Category Archives: Bible

He might be surprised who is there

This week we learnt of the passing of John MacArthur.

This post is personal reflection, and I would like it taken as such, not authoritative journalism.

I discovered John’s work back in my formative Christian years, as a passionate young adult, having become a Christian and studying at a conservative Bible College. We were encouraged to read John MacArthur. One of the earliest discussions he provoked was around ‘Lordship Salvation’ with John taking the view that Christianity had embraced an ‘easy belief’ system neglecting the call of Jesus to discipleship. In my view he had some challenging things to say.

He was strongly anti-charismatic. It is interesting reading some biographical details coming out now and discovering John always saw himself as a Christian, having never really had an encounter with Jesus even at a young age. I don’t post this as a negative. In fact many Christians say they have always know God, being brought up in Christian homes. However I do suspect that John may very well fit into that category of people for whom I would say, because they did not experience it for themself, they don’t see the need for others to experience it. In this case my interpretation is that John does not allow the scriptures to speak for themselves. Instead he goes against the scriptures revelation and allows his own lack of experience to dictate how he interprets the Bible. The Bible is full of revelation, dreams, tongue speaking, prophecy, miracles and healings. You can’t deny that. You can squeeze it into your own box however. You can deny the clear testimony of scripture. You can also take on verse from 1 Corinthians 13 out of context and dismiss the whole narrative of Acts on that basis. You can deny many solid and intelligent Christians and their experience of the Holy Spirit and His outworking. I can’t judge John for this, it is a view I took myself. Until God surprised me with experiences of Himself that did match up with the scriptural story but not with a doctrine I had been taught.

He also took a strong view on male headship both within the church and without. In my conservative years I would have agreed with him. But as I studied the scriptures more I continue to see how badly we have allowed one or two verses to colour our interpretation of the Bible. The early church embraced female pastors, teachers, church planters, evangelists and Apostles. It’s ludicrous how we have coloured our churches with such a narrow view to discount the egalitarian nature of the early church. It just is not there. A strong view of scripture and the scriptural narrative will take you to the position that Jesus did, that we are all made in Gods image and have equal roles to play within the church, in contrast to the power narrative of a secular culture, both in Jesus and Pauls day, and indeed of ours. But beyond that, it was distressing to John MacArthurs rude and derogatory dismissal of his sisters in Christ. This was not Christ like at all. I can’t imagine Jesus talking to women as John did, purely based on John’s own words. Nothing else. To justify it by a narrow view of the Bible was distressing.

John wrote some exceptional commentaries. I had many of them in my library for many years. Even as my views on the scripture continued their divergence from his, I still found his work helpful. Some of the historical and technical understanding was good. In my view however there were blind spots. Times when John did not back up his strong views with scripture. This is when it became difficult to know when it was scripture talking or Johns voice. Like his personal persona, his written one showed a lack of humility and grace. He tended to shout louder when he had less to support his view. Ultimately as credible reports starting coming out about his abuse and treatment of women within his church I could not personally countenance his books on my shelf. Too many reports from women on a lack of care and grace toward them and a dismissal of their testimonies. So before my move across the country I threw them all in the bin.

We all have character flaws, and I certainly have mine. I wonder what an honest obituary will say about Pastor Mark. I would not want certain people to be asked, because I know what they might say, and they would be right. I have feet of clay and regrets on how I have led.

I know other people who are complimentarian and even non-charismatic who I respect and acknowledge and will minister with. Let us be at peace as far as is possible, and depending on how far you take these things, they are not the main thing. Jesus is. For me, John MacArthur went too often to the well of ungraciousness, dismissiveness and at times plain meanness and arrogance. But like us all, he will kneel before Jesus and understand then, like I will, how sinful he has been. But also in that moment how dependent upon grace he is, like I will be.

John, like all of us, will be surprised by who is in heaven as he meets Jesus.

What if I stumble….what if I fall….

News has broke that DC Talk and Newsboys front person has confessed to a whole heap of bad stuff.

Just makes me sad…that is all. Loved DC Talk. Fantastic music, lyrics and heart to their music.

Newsboys….especially prior to Michael, was formative in my early christian years. An old girlfriend had a tape from this Aussie band…’Hell is for wimps’. Played it and played it. Thats before they got huge. Conquered America and the CCM market.

Strangely enough my favourite song was ‘Breakfast Club’. For the irreverent take on serious issues…with a killer bass line. The Newsboys took their faith and music seriously, but not themselves too seriously.

Of course now in America they have been a huge band, selling out stadiums.

What do we do with the early DC Talk music? Do we try and erase it from our memories? It is a bit sad for me when I put it on, or think about it.

It is not about how you start, or how you are doing, but how you finish.

God is good Michael, and Psalm 51 is a great place to start. And it is good he is not hiding.

But…for a fan like me…it is sad.

There is more

Acts 2

All Churches that have ever existed trace their history back to this story.

The moment when Heaven truly came to earth. When the Spirit like a Dove descended on the women and men gathered in that room. Filling them with an overwhelming sense of power. Holy Spirit, God’s Breath came and infused that room and those bodies with Gods own presence. God dwelling amongst His people sealing them with His own Presence. Jesus fulfilling His promise.

Awe inspiring, exiting, beyond ourselves and with a heady mix of wonder about what was to come next.

Pentecostals call themself that because they wish to emphasise this part of church history. 

We need to be careful that we don’t ignore this part of church history, because it is all our history, this is the formative part of who we are as Church.

If I want creativity…

I have to let go of straight lines.

Certainty may stifle creativity.

I have been a follower of Jesus for a long time now. I have seen how messy life is. How random.

It is rare that I can join the dots of God’s plan. The joining has often happened after the season.

Somewhere in the midst of that is the joy of creation. Making something new.

Let me sing a new song to Jesus.

Wine

For some wine, alcoholic beverages are problematic. The effects are devastating. For those people perhaps the brief thoughts here might best be skipped.

Recently I was listening to a podcast on wine and struck by the story of Noah after the flood.

Genesis 9:20-21 After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent.

Two verses and two thoughts.

A vineyard is not something you plant in the short term. Grains bear food within the season. Wine takes years to be something worth drinking. Noahs act of planting the vineyard was an act of faith. God would no longer flood the earth. It was time to plant something which would take years. The future for Noah and his family was assured. Wine would be something they could look forward to in years to come as his sons and their wives had children, then grandchildren. This wine would be enjoyed as they celebrated life and goodness and Gods provision.

The second thought involves the folly of wine. Noah became drunk, he was naked and the story would not have a good ending. In this moment Noah has taken what was a provision and a joy, and a sign of promise, and misused it. Does the misuse cancel out the faith and the joy? No. But it is a reminder. To celebrate the good things given from God, but not to misuse them.

The first miracle Jesus performed was to make wine. The best wine for the best occasion, a wedding. He drunk wine as He and His disciples anticipated what would be Jesus’ worst day. He will drink it again with His disciples when He returns. Most references to wine are positive in the Bible. I think back to my conservative bible college days when we were told the wine Jesus drank was non-alcoholic fruit juice. For a college which prided itself on Biblical authority, it sure took liberties with the reality of the text and the story.

Celebrate, enjoy, be grateful. Don’t be silly.

The wisdom of Jethro

Jethro was the father in law of Moses.

Moses had a problem, he was kept busy all day listening to the people, solving and judging on their disagreements.

Jethro came in and saw the problem, a problem Moses could not see.

All of us need someone who can come and see the problem we can’t.

Jethro had the courage to tell Moses the truth in love, kindly.

All of us need someone who we trust and trust to tell us the truth, even if it stings a little.

Moses was given some wisdom from Jethro. You don’t have to attend every argument you are invited to. You can and should as a leader delegate tasks, take the ones no one else can handle.

Getting given advice is good, implementing that advice is even better.

Revelation 20 and Revelation 21

Travelling through the book of Revelation has really brought home to me this outstanding book of the Bible. I have never tackled it before, and for good reason. It is a comprehensive, confusing and difficult book to deal with. That means that the rewards are great for unpacking it. ‘Discipleship on the Edge” by Darrell Johnson has been an invaluable reference book.

Consider just this one phrase, ‘It is Finished” seen a number of times in the book of Revelation. What does that bring to mind? Of course we think of Jesus saying this on the cross. Revelation reveals to us even more of what that phrase actually means. Jesus defeated sin, death and the enemy. This is one key to interpreting Revelation. Look at Johns context. Look at where we see Jesus in the book. Look at where we see the imagery and stories of Revelation in the rest of the Scripture.

Happy with this message, have a watch.