He Alone Matters

The old life is left behind, and completely surrendered. The disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity (that is, in truth, into the absolute security and safety of the fellowship of Jesus), from a life which is observable and calculable (it is, in fact, quite incalculable) into a life where everything is unobservable and fortuitous (that is, into one which is necessary and calculable), out of the realm of finite (which is in truth the infinite) into the realm of infinite possibilities (which is the one liberating reality). Again it is no universal law. Rather is it the exact opposite of all legality. It is nothing else than bondage to Jesus Christ alone, completely breaking through every programme, every ideal, every set of laws. No other significance is possible, since Jesus is the only significance. Beside Jesus nothing has any significance. He alone matters.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer – The Cost of Discipleshop

Book Review and Give Away – The Jesus Paradigm – David Alan Black

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win a copy of The Jesus Paradigm from Energion Publications. I’ve been a reader of ‘Brother Dave’s’ blog for a while now, as was definitely interested when the publisher offered to give a few copies away!

The core of the book is essentially this. ‘Christianity’ and ‘Church’ have become more and more removed from Jesus. Rather than becoming followers of Jesus, we are becoming at times followers of the church, or followers of a certain preacher, or followers of a certain political party – not followers of Jesus. Many organizations and people want to claim Jesus as their own – and so create their own followers, rather than direct people back to Jesus!

Sounds simple doesn’t it?

Dr Black (yes, he is a New Testament Greek scholar) then takes on various aspects of our lives, and even of what we consider Christianity, and measures it against the Gospel. As you would expect, the result is challenging to our daily lives – to live as followers of Jesus, not ‘members of the church’.

The good – Dr Black speaks from personal experience, as well as drawing from many historical groups to make his point. In many cases drawing form the early Anabaptist traditions, showing how they came to believe what they did and how that is focussed on the Gospel. This is not an Anabaptist book however by any means, as even by the title we can see that Dr Blacks primary goal is to draw us back to focussing on Jesus – not another church or denomination!

The average – There is a lot of very specific criticism of the American political environment right now. Not that this area isn’t due for some honest criticism, but as someone who lives outside of America, it is significantly less relevant. Fortunately however this doesn’t  make the whole book inaccessible, it was for me just less relevant than the rest of the message.

The very good – you might think from my comments above that the book is primarily one of criticism and negativity – not so! In fact I would dare say it is one of the most positive treatments of the issues in the church that I have read of late. Rather than be negative and browbeat the reader into depression over the state of the church (I read a book like that recently), and Christianity as a whole, Dr Black spends a short time focussing on the issue – but then more time going back to Jesus for the solution. This was an entirely positive experience, and one many writers could learn from!

To conclude? Though you might not agree with absolutely everything, and though all of it may not be applicable to you, this was still a good book, not only challenging you to grow closer to Jesus, but providing solid answers on how you might respond. Highly recommended.

Want a free copy of this book? (I’m giving away 2)

Well, though I was sent a hard copy of The Jesus Paradigm, I read the book on Kindle, so my copy is perfect. And this book is challenging enough I would love for someone else to read it as well – so I’m giving away the print book and a Kindle edition.

Leave a comment below, using the form to enter your name and email (so I can contact you!). And let me know whether you would prefer the print book, Kindle edition, or either (meaning you don’t mind and are in both opportunities). On the 19th of August I will be drawing the winner from the comments below. Easy!

Counter Cultural Christianity – John 13

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
(John 13:12-15 ESV)

 The call of Jesus is truly counter cultural! Compared to the ‘worlds’ systems and measurements, the call of Jesus stands out because it is so very, very different.

Take a general look at how the world measures success. The more successful you are, the higher you are esteemed by others. The more successful you are, the more people you have hanging around you, waiting on you, serving you, doing everything they can to please you. The most successful people often have drivers for their cars, pilots for their planes, cooks and cleaners for their houses, valets in their houses and offices to deal with their every want and need. In many cases, the more success a person achieves, the more withdrawn from the normal flow of life they become – they have but to click their fingers and people come running.

Now take a look at Jesus. This is the night of His betrayal – that will lead to His painful death in a very short time. And even worse, He knows full well who is betraying Him, how much for and why – and has known all along. The night of agony has begun – and yet he takes the time to get some final teaching in, to truly demonstrate what being a disciple of Jesus means.

Jesus takes off his robes, wraps a towel around his waist, and washes the feet of his disciples.

This for me is one of the most amazing things. Taken at the level that many people hold Jesus – a great and famous teacher, healer and miracle worker, it is something that would leave you dumbfounded. But it is greater than this – Jesus is God – and the creator of the universe is washing the feet of His disciples.

And let’s throw one more twist to the plot. Judas Iscariot, the one to betray Jesus (and the one Jesus knows will betray Him), is one of the 12 who gets their feet washed. We can be pretty sure he was one of them as he is mentioned straight after about being sent out – so Jesus, Creator of the Universe, washes the feet of the one to betray Him to the cross in full knowledge of what will happen.

How does it end then? Jesus explains to his disciples that to be a true disciple – you need to live by the culture of Heaven, not the culture of this earth. And just as Jesus washed the disciples feet, including the one who was to betray him moments later, they were to go out and do the same.

So how are we to live as disciples of Jesus in this world? To be the servant of others. No matter what our station in life is – be it CEO, beggar or anything in between, we need to live to serve Jesus, and to serve others just as He did.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
(1 John 2:15-17 ESV)

Bring what you have – John 6:1-14

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
(John 6:8-9 ESV)

How many times have you looked at what someone has done, and thought ‘I wish I could have done that!’ or ‘O if I had that much faith how amazing would that be!‘.

Do you know, God does not call you to have ‘more’ faith than anyone? But just to have faith, to have trust in Him – that He is going to do something.

Let’s take a look at this scene in John (you can read the full passage in John 6:1-14). There are about 5000 ‘men’ following Jesus at this time. This could mean anywhere from 4500 (counting for loose maths of the recorder) to maybe 15000 or more (if women and children were not counted, which is a common belief). What ever way you count it, that’s a lot of people – and Jesus knew it.

So, Jesus calls over Phillip – ‘Hey Philip, these people are hungry, can you short order some catering for them?‘

Philip, instead of having a heart attack, simply responds ‘What?!!? 8 months wages wouldn’t buy enough food for these people, not to mention where on earth we would get the money or the food from, and you want me to feed them???‘

Now granted, if I had been Philip, this most likely would have been my response. What! You are Joking right Jesus, Ha Ha, very funny, what’s the real plan? This is the response of the flesh – without faith. We look at the insurmountable and cry out ‘that’s impossible!’

But here is the point. A guy we don’t hear much about at all – Andrew, the brother of Peter (yes, that Peter), speaks up. Maybe even in just a quiet, nervous voice – ‘Hey Jesus, I know it’s really not anything at all, but I’ve got a kid here with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Not enough to feed you me and him even, but it’s all we have‘.

You see, Andrew was starting to get it. He knew Jesus could do it. Jesus could have called manna from heaven and fed everyone there and then – but He chose instead to increase the faith of his disciples. So, Andrew offered what he had. ‘I know it’s not enough Jesus, no where near enough, but it’s something‘. He could have just told the kid to scurry off and eat his dinner before someone in the crowd mugged him, or just looked at them, said ‘yeah right’ and let it go. But instead, he took what little he had, and spoke up.

And so Jesus calls us to do. We don’t have enough to deal with the issues that face us daily – we might think we do, the world thinks it does, but in the end none of us do. We cannot solve our own issues of sin and lack of faith, let alone anything else! But God calls us to take that little that we have and step forward – ‘Here I am God, use me‘.

So what was the outcome here? All 5000 men (and possibly women and children as well, but 5000 is plenty impressive) ate until they were satisfied. We are not talking about a bite or two each – but each ate enough that they didn’t want more. Everyone was ‘full’. Just like in the desert when God had supplied manna for the Israelites - all were satisfied, whether they gathered little or much (Ex 16:18). God, through that little offering, had provided for them all more than they could need – so much more that the leftovers far outweighed the original offering.

So what is our takeaway? It doesn’t matter what your offering is – take it to God and He can, and will use it. You don’t need to be a ‘giant of faith’, with more talent than you could possibly dream of using – you just need to be willing to take what you have to God, and let Him do the multiplication.

Spur of the Moment? 1 Peter 1:13

1 Peter 1:13 (ESV)
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:13 (NIV)
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

Have you ever met someone who just ‘floats by’ in life? You know the type, they just take the path of least resistance, or the path of ‘happiness’ (whatever that means). They don’t seem to really dig deep into anything, but move with any wind of change to wherever it will take them.

For many of these people, they will even some day find their way into a church. And if it feels good for them that day, they will pray the prayer, sing the songs and even start to show up for a while. But the time will come when they will float away again – just like the seeds with no root in Jesus’ parable (Mark 4:3-20).

What is Peter saying above? To me, it is that becoming a Christian is not a spur of the moment ‘decision’, but a sober, well thought out choice. That choice may be initially prompted by something spur of the moment, but crunch time will come sooner or later. The choice will have to be made, and it has to be made on firm ground, with clear and sober thought, having in mind the consequences, both present and eternal, of that decision.

The time will come, and a choice will have to be made.

So the question then is – are you still floating along? Or have you made that firm, final decision that binds you for eternity to Jesus? For we are not called just to float into the church and seek happiness there, but to become servants, slaves even of Jesus, and by a firm, sober-minded choice of our own.

Take some time then, and reflect! Have you made that decision? Then reflect again on what that truly means in your life. Or maybe you look back and find your are still floating free – it’s time then to sit down, and make that decision.

Why not do it now?