There are many different ideas about what or who God is. Some people deny his existence completely whilst other people believe He is a kindly grandfather figure who spoils us and never punishes us; yet others see Him as a vengeful fire breathing, lightning bolt throwing Zeus type of character. The world is replete with deists, theists, atheists, agnostics, polytheists, pantheists and everything inbetween.
But who really is God and how can we know His true heart? This is a question I have been meditating on recently. At work I have been teaching both Buddhism and Humanism in REP. Both value systems are commendable in their own right and at the same time flawed. Buddhists believe the answers lie within ourselves and we should strive to reach enlightenment in order to overcome the suffering in this world caused by ignorance and desire. Humanism triumphs the good in human nature and strives towards creating a better world and a more caring and compassionate society. Yet whilst elements of both philosophies are in keeping with God's heart, neither acknowledge Him.
For the humanist the nonexistence of God is conspicuous by His absence from human tragedy and crises. If God existed why does He allow suffering? Yet there is an irony to the Humanists logic, one which may or may not be lost on them. For the Humanist 'God' was merely a 'pokey medieval world view' when people lived in scientific ignorance. God therefore was always a 'God of the gaps' and after sufficient scientific exploration and discovery became unnecessary as an explanation for the world. Yet for all the benevolent discoveries and advancements in science that have helped make this world a better place, there have also been nightmarishly malevolent creations that have brought death, disease and suffering. Weapons such as the nuclear bomb, napalm and chemical warfare. The base chemicals and ingredients used in Medicine which is used to cure and to heal has also been corrupted to be used for illegal drugs that cause the user to become physically and psychologically dependent, often with horrific and tragic consequences socially. For all the good in human nature there is an evil.
Will Humanists ever succeed in making the world a better place? They may take an optimistic view of human nature, but there is no escaping from the fact that in human history atheism has led rise to many great and terrible evils such as Facism and Communism. 6 Million Jews died during WWII at the hands of the Nazis, even more Russians died at the hands of Stalin during the Great Purges and his reign of terror in the USSR. The Humanist may ask where was God? But can they face up to the fact that at its worst atheism leads to the attitude that human life is expendable and certain ideologies rip through the very fabric of morality and human society. What is the Humanists answer to the inhumane suffering caused by man to man? Are we not responsible? If we are sentient beings with a conscience then surely we are culpable and indeed guilty. Morality detached from its Divine origin will ultimately fail. Like the Joker said to Batman in the film the Dark Knight:
"their morality is like a bad joke; they're only as good as the world allows them to be. When the chips are down, they will tear each other apart - you'll see!"
Besides which Humanists state their is no scientific proof that God exists yet their rejection of God based on human suffering is an emotional response. Hardly scientific.
Morality for Buddhists is governed not by flawed man but by Karma. An invisible, unconscious law of the universe. At its simplist it is cause and effect. For every good deed it will be repaid in kind as well as every bad deed. This has great implications for reincarnation. Someone who has led a bad life will return in the next life in a lower state. Someone who has led a good life will return closer to achieving enlightenment. But whilst the physical universe is governed by the laws of nature; how can human life also be governed by a moral law. Morality does not conform to physical laws. Our morality is guided by our consciences. If our consciences are intune with what is right and wrong then it will be reflected in our morality - our views on what is ethical and our desire for justice and compassion. For Buddhists yet again the answer lies within humanity itself. Enlightenment is what is needed. Ignorance is the great enemy.
But if for example someone was to be reborn an animal because they lived a corrupted and degenerate life; how is that person, or life force, ever to achieve enlightenment? Animals do not have consciences; they are not guided by morality; animals are instinctual beings. How then is Karma to govern their actions? To a Buddhist continual rebirths would be damnation. They strive to enter into the state of Nirvana where they have transcended the laws of Karma and broken the cycle of rebirth. Yet a vast majority of the world will be lost. This seems even more cruel than the criticism made by many that Christianity promotes hell and damnation by a capricious and unloving God. But that is simply not true and a complete misunderstanding of the character and person of God. The Bible teaches that God wishes none to perish but that all would have eternal life. Again the Bible teaches that for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever should believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life! God is Just and Merciful.
Ignorance is our enemy. But not specifically in the way Buddhists believe it to be so. Ignorance of sin is what causes so much damage to the world and human suffering. Ignorance of sin and ignorance of the Devil. Humanity is caught in a web of lies spun by the Devil that has led to idolatry in a myriad of forms. Idolatry to false religions and to false gods; even idolatry to our very selves, as well as the things of this world - food, fashion, sport, sex, money etc. We do not have a right perspective of God because the world is not of God. Only through the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit can we understand the things of God - who He is and His character. By faith in Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection can we be united with God. For without God morality is merely a fascade, a fragile membrane that holds society together. For without God's Holy Spirit revealing to us God's Son, Jesus Christ there can be no enlightenment and no salvation.
God is a jealous God. God is jealous for His Holy name. That means He is both angered and heartbroken by the idolatry of this world. But God is also jealous in His love for humanity. God desires above all else that we reciprocate His love and enter into a relationship with us. If you are a Christian reading this are you aware of God's passionate jealousy for His Holy name? Are we praying for the lost? Those trapped into idolatry and false religions? Do we have a passion for the Holiness of God born of His Spirit? There will be more on this to come...
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Friday, 31 December 2010
The end of all things will be televised
And so as 2010 draws to an end it also marks the end of a decade - the first decade of the 21st Century. And with the end of this decade comes the end of a very important chapter in my life. In short I have grown up! Over the last 10 years I have graduated from high school, college and university as well as have become a qualified secondary school teacher. My formal education is behind me: I have grown from a teenager into a man. I have made and lost friends; I have been in love and had my heart broken. There have been many new beginnings and some untimely endings. Through this process of maturation I have learnt much about life, about responsibility, about pressure and expectations and about faith.
So I look back on this past decade for the last time. My future is ahead of me and I can only imagine if it will be as eventful as the last 10 years. In many ways I feel like the character JD from Scrubs as he left Sacred Heart Hospital. Always prone to fantasising his life, as he stepped out of that building for the last time, his final shift over, he imagines what the future may bring him: whether it will bring him the happiness of love and friendship he holds so dear and desires about all else. It is a very moving and poignant scene and made for very powerful television. In my own sentimental and romantic way I too stand at a precipice. A new epoch, a new era of my life is about to begin. I pray that the lessons I have learnt of life and faith will hold me in good sted in the decade to come as I seek to grow as a man and as I find my place in this world.
So 2011 beckons and a new dawn is about to rise. I am happy to be alive and desire more of God. Life is a journey; a journey of self discovery and self fulfillment. It is a journey in which, if we are perceptive enough, we will learn more about our divine Creator, through nature, through our relationships and experiences and through Scripture. The other night I watched the Last Samurai for the first time. That film is also about endings - the end of a proud warrior tradition; of a noble aristocratic warrior code. The lead character Katsumoto is persuaded, by Tom Cruises's character, to lead one last act of defiance against the vanguard of Westernisation that was heavily influenced by the American negotiators and diplomats. Faced with the latest in military technology, Katsumoto's Samurai are no match for the Imperial Japanese army armed with Canons, rifles and Gatling Guns and tragically, yet heroically Katsumoto is shot down and dies a martyr. In the final scene of the film the young Emperor of Japan asks Tom Cruise how Katsumoto died to which Cruise's character replies:
"I will tell you how he lived!"
Jesus was a man who lived with the utmost integrity. Jesus was a man who taught the world not just about love through his death, but about what it means to be human through his life. He was a teacher, a devout and pious man of God, yet without all the hypocritical trappings and character flaws of the religious leaders of his day. Oh to have been alive and to have lived along side Jesus! As Tom Cruise's character slowly comes to admire and respect Katsumoto's Samurai way of life, so too as I learn more about Jesus I am compelled to live as he did; to emulate his compassion and mercy; to be led and guided by his wisdom, to have such a strong sense of justice as he did and to embody and personify the love and faith that he epitomised. Jesus truly was a great man; who though died a criminal's death unjustly, died a martyr and more importantly died a saviour.
Just as the cherry blossom symbolised the Samurai's life - beautiful, noble yet fleeting; so too the Bible says man's life is but grass, like a mist that quickly evapourates. We are mortal and our mortality is fragile. But I choose with the life I have been gifted by God, with every breath I take, to grow in stature of faith and love; to nurture the essence of God that has been imputed to me by the Holy Spirit and to grow closer to my Creator. Jesus lived roughly 33 years. Like the Samurai his life was short. But what a life! He lived the equivilant of 10 lives in his short one! With what ever time God graces me with I want to make it count; I don't want to waste such a precious gift. I will be 25 in 2011; I will have lived a quarter of a century on this earth - I want to make sure that every single day is made to count; that the true essence and Shekinah Glory of God is revealed to me and that in every way I can learn what it truly means to live as Jesus taught me.
I have a suspicion that my future may lie abroad. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven he commissioned his Apostles to:
"Go forth and make disciples of all nations..."
I desire to see God's kingdom grow here on earth: to see lives saved and to see Satan's kingdom diminish. The Bible says to store up for yourself treasure in heaven and when I die I want to have a nice, healthy bank account waiting for me! I would love to go to Japan but I do not know for certain what God's plan for my future is. I just need to be open to it. To live every day as if it were my last. It is said that the Samurai's life was a preparation for his death. The same is true of the Christian.
So I welcome the New Year and just as Japan is known as the land of the rising Sun, so I desire to see the Son of God rise over the earth to administer justice, peace, equality and love.
So I look back on this past decade for the last time. My future is ahead of me and I can only imagine if it will be as eventful as the last 10 years. In many ways I feel like the character JD from Scrubs as he left Sacred Heart Hospital. Always prone to fantasising his life, as he stepped out of that building for the last time, his final shift over, he imagines what the future may bring him: whether it will bring him the happiness of love and friendship he holds so dear and desires about all else. It is a very moving and poignant scene and made for very powerful television. In my own sentimental and romantic way I too stand at a precipice. A new epoch, a new era of my life is about to begin. I pray that the lessons I have learnt of life and faith will hold me in good sted in the decade to come as I seek to grow as a man and as I find my place in this world.
So 2011 beckons and a new dawn is about to rise. I am happy to be alive and desire more of God. Life is a journey; a journey of self discovery and self fulfillment. It is a journey in which, if we are perceptive enough, we will learn more about our divine Creator, through nature, through our relationships and experiences and through Scripture. The other night I watched the Last Samurai for the first time. That film is also about endings - the end of a proud warrior tradition; of a noble aristocratic warrior code. The lead character Katsumoto is persuaded, by Tom Cruises's character, to lead one last act of defiance against the vanguard of Westernisation that was heavily influenced by the American negotiators and diplomats. Faced with the latest in military technology, Katsumoto's Samurai are no match for the Imperial Japanese army armed with Canons, rifles and Gatling Guns and tragically, yet heroically Katsumoto is shot down and dies a martyr. In the final scene of the film the young Emperor of Japan asks Tom Cruise how Katsumoto died to which Cruise's character replies:
"I will tell you how he lived!"
Jesus was a man who lived with the utmost integrity. Jesus was a man who taught the world not just about love through his death, but about what it means to be human through his life. He was a teacher, a devout and pious man of God, yet without all the hypocritical trappings and character flaws of the religious leaders of his day. Oh to have been alive and to have lived along side Jesus! As Tom Cruise's character slowly comes to admire and respect Katsumoto's Samurai way of life, so too as I learn more about Jesus I am compelled to live as he did; to emulate his compassion and mercy; to be led and guided by his wisdom, to have such a strong sense of justice as he did and to embody and personify the love and faith that he epitomised. Jesus truly was a great man; who though died a criminal's death unjustly, died a martyr and more importantly died a saviour.
Just as the cherry blossom symbolised the Samurai's life - beautiful, noble yet fleeting; so too the Bible says man's life is but grass, like a mist that quickly evapourates. We are mortal and our mortality is fragile. But I choose with the life I have been gifted by God, with every breath I take, to grow in stature of faith and love; to nurture the essence of God that has been imputed to me by the Holy Spirit and to grow closer to my Creator. Jesus lived roughly 33 years. Like the Samurai his life was short. But what a life! He lived the equivilant of 10 lives in his short one! With what ever time God graces me with I want to make it count; I don't want to waste such a precious gift. I will be 25 in 2011; I will have lived a quarter of a century on this earth - I want to make sure that every single day is made to count; that the true essence and Shekinah Glory of God is revealed to me and that in every way I can learn what it truly means to live as Jesus taught me.
I have a suspicion that my future may lie abroad. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven he commissioned his Apostles to:
"Go forth and make disciples of all nations..."
I desire to see God's kingdom grow here on earth: to see lives saved and to see Satan's kingdom diminish. The Bible says to store up for yourself treasure in heaven and when I die I want to have a nice, healthy bank account waiting for me! I would love to go to Japan but I do not know for certain what God's plan for my future is. I just need to be open to it. To live every day as if it were my last. It is said that the Samurai's life was a preparation for his death. The same is true of the Christian.
So I welcome the New Year and just as Japan is known as the land of the rising Sun, so I desire to see the Son of God rise over the earth to administer justice, peace, equality and love.
Friday, 24 December 2010
Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day...
So here I am, on Christmas eve 2010, waiting for the inevitable. I want to share something very precious, something close to my heart - I want to share what has been going on in my journey with God. This time of year always throws up many conflicting emotions and feelings: you have the spirituality of the Gospel message of Hope conflicting with the plastic artificiality of the materialistic impulses of what has come to define much of the secular side of Christmas. I'm not against spending at Christmas, nor am I against buying presents that say something of our affection, love and gratitude towards our friends and loved ones. Nevertheless as I get older, and the 'magic' of Christmas begins to wear thin, I cannot help but feel in some way uninspired by the emphasis upon materialistic consumption at this time of year. When I was a child I would know what I wanted for Christmas and ask, expecting to receive exactly what I'd asked for oblivious of cost or sacrifice on my parents' part. As I reflect I am reminded what the Bible teaches from 1 Corinthians:
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." 1 Corinthians 13:11
As an adult I have a far greater appreciation for the financial sacrifice that my parents must have made to accomodate my Christmas list. Like many parents I was allowed to believe as a child that Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, was the kindly and munificent person who would provide me with my materialistic desires. I believe that whilst the pseudonym of Santa Claus is in itself an act of gracious love that does not seek its own ego; unfortunately it does nevertheless fuel a selfishness in children that detaches the receiving of presents from a genuine gratitude towards those from whom they are bought. And thus as an adult my attention at Christmas is drawn away from a materialistic perspective towards one of faith.
But it is not the subject of faith at Christmas that I want to address. It is, more personally to my life at present, my own walk with God. This Christmas I have been challenged with deep rooted bitterness. Bitterness towards those who have hurt me deeply in the past. Those to whom I have allowed in years gone by to place a dark cloud over my thoughts and feelings at Christmas time. One such person, and the foremost person of my resentment, was my ex. Having believed I had forgiven her for the hurt she caused me, I assumed the matter dealt with. But after searching my heart I realised I had not let that hurt go. I had clung on to the hurt as a kind of excuse for the bitterness I still felt towards her. Convicted of such ungodly emotions as sin I began to pray, not only for my forgiveness but for her wellbeing. For the past couple of weeks I have been actively praying for those people who I have perceived to have wronged me. I have been praying for their happiness, wellbeing, faith and for peace. As I prayed, selflessly for these people I truly felt a sense of God's peace rest with me. I felt a release; a freedom and a joy in my spirit. I knew that I had grown closer to the true heart of God.
For God is a God of grace as well as judgement. A God of love as well as wrath. And ultimately a God who deserves to be worshipped and praised for who He is; not for what he can do for us but for who He is. God is not some sort of cosmic Santa Claus with whom we bring our spiritual Christmas list too and expect to receive everything we ask for. God sent his Son into the world because He so loved the world! (John 3:16) God first loved us. He taught us the meaning of love, the meaning of forgiveness and the meaning of grace.
"Anyone who claims to live in the light but hates his own brother is still in the darkness." 1 John 2:9
God showed me grace by forgiving my sin through the way of atonement by the death of Jesus Christ. Not only is God the creator of all life, He is also the author of salvation. We have done nothing of ourselves to deserve His divine forgiveness and grace. This is the God whom deserves to be worshipped, deserves to be followed and above all deserves our love. By examining my own heart, in accordance with Scripture I knew I was far from the true essence of God. I may still be single, but I am now much closer to the heart of God. This is a realisation that is beautiful and a transformation that is astonishing.
Merry Christmas one and all :-)
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." 1 Corinthians 13:11
As an adult I have a far greater appreciation for the financial sacrifice that my parents must have made to accomodate my Christmas list. Like many parents I was allowed to believe as a child that Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, was the kindly and munificent person who would provide me with my materialistic desires. I believe that whilst the pseudonym of Santa Claus is in itself an act of gracious love that does not seek its own ego; unfortunately it does nevertheless fuel a selfishness in children that detaches the receiving of presents from a genuine gratitude towards those from whom they are bought. And thus as an adult my attention at Christmas is drawn away from a materialistic perspective towards one of faith.
But it is not the subject of faith at Christmas that I want to address. It is, more personally to my life at present, my own walk with God. This Christmas I have been challenged with deep rooted bitterness. Bitterness towards those who have hurt me deeply in the past. Those to whom I have allowed in years gone by to place a dark cloud over my thoughts and feelings at Christmas time. One such person, and the foremost person of my resentment, was my ex. Having believed I had forgiven her for the hurt she caused me, I assumed the matter dealt with. But after searching my heart I realised I had not let that hurt go. I had clung on to the hurt as a kind of excuse for the bitterness I still felt towards her. Convicted of such ungodly emotions as sin I began to pray, not only for my forgiveness but for her wellbeing. For the past couple of weeks I have been actively praying for those people who I have perceived to have wronged me. I have been praying for their happiness, wellbeing, faith and for peace. As I prayed, selflessly for these people I truly felt a sense of God's peace rest with me. I felt a release; a freedom and a joy in my spirit. I knew that I had grown closer to the true heart of God.
For God is a God of grace as well as judgement. A God of love as well as wrath. And ultimately a God who deserves to be worshipped and praised for who He is; not for what he can do for us but for who He is. God is not some sort of cosmic Santa Claus with whom we bring our spiritual Christmas list too and expect to receive everything we ask for. God sent his Son into the world because He so loved the world! (John 3:16) God first loved us. He taught us the meaning of love, the meaning of forgiveness and the meaning of grace.
"Anyone who claims to live in the light but hates his own brother is still in the darkness." 1 John 2:9
God showed me grace by forgiving my sin through the way of atonement by the death of Jesus Christ. Not only is God the creator of all life, He is also the author of salvation. We have done nothing of ourselves to deserve His divine forgiveness and grace. This is the God whom deserves to be worshipped, deserves to be followed and above all deserves our love. By examining my own heart, in accordance with Scripture I knew I was far from the true essence of God. I may still be single, but I am now much closer to the heart of God. This is a realisation that is beautiful and a transformation that is astonishing.
Merry Christmas one and all :-)
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Hope for Israel
As I read from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke this morning; re-reading the nativity stories of the birth of Jesus, something very powerfully struck me: both Gospels placed emphasis on hope of the salvation of Israel through the birth of Jesus. Matthew's Gospel, which bears many signs that it was written with a very Jewish audience in mind, states very clearly that Jesus' birth and first coming was the fulfilment of many Old Testament prophecies including Isaiah and Jeremiah. Isaiah 7:14 says:
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel."
This prophecy is directly quoted in connection to the receiving of the news to Mary from the Angel that she was to give birth to Jesus. Yet even in Luke's Gospel, purposefully written for a Gentile named Theophilus (Luke 1:3), places special emphasis on the salvation of Israel through the reference to two people within the Temple when Mary and Joseph presented Jesus to God in Jerusalem. One was a man called Simeon, the other a prophetess called Anna. Through Simeon's declaration of faith, as he was filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus is called the:
"glory to your people Israel."
Whilst Jesus is also described as a light to the Gentiles it was clear to me that Israel is very much a focus within the Gospel narrative of the birth of Jesus. This was a watershed moment within Israel's history - a new epoch had dawned; Israel's messiah was born...and he was the Son of God himself!
There are many within the Church who interpret Jesus' first coming and his death and resurrection purely in Gentile terms. Jesus great commission to his disciples to go forth unto the ends of the earth is seen as the point where God's focus shifted from one nation (Israel) to the world. Indeed many within the Church today are hostile towards Israel and have no thought of taking the Gospel to Jesus' own people.
I do not believe this was God's intention. I do not believe the Church has replaced Israel in God's eyes. I do not believe the Gospel is a totally Gentile affair. While the Bible is clear that God wishes none to perish (2 Peter 3:9) and that Jesus is the Light of the World (my emphasis); nevertheless Ephesians describes the relationship between the Church and Israel as being One New Man (Eph 2:15-16). Ephesians states:
"remember that at that time you were separate from Christ excluded from the citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, (my emphasis) without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility...His purpose was to create in himself one new man out the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross..." (my emphasis)
Israel is still very much in God's heart. God has not foresaken his ancient covenant people. Neither should the Church.
I received an email recently from a Jewish charity with an article about what to pray for when praying for Israel. Here is a summary for those who feel called to pray for modern day Israel (and I encourage everyone to do so)
1. Israel's military - that Jewish believers in Jesus would find favour in the army and glorify God through their actions and decisions
2. Israel's economy - that the government and successive governments would take responsible and wise action regarding welfare pay outs, especially to the orthodox Jewish community and be able to intergrate them successfully into the work force
3. Freedom of Speech - that Jewish believers in Jesus would not be persecuted by Orthodox Jewish groups and be allowed their freedom of expression within Israel.
4. Israeli Government - an end to the corruption within the government
5. Safety - there are mafia like organisations which run human trafficking as well as Sudanese illegal immigrants that are resorting to crime.
6. Morality - there is growing amorality within Israel as future generations are growing up without a Biblical basis for morality
7. Salvation - Romans 11:26 says "All Israel shall be saved." Pray that Israel would know her saviour and messiah.
I encourage all of you reading this to open your heart to Israel, without whom we would not have the Bible or our saviour, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel."
This prophecy is directly quoted in connection to the receiving of the news to Mary from the Angel that she was to give birth to Jesus. Yet even in Luke's Gospel, purposefully written for a Gentile named Theophilus (Luke 1:3), places special emphasis on the salvation of Israel through the reference to two people within the Temple when Mary and Joseph presented Jesus to God in Jerusalem. One was a man called Simeon, the other a prophetess called Anna. Through Simeon's declaration of faith, as he was filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus is called the:
"glory to your people Israel."
Whilst Jesus is also described as a light to the Gentiles it was clear to me that Israel is very much a focus within the Gospel narrative of the birth of Jesus. This was a watershed moment within Israel's history - a new epoch had dawned; Israel's messiah was born...and he was the Son of God himself!
There are many within the Church who interpret Jesus' first coming and his death and resurrection purely in Gentile terms. Jesus great commission to his disciples to go forth unto the ends of the earth is seen as the point where God's focus shifted from one nation (Israel) to the world. Indeed many within the Church today are hostile towards Israel and have no thought of taking the Gospel to Jesus' own people.
I do not believe this was God's intention. I do not believe the Church has replaced Israel in God's eyes. I do not believe the Gospel is a totally Gentile affair. While the Bible is clear that God wishes none to perish (2 Peter 3:9) and that Jesus is the Light of the World (my emphasis); nevertheless Ephesians describes the relationship between the Church and Israel as being One New Man (Eph 2:15-16). Ephesians states:
"remember that at that time you were separate from Christ excluded from the citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, (my emphasis) without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility...His purpose was to create in himself one new man out the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross..." (my emphasis)
Israel is still very much in God's heart. God has not foresaken his ancient covenant people. Neither should the Church.
I received an email recently from a Jewish charity with an article about what to pray for when praying for Israel. Here is a summary for those who feel called to pray for modern day Israel (and I encourage everyone to do so)
1. Israel's military - that Jewish believers in Jesus would find favour in the army and glorify God through their actions and decisions
2. Israel's economy - that the government and successive governments would take responsible and wise action regarding welfare pay outs, especially to the orthodox Jewish community and be able to intergrate them successfully into the work force
3. Freedom of Speech - that Jewish believers in Jesus would not be persecuted by Orthodox Jewish groups and be allowed their freedom of expression within Israel.
4. Israeli Government - an end to the corruption within the government
5. Safety - there are mafia like organisations which run human trafficking as well as Sudanese illegal immigrants that are resorting to crime.
6. Morality - there is growing amorality within Israel as future generations are growing up without a Biblical basis for morality
7. Salvation - Romans 11:26 says "All Israel shall be saved." Pray that Israel would know her saviour and messiah.
I encourage all of you reading this to open your heart to Israel, without whom we would not have the Bible or our saviour, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Struggles, humility and victory!!!
This last week has been quite hard for me. As a part of a new initiative at my school, all teachers graded Satisfactory in their last APR (annual, professional review) will undergo a 12 week programme of observations and guidance in order to become good to outstanding teachers. When I was told I was now on this programme and that my Head of Department would be setting me targets to meet I felt gutted. For the last two years I have trained to become and qualified as a professional teacher. These last two years have been some of the toughest in my life. They have been a period of transition, set backs, recoveries and (very steep) learning curves. But last July I thought I had fully qualified and the days of 'mentoring' were behind me. Alas I was mistaken. And so I left that initial meeting feeling despondant, frustrated and quitely frankly unworthy of being a teacher.
But God has been doing something wonderful through this experience. As I reached out to Him for guidance and strength, as I chose to worship Him despite my feelings, God has been speaking to me: speaking to me about humility, speaking to me about faith and speaking to me about testimony! As I prepared to go into work one morning Jesus' teaching about worrying came to mind. I can only describe it as an epiphany, for at that precise moment I felt the weight of pressure, expectation and fear lift from me. Jesus taught:
"Do not worry about what tomorrow will bring, for each day has enough trouble of its own."
I was instantly uplifted and yet challenged. Was I living by faith through this experience? Where did my hope and strength come from? Last Sunday morning the speaker spoke of 'practical atheism', when believers deny God by their actions. It is one thing to say I am a Christian, but another entirely to live by faith and not by sight; to maintain an integrity of faith even in the hard times. I am in no doubt whatsoever that these next 12 weeks will be hard, trying and pressured. However, through faith I will have the victory. Through faith in the Most High who created the heavens and the stars in the night sky; who created all life on earth and brought salvation to humanity through the crucifixion and resurrection of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, I will prevail stronger, a better teacher and with a deeper relationship with my God. What a powerful testimony this will bring.
I was also struck as I meditated on the Word of God by the humility Jesus showed as he went to the Cross. Jesus was falsely accused by the Jewish religious authorities, was abandoned by his disciples, even betrayed by one of them! Jesus was mocked and scorned by the Roman guards and crucified by an incensed crowd full of blood lust and anger. Yet despite suffering such public disgrace, torture and humiliation he remained humble, never wavering from His obedience and faith in the Father's Will. As Jesus was nailed to the cross He was even able to pray:
"Father forgive them, for they do not understand what they are doing."
I had certainly not responded to my current circumstances with humility. And I certainly had not lived out Jesus' teaching about forgiveness and love. So I began to pray for my classes that have caused me so many problems and stress this past term. I prayed as the Bible teaches us to, to pray for those who persecute us and to love our enemies. I know I must grow in humility. I know I must live out my faith with integrity, and I know that ultimately it is in times of testing and struggle that our true faith is revealed. But more than this, it is in these times that God can refine our faith by His Holy fire and purify us. It is one thing to know, intellectually, the teachings of the Bible, but a completely different thing to apply them to one's life. It is one thing to memorise the Bible, but another entirely to let it shape our lives, produce in us good fruit of patience, love, kindness, humility, meekness and integrity.
As I continued to read of Jesus' crucifixion it occurred to me that Jesus is still being mocked, rejected and crucified by our society today. Overtly aggressive atheists such as Richard Dawkins wants all religion to be eradicated from the face of the earth, from peoples' psyche both personal and collective. The media and television ridicule Jesus still, with freedom of the press and freedom of speech being exploited to put down Christianity. And people still falsely accuse Jesus of being someone He is not.
Jesus was crucified along with two criminals. One continued to mock Jesus, whilst the other rebuked him and pleaded with Jesus to forgive him. In this age of godlessness, where no one fears God anymore, I believe the Church needs to be like that second criminal speaking out to defend Jesus for who He truly is; not a criminal, but an innocent man; not a danger to society but it's saviour. Interestingly once Jesus had died and hung there lifeless on the cross the people there knew what they had done and went home mourning. One day, when Jesus returns, this society will realise the injustice of their actions and mourn, only it will be too late then! This society needs revival, it needs repentence.
As for me, before Jesus died he cried:
"Father into your hands I commit my spirit."
The Bible teaches us to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Therefore I will make a point of praying every day that I would commit my spirit into God's hands, take up my cross and follow Jesus, not conforming to the pattern of this world.
But God has been doing something wonderful through this experience. As I reached out to Him for guidance and strength, as I chose to worship Him despite my feelings, God has been speaking to me: speaking to me about humility, speaking to me about faith and speaking to me about testimony! As I prepared to go into work one morning Jesus' teaching about worrying came to mind. I can only describe it as an epiphany, for at that precise moment I felt the weight of pressure, expectation and fear lift from me. Jesus taught:
"Do not worry about what tomorrow will bring, for each day has enough trouble of its own."
I was instantly uplifted and yet challenged. Was I living by faith through this experience? Where did my hope and strength come from? Last Sunday morning the speaker spoke of 'practical atheism', when believers deny God by their actions. It is one thing to say I am a Christian, but another entirely to live by faith and not by sight; to maintain an integrity of faith even in the hard times. I am in no doubt whatsoever that these next 12 weeks will be hard, trying and pressured. However, through faith I will have the victory. Through faith in the Most High who created the heavens and the stars in the night sky; who created all life on earth and brought salvation to humanity through the crucifixion and resurrection of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, I will prevail stronger, a better teacher and with a deeper relationship with my God. What a powerful testimony this will bring.
I was also struck as I meditated on the Word of God by the humility Jesus showed as he went to the Cross. Jesus was falsely accused by the Jewish religious authorities, was abandoned by his disciples, even betrayed by one of them! Jesus was mocked and scorned by the Roman guards and crucified by an incensed crowd full of blood lust and anger. Yet despite suffering such public disgrace, torture and humiliation he remained humble, never wavering from His obedience and faith in the Father's Will. As Jesus was nailed to the cross He was even able to pray:
"Father forgive them, for they do not understand what they are doing."
I had certainly not responded to my current circumstances with humility. And I certainly had not lived out Jesus' teaching about forgiveness and love. So I began to pray for my classes that have caused me so many problems and stress this past term. I prayed as the Bible teaches us to, to pray for those who persecute us and to love our enemies. I know I must grow in humility. I know I must live out my faith with integrity, and I know that ultimately it is in times of testing and struggle that our true faith is revealed. But more than this, it is in these times that God can refine our faith by His Holy fire and purify us. It is one thing to know, intellectually, the teachings of the Bible, but a completely different thing to apply them to one's life. It is one thing to memorise the Bible, but another entirely to let it shape our lives, produce in us good fruit of patience, love, kindness, humility, meekness and integrity.
As I continued to read of Jesus' crucifixion it occurred to me that Jesus is still being mocked, rejected and crucified by our society today. Overtly aggressive atheists such as Richard Dawkins wants all religion to be eradicated from the face of the earth, from peoples' psyche both personal and collective. The media and television ridicule Jesus still, with freedom of the press and freedom of speech being exploited to put down Christianity. And people still falsely accuse Jesus of being someone He is not.
Jesus was crucified along with two criminals. One continued to mock Jesus, whilst the other rebuked him and pleaded with Jesus to forgive him. In this age of godlessness, where no one fears God anymore, I believe the Church needs to be like that second criminal speaking out to defend Jesus for who He truly is; not a criminal, but an innocent man; not a danger to society but it's saviour. Interestingly once Jesus had died and hung there lifeless on the cross the people there knew what they had done and went home mourning. One day, when Jesus returns, this society will realise the injustice of their actions and mourn, only it will be too late then! This society needs revival, it needs repentence.
As for me, before Jesus died he cried:
"Father into your hands I commit my spirit."
The Bible teaches us to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Therefore I will make a point of praying every day that I would commit my spirit into God's hands, take up my cross and follow Jesus, not conforming to the pattern of this world.
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Remembrance Sunday
Last Thursday was Armistice Day, when we here in Britain remember the soldiers who lost their lives in WWI. Today was Remembrance Sunday when collectively we pay tribute to the soldiers of both world wars. They are solomn occassions. At work, as a history teacher, we raise the issue of whether it is right to remember; or whether, after 90 years, it is time to leave the past behind? For many these times of remembrance are important and the cost of our freedom should never be forgotten. Slogans such as 'Freedom is not free' reverberate as poignant soundbites that bear witness to the hugely tragic cost in human lives and of lost generations of young men.
It is right that we remember the 'Glorious Dead' as is written on the Cenotaph in London. But it is also right that we remember as a society the cost of our spiritual redemption as well. For 2000 years ago, one man from Nazareth, was crucified under Roman orders, just outside of Jerusalem. What made this execution different to the others was the fact that this man, called Jesus, died for the sake of humanity: a human sacrifice, echoing the symbolism of the sacrificial lamb slaughtered in the Temple courts by the Levitical Priests of ancient Israel. For Jesus offered up his life so that we could be forgiven our sins and tresspasses by God. For the Bible teaches that there are only two conditions in life: in slavery to sin or slavery to righteousness. Jesus bought our spiritual redemption and freedom by dying on the Cross. His ultimate sacrifice was the price of our freedom: freedom the Bible teaches us is what God has designed for us. Freedom from judgement; freedom from condemnation and freedom from guilt.
The cost of our political freedom was terribly great. Millions dead, but not in vain, for the fact that the Allied forces won the war and we continue to remember and pay our respect to their deaths. In remembering their lives and the price of our freedom it reminds me that life is still seen as sacred to our society. One life, the most sacred of all, was the cost of salvation. A life that was human, yet divine; a life that personified love. Yet rather than remember Jesus as another of the Glorious Dead, we also remember that He was raised again: resurrected and elevated to the right hand of the throne of God, reunited in glory with the Heavenly Father. This same Jesus that was crucified and resurrected is the same Jesus that is the same yesturday, today and forever. Jesus' sacrifice was a once for all, ultimate sacrifice. His sacrifice is as powerful to save lives as it has been for 2000 years. Believe.
It is right that we remember the 'Glorious Dead' as is written on the Cenotaph in London. But it is also right that we remember as a society the cost of our spiritual redemption as well. For 2000 years ago, one man from Nazareth, was crucified under Roman orders, just outside of Jerusalem. What made this execution different to the others was the fact that this man, called Jesus, died for the sake of humanity: a human sacrifice, echoing the symbolism of the sacrificial lamb slaughtered in the Temple courts by the Levitical Priests of ancient Israel. For Jesus offered up his life so that we could be forgiven our sins and tresspasses by God. For the Bible teaches that there are only two conditions in life: in slavery to sin or slavery to righteousness. Jesus bought our spiritual redemption and freedom by dying on the Cross. His ultimate sacrifice was the price of our freedom: freedom the Bible teaches us is what God has designed for us. Freedom from judgement; freedom from condemnation and freedom from guilt.
The cost of our political freedom was terribly great. Millions dead, but not in vain, for the fact that the Allied forces won the war and we continue to remember and pay our respect to their deaths. In remembering their lives and the price of our freedom it reminds me that life is still seen as sacred to our society. One life, the most sacred of all, was the cost of salvation. A life that was human, yet divine; a life that personified love. Yet rather than remember Jesus as another of the Glorious Dead, we also remember that He was raised again: resurrected and elevated to the right hand of the throne of God, reunited in glory with the Heavenly Father. This same Jesus that was crucified and resurrected is the same Jesus that is the same yesturday, today and forever. Jesus' sacrifice was a once for all, ultimate sacrifice. His sacrifice is as powerful to save lives as it has been for 2000 years. Believe.
Thursday, 28 October 2010
In pursuit of knowing God
A few months ago I posted a blog about the purpose of humanity in which I concluded that knowing God was the ultimate purpose in life and that connecting with this God brings ultimate meaning to our lives. Recently I have been reading a very erudite and concise little book called 'Think God Think Science' subtitled 'conversations on life, the universe, and faith' with Ernest Lucas, Vice-Principal and Tutor of Biblical studies Bristol Baptist College. So far the book has made some very interesting points, ones which I thought were very profound in my understanding of and relationship with God. I said in my previous blog that I hoped this endeavour to know our Creator God would progress and evolve into a more rounded and fully fleshed world view and I believe this book has helped me to do so.
One of the first points that struck me in the debate between Religion and Science was Ernest Lucas' response to Richard Dawkins' criticism of Religion producing a 'poky little medieval view of the universe'. Lucas suggests that what Dawkins describes is not the byproduct of religious skepticism towards Science as a source of truth but rather a trend brought about by our era of post-modernism and an emphasis on individualism and 'self-truth'. While I have been very familiar with post-modernism as a philosophical worldview; I had never thought about it's impact upon our society in creating such an insular, individualistic culture. There has been a shift towards the importance placed upon material gain and accumulation in our Western culture - a result, in part, of the greater emphasis placed upon our individualism by post-modernism. Therefore to discredit Christianity or Religion in general as being 'against' Science is unfair and tarnishes Religion specifically for what is a much broader problem created by certain philosophical leanings of society.
Secondly, the book covers the issue of cosmology and how our understanding of our place within the universe has changed since Ancient times. Our ancestors believed that the earth was the centre of the universe and that the universe revolved around us and not vice versa. Since our more recent scientific discoveries brought about through the scientific revolution of the 17th and 18th centuries by such men as Newton and Copernicus our understanding and perception of the significance of our planet and in deed the human race has changed. Therefore, do our lives hold any meaning and do they carry significance? Lucas' response to this question struck me as very profound. If, as the Bible says, God is a God of love then what he creates, he creates out of love and so has a deep love for what he has created, no matter how small they may appear in the grander picture of the universe. He draws upon the analogy of a parent, holding their new born baby in their arms for the first time. The baby in itself is small and has done nothing of significance in the world, but those parents love that baby unconditionally and completely. Size is not the benchmark for significance. God as our Heavenly Father loves us so deeply and so profoundly not because we are big physically, or because earth is the focal point of the universe, but just because he made us and because he is love. No one is insignificant to God. That is amazing.
The other point the book has made thus far, which I have found particularly captivating and intriguing, especially to my pursuit and understanding of a relationship with God bringing ultimate meaning to our lives is the concept of certain human abilities that transcend the basic need for surival. In the chapter about evolution and whether or not humanity has been made in the image of God, Lucas speaks of certain abilities that he sees as proof that we have been made in God's image, or at least what he understands by being made in God's image. Examples included higher mathmatics, fine art, music and an aesthetical appreciation for beauty. These qualities in us go beyond a Darwinian understanding and application of survival of the fittest. While basic maths and arithmatic is important for survival, post-graduate and higher level maths, the likes of which Einstein applied go far beyond any naturalistic requirement for survival. Likewise the complexity of our music goes far beyond the mating calls and primitive music that animals are able to produce in order to attract mates or warn of approaching predators. Lucas was not arguing that evolution is incorrect or untrue, rather that a theistic understanding of evolution is more satisfactory than an atheistic one.
This has massive implications for our lives: our societies and cultures speak of a Creator God - our ability to produce and have an appreciation for fine art, music and literature implies that we have been made in our Creator's image. Practically everything we do speaks of God. As I write this blog I am listening to Beethoven's 5th piano concerto, this music so complex and sophisticated, yet so beautiful to listen to speaks of a God who made us, to have this capacity to make such music; the computer I am using to type this blog and post it online again speaks of being made in God's image. We are intelligent, creative, self-conscious beings. We have been made in the image of God.
These reflections and meditations bring me such satisfaction when I think of my pursuit of knowing God and having a relationship with him. My pursuits and interests speak of being made in God's image, my ability to learn, adapt, appreciate and create things of intelligent design and sophistication speak of God and in our human race we can know something of what God is like.
One last thought, regarding the implications of these musings: Lucas draws a logical connection between being made in God's image, and the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Lucas states:
"A lot of ink has been spilt over the question of what it means to be made in the image of God. I think the simplest way to understand it is that we represent God on earth, that we must be of such a nature that we can reflect something of God in our human personality. This is what makes Incarnation possible, the message of the New Testament that God can become a human being."
Many non-Christians and atheists alike struggle to comprehend how God can become a human being; to Jews and Muslims it is offensive to think of God having a 'son' or 'reducing' himself to human form; to atheists it seems absurd that a person could be at one and the same time a human and a god, with all the powers supposedly attributed to God. But if God has already created us with the capacity to reflect himself in us then being able to incarnate himself in a person, with a physical body and human limitations is possible. As the Bible says "nothing is impossible for God."
And so I come back to the person of Jesus Christ - God incarnate - in my spiritual journey to know God and have a relationship with him. To know Jesus is to know God and to believe in Jesus is to believe in the One who sent him, namely God.
One of the first points that struck me in the debate between Religion and Science was Ernest Lucas' response to Richard Dawkins' criticism of Religion producing a 'poky little medieval view of the universe'. Lucas suggests that what Dawkins describes is not the byproduct of religious skepticism towards Science as a source of truth but rather a trend brought about by our era of post-modernism and an emphasis on individualism and 'self-truth'. While I have been very familiar with post-modernism as a philosophical worldview; I had never thought about it's impact upon our society in creating such an insular, individualistic culture. There has been a shift towards the importance placed upon material gain and accumulation in our Western culture - a result, in part, of the greater emphasis placed upon our individualism by post-modernism. Therefore to discredit Christianity or Religion in general as being 'against' Science is unfair and tarnishes Religion specifically for what is a much broader problem created by certain philosophical leanings of society.
Secondly, the book covers the issue of cosmology and how our understanding of our place within the universe has changed since Ancient times. Our ancestors believed that the earth was the centre of the universe and that the universe revolved around us and not vice versa. Since our more recent scientific discoveries brought about through the scientific revolution of the 17th and 18th centuries by such men as Newton and Copernicus our understanding and perception of the significance of our planet and in deed the human race has changed. Therefore, do our lives hold any meaning and do they carry significance? Lucas' response to this question struck me as very profound. If, as the Bible says, God is a God of love then what he creates, he creates out of love and so has a deep love for what he has created, no matter how small they may appear in the grander picture of the universe. He draws upon the analogy of a parent, holding their new born baby in their arms for the first time. The baby in itself is small and has done nothing of significance in the world, but those parents love that baby unconditionally and completely. Size is not the benchmark for significance. God as our Heavenly Father loves us so deeply and so profoundly not because we are big physically, or because earth is the focal point of the universe, but just because he made us and because he is love. No one is insignificant to God. That is amazing.
The other point the book has made thus far, which I have found particularly captivating and intriguing, especially to my pursuit and understanding of a relationship with God bringing ultimate meaning to our lives is the concept of certain human abilities that transcend the basic need for surival. In the chapter about evolution and whether or not humanity has been made in the image of God, Lucas speaks of certain abilities that he sees as proof that we have been made in God's image, or at least what he understands by being made in God's image. Examples included higher mathmatics, fine art, music and an aesthetical appreciation for beauty. These qualities in us go beyond a Darwinian understanding and application of survival of the fittest. While basic maths and arithmatic is important for survival, post-graduate and higher level maths, the likes of which Einstein applied go far beyond any naturalistic requirement for survival. Likewise the complexity of our music goes far beyond the mating calls and primitive music that animals are able to produce in order to attract mates or warn of approaching predators. Lucas was not arguing that evolution is incorrect or untrue, rather that a theistic understanding of evolution is more satisfactory than an atheistic one.
This has massive implications for our lives: our societies and cultures speak of a Creator God - our ability to produce and have an appreciation for fine art, music and literature implies that we have been made in our Creator's image. Practically everything we do speaks of God. As I write this blog I am listening to Beethoven's 5th piano concerto, this music so complex and sophisticated, yet so beautiful to listen to speaks of a God who made us, to have this capacity to make such music; the computer I am using to type this blog and post it online again speaks of being made in God's image. We are intelligent, creative, self-conscious beings. We have been made in the image of God.
These reflections and meditations bring me such satisfaction when I think of my pursuit of knowing God and having a relationship with him. My pursuits and interests speak of being made in God's image, my ability to learn, adapt, appreciate and create things of intelligent design and sophistication speak of God and in our human race we can know something of what God is like.
One last thought, regarding the implications of these musings: Lucas draws a logical connection between being made in God's image, and the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Lucas states:
"A lot of ink has been spilt over the question of what it means to be made in the image of God. I think the simplest way to understand it is that we represent God on earth, that we must be of such a nature that we can reflect something of God in our human personality. This is what makes Incarnation possible, the message of the New Testament that God can become a human being."
Many non-Christians and atheists alike struggle to comprehend how God can become a human being; to Jews and Muslims it is offensive to think of God having a 'son' or 'reducing' himself to human form; to atheists it seems absurd that a person could be at one and the same time a human and a god, with all the powers supposedly attributed to God. But if God has already created us with the capacity to reflect himself in us then being able to incarnate himself in a person, with a physical body and human limitations is possible. As the Bible says "nothing is impossible for God."
And so I come back to the person of Jesus Christ - God incarnate - in my spiritual journey to know God and have a relationship with him. To know Jesus is to know God and to believe in Jesus is to believe in the One who sent him, namely God.
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