tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39453919040248354052024-02-08T06:47:34.314-08:00THE GARDEN OF GRACEA SAFE HAVEN for some unorthodox views of the Christian FAITH.Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-73545410450412390532011-07-22T10:40:00.000-07:002011-07-22T23:47:55.460-07:00An Interesting Journey<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">My other blog – “<a href="http://theroomofgrace.blogspot.com/">The Room of Grace</a>” has been my attempt to share something of the questioning that has been going on in my own mind over the last 60+ years, and how I eventually came to the conclusion that there is an enormous difference between the Christian RELIGION and the Christian FAITH - that might be described as the difference between knowing ABOUT God, and a RELATIONSHIP with God - something that I only really began to understand about 8 years ago!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I have for a very long time found it frustrating that many practising Christians are quite unable to answer the question, “<b>What is the purpose of life</b>?” in any meaningful way. It was around 1965 in an Anglican men’s discussion group that I asked that question. The immediate response of the Vicar was, “Peter, you can’t ask that, it’s the 64,000 dollar question (a lot of money in those days). Let’s go on to your next question”. Although I cannot remember ever doubting the existence of God, with hindsight I guess that was the beginning of my move away from traditional Christianity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Please bear in mind that I am an ‘uneducated’ Christian – I have had no formal ‘theological’ training. I was treasurer of an Anglican Church for 8 years in the 1960’s before being drawn away because of what I saw as a lack of ‘radical’ Christianity. Later I spent some 20 years as a member of the <b>Worldwide Church of God</b> keeping the Sabbath and the biblical Holy Days (rather than Christmas and Easter), before the leadership announced in 1995 that much of their theology was misguided. At that time I had already been made redundant for the fourth time and I've not had a job since then. I was forced to reconsider just about everything I had ever been taught and I had the time to do it. I was already using a PC to record my thoughts. I was using the internet by 1997 and it was in 2003 that I really became aware of what was then being referred to as “the out of church Christians”, and the emerging / emergent / house church movements – and that has been an ongoing journey - but without ever finding a group locally!</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Over the last 18 months or so a number of pieces of the jigsaw have been fitting into place, based to a significant degree on what I had come to understand about <b>broken myths</b> - see "<b>The End of Religion</b>". <i>Let me say at this stage, that I am very conscious of some of the difficulties that can arise if people are asked questions that they are not yet ready to consider. I have to assume that anyone reading this blog has read something of my other blog and is comfortable with at least some of what I have written.</i></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Apart from having no answer to the question, "What is the purpose of life?", I have long been aware of two other questions that the 'church' in general seems to be unable to answer. These are, "<b>Why suffering?</b>" and "<b>Did God create evil?</b>".</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">None of us have been given all the answers and at best we are only seeing part of the overall picture. Over the last 3-4 years I seem to have been developing a new understanding of the significance of <a href="http://thegardenofgrace.blogspot.com/2011/05/two-trees.html"><b>the two trees</b></a> of Genesis - which was reinforced by the concept of 'broken myths'.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">I was struggling to explain my thoughts when I received this note from a friend: </span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>Concerning the "Fall of Adam" </b><b>I most wholeheartedly agree with you as well. It is a myth, a metaphor, a story told to reveal deeper truth. The "church's" version essentially says that God is TRYING to fix a broken situation, as if He never intended for it to happen. </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB">"<i>The creation was subject to futility, not voluntarily, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in the hope (expectation) that the creation itself would be freed from its bondage to corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God</i>." Rom. 8:20-21</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB">In my mind, that scripture clearly reveals that it was <b>God's plan all along to <i>subject </i>humanity to futility and corruption (and the lessons that are learned from that experience) in order to free it at a later time and bring us all into the "glorious liberty of the children of God." There is no "accidental" fall implied here, or one that occurred due to man's supposedly "free" choice. It was GOD'S plan from the beginning.</b></span></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB">For me there are partial answers here to "What is the purpose of life?", "Why suffering?" and "Did God create evil?"<b><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB">It is said that there is a book in each of us. Instead of writing a book I've developed a couple of blogs. The story continues in "About this blog" above.</span></span><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB">Iron sharpens iron - I'm always interested in sharing with the thoughts of others.</span></span><br />
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</div></div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-59560921010654040092011-05-28T14:00:00.000-07:002011-05-29T12:45:16.062-07:00God of Surprises<h3></h3><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia;">One of the first books I read in 1996 after recognising the need to reconsider just about everything I had ever believed was God of Surprises by Gerard Hughes. I journalled my thoughts at the time and I've quoted a few of them here - a reflection of where I was on the journey about 15 years ago.</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
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</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia;">It is our <b>inner life</b> created by the interaction of <b>all</b> our <b>relationships</b> and all the decisions that we have made that affect our perception of the world, and determine our actions and reactions to it. We need to understand something of our own feelings - many of which are deeply buried!</span><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia;">What is our <b>motivation</b>? Do we have a vocation and the courage to live out our convictions?</span><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
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</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia;">Until we find ourselves, God will remain remote and shadowy - we find God in and through the development of human relationships. Remember that it is God who finds us and enables us to respond to his calling.</span><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
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</span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia;">Iron sharpens iron</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia;"> - the need to <b>ask questions</b>! A real encounter with God and the subsequent potential often requires an <b>earthquake</b> - that can lead to <b>freedom and liberation</b> - a gradual peeling away of some of the layers of the onion. But this in turn can lead to a lack of security - and the temptation to stop questioning may be strong! The inner darkness will begin to be illuminated in different ways - some through head knowledge - others through heart awareness!</span><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
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</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia;">There is a need for a <b>felt knowledge of God</b> which affects the way we see ourselves, other people and the world around us - freeing us from the <b>ought</b>'s and <b>should</b>'s which have inhibited the development of our own personalities. Don't be afraid of negative thoughts and feelings - we can learn so much from them! Learn to appreciate the world around us - it is amazing!</span><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
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</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia;">We were created for God, and our hearts will remain restless until we find him! Be still and listen - accept the invitation to grow and change! But remember that there is a time and a place for anger and negative emotions - we can learn from the good and the bad - painful moods and feelings can be very creative. Learn to appreciate the good feelings and remember them - anchors for times f trouble! We need humility - a true sense of perspective - so that we can grow!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-47723435944809716632011-05-28T12:00:00.000-07:002011-05-29T23:04:34.768-07:00New Testament Christianity by J B Phillips<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This book was written some 50 years ago. I have a particular affinity to Phillips (an Anglican) whose "The New Testament in Modern English" was published in 1958. He had begun his work of translation in 1941 and received strong encouragement from C S Lewis. It was in 1947 that "Letters to Young Churches" was published, followed by "The Gospels in Modern English" five years later. In 1967 his book "Ring of Truth - A Translator's Testimony" was published. I use other translations of the New Testament but it is Phillips' that I constantly turn to.</i><b><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></b></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">The visited planet</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – God became one of us – followed by the invasion of the Holy Spirit!</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">The modern church is rarely making any real impact upon the modern pattern of living – it has lost its vision – reduced to a dreary and unattractive duty / performance! <i>(And this was written some 50 years ago!)</i>. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">The things that are not seen are eternal – <b> a missing dimension</b>! Jesus has the words of eternal life! </span><span lang="EN-GB">The coming of the Messiah – then the resurrection!</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Faith</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> has degenerated into a rather dogged holding on to something we believe to be true!<br />
If instead we think of <b> the x-faculty</b> as that which enables us to appreciate this extra dimension, we can see how it has deteriorated over the years and in many people has become almost atrophied – hence the loss of spiritual power. <b>Without faith it is impossible to please God</b> – because we will be out of harmony with God’s plan and purpose. Jesus was seen as a Master over unseen forces – but if there was unbelief … a challenge to <b>knock, seek, ask</b> … The essential need to be in touch with the essential resources of God. Jesus taught that <b> we can live without fear and worry</b> if we recognise that Father is in charge – he who hears and believes <i>(a big difference between belief and trust?)</i> has eternal life <u>now</u> – something quite different from a desperate effort to believe! </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">The burden of preaching in the book of Acts seems to be on grasping the faith faculty (not on man’s depravity). <b>Repentance </b>– <i>Metanoia</i> – doesn’t necessarily mean being sorry for our sins, but a <u>fundamental change of outlook</u>. God and his plan were now knowable – people were <b> empowered and transformed by the Spirit</b>. The Young Church was full of divine energy and wisdom – in line with God’s purpose! Works as a result of faith! </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Faith</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> = grasping a reality – a whole dimension of reality that we cannot see with our fleshly senses.<br />
</span><u><span lang="EN-GB">Justification by faith</span></u><span lang="EN-GB"> – belief in the Atonement! It involves a personal commitment. Accepting such an action as a fait accompli is only possible by this perceptive faculty of faith (not mere intellectual ascent). It requires <i>metanoia</i> – a revolution in outlook of both <b>mind and heart</b> – Good News!<br />
Thus <u>justification by faith</u> = acceptance of forgiveness and reconciliation and the total abandonment of efforts at self-justification.</span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Saved by grace through faith</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – a gift of God that should result in joy and certainty – if there is wholehearted acceptance of this grace (instead of wavering hopefulness).<br />
The NT doesn’t dwell on man’s sinfulness (even though it was sometimes necessary to remind people of what they were), but an encouraging looking forward to what they might become through the grace and power of God.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Do we allow Jesus to live in us?</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> In the NT people are sometimes suddenly and sometimes step-by-step transformed. God is prepared to live within the personalities of those who use their faculty of faith toward Him (Col 1.26-27). In Paul’s writings we do not read of Jesus as an example who died and must be followed and imitated – but that he is ready to enter and transform those who believe. And if modern Christians refuse to believe this inward miracle it is not surprising that the Christian life becomes a dreary drudge. <b>Real faith</b> involves the bold exploration of God’s resources, knowing that we are not in our permanent home. The need to <b>fight the good fight of faith</b> (any assault by spiritual enemies will be on the faculty of faith) – it will not always be easy to believe. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<u><span lang="EN-GB">How do we begin to really use the faculty of faith</span></u><span lang="EN-GB">?</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">A neglected capacity to believe, to reach out to appropriate His resources. Are we really attuned to unseen realities?</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Be still and listen – a minimum of 15 minutes a day – essential for spiritual health – preferably in fellowship</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Study of the NT</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Knock, Seek, Ask – it is up to us to make use of what is made available to us – lay up treasure in heaven</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Walk by faith and not by sight – it won’t always be easy.</span></li>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Living without hope</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – many people conditioned by all that goes on around them, live without hope. This is so different to the optimism around 1900 especially in Britain – that was soon to be shattered. The realities of life don’t give much hope – beware of wishful thinking – are we prepared to face realities? Nothing could quench the hope of the Young Church despite the societies in which they lived – they knew that <u>death was a defeated enemy</u> (for Christian martyrs, death was not a disaster). </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Only comparatively recently has the centre of our faith become more earthbound – concerned for all the social problems! Many problems remain unresolved. There are serious limitations that result from our free will! What place optimistic humanism? <i>If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable </i>(1Cor 15.19). [There is no place for corporate Christianity?].<br />
We can’t avoid the painful tension throughout our earthly life.<br />
There seems to be no evidence in the NT that the end of this earthly experiment that we call life, will result in worldwide acceptance of Christ and the universal establishment of His kingdom.<br />
Some use “<i>For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea</i>” (Hab 2.14) – but is this really a prophecy of the universal acceptance of Christ?<br />
Some use Rev 11.15 – <i>The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord</i> – but what about v18? </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">The Young Church (Paul in particular) expected the Second Coming in his lifetime – the hope may have been deferred but was always implicit in their thinking.<br />
The world is a temporary stage … life as a preparation … (something we understand when we are <u>aligned with the purpose of life</u> – at one with the timeless life of the universe). But even the Christian for all this satisfying and hopeful conviction does not know the meaning of the mystery of life – and if he is wise he doesn’t pretend to. There are many gaps – one day we will understand!<br />
In the NT the coming of Christ is a blessed hope of intervention, not a personal appearance at a Utopian celebration.<br />
<b> Beware of putting God back in the past – life has moved on – the journey continues</b> …<br />
We have moved beyond the monastic quiet and the simplicity of a pastoral generation. God is either a present help or He is not much help at all. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Love</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – God is love – <b> a concept that was unknown before the coming of the gospel</b>. The love of God in the OT was usually conditional. <b>Jesus gave love a new and deeper meaning</b>. For the Young Church nothing could separate them from the love of God. Some theology will not allow us to enjoy this beautiful simplicity – a love that is both universal and vulnerable – open hearted – generous self-giving – without conditions! [Fear = a lack of love?].<br />
[<b>How often do evangelists arouse feelings of guilt and fear</b> – then having got them miserable about their sins, point them to the Saviour <b> using texts from the OT taken out of context</b>?].<br />
The Young Church proclaimed Good News – that reconciliation had been completed – the conquest of death – the possibility of becoming God’s sons and daughters!<br />
It is when we love, even a little, that we sense a kinship with the nature of things.<br />
Consider those who love the almost unlovable!<br />
The bitterest enemies of Jesus were the respectably religious whose god was their own righteousness – and who never learned to love.<br />
The touching of reality, accidentally as it were by the normal giving of the human heart, can remain no more than a passing feeling – it’s significance can be easily missed.<br />
Unless a man is prepared to use the faculty of faith and grasp the fact that God is love, he will never rise above the level of being an ‘unconscious Christian’ – the garbled version of evangelism prevents them from associating that love with God!</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Beware of <u>imitating love</u> for those we really don’t like – those who get on our nerves or rub us up the wrong way – the need for prayer to change the situation.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">The need to give <u>ourselves</u> despite the risk of being hurt or misunderstood.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Beware of the temptation to hate self (this hate is so easily projected onto others). We have been called to love our neighbours as ourselves – the need to make allowances for each other – voluntary self-giving, but not self-contempt!</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">God doesn’t wait for our perfection before He can use us – growth and transformation take a lifetime.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Better to laugh at ourselves as self-important little idiots, than despise ourselves as sinners.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Beware of separating love of God from the love of people (who are often difficult to love).</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">The final judgment (Matt 25.31-46) – the way we treat others is a reflection of the way we treat Christ.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">The parable of the two debtors (Matt 18.23-35) – makes it very clear that <b> God will not forgive us our sins unless we are prepared to forgive others</b> (see Mark 11.26; Matt 6.14-15).</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">The love of God must go hand in hand with the love of fellow men.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Beware of thinking that people are not worth loving – <b> are we worth loving</b>? Do we have a sense of first being loved and then being willing to give ourselves in love? How many are willing to go into the messy places of human life to bring the light and order of Christ?</span></li>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">The love deficiency</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – <b> love casts out fear</b> but <u>fear casts out love</u> – <b> so much goodwill has been driven out.</b> The best of human schemes fails through sheer lack of love to implement them. The need for <u>real fellowship</u>! People can only be loved into the kingdom of God.<br />
Without love there can be no worthwhile success and certainly no real security. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Peace I leave with you</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">, my peace I give you – an inner tranquillity and stability – not just the absence of strife or conflict, nor a lack of sensitivity or complacent self-satisfaction – but life now is so much more of a rush! Peace as a positive <b>gift</b> – not something we can achieve – but we do need some self-examination.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Beware of selfishness and self-centredness – it’s something we only learn gradually as a result of willing cooperation</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">God’s concern is harmony and inner healing</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Do we allow the love of God to penetrate every corner of our being</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Accept our <u>own</u> limitations and look out for the resources that God supplies – and don’t look too far ahead</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span lang="EN-GB">Remember that being aligned to God’s plan is part of a <u>dynamic</u> process – are we doing what Father wants us to do?</span></li>
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>Christian maintenance 24/7<br />
</b>Be still and listen – daily! Remember that Father loves us<br />
Forgiveness … worship … prayer … Creation is incredible … don’t forget to show appreciation … be positive! What place intercession? What can I do for others?<br />
<b> The church as a fellowship of those who are being transformed</b>. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Christian service</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – the early Christians were pioneers of a new way of life – there was nothing inward looking or any sense of self-satisfaction. Where is the sense of vocation – instruments of God’s purpose – as ambassadors of a different way of life?<br />
Busyness in church affairs is not the answer! </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Some conclusions<br />
</b>There is a willingness among young people to give themselves sacrificially.<br />
A refreshed fellowship would be an effective witness to a largely despairing world.<br />
<b> A divided Christendom is a major barrier</b>.<br />
The modern evangelistic technique of arousing sin and guilt … leads to many problems – it’s like another religion!<br />
<b> The need to be saved from materialism and hopelessness rather than from the sins the evangelists denounce</b>. Most people are not so much sinful as bewildered. They need to be shown Christ as He really is. If they attempt to follow they will soon realise that there is much in their lives that needs to be forgiven and that without the Spirit the new life remains an unattainable ideal i.e. they will find that they are <u>sinners</u>!<br />
But I am quite certain that it is a profound mistake psychologically, spiritually and in every other sort of way to begin by telling people about their sins …<br />
What a difference it would make if all those who are called to caring professions could be aware that they were doing this work, not merely in obedience to a vague ideal, but for the love of Christ and in the fellowship of his church.<br />
<b> Perhaps the time is not too far distant when the bankruptcy of scientific achievement to solve human problems will become increasingly obvious</b>.</span> </div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-11097170719833355582011-05-25T18:00:00.000-07:002011-05-29T04:57:20.550-07:00The Gospel Message - a personal view<div class="post-header"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>A personal view that may leave more questions than answers!</i> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Something like half of the gospel narratives are taken up by the last week of Jesus' life. My summary of the gospel message (using John's gospel) concentrates on what preceded the 'last supper'.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The gospels were written many years after the events. Each of the gospels was written from a different perspective. <b>Mark</b> seems to have been written for non-Jewish readers – probably in Rome. <b>Luke</b> wrote ‘an orderly account’ that would have appealed to Greek minds. The emphasis of <b>Matthew</b> is on Jesus as the <b>Messiah</b> (written primarily for Jews). The emphasis of <b>John</b> is on the deity of Jesus – an emphasis on what Jesus said rather than what he did.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<i>Jesus gave a great many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not recorded in this book. <b>But these have been written so that you may <span style="color: red;"> believe</span> that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, and that in that faith you may have life through his name</b>. </i>(John 20.31 - J.B. Phillips). (John had been selective).<br />
[Believe in English is a bit weak. Maybe <b><span style="color: red;">trust</span></b> would be more appropriate - when trust is seen as the fruit of a friendship].</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In the beginning . . . (John 1.1on)<br />
There is none of the mounting tension of the other gospels – Jesus is recognised as the Messiah.<br />
Then the village wedding and the confrontation with the moneychangers in the Temple – "Destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days".<br />
Nicodemus and the need to be born again!</div><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i></b><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>The Son of Man must be lifted above the heads of men – as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert – so that any man who <span style="color: red;"> believes</span> in him may have eternal life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who <span style="color: red;"> believes</span> in him should not be lost, but should have eternal life. God has not sent his Son into the world <u>to pass sentence upon it</u>, but to save it – through him. Any man who <span style="color: red;"> believes</span> in him is not <u>judged</u> at all. It is the one who <u>will not believe</u> who stands already <u>condemned</u>, because he will not believe in the character of God’s only Son. This is the judgment – that light has entered the world and men have preferred darkness to light because their deeds were evil. Everybody who does wrong hates the light and keeps away from it, for fear his deeds may be exposed. But everybody who is living by the truth will come to the light to make it plain that all he has done has been done through God. </i></b>(John 3.14-21 J.B.Phillips).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I find that this one passage raises a lot of questions - that need to be considered <a href="http://thegardenofgrace.blogspot.com/2010/11/john-314-21.html"><b>separately</b></a>. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Son of man had to be lifted up - <b>the Saviour</b> - just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.<br />
<b>The love of God</b>. Light entered the world - but men prefer darkness because their deeds are evil (John 3.19) - <b><u>the light of the world</u>.</b><br />
Those who <span style="color: red;"> believe</span> Jesus have eternal life (John 3.36) - but some <u>refuse</u> to believe [unable to trust?].<br />
The precepts of men are useless - the legalism of the Pharisees was being replaced by the love of God (<b>how much legalism has since been re-instated</b>?)<br />
We must worship God in the way that he desires (<b>what is worship</b>?)<br />
Those who listen and <b>trust</b> in the one whom God sent have <u> already</u> passed from death to life - Jesus was the true witness!<br />
<u>The work of God</u> is to <span style="color: red;"> believe</span> in the one whom he has sent to you.<br />
<b>The bread of God</b> which comes down from heaven gives life to the world (John 6.33).<br />
I am <b>the bread of life </b>. . . (John 6.35on)<br />
<u>The will of God is that everyone who sees Jesus and <span style="color: red;"> trusts</span> him shall have eternal life</u><br />
<b>John 6.44 &65</b> - those who <u>hear</u> and <u>learn</u> are <u> drawn by God</u>.<br />
I am<b> the living bread </b>which came down from heaven - <u>unless</u> you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you (John 6.53)<br />
<u> It is the Spirit which gives life</u>. The flesh will not help you. The things which I have told you are <u>spiritual</u> and are life (John 6.63)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Many drew back - but Peter knew that Jesus had the words of eternal life (John 6.69)<br />
The world hates me because I testify of it that <u>its works are evil</u> (John 7.7).</div><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </b><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The need to consider the real meaning of <a href="http://thegardenofgrace.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-is-sin.html">sin</a> and <a href="http://thegardenofgrace.blogspot.com/2011/02/repentance.html">repentance</a></b>.<br />
We are all slaves of sin - slaves have no permanent place in a household - but children do!<br />
<b>Those who are faithful will know the truth - and the truth will set us free</b>! [<b>Adoption!</b>]<br />
We live in a sinful world that is so very selfish and self-centred!<br />
There surely has to be <u><b>a purpose for life</b></u> - <u>only those who hear the words of God can begin to understand</u> - the significance of parables! How well do we understand them and how often are they misinterpreted?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">John 11.45 on - the raising of Lazarus led to deadly hostility. The Pharisees were concerned about their own position - political expediency! The comments of Caiaphas - "a good thing for us if one man should die for the sake of the people" - can be taken two ways!<i><br />
How significant is it that people in positions of authority are always vulnerable, and almost always want to hang on to power?</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It was six days before the Passover that Jesus came to Bethany – the expensive perfume – many Jews knew where Jesus was and met him with branches of palm on his way to Jerusalem – ‘your king is coming sitting on an ass’s colt’ (Zech 9.9) – something else that the disciples didn’t understand until later.<br />
Jesus told them, "<i>The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain of wheat; but if it dies, it brings a good harvest. The man who loves his own life will destroy it, and the man who hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. If a man wants to enter my service, he must follow my way; and where I am, my servant will also be. <u>And my Father will honour every man who enters my service</u>.</i><br />
<i>Now comes my hour of heartbreak, and what can I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very purpose that I came to this hour. ‘Father, honour your own name!’"</i><br />
<i>At this there came a voice from heaven, ‘I have honoured it and I will honour it again!’</i><br />
<i>Then Jesus said, "That voice came for your sake, not for mine. <u>Now is the time for the judgment of the world to begin</u>, and now will the spirit that rules the world [</i>selfishness and self-centredness<i>] be driven out. As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth, <b>I will draw all men to myself</b>.</i>" (12.23-32).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>You must believe in the light while you have the light, that you may become the sons of light</i> (12.36). But although Jesus had given so many signs the people (who were and still are <b>blind</b> and with <b>hardened</b> <b>hearts</b>) did not believe (Isa 53.1; 6.10) – nevertheless many even of the authorities did believe in him but would not admit it for fear of the Pharisees, in case they were excommunicated. <u>They were more concerned to have the approval of men than to have the approval of God</u>.<br />
Later Jesus cried aloud, "Every man who <span style="color: red;"> believes</span> in me, is <span style="color: red;"> believing</span> in the one who sent me; and every man who sees me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that no one who <b><span style="color: red;">trusts</span></b> in me need remain in the dark. <u>Yet, if anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him – for I did not come to judge the world but to save it</u>. <b>Every man who rejects me and will not accept my sayings has a judge – at the last day, the very words that I have spoken, will be his judge</b> <i>(this suggests to me that this is only referring to those who have heard the truth and rejected it - I would also want to question when that judgment takes place). </i>For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and what to speak. And I know that what he commands means eternal life. All that I say I speak only in accordance with what the Father has told me" (12.44-50).<br />
Before the festival of the Passover began, Jesus realised that the time had come for him to leave this world and return to the Father. He had loved those who were his own in this world and he loved them to the end (13.1).</div><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <br />
Then comes the "last Supper" and all that followed.<br />
</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">At this point it might be appropriate to pick up a few points from the other gospels:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jesus taught in parables such that their minds could take in; everything explained to the disciples; some would see and hear and not understand (compare this with Romans 1).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Consider the parable of the sower!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Sheep without a shepherd! Beware of the traditions of men. What is our role?</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Healing is from the inside out</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">! We need God's perspective.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Are we prepared to take up the cross and follow - and aim to glorify God in all that we do?.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Listen to Jesus! Don't disturb the faith of others!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The importance of marriage (Mark 10)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Jesus came to serve - the servant of all - we have to accept like a child.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Jesus would expose the secret thoughts of many - not welcome!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The prophesied </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">redeemer</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> who would baptise with the fire of the Holy Spirit - separating the wheat from the chaff and </span><u style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">burning the chaff</u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> - liberty and release for the captives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> We have an example to follow - the need to be building on a proper foundation - unless we realise our own desperate and helpless position without Jesus we will not be much good to others. Once we put our hand to the plough we cannot look back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Lambs amongst wolves - </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">a great harvest but only a few are working in it</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">. The need to count the cost.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Remember Mary and Martha</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Allow God's Spirit to guide what we say when opportunities arise, but be </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">prepared for persecution</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Life does not depend on material possessions - but as stewards we need to be responsible for what we have been given to look after (the parable of the pounds). Are we preparing for the banquet?</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The parable of the lost sheep - what about those who have fallen away? The Challenge!</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The kingdom of God never comes by watching for it - </span><u style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>the kingdom of God is inside you</b></u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> When Jesus returns life will be as it was in the days of Noah - the example of Sodom and Lot - all will be destroyed - no time to turn back - whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The parable of the vineyard - to be handed over to others - directed at the Pharisees - but then what happens to the dry bones?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The warnings of what would happen before Jesus returns!</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">From Matthew</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">: Jesus as the prophesied Messiah - the virgin birth - John the Baptist - the voice in the wilderness - Satan's challenge - 'Man shall not live by bread alone''.</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> There is so much in<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1773898741"> </a><a href="http://thegardenofgrace.blogspot.com/2010/11/matthew-5-6-7.html"> Matt 5, 6 and 7</a></b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> (a separate consideration!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Beware of preaching to those who do not appreciate it - the need for a sure foundation. Jesus had authority and compassion - sheep without a shepherd - the harvest is there but the reapers are few - the need for </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">a living sacrifice</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> - Jesus didn't come to bring peace but a sword.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Come to me all who are weary and overburdened and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke!</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is when we are struggling - maybe depressed and discouraged - that we are invited to 'rest' and told that the yoke is easy - a time when perhaps we are open to God's Spirit.</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> We are what we think - out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Beware of careless words!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Part of the family if we follow obediently.</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The parables of Matt 13 </b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> - it could be that only those who continue to be defiant will be thrown into the blazing furnace - with tears of bitter regret as they realise what is happening? but then destroyed?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Old and new wine - knowledge of the old and new covenants?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The parable of the lost sheep - </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>it is not the will of my Father that one of these little ones should perish</u>.</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The importance of </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">praying together</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The labourers in the vineyard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The landowner who planted a vineyard - the need for proper fruit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Invitations to the wedding feast!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Beware of those who 'lead' - </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">we only have one leader</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> - Jesus!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The importance of humility. </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Beware of blind guides</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> There will be </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">many false teachers</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> A time of </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">tribulation</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> when many will fall away -</span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> love will grow cold</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The separation of the sheep from the goats when Jesus returns. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>I wrote this some years ago. If I was writing it now I would have made a few adjustments. </i> </span>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-43505767615144305622011-05-25T17:55:00.000-07:002011-05-29T04:45:56.252-07:00John 3.14-21<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.<br />
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes [trusts?] in him should not <span style="color: magenta;">perish</span> but have eternal life.<br />
For God sent the Son into the world, not to <span style="color: red;">condemn</span> the world, but that the world might be <span style="color: magenta;">saved</span> through him. He who believes in him is not <span style="color: red;">condemned</span>; he who does not believe is <span style="color: red;">condemned</span> already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.<br />
But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God</b>. (John 3.14-21 – RSV – the KJV is very similar)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This passage for me raises a number of questions. Jesus didn't come to <b>judge</b> but to <b>save</b>! Sinners need a <b>Saviour</b> but what happens when people are unaware of their need for a Saviour? I feel that there is a need to understand the real meaning of <b>sin</b> and what it means to be <b>adopted</b>.<b><br />
Damned</b> and <b> condemned</b> come from the same Greek words that are related to <u><b>judgment</b></u>. Consider for a moment your own children or grandchildren. Would you damn or condemn them <u>forever</u> if they didn’t ‘toe the line’, or would you judge them and hope that they would change?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I frequently use the J B Phillips translation – for these verses there are some differences:<b><i><br />
The Son of Man must be lifted above the heads of men – as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert – so that any man who believes in him may have eternal life.<br />
For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not be <span style="color: magenta;">lost</span>, but should have eternal life.<br />
God has not sent his Son into the world <u><span style="color: red;">to pass sentence</span></u> upon it, but to <u><span style="color: magenta;">save</span></u> it – through him. Any man who believes in him is not <u><span style="color: red;">judged</span></u> at all. It is the one who <u>will not believe</u> who stands already <u><span style="color: red;">condemned</span></u>, because he will not believe in the character of God’s only Son. This is the judgment – that light has entered the world and men have preferred darkness to light because their deeds were evil. Everybody who does wrong hates the light and keeps away from it, for fear his deeds may be exposed. But everybody who is living by the truth will come to the light to make it plain that all he has done has been done through God. </i></b>(John 3.14-21).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For <span style="color: magenta;">perish</span> Strong’s suggests destroy fully or lose.<br />
In the RSV and KJV the words <span style="color: red;">condemn</span> or <span style="color: red;">condemned</span> are used three times. According to Strong’s there are several different meanings for condemn including to distinguish, try, condemn, punish, determine, judge, <span style="color: red;">call in question</span>, sentence to, think – <span style="color: red;">an implication of justice</span>.<br />
The word <span style="color: magenta;">save</span> has meanings of save, deliver or protect.<br />
The word <span style="color: red;">damned</span> appears only three times in the NT. Damned and condemned come from the same Greek words that are related to judgment.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We have all sinned and fallen short, whether we realise it or not (it's worth considering that the Orthodox Church belief is that sin is a sickness). Those who believe will inherit eternal life. It is not clear from scripture what happens when we die, but there seems to me to be the possibility that between death and judgment there will be a chance to repent and believe.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">[Consider John 3.36 – <u>wrath</u> of God – Phillips uses <u>anger</u> of God – could be translated as God’s displeasure rather than anger or indignation?].</div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-43018914649177744022011-05-25T17:50:00.000-07:002011-05-29T04:43:30.036-07:00What is SIN?<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">This is a question that had puzzled me for many years.<br />
If Jesus was without sin, does this mean that Jesus was never a ‘naughty little boy’?<br />
How do we explain 1John 3.9:</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><br />
<i>Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.</i> </span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The following quote from an Internet forum would I feel, sum up the beliefs of many:<br />
<i>Repentance will involve confessing my actions, words or thoughts to God as nothing less than disobedience and asking His forgiveness, and might include having to approach someone I have harmed with a similar attitude. After this humbling experience, I must do all I can to change my ways, to ‘put sin to death’, to remove temptation from my path, knowing that He will meet that effort with the enabling of His Holy Spirit. God is faithful to forgive sins on this basis. (This does not mean final victory over sin in a particular area, but it is a necessary and progressive step in the process of sanctification, of being transformed into His image and set apart for Him alone).</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">A few years ago I attended a meeting organised by a well known Reformed Charismatic church where I was told that Jesus had died because we had all sinned. I asked for their definition of sin. This caused some consternation and the suggestion that if I really knew my Bible I wouldn’t be asking such a question. Later in a one-to-one conversation I was surprised at the vehemence with which I was told that I needed to recognise that <b>God is offended with us</b>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Anyone who has read “<a href="http://theroomofgrace.blogspot.com/2010/09/follow-me.html"><b>Follow me</b></a>”, “<a href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/peter-stanley/hell.html"><b>The Battle over Hell</b></a>” and “<a href="http://theroomofgrace.blogspot.com/2010/08/story-of-life-possible-scenarios.html"><b>The Story of Life – possible scenarios</b></a>” will know that I cannot accept this view of Christianity. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>So what is sin? </b>There have been so many conflicting attempts to define it!<br />
<i>This was written by Bob Harkema and seems to sum up so much of my own understanding:<br />
</i>What we typically call sin are things like sex, drugs, rock'n roll etc, but they are really the fruits of sin (<i>that I tend to think of as ' missing the mark of what God created us to be</i>). Just like the evidence of love, joy, peace, kindness, etc are the fruits of the Spirit whose source is <b>the tree of life</b> (Jesus), so the evidence of hate, evil, selfishness, etc are the fruits of <b>the tree of the knowledge of good and evil </b>(sin). Some refer to it as living in Christ consciousness or living in sin consciousness. Since Jesus conquered both sin and spiritual death for us 2000 years ago we can live in Christ consciousness now.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">So sin now results in the illusion that causes us to think that God does not love us, that he has separated himself from us, that he loves us less because of some action we took. Once we believe that lie we begin acting and reacting inappropriately. We then adopt actions and attitudes in a vain attempt to fill a void that in reality doesn't even exist. We walk blindly into the darkness of delusion, convinced that we must be unlovable, unsavable and unworthy. It becomes all too easy to stay in the darkness (shadow); the rejection is just too painful to risk again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">It is only when we reject the lie, that we turn into the light of the truth that we are loved beyond measure that we once again turn from sorrow to joy. Accepting the truth that God is always with us, that he always loves us, that he will never leave us, will transform us from death to life, from sorrow to joy, from tears to smiles.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">God does not separate himself from us because of sin, we separate ourselves from him (or at least we think we do) because we think we are not worthy to be in his presence. We suffer from shame. Once we realise that he always, always loves us and we can live in his affection and seek him, that is what <b>repentance</b> is, we changed our mind about how much God loves us.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Change your mind about God. He has always loved you. He has always been with you. Don't believe the lie that you are rejected, unacceptable, unloved! You are worthy! Nothing can separate you from his love. And if you are worthy of his love, then you are worthy of your families love, your children's love, your spouses love, your neighbours love. And even your worst enemy is worthy of your love!</span></div><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When we live in the light of that truth we are regenerated and transformed. It changes the way we relate to God and people. When we doubt that truth we live in shadow and darkness and stumble along in life running into things that damage ourselves and others.</span>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-52859177829712227412011-05-25T17:45:00.000-07:002011-05-29T04:44:25.786-07:00Repentance<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Many Christians think of repentance as abandoning an old way of life, ceasing to sin and ‘turning around and going the other way’. Many set out with the best of intentions to change their ways.<br />
In some churches there seems to be a constant message of, “You could do better”. Some people feel that there is a vicious circle of commitment, failure and despair. The frustration and despair deepens, and they find themselves wondering if they could have ever really repented, or whether their repentance was ‘deep enough’ or ‘heart-felt enough’ or ‘true’ enough, and even whether they really have God’s Spirit and whether they have really been saved. Some just seem to throw in the towel and walk away!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">How many people are subject to weekly ‘guilt trips’? Does this fit with a God of <b>love</b> who has already <b> redeemed</b> the world? Do we really have to choose between heaven and hell?<br />
Do we really have to beat ourselves up because of <b>sin</b> or is it the stuff that hinders a closer relationship with God?<br />
Surely <b>repentance toward God is simply not about a new and improved you</b>! There is no way that we can put <b>sin</b> out of our lives. <b>Repentance is a change of the way we think</b>. It is a change of perspective, from seeing our own importance to seeing God as the centre of the universe and trusting our life to him. But we can only do this when we recognise that we can do nothing worthwhile in our own strength.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">When we realise that God has simply decided to write off our lifetime of selfish arrogance, all our lies, all our cruelty, all our pride, lust, betrayals and meanness – all of our evil thoughts, deeds and plans, we have a choice to make. We can praise God and thank him for his indescribable love, or we can continue in the ‘rat-race’ of life!<br />
Consider that the lost sheep did not find itself – the shepherd went looking for it!<br />
Consider the Prodigal son – forgiven, redeemed and fully accepted purely on the basis of his father’s lavish <b>grace</b>!</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">It is the law that shows us we are sinners (Rom 7.7) – it shows us where we fall short – slaves to sin and its consequences – we cannot clean ourselves up (1Peter 5.10-11). Sin hurts and destroys us and everyone around us. It springs from unbelief and selfish rebellion – it saps us of true life and imprisons us in darkness – sin hurts like hell!<br />
We have been given the gift of freedom and empowerment. We can still make mistakes but we will continue to be welcome at the banquet – as long as we don’t try to wear our own clothes.</span> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">It’s probably worth considering what our reactions would be to our own rebellious children! Nothing can separate us from the love of God!</span> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The following quote must be true for many Christians <i>"<span style="background-color: yellow;">When I was converted this self interest never received the fatal blow that would have come through deep repentance - and consequently building on a shaky foundation led to years of inner conflict". </span></i> </div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-92198030813314964162011-05-25T17:40:00.000-07:002011-05-29T04:45:12.161-07:00Matthew 5 6 & 7<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB">Follow me and I will make you fishers of men</span></i></b><span lang="EN-GB"> (Matt 4.19)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><b><u><span lang="EN-GB">Matt 5</span></u></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – Jesus taught with authority.<br />
3. Blessed (or happy) are the poor in spirit – those who know their need for God – the kingdom of God is theirs.<br />
4. Blessed are those who mourn – those who know what sorrow means – they will be given courage and comfort.<br />
5. Blessed are those who are meek (humble) and claim nothing – the whole earth will belong to them.<br />
6. Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness or true goodness – they will be fully satisfied.<br />
7. Blessed are the merciful – they will have mercy shown to them<br />
8. Blessed are the pure in heart – those who are utterly sincere – they will see God<br />
9. Blessed are those who make peace – salt of the earth – a seasoning agent – they will be known as the sons of God – the need to let our light shine – ambassadors of a different way of life.<br />
10. Blessed are those who suffer persecution for the cause of goodness – the kingdom of heaven is theirs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew [already] to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> (1Peter 1.3-5)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The law of God is something beyond the goodness of the scribes and Pharisees – that will not pass away until all is accomplished. Beware of <u>anger</u> and contempt for others – ready to apologise – the importance of sincerity – a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ – turn the other cheek – no thoughts of revenge – don’t turn away from a man who wants to borrow – love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (the way to be sons of God) – the need to love those outside of our own circle – the challenge of being perfect (spiritually mature?) as our heavenly Father is perfect.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB">Matt 6</span></u></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – let our giving be inconspicuous – pray privately without too many words – Father knows our needs before we even ask.</span><b><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Father, may your name be honoured, your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day the bread we need for the day. Forgive us what we owe to you as we have forgiven those who owe us anything. Keep us clear of temptation and save us from evil</span></i><span lang="EN-GB">.</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Forgiveness of others is essential. Fasting in secret as an act of worship!<br />
Trust God – wherever our treasure is, is where our heart will be – a body full of light? – we cannot serve two masters – the importance of <u>life</u>! Consider the birds and the flowers! Set your heart on his kingdom and his goodness and all these things will come to you. Stop worrying about tomorrow – don’t let worldly cares become anxieties – one day at a time!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB">Matt 7</span></u></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – we will be <u>judged</u> by the way we <u>criticise</u> others – the need to get our own house in order – don’t throw your pearls before pigs – they may trample them underfoot and turn and attack you.<br />
Ask and it will be given to you. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened for you. Treat others as you would like to be treated by them.<br />
The narrow gate and the hard road lead out into life and only a few are finding it.<br />
Beware of false religious teachers. Every good tree produces sound fruit (good works are not necessarily good fruit). The tree that fails to produce good fruit is cut down and burnt (purification by fire?).<br />
It is not everyone who keeps saying to me, “Lord, Lord” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the man who actually does my heavenly Father’s will – like the sensible man who builds his house on rock.<i> </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Unless the Lord shall build the house</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> …</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Coming out of Babylon</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – one group continues to use <u>intellect, logic and reason</u> while the other is <u>learning to hear God and obey</u> – the two trees – good works or the will of Father?<br />
What place visions as <u>parables for today</u> that only a few will understand?<br />
One builds with bricks and mortar, the other builds <u>living stones</u> – spiritual growth!<br />
Until we focus on the <u>vertical</u> relationship with Father, there can be no meaningful <u>horizontal</u> relationships! </span> </div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-88203847394509473432011-05-24T12:00:00.000-07:002011-05-29T04:38:37.258-07:00The Core of the Gospel Message<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A few thoughts that I have put together over a period of many years:<i><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> (John 1.1-5).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB">These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name</span></i></b><span lang="EN-GB"> (John 20.31).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">Who is Jesus - and what is the message of the gospel</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">?</span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Jesus made some extravagant claims</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: <br />
He claimed to forgive sins (Mark 2.5)<br />
He claimed to be the Messiah and the Son of God (Mark 14.61-62)<br />
He claimed that he will judge the world (Matt 25.31-32)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Jesus reveals his identity: </span></b><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
I am the bread of life (John 6.35)<br />
I am the light of the world (John 8.12)<br />
I am the resurrection and the life (John 11.25-26)<br />
I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14.6)<br />
To have seen me is to have seen God (John 14.9)<br />
Before Abraham was <b> I AM</b> (John 8.58)<br />
I and the Father are one (John 10.30)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: red;">Jesus desires a relationship</span>:</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Come to me all who are heavy laden (Matt 11.28-29)<br />
Follow me (Matt 4.19)<br />
Love Me (Matt 10.37; Luke 14.26)<br />
<br />
</span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">JESUS CHRIST</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"> - the MESSIAH - the ANOINTED ONE - the LIVING HEAD of the CHURCH - the IMAGE of the INVISIBLE GOD - the prophesied SAVIOUR who died for our sins - who was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven - the REDEEMER who mediates between humanity and the Father - the LAMB without blemish who will RETURN in glory as Lord of lords and King of kings - the WORD of GOD - IMMANUEL - God with us.<b><br />
<br />
The WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE<br />
The BREAD of LIFE - The LIGHT of the WORLD </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">We live in a society where most people are so busy and so self-centred that they do not consider subjects like <b>SIN, SELFISHNESS, REPENTANCE, GRACE, FORGIVENESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, OBEDIENCE</b> and <b>SALVATION</b> (which requires a <i> Saviour</i>). Many are walking in darkness! Jesus on the other hand is described as <b>the light of the world</b>!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">SIN</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"> which can perhaps be considered as "</span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: red;">missing the mark or falling short of what God intended us to be</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">" - as a result of selfishness or self interest - causes a breakdown in relationships - a separation from one another - but does it really separate us from God?<br />
Consider the barriers - fear, mistrust, suspicion, prejudice, hatred, resentment, selfishness, criticism etc - barriers we erect so easily which cause broken relationships and the agonising sense of alienation which marks society today! <b>It is at this point for the Christian that the DEATH and RESURRECTION of JESUS and the message of the GOSPEL of SALVATION come into the picture. </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">Jesus took upon himself the sin and guilt of us all</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"> - an incredible sacrifice - as prophesied in the Old Testament – which frees us to know <b>the love and forgiveness of God</b> without any barriers! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">Consider the universal truths of the teaching of Jesus, his selflessness and humility – great nobility yet great self-sacrifice – Lord and servant – misunderstood and misrepresented – despised and rejected – <b>the fulfilment of Old Testament prophesy! </b>If <b>the resurrection</b> is true, then beyond doubt, Jesus was a unique figure – <b>the conquest of death</b> – the tomb was empty – Peter and John saw and believed – <b>the disciples were changed! </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The <b>GOSPEL</b> is the <b>MESSAGE</b> - the <b>GOOD NEWS</b> about the <b>ETERNAL </b>and <b>REAL </b> <b>Kingdom of GOD</b> - as proclaimed by Jesus - a message of <b>HOPE</b> and <b>SALVATION</b> by God’s <b>GRACE</b>, through <b>FAITH</b> in Jesus - <b>the kingdom has been inaugurated by the saving work of Jesus</b> - the good news which was preached personally by Jesus - of what God has done, is doing and will do through Jesus and the Holy Spirit - reconciling the world to himself and offering <b>forgiveness of sin and eternal life</b>. But many will not listen to the message and will even persecute those who do!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The Bible explains how God chose just <u>one</u> nation - Israel - to proclaim the coming Messiah through the prophets - the Son of God who would come in the flesh and teach <b>truth</b> and <b>forgiveness.</b> Jesus came and allowed himself to be <b>crucified.</b> He left us with the gospel of reconciliation until his return, so that we might be reconciled to God.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">What is SALVATION?<br />
</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">There are many metaphors used in the Bible such as new birth, new creation, passing from darkness to light and from prison to freedom, which all dramatically express the difference being a Christian makes - <b>deliverance from the bondage of sin and death </b>(Rom 6.18,22-23) <b>- </b>restoration of a <b>relationship with God</b> which can last for eternity - saved that we can glorify God <b>now - an incredible gift </b>- part of a royal priesthood (1Peter 2.9) - individually and collectively awaiting the marriage supper. It <b>is a gift of God, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ</b>, not <u>earned</u> by personal merit or <u>good works</u> (Eph 2.8-9). God gives salvation, not only for the present life, but for eternity - the fulfilment of God's plan and purpose - <b> a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds - who allow the Holy Spirit to produce fruits such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, tolerance and self-control </b>(Gal 5.22-23). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">GOD's PURPOSE</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"> is that all human history shall be consummated in Christ; that <u>everything</u> that exists in heaven or earth shall find its perfection in him (Eph 1.10 - Phillips). </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">To be a true Christian is often not easy, and may even bring persecution. Christians often suffer directly as a result of their belief. The need to be aware of the Great Deceiver! There is a need to maintain a <b>WHOLEHEARTED COMMITMENT</b> and obedience to what we know, rather than just being INVOLVED. As the Bible puts it we are to be <i>living sacrifices</i> to the glory of God. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"> </span><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"> </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright and Godly lives in this world, awaiting the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds (Tit 2.11-14). </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">The importance of COMMITMENT & OBEDIENCE to what we know - a <b>TRANSFORMATION </b>- maybe many TRANSITIONS - there is a <b>cost </b>- <b>a living sacrifice</b> as friends who know what the Master is doing – do we <u>really</u> know? <b>A call to endurance</b>!</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">All who follow the leading of God's Spirit are God's own sons. Nor are you meant to relapse into the old slavish attitude of fear - you have been </span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: red;">adopted into the very family circle of God</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"> and you can say with a full heart, "Father, my Father". The Spirit himself endorses our inward conviction that we really are the children of God. Think what that means. If we are his children then we are God's heirs, and all that Christ inherits will belong to all of us as well! Yes, if we share in his </span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: red;">sufferings</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"> we shall certainly share in his glory. (Rom 8.14-17).</span></b></i> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;">It's all part of a <b>life long journey</b> - <b>living loved and sharing that love with one another</b>!</span> </div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-87384107993010069492011-05-24T11:55:00.000-07:002011-05-29T08:00:20.691-07:00Prayer and the Purpose of Life<div class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i>An emphasis on the need for a sound foundation for those who are part of the priesthood of all believers?</i><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">The eternal purpose</span><span lang="EN-GB"> … <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">the mystery made known</span> … <i>that all human history should be consummated in Christ, that everything that exists in heaven and earth should find its perfection and fulfilment in him</i> (Eph 1.9)!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">All things were created through Christ, and for him … the first born from the dead, which gives him <b>pre-eminence</b> over all things. It was in him that the full nature of God chose to live, and through him God planned to reconcile to his own person everything on earth and everything in heaven, making peace by virtue of Christ’s death on the cross </span></i><span lang="EN-GB">(Col 1.16-20).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">In Christ we have been given an inheritance … </span></i><span lang="EN-GB">(Eph 1.11).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">To those who love God everything that happens fits into a pattern for good … <b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">chosen to bear the family likeness</span></b></span></i><b><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">(Rom 8.28-29).</span></div><h1 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Of the increase of his government there will be no end …</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-style: normal;"></span></h1><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Father, may your name be honoured (the glory is yours) – may your kingdom come and your will be done. Give us each day the bread we need for the day, and forgive us what we owe to you (our failures) because we forgive everyone who owes us anything (fails us); and keep us clear of temptation and save us from evil.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">It begins <u>individually</u> as we <u>follow Jesus</u> daily – <b><u>aligned</u></b> with the will of Father and guided by the Holy Spirit</span><span lang="EN-GB">!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Matt 6.24-34 – <i>seek first the kingdom of God. </i> <b>Focus divided is focus lost</b>! We cannot follow Jesus and the opinions of men (or our own assumed needs)! What is <u>God’s need / purpose / desire</u>?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Unless Jesus is at the centre</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> … <u><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Lord, I need to see things from your perspective</span></u>!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The need to pray for what God wants – and to adjust our minds to the outcome – to let go of self!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Seek first the kingdom of God</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – <b>be still and listen</b> – why do I do what I do? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The need to focus on what Father wants!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Real prayer</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> = co-operating with God and his purpose. We must <u>adjust to God in prayer</u> (24/7) as servants or friends – so that we discover God’s needs (beware of the teachings of men).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Self-denial</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> = co-operation with God rather than wrestling – attached to the vine – divine energy!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">The kingdom of God never comes by looking for signs of it. Men cannot say, “Look, here it is”, or, “there it is”, for the kingdom of God is inside you</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> (Luke 17.21). It begins with <u>individual</u> disciples!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Jesus didn’t fit the expectations of the Jews and what the Messiah was going to do – they were looking for an earthly kingdom! Jesus is building his church with <u>living stones</u> (Matt 21.42) – a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people (1Peter 2.9).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">A spiritual nation of disciples who take up the cross and follow Jesus daily!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Everything God has done, is doing, and will do … <i>of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end</i> (Isa 9.7) – <i>a kingdom that shall never be destroyed</i> (Dan 2.44).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">How can we pray for this if it isn’t already established in us</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">We cannot pray for forgiveness and harbour unforgiveness at the same time.</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> This is an issue we have to deal with before we can go out into the world. <b>Unforgiveness</b> (or bitterness) leads to physical and spiritual suffering – (prisoners of our own emotions). We have to forgive for the sake of our own emotional well-being. It’s part of the process of <b>growth</b> when Jesus lives in and through us.</span></div><h2 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: small;">How can we really forgive others if we don’t understand what it means to have been forgiven?</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Do we recognise that we are walking in the light</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">? Do we allow fellowship with Father to be disrupted by what others have done?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Forgive <u>us</u> for <u>our</u> sins</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – togetherness – we all fall short – all part of one tapestry. <b>God freely forgives in order to teach us what it means to love one another and release one another</b>!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Lead <u>us</u> not into <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">temptation</span> but deliver <u>us</u> from <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">evil</span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> (Matt 6.13) – Phillips translates this as <i><u>keep us clear</u> of temptation </i>and <i><u>save</u> us from evil </i>– how significant is that?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Temptation</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – (putting to proof – examining) – seems to be related to <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">judging or distinguishing between good and evil</span> – which makes sense when we think of <b>the knowledge of the tree of good and evil</b>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The meaning of <b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">evil</span></b> from Strong’s is very obscure. It could include ‘worthless’, ‘hurtful’, ‘culpable’ (deserving of blame) – <b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">anything that resists God’s purpose</span></b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;"> including <u>religion</u></span>, that takes us away from the <b>narrow path – away from simplicity of the gospel?</b> Consider 1John2.18-28!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Even in those days the world was full of impostors (2John 7)! Beware of agendas!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The need to recognise that others will judge the Christian faith by what they see!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Remember that as a result of the <b>blood of Jesus</b> we are able to go to Father for <b>forgiveness</b> whenever we miss the mark.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps, he must give up all right to himself, carry his cross every day and keep close behind me. For the man who wants to save his life will lose it, but the man who loses his life for my sake will save it </span></i><span lang="EN-GB">(Luke 9 23-24). <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Follow me</span>!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">A man’s temptation is due to the pull of his own inward desires, which greatly attract him. It is his own desire which conceives and gives birth to sin</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> (James 1.13-14).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the all-glorious Father, will give you spiritual wisdom and the insight to know more of him: that you may receive that inner illumination of the spirit which will make you realise how great is the hope to which he is calling you – the magnificence and splendour of the inheritance promised to Christians… </span></i><span lang="EN-GB">(Eph 1.17on) – delivered from evil through Jesus!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">God’s kingdom will be <u>established on earth</u> – the focus of all prophetic scriptures.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> (Dan 7.14).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Disciples can be helpful but it is Jesus who is building his church!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">The power belongs to God</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus (Matt 28.18) – it can’t belong to anyone else. The concept of a powerful devil gives people an excuse to live a defeated life! Many have an <u>illusion</u> of control and power – when the truth enters in that power is lost! Because Satan doesn’t have real power he operates through darkness, lies and deception! When people are deceived an illusion can look very real. Christians spend so much time fighting the devil – if they had more idea of what Jesus is doing they would surely be overcomers instead!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">A spirit of wisdom and revelation</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> (Eph 1.17) – <b>raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus </b>(2.6). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Until God reveals something directly to <u>us</u>! <b>Has God revealed the significance of Jesus</b>? An anointing that will lead us into all truth! If we really understand we will live differently – we will see the world differently – and be who we are in Christ!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">The glory belongs to God</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> - the earth will be filled with the glory of God!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">We do not yet see all things submitted to God (Heb 2), but Isaiah had such a vision (Isa 6.1on).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">And the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> (John 1.14). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">If what we are experiencing is not bringing us into a closer relationship with Father why not let it go!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Most people <u>didn’t</u> behold the glory of God in Jesus – the disciples believed but most people missed it! <u>Most are still looking in the wrong place</u>? <b>Thine is the glory</b> – there is no other outside of Jesus.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">Father, I want those whom you have given me to be with me where I am: I want them to see that glory which you have made mine – for you loved me before the world began </span></i><span lang="EN-GB">(John 17.24).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">We cannot behold the glory without <u>being with Jesus</u>. If we don’t take the time to be with Jesus we won’t see the glory of God. God is not going to give us a vision unless we have been with Jesus because <b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Jesus <u>is</u> the vision</span></b>. There are no short cuts. <b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">The need to sit at Jesus’ feet</span></b> – like Mary! <b>The invitation! </b><u><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Only by being with Jesus</span></u> (in the inner court?) <u><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">will we begin to understand</span></u>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, and prevents the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, the image of God, from shining on them. For it is Christ Jesus as Lord whom we preach, not ourselves; we are your servants for Jesus’ sake. God, who first ordered light to shine in darkness, has flooded our hearts with his light, so that we can enlighten men with the knowledge of the glory of God, as we see it in the face of Christ </span></i><span lang="EN-GB">(2Cor 4.3-6).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">What is it that shapes our <b>thinking</b>, moves our <b>feelings</b> and changes our <b>actions</b>?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" /> </span></i>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-15503951236016026322011-05-24T11:50:00.000-07:002011-05-29T23:20:14.710-07:00Hearing God's Voice<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This is an extract of a long discussion that started in May 2007 that had a big impact on my understanding of the meaning of prayer as a two way conversation. It started with a quote from "The Shack" by a close friend of mine '<b>Bones</b>', with responses from Paul, the author of "The Shack".</span></i><div class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i> </i><i><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><i> </i>The quote:</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><i>In seminary he had been taught that God had completely stopped any overt communication with moderns, preferring to have them only listen to and follow sacred Scripture, properly interpreted, of course. God's voice had been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects. It seemed that direct communication with God was something exclusively for the ancients and uncivilized, while educated Westerners' access to God was mediated and controlled by the intelligentsia</i></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-style: normal;"><i>.</i></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-style: normal;">Although I'm open to it, I don't anticipate getting any notes from God, nor spending a similar weekend with him at a mountain cabin! Yet, listening for His voice with intentionality, and hearing His voice in various ways, not only through Scripture, is increasingly becoming a reality in my journey with Him. I do anticipate hearing from Him when I ask and seek, and even when I'm not specifically asking. <span style="background-color: white; color: black;">What about some of you?</span> <span style="background-color: yellow;">How do you hear God's voice? How have others helped you to grow in this?</span> What difficulties, if any, have you had in coming to grips with God speaking to you in ways other than just His written word? </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Paul</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: We tend, as human beings, to view everything spatially (5 senses?), especially when it comes to relationships. But we tend to forget the spiritual side – the mystery that doesn’t work in the same way - where Jesus comes to abide 'inside' of us – according to John 14-16 God (Father, Jesus, Spirit) come to make their residence in union with us, and a transformation process begins to happen from the inside outward.<br />
Maybe we do ‘hear’ Father’s voice or direction through dreams, conversations, circumstances or scripture (<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">spatial understanding</span>), but maybe this is <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">an intermediate or transitional step in our experience of the 'union' that we have with God</span>. Perhaps, as God begins the transforming process from 'within' me, there is a healing of my mind (renewal), a healing of my emotions, my desires are conformed to His nature and character etc ... and as this process continues <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">I actually begin to think His thoughts, feel His emotions, dream His dreams, see with His eyes, touch with His hands</span> ... <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">I will begin to be able to 'trust' my thoughts, my emotions, my ideas, my desires, my inclinations, my aspirations, my imagination</span>.<br />
This is a process! <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Unless we glimpse this as a possibility we will never move from a 'spatial' understanding of spirituality to something grander and more wonderful</span> - becoming whole people who are fully integrated (the word in the Greek is translated 'perfect').</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Bones</b>: As I'm growing in my understanding and experience of Father's constant presence, it is learning to trust that it is His voice I'm hearing that is the challenge for me. Hence my question.<br />
[How often do others try to ‘correct’ what we believe we are hearing?].</span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Until the resurrection life of Jesus is manifested in you, you want to ask this and that; then after a while you find all questions gone, you do not seem to have any left to ask. You have come to the place of entire reliance on the resurrection life of Jesus which brings you into perfect contact with the purpose of God...</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> (My Utmost for his Highest).<br />
The need for <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">expectancy</span>. <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">It is the multiple ways we hear Him that confirms for me that it is indeed His voice</span>, not my own errant thoughts that I'm hearing. I'm sure that as I grow in this, I'll gain more confidence from the <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">ongoing transformation</span> from the inside to trust that His thoughts have indeed become my thoughts. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Clifton</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: Since our thoughts and emotions are processed through our physical brains, do you think that the process of God conforming us to his nature and character involves changing the way our brains work? I heard Greg Boyd refer to a study that showed an increase in activity in the primitive part of the brain when deeply held beliefs of the subjects were challenged. The same part that controls the fight or flight response. That would explain why religious and political discussions can get nasty so fast. But I've noticed in myself and others that the more we move from religion to relationship with Father the less defensive we react to things that challenge what we believe. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Kent</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: It seems that this has to do with what happens when the relationship takes us <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">beyond mere beliefs</span> and <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">faith is birthed</span>. Faith has to do with him and our connection to him and there is nothing to defend or prove. In actuality, <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">beliefs are always very fragile</span>, so <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">we feel a need to defend them</span> so as to prove to the other and ourselves that we are right. Most of our existence in that place is about fight. We fight with others and we fight with ourselves internally. There is <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">no lasting peace in that place</span> to be found. I have come to refer to this place of <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">faith</span> as feeling like a <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">disarming</span>. There is just <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">nothing to defend</span> anymore when we begin to learn to abide in him. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Paul</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: Even while we are spirit, soul and body, we are still a single entity, and each of these aspects of our person inter-relate and affect each other. I believe that <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">when Jesus comes to live in us</span>, our spirit is made alive and that becomes the centre of our identity, rather than the soul and body (which is still in the process of being saved). From a physiological perspective, I do believe that brain science now supports the possibility that profound changes take place as our thinking changes (old synapse bridges are destroyed and new ones formed), which affects behaviour and I suspect, our very genetic coding as well.<br />
The idea that we are 'just' this or that way, turns out to be a lie. While it is true that we as individuals have very unique bents, gifts, abilities etc, we can anticipate that <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">as God transforms our character, significant change will happen</span> (which we usually only are able to see in retrospect)...we find that what we thought were our 'natural' tendencies is <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">'overwritten with love'</span>. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Bones</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: It seems to me that the <i>way</i> our brain works doesn't change with our gradual transformation and conformity to Him, so much as <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">God's healing of our perception of truth changes how we process thoughts and emotions</span>. As we enter into new depths of experience of His love for us, the earlier lies we had believed at the deepest levels of our being and which had previously programmed our brains to direct our thoughts down a destructive path emotionally, will now be uprooted by a deepening conviction at the heart level of His reality, and new neural pathways will be formed based in that truth. <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">But unless we experience His truth at an affective level</span>, the impact of it will not be profound enough to produce transformation and changed thinking. Truth dealt with merely at a cognitive level can't overcome previous interpretations of events which have incorporated the emotions as well. <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">The information received only cognitively doesn't trace the same path as that received via the emotions as well, and thus can't overcome the habits of thought associated with the lies that are so intricately intertwined with emotional responses</span>. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Clifton</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: Could it be that if we're grabbing things from the world around us to make ourselves feel safe we're sending a message to our brain that says, "I need this"? After that the brain just does its job by protecting what we told it. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Kent</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: Beliefs are a cognitive exercise where <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">faith is relational and about trust in Papa</span>. <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Beliefs are about us putting our trust in ourselves</span>. The one operates out of a place of certitude and to keep it going we must exercise great control or more accurately, at least attempt to. As long as that game continues faith is not possible. I find that when we are in this place we aren't too concerned about Papa's leading; we are actually <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">attempting to lead him</span>. <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Our belief systems have to be removed</span> somehow. Unfortunately what I have seen tells me so often it is a traumatic event or events that cause them to be challenged.<br />
What I think I hear Paul saying is that it all is still about <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Papa's timing</span> and I think I am beginning to understand that? <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Human independence leads us to setting up systems of all kinds</span> – belief systems in this instance. <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">They always stand in the way of our relationship with Papa until he comes and causes them to come down</span>. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Bones</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: I've spent most of my life now involved in a particular work that emphasizes the Great Commission, especially Jesus’ command to "make disciples". Understanding that apart from manipulation and control, there is no "making" anyone believe anything, nor grow in any way, I'm wondering what Jesus had in mind for us to "do" in addition to "be" as disciple makers. I'm specifically contemplating whether one of the more imperative aspects of making disciples isn't <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">helping others to learn to listen to the voice of God for themselves</span>, so that they early on are <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">learning to listen and relate very directly with the Father and respond to the Spirit</span>, rather than being dependent on the discipler as the 'mama bird' pre-digesting spiritual food for them. How do we take Jesus' words seriously and help others to do the same? </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Paul</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: Might I be so bold as to offer the idea that 'The Great Commission' was something tasked to the disciples and not to us. In both passages where it is mentioned, Jesus makes a point of taking the 12 away from everyone else and talking to them. Now, I don't mean to imply that we are not involved in <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">'gossiping the Good News'</span> as we go, or not involved in the processes of 'discipling', but I would like to suggest that we might unburden ourselves just a little by removing the 'mandate'.<br />
I grew up on the mission field, and I can tell you that there are a lot of people who 'go', not because Jesus has ever asked them to, but because of this 'mandate' couched in guilt-language that persons of certain temperaments and history are particularly susceptible to.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b><i>The freedom of knowing Him</i></b> (A God Journey podcast 8/6/07 with Kevin Smith) – <i> different journeys – no conformity – no agendas – harmony – all coordinated by Father – no place for control and direction if we are living in relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Trust Father for the resources – live life by faith <u>now</u>! Our thoughts and desires are as nothing compared to those of Father. But we are expected to grow – the need to graduate – to leave the nest – prepared to make decisions under Father – beware of being passive – ‘church’ robs people of the ability to make decisions. Many are afraid of being wrong. But it must be one step at a time – then doors begin to open – it needs courage – but each step leads to greater confidence – if we keep our eyes on Jesus! </i> </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Bones</b>: I've spent the last 13+ years on the mission field myself, and my own "going" has been a mixture of what you described of the motivations you encountered in your experience, and a growing sense that Father has designed me in a special way that He is using to touch others with the life and freedom that He offers in the Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom. I came out here with just the blend of temperament and history that drove me to seek acceptance and significance through my being here, although upon reflection I continue to have confidence in God's speaking to me and working in some amazing ways as well to get us out of our comfortable American life and over here instead. But I have seen much of what you describe around me, and I have suffered personally and relationally in some significant ways as I have begun to swim against the current of that form of motivation more and more in recent years. But that is another story!<br />
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It is not that I haven't been growing in listening to Father and learning to recognize His voice-- that has been one of the most exciting parts of my journey over the last couple of years-- but I feel that I have so far to go myself, <b>and I want so much to help others to be growing into the freedom of a conversational relationship with Him</b>. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Paul</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: It is one thing to recognize that the longings in your heart "...to help others grow into the freedom of a conversational relationship with Him", are His longings united to yours in your union with Him, but it is another thing to think that you can actually 'do' anything about it. Such longings are a sure reminder of our absolute helpless dependence, and are gifts to drive us back into <i>His </i>love and <i>His </i>ability. If we think such a longing is a 'call' for action, we will necessarily develop an agenda to accomplish it, and so easily (with great intent and motive) move past His purposes.<br />
Does that mean that we 'do' nothing? Well, if he is 'doing' nothing, then 'yes'. We must remember that 'apart from Him, we can 'do' nothing, anyway.'<br />
<b>Let me tell you what is deep down in your heart of hearts - I know because it is in mine. That at the end of the day, that all my activity was Him, and because of Him, and not 'me' exercising my own agenda apart from Him. I don't want to be confused about how much I tried to do and how much He actually did. I don't want to ask Him to bless what I am doing; I want to be permitted to be involved in what He is blessing - even if it is just to watch.</b><br />
The longing is His longing and any 'doing' or 'not doing' must also be His. "What has begun in the Spirit cannot be perfected (brought to fruition or completion) by the flesh (no matter how 'good' it might seem to be).<br />
And this, by virtue of what it is, is a journey of dependence that is very hard on the flesh that seeks some sort of reward or response, that desires to be significant rather than believe it already is (whether it 'does' anything or not), that wants an identity derived from that 'doing' rather than from 'being' in Jesus...etc </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">[<b>Are we living with an ability to respond</b> – able to both start and stop things Father has led us to do?</span> <span lang="EN-GB">There is a need for the process of inner healing – getting rid of our own crap if we are really going to be able to help others – the need for <b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">humility</span></b> and <b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">vulnerability</span></b>].</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"><i> </i> </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Bones</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: So many people are wanting to hear the voice of God, not because they're in love and want to enjoy the encounter, but because they're trying to mitigate risk, i.e. 'If God told me to do it, there will be no risk and no failure.' Clearly, we've come to Father with our agenda, not really ready to listen to what is on His heart, and definitely not tuned in to our relationship with Him.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Paul</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: I wanted to add just one small thought to the aspect of humility in all this. For a long time, I thought that the purpose of humility and dependence was a 'step' along the path toward wholeness (that in light of my damage and the requisite confessing and repenting I was necessarily humbled), but once I got somewhere down the road to a place of 'reasonable' wholeness, then God could use me (God was getting me healed so he could finally use me). I don't believe that anymore. Instead, the more whole I become, the more I am driven into dependence. "You can't 'do' humility – you either are or are not." God is not healing me so that I become useful to Him, he is healing me because He loves me, and so that I can be free, so that I have an increased capacity to know Him and enjoy Him, to know and enjoy Life. May we always 'be' witnesses in sackcloth and ashes. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Bones</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: <b>My previously conditioned sense of "significance" and "usefulness" were key driving forces</b> in who I understood myself to be for too many years, and were easily manipulated by those around me who were so inclined. As I grow in my experience of Father's love for me, my freedom grows from these things. I agree that my brokenness is less something to be overcome than that which Father better reveals Himself through, since anything which others may be drawn to in my life will clearly be understood for what it is, "God at work in (me) both to will and to work for His good pleasure".<br />
Of course, there is that within me which longs to be healed from all that is yet to be put right in me, to know and enjoy Him more fully, and to see others He brings me into relationship with coming into that same freedom. But I'm still at risk of adopting an agenda of trying to make it happen. I'm still not totally free of that in me which wants to please others... </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Paul: </span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> I would like to push you a little on something else; maybe even toward greater freedom. Let me begin with this statement, "<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">The character and nature of God is better revealed by our healing than by our brokenness.</span>" Those around us are not attracted to us because of our brokenness, but by the hope that they perceive in our freedom and wholeness and ability to truly love.<br />
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There is a semantics issue here with the term ‘brokenness’ and I digress to clarify for a moment. If we mean by <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">brokenness</span> the <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">humbling of the human heart</span>, the bending of the knee (as in the breaking of a wild horse) then we are speaking of something that is actually evidence of and is a true manifestation of our wholeness.<br />
But often we use the term (and if I am not mistaken, this is how it is used above) to describe that ‘we are broken’, hurt by the world, by our choices…damaged. In that sense, ‘<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">brokenness’</span> is <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">a reflection of our hurt and the corruption of the world and its systems</span>. There is nothing in Jesus that is ‘broken’ in this sense, and people flock to be around Him. Why? In part because the beauty and radiance of Father shines so clearly and cleanly through Him. Even more, his ability to ‘identify’ with damaged human beings, and they with him, is evidence of his wholeness, not because he has been involved in the same damaging behaviours and choices.<br />
What this means, in part, is <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">that the process of healing that God works into our lives is toward brokenness in the first sense, and away from it in the second</span>.<br />
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There is at least one major lie that confuses us in all this. Here it is: "I can do something to heal myself." Or, maybe even more subtle, "I can do something to help God heal me." Both of these lies contain the idea of independence, that apart from God, I can do something. The truth is, as hard as it is to understand initially, is that "Apart from Jesus, I can do nothing." But isn’t trusting in Him, resting in Him etc…doing something? You cannot ‘do’ either of these independent of His activity in your soul…which means that every incremental movement in ‘resting’, ‘trusting’, ‘relying’ etc, is a celebration of His love and power in you…a breath of wholeness permeating your person, a scent carried on the wind to be picked up by those around who have not caught that fragrance or aroma before except perhaps in some dream and longing of the heart. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Bones</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: I appreciate your helpful distinction between the two senses of "brokenness" as we tend to use it. Would you use a different term for the first sense in order to help give further clarity, and to help one to avoid being misunderstood? If so, what would you use? </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Paul</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: Tough question - because the term 'brokenness' is commonly used in both senses and defined by the context of the conversation. Sometimes I talk about how we are damaged, or make destructive choices, or hurt and hurtful when it comes to the sense of what the world and evil has done to us and how we participate in that ourselves. I sometimes talk about 'bowing the knee' or confession and repentance, and similar ideas when I am referring to brokenness before God is the sense of the process of our humbling (which for me is painful and yet powerfully positive process). </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Bones</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: Our brokenness before God is the process whereby He takes us from our fallen brokenness to a place of increasing healing of wounds and emptying of our self, such that His character and nature are revealed in and through us in increasing measure. I agree that it is both painful and positive, as I've passed through much of the former and now can recognize the latter primarily through the unsolicited comments of those who've been observing along the path. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Paul</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: I love the process you are on and the vistas you are seeing (like hiking a lot). Sometimes you come around a bend and are overwhelmed by the view, and then you plunge back into the forest and all you can see is the trees and brush and the trail...but you know...somewhere up ahead...<br />
It isn't so much the emptying of our 'self' but the removal of garbage and the healing of the soul, so that Jesus is manifest, not in some empty space, but in 'us'. The more whole you are, the greater the expression of His life 'in you' - a unique, special and non-duplicatable (not a real word but you get the gist) expression of Jesus. He loves living in 'you' not an emptied self. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Bones</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: Our hike up the mountain (with daughter the day before her wedding) was in a fog! We got to the top, and there was a marker & map showing the names and relative locations of all the peaks that normally can be viewed from that point... but the swirling mist was closing in thicker by the minute. Although I regretted not being able to experience the vista, it enabled me to be much more focused on what was visible: the trees, the wild flowers, the berries and brambles, the rock formations.<br />
I suppose that's a metaphor of this portion of the journey I'm on... I would love to be able to see into the distance, to take in the grand sweep of what is out there and the possibilities of the next peaks to be climbed. But Father is not opening that up to me yet! I know that I've come to a higher place in my journey, but I'm not to miss the beauty and detail of where He has me in the present. And I anticipate that there will be paths down into the trees and brush that must be followed before broader vistas can open up.<br />
I agree that we are so much more than an empty vessel for Him to fill with Himself once He's cleaned out the garbage. My soul is complex, multi-faceted, and capable of being redeemed by His life & presence manifest within me in such a way that it expresses His life and glory in a way that only I can. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Bones</b>: Perhaps you can help me process my experience described herein:<br />
<i>Three days ago, I sat across the table from a friend, a brother in Christ, who recently had walked out on his wife and two kids, and has been living with another woman. He told me of the fights he’d had with his wife, her criticism, nagging, etc., and how affirming and encouraging the other woman is to him.<br />
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As we talked and drank tea together, I sensed within myself the Spirit prompting me to tell him, “Go home to your family.” I didn’t have or take the time to check it with scriptures or others in the Body right there on the spot, but it resonated with what I know of both, and it was so clear and out of character for me to make such a bold statement. The prompting was so overwhelming, and I blurted out, “I just heard in my heart the Spirit telling me to tell you to go home to your wife.” We didn’t talk about that statement further, but just continued as he wrestled within himself on his internal battle with what he himself was acknowledging to be his sin. I affirmed that Father has not rejected him, and he accepted that and replied that he has not rejected God either despite all of this.<br />
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Just now, as I’m sitting here pondering … I received a call from him. He asked about what I’d shared that the Spirit had told me. I repeated it. He said, I’m thinking that if God told you that, He’s telling me the same thing.” I urged him to ask God himself what he’s to do, and then prayed with him over the phone asking Father to do just that. I could hear his voice cracking over the phone as he struggled internally, thanking me for my friendship and for praying for him.<br />
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I’m startled by all this! I’ve been on a journey to learn to listen more intentionally to the Spirit living in me, but He seems to be working more and more through speaking to me when I haven’t specifically asked. I’m home today because I’ve set aside the time to process through some things with Him, to reflect and journal, and I find such personal retreats to be a necessary part of my initiating the conversation with Father. But my growing confidence that I’ve heard from Him at his initiative is a by-product of such times, as I have been growing more familiar with what is His voice in contrast to my own in my head and heart.</i> </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Paul</b>: The wonder of risk, through which love as the opportunity to become extraordinary!<br />
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So...I am getting ready this last Tuesday (Nov 13, 2007) to enter a High School where two Senior classes have come together to hear me talk. I get out of the car and sense the prompting/whisper of the Spirit. Papa is saying, "There is a young lady that will be in this class that I want to particularly bless today...I want you to give her a signed copy of the book." "Cool!" I am thinking as I go back to the car, and get a copy out of the trunk. Then I hear, "Go ahead and sign it for her please, and make it out to Sarah...with an 'h'." Now I'm thinking..."Oh boy, what if there are two Sarah's or none, or not spelled like that..." but I go ahead and sit back in the car and write out a note to her in the front of the book, "Sarah..." By the way, I am not in a town I know, never been in before, never been here and was invited last minute by the teacher who came to a book signing...wonderful man!<br />
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10 minutes later I am in the class and the teacher explains what will happen...sing a few songs, have a little prayer and then you talk. He then goes to the front of the class and writes on the blank white board, "Assignments Overdue" - and the first name on the list.... "Sarah" - with an 'h'. During the talk, when I walked over to the white board and circled her name and asked, "Would you please tell me who this is?" and a young woman on the left side of the room raised her hand...you could hear a pin drop. I explained what had happened and that Papa wanted her to understand that he was very aware of her situation and wanted her to rest in his presence. I gave her the book. Everyone listened very well after that...as you can imagine. Sarah and three friends stayed afterwards, and I was able to pray with them as they explained to me why this was so significant...stuff you don't need to know.<br />
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Risk is the environment in which faith is grown, but such expressions of the heart of Papa are always that...his heart...and never to hurt or harm, embarrass or disrespect. There is no question in my own heart that you, Ron, expressed Father's heart. Sweet!<br />
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If someone asks me to do something impossible...I always say yes...either God will show up or I will be humbled and both are good. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Another contributor</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: (commenting on Bone’s thoughts of discipleship) - Having grown up in a non-christian and indeed non-religious home my only answer to this can be Eureka Amen. I have no reason to follow a religion and other people but all reasons to follow God and live in His love.<br />
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When I was teenager about 16 I started to really ponder why we are here, what am I supposed to do if anything and other deep questions of existence. In my search I researched and pondered the ideas of a few religions (mainly Buddhism) and read up on various philosophies from many sources. My very limited experience of church growing up left me with this view that it was all about rules and rituals and so I was very resistant to anything I saw as church. A couple of years later while going through a time of blackness in my heads life I was led (pushed assertively more like it) to attend a young peoples group connected to one of the local churches. I went for a couple of months and then I stopped going mainly because at the time I was incredibly shy, lacked social skills and struggled with been around so many people at once.<br />
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After another couple of months one of the people I had met at the young peoples group caught up with me and invited me to a drink and a game of chess and this led to more meetings of a similar vain. I found him really easy to talk to and I started opening up about the struggles I was having and what turned me off Christianity. He then lent me a couple of books that asked these type of deep philosophical questions and attempted to answer them. And while reading one of them I experienced what I now know to be being touched by the Holy Spirit.<br />
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It was not "nice" I felt so convicted of my sin (although I would not have assigned that word to it back then) that I felt absolutely terrible and wanted to run away from I didn't know what. Fortunately I met up with my friend who had lent me the books not too long afterwards and we had some really good chats about what I going through. I increasingly felt God's presence as I grew in my faith and started to hear His voice in many different ways.<br />
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I have a relationship with God and have gone through rough patches and been to some really dark places in my heart and God has always been there to heal and to build me up. Anyway back on track I didn't think this would turn into me sharing my testimony of becoming a Christian (sorry about that).<br />
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If I had never experienced God for myself through firstly the Holy Spirit, closely followed by Jesus and slowly but surely to the Father I would not have become a Christian and would definitely not be one now. In Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell (great book by the way) he talks about how for some people being a Christian means intellectually assenting to certain beliefs and ideas and then getting other people to believe the same. This to me is purely a religion and I have no reason to follow it any more that following another religion. So after all that babbling I suppose I wanted to say that what another poster said and I quoted above for me must be the only way to disciple. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Bones</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: That intellectual assenting approach to the Christian life was far more common in my experience through the first 20+ years for me. Now in all my interactions with younger (and older) believers I know, I'm encouraging them to talk with Father, to listen for His voice, and to follow Him. I don't dispense much advice anymore, though I'm always glad to share my perspective if asked for it. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Lisa</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: In my counseling sessions we do something called the "Aphesis" prayer or healing prayer as my counselor likes to call it. Essentially I say what I think, feel, or have been told by others and then my counselor asks the Lord to speak to me and tell me how He sees me. We are tearing down lies that I am believing and replacing them with God's truth.<br />
At first it was a little weird because I honestly have never tried to listen for the Lord's voice and can't say before that first time that I had actually heard it. Once we had had several sessions, I came to recognize and know when I was hearing his voice or something else. It still isn't easy, but it's been wonderful to know that I am important enough for God to speak to me. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Bones</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: What you're describing is one of the beautiful aspects of listening to the voice of God that my wife and I've discovered over the last 2 or 3 years: the healing that comes from Him speaking His truth into the wounds of our past through which we have come to believe lies about ourselves or about Him. It is rarely as tangible in our experience as the healing process Mack went through on his weekend at the shack with Papa, Jesus and Sarayu, but with experience God's voice becomes clearer, just as you describe, Lisa, and our experience of walking with Him becomes more personal and intimate. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Bones</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: (in reply to a lady commenting about The Shack who had had three miscarriages) – My wife and I also went through 3 miscarriages, and the agony of "Why, God?" was tearing us apart, because the doctors couldn't give us any answers. For my wife, given where she had come from family and institutional "church"-wise, the only possible answer was "Because you have somehow displeased Me, and I'm punishing you".<br />
Then one day she was reading in Luke 1, and she read that Elizabeth was barren for many years, but that she was also <b>righteous before God</b>. Father whispered to her, "This is also true of you! I am not punishing you. Trust me!" Through her tears, she shared this with me.<br />
Despite another difficult pregnancy, after weeks at bed rest and taking progesterone, our daughter Elizabeth was born and is now 16. We give thanks every day for how Father spoke to us through both His word and by His Spirit in my wife's heart.</span></div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-19891873884933731282011-05-21T12:00:00.000-07:002011-05-29T04:37:39.867-07:00The Key to Everything - by Norman Grubb<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The believer as a container for God’s presence in the world</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Norman had been asking God to make him a better servant. He had a deeply felt need of love – he felt that he had a lack of love that bridges the gap – a need for faith and power – all of which were linked together in his mind. There was much more profession than possession.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Have we got something genuinely transforming to transmit to others?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God is love – Jesus is the power of God.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jesus did not say, "I have the life to give you" — but, "I am the life."</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Christ is all and in all (Col 3.11) – Christ is all that matters for Christ lives in all (Phillips).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The only reason for the existence of the entire creation is to contain the Creator!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If He fills all things, all things are containers of Him.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The rest of creation can contain manifestations of God; we can contain God as a Person.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God can manifest His marvels and His beauty through the flowers and trees. We can view them through the microscope and telescope, and marvel—but we do not say, "That's God."</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The greatest marvel, the greatest height of personality, is when we can look at a human being and say, "God is there."</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The depths and dangers, of humanity are that personality means freedom. Intelligent choice is the essence of personality.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We make self our god, not God. We just naturally run our own lives. And that's the real problem!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once we know how to handle the human self and put it back where it belongs, we've found the key to life.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">You simply receive</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Our relation to God is that of containing Him in such a way that He may be recognized.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The importance of receptivity – the primary function of all creation, animate and inanimate!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If there were no receptivity in the springtime, in the trees and flowers and shrubs, we would have a desert around us. These things spring to life because of their quiet reception of the sunlight and moisture poured on them. What they receive they utilize. But utilization is secondary to reception.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God has made us vessels – He is that which we contain. But there are other illustrations that give us an enlarged picture of our position as receivers. Consider the vine and the branches – a vital, active relationship! The living God, the living Christ, and I actually become one person and function as one.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Though the vine is the life and the branch is the channel, yet the branch does things. It utilizes the sap and produces leaf and flower and fruit. But its activity is secondary to its receptivity.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Beware of making activity a substitute for receptivity</span>!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We forever remain the dependent member in the union, and the union is never safe until we know that. So, until you have a few good knocks on the head and discover your conceited self, you're not safe to know the union. Maybe you've had plenty of knocks. They're the healthiest thing we can have. We've got to be made safe and understanding for this tremendous relationship.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God's friends, talk back and forth with Him in plain language.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We need to learn that the divine life keeps flowing in, as we give it out.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The key is receptivity – then we can move out into activity!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is God who inspires the prayers and imparts the faith and thinks the thoughts through our minds and expresses His compassion through our hearts and puts our bodies into action.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Only when we understand this do we have the key to everything.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Every problem becomes an opportunity.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Your other self</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Consider 1Thess 5.23: <span style="font-style: italic;">May the God of peace make you holy through and through. May you be kept sound in spirit, mind (soul) and body, blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Note that the order is not body, mind and spirit!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The spirit is the seat of the ego; the mind is the seat of the emotions and reason.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What man knows the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him? (1Cor 2.11).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Knowledge and love – mind and heart – are the real self – the real person! The knower inside us is our spirit. For instance, we Christians know Jesus Christ. How do you know Jesus Christ? I can't tell you. Somehow you've come past the realm of just knowing about this person called Jesus Christ and He is real to you. It's something intuitive inside you, and that's your spirit. That's different from reason.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Your mind (your knowledge) expresses itself in reasons. But reasons can vary. They can be influenced by all sorts of things.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Your heart expresses itself through the affections, the emotions. That's where you feel. But feelings can vary. We say, "I don't feel like this," or "I feel spiritually cold, or dead or dry," and they are all illusions of the mind (soul).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Neither reason nor emotion is our real life, which is deep inside us. We live where we love. We have to learn how to discern between mind and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). We have to refuse in our spirit, our real selves, to be dominated by the reactions of the emotions or the reasons—our souls (or minds).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When we have learned to discern and to discipline the reactions of the mind, then through our reasons and our emotions we channel Christ, and are not moved by the reflex action of the world coming back at us.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We have to move back from our emotions to the inner spirit of love.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Many Christians live with their feet dragging with a sense of condemnation and failure because they feel away from God, or they feel cold, or they feel guilty, or they feel weak, and so on.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They haven't discerned between the variable emotions of the mind and the unvarying reality of spirit—where God's Spirit of love is eternally our other self in our spirit.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The other verse that goes with that is Galatians 2:20, where Paul says, "I am crucified with Christ ....."</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That's the old Paul out. Then he says, "..... nevertheless, I live."</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That's the new Paul in Christ: a living, thinking, willing, feeling, battling human. A real person.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But then he corrects himself and adds, "Yet not I, but Christ lives in me."</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He could very easily have said, "Nevertheless I live and Christ lives in me"—as if Christ lived near him or close by him. But you see, he replaced self by Christ. That's the point.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In other words, your other self is Christ. We can be His means of expressing Himself. Motivation by Jesus Christ – that’s the eternal life which we who know Him have already begun!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Your new spirit</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If Christ is your other self, Christ washes dishes.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If Christ is your other self, He spanks the youngsters.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If Christ is your other self, He handles the accounting machine and runs the business.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He lives in common people!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Obviously, humanity has become separated from God. Before I can live in the kind of familiarity with God that He intends for me, I need to know the basis for that kind of a relationship. Once I am sure of my foundations I can forget them and go ahead. Once I am sure of the road under my feet I can proceed to walk confidently.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The history of the creation of man –created to contain God in a living union, was symbolized for him in the offer of "the tree of life in the midst of the garden." As human beings with free choice, there is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We are all by nature egoists and self-lovers. Total love to God and our brother is totally impossible without God who is love living in us.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Are we governed by our mind and our reason? We might have doubts and wonder if God exists. We might have had something deeper and more real! Doubts are the raw material of faith!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This change of union from the spirit of self-centeredness to the spirit of self-giving becomes an actual, down to earth fact in the personality and experience of every human being who, recognizing and admitting his need, receives Him as Lord and Savior. Your old spirit is replaced by your new Spirit!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You were governed by mind and body. Now, as a redeemed person, the Spirit—His Spirit in your spirit—is master of mind and body. You meet the demands of the bodily senses, the varying emotions of the mind stimulated by world, flesh or desire, with the affirmation of the indwelling Christ as Lord.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mind and body become the manifestation of Jesus Christ.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here, indeed, is the key to being a normal person—free, happy, familiar, natural—released from the spirit of self-love into the boundless, creative outflowing energy of the new governing Spirit that indwells you: His Spirit.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here, indeed, is the key to everything.</div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-28820107337806878822011-05-21T11:30:00.000-07:002011-05-29T07:21:56.764-07:00A Reflection of some of my thoughts over the years<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have said elsewhere that for over 40 years my beliefs were based almost entirely on <b>head knowledge</b> rather than <b>heart awareness</b>. One of the characteristics of many of the people who live with Aspergers Syndrome is an obsession with making lists.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I now know that I have been on an unusual journey. I have twice had to reconsider just about everything that I had ever been taught. Over the years I have made hundreds of pages of notes (how different things might have been if I had tried to memorise what I had been studying).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The bullet points that follow are a reflection of just some of the questions I have considered over the years:</div><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">A friend isn’t someone you have; it’s somebody you are!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Heb 10.25 – assembling together for a purpose – what preparation is there beforehand – what is the purpose – what is created – what is achieved? What impact does the ‘church’ have on communities? Don’t people realise that I want to leave the institution so that I can really connect with people? Others say that if we cut ourselves off from the fire it is likely to go out!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">‘Christians’ are encouraged to feel good about themselves, but how often do they try to ignore the emptiness they feel deep inside? An ache placed there by God? </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">The need for gardeners – neither passive nor aggressive – encouraging people – giving them what they need to sprout and grow – recognising that growth of any kind is ultimately a mystery! Encouraging others to move through the stages of growth.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Wilderness experiences – when the old answers no longer make sense – forced to ask new questions!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">“Thought is not meaningful without action; action is not meaningful without friendship”</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Worship becomes meaningful when we have an insight into what God created us to be!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Traditional churches restrict growth, discovery and creativity – a college where the students never graduate – passive observers!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">In a sea of apathy, ambition, greed and cynical sell-outs, it is a brave man or woman of God who chooses the ‘<b>road less travelled</b>’ in order to follow the road that Jesus travelled.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain (Ps 127.1).</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Share the struggles and the positive results – <b>listen and learn from each other</b>!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>The need for involvement and participation in the learning process</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">o Tell me and I may forget</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">o Show me and I may remember</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">o Involve me and I will understand</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>What lies behind those socially acceptable masks</b>?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">In times of profound change the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Six processes of dialogue</b>:</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">1. what we mean to say</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">2. what we actually say</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">3. what the other person hears</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">4. what he thinks he hears</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">5. what the other person says about what you said</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">6. what you think he said</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Could it be that Father is raising up the unstructured church to withstand the chaos ahead?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">We are sailing in uncharted waters – follow the Master – reach out and bless fellow travellers!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">God’s wisdom – a mystery hidden from the world? Can we see through Papa’s eyes?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Revelation is a process – like the growth of a seed!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">The narrow gate and the ongoing path – where we sometimes need to walk alone with Papa!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Learning direct from sitting at the feet of Jesus – not from others who tell us about Jesus – BUT unless we know about Jesus how are we going to understand?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Let Jesus live his life in and through us – clay in the hands of the Master Potter</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">As individuals we cannot lead where we are not prepared to go</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">How many see God as being there to meet our needs and guide us through the difficulties of life – not unlike pagan worship! Church seems to exist to get people through one meaningless week after another – a relationship that wouldn’t keep a marriage together!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Where two or three are gathered together – stop looking for such a place and be that place!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Prophets favour inspiration and revelation; teachers favour illumination and study – how often do they recognise their need for each other?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Unless our faith means everything to us it will mean nothing to others!</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Heaven and hell are surely not core issues. But the problem is that the beliefs about heaven and hell have taken centre stage and cause so much confusion and deception!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Why are we not willing to discuss what happens after we die? During the war it was not considered morbid but merely commonsense to talk about it – an uncertain mortality!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Christianity is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be experienced (Iona)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>God’s workmanship</b> – metamorphosis – <b>from the inside out</b> – the Master Potter – but beware of assisting others!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">I don’t believe in God – tell me something about this God you don’t believe in, maybe I don’t believe in him either.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>We are what we think</b>. The only way to destroy darkness is to bring in light.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">It is what we are that other people see!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>The gate is an event, the path is a process</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Our faith is based on our own ‘world view’. But ‘wrestlers’ are uncomfortable companions – especially for those who feel the need for ‘certainty’.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Some people need the freedom to explore the questions without being given the answers – the need to do their own exploring!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>It is only by talking about our faith that we are able to share it.</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Do we allow God to enjoy our day by what we do?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Believing as the transition between knowing and living!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">We can’t deal with evil by resisting it – only by forgiving it?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Learn to think with God throughout the day.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Remember Job who had only heard – but then he saw (Job 42.5-6)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">The young have so many teachers – they need a father figure to lead them to the Father!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Western society has moved from dependency to being independent – few are willing to move to interdependency!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">The self image – how we feel about ourselves affects how other people feel about us</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>The three selves – the pretend self (the image we project because we are afraid) – the negative self-image (that we are afraid of) – the authentic self</b>.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Who am I when nobody is watching?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Human behaviour – the keys are habit and imagination – far more powerful than logic or willpower will ever be. How we see ourselves in our imagination is crucial – but don’t fake it!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Consider the cross as the symbol of vertical and horizontal relationships. In his death Jesus reconciled us with our Father in heaven and stretched out his hands to reconcile us to each other. Without the vertical there can be no horizontal relationships.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Obligation is the cage</b> – cages stunt growth – but some cannot thrive outside the box!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Church was a duty not a joy – bondage – a university course that never ends – a lack of life – now embarked on a spiritual adventure – while God removes the habits of slavery (Trent)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Without aggressive and purposeful evangelism we are unlikely to see the magnitude of growth for which we long (a quote by a House Church leader)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Good conversation makes others curious – short on answers – long on questions – the need to encourage people to think – be gentle – respect – interact</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Postmodern / post colonial – an interesting thought!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Before modern evangelicalism nobody accepted Jesus as their personal Saviour</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Building blocks being prepared in the quarry – need for reshaping – taught by the Holy Spirit</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Those caught up in the real world have been indoctrinated – so busy – no time to seek truth – no motivation – not their fault!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">If we are to be changed from within something must die – human reasoning!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">If there are four and a half million Christians in the UK why are they so ineffective?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">It takes a village to build a family!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Following is a fruit of salvation, not a requirement to obtain it!</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">The cross changes everything – people are easily manipulated unless they have been to the cross – the language of the cross is reconciliation </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Three ways to live</b> – rebelliously –religiously – relationally!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Sin – we don’t overcome sin – it is displaced </b>as we allow Jesus through the Holy Spirit to live his life in and through us– changing from the inside out.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">All genuine knowledge of God involves a cognitive union of the mind with Father – two way prayer study and meditation – a communion of minds – grace, love and trust</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Theologians must have an answer for everything – no room for mystery – people who are set in their ways need to feel safe</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Bridge building needs an understanding of all sides</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Salvation is the beginning of the journey – discipleship then takes us along the narrow paths towards our destination – the purpose for which we were created</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Prayer as our response to an encounter</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Learn to live this life and you’ll have no end of folk to share it with. Teach it first and that will be your substitute for living it (Chap 10 of Jake)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Rebels may be in the early stages of the journey out of conformity</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Do we know the voice of God</b>? Are we listening or are we following men?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Where is the increasing joyous, free, natural response to our increasing intimacy?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Many people have nobody with whom they can discuss the deeper things of life!</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">It is so much easier to impart skills than to change the character of a student</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Anger = not accepting the status quo – if anger has any purpose we need to work out why – and do something about it</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Friends who know what the Master is doing</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Adoption</b> – affection as sons and daughters – have we experienced it?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">The fear of being misunderstood is a big problem for lonely people</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>We need to be able to express our frustrations in order to move on</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">It’s how we see others that determines how we treat them – if this causes guilt or feelings of obligation something is wrong</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>While theologians argue the voice of Jesus is for many, very distant!</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Where is that depth of intimacy with Father that is still available today?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">How many recognise that their Christian experience feels empty – and maybe think that they are the only ones who feel that way? How many settle for the status quo?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Without a real hunger there are too many distractions – are we prepared, as fanatics or rebels, to challenge the status quo? Do we have a vision that cannot accept the status quo?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Spirit life is like a river: the moment it stops flowing it begins to stagnate.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Intimacy requires conscious participation – allowing God’s wisdom to shape our thoughts and actions – guided by the Holy Spirit.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">What place spiritual hugs – sharing Father’s love and the new covenant of love – motivation from within! We cannot live off of someone else’s relationship with Father!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Religion / theology removes the mystery – (Revelation and Daniel) – if we rely on second-hand teaching we will remain shallow and may wither in the heat of the day!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">So much busyness – but no overwhelming purpose!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Hidden treasure within the field of our own experience</b>!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Competitiveness in an achievement oriented society – relationships often not seen as an efficient use of time – a lack of emotional contact – a lack of intimacy.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Learn to appreciate the world around us and its beauty – it is amazing</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b>Sin = grabbing for ourselves what God has not given us</b>?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">You can’t pretend your way out of depression – the need for friends who will walk alongside.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">How many are withering in church but are not being noticed?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Consider the eagle about to moult – flying up to a hole where it can’t fly!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Meditation: the discipline of getting the truth out of the intellect and into the heart – until it makes all sorts of personal connections and shapes our thinking, moves our feelings and changes our actions. Retention – Contemplation – Delight.</li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 11pt;">How many people worship a God of their own creation</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 11pt;">? </span>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-29569124663402150992011-05-20T12:00:00.001-07:002011-05-29T23:26:47.144-07:00Church History - a thumbnail sketch<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(Something I found a long time ago)</i> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">‘The Church began in power, moved in power and moved just as long as she had power. When she no longer had power she dug in for safety and sought to conserve her gains. But her blessings were like the manna: when they tried to keep it overnight it bred worms and stank. In church history every return to NT power has marked a new advance somewhere, a fresh proclamation of the gospel, an upsurge in missionary zeal; and every diminution of power has seen the rise of some new mechanism for conservation and defence’. The history of the church has been one of ebb and flow down through the ages - just as in OT times.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
The church has continued despite persecutions - the light shines in the darkness (John 1.5). Missionary zeal has never vanished - renewals have often been preceded by times of particular crisis. There were persecutions under Nero and others until 305AD - a miracle that the church survived at all. By 395AD Christianity was the official state religion - an institutional church - by the tenth century there was much corruption. There was a spiritual renewal and church reform in the twelfth century which led to fresh missionary zeal. The Waldensees challenged the worldliness of the church. There was creative and formative thinking by Peter Abelard (1079-1142) and Thomas Aquinus (1224-1274). The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries saw a decline - barren scholasticism and endless internal strife - unscrupulous means of raising funds - the beginning of the Reformation - Luther at Wittenberg in 1517 - which led to endless denominations - which may have speeded up the spread of the gospel - but at what cost?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
[Authority and Priesthood (Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) v Biblical authority (Protestant)].</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
Luther and John Calvin (1509-1564) were the main architects of the Protestant Reformation - giving rise to Lutheran, Presbyterian and Reformed churches as well as the Puritans in England. A traumatic and violent time! The peasants revolt! Calvin and Geneva - a ‘model city’ where worldly pursuits were banned and discipline was strict.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
Both in the Reformation and the Counter Reformation there was intense suffering and numerous martyrdoms (Northern Ireland being one of the results). Reform of the church and the rediscovery of biblical doctrines took place - but at a very high price in human suffering. Some like the Anabaptists wanted to go further than Luther or Calvin and return to the primitive model of the NT (the Mennonites of Pennsylvania are direct descendants).</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </b><br />
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<b>The Reformation in England</b> allowed biblical reform to make rapid progress - a middle way between the extremes of Romanism and Puritanism - later many Puritans sailed to America where their influence is still strongly felt in the reformed churches.</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </b><br />
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<b>The RC Counter Reformation</b> - much was corrected - with a ‘commando’ unit founded by Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) - the Society of Jesus or Jesuits - well trained both to counter the rapidly increasing Protestant threat and to engage in missionary expansion (especially in America, Africa and Asia).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
At the same time Puritans, Quakers and Baptists fled to America followed later by Lutherans and other reformers seeking refuge from atrocities in Europe.</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </b><br />
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<b>The age of revival</b> - as a result of the Reformation there was a spread of evangelical faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour - in evangelism - a strong appeal to the authority of the Bible. Men like Count Zinzendorf (1700-1760) who founded the Moravian Church, stressed the need for a personal experience of Christ.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
Wesley was influenced by the Moravians but his experience of new birth and consequent enthusiasm was rejected by the Anglican Church. A major influence in the spread of this new evangelicalism lay in the very popular hymns written by the Wesley brothers - <u>singing</u> the great doctrines to rousing tunes. The spiritual revival spread rapidly in Britain and America - but it resulted in splits in almost every denomination.</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </b><br />
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<b>The age of reason</b> - an intellectual attack on the Christian faith by men like Voltaire (1694-1778) led to fresh theological thinking and a renewed examination of the reality and credibility of Christian claims.</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </b><br />
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<b>The age of missions</b> - the great commission taken seriously from about 1795. Meanwhile the RC church was being shaken by the violent revolutions of 1830 and 1848. Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) attacked virtually all modern religious movements as heretical. Vatican I in 1869 brought into being Papal infallibility. The new initiatives from Rome led to widespread revival of the Catholic faith in Europe and influenced the Tractarian (High Church) movement in England.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
The Tractarian Revival or the Oxford Movement sought to redress the evangelical emphasis on the Bible by appealing again to the traditions of the catholic, apostolic church and its apostolic ministry. John Keeble and others were strong sacramentalists who restored a sense of dignity in worship, and discipline in prayer and communion.</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </b><br />
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<b>Evangelical reformers</b> - while missionary movements were sending recruits to all parts of the world, several leading evangelicals in England were pressing for urgent social reforms - slavery - factory conditions - child labour. The upper classes became sensitive to the irresponsible frivolities of the times - the result was repressive Victorian morality.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
The Western style of the Christian faith was planted into totally different cultures - it resulted in a lot of bloody persecution!</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </b><br />
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<b>The twentieth century</b> - a population explosion (only about 1,000m in 1850) - a knowledge explosion - intellectual attacks on the Christian faith - starting with Darwin. Then WW1 shattered many utopian dreams of the Millennialists. Later the superficiality of much of the twenties was crushed by the depression. Biblical criticism questioned the validity of many Christian beliefs, liberal theology stripped away the divine and supernatural elements of the gospel, denominational and ecumenical debates ground slowly on and evangelism sagged. Sometimes serious conflicts between those who preached a spiritual gospel and those who propounded a social gospel. Pentecostalism is now a major force especially in Latin America and Africa - baptism in the Spirit and speaking in tongues (as the initial evidence of baptism) - a revival broke out in 1906 in Azusa St LA! The later ‘charismatic renewal’ has been embraced by many. On the other side of the coin we have had communism.</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </b><br />
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<b>Towards tomorrows Church</b> - the church has not only survived but has been able to change and adapt - flourishing under pressure?</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </b><br />
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<b>There is a profound awareness of the utter futility of life without God and at the same time a hunger and thirst for spiritual reality. Can we catch the vision?</b> </div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-59174940111557454442011-05-15T12:00:00.000-07:002011-05-29T04:40:07.108-07:00Where was God when Jesus died?<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This is something I wrote in 2006 - some months before I read "The Shack". With hindsight this seems to be a good example of how the layers of the onion are gradually being peeled away!</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve never really doubted the existence of God.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Until fairly recently I had always understood the Christian faith as a 'way of life'. The idea that it was meant to be a <b>relationship</b> with Father had never really occurred to me. It was early in 2006 that I found myself wanting to refer to ‘<u>Father</u>’ - <b>an incredible Father who loves us and gave Himself for us</b>!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">If I had to choose one verse of scripture that best sums up my faith it would be Gal 2.20: <i>My present life is not that of the old “I”, but the living Christ within me. The bodily life I now live, I live believing in the Son of God who loved me and sacrificed himself for me</i>. My understanding is that Jesus is with Father and that Jesus lives his life in us to the extent that we allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct all that we say and do.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Now consider Col 2.8-10: <i>Be careful that nobody spoils your faith through intellectualism or high-sounding nonsense. Such stuff is at best founded on men’s ideas of the nature of the world and disregards Christ! <b>Yet it is in him that God gives a full and complete expression of himself in bodily form</b>. Moreover, your own completeness is realised in him, who is the ruler over all authorities, and the supreme head over all powers</i>.<br />
This suggests to me that Jesus contained <u>within himself</u> all the fullness of God!<br />
God the Father was made known to the world as a result of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The two are one in relationship and <u>purpose</u> – when we see Jesus, we see Father! This leads me to believe that <b>it was God the Father <u>in Christ</u> who became our Saviour</b> – that Father was <u>in Christ</u> just as we can allow Jesus <u>in us</u>?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Jesus was the “Word” (not easily defined) – was Jesus the Father’s spokesman? Was Jesus the message or the messenger? Was Jesus the divine expression of God? Could it be that Jesus was actually living and acting and speaking the Word that was God (not the Word that God had spoken)? Could it be that it wasn’t the teaching of scriptures that made him the Word of God, but the revealing of the mind, heart and will of the Father? <i>The very words I say to you are not my own. It is the Father who lives in me who carries out his work through me </i>(John 14.10). This suggests to me that <b>the deity of Jesus was not God the Son, but that the deity in Jesus was the Father</b>. If this is true it is a significantly different picture to that of God the Father in heaven watching while Jesus was here on earth and waiting for Him to suffer in order to satisfy the <u>demands</u> of a living sacrifice. What place Jesus as our Elder Brother who has gone before us and shown us the way?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Many young believers seem to recognise the humanity of Jesus – the great humanitarian or great philosopher but fail to recognise the life of the Father that resided in Him (what we see in Jesus may reflect where we are in our spiritual development – a reflection of the emerging church?).<o:p> </o:p> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">If I’m right that it was <b>God the Father <u>in Christ</u> who became our Saviour</b> then Father was with Jesus when He was crucified, sharing the pain and suffering. Doesn’t this give us even more reason to look to the <b>cross</b> and <b>resurrection </b>for <b>salvation</b>?<br />
The word “Saviour” comes from a word that means to save, deliver, protect or <u>make whole</u>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">We have an incredible Father who loves us and gave Himself for us!<o:p> </o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"> Unless we have some understanding of the eternal purpose</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> we won’t know where we are meant to be going!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Without a vision people perish! We need to have an answer for “<u>What is the purpose of life</u>?”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">I first asked that question over 40 years ago and I've been pondering on it ever since.</span></div><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">To those who love God everything that happens fits into a pattern for good … <b>chosen to bear the family likeness</b></span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> (Rom 8.28-29) – <b><u>adopted into the family of God</u></b>? </span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Of the increase of his government there will be no end!</span> </span></i>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-70810365508183543052011-05-14T13:00:00.000-07:002011-06-08T02:12:08.003-07:00The Great Divorce<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This is a book by C S Lewis that you probably have to read a second time. The book is allegorical but it certainly rings true to some extent for me.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>I am grateful for the following summary of the book:</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
The recently dead get on a bus. The first stop of the bus is heaven. The story follows all the 'ghosts' as they get off the bus. Each of the 'ghosts' has an angel or two that are assigned to them, to try and coax them into heaven. They can converse with each other too. Not all want to get off the bus, of course, even though the angels are trying to get them to. In fact there are mountains in the distance and 'heaven' doesn't seem much to look at from this point. As they get off the bus the ghosts often complain about their inability to step on the grass. They are see-through at this point, without much substance. Some are of less substance than others. Some of them perceive or proclaim that the grass is without substance, not them, and they complain about heaven not being much to look at, and they may try to go back to the bus demanding to go on. The bus is never going to go on, however, as this is the only stop.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
However, if they were to continue toward the mountains and away from the bus, they would 'thicken' more in substance, and they would see and feel more and more of heaven. The story is ingenious as it depicts each 'ghosts' choice and why/how they make it, as well as the angel's urgings as they try to reason with them and coax these recent dead to obey the divine directive to keep moving toward the mountains. All of them have excess baggage of some kind, a belief, an abnormal love, even a demon, and many other things that would keep them back. These things they need to shed in order to go on.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
If the 'ghosts' continue toward heaven, they continue to come closer and closer together, just as they come closer to God. Eventually, they would end up in a unified bustling fellowship with each other as well as with God. But as for hell, as they disobey the divine directive, they grow further and further apart, each consumed by his or her own belief system or false loves or pride. If they were to meet they would just fight with each other in strife and hatred, so they move on, insisting that all is right with them and none is right with their surroundings or with those other 'ghosts' they grow to despise. As they separate, they end up in a hell of their own making, in isolation, further and further away from anything good and away from God.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
The story can be seen as a creative depiction of pride verses humility, where people are liable to end up in their own little world, insisting that they are right while they despise their brothers and sisters for how they are "wrong" - self-righteous arrogance!</div><div align="center" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">***</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
Life is a journey - sooner or later we have to leave behind all the unnecessary baggage.<br />
God is not limited by <u>time</u> or <u>space</u>.<br />
Life is not like a river - but like a tree. There are frequent forks - at each we have to make a decision. The fruit appears at the end of the branches - some better than others!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
If branches are not bearing fruit we may need to go back and try again! Maybe some of us will be drawn back and then asked to take others with us!<br />
This life as a <b>training ground</b> - death as a <b>transition</b>!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It seems hopeless trying to wake some people up!<br />
Truth is dangerous - uncomfortable - not always wanted - some prefer to be enslaved!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
People look for recognition and appreciation - quarrelling pushes people further and further apart - people expect their rights!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
To what extent should honest opinions be expressed when others have good reasons to disagree? There are real spiritual fears!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
The <b>Catch 22</b> - the recognition that we have to let go of the past - and that our assumed talents may be as nothing! The land, not of questions, but of answers - instead of factual inquisitiveness and religious speculation!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
What would you like to do if you had a choice?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
The damned have holidays - excursions - if they want to - most don't! For those who leave the grey town it won't have been hell. The valley of the shadow of life (heaven) or the valley of the shadow of death (hell)?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
The agony of suffering will be turned to glory - the past begins to change so that forgiven sins and remembered sorrows take on the quality of heaven - heaven as a reality - hell as a state of mind? For some it seems better to reign in hell than serve in heaven! There is always something they insist on keeping even at the price of misery - just like sulking kids. There is a need to admit that we have all been mistaken and that in this life we cannot know all the answers.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
There are so many subtle snares (deceptions). Some are so concerned with proving the existence of God; some with spreading Christianity; while some are so busy serving that they lose their love for the poor!<br />
Life moves on - what we were is no longer important.<br />
Some live in the past as if it's all they had. It's what they chose to have - the wrong way to deal with sorrow!<br />
It's when we <b>stop pretending</b> that we begin to live.<br />
It's hard to say (but cruel not to say it?) - there is much to be learned from sorrow!<br />
Everything is good when it looks to God and bad when it turns from him.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
We need to understand the real meaning of <b>love</b> - instead of the craving to be loved - or loving others for our own sake. It has been said that when we have no 'need' for one another - full - strong - not lonely - we can begin to love truly. How many of us ever reach that stage?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
When people are unhappy this can be a spur that encourages joy that helps to overcome the misery. Many use it the other way round - choosing misery and holding joy up to ransom by pity (. . .instead of saying sorry you went and sulked in the attic, because sooner or later one of your sisters would give in!).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
The light of heaven can swallow up the darkness, but a person's darkness cannot infect the light of heaven. Love and joy are so much stronger than frowns and sighs! Can the demands of the loveless and self-imprisoned be allowed to veto heaven? Joy must prevail! The tyranny of evil cannot be imposed on the good?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
Consider hell - the infinite empty town - smaller than a pebble. All the loneliness, anger, hatred, envies and itchings are as nothing.<br />
Good beats down incessantly on the damned but they cannot receive it. Their fists are clenched; their teeth are clenched; their eyes are tight shut. First they will not, in the end they cannot, open their hands for gifts, or their mouth for food, or their eyes to see!</div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-26289228854510655432011-05-10T13:00:00.000-07:002011-05-29T06:56:52.395-07:00Richard Holloway - Radical Faith in a changed world<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It was in the early part of 2010 that I was sharing a few thoughts with an Anglican priest when I was asked if I had read anything by Richard Holloway. I hadn't. Later I found this entry on Google:</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Richard Holloway - Radical Faith - exploring faith in a changed world</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It referred to lectures entitled, "<b>Religion on the Level</b>" and "<b>The Myths of Christianity</b>".</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As a former Anglican who had walked away in the 1960's because of what I had seen as a lack of radical Christianity, I could relate to so much of what I subsequently found.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Richard Holloway became Bishop of Edinburgh in 1986 and Primus of the Scottish Episcopalian Church in 1992 and 'retired' in 2000 after being disillusioned by the Lambeth Conference in 1998.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I made some extensive notes for my own benefit - my own thoughts mingled with significant extracts from what I was reading.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Richard's material can be found <a href="http://homepages.which.net/%7Eradical.faith/holloway/index.htm">here</a>. We don't have to agree with all he is suggesting, but for me there is plenty of 'food for thought'! </div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-75950504602263835792011-05-10T12:55:00.000-07:002011-05-29T12:48:06.518-07:00The Myths of Christianity<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB">The End of Religion</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The deep questions about the meaning of life - <b>our religion</b> - are part of our humanity, but religion has been dominated by special interest groups with their own agendas which don’t necessarily conform to scripture. <b>There are no universally accepted answers</b>!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">A minority of Christians long for the old days of dominance and control. Most are members of ‘modern’ institutions operating in an increasingly ‘post-modern’ world – the Anglican Church for example seems to be in a state of transitional futility!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The ordination of women was seen by some as a small adjustment – others saw it as the beginning of the end!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<span lang="EN-GB">Comfortable coexistence with friends who are on their way to damnation is a real problem – especially for those who believe the Bible is the literal “Word of God” – while others have already deconstructed the traditional views of the Bible – which has led many to abandon Christianity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Can we accept that the Bible is a human creation? What place traditional theology?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">What place “Follow me”? Do we have a view of the <u>mystery of life</u> – can we look beyond the physical and see ourselves in it? What place the language of <b>myth</b> and <b>symbolism</b>?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<span lang="EN-GB">Consider the significance of a national flag as an emotionally potent way of expressing national loyalty (as a Brit with many American friends this seems to be particularly true of the States). But the symbol ‘God’ seems to be one of the most ambiguous of human inventions! What is our own understanding?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">We cannot do without myths but we must never see them as the final status. A myth (such as Adam and Eve) needs to be understood as a myth – but not be removed or replaced – it needs to become a <b><u>broken myth</u></b> – something that is always resisted by the official keepers of the myth (it threatens the authority of those in charge as well as the peace and security of those people who have submitted themselves to the systems that they control).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">Tillich is eloquent on the subject: 'The resistance against demythologisation expresses itself in "literalism". The symbols and myths are understood in their immediate meaning. The material, taken from nature and history, is used in its proper sense. The character of the symbol to point beyond itself to something else is disregarded. Creation is taken as a magic act which happened once upon a time. The fall of Adam is localised on a special geographical point and attributed to a human individual. The virgin birth of the Messiah is understood in biological terms, resurrection and ascension as physical events, the second coming of Christ as a telluric, or cosmic, catastrophe. The presupposition of such literalism is that God is a being, acting in time and space, dwelling in a special place, affecting the course of events and being affected by them like any other being in the universe. Literalism deprives God of his (sic) ultimacy and, religiously speaking, of his (sic) majesty. It draws him (sic) down to the level of that which is not ultimate, the finite and conditional'.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Tillich goes on to describe two stages of literalism, which he calls the 'natural' and the 'reactive'. In the natural stage of literalism, the mythical and the literal are indistinguishable. This stage is characteristic of primitive individuals and groups who do not separate the creations of the imagination from natural facts. Tillich says that this stage has its own rights and should be left undisturbed right up to the time when humanity's questioning mind challenges the conventional acceptance of the myth as literal (<i>something I have become very conscious of - I always try and avoid asking questions that people are not yet ready to consider</i> <i>- and I'm assuming that if you have read this far you have a reasonably open mind</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">There are only two ways to go when this moment arrives - when people begin to move beyond the conformist stage. The first is to replace the unbroken myth with the broken myth, which yields its inner meaning through interpretation and the power of metaphor. Unfortunately, many people find the uncertainty of the broken myth impossible to live with, so they repress their own questions and denounce the questions that others put to the myth. They retreat into reactive literalism, which is aware of the questions but represses them, either consciously or unconsciously. The instrument of repression is usually an acknowledged authority, such as the Church or the Bible, which claims our unconditional surrender.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Natural literalism is obviously an honest response to myth and symbol. In Kuhn's language, it is to remain within a traditional paradigm that is still working and still offers the best answer to the going questions. Reactive literalism, on the other hand, is usually a rear-guard action on the part of those who are still emotionally invested in a breaking paradigm. Their fear is that if the myth is broken it will lose its power. Richard's aim is to show that it is only the broken myth that can speak to us today, and still speak with transforming power.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>The Myth of Original Sin</b></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This has to be one of the most unsympathetic of Christian doctrines – those who are not baptised go to hell after death! What is this sin that babies are born with? The doctrine is </span><u style="font-weight: normal;">not</u> found in the story of Adam and Eve. Gen 3 says nothing about the transmission to humanity of Adam’s guilt. It is interpreted by Jewish scholars as an allegory of the human condition, not a historic event – a myth!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Richard suggests that Paul seems to have been the first person to treat it as an historic event – see Rom 5 (but I can’t see this). Death was the punishment for Adam’s sin. If sin is missing the mark of what God wants us to be we are all going to die. It’s as if we have to learn from our mistakes!</span><br />
<br />
<u><b><span lang="EN-GB">The Myth of Justification by Faith</span></b></u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Theology, like psychology is another way of describing human experience and its struggles with itself. Many, like Luther have been souls in torment about themselves who found peace through the discovery of spiritual truth that rescued them from despair. The genius of Buddhism is that it is a ‘middle way’ that repudiates two extremes, <b>the worthless life of self-indulgence and the equally worthless life of self-torture</b>. How many people see Christian doctrines as life saving? How often do we not understand our own thoughts and actions? What place <b>the obsession with guilt and punishment</b>?</span><br />
<br />
<u><b><span lang="EN-GB">The Myth of the Incarnation </span></b></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The church has been called an extension of the incarnation - to continue the divine work through history! This is surely something that is not possible for an institution to do! Consider Caiphas the High Priest and expediency!<br />
<br />
<u><span lang="EN-GB"><b><u>The Myth of the Resurrection</u></b> </span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">One of the problems people have with Christian beliefs is that they don’t know what they are for or why they might be important. <b>How for example do we verify the existence of God</b> (intuition or philosophical argument)? What difference does it make whether we believe or not? What place miracles? In that day and age that was the way in which people interpreted what was happening around them! Darwinism makes more sense than Creationism but are either right? <b>People have a need for certainty</b>! When we discover more honest ways of understanding the world we may be left with utter contempt for all religion! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><span lang="EN-GB">What is the significance of the central Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead</span></u><span lang="EN-GB">?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Just as the ‘big bang’ theory is a hypothetical way of accounting for the origin of the universe, we could say that there was some kind of decisive event that got the Christian movement going. Something happened to the disciples to change them from demoralised followers of a fallen leader into people of courage who now proclaimed the message of the one they had earlier deserted.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The resurrection was the defining moment when the penny dropped and the disciples discovered who Jesus really was. The gospel writers defined this in varying ways.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Thoughtful people should not quarrel over the different ways in which they express their loyalty to truth because, if they are being honest, their disagreements are at least about something real and all genuine attempts to struggle for truth must be honoured (as differing approximations of the truth we see in front of us)? <u>What are the consequences in the lives of those who encounter it</u>?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">There was a ‘big bang’ that originated the Christian movement – what is the ongoing impact – and to what extent has that been distorted?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The resurrection of Jesus as a <u>symbol</u> of the human possibility of <u>transformation</u>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Resurrection is the refusal to be imprisoned any longer by history and its many hatreds – the determination to take the first step out of the tomb – <b>resurrection calls us to action</b> – <b>transformed lives</b>! Joining with others to bring new life to human communities that are still held by the grip of winter. There are lots of frozen churches and deep-frozen human institutions that need thawing out with resurrection fire!</span></div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-6744392923521536422011-05-10T12:50:00.000-07:002011-05-29T12:47:38.457-07:00Religion on the Level<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">What’s the use of God</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">?</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Richard describes himself as a ‘<u>God botherer</u>’ - bothered by God!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">How settled are my beliefs? Do they really matter?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Can I encourage others to think for themselves? <u>How good is the foundation</u>?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><span lang="EN-GB">Faith is a gift</span></u><span lang="EN-GB"> – so might settled unbelief be!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Faith sometimes comes in a moment of crisis – some lose it in a crisis!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Belief or unbelief as a result of something that happened – development or loss of a relationship!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Many agnostics contentedly settle for the position that it is impossible to settle either way whether God exists. Some people are ‘God botherers’ struggling because of personal honesty – what do we think of creation and the place of humanity in the universe?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Anyone claiming absolute knowledge would be ‘suspect’ – but for some people that would be a survival mechanism. Consider the teaching of ‘hell’ – the basis of much missionary work – rescuing others from a horrible fate beyond death!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB">Language is a human creation</span></i></b><i><span lang="EN-GB"> and scripture is a use of language.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">Things are not what we say they are. The word ‘water’ is not itself drinkable. Words point to things but are not the thing they point to (a truth that is often ignored in religious circles). All <b>theology</b> is, ultimately a frustrating attempt to express the inexpressible. We cannot capture the <b>mystery</b> that is God! But human experience can sometimes come very close! What place any of the arts?</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Religion</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> seems to leave us with a belief that life itself is not something to be enjoyed and celebrated – but a testing ground for the future (and making it safely to the next level).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">How do we live our lives and how do we respond to life? Maybe some apparently godless yet celebratory ways of living may be further into God than much that passes as official divinity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">There is something beyond our own personal experiences – the great question of the meaning of Being! If we contemplate the extraordinary fact of the universe and our place in it, we might begin to worship – acknowledging the <u>worth</u> of the mystery of creation! Who other than human beings have the ability to think for themselves? Consider the passion of artists, composers, explorers, scholars and social reformers, driven by love and compassion into daring and laughter and glory!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Can we be motivated by the same creative recklessness and restlessness that lies behind the universe, challenging us to live adventurously, to live up to the reality of things and not be held back by our own fears and limitations, but burn with joy with what we are, rather than what we are not?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The extravagance that characterises the universe may be one of the keys to faith - for ‘God botherers’ it is not easy to believe in anything – if only <u>the logic of faith</u> were worked out to an inescapable conclusion, then we might have faith!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">There is a yearning, unresolved quality to faith. In my own case, I do not so much possess faith as long for it, am haunted by its possibility, by the sense that there is a mystery in the universe that calls me to the quest for meaning.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">But who can afford such extravagance of effort for something so elusive and wind-flung? Who can afford to give up even part of their one life to the celebration of such glorious uncertainty? Why waste time on such a search?</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">Well, given the way the universe is, some of us just can't help ourselves.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">The reckless, extravagant wonder of it draws us to want to live up to it, to want to give ourselves to the great themes and possibilities, even to the possibility of God. It won't leave us alone; it draws wonder, tears, laughter and the strange, troubled passion of faith from us.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">The whole thing is bloody marvellous and something in me calls it God.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">(November 1998)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The need for <b>Safe Havens</b> where we can concentrate <u>not on what we believe</u>, but how what we believe affects our understanding of <u>the purpose of life</u>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB">What’s the use of the Bible</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-GB">?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Beware of dismissing what others have made of religion. It’s usually better to leave people to the devices they have created to get themselves through life. Beware of treading on the dreams of others. It may be their comfort against the horrors that face them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">We often don’t <u>know</u> enough to believe or not believe. How can people use the great religious symbols and narratives if they can’t find a settled attitude to that to which the religious signs point?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">There is a price to pay – a drifting search for an elusive contentment that is rarely found!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Consider <u>the drama of the Fall</u>: the suggestion that whatever gets in the way of our happiness is most likely to be discovered in our own failings, though we are strongly programmed to identify scapegoats to account for our own failings and the tragedies they create. What are the masks we have created to shield ourselves from our own responsibilities? Breaking out and making it to freedom is tough!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">This also applies to whole communities. People can be led into captivity by the compulsions of oppressing power – the same psychological mechanisms, the same creation of scapegoats and the same dynamic of self-imprisonment. It should be no surprise that the most dramatic and effective use of the great biblical narratives of captivity and struggle to be free has been made by enslaved peoples – good news for the poor and release for the captives – consider the great Negro spirituals!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The narratives show that there are no easy routes to personal wholeness and human freedom. The long process of liberation may start with a midnight flight from Egypt but is always followed by a long trek through the wilderness. There may be some help along the way but growth is a cumulative and <u>active</u> process! The human psyche is not equipped with a fast rewind button!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The need to remember that we can never cure ourselves – we will always be in need of <u>forgiveness</u> and <u>grace</u>! There must be no delusions about ourselves!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">What’s the use of Jesus</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">?</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Jesus had an <u>intrinsic</u> authority that called forth voluntary ascent from people while the scribes had <u>extrinsic</u> authority. Jesus had an impact on those he met.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The overriding place of <b>forgiveness</b> – without radical forgiveness of one another we condemn ourselves not only to the pain of our offences against one another, but to years of misery which deepen the original wound by the corrosion of bitterness and hatred.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Many innocent people feel guilt at the death of a loved one; did they do enough or did their neglect somehow contribute to the tragedy?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The world is dying because of a lack of forgiveness – both individually and on a national level. What place prisons and ‘justice’ systems? Remember how important the formative years can be – very complex! Consider both the anger and the compassion of Jesus.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">We see <u>how</u> forgiveness works but how do some people find the generosity to let go of monstrous wrongs? Only those who have been wronged can really teach forgiveness! Remember the crucifixion – the release from bondage!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">What’s the use of the church</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The church is not a single identifiable system. The truth is rarely simple and seldom obvious. Mature institutions recognise the importance of conflict and disagreement in their search for truth, or the compromises that are often as close as we get to it. The church has wrestled for centuries with the meaning of Jesus and the movement that grew from his life. The maintenance of the institution becomes the main purpose of the institution – too many compromises with truth and justice! The church has to care more for the 99 than for the one who is lost? What has happened to the unconditionality of Jesus’ teaching? Religion generates a </span><u style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">fear</u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> of getting it wrong!</span></span></div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-82536465374220780382011-05-10T12:40:00.000-07:002011-05-29T12:47:05.680-07:00The Process of Emerging<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In "<b>The Sixth Paradigm</b>" Richard writes about <b>the process of emerging</b>:</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Science is not a cumulative linear process – there are periods of violent interruptive activity – paradigm revolutions or paradigm shifts!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Consider Aristotelian astronomy – a three-decker universe with the earth at the centre (a paradigm that still works in part). New paradigms are resisted (conservative attitudes). In science new paradigms normally oust older paradigms but religious paradigms never seem to get discarded.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1. the early Christians were waiting for the end of the world and the return of Jesus (not much point of social theology because the world was on its way out).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2. from the 1st to 6th centuries – the encounter with Greek philosophy (theology) – the creeds</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3. the RC paradigm from 11th to 15th centuries – the encounter with the Roman genius for order, discipline and admin.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4. the 16th century Protestant Reformation and the discovery of the Bible by ordinary people. There was still a need for authority (Luther and the infallible authority of the Bible) – an absolute commitment to pre-scientific paradigms. Reformed churches are very dour and dominated by the minister – the protestant work ethic – a school in every parish!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5. the 17th to 19th centuries – a heroic attempt to steer the Christian vessel between scriptural and institutional fundamentalism and the rejection of all religion as irrational and infantile – trying to adapt religion to contemporary knowledge – religion itself is seen as a relic!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">6. in the process of emerging – post-modern – not set in concrete – post hierarchical – religion is recognised as a human construct. Maybe Christians aren’t nearly as important as they think they are! Non religious people often seen to be a good deal kinder and more tolerant than religious people.<br />
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In "<b>The absence of God</b>" Richard suggests:<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is very difficult to get beyond words. As far as our senses are concerned God has always been absent – that’s why we invented the word transcendent – the possibility of that which lies beyond any human understanding or experience.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Could it be that God was aware of the inadequacy of words and emptied himself and became flesh? Then along comes talkative Christianity and turns flesh back to words again! Religious language doesn’t convey the mystery of the possibility of God!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In "<b>The burning mystery</b>" Richard suggests:</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Using a story in order to put across a message – something that is common in most religious traditions – parables – consider Screwtape Letters! There is a lot of midrash or imaginative construction in the NT. Maybe the whole of John’s gospel is midrash – an imaginative theological construction that is the fruit of years of meditating on the meaning of Jesus. One midrash technique used in the NT is to take great events from the OT and repeat or echo them in a different context in order to show that Jesus had assumed the role that was previously filled by one of these great heroes such as Moses.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The recognition that the church is supposed to express that unconditional acceptance of all – while knowing that the system we have invented to do the job is not up to it because it is run by us and not by Jesus.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The church is an impostor through whom truth is spoken?<br />
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</div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-31066794867170425232011-05-10T12:30:00.000-07:002011-05-29T05:12:35.261-07:00Roots<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">Why bother to think about religion</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">?</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Religion can give people a sense of peace, an anchor in an uncertain world, or maybe certainty (deaf to new ideas or perspectives). Some people have a greater need for certainty than others.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Religious certainty combined with religious zeal …</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Theology</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> (God-talk) – reflection – requires a willingness to read, think and discuss – open to new ideas – an ongoing search for truth! All theology is human, tentative and provisional!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">Why bother to go to church</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Men have always been conspicuous by their absence! What do people get out of it?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">What really matters to us? Do people ask the important questions? Are we just carried along?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The church was the centre of community – but people are no longer willing to follow like sheep!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Life is seen to have a spiritual dimension and instead of laws people want companions in their attempt to make sense of it. They want their <u>questions and doubts taken seriously</u>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">Why bother to read the Bible</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">?</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Either study it or leave it alone! It needs intelligence and imagination – a very human book with an oral tradition – but the written word becomes ‘set in concrete’! The Bible = a series of books edited by a committee! What was left out and should some books such as Revelation have been included?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">What about the stories of miracles and of creation?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Many find anti-intellectualism the strongest reason for having nothing to do with Christianity, but others are able to take both the Bible and the modern world seriously – but we have to use our intelligence and not read it all in the same way.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">Why bother to take God seriously</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">?</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Many claims made by Christians are so odd and so simplistic that many thinking people just shake their heads and walk away! What about the other great world religions? Where is the convincing evidence? <u>Who or what is God</u>? What place symbolism?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">If the only version of God some people know is the one heard in Sunday School …</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The understanding of physics by the primary school child is very different from that of the university student! Adolescence usually marks the end of religious education!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Instead of encouraging people to <u>believe in God</u> we should perhaps encourage people to explore their spiritual hunger. The <u>baggage of religion</u> will not speak to the spiritual needs of our time!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">Why bother to pray</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">?</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Prayer might be seen as a one sided conversation with an invisible person whose replies are inaudible – with many wondering why their prayers don’t seem to be heard (prayer and meditation are often seen as separate activities).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Some (theists) think of God as a separate being – conservative religion is often concerned with the trivial and fails to encourage people to explore and grow.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Some (non theists) may think of God as ‘the ground of our being’ or ‘the sum of our values’ or as the creative and healing power of love. Prayer might then be seen to move like an exploration into the mystery at the heart of human life (with no real distinction between prayer and meditation) – the need for perspective – open to new possibilities. Life without prayer condemns us to remain forever earthbound, unable to imagine doing or being anything else!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">Why bother to say the creed</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">?</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The creeds are pointers to the faith of the past – a convenient shorthand summary of the primary symbols of Christian belief – but as an introduction to Christianity or as a help to faith they are almost useless (we don’t see life in the same way as the people who wrote them). They are seen by some as the ‘football song of the church’ – ‘I’m a member of the gang’ – but others cannot repeat <u>all</u> the words. They might be seen as a clammy hand of the faith of the past reaching up and threatening to squeeze the life out of the faith of the present! The understanding of the faith preserved (fossilised) in the creeds may be historically important but can never be the last word.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The number of <u>timeless truths</u> of religion is very small and they are wrapped up in historical packages that mask what is underneath!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">Why bother to think about evil</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">?</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The fewer assumptions we make when trying to make sense of the world we live in, the better!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">In general we have a fairly clear picture of what <u>counts</u> as evil, but it gets tricky when people talk about the <u>existence</u> of evil. Institutional evil comes in all sorts of guises (Hitler, Stalin etc) but each of these systems depended on ordinary, decent people to keep it all working (showing the potential for evil if the circumstances are propitious – the idea of ‘original sin’! But this implies that our capacity to behave in dreadful ways is <u>more</u> central to the human condition than the capacity to behave generously and lovingly! Evil is what can happen when normal social and psychological restraints are removed – <u>not</u> something other than the normal human condition. It is easy for some people to pass off the dark forces within themselves as an external ‘devil’ (especially those who are deeply disturbed, or fundamentalists, or both).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">The holocaust was a turning point for many. How could a loving God have watched and not acted?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Much of the <u>suffering</u> in the world is due to deliberate human intent (wars, ethnic cleansing and the like). How often do we choose to behave in ways that are morally wrong? What place <u>freewill</u>?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Could we have a world without evil?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">A great deal of theology is a matter of trying to find reasons to continue thinking in the way that we already do, rather than trying to advance our understanding of things (a lot of theology is concerned with trying to deal with obstacles to faith).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">God is usually thought of as an <u>independent being</u> who is both g<u>ood</u> and <u>all-powerful</u>. Remove any of those three assumptions and the problem disappears – but so does the God of conventional Christianity – which is an impossible threat to many people!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-20948535024894595662011-05-09T12:00:00.000-07:002011-07-22T02:21:42.512-07:00The Two Trees<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Consider these verses from Genesis:</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">God planted a garden in Eden and made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2.8-9).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Gen 2.16-17).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The woman said, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it lest you die’”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and also gave to her husband (Gen 3.2-6)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">God asked them if they had eaten from the tree which He had commanded that they should not eat (Gen 3.11).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then followed the curses (Gen 3.17-19).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Then God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now, lest he put his hand out and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” – therefore God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken (Gen 3.23) – <u>and guarded the way to the tree of life</u> (v24).</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-69809150528800443212011-05-08T12:00:00.000-07:002011-05-29T12:49:33.378-07:00The Lord's Prayer and Forgiveness<div align="left" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have seldom used the KJV over the last 40 years, but on this occasion it seems to be an appropriate starting point:</div><div align="left" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">After this manner therefore pray ye. </span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> <i>Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our <u>debts</u>, as we forgive our <u>debtors</u>. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. </i> (Matt 6.9-13 – KJV).<br />
Then in verses 14-15: <i>For if ye forgive men their <u>trespasses</u>, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your <u>trespasses</u>. </i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In Luke the wording is slightly different:</span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our <u>sins</u>; for we also forgive every one that is <u>indebted</u> to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. </span></i><span lang="EN-GB">(Luke 11.2-4 – KJV). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">In Mark:</span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your <u>trespasses</u>. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses</span></i><span lang="EN-GB">. (Mark 11-25-26 – KJV). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Why in the traditional rendering of “The Lord’s Prayer” do we use <i>trespasses</i> instead of <i>debts</i>?<br />
The word<i> debts</i> is only used once in the NT – something owed (3783)</span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Debtors</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> – a person who is indebted (3781)</span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Trespasses</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> – a side slip (lapse or deviation) i.e. (unintentional) error or (wilful) transgression – fall, fault, offence, sin, trespass (3900)</span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Sins</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> (Luke 11.4) – offence, sin(ful) (266)</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Let’s look at “The Lord’s Prayer” using modern language:</span><b><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Father, may your name be honoured (the glory belongs to you).<br />
May your kingdom come and may your will be done <u><span style="color: red;">on earth</span></u>.<br />
Please give us each day the bread (both physical and spiritual) we need for the day.<br />
And forgive us what we owe to you (our failures) <u>because</u> we forgive everyone who owes us anything (fails us).<br />
Please keep us clear of <u>temptation</u> and save us from <u>evil</u>.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">There is an <u>emphasis</u> on a need to ask for forgiveness for our failures.<br />
For the purposes of discussion can I suggest the following:</span></div><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Sins</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – things done that should not have been done (not something we are)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Debts</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – things left undone that should have been done (sins of omission and commission)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Trespasses</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"> – offences that grieve God and grieve one another</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">I am not a scholar but looking through the gospels a number of things stick out. Consider that Jesus told Peter that he should forgive his brother seventy times seven. What is the significance of John the Baptist saying, “<i>Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world</i>”. Jesus didn’t condemn the woman caught in adultery. In John 9.41 talking to the Pharisees (the leaders of the day), Jesus said, “<i>If you were blind you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see’, your guilt remains</i>”. I find the last verses of John 15 particularly significant, <i>If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin …</i>Jesus was talking to those who thought they knew! Then in John 16.8, <i>And when he </i>(the Counsellor)<i> comes, he will <u>convince</u> (or convict) the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin <u>because they do not believe in me</u>; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.</i> There is I suggest a need to listen to the Holy Spirit rather than the beliefs and doctrines of men (such as the theology of ‘Original Sin’ or ‘Total Depravity’). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">There is a challenge for us to forgive <b>from the heart</b> as often as necessary. We need daily forgiveness just as much as we need daily bread. It works both ways – we receive forgiveness whenever we ask, and we in turn need to extend that to others. It is surely obvious that we cannot reasonably pray for forgiveness, if at the same time we are harbouring any <u>unforgiveness</u>? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">It’s worth considering that <b>unforgiveness</b> (or bitterness) leads to physical and mental suffering (we become prisoners of our own emotions) – we need to forgive for the sake of our own emotional well-being! [Do we allow fellowship with Father to be disrupted by what others have said and done?]. But how can we <u>really</u> forgive others if we don’t understand what it means to have been forgiven? This I would suggest is part of the process of <b>growth</b> when we accept the challenge of Jesus to <b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3945391904024835405&postID=6980915052880044321">follow me</a></b>, and then <u>allow Jesus to live his life in and through us</u>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">Please keep us clear of <u>temptation</u> and save us from <u>evil</u> </span></i><span lang="EN-GB">(taken from J B Phillips’ translation).</span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Temptation</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> – a putting to proof (by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline or provocation) – by implication adversity (3986 from 3985) – 3985 from 3984 – to test (endeavour, scrutinise, entice, discipline), assay, examine, prove, tempt(-er), try. 3984 – a test i.e. attempt, experience – assaying, trial. Thus <i>temptation</i> (putting to proof – examining) <i>seems</i> to be related to <b>judging and distinguishing between good and evil</b> – which in turn <i>seems</i> to make sense when we think of <b>the knowledge of the tree of good and evil</b> (the symbolism of Genesis 2?).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">I would suggest (just using Strong’s Concordance) that the meaning of <i>evil</i> is very obscure.</span><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
Evil</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> as in the Lord’s Prayer (4190) – hurtful in effect or influence – differing from 2556 which rather refers to essential character. 2556 is defined as intrinsically worthless, while 4190 refers to effects i.e. depraved or injurious – bad, evil, harm, ill, noisome, wicked. [There is a very big difference between an adverse effect, and something that is intrinsically worthless. This seems to be a very good example of using one word that has significantly different meanings in the original. No wonder that people are confused!].<br />
Could we reasonably describe <i>evil</i> (in the context of the Lord’s Prayer) as anything that resists God’s purpose (intentionally or otherwise)? The sentence could then mean something like, “<b>keep us away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil</b>”. This fits with <b>missing the mark or falling short of what God intended us to be</b> as a result of <b>ingrained habits </b>of <b>selfishness, self-interest, <u>unbelief</u>, <u>pride</u>, </b>or <b>self-righteousness – doing what is right in our own eyes</b>.</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Mankind <i>seems</i> to have been deceived into thinking that we need to know both good and evil. There is surely no such thing as evil - it is an action or experience that we perceive in a negative way - something we <i>feel</i>!<br />
Are evil and sin are two completely different things or are they both representative of a lack of love?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Do we need to be emotional to know and experience this kind of love?</span> </div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-46586606510009452132011-05-08T11:50:00.000-07:002011-05-29T12:51:51.925-07:00Christian Righteousness<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Consider the difference between righteousness and self-righteousness. There are several kinds of <b>righteousness</b>:</span> </div><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Political and civil righteousness (taught by civic leaders and lawyers)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Social righteousness (taught by parents and schools)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Moral righteousness (obedience perhaps to the ten Commandments)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Righteous relationships with other people (making ourselves attractive to others)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The righteousness that can come from a sense of achievement (being successful)</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">And then there is <b><u><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">Christian righteousness</span></u></b> or <b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">the righteousness of faith</span></b> that works in a completely different way – something we cannot do in our <u>own</u> strength! It is this <b>righteousness</b> that we can take hold of – that is offered free of charge despite our pride, self-centredness, selfishness and lack of self-control – that leads to <b>peace of mind</b> that is beyond description – and a recognition that we can do nothing to merit God’s favour!<br />
<b>Christian righteousness = <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">regeneration through faith</span>!</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Eph 2.10 – <b><i>we are <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">God’s workmanship</span></i></b><i>, created in Christ Jesus to do those good deeds which God planned for us to do</i> (is Paul writing specifically to Christians?).<br />
Could it be that ‘created in Christ’ refers to God’s spiritual creation – and that <b>every believer</b> is essentially a <b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">work of art</span></b> – God’s art?<br />
Consider how artists seek to bring the raw materials into line with the artistic vision. Sometimes they do very little – just a stroke here and there. At other times they make massive changes. Could it be that God labours over every believer, throughout their life, intervening, guiding and shaping us to bring us into line with a vision He has for us? <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">This would be a good reason to <b>look back over our lives</b> to see what God has been creating</span>. What has God equipped us to do in his service, for our loved ones, for our neighbours? Are we still struggling to find <b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;">God’s vision for our life</span></b>?</span></div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945391904024835405.post-69769835003564943702011-05-06T12:00:00.000-07:002011-05-29T12:48:50.863-07:00Romans<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Paul seems to have been writing to both <u>converted </u>Jews and <u>converted </u>pagans – written as a religious treatise.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Salvation – being safe – now becomes a matter of believing and not achieving!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Abraham believed God and was considered righteous – the father of the faithful – he was convinced that God could implement his own promise.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Faith = the certainty of God’s love – <u>justified </u>by faith</b>!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Chap 5</u> – peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A new relationship of <b>grace </b>– a glorious future – full of joy here and now even in our trials and troubles – giving us patient endurance – leading to a mature character – the love of God flowing through our hearts.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When we were powerless, Jesus died for sinful men – the proof of God’s love!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now that we are justified (if we believe), what reason do we have to fear the wrath of God?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We can be certain of our <u>salvation </u>as a result of <u>Jesus living in us</u>!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">[<i>I realise that I will lose many ‘traditional’ Christians by suggesting that it is reasonable in the whole context of Romans to suggest that <b>sin = to miss the mark </b>(and so not share in the prize) – to miss the mark of what God created us to be – but that is a separate consideration</i>]. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Death as a result of missing the mark – passed on to the whole human race – no one could break it because none were free from sin (we all have human nature).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sin was in the world before the Law, even though there was no law to define it!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As a result of one man’s sin, death by natural consequence became the common lot of men – but as a result of <b>grace </b>the love of God overflowed for the benefit of all men – countless men’s sins are met with the free gift of grace and the result is <u>justification </u>before God.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As a result of Adam’s offence men became slaves to death, but by the acceptance of the more than sufficient grace and righteousness, men can live their lives victoriously.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The act of perfect righteousness presents all men freely acquitted in the sight of God – one man’s obedience has the power to present all men righteous before God.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Law keeps slipping into the picture showing the vast extent of sin – but grace is wider and deeper. When sin is the master the result is death – when grace is the ruling factor (with its purpose of making men right with God) the end result is eternal life.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Chap 6</u> Paul is writing to those who had died to sin – who had been baptised into Jesus Christ and who were sharing in his death – dead and buried in baptism so that they could rise to life on a new plane. If we have as it were, shared his death, we <u>shall </u>also share in his resurrection.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Paul writes that we must never forget that our old selves died with him on the cross (that the tyranny of sin might be broken) – a dead man (those who are justified) can safely be said to be free from the power of sin (selfishness and self-centredness) – so look upon yourselves as dead to the appeal and power of sin but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Do not allow sin to establish any power over your mortal bodies (giving way to its lusts) but put yourselves into God’s hands for his purposes.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">No longer living under law that results in death but under grace – because of an honest response to <u>Christ’s teaching</u> (rather than the teachings of men) – able to reap the fruit of being made righteous and knowing that at the end of the road there is life for evermore.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sin pays its servants – the wage is death. But God gives to those who serve him – his free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Chap 7</u></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Paul was writing to those who knew the Law – that could only exercise authority over a man as long as he is alive – and the death of Christ has made us ‘dead’ to the claims of the Law – enabling us to give ourselves as in marriage to Christ – so that we can bear fruit – free to serve God not in the old obedience to the letter of the Law but in a new way in the Spirit.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">[It was the Law that brought home the meaning of sin].</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>As long as I was without the Law I was alive – but when the commandment arrived sin sprang to life and I ‘died’.</i> This is surely incomprehensible to those who are not followers?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Chap 8</u></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">No condemnation for those who are in Christ – lifted out of the old circle of sin and death!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The weakness of human nature was never going to produce righteousness.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jesus was sent to live in sinful human nature like ours and while Christ was dealing with sin, God condemned that sinful nature. But we can now meet the Law’s requirements because we are no longer living by the dictates of our sinful nature – but in obedience to the promptings of the Spirit (life and inward peace).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You cannot be a Christian at all unless you have something of this Spirit in you – that will bring new strength and vitality.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is by cutting the nerve of our instinctive actions and obeying the Spirit that we live!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All who follow the leading of God’s Spirit are God’s own sons – adopted into the family circle of God – Father, my Father (Abba) – heirs of all that Christ inherits – if we share in his sufferings we shall certainly share in his glory.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Whatever we go through now is nothing compared to the magnificent future that Father has in store for us.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The hope that in the end the whole of created life will be rescued from the tyranny of change and decay and share in that magnificent liberty that can only belong to the children of God!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The universe groans in a sort of universal travail – we <u>who have a foretaste of the Spirit</u> are in a state of painful tension while we wait for the realisation of our full sonship in him.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">[Hope = waiting for something that we do not yet see].</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Spirit helps us (those who love God) in our present limitations – expressing those agonising longings that we cannot put into words.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Rom 8.28</u> Everything fits into a pattern for good to those who love God and who are called according to his plan – chosen to bear the family likeness – and made righteous in his sight and then lifted to the splendour of life as his own sons.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">[Paul refers to <i>chosen long ago</i> but he was writing to an existing group of people – I sense this has been misunderstood by so many].</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What is there left to say – can we not trust such a Father?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">God has declared us free from sin – Christ prays for us!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Who can separate us from the love of God?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">An overwhelming victory through him who has proved his love for us.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Paul was absolutely convinced that nothing could separate us (those he was writing to) from the love of God!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Chap 9</u></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Paul was depressed by the conditions around him – has anything changed? He recognised that not all of Abraham’s descendants could truly be considered children of Abraham.</div>Old Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09905782212383969049noreply@blogger.com0