Obedience even unto death. August 14, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Bible, Christianity, The Bible - it's quality stuff!, You and me.Tags: cross-bearing, self denial, suffering
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Many of us want Christianity on our own terms. We want to stay alive – we want the benefits of the cross, but not the requirements of it. But where the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses us, it also demands something in return – our very lives.
I fear much for professing Christians. I see no sign or very little fighting in them, much less victory. Rarely do they strike one stroke on the side of Christ. They are at peace with His enemies. They have no quarrel with sin. It would appear that for some, following Jesus has little cost at all. This is not Christianity – at least not the way of Jesus.
Jesus demands obedience. Our obedience. Through Jesus’ death on the cross all who enter the coming Kingdom will have their sins forgiven, will have the law written on their hearts, and will know God personally. The blessings of this new covenant are crucial in enabling us to obey Jesus’ commandments. Which makes Jesus’ death extremely important in bringing about the impossible obedience that he demands.
This obedience that he demands is the fruit of his redeeming work and the display of his personal glory. That is why he came – to create a people who glorify his gracious reign by bearing the fruit of his Kingdom.
In Matthew 28:19-20:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
In this final command, we see that the demands Jesus gave only to his disciples are also meant for the world, because he demands all people everywhere to become his disciples. He lays claim to all people, and “all nations”. He demands obedience from all. If we understand this – that Jesus calls all of us to be disciples, then we see all the commands he gives his disciples in a new light. He’s talking to US. You. Me. He requires this from US. Because of His work on the cross, all of these commands and impossible obedience is made possible.
Jesus commands many things. He says we must be born again. That we must repent. That we must come to Him, believe in Him, love Him, listen to him, abide in Him, Love Him with all our hearts, soul, mind and strength, fear Him, Rejoice in Him, Worship Him in spirit and truth, pray always, love our neighbours, love our enemies, etc. But there is one in particular which I’m going to focus my attention on:
Matthew 16:24-25
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his live will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
The demand to follow Jesus means that everyone should join Him in what he came to do. He tells us repeatedly what that was.
“The Son of man came… to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45)
“The Son of man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10)
“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10)
Jesus came to gather a people – specifically, to gather a people in allegiance to himself for the glory of His father – by dying to save them from their sins – for which the punishment is death – and to give them eternal life and a love like his. Following Jesus means continuing the work he came to do – gathering a people in allegiance to Him for the glory of the Father. Continuing the work he came to do includes the suffering he came to do. Following Jesus, anytime, any place, no matter what the cost, means that we will share in His suffering.
Jesus didn’t die to make this life easy for us or prosperous. He died to remove every obstacle to our everlasting joy in making much of Him. And He calls us to follow Him in His suffering because this life of joyful suffering for Jesus’ sake (Matt 5:12) shows us that he is more valuable than all the earthly things that the world lives for (Matt 13:44, 6:19-20).
God isn’t glorified most when we’re having our ‘best life now’ and all we can attribute to God is our shiny new car, big house, and good clothes – all this does is draws attention to the objects, and the glory goes to them, and people all of a sudden think… I’ll take Jesus if he’ll give me these things. I’ll take Jesus if the pay off is right. That’s idolatry. That’s putting the gifts above the giver. It’s choosing Jesus for prosperity. God is most gloried in when we are suffering, facing lives hardest circumstances/demonic attack/persecution, believing that Jesus is enough. It is he who satisfies, and He who deserves all the glory. The greatness of God is seen supremely in the suffering of His son on the cross. Today, the summon is will you join the son in displaying the supreme satisfaction of the glory of grace by joining Him on the Calvary road of suffering, because there is no other way the world is going to see the supreme glory of Christ.
Jesus knew that his own pain would also fall on those who followed him. “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). So the focus of his demand was that we follow him in suffering. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24). Jesus put an emphasis on self-denial and cross bearing.
If you follow Jesus only because he makes life good and easy now, it will look to the world as though you really love what they love, and Jesus just happens to provide it for you. But if you follow Jesus into suffering which is part of this costly mission because he is your supreme treasure, your saviour… then it will be apparent to the world that your heart is set on a different fortune than theirs. It is a costly mission, but a joyful one.
Jesus is utterly up front about what this sort of life will cost. In fact, he urges you to count the cost. “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?…Or what King, going out to encounter another King in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand men to meet hiim who comes against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:28, 31)
The call to follow Jesus is clear and honest.
“In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)
“If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20)
“Some of you they will put to death” (Luke 21:16)
Not only will they put the followers of Jesus to death but they will do it in the name of their religion. “The hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God” (John 16:2)
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matt 5:11-12)
“Blessed are you when men hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!” (Luke 6:22)
Jesus doesn’t promise ’security’ in this life: instead he says, “You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and bsome of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Luke 21:16). We are warned in Luke 6:26 that we are probably not being his faithful followers if “all people speak well of you”. It is expected then, that by following Jesus fully, we should expect suffering, and persecution and to be disliked by some – even fellow believers.
And the joy that sustains us through the midst of persecution is not based on what this world can offer, but on what God will be for us as our Father, and what Jesus will be for us as our King, in the age to come.
This mission is costly, and it is worth it. This obedience, in following the commands of Jesus, although costly is free and joyful, it is a life of “all in – no matter the cost”. Even when the cost is extreme, the joy is triumphant, because the cause of Jesus cannot and will not fail. We have got to lay our lives down for the purposes of God. This isn’t ‘our best lives now’, or an invitation for continuous good times. This is a war for the souls of men. We are in a battle where God’s Kingdom does not come by force, but by the truth and love and sacrifice and the power of God. Jesus’ followers do not kill or beat people up to extend the Kingdom. They die.
“My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting”. (John 18:36)
There is a sermon that I came accross on youtube by a guy called Carter Conlon. He’s american. *sigh*. He delivered it to his church the first Sunday after Septermber 11th. He tells the story of when people were running for their lives from a crumbling tower, there were police officers and firemen, and others running towards the building yelling, ‘Run for your lives, Run for your lives!’ And in some cases I believe they knew they were running to their deaths, but for the sake of others they ran in anyway.
And I’m listening to this story thinking, ‘God, don’t let my sense of duty be less for your Kingdom, for your mission’.
I want to be among those who are not running away from the conflict but running into the conflict, screaming, ‘Run for your lives’, even if it costs me mine. Why? Because that is the sort of world changing, God glorifying obedience Jesus demands of us.
A day or two of reading… June 27, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Bible, Christianity, Read Through, Relationships, The Bible - it's quality stuff!, What's happening with me....2 comments
Yesterday was interesting. I’ve got a new book called ‘Desiring God’ by John Piper. And it’s brilliant. So much so that last night I went to be, couldn’t sleep from thinking about what I’d read and learned, and had to get up in the early hours of the morning to share it with people. 
Today however, I spent more time focusing on some BIBLE!
My bible reading is a bit all over the place at the minute really. I’m mixing a lot of Old testament with New, and generally reading a lot of whatever takes my fancy.Today was a section of Genesis.
I love the fact that having been through the bible several times now, there’s always something new that jumps out at me. So here’s my 3 points from Genesis 2.
1) Genesis 2:9(b)
The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Now, we see a few verses later that God commands Adam, saying “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 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.”
We also see in chapter 3 that the tree was “good for food”, and that it was a “delight to the eyes”, as well as it being ‘desirable’ to make one wise.
What I found interesting here is how this ‘temptation’ is right in the centre of the Garden of Eden. Adam, would have to walk by this ‘temptation’ all the time. It wasn’t on the edge of the garden, or off in a corner… it was in the centre. Which relates to temptation today. In a culture (for guys, for example), there’s temptation everywhere. It’s not hidden from us. It’s in the ‘centre’. It’s in the spotlight. Through media, the internet, shops, billboards, the movies, pubs, barrs, etc, etc, etc.
We see in chapter 3 the ‘fall of man’. But the idea is that before that, the tree was right in the centre. It was a temptation that required walking by, and perhaps away from.
2) Genesis 2:15
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
God put Adam to work. I get the impression that ‘work’ for a guy is an important thing. Even when God curses the ground (NOT ADAM), it’s all related to ‘work’. I believe guys need to work. Some guys probably even need 2 jobs. Even in relation to the last point, I think guys that don’t work will be tempted in their bordom. Guys that are working full time, and involved in their local church, aren’t going to have as much time to be sitting in their bedrooms, in front of a computer, looking at Porn… or even wasting their time playing computer games.
3) Genesis 2: 20(b)
But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.
God decides it’s not good for Adam to be alone. And that he needs help. Then after going through the possible animal companions, God creates EVE! (PRAISE GOD!). I think I would struggle with a cat as a companion. Something tells me it just wouldn’t work. I like this idea of Eve being Adam’s helper. It points towards guys not being single. It shows that we need ‘help’. It shows that we need a wife, I guess. It shows that we’re not complete without a wife.
On top of that, the idea of Eve being formed out of Adam’s rib. Eve being made out of Adam’s side. I guess that’s where guys need a wife! At their side. It would potentially also explain why ‘girls’ or ‘gurls’ enjoy cuddling so much. They’re at home. At your side. hahaha.
Anyway. Back to reading Desiring God by John Piper.
Year in review June 20, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, Church, Glasgow, Internship, Re:Hope, What's happening with me....2 comments
So all of a sudden, I realize I only have just over a week before I move back home to Ardrossan (unless something changes very quick, like me getting an amazing job with good pay!). That means I’ve got a lot of packing to do, and have spent a lot of time in the flat over the last week, which has given me A LOT of time to think about the last year – working with Re:Hope, the internship, where I’ve grown, etc.
The Internship
First off, my mentor Mike Libolt has been amazing. Anyone who knows ME, knows that HE has put up with A LOT! This guy has been there from the start, guiding me through the internship program, coaching me, pastoring me, and giving me a kick up the backside when it’s been required. Looking back from when I started the internship, I am amazed at the amount of stuff I’ve learned, and how I’ve grown through it.
I remember when I first felt sure about being Called to do the internship, and wondering what God had in store for me. Now all I can think is WOW. I couldn’t have imagined all of the stuff over the last year, the books, coaching sessions, prayer, spiritual retreat, etc.
If it wasn’t for the fact I know how much work and time it takes Mike, I’d strongly recommend the internship. It’s a huge growing experience.
Re:Hope
I am honoured (not a word I’d generally use!) to be a part of what God has been doing in Re:Hope. Equal to the internship, I’ve learned a huge amount from working with Brian Ingraham and the staff at Re:Hope. It’s astounding looking back, having been part of the church for around 3 years now, and seeing the growth (in congregation size, in Spiritual maturity, in Godly Character), in particular over the last year.
In a dark city, Re:hope has been a light. In a City where many Church buildings are either crumbling around their dying congregations, or turning into pubs, we’ve seen Re:hope grow. One point in particular sticks out: having prayed for growth, within 2 weeks, we doubled in size!
Seeing a Church be ALL IN, any time, any place, no matter what the cost. Seeing more people join bible read through groups – becoming a people of the word. Watching people come to know Jesus. Seeing people get baptised. Seeing people making Jesus’ mission – their mission. Seeing people making ‘this’, their life – what they’re living for. Seeing people follow God’s plan, at any cost, instead of their own.
If Re:Hope had a lifetime membership, I’d sign up. Although I don’t intend on going anywhere for at least this year (unless someone has a spare £18,000?), when the time comes when I have to leave – at least for a little while, I will continue to pray for Re:Hope, and take what I’ve learned in Re:Hope where ever I go.
Re:Hope – the time has come! AGH! June 1, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, Church, Glasgow, Re:Hope.add a comment
We’ve been given 2 weeks notice to get out of Re:Hope – the building.
When I heard the news, I was gutted. My initial response was confusion, and I got pretty ‘low’ about the whole situation. I guess my thoughts were… ‘God, what the heck is going on?’.
BUT… having prayed and thought about it a bunch since I found out, I am confident in God’s plan for his church. We’ve had complete faith in him for the last 2 years, in the knowledge that at any given time we could be given 2 weeks notice to get out – and the time has finally come. As Stephen and I prayed in the back garden of the house we’re staying at in Ohio, I simply prayed for God’s will to be done, knowing that he would use this situation/time to bring glory to himself, to move in mighty ways, to grow Re:hope in spiritual maturity, and to make us more like him.
I have HOPE. I know that by no means this impossible situation be the end of Re:hope – because I’d refuse to give up. God is the God of the impossible, and we’ve watched him move and intervene in Re:Hope since the very beginning. I believe it’s only going to become BIGGER and BETTER.
I have hope in the unknown plan of Almighty God, the One who formed Re:hope, opened it’s doors, and at least with regards to the current situation with the building, is closing them for the time being. We’ll still be there – we’re not giving up that easy!
Jesus – my Justification May 17, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, God, Re:Hope, Theology.Tags: Jesus, justification, righteousness
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A few weeks ago at Prayer in Re:hope, I remember sitting there in the middle of the prayer time, adding my ‘amens’ to what people were praying, not particularly feeling ‘led’ to pray… to be honest, I just wasn’t ‘in’ it. Then pretty much at once my thought turned to the people who ‘didn’t believe the Cross was enough’. They KNEW the Cross was enough, but they didn’t believe.
I got this picture of a ball and chain in my head, and felt like people were dragging around a ball and chain (their sin, the sins done against them, hurt, guilt, shame) which Jesus had unlcoked on the cross, but they’d decided to turn around, pick it up, and drag it along anyway.
What do they want? A box of choclates on top?
I can’t sleep either. A conversation last night got me thinking about the whole thing again. People who don’t believe they are worthy. They’re not good enough. They’re not ‘loved’. They don’t ‘deserve’. They’re too ‘bad’. They’re too sinful. etc. etc.UGH.
I’m thinking – you know what, I’ve done some pretty shameful things in the past. I’ve sinned. I’ve fallen short. I sin. I’m a sinner.
In fact, I’ll go even further than that. I’m the worlds worst and not letting go of that sort of thing either. I’ll beat myself up about things in the past, what I could’ve or should’ve done differently, what could have been the result if I had changed back then, etc. Actually, so much so, that recently I was told by someone I barely know, but fully respect to take my journal, either bin it or put it away, and start afresh. To accept fully what Jesus done on the cross, has delt with my sin, and has unlocked the ball and chain, to be dragged around no more.
It angers me to see that people believe Satan’s lies about them. It angers me even more when people refuse to accept that Jesus death on the cross was enough.
Not only did Jesus take the punishment for our sins on the cross as our substitute, and cleanse us from the sins we’ve done, and that have been done against us (and the crap that comes along with that sort of thing i.e. shame), but he also made us righteous. He Justified us.
The basis of our hope for acceptance with God and eternal life is the provision of Christ for both pardon and perfection. That is, he becomes our substitute in two senses: In his suffering and death he becomes our curse and condemnation (Galatians 3:13; Romans 8:3); in his final suffering and death, and in his whole life of suffering and righteousness, he becomes our perfection (2 Corinthians 5:21). His death is the climax of his atoning sufferings, which propitiate the wrath of God against us (Romans 3:24 – 25); and his death is the climax of a perfect life or righteousness – God’s righteousness – imputed to us (2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 4:6, 11 with 3:21-22; 5:18-19). This meets our need for more than forgiveness.
The righteousness we have is not our own, it comes as God’s good gift in Christ. But we will be righteous. Notice that this means more than being pardoned. The pardoned criminal bears no penalty, but he bears a stigma. He is criminal and he is known as a criminal, albeit an unpunished one. The justified sinner not only bears no penalty, he is righteous. He is not a man with his sins still about him.
Not only should Jesus be honoured as the one who died to pardon us, and not only should he be honoured as the one who sovereignly works faith and obedience in us, but he should also be honoured as the one who provided a perfect righteousness for us as the ground of our full acceptance by God.
We should honour Jesus as our Justifier. As our righteousness. But we also need to start accepting it. Believing it. Jesus IS my justification. Therefore, I will no longer be shaped by things of the past. No longer will I be shaped by sin and shame. Nor will I ever believe that I am not worthy, good enough or loved, for I refuse to doubt the work on the cross as being ‘enough’.
To Stand in Awe April 21, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Austria, Bible, Christianity, God, Worship.Tags: Austria 09, stand in awe
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The Israelites have just finished the tabernacle and the alter, they’ve been given all these detailed instructions on various offerings, the priests are good and ready, and in Leviticus 9 we have basically what is the first ‘worship service’. It being the first time, they probably don’t know what’s going to happen, or what to expect. The glory of God appears to all the people, and God consumes the offering with fire. The first ‘service’ ever, and God ‘shows up’, and the people go crazy, start shouting in joy and fall face down in worship.
Can you imagine? How awesome must that have been? The priests, Aaron, Moses and the people doing this for the first time the way God has told them exactly how he wants to be worshipped, not knowing what to expect, not sure what exactly is going to happen, and God shows up, and is seen in all of his glory!
But then in chapter 10:
“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.”
Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, after just having seen the glory of God, being all fired up and excited (no doubt about it) after just having seen God’s glory and fire come out from the presence of the Lord to consume the offering, offer unauthorised fire before God – contrary to how he’s said how it’s to be done. Bad idea! If God gives you instructions on how to do something, you stick to them. Otherwise, there’s serious consequences.
So, having done different to what God has told them to do, despite their hearts being in the right place, being fired up and excited about worshipping God, fire comes out from the presence of God, consuming them and killing them.
What’s interesting here is that they’re hearts are in it – they’re trying to worship God, but the way they do it isn’t right. It matters how we worship God. Our hearts have to be in it, but our actions – which reflect what’s going on inside have to be in line with how God wants to be worshipped. It’s not about how WE want to worship God – it’s how HE wants to be worshipped.
So, you’re thinking: Slaughtering animals, burning stuff, etc… that’s Old Testament, right? That’s old school? We don’t do that anymore, right? But the theory still applies today because God still cares how he is worshipped. Worship is an offering before God. We do need to follow the examples in the bible of how God wants to be worshipped. If we get mixed up in that, and worship God how WE want to, even with good hearts, like Nadab and Abihu – our good hearted worship offering can be offensive to God.
We were saved, not to be slaves to God, because that would imply he needs us, but to be sons and daughters, to worship God, our father, and to live lives that glorify him. We are all called to worship God. We are called to stand in awe.
Jesus talks about worshipping what we do not know. He follows on by saying (John 4:23-24) that “true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks (again – what God wants, what God is looking for). God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Worship in spirit and in truth? What is that?
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12: 1-2)
Worship is a sacrifice. An offering. Similar to the offerings in the Old Testament, here Paul talks about offering ourselves, our very lives as a worship sacrifice to God. Being a Christian is sacrificing your life to God – and that’s worship. Living a life of worship.
Spiritual worship is praising and worshipping a God who requires you to be all in, giving up the things of the world, and becoming more like Jesus daily. That involves sacrifice. That involves taking up our crosses daily.
Part of worshipping in truth is simply worshipping God in the way that he wants to be worshipped. With all your heart, soul, mind and strength, in accordance with what the bible says about how God wants to be worshipped.
We see plenty of examples of worship throughout the bible. We read the Psalms which teaches us how to worship God by singing. There’s examples of physical acts of worship (raising hands, facedown worship, kneeling, dancing, etc) as well, practised by people like Abram, Moses, Aaron, King David, Peter, James, John, etc. Taking a closer look at some of these people allows us to see the heart behind their physical acts of worship.
Every posture in worship says something of both the worshipper and the one being gloried in. The raising of hands tells of a soul stretched out high in praise and the worth of the one being exalted. Joyful dancing (like David) interprets a grateful heart and points in adoration to the lovable gracious God – the source of that joy. Worshipping facedown tells of a soul so captivated by God that to prostrate your self before God in true and total surrender seems the only appropriate response (and is probably the ultimate act of reverence) to our God, our high and exalted master.
What I’ve learned is that all these physical acts or postures begin as a posture of the heart. So it’s important to spend a short time before or just at the start of worship, readying your heart, focusing on God, asking for forgiveness, focussing on something that God has done, or that you long for him to do. I believe if you sort out your heart, and your head before you enter a time of worship, the prospect of raising your hands in a physical act of worship doesn’t seem a scary thing at all. When you truly focus on God, the people around you, which can make you feel uncomfortable and not confident in worshipping outwardly, become less of an issue.
Ultimately, who’s bigger? We’re concerned about the person to the right and left of us? Maybe they’re concerned about you? What will they think if I raise my hands and actually worship God in the way my heart wants to, in a response to who God is and what he has done for me? And I get it. I understand. Half the time, I struggle with it myself. Half the time I don’t do what my heart wants to do. It’s difficult sometimes.
One example of facedown worship is when the Ark of the Covenant has been taken by the Philistines in 1 Samuel 5, they take it a temple and they place it before their ‘god’ Dagon. The Ark of the Covenant was God’s presence. They come into find their ‘god’ (a statue) Dagon facedown before the Ark of the Covenant. Even supposed gods end up facedown in the presence of God.
Then there’s David. Shortly after the Dagon incident, the Ark of the Covenant is brought back to it’s rightful place. David is so overjoyed, that he dances with all his might in worship of God, in an undignified way. Sometimes when we God ‘gets’ us, we get ‘it’, which is to say we tend to throw off the concerns about what people may think, like David did… and go a little bit crazy and worship God in an undignified way.
This leads to my final point. Worship is a response. It’s a response to who God is. It’s a response to what he’s done, and what he’s going to do. We get so wrapped up in what we want from worship. We base our judgement on how good worship was depending on how ‘hyped up’ and spiritual we feel afterwards. Coming back to what I said at the beginning, it’s about God. Not us.
First and foremost, worship is to God. Secondly, it’s us. God can and does minister to us through the Holy Spirit in worship. It’s communion with God. It’s a two-way thing. That is also why we can (like David does in the Psalms) cry out desperately for God in worship, in our pain and hurting, in the midst of some of the craziness in this world, but still ultimately put our hope and our trust in the God who is in control of everything.
Worship is also a choice. It’s not something we always feel drawn into. Sometimes I’m just not in the mood to get down on my knees and worship God. Just like sometimes the last thing I feel like doing is reading my bible or praying. We don’t just pray to God when we feel like it; otherwise it’s just a take, take, take, relationship. In the same way, we need to make the choice of worshipping God in the midst of suffering. We need to step into worship even when we don’t feel like it, which is basically saying, “God, even though I feel miserable right now, you’re still worthy and I’m going to worship you despite…”
In Habakkuk, the prophet Habakkuk is crying out to God. He’s asking for help. His people are screwing up big time. They’re not living the lives God called them to live. Habakkuk talks about all the destruction and violence and strife and conflict. He wants to know why God isn’t moving when there’s so much wrong going on. He wants to know how God can watch this and do nothing.
God tells Habakkuk that he’s raising up the Babylonians to sort things out. He’s raising up an even worse ungodly nation, to take over the currently ungodly nation of Israel. Ouch. Basically, Habakkuk is in a bad situation, and it’s only going to get worse, and then he prays this:
“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” (Habakkuk 3:2)
It’s amazing. Despite the fact that Habakkuk is in a crappy situation, and he knows it’s only going to get worse because God is raising up the Babylonians, he still worships God. He still, in the midst of suffering, in the knowledge that it’s only going to get worse, trusts God and puts his hope in him.
Habakkuk standing in awe of God’s deeds? What? Even in a bad situation?
There’s so MUCH to stand in awe of. So much that God has done in the bible which should have us fall flat on our face (like Dagon) in worship to God. How can we even find it ‘hard’ or ‘awkward’ to worship?
Redemption March 25, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, God, Theology.Tags: Jesus Christ, Redemption, the cross
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Redemption is synonymous with being liberated, freed, or rescued from bondage and slavery to a person or thing.
In Exodus, God’s people (the Israelites) were enslaved to Pharaoh (which I’m assuming is a fancy Egyptian word for ‘king’), who rules over the most powerful nation on earth, Egypt. He was worshipped as a god, and he didn’t exactly treat his slaves very well. The slaves cried out to the one true God, and he heard their pleas. God raised up Moses to speak on his behalf to Pharaoh, demanding that the slaves be set free in order to worship the true God. God nicely but authoritatively called Pharaoh to righteousness, but Pharaoh became hard hearted (just as God said he would!), and he refused to let the slaves go free. Big mistake. God sent a bunch of plagues as judgements and warnings upon Pharaoh, giving him more than a few opportunities to repent and do what God demanded.
Pharaoh repeatedly refused to repent, and release the slaves, so God sent a series of pretty awful judgements upon the entire nation of Egypt. The wrath of God was eventually poured out on the firstborn son of every household, who were all killed in one night. The only families that were spared were those who took a lamb without defect, (sorry vegans!) killed it as a substitute, and used it’s blood to cover the door posts of the entry of their homes. Because they done this, the wrath of God skipped them out.
God redeemed his people. He set them free. Whatever you want to call it.
The interesting thing about this is that we see a theme of ‘redemption’ throughout the bible. God ‘redeeming’ his people a bunch of times in the old testament. Then in the new testament Paul talks about Jesus being our redeemer (Rom 3:24, 1 Cor 1:30, Gal 3:13 etc).
Before I was ’saved’, I was a slave to sin.
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. (Romans 6:17)
Jesus Christ is MY redemption. Not only did he take the punishment for our sins, and cleanse us from our sins and the sins done against us like I talked about in my previous blog, but he also set us free from the slavery to sin!Just as he freed the Israelites from their slavery, he freed me from my slavery to sin through death on the cross.
Jesus Christ – My Redemption.
Substitutionary Atonement March 12, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, God, Theology.Tags: Jesus Christ, Substitutionary atonement, the cross
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The most famous symbol in all of history is the cross. The cross represents symbolizes the believer’s connection with the death of Jesus. What’s amazing about this is, back in the days of Jesus, the cross wasn’t a ‘pretty little symbol’, but a shameful, excruciating (which literally means “from the cross”), horiffic mode of death. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus called crucifixion “the most wretched of deaths”. Cicero – an ancient Roman philosopher – asked decent Roman citizens not even to speak of the cross because it was such a disgraceful subject.
Paul talks about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as the most important event in all history, and the verification of the truthfulness of all Scripture. (That’s right… the Old Testament is all about Jesus too!). He then talks about this being the ‘good news’ – that Jesus died because of our sins. It was our sins, but his death.
From pretty much the beginning of Scripture (Genisis 2:17) to the end (Revelations 21:8), the penalty for sin is death. In other words, if we sin – we should die. But it was Jesus, the son of God, sinless, who died in our place for our sins – He took the penalty for our sin.
This means that Jesus’ death was substitutionary.
In good old Leviticus (one of my favourite books), we read about the day of atonement – which was the most important day of the year – the day in which the ’sin problem’ between humanity and God was ‘dealt’ with. On the day of atonement, two goats without defect (perfect little hooves shining) were selected to represent sinless perfection.
The first goat was a sin offering. The first goat got slaughtered (sorry vegans!), which acted as a substitute for the sinners who, according to what we see all throughout scripture, deserved to die. The head priest (who had the joy of slaughtering goat number 1) then sprinkled some of it’s blood on the seat ontop of the Ark of the Covenant inside the most holy place. The goat was no longer innocent when it took the guilt of the people’s sin, and it was a sin offering for the people (Lev 16:15). The goat’s blood represented life given as payment for sin. The dwelling place of God was thus cleansed, and God’s just and holy wrath was satisfied.
The high priest, acting as a mediator between the sinfil people and God would take the second goat (drum role please for goat number 2), lay his hands on it and confess the sins of the people. Goat number 2 (called the scapegoat) would then be sent away to run free in the wild (no doubt to be eaten by a lion or something) away from the sinners, symbolically taking their sin with it.
This is like one giant foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus, our High Priest who mediates between us and God, the sinless substitute who died in our place for our sins, and the scapegoat who cleanses us of our sin to be remembered by God no more.
You have to understand the function of the two goats in order to appreciate the atonement.
“The concept of substitution may be said, then, to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives which belong to God alone; God accepts penalties which belong to man alone.” – John Stott
Substitutionary Atonement is Jesus taking our place on the cross, cleansing us from our sin, and restoring the relationship between God and man.
A multi-faceted jewel March 10, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Books, Christianity, God.Tags: Christ, Jesus, the cross
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“One theologian has called the cross the great jewel of the Christian faith, and like every great jewel it has many precious facets that are each worthy of examining for their brilliance and beauty. Therefore, you will be well served to see each side of this jewel shining together for the glory of God in complimentary and not contradictory fashion.”
After reading a book called ‘Death by Love’ (Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears) I realized that I had managed to walk into something I’ve been determined to avoid. I ‘forgot’ the cross. To explain, what I mean is as I was reading this book, which focuses on the different aspects of the cross, I was thinking ‘I know this, but I had clearly forgotten this aspect of the cross’.
My point is… we forget that Jesus was our Substitutionary Atonement, our Christus Victor, our redemption, our New Covenant Sacrifice, our gift righteousness, our justification, propiation, expiation, our unlimited limited atonement, our ransom, our Christus Exemplar, our reconciliation, and our revelation.
I’m probably going to do a blog on each of these, part because up until recently I hadn’t fully understood some of these and think it important to explain them if i’m going to throw them in a blog like I’ve just done, and partly because It’ll help me go over and remember the final details of each of these.
What I realized after reading this book, and thinking about it A LOT, is that many of the people I know understand and know most of these to varying degrees. But in certain aspects of their life, you don’t see it. Jesus as our expiation, meaning he cleansed us from the defilement of our sins and the sins done against us, means that we shouldn’t be hiding in shame, or be being shaped by things in the past – why? Because we were made new in Christ, and he dealt with our sin and our shame on the cross.
“God, make me like Peter…” January 19, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, God, What's happening with me....Tags: boldness, initiative, Peter
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I think Peter rocks.
I think I’ve got a bad impression of the guy somewhere along the line (I’m thinking Sunday school). You know… the guy who denied Christ. The guy who sank when he tried to walk on water, etc, etc.
Scripture covers the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to Peter.
I guess there’s a few things in Peter’s life I’d probably like to avoid, but at the same time there’s a lot I admire.
Just as I aspire to be like David with his faith-based optimism, I love the idea of Peter’s willingness to step out and take action.
Even though Peter gets a bit of heat for sinking when he tried to walk on water, shouldn’t he get some credit for being the only disciple who actually got out of the boat? That took initiative.
And Peter made some commitments he couldn’t keep. But I respect the fact that he was the only disciple out of the twelve to man up and speak up. He was the first to publicly identify Jesus as the Messiah.
And THEN… we see Peter chop some guy’s ear off, when they came to arrest Jesus. He couldn’t sit there and let them drag Jesus off. He felt he had to do something!
I can be pretty bold some of the times (which can get me into trouble occasionally too!), but there’s a bunch of times I’ve chickened out of decisions, etc… because I’ve lacked the ‘initiative-taking boldness’ of Peter. Decisions that require boldness. Being a Christian – truly seeking to follow God’s plan… can often require bold decisions that have associated risk.
G0d, make me like Peter.
