Legacy of Marney's Ministry

As we celebrated the life and ministry of Major Marney Turner today we heard a number of inspiring tributes for a woman who loved the Lord she served, lived the message she preached and left a legacy in the lives she touched.  Like everybody who gathered to honour this mighty warrior of Christ, my journey of faith and growth as a leader has been significantly shaped by Marney's ministry and messages over many years.

In 1990 Len and Marney Turner were appointed as Corps Officers (Ministers) to Glenroy Corps, which was my home church in The Salvation Army.  Their appointment came at a transition in my life when I was repositioning myself to pursue God's calling to become a Salvation Army Officer. This season was a catalyst for an extraordinary time of learning and spiritual growth for me as I read widely and listened intently in preparation for a lifetime of ministry ahead.  One of my learning styles is to take copious notes to solidify new insights in my mind and multiply their impact to others.  True to my personality type I've kept every one of my notebooks, including those that contain my notes taken from the sermons Len and Marney preached at Glenroy!  

So, to extend her legacy even further, here are some hightlights from Marney's sermons in 1991 that demonstrate the consistency of her message and ministry as 'God's Soldier', faithfully preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ...

"Worship is more than a routine meeting.  Worship is a relationship of love." (13/1/1991)

"Christianity and racial prejudice are a complete contradiction." (20/1/1991)

"Neglect your prayer life and you will go stale." (27/1/1991)

"When we criticise our brother and sister in the Lord we criticise Jesus." (10/2/1991)

"The longer we are Christians the more tempted we are to take God's grace for granted!" (24/2/1991)

"Jesus brought comfort for the disturbed and disturbed the comfortable." (3/3/1991)

"Many Christians have experienced salvation but are still bound in 'grave clothes' - they elect to leave them on."  (14/4/1991)

"Don't lay down your cross and pick up something else." (28/4/1991)

"Sometimes we need to be wounded to be able to bear better fruit." (12/5/1991)

"Apart from Jesus, I have nothing!" (4/8/1991)

"People need to see a resoluteness in us.  We can't compromise under any circumstances."  (11/8/1991)

"Stop playing church and play Christianity (Jesus)!!" (18/8/1991)

"Keep your first love, keep within whispering distance of Jesus." (18/8/1991)

"God gives me everything I need to finish the race." (25/8/1991)

"Don't let the devil rob you of the joy of Jesus - stand up to him in Jesus name!" (1/9/1991)

"We must fight for souls.  We are a SALVATION Army.  The world must hear the gospel!" (29/9/1991)

"Be a soul-active Corps, not a re-active Corps." (29/9/1991)

"There is power in the cleansing blood of Jesus to be an overcomer." (6/10/1991)

"If you are going to bring glory to God through your testimony then abstain from all appearances of evil."   (13/10/1991)

"If you are rejected because of your commitment, then PRAISE GOD!" (27/10/1991)

"Earthly relationships will one day be no more, but a relationship with Jesus is eternal." (24/11/1991)

"It is our birthright to be free from the accusations from Satan." (8/12/1991)

"Christmas goes beyond the baby - remember the cross." (15/12/1991)

"How long are we prepared to wait and remain faithful to God?" (22/12/1991)

The Gift of ETERNAL LIFE

One of the extraordinary opportunities of the Christmas season is to engage in public worship and witness through the playing and singing of Christmas Carols.  Have you ever thought of Christmas Carolling in that way - as public worship and witness?  Look closely at the words of the well known carol 'Hark The Herald Angel Sing':

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of Righteousness!

This carol begins with words of worship!

Light and life to all He brings

Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

This carol then gives witness to what Christ has done.

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

This carol ends with worship.

As expressed at the beginning of this carol, “Light and life to all He brings” is the real hope of the Christmas message that witnesses to the gift of ETERNAL LIFE found in Jesus Christ both in the present and future.  Eternal life starts today and keeps on giving as we move from this life into the life that is to come.  Jesus was born for no other reason than to break the curse of sin and death and restore life to humankind!  Jesus himself affirmed this in John 10:10…

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

This is also the message that Jesus gave the woman at the well as He journeyed through Samaria.

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?  Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” (John 4:10-14)

The water in this encounter provides a powerful metaphor for the “gift of God” Jesus spoke of, as we all understand what it means to thirst and we all experience the continual need to quench that thirst.  Drinking water is not a one off action but a continual reality as long as we live.  If you don’t drink, you die!

The woman came to the well to draw water that gave her life for a moment.

Similarly, we receive and give gifts at Christmas that bring temporary joy.  We exchange a form of hope that does little to change the trajectory of a person’s life.

I’m not for a moment wanting to devalue the giving of Christmas gifts, but to remind us that we have something so much greater to give at Christmas time!  I love to give my children gifts, I love the joy we bring to underprivileged people in our community through our Christmas cheer giving, and I love the global impact we can have through giving the ‘gifts that keep on giving’ through Just Salvos. 

However...

Jesus came to the well and offered water that gave the woman life for eternity.

Therefore, we can receive and give a gift this Christmas that brings eternal joy.  We can exchange a form of hope that can radically transform a person’s life.

Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.”  Jesus offers a gift that keeps on giving, that is, the gift of ETERNAL LIFE!

While I enjoy and engage in many of our cultural expressions of Christmas, I grow increasingly frustrated by our consumer expectations of Christmas that create an endless pursuit of something that ultimately leaves us unsatisfied.  In fact, if we are honest, often our attempts to have and give a “good Christmas” leaves most of us exhausted, some with a credit card debt, many  with a few extra kilograms that require a New Year’s resolution to lose, and others with rekindled family tensions!  I’m not sure that is the gift of Christmas that Christ intended. 

Do you look for LIFE through the scourge of endless spending in the commercialism of Christmas?  Or, will you find LIFE through the source of endless supply in the Christ of Christmas?

The Gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS

What do you consider to be worst kind of evil or sin in our world?

Each one of us tends to grade sin through a set of moral lenses that are coloured by our world view or faith perspective.  Even those of us with a biblical world view who understand that we “are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God” would not consider ourselves as sinful as some of those really evil people out there!  You might say that our sin has a little ‘s’ as compared to others whose sin has a big ‘S’.

Yet, how does one grade sin before a righteous God who is completely without sin – big ‘S’ and small ‘s’?  Whatever scale we may use to rank our own righteousness only serves to expose the gap between sinful humanity and a holy God that cannot be measured or moved by our standards.

The unpopular truth is that our own self-righteousness does nothing to resolve the issue of sin in the world because it is the fallen nature of our humanity that is the source of the very thing we are trying to resolve.  No moral code, no government legislation, no humanistic values can deal with the issue of sin in the world.

The Apostle Paul addressed the issue of sin in his letter to the Roman church.  He teaches us through his letter two important truths that should reframe the way we view sin:

1.  The origin of sin came through the disobedience of one man bringing condemnation and death for all humankind.

2.   The cure for sin came through the obedience of one man bringing justification and life  for all humankind.

“Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.  For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-19)

The curse of sin was broken through the gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS!

The good news and hope of Christmas is that this was not a one off gift for one time for a select group of people, but a gift that keeps on giving to all people for all time.

This gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS was given to Joseph not because of his righteousness, which would have led him to quietly divorce Mary as not to expose her to public disgrace (Matthew 1:19).  However, God’s righteousness required Joseph’s obedience:  “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a soon, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).

This gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS was given to Mary not because of her righteousness, as she was a virgin pledged to be married but found to be pregnant (Luke 1:27).  However, God’s righteous found her to be highly favoured and also required her obedience:  “Do not be afraid Mary, you have found favour with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:30-33).

The gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS was granted to Joseph and Mary through the power of Holy Spirit who overshadowed their inadequacies and gifted them with the very presence of God through a son named Jesus Christ.

This same gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS continues to give today as His presence remains with us through the gift of HOLY SPIRIT.

Therefore, Paul’s message resonates with us today as clearly as when it was written:

“…how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17)

The gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS is a gift of grace…

The gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS is a gift of life…

The gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS conquers the power of sin…

We are made righteous before a holy God because of the obedience of one man named Jesus Christ!  Will you receive and share this gift of Jesus who keeps on giving this Christmas?

The Gift of GRACE

One of the great paradoxes of Christmas is the conflicting messages presented by the two cultural and biblical characters most commonly celebrated during this festive season.

Culturally, we celebrate a jolly old man named Santa Claus who is “making a list and checking it twice” because he’s “gonna find out who's naughty and nice.”  

Culturally, this means the Christmas message we tell our children is that their gifts are dependent upon whether or not they are good enough.

Yet, in contrast…

Biblically, we celebrate a man named Jesus Christ through whom God “shows the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us…for it is by grace [we] have been saved, through faith – and this is not from [ourselves], it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Biblically, this means the Christmas message is all about the gift of Jesus who is “good news of great joy that will be for ALL the people” irrespective of whether or not they are ‘naughty or nice.’

In fact, the entire Christmas story, from a biblical perspective, is a demonstration of God’s extraordinary grace that is so far removed from a cultural image of Christmas that has been wrapped up in colourful paper and tinsel.  The Christmas story is about a gift of grace that was unwrapped when Jesus "made his dwelling among us...full of grace and truth."

The Gift of Christmas was a descendant from an adulterous relationship…that’s a gift of GRACE.

The Gift of Christmas was presented through an unmarried woman…that’s a gift of GRACE.

The Gift of Christmas was rescued from the hands of a tyrant…that’s a gift of GRACE.

The Gift of Christmas was raised as a refugee in a foreign land…that’s a gift of GRACE.

The Gift of Christmas was rejected and despised by His own people…that’s a gift of GRACE.

The Gift of Christmas died a criminal’s death…that’s a gift of GRACE.

The circumstances of Jesus birth, life and death are a grace saturated environment!

Song writer and author Geoff Bullock summarises this grace saturated environment well in his book ‘Hands of Grace’:

“If Christ owned the rejection of a teenage pregnancy, if Christ owned the suspicion of a Jewish country town, if Christ had to be born out of town, out of the way, out the back, then we have no other choice than to acknowledge that God does not place his favour on those who look like they deserve it.  God, by the choice of the conditions of his Son's birth, shows us that he does not judge the book by its cover…We have a saviour who knows the plight of the homeless, rejected, misunderstood misfits that the world wishes would just go away.” (Bullock, Hands of Grace, 60-61)

The gift of GRACE is a gift that keeps on giving beyond the Christmas story creating a grace saturated environment for ALL people for ALL time that is not dependent upon whether we are naughty or nice but upon God's unmerited favour!  That's a gift of GRACE!!

Overcoming Evil

In 1914, at the outbreak of World War 1, British author and social commentator H.G. Wells is credited with penning the phrase "The war to end war" in several of his published articles. 

• Yet, wars continue to wage!

In 1963, during a civil rights march on Washington, American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech calling for an end to racism.

• Yet, racism continues to divide!

In 1990, in response to the international stock market crash, Australian Federal Treasurer Paul Keating described the Australian recession as "the recession we had to have." 

•  Yet, economies remain fragile!

In 2001, after the terrorist attacks in the US, President George Bush declared a 'War on Terror' in his speech to Congress stating, "We will not tire, we will not falter and we will not fail."

• Yet, terrorists continue to terrorise!
  

In 2013, during the Australian Federal election campaign, Liberal leader Tony Abbott pledged, "We'll stop the boats" as a commitment to end people smuggling.

• Yet, refugees continue to be displaced!

It seems we have learned little from one hundred years of endless conflicts, eloquent speeches, economic bailouts, evading terror and emigrating people.  Our best attempts to resolve human conflict has done nothing to change the human condition.  Our advances and achievements are unable to answer the universal question - "Why?" - about all the suffering in the world.  Our humanistic ideologies fail to compensate for our religious inadequacies.  If our past and present failings as the human race have taught us anything, it is that there are forces at work in this world that transcend our humanity and have corrupted our human nature and continue to disrupt the created order.  These forces are not of human origin but are manifested through human behaviour.  Until we acknowledge that the evil in our world is fundamentally a spiritual battle we will continue to fight against the agents of evil while not addressing the source of evil.  

There has been no conflict, no diplomacy, no sanctions that have ever had the power to destroy evil.  That's because we are fighting the wrong battles with the wrong weapons, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).  The only time in history when a person possessed the power to overcome evil was when "The Word [aka Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14).

In the first century, during the reign of King Herod and Roman governor Pilate, a Jewish man named Jesus Christ affirmed, "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

In the garden before being arrested, Jesus Christ confronted the forces of evil as He determined, "Not my will, but yours [that is, God's] be done" (Luke 22:42).

In the moments before He died, Jesus Christ confounded the forces of evil as he stated before His accusers, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34)

In the days following His death, Jesus Christ conquered the forces of evil as His disciples witnessed His resurrection and heard Him say, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18).

In a time yet to be disclosed, Jesus Christ will return to earth and consume the forces of evil so "There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4).

The only way we can overcome evil and experience peace on earth is through a relationship with Jesus Christ who has the power to transform the human condition and restore the created order.  He has defeated the real enemy of humanity and has established His kingdom on earth.  Through Jesus "the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God have come.  The authority of his Messiah has come.  Satan, who brings charges against our brothers and sisters, has been thrown down.  He brings charges against them in front of our God day and night.  They had victory over him by the blood the Lamb spilled for them.  They had victory over him by speaking the truth about Jesus to others.  They were willing to risk their lives, even if it led to death. (Revelation 12:10-11).

Who Is Jesus?

Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  “But what about you?” he asked.  “Who do you say I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  (Matthew 16:13-16) 

The question of the identity of Jesus is still being asked in one form or another in contemporary society as people wrestle with their own spiritual identity.  Is Jesus a man to be admired, a myth to be disputed, a mystery to be explored or the Messiah to be followed? 

Such a thought provoking question demands a thoughtful response... 


Response #1 - Revelation 

Within the pages of Scripture we have a written record of a man named Jesus who is revealed to be so much more than simply a historical figure who once walked the earth. God’s ‘self-revelation’ through the “witness of the New Testament” brings us “face to face with Christ in his wholeness as God and man” (Torrance, 2008: 3) and confronts us with His redemptive plan of reconciliation for humankind through the life of Jesus.

His birth was supernatural as He was born to a virgin mother, which was foretold by the prophets (Isaiah 7:14) and announced by an angel (Luke 1:28-37).

His being was unique as He was “truly and properly man and truly and properly God” (The Salvation Army, 1998: 37), that is, God taking on the form of a human being and living among us (John 1:14).  This unique characteristic of Jesus was affirmed by the Apostle Paul who is on record as writing, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).

His name is powerful:  Jesus means ‘Saviour’ (Matthew 1:21, Luke 1:31-32) and Christ means ‘Immanuel’, that is, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23).  The power of Jesus’ name is declared by God Himself, who “exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

His life was extraordinary as Jesus cast out demons (Luke 4:31-36), healed the sick (Luke 5:12-26), raised the dead (Luke 7:11-17), calmed the storm (Luke 8:22-25), fed the multitudes (Luke 9:10-17), interpreted the times (Luke 12:54-59), liberated the oppressed (Luke 13:10-17), announced the coming of the kingdom of God (Luke 17:20-35), and presented Himself as the King of kings (Luke 19:28-40).

His death and resurrection are transforming - “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed…Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12). 


Response #2 - Evidence 

Within the pages of other historical and religious writings we also find Jesus presented as a man who is like none other; a man to be honoured and revered!  The evidence found in a variety of sources can reasonably lead us to the same conclusion of the Roman centurion witnessing Jesus crucifixion, “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).

Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus (born A.D. 52-54) referenced the influence and death of Jesus:  “Hence to suppress the rumor, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with the most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities.  Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also” (McDowell, 1990: 82, quoting from Annals XV. 44). 

Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (born A.D. 37) recorded:  “Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure.  He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles.  He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him” (McDowell, 1990: 82, quoting from Antiquities XVIII. 33).

The prophet Muhammad revealed in the Quran, “When the angels said, 'O Mary, ALLAH gives thee glad tidings of a son through a word from HIM; his name shall be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, honoured in this world and in the next, and of those who are granted nearness to God;” He also recalled, “Remember when God said, ‘O Jesus! Verily I will cause thee to die, and will take thee up to Myself and deliver thee from those who believe not; and I will place those who follow thee above those who believe not, until the Day of Resurrection” (Quran  Surah 3:38-48). 


Response #3 - Experience 

Within the pages of my own life story I can speak of encounters with God through Jesus Christ that transcend rational explanation and reasoned arguments into the realms of faith.  But don’t be mistaken to think that the realm of faith is a baseless ideology!  Jesus puts flesh on my faith, providing a living expression of God who is spirit, so that what is unseen can be seen and known by those who put their faith in Jesus Christ (1 John 4).

As a child I received a vision of Jesus which was a profound encounter with God that transitioned me from my parent’s faith to a personal faith.  This was the beginning of a faith journey that took on form as I explored the life of Jesus through the pages of Scripture and sought to emulate His character and integrate His teaching.

As a man, Jesus inspires me.  Just like other heroes of the faith because of their impact on humanity.  For example:  St. Francis of Assisi - his vow of poverty and life of service, John Wesley - his life of holiness, William Wilberforce - his abolition of slavery, Henry Venn - his missionary strategy, Oscar Romero - his liberation theology.

As God in human form, Jesus transforms me.  His Spirit lives within me; changing my heart to care about what breaks God’s heart, renewing my mind to conform to God’s likeness, and empowering my life to pursue God’s calling.  No other person in the past or present has had that level of influence or impact on my life.

Jesus Christ has given me a new identity as a child of God who is created in His image to live in relationship with the Creator according to His pattern and purpose.  Reciprocating this relationship has become the primary purpose of my life so that others “would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us” (Acts 17:27).

While you can debate historical evidence or deny biblical truth concerning the divinity of Jesus Christ, no argument could cause me to doubt the transforming impact His story has had on my story. 


Summary of Responses 

The question 'Who Is Jesus?' presents us with a question of identity which defines the way we see Jesus and interact with Him.  If Jesus is just a man to be admired, then He would be little more than an inspiration.  If Jesus is a myth to be disputed, then He is a controversy to be avoided.  If Jesus is an unresolved mystery, then God can never really be known.  If Jesus is Messiah, as I’ve sought to establish through three different responses, then He is the Saviour who reconciles us to right relationship with God.

A response based on revelation begins with Scripture as the foundation for a revelation of Jesus Christ.  The evidence for the identity of Jesus is formed by what is presented through God’s self-revelation in the prophets, gospels and other writings contained in the Word of God and interpreted through a Christian worldview.

A response based on evidence looks to other factual sources to provide written evidence for the existence and uniqueness of Jesus as a man who made an indelible mark on history.  When these accounts are consistent with the biblical representation of Jesus, they contribute to the argument of Christian claims about Him, even if the evidence is interpreted differently through other worldviews.

A response based on experience provides a faith perspective that may not be justified rationally, rather presents a relational actual encounter with the truth being argued. While this position is driven more from a platform of faith than fact, a person’s experience of Jesus Christ is as real and tangible as any empirical evidence.

The ‘revelation’ and ‘evidence’ responses presents truth about Jesus that appeal to the religious and rational person, however, the ‘experience’ response presents truth about Jesus that makes a relational connection with a wider audience.  I believe all responses help to form a solid case for the identity of Jesus Christ, but to be able to connect His story with our story through an encounter with Jesus moves our audience beyond the rational where they are informed about Jesus into the relational where they can be transformed by Jesus.

Song writer Scott Dyer penned the following lyrics that capture this conclusion:  

You ask me how I know that God is real and why it is that I believe

Is there some truth that I’d reveal that might convince you to concede

And can I prove it.  Can I quantify it?

And where’s the evidence of Christ in a world that’s in decay

And can I prove He really died and that the stone was rolled away

Cause you’re not quite convinced you’d really buy it.

Well I could tell you of the prophecies that Jesus has fulfilled

And I could talk of archaeology and the proof that it’s revealed

But the greatest evidence that I could give you is the change He’s made in me.

“Amazing Grace how sweet the sound” may seem a tired old cliché

“I once was lost but now I’m found” might sound simplistic now a days

But that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

He took my hardened heart of stone and put a heart of flesh in me

He gave me peace I’d never known and a soul that’s full and free

And it’s a miracle that God could do it.

Well I could speak about eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ

And I could preach of how those followers believed enough to give their lives

But the greatest evidence that I could give you is the change He’s made in me.

And I could tell you how the love of God has turned a sceptic into saint

And I could talk of how historians back up the Bible’s claims

But the greatest evidence that I could give you is the change He’s made in me.

After my investigation I concluded it would take more faith

For me to hold onto my unbelief

But even with this revelation by far the strongest evidence I’ve seen

Is what Christ has done in me.

I wanna tell you how the love of God turned this sceptic into saint

And how His mercy and His sacrifice washed away my guilty stain

But the greatest evidence that I could give you is the change He’s made in me. 

Words and Music by Scott Dyer

© 2001 Ever Devoted Music (ASCAP)

Christmas - Magic, Myth or Miracle?

It is interesting to observe the cultural and religious sensitivities surrounding the variety of expressions of Christmas at this time of year - from shopping centres to social engagements, the nativity to mistletoe, Christmas lights to Christmas carols, Santa Claus to Jesus Christ.  From my observation, out of all of these Christmas customs, none seems to attract more controversy than the elevation of Santa Claus over Jesus Christ or vice versa.

For some, Christmas is centred around an overweight, jolly man in a red suit from the North Pole.

For others, Christmas is centred around a new born baby in a manger from Bethlehem.

From a cultural perspective, Santa represents the generosity and goodwill of humankind.

From a Christian perspective, Jesus represents the grace and glory of God.

Beyond the historical origins of St Nicholas, Santa Claus perpetuates the magic of Christmas.

Beyond the prophetic origins of Messiah, Jesus Christ personifies the miracle of Christmas.

To a secular mind, the joy of Christmas is found in receiving gifts from Santa.

To a spiritual mind, the joy of Christmas is found in receiving the gift of Jesus.

Santa Claus is a myth wrapped in a red suit given central place in community celebrations.

Jesus Christ is a miracle wrapped in swaddling given central place in Christian worship.

The North Pole has become a Christmas scene capturing the imagination of some.

The Nativity has become a Christmas story capturing the hearts of others.

Christmas movies seek to engender a spirit of belief in Father Christmas.

Christmas carols seek to express a spirit of praise for the Christ of Christmas.

It fascinates me that a sophisticated secular culture chooses an expression of Christmas that perpetuates a myth rather than an expression of Christmas that promotes a miracle.  It seems that flying reindeer, elves and a benevolent old man who visits every child on earth in a single night are more credible than an angel, a manger and a messianic child who came to earth as a part of God's salvation plan.  

It troubles me that segments of a Christian culture have allowed the magic and myth of Santa to hijack the miracle of the Christ child and to confuse the message of Christmas.  It seems that a cultural expectation of Christmas has become a higher priority for many Christians than a biblical experience of Christmas in their festivities and family engagements.

It challenges me to keep Christ central in every expression of Christmas from our church while engaging with our community so that Jesus may be elevated higher than any other cultural expression of Christmas.

Christmas, A Doorway...

 

Christmas is a season that captures many meanings and is celebrated through as many customs in the 21st century.  From the commercial to the spiritual, Christmas continues to open a doorway to a sense of joy and wonder for all who engage with this festive season.

 

At the centre of the commercial and cultural expressions of Christmas is a story that transcends our celebrations by opening a doorway to so much more...

 

 

Christmas is a doorway to a SERVANT

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered.  "May your word to me be fulfilled."  (Luke 1:38)

Mary was called by God and given a promise that would open a doorway for her to become a servant of His redemptive purpose for humankind.  Her calling to be the servant of the Most High found its fulfillment in two key factors - God's power and Mary's obedience.

Christmas is a doorway to a SON

"You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High."  (Luke 1:31-32)

The Christmas story opened a doorway to two sons.  A prophetic pathway was opened to John the Baptist to declare the coming of Jesus Christ and a redemptive pathway was opened through Jesus Christ to declare the coming of God's kingdom.

Christmas is a doorway to a SIGN

"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  (Luke 1:12)

The baby lying in the manger was the doorway to a sign that fulfilled the long awaited prophesy of the coming Messiah.  God became one of us through the Christ Child who revealed the fullness of God in human flesh and was a symbol of hope for all humankind.

Christmas is a doorway to a SAVIOUR

"For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations."  (Luke 2:30-31)

Upon seeing Jesus in the temple Simeon's eyes were opened to the salvation of the Lord.  The Christmas story is the manifestation of God's salvation plan through Jesus Christ, opening a doorway to a Saviour for all who would believe that Jesus is Lord!

Israeli Palestinian Conflict

Like the rest of the world I have been looking upon the escalating conflict in the Gaza Strip with a great deal of concern.  War in any language is not so much an exertion of sovereign force, as it is an expression of social failure; a lesson that seems to have been long forgotten from the war that was supposed to end all wars!  Therefore, it troubles me deeply to read the polarized views, especially among Christians, about the Israeli Palestinian conflict on social media that seem to justify one cause over the other.

I don't pretend to understand the origins or complexities of the current crisis and I choose not to get into the history of this long standing conflict, not to remain ignorant, but as an attempt to remain impartial and indignant about war as a means to resolve any conflict by any nation. I do not want to allow the politics or ideology of one side or the other to distract me from the more fundamental issue of God's children - Jew and Arab - engaging in a conflict that has nothing to do with God's will or intended purpose for His most precious creation - human beings!  

Through Jesus Christ, God established a new kingdom order that redefined conflict by stating, "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven"  (Matthew 5:43-45).

In Paul's letter to the Galatians he declares, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28).  While this was written for a different context, I believe it speaks a relevant truth into this conflict.

In Christ Jesus there is no such conflict!  In Christ Jesus there is no such division!  In Christ Jesus there is no such hatred!  The tragedy on both sides of this conflict is that they confess a faith that shares a common ancestry but devalues a common humanity!  They confess a faith that seeks to honour their god but dishonours God's people!  They confess a faith that calls upon a divine authority to justify a human agenda!  They seek to advance the fulfillment of a messianic prophesy but reject Christ Jesus as the promised and anticipated Messiah who has already come to restore kingdom order on earth...without taking up arms!

It seems to me that the elevation of one cause over the other misses the fact that the victory both sides ultimately struggle for has already been won through Jesus Christ by His death and resurrection.   To the Christian community, rather than seek to defend either cause, let us speak justification through Jesus Christ into this conflict instead of justification through war!

Spiritual Seekers

This weekend I had the privilege to again partner with The Salvation Army ministry team at the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.  This is my second year of witnessing scores of people feast on a smorgasbord of spirituality in search of something to fill that 'God space' in their lives and my second year of witnessing miracles as some people allowed that space to be filled by an encounter with Jesus!

Amidst this melting pot of conflicting spiritual ideologies I felt something of the tension that the Apostle Paul might have felt in Athens:

^"While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there." (Acts 17:16-17)

From the group of private school students on a class excursion and the wandering Christians uncertain about their faith, to the spiritually skeptical and curious, it was disturbing to see so many people looking in all the wrong places to fill their spiritual void.  But what an opportunity!  Like Paul we looked for points of connection and sought the Spirit's guidance to speak into the gaps in the faith journey of these seekers.

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.""  (Acts 17:22-23)

Into this space...

We proclaimed the name of Jesus.

  

We gave witness to the power of Holy Spirit. 

We spoke into peoples lives through prophetic prayer.  

As we listened to what the Spirit was already saying to those seeking we discovered an openness to a revelation of Jesus Christ.  

"When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject.""  (Acts 17:32)

Once again I find myself amazed at the spiritual receptivity of people who are searching for spiritual fulfillment.  And once again I find myself wanting to awaken the church of Jesus Christ to get on the spiritual wave of Holy Spirit movement and ride a tsunami of salvation towards revival in our city!!