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.
You cannot serve both God and money October 20, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Bible, Christianity, Church, God, Re:Hope, You and me.Tags: Christianity, God, greed, money
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First things first. God comes before everything, or at least he should. That obviously includes money.
Proverbs has a lot to say about money, and all the stuff that goes along with that. I.e. Giving, poverty, etc.
From what I’ve read in proverbs (that’s right – we actually read the bible!), a biblical view on money begins with a commitment to honouring God first with our money. An example of this was ALREADY underlined in my bible: “Honour the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops” – Proverbs 3:9. It’s also important to remember that wisdom, righteousness and fear of God are much more important that money.
The problem with ‘Christians and money’ today is that they tend to drastically fail when it comes to wisdom, righteousness and fearing God. Wisdom enables you to use money ‘right’. Wisdom gives you proper restraint in the pursuit of money. Being poor and righteous is better than being loaded and perverse. God can reward the righteous with money.
Pursuing money is dangerous. There’s a fine line. The moment when you start putting money before God – it’s not good (putting it nicely). Pursuing money can easily take priority over your pursuit of God, and a deepening of relationship with Him.
The love of money is the root of all evil – 1 Timothy 6:10.
The problem money causes when we do start ‘reeling it in’ is that it opens up a whole lot of doors as to what we can get. Having lots of money pretty much allows us to acquire whatever we want. So to a certain extent it has power over us. We start to serve ourselves rather than serving God. We start to ’spend’ on what we want, as oppose to doing what God wants.
Here it is in a nutshell…
Luke 16:13 makes it clear as day… we can’t serve two masters. As far as i’m concerned… most of us fall short on the ‘wisdom/righteousness/fear of God’ thing – at least to the level it’s talking about in Proverbs. That means we’re not Godly money managers.
Whatever. It comes down to God first, everything else second. And money presents a problem in that we begin to serve ourselves. You can’t serve both God and money.
Bitterness September 3, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, Relationships, You and me.Tags: Bible, bitter, bitterness, Christian, Christianity, foothold, God, gossip, In His Dust, malice, Mark Jones, slander, UNforgiveness
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Bitterness is a demonic foothold. If you are bitter, and you’re not dealing with it – you’re leaving room for Satan (and his demons) to get into your life.
I break bitterness down into 3 different types:
- 1) Someone sins against us – we get bitter
- 2) We think someone has sinned against us (percieved sin) – we get bitter
- 3) Jealousy/bitter envy and selfish ambition – it equals bitterness.
Unforgiveness = Bitterness
Jealousy = Bitterness
Bitterness is the possession of ‘the offended’. You don’t see the ‘offender’ getting bitter, it’s always the person that has been wronged, or who thinks they’ve been wronged. It leads to gossip, slander and malice.
The people we’re most likely to get bitter against, tend to be the people who we give access to our heart. Maybe the people who we give our trust? Or love? That means that the people you’re most likely to be ‘bitter’ against are probably going to be your parents, girfriend/boyfriend, spouse, pastor, mentor, accountability partner, your children, friends… maybe God?
People who are hurting or who get hurt – they (can) get bitter.
I’m an expert on this subject. It’s pretty much my life. That’s why I can talk (probably not blog) about it with such clarity. I haver to be extreamly careful that my anger/hurt (even whether I call it ‘righteous’ anger) does not turn into bitterness. If I get bitter, I’ve taken the bait and been captured in one of Satan’s demonic schemes. If I get bitter, the way I can end up thinking and speaking is slanderous, gossip, and malicious. It’s sinful.
We – if we are bitter – need to dig up the root of bitterness, otherwise it’ll grow up to defile many. (BIBLE! WHOO!)
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every kind of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32
If you’re bitter, you need to run to God’s people for help. If there’s someone you need to forgive, you need to forgive them as God forgave you, otherwise you’re living in sin, and giving Satan a demonic foothold, and your unforgiveness/bitterness will turn into slander, gossip and malice – and in your hurt, where you may have every right to be hurt – Satan will have gained a victory. Make sure and deal with it the right way – don’t let it become something it shouldn’t.
Saved for what? June 6, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, God, Internship, What's happening with me..., Worship, You and me.add a comment
One thing that I’ve found difficult is to seperate my work (for Re:Hope Next Generation Bible Church) from my personal one-on-one time with God. It made me thing about what it is to work ‘for God’. And how to ’serve’ simply isn’t enough.
Here’s what I’m getting at…
God didn’t save us to serve. That would imply that God needed or required us. Which I find hard to believe. In fact, that’s a nice way of saying it… I just plain and simple don’t believe it.
I had a conversation with a friend over MSN Instand messanger last night, and I asked her, ‘Why did God save us?’.
“Because He loves us”
God didn’t save us to serve him. He doesn’t require that from us. God is all powerful, remember? He’s Glorious with or without us anyway. He saved us for Sonship and to worship Him. (Check out Paul Washer on Youtube).
Makes sense right?
I wasn’t saved to serve. I wasn’t saved because God required something I had to offer. I wasn’t saved because I’m extreamly good-looking… ONLY KIDDING! I was saved because yes, God loves me, and yes he wants for me to be his son, and to worship him and to love him like the almighty father He is.
Sonship is different from Serving. And working for a church, or as a missionary isn’t ‘enough’. You’re a son or a daughter of God, not an employee. The son/daughter element of your relationship with God is still required no matter how many hours you put in ‘working for God’.
God… May 28, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, God, Prayer, What's happening with me..., You and me.add a comment
God, You search me and You know me. You know me better than I know myself. You know my past, my present, and my future. You know when I sit and when I rise. You know my weaknesses and my strengths. You know the areas in which I stumble. You know where I fail. You know my heart, God.
God, I seek You. I want to see Your face, God. I want to know Your ways, God. I want You more than this world. I want Your ways before my own. Your ways are higher. You are greater than me. You’re completely more than me. You’re different from me God.
You, God… didn’t save me to be a servant. You saved me for sonship. I worship You God, for saving me. I praise You for saving me from my sins, and saving me from DEATH, and eternity in hell. I thank you and praise You for the cross. Don’t let me forget. Don’t let me skip over the cross.
God, I praise You for being the victor! I take confidence in the fact that the victory is already WON! I take confidence in the fact that You are living and active God. I take confidence in the fact that You move just as much today as You moved any other time, God. I pray in a confidence that You still answer prayer. That when I pray and cry out to You God – You hear me. You see me God.
God, all I need is You. All I need is YOU, God!
What can wash away my Sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! What can make me whole again, Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
You amaze me God. Your mercy and grace. Your love and kindness. Your patience, and Your righteous anger. God, you astound me. I can’t get over the fact that You take interest and care for someone as lowly as me. I am the cheapest of all sinners, I am the lowest of the low, God. And You saved me!
I pray God, for people who are hurting God. That they would remember You’re the God of comfort, and the God who created love… and a God who provides shelter from the storm. That thay would know that they can seek You and You will hear them God. That when they cry out – You hear. You answer.
God, forgive my sins. Forgive me when I don’t live the life I’m called to live. Forgive me for not seeking You in all things. Forgive me for not remembering the cross. Forgive me for following the world and living by the world’s standards before Your’s. Forgive me for not living according to Your word.
God, I am nothing; I’m no one; I AM broken and hopeless, and ruined WITHOUT You. Don’t allow me think otherwise. Don’t allow me to believe I know better than my God. Don’t allow me to put my plans before Your’s.
I pray for the addicts and the escapists. I pray that they stop running from their paid and their hurt and their problems. I pray that instead of running they seek You. That they FIND You. I pray for Godly encounters, Father. I pray they the church finds itself overrun with new comers, and the homeless. I pray You’d prepare us for revival, Father. That You’d prepare us to council the broken. I pray that You’d break us, God – in order that we would know You better.
God, don’t let us become comfortable with where we’re at. Don’t let us become lazy followers of You. Don’t let us forget what You’ve done in our lives. Don’t let us forget that Jesus died for our sins. Don’t let us forget that He overcame death and Sin, in order for us to be saved. Don’t let us forget that he hung on a cross for US. Don’t let us forget that he rose again. Don’t let ME forget any of it God.
Father, I couldn’t honestly spend enough time with You in prayer.
I pray in the Name of Jesus, and in the knowledge that he mediates for me, God…
Amen.
Overwhelmed April 26, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, Glasgow, God, Internship, Re:Hope, What's happening with me..., You and me.1 comment so far
As part of me going to live up in Glasgow and work for Re:Hope Next Generation Church I have raise financial support. Honestly… sometimes it gets me pretty nervous. The prospect of not having the money I need and being unable to pay bills, or rent, or not having enough money for food scares me.
I’ve sent out support letters to family and friends – which seems very foreign to me – not sure what to expect. The whole idea of raising support and relying on other people and especially God is something I’ve not really had to do before.
I take confidence in the fact that I feel this is something I feel God has called me to do. I trust in Him and his plan for me – even if I don’t know what that is. I have faith that he is going to provide for something that He’s called me to.
I hate the idea of ‘wimping’ out. I hate the idea of changing my plans or having a safety net ‘just in case it doesn’t work out’. You can’t be a ‘wimpy’ or ‘cowardly’ Christian. We have to be strong and courageous – especially when it comes to walking into the unknown.
I’m totally overwhelmed by the support I’ve recieved. Don’t get me wrong… I’ve still got a fair bit to go… but I can’t get over the fact that people who can’t really afford to give me money are in fact giving me the largest gifts or donations.
I recently recieved a card in the mail with a cheque inside from friends I’ve not seen in a fairly long time, who quoted J.Hudson Taylor … “God’s work done God’s way will not lack God’s supply.”
- In the process of becoming a courageous christian… who steps out into the unknown – with a certainty and confidence in a faithful God who knows me better than I know myself.
I want it now. March 19, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, God, Re:Hope, What's happening with me..., You and me.1 comment so far
Brian taught on ‘Shortcutting’ this past Sunday at Re:Hope. One of the challenges was to consider whether or not there was any “Have it now” lures in your life at the moment.
I think this is one of my biggest ‘issues’. When I see something I want… I rush straight in. I don’t wait, I’m not patient, I don’t consider the consequences, I don’t consider the people around me, etc.
I’m beginning to understand what God want’s for me, doesn’t involve me necessarily running full steam ahead as soon as I have an opportunity or a target. In other words – Shortcutting. I’m tempted to do things ’my way’ instead of ’God’s way’.
I guess this is one of those things that I’m growing in – learning through mistakes more than anything. I guess it’s not about what I want, or about my ‘timescale’, and my attitude of ’wanting it now’ – even if I feel ‘this’ is part of God’s plan, but about what God wants of me, and where God me to go, and the ‘route’ God wants me to take to get there.
I think it comes back to faith in God as well. Faith in what he’s doing, and what he’ll continue to do. I don’t think God starts something with the intention of not finishing it. I think it’s more a case of… once we see what’s happening… we jump the gun, take the reigns and go off ‘our way’.
I’m a work in progress…
Chris and Faith February 26, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, Church, Glasgow, God, Re:Hope, What's happening with me..., You and me.add a comment
On Monday night I got a text saying my friend – Chris Gaston had died.
You know… I didn’t really know what to think. I was totally lost for words, and had no idea what to say or think. I said I would pray…
Then I found myself in a place I’ve only been once or twice before. The last time was when a close friend had a miscarriage and again I was asked to pray for them. Again I was lost for words, and couldn’t even think of what to say to God. On Monday night, I was thinking something along the lines of ‘How could this happen?’, and ‘Where was God in all this?’.
It was a couple of days later, when I was talking to my friend Scotty… and generally thinking about Chris, and what his family must be going through right at that moment, that I realized it came back to faith.
I don’t think I’ll ever understand some of the stuff that happens. It just won’t ‘compute’ in my head. And you know what… I don’t think I want to. I trust God. I know that He knows best. And I have faith in whatever His plan for my life, and anyone else’s life is.
On Sunday night I saw the most people I’ve ever saw at Re:Hope. I know that Chris packed out a church in N.Ireland. He doubled the congregation at Re:Hope. I see God moving in Re:Hope, through the death of my friend Chris Gaston.
I praise God for the life of my friend Chris Gaston. I’ll miss him, but I also know that Chris is where I want to be… and that I will see him again, and I trust in God’s plan for my life. I trust in the fact that God is in control.
Porn and false expectations February 4, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, Relationships, You and me.1 comment so far
Porn – whether that’s pictures, videos, etc – gives guy’s false expectations of what a relationship ‘looks like’. They somehow get the impression that once they’re in a relationship, or when they’re married – that’s how it’s going to be.
Porn makes guys think women are something that they’re not.
Pornography: the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction. (Webster)
This is where I turn the table. Chick flicks and romance novels/stories can and do “arouse a quick, intense emotional reaction”. It’s giving girls a false impression of what a relationship looks like, and how a guy is meant to be. It encourages you (girls that is) to dream of ‘that perfect guy’ and hope for ‘one just like him’.
Seriously… where do you get your idea of what a relationship should look like? (Guys too!). You can say your parents – but that’s a married relationship, not a dating or ‘going out’ relationship.
Guys have to be careful they don’t get unrealistic expectations in what a relationship is going to be like. Girls have to do the exact same.
Guys – stop watching porn for one. And don’t expect that your girlfriend or wife is going to be anything like the ‘pornstar’.
Girls – Be careful you’re not wanting something that doesn’t exist, or at least is very very rare. Life isn’t a fairytale. You’re never going to find a guy with no flaws, shortcomings, or insecurities.
Guard your hearts.
Being Bold February 2, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, Church, God, Prayer, What's happening with me..., You and me.add a comment
I am tired of ‘timid‘ praying.
People pray as if they don’t have the faith that God can actually do whatever it is they’re praying for. They ‘tip toe’ around the subject, as if to just go all out and have faith that God will move – that’ll be false hope?
I mean, if we ask God boldly for something (although it’s not all about the asking), what happens if he doesn’t answer? (the way we want Him to?). It’s gonna be a bit of a blow to what faith we do have if we believe fully that He will and does move, but… on this occasion… it doesn’t seem like he has/or did – at least, from our point of view.
We have to be careful we don’t give God the dates of our diary for when we expect stuff to be done by. We have to be careful that we don’t go in the huff because God didn’t answer us ‘our way’ or by ‘our standards’.
Take Abraham for example… God gave this guy a promise. He had to play the waiting game. Abraham had to believe in something that seems completely impossible. But it happened, didn’t it?
And you see how important faith is all throughout the Gospels too.
How can you expect God to move, if you don’t believe that He will?
How can you expect God to answer prayers of little faith?
Pray boldly.
