Knowing Christ before creation
Matthew and Mark start their stories about Jesus with His genealogy. Luke begins with John the Baptist, the prophet who proclaimed the coming of Christ. John’s account begins somewhere entirely different.
Imagine what John thought when he began planning this writing. Where does this story begin? Where and when did Christ begin? The Holy Spirit starts to reveal to him a beginning even before the first recorded scripture. Before “In the beginning God created” he sees “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. He sees Christ in God before creation began. He sees Christ before sin entered the world. He sees Christ beyond the context of redemption. He sees Christ as the expression (Word) of God.
Let’s pause here for a moment. So much of our understanding of Christ has been based on His redemptive work. So much of our description of Him has been based on His life and work on earth. But Christ began before the world, before sin, before redemption was necessary. How do we describe Him in this place – in the eternal past?
Our definitions of Him have been too small. Our knowledge of Him has often been limited by mere information. He is a reality greater than what our logic can contain. We have often, and the temptation still remains, for us to take hold of an idea of Christ instead of taking hold of Christ Himself. Once we take hold of Him, we soon discover an inexhaustible source of revelation; revelation that defies the boundaries of natural understanding. Yet we speak, for our words, however inadequate, are still able to contain enough of the fire of this inward revelation, to set alight the forest in those who hear us.
Christ…before creation…what…who is He. Only once we understand Him in this place, before creation and before redemption, will we enter into a fuller revelation of who He really is and gain a proper perspective of redemption.
God’s eternal purpose:
Our Father is full of light, full of life, full of love. There are no half measures with Him. He brims over with goodness, absolute goodness. We see throughout the scriptures a God who desires to express Himself. His eternal purpose is to find a vessel; a body through which He can accurately, without constraint express Himself. He designed such a body and preserved that design in Christ. He designed a body in which the fullness of the Godhead would dwell and be comfortable.
This is why God so delights in Christ. The testimony of the Father delighting in His Son, is abundant throughout the New Testament. In Christ He found rest. Christ is the object of His delight. Christ is the body He always desired. But Christ was not to remain alone. God saw in Christ a multitude of individual parts, He saw YOU in Christ, before the foundation of this world. (Eph1:3,4)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” John 1:1
This word ‘beginning’ means origin. It speaks of that which is first and foremost, before all else. As Paul continued to behold Christ, he comes to the revelation that not only was He first in sequence – before creation – but God’s eternal purpose was that He should be first in importance. How could it be any different? Christ is God’s original design through which He would fulfil His ultimate purpose of expressing all that He is.
Heb 1:3 …who being the radiance of His glory and the exact expression of His substance.
Heb 10:5 Therefore, when He entered into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.
Col 2:9,10 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are completed in Him
Redemption in the light of Christ – God’s eternal purpose
Now that we know our Father’s eternal purpose we can see redemption in its proper perspective. The focus of redemption is not man, but Christ! It is so easy to get distracted by the great need of man and his utter desperation, that our focus becomes centred on man and not on Christ. All things were created in Him, through Him and FOR Him. And the Father’s focus in redemption is for Christ to again have pre-eminence in all things (Col 1:17-20)
God’s love dream, for Christ to become the body through which He expresses Himself, includes you! Christ was not to remain in the one body of Jesus alone. The Fathers love dream included many ‘bodies’ becoming members of one body called Christ. For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ (1Cor12:12) Christ now consists of many members! Jesus became the firstborn among many brethren!
Just as John began to see the Father’s eternal purpose, which began before creation, so also Paul continued to see more and more concerning Christ. His focus was not ‘righteousness’, but ‘Christ’, for Christ has become to us righteousness. His focus was not ‘wisdom’; his focus was not ‘redemption’. His focus was Christ and Christ became to us wisdom, redemption and all else. Christ explains all these subjects. It was for Christ’s sake that God did what He did, not for man’s sake!
Paul could no longer limit his view of Christ to the time Jesus spent on earth. He saw Christ “before all”. He saw Christ, and man in Him, as part of that original plan of God, to express Himself. God purposed from the beginning, for men to be the individual parts that constitute the body in which He would live and move and have His being.
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. (Eph1:4)
Redemption became necessary to fulfil this purpose. The Word did not become Christ in order to accomplish salvation, rather salvation became necessary for Christ to become all that God purposed Him to be, namely: A body made of many parts through which He would live. So the purpose of Christ is not salvation. Salvation is a part of the plan for the ultimate purpose – a body for God!
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
The Face of Christ
The Face of Christ
by T. Austin-Sparks
The face of Jesus Christ embraces all that is signified by "the Man Christ Jesus" from eternity to eternity in relation to God's thought, God's will, God's design. It is all behind that face. That is what we mean when we say: Catch a glimpse of the face of Jesus Christ, and you have the wonder of all ages - the glory of God from eternity to eternity in the face of Jesus Christ: the Divine counsels; the creation, the redemption, and the glorification of humanity - of man - in "the Man Christ Jesus."
That is for those who see that Righteous One and hear the voice of His mouth. But for those who through disobedience and unbelief still allow that veil to remain which the god of this age hath cast over the hearts of the unbelieving, God "hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom He hath ordained..." (Acts 17:31). For the one, the Man represents the glory of God. For the other, the Man represents the judgment of God. It is to be in and through and by a Man. You see how God has summed up all things in Christ. It is all in the face of Jesus Christ.
I do not know what that conveys to you. Let me make it clear that this is not the fruit of simply sitting down and studying. I did not sit down and study this. It came to me like the passing of something before my heart, and I tell you I was stirred in heart at what I saw to be the meaning of the face of Jesus Christ.
I can understand now why Paul was revolutionized. He saw the face of Jesus Christ. He did not simply see a blazing light on the way to Damascus. He saw the significance of Jesus of Nazareth in the glory - the Man whom he had probably seen in Jerusalem... the Man whom he had hated - had loathed - as a blasphemer, as an apostate... the Man whom he thought had been rightly handled and given His due when He was crucified.
He saw that Man... and what that Man meant as installed in heaven at God's right hand; and there broke upon him something of the significance of Jesus Christ, as he saw the face of Jesus in that eternal, universal, and spiritual sense - that all-inclusive sense. Out from that beholding - for he never stopped beholding inwardly the face of Jesus - there grew and grew the explanation of history, the explanation of the race, the explanation of man, the explanation of human destiny, the explanation of the Cross... this unveiling of things which no man could ever know by reason or study. There came out into the heart of Paul the knowledge of what went on in Divine counsels in eternity of old. It was all seen in the face of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ interpreted everything - explained everything - revealed everything.
This it was that made Paul the man he was. It was this that gave him the power of endurance, the power of suffering, the power of going on. He had seen the face of Jesus Christ... and what a realm, what a wealth, what fulness was in that face!
He says, "We have this ministry" (2 Corinthians 4:1). What ministry? Why, this: God hath "shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Our ministry is simply to tell what we have seen in that face - the meaning of Jesus Christ - "the Man Christ Jesus" - the amazing wonder of a Man! Yes, not forgetting all that is extra to that - and ever was, and ever will be - of Godhead... but in the light of that, the amazing wonder of a Man!
I confess to you that while I glory in Christ as Son of God... and while I glory in Him as very God, and in God as God... the real wonder of it all only comes to me as I see that wealth of glory coming down into the face of a Man - as I see that expressed in a Man - all taken up in a Man. Yes, Man of my manhood, but different! Man torn with all my passions, and yet without sin in Himself! That is to say, a Man beset by all my temptations, and knowing what it is to have to battle with that pressure which comes upon us in order to overwhelm us.
In our case much of it arises from within; but, oh, we do know to some extent what it is to have that pressure come upon us from without and to have something evil impinging upon us. He knew the full force of that as you and I have never known it - the impingement of universal evil to try to make Him think other than He would think, act other than He would act, and choose other than He would choose... and that under all manner of circumstances which would facilitate the temptation and the tempter.
Yes, a Man has triumphed. A Man has taken up the fight. A Man has come through. A Man has realized in humanity God's end in Himself and taken that perfected humanity back into the glory... and is installed and related. And now by the blessed Eternal Spirit, through faith, we are joined to that Man - joined to Him one spirit - to be one Body, one glorified humanity eventually, of which we now have the earnest in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
It is marvelous! It is beyond our apprehension, our power of expression! Oh, that the Lord would open our hearts - yea, break them open and give us a new apprehension and grasp of the meaning of the face of Jesus Christ! Dwell upon that, and ask the Lord continually to shine in, shine in, shine in... to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
The Son of Man! Do you notice where He took that title? He asked: "Who do men say that I am?" Elijah! One of the prophets of old! "But who say ye that I am." "The Christ of God!" Then He commanded them to tell no man but to keep that to themselves - to keep that covered. That was something which for the moment was to be suspended. At that point, for the first time, He took to Himself the title, "Son of Man" - "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected... and killed."
What is the import of this? Oh, He has leaped over the bounds of Messiahship. "The Christ of God!" That is all right for Israel, but He has gone beyond Israel now. Israel is refusing their Messiah. The title "Son of Man" passes far beyond the bounds of Israel and is the racial representation. Not Israel, but all men - He is the worldwide, universal Son of Man.
How? By the Cross. The Christ has leaped over all the limitations of nationality, even of Israel, and has bounded the range of humanity. He took the title "Son of Man" as Israel refused their Messiah and the Cross came into view. He saw that the Cross was leading to a baptism of passion, which would mean a baptism of fire into all the earth. Not to Israel now! Say nothing about that! This is not the time to preach Israel's Messiah! The time has now come into view when by the Cross all men are coming into God's eternal thought.
The Lord open our hearts to see the face of Jesus Christ.
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
by T. Austin-Sparks
The face of Jesus Christ embraces all that is signified by "the Man Christ Jesus" from eternity to eternity in relation to God's thought, God's will, God's design. It is all behind that face. That is what we mean when we say: Catch a glimpse of the face of Jesus Christ, and you have the wonder of all ages - the glory of God from eternity to eternity in the face of Jesus Christ: the Divine counsels; the creation, the redemption, and the glorification of humanity - of man - in "the Man Christ Jesus."
That is for those who see that Righteous One and hear the voice of His mouth. But for those who through disobedience and unbelief still allow that veil to remain which the god of this age hath cast over the hearts of the unbelieving, God "hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom He hath ordained..." (Acts 17:31). For the one, the Man represents the glory of God. For the other, the Man represents the judgment of God. It is to be in and through and by a Man. You see how God has summed up all things in Christ. It is all in the face of Jesus Christ.
I do not know what that conveys to you. Let me make it clear that this is not the fruit of simply sitting down and studying. I did not sit down and study this. It came to me like the passing of something before my heart, and I tell you I was stirred in heart at what I saw to be the meaning of the face of Jesus Christ.
I can understand now why Paul was revolutionized. He saw the face of Jesus Christ. He did not simply see a blazing light on the way to Damascus. He saw the significance of Jesus of Nazareth in the glory - the Man whom he had probably seen in Jerusalem... the Man whom he had hated - had loathed - as a blasphemer, as an apostate... the Man whom he thought had been rightly handled and given His due when He was crucified.
He saw that Man... and what that Man meant as installed in heaven at God's right hand; and there broke upon him something of the significance of Jesus Christ, as he saw the face of Jesus in that eternal, universal, and spiritual sense - that all-inclusive sense. Out from that beholding - for he never stopped beholding inwardly the face of Jesus - there grew and grew the explanation of history, the explanation of the race, the explanation of man, the explanation of human destiny, the explanation of the Cross... this unveiling of things which no man could ever know by reason or study. There came out into the heart of Paul the knowledge of what went on in Divine counsels in eternity of old. It was all seen in the face of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ interpreted everything - explained everything - revealed everything.
This it was that made Paul the man he was. It was this that gave him the power of endurance, the power of suffering, the power of going on. He had seen the face of Jesus Christ... and what a realm, what a wealth, what fulness was in that face!
He says, "We have this ministry" (2 Corinthians 4:1). What ministry? Why, this: God hath "shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Our ministry is simply to tell what we have seen in that face - the meaning of Jesus Christ - "the Man Christ Jesus" - the amazing wonder of a Man! Yes, not forgetting all that is extra to that - and ever was, and ever will be - of Godhead... but in the light of that, the amazing wonder of a Man!
I confess to you that while I glory in Christ as Son of God... and while I glory in Him as very God, and in God as God... the real wonder of it all only comes to me as I see that wealth of glory coming down into the face of a Man - as I see that expressed in a Man - all taken up in a Man. Yes, Man of my manhood, but different! Man torn with all my passions, and yet without sin in Himself! That is to say, a Man beset by all my temptations, and knowing what it is to have to battle with that pressure which comes upon us in order to overwhelm us.
In our case much of it arises from within; but, oh, we do know to some extent what it is to have that pressure come upon us from without and to have something evil impinging upon us. He knew the full force of that as you and I have never known it - the impingement of universal evil to try to make Him think other than He would think, act other than He would act, and choose other than He would choose... and that under all manner of circumstances which would facilitate the temptation and the tempter.
Yes, a Man has triumphed. A Man has taken up the fight. A Man has come through. A Man has realized in humanity God's end in Himself and taken that perfected humanity back into the glory... and is installed and related. And now by the blessed Eternal Spirit, through faith, we are joined to that Man - joined to Him one spirit - to be one Body, one glorified humanity eventually, of which we now have the earnest in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
It is marvelous! It is beyond our apprehension, our power of expression! Oh, that the Lord would open our hearts - yea, break them open and give us a new apprehension and grasp of the meaning of the face of Jesus Christ! Dwell upon that, and ask the Lord continually to shine in, shine in, shine in... to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
The Son of Man! Do you notice where He took that title? He asked: "Who do men say that I am?" Elijah! One of the prophets of old! "But who say ye that I am." "The Christ of God!" Then He commanded them to tell no man but to keep that to themselves - to keep that covered. That was something which for the moment was to be suspended. At that point, for the first time, He took to Himself the title, "Son of Man" - "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected... and killed."
What is the import of this? Oh, He has leaped over the bounds of Messiahship. "The Christ of God!" That is all right for Israel, but He has gone beyond Israel now. Israel is refusing their Messiah. The title "Son of Man" passes far beyond the bounds of Israel and is the racial representation. Not Israel, but all men - He is the worldwide, universal Son of Man.
How? By the Cross. The Christ has leaped over all the limitations of nationality, even of Israel, and has bounded the range of humanity. He took the title "Son of Man" as Israel refused their Messiah and the Cross came into view. He saw that the Cross was leading to a baptism of passion, which would mean a baptism of fire into all the earth. Not to Israel now! Say nothing about that! This is not the time to preach Israel's Messiah! The time has now come into view when by the Cross all men are coming into God's eternal thought.
The Lord open our hearts to see the face of Jesus Christ.
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Could somebody turn the light on, please?!
Could somebody turn the light on, please?!
What is your usual reaction when you walk into a room that is in darkness? Do you fight the darkness, get into a debate with it, find out exactly how long it’s been there and where it comes from? I don’t think so! You simply turn on the light.
Darkness simply has to leave in the presence of light. And amazingly enough, the light simply reveals that which has been in the room all along, but was just not seen.
Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Joh 1:9 There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world.
The life of Christ revealed, shone light upon who we really were – He did not come into the world to display what we could not do, couldn’t hope to attain and how dark we actually were – He turned the light on! His life was the light of men.
How glorious His light is – Psalm 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: In thy light shall we see light – How wonderfully it reveals what the Father has seen all along!
With this in mind, how do we deal with man’s behaviour and the ‘darkness’ in people’s lives?
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Let’s awaken life – show them who they really are (whose minds the god of this world has blinded), communicate worth , not insufficiency and lack, not what they are not doing, or who they are not – turn on the light!
God wants us to know the things that He has freely given us!
That's why we have this Scripture text: No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it-- What God has arranged for those who love him.
But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you. The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along.
Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God--except that he not only knows what he's thinking,
but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us.
We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way. 1Co 2:9-13
You will know the truth, and the truth you know will set you free to live the life He’s always intended for you.
2Co 4:5-7 Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you.
It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives.
By Mary-Anne Rabe
maryanne.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
What is your usual reaction when you walk into a room that is in darkness? Do you fight the darkness, get into a debate with it, find out exactly how long it’s been there and where it comes from? I don’t think so! You simply turn on the light.
Darkness simply has to leave in the presence of light. And amazingly enough, the light simply reveals that which has been in the room all along, but was just not seen.
Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Joh 1:9 There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world.
The life of Christ revealed, shone light upon who we really were – He did not come into the world to display what we could not do, couldn’t hope to attain and how dark we actually were – He turned the light on! His life was the light of men.
How glorious His light is – Psalm 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: In thy light shall we see light – How wonderfully it reveals what the Father has seen all along!
With this in mind, how do we deal with man’s behaviour and the ‘darkness’ in people’s lives?
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Let’s awaken life – show them who they really are (whose minds the god of this world has blinded), communicate worth , not insufficiency and lack, not what they are not doing, or who they are not – turn on the light!
God wants us to know the things that He has freely given us!
That's why we have this Scripture text: No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it-- What God has arranged for those who love him.
But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you. The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along.
Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God--except that he not only knows what he's thinking,
but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us.
We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way. 1Co 2:9-13
You will know the truth, and the truth you know will set you free to live the life He’s always intended for you.
2Co 4:5-7 Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you.
It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives.
By Mary-Anne Rabe
maryanne.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Monday, July 25, 2005
Prisons do not exclude God
Prisons do not exclude God
(Madame Guyon: imprisoned for her faith)
Strong are the walls around me,
That hold me all the day;
But they who thus have bound me,
Cannot keep God away;
My very dungeon walls are dear,
Because the God I love is here
They know, who thus oppress me,
‘Tis hard to be alone;
But know not, One can bless me,
Who comes through bars and stone;
He makes my dungeon’s darkness bright,
And fills my bosom with delight.
Thy love, O God, restores me
From sighs and tears to praise;
And deep my soul adores thee,
Nor thinks of time or place;
I ask no more, in good or ill,
But union with thy holy will.
‘Tis that which makes my treasure,
‘Tis that which brings my gain;
Converting woe to pleasure,
And reaping joy from pain.
Oh, ‘tis enough, whate’er befall
To know that God is All In All
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
(Madame Guyon: imprisoned for her faith)
Strong are the walls around me,
That hold me all the day;
But they who thus have bound me,
Cannot keep God away;
My very dungeon walls are dear,
Because the God I love is here
They know, who thus oppress me,
‘Tis hard to be alone;
But know not, One can bless me,
Who comes through bars and stone;
He makes my dungeon’s darkness bright,
And fills my bosom with delight.
Thy love, O God, restores me
From sighs and tears to praise;
And deep my soul adores thee,
Nor thinks of time or place;
I ask no more, in good or ill,
But union with thy holy will.
‘Tis that which makes my treasure,
‘Tis that which brings my gain;
Converting woe to pleasure,
And reaping joy from pain.
Oh, ‘tis enough, whate’er befall
To know that God is All In All
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Set free from ‘Christian’ religion
Set free from ‘Christian’ religion
I grew up in what could be considered a fairly typical Christian home. Going to ‘church’ was part of my life for as long as I can remember. Having a family with Christ-like values is an obvious blessing. There are however many additional religious activities that many think are ‘Christian’ but are nothing less than cleverly devised deceptions to keep us away from the genuine stuff. Paul was obviously grateful that his strict Jewish heritage was a great advantage over the pagan alternatives of his day. Yet he also came to the place of realising that religion is a false alternative to personal relationship with God.
I came to a place where I felt about religion, very much like God did in Is 1:13,14 (Message):
"Quit your worship charades. I can't stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings-- meetings, meetings, meetings--I can't stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You've worn me out! I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion.
I am sure not many people know that this is the way God feels about religion! There came a day that I saw through the haze of ‘Christian’ religious activities and discovered a heavenly Father who simply enjoyed me and wanted me to enjoy Him. This intimacy He offered, had nothing to do with the Christian traditions and religious activities that were such an important part of my life. He offered this intimacy as a sheer gift! Nothing to do with my performance – all to do with His love.
What a release; what a new found liberty. I discovered that a big portion of salvation was deliverance from religion. As in the days of Jesus even so today, the most deadly tool of Satan is the counterfeit religious institutions he sets up to look so much like the real thing. Being set free from the peer-pleasing religion, the man-made traditions that have become synonymous with Christianity, is a major part of this great salvation.
Once you’ve tasted intimacy with God; once you’ve had a glimpse of His heart, you can never again be satisfied with man-made religion. This relationship is free and it makes you free.
The first letter Paul wrote was the letter to the Galatians. These people faced a situation we all have faced or will face! Years before, Paul came through this region and proclaimed the good news of God’s favour. What made this news so extraordinary is that God did not require any payment for this favour. He loved them because He made them, and in Jesus He bought them back because they were originally His. All they could do was enjoy this new found life!
A while later some big shots from Jerusalem came to ‘bring some order’. Religion always wants to control and manage others. Take note that these were Christians! You can read more about this in Acts 15. There are many Christians that want you to again become bound to their brand of ‘Christian’ religion. Although they just wanted to introduce some ‘minor’ regulations, Paul recognised their potent poison of mixing the free life with any measure of religion. Let’s follow the thought of Paul through the book of Galatians:
Gal 1:6-9 I can't believe your fickleness--how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message! It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are, let me be blunt: If one of us--even if an angel from heaven!--were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed. I said it once; I'll say it again: If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed.
Paul wrote this letter to ordinary people, he addresses the whole congregation, and tells them that the freedom they discovered in this message carries greater authority than anyone’s credentials. Nothing and no-one has greater authority than Christ in you.
Gal 2:4,5 While we were in conference we were infiltrated by spies pretending to be Christians, who slipped in to find out just how free true Christians are. Their ulterior motive was to reduce us to their brand of servitude. We didn't give them the time of day. We were determined to preserve the truth of the Message for you.
Here Paul refers to another, similar incident, not the one in Galatia.
Have you allowed your relationship with Christ to be reduced to a certain brand of servitude?
Gal 2:20,21 Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.
Here we get to the heart of the matter. Our intimacy with God has nothing to do with acting good, trying to impress one-another or God. “O no, I’d never do that!” – I can hear many saying that. However, consider how much of your ‘Christianity’ is simply the product of enjoying intimacy with Christ, and how much is peer-pleasing activities. Never, never, NEVER, abandon your personal and free relationship with God and exchange it for routine ‘Christian’ activities. That is not Christian at all.
Gal 3:2 ,3 Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?
Remember the first time you connected with God. Was it your achievements that impressed Him so much that he was obliged to meet with you? Was it your good meeting-attendance record; your humble attitude? Of course not! You simply opened yourself up to what He was doing! It was all His initiative that you simply accepted. The rest of our relationship is exactly the same: Responding to His initiative!
Gal 3:11 ..The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you.
Our focus could never be on what we are doing for God. That is completely missing the point. He wants us to remain focussed on what He is doing for us. Our spontaneous response to 'seeing what He does', is all He wants. And if I start defining what the response should be, it would no longer be spontaneous. You just focus on His goodness, the rest will come naturally.
Gal 3:25, 26 But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God.
Religion, counterfeit ‘Christian’ practises will always try and persuade you that you still have much to do. Next time someone asks: “Who thinks they have arrived”, raise your hand boldly! How much higher do you want to go than being seated with Christ in heavenly places? What destination can compete with the place of direct relationship with God?
Gal 3:28 In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.
Religion thrives on placing levels of importance between people. False Christianity just replaced the terminology of these status descriptions with titles such as Apostle, Prophet, Pastor. These are never used as titles in the New Testament. They are simply descriptions of what people did. The message of the gospel is clear: “Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.” To allow hierarchies of relationship with God, would be to deny the gospel of Christ.
Gal 4:17 Those heretical teachers go to great lengths to flatter you, but their motives are rotten. They want to shut you out of the free world of God's grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and direction, making them feel important.
When you share the gospel with a friend, make sure that you never make them spiritually dependant on you! And whenever you encounter a person who allows others to become dependant on them for spiritual nourishment, RUN. Do not submit yourself to such oppression. It could happen very subtly. A church institution can give you the impression that if you are not attending certain meetings, you are drifting away from God. They want people to be dependant upon them. Paul’s message throughout this book of Galatians is to resist with all that is within you, such manipulation. Even if it comes from those with great credentials, resist it!
Gal 5:1 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. I am emphatic about this.
Me too!
Gal 5:13-14 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom.
Freedom from religion is central to our message. Our freedom needs only one boundary and that is love! Allow love to direct you, and without giving heed to any other voice, obey love.
Gal 6:14-15 For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do--submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life!
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
I grew up in what could be considered a fairly typical Christian home. Going to ‘church’ was part of my life for as long as I can remember. Having a family with Christ-like values is an obvious blessing. There are however many additional religious activities that many think are ‘Christian’ but are nothing less than cleverly devised deceptions to keep us away from the genuine stuff. Paul was obviously grateful that his strict Jewish heritage was a great advantage over the pagan alternatives of his day. Yet he also came to the place of realising that religion is a false alternative to personal relationship with God.
I came to a place where I felt about religion, very much like God did in Is 1:13,14 (Message):
"Quit your worship charades. I can't stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings-- meetings, meetings, meetings--I can't stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You've worn me out! I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion.
I am sure not many people know that this is the way God feels about religion! There came a day that I saw through the haze of ‘Christian’ religious activities and discovered a heavenly Father who simply enjoyed me and wanted me to enjoy Him. This intimacy He offered, had nothing to do with the Christian traditions and religious activities that were such an important part of my life. He offered this intimacy as a sheer gift! Nothing to do with my performance – all to do with His love.
What a release; what a new found liberty. I discovered that a big portion of salvation was deliverance from religion. As in the days of Jesus even so today, the most deadly tool of Satan is the counterfeit religious institutions he sets up to look so much like the real thing. Being set free from the peer-pleasing religion, the man-made traditions that have become synonymous with Christianity, is a major part of this great salvation.
Once you’ve tasted intimacy with God; once you’ve had a glimpse of His heart, you can never again be satisfied with man-made religion. This relationship is free and it makes you free.
The first letter Paul wrote was the letter to the Galatians. These people faced a situation we all have faced or will face! Years before, Paul came through this region and proclaimed the good news of God’s favour. What made this news so extraordinary is that God did not require any payment for this favour. He loved them because He made them, and in Jesus He bought them back because they were originally His. All they could do was enjoy this new found life!
A while later some big shots from Jerusalem came to ‘bring some order’. Religion always wants to control and manage others. Take note that these were Christians! You can read more about this in Acts 15. There are many Christians that want you to again become bound to their brand of ‘Christian’ religion. Although they just wanted to introduce some ‘minor’ regulations, Paul recognised their potent poison of mixing the free life with any measure of religion. Let’s follow the thought of Paul through the book of Galatians:
Gal 1:6-9 I can't believe your fickleness--how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message! It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are, let me be blunt: If one of us--even if an angel from heaven!--were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed. I said it once; I'll say it again: If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed.
Paul wrote this letter to ordinary people, he addresses the whole congregation, and tells them that the freedom they discovered in this message carries greater authority than anyone’s credentials. Nothing and no-one has greater authority than Christ in you.
Gal 2:4,5 While we were in conference we were infiltrated by spies pretending to be Christians, who slipped in to find out just how free true Christians are. Their ulterior motive was to reduce us to their brand of servitude. We didn't give them the time of day. We were determined to preserve the truth of the Message for you.
Here Paul refers to another, similar incident, not the one in Galatia.
Have you allowed your relationship with Christ to be reduced to a certain brand of servitude?
Gal 2:20,21 Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.
Here we get to the heart of the matter. Our intimacy with God has nothing to do with acting good, trying to impress one-another or God. “O no, I’d never do that!” – I can hear many saying that. However, consider how much of your ‘Christianity’ is simply the product of enjoying intimacy with Christ, and how much is peer-pleasing activities. Never, never, NEVER, abandon your personal and free relationship with God and exchange it for routine ‘Christian’ activities. That is not Christian at all.
Gal 3:2 ,3 Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?
Remember the first time you connected with God. Was it your achievements that impressed Him so much that he was obliged to meet with you? Was it your good meeting-attendance record; your humble attitude? Of course not! You simply opened yourself up to what He was doing! It was all His initiative that you simply accepted. The rest of our relationship is exactly the same: Responding to His initiative!
Gal 3:11 ..The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you.
Our focus could never be on what we are doing for God. That is completely missing the point. He wants us to remain focussed on what He is doing for us. Our spontaneous response to 'seeing what He does', is all He wants. And if I start defining what the response should be, it would no longer be spontaneous. You just focus on His goodness, the rest will come naturally.
Gal 3:25, 26 But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God.
Religion, counterfeit ‘Christian’ practises will always try and persuade you that you still have much to do. Next time someone asks: “Who thinks they have arrived”, raise your hand boldly! How much higher do you want to go than being seated with Christ in heavenly places? What destination can compete with the place of direct relationship with God?
Gal 3:28 In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.
Religion thrives on placing levels of importance between people. False Christianity just replaced the terminology of these status descriptions with titles such as Apostle, Prophet, Pastor. These are never used as titles in the New Testament. They are simply descriptions of what people did. The message of the gospel is clear: “Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.” To allow hierarchies of relationship with God, would be to deny the gospel of Christ.
Gal 4:17 Those heretical teachers go to great lengths to flatter you, but their motives are rotten. They want to shut you out of the free world of God's grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and direction, making them feel important.
When you share the gospel with a friend, make sure that you never make them spiritually dependant on you! And whenever you encounter a person who allows others to become dependant on them for spiritual nourishment, RUN. Do not submit yourself to such oppression. It could happen very subtly. A church institution can give you the impression that if you are not attending certain meetings, you are drifting away from God. They want people to be dependant upon them. Paul’s message throughout this book of Galatians is to resist with all that is within you, such manipulation. Even if it comes from those with great credentials, resist it!
Gal 5:1 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. I am emphatic about this.
Me too!
Gal 5:13-14 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom.
Freedom from religion is central to our message. Our freedom needs only one boundary and that is love! Allow love to direct you, and without giving heed to any other voice, obey love.
Gal 6:14-15 For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do--submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life!
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Friday, July 22, 2005
Personal freedom.
Personal freedom.
God places a very high premium on the individual’s personal freedom, especially in the way we relate to one another. The following piece, written by Paul, shows this attitude very clearly. The setting is a ‘love feast’, that is when Christians and often non-Christians came together and shared a meal together. The Lords meal in this context was not a symbolic piece of tasteless wafer and microscopic sips of wine. It was a real meal with symbolic meaning.
Rom 14:2 - 13 (MESSAGE)
For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume all Christians should be vegetarians and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help. Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.
What's important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God's sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli.
None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters.
It's God we are answerable to--all the way from life to death and everything in between--not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.
So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly--or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit.
Read it for yourself in Scripture: "As I live and breathe," God says, "every knee will bow before me; Every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God."
So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.
Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is.
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
God places a very high premium on the individual’s personal freedom, especially in the way we relate to one another. The following piece, written by Paul, shows this attitude very clearly. The setting is a ‘love feast’, that is when Christians and often non-Christians came together and shared a meal together. The Lords meal in this context was not a symbolic piece of tasteless wafer and microscopic sips of wine. It was a real meal with symbolic meaning.
Rom 14:2 - 13 (MESSAGE)
For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume all Christians should be vegetarians and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help. Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.
What's important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God's sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli.
None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters.
It's God we are answerable to--all the way from life to death and everything in between--not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.
So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly--or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit.
Read it for yourself in Scripture: "As I live and breathe," God says, "every knee will bow before me; Every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God."
So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.
Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is.
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
BEYOND DOUBT!
BEYOND DOUBT!
A cripple man, lame from his birth, sits in an audience one day where the words he hears arrest his attention. The thought that awakens in him is like rain upon dry soil. All the bitterness, anger and shame that imprisoned him from his earliest memories are challenged. A new, and yet in a strange way, a familiar voice, speaks in his heart. Suddenly faith floods his face; he sees himself included in this message of love, hope and power. The God of the Universe is graphically displayed in the camouflage of frail flesh. His dying on a cross redeemed a humanity fallen from the glory of their original design. This man Jesus, whom he heard various rumours about, represents the whole human race in His life, death and miraculous resurrection! Is it possible that the same Spirit-power that raised Him from the dead can now also restore his feet? ‘He listened to Paul speaking; and Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” And he jumped up and walked!’ Acts 14:8-10.
While we were on honeymoon at Blydepoort, Mpumalanga [Jan 1979] Lydia and I met an official from Nature Conservation who told us of a fascinating incident: she witnessed the dramatic release of a Black Eagle a few weeks prior to our visit. This eagle had been captive in the Pretoria zoo for ten years. She told us how thrilled they were with excitement and anticipation when the eagle finally arrived in its cage and the gate was opened. But only with difficulty did they eventually succeed to nudge the bird out of its cage. It was one thing to get the bird out of the cage, but how do you get the cage out of the bird? In the mind of this eagle, it was still captive in the Pretoria zoo! Every one was holding their breath, but this once mighty bird remained the pathetic prisoner of an inferior mindset. Nothing changed until much later when another eagle began to call in the area. The eyes of the zoo-eagle immediately lit up, and the next moment she took off in majestic flight to soar in unrestricted space. When you hear the familiar voice, you no longer require flying lessons. The prison doors are open. Hades cannot hold you back. (Greek: ha+ideis, ‘not to see’ imprisoned by the senses.
Faith is to your spirit what your senses are to your body. Faith sees and speaks! Paul preached in such a way, that many believed. Acts 14:1. Whatever holds you captive, crumbles in the light of the love of God, displayed in Christ as in a mirror. ‘And we all, with new understanding, see ourselves in Him as in a mirror; thus we are changed from an inferior mindset to the revealed opinion of our true Origin.'
2 Corinthians 3:18 (Greek: doxa, glory, lit. mindset or opinion) 2 Cor.5:14,16-21.
Contact us for more good news about YOU! All of the Bible is about JESUS, all of JESUS is about YOU! PO Box 1428 Hermanus 7200 RSA. Email fdt@mailbox.co.za
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE! www.mirrorreflection.net
A cripple man, lame from his birth, sits in an audience one day where the words he hears arrest his attention. The thought that awakens in him is like rain upon dry soil. All the bitterness, anger and shame that imprisoned him from his earliest memories are challenged. A new, and yet in a strange way, a familiar voice, speaks in his heart. Suddenly faith floods his face; he sees himself included in this message of love, hope and power. The God of the Universe is graphically displayed in the camouflage of frail flesh. His dying on a cross redeemed a humanity fallen from the glory of their original design. This man Jesus, whom he heard various rumours about, represents the whole human race in His life, death and miraculous resurrection! Is it possible that the same Spirit-power that raised Him from the dead can now also restore his feet? ‘He listened to Paul speaking; and Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” And he jumped up and walked!’ Acts 14:8-10.
While we were on honeymoon at Blydepoort, Mpumalanga [Jan 1979] Lydia and I met an official from Nature Conservation who told us of a fascinating incident: she witnessed the dramatic release of a Black Eagle a few weeks prior to our visit. This eagle had been captive in the Pretoria zoo for ten years. She told us how thrilled they were with excitement and anticipation when the eagle finally arrived in its cage and the gate was opened. But only with difficulty did they eventually succeed to nudge the bird out of its cage. It was one thing to get the bird out of the cage, but how do you get the cage out of the bird? In the mind of this eagle, it was still captive in the Pretoria zoo! Every one was holding their breath, but this once mighty bird remained the pathetic prisoner of an inferior mindset. Nothing changed until much later when another eagle began to call in the area. The eyes of the zoo-eagle immediately lit up, and the next moment she took off in majestic flight to soar in unrestricted space. When you hear the familiar voice, you no longer require flying lessons. The prison doors are open. Hades cannot hold you back. (Greek: ha+ideis, ‘not to see’ imprisoned by the senses.
Faith is to your spirit what your senses are to your body. Faith sees and speaks! Paul preached in such a way, that many believed. Acts 14:1. Whatever holds you captive, crumbles in the light of the love of God, displayed in Christ as in a mirror. ‘And we all, with new understanding, see ourselves in Him as in a mirror; thus we are changed from an inferior mindset to the revealed opinion of our true Origin.'
2 Corinthians 3:18 (Greek: doxa, glory, lit. mindset or opinion) 2 Cor.5:14,16-21.
Contact us for more good news about YOU! All of the Bible is about JESUS, all of JESUS is about YOU! PO Box 1428 Hermanus 7200 RSA. Email fdt@mailbox.co.za
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE! www.mirrorreflection.net
‘n BLADSY WYN VIR ROYALTY
‘n BLADSY WYN VIR ROYALTY
[Hierdie wyn is verniet,sonder kopiereg en jy kan hom oor en oor lees]
‘n Ding begin altyd iewers, gewoonlik in jou kop.
‘n Gedagte wat jy gereeld dink, is soos ‘n voetpad wat jy ooptrap in die veld van jou verbeelding. Volgende keer dink jy hom makliker.
‘n Bietjie biologie gaan help om jouself beter te leer ken: Almal ken tog die verskil tussen ‘n foefenjaras en ‘n kop.
Jou kop is die huis van jou gedagtes. Maar weet jy wat, jou gedagtes is die pad na jou gees. Moenie jou boeglam skrik nie, jou gees is nie ‘n spook nie!
Een van die grootste ontdekkings wat jy van jouself kan maak is om te besef dat jy eintlik baie meer is as net jou lyf. Hoe minder jy weet van jou gees, hoe meer control jou lyf jou lewe.
Net so belangrik om te weet, is dat alles wat jy is kan verander, behalwe jou gees. Almal se lyf verander, vanself. Baie mense is ontevrede met hulle lyf en hoe hulle lyk. Dik mense wil altyd dunner wees. Kort mense wil langer wees. Party mense wil groter tiete hê. Hulle reken die plastic surgeons maak baie geld. Bergies [en studente]wil gewoonlik net wyn hê. As dors net ‘n wyn-ding was, sou drink die dors kon les.
Die 2de ding wat kan verander is jou mind. Of jy change jou mind, of jou mind change jou!
Gewoonlik is dit anders om. Jy is wat jy dink, nie wat jy drink nie!
Dan kan ‘n mens se moods verander. Nes die weer. En laastens, kan jou omstandighede verander.
Dit moet jy weet. Jou omstandighede is nie hopeloos nie!
Hiers die groot les. Lig is sterker as die donker, selfs ‘n klein liggie.
As jy kan ontdek wie jy werklik is as gees-mens, kan die lig van daai ontdek jou mind vir jou change. As jou gedagtes oor jouself kan verander, dan kan jy jou buie beter beheer en verander. Selfs jou gesindheid kan verander. Hoe jy voel is nie iets wat jy doen nie, dit is iets wat jy dink. Ja jy’t reg gelees: iets wat jy DINK nie iets wat jy drink nie!
Die meeste mense skeep hulle gees af, nie omdat hulle rêrig wil nie, maar omdat hulle nie weet nie. Jou gees bewaar die beeld van jou oorsprong, nes jou lyf se DNA jou fisiese rekord dra.Sjoe, dis ‘n dik sluk op ‘n bottel! Volgende keer as jy so bietjie diep in die spiëel kyk, vra jouself: In wie se gedagte het ek begin? Wie het my uitgedink?
Het God my gewens? Nou praat jy!!
[Hierdie wyn is verniet,sonder kopiereg en jy kan hom oor en oor lees]
‘n Ding begin altyd iewers, gewoonlik in jou kop.
‘n Gedagte wat jy gereeld dink, is soos ‘n voetpad wat jy ooptrap in die veld van jou verbeelding. Volgende keer dink jy hom makliker.
‘n Bietjie biologie gaan help om jouself beter te leer ken: Almal ken tog die verskil tussen ‘n foefenjaras en ‘n kop.
Jou kop is die huis van jou gedagtes. Maar weet jy wat, jou gedagtes is die pad na jou gees. Moenie jou boeglam skrik nie, jou gees is nie ‘n spook nie!
Een van die grootste ontdekkings wat jy van jouself kan maak is om te besef dat jy eintlik baie meer is as net jou lyf. Hoe minder jy weet van jou gees, hoe meer control jou lyf jou lewe.
Net so belangrik om te weet, is dat alles wat jy is kan verander, behalwe jou gees. Almal se lyf verander, vanself. Baie mense is ontevrede met hulle lyf en hoe hulle lyk. Dik mense wil altyd dunner wees. Kort mense wil langer wees. Party mense wil groter tiete hê. Hulle reken die plastic surgeons maak baie geld. Bergies [en studente]wil gewoonlik net wyn hê. As dors net ‘n wyn-ding was, sou drink die dors kon les.
Die 2de ding wat kan verander is jou mind. Of jy change jou mind, of jou mind change jou!
Gewoonlik is dit anders om. Jy is wat jy dink, nie wat jy drink nie!
Dan kan ‘n mens se moods verander. Nes die weer. En laastens, kan jou omstandighede verander.
Dit moet jy weet. Jou omstandighede is nie hopeloos nie!
Hiers die groot les. Lig is sterker as die donker, selfs ‘n klein liggie.
As jy kan ontdek wie jy werklik is as gees-mens, kan die lig van daai ontdek jou mind vir jou change. As jou gedagtes oor jouself kan verander, dan kan jy jou buie beter beheer en verander. Selfs jou gesindheid kan verander. Hoe jy voel is nie iets wat jy doen nie, dit is iets wat jy dink. Ja jy’t reg gelees: iets wat jy DINK nie iets wat jy drink nie!
Die meeste mense skeep hulle gees af, nie omdat hulle rêrig wil nie, maar omdat hulle nie weet nie. Jou gees bewaar die beeld van jou oorsprong, nes jou lyf se DNA jou fisiese rekord dra.Sjoe, dis ‘n dik sluk op ‘n bottel! Volgende keer as jy so bietjie diep in die spiëel kyk, vra jouself: In wie se gedagte het ek begin? Wie het my uitgedink?
Het God my gewens? Nou praat jy!!
Monday, July 18, 2005
Truth in Strange Places
"Well , I may not know much about God, but I have to say, we built a pretty nice cage for him ."
Homer Simpson after helping some island natives build a chapel.
Homer Simpson after helping some island natives build a chapel.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
The revelation of Jesus Christ.
The revelation of Jesus Christ.
What Jesus accomplished and revealed through His life, death and resurrection, can never be exaggerated or exhausted. Eph 2:7 - He did this to demonstrate for all time to come the extraordinary greatness of his grace in the love he showed us in Christ Jesus.
God sees the work and revelation of Christ as being so rich that He plans to use all time to come, to demonstrate and further reveal its true meaning. This is not just another doctrinal subject, to be neatly categorized and added to all the other subjects. This is The Revelation that gives meaning and perspective to all other revelations. Without this revelation, all other knowledge remains in the class of human speculation and philosophical guessing.
Because this thought is so broad, I want us to focus on just one part of it in this writing, namely: What Christ revealed concerning man. The most essential ingredient of what Christ revealed is the true nature and identity of God and man. It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living… Eph 1:11 (MESSAGE)
The word ’Christ’ simply means anointed one and his anointing. Anointing is the act of pouring oil over and rubbing it into a person or object. This act signified that the person (or object) was appointed by God for a specific task. So Jesus Christ had a specific task and purpose. He was THE ANOINTED One that came as God’s final word to mankind (Heb 1:1). A major part of that purpose was to demonstrate who and what man really is.
God became man…. the most awesome part of it, is not that He could lower Himself to the level of man, but that He could elevate man to His own class and nature. He declared through this act that man had the capacity to be partakers of His divine nature. Eph 4:13 “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Christ became the measure of man. To become a fully developed man, means nothing less than becoming exactly who Christ is.
A child has all the bones, muscles and ligament of an adult. They just need to develop. Man, created in the image and likeness of God, was given a wake-up call in Christ to become all that God intended us to be. By an open display of what it meant to be a man in fellowship with God, he appealed to every man’s conscience. We recognise in him, what we inherently know about ourselves.
When people stood in amazement at what he did, He immediately pointed to them and told them they could do it too. He never allowed people to put him on a pedestal to be adored as a unique individual, far removed from what mere men could ever become. He always included others, lifting them to His own level and explaining that what He did and who He was, was equally available to them. Listen to His words, catch His attitude: “The works I do, you will do also, and greater works than these”, “Just as the Father sent me, I send you.", “ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us”. His words are inclusive, not exclusive. His vision was to duplicate Himself, to be the first-born among many brethren, the first-fruits of a great harvest of men and woman just like Him! He was not only an example for us, but of us. Jesus Christ – the anointed one – the one who fulfilled the task that He was anointed for - to restore relationship between God and man, He is the revelation of your true identity. “And then take on an entirely new way of life--a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.” (Eph 4:22-24 Message)
As he is, even so are we in this world! Whenever Christ is revealed we are co-revealed with Him in glory (1Jo 4:17, Col 3:4) He never reveals Himself in isolation. When you see Him, you see yourself; your true self. If your experience does not line up with this revelation, it’s because you forgot who you really are. But if you continue to look intensely and do not forget your true identity, your life and actions will align themselves to what you see. No contradiction can continue when you refuse to agree with what it suggests. No lie can continue when you purposely look at truth.
Your life, who you really are, is preserved in Christ (Col 3:3). As you set your focus and determine to not think of yourself in any other way, but what is revealed in Christ, you discover an inexhaustible source of revelation there. Revelation about Him and you, you and Him, seeing Him in a mirror until you cannot distinguish between Him and you. Then you exclaim with Paul: “he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him”
This is central to the gospel. We cannot think of Jesus Christ, without thinking of the task he accomplished in revealing God and man. So I cannot think of Him without thinking of man – and I cannot think of man without thinking of Him. He revealed man and now men who grasp that revelation, reveal Him.
Mat 16:13-18 When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets." He pressed them, "And how about you? Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter said, "You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Jesus came back, "God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
Here we see how Peter came to the realization that ‘the son of man’ is ‘the son of God’! That is the revelation embodied in Christ. When I hear ‘Christ’ I hear God’s declaration of mans true identity. That the son of man, is the son of God, is not only true of Jesus, it is true of you. Immediately after Peter declares this truth about Jesus’ true identity, Jesus starts speaking to Peter about his true identity. “You are Peter” ‘Peter’ meaning a piece of a rock. The second time He uses the word ‘rock’ He does not use the word ‘piece of rock’ but refers to the actual big rock from which the piece came. Isa 51:1 "Listen to me, all you who are serious about right living and committed to seeking GOD. Ponder the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were dug.” Deut 32:3,4 respond to the greatness of our God! The Rock: His works are perfect. Jesus challenges Peter to consider his own origin and come to the same conclusion concerning himself as the conclusion he came to concerning Christ, namely: the son of man (son of Jonah in this case) is also the son of God! It is upon this revelation of our true identity that the church, the new community that responds to the call of their origin, is build.
When John writes his account of Jesus’ life, he does not start with His genealogy as the other writers, He goes far beyond that to His true origin – God, before all else.
Paul realized too, that the revelation of Christ, separated him from his natural genealogy Gal 1:15,16 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me….
The truth about you is so much greater than what can be perceived in the natural. You came from God. Our Father valued us even when we did not recognize Him. He lovingly send His own Son as His final call for us to return to Him again. Let us respond to the greatness of our God – The Rock. Acknowledge that His work (that includes you) is perfect! Ponder the rock from which you were cut. Know that our Father is the substance from which you were made.
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
What Jesus accomplished and revealed through His life, death and resurrection, can never be exaggerated or exhausted. Eph 2:7 - He did this to demonstrate for all time to come the extraordinary greatness of his grace in the love he showed us in Christ Jesus.
God sees the work and revelation of Christ as being so rich that He plans to use all time to come, to demonstrate and further reveal its true meaning. This is not just another doctrinal subject, to be neatly categorized and added to all the other subjects. This is The Revelation that gives meaning and perspective to all other revelations. Without this revelation, all other knowledge remains in the class of human speculation and philosophical guessing.
Because this thought is so broad, I want us to focus on just one part of it in this writing, namely: What Christ revealed concerning man. The most essential ingredient of what Christ revealed is the true nature and identity of God and man. It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living… Eph 1:11 (MESSAGE)
The word ’Christ’ simply means anointed one and his anointing. Anointing is the act of pouring oil over and rubbing it into a person or object. This act signified that the person (or object) was appointed by God for a specific task. So Jesus Christ had a specific task and purpose. He was THE ANOINTED One that came as God’s final word to mankind (Heb 1:1). A major part of that purpose was to demonstrate who and what man really is.
God became man…. the most awesome part of it, is not that He could lower Himself to the level of man, but that He could elevate man to His own class and nature. He declared through this act that man had the capacity to be partakers of His divine nature. Eph 4:13 “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Christ became the measure of man. To become a fully developed man, means nothing less than becoming exactly who Christ is.
A child has all the bones, muscles and ligament of an adult. They just need to develop. Man, created in the image and likeness of God, was given a wake-up call in Christ to become all that God intended us to be. By an open display of what it meant to be a man in fellowship with God, he appealed to every man’s conscience. We recognise in him, what we inherently know about ourselves.
When people stood in amazement at what he did, He immediately pointed to them and told them they could do it too. He never allowed people to put him on a pedestal to be adored as a unique individual, far removed from what mere men could ever become. He always included others, lifting them to His own level and explaining that what He did and who He was, was equally available to them. Listen to His words, catch His attitude: “The works I do, you will do also, and greater works than these”, “Just as the Father sent me, I send you.", “ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us”. His words are inclusive, not exclusive. His vision was to duplicate Himself, to be the first-born among many brethren, the first-fruits of a great harvest of men and woman just like Him! He was not only an example for us, but of us. Jesus Christ – the anointed one – the one who fulfilled the task that He was anointed for - to restore relationship between God and man, He is the revelation of your true identity. “And then take on an entirely new way of life--a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.” (Eph 4:22-24 Message)
As he is, even so are we in this world! Whenever Christ is revealed we are co-revealed with Him in glory (1Jo 4:17, Col 3:4) He never reveals Himself in isolation. When you see Him, you see yourself; your true self. If your experience does not line up with this revelation, it’s because you forgot who you really are. But if you continue to look intensely and do not forget your true identity, your life and actions will align themselves to what you see. No contradiction can continue when you refuse to agree with what it suggests. No lie can continue when you purposely look at truth.
Your life, who you really are, is preserved in Christ (Col 3:3). As you set your focus and determine to not think of yourself in any other way, but what is revealed in Christ, you discover an inexhaustible source of revelation there. Revelation about Him and you, you and Him, seeing Him in a mirror until you cannot distinguish between Him and you. Then you exclaim with Paul: “he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him”
This is central to the gospel. We cannot think of Jesus Christ, without thinking of the task he accomplished in revealing God and man. So I cannot think of Him without thinking of man – and I cannot think of man without thinking of Him. He revealed man and now men who grasp that revelation, reveal Him.
Mat 16:13-18 When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets." He pressed them, "And how about you? Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter said, "You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Jesus came back, "God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
Here we see how Peter came to the realization that ‘the son of man’ is ‘the son of God’! That is the revelation embodied in Christ. When I hear ‘Christ’ I hear God’s declaration of mans true identity. That the son of man, is the son of God, is not only true of Jesus, it is true of you. Immediately after Peter declares this truth about Jesus’ true identity, Jesus starts speaking to Peter about his true identity. “You are Peter” ‘Peter’ meaning a piece of a rock. The second time He uses the word ‘rock’ He does not use the word ‘piece of rock’ but refers to the actual big rock from which the piece came. Isa 51:1 "Listen to me, all you who are serious about right living and committed to seeking GOD. Ponder the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were dug.” Deut 32:3,4 respond to the greatness of our God! The Rock: His works are perfect. Jesus challenges Peter to consider his own origin and come to the same conclusion concerning himself as the conclusion he came to concerning Christ, namely: the son of man (son of Jonah in this case) is also the son of God! It is upon this revelation of our true identity that the church, the new community that responds to the call of their origin, is build.
When John writes his account of Jesus’ life, he does not start with His genealogy as the other writers, He goes far beyond that to His true origin – God, before all else.
Paul realized too, that the revelation of Christ, separated him from his natural genealogy Gal 1:15,16 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me….
The truth about you is so much greater than what can be perceived in the natural. You came from God. Our Father valued us even when we did not recognize Him. He lovingly send His own Son as His final call for us to return to Him again. Let us respond to the greatness of our God – The Rock. Acknowledge that His work (that includes you) is perfect! Ponder the rock from which you were cut. Know that our Father is the substance from which you were made.
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Theophostics...Inner Healing...How important is your past?
How important is your past?
How do we form our opinions of ourselves and others? Regarding others, we usually gather information about their past, their reputation, their wealth and their appearance. There is a much more accurate way of gaining a truthful opinion of people.
Paul came to a place where he purposely changed the way he viewed others. No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human standards. (2Co 5:16) And again the same thought comes through in 1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Can you sense his resolve, his firm decision not to allow any other knowledge to influence his opinion of people? The truth about man was revealed by the true light – Christ. In Him we discover who we are and why we live. How can we see mankind in any other light? Every man is now defined by Christ and Christ Jesus blew our definitions away!
It is absurd to overlook the divine qualities of man and instead focus on his weaknesses. But, if we do not determine to see every man in the light of Christ, looking past the exterior and acknowledging the image of God within them, then we will soon be disillusioned by the contradictions we observe in the natural. If our focus is not single – defining man by the revelation Christ brought – then we’ll revert back to humanistic psychology mixed with a bit of bible, to try and delve into peoples past to find the problem – and miraculously the answer – there.
People might have problems due to past experiences, but the answer IS NOT IN THE PAST. IT IS IN THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH IS PRESENT. The answer to any darkness is light. No matter how long the darkness has been there, when the light shines, it dispels darkness. Satan might have worked for decades to introduce lies to a person, but it can all change in a moment that revelation shines into that person’s heart. The length of the solution (time-wise) is not at all related to the length of the problem. Every deception the enemy has, has a fundamental purpose of questioning your identity. This is also the first temptation that he used on Jesus: “If you are”. So we don’t have to search to find the exact event that introduced a lie, and so find the exact lie. The lie is always reducing our identity to something less than what Jesus revealed. The solution, the truth is always seeing clearly what Christ brought to light!
Concepts such as ‘Inner Healing’ and ‘Theophostics’ can’t be found in scripture. We could avoid much misunderstanding by simply using the terminology of scripture. The closest concept we can find is ‘renewing the mind’ I say closest concept because they are not the same at all. To renew your mind has nothing to do with delving into your past to seek a solution there. The very attention we give to past problems is the energy they need to prolong their existence. Give them no attention, set your mind on where the action is – with Christ – and soon you’ll not remember what the problem was.
To renew your mind is to see from God’s point of view.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (KJV)
Rom 12:2,3 Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (MESSAGE)
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (KJV) Some translations have obedience ‘TO Christ’ instead of ‘OF Christ’ – that simply misses the point. Here’s why. It is what Christ accomplished – his obedience, that now becomes the definition of my life. The whole of Hebrews chapter 10 explains that. This verse summarizes it:
Heb 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
It was the obedience of Christ that dealt with all of my past. It was the obedience of Christ that dealt with the sin problem. It was the obedience of Christ that ‘perfected’ or completed us. It’s when we undervalue His obedience that we start looking somewhere else to try and add to His work. It is when we undervalue His work that we subtly begin again with our own work to try and accomplish what we don’t think He accomplished. The only thing you can add to the work of Christ is your adoration – that will transform your outer life.
The following is an amazing verse describing how God transforms our outer lives by the revelation of our identity. Act 15:9 He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very centre of who they were and working from that centre outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him. (MESSAGE)
Can you sense the attitude and spirit of Jesus when he entrusts a man – a man that was demon-possessed a few hours ago – He entrusts him to go and declare the good news to 10 cities! Should he not rather book 10 counselling sessions with him, enrol him on the latest courses, administer inner healing or break all those deep rooted generational curses? Somehow Jesus had no knowledge of our modern day practices. I don’t think he has any time for them today either and neither do I. They are a product of ignorance concerning the power of the gospel. Not esteeming the work of Christ as we should, is what creates room for these techniques.
When Jesus dispersed a crowd who tried to stone a prostitute, what does He tell her next? “You are going to need years of work! There are obviously many soul-ties to be broken. (Can’t wait till we get to the details of your confession) Enrol for my deliverance workshops, starting next Wednesday at your local synagogue.” No! He simply says: “Go and sin no more”!! How could He say that? He obviously believed that a true encounter with God, was all that was necessary to transform her life. He still believes that.
Maybe this lack of God-encounters is the reason why so many man-made techniques are invented; maybe it is because the message that is proclaimed is too weak to produce an encounter with God. A message “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” will need all the help it can get to bring change to peoples lives.
Let’s turn our attention for a moment to the woman at the well (John 4). Despite her past, despite her obviously flawed character, Jesus sees a greater reality about her. None of the facts can disqualify her from being introduced to a well of living water within her. She then, despite her reputation, proclaims Christ to her whole town!
In the same breath that Paul says that we should no longer view people from a human point of view, he also says “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” Notice, he did not say: “Behold the old things that passed away” His admonition is to set our gaze upon the new that has come! Focussing on the truth of what Jesus accomplished in and for us, contains within itself all the necessary ingredients to transform our outer lives.
God desires to occupy you with the present reality of His indwelling. From this vantage point our desire will be to include others also in the same experience, independent of their past.
How important is your past? When our focus is the present reality of His indwelling, our past is completely irrelevant. Even our future is stored in our present appreciation of fellowship with God. We become what we see – that is why we are encouraged to focus on Christ – therefore don’t focus on your past, lest you make it your future.
2Co 5:14-16 Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused centre: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look.
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
How do we form our opinions of ourselves and others? Regarding others, we usually gather information about their past, their reputation, their wealth and their appearance. There is a much more accurate way of gaining a truthful opinion of people.
Paul came to a place where he purposely changed the way he viewed others. No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human standards. (2Co 5:16) And again the same thought comes through in 1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Can you sense his resolve, his firm decision not to allow any other knowledge to influence his opinion of people? The truth about man was revealed by the true light – Christ. In Him we discover who we are and why we live. How can we see mankind in any other light? Every man is now defined by Christ and Christ Jesus blew our definitions away!
It is absurd to overlook the divine qualities of man and instead focus on his weaknesses. But, if we do not determine to see every man in the light of Christ, looking past the exterior and acknowledging the image of God within them, then we will soon be disillusioned by the contradictions we observe in the natural. If our focus is not single – defining man by the revelation Christ brought – then we’ll revert back to humanistic psychology mixed with a bit of bible, to try and delve into peoples past to find the problem – and miraculously the answer – there.
People might have problems due to past experiences, but the answer IS NOT IN THE PAST. IT IS IN THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH IS PRESENT. The answer to any darkness is light. No matter how long the darkness has been there, when the light shines, it dispels darkness. Satan might have worked for decades to introduce lies to a person, but it can all change in a moment that revelation shines into that person’s heart. The length of the solution (time-wise) is not at all related to the length of the problem. Every deception the enemy has, has a fundamental purpose of questioning your identity. This is also the first temptation that he used on Jesus: “If you are”. So we don’t have to search to find the exact event that introduced a lie, and so find the exact lie. The lie is always reducing our identity to something less than what Jesus revealed. The solution, the truth is always seeing clearly what Christ brought to light!
Concepts such as ‘Inner Healing’ and ‘Theophostics’ can’t be found in scripture. We could avoid much misunderstanding by simply using the terminology of scripture. The closest concept we can find is ‘renewing the mind’ I say closest concept because they are not the same at all. To renew your mind has nothing to do with delving into your past to seek a solution there. The very attention we give to past problems is the energy they need to prolong their existence. Give them no attention, set your mind on where the action is – with Christ – and soon you’ll not remember what the problem was.
To renew your mind is to see from God’s point of view.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (KJV)
Rom 12:2,3 Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (MESSAGE)
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (KJV) Some translations have obedience ‘TO Christ’ instead of ‘OF Christ’ – that simply misses the point. Here’s why. It is what Christ accomplished – his obedience, that now becomes the definition of my life. The whole of Hebrews chapter 10 explains that. This verse summarizes it:
Heb 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
It was the obedience of Christ that dealt with all of my past. It was the obedience of Christ that dealt with the sin problem. It was the obedience of Christ that ‘perfected’ or completed us. It’s when we undervalue His obedience that we start looking somewhere else to try and add to His work. It is when we undervalue His work that we subtly begin again with our own work to try and accomplish what we don’t think He accomplished. The only thing you can add to the work of Christ is your adoration – that will transform your outer life.
The following is an amazing verse describing how God transforms our outer lives by the revelation of our identity. Act 15:9 He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very centre of who they were and working from that centre outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him. (MESSAGE)
Can you sense the attitude and spirit of Jesus when he entrusts a man – a man that was demon-possessed a few hours ago – He entrusts him to go and declare the good news to 10 cities! Should he not rather book 10 counselling sessions with him, enrol him on the latest courses, administer inner healing or break all those deep rooted generational curses? Somehow Jesus had no knowledge of our modern day practices. I don’t think he has any time for them today either and neither do I. They are a product of ignorance concerning the power of the gospel. Not esteeming the work of Christ as we should, is what creates room for these techniques.
When Jesus dispersed a crowd who tried to stone a prostitute, what does He tell her next? “You are going to need years of work! There are obviously many soul-ties to be broken. (Can’t wait till we get to the details of your confession) Enrol for my deliverance workshops, starting next Wednesday at your local synagogue.” No! He simply says: “Go and sin no more”!! How could He say that? He obviously believed that a true encounter with God, was all that was necessary to transform her life. He still believes that.
Maybe this lack of God-encounters is the reason why so many man-made techniques are invented; maybe it is because the message that is proclaimed is too weak to produce an encounter with God. A message “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” will need all the help it can get to bring change to peoples lives.
Let’s turn our attention for a moment to the woman at the well (John 4). Despite her past, despite her obviously flawed character, Jesus sees a greater reality about her. None of the facts can disqualify her from being introduced to a well of living water within her. She then, despite her reputation, proclaims Christ to her whole town!
In the same breath that Paul says that we should no longer view people from a human point of view, he also says “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” Notice, he did not say: “Behold the old things that passed away” His admonition is to set our gaze upon the new that has come! Focussing on the truth of what Jesus accomplished in and for us, contains within itself all the necessary ingredients to transform our outer lives.
God desires to occupy you with the present reality of His indwelling. From this vantage point our desire will be to include others also in the same experience, independent of their past.
How important is your past? When our focus is the present reality of His indwelling, our past is completely irrelevant. Even our future is stored in our present appreciation of fellowship with God. We become what we see – that is why we are encouraged to focus on Christ – therefore don’t focus on your past, lest you make it your future.
2Co 5:14-16 Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused centre: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look.
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Feedback from the 'Saturday Word Feast'
The following, is some of the feedback we received from last Saturday's Word Feast. (Hope to see you all next time)
Hi Andre and Mary-Anne
The Word feast was amazing. We met so many wonderful people equally excited of the treasure that indwells them.
Thank you for the rich fellowship and the barbeque was top class. Our children was not at all impressed with me when we wanted to leave, they just love playing with all their new found friends.
"How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity". The joy of celebrating our origin was so evident. We all come from different backgrounds but we had all one thing in common, Christ within us. My friend Joe who came with me was amazed by the spontaneous input from everyone and the unity of faith really blessed Him. He kept on expressing to me his amazement at everyone spontaneously, just celebration the living Christ within, without any one particular person having to lead them. Even the singing and worshipping around the "barbe and a cuppa" was awesome. Thanks Mary-Anne, your songs are just filled with the Father's heart. Keep on going and get that CD out!
We were very blessed to see everyone acknowleding the good in each other, we commonly share in Chrsit Jesus. When are we having the next one? I would like you guys to meet more of my friends in Crayford.
Love you tons!
Tans and Portia
This was such an encouraging morning to experience. We shared about the goodness of Christ and on our identity in Christ and the Christ in us. What a heritage Jesus left for us, as we were sharing you cannot but help thinking this is how it must have been in the new testament churches, sharing Jesus and encouraging each other in the Word which is alive in us. I could feel the word being stirred up in me as we shared, Holy Spirit in me releasing me, igniting the fire of this prescious gospel Jesus left us. Like in the times of Paul, we shared not only the gospel but a meal afterwards enjoying the fellowship around the table and then with worship, as Mary-Anne shared her latest songs with us. This was truly a phenomenal time together and we cannot wait for the next one. Thank You Jesus.
Gerhard
Hi Andre and Mary-Anne
The Word feast was amazing. We met so many wonderful people equally excited of the treasure that indwells them.
Thank you for the rich fellowship and the barbeque was top class. Our children was not at all impressed with me when we wanted to leave, they just love playing with all their new found friends.
"How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity". The joy of celebrating our origin was so evident. We all come from different backgrounds but we had all one thing in common, Christ within us. My friend Joe who came with me was amazed by the spontaneous input from everyone and the unity of faith really blessed Him. He kept on expressing to me his amazement at everyone spontaneously, just celebration the living Christ within, without any one particular person having to lead them. Even the singing and worshipping around the "barbe and a cuppa" was awesome. Thanks Mary-Anne, your songs are just filled with the Father's heart. Keep on going and get that CD out!
We were very blessed to see everyone acknowleding the good in each other, we commonly share in Chrsit Jesus. When are we having the next one? I would like you guys to meet more of my friends in Crayford.
Love you tons!
Tans and Portia
This was such an encouraging morning to experience. We shared about the goodness of Christ and on our identity in Christ and the Christ in us. What a heritage Jesus left for us, as we were sharing you cannot but help thinking this is how it must have been in the new testament churches, sharing Jesus and encouraging each other in the Word which is alive in us. I could feel the word being stirred up in me as we shared, Holy Spirit in me releasing me, igniting the fire of this prescious gospel Jesus left us. Like in the times of Paul, we shared not only the gospel but a meal afterwards enjoying the fellowship around the table and then with worship, as Mary-Anne shared her latest songs with us. This was truly a phenomenal time together and we cannot wait for the next one. Thank You Jesus.
Gerhard
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
London Bombings
The following is an open letter response from Francois Du Toit to Tanswell's letter. Tans wrote this just after the events and his letter can be found here
Halo Tans and Portia!
It is such a joy and encouragement to hear your voice of faith!
What a statement you made in your letter; I mean, if an act of terrorism can shake a city and a nation with fear, what will it take to shake a city and a nation with faith?!! It happened in the days of the Acts of the believers: 'They spoke in such a way that many believed," Acts 14:1. " The place in which they prayed was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31 "We cannot but speak of what we have seen and
heard" Acts 4:20. "And the Word of God increased and the number of disciples were greatly multiplied!" Acts 6:7. A newly appointed deacon, Philip, went down to a city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ; and the multitudes with one accord (The revelation of Christ as the truth is in Jesus, reveals oneness and the inclusion of the multitudes!) gave heed to what was said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs which he did. For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who were paralysed or lame, were healed. So there was much joy in that city! Acts 8:5-8. (The act of terrorism left many injured and dead, and there was great fear and sorrow in the city)
Imagine you empowered by God! Doing the works Jesus had done! When will we have enough money to hire a great evangelist to do it for us in our community??
“The righteousness that is of faith says, “Do not say in your heart “Who will ascend into heaven to convince God to send Jesus down one more time (maybe if only for a 10 day crusade in my city??) Things might even get so bad that we lose our revelation of the resurrection, because righteousness by faith also does not say, “Who will descent into the abyss that is to bring Christ back from the dead!” But what does righteousness by faith say?? Righteousness by faith says!! “The WORD is near unto you!!! IT is in your mouth and in your heart!!! The nearness of the word in your mouth and in your heart equals the very presence of Christ on earth; it equals the revelation of His resurrection from the dead!! Righteousness by faith reveals that we were co-crucified; we co-died and were also co-raised, and are now co-seated at the right hand of God to co-conquer the nations with Him!! Col 3:4 says every time Jesus is revealed, we are also co-revealed with Him!! In Acts 3 Peter doesn’t apologise to the lame man about the absence of Jesus! He doesn’t say, “Sorry sir, but you’ve missed Jesus by two months, He’s in heaven now and you’ll have to wait for His second coming which will only happen thousands of years from now!! Instead he says, “We give you what we have in our union with His name!” (His Name reveals our true identity) What we have includes you!! Peter declares with bold confidence that in His resurrection from the dead, God restored all things to man, the things of which all the prophets spoke when they proclaimed these days, “God having raised up His Son, sent Him to you first!” Here Jesus is revealed again in the lives of common uneducated men! Acts 3.
Imagine you touching another individual with faith! Imagine you turning a city’s sorrow into joy!! Arise and shine for your light has come! Stand up in faith and make your voice heard!! “Get thee up on a high mountain and lift up your voice with strength!!
"These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also!" Acts 17:6
Paul never saw a weak gospel, he never considered a gospel of insignificant impact which would only appeal to a few individuals here and there! He didn’t see its appeal reduced to a few desperate and lonely people who finally had no one else to turn to so they think they would ‘maar’ turn to Jesus and do Him a favour as it were! Instead, Paul’s mission was to make all men see, and to present all men in the full stature of Christ. Paul saw and proclaimed without hesitation or apology the gospel as the power of God, revealing God’s righteousness from faith to faith. (He is the author and finisher of our faith, His faith ignites our faith) He declared the truth of our co-inclusion in Christ in such a way, that its appeal was like a mirror reflection. “With the open (unveiled) statement of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience” (Eph 3:9, Col 1:28, Rom 1:16,17, 2 Cor 3:18, 2Cor 4:2)
I was reminded this morning of Rom 4, "Abraham did not misjudge (diakrino) the promise of God through unbelief! (there was no confusion in his judgement, even after years of contradiction, he was not influenced to make decisions based on circumstances, but what he knew to be true, continued to persuade him) That is why his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. But the words, "It was reckoned to him" were written not for his sake alone!!! but for ours also!!! This sounds like 2Cor 4:13 "since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I believe and so I speak" we too believe and so we speak, knowing.....!!!!" Paul is here quoting David from Ps 116; verse 7 finds David speaking to himself (You are faith’s first audience!) “Return, O my soul to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you! V10, I believe and so I have spoken (Some translations then say, “I am greatly afflicted” as if this was David’s confession, the Hebrew actually says: I will sing loudly!)
Faith as God knows it to be true, finds a voice in your mouth and a place in your heart that fully represents God’s eternal love dream and plan with mankind as He realised it in Christ in the fullness of time!
My brother Hanri shared a lovely scripture with me last night from Heb 12:3, “consider Him who endured such hostile contradiction…” The Greek word consider is the word analogitzomai which means to constantly, again and again come to the same logical conclusion!
Righteousness by faith sees the substance and the evidence of all we could ever anticipate concerning God’s declaration of us, revealed, realised and fulfilled in Christ as in a mirror! Lets not wait for another day, another wave or another revelation or great idea, lets rather consider how to fan the flame within us and how to stir up one another and arouse one another by way of reminder!!!
“The zeal of the Lord will do it” Isa 9:7. Lets not confuse the zeal of God with zeal for God. Paul says of the Jews, “I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened, for being ignorant of the righteousness that comes by faith, they continue to reason that their own effort to do something for God will be reckoned to them as righteousness” Rom 10:1-
The gospel reveals the faith of God, the love of God, the peace of God, the joy of the Lord, the righteousness of God etc….and all of this is revealed in us as in a morror!!!!! It cannot get better than this!! All of our conversation, our worship, our fellowship becomes a reflection of His final word, made flesh in Him so that what is true in Him is true in us! He has given us understanding to know Him who is true and we are in Him who is true! If we have received the testimony of man the testimony of God is greater! 1John 2:7,8, 1Jhn 5:9, 20
“So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host!” Ezekiel 37:10. “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life giving spirit!” 1Cor 15:45.
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Halo Tans and Portia!
It is such a joy and encouragement to hear your voice of faith!
What a statement you made in your letter; I mean, if an act of terrorism can shake a city and a nation with fear, what will it take to shake a city and a nation with faith?!! It happened in the days of the Acts of the believers: 'They spoke in such a way that many believed," Acts 14:1. " The place in which they prayed was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31 "We cannot but speak of what we have seen and
heard" Acts 4:20. "And the Word of God increased and the number of disciples were greatly multiplied!" Acts 6:7. A newly appointed deacon, Philip, went down to a city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ; and the multitudes with one accord (The revelation of Christ as the truth is in Jesus, reveals oneness and the inclusion of the multitudes!) gave heed to what was said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs which he did. For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who were paralysed or lame, were healed. So there was much joy in that city! Acts 8:5-8. (The act of terrorism left many injured and dead, and there was great fear and sorrow in the city)
Imagine you empowered by God! Doing the works Jesus had done! When will we have enough money to hire a great evangelist to do it for us in our community??
“The righteousness that is of faith says, “Do not say in your heart “Who will ascend into heaven to convince God to send Jesus down one more time (maybe if only for a 10 day crusade in my city??) Things might even get so bad that we lose our revelation of the resurrection, because righteousness by faith also does not say, “Who will descent into the abyss that is to bring Christ back from the dead!” But what does righteousness by faith say?? Righteousness by faith says!! “The WORD is near unto you!!! IT is in your mouth and in your heart!!! The nearness of the word in your mouth and in your heart equals the very presence of Christ on earth; it equals the revelation of His resurrection from the dead!! Righteousness by faith reveals that we were co-crucified; we co-died and were also co-raised, and are now co-seated at the right hand of God to co-conquer the nations with Him!! Col 3:4 says every time Jesus is revealed, we are also co-revealed with Him!! In Acts 3 Peter doesn’t apologise to the lame man about the absence of Jesus! He doesn’t say, “Sorry sir, but you’ve missed Jesus by two months, He’s in heaven now and you’ll have to wait for His second coming which will only happen thousands of years from now!! Instead he says, “We give you what we have in our union with His name!” (His Name reveals our true identity) What we have includes you!! Peter declares with bold confidence that in His resurrection from the dead, God restored all things to man, the things of which all the prophets spoke when they proclaimed these days, “God having raised up His Son, sent Him to you first!” Here Jesus is revealed again in the lives of common uneducated men! Acts 3.
Imagine you touching another individual with faith! Imagine you turning a city’s sorrow into joy!! Arise and shine for your light has come! Stand up in faith and make your voice heard!! “Get thee up on a high mountain and lift up your voice with strength!!
"These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also!" Acts 17:6
Paul never saw a weak gospel, he never considered a gospel of insignificant impact which would only appeal to a few individuals here and there! He didn’t see its appeal reduced to a few desperate and lonely people who finally had no one else to turn to so they think they would ‘maar’ turn to Jesus and do Him a favour as it were! Instead, Paul’s mission was to make all men see, and to present all men in the full stature of Christ. Paul saw and proclaimed without hesitation or apology the gospel as the power of God, revealing God’s righteousness from faith to faith. (He is the author and finisher of our faith, His faith ignites our faith) He declared the truth of our co-inclusion in Christ in such a way, that its appeal was like a mirror reflection. “With the open (unveiled) statement of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience” (Eph 3:9, Col 1:28, Rom 1:16,17, 2 Cor 3:18, 2Cor 4:2)
I was reminded this morning of Rom 4, "Abraham did not misjudge (diakrino) the promise of God through unbelief! (there was no confusion in his judgement, even after years of contradiction, he was not influenced to make decisions based on circumstances, but what he knew to be true, continued to persuade him) That is why his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. But the words, "It was reckoned to him" were written not for his sake alone!!! but for ours also!!! This sounds like 2Cor 4:13 "since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I believe and so I speak" we too believe and so we speak, knowing.....!!!!" Paul is here quoting David from Ps 116; verse 7 finds David speaking to himself (You are faith’s first audience!) “Return, O my soul to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you! V10, I believe and so I have spoken (Some translations then say, “I am greatly afflicted” as if this was David’s confession, the Hebrew actually says: I will sing loudly!)
Faith as God knows it to be true, finds a voice in your mouth and a place in your heart that fully represents God’s eternal love dream and plan with mankind as He realised it in Christ in the fullness of time!
My brother Hanri shared a lovely scripture with me last night from Heb 12:3, “consider Him who endured such hostile contradiction…” The Greek word consider is the word analogitzomai which means to constantly, again and again come to the same logical conclusion!
Righteousness by faith sees the substance and the evidence of all we could ever anticipate concerning God’s declaration of us, revealed, realised and fulfilled in Christ as in a mirror! Lets not wait for another day, another wave or another revelation or great idea, lets rather consider how to fan the flame within us and how to stir up one another and arouse one another by way of reminder!!!
“The zeal of the Lord will do it” Isa 9:7. Lets not confuse the zeal of God with zeal for God. Paul says of the Jews, “I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened, for being ignorant of the righteousness that comes by faith, they continue to reason that their own effort to do something for God will be reckoned to them as righteousness” Rom 10:1-
The gospel reveals the faith of God, the love of God, the peace of God, the joy of the Lord, the righteousness of God etc….and all of this is revealed in us as in a morror!!!!! It cannot get better than this!! All of our conversation, our worship, our fellowship becomes a reflection of His final word, made flesh in Him so that what is true in Him is true in us! He has given us understanding to know Him who is true and we are in Him who is true! If we have received the testimony of man the testimony of God is greater! 1John 2:7,8, 1Jhn 5:9, 20
“So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host!” Ezekiel 37:10. “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life giving spirit!” 1Cor 15:45.
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Monday, July 11, 2005
Revolution Part 2
Revolution Part 2
· Focussed
Let’s consider the following scenario. The city of Galatia never even heard of Jesus Christ before Paul and Barnabas arrived there. (Acts13:14-) From the time that Paul first preached till the time they left was about four months.
They leave these new, fresh, ‘baby’ Christians with nothing but the message they heard. They leave them without an institution or organisation to support them. They leave them without any professional clergy to keep them on track. They leave them without any leadership! (Leadership within churches only developed many years later, but always remained very low-key. These believers had to learn how to be brothers before they learned how to be elders. This is also why Paul’s letters are never written to the leaders at churches, but to the whole church. Leaders weren’t really an issue – they were simply brothers who served more than others). They leave them without a Bible! They leave them without any training material. But what do they leave?
They left them with the sobering reality that the message they heard is either true and contains within itself all the sustenance they need, or it’s just another man-made religion that will fall flat in the absence of all the support structures needed to keep man-made systems from falling. All they had was Christ in them and brothers around them. They found out that’s all they need. It is all we need also and once we take away all these artificial support structures we will once again discover the sustaining power of the original message.
In the absence of all the things we thought were essential to our Christianity they discovered that a clear focus on Christ was the essence of their faith. This message-focussed quality was a vital part of what made first century Christianity revolutionary.
· Lack of control
We have a few records of people informing the apostles in Jerusalem of what God has done in other places. We have no record of people coming to ask permission to take this message to another region. There was no way to stop it! It was, and is, a way of life.
This total lack of control caused wonderful and unexpected results. This message transformed ordinary people into God’s own personal ambassadors. This absence of official control was undoubtedly one of the key elements that made this church so dynamic and revolutionary.
The good news of Jesus Christ – the revelation of who God really is and the revelation of who man really is – still has those revolutionary qualities in it today. But we are required not to mix it, and dilute it with teachings that deny the very essence of it. When Paul eventually wrote to the Galatian Christians, He did not start with an apology for leaving so soon. Neither did He try to check up on the program or use it as an occasion to introduce some new rules, or ordain that pastor they never got. No, thank God no. His message was to assure them regarding the freedom they found and warn them not to submit to any regulations, even religious regulations that would try and undermine this freedom.
I read a delightful account of the history of the Celtic Christian communities in Britain. When the Roman Catholic Church arrived they were a bit disgusted that Christianity was already present and they did not introduce it! Although the Catholic ‘church’ was successful in assimilating just about every Christian community into its system, they found the Celts just impossible. They just wouldn’t conform to the system. (It took hundreds of years to make them forget the message and fit into the system) I had to smile when they mentioned that the Galatians were originally Celts and that the Christian faith was brought to them through their family contacts with Galatia. Paul would have been proud. The first letter Paul wrote was to warn these Christians to not submit themselves to religious traditions and regulation. They obviously learned this lesson well. May we learn it anew.
· Lack of building!
Another unique feature of these early Christians is that they did not have a building of their own. All other religions of the time had their own sacred meeting places, but these Christians just met in homes! This was not just a coincidence, its strategically part of God’s plan. There are no religious buildings numerous or big enough to contain the intended audience of the gospel. But there are enough houses! It is also in the setting of a house that the previously discussed values, flourish naturally.
It was about 300 years after Jesus’ resurrection that the first Christian buildings were built by the emperor Constantine. I remember when I first learned this as a child. I thought that it was great that such an important person accepted Jesus and built buildings for the Christians. Today I have come to know that it was probably one of the greatest curses introduced to Christianity. What used to be a ‘lay’ led movement, focussed on a glorious message, free from institutional control, living in the reality of brotherhood, was reduced for the most part to just another man-made institution. What Satan failed to achieve through persecution, he almost succeeded at, through the introduction of church buildings and the reduction of our understanding of church, to a man-made institution. No matter how much lip-service we pay to the truth that people are the church, if a building and professional clergy remains at the centre of our Christian fellowship, we have exchanged the values of true church for something less.
As our focus returns to the treasure within us, may we remove everything that distract from the simplicity of knowing and living Christ.
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
· Focussed
Let’s consider the following scenario. The city of Galatia never even heard of Jesus Christ before Paul and Barnabas arrived there. (Acts13:14-) From the time that Paul first preached till the time they left was about four months.
They leave these new, fresh, ‘baby’ Christians with nothing but the message they heard. They leave them without an institution or organisation to support them. They leave them without any professional clergy to keep them on track. They leave them without any leadership! (Leadership within churches only developed many years later, but always remained very low-key. These believers had to learn how to be brothers before they learned how to be elders. This is also why Paul’s letters are never written to the leaders at churches, but to the whole church. Leaders weren’t really an issue – they were simply brothers who served more than others). They leave them without a Bible! They leave them without any training material. But what do they leave?
They left them with the sobering reality that the message they heard is either true and contains within itself all the sustenance they need, or it’s just another man-made religion that will fall flat in the absence of all the support structures needed to keep man-made systems from falling. All they had was Christ in them and brothers around them. They found out that’s all they need. It is all we need also and once we take away all these artificial support structures we will once again discover the sustaining power of the original message.
In the absence of all the things we thought were essential to our Christianity they discovered that a clear focus on Christ was the essence of their faith. This message-focussed quality was a vital part of what made first century Christianity revolutionary.
· Lack of control
We have a few records of people informing the apostles in Jerusalem of what God has done in other places. We have no record of people coming to ask permission to take this message to another region. There was no way to stop it! It was, and is, a way of life.
This total lack of control caused wonderful and unexpected results. This message transformed ordinary people into God’s own personal ambassadors. This absence of official control was undoubtedly one of the key elements that made this church so dynamic and revolutionary.
The good news of Jesus Christ – the revelation of who God really is and the revelation of who man really is – still has those revolutionary qualities in it today. But we are required not to mix it, and dilute it with teachings that deny the very essence of it. When Paul eventually wrote to the Galatian Christians, He did not start with an apology for leaving so soon. Neither did He try to check up on the program or use it as an occasion to introduce some new rules, or ordain that pastor they never got. No, thank God no. His message was to assure them regarding the freedom they found and warn them not to submit to any regulations, even religious regulations that would try and undermine this freedom.
I read a delightful account of the history of the Celtic Christian communities in Britain. When the Roman Catholic Church arrived they were a bit disgusted that Christianity was already present and they did not introduce it! Although the Catholic ‘church’ was successful in assimilating just about every Christian community into its system, they found the Celts just impossible. They just wouldn’t conform to the system. (It took hundreds of years to make them forget the message and fit into the system) I had to smile when they mentioned that the Galatians were originally Celts and that the Christian faith was brought to them through their family contacts with Galatia. Paul would have been proud. The first letter Paul wrote was to warn these Christians to not submit themselves to religious traditions and regulation. They obviously learned this lesson well. May we learn it anew.
· Lack of building!
Another unique feature of these early Christians is that they did not have a building of their own. All other religions of the time had their own sacred meeting places, but these Christians just met in homes! This was not just a coincidence, its strategically part of God’s plan. There are no religious buildings numerous or big enough to contain the intended audience of the gospel. But there are enough houses! It is also in the setting of a house that the previously discussed values, flourish naturally.
It was about 300 years after Jesus’ resurrection that the first Christian buildings were built by the emperor Constantine. I remember when I first learned this as a child. I thought that it was great that such an important person accepted Jesus and built buildings for the Christians. Today I have come to know that it was probably one of the greatest curses introduced to Christianity. What used to be a ‘lay’ led movement, focussed on a glorious message, free from institutional control, living in the reality of brotherhood, was reduced for the most part to just another man-made institution. What Satan failed to achieve through persecution, he almost succeeded at, through the introduction of church buildings and the reduction of our understanding of church, to a man-made institution. No matter how much lip-service we pay to the truth that people are the church, if a building and professional clergy remains at the centre of our Christian fellowship, we have exchanged the values of true church for something less.
As our focus returns to the treasure within us, may we remove everything that distract from the simplicity of knowing and living Christ.
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Revolution Part 1
Revolution Part 1
In this series we’ll be looking at what made the first century Christians (church) so revolutionary. This was a revolution that turned their world upside down and our desire is to see the core values and message that made this so.
· Brotherhood
Never before was there a religion or philosophy that so completely removed the barriers of class and status as the message that was embraced by these early believers. Neither was this an intellectual or philosophical equality, but it produced a community in which the slave and his master, the Jew and the Greek sat next to one another as equals, acknowledging the image of God in one another.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek: there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
In a society, much more class conscious than our own, this new-found truth of man’s identity in Christ, caused people who previously would not even look at each other, to sit and eat and converse around the same table. They ate a real meal with a symbolic meaning - as they all partook of the same wine and bread they were reminded that they were all equally included in the work of Christ when His body was broken (as the bread) and His blood flowed (the wine). The meal was real and the meaning symbolic not the other way round.
This total absence of class distinction, race distinction and any other barrier between men, was one of the most revolutionary characteristics of this new way of life. It was not politically correct or socially acceptable, nevertheless it was the undeniable result of believing that we all have the same Father, who values and esteems us all the same.
The word ‘brethren’ or ‘brothers’ is one of the most popular words in the New Testament, used more than 340 times! So are the words ‘among’ and ‘one another’.
In that time, just as now, subtle deception, that brought awareness of position, levels of importance etc, tried to creep in unnoticed. James spoke very sternly about this in chapter two of his letter to a church. He said that if we reserve a better seat for a person that obviously has greater importance than another, then we violate the very essence of this gospel.
This revelation of the brotherhood of all men, our equality in His eyes, displayed in our esteem of one another, is an essential key to the revolutionary results of the first century Christians. Let’s grasp firmly this revelation again. Let’s bring back some of the revolutionary elements of our faith.
· No professional Clergy.
Christianity was the first ‘religion’ in the history of humanity that did not have its own religious buildings or own professional clergy. Even ‘eldership’ was secondary to ‘brotherhood’ In Paul’s letters he speaks of brothers 134 times, elders 5 times, overseers 4 times and pastors 1 time. He spoke of these concepts in proportion to their importance. It was the revelation of brotherhood that was much more essential to the faith than the eventual emergence of elders, or those mature in faith, to describe it differently.
These communities learned brotherhood long before (many years) they learned ‘elderhood.’ Even the word ‘leadership’ is deceptive in speaking about those who stood out. They stood out because of their servanthood.
Mat 23:11,12 "Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.
Because this movement was led by ‘lay’, unprofessional, uneducated people, it became the most revolutionary movement ever. This is an essential quality of these radical new communities called church. The time of restoration has come!
This is the very quality that made duplication of this faith so easy! You did not need a qualification, a certificate or any other training to minister Christ to others. All you needed was the relationship you enjoyed with Him, displayed in the way you valued others.
Those with religious titles and positions were particularly disturbed that uneducated men were able to manifest God in a more real way than what they ever knew was possible.
Act 4:13 They couldn't take their eyes off them--Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus,
Let’s take a firm grip on this essential quality that made ‘the way’ the most revolutionary movement of its day. A new revolution is brewing, or more like an old one, coming to its grand finale.
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
eclesia.blogspot.com.
In this series we’ll be looking at what made the first century Christians (church) so revolutionary. This was a revolution that turned their world upside down and our desire is to see the core values and message that made this so.
· Brotherhood
Never before was there a religion or philosophy that so completely removed the barriers of class and status as the message that was embraced by these early believers. Neither was this an intellectual or philosophical equality, but it produced a community in which the slave and his master, the Jew and the Greek sat next to one another as equals, acknowledging the image of God in one another.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek: there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
In a society, much more class conscious than our own, this new-found truth of man’s identity in Christ, caused people who previously would not even look at each other, to sit and eat and converse around the same table. They ate a real meal with a symbolic meaning - as they all partook of the same wine and bread they were reminded that they were all equally included in the work of Christ when His body was broken (as the bread) and His blood flowed (the wine). The meal was real and the meaning symbolic not the other way round.
This total absence of class distinction, race distinction and any other barrier between men, was one of the most revolutionary characteristics of this new way of life. It was not politically correct or socially acceptable, nevertheless it was the undeniable result of believing that we all have the same Father, who values and esteems us all the same.
The word ‘brethren’ or ‘brothers’ is one of the most popular words in the New Testament, used more than 340 times! So are the words ‘among’ and ‘one another’.
In that time, just as now, subtle deception, that brought awareness of position, levels of importance etc, tried to creep in unnoticed. James spoke very sternly about this in chapter two of his letter to a church. He said that if we reserve a better seat for a person that obviously has greater importance than another, then we violate the very essence of this gospel.
This revelation of the brotherhood of all men, our equality in His eyes, displayed in our esteem of one another, is an essential key to the revolutionary results of the first century Christians. Let’s grasp firmly this revelation again. Let’s bring back some of the revolutionary elements of our faith.
· No professional Clergy.
Christianity was the first ‘religion’ in the history of humanity that did not have its own religious buildings or own professional clergy. Even ‘eldership’ was secondary to ‘brotherhood’ In Paul’s letters he speaks of brothers 134 times, elders 5 times, overseers 4 times and pastors 1 time. He spoke of these concepts in proportion to their importance. It was the revelation of brotherhood that was much more essential to the faith than the eventual emergence of elders, or those mature in faith, to describe it differently.
These communities learned brotherhood long before (many years) they learned ‘elderhood.’ Even the word ‘leadership’ is deceptive in speaking about those who stood out. They stood out because of their servanthood.
Mat 23:11,12 "Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.
Because this movement was led by ‘lay’, unprofessional, uneducated people, it became the most revolutionary movement ever. This is an essential quality of these radical new communities called church. The time of restoration has come!
This is the very quality that made duplication of this faith so easy! You did not need a qualification, a certificate or any other training to minister Christ to others. All you needed was the relationship you enjoyed with Him, displayed in the way you valued others.
Those with religious titles and positions were particularly disturbed that uneducated men were able to manifest God in a more real way than what they ever knew was possible.
Act 4:13 They couldn't take their eyes off them--Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus,
Let’s take a firm grip on this essential quality that made ‘the way’ the most revolutionary movement of its day. A new revolution is brewing, or more like an old one, coming to its grand finale.
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
eclesia.blogspot.com.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
What are you worth?
What are you worth?
God is obsessed with you! David discovered this when he wrote: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” (Ps 8:4). His mind is full of you. Job discovered it when he wrote that God would not even turn His gaze away from him long enough to swallow his spit! (Job7:19). Jesus (God Himself) acknowledged this obsession when He said that God keeps count of your hair! I mean, how involved can one become! Neither is this a fleeting infatuation; He has been this way for longer than our historic documents are able to record. He is completely, absolutely, in the highest degree in love with you.
It is this love that defines your value. You have a value that far exceeds your current wealth plus your earning power plus your achievements. It is not that your achievements are worthless or that your titles mean nothing, it’s just that measuring your value by them can’t do justice to your true value.
What title can compare to: ‘son of God’.
What position can compare to being seated with Christ in heavenly places?
What heritage can compare to being born of God?
What status can compare to being called His friend and personal representative?
He values you beyond your greatest achievement. He values you even if your only achievement is failure. He can see the truth about you, the reality of your worth, even if no one else (including yourself) can. He invites you to see from His point of view.
There was an event in history in which God was required to place a value on man. Man was up for sale (redeem means to buy back) and nothing but the exact price would do. He made a calculation and came to a definite answer: Man is worth as much as I. He gave Himself as a ransom for you.
It is only within this love that we clearly see our value. To evaluate yourself and others by any other means is to look through a uneven, dirty sheet of glass – your vision is vague. No matter what measure you use to try and add value to yourself, it falls short. No matter what grounds you think you have to subtract value from yourself, it lacks substance. His opinion is all that matters.
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
God is obsessed with you! David discovered this when he wrote: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” (Ps 8:4). His mind is full of you. Job discovered it when he wrote that God would not even turn His gaze away from him long enough to swallow his spit! (Job7:19). Jesus (God Himself) acknowledged this obsession when He said that God keeps count of your hair! I mean, how involved can one become! Neither is this a fleeting infatuation; He has been this way for longer than our historic documents are able to record. He is completely, absolutely, in the highest degree in love with you.
It is this love that defines your value. You have a value that far exceeds your current wealth plus your earning power plus your achievements. It is not that your achievements are worthless or that your titles mean nothing, it’s just that measuring your value by them can’t do justice to your true value.
What title can compare to: ‘son of God’.
What position can compare to being seated with Christ in heavenly places?
What heritage can compare to being born of God?
What status can compare to being called His friend and personal representative?
He values you beyond your greatest achievement. He values you even if your only achievement is failure. He can see the truth about you, the reality of your worth, even if no one else (including yourself) can. He invites you to see from His point of view.
There was an event in history in which God was required to place a value on man. Man was up for sale (redeem means to buy back) and nothing but the exact price would do. He made a calculation and came to a definite answer: Man is worth as much as I. He gave Himself as a ransom for you.
It is only within this love that we clearly see our value. To evaluate yourself and others by any other means is to look through a uneven, dirty sheet of glass – your vision is vague. No matter what measure you use to try and add value to yourself, it falls short. No matter what grounds you think you have to subtract value from yourself, it lacks substance. His opinion is all that matters.
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Understanding Authority Part 3
The following is an email that raised some very good question on the authority articles and the reply. It is published unedited, except for a few grammer corrections (on my side) and the use of an alias name. Published with permission.
Hi Andre
I read your Blogs about Authority and consequently ran for my bible! I understand totally what you are saying and completely agree... I think!
Firstly, Surely the point of being a 'body' of Christ is that we are one, not independent 'members' and even though the fingers may get it's instruction directly from the head, it requires the presence of the arms and neck etc to successfully implement that instruction...?
Secondly, how does an New Testament church which has no 'official' authority deal with deception or rebellion. The idea relies on each member receiving absolute clarity in hearing from God and as we all know, we all make mistakes! Where does the buck stop? Who takes responsibility for guiding the body?
A child who has a bad parent should surely still obey it's parent, regardless of the quality of the parent's decision making? Or should I say regardless of the parent's teaching style? Would the church not run the risk of falling into a place of hopeless rebellion without someone calling the
shots?
As I understand it, life is a test and isn't submission one of those tests?
One more question - the new testament church we spoke about is referenced from the Greek word Ekklesia, correct? My lexicon describes this word as: a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly. Is this public assembly which we call church supposed to run under an organic authority or is it an incorrect translation of the Greek word in
the first place?
I am certainly not questioning your teaching, but would love to hear further insight into your revelation!
God bless
Theopolis
Reply
Hi Theopolis, Thanks for the feedback.
You asked such good questions. Often, before one gets to the core of what something really is, one has to strip away the layers of what it is not. I feel that what I started in these articles is the beginning of the 'stripping' stage and by no means a complete description of N.T. church. Whoever does not have questions after reading it, certainly did not read it correctly.
Here goes!
"not independent 'members'"
There is nothing that makes me fall in love with people as much as understanding this gospel. The revelation of our identity draws me to others and the community that forms in that way is certainly part of what God desires. Jesus gave us a clue as to how big it could be 'where 2 or 3 is gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.' Paul, in one of the rare occasions in which he speaks of the actual gathering of the church makes it crystal clear that the gatherings were small enough for each member to individually contribute a song or a word of encouragement etc. Every church in the N.T., without exception, met in a home.
Conclusion: I agree, God's idea is community. We do see a very different community in the N.T. church than much of what we see today. It was much closer to an extended family. If you think of a family - there are occasions that bigger meetings are called as with a wedding. These celebrations, however, happens occasionally, not weekly. The core is a small group. And families don't need organisations to keep them together.
"how does an New Testament church which has no 'official' authority deal with deception or rebellion"
Every cult that ever formed was as a result of one person having undue influence on the opinions of others. It was the very existence of official authority that led to deception.
When you are part of a family where every member is able and encouraged to speak his/her thoughts, it brings an immediate balance and natural guard against deception. I have no illusion that leadership developed and still develops in house type churches, but they are organic in this way: When a person speaks in line with the mind of God, his words carry authority; when he speaks out of his own, his words do not carry authority. Therefore authority is fluid and makes it much easier for everyone to recognise and deal with deception. Without official appointments people will recognize leadership by maturity, meekness and servanthood. No one will be able to impose their thoughts on others because of a superior position in such an environment.
"Where does the buck stop?"
With each individual member. This is one of the greatest weaknesses I see in organisational type authority. Individuals abdicate there personal responsibility by just blending in. Scripture continually stresses individual accountability, here's one example:
Rom 14:8-10None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It's God we are answerable to--all the way from life to death and everything in between-- not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other. .....Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God.
Rom 14:13 Forget about deciding what's right for each other
"Who takes responsibility for guiding the body?*
The Head; the one and only Head. Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
It's interesting that throughout history, revival and growth took place when the organisations lost control. Today in China, India and Argentina the greatest christian movements are happening without any official authority. Simple people are simply believing what the Word says and living it. Jesus said: 'I will build my church' - I think we often did not trust Him and tried to do it for Him.
"As I understand it, life is a test and isn't submission one of those tests?"
Submission is beautiful. The core meaning is to allow yourself to be persuaded. Godly submission is voluntarily and to be present in all relationships Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. True submission needs no hierarchy or superior position to exist. It's an attitude that I am even able to display towards my children.
There is however a very dangerous type of submission that will suck the very life out of you. Paul spoke about such a type of submission in the book of Galatians - the type that brings one into bondage and robs the individual of personal freedom - something(individual freedom) that God is passionate about.
Gal 2:5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
Ekklesia
ek-klay-see'-ah
From a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both): - assembly, church.
The meaning of the word has changed over the centuries of use. Specifically the term 'public' was not assumed originally, although it is not excluded either. Most references in the N.T. is to a local assembly in a house. (There are also references to the universal church - beyond location and time, but thats not the focus of our discussion now - added later)
Rom 16:5 And the church which is in their house. Salute Epenetus, my beloved: who is the firstfruits of Asia in Christ.
1Co 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house, with whom I also lodge.
Col 4:15 Salute the brethren who are at Laodicea: and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.
Phm 1:2 And to Appia, our dearest sister, and to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church which is in thy house.
The meetings that occured in public places, especially in the very beginning, has no sign of official organisation. It was spontaneous, creative and useful for a time to evangelize. The temple(only one in Jerusalem) was a natural location for people to gather and so if you had some good news, thats where you went to share it. Later on we see Paul occasionally visiting synagogues, but for the exclusive purpose of evangelizing. As soon as it became apparent that they did not want to hear from him any more, he left.
It might be useful to mention that there is nothing wrong with organising a meeting or an event that is christian by nature. It is when we somehow develop this into a permanent organisation and then call it the church that it is contrary to God's word. Organising stuff is fine and sometimes necessary, but calling an organisation church is far below the vision of scripture.
If we look at the root words from which ekklesia comes from, it is the word 'origin' and 'from'. It is as if the revelation of our origin awakens us and draws us into a new appreciation of one-another.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and don't hesitate to keep them coming.
I want to end with a some words Jesus Himself spoke that meant so much to me:
Mat 23:8 "Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates.
Mat 23:9 Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of 'Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven.
Mat 23:10 And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them--Christ.
Mat 23:11 "Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant.
Mat 23:12 If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.
Love
Andre
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Hi Andre
I read your Blogs about Authority and consequently ran for my bible! I understand totally what you are saying and completely agree... I think!
Firstly, Surely the point of being a 'body' of Christ is that we are one, not independent 'members' and even though the fingers may get it's instruction directly from the head, it requires the presence of the arms and neck etc to successfully implement that instruction...?
Secondly, how does an New Testament church which has no 'official' authority deal with deception or rebellion. The idea relies on each member receiving absolute clarity in hearing from God and as we all know, we all make mistakes! Where does the buck stop? Who takes responsibility for guiding the body?
A child who has a bad parent should surely still obey it's parent, regardless of the quality of the parent's decision making? Or should I say regardless of the parent's teaching style? Would the church not run the risk of falling into a place of hopeless rebellion without someone calling the
shots?
As I understand it, life is a test and isn't submission one of those tests?
One more question - the new testament church we spoke about is referenced from the Greek word Ekklesia, correct? My lexicon describes this word as: a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly. Is this public assembly which we call church supposed to run under an organic authority or is it an incorrect translation of the Greek word in
the first place?
I am certainly not questioning your teaching, but would love to hear further insight into your revelation!
God bless
Theopolis
Reply
Hi Theopolis, Thanks for the feedback.
You asked such good questions. Often, before one gets to the core of what something really is, one has to strip away the layers of what it is not. I feel that what I started in these articles is the beginning of the 'stripping' stage and by no means a complete description of N.T. church. Whoever does not have questions after reading it, certainly did not read it correctly.
Here goes!
"not independent 'members'"
There is nothing that makes me fall in love with people as much as understanding this gospel. The revelation of our identity draws me to others and the community that forms in that way is certainly part of what God desires. Jesus gave us a clue as to how big it could be 'where 2 or 3 is gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.' Paul, in one of the rare occasions in which he speaks of the actual gathering of the church makes it crystal clear that the gatherings were small enough for each member to individually contribute a song or a word of encouragement etc. Every church in the N.T., without exception, met in a home.
Conclusion: I agree, God's idea is community. We do see a very different community in the N.T. church than much of what we see today. It was much closer to an extended family. If you think of a family - there are occasions that bigger meetings are called as with a wedding. These celebrations, however, happens occasionally, not weekly. The core is a small group. And families don't need organisations to keep them together.
"how does an New Testament church which has no 'official' authority deal with deception or rebellion"
Every cult that ever formed was as a result of one person having undue influence on the opinions of others. It was the very existence of official authority that led to deception.
When you are part of a family where every member is able and encouraged to speak his/her thoughts, it brings an immediate balance and natural guard against deception. I have no illusion that leadership developed and still develops in house type churches, but they are organic in this way: When a person speaks in line with the mind of God, his words carry authority; when he speaks out of his own, his words do not carry authority. Therefore authority is fluid and makes it much easier for everyone to recognise and deal with deception. Without official appointments people will recognize leadership by maturity, meekness and servanthood. No one will be able to impose their thoughts on others because of a superior position in such an environment.
"Where does the buck stop?"
With each individual member. This is one of the greatest weaknesses I see in organisational type authority. Individuals abdicate there personal responsibility by just blending in. Scripture continually stresses individual accountability, here's one example:
Rom 14:8-10None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It's God we are answerable to--all the way from life to death and everything in between-- not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other. .....Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God.
Rom 14:13 Forget about deciding what's right for each other
"Who takes responsibility for guiding the body?*
The Head; the one and only Head. Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
It's interesting that throughout history, revival and growth took place when the organisations lost control. Today in China, India and Argentina the greatest christian movements are happening without any official authority. Simple people are simply believing what the Word says and living it. Jesus said: 'I will build my church' - I think we often did not trust Him and tried to do it for Him.
"As I understand it, life is a test and isn't submission one of those tests?"
Submission is beautiful. The core meaning is to allow yourself to be persuaded. Godly submission is voluntarily and to be present in all relationships Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. True submission needs no hierarchy or superior position to exist. It's an attitude that I am even able to display towards my children.
There is however a very dangerous type of submission that will suck the very life out of you. Paul spoke about such a type of submission in the book of Galatians - the type that brings one into bondage and robs the individual of personal freedom - something(individual freedom) that God is passionate about.
Gal 2:5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
Ekklesia
ek-klay-see'-ah
From a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both): - assembly, church.
The meaning of the word has changed over the centuries of use. Specifically the term 'public' was not assumed originally, although it is not excluded either. Most references in the N.T. is to a local assembly in a house. (There are also references to the universal church - beyond location and time, but thats not the focus of our discussion now - added later)
Rom 16:5 And the church which is in their house. Salute Epenetus, my beloved: who is the firstfruits of Asia in Christ.
1Co 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house, with whom I also lodge.
Col 4:15 Salute the brethren who are at Laodicea: and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.
Phm 1:2 And to Appia, our dearest sister, and to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church which is in thy house.
The meetings that occured in public places, especially in the very beginning, has no sign of official organisation. It was spontaneous, creative and useful for a time to evangelize. The temple(only one in Jerusalem) was a natural location for people to gather and so if you had some good news, thats where you went to share it. Later on we see Paul occasionally visiting synagogues, but for the exclusive purpose of evangelizing. As soon as it became apparent that they did not want to hear from him any more, he left.
It might be useful to mention that there is nothing wrong with organising a meeting or an event that is christian by nature. It is when we somehow develop this into a permanent organisation and then call it the church that it is contrary to God's word. Organising stuff is fine and sometimes necessary, but calling an organisation church is far below the vision of scripture.
If we look at the root words from which ekklesia comes from, it is the word 'origin' and 'from'. It is as if the revelation of our origin awakens us and draws us into a new appreciation of one-another.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and don't hesitate to keep them coming.
I want to end with a some words Jesus Himself spoke that meant so much to me:
Mat 23:8 "Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates.
Mat 23:9 Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of 'Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven.
Mat 23:10 And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them--Christ.
Mat 23:11 "Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant.
Mat 23:12 If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.
Love
Andre
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
The Mystery (Song by Mary-Anne)
The Mystery.mp3 (Right click and 'save as') Thanks to Dan Jones for the recording.
Download Lyrics and cords: The Mystery.doc
The Mystery capo 1
How great is our God the rock
His work is perfect
He is the alpha and finisher of
our faith – it's of God that we are in Christ
Chorus:
Christ in you is the hope of glory
Christ in you – the mystery
You're in Him and Him in you
It's the mystery revealed
Look deeper into the law of liberty
As in a mirror, you will see
His image reflected in you
You are born from above
in the light of His love
Chorus:
Guard your heart above all else
It holds the secret of your life
You're not the product of your own works
You're the radiance of the Father's love
By Mary-Anne Rabe
copyright
Download Lyrics and cords: The Mystery.doc
The Mystery capo 1
How great is our God the rock
His work is perfect
He is the alpha and finisher of
our faith – it's of God that we are in Christ
Chorus:
Christ in you is the hope of glory
Christ in you – the mystery
You're in Him and Him in you
It's the mystery revealed
Look deeper into the law of liberty
As in a mirror, you will see
His image reflected in you
You are born from above
in the light of His love
Chorus:
Guard your heart above all else
It holds the secret of your life
You're not the product of your own works
You're the radiance of the Father's love
By Mary-Anne Rabe
copyright
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Understanding Authority Part 2
Understanding Authority Part 2
Into the heart of the matter.
Previously we simply established that there are different systems in which authority is communicated, namely: Organizational, top-down systems and secondly organic systems. Let’s examine these further:
· Official versus relational.
In the organizational system, authority is delegated to a position without much regard to the changing character of the person filling the position. Whoever fills the position stands within the authority of that position for as long as he retains the position. This is the type of authority we see in the Old Testament religious hierarchies and within the current governmental institutions. A dramatic example of how a person can personally violate God’s commands and still retain authority is that of Saul. Even after the Word tells us that the spirit of God departed from him, he still retained the authority of his position and therefore, David still showed respect because of the position he was in.
This is one of the major problems with that system and therefore God changed it in the way His ‘ekklesia’, church operates. The organisational model is dependant on titles and official positions without much connection to the current spiritual condition of the person filling the post.
In all of Paul’s letters to the churches, he seems completely unaware of any organizational structures. There were many words available to Paul that could express position and official leadership, but he deliberately chose not to use one of them. Here are some examples:
The word ‘arche’ which means a ruler or leader, specifically related to rank, is completely absent for all his writings. ‘time’ means officer or dignitary – nowhere to be found. ‘telos’ the inherent power or authority of a ruler (authority related to position) – he never describes any believer in this way. ‘archisunagogus’ is a synagogue official or religious official. Surely this would have been a useful way to describe church leadership? Sorry, but the New Testament is absolutely quiet. ‘hazzan’ means a public worship leader. Just about every organized church I have visited, have one of these. “Surely it must be in the Bible”. My apologies, Paul was obviously not as sophisticated as we are. ‘taxis’ means a post, position or rank. Now, although we have found these words very useful to bring order in congregations, we have one small problem: they are not in the New Testament! ‘hierateia’ means a priest’s office. Once again, completely missing from the New Testament, when describing the church.
Could it be possible that they took the words of Jesus seriously when He said that organisational type authority would not be the way His church operates.
Mat 20:25 - 28 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
The most popular word used by the apostles to describe church ‘leaders’ is ‘diakonos’ which means servant!
Organic authority is rich in words that describe function. Words like serving, shepherding and overseeing. The God kind of authority is recognized in what it does. Organic authority knows nothing about title or position. Just as your hand does not require a new title or official position to obey the head, so our relation to Christ has no connection to official positions. The idea that there are professional positions of authority in the body of Christ and the rest are just ‘laymen’ is contrary to the scriptures. In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter declares every believer a royal priesthood. We all have exactly the same access to the Father!
To conclude: Organic authority is linked to function. It is fluid because it is much more linked to the character of the person, specifically his serving and childlike meekness. Position and titles are completely missing from this concept.
Organisational authority is rigid and based on a top-down level, without much connection to the attitude or character of the person filling the position.
· Responsibility versus mindless obedience.
Positional authority takes away much of the responsibility of those in subjection to it. Official authority does not have much space for discussion. It is only concerned with a simple response of ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. The subordinate is discouraged from asking if instructions are right or wrong; the responsibility of whether they are right or wrong lies with the official that gave the instructions. This system keeps its subjects in continual immaturity. No wonder Jesus changed this system in the church. He believes in every person’s ability to personally hear and respond to His voice.
It is actually much easier to just walk in the slip-stream of another person’s relationship with God. It requires much less effort to thoughtlessly obey than to take responsibility yourself for what you believe and do.
Do you realize that Paul’s letters to the churches were never addressed to the leaders of the church! They were addressed to the whole church without any official acknowledgement of local leaders. It’s as if He did not know of their existence! The reason is they did not exist in the way they do today in most church organizations, in the way we have re-introduced Old-Testament-professional-priesthood-type leadership. Even when He addressed serious problems, he addressed the whole group of believers, the whole church and encouraged them to solve it. He never removed the responsibility from the individual person and placed it on a select few.
Can you imagine what would happen in most of our modern day ‘churches’ if someone wrote a letter to be read to the whole church without first informing the officials of its content!. In this letter it addresses the issues that everyone is avoiding and it makes no mention of leaders! Paul would have been labelled a heretic by most of our organizations.
I mean, does he not know that baby Christians can’t deal with these real issues. These things should be dealt with secretly by the select few who can decide on behalf of everyone else.
Well, obviously these New Testament churches did not exist in the form many exist in today. Paul spoke to them as equals and encouraged them all to take responsibility for one another. His confidence in ALL is reflected throughout his writings:
2Co 7:16 I rejoice that in all things I have confidence in you all.
Rom 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Conclusion: Organisational authority removes much responsibility from its subjects and therefore keeps them immature.
Organic authority believes in the ability of each part of the body to hear the instructions of the head. Everyone is therefore placed in an environment of personal responsibility and therefore growth.
· Subordination versus voluntary submission
Paul never pulled rank in his communication to believers. In fact his attitude towards organisational authority becomes strikingly clear in the book of Galatians. In chapter 1 and 2 Paul describes how this message was not delivered or explained to him by any other man, but by revelation. (there was no hierarchy of revelation) To those who thought the apostolic ministry (servanthood, lest we forget) is just another way to justify positions and titles in the church, Paul leaves us with a sobering comment.
Gal 2:6 As for those (the other apostles) who were considered important in the church, their reputation doesn't concern me. God isn't impressed with mere appearances, and neither am I. And of course these leaders were able to add nothing to the message I had been preaching.
Those who cannot see beyond hierarchical type of authority might think that Paul could say this, because He was uniquely chosen and placed on an equal or higher level than the other apostles. But let’s read his words again “God isn't impressed with mere appearances, and neither am I“ It has nothing to do with position or title, because that is man-made. God does not regard it and therefore we should not regard it either!
Organic authority uses the language of persuasion; it has no title to rest on so its appeal is to the conscience of man.
2Co 8:8 I'm not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing in the Macedonians' enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you.
Philemon 1:8,9 For this reason I could be bold enough, as your brother in Christ, to order you to do what should be done. But because I love you, I make a request instead.
Rom 12:1 So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you:
Rom 15:30 I urge you, friends..
1Co 1:10 By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ I appeal to all of you, my friends
This is not the language of a superior religious official, ordering the ignorant masses how and what to believe. This is the language of a friend, an equal, appealing and urging his brothers to be persuaded by the truth.
Conclusion: To voluntarily submit to the appeal of a friend is the way in which God wants His authority to be manifested among us. Eph 5:21 And be submissive one to another, in the love of the Messiah. We voluntarily recognise and respect the authority of God in one another. It is a beautiful thing to see.
Organisational authority exists in the world and we are told to obey our governments in the scriptures, but in the church such authority is a perversion of what God desires. This does not mean He does not bless people involved in those organisations, it simply means they miss out on His best. When Israel rejected God’s personal rule over them, and chose a King instead, He still blessed them as much as He could. They did however endure a lot of hardship because they rejected His theocratic (organic) type of rule and chose instead the organizational type.
Go for God’s best! Live in the constant awareness of zero distance between you and Him. Respect and value all men alike; their outward appearance means nothing to God and neither to us!
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
Into the heart of the matter.
Previously we simply established that there are different systems in which authority is communicated, namely: Organizational, top-down systems and secondly organic systems. Let’s examine these further:
· Official versus relational.
In the organizational system, authority is delegated to a position without much regard to the changing character of the person filling the position. Whoever fills the position stands within the authority of that position for as long as he retains the position. This is the type of authority we see in the Old Testament religious hierarchies and within the current governmental institutions. A dramatic example of how a person can personally violate God’s commands and still retain authority is that of Saul. Even after the Word tells us that the spirit of God departed from him, he still retained the authority of his position and therefore, David still showed respect because of the position he was in.
This is one of the major problems with that system and therefore God changed it in the way His ‘ekklesia’, church operates. The organisational model is dependant on titles and official positions without much connection to the current spiritual condition of the person filling the post.
In all of Paul’s letters to the churches, he seems completely unaware of any organizational structures. There were many words available to Paul that could express position and official leadership, but he deliberately chose not to use one of them. Here are some examples:
The word ‘arche’ which means a ruler or leader, specifically related to rank, is completely absent for all his writings. ‘time’ means officer or dignitary – nowhere to be found. ‘telos’ the inherent power or authority of a ruler (authority related to position) – he never describes any believer in this way. ‘archisunagogus’ is a synagogue official or religious official. Surely this would have been a useful way to describe church leadership? Sorry, but the New Testament is absolutely quiet. ‘hazzan’ means a public worship leader. Just about every organized church I have visited, have one of these. “Surely it must be in the Bible”. My apologies, Paul was obviously not as sophisticated as we are. ‘taxis’ means a post, position or rank. Now, although we have found these words very useful to bring order in congregations, we have one small problem: they are not in the New Testament! ‘hierateia’ means a priest’s office. Once again, completely missing from the New Testament, when describing the church.
Could it be possible that they took the words of Jesus seriously when He said that organisational type authority would not be the way His church operates.
Mat 20:25 - 28 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
The most popular word used by the apostles to describe church ‘leaders’ is ‘diakonos’ which means servant!
Organic authority is rich in words that describe function. Words like serving, shepherding and overseeing. The God kind of authority is recognized in what it does. Organic authority knows nothing about title or position. Just as your hand does not require a new title or official position to obey the head, so our relation to Christ has no connection to official positions. The idea that there are professional positions of authority in the body of Christ and the rest are just ‘laymen’ is contrary to the scriptures. In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter declares every believer a royal priesthood. We all have exactly the same access to the Father!
To conclude: Organic authority is linked to function. It is fluid because it is much more linked to the character of the person, specifically his serving and childlike meekness. Position and titles are completely missing from this concept.
Organisational authority is rigid and based on a top-down level, without much connection to the attitude or character of the person filling the position.
· Responsibility versus mindless obedience.
Positional authority takes away much of the responsibility of those in subjection to it. Official authority does not have much space for discussion. It is only concerned with a simple response of ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. The subordinate is discouraged from asking if instructions are right or wrong; the responsibility of whether they are right or wrong lies with the official that gave the instructions. This system keeps its subjects in continual immaturity. No wonder Jesus changed this system in the church. He believes in every person’s ability to personally hear and respond to His voice.
It is actually much easier to just walk in the slip-stream of another person’s relationship with God. It requires much less effort to thoughtlessly obey than to take responsibility yourself for what you believe and do.
Do you realize that Paul’s letters to the churches were never addressed to the leaders of the church! They were addressed to the whole church without any official acknowledgement of local leaders. It’s as if He did not know of their existence! The reason is they did not exist in the way they do today in most church organizations, in the way we have re-introduced Old-Testament-professional-priesthood-type leadership. Even when He addressed serious problems, he addressed the whole group of believers, the whole church and encouraged them to solve it. He never removed the responsibility from the individual person and placed it on a select few.
Can you imagine what would happen in most of our modern day ‘churches’ if someone wrote a letter to be read to the whole church without first informing the officials of its content!. In this letter it addresses the issues that everyone is avoiding and it makes no mention of leaders! Paul would have been labelled a heretic by most of our organizations.
I mean, does he not know that baby Christians can’t deal with these real issues. These things should be dealt with secretly by the select few who can decide on behalf of everyone else.
Well, obviously these New Testament churches did not exist in the form many exist in today. Paul spoke to them as equals and encouraged them all to take responsibility for one another. His confidence in ALL is reflected throughout his writings:
2Co 7:16 I rejoice that in all things I have confidence in you all.
Rom 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Conclusion: Organisational authority removes much responsibility from its subjects and therefore keeps them immature.
Organic authority believes in the ability of each part of the body to hear the instructions of the head. Everyone is therefore placed in an environment of personal responsibility and therefore growth.
· Subordination versus voluntary submission
Paul never pulled rank in his communication to believers. In fact his attitude towards organisational authority becomes strikingly clear in the book of Galatians. In chapter 1 and 2 Paul describes how this message was not delivered or explained to him by any other man, but by revelation. (there was no hierarchy of revelation) To those who thought the apostolic ministry (servanthood, lest we forget) is just another way to justify positions and titles in the church, Paul leaves us with a sobering comment.
Gal 2:6 As for those (the other apostles) who were considered important in the church, their reputation doesn't concern me. God isn't impressed with mere appearances, and neither am I. And of course these leaders were able to add nothing to the message I had been preaching.
Those who cannot see beyond hierarchical type of authority might think that Paul could say this, because He was uniquely chosen and placed on an equal or higher level than the other apostles. But let’s read his words again “God isn't impressed with mere appearances, and neither am I“ It has nothing to do with position or title, because that is man-made. God does not regard it and therefore we should not regard it either!
Organic authority uses the language of persuasion; it has no title to rest on so its appeal is to the conscience of man.
2Co 8:8 I'm not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing in the Macedonians' enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you.
Philemon 1:8,9 For this reason I could be bold enough, as your brother in Christ, to order you to do what should be done. But because I love you, I make a request instead.
Rom 12:1 So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you:
Rom 15:30 I urge you, friends..
1Co 1:10 By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ I appeal to all of you, my friends
This is not the language of a superior religious official, ordering the ignorant masses how and what to believe. This is the language of a friend, an equal, appealing and urging his brothers to be persuaded by the truth.
Conclusion: To voluntarily submit to the appeal of a friend is the way in which God wants His authority to be manifested among us. Eph 5:21 And be submissive one to another, in the love of the Messiah. We voluntarily recognise and respect the authority of God in one another. It is a beautiful thing to see.
Organisational authority exists in the world and we are told to obey our governments in the scriptures, but in the church such authority is a perversion of what God desires. This does not mean He does not bless people involved in those organisations, it simply means they miss out on His best. When Israel rejected God’s personal rule over them, and chose a King instead, He still blessed them as much as He could. They did however endure a lot of hardship because they rejected His theocratic (organic) type of rule and chose instead the organizational type.
Go for God’s best! Live in the constant awareness of zero distance between you and Him. Respect and value all men alike; their outward appearance means nothing to God and neither to us!
By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com
http://eclesia.blogspot.com
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