Desert Watch

The Kingdom of God

The ‘Kingdom of God’ is the framework on which hangs the whole of Scripture and History. Metaphors are commonly used by Jesus to illustrate the Kingdom of God so it is more than a metaphor; it is the central theme of the Bible. Jesus came to announce the Kingdom; he instructed us to announce the Kingdom and to pray for the Kingdom to come in its fullness. The central message of the apostles was the kingdom of God. Most of the names given to Jesus are royal titles. The ‘gospel’ itself is literally a ‘royal announcement’.  Our vocation as followers of Messiah/King Jesus is to teach the Kingdom; celebrate and anticipate the Kingdom and live as a foretaste of the fullness of the Kingdom before a hungry world. 

The King as Creator

The Bible begins and ends with a loving Sovereign Creator and a creation at peace under his dominion.  Between we see corruption, crisis and conflict as humanity struggles to come to terms with its identity as subjects of this loving King. As they fall out from his dominion they self-destruct relationally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, but as they are drawn back under his dominion there is restoration and freedom.

At creation God is not yet known as ‘King’, yet his Kingship is unmistakable. In ‘The Drama of Scripture’; Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen say: “By causing the creation to come into being by his word of power, God establishes it as his own vast kingdom. He thus establishes himself as the great King over all creation, without limits of any kind, and worthy to receive all glory, honor, and power in the worship of what he has created.” In the first chapter of Genesis he exercises dominion as he speaks and all creation responds. He names what he creates. He pronounces blessings over his creation; all unmistakable acts of a monarch. 

Relational authority

Yet his kingship is relational and loving as he walks with his subjects in the garden he has created. He invites them to participate in his ruler-ship over creation. In contrast to other ancient creation stories where humankind are essentially the slaves to lazy gods; this is more than creating servants, but of vice-regents, co-heirs, image-bearers and friends; concepts which will take on their full significance in the fullness of time. 

Genesis 1:26 records: “Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."  Thus a significant part of what it means to be image-bearers is that we have authority and a degree of autonomy to also rule.  So in his book ‘Engaging God’s World – A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning and Living’; Cornelius Plantinga Jr says “…to some extent we are all rulers just because God has created us in his own image to have “responsible dominion”. What follows is that we all have a little kingdom.” 

 This authority was given so we would be God’s representatives or “sovereign emblem.”  We are accountable for the creation’s good as commissioned. This authority is an essential part of our humanness and remains with us to be used for good if under God’s dominion or for potential great harm if exercised apart from the relationship we were created for.  It seems that God was well aware of the potential for humankind to abuse their power. He made provision through his the sacrifice of his Jesus who is later called: “...the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8). His work on the cross is pictured even in the Garden as the ‘tree of life’.

Origins of evil

Within creation God had also given a degree of authority and autonomy to another class of beings to carry out his will but within the angelic class there was one who overstepped his God-given boundaries.  The “…ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray…” (Revelation 12:9) desired to be like God also, and to usurp the authority over the earth that humans alone carry. (Ezekiel 28:11-19 seems to be a description of Satan as the tempting serpent in Eden.) His modus operandi is that of a scheming abuser. As he did in the garden with Eve he carefully grooms his victims then once the innocent have fallen their guilt and shame keeps them in his clutches. Afraid and confused they withdraw from each other and hide from God (Genesis 3:1-13). 

The harmony of the Kingdom is shattered and the authority given the vice-regents becomes an instrument of destruction. The “dominion of darkness”  has found its entrance into the Kingdom of Peace. Satan becomes the de facto “god of this age...” continuing to blind and enslave victims who are powerless to break out of the victimhood and abuse cycle. Plantinga says: “Victims victimise others, and even themselves. In this way sin gains momentum. Worse, all sinful lives intersect with other sinful lives....”

Kingdoms rise and fall

Now the Bible starts recording kingdoms which manifest fallen humanity. The perversion and cruelty of humankind under Satan’s influence prompts God to destroy the evil from the earth and start his reign over again lest creation be irreparably corrupted.  All through the scriptures God allows evil as a consequence of the authority he has given to his creatures, but there are always bounds on evil where he does intervene to stop complete destruction of his creation. Judgement is never vindictive or arbitrary but for the eventual good of his creation. 

Noah is a man who acknowledges his Kingship, so God rescues Noah and his family along with enough animals to repopulate the earth after the flood. God gives similar instructions to Noah that he gave to the first humans; to take responsible dominion.  Yet the grip of sin and Satan is strong and destructive empires soon arise and kingdoms with self-interest at heart soon proliferate. Genesis 10:10 records Nimrod as King the first significant kingdom. Later James 4:1-10 elaborates on the origin of conflict and war as our unbridled ambition and selfish desire.

Covenant and Law 

Yet God has a plan to restore the Kingdom. Just as he made covenants with Adam and Eve and later with Noah, he covenants with Abraham.  Covenant making is a Kingly act where the subjects are bound by promise to certain conditions for the mutual benefits of the King and the covenant people. All subject people were under covenant. Even today our laws are essentially covenants between us and our rulers to ensure mutual benefit.  

He promises to make from Abraham a great nation in their own land, and through whom all the peoples of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3).  The implication here is that God will be King, and that through this covenant people his Kingdom will bring restoration to the whole of creation. He reiterates this promise in Exodus after the descendants of Abraham are freed from slavery to the corrupt kingdom of Egypt. He says that they will be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6).  They will minister for God as King to the other nations as they learn to follow his ways and display his goodness.  Bartholomew & Goheen say: “The ten commandments are good news. They tell Israel how to live so as to please God and display to the nations God’s creational purposes for humanity. Because the Lord is the creator, his instructions fit with the way he has made the world.”

As Israel (as they are now known) follow God’s ways they are truly blessed and successful. Deuteronomy chapter 28 is an example of the blessings God pronounces for following his ways and the consequences of neglecting his ways. These were both clearly fulfilled at different points in Israel’s history. 

Prototype kings

Over time they develop their own governmental structures and appoint a King to head that government. In 1 Samuel 8, God warns through the prophet Samuel of the danger of a human king. This is later to be painfully fulfilled.  

The difference between Israel’s king and those of the other nations however is that (theoretically) his power is not absolute; he is subject to the Law of God and to the word of the prophets. Bartholomew & Goheen say: “All the prophetic books in the Old Testament come from the time of the monarchy or after its demise. The prophetic office thus appears in Israel as a counterbalance to the powerful office of kingship.”

The pre-eminent King is David. His psalms and his conduct reflect his love for God’s law, his knowledge of God’s ways and respect for God’s prophets; for example when confronted by Nathan for his sin David humbly repents (2 Samuel 12). For a time all is well and the Kingdom experiences unparalleled blessings. Subsequently David is regarded as the prototype for another King who will come and restore Israel to her full calling (see Is 63:1-6).

Israel’s history from David’s time is one of gradual decline and eventual exile because the kings of Israel and Judah (civil war splits the kingdom into two parts) generally disregard God’s law, his ways and his prophets. As a result they are exiled, again under the cruel heel of ungodly kingdoms. Israel loses her calling to bless the nations, loses her distinctive kingdom and almost loses her identity. Yet within this time there come an intense yearning for a deliverer like Moses or a king like David. Again Bartholomew & Goheen  say: “...there is a widespread expectation that...God is about to act – soon, suddenly and in love and wrath and great power - to renew his creation and restore his reign over the whole world.”  The prophet Daniel had spoken from captivity of a time when “…the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 2:44)

The Promised King

The terms ‘Son of David’, ‘Son of Man’, ‘Anointed One’  (‘Messiah’ in Hebrew and ‘Christ’ in Greek) and ‘Son of God’  become shorthand for the ‘Expected One’ who will come to restore the Kingdom to Israel (In Acts 1:6 this is the first question they ask Jesus after his resurrection). 

Some thought the Messiah to be a human warrior king, some though that he would be divine. Plantinga  says: “By the time of Jesus’ birth, most of his contemporaries were looking more for a man than for God...they were looking for a man who could become their king...What they got was their King who had become man – God incarnate...”.  

However the purpose of his coming was (in retrospect) misconstrued. The Israelites who remained in the land had been cruelly oppressed by the nations, and though they held different viewpoints over the nature and agenda of this King they were united by a hatred of the non-Jewish ‘Gentile’ nations.  They had forgotten that the Kingdom of God was not firstly about them, but about redemption of the whole of creation beloved by God.  

So at Jesus’ birth of the message of the angel: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end…" (Luke 1:32) leaves no doubt as to his identity. Jesus own announcement that: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel...” (Mark 1:15) is a bombshell.  ‘Gospel’ or ‘Good News’ is “...the word commonly used in that culture for the kind of announcement that brings great joy. It might be the news of a wedding, the birth of a son, a military victory, or the enthronement of a new era of peace.” (Bartholomew & Goheen)

Jesus’ message is filled with relevance for the people of Israel as he calls them back to God’s ways. He offers forgiveness, and release from the shame which humankind has carried right from the garden.   Yet the religious leaders are greatly offended at Jesus claiming to forgive sins as it is equivalent to claiming to be God. He tells stories which repeatedly reference the Kingdom of God as a place of refuge, healing and reconciliation (Luke 15 for example contains three such parables).

Demonstration of the Kingdom

He demonstrates the power of the Kingdom by healing the sick and casting out evil oppressive spirits (Luke 11:20). But it is his message of mercy to the Gentiles which offends his people.  For example The Jewish establishment are enraged when Jesus quotes from Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue announcing himself as the fulfilment of the ‘year of the Lord’s favour’, but stops short of pronouncing vengeance upon the enemies of Israel. He doesn’t take the warrior-king role they were expecting but instead reaches out in love and servant-hood to those who had treated his people badly and teaches his followers to do the same ( Matthew 5:38-48 for example).

Jesus’ concept of Kingship again stands over against the competing empires that rely on political maneuvering and military intimidation. His attitudes and teaching undermine and subvert the assumption that ‘might is right’ (see Mark 10:42-43). The world-view he teaches his followers is to neither fear nor hate these empires, but merely to announce by word and deed that a new Kingdom is here, and allegiance to this new/old Kingdom is the way into true freedom and peace (see Matthew 10:28 for example). Evil is to be overcome by loving service. 1 Corinthians 13 is essentially Paul’s commentary on Jesus’ leadership style.

The King bears the curse

This confuses and enrages both Jewish and Gentile leadership. Satan’s reign of shame is broken (1 John 3:8). The Kingdoms of this world have been subverted from their high and lofty power-positions. To rid the world of this Messiah-King seems to be the only remedy. Jesus is accused by Jews of blasphemy (claiming to be the son of God– Luke 22:70) and by the Romans of treason (claiming to be King of the Jews – Luke 23:38). Crucifying Jesus seems to be the final blow to this new Kingdom movement. 

Ironically in his death Jesus displays another Kingly attribute, sacrifice on behalf of his people (John 11:50-51). For Jesus to die on a cross confirms to the Jews that he could not be the Messiah as such a death was proof that he is under a curse (Deuteronomy 21:23).  Yet as King he bears the punishment that rightfully should have been borne by not only the Jewish people who had rejected their King, but also all the nations who had built their own kingdoms separate from their creator. Isaiah records this incredible event before it happened: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,   yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5). He is cursed – but not for his own sin (Galatians 3:13-14).

An ever-living King

The resurrection of Jesus is the decisive victory over evil. Jesus is at last the warrior-King who has destroyed the real enemy and opened the way for the everlasting Kingdom.  Bartholomew & Goheen say: “In rising from the dead, he inaugurates the renewal of the whole creation, including the physical bodies on men and women…Jesus has lead the way into the age to come…we can enter that kingdom as we follow him – enter first in foretaste on this side of the completed kingdom and at last enter it fully on the new earth.” 

The King has come and overcome the worst the world can offer. He has suffered and died on behalf of his lost people and redeemed them so they can return without shame to be willing subjects of his Kingdom; knowing the freedom and joy of being the people of God.  The redeemed of the Lord from every nation once again taking the role of ‘responsible dominion’, caring for the world. Jesus’ ‘Great Commission’ of Matthew 28:18-20 is a restating of God’s call and promise to Abraham that all the nations would be blessed through Him. The goal of the Kingdom announcement is that all be reconciled and returned to a place of blessing from God. God’s domain is no longer territorial. The ‘land’ promises made to Abraham are replaced in the New Testament by the ‘world’ (Romans 4:13). The reign of the King is available to all who will receive in this age (John 1:12, 3:16).

The clashing kingdoms

Yet although the decisive victory is accomplished, the Kingdom is yet to appear in its fullness. The earth and its people are still suffering under the curse. The Bible speaks of a day still future when it is announced that: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15). In the meantime we live in a tension. The victory is won, Satan has been defeated, the prison doors are open, yet like victims of long-term abuse there is still an affinity with the abuser; a fatal attraction to what has enslaved fueled by ignorance or fear of the unknown; freedom feels too foreign.

 So in his patience the King waits, trying to lure them out with foretastes of the goodness of his Kingdom.  Bartholomew and Goheen compare this to showing the trailer of a movie so that people will like what they see and want to return to the theatre for the full feature, and to a taste of a banquet to attract guests to the full feast.

In this place of tension humankind still hold their authority which they are free to use for good or evil so evil kingdoms and empires continue to oppress and creation still groans waiting for the consummation of the ages when all the prisoners have all had opportunity to come to the final banquet and evil is finally purged from the earth (Romans 8:22-25). 

How should we then live? Andy Croft and Mike Pilavachi in ‘Storylines’ say: “…if Jesus is our King we are to live to his standards. We are a people of the future Kingdom of God. We are to live lives of the future in the present. The challenge is that if it’s not good enough for the future Kingdom of God; it’s not good enough for the present.”  We in the Western world at least no longer live under such obvious tyrants, but the challenge of “who is Lord?” is nonetheless very real as corporations, brands and philosophies compete for out devotion. 

The Royal proclamation

In his book ‘What St Paul Really Said’ Tom Wright says: “The ‘gospel’ is for Paul, at its very heart, an announcement about the true God as opposed to false gods.” Our task is to live consistently and proclaim with relevance and clarity that Jesus the crucified and risen savior is Lord; and how that looks in a contemporary context.  

Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat in ‘Colossians Remixed’ say: “...the primal responsibility of Christian proclamation is to empower the community to reimagine the world as if Christ, not the powers, were sovereign...Such proclamation...will always be a subversion to the dominant version of reality.”

Servants of the Servant King

As forgiven followers of the King we are blessed, yet we live in world still subject to the curse. We are in the world as ambassadors of Christ, ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19). Our model of service is Jesus, who although the rightful King of Kings took the place of the humble servant and entreats us to do likewise (Philippians 2:1-11). Like him we are to conquer though love not power. We are in the world but not part of the corrupt world system yet we are to love the world and its people; expressing what it means to be truly free, forgiven and using our God-given image-bearing authority and creativity under his loving Kingship. 

Movie: Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed

So is it okay to use art to make a point about science or society? Is it really propaganda or is that what propagandists say about art that they don't agree with?

At a production level Expelled is superb - the music, the camera work, the editing, the film clips and animations are very, very well done. We know we are being drawn in by the art - it's about good versus evil; big science with an agenda versus free thinking that just wants to ask some reasonable questions: like why are guys like Richard Dawkins such rabid God-haters and so convinced that evolution is proven reality? It's a movie loaded to make a point but it's done so well it's really very entertaining. And why should a movie trying to make a point be dull - even if it is about science?

The movie has been criticised for linking Darwinism to the Holocaust - which it does blatantly much (apparently) to the horror of some evolutionists. It infers that the suppression of the ID (Intelligent Design) movement by the American Scientific establishment is part of a wider agenda of suppression of religion and free speech with the goal of some kind of utopia free from such quaint ideas. 

The point that the movie makes is that it's been done before. Hitler broke down parental influence on young people and filled their minds with evolutionary dogma which seared their consciences to the point where they could brutally take the life of another person in a calm and reasoned manner, completely justified by their logical world-view. Should we not be concerned when we see similar trends in our society and statements from our great 'thinkers' (such as Dawkins) to the effect that belief in God is a great evil that should be eradicated? 

Whether there is an orchestrated conspiracy or just a ruling world-view that dominates the (American) scientific community to such a degree that they have lost their ability to think outside of it I don't know. But I applaud this film that is cheeky enough to prod and poke and get people thinking and use art to do it. After all isn't that what art is for? There is enough content to inform about the claims of both ID and evolution and (I think) to build a convincing case that belief in God is not the enemy of science but actually wonderfully helpful because instead of trying to make sense of chaos we are discovering the depth of order within our world; assuming that order is there to be found.

Finally it comes down to what is actually true - not who has the best art or propaganda. What lines up with what we observe and experience? I grew up trying to believe in evolution. It not only didn't line up with my observation of the world but it gave no reason to live apart from the pursuit of gratification. When I heard the alternative story; that there was a creator God that made all this but it was messed up because of our choice to function independantly it began to come together for me. To be reconciled to the creator (which is the Christian message) ticks all the boxes; it answers the questions of origin and destiny and invites us to discover the incredible depths of our creator through what he has made.    

Prostitutes and tax collectors part 2 - Greasy Grace

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you." (Matthew 21: 28)   

Rahab wasn't by any means perfect. Her background and culture were no doubt highly dysfunctional. She would carry wounds from that (as we all do) all her life. She was prone to lie on the spur of the moment (many struggle with this story because she lied to protect the spies), but like we say 'her heart was in the right place'. Does that mean that God just sees our hearts and doesn't care about our lifestyle? 

Our modern Christian world is full of what has been called 'Greasy Grace'. The message is 'come to Jesus, say you are sorry, be forgiven so you can go to heaven then do your best to live a good life'. The thought process then goes like this:

 - God loves me unconditionally (which is true).

 - God will forgive me if I sin (which is true).

 - I do my best to do what Jesus would do but I still sin (true but a subtle twist coming in here).

 - Its really hard to live a live up to God's standards (it's actually impossible by our efforts).

 - God knows I can't, and hey, I'm forgiven and going to heaven and this is just all going to pass away anyway, so it desn't really matter how I live so long as I don't really hurt anybody else, so although I know some of the things I'm doing aren't what God likes he understands - I hope (this is now right off track - we are living in 'Greasy Grace', confessing to be followers of Christ yet by our actions denying him and bringing reproach to his name. Like washed pigs we return to our wallowing.

True grace is quite different. It realises that the power of grace is not only to be forgiven but to also be transformed. 

Paul the apostle said:  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.(Romans 12:1-2)

To paraphrase: God's mercy in reconciling and forgiving us is so great that we owe it to him break free from the dysfunctional patterns of our corrupt culture and be so transformed by him that we no longer think in terms of those destructive patterns so that by our transformed lives we will model to the world the will of God. This life of worship and service is to be our complete focus.

The grace of God works by the Holy Spirit living inside us, leading us into all truth, renewing and transforming. But to walk in his grace requires our focus. More on this to come... 

Prostitutes and tax collectors

Recently I did some teaching on Rahab that really got me thinking... what does God like?

Rahab lived in the city of Jericho just west of the Jordan river in around 1446BC. She was a prostitute and lived among people that were into serious evil - in God's justice system they had passed the point of no return; Jericho and it's people were to be destroyed.

Yet when Joshua sent spies in to check out Jericho it was Rahab who offered them protection and helped them escape. She effectively defected - committing treason against her own people. Apparently this was more than just an act of self-interest because later the Bible commends Rahab  for her great faith and she is clearly honoured within Israel by being accepted into the people of God; even to the extent of being listed among other non-Israelites in the genealogy of Christ himself! 

It's almost as if God sent the spies in to get Rahab out because there was something in her that he wanted in the bloodline of his son - faith!

Jesus talked about this kind of faith is when he told this story:

"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?"  "The first," they answered.   Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you." (Matthew 21: 28)   

Apparently faith has nothing to do with saying the right thing or being the right race or coming from the right background; it's about connection with the Father and doing what he wants.

(image from Francine Rivers book 'Unashamed' based on Rahab)

Easter: Whats it all about? The Bible speaks for itself... (pt 2)

I’ve been studying the book of Colossians lately and it provides a different view of Easter from what we commonly see:

• Jesus was present at and powerfully involved with creation: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (Col 1:15) 

• Jesus is the reason for creation: “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” (Col 1:16)

• Jesus holds all authority over all things: “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col 1:17)  

• Jesus is risen from the dead and the head of all who will follow him into resurrection: “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” (Col 1:18) 

• Jesus is God with us: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him...” (Col 1:19) 

• Through his death he has not just reconciled you and me to himself but one day the whole earth will be transformed and put right: “...and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col 1:20)

He did all this through the cross – what a event of cosmic significance Easter is and what confidence we can have in God to accomplish his purposes for the world and for us! 

Easter: Whats it all about? The Bible speaks for itself

The Passover was the annual celebration of God the redeemer of Israel who had told them to slay a lamb, cook and eat it and put its blood on the doorposts so they would be spared from the angel of death and from slavery in Egypt.

Luke 22:7-8 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.

Luke 22:14-19 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.  Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.  For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.” He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”

He was changing it around – now God our redeemer who is also the sacrificial lamb so we are not only delivered from slavery and death but we now receive his life.

Fast forward to Luke 23 – Jesus has been crucified:

Luke 23:39-49 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” (Messiah was the promised one who would deliver Israel from all her enemies) But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?  We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” (Jesus the innocent lamb) And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Fast forward to Luke 24 (talking to the disciples)

luke 24:44-49 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.”  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.  And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things. “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

Fast forward to Acts 2

Acts 2:1-4 On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, all the believers were meeting together in one place.  Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.  Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

Then Peter tells them the story of Jesus...

Acts 2:37-42 Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles — all who have been called by the Lord our God.”  Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

They lived and experienced the common life (fellowship) – their life was around Jesus life.

Life in the Spirit (part 2)

I was reading an article by Frank Viola called 'What's Wrong with our Gospel?' - he puts well the difference between trying to follow Jesus as an example and living by the life of Christ (the Holy Spirit). He says:

"There’s a great deal of emphasis today on the need to be like Christ. To imitate His earthly life. This is commonly tied into and often defined as “discipleship.” I believe that this emphasis is correct, but it’s not complete.

Christian leaders have been telling God’s people that they must “be like Christ” for the last 600 years (at least). The well-known book by Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, was published around 1418. Some 480 years later, Charles M. Sheldon’s book, In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do was published. Ever since then, Christians have been trying to “do what Jesus did.”

I believe the reason why this “gospel” hasn’t worked is because it’s asking the wrong question. The question is not “what would Jesus do?” It’s “what is Jesus Christ doing through me … and through us?”

Unlike all other religions, the founder of our faith is still alive. But that’s not all.

He lives inside of all who have repented and believed upon Him. But that’s not all. As Christians, we have been called to live by His indwelling life. And we can.

Note Jesus’ own words: As the living Father has sent Me and I live by the Father, so He who partakes of Me shall live by Me.

A large part of the gospel is to be awakened to an indwelling Christ - not as a doctrine or theology, but as a living, breathing Person whose life we can live by.

Paul’s central message was “Not I, but Christ” and “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (See Rom. 8, Col. 1, Galatians 2, and John 14-17, where Jesus Himself spoke about His indwelling just before His death.)

Jesus Christ lived His life by an indwelling Father. In the same way, we as believers can only live the Christian life by an indwelling Christ. This is not peripheral; it’s a central part of the gospel.
Imitating Jesus, therefore, is not a matter of trying to mimic the outward things He did (as if we can actually do that in our own energy).

It’s rather a matter of imitating the way He lived His life in order to produce that fruit. It’s to get in touch with the engine of His outward activities, and to “do likewise.” This puts us on a collision course with the matter of living by an indwelling Lord."

You can read the rest of the article here.

I totally agree - reading the Bible as a description of 'what the life of God looks like lived out through people' rather than 'we should try to live like this' is a radical change. It's totally different, exciting and revolutionary.

U2: No Line on the Horizon

I bought this on  iTunes last week while I was on the road and listened to it a couple of times on my iPod while riding - but you kind of miss the subtleties with in-ear phones on a motorcycle... Now that I'm home I did a trip out in my car and played it twice; much more satisfying. Since then I've been playing it over and over while I've been working.

With all music the values and attitudes of the writer and/or performer comes through. I think the thing that makes U2 so enduring and endearing is that they infuse a combination of down-to-earth realism; and yet through it all an unwavering certainty of faith and hope. 

To me the most poignant tracks are White as Snow and Cedars of Lebanon. Here we connect through the music with the reality of life and pain and loss; firstly from the point of view of a soldier in a hostile land and secondly a war correspondent avoiding the pain in his relationships yet longing for home. Both are deeply touching yet leave a note of hope - there is a way to be innocent again; there is a path to reconciliation.

Moment of Surrender soon became my favourite. As with most of Bono's songs there are layers of meaning, but with the reference to his wife and the biblical references it seems to me to written around the relentlessness of love and the call to surrender all to that love. It has a wonderful guitar break too!

Then Unknown Caller snuck up on me. This one is true poetry! Lyrical stabs create wonderful pictures left to the hearers to interpret as they wish. To me it's an invitation to freedom from a complex and irreconcilable world. This is the song that gets stuck in my head on replay.

Lots of great songs, great lyrics. I've yet to come to terms with the title track or Get on your Boots . They're both good songs but the lyrics don't connect with me yet. 

Overall - a great album. These guys hit the essence for me of connecting God to culture - maybe not in as direct a way as some would like - but our world has been so indoctrinated and inoculated against who God really is that the best medicine it can take is the message U2 transmits so well: there is a God who shares your pain and there is hope.

Dead Religion?

Everywhere I've traveled through New Zealand I've seen old church buildings. Some are beautiful, some are ugly, some are unused, some are cafes and galleries. What does this speak of?

Our nation was colonised by 'Christian' nations. The gospel was preached mostly with sincerity and pure motives and many Maori received the Good News as just that; the way of peace and reconciliation and justice. The culture of the missionaries was often added as extra baggage and sometimes this had a detrimental effect on the converts of unnecessarily alienating them from some things in their culture which were actually more godly than the culture of the missionaries.

Now nearly 200 years later the buildings they built are shrines to a lost way of life. The communities they represent have moved on with the most used buildings being the pub, the police station and the probation service. Where I rode today (the East Cape) communities are literally in ruins with deserted shops, freezing works and dairy factories. And the churches appear to be in equally bad shape. 

Behind the church building above were family graves. One was a reverend who had died at age 52. A man of God of Maori ancestry. Nearby was a later triple grave of three brothers aged in their teens and twenties, all killed on the same day; with the same surname as the minister. I wondered how that family feels? Did they blame God for the loss of those fine young men? Did they have a living faith? How did that death affect that community?

Can these dry bones live?  Like Ezekiel wisely answered: Lord, you know. What I do know is that God who made the exquisite natural beauty in our land desires that beauty to be reflected in our communities, relationships and families. Religion which has lost the River of Life which Jesus spoke of is dead. Old buildings count for nothing but grim reminders of dashed hopes and an impotent God.  

Life in the Spirit

Last  Sunday I had the privilege of speaking at a little church in Hikurangi - the small town where I spent part of my early teen years. It was the church I first attended back in 1976 when God got hold of my life. Those were the years of the charismatic renewal; old stodgy churches getting 'touched by the Spirit' and filling with young people.

I talked about my experience as a sixteen year old who was out there trying to figure out what life was about; trying the drinking and party scene of the day; the emptiness I couldn't face; my sister giving me a Living Bible and an Andrea Crouch tape and the huge impact they had on me. I talked about the Life in the Spirit seminar I attended in her home and how the words made so much sense and carried such power and life; and how I came to the conclusion that in spite of all my arguments and problems this was real. I invited Jesus to come and live in me by the Holy Spirit and experienced an amazing peace and presence within.

Looking back now 33 years later I have a bit more knowledge and language to describe what happened. I illustrated it this way: Here is a flower (from a vase at the front of the church building). Is it alive or dead? 'Alive' was the loudest response. But what is happening to that flower now it has been cut off from life? It's perishing - in one sense it's already dead. 

Our life is like that flower. We are all created in God's image from his life; but as we grow we all chose to become independent and we remove ourselves from the source of life in the process. We are still creative, we can do great works and kind deeds, but we are like the flower - perishing. How can that flower be re-attached? It can't. How can we be re-attached to the life of our creator? A famous bible verse says: 

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. 

Jesus came and died on our behalf - cut off from God's life as we are but through a deliberate choice to identify with us; not from a motive of independence but from a motive of reconciliation so he could pioneer a way for us to be re-joined through his resurrection from the dead. 

Those who receive Him receive his Spirit and life is in the Spirit. That means we have God's enabling presence with us now in this life giving us grace to live a life that pleases him and blesses our world using the gifts he gives us. And it means that we will follow him in resurrection. These flowers will grow old and fade away but we have imperishable/ resurrection/ eternal life embedded inside that will one day flourish again. This life is for all who believe and receive it. I had a great time back in the old place.