How often do we pray: 'Father God, I want... x, y and z because...'?
It's something I've really been challenged on lately in my prayer life, in that intimate conversation with God. I do believe that there's a great deal of sense in actually reasoning through what you want with God, not for his benefit but for ours.
It keeps our priorities and our motives in check. If I say 'Lord, I would like a new bike.' That might be a perfectly reasonable prayer in itself but let's add that dreaded word 'because' into the mix.
'Lord, I would like a new bike because...' Well why do I want it? What's the reasoning? Do you see that it opens a path of inquiry for ourselves? We have to follow that path to its logical end as part of prayer.
There are many possible reasons for why I want a new bike. James 4:3 says this: 'You ask [in prayer] and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.'
And this tells us something about God's will for our prayers. They are to be for means towards him rather than ends towards ourselves. Read that again.
You see, if my prayer is 'Lord, I would like a new bike because riding a bike gives me a rush, a thrill and excitement that I don't find in you', do you think he will answer that prayer?
If it is 'Lord, I would like a new bike because my old one's getting a bit rusty and I need the security and the good feeling that comes when people see me riding past on a shiny, new, state-of-the-art, top-of-the-range model', do you think he will be falling over himself to answer that?
But consider this: 'Lord, I would like a new bike because my old one is broken and I need it to ride to see a friend once a week in town who I know is receiving your gospel in our conversations.'
Let's step it up a notch. 'Lord, I want a wife!'
Because... that's my idea of ultimate security - not in your presence, in relationship with you but in a marriage.
Because... I think sex is the most wonderful thing I'm likely to experience here on earth and I want to have it!
Oh dear... those are some rather poor reasons aren't they?
'Lord, I want a wife because I want to try and mirror to them the extent of your love for your people and I want to feel that love myself.' That's a better reason right?!
'Lord, I want a wife because I feel that I will glorify you better in companionship and through that relationship that on my own as a single man.'
Do you see? The first prayers were making marriage an end. Something final, something through which we only satisfy ourselves. The second prayers made marriage the means to something, namely God's glory, the expression of his character.
And that's what all our prayers should, ultimately, be about; God's glory.
So next time you pray for something, with the honesty of your heart and the conviction of the Holy Spirit, tack because onto your prayer. God's not an idiot, he doesn't need you to explain it for him so he goes 'Oh yeah, I can get more glory out of this by doing that!' but you do need to explain it to yourself so that you know that your heart is in the right place. Take yourself through it in conversation, listening to his correction and rebuke.
If we make God's glory expressed in our lives the number one desire of our hearts (which it should be!) then it's true that, through prayer, we will have our desire answered. He will expose our hearts, our motives. Pray for God to draw you nearer, deeper into himself, look for the pathways in your life he has opened to take you there and pray yourself into them.
Pray for the means to God's glory in which lies your ultimate pleasure!
Tuesday 30 June 2009
Wednesday 24 June 2009
Christian Deconstruction 2 - Strength and the WHOLE armour
Ephesians 6:10,11: 'Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.'
Outside God, there is no 'Christian' deconstruction. Without him, your efforts will be in vain, like a fish flapping on the dock when those movements should be exerted in moving it through the water. It is only by recognising your complete dependence and reliance on God that your attempts will be successful. Outside that, you needn't bother, you will producing useless cultural studies with scripture thrown in for good measure.
Be strong in the Lord. Be strong, but be strong in the Lord! Any other sort of strength is weakness. It is him who gives you the power to do it, it is his wisdom, his insight and his skill which flows through you as your pull apart this world and see its inner workings. You are a vessel, a tool and an instrument bringing his truth to bear and shining the lamp of his word on the darkness of our culture to see what flees in its brilliant light! That's privilege enough, surely?!
How are we strong in the Lord? We do not hold back; we are forceful in our arguments, uncompromising in our approach, ruthless in exposing the lies of the enemy in the workings of our culture but all of this is from a platform of prayer and fellowship with God. Before we begin on any 'text', any film or book, anything, we must ask God for his help. In deconstructing a text, we are not serving God - he is serving us by providing strength and intellect, wisdom and truth, the very air that you breathe as you research, the blood that flows through your veins! He provides it all so that we might glorify him, in the case of Christian Deconstruction by proclaiming his truth in the face of worldy and devilish lies; shining a light into the darkness.
To believe that you are somehow bringing something to God is foolishness. He is bringing his glory back to himself through you... and that's enough!
So, with the right frame of mind, put on the whole armour of God. What follows is the list of this armour, this equipment that God has at our disposal and his command is to use all of it. Not just the bit you think suits your need, not just what you decide. So, in the articles that follows I will be detailing how each specific bit of armour and equipment can be used... but they must all be used together. It's not a case of putting the sword down to take up the shield but of holding them at the same time!
And when we do this we will be able to 'stand against the wiles of the devil.' The word translated as 'wiles' here in more accurately translated as methods or strategies with the implication of trickery and deceit and, most importantly, movement. The devil will come from different angles, he will employ different tactics but with the armour of God, you will see and disable any attack from any direction. Do not grow complacent in deconstruction. Don't settle into patterns or methods, let God guide you in each new attack!
Outside God, there is no 'Christian' deconstruction. Without him, your efforts will be in vain, like a fish flapping on the dock when those movements should be exerted in moving it through the water. It is only by recognising your complete dependence and reliance on God that your attempts will be successful. Outside that, you needn't bother, you will producing useless cultural studies with scripture thrown in for good measure.
Be strong in the Lord. Be strong, but be strong in the Lord! Any other sort of strength is weakness. It is him who gives you the power to do it, it is his wisdom, his insight and his skill which flows through you as your pull apart this world and see its inner workings. You are a vessel, a tool and an instrument bringing his truth to bear and shining the lamp of his word on the darkness of our culture to see what flees in its brilliant light! That's privilege enough, surely?!
How are we strong in the Lord? We do not hold back; we are forceful in our arguments, uncompromising in our approach, ruthless in exposing the lies of the enemy in the workings of our culture but all of this is from a platform of prayer and fellowship with God. Before we begin on any 'text', any film or book, anything, we must ask God for his help. In deconstructing a text, we are not serving God - he is serving us by providing strength and intellect, wisdom and truth, the very air that you breathe as you research, the blood that flows through your veins! He provides it all so that we might glorify him, in the case of Christian Deconstruction by proclaiming his truth in the face of worldy and devilish lies; shining a light into the darkness.
To believe that you are somehow bringing something to God is foolishness. He is bringing his glory back to himself through you... and that's enough!
So, with the right frame of mind, put on the whole armour of God. What follows is the list of this armour, this equipment that God has at our disposal and his command is to use all of it. Not just the bit you think suits your need, not just what you decide. So, in the articles that follows I will be detailing how each specific bit of armour and equipment can be used... but they must all be used together. It's not a case of putting the sword down to take up the shield but of holding them at the same time!
And when we do this we will be able to 'stand against the wiles of the devil.' The word translated as 'wiles' here in more accurately translated as methods or strategies with the implication of trickery and deceit and, most importantly, movement. The devil will come from different angles, he will employ different tactics but with the armour of God, you will see and disable any attack from any direction. Do not grow complacent in deconstruction. Don't settle into patterns or methods, let God guide you in each new attack!
Wednesday 17 June 2009
Christian Deconstruction 1 - Introduction and explanation
To begin with, I'd like to start by disassociating the term 'Christian Deconstruction' from deconstruction; the school of thought in philosophy and literary criticism. The two have very little in common! I'd also like to remove the idea of a wrecking ball from your minds, that is destruction whereas what I'd like to discuss is a much more ordered and careful activity.
There is a need, I really do feel, for Christians to begin to carefully examine the world in which they live. More and more, there are things growing up around us in society that are dangerous and powerful influences against us. They are being 'constructed', make no mistake. The enemy and sinful mankind, hand in hand, are creating structures, systems and ideas designed to obscure and remove God and to lead people away from him. These come in all shapes and sizes, a great deal of the time very subtlely and almost subliminally. Genesis says of the devil, in the form of the snake, that he is 'more cunning than any beast of the field' Genesis 3:1.
Films, television, music, magazines, advertising, politics, books. A massive range of things which have input on our minds and our thinking are riddled through with these ungodly influences and I think the time has come where it's either fight or flight... and far too often I see people endorsing the 'flight' option; to totally remove these influences from their lives. No! No! No!!!
A direct biblical response to that: Ephesians 6:12 - 'For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers...' We don't wrestle against flesh and blood but we do and should wrestle against principalities and powers. What follows in Ephesians 6:13-18 is a carefully-considered, divinely-inspired description of how we should go about our 'wrestling'. I'll be unpacking that in another article so that this one doesn't get too long!
Basically I firmly believe, as believers and vessels of the Holy Spirit, we have a role to play in actually dismantling and exposing these 'structures'. As people obsessed with God's truth and justice being seen, we are obliged to counter and destroy the attacks and attempts against him. For us, this takes a really simple, straightforward approach. We apply the principles, the worldview and truth of scripture to aspects of our culture. Advertising, movies, television, books, music etc., should be looked at through the scope of Christian Deconstruction. This brings an added bonus that the positive influences of these things will also become clear! We can see where they are effective and how they might be used for God rather than against him.
The beauty is that all we need do is to write. Essays are the simplest, most practical way to deconstruct something and see into its heart and motivations. I hope that you will listen to this call to arms and benefit greatly from my instructional, scriptural principles which follow in the next few weeks. I sincerely hope that you are already taking this idea and making it your own!
Take up the Word of God as a sword and, using its razor sharp tip, begin to pick apart the world, the culture that you live in!
There is a need, I really do feel, for Christians to begin to carefully examine the world in which they live. More and more, there are things growing up around us in society that are dangerous and powerful influences against us. They are being 'constructed', make no mistake. The enemy and sinful mankind, hand in hand, are creating structures, systems and ideas designed to obscure and remove God and to lead people away from him. These come in all shapes and sizes, a great deal of the time very subtlely and almost subliminally. Genesis says of the devil, in the form of the snake, that he is 'more cunning than any beast of the field' Genesis 3:1.
Films, television, music, magazines, advertising, politics, books. A massive range of things which have input on our minds and our thinking are riddled through with these ungodly influences and I think the time has come where it's either fight or flight... and far too often I see people endorsing the 'flight' option; to totally remove these influences from their lives. No! No! No!!!
A direct biblical response to that: Ephesians 6:12 - 'For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers...' We don't wrestle against flesh and blood but we do and should wrestle against principalities and powers. What follows in Ephesians 6:13-18 is a carefully-considered, divinely-inspired description of how we should go about our 'wrestling'. I'll be unpacking that in another article so that this one doesn't get too long!
Basically I firmly believe, as believers and vessels of the Holy Spirit, we have a role to play in actually dismantling and exposing these 'structures'. As people obsessed with God's truth and justice being seen, we are obliged to counter and destroy the attacks and attempts against him. For us, this takes a really simple, straightforward approach. We apply the principles, the worldview and truth of scripture to aspects of our culture. Advertising, movies, television, books, music etc., should be looked at through the scope of Christian Deconstruction. This brings an added bonus that the positive influences of these things will also become clear! We can see where they are effective and how they might be used for God rather than against him.
The beauty is that all we need do is to write. Essays are the simplest, most practical way to deconstruct something and see into its heart and motivations. I hope that you will listen to this call to arms and benefit greatly from my instructional, scriptural principles which follow in the next few weeks. I sincerely hope that you are already taking this idea and making it your own!
Take up the Word of God as a sword and, using its razor sharp tip, begin to pick apart the world, the culture that you live in!
Monday 15 June 2009
Praying into sovereignty
Two considerations have been brought up recently when talking to people about God being sovereign - in complete control of everything that happens. One is a direct question, the other is my own thought.
1. What is the point of praying if God has already determined everything he is going to do? If he already knows the end of all things, what difference do our prayers make?
I think that this question is reasonable but answerable fairly quickly. God is clearly using men and women to fulfil the plan which will lead to the new creation. We're not just kicking around, getting in the way as God goes about his business, but his business is being done through us. Also, if God knows everything that will happen, prayer does not come outside that. God knew if you were going to pray and knew the effect he would bring from that prayer. Sovereignty is not an excuse for not praying! God may be at the end, all time might be present to him, but the same is not true of us. We are in his chronology.
I think it shows us just how sinful we are that our almost immediate reaction is:
'Oh, well God's doing to do what he wants with or without me!'
He has chosen to do it with you! Be honoured!
2. God, in his sovereignty, shows us what to pray for.
The things that stay with us, touch our hearts and come into our minds are all directed by God. He also leads us into certain situations and faces us with certain issues that need prayer. He is in complete control and is engineering the universe to bring about these situations. I'll get to the point really quickly. In a sentence...
You are wasting the opportunities and situations which God, in his sovereignty, lays before you when you fail to return them to him in prayer.
Prayer stimulates not only God's actions (however predetermined) but also ignites our hearts for the situations we pray into. If we are not praying into the areas that God has made present to us, we might as well ignore him!
Prayer is one of the areas of my life I personally struggle in commitment towards but this revelation really struck me when thinking of sovereignty and challenged me to take prayer more seriously. Praying into sovereignty is praying into a securely-rooted, eternally-triumphing, unshakable God, but one who listens and acts on the prayers of his people.
1. What is the point of praying if God has already determined everything he is going to do? If he already knows the end of all things, what difference do our prayers make?
I think that this question is reasonable but answerable fairly quickly. God is clearly using men and women to fulfil the plan which will lead to the new creation. We're not just kicking around, getting in the way as God goes about his business, but his business is being done through us. Also, if God knows everything that will happen, prayer does not come outside that. God knew if you were going to pray and knew the effect he would bring from that prayer. Sovereignty is not an excuse for not praying! God may be at the end, all time might be present to him, but the same is not true of us. We are in his chronology.
I think it shows us just how sinful we are that our almost immediate reaction is:
'Oh, well God's doing to do what he wants with or without me!'
He has chosen to do it with you! Be honoured!
2. God, in his sovereignty, shows us what to pray for.
The things that stay with us, touch our hearts and come into our minds are all directed by God. He also leads us into certain situations and faces us with certain issues that need prayer. He is in complete control and is engineering the universe to bring about these situations. I'll get to the point really quickly. In a sentence...
You are wasting the opportunities and situations which God, in his sovereignty, lays before you when you fail to return them to him in prayer.
Prayer stimulates not only God's actions (however predetermined) but also ignites our hearts for the situations we pray into. If we are not praying into the areas that God has made present to us, we might as well ignore him!
Prayer is one of the areas of my life I personally struggle in commitment towards but this revelation really struck me when thinking of sovereignty and challenged me to take prayer more seriously. Praying into sovereignty is praying into a securely-rooted, eternally-triumphing, unshakable God, but one who listens and acts on the prayers of his people.
Sunday 14 June 2009
'Courting' culture and the bible - Introduction!
Just based on a discussion today, I've got a starter for a line of research that I really want to go down. This is in no way a finished idea but a really interesting starting point for some deep thought.
I was talking with someone about the process of courtship today and actually, among other things, realised that courtship (for me meaning a relationship between a guy and a girl that is initiated on both having strong convictions of God's intention for them to be together in marriage and intended to validate that conviction), although seeming like a sound principle, is not actually a biblical one. It's not necessarily contradicted by the bible but it's not obviously founded in it either and it certainly exposes the couple to greater temptations than a straight proposal after friendship. So 'Is courtship biblical?' will be the basic line of inquiry.
So, what I'll be looking at in some detail, posting hopefully regularly on here, is whether the pros outweigh the cons of courtship, whether the bible provides any principles that support the idea of courtship or 'testing the water for marriage' and whether courtship ultimately lies in insecurity or failure of trust in what God's telling you - undue caution!
I'll also be considering if and where we draw the line regarding cultural relevance in the bible. Obviously, the cultures in which the bible was written are different to our contemporary society. God's principles are obviously the same but how do we go about untangling principle from culture... if at all! I'll be using the bible itself as the source of this opinion. I believe that every word of it is God's and, as such, is entirely truthful and uncontradictory. Therefore, I also trust it to inform me on this issue regarding itself!
I'll also be considering to what extent we should allow our own cultural practices to influence our lives as Christians. Where do we draw the line there?
As someone who is currently courting (and has been doing so for over a year) this is the first time I've really been challenged to actually biblically support my decision for following this particular path into a relationship. In the journey to discover why, I will hopefully gain some deeper insights into the bible's absolute sufficiency as the Christian's guide to living and loving!
So, hopefully, over the next few months, I'll be regularly adding new 'chapters' hopefully going through this whole issue methodically and biblically.
Praise God for Uche whose wisdom inspired me to go after this and challenged me to look deeper into my motivations for 'courting'.
Watch this space...
I was talking with someone about the process of courtship today and actually, among other things, realised that courtship (for me meaning a relationship between a guy and a girl that is initiated on both having strong convictions of God's intention for them to be together in marriage and intended to validate that conviction), although seeming like a sound principle, is not actually a biblical one. It's not necessarily contradicted by the bible but it's not obviously founded in it either and it certainly exposes the couple to greater temptations than a straight proposal after friendship. So 'Is courtship biblical?' will be the basic line of inquiry.
So, what I'll be looking at in some detail, posting hopefully regularly on here, is whether the pros outweigh the cons of courtship, whether the bible provides any principles that support the idea of courtship or 'testing the water for marriage' and whether courtship ultimately lies in insecurity or failure of trust in what God's telling you - undue caution!
I'll also be considering if and where we draw the line regarding cultural relevance in the bible. Obviously, the cultures in which the bible was written are different to our contemporary society. God's principles are obviously the same but how do we go about untangling principle from culture... if at all! I'll be using the bible itself as the source of this opinion. I believe that every word of it is God's and, as such, is entirely truthful and uncontradictory. Therefore, I also trust it to inform me on this issue regarding itself!
I'll also be considering to what extent we should allow our own cultural practices to influence our lives as Christians. Where do we draw the line there?
As someone who is currently courting (and has been doing so for over a year) this is the first time I've really been challenged to actually biblically support my decision for following this particular path into a relationship. In the journey to discover why, I will hopefully gain some deeper insights into the bible's absolute sufficiency as the Christian's guide to living and loving!
So, hopefully, over the next few months, I'll be regularly adding new 'chapters' hopefully going through this whole issue methodically and biblically.
Praise God for Uche whose wisdom inspired me to go after this and challenged me to look deeper into my motivations for 'courting'.
Watch this space...
Thursday 11 June 2009
Sowing for the harvest
'For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.'
(Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV)
In a discussion on Facebook a few months ago, a friend said, regarding the sharing of the gospel:
'The issue isn't whether they're willing to listen but whether we're willing to speak.'
What a great way of summing up our gospel responsibility. Thanks JC!
We are sowers and God is the harvester. Our role is to scatter the seed liberally on all the earth and it is God's role to make it work, make it accomplish what he pleases. I say this because, sometimes, I'm guilty of this, we decide who to share the gospel with. We don't consult God and we exercise our own judgement alone in deciding who needs to hear the word of God. We try and identify 'willingness' in our gospel candidates!
I think the big issue that we have is imagining that it requires people to be 'willing to listen' to receive the gospel. Get this right, it is our natural, default setting as human beings to ignore and hate the gospel. Romans 3:10-11 says this of us: 'There is none righteous, no not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God...' and then in 18: 'There is no fear of God before their eyes.'
Before we understand the gospel, it requires a miracle. It requires God to soften our hearts and actually change our fallen nature. To understand the gospel, the good news that Jesus has suffered and died for our sins and made a path for us, clothed in his righteousness, to approach God - to understand that is a miracle. It is the only way that gives God the full glory he deserves for his work of salvation (for salvation belongs to the Lord) and it's the only way that fits with what the bible tells us about ourselves. The gospel is not glow in the dark. To a hardened heart and the spiritually blind, it is nonsense - pure and simple! It requires the light of God and the softening of the heart to be visible and sensible to a person.
This should tell us something about how gracious God is to have revealed himself to US and to have lifted the veil from OUR eyes so that WE might see him. It should also tell us about our gospel responsibility. God will do the whole work of revealing the truth of the gospel to people, but only when they hear it from our lips!
We do not convince people of the gospel's truth. God does.
We do not lead people to salvation. God does.
We scatter the seed though. Rain may fall on the soil but if the seed has no been planted, nothing will grow. We cannot make it rain, we cannot make that seed take root, we cannot improve the quality of the soil, this all happens by the sovereign, perfect will of God. What we can do is to plant the seed.
It's not whether they're willing to listen but whether we're willing to speak.
(Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV)
In a discussion on Facebook a few months ago, a friend said, regarding the sharing of the gospel:
'The issue isn't whether they're willing to listen but whether we're willing to speak.'
What a great way of summing up our gospel responsibility. Thanks JC!
We are sowers and God is the harvester. Our role is to scatter the seed liberally on all the earth and it is God's role to make it work, make it accomplish what he pleases. I say this because, sometimes, I'm guilty of this, we decide who to share the gospel with. We don't consult God and we exercise our own judgement alone in deciding who needs to hear the word of God. We try and identify 'willingness' in our gospel candidates!
I think the big issue that we have is imagining that it requires people to be 'willing to listen' to receive the gospel. Get this right, it is our natural, default setting as human beings to ignore and hate the gospel. Romans 3:10-11 says this of us: 'There is none righteous, no not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God...' and then in 18: 'There is no fear of God before their eyes.'
Before we understand the gospel, it requires a miracle. It requires God to soften our hearts and actually change our fallen nature. To understand the gospel, the good news that Jesus has suffered and died for our sins and made a path for us, clothed in his righteousness, to approach God - to understand that is a miracle. It is the only way that gives God the full glory he deserves for his work of salvation (for salvation belongs to the Lord) and it's the only way that fits with what the bible tells us about ourselves. The gospel is not glow in the dark. To a hardened heart and the spiritually blind, it is nonsense - pure and simple! It requires the light of God and the softening of the heart to be visible and sensible to a person.
This should tell us something about how gracious God is to have revealed himself to US and to have lifted the veil from OUR eyes so that WE might see him. It should also tell us about our gospel responsibility. God will do the whole work of revealing the truth of the gospel to people, but only when they hear it from our lips!
We do not convince people of the gospel's truth. God does.
We do not lead people to salvation. God does.
We scatter the seed though. Rain may fall on the soil but if the seed has no been planted, nothing will grow. We cannot make it rain, we cannot make that seed take root, we cannot improve the quality of the soil, this all happens by the sovereign, perfect will of God. What we can do is to plant the seed.
It's not whether they're willing to listen but whether we're willing to speak.
1YB: 1 Samuel 28, John 11:1-50
I don't believe in coincidences, they don't exist alongside a sovereign God so it's my total belief that these passages in the One Year Bible did not appear next to each other by accident.
Today, we're looking at two incidences of the dead being returned to life.
First things first, let's look at the chapter from 1 Samuel. Here Saul, failing to hear any comforting words from God about the huge Philistine army he was about to face in battle, goes to consult a medium.
It's interesting to note that the word translated medium in Hebrew actually has a pretty derogatory indication to it, deriving from a word meaning to mumble or prattle. It's clear that this woman shouldn't be taken too seriously. She certainly shouldn't be seen as someone who can override the will of God and bring back the dead.
She was quite likely very similar to the mediums of today who pretend to bring back the dead or converse with them, often for financial gain. It certainly seems that she's used to pretending because of her shocked reaction when the spirit of Samuel (whom Saul asks her to conjure up) actually appears to her! Make note, it mentions nothing of her preparing any kind of spell to do it, he just appears.
Saul apparently can't see the spirit of Samuel because he asks the woman what he looks like but he can obviously hear him. The spirit of Samuel tells him something very plain: God has taken his favour from you and given it to David, your time as ruler of Israel is coming to an end - something he already knew.
The message I find in this passage is this. God is the same, no matter who you consult. Necromancy, the art of conjuring the spirits of the dead, was a grevious crime in Israel and Saul committed it in desperation when he didn't hear from God.
How long will we wait on God for an answer before we take matters into our own hands and it leads us to sin? Can you take the pressure of faith, looking potential disaster and ruin in the face, and wait on the Lord or will you turn to something else, will you take a shortcut? Does Saul's shortcut, his quick fix, tell him anything different about God? No, it quite obviously doesn't. God even displays a little bit of his sense of humour by actually sending the spirit of Samuel to pass on the same message as before! This isn't something I imagine God does regularly but, in this circumstance, it makes a valuable point. God doesn't change.
If you're facing ruin, if you're facing the impossible, wait on God, wait for his deliverance. Also be prepared to take the hard road he sends you down because you'll come out stronger; refined.
Isn't this the same message from Jesus' raising of Lazarus? There are many things to point out from this passage but, in the light of the passage from Samuel, God shows me one thing very clearly. He can accomplish what the world, what our judgement says is impossible. Few people in the crowd believe in Jesus' ability to raise Lazarus from the dead but he does it. He blows our expectations out of the water.
Today, we see two sides of the wait on God with a caution. When you're in a tight spot, don't let it tempt you into ungodly tactics to save your skin but remain faithful to him. Even when things look impossible, even when it looks like there's no way out, he can accomplish anything and he doesn't change... and he will raise the dead to show you those truths.
Today, we're looking at two incidences of the dead being returned to life.
First things first, let's look at the chapter from 1 Samuel. Here Saul, failing to hear any comforting words from God about the huge Philistine army he was about to face in battle, goes to consult a medium.
It's interesting to note that the word translated medium in Hebrew actually has a pretty derogatory indication to it, deriving from a word meaning to mumble or prattle. It's clear that this woman shouldn't be taken too seriously. She certainly shouldn't be seen as someone who can override the will of God and bring back the dead.
She was quite likely very similar to the mediums of today who pretend to bring back the dead or converse with them, often for financial gain. It certainly seems that she's used to pretending because of her shocked reaction when the spirit of Samuel (whom Saul asks her to conjure up) actually appears to her! Make note, it mentions nothing of her preparing any kind of spell to do it, he just appears.
Saul apparently can't see the spirit of Samuel because he asks the woman what he looks like but he can obviously hear him. The spirit of Samuel tells him something very plain: God has taken his favour from you and given it to David, your time as ruler of Israel is coming to an end - something he already knew.
The message I find in this passage is this. God is the same, no matter who you consult. Necromancy, the art of conjuring the spirits of the dead, was a grevious crime in Israel and Saul committed it in desperation when he didn't hear from God.
How long will we wait on God for an answer before we take matters into our own hands and it leads us to sin? Can you take the pressure of faith, looking potential disaster and ruin in the face, and wait on the Lord or will you turn to something else, will you take a shortcut? Does Saul's shortcut, his quick fix, tell him anything different about God? No, it quite obviously doesn't. God even displays a little bit of his sense of humour by actually sending the spirit of Samuel to pass on the same message as before! This isn't something I imagine God does regularly but, in this circumstance, it makes a valuable point. God doesn't change.
If you're facing ruin, if you're facing the impossible, wait on God, wait for his deliverance. Also be prepared to take the hard road he sends you down because you'll come out stronger; refined.
Isn't this the same message from Jesus' raising of Lazarus? There are many things to point out from this passage but, in the light of the passage from Samuel, God shows me one thing very clearly. He can accomplish what the world, what our judgement says is impossible. Few people in the crowd believe in Jesus' ability to raise Lazarus from the dead but he does it. He blows our expectations out of the water.
Today, we see two sides of the wait on God with a caution. When you're in a tight spot, don't let it tempt you into ungodly tactics to save your skin but remain faithful to him. Even when things look impossible, even when it looks like there's no way out, he can accomplish anything and he doesn't change... and he will raise the dead to show you those truths.
Wednesday 10 June 2009
God and music
The first mention of music in the bible is Genesis 4:21.
'His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute.'
Right from the beginning, music has been present in God's story, a background hum that increases in volume, that climaxes in the blowing of horns and deafening chorus of worship in Revelation. I believe that it's always been a part of his plan for music to be used in proclaiming him, worshipping him but also drawing people to himself.
Music is one of the closest things to experiencing God's power we can have when we don't believe in him. There are other things that point us to him but few of them seem to inspire the congregational, public outpour that music does. Watch a concert and look at the front row and you will see people worshipping; pouring out their appreciation, losing themselves in joy and marveling at the artist. Even for the secular world, music can bring happiness and rejoicing or sorrow and melancholy.
Music goes towards creating a spiritual reality because it is something unseen, moving and complex and people are wired, on a deep mysterious level, to be drawn to it. That's why, I believe, it has a near-religious effect on the secular world. It's no wonder that music forms such a big part of our worship in church and in private. The psalms were written to be sung, many of them detailing the instruments to be used with them. God has always intended for us to take up instruments and make a sweet sound to him.
I've heard people get really down because they find it difficult to worship without music. For me, this isn't such a big deal. You should, certainly, be able to be passionate about and praise God without a piano backing but the fact that music draws you into a deeper level of worship isn't a bad thing! It doesn't mean you've got to readjust your spiritual life or feel guilty.
As long as the object of the adoration is God, the means of worship aren't really the issue. King David danced about in a state of near undress when the Ark was returned to near Jerusalem!
2 Samuel 6 (especially verses 14, 16 and 20).
Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 that where you worship doesn't fuss God but that it's spirit and truth. So when you feel good from singing a song, that's a gift from God, that's your spirit and soul rejoicing at the truth of his character and also the truths in the song.
Take some time to sit down with your favourite worship song today and go through the lyrics and actually consider the truths in it. Get excited about them and then listen to the song and feel the overwhelming explosion of joy at hearing the combination of God's truth and spirit.
I'll finish here with a scripture that blew me away a little while ago.
'Then [Jesus and the disciples] sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.'
Matthew 26:30.
Jesus is joining the disciples in singing praises to God, but we believe Jesus is God in human form. So we're seeing God joining with his followers to sing his own praises. And that's all that we're created for, to be brought in and add to the volume of God's own praise of himself because he is worthy to be praised. God rejoices in himself and rejoices in our praises so take the gift, the tool of music and give praise by lifting your voice to him!
'His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute.'
Right from the beginning, music has been present in God's story, a background hum that increases in volume, that climaxes in the blowing of horns and deafening chorus of worship in Revelation. I believe that it's always been a part of his plan for music to be used in proclaiming him, worshipping him but also drawing people to himself.
Music is one of the closest things to experiencing God's power we can have when we don't believe in him. There are other things that point us to him but few of them seem to inspire the congregational, public outpour that music does. Watch a concert and look at the front row and you will see people worshipping; pouring out their appreciation, losing themselves in joy and marveling at the artist. Even for the secular world, music can bring happiness and rejoicing or sorrow and melancholy.
Music goes towards creating a spiritual reality because it is something unseen, moving and complex and people are wired, on a deep mysterious level, to be drawn to it. That's why, I believe, it has a near-religious effect on the secular world. It's no wonder that music forms such a big part of our worship in church and in private. The psalms were written to be sung, many of them detailing the instruments to be used with them. God has always intended for us to take up instruments and make a sweet sound to him.
I've heard people get really down because they find it difficult to worship without music. For me, this isn't such a big deal. You should, certainly, be able to be passionate about and praise God without a piano backing but the fact that music draws you into a deeper level of worship isn't a bad thing! It doesn't mean you've got to readjust your spiritual life or feel guilty.
As long as the object of the adoration is God, the means of worship aren't really the issue. King David danced about in a state of near undress when the Ark was returned to near Jerusalem!
2 Samuel 6 (especially verses 14, 16 and 20).
Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 that where you worship doesn't fuss God but that it's spirit and truth. So when you feel good from singing a song, that's a gift from God, that's your spirit and soul rejoicing at the truth of his character and also the truths in the song.
Take some time to sit down with your favourite worship song today and go through the lyrics and actually consider the truths in it. Get excited about them and then listen to the song and feel the overwhelming explosion of joy at hearing the combination of God's truth and spirit.
I'll finish here with a scripture that blew me away a little while ago.
'Then [Jesus and the disciples] sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.'
Matthew 26:30.
Jesus is joining the disciples in singing praises to God, but we believe Jesus is God in human form. So we're seeing God joining with his followers to sing his own praises. And that's all that we're created for, to be brought in and add to the volume of God's own praise of himself because he is worthy to be praised. God rejoices in himself and rejoices in our praises so take the gift, the tool of music and give praise by lifting your voice to him!
Tuesday 9 June 2009
Why I love the KJV!
So most of my posts are pretty serious, I realise this, but I want to give a fair reflection of myself as a person in this blog so I just thought I'd explain today why I love the King James bible!
There is a power and might in the words, in the archaic construction of sentences, the 'thee's and 'thou's, 'ye's and 'behold's that just makes it feel... holy! Is that weird?
The language is almost set apart for God. It's not like sitting down with the New Living Translation or one of the more contemporary, less literal translations. It's an effort to read, but the rewards are great.
I think it also carries a great deal of authority. The weight of the words, the atmosphere created by the dusty, old-fashioned language, is profound. The KJV inhabits most of the English-speaking, western world's psyche at a deep level. We've all heard something of it, we've all seen it in stitch patterns at our Grandma's or wherever.
I think it's this, more than anything else, that makes me love it. The tradition and the significance of it. No bible feels so powerful in your hand as a King James. Mine is a tiny black one with browning pages that smell fusty and old, I got it in a charity shop for £1 but it's one of my favourite bibles next to the one my girlfriend bought me my first Christmas as a Christian! I love finding a passage and reading it aloud to myself, just to feel the shape of the words, the texture and rhythm of it... but I am a poet so that might just be me!
I think God loves words, loves expressing himself. The King James is not for beginners, I can understand that it alienates people, it's not great to preach from, but it's magic!
There is a power and might in the words, in the archaic construction of sentences, the 'thee's and 'thou's, 'ye's and 'behold's that just makes it feel... holy! Is that weird?
The language is almost set apart for God. It's not like sitting down with the New Living Translation or one of the more contemporary, less literal translations. It's an effort to read, but the rewards are great.
I think it also carries a great deal of authority. The weight of the words, the atmosphere created by the dusty, old-fashioned language, is profound. The KJV inhabits most of the English-speaking, western world's psyche at a deep level. We've all heard something of it, we've all seen it in stitch patterns at our Grandma's or wherever.
I think it's this, more than anything else, that makes me love it. The tradition and the significance of it. No bible feels so powerful in your hand as a King James. Mine is a tiny black one with browning pages that smell fusty and old, I got it in a charity shop for £1 but it's one of my favourite bibles next to the one my girlfriend bought me my first Christmas as a Christian! I love finding a passage and reading it aloud to myself, just to feel the shape of the words, the texture and rhythm of it... but I am a poet so that might just be me!
I think God loves words, loves expressing himself. The King James is not for beginners, I can understand that it alienates people, it's not great to preach from, but it's magic!
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