Category Archives: Life College

Discipleship Series, General Principles, good news

Our hope is in the next life not this one

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Our lives are hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, appears, we also will appear with Him in glory.  (Col. 3:3-4)

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens (Beatitude 1: Matt. 5:3)

Blessed are those who mourn now for they will be comforted (Beatitude 2: Matt. 5:4)

We are barking up the wrong tree if we are looking for fame or recognition as a follower of Jesus in this life.  The beatitudes can only be understood in this context.  We mourn now because we do not have the glory, honour and immortality we look for in this life even though we persist in doing good (Romans 2:7).  Jesus is quite happy that it should be this way.  He Himself lived a life of obscurity in the back end of the Roman Empire.  His followers should expect to do the same.

Place your hope fully on the grace to be given to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Cor. 15:19)

Rejoice in this hope for why would we hope for something we can already see?

...we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:23-25)

The hope in this case is the redemption of our bodies.  When we were born again our spirit was saved.  As we work out our salvation our soul is being saved until the day we die.  After we die and are resurrected our body will be saved.

Discipleship Series, General Principles, good news

The Self-Effacement of God

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It is a curious paradox of the Christian faith that the God we worship is one who simultaneously reveals Himself very clearly to those who are born again and hides in a dark cloud from those who are not.  Paul says that God has transferred Christians from a kingdom of darkness to a kingdom of light which I guess explains that.

When God was speaking to Moses before the Exodus He said that Moses would appear to be God to Pharaoh.  It seems that in the subsequent catastrophic and dramatic judgments and events Pharaoh and most of the Egyptians ascribed them to Moses rather than God – which seems astonishing.

Many people do that to church leaders as well.  Rather than understanding that God is the one who is enabling things to happen they see the natural abilities of man.  The blindness can go so far as to deny anything supernatural at all about the works of God in the world.  Despite the miracle of a Church that has persisted for over 2000 years and was started by a man who claimed to be God in the backside of the Roman Empire, who wrote nothing and lived and died in obscurity and despite the claims of billions since to have encountered Him in their lives because they have believed He rose again and is still alive….  Despite countless miracles of healing and changed lives that continue to the present day…. according to what Jesus said (and Paul says the same thing) you still won’t believe or see any of it unless you are born again.

According to the bible, you must be born from above to enter into the realm where Jesus – God – reigns (John 3:5). If you are not it will all appear to be nonsense (1 Corinthians 1:18).

General Principles, heaven

The Heavens

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Fix your hope fully on the grace that is to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)

In the beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12), all the rewards promised are exclusively related to the next life, not this one.  The parallel passage in Luke 6:20-26 makes this even more clear.

One of the interesting expressions Jesus uses (in verses 3, 10 & 12) is the plural word “heavens” when speaking about the rewards that the poor in spirit and the persecuted will receive.

The Scripture is clear that there is more than just one heaven.  Paul talks about having gone into the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2 and we know there is a new heaven coming (Revelation 21:1).  There are also several places in the Old Testament where the phrase “Heaven of Heavens” is used (Genesis 28:12, Deuteronomy 10:14 and 1 Kings 8:27). For more details on the heavens in Scripture look up an earlier blog I wrote on the subject.

What excites me about this is the endless possibilities it raises.

Keep going, the rewards are great for those who are faithful to the end.

Family, General Principles, Wisdom

The Difference between Pardon and Forgiveness

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Jesus words on forgiveness are stark:  Unless you forgive others you cannot be forgiven.  He makes that very clear in the Lord’s prayer (Matt. 6:15), in the parable of the indebted servant in Matthew 18:21-35 and elsewhere.

However forgiveness and pardon are not the same thing.  To pardon someone is to let them off, to not enforce a judgement that is against them.  If you have the authority to pardon someone, that means you have some authority over them.  Kings, Queens, Presidents, some politicians and judges have this kind of authority.  Prison governours, members of tribunals, parole boards, military leaders and policemen also have this power at times.  Employers have authority over employees.  But the most relevant authority to most of us is that of our parents.

As a Christian, whoever you are, you are called to forgive.  But if you are a Christian in a place of authority over someone then you need to be careful before you extend that forgiveness into pardon.  If the person who you have the authority to pardon is unrepentant then the pardon will just lead to more opportunity for that person to cause the same type of trouble again.

I am really enjoying the Netflix series “The Crown” mainly because of its historical accuracy and attention to detail.  In Series 2 episode 6, the Queen is strongly impressed by Billy Graham who is holding a crusade in the UK at the time.  She invites him to the palace on two occasions.  Interwoven with these visits is an attempt by her uncle (formerly Edward VIII who abdicated before the war to marry a divorcee) to return to the UK.  Through powerful contacts he manages to convince the government to offer him some high profile ambassadorial roles.  Only the Queen is between him and a happy homecoming.  She has to decide whether to give him a royal pardon and let him in the country or to refuse and to leave him in exile.

The trouble is her uncle is unrepentant.  He is still as treasonous in his heart as he has ever been.

The Queen is confused between forgiveness and pardon.  The Netflix portrayal makes it clear that she hasn’t distinguished between the two.  She asks Billy Graham should she forgive her uncle, to which Billy rightly responds that she should.  In the end she tells her uncle that she can never forgive him – but when she said that she used the wrong word.  To protect her family and her country she could never pardon him.  In her heart she could and did forgive him but he was unrepentant.  She used the wrong word but made the right decision.  But she ended up confused.

We need to know the difference between forgiveness and pardon because all of us have either been a parent or a child.  Parents need to always be able to have an attitude of forgiveness towards their children but they would be foolish to pardon them and let them avoid the consequences of their wrongdoing – especially if they are unrepentant.  Children need to understand this distinction.

Discipleship Series, Eschatology, General Principles

The meaning of the word “Antichrist”

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The word antichrist has two parts to it. Anti means “in place of” and christ in this context means “anointing”.

John wrote to disciples of Jesus, those who are born again, and says about this anointing that you have no need for anyone to teach you since you have the anointing and know the truth (1 John 2:20,27).

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews quotes Jeremiah and says that no one will need to teach his neighbour to know the Lord for He shall write His laws on their hearts and on their minds (Jer. 31:33, Heb. 8:10; 10:16).

A primary feature of being a Christian according to the New Testament is that you don’t need an intermediary between you and God, there is only One and He is in you.

Don’t let any man, no matter how exalted, take the place of God in your life.

Discipleship Series, General Principles, Wisdom

The Secret Place (Psalm 91)

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“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid ….” 

Psalm 91: 1-5 (NKJV)

The secret place is primarily a place of trust. We all have to face fear but it makes no sense to stay afraid when the God who made the universe is on your side.  That is, of course, if you know He is on your side.  So how do we know that?

The Scriptures say that God is for us not against us (Romans 8:31).    But this and other passages in the letters are written to disciples/ saints/ overcomers, those who have been born again and are walking in the light.

Before you can enter the secret place and dwell there you must have come to faith in Him.  Jesus says that we should fear Him (Matt. 10:28, Luke 12:5) and make peace with Him while we are on the way through this life (Matt. 5:25) before it is too late.  John points out that unless you are born from above you cannot be in His kingdom (John 3:8).  To be in God’s kingdom is to be under His protection.

It is only then that we can truly say that “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”Fortress

Discipleship Series, General Principles, prayer, Wisdom

Practices of Discipleship: Prayer

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Prayer is more about listening than talking:

5 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.

2 Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few.
3 For a dream comes through much activity,
And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.

Eccles. 5:1-3

The main point of praying is putting yourself somewhere you can hear clearly.  There is both a physical and a moral/spiritual element to this placing.

Physically it should be quiet and alone (we are not talking about corporate prayer here which is a different thing).

Morally you need to be devoted, set aside or holy.  Your only desire should be to do His will otherwise you won’t hear properly:

17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.

John 7:17,18

You also need to give this time and priority.  I find that first thing in the morning is best and an hour is a good length of time.

Once you are in the quiet place (Psalm 91), the aim is to take every thought captive to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

I find that the meditative technique of “centering down” helps here.  Thoughts actually come out of the heart or centre of you (not your head – Matt. 15:18, Luke 6:45) and therefore bringing your inner man to a place of quiet is important if you are to listen to God who is in you (Col. 1:27).

God is not far away, He is in fact very close to His children (Romans 10:8, Acts 17:28).   If you are born again and abiding in Jesus, His word is in your heart and written on your mind (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 10:16).

When a thought comes to you, capture it and check it against the name or character of Jesus as He has been revealed to you through the Holy Spirit and His word.  If it requires action do it as long as it is something God would do.  If you are unsure ask another brother/sister who you trust and who loves you.

I am writing these things because I believe God has told me to and it is the kind of thing He does.  I also checked with Olive.

church, Discipleship Series, General Principles

Three Pillars

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Three Pillars Venn Diagram

The above diagram is a way of looking at what happens if an individual or church adopts one or two of the three pillars.  A balanced Christian or church includes all three.

Recently I spent a couple of hours with someone I hadn’t met in years.  As we spoke together it became obvious that he was struggling with his faith.  He is a bright guy and had spent a long time researching the nature of Christ as part of trying to allay his doubts.  He did what many intellectuals do, that is, he put too much emphasis on a logical analysis of the Bible only.

As someone in relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ I know the Holy Spirit uses the 66 books of the Bible to speak the truth to me.  It is part of what Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will do in John 16:13.

But that is the point I made to my friend.  Approaching the Bible without the leading of the Holy Spirit is a waste of time.  We cannot by our intellects alone know or find God.  It is up to Him to reveal Himself to us.

Standing on one foot is hard.  You will eventually fall over if all that is holding you up is one of the three pillars that God has given us.  An objective understanding of Scripture is one of those pillars.  If you know the Bible off by heart and can quote any part of it then you have a strong leg to stand on but that is not enough on its own.  You must be born again and continue in the relationship that God initiates with you spiritually from that time forward.  Intimate, experiential relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit is essential if you are to interpret the Bible correctly and if it is to become a living word not just a deadly letter (2 Cor. 3:6).  This is the second pillar.

The third pillar is the Church.  When we are born again we are part of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12) and it is foolish not to meet together with those who are your brothers and sisters in Christ (Hebrews 10:25).  I believe firmly in the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9) and that no one needs to teach you anything if you are born again (Hebrews 8:11, 1 John 2:20).  However it would be arrogant of anyone to think that they can live in this sin and devil filled world in a way that is pleasing to God without the other members of the body supporting and feeding into them.

So read the Scripture and understand it as well as you can but don’t do that on your own, let the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth and let others who love you in Christ encourage you.  We all need encouragement.  Relationship is at the heart of knowing God.

church, Discipleship Series, General Principles

Fellowship with the Saints

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The words “fellowship” and “saints” are old-fashioned and rarely encountered in modern Evangelical/ Pentecostal circles.

JRR Tolkein’s first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is called “The Fellowship of the Ring”.  Fellowship in that context, and generally, speaks of a group of people united in a common purpose.  The purpose is greater than the individuals and calls for self-sacrifice and submission.

The word “saint” means sanctified one.  In the context of Scripture, Paul writes to the saints at various places as members of the local churches there.  Saints in the biblical context are those who have an ongoing, personal relationship with God in the context of the local church.

Put the two words “Fellowship” and “Saints” together and you have a group of people united in glorifying God through their lives together.