Some rushed thoughts from Manchester

Another “post-modern, fashionable Christian” arrived in Manchester this afternoon. Hillsong United blaring through the earphones, back pocket Bible to show the lustful glances where I stand (I kid!) and the crown of thorns inked into my skin. Just what Manchester needs… #saidnooneever.

The City of Manchester.

503,127 people.

252,623 men.

250,504 women.

76,095 students.

Europe.

Asia.

South America.

Africa.

The continents that make up 90.3% of the city.

(The 2011 Census also notes that only 6% of the country goes to Church regularly.)

I find myself slap bang in the middle of it all. The hustle and bustle of Piccadilly Gardens.

BY GOD’S GRACE I am, in this moment, completely overwhelmed in the truth that God is God. I know that the Almighty God loves me. I am as aware as I've ever been that God “sits enthroned above the circle of the earth...” Yet I appear to Him as a grasshopper, I know that just as He gives His’ sovereign supervision to the sparrows, He cares even more for me. Because of Jesus, He cares for me (Isaiah 40, Matthew 10).

Hundreds of people are walking past me.

Not numbers from here or there.

People. 

People created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1).

As I remind myself of who’s I am, the sin in me puffs up my chest, ”I can save all of these people. I will win them for the Lord and make sure that they go to heaven!”

“Will you Josh? Go on then!”

He jabs at me. He knows that without Him allowing it, I can do nothing. I might be the most zealous man in the history of the world and without God ordaining something, I CAN DO NOTHING! Not even Jesus, the Son of God, could act on His own (John 5).

And so I pray a prayer that my lips know well.

Father God, thank you that You are sovereign. Thank you that I am not. Would you reveal Yourself to these people? Would you reveal Yourself to them through me?

I continue to pray, trusting that God will work in the hearts that He chooses.

Sin. Sinners. Separation?

I took a hop round London today. Literally. Left foot. Metal poles. Left foot. Metal poles. 

An old friend. 

Thai food. 

British history. 

A day isn't spent much better. 

What happens when you add in a spot of revelation? 

...

We found ourselves at the end of the Gay Pride Parade! My identity hit me square in the face. I didn't find a life change or a new part of me. No, no. It was, in fact, quite the opposite. It's always been there and I knew it well. Since the very beginning. 

I took some time to take it all in:

The rainbows.

The smiles on faces.

My sin.

Judgement is its name. 

...

We are often told to hate the sin and love the sinner. I don't do a very good job of separating the two, unless, of course, I'm looking into a mirror. 

An inward reflection can lead to a generous helping of cheap grace. When it comes to a good friend, I can sometimes find it in me to love them past their sin. Judgement creeps in but I try my hardest to love them regardless. A stranger on the other hand? Judgement doesn't just creep in. It's as if I am bathing in it. It saturates me. 

I was sitting on the train on the way home tonight, thinking about today. I looked up and a gay couple sat down in front me. I could feel it. Bath running! Judgement pouring into me. 

And then I heard His still, small voice. 

I. Love. Them. 

I thought about that statement the whole way home.

He loves them?

I am very good at remembering Christ's death for the Christian, his death for me. What a beautiful thing. I am in awe of the beauty of the cross. 

Yet I forget the real awe and beauty of it all. 

When it comes to remembering that God so loved the world... I forget. I forget that He sent his Son, His only Son for the world.

Tonight I was reminded why we love. 

That the world might see Jesus' love for them.

That the world might not perish but have eternal life. 

That the world. 

The Sin-Man

"Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?"

This morning, as I was waking up, it felt like Mr. Pollen was in my room with me, pollenating all over the place. One result - headache. A miserable thud in my head. When you have a headache do you usually end up telling someone? I do! So there you go, it saves me tweeting it or something.

While eating breakfast, I found some good stuff to read by a smart man - David Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I don't think a name could be more Welsh! The quote above screamed at me. I read it and re-read it over and over again. I started to write some things down with the intention of reading them back to myself loudly.

You're welcome to do the same, just promise me one thing: no accent imitation!

Inside my skin, there are three persons. There's the person I became when I accepted Jesus as Lord - that's the 'new me' (2 Corinthians 5:17). Then there's the Holy Spirit, who is God. God inside my skin - that's pretty neat! Then there's the 'sin-man' (Romans 7).

Paul says I am not to be made a prisoner of my flesh - 'flesh' is just another word for 'sin in me'. It's proud, like the devil. Out of that pride comes all the other sins like anger, lust, unforgiveness etc. It appears that the root of it all is pride. I want to run my life. I also appear to want to run the lives of others. I want God doing my will, not the other way round. In fact, like the devil, I want to be God - or rather 'the sin-man' in me does.

I inherited this dreadful part of my being so it's not my fault. However, when I let 'the sin-man' rule me, I am to blame. When I put it to death daily, minute by minute, through the help of the Spirit, I am living in grace and there is no condemnation for me.

So it's back to that good old word, discipline. I say good. It doesn't feel very good. I should never be surprised at the ugliness of the stuff that rises up inside of me, especially in my mind. It's demonic, mad, anti-Christ, ugly, vicious, cruel, irrational etc. It's sin. The sin-man in me. Sin is sin. The devil's sin and human sin are exactly the same. A wise man once said, "sin is a rebellion and a mutiny against God's legitimate authority." The sin-man hates God. The sin-man also hates me! He wants me to go to hell. Serious stuff.

But Josh! It won't last forever. Day by day, as I keep asking God to help me put the sin-man to death, he gets weaker and I get into the habit of righteousness. Rather than being appalled at the unpleasantness of sin in me as it keeps rising up, I should take a clinical attitude. It's like the stuff my body produces as waste matter. I have to deal with it in such a way that I can carry on being healthy and clean.

When I step into glory, when I die in Christ or when Christ returns, the sin-man stops. How I long for that day. That part of me will cease to exist. Hallelujah! Till He returns or calls me home, I must remember - it isn't my fault. I've inherited it from Adam. I must make it part of my daily spiritual hygiene discipline to deal with it. When it rises up, as it does many, many times a day, I ask God to help me put it to death. Every time. No matter how often. It's not me, it's part of the soul that I've inherited. My soul will live on forever in Christ but the sinful part of it one day will die and stay dead.

It's only the old sin-man. Everyone's got one. Don't be disappointed by it or feel condemned. Take authority over it and ask God for grace.

Amen.

The Oracle of Doom (part 2)

As we already know, this Oracle from Amos (God breathed!) was written in two parts. The second part shows the many ways that God has appealed to the Israelites to return to Him, yet without response. Father, please show me my transgressions. Show me how you want to help me out of these recurring sins. Please show me how my sins hurt You. Help me to strive for perfection. For Your Holy Name!

The second part of this oracle is found in Amos 4:6-11. God lists the hardships He sent to the Israelite people. From lack of food (v.6) to drought (v.7-8) to various kinds of pestilence (v.10), God inflicts disasters on His people so that they might return to Him.

What is our response when bad things happen? I remember going through an awful time with circumstance at the end of 2009. From suicides, another friends death and a break up, everything came to a head and I remember the FU moment pretty well. I was crying in my room and venting my anger at the LORD. How I look back on that now with regret at insulting My Holy God like that. I wished that I had responded in coming closer to Him. In getting on my knees in prayer, or reading His Word or proclaiming His name and how great He is. But no, there was an FU moment instead.

How do you react when bad things happen?
How should we react? (Is that a stupid question!?) Is there a right way to react? The Bible doesn't give us a list of what to do in every situation. We can look at how David acted when he found out his daughter had been raped by his son (2 Samuel 13) or at Job, when he lost his possessions, his job and his FAMILY! They sort the LORD GOD. Father, please in this time of blessing let me seek after You. In times this semester when things are stressful, let me seek after You. In homesickness, in times of mourning, in times of persecution for my faith in You, let my first thought be You and how I should praise You and seek Your face!

Amos 5:18-20 hints that the people of Israel were hoping and waiting for 'the day of the LORD', a day where He would come to vindicate the people of Israel from their enemies. Amos, in 4:12, because of Israel's disobedience and idolatry, are told that they will meet their God, but not in the way that they expect. I can't help but think about the fear of the LORD right now. Father, show me what Your word means when it says to fear the LORD. Is it simply reverence, or is there more to it. Help me to fear You.

Amos uses incredible imagery in verse 13 to convey what Israel can expect. He says of our LORD that He 'treads on the heights of the earth' and 'declares to man what is His thought'. Father, please declare to me what is your thought regarding my time here in the States. Let my actions, although like 'filthy rags', show my heart towards You. Let it please you Jesus!

Amen!

The Oracle of Doom (part 1)

Father, as I sit here in my new home in San Antonio, I have so much to thank you for. The memories of receiving a visa through Your provision, of being able to see family and friends, of enjoying the peace and beauty of Crete... You have blessed me so much! Please don't let me value these things more than my salvation. Allow my mind to be focused on You. On Your Kingdom. As I read Amos I pray that you would give me a greater eternal perspective! Speak to me now through Your word Father. Convict me of my sin Holy Spirit. In Your name Jesus, AMEN!

The word oracle means 'an utterance (often ambiguous or obscure) given by a priest/priestess at a shrine as the response of a god to an inquiry.

Here, in chapter 4, Amos is uttering a response to God. There doesn't seem to be an inquiry made by Israel. Either Amos has enquired of the LORD on Israel's behalf or, because of the lack of Israel's inquiry, perhaps it is why this oracle is known as the Oracle of DOOM!

We know that because of Israel's prosperity, their failure to seek for the LORD has been amplified. God has let this continue to bring them closer to Himself, eventually! As I sit here writing this, I know that I am experiencing a period of blessing, unlike anything I have or ever will experience again. I'm sat in my hosts guest house not really sure how to react to it all. Israel reacted badly. They ignored God. They disowned Him for His blessings. Father, please don't let me get distracted or side tracked by the earthly things I am being blessed with right now. Let me turn to Your written Word constantly. Imprint it on my heart. Let me seek you constantly.

Chapter 3 ends with 'the oracle of warning'. Things sound like they are about to get a lot more serious.

This oracle is split up into two parts. Amos spends the first part (4:1-5) expanding on verses 3:14-15 - these talk about the sins of self-indulgence which have been built upon oppression (4:1-3) and false religion (4:4-5).

Amos starts by calling the Israelites 'cows of Bashan'. Bashan was known for its rich pastureland and cattle that grazed there were known for being plump and healthy. Amos doesn't just call out the husbands, but their wives as well. Even they 'crush the needy' and 'oppress the poor'.

He prophesies that the women, when the city falls, will be dragged through the 'breaches' (broken down walls) like a fisherman pulling a fish out of the water with his 'fishhooks'. We don't know if this happened but there are some Assyrian illustrations that seem to show captives being taken away with roped attached to rings in the captives noses.

Amos is very sarcastic. Instead of talking of the Israelites times of repentance for their sins, he describes their pilgrimages that result in sin. The time that Israel spent offering sacrifices and tithes were disgusting to God. A lot of the prophets, such as Hosea, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Micah spent a lot of time dismissing sacrificial worship because the obedience from their heart wasn't there. Hosea 6:6 helps to understand this. Externally, sacrifice can look great but if it not combined with genuine repentance and godly living, it is worse than empty!

In verse 5, Amos describes the freewill and thanksgiving offerings that the Israelites were giving to the LORD but they meant nothing to Him because they were not being celebrated in the right place. Levitical priests were not over the offerings and they weren't accompanied by the moral obedience from their hearts.

How am I responding to God's blessing?
How do I try to make myself look more holy in front of others?
Who do I share those struggles with?

Father, I pray that you would help me to make you my focus. Through college and work with the Church, let my praise come with a right heart. Search my heart and show me my sins. Show my my faults and failures. Let my repentance be sincere.
For Your name Lord Jesus, not mine!

Amen

A king listening to The King

Father I pray that as I read Your word, show me how I can better show your Kingdom to other people. Let me be obedient to what you are asking me to, whether inwardly or for others in a more tangible way. I pray that You would give me hears to hear and eyes to see what you are saying in this part of Your prophet's story.

V.1
Jonah is recommissioned by the LORD 'the second time'. This phrasing shows to us God's determination to reach the Ninevites.
V.2
In Jonah 1:2 God says to Jonah, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it for their evil has come up before me," but here, God's word changes slightly. He says "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and call out against it the message that I tell you.' It seems clear that God wanted Jonah to call out against their evil. Why does God change His words here?
V.3
Jonah is obedient. Why? Has his heart changed? What would my heart be LORD? I'll go because I have to? I'll go because I don't want to get eaten by another animal? If You have asked me to do something, let my heart be right before You! The Hebrew in this verse points to the translation that Nineveh is a 'great city to God'. Why? Despite their unrepentant sin, why are they great to God? Nineveh and its surrounding area was between 30-56 miles across. Jonah was preaching for 3 days.
V.4
Jonah spent the first day telling Ninevites that their city would be overthrown. This is the same verb (haphak) that we see in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19). The way I read this verse, it sounds like this threat is unconditional but we read in Jeremiah 18:7-8 that God will relent if their is true repentance shown. Grace before Jesus!
V.5
Here, we are shown two ancient demonstrations of mourning; to fast and to wear sackcloth. Where have these gone? Daniel did this (Dan 9:3) as did the people of Israel, both in Nehemiah 9:1 and Esther 4:3. Why don't we wear sackcloth to mourn anymore. Has it gone out of fashion? Father why do I not fast more often? Help me to keep this discipline with Kavanah (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kavanah). Keep me humble. Let me put You first in my words and my actions!
V.6-9
This is incredible! The King of Nineveh (who was most likely the governor because Nineveh was not a Assyrian capital) hears the Word of God and responds in such a way I can pray and hope for! He issues a proclamation which some scholars assume is carried out in verse 5. The ESV study Bible says that v.5 and v.6-9 are more likely in topical order instead of chronological order. One reason for this might be to emphasise to the reader that the people of Nineveh are responding to God and not just to their king. The King is not convinced that their repentance will save their lives but it appears that he has hope. V. 9 starts with the king saying 'Who knows?' We have seen pagans concerned over people perishing 3 times now in this book! First the sailors (1:4 and 1:6) and now the king. Nothing yet from our prophet. Why is this?
V.10
God relents. He has relented for us through the death of His Son and we are so blessed. We can imagine how these people must feel! How do we feel when we bring the gospel to our friends and our enemies and we see them turn from their sin into a life with Jesus? There is so much joy! How did Jonah feel? I guess we will find out soon!

A Fishy Prayer

Jonah Chapter 2.

V.1
Jonah actually prays. He doesn't pray for the Pagan's safety. He was sleeping. Now, in HIS distress, he prays. Father, let me not be this shortsighted. Give me eyes to see the needs of others and the faith to pray for their needs.
V.2
The prayer is not a 'please let me out of this fish safely'. I feel like if I was Jonah, that might be my prayer! But it's not. His prayer is more a case of 'thank you for sending a fish to save my life,' a prayer I don't think I'll ever get to pray. Who knows. I like that Jonah focuses on the praise His LORD deserves and not on himself. The prayer starts which language we recognise from the Psalms. Psalms 3, 118 and 120 have very similar language to verse 2. Sheol refers to the realm of the dead and whilst Jonah did not pray this from Sheol, it poetically describes his experience.
V.3
Jonah says here that God 'cast [him] into the seas' whereas it was the sailors who actually did this. Jonah notices God's sovereign ruling over this event. It sounds pretty scary.
V.4
Jonah felt like he was driven from God's sight. How often do I feel like that when I sin against you LORD! Here Jonah says that he will again look upon God's temple, referring to the practise of facing the temple whilst praying. It wasn't just the Muslims that did this!
V.5-6
Jonah describes quite dramatically what he felt as he was drowning. Jonah's reference of the pit and the land and the bars all points to the realm of the dead. This kind of language was common, and is found a lot in Job, Ezekiel and the Psalms.
V.7
A weird choice (or maybe just a really honest choice) of words from the prophet here. Jonah says that 'when [his] life was fainting away, [he] remembered the LORD.' Father, please don't let me wait until the last minute to remember you. Let my times of prayer be frequent and full of thanksgiving and praise. Please don't let my pride get in the way of my devotion.
V.8-9
Is Jonah here referring to the pagan sailors? Or on a deeper level, to Israel? What are the vain idols in my life Father? Please show them to me and destroy them! I love Jonah's last line in the fish, "Salvation belongs in the LORD." Let my actions show that this is something I believe with my heart. Only salvation can come from You!
V.10
The fish, after getting a message from God, vomits up the prophet. Scholars says that the word vomit may indicate that God is still unpleased with the hostility that Jonah's heart holds towards Nineveh. However, He has shown favour to Jonah. Father if there is sin in my life that I don't know or try to cover up, show me. If I have hostility in my heart after repentance, please show me. I thank you for the grace you have given to us through Your Son. Please don't let me walk in this truth lightly.