November 2022 – danielgodsurelywilldeliver

I read my newspapers to see what men are doing; and read my Bible to see what men ought to do – A saint of yore.

NEWSPAPERS

After 12 years of build-up, controversy and debate, the 2022 World Cup is now just days away.

Can Brazil end 20 years of hurt? Will Lionel Messi finally lead Argentina to global glory in his last dance? Have England got what it takes to go all the way after making the semis and then final of the two most recent major tournaments? And can hosts Qatar spring a surprise or two? We are about to find out…

The quote above is from a the New York Times article of the Greatest Show on Earth. Which is how enthusiasts of the “wonderful game” characterize their favorite event! So every four years soccer fanatics, not just fans, take leave from whatever else is happening in the world – Russian’s naked aggression in Ukraine notwithstanding, Trump’s naked promotion of fake news in the USA notwithstanding, the stark reality of Climate change and even #COP27 notwithstanding – and focus on the World Cup. No beer allowed in the stadium, alleged abuses of human rights, how did Qatar win the bid to host the World Cup, Jack Warner and other distractions, no problem. “Let the games” begin they chant. I know the feeling as I was once there with them. Literally and metaphorically primarily interested in “reading my newspapers” about The World Cup. And about Cricket also! But now that I’ve become fully aware of, “ if you only knew the blessings that salvation brings, you would never stay away”, the Bible has become far more important to me than my newspapers.

THE BIBLE :

This week I wrote three letters to my Church family at STAPC. And one to the wider family of believers through a select group of priests:

TUESDAY : THE VILEST OFFENDER WHO TRULY BELIEVES, THAT MOMENT FROM JESUS A PARDON RECEIVES. WHETHER UNRULY TAXI MEN OR COASTER DRIVERS OR OTHER SINNERS

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Old Testament

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

As I read first the Collect, and then the OT reading for next Sunday, when we shall celebrate Christ the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords ( Jesus and not Selassie as some would have us believe), another quote from Jeremiah came to mind:

““From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”

Jeremiah 6:13-14 NIV

They dress the wounds of my people as though it were not serious.

We are talking about Sin in this context, and every context since the Fall of mankind in the garden of Eden. The worldwide reality which inspired the writing of one of the all time great hymns of the church, best known for this very profound description of unredeemed mankind : “ Adam’s helpless race”. And the ultimate solution to Sin is included:

“ The vilest offender who truly believes,that moment from Jesus a pardon receives” – John Wesley’s And Can it Be!

So let us be very careful about any priest, who by subtle means or overtly manifest pronouncements, attempts to “ dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. This as what Jeremiah reveals, “ In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways” ( Hebrews 1:1), in the OT is the very mind of God, the unvarnished, undiluted by any other human experience, truth of the Creator God. That not only had the people sinned and become disobedient to Yahweh, and suffered accordingly, but that the priests, the Shepherds had played a role in scattering the sheep. Dressing the wound, not calling Sin, Sin! And that God would repay them for their evil behavior.

The Collect drawing from, and divining correctly, the Word of God, speaks about the whole world divided and enslaved by Sin. This is the reality being played out on the streets of our besieged nation day by day. Whether by murder most foul, or the transport sector demanding an overturn of the penalty of Sin. Wanton disobedience to the rules and regulations of the duly constituted authority of the land.

Therefore there is only one way for mankind to return to a holy God, and to be freed from Sin. Faith in the shed blood of the Lamb of God which washes away all Sin.

We need as a church to recapture this sense of the pervasive nature of Sin which is the cause of all the problems of the world, both in terms of injustice anywhere and unrighteousness everywhere. This, as there is a movement born out the “Enlightenment” which has attended scientific and technological advances, which has also invaded elements of the church, which accords a low level of priority to Sin, and attempts to define the love of God without any reference to Sin. And in this narrative God’s love is “ weaponized” against those who dare to expose and inveigh against this error, if that is what it is, and not design. In the sense that opponents of this new thinking are often accused of lacking in love. But omitting to mention that this is how the Bible portrays and defines God love:

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”

1 John 4:9 NIV

And we all know that the only reason why Jesus came into the world, a matter on which God decided before the creation of the world…in the fullness of time God sent his Son……is because of Sin. Yes, to defeat death and evil also. But only because the wages of Sin is death, and the entrance of Sin into the world led to evil. Of all and various types!

This is therefore not a time, as Jeremiah makes it clear, for polite conversations about this matter of Sin in this and any age. Not a time for sitting on the fence to maintain good relations with all. Yes, we need to listen to each other, as the Anglican tradition recommends, but ultimately we are called to listen and obey a God who hates Sin. Loves the Sinner but died on Calvary for Sin.

I close with this story. While in Singapore attending a Leadership Conference on Evangelism many years ago, and from which experience this Ministry was born, I observed during a worship service, people crying tears of joy. Or penitential tears, not sure. But weeping. Openly! Never having experienced that kind of behavior in my Anglican upbringing, I wrote to my dear Sister Grace about it. And the long and short of it is that she recommended that I spent time with hymn 138 in our hymn book:

My God, I love thee; not because

I hope for heaven thereby,

nor yet because who love thee not

are lost eternally.

Thou, O my Jesus, thou didst me

upon the cross embrace;

for me didst bear the nails and spear,

and manifold disgrace,

and griefs and torments numberless,

and sweat of agony ;

yea death itself – and all for me

who was thine enemy…

The hymn writer continues and I hope you will all ponder deeply on this hymn. But ever since then I have become undone in my love for Jesus; for what he has done for me who was “ thine enemy”. And determined to fight valiantly against evil!

Peace and in obedience.

LWJ

Lord Jesus Christ Son of the Living God, we beseech you to have mercy on your church and renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit that we may fight valiantly against all evil that Sin has caused in this world that you created very good; Lord Jesus King of Kings, we pray that you may renew the church that the church may preach Christ and Him Crucified and Risen, to the nation(s) enslaved by Sin and consequently overrun by all kinds of evil. In Jamaica and in the USA.

WEDNESDAY

“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”

Acts 6:1-7 NIV

The Lord woke me up this morning at about 4:20 am to read about Stephen’s death, about the history of the called out people of God, until the death and resurrection of Christ, and about the priority of “ proclaiming the Christ”, ( Acts 8:5) , and of prayer. Instructions shared in the passage above! This revelation coming as I was led to read the passages before and after Stephen’s defense of the faith to the Sanhedrin, and his subsequent death by stoning.

Then I sat there for a while pondering prayerfully on what I just read. And then I was led to write and share with you, priests of the church of this age the following:

1. That proclaiming Christ is why Stephen was stoned to death. And not for feeding the widows. Not for “ waiting on tables”. Full of the Holy Spirit and proclaiming Christ is why he was gifted with the sight of “ the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand”. Yes! No doubt he was obedient and fed the widows, the orphans and strangers in the “ free villages”, in outreach programs that all the churches engage in. But that did not shake disturb Satan, and provoke him to cause people to “ yelling at the top of top of their voices they all rushed at him”. And stoned him to death! Cause people on social media to denounce you if you preach Christ Crucified! Cause people in the very church to argue with you if you place a focus on Christ Crucified. Cause governments, and civil society, and big business to oppose you and threaten to, and, persecute you, if you stand up for righteousness. And not if you feed the marginalized. In fact they will come and take pictures with you, and highlight the work of Mother Theresa, as a good example of living the Christian life.

2. That proclaiming Christ fearlessly, is why the church, at that time, was persecuted. And why the Word of God spread as they who were scattered “ preached the word wherever they went”. Acts 8: 4

3. That just like the Jews, all Christians have a history, and a story to tell just Stephen. Acts 7. What then is our history? From living in Africa, in China, in India, in the Middle East, and in the UK. How did we hear about Christ? For the most part, though we are “out of many one people”, because through enslavement by the British, brought like cattle across the Atlantic, missionaries were sent by God to teach our forefathers about Jesus. About the Redemption song.

And as I write this meditation from Martin Luther King comes to mind:

HE WHO TURNS BLACKNESS INTO DAWN

Verse: Amos 5:8

Midnight is a confusing hour when it is difficult to be faithful. The most is inspiring word that the church may speak is that no midnight long remains………..Our eternal message of hope is that the dawn will come. Our slave fore-parents realized this. They were never unmindful of the fact of midnight, for always was the rawhide whip of the overseer……..

Encompassed by a staggering midnight but believing that morning would come, they sang:

“ I’m glad troubles don’t last always.

O my Lord, O my Lord, what shall I do”.

Their positive belief in the dawn was the growing edge of hope that they kept the slaves faithful amid the most barren and tragic circumstances.

Faith in the dawn arises from the faith that God is good and just. When one believes , he knows that the contradictions of life are neither final nor ultimate. He can walk through the dark night and the radiant conviction that all things work together for good for those who love God. Even the most starless midnight may herald the dawn of some great fulfillment.

Comment: Jamaica with yet another announcement of SOE’s is in place where the night is starless. The midnight hour is upon us on account of murder most foul; chaos and death on our roads; corruption in high and low places ( extortion is a way of life in all our towns); immorality in our homes, community, and spreading like wildfire on the cell phones, and if truth be told, in our very churches; injustice across the land, and callous treatment of the poor in public institutions. All because of Sin! The adoption of a lifestyle that our slave forefathers, who trusted in the goodness of the God of Jacob, about whom Stephen spoke, never knew and never contemplated. Disobedience to God. And in which milieu, in which circumstance, the called out people of God are sent to proclaim the Christ. And suffer persecution if needs be! And bring the eternal message of hope to our people. That in Christ we shall overcome evil,one fine day

Last week the Lord woke me up to read this Word:

“A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.”

Proverbs 21:2 NIV

Finally, in this context, a Word which came into my heart as I thought about our history and how we came to know God. And how throughout the history of the called out people of God as told by Stephen, God is always the initiator and sustainer of their journey with Him. The prevenient God according to A. W. Tozer.

““Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 6:43-44 NIV

I pray God that He who called Abraham, and He who called Stephen, and He who has called the Church in this age, may renew the church to know Christ the King, the Crucified and Risen One, will so empower the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit, as a matter of priority, to proclaim Christ to this nation, and to pray without ceasing for the rescuing of our people in this midnight hour. And in this renewal, may He who alone, “weighs the heart”, correct those who think that their ways are right, but no power comes from them. For the kingdom of God is not about talk but about power.

“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.”

Acts 8:4-8 NIV

Peace and in obedience.

LWJ

THURSDAY

I’m pressing on the upward way;

new heights I’m gaining every day,

still praying as I’m upward bound,

‘Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay

where doubts arise and fears dismay,

Tho’ some may dwell where where these abound,

my prayer my, my aim, is higher ground.

Many years ago, I ceased believing in coincidence. In the sense than in the life of a child of God, He ‘orders all our steps”, and therefore nothing, not even the smallest detail, happens by chance. So this morning as I prayerfully read the words of the hymn above, and thought that it fully captured the essence of. A.W. Tozer’s call for a deeper life with Christ, as I opened my Bible to find Jacob Boheme’s Morning Prayers, there nestled in the pages of 2 Kings was this meditation from one of the all time great hymn writers:

THE ROD, THE SERPENT AND HOLINESS

Horatius Bonar

Verse: 2 Kings 18:4

Against evil, divine truth is quick and powerful. It acts like some chemical ingredient that precipitates all impurities and leaves the water clear. It works like a spell of disenchantment against the evil one, casting him down. It is the “ sword of the Spirit,” with whose keen edge we cut our way through hostile thousands.

it is the rod of Moses, by which we divide the Red Sea, and defeat Amalek, and bring water from the desert rock( Exodus 14:16; 17:6).

What evil, what enemy, within and without , is there that can withstand the unconquered and unconquerable Word? Satan’s objective at present is to undermine that Word and to disparage its perfection. Let us more magnify it, and the more make constant use of it. It is indeed only a fragment of man’s language, made up of human letters and syllables, but it is furnished with superhuman virtue.

The rod in the hands of Moses, what was it? A piece of common wood was it! Yet it cut the Red Sea in two. That serpent on the pole, what was it? A bit of brass. Yet it healed thousands ( Numbers 21:9). Why all this? Because that wood and that brass were connected with omnipresent, conduction of the heavenly electricity.

Two things came to mind as I read this, not by chance, meditation.

One the discussion in my Bible study group about the sermon last Sunday. A word which in the minds of some may have done damage to our understanding of the perfection and power of the Word of God. Our understanding that “ In the past God spoke through his prophets”, rather than the implied “ God spoke to his prophets”, who then wrote the Bible, and quite possibly wrote according their own experience and context, influenced by other religions which had had a “ flood experience” and a “ rescue experience from slavery”. A word which in the mind of the preacher, “ sorry to burst your bubbles”, could have disturbed previously held concepts of a holy and perfect word, full of power to destroy evil as Bonar wrote. A word which omitted Sin,altogether, and the received wisdom of the church over the centuries that the Bible teaches about: Creation, Fall, Redemption and Judgement. Rather than : rescue from chaos to order, engagement and leading us to follow Christ more closely ( without the context of Sin and Redemption and a New Creation).

Two, that in order for us as a people to overcome the evil of crime and violence, and chaos on our roads, immorality in the society and in the very church ( which may be the one reason, among many others, why we have so few people in our church and even less waiting to become priests), widespread corruption and extortion, deeply entrenched injustice and other ills, we need to depend even more on the perfect Word of God, and seek to press on the upward way. And not stay where doubts arise and fears dismay! Which is essence is to, through the Written Word of God, seek to have a deeper relationships with the Living Word of God. Christ the Crucified, Risen, Ascended ( and ever interceding for us…mercy)and soon coming again, One.

O God, in whom we trust, may you renew your church as we read, mark and inwardly digest your Word, day by day, and every minute of the day, draw nearer to Jesus; Lord renew your church, that the church may renew the nation(s) by proclaiming Christ crucified for the sins of the world. Save yourself from this corrupt generation, you and our children, which is the eternal Word from Peter on the day of Pentecost. The birthday of the church. For the kingdom of God is not about talk, but about ( divine) power. The eternal message from the Word of God!

Peace and in obedience.

LWJ

FRIDAY : GOD IS GOOD EVERY TIME. EVERY TIME GOD IS GOOD. ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDST OF THE STORMS OF LIFE WHEN WE COME TO UNDERSTAND FULLY THAT WE HAVE NO OTHER HELP BUT THINE O LORD

Every so often, of late, I am led to begin my early early morning devotions with the thanksgiving above all thanksgivings ,as recorded in Holy Scriptures.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel: for he hath visited, and redeemed his people:

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us: in the house of his servant David:

As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets: which have been ever since the world began.”

And then Zechariah the father of John the Baptist, whose story is recorded in Luke 1: 68 -79, and which passage of Scripture in the Anglican Church is heralded as The Benedictus, reminds us of the wonderful promises of the Holy One of Israel. One of which goes like this!

“ To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham: that he would give us;

That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies: might serve him without fear;

In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives”.

As I was led to read the majestic opening words of the Benedictus, again the morning, my heart soared, and gave thanks to a God who has made life meaningful for all of us.

Rev. Peter Espeut, writing in the Daily Gleaner this morning, in a piece entitled “ Cashing in on Christianity” https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/commentary/20221118/peter-espeut-cashing-christianity places a focus on how the business community and the media, embrace Christianity, primarily for the purpose of making money. But as manipulative as that kind of action may be, the truth is that the whole basis and foundation of our livity as a people owes so much to the much reviled and much lampooned by the intelligentsia, Christian message of a “ mighty salvation, wrought by Jesus on Calvary”.

Our concept of the traditional family and family values and parenting, arises from the Judeo-Christian ethic, now under grave threat because of the influence of modernity and “ critical thinkers”, and the blended family and homosexual ‘family’, and yet, and yet, ironically, very much in demand in recent times, better parenting that is, to counter the growing reality of violence in schools.

All of our jurisprudence and concepts of justice, emerge from the Judeo-Christian ethic which reveals that all men are created equal under God. The inherently leveling imageo-deo teaching. Which by extension drives the quest for democracy – one man one vote.

Last night I was privileged to attend the Book Launch of the well known pubic servant and scholar and former Chairman of the highly successful Electoral Advisory Commission, Professor Errol Miller. Elections and Governance!

Further, inter alia , I caught Sir Hilary Beckles, the much esteemed Vice Chancellor of the UWI, in full flight. This as he labeled our ability to forge democracy out of the evil of chattel slavery, as a Miracle. But a Miracle which was still a work in progress. A Miracle because of the unwavering determination of the newly freed slaves, despite the enormous odds they faced, and he gave examples of the hurdles our forbears had to cross, to achieve self-government. And I thought in my mind, but kept my own counsel until this morning, who else but the God who set our people free, from the bondage of slavery, by the single greatest concept ever to enter the minds of the human race “ If the Son of man has set you free, you are free indeed”, could have in and though faith in this God, inspired this Miracle.?

We play very dangerous games when we deny our heritage, and try to trade it in for a newer model, as recommended by the UN, or the gatekeepers of modernity, aided and abetted by liberal theologians. One of whom I discovered recently, would have us separate what God has joined together; the gospel and the Old Testament. This in pursuit of developing, and promoting actively, a rationale for accepting same sex marriage as “ normal”.

I praise God for a mighty salvation every day. And pray that I may do this every minute of the day. Give me Jesus! In the morning and in the evening. As there is no greater thing for which we ought to give God thanks in all of human history. A story which begins to be manifest, but which was part of God’s plans before the creation of the world, at Christmas. But finds its complete fulfillment on Easter. For indeed, Christ has died, Christ is Risen, and Christ shall come again. So that we may have, one fine day, a mighty salvation, a mighty victory ( it is finished ..Tetelestai) over all evil. Including murder most foul and chaos everywhere, and Spice and Kartel sponsored immorality, and the vestiges of our colonial past still manifest in the injustice of squatter communities #wrongaddresses and the huge disparity between the rich and the poor in this country.

O Jesus help. O Jesus renew. Church and nation! By your mighty salvation announced every minute of the day by the your renewed Church. In your precious name we pray. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel indeed!

Peace and in obedience

LWJ

Sent from my iPad

I read my newspapers to see what men are doing; and read my Bible to see what men ought to do – a saint of yore.

THE NEWSPAPERS

This week most of us in Jamaica who support the Democrats, for varied reasons, were a bit apprehensive about the possible outcome of the mid term elections in America. This as the polls were almost announcing a Red Wave ; with significant victory for the Republicans in both houses of Congress. And by implication, in the minds of some, a victory for Donald Trump! Well, it didn’t happen, and America probably “dodged a bullet”, that in the present circumstances, Trump style Republicanism, could have had serious implications for democracy.

Trying to make sense of the myriad views expressed about this elections, I zeroed in on a letter to the NYT and an interesting interview with a first time Black Republican, who won a seat to the House, representing a white district in Texas. The author of the letter presumes to speak for all Americans, from a “ Blue State “ perspective. While the Black Republican politician largely focuses on his own person views. What was on interest to me was the presumption or claim that Republicanism means embracing values about putting God first, serving country and flag, vis a vis Democrats who place a focus on civil rights and human rights. And if so, how could I as a Christian not favor Republicans, and wish instead that Democrats prevail at the polls? Interesting question isn’t it! No doubt as I turn from Newspapers in this section to The Bible in the next, we will get a sense that serving God means far more than embracing the “ hot button topics” that characterize the views of some evangelical Christians in America. But rather serving a God who demands both Righteousness and Justice; that “kiss each other”, as the Bible informs us.

To the Editor:

Voters in red and blue states just let their representatives know that they want our country to move forward. We can’t go back to the “good old days” when racism, sexism and homophobia were widely accepted with a wink and a nod. When the sky was black with pollution and the Earth was just another commodity to be stripped bare without any consideration.

Many political leaders have just discovered that there are a lot of us out there who believe that women should have the right to control their own bodies. Who believe that Black and Latino communities should not lose their voice to gerrymandering. Who believe that hard-won L.G.B.T.Q. rights should be preserved. Who believe that environmental regulations should be enforced. And who believe that the incessant, widespread attacks on our democracy and the rule of law should not be tolerated.

Too many people fought and died bringing America to where it is today — bringing America into the modern world where civil rights and human rights for all people matter.

America is at an inflection point. May we move forward, not back.

Daniel Wasik
Fanwood, N.J.

Wesley Hunt – Black Republican House Rep

Lulu Garcai-Navarro – New York Times Opinion writer poses questions to newly elected Wesley Hunt, a black conservative and Republican, who won the majority white district , Texas’s 35th. One of a record number of non-white candidates – 67 for the house

Q. You grew up in Texas. That is a famously conservative state. When did you start identifying as a Republican?

A. Yeah, I was pretty young. I was going to Champion Forest Baptist Church at the time. And I feel like the church that I was going to — conservative values, putting God first, serving the country, standing for the flag. There was just this idea that conservatism and the Republican Party is something that I resonated with the most.

I will also say that during those times in my life, I tended to be in a predominantly white Christian environment. And what I realize is that, from an ideological standpoint, I actually had more in common with them than I did for what I would call Democrats and liberals at the time. And that’s how I identified as Republican.

THE BIBLE

MONDAY : ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS BEGINS ON EARTH; WHAT DOES THAT MEAN THEOLOGICALLY AND PRACTICALLY?

Old Testament

Isaiah 65:17-25

For I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;

the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.

But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating;

for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.

I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and delight in my people;

no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
or the cry of distress.

No more shall there be in it
an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;

One of my favorite theologians, Oswald Chambers, encourages us to read the Word of God in the “ flesh and blood of life”. In the midst of the happenings of our daily life! And the OT reading for next Sunday in my Church is filled with the trials of this age:

Dead babies, “ living a few days”, continue to be headlines. For political reasons yes. But still dead, and of concern to those who don’t have a political axe to grind. Just a heart of compassion, as pointed out in an excellent sermon ( Canon Kitson) at my church yesterday, for those who have been the beneficiaries of God’s love and mercy in Christ and Him Crucified and Risen ( and soon coming again one fine day); weeping in a land which “mourns “ for the dead. Over 1300 so far for true year. The latest one being the subject of a discussion between our helper and us in our home this morning -her cousin was shot dead last night …..” and the marrow left on the ground.

And thank God for Jesus, in Him, shall one day be no weeping nor death. “ They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountains”. One day when He shall come again to judge the living and the dead. And then establish a new heaven and a new earth. Forever? In heaven, where those who trust in Him and identify in his death by baptism, shall rise again on the last day, like Lazarus.

An intriguing question though. Since we know that eternal life with Jesus begins here on earth with him, according to the Holy Scriptures which cannot be broken, is it not correct to say that “ I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight”, begins, in some form and fashion, with we who place our absolute trust in the cleansing blood of Jesus.

One example of this came into my consciousness a couple of nights ago with the reading of a meditation by another theologian :

RIGHTEOUS PRAYER

CHRIS TIEGREEN

NOVEMBER 5

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective . James 5:16

“ Elijah was a man just like us “ ( vs 17). That’s the example James gives us to prove that prayer is powerful and effective. While we might question how one can press this illustration – Elijah seems to have been a man unlike any other – the fact is that he was still just a human being.

( On Saturday morning before writing the weekend blog, I pondered and asked the Lord what to tell the people of Majesty Gardens on Sunday during the sermon. Christ has died. Christ is Risen, Christ will come again, was the immediate answer from above. And so I was obedient. In the blog and in the service! Further, in this act of being obedient, Elisha’s servant came to mind. The one who God opened his eyes to see the chariots of fire all around his master! And this came also: “ You have seen and believed but blessed are those who have not seen but have believed”. (Food for thought isn’t it!)

The prayers that he ( Elijah ) prayed were not under some special dispensation of grace and power. He came before God and uttered bold requests, and there is o=no reason what we cant do the same. In fact there is every reason why we should. God tells us to……..

That’s only because we don’t understand the righteousness we’ve been given ( in Christ Jesus). Jesus said that no one before was greater than John the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah. Yet the least in the Kingdom of God – those born of the Spirit – were greater than John. The righteousness of your new birth is greater than the righteousness of bold prophets of old.( I’ve always been intrigued by this passage of Scripture:

“ These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what was had been promised.God had promised something better for us so that only with us would they be made perfect”).”

COMMENT

So the righteousness “ Christ in you the hope of glory”, that we have in Christ Jesus, if we have faith like what Elijah had, opens the door to all kinds of manifestations of the eternal life we now enjoy in Christ. Let us therefore with our eyes fixed on the prize claim the perfection promised in the Scriptures, by the crucified life we are called to live. For the rescuing of this nation and for the glory of the God of Abraham, who appointed Isaiah to write in that age.

Peace and in obedience

Lord renew your Church with those who place their absolute trust in your goodness and faithfulness and promises in Christ Jesus, the Crucified and Risen One; Lord renew your church that the church may renew the nation(s) where mothers cry for their children and the land mourns on account of bloodshed following bloodshed.

TUESDAY: TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THINE HEART AND LEAN NOT ON THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN AMERICA OR IN JAMAICA, AT ANY TIME,WHTHER ON ELECTION DAY OR NOT

The Response

Canticle 9

The First Song of Isaiah Ecce Deus

Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.

And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;

Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.

Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.

Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

I almost missed the message in the response to the OT for Sunday coming. This, as it fits in very well with the message I am led to share this morning!

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.

Last night I continued reading A.W. Tozer’s book on The Crucified Life. And the essence of which is that spiritual perfection – as revealed in the quote from the great passage on faith in Hebrews 11 yesterday – the deeper life with Christ, is not only possible, but it’s a revelation which we glean from reading the New Testament. This as “ Christ in you the hope of glory”, is all the righteousness we need to accomplish great things for the Lord in this age. Just like Elijah and others in another age, and therefore achieve not the “ thirty fold or sixty fold but the one hundred fold” that Jesus speaks about in the parable of the seed and the sower.

But before Tozer’s message from last night came to mind, this third prayer I offer in the mornings – On Going To Work ( by Jacob Boheme) – served as the trigger for my memory:

Give me dear Lord, a pure heart and a wise mind, that I may carry out my work according to your will. Save me from all false desires, from pride, greed, envy and anger, and let me accept joyfully every task that you set before me. Let me seek to serve the poor, the sad, and those unable to work – Rev. Kitson’s sermon last Sunday….with a heart of compassion. Help me to discern honestly my own gifts that I may do the things of which I am capable, and happily and humbly leave the rest to others. Above all, remind me constantly that I have nothing except what you give me, and can do nothing except what you give me and can do nothing except what you enable me to do.

Comment: This prayer, especially the last sentence, ought to be the context in which we receive the Response, the message from the First Song of Isaiah.

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.

And so back to Tozer who begins the 8th Chapter in this fashion:

THE GREAT OBSTACLE TO LIVING THE CRUCIFIED LIFE

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6

Paul was a man who knew what he believed and where he stood. He knew God and was confident with a great cosmic confidence, yet that same man was the most distrustful of himself. As great as Paul was, he did not trust himself……

What do I mean by “self-trust:? Simply, it is the respectability and self-assurance that comes though education. It is what you learn about yourself and what your friends tell you abut yourself and all the best that you may give yourself.

Self-trust is the last great obstacle to living the crucified life…….

I want to quote a little from a man who had a wonderful name: Lorenzo Scupoli ( 1530-1610). He was one of those strange Catholics who, during his lifetime, was considered more or less a heretic because of his evangelical leaning.

He wrote a book called The Spiritual Combat, which is a practical manual for living. Scupoli begins by teaching that the essence of life is continually fighting against our egotistical longings. Scupoli says that the way to win the fight is to replace our desires for self-gratification with acts of charity and sacrifice. The one who does not do this loses and suffers eternity in hell. The one who does it, trusting not in his own strength but in God’s power, triumphs and will be happy in heaven.

Scupoli analyzes several common, real-life situations and advises on how to cope with each one of them to keep your conscience clear and to improve our virtue. Anyone who continues to act against God is the cause of all that is bad. All good comes from God, whose goodness is limitless. Scupoli wrote:

So necessary is this self-distrust in this conflict, that without it you will be unable to , I say not to achieve the victory desired, but even to overcome the very least of your passions. Let this be well impressed upon your mind; for our corrupt nature too easily inclines us to a false estimate of ourselves; so that , being really nothing, we account ourselves to be something, and presume, without the slightest foundation, upon our own strength.

This is a fault not easily discerned by us, but very displeasing in the sight of God. For He desires and loves to see in us a frank and true recognition of this most certain truth, that all the virtue and grace which is within us is derived from Him alone. Who is the foundation of all good, and that nothing good can proceed from us, no, not even a thought which one finds acceptable in His sight.

Why is self-trust so wrong? Self-trust is wrong because it robs God.

Tozer continued. But more anon!

Peace and in obedience.

LWJ

Lord renew thy church with those who put their trust completely in you alone and not in their own strength and wisdom; Lord renew your church as we believe that “Christ in you the hope of glory”, that we being righteous in Him, may speak your word boldly and pray effective prayers for the renewal of the nation(s) where people trust in themselves and not in your goodness and mercy according to your Word: Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid. And suffer the consequences in America and in Jamaica. Everyday!

WEDNESDAY: DISOBEDIENCE, CONDONING SINS AGAINST THE BODY AND SINS OUTSIDE THE BODY, IS WORSE THAN OBEAH! AND SO, FOR THOSE MANY SINS, THE LAND MOURNS. IN THE USA AND IN JAMAICA.

The Gospel

Luke 21:5-19

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, `I am he!’ and, `The time is near!’ Do not go after them………..

Comment: They say that hindsight is 20:20 vision. And in the case of the Gospel for next Sunday, we know the answer to the question posed by the Jews, who asked Jesus when would the temple be destroyed. And even more importantly, we know Who would replace it and where it would be located. But the Jews then, had no idea where the center of Jewish life, which is what the temple represented, would lie in the future. And the same thing applies to people in this age who are not believers! For to imagine that Christ would live in our hearts, as in this age, according to St. Paul:

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NIV………..

…..is pure foolishness to the spirit that informs the wisdom of this age. But not for us. For us “ Christ in you the hope of glory”, which is foolishness to the world, represents the power of God.

In this context then the Epistle which commands us, and so too the Gospel, if we believe that Christ lives within us, to live differently, demands a response:

The Epistle

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us.

Paul goes on to elaborate further on those who live in idleness. But we dare not forget that he also mentioned, as a command, not to associate with those believers who “ do not live according to the tradition that they received from us”.

The question that arises in this age is what is Paul saying by “ flee from sexual immorality”. In the sense in this topsy turvy, changing values, throw away the old and bring in the new, world, what is sexual immorality? This as the fact that “ all other sins are outside the body”, outside the temple where Christ resides, at the very least, means that such sexual immorality, is regarded by God as different from others. And perhaps different because the desire for sex, if left unguided in the human heart, more easily dethrones ( robs) God of His place in our hearts, than any other.

It’s a question which elements in the Anglican Church, and others worldwide, who are at the very least, may very well stand accused of “ flirting with sin”, and maybe even worse, need to ponder on deeply. This as we know from the past age that, “ disobedience is worse than divination”. Mercy Lord. Mercy!

And in the midst of this we lament the fact that we are short of priests, and that very few if any candidates are presenting themselves at UTC for training! And only God knows why.

I close with the second of three prayers I am led to pray each morning. For many years now! From an old Saint,Jacob Boheme. And if you “listen” carefully you will hear solutions to our problems as a church and as a nation. In Jamaica and in the embattled, politically, and morally -and there is a nexus between the two, not easily discerned, but there nevertheless – USA.

ON RISING

Rule over me this day ( and if we recoil from a command from Paul, then, as some of those who are intent on revising the Bible, would have us do now, we certainly cannot object to being ruled by a Sovereign God…my words), O God, leading me on the path of righteousness ( and such righteousness is Christ in us the hope of glory, a gift from the Risen Christ, after He died for all our sins, those against the body and those outside the body).

Put your Word ( the undiluted Word of God) in my mind and your truth ( Christ is the Truth) in my heart, that this day I neither think nor feel anything except that which is good and honest ( holiness is what I long for).

Protect me from all lies ( of this and any age) and falsehood helping me to discern deception wherever I meet it. Let my eyes always look straight ahead on the road you wish me to tread, that I might not be tempted by distraction. And make my eyes pure, that no false desire may be awakened within me.

Comment:

Peace and in obedience.

LWJ

Lord renew thy church beginning with those who are completely obedience to you and your Word, written and Living; Lord renew thy church that the church may renew the nation(s) where people in America and in Jamaica have become “ worse than divination”. And so the land mourns as sexual immorality rears its ugly head in the temple of the living God and Sin spreads out into other areas of personal and national life.

Suffice for all our needs!

THURSDAY: Early Morning Instructions: Put no confidence in the flesh in this age or in any age. But seek to have the mind of Christ on all things. Whether fighting crime in Jamaica, or carrying out Devotions in Schools, or rescuing democracy in the USA

ON RISING

Rule over me this day O God, leading me on the path of righteousness.

Put your Word in my mind and your truth in my heart, that this day I neither think nor feel anything except that which is good and honest.

As I prayed this prayer again this morning, the Spirit of God led me to read a Word in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. A word which is best expressed and most familiar to us in the KJV:

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

Philippians 2:5 KJV

And from there, having pondered again on this amazing and compelling truth, that the goal of every Christian is to have the same mind which was in Christ Jesus, and that such a state of mind comes only through the power of the Risen Christ, by faith, I went on to read the entire letter to the Church in that age. I would recommend that you do also. It’s a short letter. And in this Word from God Almighty, we find another compelling but often not well received truth:

“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,”

Philippians 1:29 NIV

A Word which is similar to the one in Paul’s letter to the Roman Church. Interestingly Paul wrote to the Church in Philippi during his first imprisonment in Rome:

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

Romans 8:16-17 NIV

And another Word also in his letter to Philippians. That the only way to know Christ, and by extension to live a crucified life – the only life that can with power help to rescue Jamaica from evil – we are called to enter into the sufferings of Christ. Which really means that “we put no confidence in the flesh”, as Paul warned:

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Philippians 3:10-12 NIV

The point here is that, we need to press on internally, within our mind and spirit, to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us, before or even while we are trying, to rescue the perishing, care for the dying, seeking the lost, pursuing justice on the behalf of the widow and orphan and stronger. We need to have the mind of Christ, or at least be in hot pursuit, with the help of the Holy Spirit ( come into my heart Lord Jesus …there is so much room in my heart for thee) of the mind of Christ. So that, as church, we can be one in the Lord, and in the rescuing of this corrupt generation. And not be, like the rest of the society, be “ atomized “, doing our separate activities ( do not be like them) while trying to rescue this land. And so bring glory to the Lord as the Body of Christ.

But for that to happen, we need to put no confidence in the flesh, and endure the suffering which comes along with a determination to “ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection”.

This as “ for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey”. Even, and especially, in the time of suffering for the Lord.

Peace and in obedience. A note of warning. Be open always to the leading of the Lord in all things, and not operate by rote and do today, only because it is what you did yesterday, and the day before. As God is always doing a new thing in the life of the believer!

Peace and in obedience.

LWJ

Lord renew your church with those who have decided to follow Jesus, to have the mind of your Son, and to suffer with Him; Lord renew your church so that the church may renew the nation(s) where so many have elected to place all their hope and confidence in the flesh, and so the land mourns, as bloodshed follows bloodshed, and corruption and immorality reign.

Sent from my iPad

I read my newspapers ( or watch TV or listen to the radio or go on YouTube or other social media platforms….an update) to see what men and women are doing; and read my Bible ( no need for any update) to see what men and women ought to do – a saint of yore

THE NEWSPAPERS

This week I watched the award winning public affairs program All Angles hosted by popular journalist and talk show host Dionne Jackson Miller on TVJ ( Television Jamaica). The topic for discussion was:

“Should we Change how Religious Devotions are Practiced in our Schools”.

The Panel: An Anglican Priest ( from my church), the President of the Association of Principals and Vice Principals, the President of the Jamaica Union of Tertiary Students and a Rastafari Professor at the UWI ( University of the West Indies). A short video clip placed the issue in context, and these points emerged:

Jamaica is viewed by many as a Christian country; Education has been born out of Church in this nation and Devotions is part of what schools do; every day…schools have been guided by their own protocols for years…it has been not been proven to be necessary to introduce protocols over the years…Jamaica is a plural society and therefore one should be careful how we do devotions in schools….no one should foist upon a student any doctrine …invite clergy and motivational speakers to conduct devotions …..Protocols should not dismantle or diminish the influence of the church ….protocols provide a moral footing for students especially at this time of worrying levels of anger and even fatal incidents in schools.

The additional points made by the panelists as I recall and questions posed by the host, were as I recall:

1. There ought to be room to do devotions differently even while maintaining the influence of the church

2. Protocols are ( only ) a guide that will assist the principals in instituting changes as required

3. This is a modern age where students have a much more enlightened view of how the world turns and therefore their views on how we do devotions ought to be part of the discussion

4. Because we live in a plural society devotions ought not to labeled as Christian, nor even religious, but spiritual or even more accurately non-faith based events in schools.

5. Students who decide not to attend ought to be supervised and other kinds of activities provided for them

6. The education act postscribes forcing any student to attend devotions …but most parents would insist that you “ take your little self to devotions”.

7. There are models other than the Christian ethic that can provide moral grounding for students

8. Church schools are going to do what they have to do to maintain the sharing of the Christian ethic with students.

9. Devotions in general are far too long and should be made much shorter and to the point

10. The discussions were triggered by “strange behavior” of students during devotions at Oberlin High School and John Rollins School

Should we Change how Religious Devotions are Practiced in our Schools | TVJ All Angles – Nov 2

THE BIBLE

What instructions and inspirations did I receive and gain from reading my Bible this week. About devotions in schools and other topical issues #Seoul #India

TUESDAY – Early Morning Instructions: Jesus Christ and Him Crucified Risen and soon coming again is the only “ prosperity” we need. And then all else will follow!

Old Testament

Haggai 1:15b-2:9

In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.

Comment: As I read the passage above, at first one ( validating) passage of Scripture came to mind. And the key to understanding the whole Bible!

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV

Then another!

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”

Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV

And then this eternal cry and hope, and wish and prayer, no doubt, from ( retired Bishop of the Anglican Church) Harold Daniel. That we should get back to the basics of Christianity. And my understanding of that, based on the Word of God, as written by St. Paul, is back to Christ and him Crucified, Risen and soon coming again.

In this context then, contrary to what the proponents of the “ prosperity gospel”, which is no gospel at all, would have us believe, and in a sense what is being advanced by the politicians as the end game of development – prosperity, Jesus is the right discerning of “ and in this place I will give prosperity”. The right discerning of all history as ordaining by God for “ all who have sinned and fallen short of the glory ( and splendor) of God”. And all who therefore according to the Benedictus “sit in darkness and in the shadow of death”. This as the wages of Sin, which was the nemesis of the children of Israel, and why they turned to idolatry, within a short time of their glorious “ redemption” by God from the clutches of, and enslavement by, Pharaoh, is death. But thank God for Jesus, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.

We forget this mighty Salvation, even for a minute, that Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead, with power, at our own peril. And at the peril of the nation in which we have been planted to serve and to rescue from evil. This, as Easter for the early Christian Church, as A. W. Tozer reminds us, was not a Holy Day, not a holiday, not a season, but a daily walk with God in the midst of persecutions and trials. As they remained steadfast in their struggles and in their determination to be obedient to God, by carrying with them always the reality and power of the Risen Christ abiding with and through them, and becoming in them “ salt and light”.

No doubt the Word from St. Paul, sent to the church in Corinth and read in other churches led them further in this direction, and ought to be a source of inspiration for us in this age:

“We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”

2 Corinthians 4:10-12 NIV

This therefore, is the same attitude we ought to cultivate with the help of the Holy Spirit, in this corrupt generation where murder, and murder most foul has become “ common place”:

Nearly 1,300 murders have been committed in Jamaica since the start of the year, an eight per cent increase year-on-year.

In the latest Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) statistics on serious crimes, as at October 29, a total of 1,294 homicides have been recorded.

In this corrupt generation where acts of gross immorality no longer shock the nation! Where extortion and corruption in high places have become endemic! And the land mourns as in the time of Hosea, as “ there is only cursing and lying and murder,stealing and adultery, they break all bounds and bloodshed follows bloodshed”. (4:2 NIV).

And the danger here is that elements in the Church, thank God not all, as God always leaves a remnant ( thank you Sister Grace for the constant reminder) to represent Him, instead of seeking the deeper life, seeking a closer walk with the Risen Jesus, have according to analysis of A. W. Tozer:

“ Following salvation, the Holy Spirit rises up early, encourages the new Christian forward and urges him to urge others to go forward. The idea of there being a better Christian life than most people know is neither a modern development nor a modern idea. It can be traced all the way back to OT and the experience of Israel……

The whole history of Israelis filled with one miracle after another.

But it was not long before changes took place. These changes did not happen overnight but occurred gradually. Slowly but surely the Israelites moved from the center to the perimeter. They soon fell prey to externalism. Instead of being led by God day by day, they become content to live by rote. They did today what they did yesterday because they did it the day before. ( Instead of looking to, and expecting …my words…God to do a new thing each day in Christ Jesus)

This is where the prophets of Old Testament stepped in and called Israel back to the center, to worshiping Jehovah……

It is not difficult to see in the history of the Church a gradual shift towards externalism. Occasionally God bolsters His people with a mighty revival. He begins to pour out His power, and people are stirred away from externalism and empty hollow rituals that are a big part of their worship. They break through to an experience with God that is above the norm and what they had known up to that point. Many of the great hymns of the Church have come out of these great moves of God.

As great and wonderful as these moves of God are, however, it does not take long to drift slowly back into externalism. Once externalism gets a good hold, institutionalism begins to take over. Then follows form, ceremony and tradition, and the Church begins to celebrate what once was and those who once were. An external ceremony replaces the inner fire of the Holy Spirit”

Comment: The great challenge I believe now, is for us as Church is to escape the tendency, the historical reality, that has dogged the Church over the centuries, and placed it at the periphery of things. Things of God and equally things of the world into which we have been sent to be “ salt and light. Doing Church then, in the sense of enveloping ourselves in the pursuit of maintaining a congregation ( and don’t forget about the buildings) and a denomination as an institution, and not as the living breathing active Body of the Risen Christ, calling a nation to repentance, speaking truth to power, and seeking Justice for all in its myriad forms, is the challenge for this and all ages.

It is in this sense of being determined to walk closer with Jesus minute by minute that we receive the Word from the prophet Haggai this morning and by extension the Word from God for all ages, as this is a prophecy about the Christ and the mighty salvation:

“The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.”

For unless this mighty salvation and the Risen Christ is with us, more and more each day, and not just “doing Church”, in form and in tradition, we dare not, and indeed cannot, fight valiantly against evil ( our Baptismal covenant as Canon Kitson reminds us often). The kinds of evil which result in bloodshed following bloodshed. And therefore the land mourns!

Peace and in obedience

LWJ

Lord renew your Church we beseech thee in this and every age by inspiring us and empowering us to “ carry around in our bodies the death of Christ so that the life of Christ may be revealed in us”; Lord renew your church that the Church of the Risen Christ may renew the nation(s) where evil men cry out “ where is Nancy” and where people engage in peace marches to fight against Sin, rather than trust in the Living Word of God. Even Christ and Him Crucified and Risen and soon coming again as Judge.

WEDNESDAY

Old Testament

Haggai 1:15b-2:9

The Word of God above, in my Anglican Church and all Churches that follow the Liturgical readings, attracted my attention for a second time this week. Was led yesterday to send a message to my church members. At least some of them!

This morning after sending out a prayer written by a saint of yore Jacob Boheme, which I pray most mornings, on Twitter including this extract “ Put your Word in my mind and your truth in my heart that this day I neither think nor feel anything except what is good and honest”, this truth came to mind as I read the passage above again.

God told Haggai to speak truth to power, and to the remnant of the people. And so Haggai was obedient. What truth? To take courage, and work ( sounds like the famous Jeremiah prophecy doesn’t it) because I am with you says the Lord…..My spirit abides with you do not fear.

To whom was the Lord speaking? People who He had rescued with a mighty hand from enslavement in Egypt. And then He promised to send Jesus “ The splendor of this house shall be greater than the former”.

It is this same God who rescued our people from enslavement to our slave masters. It is this same God that, as Rev. Stephen Jennings reminds us in his new book “ Reading the Signs of the Times: A Prophetic Response to Jamaica @60”, who inspired the Church ( Baptists in the north and Moravians in the south) to provide for the newly freed but destitute former slaves. Free Villages being one example. And then others came on board later.

So reading the Times, includes listening to God who, having spoken in former times through his prophets now speaks in these times through His Son, Christ the Crucified, Risen, Ascended and soon coming again ( this time as Judge and not Savior) One. And therefore the promise of the splendor of this house, the Temple, shall be greater, in Christ Jesus, means that God shall dwell with man as we know now. And enable our bodies in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit to become “ The Temple of God”, collectively and individually.

It is in that context, then that the message comes to the Governor General, the Prime Minister, the ArchBishop and Bishops and priests and the remnant. But only if we believe. Only if we have faith that the same power that raised Christ from the dead, lives in and through us who have been “ crucified with Christ”, died to self, and live only for God, can we be assured and assure others that “ My spirit abides with you…do not fear”. Do not fear what they fear. Do not fear the wicked men and women and what they are doing to destroy this country.

I have been led to read A. W. Tozer’s writings of late. And his insistence that all Christians ought to seek a closer walk with Jesus, and live the Crucified life.

This an extract of what I read last night in his book “The Crucified Life “

BREAKING THE STATIC CONDITIONS AND GOING ON

“ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1

One of the great problems dating back to the Early Church was that of the static Christian. The static Christian is one who is slowed in his spiritual progress. This is a problem we need to face today in the Christian Church. The great challenge is how do we get such Christians interested in becoming more than the average run-of-the-mill type of believers we see everywhere. So many Christians are static or are becoming static in their Christian experience.

The apostle Paul said, “. Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?”( Gal. 5:7). So the spiritual progress is stunted, slowed and going nowhere – it is static. Along with this is a lack of moral dynamics, which every Christian ought to know. I believe if we will listen, we will hear God speaking; : he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” ( Rev. 2:7).

If we could hear what the Spirit is saying today, we would hear Him say:

Moses my servant is dead; now therefore let us arise and go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I have given to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon that I have given unto you, as I said unto Moses. ( Josh. 1:2-3)

I earnestly believe we will hear the Spirit of God say, “ Let us go on to perfection.” Let us go beyond repentance and cleansing, let us go beyond the imparting of the divine life. Let us first be sure that we get these things settled to the point of absolute assurance. No deeper life can exist until life has been first established . No progress can happen until there has been a new birth. All the efforts towards deeper life, the crucified life, will only bring disappointment unless we have settled the matters of repentance from dead works, the forgiveness of sins and the impartation of divine light and conversion ( In my view matters that Liberal theologians are tinkering dangerously with).

……First, Living the crucified life involves completely forsaking the world ( and later Tozer explains exactly what he means by that statement).Second, the crucified life means turning fully to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I close with these thoughts. By echoing words from a video, which “went viral “ when Rev. Astor Carlyle stated at a funeral after advancing some thoughts on the state of our country, “ that we have work to do”. The whole Cosmos agrees. And that work is prayer without ceasing, that static Christians may be encouraged to seek the deeper life with Jesus. Believe that in us Christ lives and reigns with power. And that together with God, we can rescue this nation from evil, as the God of Jacob is with us as promised. And all of God’s promises we know are “ yes” in Christ Jesus. And then we say the Amen! ( 2 Cor. 1: 20)

Peace and in obedience.LWJ

Lord renew thy Church with the remnant, those who are determined to live the crucified life and seek a deeper relationship with Christ: Lord renew thy church that the church may renew the nation(s) where evil abound and people are shaking with fear, and where you have come in Christ to grant us the peace that passeth all human understanding. Forever! Amen.

FRIDAY : Early morning Devotions: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts and the songs that we sing be pleasing to the Lord. Be acceptable to him during devotions in schools and at the worship service

The Gospel

Luke 20:27-38

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel: for he hath visited and redeemed his people. And hath raised up for us a mighty salvation in he house of his servant David .

Christ has died! Christ is Risen! Christ will come again! This is the threefold declaration of the Christian faith which we say Sunday after Sunday during the the prayers before Holy Communion. Jesus in the Gospel tackled an important subject of the time. And which issue is still the subject of a lot of discussion in this age. What was the issue? Whether or not in the last days there will be a Resurrection! In the Gospel Jesus reveals what will happen in heaven after the resurrection, but the more important point for us in this age, is the reality of the Resurrection at the last day itself.

This is what Martha, the sister of the now famous Lazarus who Jesus raised the dead, believed as revealed to us in one of the most profound conversations in the Bible:

“When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.””

John 11:20-27 NIV

Martha believed that her brother would rise again on the last day. She had learnt the Scriptures well; unlike the Sadducees. But her mind was on the here and now and not on the life after death. Her dear brother was ill, and she believed that this miracle working Jesus could have saved him if he had come earlier. Remember now that Jesus decided to stay two more days when he heard that Lazarus, a part of a family that He loved dearly, was sick. So yes, Martha believed in the Resurrection but Jesus in delaying his arrival until after Lazarus died, wanted to teach her and to teach us by extension, an even more important lesson than what His miracles had done so far. What was this all important lesson? That because Christ has died, because Christ is Risen, and because Christ will come again, the Resurrection at the last day will take place. This is what his extraordinary claim means, which to the natural man is foolishness, that I am the resurrection and the life, and that whoever lives by believing in me will never die.

Have you been following the discussion about whether or not there should be devotions in schools? Have you seen the video with the boys having sex with a girl in full view of other classmates who were commenting on the act. Children behaving like dogs in heat! Anywhere, any time. Next thing they will be doing it on the streets. Maybe at Carnival and at the some dance hall sessions they are just practicing for what will eventually happen? Are you concerned about the number of young women who are being killed and their bodies thrown away like garbage in the sea or elsewhere. Are you deeply disgusted and outraged over the amount of people who have been killed in our country this year. Over 1300! The corruption in the country in high places. The extortion happening all across the country in towns and in diverse places.

What’s the answer? At one level Black Uhuru gets it right. Solidarity. Unity is what we need to solve Jamaica’s problems. But not unity in politics, useful yes. Not unity in the business community, useful yes. Not unity among the trade unions. Useful yes! But unity in the Church that Christ has died for our sins. Christ is Risen from the dead to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit so that, by faith in Him and by the grace of God, we can become a New Creation. We don’t therefore have to sin anymore. We don’t have to be subject to our base desires. For the desire for sex whether in the city, in full public view, or in the privacy of our homes, or have that desire fulfilled by a prostitute. For money alone. For bread alone. For power over others. For revenge when others hurt us or our families. For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul. At the resurrection! When Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead. To judge those who rejected His mighty salvation as foolishness and to welcome into everlasting life those who were foolish enough, humbled themselves and believed the good news, that Christ is Risen from the dead.

Posted this on Facebook last night:

A.W. Tozer is really a spiritual handful.

” You can always test the quality of religious teaching by the enthusiastic reception it receives from unsaved men. If the natural man receives it enthusiastically, it is not of the Spirit of God. .. the natural man cannot know spiritual things. To him spiritual things are plain foolishness ( 1 Cor 2:14).

So yes devotions are not just necessary in this corrupt generation, but in what should be taught, can be redemptive if they believe. This as only the power of the Holy Spirit can rescue our children who are so bewitched by evil, coming from wherever; example at home, lyrics in the music, the driving dance hall beat, access to pornography on the cell phone.

So yes, the teaching of the church, the right discerning of the Word of God is far more important than speaking in tongues, being slain in the spirit, the ritual, without any understanding or commitment to Christ and Him Crucified, participating in Holy Communion, and whether or not we worship on Saturday or Sunday. Or Tuesday for that matter! For if that is where we are on our journey with Christ we have according to the Word of God, lost connection with the head:

“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”

Colossians 2:16-23 NIV

Note that anything based on merely human commands and teachings are destined to perish. They cannot last. They cannot save our children. They have an appearance in this context, of wisdom, but lack any value in restraining sexual indulgence. In restraining angry relatives from taking revenge. Restorative Justice and mediation has its place but it will not, in and by itself , rescue Jamaica from bloodshed following bloodshed as prophesied by Hosea. This being so because there is so much disobedience in the Word of God, that Christ is Risen, in the land.

This is why, and for many reasons, the preaching of the good old time religion that Jesus, and Jesus alone saves, ought to be the glue that holds the Church together. And is the only teaching that can save Jamaica and a dying world. For Jesus is indeed the resurrection and the life. And we know this because we believe with a humble heart that Christ has died. Christ is Risen. And that one fine day, not nuclear weapons will be unleashed on the world, not climate change will destroy the world, but that Christ will come again as Judge. To fulfill the Word that says:

For it is appointed for all men once to die and then the judgement.

Do not therefore be foolish but be wise. And let us have more devotions at schools, and more Church, where we learn about the power of the Risen Christ living in us by faith, and not less devotions or less church. But also less excitement! This as the kingdom of God is not about excitement and bling but about becoming, in the Risen Christ, a New Creation, pleasing to a holy God, and useful to a dying world.

Amen.

Peace and in obedience

LWJ

Lord renew thy church beginning with those who truly believe the Good News that Christ is Risen; Lord nenes your church that the church may renew the nation(s) where people have lost connection with the head. Lost connection with the life sustaining Spirit of the Risen Christ, Who alone can make us pleasing to a holy God. And so the land mourns!

danielgodsurelywilldeliver

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Month: November 2022