Thursday 16 August 2018

I Don't Always Knock on Doors, but this...

One day when I was walking to the train station - it's about a 4km walk - when I got about halfway, while walking past a particular house, I had a strong feeling that I should knock on the door and tell them about Jesus.
I tried to ignore the feeling and keep walking. But every step I took I felt like I was missing something.
So by the time I got up to the next intersection, I couldn't keep going - I decided to turn around. I walked back down the hill, and came to the house.
I knocked on the door. A gentleman answered. I introduced myself and explained how I was walking past his house and had a strong feeling that I should knock on his door and tell him about Jesus.
He invited me in. He told me his name. I asked him what he does. He said he is a bus driver.
Then he said to me, "You picked a good time. I was just sitting here, thinking about all the world's religions, thinking to myself, 'I wonder which one is the right one' ".
So, sitting around the kitchen table, I shared Jesus with him.
And he was very glad.

Friday 10 August 2018

Finding God's Plan for Your Ministry

Instead of striving, put God to work!

You might sometimes see ambitious young and middle-aged ministers even well-intentioned, striving, jostling, competing, controlling or compelling others.

But the Bible said God shall "choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom He loved". It was God who drove out their enemies before them.

"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it."

"A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above."

What God gives will always be more satisfying and more lasting than anything we can grab for ourselves.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path."

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart"!

One reason many strive, may be because they haven't yet discovered the thing which could truly enable them to achieve their desire. Instead, they think it's going to be achieved through the thing that's in their hands, or through the thing that they wish was in their hands. When all along, it might only be fully achieved through something else, through means they mightn't have understood yet.

It's easier to understand something you can already see. A position. A role. The success of others. "That would make me happy!" someone might think.

But it takes faith to see an even bigger picture; and to choose a function which mightn't look like it could help you achieve it because perhaps no-one else has had exactly that role before. It might also take patience, if such a role involves staying in relationship with others, even staying submitted to them, despite them seemingly obstructing you at times, instead of separating and independently pursuing your own goals in your own strength.

It has happened so many times that a congregation-member or associate pastor feels a sense of a higher calling, sees a need, has an idea. When it isn't being handed to him on a silver platter, he tries to climb the ladder. Competes. Strives. Manipulates. Even steps on others on the way to it. Or sidelines others. Or disadvantages others in some way.

Then if he still feels unhappy and people aren't co-operating with him and it looks like he's not going to get what he wants there, he suddenly feels 'called' to leave and start out on his own (and maybe God did call him, in a way, even lead him, for now at least, but more on that below).

Maybe his idea was a feeding program. His church didn't prioritise his vision as much as he thought it should have. After striving but still feeling unfulfilled, he leaves to start out on his own thinking he'll make it as big as he always 'knew' he could.

Then he has to start a 'church' as well (since he left his). So now he has to do something else which he might not have really been called to do (pastoring), as well as do what he wanted to do all along (the feeding program). So his emotional energy is divided.

Friends who know his giftedness at community work and who want to help him, then feel obligated by friendship to also attend his 'church'. Perhaps he even makes them feel that obligation. So they go to his church. But after a while some of them want to leave his church. And he gets upset. Longstanding friendships are strained.

Then his feeding program ends-up having an even smaller support-base than it might have had by now had he instead stayed in his much larger church and patiently watched his vision gain favour.

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."

When there was a dispute between Abraham's herdsmen and Lots' herdsmen, Abraham invited Lot to have first preference. Lot chose the best-looking part. Abraham could do that, knowing that he had the promises anyway. And Lot did end-up loosing everything.

When Abraham received his promised-son, he was willing to yield him up, accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead. Once God saw his willingness, God multiplied the blessings on Abraham.

When someone challenged David's kingship, David didn't fight. He said "be gentle with the lad". He knew that since it was God who put Him there, God Himself could keep him there if He wanted. David had let God make him king, he didn't kill the king in order to take the kingdom.

When Joshua and Caleb knew it was possible to take the land, but the congregation wasn't taking the opportunity, he didn't decide to just go and take it anyway. When some people tried that, it failed. Rather, he submitted and endured. As a result, when the time was ripe, he had an even more prominent role in it than he would have had before (while Moses was still alive) - and he saw his heart's desire after all.

Some people become pastors of a local church, when their highest calling is something else. But they mightn't have 'seen' it yet. Things might go well for a while. But eventually things might take their toll. Or even if everything's going along successfully, he might still feel strangely unfulfilled. This might make him try to manipulate all sorts of solutions. And if he succeeds at those, the same cycle begins.

When the thing to do with one's desires, is take it to God. Ask Him what He really wants.

I heard of someone who'd been pastoring successfully for about 14 years, and who still felt like he still had unfulfilled destiny, so he sought the Lord. God showed him that He'd never called him to be a pastor. He'd permitted it - even led him to the right churches to pastor - and blessed it as much as He could - because at the time that was the capacity with which he'd sought the Lord. God had permitted it, but it wasn't His perfect plan for him.

So he resigned from pastoring and went into evangelistic work. But after a year or so he still felt unfulfilled. So he sought the Lord again. The Lord told him the problem was He didn't call him to be an evangelist.

So he asked the Lord what He wants. And He said He'd called him to be a prophet and a teacher. The Lord told him to start holding teaching meetings. He thought no-one would come. But in just a couple of short years he became known around the globe.

Step by step he and his wife were often unsure of what the Lord was doing with them. They always seemed to be foregoing good opportunities, and followed an inner witness of the Spirit instead. But in time they saw how what they were doing fitted in to a far bigger picture. And today there's a saying that from East to West globally 'the sun never sets' on the reach of their work.

But at the time almost no-one was holding successful teaching meetings. Evangelists had big tents. Pastors had successful churches. He had to 'see' something unseen. If he'd stayed pastoring, it might have been just one more successful church. But because he saw and grasped something unseen - a unique role - his ministry became a catalyst for so much more ministry around the world.

Someone else I know of saw a vision, and as a result he was led to found a youth missionary organisation. It meant a different role than his denomination expected the gifted young leader might take. And it was a small beginning. But today the unique style he developed, and the missionary organisation he started has hundreds of bases in almost every nation with thousands of full-time workers and tens of thousands who have volunteered short-term. But he had to 'see' a role for himself which hadn't previously existed. And over and over again it involved foregoing some seemingly promising different opportunities, not only in business but also in ministry.

When you find what God really has for you, it won't involve knocking someone else off his perch. In fact, honouring others above yourself will be a trampoline from which you spring higher and further into your own desire and true destiny.

Maybe you can have your local-church too, and still perceive and pursue the something-else which is really your God-given thing. But maybe you'll have to let go of the piece of cake in your hand, so you can purchase the cake factory down the road and around the corner.

Some people who are pastoring might really be teachers. Or they might be gifted events-organisers. They might have a gift in music. Or for TV ministry. Something nationwide, or even international, rather than just suburban or even city. Some such pastors have even admitted they're not really pastors. And yet they keep trying to make it work.

Or they might be prophets. Or evangelists. Missionaries.

They might be called to bring a special contribution to the wider body; rather than to be responsible for a local congregation.

Some people quite frankly might be meant to move overseas.

Good can be the enemy of best.

But some people you meet really have found their place by being pastors. Often it's someone who wasn't ambitious. Maybe not as gifted as what you think you are. Maybe the role was given to him, seemingly freely, while you think you've worked so much harder and deserve such a role.

But that's when you know something is of God: when it's given, not strived-for.

Just as God gave that person his pastorate - as an act of such grace that it might seem offensive to some - so God also has something else which is especially and uniquely yours, just as surprising in its graciousness, just as thrilling in how far it will fulfil your actual desires - and bring you to a greater destiny.

One person gets invited to another country. Another person gets discovered by a record label. Another person gets given a church.

When you grasp what God is graciously giving you, you'll make fewer enemies. Because what you will end-up doing will be so tailor-made to you that most people will know they couldn't have done what you will end-up doing. It will be mutual blessings and appreciation all around.

In fact rather than covet somebody else's role, you'll want them to succeed in their role - because your work will be enhanced by their success, and their success will be enhanced by your work.

But you have to be able to see something unseen; a role and function unseen.

Sometimes God lets us choose. Other times, some things are right for us in an earlier phase of our Christian life - and then we grow out of it into something else which we mightn't have been ready for earlier. A child's desires a different to his desires once he's an adult. God permits a child's desires, but He desires that the child's desires perfect as he matures. So the difference between God's permissive and perfect will isn't always a matter of wrong and right but of growing. God always is willing to give us the desires of our heart. But have we grown.

Lasagne from the Lord

Wednesday 8 August 2018

It's a Bigger/Better Gospel Than That!

The 'end of the world' means more than just the end of the created world; but it also meant more than just the end of the Old Covenant.

'New heavens and earth' means more than just the new, future, eternal state; but it also meant more than just the inauguration of the New Covenant.

What God did in Christ for Israel already, He was really doing for all nations - and for the whole of creation itself. 

So, Christ has already inaugurated both the end of all things, and also the renewing of all things - all things - for all nations, for all people - for the Jew first, and also for the Greeks - and also for the physical creation itself. Already. He has done all, for all. 

But although He has inaugurated it all and for all in some sense already, still not everything has been consummated in every sense yet - but it will be, at His second coming.

That's the bigger story which the good news is all about. It's not just relegated to the future - it's already been inaugurated! Hallelujah! And it's about more than just a change of covenant - it's about the resurrection of the dead and a whole new eternal life free from physical pain and death. 

It's About More Than Just the Law

The 'end of the world' meant far more than just the end of the Old Covenant.

'New heavens and earth' means far more than just the inauguration of the New Covenant.

What God did in Christ for Israel - He was really doing for all nations - and for the whole of creation itself.

Christ inaugurated the end of all things, and the renewing of all things - all things - for all nations, for all people - for the Jew first, and also for the Greeks - and also for the physical creation itself. But although He inaugurated it all in some sense, it hasn't yet been consummated in every sense - but it will be, at His second coming. 

The End and the Beginning

Many Jews in the first century A.D. had a sense that Prophecy was racing towards a crisis/climax in their generation. Like Israel was in a kind of 'last days'.
And they were right: because Messiah Jesus indeed came in their generation, and inaugurated His kingdom-salvation for Israel; and then Rome began to displace them and destroyed their temple.
But His salvation was also for all nations, not only for the Jews; and His kingdom-scheme is yet to be consummated for all - both the living and the dead - at His second coming.
So, it's a mistake to relegate all of Prophecy either to the past, or to the future. Because Messianic-kingdom Prophecy was to be fulfilled in two phases: Messiah's first coming/and His second coming; inauguration/consummation.
* Some themes in 'end-times' prophecy have therefore already been fulfilled (like Messiah's birth, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension and glorification)
* Other themes are still-future (like Messiah's second coming, the resurrection of the dead, final judgement and new heavens and earth)
* Some themes were fulfilled around A.D. 70 (when the temple and city were destroyed and Jews were deported around the world)
* Other themes have an ongoing fulfilment (like the ongoing preaching of the gospel to all nations, and the outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh, while Messiah reigns in heaven, waiting 'til His enemies be made His footstool)
But we needn't confuse which is which - because the Scripture can be 'rightly divided', on the basis of the Apostles' doctrine, as found in their sermons in Acts and in their Epistles.

Tuesday 7 August 2018

Election of Grace

A "remnant according to the election of grace" (Romans 11:5) doesn't mean God chose some individuals while rejecting others without anyone having any role in it at all!

It means there was a remnant characterised by their participation in God's gracious plan, rather than characterised by their attempted adherence to Moses' Law.

Paul had already discussed that participation in God's grace is through faith.

And 'election' is used, because this is the way God had from the beginning planned to do it.

Paul and Israel

Some versions insert the word 'Israel' in Romans 10:1,

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for ISRAEL is, that they might be saved."
But the Greek doesn't include the word 'Israel': it just says for 'them' (Gk αὐτῶν auton).
So Paul's discussion was not necessarily about a nationwide salvation sometime in the future, but mainly about the salvation of ethnically Jewish individuals as it was possible and was already happening in his own day.

Monday 6 August 2018

The 'Coming'

This is a hypothesis my mind is proposing at the moment. Perhaps you can help me test it:
Many of the Old Testament Prophetic passages in which Messianic prophecies are found, included the theme of the return from (Babylonian) captivity and the rebuilding of the Temple.
First-century Jews understood that some of those details had already seen their fulfilment in history. And yet many Jews also saw a bigger picture in many of the details in the same passages.
For example, many Jews still looked forward to Messiah's 'coming' (Gk. 'parousia') - and they usually thought of it as somewhat of a unit.
It was only with the benefit of New Testament eyewitnesses that believers came to understand clearly that Messiah's 'parousia' was to include two major phases: His first 'coming', and His second 'coming'.
So, while it's correct in one sense to think of the 'parousia' as a single package inclusive of each of the following Messianic themes in Prophecy, it is also equally correct, on the basis of Apostolic revelation, to 'rightly divide' the theme of Messiah's 'parousia' into events...
* Some of which have now already been fulfilled, by Messiah's first 'coming' or soon afterward
(events such as Messiah's birth in Bethlehem; His life and ministry; His death and resurrection; and His ascension and glorification; and the ongoing outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh)
* Some of which were fulfilled later in the first century A.D.
(such as the destruction of the Temple and scattering of the Jews)
* Some of which are seeing ongoing fulfilment
(such as the reign of Christ in heaven, the continued outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh; and the continued preaching of the gospel to all nations); and
* Others of which are still future
(such as Messiah's second 'coming'; the resurrection of the dead; the final judgment; and new heavens and earth).
It's okay to think of each of those details as forming part of the overall theme of Messiah's 'parousia' ('coming') generally considered; or it's equally okay to think of it in terms of some details having been fulfilled already, while other details are bigger than that and are yet to be fulfilled in the future.
That is after all how many Jews approached prophetic texts. They were able to see that some details in a prophecy had been fulfilled, while at the same time seeing a bigger picture in other details - all from the same passage. And many early Christians followed in the Jewish manuscript-tradition.
To instead force the whole theme of the 'parousia' ('coming') exclusively into the 'past' box or exclusively into the 'future' box is more of a Post-Enlightenment, Post-Modern way of thinking, rather than an 'original audience relevant' way of thinking.
So, Messiah's 'coming' and kingdom and everything associated with it have already been inaugurated in some sense, but are not yet consummated in every sense.

Saturday 4 August 2018

The 'Coming' ('Parousia') of Christ

The word 'parousia' has been translated 'come', 'go' and 'set'. 

In Old Testament times, ancient Jews may have thought of Messiah's 'parousia' as somewhat of a unit. It was only with New Testament revelation that believers came to clearly know that Messiah's 'parousia' would actually have two phases: His first 'coming' and His second 'coming'.

So, Old Testament Prophetic passages in which Messianic predictions are found, included themes spanning from the Jews' return from Babylonian captivity and rebuilding of the Temple, to the birth and life and ministry of Jesus, His death and resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of power, the destruction of the Temple and scattering of the Jews, the continued preaching of the gospel to all nations, and the second coming and resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment and new heavens and earth. 

All of that can fit into the very broad single category of Messiah's 'parousia' - yet on the basis of Apostolic revelation the them of Messiah's 'parousia' can also be rightly divided into things now already fulfilled in the past while the Old Covenant still stood, and His first 'coming', His future second 'coming', and everything in-between.

Good Announcement

Since the world began, prophets and holy men spoke of a Day when God would come and finally set the world right, judging the wicked and rewarding the good.

Many wondered what God's new world would be like, who would qualify to be part of it, and when it might begin.

Most Jews believed that that Day would include the resurrection of the dead. The wicked would be raised to undergo damnation, while the righteous would be raised to inherit eternal life.

Then Jesus came and announced that the time had come for God's new program to begin. He was anointed by God to heal all who were oppressed by the devil. He declared people's sins forgiven. And he said that his words would be the standard by which God would judge the world.

But Jewish leaders were jealous. They worried that if his following became too big, the occupying Romans might consider it a political threat and come and destroy their position and nation. So it was decided that Jesus should be put to death to spare the nation.

They dragged Jesus before the Roman government representative, with false accusations and demanded that he be sentenced to death. Although the Roman official saw no wrongdoing in him, he sentenced him to death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus was crucified, he died, and was buried.

On the third day God raised Him from the dead. He came out of his tomb. He was seen by certain women, then by his disciples, then by above 500 people.

His resurrection meant God was declaring that he was His Son. It meant he had died for our sins, and was raised to make us right with God. It meant God's program to restore the world was centred in Jesus; the restoration-program had begun in Him, and it was available through Him.

Jesus ascended bodily to the right hand of God, and sat down in His kingdom. He sent the Holy Spirit as an outpouring of His coronation in heaven.

Eyewitnesses of this good news, announced it first of all to Jews, and also to Greeks, and to all the world. The Lord worked with them, confirming their message with signs following.

Anyone who didn't believe remained in his sins, and would be damned; but whoever believed on the Son of God - whoever confessed with his mouth the Lord Jesus, and believed in his heart that God raised him from the dead, had forgiveness of sins, eternal life; and when Jesus comes the second time, on the last Day, God will raise him up.