off to conference....

Sorry....
going to a conference and have run ut of time to post today.... back online Monday....
Gordon

One....

Ephes. 4:1-6 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. [2] Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. [3] Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. [4] There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— [5] one Lord, one faith, one baptism; [6] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

One….

When we are of one heart, one mind, one purpose we can achieve much. Look at teams that are united behind their coach, political parties that unite around their leaders, churches that unite around their God and the mission of their Lord….

When we are together we can achieve goals we never could if we were working by ourselves – or even against each other.

You see this is the tradgedy of division. The energy, time, creativity and emotional effort that is wasted in conflict, of trying to put forward our own agendas and ambitions at the expense of others, are vital resources that could be have been better spent furthering the work of God, alongside others. And now it can’t, because it’s gone, spent, frittered away.

Division comes from ego, an unwillingness to submit to others, even an unwillingness to submit to God. Division usually comes from pride, aggression, impetuousness, and indifference. And it is easy to see how the devil can fuel those passions.

Unity comes when a community seeks the face of God, and together discerns his will. In the end our purpose comes from him, in whom we live and move and have our being. When we do this we find it is not our agendas that we are pursuing, but his, and we do pursue it together.

It’s probably impossible to be in a community and never experience conflict. But when it rears its ugly head we should learn to seek God’s face and receive from his hands before we let division waste our time and energy, and scar our relationships….

Sorry this is a bit late - upload problems....

Name....

Ephes. 3:14-21 For this reason I kneel before the Father, [15] from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. [16] I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God.
[20] Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.


Family was important in the ancient world. You worked hard to raise children and to look after your own aged parents, knowing that your children would look after you when you got older. So when Paul uses family as a metaphor for the church he is mining a deep seem of imagery that his readers would have grasped and identified with.

We are part of the family of God. Sometimes we take that to be just some abstract form of relation to our brother and sister believers – maybe our experience of family has been an incomplete one and we transfer that relationship to our spiritual one. But when the bible speaks about family it speaks about a collection of people who have obligations to love and serve each other, to look out for their weaknesses and help them when they are low. It is not an abstract concept – family in the Bible has concrete expectations.

Names are a powerful metaphor too, because in the really ancient world, your name was who you were. We use names as a label, because they sound good and identify us, but they used to be used to sum up a person’s character or qualities; mighty in battle, beloved of God, grumpy on wet Tuesdays….. which is why people took great store in the name of God, and why he is even more jealous of guarding his reputation than we are. And here Paul has told us that we derive our name from God. It is almost like when we marry, often our name changes as we adopt another (probably just the girls I know….) but being part of God’s family means we have adopted his name – but only if we start to reflect his qualities and characteristics to the world around us. If we haven’t changed to be like Jesus, just how serious are at being part of God’s family?

Just one last thought about having adopted God’s name as part of his family. It makes God head of our household, and as head HE becomes responsible for us. We may find that often God asks us to step out of our comfort zones, for some of us it may be that he calls us to live prophetically to point others towards him. When we do this He becomes responsible for looking after us, for our food and shelter and our protection. It may not be what we dream about when we are thinking selfishly, but we will find that it is always enough and we will have the comfort of knowing that we are doing God’s will. As Jesus said, we will discover that he is with us until the end of the age.

Glory....

Ephes. 3:1-13 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
[2] Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, [3] that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. [4] In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, [5] which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. [6] This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
[7] I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. [8] Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, [9] and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. [10] His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, [11] according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. [12] In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. [13] I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

I’ve often wondered why God has chosen to create the church.

Sometimes, when I’m feeling unkind, I look around churches I know, thinking back to ones that I’ve spent time in, and wonder why God would entrust his mission to people like this. Sometimes I think about what an unruly bunch of misfits they, or often we, are.

Sometimes when I’m feeling kinder I notice the diversity that is present amongst God’s people, how our differences seem to make us a much stronger and broader group of people. But sometimes I still wonder why God has entrusted this mission to us.

Yet it is the presence of such variety that Paul is hinting at in v10 when he talks about the manifold (many varied) wisdom of God. It is through his people reflecting his glory that the fullness, complexity, and unity of God is revealed. And not just to other people in the world – though this is crucial in making God’s message known to those who need to hear it. Through these words God wants to raise our thoughts heavenwards.

Because it is through the working of the Church that God wants to reveal his plan not only to the world but the heavens as well. In some way his plans had been hidden from the angelic hosts, and the forces of darkness which somehow struggle against him. As a redeemed people, brought back to God through the work of Jesus, we declare his victory in the cosmos. “Do you want to know who the Daddy is? Look at my people, diverse but unified, revealing my glory and purpose and plan.”

In much of this letter Paul is trying to raise the gaze of his readers away from earthly concerns towards the Glory of God, and here he reminds us that we are part of that Glory.

Central....

Ephes. 2:11-22 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— [12] remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
[14] For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, [15] by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, [16] and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. [17] He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
[19] Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God's people and members of God's household, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. [21] In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. [22] And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.


If there is on feature of Paul’s theology that seems to come over again and again, it must be that Jesus is central to everything about the new relationship between men and God.

He brought us back together – it is through his work, his life, death and resurrection, that we have had our relationship with God renewed. Without him we were far away from God. Paul uses the word foreigners – in the ancient world it was more noticeable if you didn’t belong because there was probably less travel outside of the big cosmopolitan cities – to show that we looked on God and the things of his kingdom as ‘alien’. It is interesting also that he uses the term barrier to show that something ha come between us and God to block the way. Jesus destroyed the barrier, not us.

He is responsible for our present state, of finding peace with God. For the Christian there should be a lack of conflict with God, our lives should be surrendered into his hands, knowing that he has now promised to take responsibility for us. He is also responsible for the peace that we share with our fellow brothers and sisters, no matter what backgrounds we come from. In Paul’s time there was often conflict between those of a Jewish (law following) background and the Gentiles – but Jesus came and made us all one family. There are no longer any differences. It is the same in our time. We may come from different places, but we now form one body. Where we came from is no longer important.

And Jesus is central to what we are becoming – the earthly temple of his dwelling. In each of us is the dwelling of God. Wherever we go he goes with us, and when we come together it is as if a mighty building is being raised in his honour. And who is central to this, whose glory are we proclaiming when we come together? It is Jesus. He is central.

Sorry this was posted a bit later in the day than usual....

Deployed breaks for the holiday weekend and returns on Tuesday 26th September.

Mercy....

Ephes. 2:1-10 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, [2] in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. [3] All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. [4] But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— [9] not by works, so that no-one can boast. [10] For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.


God is rich in mercy. One of the great truths of life is that we are not. When we look around the world what we see is not mercy but revenge and retribution. But we need mercy, otherwise we end up in a spiral of recrimination. It isn’t just in the big things like Iraq or Darfur, but even within our own families or groups of friends. If we don’t offer and receive mercy then we will constantly be in conflict.

Mercy may seem like weakness. But it is in fact a blessing. Shakespeare wrote

“The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice.”

God is rich in mercy. It pours from his throne. It is the quality which means he can love us so much despite all the wrongs we do to him and other people. We read in the Psalms (Psalm 145:8) The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. And so he loves us, gives us his son Jesus Christ, and for those who believe, raises them up to share in the heavenly riches of his glory. If we truly are his children then we must conform to God’s qualities. Mercy, not vengeance, is a quality which should mark out the people of God.

Where can you show mercy today? How can we overcome our desire for retribution?

A Church to believe in....

Ephes. 1:15-23 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, [16] I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. [17] I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. [18] I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, [19] and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, [20] which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, [21] far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. [22] And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, [23] which is his body, the fulness of him who fills everything in every way.


I want to be part of a church like that….

Imagine if wherever you went and other Christians that you met asked you what church you came from, and you told them, and then they said “Wow, we’ve heard how much you guys love each other. It is such a blessing and encouragement to us all to hear about a community of believers who have such an intimate relationship with Jesus that it overspills into the way they treat and care for each other!” Jesus told us that a mark of his presence within any community is that individual believers would show their love of him by the way they treated other people. Love like this would be contagious. It would also be attractive to people looking from the outside.

I want to be part of a church like that….

And imagine that you were part of a group of people who believed in Jesus, really believed in him. Paul talks here about faith in Jesus, a faith which believes in his power, expressed through love, which as Christians we can share in. Paul wants to remind the Church in Ephesus of just how powerful that love is. It raised Jesus from the dead and seated him next to God in heaven, in the place of honour. Being there means that through Jesus, we now can share in the power of heaven, in the kingdom of God. There is nothing on Earth that should dismay us, knowing that we have such a supporter, a champion in heaven. This should give us faith to act. To bring love to the world. To stand up for those who are downtrodden, to make Jesus’ name known in all the world. To live as revolutionaries for the kingdom of God.

I want to be part of a church like that….

Chosen....

Ephes. 1:11-14 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, [12] in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. [13] And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, [14] who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

It’s an incredible thought to know that we have been chosen by God. It never ceases to blow my mind that the Bible is full of declarations that even before we knew about God, he knew about us and had already called us to be part of his family and was preparing a place for us to serve and worship him.

Sometimes we can lose sight of this. Sometimes we get caught up in a ‘do we choose God or does he choose us’ argument. And then we can sometimes start to question the fairness of God in choosing some people, but not choosing others. But when this happens we loose sight of why the Bible declares that he chooses us.

When these letters were written, the people who received them were often the poor, the downtrodden and frequently those suffering from oppression and persecution. When they heard that god had chosen them, not the significant, rich and powerful, it would have brought them hope and comfort, reminding them that God was on their side. Paul lists a number of promises here: we are chosen; when we responded to the Gospel we became part of God’s family in Jesus; that we receive the Holy Spirit and he is a sign that God has called us.

We should receive the same hope and comfort, bolstered by the promises God gives us. And then our response should be one of worship.

Riches....

Ephesus was the major city of the Roman province of Asia Minor, what we know as western Turkey. It was a bustling seaport with a cosmopolitan population. The hills around the city were dominated by a temple to the goddess Dianna.

Paul was involved in the founding of a Christian community in the city, which probably grew out of the prosperous Jewish population. Later he returned and spent three years there, using the church as a mission centre to the neighbouring cities. Remembering this it’s no surprise that Paul writes to the Ephesians with a great deal of affection….

Ephes. 1:1-10 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

[2] Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. [4] For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love [5] he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. [7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace [8] that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. [9] And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, [10] to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

What has Jesus done for us?

Sometimes it is hard for us to notice. But Paul wants us to look beyond what we can see and start to think in eternal terms – and when we do this we see that Jesus has given us everything. I think Paul deliberately wants us to think in spiritual terms, because he wants us to raise our eyes heavenwards and away from what we can see around us. Because if we spend too much time dwelling on the ‘blessings’ of this world we can take our eyes off away from our part in his mission for the world.

So here Paul tells us just what eternal riches we have in Jesus, especially in our restored relationship with God. We are adopted as sons of God, a theme that Paul returns to again and again in his writings, which means that we are to share in his inheritance. And here we find that God is a rich father. It is his pleasure to do these things for us, he wants to lavish these gifts on us. For the Ephesian Christians, probably poor people in a rich city it was important for them to know the heavenly riches that God wanted to pour out on them.

Jealousy....

Psalm 6
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.

1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your rage.
2 Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak.
Heal me, LORD, for my body is in agony.
3 I am sick at heart
How long, O LORD, until you restore me?
4 Return, O LORD, and rescue me.
Save me because of your unfailing love.
5 For in death, who remembers you?
Who can praise you from the grave?
6 I am worn out from sobbing.
Every night tears drench my bed;
my pillow is wet from weeping.
7 My vision is blurred by grief;
my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.
8 Go away, all you who do evil,
for the LORD has heard my crying.
9 The LORD has heard my plea;
the LORD will answer my prayer.
10 May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified.
May they suddenly turn back in shame.

Why does God answer any prayers at all? Why does he hear our cries to him and answer them? Why is it that when we’re in trouble, as individuals and communities, and we turn to him, why does he bother to stretch out his hands and help us at all?

It is because he loves us and his love is unfailing. It is because he chooses to enjoy fellowship with us. It is because as his children he wants to see us grow and prosper, becoming more and more like Jesus each day, reflecting him to the world around us.

So in the middle of the Psalm, David hits on the reason God will help us when we need it. It is because he loves us, and his love is unfailing. It is not conditional or imperfect, or temperamental, or temporary. It is perfect, ongoing and everlasting.

And it needs to be visible, it needs to be seen. Our friends and those close to us need to see that God’s love makes a difference in our lives. What point would there be if we loved God, but he let us down? What would that say about him? As David says, who can praise him from the grave? So God, who is jealous about protecting his reputation, who as Lord of your life has promised to watch over you and protect you, will answer your prayers.

How visible is God’s care in your life? When he ‘saves’ you, how much do you celebrate and make it known?

Deployed takes it's weekend break, and returns on Monday 18th September, with Ephesians 1!

Peace....

Psalm 5
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute.

1O LORD, hear me as I pray;

pay attention to my groaning.
2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,

for I will never pray to anyone but you.
3 Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD.

Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
4 O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;

you cannot tolerate the slightest sin.
5 Therefore, the proud will not be allowed to stand in your presence,

for you hate all who do evil.
6 You will destroy those who tell lies.

The LORD detests murderers and deceivers.
7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;

with deepest awe I will worship at your Temple.
8 Lead me in the right path, O LORD,

or my enemies will conquer me.

Tell me clearly what to do,

and show me which way to turn.
9 My enemies cannot speak one truthful word.

Their deepest desire is to destroy others.

Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.

Their speech is filled with flattery.
10 O God, declare them guilty.

Let them be caught in their own traps.

Drive them away because of their many sins,

for they rebel against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;

let them sing joyful praises forever.

Protect them,

so all who love your name may be filled with joy.
12 For you bless the godly, O LORD,

surrounding them with your shield of love.

There is a theme I am grappling with at the moment – God is soveriegn. There are the submissive aspects to this, that he deserves the best of my everything – my time, my energy and my resources – and I should not let them be consumed by anything else. But as I grapple with this theme and struggle with the submission a blessing is beginning to strike home to me.

As Lord of my life God takes responsibility for my welfare.

I think David is coming to terms with this blessing in this Psalm, as he speaks of God’s protection over him. The submission is there – David is choosing to follow God’s leading rather than follow his own. But there’s also a joyful acceptance of the walls that God builds around those who love him, so that he can protect them. The Bible is full of promises like this, and the stories of God’s people down through the ages testify to it.

We need to trust that God will look out for us. Part of that is allowing him to guide us, to show us what is best. At first glance this may look different from what we choose it to be. Sometimes following God may mean that we give up on physical safety and material comfort. But we will find ourselves at the centre of God’s will for our lives and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. You cannot buy that kind of security.

Count to ten....

Psalm 4
Interlude
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

1 Answer me when I call,

O God who declares me innocent.

Take away my distress.

Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people ruin my reputation?

How long will you make these groundless accusations?

How long will you pursue lies?

Interlude

3 You can be sure of this:

The LORD has set apart the godly for himself.

The LORD will answer when I call to him.
4 Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you.

Think about it overnight and remain silent.

Interlude

5 Offer proper sacrifices,

and trust in the LORD.
6 Many people say, "Who will show us better times?"

Let the smile of your face shine on us, LORD.
7 You have given me greater joy

than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine.
8 I will lie down in peace and sleep,

for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.

When people lash out at you our first thought is often to lash out and attack back. It seems the natural thing to do when tempers are rising and things get hot. Especially when your reputation and character are being questioned.

But when this happens pause – use one of those interludes. Forget for a moment the manner in which people are examining you. Make sure that your behaviour is actually righteous. Make sure that what is being questioned is actually something which is honouring to God. And if it is, as David says here, trust in God to put tings right, because over time he will honour those who honour him.

Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. The trouble is that arguments can spiral out of control simply because we escalate our anger with every exchange. In the big quarrels and the petty disagreements step back and use those interludes again….

Pause....

Psalm 3
A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom.

1 O LORD, I have so many enemies;

so many are against me.
2 So many are saying,

"God will never rescue him!"

Interlude

3 But you, O LORD, are a shield around me,

my glory, and the one who lifts my head high.
4 I cried out to the LORD,

and he answered me from his holy mountain.

Interlude

5 I lay down and slept.

I woke up in safety,

for the LORD was watching over me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies

who surround me on every side.
7 Arise, O LORD!

Rescue me, my God!

Slap all my enemies in the face!

Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
8 Victory comes from you, O LORD.

May your blessings rest on your people.

It’s amazing what a sense of perspective can bring.

When you’re close up to a problem – the bills are coming in, there’s trouble at work, a deadline is looming – it is easy to be overwhelmed by the circumstances, to feel trapped, under pressure, doomed. Your only reaction would seem to be to run about like a headless chicken. Very often you feel so small compared to the task at hand that you are frozen into paralysis…. David, when he wrote this song, was in the middle of a civil war with his own son. And he was losing. That’s big. No wonder he felt down.

Don’t skip over the word ‘interlude’, which comes twice. In some Bibles it is translated as ‘Selah’, a Hebrew word. We’re not sure of its exact meaning but it would seem to mean ‘pause – take a few moments to reflect on what is happening – consider how God would speak into this situation.’

Look how David’s mood changes after the interludes. First he gets a new perspective on his problems – God’s. He sees once more the glory and splendour and power of the almighty. He remembers how God has promised to standby and protect him, and despite all that’s going on around him he feels secure that God is watching over him.

When time seems short and action is required and we feel we need to put our heads down and rush into action it is easy to forget to seek God. Don’t skip over the interludes.

Protection....

We're actually going to continue in the Pslams for the rest of the week, going through 2-6. So, here's Pslam 2....

Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations rage?

Why do the people waste their time with futile plans?
2 The kings of the earth prepare for battle;

the rulers plot together against the LORD

and against his anointed one.
3 "Let us break their chains," they cry,

"and free ourselves from this slavery."
4 But the one who rules in heaven laughs.

The Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then in anger he rebukes them,

terrifying them with his fierce fury.
6 For the LORD declares, "I have placed my chosen king on the throne

in Jerusalem, my holy city."
7 The king proclaims the LORD's decree:

"The LORD said to me, `You are my son.

Today I have become your Father.
8 Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,

the ends of the earth as your possession.
9 You will break them with an iron rod

and smash them like clay pots.' "
10 Now then, you kings, act wisely!

Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
11 Serve the LORD with reverent fear,

and rejoice with trembling.
12 Submit to God's royal son, or he will become angry,

and you will be destroyed in the midst of your pursuits--

for his anger can flare up in an instant.
But what joy for all who find protection in him!

We can fight against God. We can make our plans and choose to rebel against him. We can continue to see what we think is right for ourselves. Making our own choices. Choosing our own battles. The result is we end up in conflict – with each other, with ourselves, and with God. Too many of us do this. The result is the turbulent world we live in today.

But for the writers of the Psalms there was always another choice, and that was to be wise. Wise is not the same as clever, because cleverness leads to ego, of knowing best, of believing in your own ability to figure things out. Wisdom is about responding to God’s message, of seeking to imitate his way of living, of fearing – that is an openness and surrendering to divine instruction – the Lord. The result of such wisdom is blessing. In this psalm, for those of us who submit to wisdom, the blessing is that we don not have to worry about looking out for ourselves. By submitting to God’s Lordship, we find that he becomes responsible for our lives.

Of course, when this was written, it was about the Kings of Israel who ruled over God’s chosen people. But in time the church began to see this as pointing towards the rule of Jesus, the royal descendent of the ancient kings. For the church, in turbulent times, this should be a song of hope.

There’s a corny phrase – let go and let God. How true is it? What do we find hard to let God take control of? As sevants of Jesus and children of God how much do we anticpate the inheritance of the nations?

Absorbed....

A couple of people have passed on suggestions for helping to organise Deployed a little better. One of them is to use Psalms whenever we come to a break in a study. New Studies will always start on a Monday, so when one comes to an end we’ll look at some Psalms in the ‘between’ time.

So having finished Galatians, let us without any imagination start with Psalm 1!

Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so,

But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalms are poetry. They use imagery, metaphor and at times exaggeration in order to touch our emotions. As a result it is best to read them as a whole and ask ourselves what the poet wanted us to feel, rather than pick out individual verses and debate them (unless of course the Psalm is 150 verses long – there’s a year’s study…..)

Two feelings come out from this poem.

The first is that the eternal destiny of the righteous and the ungodly will be different. This is a major theme of the entire Bible, that those who stand against God in this life will be without him in the next. Besides eternity this life is transitory, and the images of plants withering and being blown away by the wind emphasise this – in our garden stand some sunflowers that while magnificent only a few weeks ago are withering away to nothingness now. Each time the wind comes more of them are blown away….

But the man who is righteous, who does not live like the ungodly, he receives the protection and care of God. Someone like this delights in doing God’s will. The poet says they meditate on it day and night. They absorb it, they know it, they allow it to permeate their hearts so that it transforms them from the inside out. You can spot these people: they are faithful, peaceful, expectant, hopeful and winsome. They are full of life. They standout in this world. And for a person like this God is on their side, and they prosper. It might not be materially, but somehow they know that they are at the centre of God’s will for their lives – and that is what they live for.

Poems, songs, music all strives to move your heart. This poem of God should move yours too: if this is a how God moves in the life of a Godly person, then I want to be one!

Deployed breaks for the weekend again, and returns with a new study on Monday 11th September.

Driven....

Galatians 6:11-18 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!
[12] Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. [13] Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. [14] May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. [15] Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. [16] Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.
[17] Finally, let no-one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
[18] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

What is at the centre of your life? What motivates you to keep going? What determines which goals you will achieve, and how passionately you will work towards fulfilling them? What drives you on?

Is it success at work or study and the adulation of your peers? Is it recognition or fame? Is it financial security and material wealth? Is it ease and peace? These are important questions for us to answer, because we remember that Jesus said “Where your treasure is, your heart is also.” That which drives you is that which you worship, which you pour your soul into. It is what you will sacrifice all to achieve, so much so that you won’t care what other people think.

It’s easy when it is the same as those around you. For western people professional achievement and material comfort are goals which most of those around us are pursuing, so when we pursue them too it is considered normal behaviour. But for believers we should pursue Jesus: an intimate, devoted relationship with him, which transforms our actions and attitudes to mirror his, even when that stands in opposition to the prevalent culture around us.

This is Paul’s motivation. He is not content with a quiet life, of going back to the old rules, because despite the ease it promises, it is wrong. He’s not interested in the respect of his peers by following the rules, because to live that way does not honour Jesus. He won’t show off how good he is at obeying them.

No, what Paul will shout about, what will drive him is the Cross. It is the memory of what Jesus achieved for us, in reconciling us to God, and in the mission that he left all who believe in him to make the message of the cross known to the world. It is such an important message that it dominates his life. Paul will face hardship, trial, ship wreck, beating, imprisonment and execution, because he shares the mission of Jesus as the most important thing in his life – and here’s the truth: it should drive ours too.

What is at the centre of your life? What motivates you to keep going? What determines which goals you will achieve, and how passionately you will work towards fulfilling them? What drives you on?

Love can build a bridge....

Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. [8] The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. [9] Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. [10] Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

It’s one of our oldest complaints: why do those who do bad seem to prosper? Why does the guy in the flash car who nips down the side of the traffic jam never get stuck in the hard shoulder? Why does some wimp always let him in? Why are there so many evil people running countries? Why do so many people seem to prosper from crime and treat the law with impunity and communities with contempt? Why does selfishness always seem to win out?

But Paul tells us not to let appearances fool us. Don’t be down cast by the seeming prosperity of the ‘bad guys’. Because in the end God is in charge and you can’t fool him, and in the end you’ll get what’s coming.

The Gospel story tells us that through Jesus God built a bridge between himself and humanity. The way to cross that bridge is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord, and to live in this world as he would live. If you don’t accept his Lordship of your life then no matter what else you achieve in this world you are stuck on the other side of the bridge. People who live for themselves in this life, who stick two fingers up at Jesus’ Lordship, who live to please their sinful nature, they’re on the wrong side. And they are destined to spend eternity away from God unless they change.

But for those of us who have chosen to cross the bridge and have accepted Jesus as Lord then here’s a warning: don’t be smug about it and don’t be passive. There is a world of hurt that we live in which could do with hearing about Jesus, redeemer and Lord. And the best way to tell people of his love is to show it. Actions speak louder than words, and a community of people who are consistently doing good will stand out like a light in the darkness.

Learn to love people in your faith community: it’s good practice for loving those outside, giving them a tangible reason for coming inside if they can observe a faith which makes itself real in the actions of it’s believers. And if we do this, over and over again, and if people see this, note the changes in us and the love we show to each other, then maybe, just maybe, our communities will grow as there is a harvest of people coming to know Jesus.

Where shall Deployed roll out to next? We're thinking about diving straight into Ephesians - but are open to suggestions (though not a vote....)

Helping Hand....

Galatians 6:1-6 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. [2] Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. [3] If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. [4] Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, [5] for each one should carry his own load.
[6] Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

What is the law of Christ?

In the Gospels Jesus was challenged many times on what you needed to do to fulfil the law, or what you had to do to restore your relationship with God and inherit eternal life. His answer was always the same: love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and love your neighbour as you love yourself. The law of Christ is worship of God and serving our brothers and sisters through love.

Loving others is about seeking the best for them, of holding them in esteem, of not condemning them for their actions, of not looking down on them when they fall. When you truly love someone then you can never feel superior to them.

When you live in a family of believers it is important to love others. It’s easy when things are going well, but important when they’re not. Actually it’s when your life is falling apart that you need to feel the love of your brothers and sisters the most. If you have fallen away from God, by your actions hurt other people or landed yourself in trouble, that’s when you need your friends to gather round you. You probably don’t need them to tell you what you’ve done wrong, you know, they know – what you need is their help to face up to it and the consequences that follow, to stand with you as you, with their help, start to put things right and restore your relationship with God and with others, acknowledging that they too are fallen people who fail from time to time. What you don’t need are people to crowd around you, taking delight in your failure, their body language telling you that they feel they would never do anything so stupid, reminding you again and again of that mistake.

There’s a story of a man who falls down a hole, and try as he might he can’t get out – the side are too steep and slippery, there are no handholds, and it’s too high to jump. He cries for help. A friend hears him shout, comes along and jumps down into the hole to join him. “Are you crazy!” the man exclaims, “Now we’re both stuck down here.” His friend smiles. “It’s okay,” he says, “I’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.”

In another place Paul writes: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

That is the law of Christ.

Inside out....

You can now get to Deployed by using www.deployed.org.uk . thanks to AP for setting this up for us.....

Galatians 5:19-26 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. [26] Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

What type of person do you want to be? I mean really be? If you took a quick straw poll of Christians and asked them if they wanted to change so that day by day they grew to resemble Jesus more and more, I would be sure that all of them would say yes. But what are their actions and choices really saying? If you examined their actions and choices, and let’s be honest if we were to examine our own, would they match up to our stated intentions? Would there be an obvious difference?

That’s what Paul is saying here. The results of your actions and choices are clearly visible to anyone who looks at you. His challenge is what type of person do you want them to see? There are too many believers who treat Jesus lightly – who hold him as saviour but not as Lord. As a result it’s sometimes hard to see the difference in their lives. It is all too easy to find people who have been in church a long time who act without grace, are always seeking arguments, who you know act dishonestly. Yet Jesus tells us that “You are my disciples IF you do what I command” – which means that he expects to be Lord of our lives, not just saviour. Because when you look at someone who has been a genuine, long term servant of the Lord you can see the difference, the fruit in their lives is obvious, plump and ripe.

And here’s why this is a good analogy, even for those of us who haven’t been following Jesus that long. Fruit grows, it doesn’t just appear. It’s like the seeds you plant in your garden, and you tend and water them day by day, each day noticing the changes in the way they grow. As we grow closer to Jesus, as we tend to our relationship with him, as we make choices to honour him, those around us will see the fruit grow, and begin to comment favourably.

Yes, when we choose to follow Jesus, the Spirit plants the seeds of the fruit in our lives, and often we can see new believers change overnight. But as we follow him we have to choose to see them grow. The Spirit helps us, but he won’t do it all for us. We have to make god honouring choices in our lives so we reflect Jesus to those around us. As Paul says above, we have to choose to crucify, put to death, no longer heed, the sinful nature, in order to grow to be like Jesus. To go back to our ‘fighting dog’ picture, which one are you feeding? Because over time, people will see……

When it comes to tending to your relationship with Jesus/feeding the dog, what are your top tips for us today?

Fight.....

Galatians 5:16-18 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. [17] For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Have you ever struggled with a choice, knowing you can come to a God honouring decision, or go through with one which isn’t? It might be a temptation, something that comes back to you again and again, but it might not be – it might be an ethical choice, a decision in the workplace, or one about money…. And you know what you should do, but yet doing what you know you shouldn’t promises so much….. I think this is what Paul is getting at here that inside all of us there is a battle going on.

Day by day we need to become more and more like Jesus, until we begin to think like him, feel like him and act like him. But it is a process, it is a journey we go through. We have to learn to deny our old self. Paul uses the word ‘gratify’ and it always gives images to me of indulgence. When we’re younger we ‘indulge’ in lots of ‘stuff’ – Kebabs, CDs, Shoes, that when we get a bit older we realise may not have been entirely good for us. It’s the same with our sinful nature, it wants us to indulge ourselves, often preying on our selfishness, in ‘stuff’ which probably isn’t good for us.

The battle is that our old self doesn’t want to change, and it wants the opposite of what our new self wants to be. It doesn’t want to be like Jesus, it wants to stay selfish not become selfless. This is where choice comes in. When we face these decisions, sometimes dozens of them each day, we have a choice. Yes God helps us – the Spirit will often niggle our conscience reminding us what Jesus would do; we can turn to our friends for help. But God doesn’t make these decisions for us – if he did we’d be robots. We have to make them.

So how do you make it easier to make decisions that bring a smile to Jesus’ face?

The Bible tells us to ‘flee temptation’. In other words make a choice to stay away from areas that you know you find hard. In other words avoid having to make the choice.

Feed the Spirit. A friend of mine explained the battle like this – there are two dogs on your shoulders wanting to fight, and the one you feed will be the one that wins. Although this is quite an aggressive picture there’s truth in it. The more you cultivate your relationship with God, the stronger your relationship with him becomes, the more vocal is the voice of the Spirit in your life. You sense more when you are in danger of hurting God and others by your actions, so you don’t do it. And the deeper that relationship gets, the more likely it is that you’ll find yourself having to make these choices, because as someone who mirrors Jesus you’ll be living a more selfless life anyway. Live by the Spirit, learn to follow his promptings, and then you’ll make Jesus smile.

Deployed returns on Monday 4th September - have a good weekend!