Failure

Something i recently published in the church bulletin:

Failure is necessary in Christian growth

Actually that’s not completely true, Jesus did indeed increase in maturity (Luke 2:40) without ever failing – in the sense that He always trusted His Father.

However, for the rest of us, who are riddled with sin, failure is necessary. We fail in our Christian service because we don’t know the love of God from eternity past. Sin means we naturally rely on ourselves, we always think we can do it – or even – we think we can’t do it. Faith means we put all that reliance directly onto Christ and He’ll tell us whether we can or can’t do something.

When Jesus’ followers faced their first solo demon confrontation, they failed miserably (Mark 9:18-19). Jesus doesn’t accuse them of being incompetent, but faithless – worse still, a perverse generation. They didn’t rely on the Holy Spirit for help – they did not cry out to Him, and worse, they were trying to gain glory for themselves (Mark 9:34) – that’s the perversion.

Failure in our Christian service is necessary because it exposes the sin within us. If we don’t serve, then we are content to sit in our sin-bubble, our little realm where we are in total control of everything we do (or so we think). The minute we actually step out to serve Jesus, we always fail - sin is revealed. Then we are left with the choice of returning back to sin-comfort-zone or deepening our relationship with Jesus (Mark 9:29).

If we long for maturity as Christians in whatever is left of 2010, then we must begin to serve Him wherever the need arises, whether we think we are competent or not – especially in ministries that involve dealing directly with other people. Yes, we are going to fail – but the kingdom of heaven is not a meritocracy… it is a kingdom of grace. That means we can have the confidence of growing through failure, because our God is our Father who loves us and will guide us through.

So then in Zion Bishan: Let us serve and fail - then come to Jesus and serve again. In our community of grace, we must reflect the grace of God that allows failure, so that growth may result. We walk people through the mistakes that they’ve made – the sins that have been exposed, and point them back to a faithful and forgiving God – for healing and growth to begin.

Dying Inside

From my last hermaneutics lecture:

In the mediaeval period the Song of Songs was one of the most commentated-on books in the Bible: the commentary was usually allegorical in nature.

A relatively late example of this approach is found in the writings of C.H. Spurgeon, the 19^th-century British preacher.

We can consider his sermon on Song of Songs 1:13, preached in 1864.

This verse reads: ‘My beloved is to me a sachet or myrrh that lies between my breasts.’

Spurgeon begins by setting out his interpretative approach:

Certain divines have doubted the inspiration of Solomon’s Song; others have conceived it to be nothing more than a specimen of ancient love-songs, and some have been afraid to preach from it because of its highly poetical character. The true reason for all this avoidance of one of the most heavenly portions of God’s Word lies in the fact that the spirit of this Song is not easily attained. Its music belongs to the higher spiritual life, and has no charm in it for unspiritual ears. The Song occupies a sacred enclosure into which none may enter unprepared. “Put off they shoes from off they feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground,” is the warning voice from its secret tabernacles.

He interprets the theme of the Song as the intimate love which the Christian believer may experience with the Lord Jesus. This is an allegorical approach.

He interprets Song 1:13 under the heads: (i) Christ is very precious to believers; (ii) there is good reason why he should be; (iii) mingled with this sense of preciousness, there is a joyous consciousness of possession of him; (iv) therefore there is an earnest desire for perpetual fellowship with him

In his detailed exposition of the verse Spurgeon applies the phrase ‘bag of myrrh’ to Christ in a variety of ways: it points to Christ’s preciousness, his pleasantness, the way he perfumes the believer’s life, his preserving qualities, his power to cleanse and heal.

In effect his interpretation involves asking two questions: What are the properties of myrrh? And (having answered that question): How does Christ demonstrate these properties?

But is this really the way to interpret the text, by engaging in a series of word associations?

Later on in the volume, expounding 2:13 (‘Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me’), and following a similar kind of exegesis, Spurgeon applies the text to the failure of the church in England and Europe to disestablish itself in the decades after the Reformation.

Christians heard Christ’s call to ‘come with me’, but did not respond as fully and as trustingly as they should have done. (Spurgeon was a Non-Conformist, not a member of the established Church of England.)

This is all very interesting: but is it what the text is really talking about?

(Most commentators on the Song today would answer: No.)

____________________

I only just succeeded in restraining myself from laying hands on people....

What response would you have given?

Sexy Evangelism

Effective evangelism is like sex don't you think?

You have to be overflowing with love and joy, etc... to be able to truly sow the seed

we are shameful, but He has gently uncovered our nakedness, and embraced and filled us - so we overflow with joy (John 4)

A feeble attempt at hermeneutics

Glen has a great series here, here and here.


Here is a simple diagram of my understanding so far...

So basically... all Scripture, when Spirit-led - points to Christ, regardless of style or genre

By drawing us into Christ, it draws us closer to one another
By drawing us into Christ, it draws us to the Father - that we can now determine the Father's will
the Father's will is not independent of Christ, neither is it individualistic - it is always corporate, but relating to persons within the community

our ultimate goal... is to follow the will of the Father, showing that we are true sons of God, united with and living as Christ

then is our 'growth' complete - cf John 4:34, Rom 8:29

since only then are we perfect in faith - fully encompassed by His love, and in total (unresistant) union with Christ, completely indwelled and constantly filled by the Spirit

Church

What is church and the community?

Listening to quite a bit of Crowded House stuff...

So far what I figure...
is that church must be based on eternal Trinitarian relationships revealed to us in Jesus

There is an entrance point - that is Christ
There is a reference point - that is the Father

The church is invitational - hence proclamation
Yet confrontational - since you imply in the invite that you are not part of it

The community is perichoretic - interpenetrating, with individuals breaking down in confession and being rebuilt as a community of persons in Christ - one body

Liberalism causes the church to be informal and 'uneventful' - since there is no serious consideration of sin

Legalism causes the church to be only in the structure and events - since the leaders think they can run a system since they are not sinful

True church is a household - where there is interaction and activity
Where there is an understanding of sinful separatedness and those informal interactions or formal events are all purposeful - designed to break down the separatedness between each other, and re-reference ourselves with the Father - hence the events of the Word in proclamation, corporate study, visible sacrament, etc

All this is what it would mean to be Spiritual

The goal of church is unnatural love for one another (grace), lead and exemplified by Jesus, founded on the love for the Father, actualised by the Holy Spirit

or something like that....

What does it mean to be faithful?

A sermon I did on 2 Timothy 2:1-13

Link here

Managed to fit in this wonderful quote from Spurgeon:
“Eternal Faithfulness Unaffected by Human Unbelief”:

“Christ sits at the receipt of sinners waiting for them to mention their wants. He is watching for you. I tell you again that he cannot reject you: that would be to alter his whole character and un-Christ himself. To spurn a coming sinner would un-Jesus him, and make him to be somebody else, and not himself any longer. “He cannot deny himself.” Go and try him: go and try him. I wish some trembling soul would at this moment go and cast himself upon Christ, and then report to us the re-suit. Come, poor quivering seekers, sing in your heart, unbelieving as you are. Oh, but if you were to perish at his feet, you would be the first that ever did so out of all those who have ever come to him; and that first man has never been seen yet. Go and try my Lord and see for yourselves. Well now, you Christian people, I want you to come also. If you believe your Lord he will be faithful to you. Suppose it is a time of trouble with you: he will be faithful to you; go and cast your burden upon him. Suppose at this time you, are much exercised with spiritual distress: go to the-Lord as you did at first, as poor, guilty, rebellious sinners, and cast yourself upon him, and you will find him faithful. “He cannot deny himself.” If my Lord were not kind to me to-night when I go to him with my burden I should think that I had knocked at the wrong door; because the Lord has been so good and so faithful to me hitherto that it would take my breath away if I found him changed. Oh, how good, how exceeding good is my Lord! I could sing that with all my heart, and I hope many of you could earnestly join with me. So how surprised you would be if I were to meet anything but love from my dear Lord after all these years of tenderness, There is no fear of it, for “he cannot deny himself.”

Cracked Eyesight

Matthew 6:22-24 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.


Proverbs 22:9 9 Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor

Interestingly the Hebrew word for 'eye' is also the same word for 'spring'(as in water)

Thus if our eyes are bad - we have cracked springs - barren desert that sucks in the 'water' from others - ground that is always thirsty and never satisfies

Wherelse the Spirit will 'open our eyes' yet He also makes us filled up with living water welling up to eternal life - a fountain flowing with living water
filled to the full and able to supply others

perhaps then our natural eyes are black holes
and the eyes of Christ are truly the eyes of the Sun

God can only be God if He is the Graceful Giver

The Living God is God because of Grace

Only when God is allowed to give - can He be the undebted God

Every other 'god' feels owed - they are needy
they have to be satisfied outside themselves
They have to be paid their dues

only the Living God is self-satisfied - The Son satisfies the Father and the Father the Son

He needs not

He can give and give, and give in abundance

When we come into the Satisfied God, through His Giving Abundance,
We are Satisfied in Him,
and He is satisfied with us and in us - through Christ

here's the great Sola Series from Glen:
http://christthetruth.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/grace-alone-sermon/
the rest of the links can be found on his website

Love Languages

Anyone ever posted thoughts on the 5 love language thingy?

Been wondering about it..

I figure the reason we are unable to communicate in any type of love is not because of personality types - but rather sin

since love is a fruit rather than a gift...
and because very young children are quite receptive to all the languages usually - and quite unable to give it out in any language

then surely the goal would be to find the 'right language' to minister to them
but then to grow to be able to both receive and give in every language..

after all the Spirit is a Spirit of all tongues?

The Core 'Function' of Prayer

What is the purpose of prayer?

the more I go through the Lord's prayer...
the more i wonder

I look at my son...
I realistically don't NEED him to talk to me...
in fact - things are much simpler when he does NOT talk to me..
i.e. no crying, no arguing, no talking back, etc.

If I am an experienced father, with 100s of children
I would not need to hear him speak
I would immediately 'know his thoughts'
just by looking at his actions and the time, etc..
I could tell if he was hungry, thirsty, sleepy, needed to go to the loo, sick, etc..

I could pre-empt and satisfy every one of his physical needs

so why talk?


The only reason is the answer to question 1 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism

So that I can enjoy him... and him me...


Prayer - conversation with God - teaches us how to come into enjoyment with Him
Beyond anything else - surely this is the point

Sickness and Medicine

If everything tells the gospel

then so should every sickness and every appropriate treatment

now then we should have doctors and scientists study carefully each one
that we may apply them in relational terms..
first to God, then to each other

so for example.. leprosy being the picture of sin, cutting of from both God and man
so what is the gospel of antibiotics? how do they work?

what about bone-rotting disease - how they cripple a person
that tells us loads!
is calcium our best cure?

what about a broken bone?
healing works by just temporarily fixing both ends together
how's that for reconciliation ministry!?

so much to discover....

Calling

What is our 'calling' in life?

A slightly informal seminar I did: http://www.mediafire.com/?35kq03a2dn1h1b2

What's the Difference?

Ultimately, as we get more Trinitarian and 'eternal' in our theology..

we should be mapping every aspect of Christian life and mechanics to the unchanging dynamics and character of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as they have always interacted with each Other

But yet not everything is the same....

there is one other element to add in that is different from what has been happening in eternity

The Cross (meaning from incarnation to ascension)

The Cross is necessary because when God created - creation was outside Himself, as in creation is separate from Him
And so He goes into creation to bring it back to Him

We can summarise all of creation into 1 being - Adam

Adam (the fullness of created things) is apart from the Other Being - Christ (in which is the fullness of Deity)

Adam first must break, then Christ comes into Adam, then Christ must break, then Adam comes into Christ

now then we are back to eternal Trinitarian dynamics - church incorporated

what ever is 'left over' is thrown away... a strange new dynamic of eternal sinfulness

Confession

These are fantastic quotes from Bonhoeffer - taken from here

'In confession there takes place a breakthrough to community. Sin wants to be alone with people. It takes them away from the community. The more lonely people become, the more destructive the power of sin over them. The more deeply they become entangled in it, the more unholy is their loneliness. Sin wants to remain unknown. It shuns the light. In the darkness of what is left unsaid sin poisons the whole being of a person. This can happen in the midst of a pious community. In confession the light of the gospel breaks into the darkness and closed isolation of the heart. Sin must be brought into the light. What is unspoken is said openly and confessed. All that is secret and hidden comes to light. It is a hard struggle until the sin crosses one’s lips in confession. But God breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron (Ps. 107:16) Since the confession of sin is made in the presence of another Christian, the last stronghold of self-justification is abandoned. The sinner surrenders, giving up all evil, giving the sinner’s heart to God and finding the forgiveness of all one’s sin in the community of Jesus Christ and other Christians. Sin that has been spoken and confessed has lost all of its power. It has been revealed and judged as sin. It can no longer tear apart the community.’

‘In this connection, we are talking exclusively about confession between two Christians. A confession of sin in the presence of all the members of the congregation is not required to restore one to community with the entire congregation. In the one other Christian to whom I confess my sins and by whom my sins are declared forgiven, I meet the whole congregation.’

‘In confession there occurs a breakthrough to the cross. The root of all my sin is pride.’

‘Confession in the presence of another believer is the most profound kind of humiliation. It hurts, makes one feel small; it deals a terrible blow to one’s pride.’

‘It is none other than Jesus Christ who openly suffered the shameful death of a sinner in our place, who was not ashamed to be crucified for us as an evildoer. And it is nothing else but our community with Jesus Christ that leads us to the disgraceful dying that comes in confession, so that we may truly share in this cross. The cross of Jesus Christ shatters all pride.’

Confession is to be broken before one another
Christ shows us that the only way we can be part of Him - is if He is broken that we may enter - and we have to be broken as well (blessed are the broken in spirit)

To create true community - we must break before each other - otherwise sin holds us intact, and apart....

Sabbath Rest because of Death?

In the Sabbath year the ground is allowed to lie fallow...
or rather, left to rest

in this rest it replenishes (or renews) the nutrients it needs to grow the crops again for the next 6 years

the nutrients however - i guess - would mainly come from the death of the last crops which are no longer maintained and allowed to decompose - similar to how a forest fire would severely enrich the soil

if that's a correct understanding of agriculture...

then our Sabbath is only possible because of the death of Jesus
because He dies, we can have rest in Him..
as His body is the manner in how we are renewed...
as we take Him in and now grow in Him

yea?

More Triniarian Hierachy

Even when it comes to understanding 'space'

The Trinity makes sense only in a hierarchical structure

Think Biblically - the Son is always where He is in reference to the Father
so where is the Son now?
on the right hand side of God

is the Father on the Son's left hand side? No! Never!

so is the Son facing the opposite direction so that the Father is on His right hand too.. of course not

The Son is always at the Father's right hand
the Father is where the Father is... that's it

the whole world is where it is in relation to the Father's throne

more specifically
the world is where it is in relation to the Father, and where the Son is in relation to the Father, and where we are in relation to the Son
in that specific order


now have a think how this works with relation to 'time' =)

More scaffolding...

Previous post here: http://youarethechrist.blogspot.com/2010/01/scaffolding-of-city-of-god.html

With Glen's post here: http://christthetruth.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/in-praise-of-going-through-the-motions/

And Irenaeus's theology here: http://christthetruth.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/creation-and-salvation-irenaeus-and-athanasius-7/

Everything about this age is a shadow, the creation, 1st Adam, the law, etc...
it is scaffolding

not that it should be done away with

but it is the precursor of what is to come - the City of God, the 2nd Adam, the gospel, etc..

therefore it is important we have scaffolding, or we cannot build the house

but then the real house is build within the scaffolding, filling it up, bursting through it, destroying the scaffolding, which is burned

Mortal is Swallowed up (from the inside) by immortality...

Youth

A simple talk for Youth Sunday

based on 2 Tim 1

Upward Spiral

Leithart on his post here: http://www.leithart.com/2010/07/03/harmony-in-god/

states:
So it seems that harmony in God must include some moment from dissonance to closure. Or, to put it in the paradoxical form that is probably inevitable: The Triune God is always moving toward the resolution that He has always already reached. As Robert Jenson has put it, there does seem to be room for the notion that the Spirit resolves and reconciles Father and Son, so that the Speaker and His Word are harmonized in His breadth.

i'm assuming this is about 'God's being is in His becoming' kinda stuff

but i'm wondering if this is still a 'static' view of God

why not the dynamic relationship between the Father and the Son be an 'upward spiral'
since according to Scripture sin is a 'downward spiral' - towards singularity - true lonely selfishness

then the eternal Triune God must be a constant outward expanding relationship
that overlaps itself in greater and greater proportion

this is why creation was almost 'inevitable'

and the endless ages to come - a great un-expressable joy!

so in musical terms... there is always a melody resulting in closure, yet that closure becomes the starting point for a new and greater harmony
so God is never unresolved, yet also never 'closed'

again.. i have very little idea of what i'm talking about

Understanding Corporate Identity

people complain that we can't be responsible for Adam's sin...etc..

the breakdown of family units and societies
leads to the rise (or re-rise) of individualism
that we are all apart from each other

yet take one look at World Cup Soccer..
and you know this is rubbish

everytime someone you don't know loses or does poorly
you are so physically affected that people kill themselves

we have corporate identity -
we just have a new corporation - football or sport
instead of the kingdom of heaven and the King...

Differential Perichoresis (2)

Continuing with the previous thought...

i'm going to suggest equality is a concept only necessary amongst individuals
i.e. when there are persons desiring to be recognised 'apart' from the other, they must claim their 'rights'
or rather - their 'individual right' that is to keep them apart from others

when there is one-ness or true unity, equality is a meaningless term
there is only the oneness,
in that one-ness, there are persons, distinct and other, but in their distinct-ness and other-ness coming together to form true one-ness

in the life of the Triune God - the greater the diversity, the richer and fuller the one-ness
and this is amplified in the church

the one-ness is also a dynamic (non-static) one-ness with the Son going away from the Father and coming to the Father in continuous motion, each time increasing the fullness of the One

the church is again an expansion of the expanding one-ness
with more 'space' and allowing for more growth - and continuous growth in the ages to come

coming up with ideas like the economic trinity (seen in the salvation plan) that is different from the immanent (or eternal) trinity, simply is derived from human thoughts of the necessity of equality

The Son is eternally 'lesser' than the Father, in the sense that He always relies on Him and derives His very being (even His own life from Him), and the Father gives off Himself to the Son, allowing the Son to have everything He is in Himself

Can i then derive a meaning of weakness..

Weakness then is not the lack of strength within oneself
but in the context of the Trinity, the refusal to look within oneself for strength - the insistence to rely on the other

The Son can not do anything without the Father
The Father will not do anything without the Son

So then Phil 2 - is a lesson that true strength comes from reliance on the other, emptying self to hold the other
as opposed to filling self - which is a releasing of the hand of the other
(cf prodigal son)

We are then purposely made weak physically that we may learn these eternal familial dynamics
in eternity our strength is characterised by our reliance on the other(s)
and our refusal to do anything except what is in the best interest of the other

i think these principles are rooted into the very physics of the universe - thinking of magnetic forces, resonance, fluid dynamics etc.. the unity of the many creates strength exponentially greater than the sum of their parts

it is the logarithmic curve of God-dynamics

Yet back to point one - the rhythm of this is not random, not reversible
there is always a directionality about things - it flows from the Father

We match our spirit with His Spirit, and not each others' spirits

Christ - the God Man

Glen's doing a great series on creation and new creation here:
http://christthetruth.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/creation-and-salvation-irenaeus-and-athanasius-1/

Here's a practical application for this kind of theology:

How do you do ministry ?

1. You become exactly like them in every way (except sin)
2. You lose nothing of yourself
3. You make them become exactly like you were and now are in every way (by bearing their sin - which is the reason you'll suffer)
4. You live in one-ness with them for eternity - in the 'new' way (which is the same as the old way, but different) - the third way

=)

Differential Perichoresis

When we get very 'Eastern' in our theology
we tend to have a lot of uses of 'perichoresis' and 'koinonia' and things like that

but a loss of hierachical structure

the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father
but isn't this not differently so?

the Father is completely in the Son, that the Son becomes His image,
but the Father is not the Son's image

put it this way...
everything about the being of a tree is within the branch
but the branch is also within the tree, yet differently so

So the Spirit comes from the Father to the Son
from the Son to the church
yet He does not 'flow' back in the same manner,
it is quite different

The Word does not return to Him void...
i.e. The Spirit fills up the Word, and the Word returns with the ful-filled Spirit

it is a different dynamic
how does it work in reverse? i.e. what is the dynamic of the Spirit from the Son (or church) to the Father - don't know

all through the Spirit.. but differently

Jonathan Edwards in His Trinity essay basically explains that the ontology of the Son is begottenness, and of the Spirit is procession

the Son is only God because He is God from God
The Spirit is only God because He proceeds from God to the begotten God
Yet the Father is only Father because He begets and out of Him the Spirit proceeds

their ontology is Trinitarian.. there is no separate 'being' without each other

ok enough rambling.. i'm confusing myself

there is application to this..
how do we relate to each other, and to Jesus, and to the Father...
How do we find intimacy in Him and each other...
we need to understand what the Spirit is doing

What is Truth (3) ?

Jesus says He is the True __________ (basically everything that has been made)

if truth = faithfulness = unchangingness

then He is the True Door/Vine/Food, etc...

because all the rest change...
He does not change and all those things are from Him and tell us about Him

but they change, because of sin
therefore He is the only True, only Yes, only Amen

all the rest are because of sin are not true... they change...

Space

What is the point of space?

In the beginning the Living God created 'space' to put the world in..
and at the end... that space will be reconciled to the Father, that the triune God may be all in all.. (1 Cor 15)

the church is also said to fill up the space - so that the church is all in all (eph 1)

according to Colin Gunton...
space is required for 'otherness' to happen
one cannot be 'other' unless you have the space between the two persons - that allows otherness even within relatedness

the 'space' within the Triune God then has to be the Holy Spirit
the one that relates and unites the Son with the Father,
and yet goes with the sent out from the Father as the eternal Word of God
and He too will bring Him back as the Father draws Him

of course then, in the creation of the world,
the Spirit is everywhere within the created space
yet there is also an element of cutting off
a space where other created spirits reign instead of the Holy Spirit of God
this is all reconciled in the cut-off Son of the Father,
who will place all of creation back into the proper space of God

but there's another reason for space
space allows growth
thus if the Son is to always grow
He must always be filled by the Father
and then sent out by the Father to 'grow'
and in coming back.. the Father also 'grows'

not that this causes God to be change-able
because His perfection is that He always loves in increasing amounts
hence the overflow into the creation of the world
so this is His unchangeability

but yet in the cross, there must be something different
the 'space' of God is cut open so that others may enter into God
through the wounded side of the sent-out Son
and through this 'rip in the fabric of space' creation is born, and also reconciled in the healing of the wound
yet the scar will always be there to remind us of our birth
in the wounds of Christ

so that God continues to be the same God in everlasting ages
love expanding and growing... for eternity

too far fetched?

Let the Father be Father

After reading a lot of Gunton, Eastern theologians and the frequent mention of perichoresis and koinonia and other terms like that...

Beginning to realise there seem to be another problem arising

On one hand - by making the Trinity this unknowable 'God' - the divine 'stuff'
you tend towards modalism... the One Person God - which is the god of philosophy
and all the characteristics thereof...

On the other though... you make Trinity totally equal in role - the inter-related Persons who are exactly like each other
- now you get community, freely inter-connecting, inter-relating persons
but the total lack of any form of hierarchy and structure
plus a NEW divine 'stuff' - the love/relationship between the Three - instead of this being the Spirt

Yet the Father has always been Father to the Son,
not simply in the incarnation
but from Eternity

He has always been 'greater'
you may want to distinguish that Jesus is also God like God
but yet the Father has always been a Father, and the Son always 'lesser' than the Father hierarchically

But this is a great thing - especially to the Son
since the Son has always somewhere 'to rest His head' - on the 'bosom of the Father'

this would then flow into family structure, church eldership etc
we love having a father, we should love having elders
they are where we can rest our head
be refreshed by, encouraged, admonished, and sent out from them again

this is the structure for Eternity...

and it is in that structure you see the role of the Spirit
not at all like the Father or the Son
but totally 'other' yet uniting the otherness of Father and Son
again something completely different, yet the same oneness

The Spirit is sent from the Father to the Son, and returns to the Father from the Son,
The Spirit is sent from the Son to the church, and returns to the Son from the church

As the Spirit is sent from the Father to the Son, the Son is sent out by & with the Spirit (and in that - also with the Father)
As the Spirit returns from the Son to the Father, the Son is drawn back to the Father by the Spirit
It is the same dynamic with Christ and the church

He must flow from the Source Fountain, and then, like the rain that falls, returns, accomplished in His work - He does NOT flow upwards.

In this we see better the Trinity...
and we begin to love and respect and treasure authority and those above us,
yet we never lose the sense of community, and friendship
for our Father is our Friend
Just like He is to Jesus

There is no need for Trinitarian "equality" (in our understanding)....
there is no need for the church to be "equal" with Jesus - yet we will be truly Divine

Gregory of Nazianzus - "I should like to call the Father the greater, because from Him flows both the equality and being of the equals"

The Father always is Father... He longs for His Son to be like Him, in His Father-hood - hence the creation, but yet as He perfects His Son, He is also made even greater in His perfection
this is the unchanging God

Solar Flare

John 9:39 Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind."

Imagine you're in a dark room

some people are leading you
they claim that they are squinting really hard, with their God given eyes they can see

Others - just admit they are blind.. can't see a thing... lost

Then there's the Light of the world.... the sun bursts into light within the room
(cf John 8 - esp v 12)

Then those who were lost finally see

those who were squinting so hard and claiming to see are now blind...

No Spirit equals machine

The death of Adam (in eating the fruit) caused the absence of the Spirit of God

He is now spirit-less in a way - a puppet controlled by the other spirits
http://youarethechrist.blogspot.com/2010/03/generated-soul.html

same thing happens in the church: (more Gunton)

“the Spirit tends to be institutionalized, so that in place of the free dynamic, personal and particular agency of the Spirit, he is made into a substance which becomes the possession of the church. It can be argued, then, that the criticism of the mainstream common to many of the ‘heretical’ movements of European church history is that they see the institution as claiming too much o a realization of eschatology, while expecting too little of the community as a whole.”

The church then runs via the zeitgeist - the spirit of the age
whatever that spirit is, so the church runs... a dead machine

Jesus' Relationship with the Spirit at Baptism

Been reading some of Gunton...

not really the focus of the book.. but it brought this to mind:

Augustine on the baptism of Jesus:
"It would be utterly absurd for us to believe that he received the Holy Spirit when he was already thirty years old... but (we should) believe that he came to the baptism both entirely sinless and not without the Holy Spirit"

so the act of the Spirit coming upon Christ is merely a teaching aid for us or something like that - sounds ok?

Now Basil the Great:
"After this (the baptism at the Jordan), every operation was wrought with the co-operation of the Spirit. He was present while the Lord was being tempted by the devil... He was inseparably with Him while working His wonderful works... And He did not leave Him when He had risen from the dead..."

Here- there is a 'new' kind of relationship with Jesus and the Spirit after that point. really?

Here's my 2 bits:

At the point of baptism, Jesus is ready, being 30 years old, to be anointed as the Great High Priest, of the order higher than Levi. Here the high priest becomes one with his people, that is the assembly of God. He now enters via the Spirit not into a new relationship with the Spirit per se, but with the people of God via the Spirit, thus having a new dimension to His relationality, that is the communion of the Spirit. He is now the Head of the body, having been cut off from His Father's headship, He must now come into His own, before He can restore His full body back to the original Head - that God may be all in all once again.

what do you think?

Poison

the text before the famous John 3:16 verse is all about the Son of Man being lifted up like the bronze serpent

the serpent bite caused the venom to flow through Adam's veins

Christ takes the poison in the flesh into His own flesh and instead brings the new Spirit that has the new life blood - coming from the heart of Christ (which is the new heart)

but what is the poison?
it is the lie that God is a slave-driver, God is wicked, God holds back from you, God hates you...
He is not a good Father

then re-read John 3:16 - listen to Jesus slowly and carefully:

For God SO LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...

Keep looking to Jesus.. take out the poison...

Throwing out stones

Here is yet another post on creation vs new creation...

The old house (tent) or temple is not going to stand - "not one stone will remain"

This temple was ruined from the beginning, and is destined to fall
the Law props it up... little sticks to prevent it from collapsing on itself

then an 'oddly shaped stone' is removed - since it is thought to be the cause of the problem

that stone is found to be Christ - which was all that was keeping the ruin from total destruction - then that old house is destined for collapsing, and does so at increasing rate and intensity

the odd stone, becomes the cornerstone of the new house

one by one, the old house-makers (the fallen angels) in charge of the house and the ones that set up the Law-beams try to get rid off more corrupt stones

they throw them out to the Odd stone - which they stack up beautifully in this new dynamic house that moves - it is a Living House - not something stagnant

The old house finally runs out of odd stones, and collapses, being cast into the eternal rubbish heap

the new house is incredible, and is sealed with fire - the black stones turn into diamond, wonderfully reflecting the light of the White stone, the Cornerstone, constantly flowing (modern architecture is barely catching up to this), brilliant, and full of life

The Father enters His House, handed back to Him by the cornerstone, and what a house it is... for all eternity

Why is God not fair?

why doesn't God give us all equal things instead of keeping some rich and some poor?

I get this finally by being a father about to have his 2nd child...

If we get them all the same toys etc..
they won't learn to share...

(Cf 2 cor 8-9 - plus look at the implications of the Exodus quotation)

Images of Divine Things

From Jonathan Edwards - Vol 11:

108. Bread-corn is much used in Scripture to represent the saints. The wicked are represented by the clusters of the vine, but the godly by bread-corn. They are called Christ's wheat, that he will gather into his barn and into his garner, and we are all said to be that one bread. Now this is remarkable of wheat and other bread-corn: that it is sown and grows before winter, and then is as it were killed, and long lies dead in the winter season, and then revives in the spring and grows much taller than before, and comes to perfection and brings forth fruit; which is a lively image of the resurrection of saints... Therefore 'tis said of Israel, Hos 4:17, "They shall revive as the corn". The reviving of the church after a low state and time of trouble is compared to the reviving of corn from under the earth in the spring in Is 37:30-31.

120. Tongue. God hath fixed to it a natural bridle and fenced it in with a strong wall as it were, even the double row of teeth, to intimate how it ought to be restrained and strongly guarded.

198. As the silkworm, so the bee seems to be designated as a type of Christ who, having spent his life with ingathering with the greatest labor and industry, and laying up in store the most delicious food, having completed his work, is killed; and by his death yields his stores for the refreshment and delight of his murderers.

Why Believe in Jesus

All references in John's gospel on why people believe
Taken from here:

* John the Baptist "came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him" (1:7)
* Jesus revealed God (1:18)
* Jesus is revealed because of John's baptism of people (1:31) and by the Spirit descending and remaining on him (1:33)
* Nathanael believed because Jesus said "I saw you under the fig tree" (1:50)
* Disciples believed because of the miracle at Cana (2:11)
* When Jesus was risen they believed "the Scripture AND the word that Jesus had spoken" (2:22)
* Many believed in Jesus when they saw his miracles (2:23)
* He who believes Jesus agrees God is true (3:33)
* Samaritans believed because of the testimony of the Samaritan woman at the well that he knew her past (4:39)
* Then the Samaritans believed because they heard Jesus for themselves (4:41-42)
* Jesus criticises the official at Capernaum for only believing if he sees a sign (4:48), but then believes his word alone (4:50) and then believes again when he sees evidence of the miracle (4:53)
* the person who believes Jesus' word and the Father's testimony has eternal life (5:24)
* John the Baptist is a testimony to Jesus (5:32). But he relativises that as man's testimony, which he appeals to only so people will be saved (5:34). A greater testimony comes from the Father who testifies to who Jesus is by the miracles he gave to Jesus (5:36) and the OT (5:39). To have the Father's word abiding in you means you will believe Jesus (5:38)
* You can't believe if you seek glory from men rather than God (5:44)
* Believing Moses and believing Jesus are inseparable (5:46-47)
* Jesus implies he is his own miracle proving his identity. He is the equivalent of both the manna and Moses. Believing he is the food and eating of him proves he is the food by satisfying. (6:30-40)
* Peter says that they believed and so came to know that Jesus was the Holy One of God (6:69)
* If anyone wishes to obey God then he will know Jesus is from God (7:17)
* People believe Jesus because of the number of miracles he performs (7:31)
* Jesus says that there are two testimonies to who he is. The Father and himself. If you know Jesus you will know the Father (8:14-19)
* People will know who Jesus is when he is crucified (8:28)
* People believe in Jesus because of his teaching (8:30) but Jesus says that they will only "know the truth" if they "abide" in his word (8:31)
* The Jews ought to believe because he tells the truth (8:46), but actually they don't believe exactly because he tells them the truth (8:45)
* The healed blind man is astonished that the miracle of his healing is not sufficient proof for the Pharisees because God only hears his worshippers (9:30).
* People listen to Jesus because as his flock they know him as their good shepherd (10:4-27).
* The works of the Father that Jesus does bear witness to him (10:25), and people don't believe them because they are not part of his flock (10:26). He encourages them to believe on account of either his words or the miracles (10:38).
* People believe John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus, despite John the Baptist performing no miracles (10:41-42)
* If Martha believes Jesus promises her she will see the glory of God (11:40).
* Jesus prays aloud for the raising of Lazarus so that people will believe in him (11:42).
* Many people believe because of Lazarus (12:10-11)
* Some people don't believe despite seeing the miracles (12:37)
* People don't believe because God has blinded them (12:4)
* Belief in Jesus, is primarily belief in the Father (12:44)
* Jesus predicts Judas' betrayal so that when it happens the disciples will believe in him (13:19)
* People will know Jesus' disciples are his disciples by their love for one another (13:35)
* Jesus asks the disciples to believe him, or believe on account of the miracles (14:11)
* Jesus will make himself to his disciples and not the whole world by sending the Spirit for the Trinity to live in the person who loves Jesus and keeps his word (14:23)
* Jesus predicts his ascension and the sending of the Spirit so that when it happens the disciples will believe (14:29)
* Jesus obeys the Father (by dying?) so that the world will know that he loves the Father (14:31).
* The disciples claim to believe Jesus on the basis of his non-figurative teaching (16:29-30), despite Jesus saying the his teaching is figurative at that time (16:25), although it won't be when he sends the Spirit. Jesus doubts that they really believe already though (16:31).
* The disciples came to know that Jesus is of the Father because of his words (17:6-8)
* People will come to believe through the Apostles speech and by their unity (17:20-21).
* John claims that he has seen the events and knows they are true so his readers should believe on his testimony (19:35).
* Thomas doesn't believe on the testimony of the other disciples (20:25), but believes when he sees the risen Christ (20:28). However, Jesus implies that he should have believed on the disciples' testimony alone, and that others who believe without seeing are blessed (20:29).
* John explains that he recounts the miracles of Jesus so that his readers may believe (20:31).

Some reflections:

* Belief in the Father and the OT is inseparable from belief in Jesus.
* The testimony of John and the Samaritan woman is of secondary importance to the testimony of Jesus to himself and the testimony of the Father in miracles and the OT. But it is valid.
* Belief, obedience and humble searching after God are inseparable.
* Believing is only the beginning. In some cases knowledge of Jesus as the Holy One of God, and seeing the glory of God comes later. Also belief on the basis of testimony of other men, or of miracles, can grow into belief on the basis of Jesus' own words.
* It is implied that people can only fully know who Jesus is after his death and resurrection and the sending of the Spirit.
* Belief in Jesus is not an end in itself but should lead to belief in the Father.
* Belief is dependant on supernatural work of opening blind eyes, and only belongs to the elect.
* The disciples loving unity and spoken testimony is how people are expected to believe after Jesus has ascended.

Dreams

So.. some rough thoughts on why we dream.

If sleep = death

and waking up = resurrection

Then what of those people who die now, but Christ has yet to return? Where do they go?

Like Jesus on the cross says... this day you will be with me in paradise.

But is paradise the finished new creation, new kingdom, new temple Jerusalem?

Dreams are fragments and mostly incoherent.. but they could be reflective of that pre new-creation paradise; or, it could be reflective of that pre new-creation Sheol.

So just as we have nightmares, which represent the deep where the non-Christians are thrown into before they are resurrected just to die a second death; so also we have joyous dreams which represent the paradise where His sons and daughters go to before being resurrected to experience a new, physical and more real new creation paradise. dreams are but the in-between... before the new kingdom is created.

Further thoughts?

The Glory of God

Glen's done a great series on what God's glory means

here.

Here's a question....

I wonder what imagery you have in mind when you think of this verse:

"All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God"

If God's glory is some kind of personal transcendence - how on earth would this verse make sense - it pictures someone working to become a shining deity?
so then your definition of sin is what? not being splendorous enough?

as opposed to being utterly loving and other-centered, like Jesus..

Re-Learning then Growing

Being born again is an interesting concept even in practical life..
(understatement of the year)

anyway..

Think of it this way
we start off as infants - that's the state of Adam's 'innocence'
then it goes wrong - they listen to the wrong father, the father of lies
so they grow up according to the lie - to have hardness of heart

lets take a few examples:
1. food
- Food becomes an idol (cf Phil 3:19)
- life becomes a pursuit of the next meal - either for quality or quantity
- we live to eat
- it is a meaningless pursuit, since it can never be satisfied - and ultimately results in death
- the cost is that we now take the resources meant for supplying others with bread to supply ourselves - it also causes the death of others (cf. James 5)

2. sex
- Sex becomes an idol (everywhere)
- people become objects instead of persons
- they are used for our own pleasure
- that pleasure never satisfies - so we have 5 husbands, then we just end up sleeping around and indulging various perversions (cf John 4)
- sex costs in terms of ripping out the very life of other humans (cf 1 Cor 6)

So then..

Being born-again
We are once again infants
but now are pointed through the Spirit to the Word of our Father
we now grow up again - but differently
so the way we relate as children is different, but also the way we relate as mature is also different
taking the examples again:

1. food
- we learn that food is meant for sustenance
- we learn that food is meant for joy
- we learn that food is meant to enhance fellowship
- we now learn that fellowship=joy=true strength

as we grow up -
we learn that fellowship is the real food
and so we then substitute 'fake food' for 'True Bread'
we learn to fast - since what we want is the true food
we learn to give up for the sake of others - since we want the true fellowship
- in this we find true strength

2. sex
- we learn that sex is meant to enhance covenant relationship
- we learn that sex is meant to produce godly fruit
- we learn that people are precious and meant to be enjoyed by intimate relationships
- we now learn sex=true intimacy in covenant relationship

as we grow up-
we begin to no longer desire so much the temporary relationships (till death do us part)
- but long for the eternal marriage (so much so that some give it up in a way - cf 1 Cor 7:29)
- and so as single people or widowers or even married couples - we try to have real intimacy by spending much more time with our true Bridegroom


If this is true, then we have to re-learn everything from scratch again as we follow Jesus, but then not stay that way, and to grow up from our fleshly 'training wheels' into what is the new way of physical life by the Spirit

It also has many implications on pastoral thinking in different issues... as well as discerning people

Sovereignty of God (2)

Further attempts to go a little deeper into God's Sovereignty:

So then...

Here's a question, can one go against the will of God?

See.. both yes and no answers have problems
if yes - you imply God is not sovereign
if no - you imply there is no 'free will' (at least at some level)
therefore current theologians want to insist that there is tension between the 2

tension cannot be the state of the living God - He is definitely not tense
the theologians are

anyway,
let's review it with Christ in mind

the Sovereign Will of God has to be Christ-centered and Christ-focused
therefore what is the will of God?
let's take a few:
1. To glorify Christ
- this is done through Christ's obedience

2. To perfect Christ (cf Heb)
- this is done through Christ's obedience

3. To save the world - so that Christ will have a bride
- this is done through Christ's obedience

So then - the will of God is for the sake of Christ ALONE in the major sense
and accomplished through Christ ALONE
what else would you expect?

So what does that mean?

If I say I can reject or cannot reject the will of God - I take Christ out of the picture - in some sense it is a meaningless question, with no correct answer found in Scripture
there is no will of God for me ALONE

Since the will of God is only for Christ through Christ
so can I thwart those 3 points above? no.. of course not - Christ has been obedient
can I not reject the will of God? - again a bit meaningless here.. it's not really about you

Yet when I join into Christ - the will of God is fulfilled:
1. glorify Christ - yes you glorify Christ by trusting Christ
2. perfecting Christ - yes you now are making up the new body of Christ through death
3. saving the world - yes you are saved and are now His bride

let's take it down to me personally :
In Christ - His will for ME is :
1. to conform me into the image of His likeness - which glorifies me (cf John 17), perfects me, and saves me (past, present and future tense)
2. this was foreknown - God ordained it from before the beginning of the world
3. this was predestined - God carried it out - through His Son (note here that predestination only makes sense when the Father trusts His Son)

When I am not doing things in Christ, that is against the Spirit
then I am 'outside' His will for Christ - i.e. I am in the 'curses' zone (cf Abraham)

I am not 'against' His will either - because again:
- He predestined those outside of Christ to go to the place of judgment
- He will still glorify, perfect and have a bride for Christ
- It's just it will be done without me included in the blessings, but in the curses for the same purposes

so the Christological question is not whether I can defy the will of God
but rather whether I am in Christ, so am I part of His will in Christ, done by Christ and present-continuously, am being part of His will - so I pray "let thy will be done" or "not my will, but your will"

then there really is no tension
God, and those in Christ, can relax....

Donkeys

Genesis 16:12 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen." (Ishmael)

Jeremiah 2:24 24 a wild donkey used to the wilderness, in her heat sniffing the wind! Who can restrain her lust? None who seek her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her. (Israel)

Hosea 8:9 9 For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey wandering alone; Ephraim has hired lovers.

Genesis 49:14-15 14 "Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. 15 He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant at forced labor. (blessings from Jacob)

Zechariah 9:9 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.


Jesus tames the wild donkey lusting after everything, living alone...
She was chained up by the law, restraining the lust - but still rebellious
Untied by the Master, she willingly bears this Burden
She carries Him to the cross....

Attempts to destroy secular philosophy

the only philosophy is Christ..

so one by one... my hope is to destroy all the non-Christological philosophy that is within my thinking...

here's a few out of Reeves talk on Aquinas

God is First Cause or the Unmoved Mover
- Rather God is the Father of Christ - He is the perpetual cause, not the static Origin... He always Causes (or begets) Christ
-then He is always moved by His Son, and vice versa, the Son always marvels at the Father
- He is the affectionate and affected God... and has always been - so He is unchanging
why? because WE, sinful human beings are the unaffected - it is US who HARDEN our HEARTS... that is the Satanic life...

Sovereignty of God

Can we come to a more Christological understanding of the sovereignty of God?

very often our view is more tyrannical - basically Satan's idea of the god that has to dictate otherwise he's not really in control
Yet Jesus view on the Sovereignty of God - is therefore you should pray more

If anyone ever writes about God as Sovereign
he is already on the wrong track if he does not start with "God is Father"
for in our understanding of how God foreknows, ordains, predestines, guides, provides, etc... must be because He is our Father

God is our Father, therefore He knows what we are going to do
He knows what is good for us and will plan - intimately so (not just from a distance)
what is good for His children - only doing things (whether pleasant or painful) for the good of His children

How do we know? we look at Jesus
We see His trust in His Father, we see His example of how His Father deals with Him, foreknowing and telling Him what He would do, enabling Him to do it, encouraging Him to trust Him by praying to Him and reading His Word, predestining where He will go if He remains in Him, etc...

In that sense I wonder if this doctrine is not "too" hard to think about?
it's only when we get quite philosophical (usually implying non-relational and abstract) that it is very hard to see

God is my Father, so I trust in Him
He knew me before I was born - in Christ
He knows me now, through and through - in Christ
He knows and is ordaining what will happen to me - in Christ
He knows what will happen to me if I am against Christ
He even goes out of His way to plan things that will happen to me when I was 'spiritually out' of Christ - so that I may come to Christ - through Christ and those who are in Christ, and through the creation and running of the world - which is in Christ

And obviously... all this through His Spirit whom He sends

Ascension Day - Yet Again

Ascension Day is here again...

so who says that easy to understand 3 point sermons done at a comfortable rate will be the most impactful..

this is me cramming 60-90 min of material in 24 min making hardly any explanation for anything =)

The Ascension of Christ

MP3 File

>100 direct downloads and counting over the last 3 years

more ascension resources at Glen's site - here

Mark 10

The 2nd part of blind-spots of discipleship - based on the 3rd and final time Jesus explains what it means to be the Son of Man.

PA crew were new, so first 5-7 min is missing - text here:

Well we’re looking at part 2 of the blind spots of discipleship this week. I know it’s possibly ever so slightly difficult to remember a two-part sermon series when they are almost 2 months apart. But let me do my best to remind you.

We were essentially asking what does it mean to be a disciple of Christ,– trying to make further sense of Jesus’ statement earlier on in Mark chapter 8:
Mark 8:34 Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

So the last time I was here, we were looking at the 3 statements where Jesus describes what He came to do. (PowerPoint – 3statements). The plain and open statements of Jesus to His close disciples on what it means to be Him, Jesus, the Son of Man – and by extension, what does it mean to be His follower, His disciple. So we remember Him saying:

Mark 9:31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."

And so what happened next? Well, Jesus just told them about His suffering and fate, and just like the first time, their response is a desire of personal greatness and glory:

Mark 9:34 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. (NKJV)

We remember - the disciples were debating on who was the best amongst them, the privileged few that were allowed to follow Jesus so closely. Jesus’ response to them, was that the disciple of Christ, requires humility, literally as we mentioned – it is to become bent over. It means you will become someone who is totally dependent on His Heavenly Father, and not to make the same mistake of Adam, and of Israel who’s desire was to become independent, become Gods even, they became blind in the sense that they no longer recognized that all the power, and good gifts, and talents that they had, had been given to them by God to be used God’s purposes, so that His glory could be shown to others – that they also may come to Him. Jesus used the words “faithless and perverse”, using these resources for their own vain-glory.
So now in Chapter 10, It seems that in the short time since the last incident, not much has been learnt at all. Jesus yet again states in more detail who He is – please follow with me in your Bibles:

Mark 10:32-34 32 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: 33 "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; 34 "and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again."

Again, Jesus has just told them about the way of the cross, the way of humility and humiliation, the way of suffering at the hands of others. So what happens next?

Mark 10:35-37 35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask." 36 And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" 37 They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."

One preacher remarked that this must be the worst prayer in all human history “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask”. A prayer of complete self-centeredness and having no regard for anything that Jesus has said, imagine how he felt - It’s even worse this time, since it is the 3rd time He’s saying it and because this time, Jesus has started to make His way towards Jerusalem. He is now definitively setting off on the events that will lead Him to His being mocked scourged and spat upon, and ultimately death.

Sadly however, this type of prayer has been repeated countless times ever since, by myself included, and many a time, this is the manner in which we pray in our petition to the Living God, our Cosmic ATM machine – that will provide us with whatever we want for our own goals and ambitions in this life, and even in the next, regardless of anything He says about Himself.

The situation gets even worse in Matthew’s gospel, in that one, James and John have gotten their dearest mother to ask Jesus for them. Note the amazing irony, they’ve basically asked to be co-rulers of the universe, and they need mummy go do their dirty work. Mark does not bother with the nuances in Matthew, and cuts to the chase – this is their desire, no matter who has done the asking. They want to be co-regents with Christ when He sits on His glorious throne. Jesus – we want you to grant us power, glory, security and comfort.

remaining audio here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?mnmjygyfyhn

Peter

Luke 5:4-9 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,

John 21:6-7 6 He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.

What's the difference?

Peter on one hand assumes himself to be sinful and when Jesus comes, asks Him to go away

Peter on the other hand KNOWS himself to be sinful very very well (he's just betrayed Jesus) - and now runs to Him

the difference is now he knows Jesus, and really knows himself, and yet knows himself in relation to knowing Jesus

why do we have such difficult times praying, meditating on God's Word, serving Him - because we don't really know Him... so we run away to other things

Peter in the course of his life (John 6) came to a point where there was nowhere else to run to... but yet not quite yet running to Jesus

but Jesus longs for us to come to a point where we run to Him, knowing He knows all about us, and is here to save us


We move from loving ourselves (being in the world).... to despairing in the light of the law (the shadow of Christ).... to being lost from leaving the world (entering the wilderness).... to being found in Christ (being embraced by His light)

Wheat & Tares

This may be old to some of you...

but it always used to confuse me about the 2 'seed' parables in Matthew 13
how can on one hand the seed be sown onto good soil,
then on another hand there is a 2nd sowing of seed by the enemy

if you see no continuity between the allegories of the parables - this is no problem to you... you impoverished soul you...

but if the imagery is all the same then perhaps some may say this is some form of weird election thing...

but actually Jesus is talking about 2 different things

the first parable - is about "hearing the word of the kingdom"
the second parable - is about "what is the kingdom of heaven like"

thus the good seed are those growing up in the kingdom of heaven, the seed that fell on the good soil, that now produce good fruit, with good seed

and within the kingdom (church), the enemy will take the failed seed from the first, which are now wicked seed, and sow within the church - such that the tares, or anti-christs, will now choke the wheat, or 'christs' (you know what i mean)

?

One good thing about Post-Modernity

I'm quite glad that in Asia Post-Modernity is not really something that has innundated churches

since most Asians are far too 'pragmatic' to bother about being post-modern
i think we're still one philosophical age behind.... and we still are very much modern in thinking although hybridised with a weird sense of everything put together

anyway,
there is one good thing that has come out of the relativistic post-modern age

and that is relativism

theology and religion for too long has been taught as an imaginary absolute,
possibly coming from the strange form of transcendancy of God that makes Him semi-integrated with the universe - i.e. coming up with weird notions like natural law (and if I may be bold - later on an inherent moral law)

i.e. a law inbuilt into the system - much more what I think a philosophical kind of universal governance rather than a Sovereign Father
(pS: read this incredible post on the necessity for the abolition of the non-Christ centered 'eternal decrees')

Post-Modernity has made us think that all standards and truths are based on points of view

And so that is the Truth... there is no universal standard of morality, no generic spirituality, no common sense or intellegence...
there is only the Father, Son & Spirit

Truth is Christ, and if you know Him, you know Truth
Good is the Father, and if you are like Him, you are good
Spirituality is the communion with the Spirit, if you have it, you are spiritual

everything IS relative - so WHO are you related to is the most important question in the universe....

Son of Perdition

2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

The phrase "Man of lawlessness" is actually "son of perdition" in KJV
same phrase Jesus supposedly uses of Judas in John 17:12

suggesting an a-millennial view - cf the Revelation paper i wrote

then the coming of the 2nd advent is much like the Cross
where the forces of darkness gain strength
there is a 'handing over hour'
there is much confusion - not sure about the false miracles - but i'm sure that's somehow connected to Exodus plagues linking up to the cross

Judas then is the lawless man that is the 'antiChrist' (cf 1 John 2's definition of antichrist - people from within the church) who is revealed at the appointed time

so continuing with the Revelation theology - what then is Judas? it must be Mammon within the church - the Prostitute will be revealed on the last day... how will it be exposed?

maybe: Luke 2:35 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

the Sword now from the Lord's mouth that will open up the hearts to find Satan within - possessing them just like he did Judas

or something like that...

How to have constant Joy

From here:

God knows that complaining is an expression of our pride, and not only pride in general, but more specifically, arrogance against God Himself. Think with me. We Christians believe that God is sovereign: i.e., that in some way He controls our lives. Therefore, since we believe He either causes or allows everything that happens in our lives, complaining about what happens is an expression of our doubting His wisdom.

Puritan Thomas Watson, in a sermon on contentment preached in 1653, said, “Murmuring is no better than mutiny in the heart; it is a rising up against God. . . . The murmurer chargeth God with folly. This is the language, or rather blasphemy of a murmuring spirit: ‘God might have been a wiser and better God’ . . . Our murmuring is the devil's music.”

Do you see the subtle rebellion against God that Watson describes? Complaining is nothing less than demanding from God an explanation that suits our convenience and comfort. It is calling God to account for my expectations of how I think He ought to be and what I think He ought to do. St. Paul hinted at the danger of such an attitude when he wrote, “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?” (Romans 9:20).

A century before Watson, John Calvin wrote, “As soon as God does not send what we have desired, we dispute against Him . . . but from what spirit is this pronounced? From a poisoned heart, as if we said, ‘The thing should have been otherwise.’ . . . It is as if we accused God of being a tyrant or a harebrain.”

Complaining is sin because it disputes the goodness of God and thus maligns His character.

St. Paul wrote, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).You will be a more joyful Christian if you learn the secret of being free from complaining. “Rejoice in the Lord always! Again, I will say it: rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

What is Spirituality

Here is my current definition:

It is to open your heart completely to another...
and another, and another and another

such that 2 hearts are utterly joined to one another

therefore it is those who open their hearts utterly to God's open and poured out (Spirit-ed) heart, who can be called spiritual and are the best people to deal with 'sinners' (cf Gal 6:1) - who are the best people who have had their planks removed to handle the specks in others

Rich Young Ruler

A sermon by our senior pastor:

http://zionbpc.org.sg/resources/audio/2010/180410%20Ps%20David%20Wong.wma

what i was fascinated by is how unbiased he is on either side - about giving up all and indeed inheriting all...even in this life

what do you think?

Talk about Genesis!

Rich Owen (cf Glen's blog)does an incredible one...

i advise you to play this sentence by sentence - especially the first 8 minutes!

Listen now, and again and again and again...

Spirituality

Quote by Prof James Houston, Regents College:

"Christian spirituality is Christian 'individuals' becoming persons in Christ"

"individualism to personalism"

"no longer the lonely 'I' but the glorious 'We'"

"I am never more myself when I am most in Christ"

"He gives us a form of hypostasis"

"The true theologians were great saints"

"The true test of theology was the life of sainthood"

"To pray and to do theology are the same thing"

Come to me, then Go to the world

A fantastic heart-warmer from Mr Blackham Senior....
my favourite living Christian...

"I come to Jesus by believing what He says is true..."



http://www.farmfellowship.com/wp/?p=828

Bribery & Corruption

There's a new book in Asia by the Methodist Bishop of Malaysia..

Bribery & Corruption in the Marketplace

in Asia, where corruption is 'unhidden' - as compared to the West where it is all dressed up and nice - what does a Christian in the workplace do?

2 things he says to avoid:
1. withdrawing from the world
2. dualism of church vs marketplace

he proposes an incarnational ministry - where we identify with the world, remain in the world, be distinct from the world for the sake of transforming the world

he distinguishes between active corruption - which every Christian must avoid
and passive acceptance of corruption - where we must try to avoid

using examples like Jesus/John did not ask tax collectors and soldiers to resign but rather act differently

any views on this ?


my thoughts are this:
1. what or WHO are you working for - i.e. what is the purpose of your work
2. what do others see when they see you at work?
- someone like everyone else?
- a good person?
- Christ in you
the 3rd option is the goal... and is far harder than merely being 'hardworking and moral'...

The Basics (2)

An attempt at summarizing 'salvation' in 1 hr

http://www.mediafire.com/?zn5oyndymma

More Hebrew

The word for compassion comes from the root word which means womb

there is another word for womb that is like belly
but sometimes this word which can also be translated mercy is used

so what is the relation between compassion and womb?

for example:

here - Genesis 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.

and here - Genesis 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

is the word for compassion/womb

but here - Genesis 25:24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb.

and here - Genesis 30:2 Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"

is the word for belly/womb

John - any help?

The Resurrection

Brittain keeps going:

http://www.farmfellowship.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/rff100404.mp3

"the first positive earthquake in history.... "
the only one that people were made alive instead of killed!!

Blogging Through Exodus

If you haven't read this series of meditations...

here is a compilation PDF:

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0ByH-45su4eeRYzk3MzQxMWQtZjcxZC00ZmVkLWFjZDMtMjk4OGQ5ZGU4NDlh&hl=en

Ask Seek and Knock

Michael Brittain has now become one of my favorite preachers of all time..

he's only got 2 sermons on the web...
but they are some of the warmest, richest, most encouraging, yet challenging and insightful things i have ever heard...

listen to this one on Matt 7:
http://www.farmfellowship.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/matthews02e07.mp3

pls petition farm fellowship to have him record many more!

The Basics

Catechism class recording on 'the cross'

http://www.mediafire.com/?13nmnttmmwj

Angel vs Devil

John 6:70 70 Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil."

Angel - means messenger of God - i.e. one who like the Sent One, communicates everything who the Father is and what He says to others

Devil - means slanderer - one who warps the nature of God to others, that he may be worshipped

check out this attempt on the 'Slander of Judas':
http://www.goingtojesus.com/topic_satan.html?tname=tfe02-16

- click on "Judas the Slanderer" parts 3-6

Adam the failed priest-gardener

check out this post:

http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com/2006/03/13/adam-the-priest-of-the-garden-temple-2/

except for that little comment about the covenant of works =)

The generated soul

Dichotomy - soul/spirit plus body ( 1 cor 7:34, James 2:26, etc)

or

Trichotomy - spirit plus soul plus body (1 Thess 5:23)


what about:

Input = spirit / breathed-in / wind / inner being

Output = flesh / body / members / outer being

Input animates output: James 2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Spirit always controls flesh

but how about interaction between spirit & flesh = soul/heart/mind/neck

a Living and Holy spirit - generates an eternal and holy being

the original spirit blown into Adam then - is the Holy Spirit
but like in Stephen's speech - Adam rejected this Spirit
and listened instead to other spirits

the interaction between the flesh and spirit then produces Adam's character - a sinful puppet - controlled by an external spirit

salvation then comes with a 'renewed Spirit' - which unlocks the decayed and hardened deadwood, and allows the life-blood to now flow in and animate the flesh and release it from its puppet-life

the man is now a new man - a real man, animated flesh in submissive listening to the Counsellor

this then renews the soul - creates a new life

one that will continuously be renewed for all eternity - become a 'personality' identical to that of Christ

no wonder the necessity to separate soul from spirit and even flesh from bone by the Word of God (cf Heb 4)

still fiddling with this... let me know your thoughts

Playing on the heart-strings

Ever heard this?



I used to love the song

but actually here's an interesting point..
what Satan does in both the garden of Eden & the wilderness which Christ entered
is he's playing on the affections of the Man

He knows the Man loves the woman...
his temptations are to corrupt the woman, and via the woman, control the Man

He knows the woman is the 'weaker vessel' and easy to become a 'vessel of corruption'

but his goal is the Head-Man
and he will play on His affections for His helper-opposite
He sings to Man a twisted love song for the woman...

Christ then has to judge between His love for His Father and His love for His Bride
Satan makes it seem that there must be a choice - He can only love one, and it seems that He must lose or 'leave' the other

Christ's love for His bride then must be monumentally strong if this is even a real temptation - even after seeing 'the heart of men' for a number of decades
At Gethsemane - He longs for their to be another way... not for an opt-out clause... He really must have His Bride

Yet the Spirit continuously reminds Him that He will get His Bride if He listens to His Father - His Father also longs for them to come into a heavenly home that He has ordained and prepared for them both

The vocal chords of Satan are cut at the cross, and his fiddle goes silent... right now all he plays is some horrendous heavy-metal sounds by smashing the remainder of his wrecked stage - making lots of noise to those who think that sounds like 'music'

The harmony of the orchestra of God is continuously enriched with more and more musical instruments as each 'living stone' is added to the eternal symphony, supported by angelic back up...

Church Dogmatics by Karl Barth for < $100

For those interested....

http://blogs.christianbook.com/blogs/academic/2010/03/19/karl-barths-church-dogmatics-14-vols-ed-bromiley-torrance/

The Lord will be Seen

Genesis 22:14 wayyiqrä´ ´abrähäm šë|m-hammäqôm hahû´ yhwh(´ädönäy) yir´è ´ášer yë´ämër hayyôm Bühar yhwh(´ädönäy) yërä´è

Literally - Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will see"; that they might say to-day, On the mount the Lord will be seen

what do you think?

Repentance requires atonement

The whole idea of repentance very often trickles into a works-based mindset

'Father forgive me, i've done something wrong'
'Go my son and don't do it again'

and i keep doing this each time i have sinned, to pay my own price for the wrong

but actually this form of repentance could only work on a completely UNJUST God.. who does not care two-bits about anything

"Dad I'm sorry I stabbed my brother" - "No problem son, don't do it again"

It is completely heartless...

The true repentance coupled with faith is based on the fact that the wrongdoing is already paid for in full at the cross.

That the guilt of the sin is paid for already, and repentance/faith is a pleading for the healing blood to cover and to wash away the source of sin

'Father forgive me, i've done something wrong'
'Son, here is your Brother's body and His blood, paid in advance for your wrongdoing, eat and drink and be healed'

Blind Spots of Discipleship - Part 1

A sermon given last Sunday - on Mark 9:30-50:

http://zionbpc.org.sg/resources/audio/2010/140310%20Dr%20Dev%20Menon.wma

meanwhile - just led a team of 6 young adults to Kolkata for a mission trip
great work being done here:
SAMARITANS HELPS of INDIA
(you won't find anything about them on the internet - but here's one article:
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/learning_from_children/)

they need plenty of support - especially with people willing to actually go there

i got plenty out of it
including what i suspect is viral meningitis from the 10,000 mosquito bites

Swallowing

Death is portrayed as a hungry monster... always wanting to swallow up or consume the Living

Numbers 16:34 34 And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up!"


Jonah and the fish are an appropriate picture - death swallows up the One who gives up His Spirit - yet death cannot hold Him

but in this case.. if the story of Jonah were to continue like that...

Jonah now would sit down and eat the entire fish for breakfast:
Isaiah 25:8 8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.

or perhaps
from inside the fish... Jonah would begin to eat it whole.... ?

something like this:

Wisdom

Leithart on the wisdom books:

What is wisdom? Follow the canonical progression of wisdom books.

Proverbs: There are two women. Choose Lady Wisdom and reject Lady Folly.

Ecclesiastes: All is hebel. Death looms. Therefore, eat, drink, rejoice in the wife of your youth. Joy in your wife is the way to Lady Wisdom.

Song of Songs: A man rejoices in his bride, eating and drinking a feast of love.

So:

Wisdom is about sex: Proverbs says, Choose the right woman; Ecclesiastes says, Cling to her in defiance of decay; the Song says, Love brings you back to the garden.

Or: Fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. Joy in defiance of death is wisdom coming to maturity. Fulfilled wisdom is knowing that love is as strong as death.

Or: Proverbs is priestly wisdom, distinguishing wisdom and folly. Ecclesiastes is kingly wisdom, rendering judgments in the midst of darkness. The Song is prophetic wisdom, the hope of future harmony.

Or: Proverbs is past; Ecclesiastes is present; the Song is future.

Or: Proverbs is the Father; Ecclesiastes the Son; the Song is the Song of the Spirit.

Wife verses Mother

Genesis 24:67 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

The mother of Christ dies... and now Christ is comforted by His Bride - in His mother's tent... all made into a new family home

Bible

A rather dull talk by me on the Bible

http://www.mediafire.com/?dak1jno0z2j

for catechism class