Don't Be A Fool!

On this April Fools Day social media has been saturated by prankster posts that have claimed everything from the CFA (Country Fire Authority) issuing a statewide ban on all BBQ's during summer, to the release of broccoli flavoured Lindt Lindor balls, to the discovery of the earliest Q documents containing sayings of Jesus that are older than the gospels!  While these frivolous posts were meant to be a bit of fun, the speed in which they spread and the nature of the comments they evoked by people who missed the joke only serves to demonstrate that foolishness is not just reserved for the 1st of April.

It staggers me just how easily people are taken in by anything posted on the internet that feeds their prejudices or points of view, without checking its source or accuracy.  It equally amazes me how quickly people share old news as though it was new information without checking the date.  Even more concerning than my disbelief at how indiscriminate people can be is their obsession with passing on gossip, slander and unsubstantiated rumours.  The saying "don't let the truth get in the way of a good story" seems to be the prevailing ethos of social media.  

It grieves me to say this disregard for truth is even more prevalent than the realm of social media!  In a world where gossip is rampant in the church, slander dominates politics and rumours plague celebrities we desperately need to rethink the value of truthful talk.  Regardless of your faith convictions there is some biblical wisdom that would serve us well in this space:  "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think [or speak] about such things" (Philippians 4:8).

Don't be a fool!  Let us try being a little more discerning about what we read and a little more responsible about what we share on social media.

Don't Ignore The Warning Signs!

After months of riding on worn out wheels that wobble, creak and click with every revolution, I finally got to ride on a new wheelset yesterday!  They're not the flashest brand or the most expensive, but they run smooth and quiet leaving me wondering why I put up with the old ones for so long.

As I rode my bike enjoying the much more pleasant sound of the wind whiring through the spokes than the incesant creaking and clicking, I began thinking about how easy it is to miss a more serious problem when you ignore the early warning signs.  These thoughts were affirmed upon closer inspection of my old wheels as I discovered the issues relating to worn parts were a little more dangerous than just annoying sounds!

In essence, these 'annoying sounds' are not that dissimilar to some stressors in life...

How often do we ignore or neglect stressors that are potential warning signs of something a little more serious?  How often do we become accustomed to those stressors and adapt to the build up of resistance over time?  How often do we only recognise the warning signs retrospectively after something serious happens?

Definition:  "A stressor is an external stimulus or an event that causes stress to an organism."

As a stimulus in a healthy environment a stressor can be a motivator.  However, as a sign, stressors warn us when something isn't functioning as it ought to be.  If these warnings are ignored long enough, what was once a motivator can become the cause of a malfunction!  Recognising these warning signs requires good self-awareness and honest self-examination.  Similar to my bike wheels, the only way I am going to know if there is a problem is to have an understanding of what normal function looks like for me (self-awareness) and to be responsive to the warning signs as they become apparent (self-examination).  While it is relatively easy (albeit a little expensive) to repair or replace a mechanical breakdown on a bike, the same cannot be said for a physical or emotional breakdown in a human being.  Self-care may have become a sociological buzz-word but it is an absolute necessity if we are to effectively manage the stressors that are an unavoidable part of life.

HOLY! A review...

Yesterday, I partnered with a number of Salvation Army Corps around Melbourne to help launch a new book during our church service that was co-written by two of my Salvation Army Officer colleagues and friends, Major Stephen Court and Captain Peter Brookshaw. The book is titled "HOLY! - Nine lies, half-truths and outrageous misconceptions about the most radical experience you've never lived."

Having read a number of books along my spiritual journey about holiness, from past and present authors, I was keen to discover what this new publication would add to an already well covered subject. While it doesn't add anything new, it does invite us to take a fresh look at an experience that has become misunderstood, misrepresented or misplaced in the church today despite the unchanging biblical call to be holy.  That's the beauty of this book.  It puts holiness back on the agenda for the 21st century church by challenging the "lies, half-truths and outrageous misconceptions" that have robbed many Christians from this life transforming experience.

Right from the outset Major Danielle Strickland sets the tone for the book in her foreword by removing holiness off the shelf of spiritual idealism or theoretical rhetoric and grounds it by declaring that "The blessing of holiness is not in the idea but in the experience of it."  

From that platform, Brookshaw and Court deliver a clear and concise overview of an experience that is intended for every Christ follower, not just the "super saints."  They are unapologetic about taking holiness out of the realms of pop-theology and reframing it through a lens of Scripture to provide us with a biblical image of a holy life as personified by Jesus Christ.  They are unforgiving of the untruths that distort this experience, yet gracious in re-establishing a biblical framework of truth around holy living.  And they are uncompromising about calling the reader to a renewed desire to "be holy, because [God is] holy" (1 Peter 1:16).

HOLY! doesn't attempt to provide an in-depth theological commentary about holiness but does provide an accessible response to FAQ about holiness that could unleash a renewed passion to pursue a Christ-like, Spirit-filled experience of a holy life that will radically transform this generation of Christ followers!

If ever there was a time when a renewed focus on holiness is needed in the church, it is NOW!!  HOLY! can be purchase from http://commerce.salvationarmy.org.au/default.asp 

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!!

More Than A Number!

Today I had the opportunity to witness another side of the immigration process by supporting a friend who is seeking asylum in Australia at his Refugee Review Tribunal.  For confidentiality reasons I won't comment on what happened in private, but I want to make a brief comment on what happened in public.  

After checking in at reception my friend was given a "number" and invited to take a seat and wait for a Hearing Officer to take us to the Hearing Room.  We almost missed our call, as both the solicitor representing my friend and I heard the Hearing Officer call out the name "Emma Fyfe".  After ignoring the first call, we heard the name "Emma Fyfe" called again, but there was nobody else in the waiting room except us.  It was then that I looked across at my friends "number" and saw "MR5" (eM-aR-Five).  We heard a "name" but what was actually spoken was a "number"!

In that moment I was struck by the paradox within a process that is supposed to verify the identity and story of ordinary human beings experiencing extraordinary circumstances, but instead violates their identity by assigning a "number" in place of a "name".  

My friend and every other person, regardless of their race, religion or means of arrival, are more than numbers!  They have a name and a story and an identity that cannot be diminished or erased by a system that puts politics before people.  

Despite the awkward moment in the waiting area today, I am glad I heard a name and not a number!

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).

LifeLines #5

Feeling depressed, anxious or stressed?  

LifeLines offers biblical wisdom as a source of HOPE for today and tomorrow.

 

 

The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words.  I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.  Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:  The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” -  Lamentations 3:19-24

Suffering and grief have a way of overwhelming people with memories of painful experiences, both past and present, which can make any thought of the future seem unbearable.  This is how the prophet Jeremiah felt when he cried out to God.  Yet, even amidst the depth of his grief, Jeremiah clung tightly to a hope that could not be extinguished, despite the bitterness of his memories.  His hope was based on the faithfulness of God, not the futility of life.  His hope was not engulfed by the darkness of night, but enlivened by the dawn of a new morning.  We too can "dare to hope" because the inheritance Jeremiah spoke of is yours and mine through a relationship with Jesus Christ who identifies with us in our sufferings.  This truth is affirmed by the Apostle Paul - "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (Romans 8:16-17).

The Compassion Conflict

Today I watched with interest as the Australian government announced their response to the Syrian refugee crisis.  It seems the confronting image of a young child washed up on a Turkish beach, that shocked the world and evoked an outpouring of compassion, penetrated the tough exterior of the Abbott government's border control policy.  Their announcement to increase our refugee intake to accommodate 12,000 Syrians has received conditional praise from all sides of politics and many refugee advocate groups.

As a strong advocate for refugees also, you would think I would be happy with this decision?!

But I'm not!  Well, I am, but with concerns.  In fact, I am feeling a lot of conflict about today's announcement.  Apart from a general mistrust of the politics and motives of our government, my conflict with this expression of 'compassion' runs deeper and wider than the Syrian crisis.

• An appropriate humanitarian response to Syria is accompanied by a questionable military air strike on Syria further contributing to the reason why people seek refuge in the first place.
• Refugees from Syria have attracted justifiable compassion, while refugees on Manus and Nauru continue to attract unjustified condemnation and cruelty.
• 12,000 refugees from Syria will be accommodated in Australia, while there are 34,000 vulnerable Australians on an endless waiting list for affordable housing.
• The same government who has indiscriminately turned back boats of people fleeing persecution said today, "It's those who can never go back that we're focused on."
• Mr Abbott said Australia would "move quickly" to resettle refugees but has left asylum seekers already in Australia waiting indefinitely to be processed.
• The government will also spend $44 million supplying 240,000 refugees with cash, food, water and blankets in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, when they are cutting Australia's welfare budget by $1.6 billion over the next four years.

At this point of my conflict I need to be clear that I equally support Australia's humanitarian role as global citizens and our domestic responsibility to alleviate poverty in our own nation.  It is my strong position that the two are not mutually exclusive of each other!  Some may argue that 'charity or compassion starts at home' but globalisation disqualifies this argument.  Participation in the global market carries with it an obligation to share our national prosperity in the very global context from which it was obtained.

That being said, my conflict is with conditional compassion that seems more politically motivated than genuinely people oriented.

As a follower of Jesus, I see compassion motivated and modelled differently:

• Christ's compassion broke religious rules (Mark 3:1-6)
• Christ's compassion crossed racial boundaries (John 4:1-42)
• Christ's compassion defied social expectations (Luke 7:36-50)
• Christ's compassion transcended economic conditions (Matthew 14:13-21)

The only agenda I see for the compassion demonstrated by Jesus Christ is His unconditional love for a common humanity motivated by God's command to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, "Love your neighbour as yourself" (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27).

While I welcome any act of compassion, I long to see a time when "we love because [God] first loved us" (1 John 4:19) regardless of popularity, political advantage or personal gain.