Pilgrim Heart

2011 - a response

On 15th January 2011 in Manchester I prophesied that 2011 would be a year of people on the streets and would go down in history as such. I'm happy to admit I didn't really know the scope and magnitude of what that would mean, but God's word is true and never fails.

For me what is more important than being able to predict things (which to be honest many secular 'prophets' also did) is to know what the church should do. It was for this that the Sons of Issachar were commended, see 1 Chronicles 12:32.

At the time I believed God was saying that his people should also take to the streets, not in great crowds, but deliberately going public with the power of the gospel. The streets are not just places of riot and uproar, they are places that God is restoring, see Isaiah 58:12, we can't fulfil our calling within the walls of our homes or the church.

A world in turmoil is not a world Christians shoud disengage from; rather it should serve us as a sign that the time is ripe for the gospel; people are hungry for righteousness & justice; and that message we carry, of a world restored by the power of God at work through his people, has never been more timely than it is now.

2011 is almost over, but the processes of change are still in progress: 2012 will not be a year of peace. The bible tells us the earth is groaning with the pains of childbirth, for the bringing forth of the glorious kingdom of God, see Romans 8:18-22, and we're not there yet. So, our response to 2011 as we turn to 2012? Two words:

Go, church!

 

Arthur Wallis and Spiritual Heritage

The ultimate accolade must surely be to be called a friend of God. One of the marks of a friend of God is that they leave a heritage for people of faith (see 2Chron 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:21-23). By such a standard Arthur Wallis can be truly called a friend of God.

I am currently reading, to my shame for the first time, Aurthur's book "In the Day of Thy Power" available here on Amazon, and I am struck by how familiar it all is. I don't recall ever hearing Arthur preach (I was 18 when he died), and although my father was a friend of his, I only recall ever meeting him once, shortly before his death.

So why are his words so familiar? Because in them he left a heritage, not primarily on the pages of his books, but in the hearts and minds and on the lips of men and women of God who were genuinely revolutionised by the revelation he carried.

"Write the vision, make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it." (Hab 2:2)

Arthur wrote the vision, he didn't merely write books with good biblical exegeses or clever ideas: he saw something in God which people then caught, became infected with, became consumed by.

I am grateful to God that I was raised spiritually by those who had caught this vision and were running with it; and now in turn my aim is to faithfully pass on these same truths: not the teachings of a man, but the heavenly vision (Acts 26:19) imparted by the Holy Spirit through faithful servants.

"A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children" (Pro 13:22)

To those of you who preach and teach, disciple and nurture God's people, are you writing the vision on people's lives in ways that will leave an inheritance for generations to come? Arthur did, and that made him a great man in the kingdom of God.

The Nations and the Kingdom of God: Commentary on Psalm 2 (part IV)

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Ps 2:10-12)

Now the psalmist summarises his thoughts and reveals his intended audience: the rulers of the kingdoms of the earth. This psalm is a warning, but it is also a teaching and an unveiling. It serves to teach earthly rulers that their first responsibility is to God – to serve him, yes to worship him: ‘kiss the Son.’

They are called to acknowledge that God’s Son, his Anointed, his King, who has now been revealed as Jesus, has authority over them. It is an unveiling because it shows that their earthly rule is not merely a physical, temporal thing; but a spiritual activity which places political leaders in the realm of the spirit along with the other ‘powers’ (see Rom 13:1f, Eph 3:10, Col 1:16).

However, for all the warnings there is also a promise to earthly political leaders: ‘blessed are all who take refuge in him.’ This is not set up as a further expression that God is on the side of the oppressed, that his blessing is upon those who need refuge from the evils of this world; rather it is an offer to all, and here explicitly to political leaders: God’s blessing is available to all who will put their trust and confidence in him.

So we see that God does not conceive of political rule as inherently in opposition to Jesus’ heavenly rule: the two can find harmony and peace with one another; what is required is that earthly rulers acknowledge their God-given responsibility of exercising government for the good of the people; that they reject the temptation to see positions of authority as a means to a personal end, that they humbly acknowledge that they are under a higher authority and that they ultimately find their security and fulfilment in the God who established their positions of rule.

The Obedience of Faith

...Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations... (Romans 1:4-5)

The goal of apostolic ministry is not to make people live in obedience to "The Faith" but to produce faith in people which creates of itself, quite naturally and without any external compulsion, obedience to Jesus Christ.

So one mark of true apostolic ministry is that it produces faith-filled people who freely and instinctively live the life of Christ and so bring honour to his name: this is the obedience of faith. Apostolic ministry does not first and foremost say "this is what you should do," but rather says "here is Jesus Christ." It is not a revelation to law, but a revelation from grace.

Apostolic authority is not primarily a right to command, but an entrustment to make known the mysteries of Christ. An encounter with true apostolic ministry will leave you full of faith and knowing Jesus better.

Refreshed and Renewed

I've given the blog a bit of a spring clean - hopefully freshened things up a bit. I need to update the reading and listening lists, I've read a lot of great books and listened to some excellent music lately. What to choose...?

I will be posting some short book reviews as I update my reading list, let me know if you find them useful, especially if you actually read a book because you saw it here.

The Nations & the Kingdom of God - Commentary on Psalm 2 (III)

I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you." Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. Your shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." (Psalm 2:7-9)

Everything changed in the Incarnation: it was a breaking forth of divine revelatory light (Jn 1:9) into the history of humanity which changed forever the relationship between mankind and God, regardless of whether each individual has had the gospel preached to them.

When is the "today" that the Father begot the Son? Not at some point in eternity past - the Father, Son and Spirit eternally co-exist. Rather, the NT writers show us that "today" is marked by the Incarnation - the breaking-in of God's new day for the world. "Today" is the time of Jesus' birth (Heb 1:5-6), the beginning of his public ministry (Heb 1:8, Lk 4:18), his resurrection (Acts 13:33), and his ascension to the throne of heaven (Heb 1:13). And "today" continues as long as the gospel is being preached (Heb 4:6-7).

In his begetting of the Son, the Father bestows on him an inheritance of all the nations, the ends of the earth. The Incarnation is the breaking in of the Kingdom of Heaven upon the Kingdom of this World. In sending his only-begotten Son (Jn 3:16) (or "God the Only-Begotten", Jn 1:18) the Father ushers in a new era for the governments of this world: the Son will rule not only in Zion, the Holy Hill, but also over the nations with a rod of iron.

This is a rod of iron rather then a scepter of gold because fundamentally this earthly rule of Christ is a judgment which comes to break forms and structures of government which do not filful their God-given duties - they are like a potter's vessel to be smashed. This is exactly the imagery God uses through Jeremiah (ch19) to show the elders of his day that they had been remiss in their duties as the government of the city: the vessel may be great at doing a certain job (e.g. worshiping false gods), but if it's not God's purpose that it's fulfilling then it will be destroyed.

So how is this administered in this present age? In Rev 2:27 we find that overcomers (that is the church in the power of the Spirit) share in this judgment with Christ, they are the New People (1Pt 2:10) of the New Day. In the Incarnation, and especially in the Atonement, God judged the world in Christ and thereby reconciled the world to himself (Col 1:20). As the witnessing community in the Spirit, we too speak that judgment to the world, and continue Christ's ministry of reconciliation (2Cor 5:18).

As part of that ministry we will be instrumental in "dashing to pieces" forms and patterns of government which do not serve and fulfil their God-given duties and roles. Human government is enacted through a continual reshaping of forms and patterns through the passing and enacting of new policies and laws. The political witness of the church is to ensure that new policies and laws are not more "christian" but better help the government to fulfil those things for which God holds it responsible.

It is not possible for the church to witness to Christ and be a-political: the gospel is political. We have a responsibility before God to speak to governments (particularly the one we are subject to) as to what is right and just.

The Church and God's Purpose

In Scripture, God’s plan through the church is joined with his purpose to “reconcile all things” in Jesus Christ. Jesus is both head of creation and head of the church (Eph 1:10, 22-23; Col 1:17-20). The mission of the church is to demonstrate this headship within the Christian fellowship and to show signs of its truth everywhere. The church’s task is to live out its faith in Christ’s victory over the principalities and powers and then to work for the progressive manifestation of the kingdom until Jesus Christ returns to earth to establish finally and eternally God’s reign.

H. Snyder, The Community of the King (revised), p 138

The Nations & the Kingdom of God - a Commentary on Psalm 2 (II)

He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill." (Ps 2:4-6).

Who does God laugh at? The raging nations? The oppressed? Humanity in general? No, he holds those in derision who have held him in derision by abusing their power - the unjust rulers. God ordains government, and Romans 13 tells us that government rightly exercised is to be respected and obeyed. But government which exploits its citizenry for personal gratification will face the wrath of God.

As how is this wrath expressed? Through earthquake, tsunami, fire, war? No, through announcing to the temporal powers that a greater power is already in place above them: Christ is reigning from Zion.

The proclamation that Jesus is even now enthroned, that God has put everything under his feet, should be the beating heart of the church's response to political turmoil and unheaval. There is no better time to preach the gospel than when the kingdoms of the earth are being shaken, for that is merely evidence that we are "receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken," (Heb 12:28) - the rule of Christ.

The Christian's ability to see Christ ruling over all with our spiritual eyes whilst it is not yet evident to our natural eyes (Heb 2:8-9) gives us a uniquely privileged position to understand the times, and a clear course to plot: preach the gospel; live the gospel "having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace" (Eph 5:15).

Why would such a message be terrifying to the rulers of the earth? Because it calls into being a people with an allegiance to a higher authority and with access to a higher power: the empowering of ordinary people by the Holy Spirit is a disempowering of all human authorities which have thrown off their God given role and limitations.

So pray for our brothers and sisters in the places of conflict around the world; that their gospel proclamation will be strong and full of the peace of God: for God's answer to the unruly nations of the earth is "Jesus is already reigning over all" - and that is the gospel of the kingdom we are called to proclaim.

 

The Nations & the Kingdom of God - Commentary on Psalm 2

(1) Why do the nations rage (noisily assemble) and the peoples plot in vain? (2) The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and his anointed saying, (3) "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." (ESV)

Political unrest reaches maturation in the mobilisation of the masses. The natural sense of justice within the heart of man, fallen and redeemed alike, ferments through the communal conscience of the ordinary people who come out of their homes to 'noisily assemble.'

In Psalm 2 it is important to see that v1 & v2 speak of 2 different groups of people: v1 refers to the masses, the proletariat, v2 to those in authority over them. God is on the side of the masses who are pushed to and past the limits of obedience to corrupt rulers and authorities. He is against those who oppress and exploit.

Even though they may not acknowledge the existence of God, God has requirements of the leaders of nations: fundamentally it is that they govern for the wellfare of the people. So when the psalmist speaks of leaders scheming to 'burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords' he means they are seeking to find ways to abjugate their divinely instituted responsibility of ruling for the good of the people.

The folly of such leaders who would seek to break free from God's parameters for human government is seen in the fact that they consult only with one another, 'they take counsel together.' Such disengagement with the people over whom they rule is a determinative step towards their rebellion 'against the LORD and his anointed.'

 

 

 

Hallelujah - the song we were born to sing?

I've just listened to a documentary on Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah by Guy Garvey of Elbow on Radio 2. You can hear it on BBC iplayer.

By any measure it's a great song. The focus of the documentary is on how the song seems to have a life of its own, being covered by a multitude of artists each bringing out new depths and meanings (with the possible exception of Bon Jovi). The documentary asks why this should be, and through the many insightful comments often comes to the almost sacred nature of the song, which is not just a product of its biblical imagery.

In recognising this the commenters are discerning that in some sense this song is "everysong," - the song of everyman. At the heart of every song is the contrast between the "broken" and the "holy" hallelujah, but whether broken or holy, every song is a Hallelujah. This is because "Hallelujah" is song: it is the word God created for creation to express worship to him (it means praise the Lord); whenever someone sings it, it is a musical celebration of life. Even the shape it forms on the lips and the sound it produces from the vocal chords has a sense of joy, release and perfection.

For those who know God this celebration of life is full and complete - "life in its fulness". For those who don't know God it is still a celebration of life, still "holy," but also it is a sigh of longing for completion or fulness, of union with God, it is "broken."

The song isn't itself worship, the sexual imagery, though artistic and tasteful by many standards, is inappropriate for sacred music, and the framing of the song as searchful and questioning also mean it is not a song that can be lifted in praise to God. Yet it is a cry to God nonetheless; it captures the heart of humanity and the determination of the human spirit to sing its Hallelujah even when separated from its intended audience.