Do you want to be made whole? (I)

The man had an infirmity, and had been at the pool of Bethesda for thirty-eight years hoping to be healed. There were many there also waiting, for from time to time an angel came and stirred the waters, and whoever stepped in first was healed. The question at the title of the post is what Jesus asked him (John 5:2-6). At first sight, this might seem like a rather silly, even cruel question. I mean the man had been there thirty-eight years hoping to be healed. But actually, the question is a deep one. I mean you could imagine the man asking “Will I have to get a job? Will I have to leave this place, these are the only people I know?”

The man’s ailment was physical, but since Jesus tells us that He came to heal the brokenhearted and to set the captives free etc. (Luke 4:18), His question is relevant to us all. We all carry baggage from the past. And it is only in fairytales that we automatically live happily ever after, when we are rescued by our handsome prince, even when that handsome prince is Jesus. I mean after Cinderella had been abused all those years, she would have had issues. Primarily she would have had an orphan spirit carrying a sense of abandonment, loneliness, alienation and isolation. With 20/20 hindsight, I can see that for the first 20 years after my conversion, I was operating out of an orphan spirit. Coming to the Lord from the after effects of a broken marriage, I was, out of ignorance I believe, marginalized by the church, and rejected by some because I was divorced. It further wounded me deeply. I’m happy to say the church has substantially come out of that ignorance.

It seems to me, especially in the West, that many operate our of an orphan spirit. And whether this is you or not, we all have issues. We will not enter into the fullness of life we are intended to have (John 10:10a),nor we will not be becoming progressively free until we deal with our issues in a Biblical way (John 8:31, 32). Dealing with our issues is not easy period, but perhaps the hardest are our relationship issues. The reason we tiptoe around the elephant in the room, is because not to do so rocks the boat, it violates the unwritten, unspoken but nevertheless strongly held rules. And you are likely to be punished even when you come in gentleness and humility seeking to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Into all this, I believe, Jesus asks each and every one of us “Do you want to be made whole?”

Father, I remember reading somewhere that we would know a lot more about what ails us, if we were allowed to know. It strikes a chord with me Lord, because I have found the pressure to conform to the unspoken and unwritten rules enormous. I confess Lord, that when I woke up and started to see some of these rules, I was somewhat less than gentle. And years later I am still reaping the consequences of that. Part of the reason I write these blogs Lord, is that I want others to learn from my mistakes. But with those who have made the same mistakes, I want to press in with them, to Your promise that You will restore the lost years that the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25). On that day the Lord, I believe I will declare that you have done all things well. And I praise and bless and worship You this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Was saved, am being saved, will be saved

There are, as it were, three phases to our amazing salvation, past, present and future. Past: “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (past tense - Ephesians 2:8). This is justification the forgiveness of our sins. You were justified..." (1Corinthians 6:11; Acts 22:16). Present: Paul told the Corinthians that we are “the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved” (present tense - 2 Corinthians 2:15). Future: “Our salvation is now nearer than when we first believed” (future tense - Romans 13:11). A little overly simplistically we were saved from the penalty of sin (justification), we are being saved from the power and the pollution of sin (sanctification), and we will be saved from the presence of sin (glorification).

I am saying that this classification is a little overly simplistic, because there are also past present and future aspects of sanctification (i.e. 1 Corinthians 6:11). Now I want to say very clearly that we are intended to have assurance, we are intended to know that we have been saved (1 John 5:12,13). But I also want to say that the Scripture knows nothing of a salvation apart from an ongoing transformation (Romans 12:1,2). We are told to “Work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12), and “without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Sanctification (salvation) though, is much more than becoming holy. It is also about becoming whole in body, soul and spirit, it is about having our hearts healed, it is about becoming truly free, it is about with His help dealing with the issues of life, it is about progressively moving into the promised abundant life.

As already mentioned, Paul tells us to work out our own salvation (progressive sanctification) with fear and trembling. And he tells us why. It is because God is at work in us in both our desires and in the wherewithal to to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13). I understand this to mean that if we are to be progressively free and moving into the abundant live, then we need to do that hard work of fully cooperating with Him in our sanctification. Salvation (justification) is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8), becoming free will cost us everything we have. In particular we will need to die, we need to reckon yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God (Romans 6:11). Unless we take up our cross daily and follow Him, we cannot be His disciples (Luke 9:23). However “whoever loses their life for me will save it” (verse 24).

Father, I am not satisfied to have anything less than all that You have for me. But I need Your help to keep on doing the hard work of sanctification. I know that You will not do for me anything that I can do for myself, but You will certainly make up for what I cannot do (the Lord help them what helps themselves Hesitations 3:21 :) ). I thank You for this, this morning Lord, and also for the fact that You who began a good work in me will keep right on doing it until the day I meet You face to face. On that day I will know You because I will be like You. Hallelujah Amen

Never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done (Genesis 9:11)

The context of this morning’s quote from Genesis 9:11, is of the Lord , covenanting with Noah about withholding future deserved judgement. Without wanting to make too much of this, I could not help noticing this morning the verse numbers 9:11. What it did, was to remind me of the type of prophecy of judgement that we hear over and over. In particular in the mind of these prophets 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the various tsunamis and earthquakes etc., are seen as God’s judgement on the earth. But the fact of the matter is (skipping to the back of the book), that we are now living in the age of Grace. And in this day of Grace God’s message to this wicked and hurting world is “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19).

As the context of the quote below makes very, very clear, it’s not that there is no longer a day of reckoning. No, but rather it is that judgement is delayed because “God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Kris Volloton tells of many of the same prophets who interpreted the above disasters as God’s judgement, also made dire predictions of events that did not come to pass. They then quietly withdrew their predictions when they didn’t happen. Such prophets do not understand what spirit they are of (Luke 9:55). The Lord knew He was taking a risk in withholding judgement until the last day, for “in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised” (2 Peter 3:3, 4)? In fact the kindness of God and His extravagant love is intended to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4; 5:8).

How shall we , who know and love the Lord, then live? Well, we need to come against evil in the opposite spirit. We read “as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:18-21).

Father, what You call to it is impossible without You. But with You all things are possible. But Lord, the suffering You call us to at times, is nothing compared with what You went through for us in sending Your Son. Father You tell us that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare” (2 Peter 3:10). In view of this, the only safe place is for us is to stay close to the burning flame of Your love. Father purge from us everything that hinders our being true witnesses to Your amazing Glory and Grace. And we will give You all the honour and glory and praise in Jesus Name Amen

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord

The context of this morning’s quote from Genesis 6:8, is that because of the wickedness of man, and that “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” God was determined to destroy, not only mankind, but also the whole of the animal kingdom. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And Noah is a prototype, even before Abraham, of salvation through obedient faith. We read that it was through being moved by his godly fear to obedience, that he became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. There is not a trace here, of the so-called hyper grace that is disconnected from godly fear, holiness and obedience (see Hebrews 11:17; 2 Peter 2:15).

So then we see here in this first mention of grace, that it is undeserved favour, for Noah was surely included in God’s assessment of man. We also see that faith is much more than intellectual belief in the existence of God, it is something that moves a person to obedience to Him who cannot be seen (Hebrews 11:7 again). Furthermore, we see that God is interested in the salvation not only of the individual, but also of families. It is interesting to note that it was only Noah who is said to have found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Nothing is said about the other seven souls who were saved (1 Peter 3:20)

Recall that while pain and suffering and difficulties were part of the curse, the earth itself was included (Genesis 3:16-19). I remember being somewhat surprised to learn that after the revival in Pond Inlet, the berries and the caribou came back. Perhaps I should not have been, because “the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption” (Romans 8:21). What I am seeing here, is that while the church needed to be in the “ark” for a while, it was never intended to stay there. In fact ultimately bringing the kingdom, the rule of God to earth as it is in heaven, is not just about the individual, it’s not just about the family, it’s not even just about the community. No, it is about the transformation of society, of towns of cities and of nations, and in end of creation itself. It is His desire that the whole world find grace in His eyes.

Lord Jesus, when You came You told us “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mark 1:15), meaning I believe that it is here, but not yet here in its fullness. I need to repent this morning Lord for myself, and for a large part of the church that for too long, has been concerned only about itself, and not about society. It was distressed to learn that research has shown that where the church is not concerned about the transformation of its cities, the more the church thrives, the worse the surrounding city becomes. Thank You Lord for the glimpses that You are giving of cases where the church is truly taking its mandate to heart, and cities and even nations are being transformed. And so I pray the prayer this morning Lord that I know is according to your will. I pray kingdom of God come, will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven in Your lovely and precious Name Lord Jesus Amen

Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it

We were saying yesterday, that God’s rejection of Cain and his offering had nothing to do with his anger, but his anger was certainly a problem. The warning about sin desiring to have us is, of course applicable to all sin. Jesus puts it this way “he who sins, is the slave of sin” (John 8:34). The fact of the matter, is that either we rule over sin, or it rules over us. And the picture given here in Genesis 4:7, is of a crouching tiger waiting in hidden readiness, to pounce upon us unawares. The phrase “at your door” is about the danger being very, very close to home. James tells us, that the first step towards putting our head into the lion’s mouth (to mix metaphors), is that we are drawn away by our negative emotions and desires (James 1:14).

In the case of anger these negative emotions could be jealousy, the desire to get even, it could bitterness etc., etc. We are not told what was going on inside Cain’s heart, but as a general principle, it’s not hard to see that when we nurse such negative thoughts and emotions, they grow exponentially. And they will be diminished neither by stuffing them down, nor by giving them free range! The writer to the Hebrews likens bitterness to a root growing within us. Such a root chokes out the positive emotions such as love, joy, peace etc.. The negative emotions overflow and defile many, likely including those we love the most (see Hebrews 12:15; Galatians 5:22). In Cain’s case, it lead to murder (Genesis 4:8).

The early chapters of Genesis chronicle the history of what happens when sin is left unchecked. We read “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). The default then, is to go wrong, sin desires to have us too, and we too must rule over it. In particular we need to be continually reminded that we are in the war to the death with the enemy of our souls. And starting with love, forgiveness and the like, we must make sure that we do not fail to obtain the grace that we so desperately need to overcome (Hebrews 12:15; 4:16). In the case of anger we need to learn to take it to God (Psalm 142:2), and by the Spirit put to death both the deeds and the desires of the flesh (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:24).

Father, it is safe to keep coming back over and over to the key verses on this subject. In particular Lord while anger in and of itself need not be a sin, we do need to make sure that we do not sin in our anger, and that we do not let the sun go down on our wrath (Ephesians 4:26). And while self-control is both part of the fruit of Your Spirit and a command, it is only in partnership with Your Spirit that can put to death the deeds and the desires of the flesh. When we do our part Lord, You make up for what we cannot do (Philippians 2:12, 13). And I thank You for the comfort and empowering nature of these things this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?

God had accepted Able and his offering, but He had not accepted Cain and his offering. The content of this morning’s title were God’s question to Cain. I have heard sermons on this passage that concentrate on the content of the offerings saying that a blood sacrifice was what was needed here. But there is no mention of sin, and grain and cereal offering were regularly offered and clearly accepted later (Exodus 29:41). It is also to miss the point that it was not only his offering that God did not accept, it was Cain himself. Cain was not only angry, he was very angry (Genesis 4:4-6).

Now anger, in and of itself, was not the problem, since “if you do well you will be accepted” (verse 7). What we do with anger can be a problem, but anger in and of itself is not wrong. In fact Jesus himself was angry at times (Mark 3:5). In fact we are told “Be angry and sin not, do no let the sun go down on your wrath (Ephesians 4:26). In fact, anger can give us the energy and courage to do what otherwise we might not do. Jesus was angry but still fully under control when he cast the money changers out of the Temple. I mean he took the time to make a whip of chords. People were being ripped off, and His anger was a righteous anger (John 2:14-16). That is not always the case with us!

God’s questions, as always, are significant, and He asks Cain why he was angry. We are not told why, but we can make some educated guesses. The older brother in the story of the prodigal son, for example, was offended and likely jealous too (Luke 15:11-28). Perhaps Cain in making his offering was going through the motions, in which case it was how he was presenting the offering, rather than the offering itself. Was he drawing near with his lips, but having a heart far from God (Isaiah 29:13)? But in any case “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7), and this was clearly a heart matter. Perhaps he was angry with God too, but in any case he would not have been rejected if he had done well (verse 7 again).

Father, all though the Scriptures we see over and over, that You strongly desire relationship with us, and it is clear that we need to keep our hearts with all diligence (proverbs 4:23). Please keep us from offence in whatever form it may come. Your love and passion for us knows no bounds, and a lukewarm response to You simply makes You want to puke (Revelation 3:16). Please fan the flame again of our passion for You again this morning Lord, so that we may fully return to our first love. Thank You that You have provided all we need to do this, and I am knocking and seeking for this again this morning Lord (Revelation 3:15-20) in Jesus Name Amen

For your sake I curse the earth (Genesis 3:17 NKJV)

In the beginning the Lord had created the heavens and the earth including all the animals, and topping of the glory of creation with Adam and Eve. He saw that what He had created was very good. The Lord had made just one prohibition, and Adam and Eva had blown it (Genesis 1:1, 31; 2:16; 3;6). God’s response is basically summarized is the title of this morning’s blog. Other translations have “Cursed is the ground because of you.” This speaks to me of punishment and I think that this is not right (there is no perfect traNslation). “For your sake” speaks to me of the Lord saying that He changed the DNA of creation so that bad choices would have bad consequences (Galatians 6:7). This is intended to help us see our need of Him, and ultimately to restore relationship with Him and each other, the very thing that was lost at the fall. Our prison system testifies to the fact that punishment is often far from redemptive!

C.S. Lewis had an interesting saying to the effect that God whispers to us in our pleasure, but shouts to us in our pain. Physical pain is an indication that something is wrong and shows us our need of a doctor. Similarly the pain and difficulties and consequences of life are designed to show us our need of the great Physician, and to lead us back the the shepherd and guardian of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). I know it was the consequences of my own poor choices that ultimately lead me back to Him. But I seem to have needed to have the rug pulled out from under my feet several times before I was willing to take notice. We can be stubborn and/or afraid. How many of us know of cases where someone fearing he or she had cancer refused to go to the doctor until it was too late?

God took a big, big chance when He gave us free will. But without free will love is meaningless. In order for love to be love, there has to be a choice. I mean He could have made puppets, but what He did was make us significant, and that had to include the fact that our choices be significant too. He created us this way, knowing we would go wrong, but He did not simply leave us stuck in the consequences of our sin. No, at great cost to Himself He provided the way for us to be able to choose to return to Him and then to cooperate with Him in the reversal of the fall. Greater love has no man than this, that He lay down His life for His friends. This is what Christ did, and we are His friends if we obey his commandments (John 15:13,14).

Father, the phrase the goodness and severity of God comes to mind (Romans 11:22). In particular, the severity and the significance of our choices. And just as the one who fears he or she has cancer and refuses to go to the doctor must suffer the consequences, so we too must suffer the consequences of not choosing You. The goodness of God though, is designed to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4). So once again this morning Lord I come to You as a little child and I surrender to You. I thank You for Your salvation and for increasingly moving me into the abundant life, and I give you all the honour and glory and praise again this morning in Jesus Name Amen

Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?

Adam and Eve seemed to know instinctively that their sin and their shame needed to be covered. This is why, after their sin, they covered themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:6, 7, 11). Fig leaves were, of course inadequate. We read that on that Day the ungodly will cry out to the rocks “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!” Clearly rocks as cover are inadequate too. In fact since “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins” (Hebrews 6:16), what was needed was the perfect sacrifice of the Son of God. In other words the only adequate covering for sin and shame, is the spotless blood of the Lamb of God (Jesus, John 1:35). Showing the inadequacy of the fig leaves the Lord (killed some animal and) made garments of skin for cover (Genesis 3:21).

A common response to having our sin uncovered by God’s questions or otherwise, is to deflect the guilt some way. In Adam’s case, he played the blame game. “The woman You gave she …” In other words, it’s the woman’s fault, and actually it’s Your fault too God, You are the one who gave her to me. It sounds so familiar! Eve was no better, confronted by God’s question as to what she had done, she makes the excuse that she was deceived by the snake. In fact she knew she should not eat, and chose to believe the lie (Genesis 3:3,6). Really she had no excuse, neither shall we (Romans 1:18-20).

As with God’s question we looked at yesterday, God does not ask questions to condemn, but rather because he knows that unconfessed sin causes problems, and He wants to show us His solution. David says “When I kept silent about my sin, my bones wasted away” (Psalm 32:3). Sin separates us both from God and each other. The intimacy, the openness, transparency and innocence that were present before the fall were gone. Bringing the Kingdom to earth, is in many ways about restoring the before the fall state of affairs. It starts with confession, we confess to God to be forgiven. “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We confess to each other to be healed “confess your faults one to another and pray for one another that you might be healed” (James 5:16).

Father, help us to keep short accounts with You and each other. You always know best Lord! When we don’t confess to You “our bones waste away.” When we don’t confess our faults to each other, will likely finish up confessing each other’s faults, as in the blame game etc. This is not so healing Lord! We do need Your help Father, but it starts with a willing determination to come humbly over and over to the foot of the cross until we find resolution. At the foot of the cross there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Give us the grace we need Lord and the tenacity to stick to the healing process and we will give You the honour and glory and praise in Jesus Name Amen

Who told you you were naked?

We have been talking about shame. After Adam told the Lord that he was hiding because he was afraid because he was naked, the Lord asked him the above question (Genesis 3:11). You have to wonder if the implication of the question is that Adam did not realize he was naked before the fall. But knowing something of human nature, I think the more likely scenario, is that either Adam or Eve now saw that the other was naked and said in accusation “You are naked!” Have you ever heard, or had the kind of conversation where one person says to another something along the lines of “You’ve got a great big zit on the end of your nose!” And the other person turns round and says “You should worry, your face is just one great being zit!” What I am saying, is that many many times, the source of our shame it is something somebody “told us.”

God’s purpose in asking questions like this, it is not to shame or condemn, but rather to start the process of healing. I sense in this particular case, it was about identifying the source of shame, so that it could eventually be evaluated and dealt with. And I suspect that more often than not it is what we have been told, that is the precursor to our feeling shame. Here are some examples:- “You’re no good, you will never be any good, you’re just like your father (debilitating put downs)!” or “why don’t you just grow up (you’re so immature)!” or “you shouldn’t feel that way (your feelings are wrong)!” or “what you need to do buddy …(trying to fix you)” or “shame on you!” etc., etc.

It is important to learn to discern the difference between guilt and shame, since we need to handle them differently (see next day for guilt). It may not always be obvious, but in the end what lies behind shame is that lie that I am deficient is some way. And it is a lie. You see the reality is that I am who God says I am, not what others or even I myself think or say. And He says of those of us who are in Christ, that we are His brothers of Christ (Hebrews 2:11), and since there is no discrimination with God, then what He says to Christ He also says to us.And so what He says to us, is that we are His beloved sons and daughters, and that He is well pleased with us (Mark 1:11). We can see glimpses of this in families that are truly loving where the Father dotes on the son, and does not shame or reject him when he does wrong. And if we who are evil can do this how much better will our Father in heaven treats us (Matthew 7:11)?

Father, please help us to discern between guilt and shame, so that we may reject the underlying lie that we are somehow deficient. Lord I choose to believe this morning what You believe about me. And what You believe about me is put well in the words of the song by Godfrey Birtil to the effect that You think each and ever one of us is amazing. We need Your help here Lord to let this truly sink in. And so I pray the prayer for myself and all those who are reading this blog “I believe, help my unbelief in Jesus Name Amen”

Where are you Adam (guilt and shame)?

Before the fall we read that Adam and Eve were naked, and they were not ashamed (Genesis 2:25). When, because of their sin their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked (Genesis 3:7), they were afraid and they hid (verse 10). They were hiding from God and, trying to control things by sewing fig leaves together, they were also hiding from each other and from themselves. Adam and Eve were suffering from both guilt and shame. Though guilt and shame are related, they are not the same. Roughly speaking, guilt says I did something wrong, shame says there’s something wrong with me. The cure for guilt is to be forgiven. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive when we confess to Him (1 John 1:9).

It seems to me that Adam and Eve must have been suffering both from feelings of guilt, and from feelings of shame. Certainly they were guilty, they had eaten the fruit they were commanded not to eat (Genesis 2:17; 3:6). But as we have seen, they were afraid because they were naked. They had not sinned by being naked, for they were naked and not ashamed in their state of innocence (Genesis 2:25). In fact, shame can be totally unrelated to sin. In Bible times the barren woman was shamed because her barrenness was seen (falsely) to be a punishment for God for some unknown sin. And in Isaiah 54:4, we read of the Lord telling the barren woman that she will not be ashamed anymore.

We need to see that what the Bible is talking about here, is much more than about physical nakedness. It’s about reversing what Adam and Eve had before the fall, openness, vulnerability, transparency and loving relationships. Mother Teresa put it well when she said “Nakedness is much more than for a piece of cloth.” Post fall, it’s about loss of dignity, about loss of face, of being seen or considered to be deficient. It may or may not be related to sin. The good news though, is that shame was included in Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross. I mean He was publicly shamed both by being crucified, and by being crucified naked. It seems to me, that that this is part of what it means when He tells us that He faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9 again).

Father, shame can be so debilitating, but it’s really not from You! The Scriptures tells us that You are not ashamed to call us brethren (Hebrews 2:11). So I come to You again this morning Lord with a thankful heart, thanking You that both our guilt and our shame are covered by the blood of your Son. Since You are not ashamed of us, we must not be ashamed of You. So I pray this morning Lord, that You would give us the boldness, the peace and the grace to always be ready to give an answer of the hope that is within us with meekness and with fear. And I give You the honour and glory and praise again in Your precious and Holy and lovely Name Amen

The shame, fear and control “trinity”

“If anyone ever found out, I would die!” The devil has no originality whatsoever, he can mimic bulwarks, the “trinities” that God has provided to defeat him. The Devil's "trinities" are called strongholds. I don’t mean so much that there are always only three things in any stronghold, but rather that the characteristics of trinity, unity in diversity, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and the components reinforce one another. This morning I want to look at the stronghold of shame, fear and control. Clearly, the opening sentence of this blog reveals a fear of discovery of something of which you are ashamed (if this is you). Sitting in that fear, you are likely to be very guarded, and so to try and control the conversation, or to remove yourself from the situation, or to otherwise try to handle things.

In a shame, fear, control stronghold, each component feeds into the other. The greater the shame, the greater the fear, the greater the need to guard the secret and then coming full circle the greater the shame. Shame grows in the dark! It’s a vicious cycle! A big part of why we need to hide, is because since the fall the world, by and large, is not a safe place. Have you ever thought along the lines “If they knew what I was really like, they wouldn’t like me, they would reject me!” And the truth is, that some would, some would judge and reject you. The Pharisee is alive and well and living both inside and outside the church! But the truth is, that in the end we are all the same, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:22, 23).

The only way to get out of this stronghold, is to come out of hiding. But in order to do that, we need to find a safe place. I am sorry to have to tell you, that church is not always safe, it should be, and sometimes it is, but far from always! The anonymity in Alcoholics Anonymous is important. The point is then that we can confess in an atmosphere where we know we are all the same, when we truly know we are all the same we will not judge, and we will not reject one another. Ultimately, if we are to cooperate with “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” the church will need to come out of hiding. Only then will we find healing (James 5:16). It has to start with the leadership being willing to be open and vulnerable. A river can rise no higher than its source. I’m happy to say, that it has started. I am greatly encouraged and I greatly admire the courage and the vulnerability of the recent disclosure by Lou Engle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T0HxqIVhWM

Father, it’s easy to admire the strength and the success of great leaders. But if we see only their strength and success, we are likely to tell ourselves that we could never be like them. When they are willing to share their weaknesses, to be open and vulnerable and real, then that encourages us to be open and vulnerable and real too. As I said above Father, it has to start with the leaders, and Lord I just want to pray into this, that Lou’s example will be the catalyst for the church to come out of hiding. I thank You Lord for this precious man of God, and I pray that You will protect him and use his example greatly to help Your church in this journey to becoming more open. And it is a journey Lord, and we likely need to take one step at a time, starting with just one safe person. You promise healing Lord as we confess our faults one to another (James 5:16 again). But Father we need You to create and help us find safe places, and we need You to give us the courage to be catalysts too. Only You can do this Father, and we desperately need You to do it Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Pressing into the promises

Peter tells us, that His exceedingly great and precious promises are what allow us to participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). But they are not automatic, we have to “press in” to them. We are in a war to the death with the enemy of our souls, and he will do everything he can to divert us from this our inheritance. I always used to wonder what Christians were talking about when they mentioned pressing in. I think it’s best explained by an example. Jacob pressed in to the Lord the night that he knew his brother was coming against him with 400 armed men. The Scripture tells us that he wrestled with God until daybreak. The thing that stands out to me in the story is the phrase “I will not let you go until you bless me” (Genesis 32:26). This is pressing in!

The parable of the unjust judge comes to mind (Luke 18:1-4). He gave the widow what she needed because she wore him out with her persistence. So if we press in,that is keep on asking “Will not God who is good do far more than the unjust judge?” There are two types of promises in the Bible, the first are the unconditional sovereign promises of God. For example “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 ). You may not however always feel His presence. Feelings of course are unreliable, but since He has promised never to leave us, He is always there. Pressing in for this kind of promise, has to do with choosing to believe in spite of the circumstances. It is about reminding ourselves that He is not a man that He should lie (numbers 23:19), it is about standing and having done all to stand (Ephesians 6:13).

The second type are those that have a condition that needs to be fulfilled before they can be legally claimed. For example “If you abide in My word ... you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8: 31, 32). This particular promise is often presented as a statement of fact, that truth will automatically set you free. But is is not true, if that were the case the truth of the gospel would set the whole word free. The condition here, is about being a serious disciple. The word essentially means learner, and abiding in His Word is about receiving it, it is about being a serious obedient ongoing student of the Word. When we do this we will know and experience Him who is both the Truth and the Word (John 14:6; 1:1), and as we continue to press in, in this way, He will progressively set us free.

Father, the battle to believe is especially difficult when the fulfillment is delayed. But You always have a purpose in the delay, and it’s all about character polishing and strengthening our faith. I am reminded what Patricia King said that she would rather appear before You on that day with the question “Why didn’t You come through for me,” than for You to ask her “Why did you give up?” We need your grace to stand Lord, and having done all to stand. I know Lord, that clinging to your promises is the way to grow, it is the way on that day to hear Your commendation “Well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your Lord.” This is what I want more than anything else Lord. I can’t do it without You, but with You with me, all things are possible. And for this I give You honour and glory and praise again this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Principals, promises and power

It’s easy to explain, from a Biblical point of view, the tremendous explosive following of Jordan Peterson. He teaches wisdom and insights gained from his clinical practice, and his wide archetypical readings. These include the Bible, but are not restricted to it. He uses the story of Pinocchio for example, to teach about the rewards and dangers of lying. His teaching can perhaps best be described by saying that honesty, integrity and discipline is its own reward. And as far as I can see all the principles he teaches can in some form be found in the Bible. I have found his teaching helpful in understanding the why, of these principles. As already mentioned some of his followers describe themselves as Christian atheist. They embrace the principles of the Bible, but not the theology. Peterson is filling the massive cultural void left by cultural relativism which tries desperately to deny Petersons and the Bible’s teaching, that there is bad fruit from bad choices, and good fruit from good choices (Galatians 6:7). Peterson then, is teaching the first components of this morning’s "trinity", namely principles.

Biblical principles are good, they show is the nature of reality, they show how life works and that these are the consequences of doing this or that. But they are not enough. Do I for example answer a fool according to his folly and be in danger of being like him, or do I not answer him and he be in danger of being wise in his own eyes (Proverbs 26:4, 5). As a recent convert, do I go to my old friends out of concern for their immortal souls, or I might I not yet be strong enough? Enter the promises! In James 1:5 we read “if anyone lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives liberally, and it will be given.” Jesus promises those who are weary and heavy laden, that if they go to Him, He will give them rest for their souls (Matthew 11:28). Many, many things are promised, and include peace, grace to help in times of need, comfort, strength etc., etc. But perhaps the most precious promise of all is the assurance of eternal life. Jesus, for example tells us “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).

In terms of power Paul, perhaps like many of us, tells of knowing what to do but not being able to do it, and knowing what not to do but doing it anyway. In frustration and anguish he cries out “Who will deliver me from this body of death.” He then answers his own question “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:19, 24, 25). In fact, when we fully surrender to Him, He works not only in the wherewithal to do what He requires, but also He works in changing our desires (Philippians 2:12, 13). But much, much greater power is also promised to the believer, the same power that was available to the early disciples (Luke 24:49), power to heal the sick, to cleanse the lepers, to cast out demons and even to raise the dead (Matthew 28:20; 10:8).

Father, I want to thank You this morning Lord for the principles, promises and the power that You have made available to us. We have yet to fully tap into all that You have provided Lord, I certainly have! Thank You Lord that You love us exactly as we are, but You love us far too much to leave us that we way. And I thank You Lord that I am confident that You have begun a good work in me will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1: 6). And I give you glory again this morning Lord, in His precious and holy and lovely Name Amen

The trinity of knowing part (II)

Apologetics (the defense of the faith), is not intended to replace the necessity of faith, but to show that our faith is a reasonable faith. I implied last day, that every worldview can only be held by faith, not necessarily Christian faith, but faith nevertheless. So how could we ever know? I am convinced, that among the various competing views, the Judeo-Christian Scriptures by far best explain reality. For example, all other alternatives to "In the beginning God created everything that is out of nothing" essentially boil down to "In the beginning nothing created everything that is out of nothing". The scriptures also know us best by far, and best shows us how to live. Concerning the last two points, a Canadian psychology professor Jordan Peterson has, using the principle of archetypes, convinced many of the depth of Biblical wisdom. So much so, that some of his followers call themselves Christian atheists. In other words he has convinced them of that the ancient Scriptures contain much wisdom for life.

That the Bible knows us, knows our problems and has solutions to the same, lends credence to the statement that the Scriptures are inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). But what I want to do this morning, is to look at the trinity of knowing from spiritual perspective. The word Scripture uses to describe itself is logos. The word means “the rational argument,” the Scriptures then correspond to the rational part of our trinity. Intuition can be thought of as the subjective part of knowing, and I relate this to the operation of the Spirit who for example (subjectively) “witnesses to our spirit, that we are the sons of God” (Romans 8:16). In terms of an interconnection between the Spirit and the Word, first of all the word itself was “God breathed” by the Spirit (2 Timothy 3: 16 NIV), and it is the Spirit who illuminates the Scriptures, taking the written (logos) Word and making it come alive (a rhema Word - see John 6:63).

This also relates to the “experience aspect” of our trinity. For example, the Holt Spirit might illuminate a promise from the Scriptures, inviting us to claim it. If we truly believe, since all things are possible to he who believes (Mark 9:23), then when it is fulfilled we come to know by experience, that the promises is true. But experience is intended to play a much larger part than this. The writer to the Hebrews tells that the truth of the gospel was confirmed by the (objective) demonstration of signs and wonders (Hebrews 2:3, 4). I myself have experienced a number of instantaneous miraculous healings in my body. Experiencing the illumination of the (objective) Word (subjectively) by the Spirit is very powerful. It is, I believe something of what the Bible is talking about then it says that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

Father, thank You for the ongoing unfolding of revelation knowledge tied to Your Word, and ministered through Your Spirit. A phrase from a song came to mind this morning “the world has yet to see the church in victory.” We are not there yet Lord, and we certainly can’t do it without You! But I am sensing Lord that the prophesied coming revival is near, the revival that will never end. Indeed Father, it has already begun! So I pray even so, come Lord Jesus, do what only You can do. We do not know what to do Lord, but our eyes are on You as we wait, watch, pray and expect Your kingdom to come, Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven in Jesus Name Amen

The trinity of knowing (I)

The trinity of knowing (I) I describe a trinity firstly as something that has three components but is really one, secondly that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and lastly that there are relationships among the components. We know of course by reason (logic), but also by intuition and by experience. In mathematics we talk about conjectures which, before they are proved or disproved are nothing but pure intuition. Actually Einstein discovered the theory of relativity by intuition, and then went on to prove it1 That we learn by experience, is clear when we talk about the school of hard knocks. “My experience taught me not to do that!" Some philosophers have tried to say that reason is the only way that we know. But in fact the only way we can “know” that “reason is the only way we know,” is by choosing to believe it. It cannot be proved by logic or reason!

Reason is inevitably based on (often hidden) presuppositions which may or may not be true. In fact, our logic can be correct, but the conclusions may still be false. We all have presuppositions, world views that we may or may not be aware of. Mine are that God created the heavens and the earth, and that He Has revealed Himself in and through what I believe to be His Word, the Bible. Scientists who refuse to consider even the possibility of intelligent design, are assuming from the beginning, that my presuppositions are wrong. And some, using a circular argument of the type “the moon is made of green cheese, therefore the moon is made of green cheese,” then claim that there is no God. It is of course, a bit more subtle this! In the end though, neither of these positions can be proved nor, interestingly enough, disproved by reason. In the end they are either believed or disbelieved by faith, even if we are reluctant to admit it.

Both intuition and experience can be wrong too. In particular, a mathematical conjecture may be wrong, and some are. Someone who is told that he is a loser, can “prove” it by experience. In particular it can be a self-fulfilling prophesy. I mean because he “knows” he is a loser, he doesn’t give his best, and because of this he fails. This reinforces his belief that he is a loser. Coming back to reason, I have observed, that many people for all practical purposes, may as well hold to the position that reason is the only way we can know. We do this when the only method we use to try and win an argument is logic. We Christians do this, when we hope to win unbelievers through apologetics (the defence of the faith). I’m not saying any of this is wrong, just inadequate because it’s using only one of the three ways that we know. Knowing is of course more certain when the three ways of knowing are correct, and re-enforce each other. More to come!

Father, the Scriptures tell us that we can “know” the love of God that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:19). And what I think You are telling me Father, is that the mystery of certainty in Christ, is far, far greater than my way of thinking of knowing as trinity. But I pray this morning Lord for myself, and all those reading this blog, that we would be strengthened by might by Your Spirit in the inner man, that Christ would dwell in our hearts by faith, that we would know the multidimensional love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that we might be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19). Take us deeper Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Power, love and a sound mind “trinity”

From 2 Timothy 1:7 we see that power, love and a sound mind is actually a spirit the Lord has given. And it seems to me, that this qualifies for what I have described as a trinity (lower case t - see earlier blogs). A trinities (lower case t) has three characteristics, unity in diversity, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and there is an interrelationship between the parts. That power love and a spund mind is a unity, is seen from the grammar “… not given a spirit of fear, but (a spirit) of power, love and sound mind.” That there is diversity (differences) is obvious. Let’s look at what happens if we don't hold them all together in unity.

I am sure we can all think of examples of those who have power, but not love, or power without knowledge. And I’m sure no one would say that that was of the Lord. And what about knowledge (a sound mind) without love? Well Paul tells us that if he has knowledge without love, then he is nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). In fact, love seems to be the glue that holds this trinity together. They say that power corrupts, but I want to suggest that it only corrupts if it’s disconnected from love. So God gives power and love together, to help us avoid corruption. But given our propensity to rationalize what we want to do (Jeremiah 17:9), we will not know when the power we seek exercise is corrupt, unless we have a sound mind!

So we have looked at love and power, and power and a sound mind, so what about love and a sound mind. Well husbands are commanded to love their wives (Ephesians 5:25), and husbands are commanded to dwell with them according to knowledge (with a sound mind 1 Peter 3:7). As we have seen, a sound mind is a transformed mind, a steadfast mind and a still mind. A selfish mind, is none of these things, and of course, at some level we are all selfish. Selfishness is incompatible with love (1 Corinthians 13:5). Though the Biblical term “to know his wife” is most often associated with carnal knowledge, and while it includes that, it is so much more. In fact the idea of one flesh, is really talking about union in body soul and spirit. And we cannot truly love somebody if we do not get to know their needs, their hurts and their foibles, and then love and honour them in spite of it all. Surly this is at least part of what it means to love according to knowledge.

Father in this trinity, the whole is certainly greater than the sum of the parts. When we exercise power in love and out of a sound mind, we are essentially imitating Jesus. The gift of a spirit of power, love and a sound mind does of course need to be received, and stirred up (2 Timothy 1:6). As with a threefold chord that is not easily broken, there is a strengthening that takes place when asking love power and a sound mind as a unity. I am seeing Lord that our power is increased when it is exercised out of love and knowledge that comes out of a sound mind. In this way we know more clearly the authority You have given us. And so we can more easily step into it. And I thank You for these things this morning Lord, in Jesus Name Amen

From 2 Timothy 1:7 we see that power, love and a sound mind is actually a spirit the Lord has given. And it seems to me, that this qualifies for what I have described as a trinity (lower case t - see earlier blogs). These trinities have three characteristics, unity in diversity, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and there is an interrelationship between the parts. That this is a unity is seen from the grammar “… not given a spirit of fear, but (a spirit) of power, love and sound mind.” That there is diversity (differences) is obvious. Let’s look at the interconnections first from the negative point of view. I am sure we can all think of examples of people who have power without love, or power without knowledge. And I’m sure no one would say that that was of the Lord. And what about knowledge (a sound mind) without love? Well Paul tells us that if he has knowledge without love, then he is nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). In fact, love seems to be the glue that holds this trinity together. They say that power corrupts, but I want to suggest that it only corrupts if it’s disconnected from love. So God gives power and love together, to help us avoid corruption. But given our propensity to rationalize what we want to do (Jeremiah 17:9), we will not know when the power we seek exercise is corrupt, unless we have a sound mind! So love and power, and power and a sound mind, so now lastly, love and a sound mind. Well husbands are commanded to love their wives (Ephesians 5:?), and husbands are commanded to dwell with them according to knowledge (with a sound mind 1 Peter 3:7). As we have seen, a sound mind is a transformed mind, a steadfast mind and a still mind. A selfish mind, is none of these things, and at some level we are all selfish. Selfishness is incompatible with love (1 Corinthians 13:5). Though the Biblical term “to know his wife” is most often associated with carnal knowledge, and while it includes that, if he so much more. In fact the idea of one flesh, is really talking about union in body soul and spirit. And we cannot truly love somebody if we do not get to know their needs, their hurts and their foibles, and to love and honour them in spite of it all. Surly this is at least part of what it means to love according to knowledge. Father in this trinity, the whole is certainly greater than the sum of the parts. When we exercise power out a sound mind and in love, then we are essentially imitating Jesus. The gift of the spirit of power, love and a sound mind does of course need to be received, and it needs to be stirred up (2 Timothy 1:6). As with a threefold chord that is not easily broken, You seem to be emphasizing to me the strengthening aspect of taking this trinity as a unity. For example Lord I am seeing that power is increased when it is exercised out of love and knowledge that comes out of a sound mind. This is because with a sound mind we know more clearly the authority You have given us. And so can more easily step into it. And I thank You for these things this morning Lord, in Jesus Name Amen

Biblically holistic health (IV) Body, soul and spirit “trinity”

This morning I want to look from a Biblical point of view, at the phrase “In Holistic Medicine a person is ultimately responsible for his or her own health and well-being.” No one would seriously argue that we do not have responsibility to do our part in taking care of our body, soul and spirit. However we may need a lot of help. In terms of the physical, I am currently very aware of the needs of a friend who recently had a stroke. At this point in time others need to take up responsibility for her care. People who have gone through trauma often need a lot of psychological help, similarly we may need the spiritual help in the form of a pastor, or Christian counsellor.

I don’t think a holistic doctor would disagree with what I have just written. And I need to add that it seems to be a spiritual principle, that God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves. On the other hand there have been many times when He has done for me what I was not able to do for myself. And what I want to say, is that ultimately God is our healer in all three areas body, soul and spirit (Exodus 15:15; 25:23). Like the good physician, counselor and Father that He is, He has put certain principles and promises in place, which when followed will facilitate wholeness and healing. The dietary laws and the Biblical standards of cleanliness given in the Old Testament for example, were given so that Israel would have “none of the diseases of the Egyptians” (Exodus 15:26).

Part of what I am saying here, is that while we certainly have a part to play (we do have responsibility), for the child of God, our body, soul and spirit health is not all up to us. Our part is to take in and meditate on His Word (Psalm 1:2), to lean and understand His principles and promises, and to truly believe His Word. Jesus tells us that “The work of God is this (our responsibility is this): to believe in the One He has sent (John 6:29 - the words in brackets are mine). What He is talking about here, is trust, reliance and obedience. For example, the Bible tells that God provides and shows us the way our of trials and temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13). Our responsibility, is to take the path that He has provided. The seed of the Word needs to be taken in, it needs to be watered, but in the end it is God who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6).

Father, one of my favourite hymns, when I was first converted was “Trust and obey.” The line “for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus” stood out to me. Trust and obedience as a little child, is the essence of true faith. And I want to thank You this morning Father for the principles, promises and power of Your Word, but most of all Lord, I want to thank You for the assurance that You will never leave me nor forsake me, so I never have to face any of this alone. And I also know Lord, that when I do my part, You will answer the prayer that I prosper in all things and be in health, just as my soul prospers (3 John 2). I pray this in Jesus Name Amen

Biblically holistic health (III) Body, soul and spirit “trinity.”

As said earlier, that there were two statements that caught my attention when I googled “holistic health.” I discussed the first one earlier. This morning I want to start to discuss the second statement that holistic health is “based on the belief that unconditional love and support is the most powerful healer, and that a person is ultimately responsible for his or her own health and well-being.” Who could deny, that the giving and receiving of love has healing potential. And certainly, love needs to be unconditional, because conditional love is not really love it all, it’s more like control! But true love must be divorced from license (anything goes), because if we get love and truth out of balance, it too easily becomes enablement.

If someone we knew was about to drive a car down an icy road where, round a sharp bend, we knew the bridge was washed out, would it not be loving to warn them, even if they were excitedly looking forward to the trip? Would it not be hateful not to warn them? So yes unconditional love, but love that is armed with truth and wisdom. And this speaks to me that the interesting thing about love, is that it cannot be done in isolation, it is only done in community. If it is to be fully Biblically holistic, the community needs to be Christian community. I say this, because we need the ongoing input from God who is the source of both love and truth (1 John 4:8; John 14:6 - see also January 4th post).

I am not saying that a good balance of truth and love cannot be found outside the Christian community. Nor am I saying that Christian communities are always healthy. The health of any community is dependent on a number of things, not the least of which is the health of the leadership. And because churches are made up of people, they are all a mixture of truth and error, acceptance and rejection, health and dysfunction. Actually, it is the to the credit of a church, and part of unconditional love, that it would receive those who are not yet whole (that’s all of us). Indeed one of the purposes of the church, is to be a hospital for the sin sick!

Father, I am well aware that just as there are no perfect families, neither are there any perfect churches. But You have told us that we should not neglect coming together in Christian fellowship (Hebrews 10:25). I am also aware that many times brokenness comes through relationships, but so also does healing. And we will not be made whole in isolation! So I ask You this morning Lord that You would move us more and more into true Christian community, community that balances truth and grace, love and accountability, openness and vulnerability and unconditional love. Start with me Lord, in Jesus Name Amen

Body, soul and spirit “trinity” Biblically holistic health (II)

Continuing our discussion from last day, I want talk about the interconnections between body health,soul health and health spirit health. We have already mentioned psychosomatic illnesses, illnesses of the soul that affect the body. But to invent a word, the Scripture teaches about pneumosomatic illnesses, meaning that sickness of spirit (pnuema) affect the body (soma). David’s speaking of his delay in confessing his sin says “When I kept silent about my sin, my bones wasted away” (Psalm 32:3). In a similar context, Paul hints that this is the reason that “many are weak and sick and some have even died” (1 Corinthians 11: 30). The Tyndale commentary on the Psalm suggests that these illnesses are results of the very tensions that are created in a Christian by his disobedience.

We might also say that the body “bone” is connected to the soul “bone.” Quite apart from my attempt to be humorous, it is well-known that brain chemistry radically affects personality which is surely part of the soul. But the Scripture speaks not just about the interconnectedness of illnesses in body soul and spirit, but also the interconnectedness of wholeness. Solomon tells us to “Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones (Proverbs 3:7, 8). He also tells us, that we need to pay close attention to his words and to obey them, because they are “life to those who find them and health to one's whole body” (Proverbs 4:20, 22).

The Scripture also talks about “heart health.” It’s not talking about the physical organ, but in many ways is a reference to the soul (mind, will and emotions). We read “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). That it needs gardening is clear, since “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19). And diligence is surely needed, for our enemy is going about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). And he whispers lies into our hearts, and dangles temptations in front of our eyes. The default is to “let her slide by’!” In particular we must not dwell on thoughts of greed, or resentment or any negative thing. We must also keep short accounts with God so that “the bones which you have broken may rejoice” (Psalm 51:8).

Father, as I seek to fear You and depart from evil, I am standing on Your Word this morning that this will be “health for my flesh and strength for my bones.” And so Lord I am commanding my body to come into line with the Word of God, contenting for health in every part of my body and declaring that is is accomplished. I will not look at the circumstance Lord, but I will stand on Your faithfulness to me and to Your Word. You are not a may that You should lie, and what You say You will do, You will do. And so I give you honour and glory and praise again this morning Lord, as I wait in You for the fulfillment of it all in Jesus Name Amen

Body, soul and spirit “trinity” (I) Biblically holistic health

I am fond of saying, that secular research, though often diverted largely through false presuppositions, will eventually find the truth. It just might take a very long time! And it has been my observation, that many times what is happening when the research is correct, is that it is rediscovering Biblical wisdom and Biblical principles. In particular, this is starting to be the case with the somewhat controversial concept of holistic medicine. Googling the subject I came across two statements that captured my attention. I will deal today with the first one “Holistic medicine is a form of healing that considers the whole person -- body, mind, spirit, and emotions.” If we think of the soul as mind, will, and emotions, then holistic medicine is dealing with our “trinity” body, soul and spirit.

The Scripture tells us is that we need to test all things and hold fast to that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). So we need to ask some important questions of the secular version of holistic medicine. In particular what in the secular view, is the spirit, and what form of spirituality are we talking about?" Words matter, and it’s important to realize our words may not have the same meaning as the secular meaning. Nevertheless, the point of testing all things is not to reject everything, but rather to discern what is true Biblically and hold fast to it. Having said this, I do need to add, that at times secular research has shed light for me on Biblical truth. An example of this from family systems therapy, is a device called the genogram

A genogram it is something akin to a family tree, but adds the history of family difficulties, such as alcoholism, suicide, codependency etc., etc. The point of the genogram from the secular point of view, is to recognize handed down patterns of behaviour, and to do this with a view to make interventions that bring change. For me this throws light on the Biblical statement that the iniquities of the fathers are visited on the children to the third and fourth generation (Exodus 20:5 NKJV -“visited” not “punished” as in the NIV as this would contradict Ezekiel 18:20). I think of this “visiting,” as a form of infection, which may or may not be caught by the children. The Bible of course also gives the solution, it is to "love God, and obey His commandments" (Exodus 20:6).

Father, in order to claim the promise of steadfast love and mercy to our descendants (Exodus 20:6 again), we need to link “love God” as above, with the first commandment to love You with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:30). And we also need to link “obey His commandments” to presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to you (Romans 12:1). Anything less is not worthy of all that You did for us on Calvary. So I asked this morning Lord, that You would give each and every one of us a heart to love and obey You in these ways in Jesus Name Amen

Trinity and trinities (II)

There have been many attempts to describe Trinity, and all of them are inevitably doomed to failure. You cannot adequately describe the indescribable God! One attempt has been to look at the egg. The egg consists of a shell, white and yolk, yet the whole thing is a unity, an egg. But God is not an egg, not even a good egg! The triple point of water, that place of temperature and pressure were water is solid (ice), liquid and vapour all at the same time. Such illustrations describe unity in diversity, but this do not illustrate that the Son prays to the Father? How do you illustrate that?

It struck me one day when I was thinking about this, that if God is Trinity, and He is, then we would see pale reflections of this characteristic all over the place in nature. Another illustration struck me recently from Scripture “A threefold cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). The point is that twined together the cord is far stronger than if it was simply put together without the intertwining. What we have here, is the idea that the whole is more than the sum of the individual parts. But this too is inadequate, since it fails to illustrate the relationship between the "parts," that the the Father loves the Son for example (John 5:20). I am seeing three things here, firstly unity in diversity, secondly the concept of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, and thirdly the interrelationships between the said parts. I call these three concepts put together “trinity,” with a lower case t. Such trinities are pale inadequate reflections of Trinity, and they are everywhere!

The trinity that, to my way of thinking, best reflects Trinity is mankind. We are after all, made in His image, we are body, soul and spirit. It’s interesting to me, that the various attempts to understand man reflect the various heresies about Trinity. We have the mechanistic view for example, that man is merely a machine, merely a body, and that anything else is illusion. Psychology has at times tended to see only the soul. But as I have said elsewhere, research which is essentially looking for the truth, will eventually get there. In particular we have started to talk about psychosomatic illnesses, illnesses of the body that are results of the sickness in the soul (i.e. ulcers). On the other hand we are understanding more about how brain chemistry affects personality. But what I want to say this morning in closing, is that we cannot even begin to be fully whole until our spirit is made alive through regeneration (Ephesians 2:1).

Father, the Scriptures tell us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:4), and is very clear to me that any reductionist view of who we are, or of creation, is ultimately doomed to failure. How for example, will we ever explain the beauty of creation in terms of evolution. But creation is beautiful because You are a beautiful God (Psalm 27:4). And how will we explain art and other forms of human creativity in terms of the survival of the fittest? But it’s easy to explain theologically, we are creative because we are made in the image of a creative God. And my Shakespearean misquote comes to mind again “There are more things under heaven and earth than you have dreamed of in your theology, Horatio.” Truly we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and for this and many other things I give You praise and thanks again this morning Lord, in Jesus Name Amen

Trinity and trinities (I)

God is Trinity, three in One, and One in three? Who can understand that? I have heard so many people reject the concept of Trinity because they don’t understand it. But do they, do you, understand how at the mere sound of His voice, matter came into existence, stars were flung into space and worlds were formed? Clearly they were formed, they did come into existence, and we have no clue how He did it. What I am saying, is that our lack of understanding says nothing about the truth or reality of something. And our knowledge is so, so limited. The Scripture itself tells us that “he who thinks he knows something should acknowledge that he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:2). “We see things as but a dim reflection,” and we only know “in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9.12). But is it even in the Bible?

I am told that the history of dermatology is essentially the medical profession assigning Latin names to skin conditions they don’t understand. Likewise Trinity is a name that theologians assigned to a concept they didn’t understand, but they couldn’t deny. In particular Christianity was birthed in the cradle of mono theistic Judaism, “the Lord our God is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4). At the same time, the New Testament clearly affirms both the deity of Christ (i.e. John 5:18; Philippians 2:6), and the deity of the Holy Spirit (i.e. Acts 5:3,4). But it’s not just in the New Testament! From the very beginning even before we learn that God is One, God speaks of Himself in the plural “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26). But even clearer in a passage that is fully acknowledged to be messianic, we read that the coming messiah, the child born, the son given has a number of very interesting names.

Names are important in Hebrew culture, they stands for the whole character of that person as they were known, or revealed. This is why God changed a person’s name from time to time (i.e. Genesis 17:5). So the names of the Messiah are significant. And one of the name of the child born, the son given is “Wonderful Counsellor” (i.e. Holy Spirit), another is “Almighty God” (the deity of Christ), yet another “Everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6). So no, the word “Trinity” does not appear in the Scripture. However, like the Latin names given to diseases that are not understood, Trinity is the name given to a concept that we don’t understand, but is clearly outlined in the Scripture. But think about it, if we understood God, we would be God! More to come!

Father, truly You are far greater, bigger more powerful and more wonderful than we can ever begin to imagine. To deliberately misquote Shakespeare “There are more things under heaven on earth than you have imagined in your theology Horatio.” We have not even begun to imagine how amazing You are! What is it for example Lord, that keeps the elders falling on their faces over and over and over in worship (Revelation 4:10)? I’m only starting to understand Father, that we will spend all of eternity in awe and wonder getting to know You, our wonderful, fascinating and amazing God. Continue to draw us to Yourself Lord, and fascinate us with Your beauty. Do it Lord for Your glory, in Jesus Name Amen

Sound mind (III) stillness: God has given a spirit of power, of love and a sound mind part (VIII)

A sound mind is a renewed mind, is a steadfast mind and this morning I want to talk about it being a still mind. A still mind is so, so counter-cultural. It seems to me that there is an almost a frantic desperation to fill our silences with noise. We seem to be afraid of the emptiness of silence, and our minds race to be fill with a whole host of things, be it technology, or entertainment, or activity etc., etc. In the midst of this, the Lord calls to us to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). In fact stillness of mind is part of steadfastness of mind, and together they yield the fruit of perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3 from yesterday).

Fortunately, as with all that we have been discussing, it’s not all up to us. We read that after we have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us (1 Peter 5:10 KJV). In case you haven’t noticed, suffering seems to be an unavoidable part of our lot. Whether God sends, or simply allows suffering is hotly debated! But it’s what is beyond dispute, is that He uses our suffering for our benefit (i.e. Romans 8:28). On top of this, He never calls us to endure what He has not Himself endured, only more so (i.e. Hebrews 12:4). Our part in all of this, and we always have a part to play, is to choose by His grace, to respond to suffering the way that Jesus responded (i.e. Hebrews 5:8).

Jesus of course, would have known the Scripture “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). That Jesus put the conditions of this Scripture into practice was very clear to Peter. For having closely observed Jesus under pressure, he tell us that “When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). I don’t know about you, but I want to be like Jesus. And I don’t know about you in this either, but I have a ways to go!

Father, help me to play my part in doing what I need to do in being still and knowing that You are God. Thank You Lord that Your help is so readily available, and that half the time all You require of me is to submit and to obey. Thank You Lord that You have promised to quiet me with Your love, and thank You Lord that You rejoice over me with singing, and in fact over all who choose You (Zephaniah 3:17). There is no one like You Lord, no one comes even close. And I worship You again this morning Jesus, in Your holy, and lovely and precious Name Amen

Sound mind (II) steadfastness: God … given spirit…. of power, of love and a sound mind part (VII)

Last day we talked about a sound mind been a renewed mind, this morning I want to talk about a sound mind being a steadfast mind. In Isaiah 26:3 we read “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” So then faith is a necessary ingredient in having a steadfast mind. Indeed, when we give into doubt, we are unstable in all our ways, and we should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:7, 8). In particular we should not expect to receive the gift of the spirit of a sound mind.

As we have been saying over these last few days, a gift does not become effective until it is received. And we need to understand that the enemy of our souls will do everything he can to prevent us from receiving this gift of a mind that is steadfast. He knows that if he can capture our thought life, all the rest will fall like dominoes. In particular he seeks to build strongholds in our minds. “Philip’s translation" of Ephesians 6:12 reads “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but we do wrestle.” It is a battle, you may have noticed, and the battle is won or lost in the mind.

Peter tells us that through the knowledge of Him, all things necessary for life and godliness have already been given (2 Peter 1:3). So then a steadfast mind is an informed mind, a mind that knows and understands that “all things” includes weapons of warfare. These weapons are “mighty to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought captive into the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4, 5). A steadfast mind then is captive mind, captive to the Lord not the Devil. Make no mistake about it, if our minds are not captive to Christ, they are captive to the Devil.

I want to thank you this morning Father, that having a steadfast mind is not all up to us. Yes we do have a part to play, and a big part of our part it is faith. And faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Thank You father that when we do our part the lion’s share of the transformation comes from You, and that You keep not only our minds steadfast, but our hearts too! And I praise and thank You again this morning Lord, in Jesus Name Amen

Part (VI) Sound mind (I) God has not given a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind

As with any gift, the gift of a sound mind has to be received. And if it is to be fully incorporated into our lives, it has to be sharpened and stirred up and nurtured. I want to talk about three aspects of a sound mind, a right or a renewed mind, a steadfast mind and a still mind. In a moment of clarity while feeding the pigs, the Scripture tells us that the Jewish prodigal son “came into himself” (Luke 15:17). The implication is that before that he was out of his right mind, and that he came back into it. Likewise the Gadarene demoniac when the demons were cast out, was then said to into his right mind (Luke 8:35). So in many ways the opposite of a sound mind is some stage of insanity!

It is clear, that the choices the prodigal son had made to live a lifestyle of pleasure, “prodigal living” as some translations have it, was what led to his not being in his right mind. Perhaps the most obvious example of people who are not in their right mind are those whose minds are messed up on drugs. But we can be messed up with bitterness, or agreed or in fact any addictive behaviour. The Scripture talks about suppressing the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). In particular, when we rationalize away the clear commandments of Scripture, it messes with our minds. What I am saying, is that receiving the gift of a sound mind is inextricably connected to living a life of righteousness.

We in the West live in a world of moral relativism. I mean adultery may be wrong for you, but is it right for me! I mean how can sex outside of marriage we wrong if we love each other and it feels so good? But this moral relativism is a perfect example of the suppression of truth in unrighteousness. Well the pleasures of sin are only for a season, and it messes up our minds, for it is only embracing the truth in an ongoing manner that we will progressively be set free Hebrews 11:25; John 8:31,32).” And the fact of the matter, is that we are moving further and further into insanity. There is however, a way to come back into our right minds. It is by being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) through His Word, His truth (John 17:17). It does however require that we present our bodies as a living sacrifice. This Paul tells us, is the only reasonable response to the tender mercies of our God (Romans 12:1 NKJV).

Father, Your Word tells us that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). But as I have been saying this morning it is not automatic, it has to be appropriated. I want it Lord, I want clear and accurate thinking, and I want to embrace truth. So I ask you again this morning Lord, to search my heart to see if there be any wicked way within me, and to lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:24). And I will give You all the honour and glory and praise in Jesus Name Amen

For God .. not given a spirit of fear, but of power … love and of a sound mind Part (V) Love (III)

Using the analogy of crops in a garden or field, we have talked about weeding, that is getting rid of such things as blame, resentment etc. We also talked about good crops needing the nutrients of our inner attitudes of humility, openness, vulnerability etc. This morning I want to talk about watering. This brings to mind “cleansing … by the washing with water through the Word” (Ephesians 5:26). John tells us, that when we confess our sins to God, He is faithful and just not only to forgive us, but he is faithful and just cleans us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The Scripture links together “clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:4), they are inextricably linked. In particular, I cannot have a pure heart if my “hands” are not clean, and I cannot love in the way that God wants me to love if heart is not pure.

So many things to say, but I must choose a direction. And I choose “Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18), and I want to tie this in together with “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:26). We started this series, talking about behavioural therapy, where by acts of “love” we “replenish our love deficits.” But in these quotes from Scripture, what stands out to me that it is not only what we do, but how we do it, and with what attitude we do what we do. Paul describes acts of “love” without love (agape love) as akin to a noisy clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1). And we might ask, is a “kind act” really kind if it’s not done in love?

It might seem so hopeless, but in Christ there is always hope, and our main hope is that God has given us a spirit of love. I guess the main point that is on my heart this morning, is that when we cooperate with God, when we obey even if we don’t feel like it, then we can act our way into loving feelings. If we wait until we feel kind, until we feel compassionate, it might never happen. So what I am saying, is that we need to weed, we need to nurture, we need to water, and of course we need to pray.

Father, Your Word tells us “We love because you first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV). You are the author, the source and the finisher of love. Thank You that You have given us the spirit of love, and that it is freely available. We know that You want to love the world through us, but we desperately need Your help to be pure channels of that love. Thank You again that You who have begun a good work will bring it to completion, and we give You honour glory and praise again this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen

For God .. not given a spirit of fear, but of power … love and of a sound mind Part (IV) Love (II)

For the Christian, when love dies the God of resurrection is ready willing and able to resurrect love. It does however require our strong cooperation. Last day we were discussing getting rid of the opposite spirits of blame, resentment etc., etc. But pulling the weeds from the garden of our lives is not enough. We need the nutrients of the fruit and the characteristics of the Spirit! And these nutrients have less to do with what we do, rather they are more about our inner attitudes of humility, openness, vulnerability etc. etc.! One of the key verses in this regard is James 5:16 which says “Confess your faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

Confessing our faults to one another takes it one step further than cutting out the blame. It is necessary however, because unless or until we are willing to take responsibility for our part in the things that go wrong, there will be no healing. Inevitably, if I don’t confess my part, then my partner will need to, and that might not be quite so healing! It may be necessary however, because most of us are blind to our own faults. It does need to be done gently and in humility (Galatians 6:1). What is also important here, is to keep short accounts. When we engage in conflict avoidance over and over, pushing the little foxes under the rug, what finishes up under the rug is a monster. And if we can’t deal with the little foxes dealing with the monster will be something else!

I am fond of saying that God never gives a command that He does not with the command, also give us the grace to obey. So the good news, is that it’s not all up to us. And part of the wherewithal, part of the grace, is that God has already given to us a spirit of love. In the garden, when the weeds are pulled up and nutrients added, the plant will grow automatically because “earth yields crops by itself” (Mark 4:28). Likewise when we strongly cooperate the spirit of love manifests. It is important to note that there is no such thing as an instant crop, likewise there is no such thing as an instant fix when things have gone badly wrong. But again as I’m fond of saying, marriage is one of God’s primary tools to refine us and to make us more like Christ (Romans 8:28, 29).

Father, Your Word tells us that we have need of endurance in order that we may obtain the promises (Hebrews 10:36). We need your help here too Lord, especially when the hurt has gone deep. Thank you Lord that when we totally surrender to You, not only do You work in our ability to do what You call us to do, but You also work in our desires, our willingness to do it (Philippians 2:12, 13). In fact we need Your help from beginning to end. Thank You Lord that You are far more willing to give it many times, than we are to receive it. So we come before the throne of grace this morning Lord, that we may obtain grace to help in our times of need (Hebrews 4:16) in Jesus Name Amen

For God .. not given a spirit of fear, but of power … love and of a sound mind Part (III) Love (I)

I remember the first time I heard the Lord speak to me clearly. I was 16, and what He said was “Why are you running away from me Phil, I only want you to love for me.” No, it was not an audible voice, it was "spoken" into my thoughts (John 10:27). There are three possibilities, it was my own thoughts, thoughts the Devil had planted, or it was the Lord. Well it clearly was not the Devil! And it wasn’t my thoughts either, as shown by my response “Well I don’t need you for that do I?” But I can look back and cringe, as I came to realize that 99% of the love I felt was all about me! And I now see with perfect clarity, that if there is one thing I need more than anything else, it is His spirit of love!

There was a song I heard as a boy, hundreds of years ago “Chip, Chip,” It goes like this “Chip, chip you tell a little lie, Chip, chip, you make your baby cry. Chip, chip, you cheat a little bit. Chip, chip, you quarrel over it …chipping away at the mansion of love.” The admonition “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards” (Song 2:15), is about not letting the little things “chip” away at love. For the Christian, when love has died, the command “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12) remains even, in fact especially, in covenant relationships! But how? Speaking about “love deficit,” behavioural therapists suggest deliberately performing acts of kindness to replenish the "reservoir of love!”

In a seriously damaged relationship, good luck with that! The good news for Christians though, is that God has given us a spirit of love. Yes there is a spirit of love, and it is already given, and readily available. It does have to be appropriated of course. And the first thing to do is to get rid of the various opposite spirits, spirits of blame, of resentment, entitlement, bitterness, anger rancour etc., etc. We need to cast them out, and then choose to receive His spirit of love. We can then do the behavioural stuff, and then it makes much more sense!

Father I suspect that people reading this are at various stages of their “love deficit.” For those in serious trouble we need to go deeper (next day), but wherever we are “at,” we all need continual downloads of Your love in order to "love as I have loved you." In the same context of the commandment to love, You tell us that without You we can do nothing (John 15:5). So I turn to You again this morning Father, and I ask for, and welcome more of Your spirit of love in Jesus Name Amen

For God has not given a spirit of fear, but of power … love and of a sound mind Part (II) Power

Consider the authority that the Lord gave to the disciples, and the command to teach the the rest of us everything that He had taught them (Matthew 28:?). Put this together with the command to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and cast out demon (Matthew 10:18), and you have to realize that at this point in time, the church is a lot less than what the Lord intended! To be sure there are pockets of such militancy, where many of these things are indeed taking place. But in terms of what is needed for the end time revival, we surely have a long way to go!

Part of one of Paul’s constant prayer, was that the Lord would give us a spirit of revelation in the knowledge of Him, and that we would know the exceeding greatness of the power that He has made available to us (Ephesians 1:16, 17, 19). Transformation of the individual and then moving to the church, begins with a knowledge of the truth (Romans 12:2). The part of Paul’s prayer we are considering, reveals lack in both the knowledge of Him, and of the power that is available to us (or he would not have needed to pray for it). Knowledge of Him certainly includes knowledge about Him, about His characteristics, His power His glory His holiness etc., etc. But perhaps most importantly, for being able to appropriate the power that He has made available to us, is the knowledge of who we are in Him.

When we truly know who we are in Him, know our identity in Christ, then we will also know the authority and hence the power He has made available to us. It is no coincidence that the devil's temptation of Jesus in the wilderness started with “If You are the son of God…” He went on to tempt Jesus to misuse His power (Matthew 4: 3). And what is occurring to me this morning, not for the 1st time, is that our lack of power is closely related to the fact that most of us don’t really know who we are in Christ. Oh we can likely say the words, but true faith, truly believing needs to go a lot deeper. I know it does for me!

Father, the importance of truly knowing who we are in You accounts for the severity of the battle. And it is a battle! It starts with the choice to believe, but perhaps the biggest part of the role we need to play is to pray Paul’s prayer over and over for ourselves, for our fellowship, and for the wider church. So I do so pray this morning Lord, that You would give each and every one of us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You, so that we might know You, and the hope to which You have called us, and the riches of the glory of our inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of Your power towards us in Jesus Name Amen

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (I)

In this quote from 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul had just been reminding Timothy to stir up the gift gift of God given to him by the laying on of hands (verse 6). The word “For” that starts this quote clearly links the two verses together, and it is appropriate ask why stirring up the gift might produce fear. Well I suppose anyone who has tried to share the gospel in this climate of political correctness, would not need to be told. What I am saying is that our culture is hostile to anything Biblical, let alone to message of salvation. In many ways therefore it is natural to fear.

The second thing to say about this, is that fear is not of the Lord. It has been said that fear is faith in the kingdom of darkness. Therefore dwelling on your fear is actually quite dangerous. This is because “It shall be done to you according to your faith” (Matthew 9:29), and “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me” (Job 3:25). Faith is powerful both positive and negative. This is why we are told over and over not to fear (i.e Psalm 55:7; Isaiah 7:4; 35:4; 41:10, 13; 43:1 etc.).

Easier said and done you might say! Well the good news, as our quote informs us, is that fear is a spirit, and being a spirit it can be cast out. We do this by literally speaking to the spirit of fear and telling it that is has no part in us. We need to realize that the spirit of fear does not have a legal right of residence in the believer. We need to declare that we do not receive it! We do need to replace it however with the opposite spirit. And we do this by choosing to trust in the Lord with all of our heart, to acknowledge Him in all our ways and to believe that He will direct our paths and make them straight (Proverb 3:5,6).

Father, thank You for Your rhama Word to me this morning. I am however aware that when You put something into my spirit and teach it, that I am likely to be tested on the very principle I am teaching. So I am praying this morning Lord that when the spirit of fear seeks to come upon me, that You will remind me of this Word You gave me, and to choose not to receive it. Thank You Lord that You are at work in me both to will and to do Your will in my life. In Jesus Name Amen.

Blessed is the man who walks not … nor stands … nor sits

respectively in the counsel of the ungodly, the path of sinners, the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1:1). I am not much of a one for New Years revolutions, yes revolutions where you set unrealistic goals which last a week or too at the most!. On the other hand I see Psalm 1 counselling consistent, steady growth like a tree planted by the waters (verse 3). In verse 1, in typical Hebrew poetry, the Psalmist is drawing our attention to the realms respectively of thinking, behaving and belonging. Going astray is progressive, it starts in the mind listening to the lies of the enemy, it moves to behaviour taking a stand on the lies. It then seeks out the fellowship of those of like mind who scorn truth (see Romans 1:18, 32).

In outlining in more detail the process of falling into sin, James tells that the first stage is being drawn away, and drawn away by our own evil desires (James 1:14). The lies craftily hidden in the propaganda of the age taps into those desires, and the only real counter to propaganda repeated over and over, is to immerse ourselves “meditate day and night” (verse 2) in His Word. There are essentially only two paths. Firstly the one who does these things “shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season … whatever he does shall prosper” (verse 3 again). However “the way of the ungodly shall perish” (verse 6).

If I look back over my life there have certainly been times when there have been significant changes of direction. But these have always followed crises and involved moments of clarity often involving spiritual life and death decisions. However most of it must be “precept … upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Isaiah 28:10). We must not “become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). It is God who gives the victory and the increase.

Father, as we come into this new year please give us Your grace to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in Your work, knowing that our labor in You is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). Success Father is about being faithful, about planting and watering, when we do this, it is then up to You to give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). What I want most Lord is to finish this coming year with Your encouragement “well done good and faithful servant.” And I will be sure to give You the honour and glory in Jesus Name Amen