The glory of being wasted on Christ..

From 'The Normal Christian Life - Watchman Nee'
talking about being 'useful for Christ'

Now the breaking of the alabaster box and the anointing of the Lord filled the house with the odor, with the sweetest odor. Everyone could smell it. Whenever you meet someone who has really suffered; been limited, gone through things for the Lord, willing to be imprisoned by the Lord, just being satisfied with Him and nothing else, immediately you scent the fragrance.

There is a savor of the Lord. Something has been crushed, something has been broken, and there is a resulting odor of sweetness. The odor which filled the house that day still fills the Church; Mary's fragrance never passes away.

Friends, we cannot produce impressions of God upon others, impart the sense of the presence of God, without the breaking of everything, even the most precious things, at the feet of the Lord Jesus.

The Lord would have us here, not first of all to preach or to do work for Him, but to create hunger in others. No true work will begin in any life apart from a sense of need. We cannot inject that into others, we cannot drive people to be hungry for God. Such hunger can be created only by those whose lives convey vital impressions of Him.

Oh, to be wasted! It is a blessed thing to be wasted for the Lord. So many of us who have been prominent in the Christian world know nothing of this. Many of us have been used to the full--have been used, I would say, too much--but we do know what it means to be wasted on God.

We like to be always "on the go": the Lord would sometimes prefer to have us in prison. We think in terms of apostolic journeys: God dares to put His greatest ambassadors in chains. "But thanks be unto God, which always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place" (2 Corinthians 2:14)

The Tabernacle (2)

Here's a preview of some of the amateur videos we did =)

have about 15 of them going through a reasonable amount of the whole tabernacle including the day of atonement

The Tabernacle

So...

we created an approximately 1:2 scale model of the Tabernacle in the wilderness
the very dwelling place of the Living God amongst His people in the desert

we could only do it for 1 day only as a whole - space constraints
but we've been doing each part every week for 5 months with the kids

so here are the pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112400&id=222406230&l=cbd07
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112403&id=222406230&l=4fe0f

We also did about 60-90min of filming explaining the components as best we can
that's not really been edited properly yet - but hopefully soon
all I have so far is a mobile phone size 90min version with re-takes =)

Marriage & Relationships

Gave a 1 hour talk on this subject based on 1 Cor 7
tried to base it on the Trinity as well

it's a really tough chapter - but Glen says it's not absolutely heretical
so here it is =)

http://www.mediafire.com/file/jiumdmzoywk/OCF relationships talk - Dev Menon.mp3

oh it's quite big btw - >27MB

thanks Jacky for this paper too: http://www.mediafire.com/?cba4wmwloll

The Story of Jesus in Joseph

Got this from a rather Jewish-looking wesbite - but it's quite good


Let us look at Jesus, the son of Joseph.

Beloved of his father

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all of his sons (Genesis 37:3).
Joseph was the beloved son of his father.
And behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).
The Messiah, the son of Joseph, was the beloved son of His Father.

Fellowship and service

Then he [Jacob] said to him [Joseph], "Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock; and bring word back to me." So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem (Genesis 37:14).

Joseph lived in Hebron which, in Hebrew, means "the place of fellowship." Joseph dwelt with His father at the place of fellowship and was sent by his father to seek the welfare of his brothers.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:5-7).

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Jesus dwelt with His Father in the place of fellowship and was sent by His Father to seek the welfare of His brothers.

His brothers' sin

And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to his father (Genesis 37:2).

Joseph testified to his father about the sins of his brothers, and his brothers hated him.

"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-19).

Jesus testified about the sins of His brothers and so they hated Him.

They hated him still more

Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more (Genesis 37:5).

Joseph revealed to his brothers the exalted position he was to receive.

They already hated him for testifying against their sins, but now they absolutely despised him.

And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30).

And the scribes and chief priests tried to lay hands on him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that he spoke this parable against them (Luke 20:19).

Jesus revealed to His brothers the position of glory that He would receive and so His brothers hated Him.

Foretold that he would rule

Joseph told his brothers that "we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf" (Genesis 37:7).

"You shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power" (Matthew 26:64).

Joseph foretold that one day he would rule. Jesus foretold that one day He would rule.

Rejected and condemned

When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death (Genesis 37:18).

"We do not want this man to reign over us" (Luke 19:14).

But they kept on crying out, saying, "Crucify, crucify Him!" (Luke 23:21).

Both were rejected and condemned to die.

Out of His mind

And they said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer!" (Gen. 37:19).

And when His own people heard of this, they went to take custody of Him; for they were saying, "He has lost His senses" (Mark 3:21).

Joseph was accused by his brothers of being a dreamer. They said of Jesus, the Messiah, the son of Joseph, that He had lost His senses.

Sold for silver

And Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh."

And his brothers listened to him. Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver (Genesis 37:26-28).

Judah betrayed Joseph and sold him for twenty pieces of silver.

Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, and said, "What are you willing to give me to deliver Him to you?"

And they weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:151).

Judah betrayed Joseph for twenty pieces of silver.

Judas (same name as "Judah" in Hebrew) betrayed the son of Joseph, after inflation, for thirty pieces of silver.

Servant's heart

So Joseph found favor in his sight, and he became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge (Genesis 39:4).

Everything Joseph did, he did as a servant.

Luke 22:25-27 and Philippians 2:7 tell us that everything Jesus did, He did as a servant.

Everything to prosper

And it came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house,and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph (Genesis 39:5).

The Lord caused all that Joseph did to prosper.

And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hand (Isaiah 53:10).

God shall cause all that the son of Joseph does to prosper.

Tempted

And it came about after these events that his master's wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?" (Gen. 39:7-9).

Joseph was tempted to the utmost, but he endured and would not sin.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God,and serve Him only.' " Then the devil left Him. (Matthew 4:1-11).

Joseph was tempted to the utmost and endured. The Messiah, the son of Joseph, was tempted to the utmost, but He endured.

Falsely accused

When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had fled outside, she called to the men of her household, and said to them, "See, he has brought in a Hebrew to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed.

And it came about when he heard that I raised my voice and screamed, that he left his garment beside me and fled, and went outside" (Genesis 39:13-15).

Joseph was falsely accused.

Now, the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; and they did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward.

But later on two came forward and said, "This man stated, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.' "

And the high priest stood up and said to Him, "Do You make no answer? What is this that these men are testifying against You?"

But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure you by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Messiah, the Son of God." Jesus said, "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Then the high priest tore his robes, saying, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy." (Matthew 26:59-65).

Joseph was accused falsely and lied about. The Messiah, the son of Joseph, was accused falsely and lied about.

Predicted life and death

Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation . . Then Joseph said to [the cupbearer], "This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer . .

Then Joseph answered and said [to the baker], "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh off you" (Genesis 40:5-19).

Joseph predicted that one of these criminals would live and that the other one would die.

And one of the criminals who were hanging there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"

But the other answered, and rebuking him said, Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."

And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:39-43).

Jesus was condemned with two criminals and, as He predicted, one lived and one died.

Promised deliverance

Then Joseph said to him, "This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer (Genesis 40:12-13).

Joseph promised deliverance to a condemned man.

And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"

And Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:42-43).

Yeshua, the son of Joseph promised deliverance to a condemned man. And that same son of Joseph is promising deliverance to condemned men today if they will repent and ask Him to forgive them, and follow Him.

A way of salvation Joseph was betrayed by his Jewish brothers into the hands of Gentiles, but God took this betrayal and turned it around and made it a way for all of Israel, and all of the world, to be saved.

So too, the Messiah, the son of Joseph, was betrayed by His Jewish brothers into the hands of Gentiles. God took this betrayal and turned it around, making it a way for all Israel, and all the world, to be saved.

Forgotten by those he helped

Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him (Genesis 40:23).

And Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine - where are they? Was no one found who turned back to give glory to God, except this foreigner?" (Luke 17:17,18).

Joseph was forgotten by those he helped, and the son of Joseph was forgotten by those He helped.

Raised to glory

Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are.

You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you" (Genesis 41:14,39-40).

Joseph was taken from a dungeon, a place of death, and he was raised by the king to the place of glory in one day.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power towards us who believe.

These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come (Ephesians 1:19-20).

Joseph was raised from a place of condemnation to a place of glory in one day, and the son of Joseph, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, was raised from a place of condemnation to a place of glory in a single day.

Wonderful counselor

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are" (Genesis 41:39).

Joseph proved to be a great counselor. In Isaiah 9:6 we read that "And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor."

Highly exalted

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See I have set you over all the land of Egypt" (Genesis 41:41).

Joseph was promoted to glory and honor and given a new name.

Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name (Phil. 2:9).

Jesus was promoted to glory and honor and given a new name.

Took a Gentile bride

Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-Paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt (Genesis 41:45).

After being exalted, Joseph took a Gentile bride.

For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the Body (Ephesians 5:23-32).

Jesus, after exaltation, took a Gentile bride - in figure, the Gentile church.

That is why the book of Ruth - the story of a Jewish man taking a Gentile bride - is read in the synagogues at Pentecost, which we call "the birthday of the church."

And, in both cases, the brides were given to share the glory.

About thirty years of age

Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharoah, king of Egypt (Genesis 41:46).

Joseph was 30 years old when he began his work.

And when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age. (Luke 3:23).

The son of Joseph was 30 years old when He began His work.

"Do whatever He says"

So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharoah for bread; and Pharoah said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do" (Genesis 41:55).

His (Jesus') mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it" (John 2:5).
Of Joseph it was said "Do whatever he tells you." Of the son of Joseph it was said, "Do whatever He tells you."

Every knee shall bow

Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and put the gold necklace around his neck.

And he had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, "Bow the knee!" And he set him over all the land of Egypt.

Moreover, Pharoah said to Joseph, "Though I am Pharoah, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt" (Genesis 41:42-44).

When he was exalted, every knee bowed to Joseph and he was given all power and glory.

Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18).

Every knee shall bow to the Son of Joseph, and He has been given all power and glory.

The Bread of Life

So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharoah for bread; and Pharoah said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do."

When the famine was spread over all the face of the earth, then Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt, And the people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in the earth (Genesis 41:55-57).

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

The whole world had to get their bread from Joseph - there was no other way the people could be saved. And there is no way for us to be saved except through the son of Joseph.

Not entrusting Himself to men

Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment (Gen. 43:33).

Why? Because Joseph knew the past sinful history of his brothers.

But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man for He Himself knew what was in man (John 2:24,25).

Jesus the Messiah is like Joseph, knowing the past history and sins of his brothers.

Not recognized first time

However, as we read in Genesis, Joseph's brothers do not recognize him at the first coming. They recognized him at the second.

Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, "Have everyone go out from me." So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharoah heard of it.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." So they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt" (Genesis 45:1-4).

Joseph's brothers did not recognize him at the first coming, but at the second.

And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so they will look upon Me who they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first born (Zechariah 12:10).

The brothers of the Messiah, the son of Joseph, did not recognize him at his first coming, but they will at the second, realizing the one they betrayed is now the exalted one who was going to save them.

The one who was crucified is the one who is the Redeemer, the King. The son of Joseph is also the son of David.

The Suffering Servant is also the Conquering King

When his brothers repented, he forgave them. And when Jesus' brothers, the Jewish people repent, He forgives them.

In the beginning Joseph used the Egyptian people, the Gentiles, to give bread to his brothers, but a time came when the Gentiles were sent away and he revealed himself to his brothers.

Right now the son of Joseph is using Gentiles, Christians, to send the food, the Bread of Life, to His brothers, but a time will come in the Great Tribulation when the son of Joseph will personally reveal Himself to His brothers.

All power to the King

Joseph, after his exaltation, turned around and delivered all into the hands of Pharaoh (Genesis 47:20).

Then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and authority and power (1 Corinthians 15:24).

Joseph gave all rule and authority and power into the hands of the king.

The Messiah, the son of Joseph, will give all power and rule into the hands of the King.
Savior

So they said, "You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharoah's slaves" (Genesis 47:25).

Joseph was acknowledged to be the people's savior.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior., Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:11-14).

The Messiah, the son of Joseph, the Lord Jesus Christ, is acknowledged to be the Savior. of all mankind.

Not recognized

When Joseph was adorned (Genesis 41:42) with the garments of Egyptian royalty, he became totally unrecognizable to his Hebrew brothers (Genesis 42:8).

After the first century, Jesus was taken and made king of the Gentiles. It was forgotten that He came as King of the Jews and He became totally unrecognizable to His Hebrew brothers.

One Messiah : Two Comings

Joseph was given a new name upon his exaltation (Genesis 41:45). The Gentiles call Rabbi Yeshua Ben Yosef by a new name - Jesus - a Greek name, not His original one.

One Messiah, two comings.

The Jews did not recognize Joseph at the first coming but at the second. And they will recognize the son of Joseph at the second coming, seeing the one who was betrayed and crucified as the one who has indeed come to bring salvation.

One Messiah, two comings.

Jesus is coming back as the son of David. Every eye will see Him. The Jews will look upon Him whom they have pierced and mourn as one mourns for an only son.

Those who look upon Jesus, whom we have all pierced, and mourn now as one mourns for an only son, will have the same blessing and promise that He gives to His own people.

The Messiah, the son of Joseph, will return as the Messiah, the son of David. And He will restore the kingdom to Israel.

The perfume of Christ

"The Word of God is as a garden of fruit and flowers - luscious with the sweetness, pencilled with the beauty, and fragrant with the perfume of Christ. All its shadows, types and prophecies, all its doctrines, precepts and promises testify of Him. Search the Scriptures in whatever part, or view them from whatever standpoint you may, of Christ they speak and to Christ they lead... Let us, dear reader, often walk within this Divine enclosure, this sacred garden, where the north wind and the south wind blows... and eat the pleasant fruits, and inhale the perfume of Sharon's Rose."

- Octavius Winslow, 1878 - The Fullness of Christ unfolded in the history of Joseph

More thoughts from a baby...

Matthew 25:23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

It has always been a wonder to me how Jesus can applaud all our pathetic efforts in serving Him - but yet He does, from the least to the greatest servant, as long as we are faithful in the smallest capacity

Looking at my son, I can see how this happens..
sure he does not do much at all, but at the least of accomplishments, his daddy is proud
every smile, every crawl-movement, even waking up at the right times
how the Father can look and say, "I'm not even paying attention to your incapacities, your inefficiencies, your uselessness. Yet I'm exceedingly proud of what you have accomplished! Well done you for whatever it is you've done in the Light!"

Luke 7:9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."

of course knowing that - He also does not see any accomplishments done in the old flesh.

Doing a thesis or just need some resources?

Found this cool site called EthOS. Now, it isn't nearly as cool as the "mysteries" of the Hebrew language, but it is pretty darn cool nonetheless... Perhaps you will find a doctorate paper for download written by your favourite (modern-day) theologians?

Ancient Hebrew

Check out Glen's posts on Biblical languages here and here

Here's a chart showing the possible original pictographs that form the Hebrew characters and some possible meanings of the letters - so that you can actually see how words are formed as the pictures are put together - quite like any ancient Eastern language - including the current Oriental languages

http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/28_chart.html

a couple of my favourites:



(nun - meaning 'seed')



(tav - meaning 'mark')

The 'Practicality' of Sonship

In these uncertain times (which Jesus promised) we can very often turn gospel living into a very, what we call, practical lifestyle

Make sure we have a stable job, steady income, homes to live in etc..
The argument is that the gospel of Jesus Christ involves being 'practical'

While the statement is true, practicality in Jesus's eyes is far from worldly
As He says 'Do not worry what to eat or what to wear - your Father provides these things'

Imagine your own children keeping raw ingredients from your fridge under their beds - telling you that they want to store it up because their not sure where their next meal is coming from
or 10 year olds going to get a job because they don't know if you can provide for them
other than having no 'faith' in you, it is an act of mistrust

The practical child simply turns up for breakfast every morning
the practical child always trusts that his good parents will provide all his needs
The practical child is at peace because of this

the 'storing-working' child - is nothing but an orphan

We have a Father in heaven
Christ has shown us how to be His children
We glorify Christ by living the God-Child life
Since He then becomes the First of many brothers and sisters - with one heavenly Father

Hallelujah! not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now
...
Shall our hearts forget His promise
'I am with you ever more'?

Lessons from a baby...

What can you learn by having a child?

Trinity
1. How the Father/Son/Spirit life is forever changed
2. How they are focused entirely on us
3. How they bring us into the Family
4. They long to do mature stuff with us - to enjoy us in a different way

Discipleship
1. Baby (new Christian) must eat - a lot
2. Baby must eat regularly
3. Baby must eat only milk from Mummy
4. Baby must join your family - will die on his own
5. You need to clean up after baby - all the time
6. Baby brings great joy - but not very exciting. Daddy longs for baby to grow up to have a different mature kind of relationships
7. Baby not very useful - needs to grow up to be useful
8. Baby does not know how to do things with new life - must be taught
9. Baby does not know how to relate to Daddy very well
10. Baby always sleepy - needs to wake up. Baby loves the darkness too much - must learn to live in the Light
11. Baby needs Daddy & Mummy ALL the time
12. Baby can learn from Older Brother

other stuff
1. Babies don't get a lot done - 1 adult (mature Christian) can change the whole world - vs 10,000,000 babies
2. Most Christians are babies and don't want to grow up

Doesn't that have tremendous implications on how we do discipleship??

The Story of Jesus

Check this out from Dave Bish!

We start with God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father sending forth his word in the power of the Spirit to bring order out of chaos, the world out of water, light over darkness climaxing in the making of Man in God’s image (Genesis 1). We find The Man placed in God’s temple-mountain garden and given a Bride. He stops to sing. Together they’re to work and cultivate this temple extending it into a global garden in which man and God dwell together, man ruling the world under God (Genesis 2). One day the world will be full of people. One day the world will be full of the glory of God, that which is supremely displayed in The Man, Jesus Christ (2 Cor 3v18).

This Man overthrows God and is kicked out of the temple (Genesis 3), though he’s promised that a seed of the woman will come who will defeat evil and bring them back into the garden. The first candidate for that is murdered by his brother who builds a city for his own glory (Genesis 4). From The Man and his Bride comes another son who is not the seed who begins to call on the LORD. He is not the seed. One of his progeny Enoch prophesied of God’s coming judgement, and soon after Noah is born (Genesis 5). The world once formed out of water is deluged but Noah’s family escape, saved by God. A new world emerges from the water with the Man on his mountain, human evil remains and this new world soon descends back into wickedness. From Noah the world is filled with people who practice evil, even attempting to build an arrogant city that will reach heaven and broadcast the glory of these sinners (Genesis 6-11).

God however chooses Abraham and promises that from him will come a seed, Christ. This seed is born by God’s promised and though offered to death is resurrected, figuratively. This seed, Isaac, gains a wife and has sons (Genesis 12-25). From them come twelve sons, the tribes of Israel who flee, like their forefather Abraham, to Egypt. They are ruled over by Joseph though it is Israel’s son Judah who will one day rule them (Genesis 26-5). The memory of Israel saving Egypt is soon forgotten and a people called to rule the world are subjected as slaves. Through a Levitical priest called Moses and his brother Aaron Christ comes to save his people from slavery into a garden land. They are rescued by Christ and they stop to sing (Exodus 15) before meet him at mount Sinai (Exodus 1-18). There, to hem them in until Christ comes to his people, they are placed under law. This law, particularly in the provision of a tent-dwelling of God with his people, foreshadows Christ’s coming. It shows them what he will do for them (Exodus 19-25).

This people quickly turn back to slavery and though rescued to worship God they begin to worship things they make for themselves (Exodus 32-34). Instead of destroying them God spares them, for the sake of his own reputation and promises. On the verge of the promised land they rebel and decide to go back to slavery. This costs them their lives and it will be a generation before the people go into the land (Numbers 13-14).The sons of Korah die for their rebellion but some are redeemed and write great songs of love for to Son of God (Psalm 45).

By then Moses is dead and it is Joshua who leads them in. As they enter in, a prostitute called Rahab is adopted into God’s people (Joshua 2). The people are led by Judges who bring short-lived salvation in days when there is no king over the people. In these days a descendent of Abraham’s nephew Lot, a woman called Ruth, is adopted into God’s people (Ruth).

This is a remarkable turn around for a people born of horrific and shameful origins. Soon, the people request a king, rejecting God’s rule over themselves. God had previously set out the requirements for a king and this Benjamite, Saul fails in every way (1 Samuel). Another, David of Judah is anointed and kills the giant Goliath, he takes the throne and is the king par excellence. He sings. He desires to build a house for God’s people but is denied. Instead his Son, through adultery with Bathsheba, Solomon will build a temple. David’s son will be king forever (2 Samuel 7.)

Solomon ascends and builds the temple, the people stop to sing. The Son of David is greater than any other king of the world and the peoples of the world gather, but he too falls into sin and his sons divide the kingdom into two. The northern kingdom, Israel, is soon overthrown by Assyria. Jonah is sent to preach to the Assyrian capital Nineveh. The south survives many generations but is ultimately exiled for their rebellion against God, by Babylonians who have overtaken Assyria (2 Chronicles),

Many are killed, the kings and high-flyers are exiled (Daniel) and some rise remarkably and see God’s salvation (Daniel and later Esther). Between the days of Solomon and this time of exile many messengers call God’s people to turn back to him (Isaiah after the days of King Uzziah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah etc).

Eventually God uses a foreign king to send his people back for a partial restoration under Ezra and Nehemiah, while Haggai prophesies. The rebuilt city is inglorious and prophetic expectation remains unfulfilled until centuries later, the son of Abraham and David is born, Jesus the Christ.

This son, this seed, is the true Israel. The true temple. The true priest. The true sacrifice. The word of God. As the author is written into the story godly men and women stop to sing. Though he made the world he is rejected by it. He is killed by the whole world and yet is raised to life by his Father.

He sends the Spirit to his people, the church, and they become a global people, bringing God’s rule and blessing to all peoples. They form local communities, bodies of which Jesus is the head, where though diverse their common love of Jesus binds them together in love. They stop to sing. They live longing for the day when he returns and will renew his world, re-creating it to be the place where He, the true Man, will dwell with his bride, the church, whom he saved, forever.

Contemplating creation...

Baby Josiah Menon has just come into the world!

I was wondering before the beginning of creation if the conversation between the Father and the Son through the Spirit went something like this:

"We're going to have more children"

"It'll change our lives forever - no more just us three Persons"

"Yea awesome!"

"You do realise we're going to lose a lot of rest for the next... oh.. 10,000 years"

Lamenin

How's this for fun Christian science:

Laminin is a protein found in the extracellular matrix, the sheets of protein that form the substrate of all internal organs also called the basement membrane. It is the major non-collagenous component of the basal lamina, such as those on which cells of an epithelium sit.[1] It has four arms that can bind to four other molecules. The three shorter arms are particularly good at binding to other laminin molecules, which is what makes it so great at forming sheets. The long arm is capable of binding to cells, which helps anchor the actual organs to the membrane.

Laminin is vital to making sure overall body structures hold together.

Was man created to do work?

Was writing an essay which made me think back to what Reeves said about work. I guess it is often assumed that working or having jobs was part of God's plan for man. So an emphasis by some workplace ministries is to help people find dignity or to take pride in their jobs. Many have pointed to Genesis 2 to show or justify how man was created to work. After all, "When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens - and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for ... there was no man to work the ground." So it follows that man was created to work the ground. But this is a misunderstanding of Genesis 2.

A careful reading of Gen. 2:4-9 will show that man was not created for the purpose of agricultural labour (or secular work). When there was nothing fruitful from the ground we see that it is Yahweh Elohim Himself who goes on to labour on the untilled ground. He forms man from the ground and instead of seeing Him putting man to then till the ground, again we see that it is the LORD God who gets to work! This time He planted Eden and “made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.” So far man has done nothing and has not been asked to do anything to bring forth fruit or plants fromt he ground!

But some point to Genesis 2:15 to say "Aha! The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it!" But again there are a few important details to note. Firstly, the word translated “put” from yanach means “to rest”. So Adam is not 'put' but 'rested' in Eden. Secondly, while ‘garden’ could be either a masculine or feminine noun, ‘Eden’ is a proper masculine noun. Thirdly, what is translated “to till” and “to keep” from abad and shamar are priestly terms (to serve and to keep). Furthermore, the object (it) they are to abad and shamar (serve and keep) are feminine, and thus do not refer to the masculine Eden. What is interesting is that they are often used together to refer to the Law, i.e. to keep and serve the Law. This of course means to trust in Jesus. Thus, Adam was not put in Eden for agricultural labour but was ‘rested’ in Eden to trust in Jesus and to testify to Him. Agricultural labour (and work) does not seem to have been intrinsic to life in Eden. What seems to be intrinsic to life is trust in the LORD God who alone labours to provide. Indeed humanity begins life by enjoying and sharing in Elohim’s Sabbath.

What brought about work (and rain!) was a result of the fall. Secular jobs, having to work to survive, labouring the ground was a curse because of man's refusal to trust in Jesus! So we have to be careful about encouraging people to take pride in their jobs or to place such an importance in their careers.

Could it be that Christians are redeemed from the curse in Jesus? After all in Matthew 6:33, Jesus says, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Once again we can trust in Jesus for life and for daily provisions. This is certainly what many people, like Hudson Taylor, have taken seriously. As we concentrate on doing the priestly work of pointing people to Christ we can be confident that Jesus will provide for all our needs. Maybe this is what people in the workplace need to hear?

Jezreel - the gardened Vine of God

I'm working on this...
shan't explain it now
but if anyone guesses what this is about I could use all the help! =)


Hosea 1:4-5 4 And the LORD said to him, "Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel."

Hosea 2:21-23 1 "And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, 22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel, 23 and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, 'You are my people'; and he shall say, 'You are my God.'"

Hosea 4:1-3 Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; 2 there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away.

Hosea 5:10 10 The princes of Judah have become like those who move the landmark; upon them I will pour out my wrath like water.

Hosea 6:3 3 Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth."

Hosea 8:8 8 Israel is swallowed up; already they are among the nations as a useless vessel.

Hosea 9:10 10 Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel.

Hosea 10:1 Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; as his country improved, he improved his pillars.

Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

Hosea 12:13 By a prophet the LORD brought Israel up from Egypt, and by a prophet he was guarded.

Hosea 13:14 14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.

Hosea 14:5-7 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; 6 his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. 7 They shall return and dwell beneath my(1 )shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Hosea 14:8 8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you.(1 )I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.

The Conclusion to Aristedes Apology

Paul Blackham just posted this on his website

This is how the church needs to live!

The Christians, O King, while they went about and made search, have found the truth; and as we learned from their writings, they have come nearer to truth and genuine knowledge than the rest of the nations. For they know and trust in God, the Creator of heaven and of earth, in whom and from whom are all things, to whom there is no other god as companion, from whom they received commandments which they engraved upon their minds and observe in hope and expectation of the world which is to come. Wherefore they do not commit adultery nor fornication, nor bear false witness, nor embezzle what is held in pledge, nor covet what is not theirs. They honour father and mother, and show kindness to those near to them; and whenever they are judges, they judge uprightly. They do not worship idols (made) in the image of man; and whatsoever they would not that others should do unto them, they do not to others; and of the food which is consecrated to idols they do not eat, for they are pure. And their oppressors they appease (lit: comfort) and make them their friends; they do good to their enemies; and their women, O King, are pure as virgins, and their daughters are modest; and their men keep themselves from every unlawful union and from all uncleanness, in the hope of a recompense to come in the other world. Further, if one or other of them have bondmen and bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction. They do not worship strange gods, and they go their way in all modesty and cheerfulness. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother; for they do not call them brethren after the flesh, but brethren after the spirit and in God. And whenever one of their poor passes from the world, each one of them according to his ability gives heed to him and carefully sees to his burial. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food. They observe the precepts of their Messiah with much care, living justly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them. Every morning and every hour they give thanks and praise to God for His loving-kindnesses toward them; and for their food and their drink they offer thanksgiving to Him. And if any righteous man among them passes from the world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God; and they escort his body as if he were setting out from one place to another near. And when a child has been born to one of them, they give thanks to God; and if moreover it happen to die in childhood, they give thanks to God the more, as for one who has passed through the world without sins. And further if they see that any one of them dies in his ungodliness or in his sins, for him they grieve bitterly, and sorrow as for one who goes to meet his doom.

XVI. Such, O King, is the commandment of the law of the Christians, and such is their manner of life. As men who know God, they ask from Him petitions which are fitting for Him to grant and for them to receive. And thus they employ their whole lifetime... And they do not proclaim in the ears of the multitude the kind deeds they do, but are careful that no one should notice them; and they conceal their giving just as he who finds a treasure and conceals it. And they strive to be righteous as those who expect to behold their Messiah, and to receive from Him with great glory the promises made concerning them... It is enough for us to have shortly informed your Majesty concerning the conduct and the truth of the Christians. For great indeed, and wonderful is their doctrine to him who will search into it and reflect upon it.

And verily, this is a new people, and there is something divine in the midst of them.

Day Two - Genesis (2)

More on Day 2:

The 'expanse' made in day two can also be translated canopy (see ESV)
the word gives the feeling of something being stretched out and beaten into place

So this heavens indeed is regarded as a tent, where the Sun dwells - cf. Ps 19

It is the body of Christ, His flesh, stretched out and nailed into place by the iron tentpegs

indeed:
Hebrews 10:19-20 19 Therefore, brothers,(1 )since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,

His flesh becomes the dwelling place of God and man - and only because of the cross. He is indeed the way

Those iron tentpegs that hold the wings of His garment open beckon us to come in and dwell with Him

Those same tentpegs pierced the temple of Satan, just when he thought all was secure:
Judges 4:16-22 6 And Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left. 17 But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid." So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19 And he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. 20 And he said to her, "Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say, 'No.'" 21 But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died. 22 And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking." So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple.

Theistic evolution and hermeneutics

Glen here.

Last Saturday I was surrounded by Anglican curates on post-ordination training. We discussed how to read the bible. It was decided by a good majority of them that God did not desire the total destruction of the nations in the land (Deuteronomy 7:1-6). God is not into ethnic cleansing you see. Primitive cultures might be. The Israelites committed the atrocities and wrote about it after the fact (much much later apparently). And they claimed divine justification for it. But God didn't actually tell them to destroy the nations.

Anyway, sounded to me quite similar to how even evangelicals read Genesis 1.

"Yeah, we know what it says. But that's not how it happened. Now we know better, we can read back into it what really happened. It was actually very much like what the wisdom of today would tell us."

Well that was the link I drew.
Maybe you draw a different one...

Faith and Works (2)

Mark 11:13-21 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it. 15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers." 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19 And when evening came they(1 )went out of the city. 20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered."

So last time I was writing how Jesus hates the hypocrites:

This is seen very clearly in the fig tree
Like Adam and Eve who sewed fig-leaves together as loincloths
they were trying to deceive the Lord that they were fruitful together
but once the Lord draws near - He can see all their works are only a sham
Jesus is furious at those who try and deceive Him, and the punishment is quick and intense
Like Adam, we need the blood-soaked skins of the Lamb that was slain to deal with our nakedness, our shame
That blood, as we trust in it, walk in the Spirit, will cleanse and purge us from all our sins - until the last day, when we are truly washed clean - and are given white robes to wear
Mortality is swallowed up in Life

Obama - Warren

Any one heard Rick Warren's prayer for Obama?
any thoughts?

a transcript can be found here:
http://www.jewishjournal.com/thegodblog/item/what_rick_warren_said_at_obamas_inauguration_20090120/

Why is it we think we are building an earthly kingdom - rather than an unseen one?
sigh...

One day every knee shall bow and acknowledge Jesus - King of kings, Lord of lords

Creation

Colossal discussion on creation and creationists here:

http://christthetruth.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/the-evolution-of-a-creationist/

The real question is of course - how do you relate to Scripture?
also... are you actually reading what it says?

Day Two - Genesis

Why was Jesus Christ baptised - and just before He started His ministry in the flesh?

Of course we have the Exodus story - baptised, then into the wilderness, then leading people into the promised land

So now if we take baptism as - my declaration of faith
that would be a bit funny for Jesus wouldn't it? only at 30??

If we take baptism as merely a sign of the gospel - well it would be for us, but I doubt it would be for Him!

So what's left?

The phrase used in baptism is - "baptised into"

So what happens... Jesus is baptised into the church,
for example:

1 Corinthians 10:1-2 I want you to know, brothers,(1 )that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea


So then the Israelites are baptised (i.e. separated into) Moses, and He (also baptised) becomes their representative, or stronger than that - he is their head, they are his body

So in the ordination of the High Priest - they are washed with water from the bronze laver before they put on the breast-piece (the 12 tribes), the kingly crown, the onyx shoulder pieces (sin on His shoulders), etc...

Christ separates into His people - i.e. He leaves His Father and Mother, and now He is part of the church, He is their legitimate Head - He is their High Priest in the order of the Nazerite - a different order to Levi. He now will lead His people through the wilderness successfully and bring them to the promised land

He will do this through the cross


Now backtrack to Day 2 in Genesis 1
the only day that has nothing that 'God saw it was good' in it

So day one - the light shines in the darkness - in the midst of the waters of death and judgement

Day two - the word is stretched out - or rather stretched out and beaten out the expanse - now we have 2 water divisions - one under the THIRD heaven (throne room) and one below

So then Christ will separate out from the waters above and we will separate out from the waters below to create a new life - the THIRD WAY - where God and Man will dwell together - the new life - through the cross, where He is beaten and stretched out - suspended above heaven and earth

So then in the new creation - this time the division is by fire - all will be baptised by fire, first Christ, then His people - and live a new life in the new 'Expanse' - the new way - He will draw in from the heavens His FAther to live this new life, and from the seas of judgement He has called and fished His people out to live with Him

All the rest will remain in the fires of judgement, the outer darkness, cast away both rebellious angels and men alike...

Prophet, prophesy, prophecy

There has always been great difficulty interpreting the word 'prophet' and derivatives thereof

Usually it is thought of predicting something in the future and this is true in one sense - even in the new testament:

Acts 11:27-28 27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).

But in chapters like 1 Cor 14 - that would be very difficult to make any sense if that were the sole meaning of the Word
also it would be pretty hard to imagine an entire church speaking like Agabus - even the apostles hardly do it on record

1 Corinthians 14:24-25 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

why would that happen if you were telling the future?

a prophecy then is a revelation
so in the OT:

Amos 3:7 7 "For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

It is a revelation of the 'mysteries' of God made known to His people

So to reveal something about what is going to happen in a particular context is prophecy - like Agabus
to proclaim a Word from the Lord (as the prophets of old) - is also prophecy
and to expound the meaning of the mysteries of the OT Scripture - is also prophecy
to see the secrets of men's hearts - as in 1 cor 14 above - is also prophecy

and indeed it is a gift of edification and worth asking for
and definitely cannot just be taken wholesale - but carefully weighed with all the other 'revelation of God' - which is one and the same

Revelation

Finally finished a short commentary on Revelation (<30000 words)
missing a few pieces but it's more or less done
borrowed a dozen quotes from Glen's series though!

Available upon request =)

The Incarnation

Fantastic sermon on basically everything on the incarnation of Christ:

http://danhames.blogspot.com/2008/12/one-of-us.html

Cosmetic Changes (2)

This article's been written by the Times columnist..
the world's gone so mad even the atheists are starting to make sense

Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good…

Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosphical/spiritual framework I’ve just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates.

Those who want Africa to walk tall amid 21st-century global competition must not kid themselves that providing the material means or even the knowhow that accompanies what we call development will make the change. A whole belief system must first be supplanted.

And I’m afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone and the machete.

The Golden Calf (2)

more great Christian cartoon messages here

Consider the birds of the air...

How's this for meditating on Christ in all of creation..

a couple of quotes from John Flavel - 1650s England

THE SIGHT OF A BLACKBIRD TAKING SANCTUARY IN A BUSH FROM A PURSUING HAWK.

When I saw how hardly the poor bird was put to it to save herself from her enemy, who hovered just over the bush in which she was fluttering and squeaking, i could not but hasten to relieve her, pity and succour being a debt due to the distressed, which., when I had done, the bird would not depart from the bush, though her enemy was gone. This act of kindness was abundantly repaid by this meditation, with which I returned to my walk. My soul, like this bird, was once distressed, pursued, yea, seized by Satan, who had certainly made a prey of it, had not Jesus Christ been a sanctuary to it in'that hour of danger. How ready did I find him to receive my poor soul into his protection ! Then did he make good that sweet promise to my experience, :' Those that come unto me, I will in no wise cast out." It called to mind that pretty and pertinent story of the philosopher, who walking in the fields, a bird, pursued by a hawk, flew into his bosom ; he took her out and said, " Poor bird, I will neither wrong thee, nor expose thee to thine enemy, since thou eamest to me for refuge." So tender, and more than so, is the Lord Jesus to distressed souls that come unto him. Blessed Jesus ! how should I love and praise thee, glorify and admire thee, for that great salvation thou hast wrought for me ? If this bird had fallen into the claws of her enemy, she had been torn to pieces, indeed, and devoured, but then a few minutes had dispatched her, and ended all her pain and misery ; but had my soul f;illen into the hand of Satan, there had been no end to my misery.

Would not this scared bird be flushed out of the bush that secured her, though I had chased away her enemy ? And wilt thou, O my soul, ever be enticed or scared from Christ thy refuge ? O let this for ever engage thee to keep close to Christ, and make me say, with Ezra, "And now, O Lord, since thou hast given me such a deliverance as this, should I again break thy commandments!"


UPON THE SIGHT OF DIVERS GOLDFINCHES INTERMINGLING WITH A FLOCK OF SPARROWS.

Methinks these birds do fitly resemble the gaudy courtiers, and the plain peasants ; how spruce and richly adorned with shining and various colored feathers (like scarlet richly laid with gold and silver lace) are those ? How plainly clad in a homespun country ruffet are these I Fine feathers, saith our proverb, make proud birds; and yet the feathers of the sparrow are as useful and beneficial, both for warmth and flight, though not so gay and ornamental, as the others : and if both were stript out of their feathers, the sparrow would prove the better bird of the two ; by which I see that the greatest worth doth not always lie under the finest clothes ; and besides, God can make mean and homely garments as useful and beneficial to poor and despised Christians, as the ruffling and shining garments of wanton gallants are to them; and when God shall strip men out of ill external excellencies, these will be found to excel their glittering neighbors in true worth and excellency.
Little would a man think such rich treasures of grace, wisdom, humility, &c. lay under some russet coats.

Sæpe sub attrita latitat sapientia veste. Under poor garments more true worth may be than under silks that whistle—who but he.

'Whilst, on the side, the heart of the wicked, as Solomon hath observed, is little worth, how much soever his clothes be worth. Alas ! it falls out too frequently among us, as it doth with men in the Indies, who walk over the rich veins of gold and silver ore, which lie hid under a ragged and barren surface and know it not. For my own part, I desire not to value any man by what is extrinsical and wordly, but by that true internal excellency of grace, which makes the face to shine in the eyes of God and good men : I would contemn a vile person, though never so glorious in the eye of the world, but honor such as fear the Lord, how sordid and despicable soever to appearance.

It's Christmas

Glen's done a few good posts on the Reason for the season:

Incarnation & Trinity

Incarnation & Creation

Incarnation & Salvation


And hopefully if Leon doesn't mind - I'll take a quote from his essay on Irenaeus's view of the incarnation:

“Original creation was not ‘perfect’ for Irenaeus. It is good, and even very good, but not perfect, though it can be perfected. For Irenaeus, salvation (and the incarnation) is not a consequence of the Fall of creation, but that creation is a consequence of “God’s project of salvation.” For Irenaeus, a created thing is intrinsically changeable, corruptible and subject to decay. Focusing on man, from the start he was “childish and immature and not yet fully trained for an adult way of life… so God could have offered perfection to man at the beginning, but man, being yet an infant, could not have taken it”, hence the Fall. In Irenaeus theology, the Fall seemed to have been unavoidable, because man is created and is not in himself filled by the Spirit to be enabled to fight decay and corruption. Man matures only as the Image (Spirit-filled Son) takes on the flesh of Adam so as to take Adam’s flesh into the Image, and thus fill Adam’s flesh with the Likeness of God(Spirit). In Irenaeus own words, “Now this is His Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, who in the last times was made a man among men, that He might join the end to the beginning, that is, man to God.” This, for Irenaeus, is “recapitulation”. It is not a return to Eden, for man to once again be immature and fall, but to perfection along with all creation where what is “mortal should be conquered and swallowed up by immortality, and corruptible by incorruptibility.””

Generous Giving

here's a really interesting website on giving to God:

http://www.generousgiving.org/page.asp?sec=43&page=589#503

whole bunch of questions dealt with
I was quite interested with the questions on whether we should give to non-Christian charities, giving outside the church itself (to independent Christian ministries), and giving directly to the needy... (21-23)

There's a lot of work to do this Christmas...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7793106.stm

Cosmetic changes...

Recycling, cruelty to animals, free-range, organic...

Interesting how Christians seem to think these are the issues of the modern church to champion... especially the liberal churches

So what are the options?

1. Lead the way
2. Do the opposite
3. Ignore everything

Personally I sometimes want to do number 2.. just out of spite...
but of course not really the Godly option
neither in some way is number 3 - since God does not want to ignore people - as opposed to worldly concerns

Also biblically there are a number of interesting verses:
For example:

Deut 20:19 - When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field human, that they should be besieged by you?


Jonah 4:11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?

and many others on plant/animal welfare etc...
now I'm sure they have a deeper gospel meaning...
but let's use them for the sake of argument

So then what is the Christian perspective on these issues?
Join in with the world's insane crusades to create earthly Utopia & ignore the new creation?
Say everything will burn anyway and be made new - so let's give it a helping hand?
Ignore everybody and everything?

How about this:
The problem with dealing with all these issues, whether preaching for them or against them is that they are all merely external problems
It's basically cosmetic surgery...
That person is really evil - let's give him a facelift
Now that may make everything look better - but actually solves nothing

We know that the problem is ultimately the human heart - it is sin

Hosea 4:
Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns,and all who dwell in it languish,and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away.


So if we then try to attempt to change the way we live by changing what is external - it usually leads to a whole host of other problems and issues, and ultimately is utterly useless..

That is why, eventhough God who is concerned for animals and creation, etc... never requests us to do such futile works, because He knows that that actually solves nothing!

What then is to be done?
The gospel - Jesus Christ - solves everything
Follow Him, have a heart transplant - proper surgery - then you get rid of the core issues, rebellion, consumerism, gluttony, oppression, greed, etc, etc....

Now a society living like Jesus would never have all the cosmetic problems either
and ultimately that is the Kingdom of heaven - filled with Jesus Christ's body - living lives that will never cause any of these situations

Let's take a real life example from history:

Crime in the UK
What does a Christian do?
The 'hardcore' crew: - Build more prisons, hire more police, Christians becoming community support officers??
The 'soft' crew: - Teach better in schools, have more youth centres, hug children when they're young??
All these campaigns may have sense from a worldly point of view - and in some sense you have to pity the world - because that's all they can really do anyway! But they all don't really work and have huge problems of their own

Now how about this - go preach the gospel, invite people to ACTUALLY live like Jesus
What happened in Wales in the early 1900s?
100,000 new Christians in 6 months
Alcoholism halved
Crime drops radically
Gambling dens are closed
Judges have to resign because there are no cases
People are genuinely helping and loving one another
(read more here)

Doesn't this solve a whole myriad of social problems and at a level WAY above anything those 'campaigns' could achieve?

Let's stop thinking we have only the world's rather pathetic solutions to these deep heart problems
We have the gospel - we have the Spirit of God
Don't act as though we are defeated - Christ is victorious!
The gospel can overcome so much more than we ever imagine
to start Christian-led worldly campaigns is a losing battle
It is quite ridiculous, it is fatalistic, it is definitely not keeping our eyes on the things to come, on heavenly things

What is the issue you are worried about?
Follow Christ... really... do what He says
Invite others to do the same
That solves all the problems
That is the life of the new creation
That Life will be reality very soon

The Tangible Spirit

How does the Holy Spirit do stuff?

Frequently we end up with inevitabilities or terms like 'mystic' or 'mysterious'

But I think it's a bit more tangible than that

for instance - in Glen's post here: Barcode or Magnum?
The gospel itself is the power of salvation - we carry the very words of the Spirit
but then it is not really mere words is it?
Because to a 'spiritual man' - the gospel comes with the Spirit Himself! and produces conviction (cf. 1 Thess 1:5)

Was talking with Tom & Leon about the mystic union we share with Christ
how that too is quite tangible - it is very real, very physical
thus that if one shares one's body with a prostitute - one unites Christ with darkness
similarly if one member of the body suffers - all suffer
or if you sin in the flesh - you grieve the Spirit

I have this view that the Spirit works like a counsellor
He tells us what to do - and then to walk in the Spirit - is to do it
Counsellor isn't it?

But as we do the things the Spirit desires of us, and not do the things that grieve Him or cause Him to withdraw (in a relationship sense) - the tangibility of the Spirit becomes more and more apparent

these connections to Christ and His body are more real - as Paul can say with a great deal of power that he will be there in Spirit
The Spirit influences all decisions and even puts creation and it's functioning into our very being as we are brought up closer into Christ - cf. Acts 27 when Paul knows what is going to happen with the ship -it's as though he has become linked to the whole body of Christ - creation and the church itself!

Food no longer is the satisfaction - Christ - the Word - becomes more of a real filling up and fulfilment

Our feeble attempts at healing one another become real - closing even mortal wounds - our attempts at communication become clearer - crossing language barriers becomes no problem with 'tongues'

The only reason most of the church considers these things mysterious or terminated is the lack of closeness with Him who indwells the body of Christ - follow Him and He will consolidate, even solidify these things - they will become reality.. until the day even our very flesh is transformed into the very physical nature of the Spirit Himself!

Faith & Works

The age old debate of faith vs works:

The Reformers basically knee-jerked everything back to faith on Christ alone
and rightfully so.. and their definitions were quite carefully made

Today however it has become quite common to hear preaching that faith involves doing nothing... and the minute words like 'discipline' and 'duty' come up - that is legalism

Now faith always leads to obedience.. because faith while in itself is not a 'thing' - it is a trusting, a knowledge-based, Word-based conviction that results in the newly-enabled 'Yes' to the divine invitation of following Christ

So then faith is doing EXACTLY what the object of faith proclaims - that is doing whatever Jesus tells us to do - the more we do it, the more faith we have - similarly the less we do, the less faith we have. Now this is not a discussion about being born again.

Faith is to rest in Who our Father in heaven is and to trust that by doing everything He says, everything will be alright, everything will be taken care of, everything will inevitably be good - what He does not say is that everything will be easy or pleasant - but He does say everything will be good

Now to do the 'works of the law' or 'dead works' is to oppose faith - it is to resent Christ - it is to say I want to go my own way - I want to leave Eden and create my own life for myself - inevitably resulting in death

Next - what is so bad about works?
Of course first and foremost it denies Christ and all He does - it undermines who God is
But what about this - the people so often accused of doing works are the Pharisees and Israelites like them - they act without knowledge - not because they do not know but rather they suppress the truth by being disobedient

Why does Jesus hate this?
To do one's own works to gain salvation is actually playing the part of the prostitute - the adulteress
We act like sin acts - we attempt to seduce - to dress ourselves up in a hypocritical show of the things we think God will like in order to arm twist Him to do the things we want to do ourselves
This is really powerplay - we desire to consume God - like sin does with us - we become sin itself - we desire to be God ourselves

In all this God's appropriate response is the same as He tells Cain - dominate and destroy - He has no time for the adulterer - she must be cast away and burned - she has no love for Him - she hates Him and only uses Him to achieve her own selfish desires

This is all forms of idolatry and moralism - it is not the poor child desperately seeking His Father's love in all the wrong places - it is the harlot seeking wealth and possessions from anyone and anything she can get it from - whatever the abuse that comes with it. Demons love this stuff - they get a real rush out of it - seeing us flaunt our nakedness before them and flattering them by doing the things they love to see - then abusing us for it - teasing us with the things we were asking for as well as degrading us further - before finally disposing us like the street trash we are...

Forget all this - let us come to the Living God for Who He is and what He has done - let us trust Him and do what He says - this is faith... let us seek Him with all our heart and seek His will for He is good and worthy to be followed - He has proven it

Vindicate His holy name...

A sermon on Ezekiel 36:22-32

http://www.mediafire.com/?tnz4t3d5zni

An attempted explanation on the reasons for the destruction of the physical Israel, sin, the cross, and the new Israel...
(ambitious isn't it? haha)

Lifehouse - Everything

Note the interesting theology of salvation...

To love God is to know God...

"Theology is not a subject like other subjects. Rather, because of the universal claims of Christ, it seeks to boldly go where no mere discipline would dare, and inform every other branch of knowledge. The university grew out of the theological faculty, and, if the gospel is to be believed, may never leave it. For, as Abraham Kuyper said, ‘there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, “Mine!”’ Thus in every aspect of our living and knowing we should seek to be informed by the word which is truth, and not to be led astray by any other words that falsely claim supremely authoritative knowledge. This is doing theology." - Mike Reeves

From this article: http://www.theologynetwork.org/theology-of-everything/starting-out/fear-and-loathing-in-las-vagueness.htm

The Faithful Witness

Revelation 1:5 ...Jesus Christ the faithful witness...

On judgement day, Christ acknowledges us based on one thing:

Matthew 10:32-33 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

The Christian life we lead now is not a life of morality or 'religion'
Rather it is one of servitude, one of being slaves of the Master, sons and heirs of His household

Who cares if we are 'good people' (e.g. Rich young ruler)
Who cares if we are very religious (e.g. Pharisees)
Who cares if we consider the Lord a hard man (e.g. Parable of Talents)

The Lord wants people who love Him
The Lord wants people who will declare His name for His sake
The Lord glorifies those who glorify Him

Therefore our words matter... because they testify about Him
Indeed how can the mouth that speaks Christ also speak the waters of death?

Therefore our actions matter... we do good deeds in the sole hope that others recognise our Father in heaven
We cannot disqualify our testimony of Him by what we do - and so on this we are also judged (cf. Rom 2, etc)
Works that have no witness to our Father are utterly useless

Therefore above all, our heart matters
Because only a heart in love with God for who God is because of what God has done can and will desire to testify about Him to others for His name's sake

This is the Christian - there is no other who will be acknowledged before the Father
Everyday we deny ourselves, we go to the cross, because only cross-work will allow the revelation of our Father in heaven - as Jesus did before us

What did Jesus actually command?

From Blackham's blog:

The 'direct' commands of Christ in Matthew's gospel's sermon on the mount:

The Commands of Jesus
Matthew 4:17 – “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.
Matthew 5:12 – “Rejoice and be very glad”, when you are persecuted for Jesus’
sake.
Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:22 – “Whosoever shall say “Fool” shall be in danger of hell fire”
Matthew 5:25 – “Agree with your opponent quickly”
Matthew 5:28 – “Whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed
adultery with her already in his heart”
Matthew 5:29‐30 – “If your right eye/hand offend you, pluck/cut it off”
Matthew 5:37 – “Let your yes be yes and your no be no”
Matthew 5:39 – “Do not resist evil”
Matthew 5:39 – “If someone hits you on the right cheek, let him hit you again on
the other cheek”
Matthew 5:40 – “If someone takes your coat, let him have your cloak as well.”
Matthew 5:41 – “If someone forces you to go one mile, then go two miles for
them”
Matthew 5:42 – “Give when people ask from you”
Matthew 5:44 – “Love your enemies. Bless your enemies and never curse them”
Matthew 5:44 – “Do good to those who hate you.”
Matthew 5:44 – “Pray for those that abuse you and persecute you.”
Matthew 5:48 – “Be perfect just as the Father is perfect.”
Matthew 6:1 – “Do not do charity in public”
Matthew 6:5 – “Do not sow off in your prayers”
Matthew 6:7 – “Do not use pointless repetitions in your prayers”.
Matthew 6:9‐13 – Pray using the pattern of the “Lord’s Prayer”
Matthew 6:16 – “When you fast, do it secretly”
Matthew 6:19 – “Do not possess many things that have value in this world”
Matthew 6:20 – “Possess lots of things that will have value in heaven”
Matthew 6:25 – “Do not think about this present life – whether food, drink or
clothing”
Matthew 6:28 – “Consider the lilies”
Matthew 6:33 – “Seek the kingdom of God as your top priority in life”
Matthew 6:34 – “Don’t worry about tomorrow”
Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge people”
Matthew 7:3‐5 – “Don’t focus on other people’s faults. Deal with your own.”
Matthew 7:6 – “Don’t give holy things to unholy people”
Matthew 7:7 – “Ask, seek and knock”
Matthew 7:12 – “Treat others as you would like to be treated”
Matthew 7:13 – “Enter in through the narrow gate”
Matthew 7:15 – “Beware of false teachers”
Matthew 7:24‐27 – Obey the commands of Jesus.

New Blog

You're going to love this:

http://web.me.com/paulblackham/Paul_Blackham/Home.html

A little bit of Danish...

For some strange reason..
ended up doing the KFS (IFES equivalent) conference near Copenhagen

these are a couple of hour-long talks on 'Who is Jesus' and 'So what?'

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

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

Didn't know there was a Scandinavian revival about 100+ years ago!
Although now there must be just around 100 Christian students in the whole of Copenhagen!

The Golden Calf

Update:



Check out Glen's post:

http://christthetruth.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/not-a-great-image/

How much more revealing can you get...

If God were your Father...

This still makes my blood boil in so many different ways...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7706977.stm

Purifying yourself...

A short 15min sermon on 1 John 2:28 - 1 John 3:3

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

Sin loves to fester in the darkness - the love of God demands that we drag it screaming out of its hiding hole into the Light where it can be exposed and destroyed, both in guilt and power...

Hammertime...

From the Merrie Theologiane

On this day, 491 years ago, Martin Luther nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg 95 theses for debate over the matter of indulgences.


An actual photo of Luther nailing up his theses

Some of the theses were actually quite funny, like Thesis 82, which asked why the pope didn’t just release all souls from purgatory out of love, instead of charging for it. Later, though, Luther realised he’d missed a trick, and he circulated a pamphlet inviting people to see an even greater collection of relics than that in Wittenberg. This included:

· Three flames from the burning bush on Mt Sinai
· Two feathers and an egg from the Holy Spirit
· Half a wing of the archangel Gabriel
· A section of Moses’ left horn [Exod 34:29, in the Vulgate, Moses‘ face was ‘horned’ from the conversation with the Lord]
· Two ells of sound from the trumpets on Mt Sinai
· A remnant of the flag with which Christ opened hell
· A large lock of Beelzebub’s beard, stuck on the flag

Who says you have to be always serious to reform the Church? The laughter of the Reformation was one its most powerful weapons, exposing and humiliating bankrupt theology.

Losing the conviction of sin

A portion of Jonathan Edwards sermon on Hosea 5:15

Hos. 5:15. — I will go and return to my place, till they
acknowledge their offence, and seek my face; in their affliction they
will seek me early.

Doctrine, It is God’s manner to make men sensible of their misery and
unworthiness, before he appears in his mercy and love to them; particularly
before he appears in his redeeming love and mercy to their souls.

Second use. To exhort those, who have some convictions of sin and
danger, that they do not lose them. If you have the strivings of God’s
Spirit, God has met with you, led you to reflect upon your sins, and
sensible that you are in danger of hell; and so made you concerned about
your soul, and put you upon seeking salvation. Take heed that you do not
lose your convictions, and grow senseless of eternal things, and negligent
of your soul’s concern, that you do not return to your former careless way
of living, that you do not return to your former sins. Here consider,

1. That there is danger of it. It is not all who are under concern for their
souls, and who, by the strivings of God’s Spirit, are put upon seeking and
striving for salvation, who hold out. There are many more, who set out at
the beginning of the race, who do not hold Out to the end. Many things
intervene between the beginning and the end of the race, which divert, and
stop, and turn back many who commenced well, There are many, who
seem to be under strong convictions, and to be very earnest in seeking,
whose convictions are but short-lived. And some, who seem to be much
concerned about salvation for a considerable time, it may be for years
together, yet by degrees grow careless and negligent, There is much in
your own heart, which tends to stupify you. It is the natural tendency of sin
and lust, to stupify the conscience. And as corruption is reigning as yet in
your heart, it will ever be ready to exert itself in such acts, as will have a
great tendency to drive away your convictions. And Satan is doubtless
diligently watching over you, striving in all ways to abate, and to take off,
your convictions, he joins in with the sloth and lusts of your heart to
persuade to negligence, and to turn your mind to other things. And the
world is full of objects, which tend to take off your mind from the soul’s
concern, and are constantly, as it were, endeavouring to take possession of
your mind, and to drive out the concerns of another world.

2. Consider, if you lose your convictions, it will be no advantage to you
that ever you had them, as to any furtherance of your salvation. Whatever
terrors you have been under about damnation, to whatever reflections you
have been brought upon your sins, whatever strong desires you have had
after deliverance, and whatever earnest prayers you have made, it will all
be lost. What you have suffered of fear and concern will turn to no good
account; and what you have done, the pains you have taken, will be utterly
lost, When you have strove against sin, and laboured in duty, have
stemmed the stream, and have proceeded a considerable way up the hill,
and made some progress towards the kingdom of heaven, when once you
have lost your convictions, you will be as far from salvation as you were
before you began; you will lose all the ground you have gained; you will go
quite down to the bottom of the hill; the stream will immediately carry you
back. All will be lost; you had as good never have had those convictions, as
to have had them, and then to lose them.

3. You do not know that you shall ever have such an opportunity again.
God is now striving with you by his Spirit. If you should lose the strivings
of his Spirit, it may be that God’s Spirit would never return again. If you
are under convictions, you have a precious opportunity, which, if you knew
the worth of it, you would esteem as better than any temporal advantages.
You have a price in your hands to get wisdom, which is more valuable than
gold or silver, It is a great privilege to live under means of grace, to enjoy
the word and ordinances of God, and to know the way of salvation, It is a
greater thing still to live under a powerful dispensation of the means of
grace under a very instructive, convincing ministry. But it is a much greater
privilege still to be the subject of the convincing influences of the Spirit of
God. If you have these, you have a precious advantage in your hands. And
if you lose it, it is questionable whether you ever have the like advantage
again, We are counselled to seek the Lord while he may be found, and to
call upon him while he is near. Isa. 55: 6. A time in which God’s Spirit is
striving with a man by convictions of his sin and danger, is especially such
a time, that is a sinner’s best opportunity. It is especially a day of salvation.
God may be said to be near, when he pours out his Spirit upon many in the
place where a person dwells. It is prudence for all then to be calling upon
God as being near at such a time. But especially is God near, at a time
when he is pouring out his Spirit in immediately convincing and awakening
a man’s own soul. If therefore God’s Spirit is now at work with you, you
have a precious opportunity. Take heed that you do not by any means let it
slip. It may doubtless be said concerning many, that they have missed their
opportunity. Most men, who live under the gospel, have a special
opportunity, that there is a certain season, which God appoints for them,
which is, above all others, a day of grace with them, when men have a very
fair opportunity for securing eternal salvation, if they did but know it, and
had hearts for it. But the misery of man is great upon him; for man
knoweth not his time. The wise man tells us, Ecc. 8: 6, 7. that “To every
purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great
upon him. For he knoweth not that which shall be.” And again, Ecc. 9:12.
“Man knoweth not his time.” If the Spirit of God is now striving with you,
it may be it is your time; and it may be your only time. Be wise, therefore,
and understand the things which belong to your peace, before they are hid
from your eyes. You have not the influences of the Spirit of God in your
own power. You cannot have convictions and awakenings when you
please. God is sovereign as to the bestowment of them. If you are ready to
flatter yourself, that although you neglect now, when you are young, yet
you shall be awakened again; that is a vain and groundless presumption. It
is a difficult thing for a man who has been going on in a sinful course, to
reform. There are a great many difficulties in the way of thorough
reformation. If you therefore have reformed, and returned again to your
former sin, you will have all those difficulties to overcome again.

4. If you lose your convictions, and return again to a way of allowed
sinning, there will be less probability of your salvation, than there was
before you had any convictions. Backsliding is a very dangerous and
pernicious thing to men’s souls, and is often spoken of as such in God’s
word; which was signified in that awful dispensation of God in turning
Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt, to be a standing emblem of the danger of
looking back after one has set out in a way of religion. The ill to which
they are subject, who lose their convictions, is not merely the loss of their
convictions. Their convictions are not only a means of no good to them,
but they turn to much ill. It would have been better for them that they had
never had them. For they are now set more remote from salvation than
they were before. For having risen some considerable way towards heaven,
and falling back, they sink lower, and farther down towards hell, than ever
they were. The way to heaven is now blocked up with greater difficulties
than ever it was. Their hearts now are become harder for light, and
convictions being once conquered, they evermore are an occasion of a
greater hardness of heart than there was before. Yea, there is no one thing
whatsoever, which has so great a tendency to it. Man’s heart is hardened
by losing convictions, as iron is hardened by being heated and cooled. If
you are awakened, and afterwards lose your convictions, it will be a harder
thing to awaken you again. If there were only that you are growing older,
there would be less probability of your being awakened again; for as
persons grow older they grow less and less susceptible of convictions; evil
habits grow stronger and more deeply rooted in the heart. You greatly
offend God by quenching his Spirit, and returning as a dog to his vomit,
and as a sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. And there is
danger that God will say concerning you, as he did concerning Jerusalem,
Eze. 24:13.
“Because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt
not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my
fury to rest upon thee.”
If you return again to your wicked course, if you should go to hell at last,
you will lament that ever you have had any convictions; you will find your
punishment so much the heavier. And if you should be hereafter awakened,
and set about striving for salvation, yet you will probably find harder work
in it; you do but make work for yourself by your backsliding. You will not
only have all to do over again which you have done, and which you must
have done, if you had gone on, but there will be new work for repentance.
There probably must be greater and more dreadful terrors; and it may be, a
much longer time spent in seeking and striving, a more difficult work with
your own headstrong corruptions. If you were but sensible of one half of
the disadvantages of backsliding, and the many woes and calamities in
which it will involve you, you would be careful not to lose your
convictions.

5. Consider the encouragement there is in Scripture to persevere in seeking
salvation, as in Hos. 6: 3. “Then shall we know if we follow on to know
the Lord.” Thence we may gather, that God usually gives success to those
who diligently, and constantly, and perseveringly seek conversion. And that
you be the better directed in taking care not to lose your convictions, it is
convenient that you should be aware of those things which are common
occasions of persons losing their convictions, I shall therefore briefly
mention some of them.

1. Persons falling into sin is very often the occasion of their losing their
convictions. Some temptation prevails, so that they are drawn into some
sin. Some lust upon some occasion has been stirred up, and they have been
overcome by their sinful appetites, and have provoked God to anger. It
may be they have been drawn into some criminal act of sensuality, and so
have quenched the Spirit. Or they have got into some quarrel with some
persons. Their spirits are disturbed, and heated with malice and revenge,
and they have acted sinfully, or have sinfully expressed themselves, and
have driven away the Spirit of God. These are the most ready ways to put
an end to convictions.

2. Sometimes there happens some diverting occasion; there is some
incident which for the present diverts their minds. Their minds are taken off
from their business for a short time. They are drawn into company. It may
be they see something which revives a desire of worldly enjoyments and
entertainments; or they are engaged in some exercise and business, which
diverts their minds. And so afterwards they are more careless than they
were before. They are not so strict in attending private duties; and
carelessness and stupidity by degrees steal upon them, till they wholly lose
their convictions.

3. Some change in their circumstances takes off their minds from the
concerns of their souls. Their minds are diverted by the new circumstances
with which they are attended; or are taken up with new pleasures and
enjoyments, or with new cares and business, in which they are involved. It
may be they grow richer. They prosper in the world, and their worldly
good things crowd in, and take possession of their minds. Or worldly cares
are increased upon them, and they have so many things to look after, that
their minds are taken up, and they have not time to look after their souls.