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27th December 2009
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“…faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” (James 2:17)
“The sum of your word is truth; and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever.” (Psa 119:160)
“ The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand forever .” (Isa 40:8)
The only way to get to heaven is through faith in Jesus. But faith also implies that we take Jesus seriously enough to believe and want to live in accordance with his teachings. This is why James notes that faith without works is dead. It's like telling someone we love them but we never talk to them and take no interest in their lives. Proclamations of love need to be backed up by actions. Words of faith need to be supported by actions. But what actions?
A key way to get to know how Jesus wants us to act is by reading about his life and teachings in the Bible. That's why I have a new Bible Challenge each year. I want to encourage you to read your Bibles. The Old Testament sets the scene for why we need Jesus. It talks about his coming. The New Testament talks directly about him. We can read the New Testament without reading the Old Testament but that is a bit like seeing a sequel to a film without having seen part 1. You can still enjoy the second film, but you miss a lot of the references to parts of the first film and fail to get the true significance of all you're watching.
The Bible is not chronologically ordered (i.e. if you were to read the Bible cover to cover, you would discover that the events are not recorded as they occurred, one after the other) . Various scholars have attempted to work out a time line of events from Scripture. However the lack of specific dates and time references mean differences of opinion. Thus there are different Chronological reading charts for the Bible. In 2008 we did a chronological Bible Challenge from one source. In 2010 I invite you to journey with me using another. The source of this year's bible challenge is www.oneyearbibleonline.com If you go to this web site, you'll see on the left hand side the heading: “ weekly readings ,” the second option on their list is: “One Year Chronological Bible.” Journey with me throughout the year as we contemplate this time line of events.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.” (Psa 65:5)
O hope of Israel , its savior in time of trouble, (Jer 14:8a)
Throughout the Bible we find different names for God. The name “Hope of Israel” struck me afresh recently. God's people have traditionally blown hot and cold (we were reminded of how cold they could blow in our Link article dated 6 th December – see our website for a copy of the article) . Yet God continued to be the hope of Israel , just as he is ours.
In what way is God our hope? Imagine being adrift at sea and feeling hopeless. Suddenly you see a life-raft that will carry you safely to paradise. Your hope is restored. You can grab this life-saving opportunity. Surely you'd have to be a fool not to!
The sea is a metaphor life on earth. Sometimes the sea (i.e. life) is calm. Other times the waves knock us about – some more violent than others. But there is a life raft available to any who'll jump on board. That life raft is Jesus who is the Hope of Israel AND the hope of all the ends of the earth. Jesus is the only one who can safely carry us through the sea of life on earth to paradise (i.e. heaven). There is no other way.
This year's Baptist World Aid Christmas appeal carries the theme “Hope.” On Christmas Day we'll be watching the DVD which talks about giving hope to people in countries such as Cambodia where they desperately need it. They need hope in the form of physical and material aid. But even more than that, like all of us they need the “hope of all the ends of the earth” to illuminate their lives with his truth and salvation.
This Christmas, let's gratefully accept and celebrate God's ultimate gift of hope to the world – our Saviour and Lord, Jesus. And let's find ways to share this life-saving gift with others.“Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings ” (Psa 17:8)
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. ” (Psa 36:7)
Josiah LOVES exploring the great outdoors. If he hears an external door being opened, no matter where he is, he suddenly appears at the door eager to escape. When we were on holiday, Josiah was crawling along a veranda at a place we were staying. However, the shade of the veranda was not protecting him from the sun. So I walked along with him ensuring my shadow covered him to stop him from being burned.
I basically let Josiah crawl wherever he wanted to go. But every now and then he would reach a ledge that he needed help getting over, or he would get too close to a lavender bush that was buzzing with bees etc. So at times I helped him with whatever challenge he was attempting. At other times I steered him in a safer direction. Most of the time I let him roam freely. Not once did he ask for my guidance!
Watching him race about with the protection of my shadow reminded me of the imagery of God protecting us under the shadow of his wings. I wonder how many times we buzz about like Josiah, failing to seek guidance from the One who is protecting us from getting too badly burnt? I wonder whether or not we're always conscious of the ways God helps us through the various challenges we encounter? I wonder how many times we thank him for the new directions we suddenly find ourselves being steered in, rather than lamenting the loss of a different course that we had selected for ourselves?
I like the imagery of God protecting us under the shadow of his wings. I like thinking of him as my ever-present help and constant guide. But I acknowledge that I don't always refer to him as I should. Let's slow down and seek more of Jesus' input in our lives this week.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”” (Luke 1:36 – 37)
God's resurrection power was just as much at work at Jesus' birth as it was towards the end of his time on earth. In fact, we read of God's resurrection power throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. For instance, we read of women who were unable to have children. Consider Sarah (e.g. see Gen 11:30) , Rebekah (e.g. see Gen 25:21) , Rachel (e.g. see Gen 29:31) , Samson's mum (e.g. see Jud 13:2) , Hannah (e.g. see 1 Sam 1:2) , and today's example: Elizabeth . Yet God miraculously granted these women significant pregnancies. I like Paul's description of this life-giving act of our Creator when he notes that God “ gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist” (Rom 4:17) . Making a non-producing womb productive is an example of God's resurrection power.
God is in the resurrection business. He can bring a dead womb to life. He can bring a dead man back to life. He can bring a dead nation back to life (eg he resurrected Jerusalem after its fall to the Babylonians) . He can resurrect his people physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. God can resurrect relationships that seem to be hopeless. God can resurrect good health from bad. God can resurrect and reward hope. God can call into existence things that do not exist. But are we praying for a fresh taste of God's resurrection power? Do we believe in God's goodness and his desire to use his power for our welfare? Or do we firstly need to seek God's help to break out of our skepticism and / or cynicism and / or negative thinking? Are we a people of confident hope?
Today we thank God for what has been, what is and what will be at this church. God is constantly at work. He has plans for our church. Do we believe in & are we praying to the God of resurrection?
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“He said to me, “Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here.”” … “Then he said to me, “Mortal, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of images? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.'”” (Ezek 8:9, 12)
Throughout history, God's people on both individual and communal levels, have soared to tremendous heights and plummeted to unfathomable depths. The lowest point in Israel's history, as recorded in the Old Testament, occurred when God used the Babylonian Empire to teach his people an important lesson in their need to seek Him above all else. When Babylon moved in, initially many of God's people remained in Israel 's capital city ( Jerusalem ) while others were deported to Babylon . Ezekiel was called to be a prophet during this time.
God invited Ezekiel to see the depths of depravity to which his people had sunk. This included the fact that Israel 's leaders were burning incense to their chosen idols within the hidden chambers of God's Temple . They thought that God neither saw nor cared what his people were doing. They thought that God was no longer at work in their society. Sadly, rather than seeking God, they were committing increasing abominations. God had left people to their own devices. Things were out of control in many ways. But things were only as out of control as God allowed them to be. On other words, God was still in control and he was still watching.
Since God's people no longer believed that God was at work in their land, God decided to let them experience what it would mean if it were true. In Ezekiel chapters 8 – 11 we read Ezekiel's vision of God leaving the land. Then things really did get worse. Increasing levels of violence, cannibalism, corruption, perversions and so on.
Our society is not as bad as Israel 's was when God left the land. And that is because God is at work in our land. We must never doubt it. If we lose faith in the presence and activity of God in our society, our morals and behaviours can sink to society's level. We can loose the urgency to pray. Sometimes God waits for our prayers before acting. Not because he needs them but because he wants them. When we pray, we can look expectantly for God's replies. God's responses encourage us to pray more urgently and powerfully. The more we pray the more God does. The more God does the greater our testimony, prayers and their impact.
So don't be discouraged as the people were in Ezekiel's time. Let's be encouraged, hopeful, prayerful and expectant. Let's pray more and look for God's activity in our street / suburb / city / State / Nation. Let's start a revival throughout our land by the power of prayer. Let's praise God for who he is, thank him for what he is doing and boldly pray for more. Let's get on board with God's activity in Glenroy – Oak Park and its surrounds.“But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ” (James 1:6 – 8)
Last week I preached on John 5:1 – 18 and highlighted the fact that the man at the pool did not know who Jesus was (see John 5:10 – 13). Yet Jesus healed him. The man's healing was not dependent on his faith. Nor was it dependant on a request from the man. Instead it was dependent on Jesus' love and mercy. Jesus gave the man an opportunity to respond in faith, but he didn't. When he found out who Jesus was, rather than responding with gratitude and worship, we read that the man turned Jesus in to the authorities (see John 5:14 – 16) .
James 1:6 – 8 is often misquoted. People are told that if they have enough faith they will be cured of cancer, or their spouse will stop beating them, or they will have a baby, or they will find a marriage partner etc. People can be told that if they don't have something good that they desperately long for, it's because they don't have enough faith. This is one of the more damaging lies that people tell misusing James 1:6 – 8.
When we look at James 1:6 – 8 in the context of the crucial preceding verse, we see that the verses are specifically referring to praying for wisdom. “ If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. 6 But ask in faith…” (Jms 1:5 – 6) . So the condition of praying for wisdom is that we believe God wants to give it to us.
When God appeared to Solomon at the start of his reign as King and told him that he could have ANYTHING, Solomon wisely asked for wisdom in order that he might rule God's people well (see 2 Chron 1:7 – 12) . God responded in a way that indicated Solomon had asked for the best thing in the world. He was rewarded GREATLY for his wise request.
So let's ask God for the gift of wisdom this Christmas in order that we might better glorify him here on earth. We can be confident that it is a gift he wants to give.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“How can young people keep their way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.” (Psa 119:9)
“Before I was humbled I went astray, but now I keep your word.”
(Psa 119:67)
Before Josiah could crawl, we invested in a large hexagonal play-pen made of metal. It was great to be able to put him in it with his toys and know that he was happy and safe. He wouldn't accidently roll in to a heater while we weren't looking. He couldn't bump his head on any sharp corners. He was secure with a certain amount of freedom.
Once Josiah started crawling, we were able to convert the play-pen into a flexible barricade. This meant that we were able to block his access to our gas heater, entertainment unit, nesting tables and other delights that could hurt or choke him. He occasionally sticks his hands through the bars to try and reach things, but has limited success.
Psalm 119 is full of praise for God's Word. It notes the benefits of God's Word. Things like; ensuring happiness (e.g. see Psa 119:1 – 2) , keeping us from sin (e.g. see Psa 119:11) , giving good counsel (e.g. see Psa 119:24) , providing necessary answers (e.g. see Psa 119:42) , granting understanding (e.g. see Psa 119:99) , and guiding our paths (e.g. see Psa 119:105) . Said another way, God's Word provides us with a secure play-pen within which we can safely move.
Sometimes we stay in God's play-pen and enjoy its many benefits. Other times, rather than remaining contentedly inside the boundaries that God has recommended to us in his Word, we stick our hands outside of the bars and are tempted to break out. This can lead to trouble. If we leave the play pen, by thinking / speaking / acting in ways that contradict God's Word, then we risk suffering the consequences. Sometimes God allows us to escape the negative consequences. Other times he allows us to feel the revolting consequences of our sin. Do we know and live safely within the loving boundaries provided in God's word?
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe , a deacon [the NRSV notes: “or minister”] of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila , who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life…Greet also the church in their house . …Greet Mary , who has worked very hard among you . Greet Andronicus and Junia , my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles , and they were in Christ before I was.” (Rom 16:1 – 7)
This morning we are having a special morning tea to farewell Marian. We are sad to see her go, but delighted that a place at Baxter, for which she has been waiting for many years, is finally available. Marian was the second female to be ordained as a Baptist minister in Victoria . So it seems appropriate to make a few comments about women in ministry.
Paul commends various leaders of the early church in his concluding chapter to the church in Rome , many of them happened to be female. I find it interesting that gender did not seem to be an issue for the early church (see also Gal 3:28) but as the years went by people made it an issue. However, women have come back in to ministry in various denominations over the last couple of centuries. In the last few decades, various evangelicals have written on the topic of women in ministry.
In his book, “Beyond Sex Roles,” (a biblical approach to the role of women in the church) Gilbert Bilezikian (a church leader and lecturer in Biblical Studies) , surmises “We conclude that women had access, under apostolic sanction, to the highest levels of ministry in the early church, and that equivalent ministries should likewise be accessible to women in the modern church” (page 140) .
In his book, “Speaking My Mind,” Tony Campolo (a prominent evangelical speaker and author) starts his chapter ‘Is Evangelism Sexist' with the interesting comment “I got into big-time trouble when I declared to the 2003 gathering of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (a split-off from the Southern Baptist Convention) that those who prevented women from being ordained to the preaching ministry were perpetuating an evil practice” (page 33) .
In a concluding chapter at the end of his Biblical evaluation of “Women, Leadership & the Church,” Jim Reiher (a New Testament lecturer) notes, “…Scripture has not given approval to leaving women out of leadership positions in any church. To lend support to such a view is to misread Scripture, just as a misreading of Scripture can support aggressive wars, slavery, polygamy, and racial discrimination” (page 111) . [This book is in our church library, see Betty Davidson if you would like to borrow it].
In their book “Why Not Women”, Loren Cunningham and David Hamilton amidst their “fresh look at Scripture on women, missions, ministry and leadership,” make the observation “The devil knows his time is limited. He is doing everything he can to delay the completion of the Great Commission. One of his tactics is simply to cut the number of workers” (page 15) .
I thank God for Marian who I consider to be a pioneering minister in the Baptist denomination in Victoria . God has blessed many people through her ministry throughout the years including myself. In fact I don't know that I would be your minister today if it was not for the pioneering work of Marian in her demonstration that God gifts men and women for ministry (God's gifts are not gender specific, eg see Rom 12:6 – 8; 1 Cor 12:4 – 11; Eph 4:11 – 12) .
I have sung with various Salvation Army choirs. There is a particular song I learned which comes to mind whenever I think of what Marian means to me. The poetically powerful lyrics go something like this: “the road we walk is stained with [the] blood of those who've paid the price for a cause they felt was worthy of the cause of Christ. And because of all their sacrifice, they made for me a better way. And the gratitude I feel shall be revealed on that glorious day when redeemed I shall stand, over in the promised land….” Marian has endured much as a minister. But I believe she has endured more than her fair share not just because she is a minister, but because she is a minister who happens to be a female. I thank God for this church which is able to see beyond gender to the power of God at work in people's lives for his glory.
Today's message: “ The Man at the Well ” (John 4) is a narrative. I will be playing the role of the woman at the well who became the first Samaritan convert and evangelist. We will be invited to reflect afresh on her story and consider what we might learn about Jesus.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“John said, "I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Lk 3:16, CEV)
“ For she thought to herself, ‘If I can just touch his clothing, I will be healed .'” (Mk 5:28, NLT)
Here we have two contrasting pictures. One of a prophet of God who recognised his unholy state compared to the Son of God. John noted that he was not even worthy to untie Jesus sandals. The second picture is of a marginalised woman who had nothing to lose but everything to gain. She knew she was unclean, but also recognised her desperate need for Jesus. So she dared to touch his cloak in a crowd.
Ironically, we in ourselves are not worthy enough to reach out and touch Jesus. However, Jesus calls us to do just that, assuring us that he will make us worthy. The question is how do we respond?
Some believe they are so unworthy that they keep well away from Jesus. Others recognise their unworthiness and allow it to propel them to Jesus. Still others don't give a second thought to their unworthiness and think they deserve whatever they want. What about us?
It's important that we acknowledge that we are imperfect. Our society shaped us to be materialistic – we like nice things and rarely give a thought to the expense a person in the third-world has suffered to feed our materialism. We're encouraged to think about our own needs without worrying about a more equitable distribution of resources. Our thoughts, words and actions are often sinful because we're not God. Sadly we can tend to blind ourselves to the extent of our sin. So we can fall in to the tap of thinking we constantly deserve more.
What did Jesus deserve? What did he sacrifice? What do we sacrifice for him? Do we acknowledge our need for his healing touch in our lives?“ They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating ox. They forgot God their Saviour…” (Psa 106:20 – 21, CEV)
Who or what we worship shapes us in to who or what we become.
Psalm 106 outlines the history and faith journey of the Israelites. Verses 20 – 21 refer to Israel 's time in the desert when God was speaking to Moses at the top of Mount Sinai . Moses was delayed returning to the people so they urged Aaron to build them a god they could follow (see Exod 32) . Aaron took, melted and shaped their gold into the image of a calf for them to worship. Rather than worshipping their Creator, they started worshipping something they created. Rather than worshipping God in whose image they were made, they started worshipping a grass-eating ox. Rather than growing in to the image of God, they started growing in to the image of an ox. Who or what we worship shapes us in to who or what we become.
Sometimes we'll start a sentence with something like; “I can't miss…” or “I can't do without…” etc. I wonder how often that sentence is completed with “my daily worship of God.” We are capable of building things in to our daily routine – eg eating, brushing our teeth, going to the toilet, some form of washing etc. Why don't we build worshipping God in to our daily routine? We worship God when we ascribe worth to him by being God-focused rather than us or others focused. When we do this daily, it helps us to grow in to the image of our Creator rather than the image of someone else or something created. I was recently told the clever quote, “if you don't believe in God, you'll believe in anything!” If we believe in God, then surely spending a day without intentionally worshipping him is senseless. How are we spending such a day and how is that shaping us?
In his book “Sacred Pathways,” Gary Thomas identifies nine different ways that people find helps them to worship God. They include connecting with God through: nature, the senses (e.g. the use of incense), tradition, ascetics (e.g. connecting to God through art), activism (e.g. the “Micah Challenge”), caring for others, expressing faith in charismatic ways, finding the space to be contemplative, and intellectual pursuits (e.g. reading commentaries). I encourage you to think or chat with a Christian friend about the way/s that help you to connect with and worship God. And once identified, if you've not already done so, I urge you to build it into your daily routine.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ teach me what I do not see ….” (Job 34:32)
Poor Job. God allowed Satan to take so much away from him. Then God remained silent while Job's so-called ‘friends' exhausted themselves with their longwinded speeches accusing Job of stupidity and wickedness. Hence the book of Job is sometimes referred to as the book of instruction on how not to pastorally care for others! Job's ‘friends' mistakenly considered themselves to be God's agents of wisdom and administrators of judgement. But God alone is truly wise and God alone has the right to judge and convict people. Only God is omniscient but sometimes we can fall into the trap of acting as though we are as well.
In Job 32 – 37, we read the final longwinded condemning speech from Elihu. Elihu notes “…I am full of words, and my spirit compels me to speak” (Job 32:18, CEV) . Most of us can suffer from this affliction on occasion! At another point in Elihu's speech he mistakenly states “…there is still more to be said on God's behalf” (Job 36:2, CEV) . Elihu considered himself to be God's mouthpiece in this matter of judgement, but he was wrong. God needed to teach Elihu what he did not see about himself. A couple of verses later we read Elihu's arrogant boast: “For my arguments are without flaw; one who has perfect knowledge is with you” (Job 36:4, CEV) . Sadly we can all fall in to the trap of acting this way when presenting an argument that we are passionate about to others. God alone is without flaw. God alone has perfect knowledge.
Sadly Elihu's words flattened poor Job even further, rather than building him up in his faith. So they should never have been spoken. Paul reminds us in Eph 4:29, “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.” That's the real test of whether or not what we have to say is worth saying. Before daring to make any speeches, we need to ask ourselves whether or not it will build its recipient up in Christ. But it can be hard to stop and think BEFORE we speak – especially if someone's said or done something that we have a negative emotional response to.
Elihu should have followed his own suggestion (see Job 34:31 – 32) and asked God to teach him what he wasn't seeing about himself so that he could repent of his own sin. It's a great prayer “teach me what I do not see.” It's a very humble prayer because it helps us to remember that we don't see everything. It also reminds us that we are blind to many of our own sins. Unfortunately we can all fall in to the trap of elevating the need for others to repent above our own need. Jesus reminded his followers of this tendency when he challenged them with the question “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” (Matt 7:3) . Each of us needs to continually ask God to help us to recognise our sins so that we can repent and by the power of his Spirit grow in our reflection of Christ.
God alone has the knowledge, right and ability to convict us of what we truly need to repent of. God alone is “…the way, and the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6) . This reminds us of a couple of important things, firstly, if we feel guilty, it's important to identify whether the source of our guilt is God or people. If it's God, we need to repent and act in accordance with his will on the matter. If it's people we need to repent of elevating the opinions and judgments of people over God's sole right to convict. Secondly, when we believe someone is doing something wrong, we need to examine ourselves in the light of God. Only then, if necessary, “…will see clearly to take the speck out of [our] neighbor's eye” (Matt 7:5) . Even if we correctly judge another person's actions to be sinful and point it out to them, that's as far as our job goes. God alone has the right to convict a person of their sin. A person may shut their ears to God, but that's between them and God.
Sometimes we can feel a burden of responsibility to convict someone of their sin. But fortunately our job doesn't go that far. For instance, we might be trying to convict a person of their need for Jesus. It is our responsibility to proclaim the gospel. But their actual conversion is between them and God. The only thing left for us to do is keep praying and be available if there are any follow-up questions.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“…the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. ” (Job 34:3)
In the early 90's I travelled extensively throughout the U.S.A. , Western Europe and the U.K. Eventually I settled in Edinburgh where I lived and worked for nine months. In total I was away for 14.5 months and I continue to reflect back on the time with tremendous affection. It was a time of incredible spiritual growth for me for various reasons including my successful mission to read through the entire Bible while away (I didn't start doing that every year until the late 90's) . Unfortunately it was also a time of remarkable physical growth for me as another of my missions was to sample different chocolate bars in EVERY town I visited! I would stick the wrappers of some of the more worthy bars in scrap books and record a rating and accompanying explanation of each. I still have those scrapbooks and look back on them (rather than the photos of my increasing self) with delight. So my palate was busy tasting good food at that time! (FYI: Belgium wins with the best chocolate in the world!)
There are times that I really enjoy my food (such as on my trip) . Other times food is simply a fuel to keep me going and I don't give much thought to the taste. Some times, e.g. when I'm sick, my taste buds don't work so well. Unfortunately I've also experienced times that I've not paid enough attention to my tastebuds which has resulted in food poisoning. So for various reasons I allow my taste buds service me well at times and poorly at other times.
Today's verse reminds us that we need to use our ears to test words. This includes what we hear and say to ourselves and / or others. Words can nourish, repulse, delight, sadden, encourage or destroy etc. Words can also help us to get back on track, or they can steer us off track, and at times they can poison our soul. So we need to continually test what we hear and say so that we might listen to and say more of that which nurtures and promotes growth in Christ and keep away from that which doesn't. What will you speak / listen to more of this week?
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose .” (1 Cor 1:10)
We recently read this verse as part of our 2009 Bible Challenge. It's one of those verses in the Bible that people can misuse and abuse. Last week's AFL Grand Final unexpectedly assisted me to reflect on it a little more helpfully (remember to look for God's lessons in the everyday things of life) . It was the fans that got me thinking. For the purposes of illustration, I shall focus purely on the fans of the winning team.
Naturally the Cats fans were in agreement and united in the same mind that their team should win. That was their main focus. So they cheered together. They groaned together. They sang together. The booed together. They dressed in the same colours. They hugged one another and so on. They were single minded in their focus. Their unity was expressed in their words, actions, thoughts and fashion.
Does this mean all Cats supporters would all make the best of friends under normal circumstances? No, of course not! Would they agree on everything outside the game? No, of course not! They'd have differing opinions about all sorts of things. But, generally speaking, they don't get caught up on their differences while they're at the game. Hopefully they're too busy directing all of their energy in expressing their enthusiasm for the team they're there to support.
Similarly, when we gather together as Christians, we are to be united in the same mind and same purpose to worship and praise God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The good news is the game's outcome has already been determined (e.g. see Col 2:6 – 15; 1 John 5:1 – 5) . We know that we're not just supporting, but actually on the winning side – Hallelujah! So we gather together to focus on God, express our faith in him, and praise and worship God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We may have differences of opinion on various side issues that Satan would love to use to distract us from being united in our praise and worship of God. But we shan't let him. As Isaiah reminds us: “Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace—in peace because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for in the LORD GOD you have an everlasting rock.” So let's “ be in agreement and …be united in the same mind and the same purpose ” that God (the Father, Son and Spirit) alone deserves our steadfast focus, worship and praise. And let's direct all of our efforts and energies towards praising and worshipping our God.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them .” (Gen 1:27)
I believe that we are made in God's image. Some would argue that we're made in the image of an ape but that idea is less palatable to me! At birth, God's image is definitively stamped within us. That's part of the reason babies delight us so. The light of God is strong within them. I like Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of Psalm 8:2 which says, “Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs that drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble.”
I believe that one of the chief callings of a parent is to nurture the image of God within their child and do their best to protect them from things that would seek to destroy that image. Sadly Satan has saturated our society with things and people through whom he works to try and dull people's awareness of God's image within them. I find it sad when people say they don't want their children to learn about Christianity or go to a Christian school because they want the child to make an unbiased decision when they're older. Not teaching a child about God in whose image they are made robs the child of understanding who they are. It forces them to grow up feeling lost rather than found. My theory implies that we're Christians at birth, so one of the jobs of parents is to do their best to safe-guard their children from being brain–washed out of Christianity (rather than being brain-washed in to it!)
In Luke 15:8 – 10 we read Jesus' parable which describes God as being like a woman searching for a lost coin. It's important to note that the lost coin had always belonged to the woman. We belong to God from birth but Satan, through society, draws us away from God. So we become like the woman's lost coin, needing to be reclaimed by God.
We rejoice with Laura as she brings Elizabeth today to publically thank God for his gift of this precious life and to gift Elizabeth back to God in whose image she is made.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart..” (Psa 32:11)
“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy...” (Gal 5:22)
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice…” (1 Pet 4:12 – 13a)
Some people find it easier to rejoice than others. Rejoicing in spite of our circumstances can be a tough call. Yet that is what we are called to do. Fortunately we're aided by God's Spirit who grows the fruit of “joy” in our lives. So the level of “true joy” demonstrated in a Christian's life is an indication of the amount of control we are allowing God's Spirit to have of us. By “true joy” I mean the joy that shines through the toughest of circumstances, like the beam of a lighthouse penetrating a storm. Conversely, superficial joy is a manufactured joy for reasons such as; trying to please others, or living in denial of undesirable circumstances.
In the “Every Day With Jesus” Bible, Selwyn Hughes notes in his devotional for 31 st August “We cannot deny that there is a good deal of suffering in Christianity, but beneath the suffering is a joy that will, if we allow it, burst upward through everything.” I would add to that there is a good deal of suffering in life in general – whether you are a Christian or not. I think that one of the biggest lies that Satan has got our society to swallow is the idea that life should be all that I want it to be. Generally speaking that includes philosophies such as “life should be easy,” “I should be able to have / do whatever I want” and selfishness in extremes. We live in a very “me” orientated culture. Such a culture also urges us to treat undesirable circumstances with resentment. This contributes to the increase in rage and violence in our society.
But Christianity offers an alternative way to live. A more balanced God / self / others approach to life, one that acknowledges that this life is not perfect. We're built for heaven, not earth. So we expect this life to annoy, frustrate, disappoint etc. from time to time. But undergirding our disappointments and bitter experiences is a secure hope and joy. We know that no matter how good or rotten we find this life, the next one will be unimaginably better. So we rejoice in the Lord.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“[Jesus] answered, “Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,' and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?”” (Matt 19:4 – 5)
Once upon at time, the idea of people of the same gender getting married was unthinkable. Australia 's current Marriage Act defines marriage as “ … the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.” A private senator's bill, currently before the Senate, seeks to redefine marriage as “the union of two people, regardless of their sex, sexuality or gender identity , voluntarily entered into for life.” If passed, this will open the door for same sex marriages in Australia . I thank God for the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) who look out for this sort of political activity, notify their supporters and urge us to act. Naturally I responded to this news by sending a submission to the Senate and alerting others to the bill in the hope they would respond likewise. We need to make our voices heard. The more people who respond, the greater our chance of success. [If you don't currently get ACL's news letters please join them via www.acl.org.au/join/intro.stw ]
The Associated Press recently published an article entitled “Former Miss California sues over firing.” It reported that “Her attorney… said that … Prejean was ousted because of controversial remarks in April during the Miss USA pageant that marriage should be between a man and a woman. She was named first runner-up, and many believe she lost her shot at the Miss USA crown because of her answer.” Why doesn't “freedom of speech” seem to include asserting a belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman? When did stating this belief become “controversial”? At times society seems to have strayed far from God's values and be groaning under the weight of the inevitable consequences. What are we doing to promote God's values and bring his healing to a society that so desperately needs it?
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are….” (1 John 3:1)
Sadly our newspapers report some tragic stories about fathers. One of this week's is the sickening news of Phillip Garrdio who allegedly kidnapped Jaycee Lee Dugard and fathered her two children. This is an extreme case, but unfortunately stories about fathers abusing (whether emotionally, physically or mentally etc) and even killing their children are not rare. Naturally such children can have a damaged concept of what it means to have a father. For some the idea of God being our Father can be an unpleasant or difficult one at best.
In his book “The Father Heart of God” (A Fresh Look at God) Floyd McClung Jr notes, “Our world is plagued by an epidemic of pain. With divorce rampant and child abuse screaming from the national headlines, it is not surprising that for many people the concept of a Father God evokes responses of fear, resentment and rejection.” Generally speaking, we tend to project our experience of earthly fathers on to our understanding of God as our Heavenly Father. And there are other reasons people can struggle with the concept God as our Father. “The Father Heart of God” seeks to promote a healthier understanding of what it means to have God as our Father. McClung's chapter titles include: “The Hurting Heart of Man,” “A Perfect Father,” “When Your Heart is Wounded,” “Healing from a Loving Father,” “The Heart of Disappointment,” “The Broken Heart of God,” “The Waiting Father,” and “Fathers in the Lord.”
Earthly fathers are called to model their role on the Father. Some do a better job than others. Those managing to faithfully (but imperfectly) model our Father God to their children are to be applauded and encouraged because it's a tough job. But no matter how good or bad our early father was at fulfilling his godly calling, we're all in need of a perfect Father. There's only one. In God we find healing, strength and the best way forward in life. Let's celebrate the Father today.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
The following passage of Scripture is a very popular reading at weddings! Yet it was not written for that purpose. Paul wrote these words to the people at the church in Corinth who weren't loving one another as they should. Paul wanted them to change their attitudes and behaviours so that they would be a more loving congregation. So he wrote these challenging words about how love should be:
“Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always “me first,”
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts in God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies.”
( 1 Corinthians 13:4 – 8a, taken from “The Message,” Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of the Bible)
Although the message of these verses is intended for the body of Christ as a whole, they are equally relevant for a wedding. It reminds couples of some of the basic ways in which they should express their love to one another. Today as we witness Dave and Betty's renewing of their wedding vows, let's renew our love vows to God and one another.
“ They set up the altar on its foundation and offered burnt offerings for the morning and evening on it to the Lord even though they feared the surrounding peoples.” (Ezra 3:3, CSB)
This year I'm reading through the Christian Standard translation of the Bible (CSB). I like the way it interprets Ezra 3:3. It reminds me that fear is not a problem but our response to it can be. When we allow our fear to stop us being bold ambassadors of Christ, it's a problem. It means we're allowing fear to hinder our spiritual growth and denying God the opportunity to use us to lovingly challenge and bless others.
Long after the northern tribes of Israel had been exiled to Assyria, and the southern tribes (i.e. Judah, which incorporated Benjamin) had been exiled to Babylon , Persia became the reigning empire and its King allowed a remnant of Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. So a faithful remnant of God's people returned to their capital to start work.
In Jerusalem , God's people were surrounded by foreigners who opposed their work. The Israelites were afraid. They could have allowed their fear to stop them from acting in accordance with God's will in the hope of appeasing their enemies and avoiding danger. Instead they allowed their fear to heighten their awareness of their desperate need for God. So even before they started rebuilding the temple, they recommenced their faith practices in order to call upon the Lord. The NRSV highlights the Israelite's faith response to their fear by translating Ezra 3:3 as follows: “ They set up the altar on its foundation, because they were in dread of the neighboring peoples, and they offered burnt offerings upon it to the LORD, morning and evening.” This reminds us that God wants to use our fear to propel us to him.
Ezra 3:3 reminds us that it's OK to be afraid as long as we don't allow our fear to stop us from doing the things that God wants us to do. Let's pray that rather than allowing our fear to paralyse us, we'll use it to activate our faith and achieve great things for the glory of God.
“ For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: …a time to mourn, and a time to dance ” (Ecc 3:1, 4b)
Newly weds often have romantic ideas about activities they hope to engage in as a couple. Kieran and I share a perpetual dream of taking up “rock ‘n roll” dancing. So far we've made it to one introductory class. The class was a little deceptive in that it didn't purely teach us to “rock ‘n roll”. Much to our shock (and initial horror) it also taught us a samba. Although we weren't interested in learning to samba, we persevered and discovered that we really enjoyed it! We even used the steps to make us look like great dancers for one song at one wedding (sadly not our own) ! That was nearly two years ago and we've forgotten both the “rock ‘n roll” and samba steps now.
I was once told that the various transitions in life that we experience can be thought of as music changing for different dances. For instance, our early years in the work-force is one dance. Being able to buy our own home (or gain a sizable mortgage!) is another. With each new stage of life, a new record (or CD) blasts new music through the speakers. At first things are uncomfortable. The old steps that worked well with the last lot of music no longer fit with the new tune. We either continue to struggle with the mismatch between the old way of dancing with the new music. Or we take time to grieve the loss of the old dance, and learn the steps that go with the new music. When we do this, we may even find that we like the new dance (especially if it's a samba!) .
The reason Kieran and I didn't persevere with the dance classes was a dislike of the way the instructors conducted the class. We keep meaning to try a new dance class with different instructors. Having the right instructor makes all the difference to our determination to persevere with learning new steps and enjoyment of dancing. Similarly, in this life we need to ensure we're following the right instructor. Today's message will encourage us to ensure that we are ”dancing in the right footsteps.”
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… ” (Rev 21:1)
HOORAH! Like the perfect ending of a good film or novel, the concluding chapters of Revelation present a picture to motivate John's readers to persevere in their walk with Jesus. The following helpful notes come from the New Interpreters Study Bible:
“Three fundamental features of this picture are noteworthy: (1) Continuity: The new heavens and new earth do not simply replace the old one…. This world, God's good creation, is not replaced but redeemed. God does not make “all new things” but all things new (21:5).…(2)…John does not transfer the scene to the heavenly world, but has the heavenly city descend to this renewed earth. This world, the object of the Creator's love, is ultimately important to God (Gen 1; John 3:16). The kingdom of God in this world is …the [end of time] act of God. The New Jerusalem …comes from God's side as the fulfilment of the divine promise and demonstration of God's faithfulness. (3) The fulfilment of God's purpose is a city. In the biblical story, human history starts in a garden, and the first city is built by a murderer as the result of human sin (Gen 3:1–4:17). The conclusion of this story in Revelation does not nullify human history and return to the Garden of Eden; instead, it brings the garden into the city (22:1–2). A city represents human community, life together. [End time] existence is not individualistic but communal. The church. the community of faith, the people of God, is the anticipation of this new city . …There are pictures of exclusion: …nothing sinful will enter the city (21:8, 27; 22:3, 14–15). There are also pictures of transformation and ultimate inclusion: The city is not for the “faithful few” but is inconceivably large (21:16); …the nations are …healed, walk by God's light, and bring their gifts to God (20:24–26; 22:2).”
“The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.” (Rev 22:20 – 21)“….I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Rev 20:4)
What does the 1,000 year reign with Christ mean? Learned scholars have provided various interpretations over the years. Let me preface one commentator's thoughts by quoting the first verse of one of my father's favourite Salvation Army hymns, “Many are the things I cannot understand, All above me mystery I see; But the gift most wonderful from God's own hand Surely is his gift of grace to me!” In other words, there are many things in Scripture that my tiny brain fails to understand, yet I am certain about the key message – i.e. firstly, no one, but God, is perfect. Secondly, to give imperfect humans the chance of being at peace and in a loving relationship with himself, God divinely intervened by sending his Son Jesus to earth to live, sacrificially die, be brought back from the dead and eventually ascend into heaven. Thirdly, anyone who believes in the good news of Jesus and confesses him as Lord of their life receives the gift of salvation. Fourthly, salvation is accompanied by the gift of God's Spirit living within a believer's heart and life. Fifthly, salvation guarantees believers eternal life with God in heaven. This key message of Scripture is the good news of Jesus.
I suspect the first verse of the above mentioned hymn may have been penned with Isa 55:8 – 9 in mind, which notes: “ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” This further reminds us that there are some things, such as the idea of a 1,000 year reign with Christ, that will remain a mystery to us until we're in heaven. And when we're in heaven, many of the things that we wondered about in this life probably won't matter to us any more!
Back to Rev 20:4, The New Interpreters Study Bible makes the following note on Rev 20:4 – 6 (to which I have added definitions in [square brackets] in an attempt to explain some of the words / expressions employed by M Eugene Boring in this commentary… and yes , that is the commentator's real name! ): “As one of his pictures of the triumph of God, John portrays Christ as reigning for a thousand years [i.e. a millennium] with his people on earth. The millennium is only for the martyrs [i.e. those who've proclaimed the good news of Jesus and been killed for doing so] , but John expected all faithful Christians to be martyred. This earth, not some other-worldly place, finally gets to enjoy the good existence for which it was created (Gen 1) and for which it sighs (Rom 8:19–24). Later interpreters who misunderstood John's pictorial language as objectifying [i.e. presenting literal facts about the end of time] , propositional [i.e. using popular philosophical logic to argue points regarding the end of time] , and chronological [i.e. providing a concrete time line of events that will take place at the end of time] , developed the terms “pre-millennial” (Christ returns to earth before the millennium) and “post millennial” (the parousia [i.e. Christ's return] occurs only after the triumph of the kingdom of God on earth for a millennial period). Yet both labels indicate a major misunderstanding of the nature of John's eschatological language [i.e. John's use of pictorial imagery to paint a broad canvas symbolic of end of time events] . To understand the millennium as only a segment in a chronological series of events that may be plotted on a calendar or chart is to miss the theological message communicated by its own pictorial medium. It is better to remember that no one picture of the end time can do justice to the eschatological message John proclaims, so that the message of each picture will be allowed to impress itself on the imagination of the interpreter.”
In other words, we are to note the overarching message of the book of Revelation rather than get caught up in the individual elements of it. The overarching message informs us that God is the winner and Satan is the loser. At the end of time followers of Jesus will go to heaven and unbelievers will go to hell. However God wants everyone to believe and be in heaven with him. Followers of Jesus need to do their best to get on board with God and help make this happen. The question is: are we?“ He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. ” (Rev 19:13)
We are nearing the end of our series through Revelation. I pray that this series has helped you to decrease any unpleasant emotions that you may have felt towards the book in the past. In their place I hope that you have gained a new appreciation for the book.
Revelation 19 gives us a rather triumphant look at our returning Lord and Saviour. Jesus will return with a robe dipped in his blood which reminds us of his sacrifice and his sole right to judge all who are living and all who have died prior to his return (see also Rev 1:5; 5:9) .
I love the songs of praise that we find in Rev 19 including: “…Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God, for his judgments are true and just…” (vv. 1 – 2). Amen! I'm glad that he alone is judge. Humans tend to be so bad at judging. Yet at times we seem to forget that God alone has the right to judge another person's character – not us. Another good snippet of praise that we find is “…Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory… ” (vv. 6 – 7) . In Rev 19 we are shown a triumphant picture of our all-powerful, evil-conquering God.
I confess that I'm quite delighted by the image of “And the beast was captured, and …thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur” (v. 20). Hooray for God! Hooray for us! What an exciting read Revelation can be!
I always enjoy noting the different titles that we find for God the Father, Son and Spirit in Scripture. For instance, we find some great titles for Jesus in Rev 19 including: “the Lamb” (v. 7) , “Faithful and True” (v. 11) , “The Word of God” (v. 13) , “King of kings and Lord of lords” (v. 16) , and “the Bridegroom” is implied in vv. 7 – 9. Do you have a favourite title for Jesus? What does it teach you about him? I encourage you to persevere with your Bible readings and keep growing in God.“ Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. ” (Prov 31:8 – 9)
This week I was challenged to write a letter by the Australian Christian Lobby ( http://www.acl.org.au/vic/index.stw ) on Internet filtering. Since we reflected on the importance of “speaking courageously” last week, I thought it appropriate to print a copy of my letter emailed to politicians:
“Dear Sir, I am writing in support of the Government's plan to introduce mandatory ISP level filtering for refused classification material contained in the ACMA blacklist.
I am the minister at Glenroy Oak Park Baptist Church . From a professional perspective I am concerned by the increasingly negative impact that violent and sexually graphic material, which is freely available on the Internet, is having on society. I regularly hear disconcerting stories (from individuals and other ministers) of young people accidentally stumbling upon disturbing images and attracting undesirable connections via the Internet. ISP level filtering is a step towards helping protect some of the more vulnerable members of our society.
From a personal perspective I have a nine month old son who will grow up in an electronic age. Although we use “Strict Safe Search” on our computer and are exploring other ways to minimise the harm that the Internet can cause, it's not enough. Damaging content can still pop up from time to time. I do not want the Internet to be a dangerous environment for our son to explore.
I encourage you in your efforts to make society a safer place through mandatory ISP level filtering. Kind regards, Sylvia”
If you would like to let the government know your thoughts about current political issues such as Internet filtering, religious freedom, euthanasia etc, go to: http://www.makeastand.org.au/home/index.stw“they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful. ” (Rev 17:14)
We continue our reflections on some of the colourful images found throughout Revelation in our hope to demystify the book a little (see the church web site for the previous thoughts on chapters 1 – 16) .
Rev 17 – 18 highlights two groups of people: firstly, those who worship the beast (i.e. Satan) and secondly, those who worship the Lamb (i.e. Jesus) . The people who worship the beast are corporately described by the bold imagery of “the great city” (e.g. Rev 17:18) , “ Babylon ” (e.g. Rev 18:2) , “the woman” (e.g. Rev 17:18) , and “the great whore” (e.g. Rev 17:1) . By contrast, the people who worship the Lamb are corporately described by the imagery of “the holy city” (e.g. Rev 21:2) , “the New Jerusalem” (e.g. Rev 21:2) , “the bride” (e.g. see Rev 21:9) and “the wife of the Lamb” (e.g. see Rev 21:9) . Babylon was the reigning empire (with a capital city by the same name) during the time that Judah (i.e. the unconquered remnant of the Israelite nation, with capital city of Jerusalem ) was taken in to exile (see 2 Kings 24) . Babylon is symbolic of a city containing people unfaithful to God, and Jerusalem is symbolic of a city containing people faithful to God. Hence the imagery found in Rev.
God loves us and wants us to be in relationship with him. This is made possible through our faith in the good news of Jesus. Anyone who believes in Jesus and lovingly dedicates their life to him becomes part of his “Church” also known as his “Bride.” Those who are indifferent or reject Jesus are considered to be in an adulterous relationship outside of the marriage covenant with God. They are part of the “great city” belonging to the beast and destined for a horrendous outcome long term.
The easiest short-term option, taken by many, is to obtain citizenship to the “great city.” The more challenging, but rewarding option is to obtain citizenship to the “holy city” through Jesus. Where is your citizenship?“…“Great and amazing are your deeds, Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, King of the nations! ”” (Rev 15:3)
Revelation presents a rich tapestry of assorted colours including the dark colours of evil, bold colours of blood and splendid metallics of the glories of God. If we focus too much on one section we lose perspective. It is the overall tapestry that presents the picture, not the individual elements. Rev 15:1 – 16:21 presents further bold colours for our tapestry.
The following quotes and paraphrased thoughts are based on the New Interpreter's Study Bible notes on Rev 15:1 – 16:21. The seven plagues can be likened to the plagues experienced by the Egyptians during the time of Moses. (For a closer look at the link between each of the plagues compare Rev 16:2 with Exod 9:10–11; Rev 16:3–4 with Exod 7:17–21; Rev 16:10 with Exod 10:22; Rev 16:12 with Exod 14:21–22; Rev 16:13 with Exod 8:3; Rev 16:18, 21 with Exod 9:24.) Just as the Egyptian government persecuted the Israelites during Moses' time, the Roman government persecuted Christians during John's time. Yet Rev 15 encouraged John's readers to know that “Just as Israel once stood on the banks of the Red Sea and celebrated God's liberating act of the exodus, so also the redeemed people of God will stand on the shore of the heavenly sea and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb.”
The Lamb, Jesus, has victoriously defeated the beast, Satan, and saved Christians for eternity. “...the flood of troubles through which the church must pass is the Red Sea …” Yet God will enable us to pass through it triumphantly, just as he did the Israelites.
In Rev “15:5; the heavenly sanctuary is portrayed as the tabernacle, accompanying Israel in the wilderness; cf. Exod 40:34–38” noting the glorious presence of the Lord. At the end of our sea of troubles, we will be blessed by God's perfect presence. We will live in his perfect kingdom uninhibited by the things of this world that currently rob us of our true joy and pure experience of God. What a marvellous hope we share.“ It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; these follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from humankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found; they are blameless.” (Rev 14:4–5)
These verses refer to the 144,000 people of God, whom were highlighted back in Rev 7 (see the Link article dated 22 nd March 09, which can be found on our church web site) . In my ‘Revelation 6 – 16' Word Biblical Commentary David E. Aune notes: “The identity of the 144,000 is carefully described in vv 4–5 in three parallel clauses: (1) They have not polluted themselves with women; they are “virgins”… (a metaphor for their moral and spiritual purity). (2) They follow the Lamb wherever he goes (the language of discipleship). (3) They have been redeemed from the earth and are servants dedicated to God and to the Lamb…” (p. 848) .
(1) Another example of similar imagery for moral and spiritual purity being used can be found in 2 Cor 11:2 – 4 where we read of Paul's desire to present a “chaste virgin bride” to Christ. He accused the Corinthian church of being polluted because they allowed false prophets to steer them away from the truth of the gospel. We need to know and stick to the truth of God's Word not allowing others to lead us astray. An example of God's anger at his people's ‘whoring' to idols is found in Ezekiel 23:28 – 30. This also reminds us to be dedicated to Christ and not be ‘in bed' with other gods. Interfaith dialogue is great, but we are to be pure in our faith, not adopting the practices or beliefs of other religions.
(2) Following “the Lamb” naturally refers to Jesus. John the Baptist identified Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (see John 1:29, 35 – 36) . The book of Revelation extensively uses the title “the Lamb” to describe Jesus (e.g. see Rev 5:6 – 14; 7:9 – 17) . We are called to be like Jesus.
(3) Christ has redeemed (or saved) us from the deserved penalty of our sin so that God now sees us as pure & spotless (see Gal 3:13 – 14; Rom 3:22 – 24; Eph 1:3 – 14; Col 1:13 – 14). Thanks be to God!“ …let anyone with understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person. Its number is 666 .” (Rev 13:18)
“666” is a well known number with various interpretations. The entertainment industry would like us to have a literal expectation of the appearance of “666” on a person! But as we have already considered, the book of Revelation is full of symbolism and imagery, not literal facts.
In his commentary: “ The Message of Revelation ,” Michael Wilcock asks: “What does the number of the beast mean? Any amount of ink has been spilt over this fascinating, and misleading, question. The number is said to stand for Nero, or Caligula, or Domitian, or the Caesars in general, or the Roman Empire, or any one of several solutions, mostly based on the fact that in Greek and Hebrew as well as in Latin, numerals were indicated by letters of the alphabet, so that the letters of various names had numerical values which could be added together to obtain the total 666…”
“It is our contention that all such answers are wrong, because the question itself is wrong. The number does not stand for any particular person or institution. The number simply stands for the beast…” (Wlicock)
Numbers are regularly used symbolically in the Bible. E.g. 7, which appears extensively throughout the book of Revelation, is thought to be “the symbol of basic truth.” So why was “666” chosen as the number symbolising “the beast”? Wilcock colloquially suggests the following plausible line of thought: Let's choose a number “‘…which tries to look like truth, but isn't… A number as close as may be to perfection, but not achieving it…[since] the symbol of basic truth is seven, how about six for false religion?' ‘That would be very appropriate. Actually, perhaps because the beast in all its activities is persistently missing the mark, [let's make] the number …not just 6, but 666.'” Maybe this is the reason.
Whatever the reason, please allow a mathematician turned minister to assure you that thanks be to Christ, there's no need to be frightened of the sight of “666” or any other number!“ A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. ” (Rev 12:1)
‘The woman' written about in Rev 12 is thought to be symbolic of two groups and one person. The language of Rev 12:1 reminds readers of Gen 37:9 – 11, which tells of Joseph's prophetic dream concerning his family bowing down to him. Joseph's father Jacob was renamed Israel by God. Israel 's 12 children, including Joseph, formed 12 tribes whose development as a nation we read about in the Old Testament. ‘The woman' in Rev 12:1 is thought to be representative of this nation.
The imagery of Rev 12:2 – 6 then morphs to represent Mary (an Israelite) who is ‘the woman' who gave birth to Jesus. Rev 12:3 – 5 highlights the hope of the dragon, or Satan (see v. 9) to destroy this child. However, Jesus' resurrection and ascension is God's ultimate witness to us of his power and authority over Satan (see v. 5) . Rev 12:7 – 12 goes on to use splendid imagery to highlight Jesus' decisive defeat of Satan and his forces. Thanks to Christ's sacrificial death, we can be victorious against the enemy's attacks (see v. 11) . This is GREAT news that we need to remind ourselves of when we are feeling nervous or frightened by the evil that we find in our world.
Rev 12:13 – 17 warns readers that Satan is after ‘the woman,' which here refers to believers in Jesus. God's people are collectively known to be Christ's bride (e.g. see Eph 5:25 – 32) . Satan couldn't destroy the bridegroom, so it's natural that his next target is the bride, i.e. us. So we're not to be surprised if we feel as though Satan and his forces are attacking us. Nor do we need to feel afraid for we are more than conquerors through Christ (see Rom 8:37) . It's not an easy battle. Satan is constantly on the prowl looking for another victim (see 1 Pet 5:8). God's word warns us to suit up for battle (see Eph 6:10 – 18) . But we can be confident of victory in Christ (e.g. see Phil 2:13) .“…‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.' ” (Rev 11:15)
It would be great if the whole world could genuinely sing the words “The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul.” Unfortunately not everyone can and not everyone will when Christ returns. Thus the final trumpet highlighted in Rev 11 ironically simultaneously signals the final woe and the final blessing.
In his commentary “The Message of Revelation,” Michael Wilcox notes, “With Trumpet 7 [Christ's return] has arrived. Although Scripture mentions some aspects of the victory of Christ in connection with his first coming, there is no doubt that the language here describes the total triumph of his second. This is the ‘final and overwhelming display' of the majesty of God.
In the context of Scene 3, we should not be surprised that this glorious event is described as a ‘woe' (11:14). The entire Scene has been a warning to the unbelieving world, and if the world has still not repented after the first six Trumpets, then Trumpet 7 will bring woe indeed. It is the final woe, because from it there is no appeal. Trumpets 1 to 4 proved God's power over the earth the wicked inhabit; Trumpets 5 to 7 are the three woes which prove his power over them themselves—he has power to hurt them, to kill them, and finally (which should give them greatest cause to fear, Mt. 10:28) to damn them.
…If this life is the time of testing, the opportunities of this life are as complete as any man could wish for, and we have seen to what lengths God will go to warn [unbelievers]. …If they hear not the first six Trumpets, neither will they repent when Trumpet 7 ushers in eternity. For by that time the bent of their heart is established beyond redemption….”
The book of Revelation urges us to pray for ourselves and our loved ones that we might always have faith in the true life giver (see John 10:10). Are we praying?
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire .” (Rev 10:1)
I love the symbolism of the rainbow. In recent years I've painted rainbows. There's one of my paintings in the cry-room (along with an explanation of the symbols in the painting) . There's a similar painting at my mother's house and a HUGE one in Josiah's room. We love reading Josiah the story of Noah and telling him about God's special sign of hope, promise and faithfulness. Josiah has a “Noah's Ark ” mobile hanging in his room that has a splendid rainbow. I've even knitted him a hooded rainbow duffle coat! We want him to grow up worshipping this God.
The NRSV Study Bible notes that today's verse “is reminiscent of 4:3, reminding the reader that the series of judgements all stand under the sign of hope.” It stands amidst other chapters that can alarm some listeners / readers of the book of Revelation. It provides a reprieve to encourage us to remember that it is our loving and faithful God who is in control. We have no reason to fear. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love” (1 John 4:18) .
At times we can experience a series of bewildering, overwhelming and / or undesirable circumstances. It can cause us to become negatively skewed in our thoughts and we start thinking of God as a God of anger, or a God who doesn't care, or we can wonder whether or not God really is good etc. But then, God in his mercy, sends a rainbow that breaks through the dark clouds to remind us that he is faithful, he does have the ultimate control and there is hope. We're invited to cling to God's rainbow of promise throughout our growth opportunities.
Let's ask for God's help to ride through the storms of life on his rainbow of promise, leaning more on the encouraging things that we read about God in his Word, rather than the things that distress us.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit; ” (Rev 9:1)
After a seasonal break, we return to our series through Revelation. Chapter 9 opens with the fallen star being given the key to the bottomless pit. The “fallen star” is generally believed to refer to Satan (see Luke 10:18 and Isaiah 14:12) . The bottomless pit is thought to be “hell.” However, just as the fallen star is not a literal fallen star, neither is the bottomless pit thought to be a literal pit. In his commentary “The Message of Revelation,” Michael Wilcock notes “Only the most extreme literalists take the events of Trumpet 5 at their face value…” Revelation is a book of imagery. Hell is generally thought to be a place absent of God. Just as heaven is not thought to be a place literally containing streets of gold. Rather, heaven is the place where God reigns supreme. We will know and feel God's presence in all its fullness there. In heaven there will be no sin or brokenness. God will heal us and make us wholly perfect. Thus, hell is the opposite of heaven.
In this life we get both a taste of heaven (that is the perfect presence of God) and a taste of hell (that is the absence of God) . This helps us to make up our minds as to where we want to spend eternity. Sadly some people reject Christ and thus reject spending eternity with God. I don't believe that there is anything worse that you can do on this earth.
The locusts and scorpions highlighted in Rev 9 are not thought to be literal insects / animals. They are instead symbolic of the torment that will / can be experienced by unbelievers. That is, hardships that God allows in the hope that such experiences will help them to seek and find him. Yet many remain hardened in their hearts and don't turn to Christ.
Trumpet 6 brings further agonies. Wilcock makes an interesting comment: “ The death-dealing horsemen of Trumpet 6 are not tanks and planes. Or not only tanks and planes. They are also cancers and road accidents and malnutrition and terrorist bombs and peaceful demises in nursing homes. Yet ‘the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues', still do not repent of their idolatry, the centering of their lives on anything rather than God, or of the evils which inevitably flow from it. They hear of pollution, of inflation, of dwindling resources, of blind politicians, and will not admit that the first four Trumpets of God are sounding. In the end they themselves are affected by these troubles, and for one reason or another life becomes a torment: the locusts are out, Trumpet 5 is sounding, but they will not repent. Not even when the angels of the Euphrates rise to the summons of Trumpet 6, and the cavalry rides out to slay—by any kind of destruction, not necessarily war—a friend or a relative, a husband or a wife: not even in bereavement will they repent. ‘God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.' If we will not hear the tremendous voice of the pains of bereavement, there can be no hope for us.”
This is not to say that Christians are immune to such devastations. But we have available to us God's grace, strength, peace and true hope. Thus such experiences do not torment us in the same way as they torment those without hope. Let's ask God to help us to strengthen our connection with him and his resources, and pray for our unbelieving friends and family members.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ So My heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart.” (Matt 18:35, CSB)
Forgiving others can be a struggle. How can we forgive someone who has robbed us; whether it be of our possessions, or mental / emotional / physical / spiritual well-being, or reputation, or a loved one, and so on?
In Matthew 18:35, Jesus concludes a parable by instructing his followers to forgive people from their hearts. Not a superficial “I forgive you” but Jesus is calling for genuine, heart-felt forgiveness. How do we do this?
Primarily we need to acknowledge how imperfect we are and how much we need to be forgiven by our holy God Most High. We regularly rob God of things like: time (that we should spend with him) , worship (that we should give to him) , his reputation (when we are a poor reflection of Christ to others) , we attempt to replace God as judge, and so on. When we realise how much we need ongoing forgiveness, which we receive when we confess our sins to Jesus, we are better able to pass this forgiveness on to others. This is the point of Jesus' parable in Matt 18:23 – 35.
Secondarily we need to recognise the difference between condemning a person verses condemning an action. God alone is THE Judge. He alone can judge a person's heart and soul. That is what Jesus meant in is repetitive instruction: “ Do not judge, so that you won't be judged ” (Matt 7:1) . We are not allowed to condemn people.
However, we are called to judge actions. For instance, Jesus instructed his disciples “ Beware of false prophets.... You'll recognise them by their fruit ” (Matt 7:15 – 16) . Jesus also told his followers how to deal with fellow Christians who sinned against them (e.g. see Matt 18:15 – 20) . So we are allowed to judge and carefully / lovingly deal with sinful actions, provided the aim of doing so is a restoration of fellowship, not revenge.
I think that it is easier to forgive a sinful person for an action that we have labelled, than it is to forgive a sinful person whom we have labelled and thus whose soul we have condemned. Forgiving a sinful person for a sinful action does not mean that we excuse the action. Nor does it mean that we no longer think that the action matters. For instance, you do not allow a known paedophile to be involved with children's ministries. Nor to you allow a kleptomaniac to be an offering steward. You do not put a notorious gossip in charge of a prayer or Bible Study group and so on. Putting such people in these situations would cause them to be more heavily tempted than they need to be. This would be cruel and sinful.
Heart-felt forgiveness means loving a person but hating their sin. It also means handing over to God any rights to revenge that we believe we have. In this way, we free ourselves of bitterness and resentment, and are better able to love as Christ calls us to love.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
Genesis 1:27 reminds us “So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” We find it easy to reflect on the masculine imagery attributed to God in the Bible. Sometimes we forget that God is not a wise old man sitting on a throne. In fact God is neither male nor female. God is spirit and thus genderless. Yet God uses both masculine and feminine imagery to describe him / herself in Scripture. I thought that it was worth highlighting a few feminine imagery passages this mother's day.
Deuteronomy 32:18 attributes to God the imagery of a mother, reminding us that it is God (our Creator, Nurturer and Sustainer) who births his people. “You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.” (Deut 32:18)
In Luke 13:34 Jesus attributes to himself the imagery of a mother hen desiring to gather her chicks. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”
Jesus likened God's desire to reclaim a repentant sinner to a woman searching for a lost coin in the parable found in Luke 15:8 – 10. “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
A beautiful mothering image of God is also found in Isa 49:14 – 16 . “But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.'
Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands…”
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine ,” (Eph 3:20)
God often chooses to speak to us through the every day things of life. It's important to ask God to open our ears, minds and hearts in order that we might hear anything that he has to say to us daily. Today's “thought for the week” is an example of God speaking to me through the every day things of life during my last stay in hospital. I recorded it in a diary.
In my room at St Vincents Private hospital there were many power switches (as I'm sure you can imagine in a hospital room!) . Each one had a glowing orange light saying “power available.” But to get the power, you had to plug in a device and then turn the power switch on.
Metaphorically, God gifts each Christian with an internal glowing orange light saying “power available.” But we need to plug ourselves in and turn his power switch on.
We plug ourselves in to God in various ways including plugging ourselves in to Scripture, to prayer, to listening for his voice in the everyday things of life, making daily choices that are in line with his will (e.g. reading something that grows / nourishes us spiritually rather than seeking soul nourishment from the TV or whatever) , and so on.
As well as plugging ourselves in to God, we need to turn the power switch on. We do this by asking God to increase our sensitivity to what he is saying to us through whatever it is that we've plugged ourselves in to. Obviously we can do this by praying that God will help us prior to whatever it is that we're “plugging in to”. But we can also do it by pausing and reflecting after something has been done or observed. Sometimes we take it a step further by writing our reflections down in a diary or journal. Other times we might have someone that we can share our reflections with etc. We keep God's power switch on through our increasing steps of obedience.
Today's verse reminds us that with God's power at work in us, he is able to do exceedingly more than we can ask or even imagine. That's exciting! So let's plug ourselves in to the power that God makes available to us today and flick the switch on.
And let's not forget that God wants to be involved in our lives by speaking to us through the everyday things of life. Whether he has something to say to us through our surroundings (as was the case in my example) or our experiences etc., let's open ourselves to hear from him daily. And when we're encouraged or inspired etc., let's share our testimonies with others so that they too will be encouraged by the ways in which God communicates with us.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God .” (Romans 14:5 – 6)
Different people have recently asked me why some Christians eat fish on Good Friday. Historically God's people have chosen to abstain from some foods and eat others for various reasons.
Throughout the Old Testament we read about the nature and importance of fasting (i.e. abstaining from some and / or all foods) . There are many reasons for fasting including: firstly an act of obedience. For instance, the Israelites were warned by God to abstain from eating pork (see Deut 14:3 – 8) . Secondly a sign of repentance (e.g. see 1 Sam 7:6) . Thirdly, a sign of grief (e.g. see 2 Sam 1:12) . Fourthly, to gain God's favour (e.g. see Ezra 8:23) . Fifthly, as a sign of a person's (or people group's) sincere desire to seek God's will and / or answer regarding a matter (e.g. see 2 Chron 20:3) .
In the New Testament we read about Jesus fasting for 40 days and nights before being tempted in the desert (see Matt 4:2) . We also read about the importance of fasting from evil (see 1 Thess 5:22) . However, the New Testament introduces no special dietary laws as is highlighted by today's verses from Romans. Each one is to do what we feel is right.
According to the Catholic Encyclopaedia ( http://www.newadvent.org) , the Catholic Church has historically ordered fasting from meat on duly appointed days. This means abstaining from flesh, blood, or marrow of animals and birds, but does not include fish. From the time of the early church, Friday was declared an abstinence day, as an act of remembering Jesus suffering and dying on that day of the week (three days before the first day of the week – i.e. the day of the resurrection) . Thus on Fridays, and various other special abstinence days, strict Catholics abstain from meat and only eat fish. Some Protestant groups have also historically chosen to fast from meat and only eat fish on a Friday as a sign of grief (e.g. the Church of England) .
Only eating fish on Good Friday is a well established church tradition originating in the Catholic Church. Whether or not people choose to abstain from meat on Good Friday is determined by whether or not it is an act of faith done by someone who feels led by God's Spirit to take that course of action. God loves it when any of us step out in faith in accordance with the promptings of his Spirit at work within us.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another .” (John 13:34)
Different people have asked me questions this Easter regarding the origins of Maundy Thursday and the eating of fish on Good Friday. I decided these topics were worth exploring in a couple of Link articles.
It is generally thought that "Maundy Thursday" has its origins in a European language's translation of the Latin “Dias Mandatum”, meaning "day of the new commandment." This refers to the ‘new commandment' that Jesus gave his disciples after washing their feet on the night of the last Supper (see John 13 for more details of that night) .
Maundy Thursday has been commemorated in a number of different ways by churches since the 4 th Century. Some of the ways include: firstly, having a special foot washing ceremony to remind ourselves of Christ's humbling act the night before he was betrayed and handed over to the authorities. Washing one another's feet reminds us of our needs for humility before God and to love one another in practical, caring ways. Secondly, re-enacting the Last Supper together. Some people do this by sharing a Christianised Jewish Passover. Thirdly, baptism. Some churches use the 40 days of Lent (leading up to Easter) to hold baptism classes. People who are baptised symbolically demonstrate their faith that they have died to life without Christ (by being buried under water) and they rise to new life with Christ (see Romans 6:4 – 5) . Since we remember Christ's death and resurrection at Easter time, it makes sense that some churches use the period to hold their baptisms for the year. Maundy Thursday can be a final day of preparation for candidates – they might need to recite a creed, or be anointed with oils, or be baptised, or all three. Fourthly, a night of fasting and prayer – reminiscent of the disciples in who were with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane while he was praying to gain strength for all that was ahead of him. These are just some of the different ways that churches have traditionally commemorated Maundy Thursday throughout the centuries.
At Glenroy Oak Park Baptist Church , we have also commemorated Maundy Thursday in a number of different ways throughout the church's history. The way that I have chosen to commemorate it for the last three years is by having a special night of guided silent prayer that helps people to meaningfully reflect and enter in to conversation with Jesus. In this way we silently and prayerfully prepare our hearts and minds for Easter.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
Today (Good Friday) I will be delivering the message in the character of Mary of Magdalene, giving an eye witness account of Jesus' impact through his ministry and death. It is worth highlighting some of the things that the Bible notes about Mary.
Mary was a part of the group that travelled with and provided for Jesus and his disciples: “ Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God . The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.” (Luke 8:1 – 3)
Mary was an eye-witness at Jesus' crucifixion: “ Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee ” (Matt 27:55 – 56, see also Mark 15:40; John 19:25)
Mary saw Jesus' body go in to the tomb: “ Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.” (Mark 15:46 – 47)
Mary was the first to see the risen Christ: “ When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.” … “Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping.” (Mark 16:1, 9 – 10, see also Matt 28:1 – 10; Luke 24:1 – 12; John 20:1 – 2, 11 – 18)
Some of the lessons that we can learn from her story include:
How will we respond to Jesus' sacrifice this Easter?
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem . So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel !” (John 12:12 – 13)
The Sunday before Easter is commonly referred to a “Palm Sunday.” On this day we remember Jesus' final entry in to Jerusalem before his crucifixion. “The Gospel story tells us that the crowds lining the streets to see the famous Galilean prophet and healer cried out, Hosanna! …Yet the same people who have greeted Jesus as king change their cry a few days later to “Crucify him.” Fickle indeed” (Percy, M. “Darkness Yielding,” page 75) . Yet today many churches will be celebrating Palm Sunday. So it is interesting to reflect on the origins of this celebration.
“When Christianity became a tolerated religion in the time of Constantine [who became the emperor of Rome in 306 and famously converted to Christianity in 312] , worship and festivals had not yet been rigidly formalized. The main festivals of the Christian year were Easter (the Pascha ) and Pentecost. Easter was still at this time only a one-day festival, celebrating together the death, resurrection and exaltation of Christ…. It ushered in a period of rejoicing over the resurrection of Christ which lasted for the seven weeks until Pentecost” (“A Lion Handbook: ‘The History of Christianity,' page 152) .
Post conversion, “ Constantine ordered that Sunday was to be a public holiday similar to other Roman holidays. This made possible wider development in worship, and larger congregations in the churches. Sunday services became bigger occasions and worship imported some practices from court ceremonial, such as the use of incense, the carrying of candles as a mark of honour, and curtaining around the altar used at the eucharist [i.e. the Lord's Supper]. But Constantine 's act of toleration also started several trends which only became really noticeable later. The growth of formality, of ceremonial and of superstition took place only gradually. New festivals were introduced slowly. Churches still had to draw people in. In the fourth century this was often done by the great pulpit-orators, who were cheered (or occasionally booed) by intensely-involved congregations” (ibid., page 152) .
“It was probably early in the fourth century that Easter became expanded into a week-long festival. The marking of Christ's death was separated [to ‘Good Friday'] from the Easter Sunday resurrection festivities” (ibid., page 154 – 155) . “…the ceremonial structure of Holy Week evolved, first with the special observance of Maundy Thursday, then (by the sixth century) Palm Sunday, though a form of blessing of palms is not found before the ninth century” (Chadwick, H. “The Early Church,” pg 259) .
Today, “Palm Sunday prepares the ground for Holy Week. The hot passion of Peter's rhetoric, the pathetic sentiments of the crowd, the pledges of the disciples – they will all be for nothing. Words will fail. The thousands of followers will be reduced to a few, standing in silence, keeping their distance, on a cold dark Friday. How the mighty are fallen.” (Percy, M. “Darkness Yielding,” page 78).
Palm Sunday invites us to reflect on our level of commitment to Jesus. Are we as fickle as the crowds who praised him one day… but turned on him days later? Or are we like many of the disciples who journeyed with him but deserted him when the pressure seemed insurmountable? Or do we love our servant king with all our heart /soul / mind / strength and will we journey with him until he calls us home?
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made ready to blow them” (Rev 8:6)
Why seven? My New Interpreters Study Bible (NISB) notes: “The first four trumpets continue and intensify the visions of the final troubles before the ultimate victory of God. They are modelled on the series of plagues that were part of God's liberating act in delivering Israel from the Egyptian pharaoh. In the Exodus narrative, there were ten such plagues, but in some traditions (as here), there were seven (see Exod 7 – 12; Pss 78:[43 – 51]; 105:27 – 36; Amos 4:6 – 11…).” One interpretation of this section in Revelation regarding the seven trumpets is an eschatological repeat of the exodus of God's chosen people from their oppressors.
In Exodus we read of the plagues experienced by the Egyptians until it was time for the Israelites' liberation from slavery. God sent plagues of increasing intensity so that all people would witness a demonstration of his almighty power. It forcefully proved that he alone should be feared and worshipped by all of creation. It indelibly impressed upon the Israelites that they should NEVER let go of their faith in God.
Before Christ returns, we believe that God will forcefully prove to the world that he alone should be feared and worshipped. And just as God's chosen people escaped the plagues experienced by the Egyptians, Christians can expect to escape the plagues that will be experienced by the world. Just as blood on the door frames of the Israelite's homes ensured their safety from the ultimate plague of death, Christians – whose hearts are painted with the blood of Christ – will be ensured safety. We will truly be liberated from the oppression of sin and living in a fallen world. We will finally enter the promised land, living eternally with God in his perfect Kingdom. This gives us cause for praise but also prayer as we don't want to see any of our loved ones experience the horrors to come. So we pray, allowing our prayers to rise as incense before God (see Rev 8:3 – 4) , never letting go of our faith and hope in Christ.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?'” (Rev 7:13)
One of the elders asked John a rhetorical question. It was one to get him thinking... as if he wasn't thinking enough already! We find a lot of rhetorical questions in the Bible – God likes to get us thinking about him. See for instance Job 38:1 – 39:30.
Concerning Rev 7:13, my New Interpreters Study Bible (NISB) notes: “The faithful people of God are identified as martyrs, victors in the heavenly world who, like Jesus, have conquered not by violence but by having given their lives. The large number encourages the small church. In John's context of small groups of Christians (about 1.6 Christians per 1,000 population) 144,000 is an almost unimaginably large number, not to speak of the multitude that no one could count . Rather than thinking only of their own tiny congregation, John's readers need to know that they belong to something big: the people of God that spans the centuries, cultures and continents.”
Like so many other images in Revelation, the 144,000 people noted in Rev 7:4 is not to be taken literally. Rather it paints a picture to John's readers of the infinite number of people who we will find in God's Kingdom. God is not bound by space or time. Nor is his Kingdom. These reflections lead me to several thought provoking questions…
Have I been thinking about God lately? Have I been challenging myself spiritually in a desire to grow in my faith, as John did through his experience of God?
Am I able to conquer the difficult situations in my life without violence? For instance, keeping anger out of my voice and actions? Refraining from using my tongue to say spiteful rather than loving things?
Am I secure enough in my faith to not doubt my eternal destination? I encourage us to keep seeking and growing in our relationship with God.“…if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom 10:9)
Helene is being baptised and rededicating her life to Jesus today because she believes the good news about him. What does this mean?
Historian's – both those who believed Christ's teachings and claims and those who didn't – have recorded the existence of a man named Jesus around 2000 years ago. Many believed that he was a good man. Some said he was a wonderful teacher. Others called him a prophet.
However when we look at the teaching of Jesus recorded in the Bible, we find that he made some startling claims. E.g., he claimed to be the Son of the eternal and all-sovereign God who created all things. He said that he had come to teach people about God and establish God's kingdom. He even went as far as claiming to be equal with God.
Jesus received the death penalty at the age of 33 because key religious leaders who lived during his time felt threatened by his teachings. They organised for him to be legally killed. His body was then buried in a tomb which was heavily guarded by Roman soldiers. However three days after this, Jesus' body miraculously disappeared. The body of Jesus was never found. However, many witness claimed to see him alive in the days that followed. Some touched, ate and talked with him. Eventually a crowd of witnessed saw him miraculously rise and disappear into heaven. In this way, he opened the gate to heaven allowing his followers to enjoy eternal life with him after their earthly death.
Jesus came to help people to be reconciled to God. No one is perfect. But God is. This means our relationship with him is broken and we needed a bridge to fix it. Jesus is that bridge. If we believe that he is who he says he is, then we receive the free gift of being at peace with God and the secure hope of spending eternity with him in his perfect Kingdom. I invite you to give your life to Jesus with Helene today.The following is a synopsis from an Excursus entitled “Interpreting Revelation's Violent Imagery” found in the New Interpreter's Study Bible. Let me know if you would like a complete copy of the article.
(1) “John's thought began with …the fact of suffering in his own time. … a community that feels itself pushed to the edge of society and the edges of its own endurance will, in its worship give vent to the natural feelings of resentment – even revenge – as it interprets the eschatological [i.e. ‘end times'] turning of the tables.”
(2) The violent language used by John “…was adopted and adapted by him from his Bible and from his Jewish and Christian traditions”
(3) “…Revelation was intended to be read in worship, all at one sitting… As when watching a violent movie that ‘turns out right in the end,' the violent scenes are not dwelled on as something significant apart from the context. The narrative camera does not dwell on such scenes or elaborate them; rather, the hearer …is taken in a relatively short time from the vision of the Creator God in whose hand all things are held (chaps. 4 – 5) through the terrors that preceded the end of time (chaps. 6 – 18) to the dramatic victory at the coming of God's kingdom (chaps. 19 – 22).”
(4) “The violent imagery repeatedly expresses John's conviction of universal human sinfulness. John's theology assumes that not only their oppressors but also Christians, insiders, are sinners (1:5). John does not picture innocent or self-righteous Christians as suffering at the hands of sinful Romans, but rather sinful humans reeling under the judgements of the holy God. The catastrophes are not simply terrible, tragic events: The events are repeatedly placed in the category of God's judgements (see 6:10; 11:18; 14:7; 16:5, 7; 17:1; 18:8, 10, 20; 19:2, 11; 20:12 – 13). The eschatological terrors... are an expression of John's sense of justice.”
“The world not only reels under the hammer blows of God's wrath but it also is redeemed & released from the power of Satan (20:1–6)” Amen!
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals .” (Rev 5:5)
Israel had been waiting for God to send them a new king who would put an end to the oppression they experienced as a result of foreign occupation of their land (see Isa 11:1 – 9). This ruler was often likened to the king of the animal world: a conquering lion. It was expected that this Messianic figure would come from Judah, i.e. the same tribe as the Israelite nation's most famous King – David – who successfully ruled the united Kingdom of Israel when it was at its strongest. During the time of David , Israel seemed undefeatable. Many, such as Revelation's author, saw Jesus as the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. Jesus has conquered evil in the heavenly realm and rules in the hearts and lives of his followers. One day his kingdom, that we receive only a small taste of on earth, will come in all its fullness.
Yet Jesus is not only portrayed as a conquering lion. “In one of the most mind-wrenching reversals of imagery in all literature, John sees that the lion has been replaced by the Lamb. The one who has conquered did so not through violence, but by sacrificing his own life. This is the power that enables him to take the scroll from God's hand and execute its contents, the divine plan for bringing history to a worthy conclusion and establishing God's justice” (New Interpreters Study Bible) .
The good news of Christ is that evil was conquered by sacrificial love. It is easy to think that evil needs to be overcome by violence. We live in a violent world. So did Jesus. He lived in a country where a king could determine and enforce the murder innocent baby boys under the age of 2 and where people were regularly stoned to death by disapproving crowds. Muggings, rape, beatings, the death penalty, etc frequently occurred during the time of Jesus. His response was to lovingly lay down his life so that who so ever believes in him shall be saved. Praise God!“ Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. …and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:” (Rev 4:4, 6b)
Why 24 elders? My New Interpreters Study Bible (NISB) notes: “The symbolism… is taken from the rich biblical and apocalyptic tradition, with its evocative power. The presence of 24 elders on 24 thrones suggests the whole people of God – twelve tribes and twelve apostles (cf. 21:12 – 14) – who are somehow represented in heaven…” Once again, this is not a literal picture, but rich imagery of apocalyptic literature showing that the complete number of people, representing both the old and new covenants between God and his people, are represented in heaven.
Concerning the four living creatures, who are often considered to be frightening, they “…represent all animal life joining in constant praise to God (cf. Ps 104; Isa 6:3). Creatures that are full of eyes in front and behind cannot be imagined literally, but they evoke the numinous response that whoever approaches God's throne is observed from every direction and can keep noting concealed” (NISB) . We are reminded throughout Scripture that God knows everything – nothing can be hidden from him (see for instance 1 Cor 4:5).
Thus Revelations 4 informs us that “The response of all life, animal and human – is a song of praise to God the Creator” (NISB) . Do we praise God daily? Or is our praise of God limited to the times that we feel everything is going well? Do we believe that God is acting in our favour when our circumstances seem less than favourable? Do we believe that God is worthy of our praise irrespective of how we are feeling? Why should God be praised? Rev 4:8 reminds us that God is holy, Almighty, and eternal. We praise God in faith for who he is, as revealed to us through Scripture and the person of Jesus. “ Let everything that breathes praise the LORD! ” (Psa 150:6a)“ And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: …“I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. ” (Rev 3:1)
The church in Sardis “…is reproved for being spiritually dead, though they enjoyed the reputation of being a ‘lively church' (New Interpreters Study Bible – NISB) . To be God's idea of a ‘lively church' we need to be Christ centred and Spirit led, not human-centred and program led.
In Rev 3:5 “the white robes indicate the priestly function of the whole church (cf. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). To keep them unsoiled means to live as a faithful priest. The book of life is the registry of those who belong to God's people, and thus a metaphor for salvation (Exod 32:32; Dan 12:1; Luke 10:20; Phil 4:4; Rev 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27)” (NISB) . God wants us to live as faithful priests, meaning we are doing our best with the Spirit's help, to be increasingly like the ultimate Priest – Jesus (see Heb 4:14 – 16; 1 Peter 1:15 – 16).
It is interesting that the NISB notes that problem of the Laodiceans was not their level of enthusiasm for Christ, a common interpretation of Rev 3:15. “In the ancient world, the metaphor of cold did not mean “passive,” and hot did not mean “enthusiastic”; rather, these terms were used in the sense of “against me” and “for me.” The Laodiceans attempted to be neither for nor against. Their problem was …wavering between the either/or choice.” We want to be a church that is “for” Christ.
Another correction for a common misinterpretation comes from Rev 3:20 “John does not portray Christ as knocking at the ‘heart's door' of the individual. Rather, the Christ who walks in the midst of his churches (1:20; 2:1) here finds himself excluded from one of them, and he wants to enter. The picture is set in a corporate, churchly context. The invitation is to share in the joy of the final messianic banquet, with overtones of the Eucharist, which already anticipates the final celebration” (NISB). We want to be a church that welcomes Christ in to our midst.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan .” (Rev 2:9b)
People in the church in Smyrna seemed to be experiencing religious persecution from the Roman government due to the slander of some vicious Jewish informants, motivated by hatred and violence. Such people were considered to be followers of Satan rather than followers of God. Similarly, people calling themselves “Christian” today who are motivated by hatred and violence rather than the love of Christ might be called followers of Satan rather than true Christians.
It is worth noting that “In John's situation, Jews were a substantial minority in the Roman populace (a total of about 3 million Jews in the Roman Empire, out of a total of about 60 million people, about 5 percent of the total population). Although an old and often respected community, the Jews also had to deal with suspicion and prejudice and sometimes had a precarious existence. But the Jewish community of that time was 30 times the size of the Christian community. Thus Christians were a much smaller, more recent, and more suspect minority than was the Jewish community. Non-Christian Jews were understandably resentful that some Jewish Christians attempted to maintain their identity with the synagogue and the legal protection it afforded, thus making trouble between the Jews and the Roman government. It is understandable that in such a situation Jews sometimes denounced Christians to the Roman authorities” (The New Interpreters Study Bible – NISB) .
The church in Thyratira had a different kind of problem with a false prophet leading people astray. John called her “… Jezebel (not the woman's name…) to cast her in the same role as the Canaanite queen… married to King Ahab…who encouraged idolatry and false prophecy (1 Kgs 18 – 19; 2 Kgs 9). …Jezebel's children are those persons who accept her teaching and practice. They will be struck dead at the eschatological destruction of the wicked” for not following Christ (NISB) .
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ As for the mystery of the 7 stars that you saw in my right hand, and the 7 golden lampstands: the 7 stars are the angels of the 7 churches, and the 7 lampstands are the 7 churches” (Rev 1:20)
Over the coming weeks, we're going to consider a few key elements of each chapter of the book of Revelations. Hopefully this will demystify some of this text which seems so cryptic to our modern ears.
The lampstands “…are the light-bearers that represent the churches (see… Matt 5:14 – 16)…” (New Interpreter's Study Bible - NISB) . My NISB notes that the vision John records in verses 13 – 16 “…is not merely a journalistic account of what he saw, but is expressed in the language or his Bible, combining features from the heavenly beings of Ezek 1:24, 26; 9:2, 11; Dan 7:9; 10:6 and the description of the Ancient One (God) in Dan 7:9.” My Word Biblical Commentary notes that the “sharp, two-edged sword” coming from Christ's mouth is “…a metaphor for judgement.” John's recorded vision is not a literal attempt to describe what Jesus looks like now, but a reminder that God's character and activity is beyond our wildest dreams. We must trust him with that.
The NISB goes on to note: “…John operates out of the apocalyptic tradition, within which earthly realities have their counterparts in the heavenly world. Just as each nation has its representative ”angel” in the heavenly world (see, e.g., Dan 10:2 – 14, 20 – 21), so also each congregation has its representative “guardian” angel in the heavenly world. The church participates in the reality of the eternal world. John writes to the churches but not merely as one concerned Christian to others; the communication of the divine message takes place on another level….To address the “angel” is clearly to address the church as a whole, but in a transcendent context. This is not without precedent: In Isa 40:1, the prophet's message is addressed to the beings of the heavenly court and is only “overheard” by the earthly reader.” Let's continue to ‘overhear' what God has to say to us through the book of Revelation.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near . ” (Rev 1:3)
Back to our series on Revelation with some further introductory comments found in my New Interpreter's Study Bible…
Revelation “…contains much apocalyptic imagery. …As a literary genre, apocalyptic designates the revelation of mysteries of the transcendent world, either cosmic information about how the universe works or information about the future destiny of the world. Such literature was common in many circles of 1 st –century Judaism and Christianity. John adopts the style and imagery of apocalyptic literature and makes it the vehicle of his distinctive Christian message. The form and imagery, so strange to modern readers, were traditional and conventional to him and his readers. Just as the imagery of political cartoon (in which donkeys and elephants struggle for power) and science fiction (in which people are “beamed” from planet to starship) does not seem bizarre to the modern reader who recognises the genre, so apocalyptic imagery did not seem grotesque or weird to the ancient reader.”
A typical feature of apocalyptic literature is “The transcendent world is represented in symbolic language. Beasts and monsters often represent evil powers. Particular numbers, such as four, seven, and twelve, have special meanings. …Biblical symbols…serve to evoke, provoke, even disorient the mind accustomed to thinking only in ordinary categories, pointing to the transcendent reality that cannot be expressed otherwise than in irreducible pictorial imagery.”
Over the coming weeks we will continue to explore this imagery, seeking to grow a little in our appreciation for this fascinating book. Most importantly, we seek to learn from our God who continues to speak to his people through ALL of his Word – even the weird bits!“ Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honoured . ” (Matt 6:9, New Living Translation)
Last week I started a series through the book of Revelations, however I'm going to break it momentarily. We will return to Revelations next week.
Part of this morning's bible reading is the Lord's prayer. Jesus told his followers to pray “ like this .” In other words, we are meant to pray in a way that follows the pattern of the Lord's Prayer. Below is an example of a prayer that I have written based on this pattern:
“Abba, you are holy. I worship you and pray that all others will do the same.
Defend your name. Particularly stop people who claim to be doing things for you, from doing things against your will.
I pray for Jesus' return. I pray that you would continue to grow your kingdom before he returns. Continue to guide me concerning the part I am to play in this process. Give me the wisdom, conviction and strength that I need to do your work today.
Forgive me for the times that I think, say and do things you don't want me to. Help me to forgive me others for the times that they say and do things I don't want them to.
Don't test me in a way that causes a crisis of faith. Protect me from Satan's battle-plan.
Your Kingdom is the only one worth pursuing. Your power protects and provides. You glory is beyond my understanding. I worship you eternally, my only God and King. Amen.”
I encourage you to read Matt 6:9 – 13 in as many different translations of the Bible as possible (e.g. the New Revised Standard Version, New King James, New International Version, Good News, New Living Translation, The Message etc.) . And I invite you to write at least one prayer based on the pattern of the Lord's Prayer this week.“ The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place; he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John ” (Rev 1:1)
The 2008 Bible Challenge ended the year with the book of Revelation. This is perhaps one of the most challenging books of the Bible to read and understand. I was asked if I might explore it with you, so I have decided to write some Link articles on it.
To start with, I'll highlight a few noteworthy points found in the introductory comments written about the book of Revelation, found in my New Interpreter's Study Bible.
It's worth noting that the book is thought to have been written by John, a prophet, not the disciple of Jesus who wrote the gospel named after him. My commentary goes on to note: “Revelation has the framework of a pastoral letter (see 1:4 – 5; 22:21) filled with apocalyptic content. As a letter, it is addressed to a specific situation. The document indicates that the addresses are suffering distress and harassment as a marginalised community of outsiders in Greco-Roman urban culture (1:9), that some of them may expect to be arrested (2:10), that one member had already suffered martyrdom (2:13), and that John himself had been exiled because of his Christian preaching (probable meaning of 1:9)… John's writing… functioned… to provide encouragement to the… Christians… suffering overt persecution …[and] to address complacent church members who saw no great contrast between their Christian commitment and the surrounding culture, to make them aware of the critical situation in which they lived and the threat they faced .”
This final comment (which I have bolded) is a trap that contemporary Christians can easily fall in to. God obviously continues to use the message of the book of Revelation to speak to us today. I hope that you will enjoy this journey with me as we explore aspects of the book of Revelation over the coming weeks.“ The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. ” (1 Cor 10:16 – 17)
Today we celebrate “communion” for the first time in 2009. “Communion” is a word that is thought to come from the New Testament (NT) Greek word which is transliterated “koinonia.” According to my NT Greek dictionary, this word can mean “fellowship, a close mutual relationship; participation, sharing in; partnership; contribution, gift.”
“Communion” provides us with a tactile opportunity to affirm our close mutual relationships with Christ and our resulting fellowship with one another. “Communion,” also known as “The Lord's Supper,” is a gift to us from Jesus with past , present and future references. This includes the past in that it reminds us of Jesus' past sacrifice for our sins, “ …so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16) . It includes the present in that it highlights to us our present partnership with Christ and with all who believe in him, i.e. those who accept Jesus as our Saviour and Lord because of his sacrificial death, and in the light of his resurrection and ascension. It includes the future in that it affirms our belief that Christ will return in the future , judge all humanity (see for instance 1 Cor 11:26) , and reward his disciples / apprentices with eternal life in God's perfect Kingdom.
“Communion” can also be called “the Eucharist” which comes from the NT Greek word which is transliterated “eucharistos” meaning “Thankful, grateful.” Communion provides us with the opportunity to privately and corporately express our thanks and gratitude for all that Christ has done, is doing and will do for us.
As we share “communion” for the first time in 2009, I invite each of us to rededicate our lives to Jesus and affirm him as our Saviour and Lord.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)