Conversing the Kingdom: Why Me!

Hebrews 12:4

The problem of evil and suffering in this world is a difficult question to answer for those who claim the existence of an all powerful, good, God. If God allows suffering because he could stop it he may be all powerful but wouldn't be good, right? On the other hand if God wanted to stop suffering but couldn't then he must be good but not all powerful, right?
The fact is that trying to answer this question without God what are we left with? Do we think that answering this question from the stand point of nature only will provide quite heart? Quite the opposite the only thing that science has to offer on the subject is that violence is natural, it was were we came from and is where we are going. You will find no peaceful answer in secularism.
However leaving God in the equation this is actually still a tricky question to answer for a couple of reasons... First the Bible doesn't give us the complete answer and secondly it is an emotionally charged question because we all suffer it and even if presented with a well structured argument it cannot completly answer our emotional turmoil.
What we need to do is combine the knowledge that God gives us on the topic with the personal relationship that he offers. These two together can settle our hearts about the topic of evil and suffering. So here is a quick run down of he biblical presentation of evil and suffering.
1) It's cause is sin and has it's origin in the fall.
2) We are still around despite our fallen state because God is patient for salvation. When Adam and Eve sinned that could have been the end of it but instead God through the work of salvation is showing us just how much he loves us by showing us the extent of cost he is willing to bare on our behalf. So he patiently waits till the elect have been called and the bride of Christ, the church is complete.
3) God actually limits evil and suffering in this world by in the garden of Eden preventing us from tasting the tree of life and living in these physical bodies forever. In that way suffering in this physical body last only as long as life itself.
4) God uses evil and suffering for the good. For the none Christian it works to drive one towards God. Like the pain response the consequeses of sin points out to us a problem. For the Christain God uses evil and suffering for discipline, this earth becomes a training ground of righteousness.
5) God is not ignorant of suffering. The Bible tells us that Jesus having lived and died here on earth is able to sympathise with our weaknesses, and in every respect was tempted but wihout sin. And he sits at the right hand of the father interceeding on our behalf. What better companion can we have enduring with us and interceeding for us!

Therefore as Christains we have the hope in our salvation that enables us to endure WITHOUT growing weary or fainthearted v3 because we know that the discipline we endure though evil and suffering is a sign of our identity as son's of the Father. We are called to resist sin even to the point of shedding blood because although is seems painful now later it will yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Like the non-christian who stokes the fire of their own hell hotter and hotter the greater their disobedience on earth the reverse is true for the Christian. The greater our endurance of suffering that produces a fruit of righteousness the greater our reward in heaven...

Conversing the Kingdom: By Faith...

Hebrews 11

This Chapter begins with the definition of faith that most of us can recite. 'Faith is the assurance of the things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.' What follows in chapter 11 is a list of many of the Old Testement characters and the way they showed faith. In each case there was something hoped for, something of greater value than the trial or task that faced them in that moment. They responsed to that task on the basis of assurances they held in faith. As verse 13 clearly puts it. 'These all died in faith, not having recieved the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from far and having achnowledged that they were strangers and exiles on earth. So this faith was not just the case of, I go to work each day in the faith that at the end of the month my employer will credit my bank account with what is due. No this is faith on a different level, this is the faith that hopes for things promised that we will never received in this life time. The example the Hebrew writer gives is that faith should be played out here in our earthly home in view of the rewards to be received once we reach our heavenly home. So whatever consequences those actions have here in this temporary earthly home we live as if the consequences of our heavenly home are all that matter.
So what is the practical outworking in our lives. What does it look like if we truely understand faith and the hope it has in the our heavenly home.
When it come to reading our Bibles as a Christian we know that without it we can't gain knowledge of God or wisdom for life and that we need this everyday as our spiritual food like we need physical food to even survive. So what does it mean if we lapse in our Bible reading if we are not in the Bible everyday? It means that we think we can manage, we can make it on our own, that our earthly wisdom is enough to get us through the day. This is not exercising true faith, what we know about reading our Bible has not made it from head knowledge to heart action.
When it come to prayer we know we need God's grace and mercy new every morning, that we need to be constantly repenting of our sins and religious virtues, and thankful for all God's provision everyday. So what does it mean if we lapse in our prayer life? It means that we can make it on our own, it means that we forget where our job comes from, or where our money comes from. It means we think we can make it through the day in our own strength and that there is no consequences in our lives to not keeping on top of our repentance. This is not exercising true faith, this is not transfering our head knowledge about prayer to a heart action.
What other areas in our life do we need to consider where we haven't transfered the head knowledge about our relationhip with Jesus to a heart action that plays itself out in our lives. Particularly in the faith action that James talks about in his book and that the Bible constantly takes about the action of compassion and justice for the poor.

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Conversing the Kingdom: The Outside vs The Inside

Hebrews 9:6-14

Having never lived through the Old Covenant period it is often difficult for us to grasp what obedience to the law cost the israelites. Or what the effect in their lives was.
The Tabenacle was split into two sections the first section was the Holy Place and the second section called the Most Holy Place. This passage in Hebrews helps to shed light on this set up. The Holy Place was where the priests would go regularly to perform their ritual duties of gifts and sacrifices. But these gifts and sacrifices were only about keeping the outside clean. They were all about purification of the flesh and avoidence of the temporary judgement. But despite that fact that these sacrifices and gifts cost, blood was shed, they could never 'perfect the conscience'. These rituals never dealt with the israelites deepest need of a 'purification of the conscience from dead works'. That work, the work of atonement, could only be done in the Most Holy Place the shadow of which was played out once a year by the high priest. In this the Israelites were being shown through the Holy Spirit that the way into the Most Holy Place was not yet open whilst the inperfect sacrifices of the Holy Place continued. In this way there was a constant remeinder of the hoplessness of the situation and that the only hope lay in the perfect and complete sacrifice of the one to come. What a privaliage position we find ourselves in that have a knowledge of that perfect sacrifice where Christ our high priest entered once and for all into the Holy Places not with the blood of goats and bulls but his own blood, the perfect sacrifice. In the first section he dealt with the sin of the flesh and in the second section he made atonement for our spiritual state and thus purifying the flesh and the conscience that we can be free from our dead works and free to serve the living God, free to enter the Most Holy Place through the curtain of Jesus sacrifice on our behalf.
So as the israelites awaited eagerly the fullfilling of the Old Covenant we too wait eagerly for the fullfilment of the New Covenant that we might be fully redeemed and be removed not only from the power of sin but the presence of sin also. As the Israelites lived in the truth that the sacrifice system would one day be fulfilled let us live knowing that what we suffer now because of sin will one day pass away. Let us consider it an honour that we can share in the sufferings of of Christ and not live for the power, security, sucess and praise that this world offers but the weakness, need, morning and rejection of the kingdom of heaven.

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Conversing the Kingdom: Pursuing Perfection

Hebrews 5:8-6:8

Obedience cannot be achieved without cost. The cost may be as simple and temporary as going out of ones way but the cost can be as great and as perminant as laying down ones life. The cost of obedience to God is a restoration cost. This cost directly counters the destructive cost brought about by disobedience to God. It is this restoration cost that we are called to as Christians by bearing the destructive cost of not just our own disobedience but that of those around us too. In this we follow our Lord Jesus who took upon himself ultimate destructive cost to perform the ultimate restoration.

As we grow in obedience through bearing the cost there is a fruit that grows as well. A fruit of perfection and maturity. This is not a perfection of our own making through the law (as the law never made anything perfect) but a putting on of the perfection of Christ as we learn obedience and grow in maturity. Being sanctified, growing more and more in his likeness. This is also not a perfection that will see fulfilment in this life but only in the life to come when the restoration fruit of Christs perfection is revealed. That perfection produced, as here on earth, he learned obidience through what he suffered. v8

The writter to the Hebrew in verse 11 suddenly takes what could be seen as a tangent but the connection is there in an application of this principle to our lives. Those who have not recieved true faith in the Lord Jesus cannot progress in maturity. They cannot progress past the elementary truths because of the maturity required only possible by continued obedience to God. A non Christian who has seen and experienced the blessings of God by being a present in the church community can be identified by a lack of maturity, a lack of ability to progress past the elementary doctrines. If this person does not commit their lives to Jesus at this point and instead falls away what hope is there for them, what more can be offered. To come back into the presence of the church body once more would be to hold the Lord Jesus up to contempt.

As a Christian when we drink in the rain of blessings of God the fruit in our lives is a growth of obedience through suffering, a maturity of discernment and sanctification toward perfection. In this we have confidence of our salvation in Christ...

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Conversing the Kingdom: The Selfish Test

What does it mean to be a good person. Where do we draw the line between ourselves (who are obviously good people!!) and others who are not so good. This is always the challenge for a non-christian who believes that as long as we are good enough we will get to heaven, or lead a good life, or gain enough brownie points for a good reincarnation or what ever our motivation for goodness.The truth of the matter is that it is impossible to be good without God. The line is drawn rather high and only one person ever managed to obtain it, Jesus. Even the good we think we do is actually not good at all. I told this to someone the other day and they looked at me a little oddly.The truth is none of us are good not even one and all that good we think we are doing is essentially selfishness without God. It is impossible to be unselfish in our good works without God.

For example let say our good works is generosity - who are we really being generous for. Is it for recognition or acclaim. Are we looking to get noticed in our generosity. Perhaps it's out of a sense of guilt. Or maybe out of a feeling of superiority, or simply to make ourselves feel good. It is impossible to be generous without one of these motives (or similar) in the background. The only way to be truly generous is as a Christian to be generous for God, because of him and through him. We need to realise that our generosity is for him alone and out of the truth of the generosity we have received from him and out of our changed nature empowered by him.

This is the secret to all good works that they be for him, because of him and through him. Still not convinced of our own selfishness. Try this little tell that has been a challenge for me recently. If your in your car on a narrow road and you stop to let a car from the other direction pass, road etiquette dictates that the other driver wave a sign of thanks. What if they don't? Would it bother you? Would you be silently mouthing, ungrateful fellow? That reaction is very telling and helps us to understand better our selfish motivation for stopping in the first place... to receive the drivers gratitude.

Conversing the Kingdom: Fearful Striving

Hebrews 4:10

There are two types of fear. The first is a good type of fear that drives you in the moment. Like in times of danger to oneself or others that spurs to action. If a baby was crawling too close to an open fire this type of fear can drive you to action to prevent the danger. You body chemistry is even built that way and in these moments one can often exceed normal physical boundaries. I remember the story of a man who when he found himself in the middle of the street facing a fast oncoming car was able in the moment of fear to jump clean over it. The second type of fear however is a debilitating one. This is the fear associated with identity and self worth and is often associated with the word anxiety. This anxiety type of fear can often cause our bodies useful fear responses to be switched on continuosly this can be low levels day to day but can ramp up in periods of high stress. This can cause physical deteriation as the body physically feeds on itself to maintain the called upon levels. It is this type of fear that is linked to the rest that the Hebrew writer talks about chapters 3 and 4. It is this type of fear that is produced by a spiritual strivings for worth, for security, for peace all the things that the Lord offers in his rest. But these are all the things that we strive for as human beings because of our disobedience. The Lord made us for his rest he made us for relationship with him and he made us for obedience. When we turn our back on him in disobedience or even as Christians we forget about the rest he offers our spiritual strivings produce fear. This fear is debilitating and physically draining in the end we break down, we were never built to run outside this rest. The sooner we realise that the Lord is the only one we need and it is in him that we find our worth our security and our peace, the sooner we will learn to follow one of the Bibles most common phrases "do no fear!"

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Conversing the kingdom: Know Me

Hebrews 3:19

When the Israelites were being rescued from Egypt one phrase was repeated by God in connection with the plagues, "That they might know me." This phrase was as much for the Israelites as it was for the Egyptians. Yet despite all that the Lord did in showing himself to the Isrealites in all the ways that he presented himself personally to them they still did not get it. The Lord was bringing the Israelites out of Egypt so that they might enter the promise land and his rest. But what they failed to understand was that the rest they thought the Lord had for them was not a rest from the rulership of Pharoah, some easy life in the promise land but a new rulership in his kingdom. You see the Lord's rulership is different it is a personal relationship of knowing him and that is what brings the rest. But those in the wilderness who rebelled against the rulership of the Lord, who wanted nothing to do with this knowledge of him through a personal relationship, never found the rest they were looking for because they were looking in the wrong place. As the writer to the Hebrews puts it "So we see that they were unable to enter (the Lord's rest) because of unbelief." The Lord brought the Israelites out from under the bond of salvery to Pharoah that through the process of the Exodus they might come to know him and find rest. And this was a foreshadow of Jesus' sacrifice that enables us to be brought out from under the bondage of sin that we might know him and find rest.

Conversing the Kingdom: The Price of Pride

1 Chronicles 21

If something is glorious is has value. To glory in something or someone is to ascribe value to that object or person. That value it literally a weightiness. In our inner most being we all want to be glorified we all want value. That value, that glory cannot be obtained in isolation. We recieve that value from others from appreciation, from acknowledgement from praise. The untimate value is recieved from the appreciation, the acknowledgement, the praise of a person of ultimate value.
If our inner most desire is for value that comes through relationship, community, partnership the unltimate barrier to this is PRIDE! The definiton of pride is an unceasing, never sleeping focus on self, that is individualism. The complete oposite to relationship. Ironically our number one sin of pride prevents our number one deepest desire of value. What a prediciment we find ourselves in!
There are two types of pride and they both have to do with comparrison. The first is a constent comparrison between self and others towards a superiority. Considering oneself better than others. Where every relationship has the sole purpose of proving your value over that of others. The second is a constant comparrison between self and others towards an inferiority. Considering everyone else better than you (a false humility that tends to be prevelant amongst Christians) Where every relationship is a constant longing for the value of others. Both of these are pride as their underlying focus is self.
The solution is a true humility that draws its source of value from the one of ultimate value, the person we were designed to draw our value from. The definition of humility is other focused. The first step toward humility is to acknowledge and identify our own pride. But there is a price for pride because ultimatly it is the reason we are seperated from God. Before the fall we were in the relationship with God that we were designed for our value came from him and we were content we were satisfied. And then with pride, quite literally came the fall. This sin of pride has plagued humanity ever since. In this passage King David had set his value his self worth in the strength of his army and wished them numbered that he might glory in his value. God had other plans and would show David the price of his pride. What David was to learn that as representative of the nation of Israel the price of his sin would affect the nation and 70,000 died. We too must fully understand the price of our pride in our life and the life of those around us. The answer is humility but it to has a cost. To change our nature from self centered to other centered comes at the cost of removing our sin, our pride. In the passage David was called to build an alter to atone for the sin. The Lord acknowledged the sacrifice with fire, with his judgement. But this was only a shadow of the true cost that would be born to finally atone for sin. The place where David built the alter was the threshing floor where the temple would be built by Solomon. And the temple was a foreshadow of Jesus Christ who would once and for all atone for the sin of the world. Breaking down the barrier and allowing us to deal with sin, to deal with pride. So the first step to humility is to realise our pride and its cost. To realise that the only way out is if the price is paid but that we cannot pay, it it has to be paid on our behalf. And finally not only was it paid on our behalf but it was willingly paid. Only in a true understanding and acceptance of this lies humility. Only when we realise that true value comes from the Father. That a life filled with pride is a life destined for destruction. But that God loved us so much that he willingly paid the price of our pride that we could put on the value of Christ. And all this through grace for us who are not only undeserving but ill deserving. Here lies true humility...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Desire

1 and 2 Timothy

Having read through 1st and 2nd timothy over the past two days there wasn't something that specifically jumped out and hit me but just a very generally urgency from Paul. We can definatly get the idea from Paul's letters to Timothy that we are not playing at this gospel message. This is not a cute little pass time that we have all signed up to. It's not a tick box that we have achieved and can forget about. It's not something that we can achieve part time. This is not like a relationship we have with a friend of a friend we met one time and that we keep in touch with by messaging on facebook every once in a while. We are not playing some kind of game here. This is not some kind of check list we can just tick off... church on sunday... check, read bible 5 mins.... check, prayed this week 2 mins... check.
This is life or death. We are in a battle with real enemies and real stakes that requires a real power just to get through the day.

Have we got it yet?

We are destined to be in a relationship so close the best image that God gave for us to understand it is the sexual relationship of marriage. The odd message to God on his Facebook wall just doesn't quite cut it.

Have we got it yet?

We are called to give up everything... everything that ties us to our old life and continualy crucify our sins, put them to death, in repentance. That means continually... everyday, every hour... everytime! We are to crucify them and the thing about crucifiction is it's painful and its perminant. And that is the thing about repentance it is painful and perminate. We can't repent to God about our lack of patience and then find ourselves impatient the next minute... where is the perminance in that? Impossible I hear you cry... and your right. In our own strength it is... so the solution? The empowering of the Holy Spirit in our lives, everyday... everyday. This is not something we pray about once in a blue moon at those great Christian conferences, or worship events. We need this power everyday... everyday!

Have we got it yet?

We can't play at Christianity... so when will we stop trying?

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Conversing the Kingdom: The Weariness of Holiness

2 Thessalonians 3:13

So often it seems that doing the right thing is ten times harder than not.

Buying music from the shop instead of copying it from a friend is a lot harder because the alternative costs. You have to go out and get a job, earn the money in order to buy that album.

At work skipping over that paperwork, disregarding a safety proceedure being economical with the truth always seems the easiest option. We even try to justify it by saying well at least the work is done or quicker than it would have taken, particularly when the pressure is on because the alternative costs.

In relationships only ever talking about the weather, trying to shirk responsibility, just slipping out before that person comes to talk to you again, again! Can seem a lot easier, because we are busy, because there are more important things to do because the alternative costs.

These costs are all a surrender of the "I wants" and "I needs" in our lives. They are all about realising that as Christians there is a new Lord in our life, there is a new person in the driving seat a new person sitting on the throne and that person is Jesus Christ. Why should we bare these costs, why should we surrender the rule of our lives? Because of the cost Jesus bore for us in order that we can enjoy a restored relationship. As Paul says in ch 2 vs 13 "we ought always to give thank to God... because he chose us as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth."

Therefore ch 3 vs 13 let us "not grow weary of doing good" despite the cost...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Lacking in Faith

1 Thessalonians 3:10

The writer to the Hebrews in the famous first verse of chapter 11 describes faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. This definition of faith shows us that faith is not a vague hope grounded in wishful thinking but a settled confidence of a promised future.

Our faith is secure not because of the level of our conviction but because of the focus of our faith. As an example let us imagine your house was on fire you were trapped on the top floor with your only route of escape a nearby tree. If you were to leap for that tree whether you lept confidently or timidly it would make no difference if the branch you caught snapped under your weight. Our faith is the same. If we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can move mountians not because of the measure of our faith but because of the power of the object of our faith, our Lord Jesus Christ. Our measure of faith on the other hand, that is the confidence we have to leap in situations, comes from our knowledge of the object of our faith. Paul greatly desired to see the Thessalonians to know of their measure of faith as, due to there quick exit from thessalonica, he was not able to pass on the full knowledge of the gospel to them. He mentions here in verse ten that he wishes to see them that he might impart to them what is lacking in their faith. Not that they were no converted but that did not have the time to impart a full knowledge of the gospel for holy living. We see particularly in this letter his concern for their knowledge of Christs second coming.
This can truly be a healthy warning for all of us, though our faith is secure as Christians because of the object of our faith, what is the measure of our faith to live boldly and holy for Christ day to day!? What do we need in order to fill up what is lacking in our faith? How can we re-arrange our life in order to gain more knowledge of the object of our faith Jesus! What should we set aside to spend more time on God's word, more time in the presence of Christians talking about Jesus, more time under the preaching of God's word, more time in commuion with our Savior that our measure of faith might reach its fulness...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Sinned Up

1 Thessalonians 14-16

God's patience is endless but it is not purposeless. His patience for salvation will never fail but God's patience towards sin has limits.

We see in this passage that paul believes the thessalonians to have truely recieved salvation because of the resistance and suffering they have recieved at the hands of their own countrymen, the gentiles. Paul likens this suffering to the suffering that jewish christians recieved from the religious jews those who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove Paul and Silas out of Thessalonica. This Paul says displeases God and opposes mankind, why? Because salvation is from Jesus and those who hinder the gospel message hinder salvation for mankind.

To hinder the gospel is a grevious sin and let us not be fooled that this sin is restricted to the religious Jews or the Gentile countrymen. This sin we can also find within ourselves as Christians. We can hinder the gospel by our actions. Let us beware as God's patience towards hinderence of the gospel has a limit. As we persistantly hinder the gospel, our measure of sin in this regard fills up. What happens when that measure reaches its full? Well we have seen it time and time again in the Bible God removes that person. Either physically from the situation like what happened when Paul ans Silas were driven out from the influence of the religious jews. Or physically from this world through death like Ananias and Sapphira in the book of Acts.

Let us be constantly aware of how our action are working to advance or to hinder the gospel...

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Conversing the Kingdom: The True Vine

John 15:1-8

Isreal in the old testamant is often depicted as a vine In Psalm 80:8-18 we see a picture of a vine that would spread out and fill the whole of the promised land with its branches to bring shade to even the mountains and the mighty ceadars. This is a picture of God's plan for his chosen people Israel that they might bring a blessing to the world and that rooted in God they would produce fruit. But this is a task Israel continually failed to do. Here in this passage we see that Jesus calls himself the true vine. He is the fulfilment of this imagery of what the church (God's chosen people) should be. In the old covenant Israel were to be God's chosen people, the church, planted firmly in the promised land that they might produce fruit. In the new convenant Jesus achieves what Israel failed to achieve by becoming the embodiment of God's chosen people. The church can achieve where Isreal failed because we are in Christ. Whereas before when God planted Israel they produce a fruit in accordance with their nature. Isaiah 4:6
"he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry!"
But now when God plants his church in this world the fruit is different because the church he plants is the body of Christ. This body of Christ has a new nature that produces fruits of the spirit. Not in its own strength but because as a church we continue to abide in Jesus, the true vine... he is the source of our fruitfulness.
Let us remember that the next time we get out of bed determined to live the day doing good in our own strength. It will never work unless each moment we draw our fruitfulness, our actions, from the source of all fruitfulness...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Beloved

John 21:15-22
Simon Ponsonby Sermon - Worship

Most would feel that after Peter had denied Jesus three times after Jesus' arrest that would mark the end of his ministry. Surely Jesus would no longer consider him for a position of leadership, and particularly not as the leader of the disciples. Thankfully Jesus is into a work of redemption. He is looking to redeem his creation not scrap it and start again. At the end of time all of creation will be redeemed, made as if new. Restored to how it was always meant to be. So Jesus in this passage is looking to renew Peter's calling as leader of the disciples. Two things we can learn about this passage with regard to worship.
Firstly for genuine worship we have to love Jesus. Do we love Jesus, do you love Jesus? Perhaps as test at the end of today we can take time out to review and say. "In what I did today can I be confident I proved my love for Jesus." or instead did I prove my love for myself or for the idols in my life. If we truely Love Jesus our focus will be for the health of his Church, his flock.
Secondly for genuine worship we have the assurance of how much we are loved. In the gospel of John, he as the author continues to refer to himself as the beloved Aposle. The one whom Jesus loved. If we don't think properly about this we can take this to be an arrogance or favouritism. The truth of the matter is that John was so assured of the love of Jesus toward himself he lived it out. He knew his was beloved and he lived it out. At the last supper so assured was he of Jesus's love he was right up there, first in line, leaning back on Jesus' breast. This level of assurance meant also that at the cross he was the last one standing the only disciple that did not run away and over to him did Jesus place responsibility for his mother Mary. This is the assurance that we also need and to live out! John did not just believe himself beloved but in his letters to the curch, what title does he use for the church? Beloved!
So do we love Jesus enough that it shows through in our lives? Do we know how much we are loved that we can confidently call ourselves beloved? How do you worship...

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Coversing the Kingdom: Thankfulness

Colossians 3:12-17 & 4:2

In these 7 verses on our prayer and worship as God's elect Paul mentions our need for:
compassion, once;
kindness, once;
humility, once;
meekness, once;
forgiveness once;
love, once;
peace, once;
wisdom, once;
singing, once;
watchfulness, once; but
thankfulness 4 times.
Why such an emphasis on thankfulness? Why over all other things in our prayer and worship should thankfulness be so prevelant? The reason is this, in being thankful we are acknowledging where our source of new life originates. That is hidden in Christ with God. You see we can be compassionate but without thankfulness where does that compassion originate from? A selfish morality, a way of somehow feeling good about ourself, superior to those who are not compassionate like us. If we worship without thankfulness where does our worship originate from? A fear of judgement a fear that drives us to religiousity, that somehow if we tick all the right boxes God will have to accepts us into heaven! Without thankfulness in our prayer where does our prayer originate from? From a view that God is some large pinata that if we hit with a enough prayers the answer we want will drop into our lap.
You see without thankfulness we fall into all sorts of traps in our worship and prayer life. This is why Paul is so keen for thankfulness to permeate our worship and prayer life. Let us never forget where our life is hidden, who empowers our being and.... be thankful!

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Conversing the Kingdom: Shadow and Dust

Colossians 3:1-11

It is amazing to see that in creation, God has put in place all that we need to know him. It is not possible for us to conceive of the spiritual, the eternal the divine without having a physical reality in which to bed our conception. This is what God has in his grace provided for us in creation. We can understand what it means for God to be our Father because we have a family system God placed in creation that incorparates fathers. We can understand what it means to be the bride of Christ as we look at the marriage covenant that God placed in creation. We can understand what is means that Jesus is our shepard and we his flock as we observe the character of the sheep that God placed in creation and their need for a shepard. SOoo many numerous examples.

I don't believe it a coincidence that sheep have a tendancy to get lost, have need of the shepard to protect them from the wolves and always see the grass greener on the otherside. I believe God made them that way so that we could better understand our own nature. When we understand this it can be so helpful as we begin to link the imagary of the Bible to our lives.

It can help us to worship as we look to the heavens and observe it's majesty and understand that this majesty was created to be for us a reflection of the Majesty of God.

It can help us better understand our relationships as we understand that the marriage covenant is designed as a reflection of the relationship of Christ to his bride the Church

In particular relation to this passage it can help us to understand the seriousness of sin! In the imagery throughout the Bible it is difficult to miss but often easy to misunderstand that the sexual relationship enjoyed within the marriage covenant is a reflection of the relationship God intended between himself and us as humanity that we rebelled against. When God talks of Israel horing after other gods this is quite literaly what they were doing. The depth of that relationship that should have been directed towards the one true God was instead focused elsewhere.

Therefore in light of the fact that the sexual relationship is a reflection of the closest, most intimate, most blessed, most joyous relationship between us and God it is no wonder the Paul condems sexual sin so strongly. Paul says that in our new life with Christ we are to put to death "Sexual imorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolitry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming."

If we are built for this depth of relationship with our heavenly Father and we understand that sin is an atempt to find this level of relationship in something or someone other that God it is no wonder that these things do not satisfy. We need to put to death all our sin that we can focus our life on the only relationship that will satisfy, the one we were made for!

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Conversing the Kingdom: A Breath of Fresh Air

2 Kings 23:24-27

It can be quite disheartening at times reading the histroy of the kings of Israel and Judah as king after king did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. ONe of the main lessons we such passages is just the deprevity of humanity. However if you do manage to push through to second kings 22 we find the breath of fresh air that is Josiah the king of Judah as he did what was right in the eyes of the Lordand walked in the way of David his father. There were a few other kings who did right in the eyes of the Lord but none brought the level of reform that Josiah managed. The list is quite extensive as to all the idol worship he removed from Judah and how he even reinstated the passover. In verse 25 the author gives significant praise to Josiah in that "before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to the law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him." However despite all this the burning of the Lord's great wrath was not turned from Judah's sin. Josiah's action could not bring salvaion for Judah. Many in the ages past and present have willingly given their all in the service of salvation for others, even at times their life. But there has been only one man living who has been willing and worthy in his sacrifce to bring about the possiblity of salvation for all. That man was Jesus Christ.

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Conversing the Kingdom: Election

1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Don McCauley sermon- Sainthood

The topic of election is often a controversial one for Christians but actually has a simple telling that removes all misconceptions. Unlike in the Roman Catholic church the Bible teaches that all Christains are saints chosen in eternity past for good works.

Christ died once for all mankind that salvation from sin be offered to all mankind. The trouble is no-one would accept this salvation, although freely offered none not even one would accept. This is a predicament. Through Adam's sin at the fall all have inherited a sin nature by birth and added to that all sin by choice. This sin of nature and choice produces a spiritual death. Christ died for that sin but because we are dead in our sin we all freely choose hell, not one of us would choose the life Jesus offers through his sacrifice on the cross. Thankfully God the Father in his mercy chose some to be the church, the bride of Christ, a reward for his obedience unto death.

This throws up a few obvious questions that the passage can help us to answer. The answers are not complete as we do not yet have a full knowledge of the wonders of salvation but the answers we do have God in his grace offers to us.

If we are spiritually dead how do reach a position where we can accept this gift from God? The answer is through the working of the Holy Spirit in the elect to convict us of our sin.

If not all of us are chosen by what process were some chosen over others? The passage tells us that God "chose the foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose the weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose the low and despised in the world, even things that are not to bring to nothing things that are."
Why did God choose this process? The passage again tells us the reason is "that no human being might boast in the presence of God."

And so being chosen God quickens our dead spirit that we might be awakened to the conviction of sin through the Holy Spirit and believe in the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. What do we get in return? Unimagined grace... in being united in Christ he imparts to us his Righteousness that our legal staus before God is reversed. He imparts to us his sanctification through the work of the Holy Spirit that changes our will to seek holiness instead of evil and empowers us in that good work whereas before we were powerless to do good. He imparts to us his redemption that the whole of us be saved not just the spirit but the body also will be redeemed at the end of the age. He will transform our lowely bodies to be like his heavenly body 1 John 3!

This is the doctrine of election this is the gospel this is the Good News! What can our response be but to fall down at his feet in abundant thankfulness and worship...!

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Conversing the Kingdom: A Shadow of the Future

Colossians 2:11-15

In the old covenant circumcision was reqiured as a sign that an individual was under the covenental promise of God. Without it one could not be saved. This practisce as with all the practices of the old conenant was a shadow of what was to come in the new covenant. Circumcision is still present in the new covenant but it is a spiritual circumsion of the heart a circumcision made not with hands, the circumcision of Christ. This circumcision is a putting off of the body of the flesh and signifies our inclusion in the new covenant. This putting off of the flesh is not something we could have achieved by ourselves but is only possible because we, through faith and in a baptism of identification, have been buried and raised with Christ through the power of God! Because of this we who before were spiritual dead in out sins and had no part of the old covenant as gentiles through our lack of physical circumcision have now been included in the new covenant through Christs circumcision of our heart through our faith in his death, burial and ressurection on our behalf. So we are no longer spiritually dead but alive because our sins have been forgiven, out spiritual debt cancelled because our sins were nailed to the cross. This image is of a notice nailed to a cross listing all the crimes of the condemed. Jesus died for all our sins, our sins were nailed to his cross.
And what has all this achieved? We are alive in Christ our sins have been forgiven no longer can we be accused of that sin. No longer can God's ememy Satan accuse us in fact he has been completly disarmed. His power lay only in his ability to accuse humanity before God. Satan has been put to open shame as the power he had has been removed through the cross and he has been triumphed over...
Praise the Lord!
The power of sin has been removed as Christians no longer can we be accused. But as Christians, still here on earth, there is still the presence of sin to deal with that requires a life of repentance. Each day we need to put to death sin to continually crucify the flesh and again strip sin of it's enslaving power.

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Conversing the Kingdom: Rooted, Built up and Established.

As the Church we are the bride of Christ and he is head over the church as ultimate ruler with ultimate authority. It is to him that we live in submission and obedience according to the truth of Scripture as revealled by the Spirit. This can only happen, if as Paul describes "so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith... abounding in thanksgiving"
How can we do this if we are not talking to him in prayer about the decicions and choices in our life?
How can we do this if we are not studying his word daily and drawing out his will for our lives?
How can we do this if we are not abounding in thanksgiving, that produces a true humility?
What is the alternative?
We turn to tradition, we turn to religion, we turn to the philosophies of self esteem, morality, pride etc.
Beware Paul says these things lead into a captivity. If we look to earn salvation through good work we will be captive to fear that we must be constantly balancing our good deads off against our bad deads. But that's not the end of it as Paul takes us one step further and says, these traditions these worldly philosophies are demonic, inspired by Satan and demons. Let us not be ignorant of the rulers, principalities and powers that exist behind the physical apperance. As Christians we are to be captive to Christ not the demonic of the world. We are to fear the Lord not live in fear of living up to the wordly traditions and philosophies...

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Conversing the kingdom: The Constraints of Freedom

Galations 2:1-10
Tim Keller - Absolutism

Christianity claims absolute truth but does this not take away freedom? Is not freedom the right to choose truth for ourselves? The answer to this is no because the reality is as follows:
Truth is more important than you think!
Freedom is more complex than you think!
Jesus is more liberating than you think!

Truth is important because the freedom one experiences is grounded in it's associated truth claims. However truth claims in general are power plays as by their very nature they elevate themselves above those of others. In general therefore truth claims erode the freedom of others.

Freedom is more complex because true freedom comes from submission to the truth not evasion of it. One is free to drive a car if one submits to the truths of how to drive it. Freedom is not an absence of constraints (liberalism) nor the presence of constraints (religion) but the presence of the right constraints in accordance with the truth of what God made us to be. A person will never excel as a musician without the constraint of practise. A person without a musical gifting will not excel as a musician with the constraints of practise. But a person with gifting and practise is freed to excel.
The greatest example of the complexity of freedom is love. A husband and wife will only truly love when in mutual submission to one another they constrain individual freedoms to be released into the deeper freedom of marriage, partnership.

Jesus is more liberating...
In John 1:1 we read "in the beginning was the Word (logos)" logos means reason of existence therefore John implies Jesus is the reason for existence. We are made to know him,love him, serve him, and find our joy in him in a marriage relationship. This marriage relationship is Jesus as the head and the church as his bride. Only in this relationship can we experience true freedom. But like any marriage relationship surrender of individual freedoms by the presence of constraints is needed. Jesus has surrendered more in in his incarnation, life, ministry, death, burial, resurrection and accession than we could ever know. In response we too can now surrender into that relationship because of what Jesus achieved on the cross.
If our logos was an absolute truth (a set of rules) salvation would be achieved in fear and that brings slavery. The gospel is not a set of rules based on abstract truth but a relationship of surrender. This knowledge truly frees us from our former slavery. As Paul rightly says the love of Christ constraint us... Producing true freedom....

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Conversing the Kingdom: The Hell Fire Within!

Luke 16:19-31
Tim Keller's sermon on hell.

Things one needs to know about hell...
It will exist but doesn't just yet.
It will be at a location separated from God, but will not be a physical relm like earth but a spiritual one.
Jesus Christ will rule as Lord over hell, not Satan
Those who go there will want to and they will lock the door behind themselves.
The fire and torment of hell will be self inflicted.
Hell can be defined as follows: A freely chosen identity in something or someone other than God.

Confused let me try and explain...
For the Christian the taste of hell we get here on earth will be the closest we ever get to the true hell.
For the non-Christian the taste of heaven they get on earth will be the closest they ever get to the true heaven.
Hell begins here on earth within us as a spiritual addiction of an identity in something or someone else other than God. The reason this is hell is because an identity built this way will never satisfy. Like any true addiction we constantly need more and more to produce less and less satisfaction. In fact the temporary satisfaction here on earth got by the non-Christian is the only taste of heaven (true satisfaction) they will ever get. When they die and everything they have (every little taste of heaven they have horded) even their body will be taken from them and in hell there will not even be that temporary satisfaction experienced here on earth but only the craving for heavenly satisfaction remaining. This is hell and but for the grace of God, where we are all headed.
To understand the judgement of God (and the necessity of hell) allows us to be at peace here on earth knowing that every act will be accounted for. Without this perfect justice that comes from God we are destined for an endless cycle of retribution.
It is not good enough to be convinced of the existence of hell through some clever argument or as in this parable the returning of someone from the dead, even Jesus! All this does is produce a fear of hell and a selfish desire to avoid it. What we need to understand is the Love of God. Love has no worth unless it costs something. God showed us how much he loved us by paying the ultimate cost by dying in the cross taking all our sin on his shoulders and as a result suffering the separation of the Godhead for our sake! There is no greater cost that could have been born and this therefore produces the greatest love ever made known. The Godhead of Father, Son and Spirit did this out of love for us to spare us the torment of hell... If only we believe!!! Because if we don't the alternative is a hell of our own making...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Which Religion are You?

1 John 4:1-5   Tim Keller - exclusivity sermon

Everyone of us is religious, but not every religion has an easily identifiable religious institute. Religion, however is mearly the framework from which one answers the big questions of life. Who am I? Where do i come from? What is my purpose? What do I dedicate my life to / what or who do I worship? So as we see religion with all it's differing answers tearing this world apart, the question can only be which religious framework will produce peace and prosperity in the midst of war and suffering.
Only Christianity offers this because of the three distinctions Christian Salvation has from all other religious salvations...
First the origin of Christian salvation is from God who in unconditional love, to a world who were his enemies, sent his one and only Son to die in their place. If we have this same view on all around us, friends, family even our most violent enemies the outworking of our faith will be radically different from other religions.
Secondly the purpose of Christian salvation is for regeneration. As we hear from the Lord in Jeremiah 29 we are to seek the prosperity of the situations we find ourselves in through service.
Thirdly the method of Christian salvation through grace keeps us forever humble. If we fully understand that grace means we did nothing to deserve this salvation leading to the fact there are very likely non-Christians who are morally superior to us or more loving than us this is truly a humble position.
Christianity is distinct in these attributes and for these reasons is the only religious framework that will ever bring about peace and prosperity in this world!

Conversing the Kingdom: Disobedience

Philippians 3:19

Let us beware, even as Christians, where we attribute glory. We are to give glory to our Lord Jesus Christ alone. Not to ourselves in pride or self esteem or self empowerment. Nor should we attribute glory to that which is shameful. Epheshians 5:1-21 gives a helpful, practical insight into what this looks like:
Sexual immortality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named;and
No filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking.
To partner with such as these, Paul says, is to be unequally yoked. How can a Christian of maturity partner with a Christian of immaturity and infancy who glories in their shame. One who boasts of drunken nights, sexual encounters, live in boyfriends or girlfriends, immoral dealings, horded wealth, physical self inflictions, morality and religosity. One who gossips or crude jokes, or puts another down. The wrath of God is against such things in the non-Christian how can we as children of light be participators. It is our responsibility to expose such for the non-Christian as lights how can we expose what we are also participating in...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Peace Out Man

Philippians 4:6-7

Paul makes a bold command for us as Christians to follow."do not be anxious about anything," Easy enough for you to say Paul cause you don't have to live with the same family I do, or you don't have the job I do or your not married to the husband/wife I am, infact your not even married!
However Paul does not leave us hanging but provides us with the practical outworking of his command."In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." And that is it if we think about it, truly, as simple as that. If we know in our hearts that God is in control and in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving hand EVERY part of our lives over to his control what is there left for us to control and be anxious about. Like a young daughter with her loving father on a outing to the funfair. She is not anxious about anything because she has handed over control of where to go, when to eat, the money needed to pay for things and safety all to her Fathers care. And what does Paul say is the result of letting go of our control on life? Peace! Not just the type of peace a daughter feels with a father who loves her but the type of peace that surpasses all understanding. Because our heavenly Father is in control beyond our understanding! As Christians we should be really rather peaceful! What in our lives do we still hold on tightly too... What are we still anxious about...

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Conversing the kingdom: Unceasing, Outpouring

Philippians 3:3

We are all of us unceasing, outpouring, worshipers. We were made that way. It's how we are built. The question is not "do we worship?" But "what or who do we worship?" Do we worship the one true God the uncreated one or do we worship his creation as idolators. There are only two options. But even when we worship the one true God it is not something we do in the flesh as a religious duty but as John 4:23 says we are to worship "in Spirit and truth." For a long time this phrase has been somewhat of a mystery to me until reading today's verse and something clicked. To worship "in Spirit" is to worship "by the Spirit of God." Everything we do in life the Bible calls fruit and we are called as Christians to produce a fruit of righteousness that come through Jesus Christ and for his glory. Therefore to worship "in Spirit" is to build our whole lives in the strength that comes from the indewelling power of the Holy Spirit. If we burn ourselves out pursuing our potential in our own strength we are not worshiping in Spirit but in the flesh. However if we cultivate our calling in partnership with God, walking in his presence, working from his strength, following his leading then this is true worship in the Spirit...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Riding on the Clouds

Philippians 1:9-11

Paul often, in his letters, refers to "the day of Christ." God the Father's plan of salvation has been progressively revealed ever since the day mankind turned their backs on him at the fall Genesis 3. We sit in a privileged position in these last days that we have clearly seen the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf that the prophets of the Old Testament longed for and believed in through faith. But the story is not yet complete as God patiently waits for his church to be gathered. The New Testament often hints at future events yet unseen. The most obvious place being John's book of Revelation. Somethings, however, are presented clearer than others and one of those future events is "the day of Christ." For the non-Christians this day is a day of judgement that leads to condemnation and eternal separation from God in hell. For the Christian this day is a day of judgement for the testing of our obedience by fire (1 Cor 3:13) that we may be rewarded for the fruit of righteousness and suffer loss for the fruit of the flesh, works done in our own strength. Paul prays for the Philippians that their love may abound. That with knowledge and all discernment they may approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless. Not through their own effort for that is like building with hay and straw. But that they may produce a fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God the Father for that is like building with gold, silver and precious stones. May that also be our prayer for ourselves and for one another...

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Conversing the kingdom: The Root of all Marriage

Epheshians 5:22-33

In this section Paul discusses the relationship of a husband and wife to one another in the marriage covenant. He does this by equating the relationship of husband and wife to that of Christ and his church. In fact he goes one step further than that and speaks of the profound mystery that the marriage covenant was designed and modelled after Christ's forthcoming union with the church. The union of Christ and his church is a union of one body, one flesh as the husband is to his wife. The church is in submission to Christ as a wife is in the marriage covenant to her husband. Christ loves the church as his own body, as the church is his own body, and gave himself wholly for her. So the husband in the marriage covenant is to love his body ( his wife, as they are one flesh) giving himself up wholly for his body, giving himself up wholly for his wife... Husbands this is a call to step up...

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Conversing the kingdom: One for All and All for One

Epheshians 4:1-6

Up to Ch 3 Paul is describing how the Gentiles are fellow heirs with the Jews, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
After painstaking detailing that the church of Jesus Christ does not distinguish between Jewish and Gentile believers Paul urges unity. Paul urges the Gentile believers to maintain a unity of Spirit in the bond of peace. This is not something we need to create through shear will power. This unity that already exists within the nature of the church we are called simply to maintain. This unity exists in the church because there is only one body in the church. Not a body here for the Jews and one over there for the Gentiles. Because there is only one Spirit, the Holy Spirit who indwells the church. Because the is only one hope and that is in Jesus for salvation. Because there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ to whom we are all to submit and obey. Because there is only one faith by which we can be saved. Because there is only one baptism into Christ as an external identification of the internal regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Because there is only one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. This is the unity we are called to maintain...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Wanna be in my Gang?

Epheshians 2:11-22

In the old covenant, salvation was from the Jews. Salvation was only possible if you were a Jew. Part of the commonwealth of Israel. Under God's covenants of promise. But just because one was a Jew did not ensure salvation. As salvation is and always has been through faith.
Israel was set apart from other nations through the commandments and ordinances of the law and they were to be to other nations an example and gift, as the church is today. If a Gentile sought salvation they were required to become a Jew in order to obtain it. They would need to be circumcised and follow the law and then through faith obtain salvation.
When Jesus brought in the new covenant through his death, burial and resurrection he abolished or rendered powerless the commandments and ordinances of the law by both fulfilling them and removing believers from the laws condemnation!
As Gentiles we now have direct access to the Father through Jesus, no longer is salvation from the Jew but from the church of Jesus Christ. The church unlike the nation of Israel is made up only of believers saved through faith. Salvation is for all, the Jew and the Gentile and in Christ we are all one, united together!

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Conversing the Kingdom: The Chop vs the Dunk

Galations 5:3

Circumcision was a sign of the covenant God made with Abraham. It was a requirement of the law. As with the other laws, circumcision was a requirement on the path of justification through the law. This justification is unobtainable. Even Abraham was not justified because he was circumcised according to the law. Abraham was only justified because of his faith that one day the law would be fulfilled, on his behalf, just as we are justified believing that the law has been fulfilled on our behalf by Jesus.
Baptism, unlike circumcision, is not a means of justification but rather an identification with Christs' death and resurrection. Justification is through faith alone in Jesus. In response to the putting to death of our flesh and the newness of life in the spirit made possible through faith in Jesus we physically represent this through the process of baptism. What an amazing demonstration of the death and resurrection of Christ in our life...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Judge Me Not

Galations 3:12

People generally consider themselves good people. Judging themselves against some pre-determined level of conscience or relatively to other people."well I'm certainty better than that person!" Let us beware! If we live by the law we will also be condemned by the law. If we judge ourselves by our works, by our works we will be judged. Even if we just consider the imperfect law we set for ourselves to live by."Oh that person was horrible for talking behind so and so's back" then what do we catch ourselves doing the very next day... The same. Condemned from our very own mouths.
If we now consider the perfect law that God lays down we soon realise why deuteronomy 27:26 states that cursed are those under the law. We may claim goodness but the reality is quite the opposite. But there is hope. When Jesus died on the cross he took the curse from us if we only receive it through faith. However much we try, we cannot obtain salvation through goodness, we cannot obtain salvation through works. Before we were even born we were disqualified by our very nature... Jesus is our only hope for life...

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Conversing the Kingdom: back-to-front

Galations 2:10

When Jesus walked this earth two major aspects of his ministry were the preaching if the Gospel and his compassion for those in physical need. The whole of scripture speaks of this that our whole life as Christians should preach the gospel and flowing from that the meeting of physical needs. The danger of this comes when we prioritise these two needs incorrectly. As the church, God's gift to the world, we are not to care for the poor and then tag on a gospel message. For what use is it if we help those in need to gain the whole world and at the end they lose their soul for eternity. Instead our priority is the preaching of the gospel and flowing from that the meeting of the physical need... Paul's priority was preaching the gospel to the gentiles, Peter's priority the Jews, but both were concerned for the poor!

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Conversing the Kingdom: Dear Readers...

Dear my faithful 15ish readers,
Thank you for taking the time out to visit my blog. I took the step a year or so ago to begin journalling during my quiet times as I would often come across a verse and go "oh yeah that makes sense." Then the next day I would have promptly forgotten the insight from the Holy Spirit had given the day before. So in an attempt to log these moments and help me remember them for future reference. I began to journal but initially I would write these in short hand but since beginning to post them here I have managed to produce a more coherent thought. My prayer is that these insights from the Holy Spirit will be helpful to you also as they have been to me.
So thanks for being with me and may the Lord be with us all as we continue to Converse the Kingdom for his glory and our Joy.

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Conversing the Kingdom: Mine... All Mine!

2 Corinthians 8-9

The topic of giving is always a touchy subject. This is because as human beings we have this inbuilt assumption (through our sinful nature) that when go off to work, labor hard all day and receive our paycheck that in some way we deserve it, we have earned it, it is our money and we have a right to spend it however we choose. So when the suggestion comes that we should give some of it away we immediately recoil."why should I, it's my money?" Or if we do give some away we feel immediately proud and self righteous because we have given some of our money to help the needy.
As Christians our attitude to life and, in this case, money is the complete reverse of the worlds. It is turned completely on its head. What we understand as Christians is that the whole of life and existence itself is a gift from the Lord. We cannot claim rights to life or the body or time or intellect or possessions because none of it exists without God as creator and sustainer. Our thinking needs to switch completely from ownership to stewardship. The money we earn is a gift from God and we have responsibilities as stewards to use this gift with wisdom and for God's will. Now this does not mean that immediately we give all our money away (although that could be the case). Instead we are to be stewards of the money and with wisdom we are to allocate it amongst the responsibilities God has given us. We need to sustain the body and so some money will be allocated to for. We need a place to live and so an allocation will go to that. We need clothing for the body so some allocation will to to that and so on. The danger comes with over indulgences, or hording, or living outwith our means. Of course priority of allocation will change with quantity of resources. But always remember that where we allocate will shout about where our heart is... So be wary! As Paul explains to the Corinthians he doesn't want them to give so much away that they are burdened whilst others are eased (although that may be the case) but instead that in their abundance (as we are in too) they give to help those in need. That those who have much will not have left over and those who have little will not lack...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Good Grief vs Bad Grief

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

As Christians we are called to a life of repentance but that means that we will need to continually be confronted by our sin through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
The body's sense of touch is truly a gift for God and enables us to learn about the physical world around us. As we train the sense of touch we learn to distinguish between different surfaces. However if we ignore our sense of touch and continue towards a hot surface we will be burned and loose sensitivity. The pain we feel as a result is an indicator of the damage done and although the body heals and the pain fades we forever carry the scars and a lose of sensitivity.
As we use the sense of touch in the physical world spiritually we are gifted with a conscience to distinguish between right and wrong. And as with a hot surface if we ignore our conscience we will be burned as we sin and cause a lose of sensitivity in the spirit. But unlike a physical scar that has temporal consequence the spiritual scar of sin has eternal consequence. But like the feeling pain after a burn the feeling guilt and grief after a sin helps us to identify the damaged area. We can ignore the guilt and it will fade but along with it also a lose of sensitivity in the spirit to distinguish right and wrong in the future. If however we chose to deal with the guilt we have to be wary of how we go about it as was Paul's fear for the Corinthians. A Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret. Possible because of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice on the cross. This repentance totally heals the spiritual scars and restores our sensitivity in the spirit as we are reconciled to God. However worldly grief is brought on when through sin we see only the lose of the worlds approval, the approval of family and friends and seek only to regain their approval and not Gods. There is no repentance only a resolve to do better and regret remains. This worldly grief leads only to death and is empty and void of salvation. The spiritual scar of sin remains and the sensitivity of the spirit lost. The wrath of God remains on the sin... And with it divine judgement and death

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Conversing the Kingdom: Allied with Idols

2 Corinthians 6:14 - 7:1

Paul has mentioned several times that he considers the Corinthians to be only children in the Faith and as of yet not mature. In this section he details an application of what it means to be mature. Paul considers it an immaturity that the believers in the church consider it profitable to work together with a unbeliever to progress the kingdom. The Corinthians are looking to partner with unbelievers, to be allied with, to be identified with, to do life direction with. This thinking is immature Paul states for "what fellowship has light with darkness... What agreement has the temple of God (the believer) with idols." When we strive forward in the gospel let us be aware of who we yoke ourselves to, let us first observe their fruit of repentance before we ally together. Beware that just because a person goes to church, just because a person claims faith, the only guarantee is the mark of the Holy Spirit on their life. As Paul boldly responds to his accusers and their doubts about his Faith in Christ."Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves." And these accusers were those who claimed leadership in the Corinthians church!

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Conversing the Kingdom: Obedient to Death

Song: Lost in Wonder

When we think of Jesus being obedient to death perhaps it's too easy to assume that the obedient decision came solely during that night in the garden of Gethsemane. Where through such stress, sweating drops of blood, Jesus submitted himself to the will of the Father. But that night was not an isolated conclusion but the culmination of a life of obedience played out in daily choices. From his obedience to his parents as he grew. To his public ministry and the constant clash with the religious leaders of the day. The unbelief of his disciples. The overwhelming need of the crowds and the betrayal of one of his closest followers. In fact Hebrews states that Jesus was tempted in every way yet was without sin. In each of these daily choices Jesus was obedient to the Father and that obedience led to the cross, the ultimate act of obedience! We too are called to a life of obedience in even the smallest of choices each and every day... How is such a life possible? Only through the empowering of the Holy Spirit...

Conversing the Kingdom: Daily Pursuit

2 Corinthians 5:11-21


When God in Christ reconciled the world to himself two things happened. First our sins were no longer counted against us, a fact that should never be taken lightly as Simon the Pharisee did. Instead we should take our lead from the prostitute who understood more fully what it meant that her sins were forgiven. Secondly the message of reconciliation was entrusted to us. This is a responsibility given to the church and not an optional extra. This is something that requires a daily pursuit! What are we doing about if? If Jesus were to ask us today what would we say to him. What has our service today for him looked like? What have we considered important enough to include in our Facebook statue, was it for God's glory? How should our lives look if we are to take this responsibility seriously...

Conversing the Kingdom: The Fear

Psalm 128

"Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord." The phrase "the fear of the Lord" is often misunderstood but it has many current parallels that can be helpful in our understanding such as: The fear of the government causes us to abide by the laws and stay out of jail. The fear of the referee causes us to abide by the laws of the game and avoid being sent off. By fearing the Lord we "walk in his ways" and abide by his laws in obedience that brings about a freedom and joy unparalleled. Because we live as we should and our worship is directed to the one true God and not elsewhere in idolatry there is blessing...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Labor in Vain?

1 Corinthians 15

Paul often refers to believers who have died as those who sleep. It is not a gentle way of saying so and so has died but more a description of their current state. Yes, Paul acknowledges that when a believer dies they are immediately present with the Lord (2 Cor.5:8). But sleep refers more to the state of the body. The period between the body of flesh dying and the occupation of the new resurrected body to come on the last day. Our spirit is eternal but the body is perishable. When we rise again, instead of a body of dust after the image of Adam, we shall inherit a spiritual body after the image of Christ. What an amazing promise, what an amazing hope. No longer will death have a hold over us. And this is for our encouragement that we "be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord we labor not in vain...."

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Conversing the Kingdom: Striving to Excel

1 Corinthians 11-14

In these chapters Paul has much to say about the calling on the church, the body of believers, the body of Christ. He details first what the authority structure should look like. Then about the Lord's supper and its administration and how it is set apart from any other meal. Then he explains about spiritual gifts and how the same Spirit manifests through believers in a diverse way for the common good. But he also warns against elevating some gifts at the disregard of others. Instead he encourages a unity in the body that acknowledges each part and its unique roll in the whole. He then explains that although these spiritual gifts are important here on earth they are only temporary and a dim reflection of their future glory in the world to come and what is most important is Love, a love that never ends.
"Pursue Love" Paul commands and "earnestly desire the spiritual gifts..." and in particular prophesy. Why prophesy? Because prophecy by definition is upbuilding, encouraging and consoling for the church and this is Paul's heart for the church. As Christians he commends us to "strive to excel in building up the Church." Why? Because as the "outsider enters (into the church) he will be convicted by all, he will be called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed and so falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among (his Church)"
What greater calling to the Church can there be!?

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Conversing the Kingdom: You are Sufficient

Psalm 142

When times are good when we have money in the bank, a roof over our head, friends who loves us and family who stick by us it is easy to say with David "You are my refuge my portion in the land of the living" and that is sufficient for me. But what happens when we loose our job and money flows away and we can't pay our rent. What happens if our friends turns against us and our family desert us. Can we say then that the Lord is still sufficient... What is it in our lives that we hold onto too much that prevents us following God's will for our lives. Do we value a friendship too much that we will not risk it to share the gospel with that person. Do we value our money too much that we can't be generous...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Imitate me?

1 Corinthians 10:31-33

What seems like a short tag on line at the end of chapter 10 speaks volumes of Paul's relationship with Jesus.
"Be Imitators of me, as I am of Christ."
Could we say the same... Could we say to our friends "Ever wondered what Jesus was like on earth, just look at me!"
What a challenge... But is this not what it means for us as Christians to be on the path of sanctification?
Can we say about our life that "whether I eat or drink, or whatever I do, I do it all to the glory of God." As Jesus did! If this is not the case let us stop and take a long hard look at our life and see where we need to repent and what we need to surrender and place it all at the feet of our Lord...

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Conversing the Kingdom: Helpful not Enslaving

1 Corinthians 6:12

Let us not fall into the same trap that the Corinthians did with their catch phrase "All things are lawful for me" or our modern day equivalent, courtesy of Nike, "Just do it." We must understand with Paul that not all things are helpful and that pushed too far anything can become enslaving. As Christians we should be doing all things for God's glory and be enslaved only to righteousness.
As Christians having a hobby is innocent enough until it takes over all our thought life and all our time pushing aside church fellowship, homegroup, quiet time, family and friends.
As a Christian having a relationship is innocent enough until it becomes an obsession or blinding us to our responsibilities and forcing compromise.
As a Christian having a drink is innocent enough until we "need it" or it comes out at every meal or after every hard day.
As a Christian drinking caffeine is innocent enough until we can't get through the morning or day without it.
As a Christian having money is innocent enough until the only person we spend it on is ourselves or our family... And so the list goes on.
Let us be wise to what is helpful and when it has the potential to become enslaving...

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Workers Together

1 Corinthians 3:8

As members of the body of Christ we are all called to build the Church. In a world of suffering and sin the Church is God's gift. What use will this gift be if it is weak and feeble, self concerned and dis-unified. Each of us has a toll to play as workers that the Church might shine out in witness to the Glory of Christ and serve a broken world and offering the only hope of worth, salvation through Jesus...

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Transformation not information

Romans 12:2

When we approach God's word we should do so not out of an attitude of receiving information but as a gift for transformation. As we are transformed by the renewing of our minds we gain discernment that we may weigh the value of our actions, decisions and judgements to find God's will for our lives and the lives of those around us. Let us hear from God through his word, commune with God in prayer, then go out and test, weighing up the situations around us that God's will is worked in our lives...

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The stumbling block

Romans 9:33

The stumbling block for Faith is this generation is not intellect or science but works. Our whole society is built on our works dictate out identity. Our actions dictate who we are. But the Christians faith is the complete reverse. Salvation is not attend but work but it is a free gift of mercy and grace. Our identity in Christ dictates our action. We do not atain our identity through works... Let us not get twisted up.

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Perfect Patience

Romans 2:4

God has perfect patience and kindness but there is a purpose behind them and that is for repentance. Let us not presume on God that he will wait for us whilst go on sinning through our adolescence, or midlife crisis or me time. For whilst doing so we store up wrath for ourselves on the day of Judgement. The day when we have to give a full account of all we have done...

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Anicient Prayer

Ancient Prayer

Genesis 18:1-33

¹⁶Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. ¹⁷The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, ¹⁸seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ¹⁹For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” ²⁰Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, ²¹I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

²²So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. ²³Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” ²⁶And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

²⁷Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. ²⁸Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” ²⁹Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” ³⁰Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” ³¹He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” ³²Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” ³³And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

We are starting a new sermon series on prayer this week and this morning’s title is ‘Ancient Prayer.’ My first thought at such a title is in the form of a question? Can there be a difference between prayer today, now, in the 21st century and prayer back then, in the time of Abraham, ancient prayer? Are we talking about a different attitude towards prayer, a different posture perhaps or different words?

Prayer is when we draw close to and communication with our Father God. It is the point where we corporately and personally relate to Our Father whether that is orally or mentally. It is part of our worship, inescapably linked to how we act in our obedience to God’s commands. Although in the 21st century our understanding of salvation and God’s plan of redemption is much improved from Abraham’s time the ancient prayers of praise and thanksgiving, pardon and communion, protection and healing, vindication and salvation that are found in the Bible are just as relevant today. Prayer is about us communicating in our relationship with God. We can do this because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for us restoring a relationship we broke and that applies just as much to Abraham as it does to us today. So as we look at this ancient prayer of intercession its application is very relevant for us today.

We have all heard of the god’s of ancient Greece Zeus and Poseidon, Hades and Apollo. Each of these god’s were assigned dominion over a particular aspect of nature Zeus was the sky-god, sending thunder and lightning, Poseidon ruled over the sea and earthquakes, and Helios ruled over the sun. But these Gods were of human creation and had human weaknesses and vices they would oppose one another and try to outdo one another. They were more a reflection of an Eastenders episode than a reflection of the one true God. The gods were such that Hesiod the poet even gives advice in one of his poems on the best way to succeed in a dangerous world, rendered yet more dangerous by its gods. The Greek gods were fickle and unpredictable and that gave rise to a situation of manipulation. The Greeks would often look to gain the favour of the gods with sacrifice and offerings, trying to twist the will of the gods to their own ends.

This is a trap that we can so easily fall into trying to manipulate situations to our own advantage whether it is exploiting the kindness of a colleague at work for our own gains or a wife using emotion and tears to force the hand of her husband or a boyfriend using empty promises of love in order to sleep with his girlfriend. Perhaps not even something so obvious it could just be a look or a touch, a compliment even with ulterior motives. Manipulation is a sin and it’s demonic, it is rooted in selfishness and pride, exploiting another for one’s own gain. It is the opposite of humility and servanthood that we are called to as Christian.

 This sin is bad enough against one another but when we have the gall to think we can manipulate God then we are playing a very dangerous game indeed. If we think that we are good people and that somehow by what we do we can win favour with God or be in a position that God owes us anything then we are horribly mistaken. God is our maker and we his creatures. His love and his grace are not earned by works but are a gift of mercy against a people who have by nature and choice turned our back on Him.

As we approach this passage some might say that Abraham is being very clever, slowly but surely whittling God down, in some way manipulating God into changing his mind from what he originally said he would do. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let us look at the passage together. If you can turn with me to verse 17, what we find is the Godhead the Trinity discussing together whether or not they will reveal to their servant Abraham what they are about to do.

¹⁷The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, ¹⁸seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ¹⁹For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

What we find here is not the Lord giving Abraham opportunity to change his mind but an opportunity for something greater! The Lord is giving Abraham opportunity for relationship, a chance to be a part of God’s amazing plan, to be in partnership with God and in this particular instance to be a part of the judgement against horrendous injustice occurring in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Lord has chosen Abraham to be the Father of a great and mighty nation not because of any great work that Abraham had done but just through grace and mercy. And because the Lord had chosen Abraham he is actively involved in pursuing relationship with him and making him a partner in this nation that he is building. And this nation will ultimately bless the nations of the world through Jesus. And if you are a Christian here this morning then you too have been chosen to be part of the Church, the Bride of Christ whose calling for us is spelled out in Matthew 28:19-20.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age. The Lord is actively seeking a relationship with each and every one of us so that we too can be a partner in the Lord’s plan of salvation as Abraham was. The Lord chose to reveal his actions to Abraham to see how he would respond. And how did he respond to the news of Sodom and Gomorrah’s impending destruction? He responded with a prayer of intersession. Let us just read the first section again from verse 22.

²²So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. ²³Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” ²⁶And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

There are some epic lessons that we can learn here from Abraham’s prayer life in this passage. As we read in verse 22 Abraham stood before the Lord. This is how Abraham lived his life, stood before the Lord. Brother Lawrence the French lay brother puts a helpful twist on this and spoke about practising the presence of God. Practising the Presence of God is living out our life and all that we do for God and his Glory. Just as Abraham did our prayer life begins by standing before the Lord. How can we ever imagine to have an intimate relationship with our Father without this separateness this holy living. This means getting rid our manipulation of others, giving up our prideful rights, stopping our foolish talk, crude joking and gossiping. Putting aside sexual immorality, lusting of the eyes and covetous idolatry. Not only are we to take things so far but as Ephesians 5 finishes off with verses 11 the list of all that we are to put off:

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

We are to expose such things in non-Christians sensitively but also in our own Christian Brothers and Sisters. Let it be normal that when we meet together we talk about Jesus and his kingdom and let talk about others things become an interruption instead of the reverse. Sitting the other day with a group of friends, someone began to talk about Jesus and you know what was sad was that it took me a little by surprise because of the situation we were in. As Christians how can that be!

And so Abraham stood before the Lord. Then we see in verse 23 Abraham drew near to God. This was possible because of the relationship that he had with the Father. The Lord had already drawn near to Abraham and had made him aware of the judgement situation and it was Abraham’s turn to draw near to God. This is prayer; this is ancient prayer in action. When we listen, when our life is less cluttered and less busy we can hear God draw close to us and when he does he will make us aware too of different situations. May be even now you know of a situation to which God has burdened you with. Perhaps the Lord is pointing out a friend struggling with depression or with the loss of a loved one. Perhaps the Lord is pointing out or a colleague with financial difficulty or dabbling in tarot cards and horoscopes. Maybe the Lord is pointing out a Christian Brother or Sister who is not thankful or crude joking. What will our response be, will we draw near to God as Abraham did? Will we respond with action as Abraham did?

We like to control situations, even in our prayer and we end up guilty of worry praying. Like on a tennis court in prayer we need to hit the ball back into the Lord’s court as we work in partnership with him saying “what do you think, Lord?” This is what we see Abraham doing. This is not a worry prayer. This is not Abraham trying to control the situation. This is Abraham working in partnership with God. The Lord provided Abraham with the information and he took action. He interceded on behalf of the righteous and was confident in his knowledge that the Judge of all the earth would do what was right.

If we are to pray as the ancients prayed then we need to be living lives as Christians that are separate and holy so that we can hear as we stand before the Lord what God is wanting us to partner with. Then we need to respond by drawing close to the Lord in prayer and acting but not acting to control the situation but in relationship and in partnership with the Lord. And finally we need to leave it in the Lord’s court knowing that “Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just”. We need to have the same attitude of Christ as he had in the garden of Gethsemane and pray not my will but yours be done. And as we are told in Romans 12 we need to make room for the vengeance of the Lord. That is his settled and steady opposition to injustice in the situations that he puts before us!