Missing the Revolution Train

“He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him”

- John 1:11

Is there a more devastating statement in Scripture? It kills me… and I am sure that in 10, 20, 30 years it will break my heart even more.

The creator God, The living Word and Light, takes on flesh and initiates plans to bring His creation back into alignment with its original purpose. He comes to usher in the kingdom of God – God’s will happening “on earth as it is in Heaven”.

and His people – set apart to BE the light and hope of the world DID NOT KNOW HIM.

Sometimes you have to wonder… How did they miss it?

God’s chosen people…. They knew the scriptures. Loved them even. Some of the Israelites deeply loved God and were passionate about His plan for the world. However they got so caught up in their interpretations of things. Their expectations of things. And these things perhaps were not essentially wrong – but lacked scope for God to move in His own all-loving and all-powerful way.

The Jewish people expected God to deliver a messiah that would restore Israel’s rule. A messiah that would overthrow the roman empire through military means and rebuild the temple. Instead Jesus came…and preached love. Peace. Submission. Generousity. His teachings of the kingdom coming through forgiveness and grace, healing and restoration had pharisees and leaders pointing the finger and calling out words like “blasphemy!”

Jesus wasn’t what they expected. So they rejected Him…to the point where they saw to it that His beaten and bloodied body was hung on a cross.

I think what really scares me is that we so often act like the Pharisees of old. We are quick to defend our views or interpretations of scripture and fiercely throw words around like heresy.

When what we should be doing is looking for the activity, movement and advancement of the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). We need to understand that what Jesus did was REVOLUTIONARY and CONTRARY to the expectations of his time and culture. And we need to be alert to the rhythms and movements of the Holy Spirit to make sure we do not miss our part in the ongoing revolution that is the advancement of the kingdom of God.

What are our views on homosexuality? Racism? Sexism? Vegans? Polygamists? The environment? On the sick, lowly and dying? The prosperous and the poor?

What are our views on anything?

We can have a wide range of theologies or interpretations or use language to justify our means or opinions, but ultimately, the kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1:15), it is advancing, and (in my own opinion) our only outward expression in any circumstance should be a desire to step out of the way and invite God to have His way on His terms.

So, in the words of N.T Wright, are you “working to extend God’s kingdom in the world, or are you standing in the way?”

Blessings.

Mud in the face.

Then Jesus spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam”. So the man went and washed and came back seeing!

- John 9:6-7

I think we are creatures of patterns. We like routine, we like consistency, we like predictability. And I think ultimately we like control. We like to know what is going to happen, how and why.

I also think we like to put God in a similar box. We pray, do our daily devotionals, give faithfully and bless others. And more often than not we are comfortable with that. Our faith is ordinary, manageable and understandable.

The trouble is, Jesus never did anything ordinary. He never had a routine. There was no method to the things he did.

Jesus, throughout the gospels, heals people of blindness. WHY in this particular circumstance did he spit in the ground, make mud and push it into a blind person’s face?

There are many theological ideas or cases for what Jesus may have been hoping to achieve with this little display, but ultimately, for me, it demonstrates the raw unpredictability of our God. Whenever we think we have Him figured out, or we think we have discovered a program or routine that keeps us “connected” with God or allows us to “see the Spirit move”, He does something different. That at least is true of my own life. And funnily enough, when things arrive in my life left-field, God takes me back to this verse to show me that He does things on His own terms – every time.

All through Scriptures we see the dynamic nature of God. He is Moving. He is active. He is vibrant.

And, in His sovereignty, His will always happens on His terms.

And it pays to embrace it.

 

Easter Reflections.

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried with Him therefore by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we too might walk in newness of life.

- Romans 6:3-4

I spent Easter weekend with 40 of my youth at an Easter camp that happened here in New Zealand. It was pretty powerful. 4500 young people from all different churches and communities gathering together to celebrate the amazing story that is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

On the Sunday night I took the opportunity to turn my attention away from the stage and look to the four rows occupied by my youth behind me, and what I saw blew me away and moved me to tears.

Arms lifted high in worship. Young boys praying for their leaders. Girls holding each other and praying fervently. My youth were even praying for youth from other churches!

Simply put it was a snapshot of the new life. A picture of God’s kingdom breaking through. Words cannot capture the immense beauty and joy I experienced in this moment.

And then I found myself somewhat fearful of the future. You see, in the future I will inevitably have to face some tough conversations as these youth get older. Conversations around dating, sex, drinking, partying and more…. LIFE questions to be exact. It took God all of 5 seconds to bring me away from the future fear and call me back to the present reality.

The revelation of NOW needs to be a powerful one in our lives. Through the death and resurrection, we walk in newness of life RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. We need to love, lead and minister with passion, boldness and determination – every single day. We need to continually remind ourselves and those around us that the kingdom of God is AT HAND (Mark 1:15), and we need to live accessing it and praying for it at all times.

And I am confident that if I continually call my young people (and others that I spend my day with) to that NOW, God will take care of the future.

Jesus is risen. Risen indeed. And because of that we walk, we live, in newness of life right now.

Blessings.

 

timing is everything.

I’m not a very patient person.

Perhaps I am getting better. But I can definitely identify times in my life where I have wanted something so bad that I have gone out of my way to get it. And nearly every time it has resulted in a tonne of debt, damaged relationships, or having to make amends or adjustments at some point down the line. My dad used to always tell me “a good job is quicker done than a bad job”. It used to frustrate the heck out of me, but it has proven to be one of the most valuable pieces of life advice I have ever received. There is no such thing as cutting corners or making something happen when it shouldn’t. It just doesn’t happen.

The lesson I have learned, time and again, through my own faults, is that I do not always know what is best for me, or when it is best for me.

But God does.

Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him”

- Ecclesiastes 8:5-6

We are called to trust and obedience because God has His best in store for us, and in that trust and obedience we will not encounter the detrimental. There is a a right time and a right way for everything good that is planned for our lives, and it is with a discerning, wise heart that we will find it in the right time.

The problem now is that we let it worry us too much. We get so caught up fretting about when the next best thing will happen, that more often than not we miss the best thing God is doing now.

I know I go on about it a bit, but relax, do not worry, and allow yourself to become aware of the awesome things that God is doing with you, through you and for you right now. And in His timing and in His way the best will come.

Guaranteed.

back in the game

After a few weeks out of the blogging world I am ready to get back amongst it.

It seems that some weeks, things just build up with work and life, and you struggle to find the time to string together some kind of semi-inspirational thought from your daily bible readings. This has been the case for me, but I have also been somewhat discontent with a lot of church culture I see around me. In my wrestling with the world of weekly tithe sermons, more-anointed-than-thou individuals and the thought of having to drink (shudder) instant coffee, my blogging has taken somewhat a back seat.

Which is why I am excited about a new blogging opportunity I will soon have with some friends – a chance to poke some fun at ourselves and learn a little about the kind of church we would like to build in the process (watch this space).

Which frees me to get back to what I (possibly?) do best.

Enjoy. Critique. Enjoy.
Blessings.

In the wars.

It has been one of those weeks.

The kind of week where on top of all your work, two stray six week old kittens end up in the bush by your office. and you end up taking them home. and paying $300 in veterinary fees.

Yup. You know that kind of week.

But this isn’t about me. This is about one of these kittens. After taking these little kittens up in my arms, I promptly named them Rosko and Roman (sounds like boy names but they are girl kittens). After getting them home I took them to the vet for a check up. He gave them the all clear, and gave them some worming tablets to rid the system of any bugs. That night, for the first time in their lives, these two kittens got to sleep in a warm bed, sheltered, with proper kitten food and fresh water. The next night something sad happened. Rosko started staggering around, walking into walls. She was losing her equilibrium and couldn’t see/react to anything in front of her. I took her to the vet to find out what was happening. The worming tablets were killing parasites, but because these parasites were near her brain they were causing inflammation, which affected her neurologically.

It was just temporary and today she is ok. She is on her feet, jumping around and eating well.

Sometimes, when we are on the verge of something good, things get just a little bit worse.

It is never the easiest thing to fix our eyes on Jesus – especially when things are hard. And more often than not it seems when we make the call to give everything to Him, crap really hits the fan. It feels like this time of hardship will never end.

I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.

-Isaiah:48:10

However it is important to remember that in the midst of the hardest thing, there will come a time where we will be over that hurdle. And in this moment, the one where you feel like you are staggering, remember that for every valley, there is a mountain. Remember that Jesus is with you now, in this moment. He knows it is hard. He knows it will be challenging – yet He reminds you that the best, HIS best is yet to come.

There was suffering before resurrection.

Death before life.

Hardship is walked through, lived in, and experienced. All through the bible. And in every instance it refines the individual, and it brings them into the new place God has planned for them.

Being patient in suffering only lends itself to drawing you ever nearer to the best that Jesus has for you.

And. It. Is. Good.

In a corner…

 

An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth;
fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.

-Proverbs 15:14

I”m not going to lie. As a young kid I got myself in trouble from time to time. My parents also wasted no time in dishing out an appropriate punishment. Occasionally said punishment involved leaving me in a corner face first. It wasn’t too bad though. After 15 minutes or so imagination kicked in  and I was piloting an F-16, travelling the seven seas and firing arrows from my bow in Sherwood forest.

All from the comfort of my (now noticeably, intricately painted) corner.

While awesome as a child, I think this mentality translates all too easily into our real life.

So often the things we believe about God and ourselves are shaped from the comfort of our corner. Other theologies, philosophies and opinions are neglected or battled with in an attempt to preserve what we believe and see in front of us. We may even convince ourselves that our corner is the absolutely right corner – or a whole room in itself. We believe that it in some way our little world in this corner is more powerful, more magical, more life-giving then anything else.

Then occasionally an idea comes along that we become passionate about, and we jump to another corner. We become fierce about defending that new idealogy.

What if God was inviting us to turn around? To keep leaning against our corner but face outwards. What might he invite us to? Perhaps there is a guitar to play, a sports ball to pick up, or a bed to find rest in.Whatever it is, there is something more, and it is REAL.

What if God was in all the things in the room? And not just the corner?

What if He was inviting us to learn about the different aspects of Him? to find truth about Him in all things?

What if we looked to take in more exotic foods rather then the same ones we are feeding on?

Theology. Opinion. Eschatology. Ideas. These are great things to study and learn, but they aren’t GOD. Only God is God, and he isn’t confined or defined by them.

I think that God continually wants our ideas of Him to become bigger and bigger. After all we are SO limited by the parameters of our mind, and the scope of truth that is in God lies beyond our comprehension.

Be challenged. Be wise. Live, listen, learn and grow. Be eager to take in more truth.

And as a final thought, I think that discernment is the key this process. Learning to identify what is truth in God and what is contrary to that truth. Don’t just take something on board as absolute, but chew on it, dwell on it, wrestle with it and be discerning about it.

Blessings.

Wisdom – simply a great meal.

Sometimes I look back on some of the seriously stupid decisions I have made in my life. Surprisingly I made some of those decisions more than once. And every time, instead of receiving the good advice offered by people who genuinely cared about me, I would get defensive and angry. I also would start justifying my decisions. A selfish and foolish decision quickly turned into an elaborate back story that masterfully weaved biblical scriptures with stories of ninjas and pirates and bears and other mythical creatures.

No one really bought it.

And yet I kept justifying. or trying to at least.

If ever there was a poster-boy for ‘learning the hard way” I possibly could be it. Over and over again.

Proverbs 9 paints an interesting picture of wisdom and folly that can perhaps help us learn in “right way”.

Both wisdom and folly are personified as women. These women each offer satisfaction to the simple man from the top of the hill. The invitation to come and eat is extended. Wisdom offers a banquet. a lovingly prepared meal, full of delicious goodies for all to enjoy. Folly offers only water and bread.

Yet the deceit of folly is hidden in her words. She justifies “stolen water” and “bread in secret” as being more enjoyable. She laces excitement, adventure and intrigue into a meal that quite simply is not nourishing, enjoyable or overly healthy. Nor has she provided this meal honestly – The ingredients were acquired through theft.

There are no secrets around Wisdom’s meal. It is simply and obviously a banquet. Honestly provided. Wholly nourishing.

Let me assure you that a wise, Godly decision requires no justification. It speaks for itself. In action it is a light to those around us. It communicates God for all to see. and it is wonderfully silent.

If you find yourself using too many words to justify your decision, chances are, it is not a wise one. As C.S Lewis might say, you are compromising the promise of a beachside holiday, convincing yourself that making mud pies is satisfaction enough.

Wisdom invites you to choose the great meal. Will you accept?

 

The anticipation…

Over the weekend we had a christian music festival called Parachute take place. It is one of those rad events where you get to run into people from all over the country that you haven’t seen in a while, eat a lot of deep fried goodies, and generally enjoy some amazing music.

The first day however is often spent waiting in line. people start queuing early on in the day, awaiting the open gates at 1pm. There is a huge sense of anticipation in the air. conversations about the bands, the food, the campgrounds seem to lend a certain electricity and energy to the atmosphere. The excitement is almost life-giving. Every single person is happy and excited and this energy is transferred from one to another.

No matter how long  you’ve been waiting, you just KNOW it is going to be AWESOME. it is going to be a celebration. A party.

Sadly though this doesn’t ring true of our own lives.

We know that our loving Father in heaven has amazing plans for us. On a wide scale He invites us to participate in His grand plan for creation, but He also has plans for YOU. Plans for you to use your talents and giftings. Plans for you to bless others. Plans for you to get connected with the right people and experience the right things at the right time.

Yet we get so impatient. Heck. I get impatient waiting. But we need to learn to trust Him. So often we end up trying to create something “good” for ourselves, never trusting or seeking the formative process He has us in – the process of leading us towards His “Best”.

Psalm 119:105 talks about the Lord’s word being a “light unto my feet” and a “lamp unto my path”.

Do you understand that a lamp all those years ago only provided enough light on a dark path for the next step?

Do you understand that a giant floodlight would provide more distractions then something fulfilling? That you would actually stop walking rather than moving forward?

Do you understand that God reveals things only in His timing, and do you trust that your very next step, guided by his light, is a step towards his desired destination for you?

The thing He is doing with you in THIS day, in THIS moment, in THIS breath is part of  an ongoing series of moments that lead towards the things He has in store for you.

I have to wonder that if we have a small and prayerful shift in our perspective and attitudes, we might no longer be impatient, but rather in excitement and anticipation, we take steps faithfully and patiently towards the big plans that God has in store for us.

And, just like Parachute, it is going to be a party.

Blessed to be a blessing

I have this loose policy where, if someone asks for money, I will give it to them if I have it. It is always a rad opportunity to say “hey, totally pumped to help you out, bless you bro!”.

However a funny thing happened on Sunday.

I was asked by a guy for $10 for a bus fare. I pulled out my wallet and checked what I had. Two ten dollar bills. Nice. I hooked the dude up with one of them and he went on his way.

Monday morning I opened my wallet again. And guess what? Two ten dollar bills. “Praise God” was my response, and for the next half hour I was walking around with a delighted little smile on my face.

The smile didn’t last long as I began to wrestle with WHY a $10 note had magically appeared in my wallet. In my mind and heart there was no doubt it was God, but I couldn’t for the life of me understand why. There is poverty in this world, damaged people, death from illnesses…and I get a $10 note…WHY??

In Luke 6 Jesus is talking about loving people, about walking in the ways of the kingdom. At one point He says “with the measure you give, it will be given to you”.

Now I do not think this is about money. Nor do I think of this as Jesus pointing to personal prosperity. Giving is not, and should never be, about receiving. Giving is, in any capacity, an opportunity to love and bless someone. I do believe that God provides and acknowledges our giving. However, in giving to you, He puts you in a position to continue in the purpose He created you for -  living a life of giving.

We are loved in order to love.

we receive grace in order to be graceful.

we are BLESSED in order to BE a BLESSING.

And to me, that $10 is a small blessing to me, in order that it may be a big blessing to someone who so desperately needs it. Perhaps, that $10 could be a signpost towards Jesus for someone who needs Him.

Anyone need $10?