Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) has been on for the past one week in Jerusalem. Anglicans from around the world, who protest the ordination of an openly professed gay as a bishop in The Evangelical Church of the United States of America, organized this conference to discuss the future of the Anglican Communion. The authority of the scripture was emphasized throughout the period of the conference. We must hold the Bible as our ultimate Source for faith and practice. We will be making reference to the implications of this conference from time to time in this blog. Read the final statement of the conference.
From here
GAFCON Final Statement
STATEMENT ON THE GLOBAL ANGLICAN FUTURE
Praise the LORD!
It is good to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. (Psalm 147:1-2)
Brothers and Sisters in Christ: We, the participants in the Global Anglican Future Conference, send you greetings from Jerusalem!
Introduction
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), which was held in Jerusalem from 22-29 June 2008, is a spiritual movement to preserve and promote the truth and power of the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ as we Anglicans have received it. The movement is global: it has mobilised Anglicans from around the world. We are Anglican: 1148 lay and clergy participants, including 291 bishops representing millions of faithful Anglican Christians. We cherish our Anglican heritage and the Anglican Communion and have no intention of departing rom it. And we believe that, in God’s providence, Anglicanism has a bright future in obedience to our Lord’s Great Commission to make disciples of all nations and to build up the church on the foundation of biblical truth (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 2:20).
GAFCON is not just a moment in time, but a movement in the Spirit, and we hereby:
• launch the GAFCON movement as a fellowship of confessing Anglicans
• publish the Jerusalem Declaration as the basis of the fellowship
• encourage GAFCON Primates to form a Council.
The Global Anglican Context
The future of the Anglican Communion is but a piece of the wider scenario of opportunities and challenges for the gospel in 21st century global culture. We rejoice in the way God has opened doors for gospel mission among many peoples, but we grieve for the spiritual decline in the most economically developed nations, where the forces of militant secularism and pluralism are eating away the fabric of society and churches are compromised and enfeebled in their witness. The vacuum left by them is readily filled by other faiths and deceptive cults. To meet these challenges will require Christians to work together to understand and oppose these forces and to liberate those under their sway. It will entail the planting of new churches among unreached peoples and also committed action to restore authentic Christianity to compromised churches.
The Anglican Communion, present in six continents, is well positioned to address this challenge, but currently it is divided and distracted. The Global Anglican Future Conference emerged in response to a crisis within the Anglican Communion, a crisis involving three undeniable facts concerning world Anglicanism.
The first fact is the acceptance and promotion within the provinces of the Anglican Communion of a different ‘gospel’ (cf. Galatians 1:6-8) which is contrary to the apostolic gospel. This false gospel undermines the authority of God’s Word written and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the author of salvation from sin, death and judgement. Many of its proponents claim that all religions offer equal access to God and that Jesus is only a way, not the way, the truth and the life. It promotes a variety of sexual preferences and immoral behaviour as a universal human right. It claims God’s blessing for same-sex unions over against the biblical teaching on holy matrimony. In 2003 this false gospel led to the consecration of a bishop living in a homosexual relationship.
The second fact is the declaration by provincial bodies in the Global South that they are out of communion with bishops and churches that promote this false gospel. These declarations have resulted in a realignment whereby faithful Anglican Christians have left existing territorial parishes, dioceses and provinces in certain Western churches and become members of other dioceses and provinces, all within the Anglican Communion. These actions have also led to the appointment of new Anglican bishops set over geographic areas already occupied by other Anglican bishops. A major realignment has occurred and will continue to unfold.
The third fact is the manifest failure of the Communion Instruments to exercise discipline in the face of overt heterodoxy. The Episcopal Church USA and the Anglican Church of Canada, in proclaiming this false gospel, have consistently defied the 1998 Lambeth statement of biblical moral principle (Resolution 1.10). Despite numerous meetings and reports to and from the ‘Instruments of Unity,’ no effective action has been taken, and the bishops of these unrepentant churches are welcomed to Lambeth 2008. To make matters worse, there has been a failure to honour promises of discipline, the authority of the Primates’ Meeting has been undermined and the Lambeth Conference has been structured so as to avoid any hard decisions. We can only come to the devastating conclusion that ‘we are a global Communion with a colonial structure’.
Sadly, this crisis has torn the fabric of the Communion in such a way that it cannot simply be patched back together. At the same time, it has brought together many Anglicans across the globe into personal and pastoral relationships in a fellowship which is faithful to biblical teaching, more representative of the demographic distribution of global Anglicanism today and stronger as an instrument of effective mission, ministry and social involvement.
A Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans
We, the participants in the Global Anglican Future Conference, are a fellowship of confessing Anglicans for the benefit of the Church and the furtherance of its mission. We are a fellowship of people united in the communion (koinonia) of the one Spirit and committed to work and pray together in the common mission of Christ. It is a confessing fellowship in that its members confess the faith of Christ crucified, stand firm for the gospel in the global and Anglican context, and affirm a contemporary rule, the Jerusalem Declaration, to guide the movement for the future. We are a fellowship of Anglicans, including provinces, dioceses, churches, missionary jurisdictions, para-church organisations and individual Anglican Christians whose goal is to reform, heal and revitalise the Anglican Communion and expand its mission to the world.
Our fellowship is not breaking away from the Anglican Communion. We, together with many other faithful Anglicans throughout the world, believe the doctrinal foundation of Anglicanism, which defines our core identity as Anglicans, is expressed in these words: The doctrine of the Church is grounded in the Holy Scriptures and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular, such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal. We intend to remain faithful to this standard, and we call on others in the Communion to reaffirm and return to it. While acknowledging the nature of Canterbury as an historic see, we do not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Building on the above doctrinal foundation of Anglican identity, we hereby publish the Jerusalem Declaration as the basis of our fellowship.
The Jerusalem Declaration
In the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit:
We, the participants in the Global Anglican Future Conference, have met in the land of Jesus’ birth. We express our loyalty as disciples to the King of kings, the Lord Jesus. We joyfully embrace his command to proclaim the reality of his kingdom which he first announced in this land. The gospel of the kingdom is the good news of salvation, liberation and transformation for all. In light of the above, we agree to chart a way forward together that promotes and protects the biblical gospel and mission to the world, solemnly declaring the following tenets of orthodoxy which underpin our Anglican identity.
1. We rejoice in the gospel of God through which we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because God first loved us, we love him and as believers bring forth fruits of love, ongoing repentance, lively hope and thanksgiving to God in all things.
2. We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God written and to contain all things necessary for salvation. The Bible is to be translated, read, preached, taught and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense, respectful of the church’s historic and consensual reading.
3. We uphold the four Ecumenical Councils and the three historic Creeds as expressing the rule of faith of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
4. We uphold the Thirty-nine Articles as containing the true doctrine of the Church agreeing with God’s Word and as authoritative for Anglicans today.
5. We gladly proclaim and submit to the unique and universal Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, humanity’s only Saviour from sin, judgement and hell, who lived the life we could not live and died the death that we deserve. By his atoning death and glorious resurrection, he secured the redemption of all who come to him in repentance and faith.
6. We rejoice in our Anglican sacramental and liturgical heritage as an expression of the gospel, and we uphold the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as a true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer, to be translated and locally adapted for each culture.
7. We recognise that God has called and gifted bishops, priests and deacons in historic succession to equip all the people of God for their ministry in the world. We uphold the classic Anglican Ordinal as an authoritative standard of clerical orders.
8. We acknowledge God’s creation of humankind as male and female and the unchangeable standard of Christian marriage between one man and one woman as the proper place for sexual intimacy and the basis of the family. We repent of our failures to maintain this standard and call for a renewed commitment to lifelong fidelity in marriage and abstinence for those who are not married.
9. We gladly accept the Great Commission of the risen Lord to make disciples of all nations, to seek those who do not know Christ and to baptise, teach and bring new believers to maturity.
10. We are mindful of our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation, to uphold and advocate justice in society, and to seek relief and empowerment of the poor and needy.
11. We are committed to the unity of all those who know and love Christ and to building authentic ecumenical relationships. We recognise the orders and jurisdiction of those Anglicans who uphold orthodox faith and practice, and we encourage them to join us in this declaration.
12. We celebrate the God-given diversity among us which enriches our global fellowship, and we acknowledge freedom in secondary matters. We pledge to work together to seek the mind of Christ on issues that divide us.
13. We reject the authority of those churches and leaders who have denied the orthodox faith in word or deed. We pray for them and call on them to repent and return to the Lord.
14. We rejoice at the prospect of Jesus’ coming again in glory, and while we await this final event of history, we praise him for the way he builds up his church through his Spirit by miraculously changing lives.
The Road Ahead
We believe the Holy Spirit has led us during this week in Jerusalem to begin a new work. There are many important decisions for the development of this fellowship which will take more time, prayer and deliberation. Among other matters, we shall seek to expand participation in this fellowship beyond those who have come to Jerusalem, including cooperation with the Global South and the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa. We can, however, discern certain milestones on the road ahead.
Primates’ Council
We, the participants in the Global Anglican Future Conference, do hereby acknowledge the participating Primates of GAFCON who have called us together, and encourage them to form the initial Council of the GAFCON movement. We look forward to the enlargement of the Council and entreat the Primates to organise and expand the fellowship of confessing Anglicans.
We urge the Primates’ Council to authenticate and recognise confessing Anglican jurisdictions, clergy and congregations and to encourage all Anglicans to promote the gospel and defend the faith.
We recognise the desirability of territorial jurisdiction for provinces and dioceses of the Anglican Communion, except in those areas where churches and leaders are denying the orthodox faith or are preventing its spread, and in a few areas for which overlapping jurisdictions are beneficial for historical or cultural reasons.
We thank God for the courageous actions of those Primates and provinces who have offered orthodox oversight to churches under false leadership, especially in North and South America. The actions of these Primates have been a positive response to pastoral necessities and mission opportunities. We believe that such actions will continue to be necessary and we support them in offering help around the world.
We believe this is a critical moment when the Primates’ Council will need to put in place structures to lead and support the church. In particular, we believe the time is now ripe for the formation of a province in North America for the federation currently known as Common Cause Partnership to be recognised by the Primates’ Council.
Conclusion: Message from Jerusalem
We, the participants in the Global Anglican Future Conference, were summoned by the Primates’ leadership team to Jerusalem in June 2008 to deliberate on the crisis that has divided the Anglican Communion for the past decade and to seek direction for the future. We have visited holy sites, prayed together, listened to God’s Word preached and expounded, learned from various speakers and teachers, and shared our thoughts and hopes with each other.
The meeting in Jerusalem this week was called in a sense of urgency that a false gospel has so paralysed the Anglican Communion that this crisis must be addressed. The chief threat of this dispute involves the compromising of the integrity of the church’s worldwide mission. The primary reason we have come to Jerusalem and issued this declaration is to free our churches to give clear and certain witness to Jesus Christ.
It is our hope that this Statement on the Global Anglican Future will be received with comfort and joy by many Anglicans around the world who have been distressed about the direction of the Communion. We believe the Anglican Communion should and will be reformed around the biblical gospel and mandate to go into all the world and present Christ to the nations.
Jerusalem
Feast of St Peter and St Paul
29 June 2008
Monday, 30 June 2008
Friday, 27 June 2008
You can be healed
At the beautiful gate, the lame sat begging,
Begging for arms, begging for help,
He never knew that there's a Name,
That is bigger than the arms and man's help;
In the Name of Jesus, the lame man walked,
He ran and leaped praising the Lord.
You can be he--aled, says the Lord,
You can re--ceive, what you ask.
Just come by fai--th, To the Master,
And you can, never go, as you came.
At the gate of Nain, A widow was weeping,
For she thought, all her hope was gone.
She never knew, that there's a Name,
In whom, there is answer to her need;
She met the Lord, with a dead son,
But she left, with the son alive praising the Lord.
What men have said about your case,
May never be, God's Word;
His Word says 'You can be healed,
You can walk, you can leap praising the Lord,
Just come by faith, faith in Jesus,
You will have, a mi-ra-cle today.
Just come by faith, faith in Jesus,
You can have a miracle today.
Zakibiam 07.05.98
Begging for arms, begging for help,
He never knew that there's a Name,
That is bigger than the arms and man's help;
In the Name of Jesus, the lame man walked,
He ran and leaped praising the Lord.
You can be he--aled, says the Lord,
You can re--ceive, what you ask.
Just come by fai--th, To the Master,
And you can, never go, as you came.
At the gate of Nain, A widow was weeping,
For she thought, all her hope was gone.
She never knew, that there's a Name,
In whom, there is answer to her need;
She met the Lord, with a dead son,
But she left, with the son alive praising the Lord.
What men have said about your case,
May never be, God's Word;
His Word says 'You can be healed,
You can walk, you can leap praising the Lord,
Just come by faith, faith in Jesus,
You will have, a mi-ra-cle today.
Just come by faith, faith in Jesus,
You can have a miracle today.
Zakibiam 07.05.98
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Count it all joy
This is a blessing to my life. I just dusted it from my archives and want to share it with you. It was written in 1998 during my NYSC in Zakibiam, Benue State.
Count it all joy
Have you prayed all night long? Heaven seems like brass
If your life is pleasing to God, Count it all joy;
Even when answers delay, your mind full of questions,
If your mind is pleasing to God, the count it all joy.
Count it all joy, count it all joy,
If your life is pleasing to God,
Count it all joy.
When temptations tempt you sore, trials on every side,
There's only one thing to do, Trust His loving heart;
He'll never, never let you fall, underneath where you stand,
Are His eternal Arms, Count it all joy.
When you are feeling lonely, it seems the Lord is too far,
Loved ones are not near, your life seems cold;
It seems a lonely walk, where nobody cares,
If your life is pleasing to God, then count it all joy.
Count it all joy, in the face of various trials,
Along this Pilgrim's Way, count it all joy;
You've asked "is it my fault?", but hear the Word of God,
"Only be faithful, I'm there, follow me,
Wait, wait I say, wait don't bid me good bye,
I'm there I promise, you'll count it all joy".
My son count it all joy, my daughter count it all joy,
Only be faithful, you will count it all joy.
Count it all joy
Have you prayed all night long? Heaven seems like brass
If your life is pleasing to God, Count it all joy;
Even when answers delay, your mind full of questions,
If your mind is pleasing to God, the count it all joy.
Count it all joy, count it all joy,
If your life is pleasing to God,
Count it all joy.
When temptations tempt you sore, trials on every side,
There's only one thing to do, Trust His loving heart;
He'll never, never let you fall, underneath where you stand,
Are His eternal Arms, Count it all joy.
When you are feeling lonely, it seems the Lord is too far,
Loved ones are not near, your life seems cold;
It seems a lonely walk, where nobody cares,
If your life is pleasing to God, then count it all joy.
Count it all joy, in the face of various trials,
Along this Pilgrim's Way, count it all joy;
You've asked "is it my fault?", but hear the Word of God,
"Only be faithful, I'm there, follow me,
Wait, wait I say, wait don't bid me good bye,
I'm there I promise, you'll count it all joy".
My son count it all joy, my daughter count it all joy,
Only be faithful, you will count it all joy.
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
3 Reasons why you need Jesus
You may have tried a lot of things in this your life an all failed. You may have even tried to find meaning in life because of the things that have befallen you of late. I just want to share with you the three reasons why you need the Lord Jesus Christ. Remain blessed!
3 Reasons why you need Jesus
1. Because you have a past:
You can't go back to your yesterday but He can. Heb.13:8. He can walk into those places of sin and failures, wipe the slate of your life clear and give you a new beginning.
2. Because you need a friend:
Jesus knows the worst about you, yet He believes the best for you. Why? Because He sees you not as you are, but s you will be when He gets through with you. What a friend!
3. Because He holds the future:
Who else are you going to trust? In His hands you are safe and secure today, tomorrow and for eternity. (Jer.29:11-13 TLB)
I wish that you receive Jesus and you do it today!
3 Reasons why you need Jesus
1. Because you have a past:
You can't go back to your yesterday but He can. Heb.13:8. He can walk into those places of sin and failures, wipe the slate of your life clear and give you a new beginning.
2. Because you need a friend:
Jesus knows the worst about you, yet He believes the best for you. Why? Because He sees you not as you are, but s you will be when He gets through with you. What a friend!
3. Because He holds the future:
Who else are you going to trust? In His hands you are safe and secure today, tomorrow and for eternity. (Jer.29:11-13 TLB)
I wish that you receive Jesus and you do it today!
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
The Life that satisfies
There is nothing wrong with searching for what will bring happiness and joy to our lives. The only question is, 'where and how do you search for them?'. If you search for a right thing in a wrong way and wrong place, you will definitely come home hollow and frustrated. The Lord Jesus Christ gives the Life that satisfies.
The Life that satisfies
Searching for the life that satisfies,
Searching for the love that is true,
Some are searching for the peace that will put their minds together,
Some have died in their search for joy.
Honest heart and open mind are needed here,
I'm gonna say what only few can realize,
In my mind cannot be made what God desires,
God sent His answer in the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus says "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life"
"Come unto me as you are you'll be at rest"
That is the point-way God on high made for us,
I've got this faith and now I have a song to sing:
I am free, I am free Justified,
I'm loved not because of my good works.
I am saved, ..saved, dou..btless
I'm satisfied, satisfied, I'm satisfied.
Are you still searching for the life that satisfied,
Are you still searching for the love that is true,
Are you still searching for the peace that can put your mind together,
Do not die in your search for joy.
You can be free, you can be free, jus..tified,
You are loved, not because of your works,
You can be saved, saved dou..btless
Be satisfied, satisfied, be satisfied.
The Life that satisfies
Searching for the life that satisfies,
Searching for the love that is true,
Some are searching for the peace that will put their minds together,
Some have died in their search for joy.
Honest heart and open mind are needed here,
I'm gonna say what only few can realize,
In my mind cannot be made what God desires,
God sent His answer in the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus says "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life"
"Come unto me as you are you'll be at rest"
That is the point-way God on high made for us,
I've got this faith and now I have a song to sing:
I am free, I am free Justified,
I'm loved not because of my good works.
I am saved, ..saved, dou..btless
I'm satisfied, satisfied, I'm satisfied.
Are you still searching for the life that satisfied,
Are you still searching for the love that is true,
Are you still searching for the peace that can put your mind together,
Do not die in your search for joy.
You can be free, you can be free, jus..tified,
You are loved, not because of your works,
You can be saved, saved dou..btless
Be satisfied, satisfied, be satisfied.
Monday, 2 June 2008
A Volunteer for Jesus
How many are ready to volunteer there lives to the Lord Jesus for His use? In a world where we focus on this right and that right oftentimes, we forget that when we give our lives to the Lord Jesus, we lose the 'right' to determine what happens in our lives. That is what it means to surrender to Him as Lord.
A volunteer for Jesus, a soldier true,
Others have enlisted, why don't you?
Jesus is the Captain, we will never fear,
Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?
A call for loyal soldiers, comes to one and all,
Soldiers for the conflict, will you heed the call?
Will you answer quickly, with already clear will?
Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?
Yes Jesus for soldiers who are filled with power,
Soldiers who will serve Him, everyday and hour,
He will not forsake you, He is ever near,
Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?
He calls you for He loves you, With a heart most kind,
He whose heart was broken, Broken for mankind,
Now just He calls you, Calls accent clear,
Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?
And when the war is over, And the victory is won,
When the true and faithful, gather one by one,
He will crown with glory, All who there appear,
Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?
A volunteer for Jesus, a soldier true,
Others have enlisted, why don't you?
Jesus is the Captain, we will never fear,
Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?
A call for loyal soldiers, comes to one and all,
Soldiers for the conflict, will you heed the call?
Will you answer quickly, with already clear will?
Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?
Yes Jesus for soldiers who are filled with power,
Soldiers who will serve Him, everyday and hour,
He will not forsake you, He is ever near,
Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?
He calls you for He loves you, With a heart most kind,
He whose heart was broken, Broken for mankind,
Now just He calls you, Calls accent clear,
Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?
And when the war is over, And the victory is won,
When the true and faithful, gather one by one,
He will crown with glory, All who there appear,
Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
I Shall Rise Again!
This blessed my life so I want to share it here with you.
Don't Write Me Off, I Shall Rise Again.
If you see me on the ground
With a fallen face;
You don't have to write me off,
But you can offer a helping hand;
For you are called to do just that:
To strengthen the weak knee
When the righteous stumbles, he has hope in God.
So by the mercies of God, Do not write me off
For I hall rise again.
If you take a good look around you,
You will see bruised souls,
Wounded in the battles of this life;
They need someone to help them.
Littered in broken homes and banquets,
In prisons and palaces,
Are these poor helpless folks.
There is healing for them in Gilead.
Do not let the wounded soldier die.
Do not write him off, He will rise again.
When this life is over, And I cast off this mortal,
I will not fear,
How weak I had been.
With my bruises and scars,
I will go for a new body.
I shall rise in newness.
My Lord will crown me with life,
So this is my prayer:
'Do not write me off off now, I shall rise again.
With a fallen face;
You don't have to write me off,
But you can offer a helping hand;
For you are called to do just that:
To strengthen the weak knee
When the righteous stumbles, he has hope in God.
So by the mercies of God, Do not write me off
For I hall rise again.
If you take a good look around you,
You will see bruised souls,
Wounded in the battles of this life;
They need someone to help them.
Littered in broken homes and banquets,
In prisons and palaces,
Are these poor helpless folks.
There is healing for them in Gilead.
Do not let the wounded soldier die.
Do not write him off, He will rise again.
When this life is over, And I cast off this mortal,
I will not fear,
How weak I had been.
With my bruises and scars,
I will go for a new body.
I shall rise in newness.
My Lord will crown me with life,
So this is my prayer:
'Do not write me off off now, I shall rise again.
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
8 Mistakes the American Church made
This is a sermon by Lee Grady of Charisma Magazine in Nigeria in 2002. It was reproduced in The Nigeria Anglican, the official magazine of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion. I'm convinced it worths repeating in this blog.
Eight Mistakes the American Church Made That I Hope You Don’t Repeat
When in 2002 I was in
1. We made unbelief a doctrine:
While Christians in Chine, Latin America and
2. We tolerated division:
Who needs the devil when Christians are perfectly OK with hating one another in the name of denominational loyalty? Why should the world listen to us teach about family values when the family of God is so fractured?
3. We cultivated a religious spirit:
We taught converts that Christianity is all about daily Bible reading, Church attendance and avoiding cigarettes and beer. Genuine faith became drudgery. Christians trapped in dry legalism lost their joy because they thought intimacy with God could be achieved by their performance.
4. We encouraged “superstars:
We elevated ministers to celebrity status, and some of them actually believed they deserved the titles, the pedestals, the grand entrances and the first-class seats next to Jesus’ throne. They stopped modeling servant hood and as a result the Church forgot that Jesus washed the feet and rode on a donkey.
5. We equated money with success:
We taught that biblical prosperity could be obtained by inserting our tithes into a heavenly slot machine. LOTTO fever spread throughout the Church and we found a way to legitimate greed and materialism when we should have been using our wealth to feed the poor, adopt orphans and fund missionary ventures.
6. We wouldn’t release women in ministry:
We let gender prejudice have more control of the Church that the Holy Spirit. He is ready to send an army of dedicated women to the front lines of spiritual battle but He is waiting for us to bury our stinking male pride.
7. We stayed in the pews and became irrelevant:
We insisted on letting a group of older white men in dark suits represent our faith in the marketplace, and we freaked out when somebody tried to use rap, punk or metal music to reach the younger generations. Instead of engaging the culture, we hid from it.
8. We taught people to be escapists:
Jesus told us to occupy the planet until He returns. But most of us were reading rapture novels when we should have been praying for our brothers and sisters who were on the verge of martyrdom. They were willing to suffer and die for the cause. Why can’t we have that kind of faith?
Thursday, 8 May 2008
The Race
This is a composition I read from the book, "Finishing Strong" by Bro. Steve Farrar. It has been a blessing to my life. I want to share it with you:
Defeat! He lay there silently, a tear dropped from his eye.
"There's no sense running anymore - three strikes,
I'm out - why try?"
The will to rise has disappeared, all hope had fled away,
So far behind, so error prone, closer all the way.
"I've lost, so what's the use," he thought,
"I'll live with my disgrace."
But then he thought about his dad who
soon he'd have a face.
"Get up," an echo sounded low,
"Get up and take your place.
You were not meant for failure here,
so get up and win the race."
With borrowed will. "Get up," it said
"You haven't lost at all,
For winning is not more than this -
to rise each time you fall."
So up he rose to win once more, and with a new commit,
He resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn't quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he'd ever been,
Still he gave all he had and ran as though to win.
Three times he'd fallen stumbling,
three times he rose again,
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered the winning runner as he crossed,
first place,
Head high and proud and happy; no falling, no disgrace.
But when the fallen youngstar crossed the line, last place,
The crowd gave him the greater cheer for
finishing the race.
And even though he came in last,
with head bowed low, unproud;
You would have thought he won the race,
to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, "I didn't do so well."
"To me, you won," his father said.
"You rose each time you fell."
And now when things seem dark and hard
and difficult to face,
The memory of that little boy helps me in the race.
For all of life is like that race,
with ups and downs and all,
And all you have to do to win - is rise each time you fall.
"Quit! Give up, you're beaten," they still shout in my face.
But another voice within me says,
"Get up and win that race."
"There's no sense running anymore - three strikes,
I'm out - why try?"
The will to rise has disappeared, all hope had fled away,
So far behind, so error prone, closer all the way.
"I've lost, so what's the use," he thought,
"I'll live with my disgrace."
But then he thought about his dad who
soon he'd have a face.
"Get up," an echo sounded low,
"Get up and take your place.
You were not meant for failure here,
so get up and win the race."
With borrowed will. "Get up," it said
"You haven't lost at all,
For winning is not more than this -
to rise each time you fall."
So up he rose to win once more, and with a new commit,
He resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn't quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he'd ever been,
Still he gave all he had and ran as though to win.
Three times he'd fallen stumbling,
three times he rose again,
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered the winning runner as he crossed,
first place,
Head high and proud and happy; no falling, no disgrace.
But when the fallen youngstar crossed the line, last place,
The crowd gave him the greater cheer for
finishing the race.
And even though he came in last,
with head bowed low, unproud;
You would have thought he won the race,
to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, "I didn't do so well."
"To me, you won," his father said.
"You rose each time you fell."
And now when things seem dark and hard
and difficult to face,
The memory of that little boy helps me in the race.
For all of life is like that race,
with ups and downs and all,
And all you have to do to win - is rise each time you fall.
"Quit! Give up, you're beaten," they still shout in my face.
But another voice within me says,
"Get up and win that race."
- AUTHOR UNKNOWN.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Sorry for the long period of silence
Dear friends, sorry for this long period of silence.
We got very busy over the past few weeks and could not post here. Please expect our post to be more frequent from here. Thanks and remain blessed!
We got very busy over the past few weeks and could not post here. Please expect our post to be more frequent from here. Thanks and remain blessed!
Friday, 15 February 2008
Matters from the Heart
I love this. It tells of the love of God that draws us to Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ. He died for me and you so that believing in Him, we may have eternal life. This is real. I've experienced it and confirm that God saves. This poem is from a poster with the name 'Crystal' in the Christian Room on Hi5.com.
Matters from the Heart
I took and carried our blame
Your soul I redeemed
I bought you
I commanded nature to sing
You a love song
Wishing you would come to me
My heart aches how long, how long
I long for you
I waited for you all night
You never came
You sold yourself cheaply
So again I took the blame
I waited for you
I look for you
I found you in the town square
There you were cold and bare
I covered you
I love you no less
Even though your life was a mess
I want to cleanse you
I court you then married you
You are not free
You belong to me
I want to talk to you
I saved you
Your company I missed
I want to fill your life
With beauty and bliss
Can’t you tell how much I love you?
Matters from the Heart
I took and carried our blame
Your soul I redeemed
I bought you
I commanded nature to sing
You a love song
Wishing you would come to me
My heart aches how long, how long
I long for you
I waited for you all night
You never came
You sold yourself cheaply
So again I took the blame
I waited for you
I look for you
I found you in the town square
There you were cold and bare
I covered you
I love you no less
Even though your life was a mess
I want to cleanse you
I court you then married you
You are not free
You belong to me
I want to talk to you
I saved you
Your company I missed
I want to fill your life
With beauty and bliss
Can’t you tell how much I love you?
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
A Man of God
This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil (1 Timothy 3:1-6).
The scripture says that they (teachers0 will have a more strict judgment. The job of a Pastor is not an easy one. Paul made an interesting parallel in the third chapter of Timothy. He said that a novice (inexperienced or immature) person should not be a leader in the church. This person has the potential to become arrogant and prideful. Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says that pride is the same condemnation of the devil.
Many biblical scholars wrestle over passages like Isaiah 14:12-17, and Ezekiel 28:11-19. they wrestle with the subject of the passage. Is the subject satan, the accuser of the brethren, or is it the king of the nation that Isaiah was indicting? Ironically, I believe Paul gave us an answer to that question in the qualifications for a Church leader.
Pride was found in the beautiful cherub (satan). The desire to be “like the most High” controlled his passions. This fallen one is called the devil or slanderer amongst other names. Paul says that if the leader is a novice, the risk of pride is great and this is what Isaiah and Ezekiel mentioned about the devil. God has revealed so much in His Word. If you are like me, pride might be a struggle, but the Word of God is humbling. May we all be doers of the Word and not heaers only.
The scripture says that they (teachers0 will have a more strict judgment. The job of a Pastor is not an easy one. Paul made an interesting parallel in the third chapter of Timothy. He said that a novice (inexperienced or immature) person should not be a leader in the church. This person has the potential to become arrogant and prideful. Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says that pride is the same condemnation of the devil.
Many biblical scholars wrestle over passages like Isaiah 14:12-17, and Ezekiel 28:11-19. they wrestle with the subject of the passage. Is the subject satan, the accuser of the brethren, or is it the king of the nation that Isaiah was indicting? Ironically, I believe Paul gave us an answer to that question in the qualifications for a Church leader.
Pride was found in the beautiful cherub (satan). The desire to be “like the most High” controlled his passions. This fallen one is called the devil or slanderer amongst other names. Paul says that if the leader is a novice, the risk of pride is great and this is what Isaiah and Ezekiel mentioned about the devil. God has revealed so much in His Word. If you are like me, pride might be a struggle, but the Word of God is humbling. May we all be doers of the Word and not heaers only.
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Musing: A Capsule Lesson on Witnessing
1 Peter 3:15 provides an ideal pattern for witnessing: …sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.
1. Sanctify or hallow God within your hearth. This reminds us that a good witness comes from a right relationship with God.
2. Be ready. The opportunities to bear witness are according to God’s schedule, not ours. They can come at any time, anywhere, and in any situation.
3. Give an answer. You can’t answer something that has not been asked. Ideally, but not always, witnessing comes as a response to a question or problem that God wants to answer.
4. The hope that is in us: we witness based on a reasonable hope, “the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1b). that hope cannot be our wishful thinking, but must be based on the promises of God in scripture. It is an inside hope, not an outside chance.
5. The attitude of the witness must be with meekness and fear. This refers to a dual approcach – humility towards the person to whom we tell the Good News, and reverence toward the Lord of whom we tell.
1. Sanctify or hallow God within your hearth. This reminds us that a good witness comes from a right relationship with God.
2. Be ready. The opportunities to bear witness are according to God’s schedule, not ours. They can come at any time, anywhere, and in any situation.
3. Give an answer. You can’t answer something that has not been asked. Ideally, but not always, witnessing comes as a response to a question or problem that God wants to answer.
4. The hope that is in us: we witness based on a reasonable hope, “the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1b). that hope cannot be our wishful thinking, but must be based on the promises of God in scripture. It is an inside hope, not an outside chance.
5. The attitude of the witness must be with meekness and fear. This refers to a dual approcach – humility towards the person to whom we tell the Good News, and reverence toward the Lord of whom we tell.
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