Today we had the opportunity to prepare and pour a concrete floor for one of the families in Pastor Faustino's church. We leveled the ground and worked with the team on site leveling the forms and then creating the concrete mix together. The floor was completed around 4pm and it was really wonderful to see the smiling faces of the family who will have a new home. We gave Rylan a break today and brought Brynley out to the site. She was able to connect with one of the girls there, Afiana and she had a great time getting to know her and doing some drawing with her. It certainly is an eye opener for our kids to see the poverty here and to realize that they can make a difference. Our kids have really hit it off so well with the Romano's kids, Jon, Rebekah, Abby and Moriah. They are always off doing stuff together and even though we pack out their small home, it is really a blessing to be here.
The cool thing here is that Rick works with the pastors and the pastors of the local churches are the ones who determine who is in most need of a home so it really continues to empower the nationals. We know that the pastors are the ones who work so hard to build the solid foundation for lasting change in the families here and we can come along to inspire, encourage and be a blessing to them.
This morning the Lord really encouraged me with these very fitting verses for our work today from Psalm 143
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Well today we had a wonderful time of prayer to begin the day at 'the second floor'. The second floor is the ministry center where the interns live and where our meals are served. We started around 8:30am and it was wonderful because we prayed together with the pastors who are church planting here so prayers were lifted up in Spanish and English, tears were shed and passion was definitely felt as Spanish worship music played in the background. After that we were off to our first job site, Francisco's church which is called, 'Aposento Alto'...Upper Room. We are building up the retaining wall for the church as it plans to expand it's facility. It was definitely a lot of manual labour from digging gravel and dirt as well as placing cinder blocks. Rylan worked hard with us in the morning but was definitely pooped by lunch. Sharon and Jordan were sweating it up with me as we worked with a group of the interns today led by Dan. The girls stayed back today and worked around the Romano's house pulling weeds and doing housework. The church has a beautiful view on a sharp hillside overlooking the city. Tonight we will spend time ministering to each other and meeting to debrief.
Yesterday, Sunday, we visited our first church where Pastor Faustino ministers and the kids were able to perform their drimes for the church. It was great to know one of the worship songs, Alabare, as our kids learned it before we left. They also were taught in youth church to be eagles, not chickens which was very memorable for Jordan!
After church, we visited La Bufadora, which is a large open market leading to a very fun blowhole that shoots up water from the ocean. In the evening we enjoyed a fireside with the interns and Rick introduced to quite the treat, bananas cooked with chocolate in tin foil in the fire...it's all good!
Well we had a smooth flight to San Diego with a quick change of planes in Atlanta. Our kids had a blast with two take-offs and we arrived in CA around 6:30pm local time on Friday. We checked into our hotel, grabbed some Wendys and then hit the pool for a fun swim. Saturday began with the grand slam at Dennys and then we hooked up with the Romano's and their intern, Crystal who picked us up. We had a chance to connect with the outgoing team from Wisconsin and hear how incredible their experience was. It just whetted our appetite to move on down the coast! So after a quick WalMart run we were on our way.
We crossed the border at Tijuana where at one point it was the busiest border crossing in the world with over 300 000 people crossing a day!! From there it was a most beautiful drive along the coast and we went through places small towns and villages along the way. One place that definitely caught our attention was the statue of Jesus in Rosarito. They say that this one is 7" larger than the one in Rio De Janiero!
So, it was certainly a reminder to me that we are here to make Jesus large, huge in the lives of the people here. What an awesome opportunity to minister to families here and we know that we will be blessed even more by the believers here.
We visited more of the interns at the modest ministry center and then we checked out a local restaurant for authentic tacos that were amazing. The appetizers were full on BBQed onions.
We settled in to the Romano's home and are looking forward to connecting together.
When clouds form and darken around us whether that is the economy, job security, family issues, we easily gravitate to the question, ‘how will this affect me?’ It is the natural response to first think that way and Paul is stepping on the brakes and saying no, we can’t keep thinking that way. We who are in the ‘strong’ position need to lead by example and be the first to respond. It is followers of Jesus who are known to be on the ground running when a crisis hits. One CBC reporter wrote about his recent travels to places where there have been natural disasters that stated I just want to go somewhere that Christians haven’t been the first to arrive. We have a reputation to uphold, a rallying cry from our Saviour to manifest endurance and encouragement giving way to hope. We are agents of hope in a world that can so easily become insulated and isolated. We have to keep fighting that same mentality that says, ‘Well it doesn’t affect me personally so it is not my issue.’ When I was in Jerusalem, our group visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial and Ran, our tour guide shared about the perpetrators, the victims and the bystanders.
Hope only rises up as we 1. Transfer the WEIGHT to Christ v1-4 Have you ever tried to reach out, do the right thing and then had your motives questioned? Or maybe you were the one in your family who has been turned into scapegoat after you reached out to bring mediation or tried to break the code of silence. It could be your very faith that has got you into all this hot water because you spoke out. Public Enemy #1 Most of us easily carry insults, pain, mistakes longer than affirmation, blessing and triumphs. We are more prone to negativity and sometimes it is really hard just letting go. We get the fact that God forgives us, but we don’t forgive ourselves. The tendency is to replay the scenario again and again Jesus often stood between hostile parties as a mediator and absorbed so many insults. He was slandered and came under viscous attacks. He was misunderstood, mistreated all the while still reaching out and holding the olive branch. He was accused falsely and remained silent and ultimately was crucified on a cross as a Lamb led to slaughter. ‘Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us’ There are times when the last inclination in your body is to grab your Bible and to try to figure out God, what is it that you want me to learn through this process? However, it is at that most difficult point of acceptance that we are always on the verge of a great spiritual breakthrough. Then notice that it is not just about learning although insights and a fresh revelation of God is always welcome but there is great encouragement and endurance found right in that place as well. This is the attitude of a follower of Jesus, this is the modus operandi of someone who has really laid the burden down at the foot of the cross. It is often during the times that we are discouraged, that we are tempted to despair and we easily become impatient and try to solve the problem ourselves by our own devices. So, when God speaks to me through His Word, hope springs up and it gives me encouragement in the midst of the defeat and frustrations and difficulties. You can really live in a posture of hope through the strength that comes from being right here –under the Word. There are really two ways to read the Word – under and over. The Pharisees were all over the Word. We must come under the authority of the Word on our lives and when we do we will slowly take on the mindset of Christ. Conversely when you neglect the presence of the Word in your life, your will be so easily drawn into discouragement and despair. The clearest indication for me personally when I get into that ‘woe is me’ spot is when I grab my journal and notice that the page is blank. The fact is that God is always wanting to speak to us, but the question is are we willing to take the time to listen? 2. Become INTERDEPENDENT and really rely on each other v5-12
• We are people of reconciliation because God ultimately reconciled us to Himself and that is why we commit to living in a spirit of unity. That means that I will go to bat for you in your absence. I will stand up for you and not let people drag your name through the mud. It also means that I will call you on your ‘bad behaviour’ before I complain to everyone else about it. • Accept one another just as Christ accepted you. We are called to receive each other and respect each other An inability to forgive displays a lack of understanding of the price paid so that we could go free. When we allow ourselves to be dragged into a spirit of destructive competition, we can really get ugly. Leave the comparison game to the reality TV shows. Let’s be free of the power struggles, the jealousy and coveting that destroys human relationships. Here’s another great question on the whole area of acceptance. Do you see people in the process of becoming something better, namely more Christ-like or do you see them as bound by their past, namely, what they have said or haven’t said to you or what they have done or haven’t done to you. Practically speaking, do you carry a ‘sanctified grudge’ against someone? It is so easy to stereotype others. We can so easily pigeon hole people by saying well, that person is ‘so into themselves’ or they are so ‘unreliable, you can’t depend on them to follow through’. But let me remind you that this is the way of religion because religion puts people into boxes and judges them by who they are, not by what they can become. Religion is the way of rules and it cements certain opinions about people, but real Christianity deals in ‘potential’. It is all about what God is doing in a person, that is the heart of the gospel. If God always dealt with us in regards to our performance, He would never have sent Christ to die for us. God loves us. He sees us as people of great worth, incredible value and so much untapped potential. He forgives and He keeps on forgiving. He is always looking for the opportunity to really show up when we jump on the opportunity to speak these very things through us into people’s lives. It is what Gary Thomas refers to as ‘God -sight’ He writes God-sight begins with humility – I deserve hell but God has chosen to spare me – and then gets seasoned by gratitude, shaped by awe and maintained by reverence. Because of what God has done for me, I cannot look at others in quite the same way I once did.... It gives us fresh hope and beautiful glimpses of what is possible through God. Human eyes can be blinded by fear, pessimism and shame. So, when was the last time we looked at our children that way and thought about their future that way? Do we hold them back because of our spiritual blindness or do we launch them into hope because we can see what they can become by God’s transforming presence. How do you see Junior Highs? When we only look at people through human eyes we can easily become cynical of even their best efforts but when we see them with God behind them and in them, it changes all that. We have a wonderful ministry here that is reaching out to many youth in our community thanks to the efforts of Sam, Lori, Marcia and my son Jordan who has self-labelled himself our assistant youth leader. He has taken his role as icebreaker and mixer guy very seriously. It has been awesome to hear of two of those students who have come to faith in Jesus this week and another one just a few weeks earlier. It is because our leaders see their potential in Christ that changes everything! Think about the people that have surprised you because of how God has changed their life and encourage them this week. You can be part of the Holy Spirit’s work in bringing endurance and encouragement to their souls!
3. BELIEVE and RECEIVE the power of signs and miracles through the Holy Spirit. v13-19 Miracles are the intervention of the supernatural into the natural. Rylan’s class is anxiously awaiting soon to be butterflies that have gone through the process of chrysalis. The incredibly intricacy and beauty of that in itself is a miracle. When I was with Phil in Nepal a few years back I came to a church where they were celebrated God’s incredible miraculous work through bringing one of their own back to life. I have shared in phenomenal stories like this and I also want to not forget the greatest miracle...a transformed life! We celebrated Sharon’s 39th on Friday night and had friends from all of our places of ministry and it was amazing to reflect on how God has done incredible things in them They are the living proof of transformation that cannot be denied. They reveal the unmistakeable fingerprint of God on His children and their formation into Christlikeness. The greatest miracle of all is a life transformed by God and it is that precisely that we want to be boasting about. Go to where God is moving. Feed your holy discontent. Expose yourself to people who have seen God move in supernatural ways. The Takeaway Hope is the overflow of endurance through the Word and encouragement of the Holy Spirit releasing the supernatural into our lives. Hope was never meant to be a static thing. The desire of God for our lives is that we will continue to grow in the overflow of our lives. It is discovering just how deep the well really is within us and the importance of how it can flood over into the lives of others in intensity, depth and proportion. Questions For Discussion 1. How does God speak to you? How can you listen more clearly? 2. How is your God-sight? Can you see people for what they are becoming rather than for who they are? 3. Are you able to identify someone that you ‘need to go to bat for’? What practical things can you do to really make your presence felt? 4. Reflect on someone who has ‘surprised’ you spiritually. Seek them out , encourage them and discover their modus operandi!
“Don’t frustrate, appreciate!!” is what I tell my kids often in our home. Wisdom, understanding and discernment go a long way in the body of Christ.We are going to learn what makes us weak and what makes us strong when it comes to interpersonal relationships within a body of believers.I also want to unpack the leading instincts of the soul in helping us move from a point of frustration to appreciation of others.Often, our greatest hindrance to harmony is our lack of recognition of how God has hard wired each one of us to respond to Him.Time and time again the greatest downfall in churches is centering around uniformity instead of being distinct and seeing how beautiful diversity can be in making us a ‘whole church’!
Christian freedom is a privilege not a right.
Paul is dealing with the highly sensitive matter of Christian freedom.It is a crucial area because it is often in these areas that one can easily have hang ups and make decisions on who and who not to associate with.There is a lot to be said here about the health and peace of believers when it comes to dealing with areas that are morally neutral or areas that are non essential.The problem of course is that not everyone sees it this way and new denominations and more extreme, cults get started out of a desire to be the ‘pure’ or more ‘holy’ people.
Christian freedom begins with acceptance v1-4
The first matter that Paul deals with is learning to accept people who are ‘weak in their faith’.It is important to help new believers especially work through difficult areas especially in relation to where God has brought them out of.
Only vegetables vs all food.
Somewhere along the line these are people who got the idea that they are not allowed to do certain things.It has either come from their culture, their parents, their upbringing.Someone along the line at some point told them that this is not something that Christians don’t do.
Here’s another way of looking at it.We all have a system in our minds of what we have determined appropriate and inappropriate for ourselves.We have our own moral code and we do our best to try to understand and follow those beliefs as we listen to God.Now we bring our own baggage into our decisions as it relates to past experience and this is precisely where God has allowed us to be free.
Now these verses do not allow us to create our own determination of what is sin.However they do allow us to make the decision to determine what is ‘sin for me’.
An example would be if a Christian community decided that for them, adultery was perfectly normal behaviour and not sin.However, we know that is not true because God clearly shows us in His Word that it is.So the Bible sets us straight in a lot of areas so when someone tells you that God told them to leave their spouse for another woman, you know that clearly contradicts Scripture.At that point it is incumbent upon you to challenge them to the fact that it is not God’s voice they are hearing.Why?God will never go against what He has clearly told us in His Word.
Here is a more sensitive area.The NT nowhere prohibits the use of wine yet there are many believers who believe that one sip of it is a sin.They will do lengthy ‘textual gymnastics’ to try to prove this.They will even go as far to say that the wine Jesus made at the wedding feast wasn’t real wine or that the disciples didn’t have real wine in the upper room.I know because that is what I was taught in my first Bible College.
However the Bible is very clear on the issue of drunkenness and there is no question that it is sin.But the use of wine is not forbidden.Now there are some believers who do take a position of voluntary abstinence because we live in a culture of excess and abuse.We can respect that, but we must not make this a rule to be imposed or a sign of Christian godliness.
In the first century there was a real hang up amongst the early believers as to whether they should eat meat that was offered to idols in pagan religious ceremonies.This was meat that was sold in the market after one of these services would happen.Some Christians thought it was desecrated and would want nothing to do with it.So Paul states that you are fine if you eat the meat and fine if you don’t.It comes back to the matter of the heart.If I believe it is sinful, then go ahead and eat it, it is sin for me.However if I don’t believe it is sinful and eat it, it is not sin for me.
We are brought back to our conscience and this is where the matter gets difficult because often we can be misinformed.
What is clear is this. It is a sign of immaturity or weak faith if one believes that they are more spiritual or mature because they only eat vegetables.In the same way, I do not look at myself as strong in the faith because I eat meat.We also are not supposed to get irritated because someone does not take my own personal position or act the way that I do even though deep down that is what we all want.We want to find someone or others who act and ‘look just like me’.It really is the simple solution to spirituality in a community but it is a sad representation of His body.
Christian freedom means that I learn to accept others because God has accepted us both,we are both in Christ.
Christian Freedom Happens In Community v5-8
One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike.
The problem that Paul is specifically dealing with here is the inherent differences between Jewish believers who still wanted to keep their Jewish festivals and Gentile believers who really had no interest in doing the same.There were some Jews who insisted that all believers should recognize these special occasions and once again teaching is needed to help us understand that we don’t live or believe in a vacuum.We are not to stand in judgment of other believers on areas of neutrality.We need to give our fellow believers the benefit of the doubt especially when they are trying to do what they believe is honouring to Christ.
Remember it was Jesus who was accused of being a winebibber, a glutton, a Sabbath breaker and a friend of sinners because He broke from man made traditions.
Christian Freedom on My Account v9-12
We will also answer to God for the decisions that we have or have not made
Christian Freedom andthe Stumblingblockv13-18
How do I sin if I have a brother who is convinced that drinking wine is a sin for him?I sin when every time he comes over I insist that he has a glass with me and do everything in my power to encourage him to drink.Now does this mean that I am not allowed to have a discussion with him on this matter and share my thoughts on the matter?Of course not; however you must be willing to hear them out as well.
Paul is not also saying here that the stronger person must forever be held bound by their weaker brother or we could easily digress is to having no freedom at all because if we look hard enough, we will find someone who struggles with everything.
Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil v16
One writer and speaker gave the illustration of how he went out to a restaurant with a group of Christians during a conference and one woman kindly invited them out to a meal to a nice restaurant.At the beginning of the meal, the waitress come around with a wine list and asked if anyone wanted wine.The hostess then spoke up for the whole group and said, ‘No thank you, none of wants wine because we are Christians.’ The writer remarked how he was so embarrassed by the situation and wanted to make sure the waitress knew that this was not a universal law for Christians.He then went on to say that he wished he had said in that moment, ‘Wait, I’ll have a glass of wine.’because that is what Paul probably would have done in that situation.
The bottom line is that we are not to get wrapped up in the externals of our faith as if that is what sets us apart from the rest of the world.What sets us apart is v17... righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
It is our right standing before God, the incredible joy that God gives us because we are set free from sin and guilt the peace that passes all understanding, peace because we are reconciled to God!Not only this but also it is the undeniable presence of the Holy Spirit that sets us apart.God is moving in this place because we are listening to Him and here is what I did in response to His voice. These are the marks of one who is pleasing to God, not because of our strict diet or what we eat and drink or what we don’t eat and drink.In the grand scheme of things, there has been way too much time spent on the non essentials of our faith.
Encouraging others to be FREE v19-22
Don’t be trying to create issues with others when there is clearly not an issue.Give your fellow believers the opportunity to explore their own harmony and instinctive response to God.So, if you believe something and it is clearly an open area with God then follow through and enjoy your freedom to the glory of God.However don’t use you freedom as a way to put others down or injure them because they didn’t come to the same conclusions as you did.Christian freedom is never used to hurt people’s feelings.
I want to take time to move to another area of freedom and that is how we understanding that the different spiritual instincts of the soul.Spiritual instincts are basically the way that we send and receive ‘signals’ to God that we use when we are engaged in spiritual activity.
The AESTHETIC instinct
This person comes most alive when worship is done in an environment of beauty, order, tradition and and artistic integrity.The key word for them is majesty.They think that the way things look and how they sound are very, very important.They really can appreciate architecture that is designed specifically for worship.They love symbolism, color, art, poetry and great music.They are most at ease when there is dignity and order in all that takes place.They are uncomfortable with a lot of repetition or songs that might seem fluffy. Their prayer is beautiful expressions of faith, the worst insult to them would be to say this is ugly and the warning for this instinct is to become rigid and inflexible.
The EXERIENTIAL instinct.
This person wants to ‘feel’ the presence of God and to respond with the full range of emotion and physical expression.The key word for this person is joy.They love spontaneity, emotion and conversational prayer.They would like to have very little leadership in worship and let God lead worship and everyone participate.It is the most responsive instinct to the Holy Spirit and the energy that He gives.This person is also best suited to cross cultural contexts.They are big hearted and generous and very nice to be around.Their prayer is praise and the worst insult they could hear is ‘This is boring.’The warning for this person is possibly lacking in doctrinal grounding.
The ACTIVIST instinct
This person sees all of Christ following as an activity of service.Their key word is involved.They love to take action with God and commune with Him about what is so needed in our world.They have great compassion for the disadvantaged and poor.They are angry about oppression and have a sense of urgency to introduce Christ to others.They are committed to changing His world and love to connect with other activists, to plan, to think globally.Prayer for this person is a tool or weapon to advance the kingdom of God.The worst insult they could hear is ‘you are lazy or a hypocrite’.They feel best when they are engaged and really don’t like to take time off.The warning for this person is that they rarely relax and can experience burnout.They are also susceptible to becoming shallow with others, being disillusioned and their own marriage could easily be in trouble.It is a real balancing act.
The CONTEMPLATIVE instinct
This person love to meet God in the quiet of their inner life.The key word for them is listening and they love to meditate and listen to the whispers of God who meets people in solitude..His still small voice.They wish that worship would be more quiet than noise and the appreciate the importance of the spiritual disciplines like fasting, meditation and prayer.They wish that others would understand this and often are guilty and critical of others when they don’t join them right away.Where is everybody? they ask and this is probably the greatest weakness of our Western culture,we don’t like silence.Prayer for them is a two way conversation and often it is more listening than speaking. The worst insult to them is ‘you talk too much and never listen’.The warning to this person is the danger of withdrawing so much that they do not become useful in their community.
The STUDENT instinct
This person is the deep thinker and the key word for them is truth.They are the ones who ask the question, but why and prove it from Scripture.Their greatest quest is truth and they want to see it on paper!To them beauty is a carefully crafted document that states beliefs, doctrines, you name it.They see great theology coming from the study of creeds and doctrines.They feel that those who have their theology most correct are the closest to God.They would love to be in endless Bible studies and prayer to them is an expression of correct theology. They are easily given to analyzing worship songs to make sure they are saying the ‘right things’ about God.The worst insult to them would be to hear, ‘that’s heresy!’ The warning to them is the danger of becoming arrogant and unloving and being more concerned with being right than giving honor to others.
The RELATIONAL instinct
Finally, this person feels that God is most present when people experience bonding together for fellowship or worship or encouraged through mutual support.They are heartbroken when there is conflict.They love meeting in small groups where people honestly share their personal stories and don’t mind tears, hugs or late night prayer meetings.They appreciate how Christ was so people conscious.They feel that people are the business and introduce people to others and build them up as well.They feel that when interaction is happening, God is present and the heavens are rejoicing.Their prayer is that a small group would really care and pray more for each other.The worst insult to them is to hear ‘you just don’t care’.The warning for them is losing their focus on Christ and valuing more their own relationship with God.
We all possess a natural inclination for two or three spiritual instincts, we might have a curiosity about a few and what’s left over...well, we have a hard time believing that they have any value at all. However, maturity in faith comes as we become conversant in all the languages of worship as Christ was!
The Takeaway
Christian Freedom is a beautiful expression of our diversity but our cornerstone is Jesus and how he has given us joy, peace and the Holy Spirit!
1.Around what issues do you have the greatest challenges in your discussions with other believers?Are they essential or non essential?
2.How does God speak to you?
3.Where do you see yourself being most transformed in right now – peace, joy or being led by the Holy Spirit?
4.What instincts do you see expressed in Southside?
5.What instinct would you like to more appreciate in your own life?
The picture attached with this message is from my recent trip to Israel and it is an inscription found in one of the building’s mosaic floors in the ancient city of Caesarea.This edifice is identified as a Byzantine government office where clerks recorded tax revenues during the time of Constantine. The inscriptions are quotations from Romans 13:3 praising obedience to the authorities.
Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority?Then do what is right and he will commend you.
We honor and obey our government because obedience is central to the life of the Christian.However; we ultimately and always obey God and His value on life.So, when there is conflict we always honor God above all else and not follow blindly the laws of the land no matter wherever that ends up landing us.It is that conviction that we are called to live with as followers of Jesus.We will learn the implications of following the leading authority in our lives from being great Canadian citizens to life in community together. We will follow Him in being the penetrating light into the dark places He has called us to with the clothing that Christ provides!
Obedience to the leading authorities in our lives v1-7
We learn right away in this passage that living with God as our ultimate authority in our lives does not negate us from our civic responsibilities to our local community and to our nation as a whole.While we can easily point to very corrupt leaders, we recognize that God ultimately ordains leaders in various governments and will watch over their reign.He will raise up nations for His purposes and will alsobring about their demise from within or from without especially if they defy the Creator of the Universe.
No government can come to power except through the providence of God.This doesn’t mean that God approves of them though.
1 Peter 2:13-17
The believers of that time lived with honesty and integrity as it came to paying taxes, but at the same time it didn’t stop them from writing defences of their Christian behaviour to the emperors at that time.They were prepared to pay the price and would not for any reason obey the commands to worship the stare or the emperor.
The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego resonates well with this theme
In Canada, two areas in the political spotlight are the fact that we have no laws surrounding abortion and praise God there are those who are making a difference like the group Signal Hill out of BC that I read about in Thursday’s National Post
Pro-lifers in B. C., on the other hand, decided to adopt a different approach. Building on the success of their compassionate Focus on Life television campaign, they made some creative changes last June. They adopted a new name, Signal Hill, and featured a woman-and family-friendly look to their Web site and printed material. It all goes along with a new educational and service-oriented approach to help women make informed choices when they are in a crisis pregnancy.
Closer to home, Lori Folkerson is raising awareness for our need to pray for our government leaders, for the need for a law surrounding child-trafficking which unfortunately is not just something that happens only in Thailand.Thanks to groups like Exodus Cry we are being made aware of the fact that many girls from those countries are brought here and sold into a life of sexual slavery.I read just recently of one girl who was sold for $42000!Bill C-268 carries minimum mandatory sentences. It has only passed Second Reading last month and now moves to the Standing Committee on Justice.Following this, Bill C-268 returns to the House of Commons for two more hours of debate and a final vote.
If the altar of prayer is hot, nothing can stop us.Jerry Samuels
1.Our call is to be submissive as possible to the government without violating the laws of God
2.The government has the right to defend, preserve, maintain and promote life.
Remember that Paul is writing to a group of people who were living under a government that would one day behead him.He was executed by a tyrannical Roman govt.Many of the Christians to whom Paul was addressing his message to paid dearly with their lives in the many amphitheatres that were built.They were killed by gladiators, torn apart by lions.If this message is difficult to accept, just remember the original intended audience.
Obedience to the rule of love in our lives v8-10
The point about debt here is yes, to pay our debts off; however it is not a universal prohibition against having debt especially as the Bible speaks borrowing capital for the purpose of investment most prominently in the parable of the giving of talents.
The power of keep owing people your love is powerful.Never get to the place where you think, ‘well they have seen the full extent of my love’It is a place of great mercy modelled after the amazing heart of God.
All these sins often can be dubbed ‘sins of love’
Adultery is called the sin of forbidden passion. Most movies and TV shows make this behaviour seem normal.One statistic showed that 96% of sexual acts portrayed or implied are between unmarried couples.We are told the person acted out of love or the couple simply fell out of love so what choice did the person have?
Do not murder... Once again we read about a brother who killed his sister and her boyfriend in a mall parking lot and it was called a death of honour to the family.
Do not steal, Do not covet – remember that Jesus brought us right back to the thoughts that we have in our head and the need to deal with it before it bursts into action.Call it sin when you begin to dwell on the wicked thought or it very well may be only a matter of time.
We need to be the best examples of love in our community.Take the opportunity to shock them with acts of kindness, surprise them with acts of love.I don’t need to tell you exactly what that is because you know them better than me. One thing that we did in the past was a ‘street party’.
I am performing a wedding for one of my neighbour’s son.Now, you can’t do that unless you are ordained...Hopefully they know you well...maybe too well.My neighbour Mike saw me pulling into the driveway with Jerry in the van that he is borrowing.His question, “Is that your Sunday van?”The van is circa ’85 and complete with holes...or like my neighbour says, a holy van!
Obedience to being the penetrating light in dark places v11-14
So what is our offensive?
·Recognize the time we are living in.
The word for time here is ‘kairos’.It is the recognition that this is not just a normal passage of time but a particular window of opportunity, a time of special significance....don’t miss out!
Paul is really expressing the urgency of the gospel in the time that they lived.Paul could see the destruction of Jerusalem looming, He too would love to see the imminent return of Jesus.In the course of the biblical timeline of history we are living in the last days ever since the First Century.The fact is that Christ could come at any point.A lot of prophecy experts believe that the signs of the times keep bringing the end in sharper and sharper focus.
I have to admit that I often wonder how much longer His patience will give us...
Israel is very aware that Iran has set her sights on obliterating their nation while testing their long range nuclear missiles.The night before I left for Israel Brian Ruxton sent me a FOX story about Israel desire to begin an offensive on bombing Iran’s launching sites and would be ready to go within days!!Nothing like sending in a last minute panic in your brother!
·Put aside the deeds of darkness and wear the armour of light.
“Don’t live as if Christ hasn’t come, as if the resurrection hasn’t taken place.We have tasted of the kingdom of God, we have tasted the power of Christ in our lives, so let’s stop doing the things that belong in the dark.” R.C. Sproul
·Be clothed in Christ and gratify the Holy Spirit... Galatians 5
The imagery being used by Paul was connected to the white baptism garments that would be worn during the ceremony.
My baptism in Israel
I have also recently seen this imagery used at a funeral where the casket is completely covered with thick white fabric symbolizing the person being clothed in Christ as well.
The key in being clothed with Christ is that a death must take place first.Understand the significance of your death in Christ now!
Takeaway
Live in the LIGHT of whose you are and who you are in Christ.
Questions For Discussion
1.Has there ever been a time where you appealed a decision made by our government by taking it on personally? What response did you receive if any?
2.How far should a believer go in opposing the government or making a plea for justice?Has there been a time when you regretted not doing more?
3.What act of kindness could you perform in your neighbourhood to remain in debt to love?
4.Post the WHO AM I list where you will see it everyday as a reminder of your clothing in Christ!
5.Make STAND UNITED your priority for Saturday.Make a serious effort to stand behind this great prayer initiative and join us for as much time as you can.
