nobrokenreed

Life and Death

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So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. – 1 John 2: 24-25

We had a death in the family this week. As far as death goes, and I don’t want to be insensitive at a time of grief, it was a pretty good one. Peacefully, the person fell asleep with family beside them, praying. Death is the great separator though isn’t it, for all of us there is a time when we leave our home, those we know and love and we step into the unknown. I used to wonder, and still do at times, whether I will be able to find my way around the streets of heaven, and what the buildings will look like. Funny isn’t it, our imagination.

But death is also the great unmentionable in our society. We speak of ‘passing away’ or ‘moving on’ or if you’re really desperate, ‘being reincarnated.’ Most of us, all of us really hope we will go to a better place. The Bible though, is much less wavering and watery in its summation of death. It says each of us will stand before a Holy God and give an account of our lives, how we have lived and advises us accordingly that we should be thinking about this beforehand. It is more important than life insurance.

Further, it tells us that Jesus, who existed from the very beginning with the Father, was briefly separated from the Father at death. They must have been grief-stricken beyond imagination, yet because of that, we are able to live for eternity. Jesus’ separation, meant our connection in. Whenever I talk to strangers about the Gospel, I always try to bring these facts into the conversation. Death is a reality, will we be separated eternally, or connected in? How we respond is crucial.

But in this passage in John’s letter, he talks of fellowship here, being eternal. It is aimed at believers, but it has implications for an unbelieving world. It’s been two years since we came to Sydney and started a work we believed the Lord called us to. There have been ups and downs, highlights and lowlights. Part of this has been understanding the meaning of the type of fellowship that Jesus wants us to live in with other believers. The fellowship Christ talks of here, is far more than just an event. It is an existence, lived out day to day, week to week in our lives. Eternity, apparently and according to John, starts in this life.

It seems to me that deep down, both the world and the believer wants this above everything. More than anything else, heaven will be defined not as a place, but as a community centred around the Godhead. But Christ wants us to live this out now. Our small gathering here in Sydney is beginning to prayerfully work through this, to understand what it looks like. We are making progress.

At the core of it, is Jesus Christ leading us day to day through his Spirit. It means that we must be prepared to live within each other’s lives, and hold each other accountable as to how we live. A quick scan particularly of this letter of John will show us that is how we are supposed to live. It should be a Holy community, one fit for Christ to be part of. He will not tolerate blatant sin, and so we must be prepared within that community to confess to one another how we live. Scary stuff, but Biblical, as James calls us to ‘confess our sin to one another.’ Confessing my sin to my Christian brother who stands before me is quite different to confessing my sin to a God whom I cannot see. Perhaps though, if I do the former I may be spared the later embarrassment of the latter.

It should be governed by love for each other, where we love each other as family, real genuine family. There would be no need within such a family as we would all share what we have openly, honestly. Further, there would be healing within such a family, because as a family we would come to the one who does heal and ask that he heal our brokenness, whatever that looks like. There would be praise, song, teaching and daily walking together with Christ and each other.

Out of this family, which would be something the world would never see anywhere else, would be a natural tendency to minister into the world. Such a devotion to Christ and each other, would naturally spill over into our neighbours, the streets, the pub, the housing commission block – everywhere God sends us. At the centre of it all would be The Christ, Jesus as head of his ‘church’ breathing life into us, ‘thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’

For most of us here, this seems like something we will have to wait for and so in the meantime we continue to bring God into our lives on certain days, at certain times. Our isolationist, independent society here in the West will prohibit such a family as this. Think so?

I don’t share that, in fact I am convinced more than ever that Christ wants this to become a reality in my life, in my small village here on this earth, now. That he wants us to be part of a community that is daily connected to each other and him, and in so doing that our love spills out onto those around us.

That’s what you want really as well, isn’t it? Let us pray fervently that it becomes a reality in each other’s lives. Watch this space for more adventures with Jesus.

The Challenge of Islam

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In the late ‘90s, David Pawson recorded his mammoth project, “The Challenge of Islam to Christianity.” The series was based on a prophecy David received from the Lord, around the book of Habakkuk, a prophecy which he tested by going to denominational leaders across the country, asking them ‘is this from the Lord?’ Unanimously the verdict was ‘yes.’ It is the correct way to handle prophesy and as such, the prophecy deserves to be taken seriously. Perhaps it is also coming to fruition.

The prophecy Pawson received was that God was going to use Islam to purify his church, and it specifically related to Britain, and to some extent the West. I have thought a lot about that over the past week or so, but have never forgotten the content of that video series. I don’t want to appear insensitive at a time of absolute horror, but it is worth reading the book of Habakkuk to put this into context. An abridged version, is that the Lord tells the prophet Habakkuk that he is going to use the barbaric Babylonians to purify his chose people the Israelites, because of their idolatry and rampant injustice.

Coincidentally, I am reading some of the later letters in the New Testament (Peter, James etc) as well as having just finished a book called ‘From Small Beginnings’, about how various threads of people came together to form a close-knit, Biblical community in the US. Where does all this fit?

One of the major thrusts of the New Testament, is not grace, nor the love of God even, but the need for Holiness in our own lives. We are called to obedience. But crucially, all the references in the New Testament are to the church being called to Holiness, the church being purified. There is little or no mention of the world, perhaps because God expects nothing better from the world. From beginning to end, the NT calls for repentance and obedience within the church, the body of Christ.

For too long, too much sin has been allowed to flourish in ‘the church’ and go unchallenged and unnoticed. When we have substituted a personal, daily relationship with a living God into an attendance-based activity, sin was always going to gain the upper hand. When we dress up for our weekly attendance, yet continue on as though nothing has changed in the rest of our lives, we make a mockery of what Christ’s coming was all about.

The most powerful thing about the church in Acts, was the body of Christ, living a unified, Holy life in his daily presence. How I live on Tuesday, is no different to how I live on Sunday. In case we’re unsure of this, it is exactly how life will be like for eternity. The Kingdom of God is within you, means we need to start thinking about this now. God, at least, is deadly serious about how the church looks for the coming groom.

Of course, none of this will happen with the current church structure. Not ever. While Sunday is still the ‘holy day’ and the priesthood still lives out our daily Christian lives for us, and when we only ever gather together for an hour a week, our lives will be no different to those around us. Sorry to burst the bubble. Smaller gatherings, led by the Holy Spirit, meeting regularly – challenging each other how they live before a Holy God so that ‘a little leaven doesn’t unleaven the entire batch,’ and reaching out into their community with the joy of the Lord, is exactly what the Lord calls us to do and how we should be living. Outside of the West, I would challenge that is exactly how the church looks – and is flourishing as a result.

Reading ‘Small Beginnings’ recently, the true story of a community in the West, formed by believers who all moved into the same neighbourhood and lived church as they did in the book of Acts is a remarkable story. Our faith becomes so attractive to the outside world, as we love, serve, sacrifice and live Holy lives in a daily relationship with each other and before our Lord; again, it is exactly how we shall live before the Lord throughout eternity. Most importantly though, and this is vital, we cannot hide our sinfulness when we live daily in each other’s lives.

It is our refusal to live differently that makes it so difficult in our culture to make disciples. Last week our entire gathering was out on the streets (what a delight!) but we hear the same story – surely, I am good enough to stand before God? This comes, in my view, from a long held belief in Western civilisation that it is okay for someone to believe in God and continue living unchanged before him. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that though. But, the world buys into it. Hold on a moment…so does much of the church.

The last word Jesus says to his church is ‘Repent’ (in Revelation). Rethinking Pawson’s original prophecy, it would seem that God is not so much interested in punishing us as changing us. Like the nation of Israel, his intention for the church is to be a light in the world, to be so pure before the world that many in the world will choose to join it.

There is a great cost in this though, and that cost is our choice to live differently. Are you, am I prepared to pay that price for Him? The rewards are out of this world.

God’s Frozen People

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All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.  – 1 Peter 1

It’s an incredible passage, don’t you think? Last weekend, I went to a small meeting for those interested in disciple making. It was a time of learning, training, sharing stories and praying. We ended up eating together and the food was great. Go figure this though, there were just 8 of us there, from the whole of Sydney.

A few weeks back, I went along for a day to hear a little Chinese man, Ying Kai, also teach about disciple making. It would probably be fair to say that Ying Kai is honoured in heaven; several decades ago in his native China, he obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit and began making disciples of non-believers, training them to go out and make more disciples. As a result of his obedience, some 1.6 million people have been baptised into Jesus Christ, and gone onto found somewhere close to 80,000 churches. I had a lot to learn, obviously. Less than 50 people turned up that day too, maybe not so honoured here then.

The church has been neglectful and remiss in so many ways, not fulfilling the Great Commission Jesus so clearly gives us. We have come to think that the odd mega pastor, or hero of the faith (such as a politician) is going to be the way God changes things. It seems that may be just an excuse so we can avoid doing the simple lesson that Jesus left us with, which seems so hard. That is for each of us who believe, to tell those around us of the wonders of God’ Son.

It has been said that the word love is spelt O-B-E-Y in the Bible; it is difficult for us to show God, whom we cannot see, how much we love him, except by obeying what he tells us to do. Why is it we simply will not? Jesus set us an example, not by achieving a doctorate, nor by founding a large congregation of followers within a large building, neither in establishing an inner circle of liturgical priests. No, we are told to follow his example and go into the world and make disciples in his name. All of us.

Had we all just followed his command, and simply moved into our neighbourhood and proclaimed God’s salvation through Christ, I wonder how different our society might look today? For example, would God have needed to send Islam to challenge his frozen people? I am convinced – as I believe Jesus is, that the way to reach the world is to simply catch our breath, take a risk, and offer to pray for those around us, or to share the precious treasure that we have. Then to trust God that he will continue to work in the hearts of those whom we introduce to his Son.

I learned last weekend, that according to research, less than 98% of believers in USA have shared their faith with a non-believer. If it is true, do we wonder we have so little impact on our world?

We are learning to “do church” with a missional focus. I don’t want this to become ‘look at me’ but it is an opportunity to share with those who may decide to try something different. After 2 years, we can say with honesty that being a missional gathering, or a simple or organic church is far messier and disorderly than ‘normal’ church. To reach the lost for one thing, we must jettison our agendas. They set the pace, not us.

Our propensity to teach and to lead must also be sacrificed, as we try for more inclusion and learn to let everyone contribute, with the Holy Spirit as our guide. Also, rather than be a ‘knowledge-based body’ we have tried to be an ‘obedience-based body’ with an emphasis on training others to train others to train….you get the picture. We have a few gatherings as well, for different groups at different stages.

After 2 years, we now feel like we are making progress, which I might share another time in more detail. For example, this week we received a text from someone in our gathering, who told how that week they had shared a Bible story with a group of girls at their school, just in a random moment. The person, as they shared with us, finally felt useful for God. How good is that?

Friends, let me leave you with this. The passage at the beginning here, is one of the greatest in the NT, written by Peter. Look at what God has done for you through Christ. Yet, such riches are of no value if they are not shared. Christ cannot, will not, must not, remain hidden any longer. We must share him. While it is immeasurably hard, it is also so simple to do. We must do it.

Here’s a challenge this week; ask God to prompt you to share this passage with someone who doesn’t know about him. If you do, send us the story and we will share it here. An inheritance that endures forever, available for each of us.

Let’s not keep it to ourselves any longer.

Have you ever heard of Johnny Cash?

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For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. – Hebrews 10:14

Sometimes I am two people. Johnny is the nice one. Cash causes all the trouble. They fight.

Have you ever heard of Johnny Cash? I’m sure you have. At the height of his career, Cash was the biggest selling recording artist on the planet, with a notoriety to match. In the middle of America’s Bible belt, he took up with another woman, June Carter, also a recording artist, and eventually divorced his wife so he could marry her (June was also divorced). As well as his great music, Johnny was also famous for his irreverence. He loved to wind up sanctimonious media-types who insisted on setting the moral standard of the day. He swore frequently, and told things as they were.

He became really famous when he played to inmates at some of America’s maximum security gaols, and although tense occasions, he managed to get away with it – they were eating from his hand by the end of each concert. People everywhere, especially the oppressed, loved Johnny. Johnny Cash, Live at Folsom, is one of the best selling live albums to this day.

Cash’s life though was marred by much unhappiness. He was addicted to illicit drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol and tobacco, often all at once. For much of the time, his life was a mess. It was only because of his wife, that he eventually managed to clean himself up. Perhaps that’s why he felt so comfortable in a prison. The addictions, the broken relationships were the cause of much pain, and at the end of his life he recorded a beautiful song, ‘Hurt.’ If you ever get a chance, listen to it.

But here’s something else you may not know about him. In the late 70’s, Johnny Cash became even more irreverent when he stood on a podium with Billy Graham and told of his devotion to Jesus Christ. Few people ever realised that Cash was a believer. Along the way, thanks again to his wife June Carter, the seeds of God’s love were sown into his life and he found faith in the only person who could rescue him, Jesus Christ.

Recently I watched a documentary of his life, and towards the end of it, in one of his last interviews shortly after the death of his wife, he said; “I’ve finally realised that  God has forgiven me, and so I’ve had to come to terms with forgiving myself.” Johnny Cash died within 4 months of June’s passing, unable to live without her. To his death, he testified to the saving grace of Jesus.

Many reading this today, will struggle with the same thing asking, has God really forgiven me? This could be the most crucial blog I ever write. We simply struggle to see how God could possibly love us and wipe the slate clean. We know we sin each and every day and offend our Father in some way. It is devastating.

When we talk to people about Christ, conservatively 8 out of 10 people believe they are good enough to meet God. Where did that notion come from? Simply I think, decades or centuries of wrong teaching about sin. It is alarming that so many believers refuse to talk of ‘Sin’ when they share the Gospel, preferring only to speak of God’s love. You cannot speak of his love, without talking of our sin. The Gospel without sin, is no gospel at all.

But I can say without doubt that there is a sense of relief amongst people when we share with them the fact they are grave sinners in God’s eyes. A quick review of the 10 commandments has most running for cover; or the new iPhone app that records the worst 5 minutes of your life in full video, and which will be played before a Holy God when we stand before him. Think you’re still good enough? We smile when we see the reaction.

When we begin to grasp the extent of our sin, we can begin to grasp the extent of God’s grace at the cost of his Son, and so the huge extent of his love begins to dawn on us. It seems staggering he has forgiven me.

This passage in Hebrews tells us that grace through his Son has made us Holy, perfect in his eyes. It says we are completely and totally forgiven. As if to emphasise the point Jesus told his disciples they were now his friends – friends of God; nobody is a friend of God unless they are first made pure, Holy.

But this verse also tells us we are being made perfect, like the Son. One day when we see him John tells us, we shall be like him, perfect, sinless. I suspect we will always know where our salvation comes from, and it will keep us humble. In the meantime, like Johnny Cash, our loving Father continues to shape us and perfect us.

Explaining this to people is the source of more relief in people’s lives (including believers) than most anything else. To finally come face to face with who we are, and the fact that we are not alone and don’t have to carry the burden of our failure is life changing to all who experience it. God has saved me. To face our sin, to accept our vagrant state before God, is to find total release into his love, his forgiveness. The effort is all his, all we need do is sign up to his endless grace.

The next time you want to talk to someone of God’s love, make sure they understand that sin is important in that equation, else who needs a Saviour?  Oh, and don’t forget to listen to that song by Johnny Cash, Hurt.

More than most he understood the devastation and consequence of sin, but also the transforming power of a God who loved him because of his Son, Jesus Christ. No more Hurt now though Johnny.

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