Someone said to me the other day, that the Acts of the Apostles is a history book, written simply to tell us how it was done then....and now we move on to something else.
Interesting - and presumably that is what 99% of the church thinks, because that is what has happened. Pretty well abondoned the strategy of AofA church life. And what has happened? We have lost the blessing they had. Coincidence? I think not.
It is very poor biblical exegesis to argue that parts of the Bible are simply a history book written for our interest. My, a Dawkins, or anyone who has half a brain, could make mincemeat of us!
No - IMO, AoA is written to show us, and it does clearly, how church should be, and how it should live in the world. It is simple, organic, clutter-free, dynamic, versatile, persecution proof (in the sense it can withstand it, not avoid it!) and great fun! If we live by the book, we will receive the blessing of the book!
Friday 12 November 2010
Monday 8 November 2010
How Many Days To Go?
A Christian leader said in my presence recently 'Christmas is all about Jesus'. This in order to begin an advertising campaign to get people to 'come to church at christmas and bring their friends'. This is of course pretty much incorrect.
Jesus was not born on December 25th. No chance. Clever people have worked out His d-o-b fairly accurately and it's not Dec 25th. Any suggestion that it is, real or implied, is a lie. Nothing more,nothing less.
No-where in the scriptures are we told His birthday. No-where are we encouraged to celebrate the event at all. Biblically, once we have marvelled at the cruel beauty of His coming in heart-stopping humility, there is little more to be said. The only really ongoing lesson is the almost total indifference that the world had to His first coming. They still treat the Lord of Heaven and Earth similarly today. His second coming may very well have a different impact.
Someone clever has worked out that 75% of annual church resources in time, money and effort are put into the 3 weeks of Christmas activity. Yet it is computed that less people find Jesus at this time than any other time of the year. As an evangelistic event it is a disaster. But then, if it's based on a lie, what do you expect?
I also discovered recently, that in many major moves of God where there has been evidence of prayerfulness, true piety, repentance, worship and godly living, there has been (albeit for a short time) a rejection of celebrating Christmas.
It is self-centred, gluttonous, self-indulgent, sentimental and wasteful. There can be no place for the Jesus I know in that.
By all means have a meal with your family and friends. By all means let's cheer up the cold and wet winter with some good food shared between those we love.
But as for Jesus, He is no more and no less there than any other day of the year.
To say anything else is simply not true....
Jesus was not born on December 25th. No chance. Clever people have worked out His d-o-b fairly accurately and it's not Dec 25th. Any suggestion that it is, real or implied, is a lie. Nothing more,nothing less.
No-where in the scriptures are we told His birthday. No-where are we encouraged to celebrate the event at all. Biblically, once we have marvelled at the cruel beauty of His coming in heart-stopping humility, there is little more to be said. The only really ongoing lesson is the almost total indifference that the world had to His first coming. They still treat the Lord of Heaven and Earth similarly today. His second coming may very well have a different impact.
Someone clever has worked out that 75% of annual church resources in time, money and effort are put into the 3 weeks of Christmas activity. Yet it is computed that less people find Jesus at this time than any other time of the year. As an evangelistic event it is a disaster. But then, if it's based on a lie, what do you expect?
I also discovered recently, that in many major moves of God where there has been evidence of prayerfulness, true piety, repentance, worship and godly living, there has been (albeit for a short time) a rejection of celebrating Christmas.
It is self-centred, gluttonous, self-indulgent, sentimental and wasteful. There can be no place for the Jesus I know in that.
By all means have a meal with your family and friends. By all means let's cheer up the cold and wet winter with some good food shared between those we love.
But as for Jesus, He is no more and no less there than any other day of the year.
To say anything else is simply not true....
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