage, still so vulnerable to all that the evil of this world can summon against Him: Jesus, the teenager, suffering all of the temptations so that one day He might walk through the same with others. God, the Creator of trees, learns to work wood as a craftsman; on through His twenties, watching His friends wed, produce children and build homes.

Then, one day, on the banks of the River Jordan, God the Father announces that the time of God the Son had come.

The wonder of God becoming flesh must never be sacrificed upon the altar of doctrinal dogmatism. God as a helpless baby in the arms of a frightened teenager in a world of uncertainty is not to be brushed aside so that one group may argue with another over the significance of so-called ‘special days’.

It is a wonder that He came at all to this rebellious, uncouth and evil humanity. The presumed importance of the date of His arrival fades into nothing in comparison with the fact that He did come, stayed and fulfilled the task for which He came.

25th of December most definitely has its roots in Babylonian activity and associated pagan feasts and celebrations and, on closer inspection, it becomes even clearer that Christmas Day has nothing at all to do with the birth of the Saviour. Having said all that, does it really matter? Jesus, the Son of God, came. That is certain. That is beyond dispute. I am living testimony to the fact that He came and redeemed me.

To all those who so strongly protect the presumed sanctity of Christmas Day, 25th December, why not make a change this year that would have a profound impact upon this world?

Instead of wasting money on gifts that no one actually wants, or would not have wanted if they had not received them; instead of maxing out the cards and buying gifts because someone might just buy you one and you do not want to be embarrassed; instead of spoiling the kids with things they hardly need - take all the money that would be spent on gifts, dinners, alcohol and the rest and give it to the work of God on this earth. Imagine what mission and evangelistic societies/ministries could do with the money that will leave Christian accounts to further bloat the coffers of ungodly commerce.

God gave us the ultimate gift of His Son. What about us giving the gift that really matters, the financing of the propagation of the Gospel upon this earth? What a gift to our Father - the multiple hundreds of thousands of penitent sinners who otherwise would not be won because of a lack of funds.

Just a thought ...

Saturday, November 21, 2009

A HUNT FOR KOSHER IMAMS AND HALAAL RABBIS

WARNING – THIS BLOG COULD SERIOUSLY AFFECT YOUR MOOD AND, IF NOT MONITORED, YOUR HEALTH.

WARNING – SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO READ THIS YOU MAY BECOME ANGRY. IS YOUR FAITH STRONG ENOUGH TO PREVENT A ROOT OF BITTERNESS FROM SPRINGING UP?

The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is a dog-eat-dog situation with neither side genuinely intending to cede a single inch to the other. Jew and Palestinian: a clash of cultures. Jew and Muslim: a clash of religions. The Middle East is an Oriental muddle. Is religion the dividing issue or is it culture? The Muslim will say they cannot be separated. The Jew will say, “Ah; there is a problem” straightaway. Is the Jew in question secular or orthodox? The former is a contradiction in terms. Being a Jew means, primarily, someone who is in relationship with Jehovah (YHWH). In the New Testament sense, a true Jew is one who has the mark of God on his heart, not the surgical removal of living flesh. On the other hand, is the Muslim devoted to Allah or was he just born into a Muslim household?

So, the orthodox Jew wants the real estate known as the Holy Land because he believes that God gave it to him or her. The secular citizen (who cannot really call himself a Jew because he is ‘secular’ i.e. not a believer in God – they do not mix) rides on the shirt tails of the orthodox and claims the land is his because the God he does not honour, nor believes in for that matter, gave it to an ancestor.

Does this put the Muslim in the box seat? No. What about the Christian Palestinians? Are they to be given the land? - Yes, all you ‘Left Behind’ devotees, there are Jesus Christ-honouring believers who are Palestinian. Every Dollar, Pound, Euro or Yen that you send to support the state of Israel is a potential blow struck against your Christian Palestinian brother and sister - No, the Palestinian Christian has no sole right to that land either, because it is not about the land; God is not concerned with real estate.

The land that is now called Israel was given by God to a people who were then called upon to obey Him in all things. Israel as a whole failed in that task. Read the Old Testament - they were eventually deported: Israel (ten tribes) to Assyria and then later, Judah was dragged off to Babylon. A remnant returned and subsequently rejected their own Messiah and the same sorry story happened all over again with the sack of Jerusalem, in AD 70, acting as a historical marker.

The only true Israel is made up of the righteous of the Old Testament and the righteous of the New who have been united in Jesus Christ. There is no disconnection between the two covenants. This is the true Israel of God. Now, since the establishment of the New Covenant, if you are not born again according to the Scriptures, then you have no claim on any promise of God outside of the forgiveness of the Father that is always available to the truly penitent.

God loves the orthodox and secular Jew as much as He loves Muslims, Hindus and atheists. All are equally in need of salvation; after all, everyone has fallen short of the glory of God.

Once this fact is realized it becomes quite clear that all arguments over the so-called ‘Holy Land’ are irrelevant. The issue is not land but a Person. Man’s standing before God is wholly dependent upon his relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ.

While the Church at large bickers with the unsaved and among themselves over a piece of real estate, influencing American foreign policy in the Middle East, or attempting to, the world is charging headlong towards a Christless eternity.

To believe you are siding with God because you partner with those who support Zionism (in its various guises) is to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. True Zionism does not recognize or receive Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Therefore, every cent a Christian gives to Christian Zionism, an oxymoron, is money given in support of an ungodly vision.

The only political/social/community solution that stands any chance of resolving the Holy Land issue is as follows: the Palestinians, and the Arab/Islamic world at large, have to accept that there is an Israeli population in situ who cannot be made to disappear, no matter how hard they may wish for it or try to achieve it. The Israelis, for their part, must accept that the Palestinians have been there for century upon century and they too are not likely to dissipate like morning mist. Both groups need to grow up and accept a partnership that will benefit everyone, in a State that promises and promotes religious freedom for all.

The ultimate solution, of course, is that revival breaks out in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank and everyone gets saved and serves the King of kings - end of problem. Or is it? It would not be long before ‘flesh-dominated Christians’ birth denominationalism, sectarianism and doctrinal spats that would doubtless cause another Oriental muddle.

If Jesus Christ is not at the centre of whatever we attempt in this world then we are doomed to failure. This universal principle applies to our individual lives, our family lives, our community interactions, in business, in politics, and so on. No Christ at the centre, no reliable pivot around which all can turn in harmony. Remove the sun from our solar system and the planets will veer off course and become a danger to every other planet and moon that are also wandering without a central, pivotal point. Jesus Christ is the fulcrum, the source of necessary gravity. Place Him where He belongs and order will prevail and that order will permit prosperity (in the truly Biblical sense) and peace in every dimension of our human lives.

When we place land at the centre, conflict is the result. When the Prince of Peace is at the centre... well, you work it out.



AN INVITATION TO ALL TO VISIT THE SITES BELOW:

Visit www.biblealiveteachingministry.com
Visit www.face2facechurch.com
Visit www.neillandjennyjakins.org

Monday, November 16, 2009

Relationship holds it all together.

“No man is an island.” So goes the old and well known saying. Isolation is the tool of the devil to bring discouragement and that most distressing of conditions, loneliness.

Jesus made it clear that relationship was at the very centre of God’s plan for mankind. He taught that the entire law hung upon two basic principles: We are to love God with all our heart (vertical relationship) and love our neighbour as we love ourselves (horizontal relationship). True love (beyond ourselves) is impossible where two or more are not present in the experience. Love only has value when it is given away.

This truth, as wonderful as it is, carries with it a great challenge. Jesus said that we could only be considered His friends (relationship) if we obeyed His commands to us. One of those commands was to love one another as that very action would let the world know whose disciples we really are. So, if I do not keep His commandments, I cannot consider myself a friend of God.

When Jesus was teaching His disciples about prayer, He ended off by saying that forgiveness was ours only in the measure that we forgave others. In other words, if I do not forgive in word, action and attitude a brother or sister who has hurt or offended me, I cannot expect to be forgiven either. Think of that for a moment – you withhold forgiveness, the same will be withheld from you. If we do not forgive one another, God will not forgive us.

So, we are called into a love relationship with one another by Jesus Himself. He makes it clear that we can only be His friends if we maintain that relationship with the commitment and dedication that He displayed in reconciling us to the Father in the first place.

On a macro level the Church has to stop the incessant bickering and subsequent offences that occur over worship style, dress sense (or the lack of it), petty doctrinal differences and the big one, who gets to be in charge. So long as one leader is estranged from another through unforgiveness, the withholder of that forgiveness is not a friend of Jesus Christ, no matter the size of his or her congregation, how many books they have published or how well they preach.

True ‘Christ at the centre Christianity’ is about relationship. The GodLife relationship that honours the individual but does not seek self-elevation, fleshly recognition or self-glorification. Benevolence is about giving and living out while not expecting a return in kind.

Jesus at the centre of my life glues me to a relationship with the triune God. This vertical relationship is relatively easy. It is the horizontal that seems to present the problems. Jesus’ hands were nailed to the horizontal beam of the cross, but love alone would have held Him there. Therein is our challenge, will our arms remain open to one another without the nails of religion, denomination and creed making our offer of embrace conditional and therefore false?

Monday, November 9, 2009

Let's keep it real.

Why am I a Christian? Answer: Jesus Christ is a real person with whom I can interact, know, love and commune with. If He were anything less He would be an 'it', a religion, a philosophy.

God's original intent for mankind was intimate communion with Himself through conversation, fellowship and the enjoying of each other's company. Yes, the God who created all is the God of love and is, in fact, love. What is true love if it is not a benevolence that springs from the extreme vulnerability of intimacy. One cannot be intimate and defensive simultaneously.

Jesus Christ is real and wants to be known. It is a fact, God wants your company. He wants to walk with you in the cool of the day. He wants you to share with Him your day.

The quality of any relationship between people is dependent upon the position held by or granted to the one with whom we have such a relationship. Jesus Christ is a Person, therefore the same principle applies to relating to Him. If Christ is at the centre of my life, the very fulcrum, then the quality of relationship and its potential is unrestricted. That quality will be the access point for blessing. To have Christ at the centre guarantees deliverance and liberty that is both permanent and ever increasing. To have Him at the centre of one's life is to give free reign to the rule of the Kingdom of God and the subsequent'release' of all that citizenship of that Kingdom guarantees.

All of this is nothing more or less than real Christianity. The life of the disciple of Jesus Christ is not without challenge, but it is full of hope because of the position of Christ in the life of the disciple. The position granted determines the quality experienced.

Jesus Christ purchased for me the immeasurable gift of right standing, i.e. righteousness. Sin's power over me has been destroyed because of what Jesus accomplished for me on Calvary. For that I am forever thankful, but I now live in the enjoyment of relationship with Him who breathed planets into being, sustains the universes and seeks me out for conversation.

Such a relationship is not possible with a relic, a proclamation or a statement of faith. Real Chrisitianity requires a real Christ at its centre. Let's keep it real.