Missions Paul

After an interlude about governments, Paul gets right back to relationships and the love of God that we share with others.

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13 v 8)

Some focus on the debt and use it as a proof text to show we shouldn’t borrow anything. They not only miss the whole point about the outstanding extravagant love for each other but they miss even what Paul was saying about debt. He isn’t saying don’t borrow but he is saying make sure you pay back what you borrow.

The aim for your Christian life is not about being more powerful and doing great exploits. It is not even about not being in debt. But it is about grasping, comprehending, perceiving, learning, reaching, testing, plumbing to the depths and rising to the heights in discovering the love of Christ for other people. It is to learn the unconditional, non-judgmental, selfless, sacrificial love within community where you will always be in debt. There will never be a time when you can say I have loved that person enough. You are to go on and on and on. You are to die loving. Yes there are heartaches and yes we have to move on but we do so not with bitterness and anger but with love. It is to give extravagant, outlandish, loud and courageous love to others. It is this love that fulfils everything that God wants in terms of obedience (known as the law).

We are going to read a section that might be difficult depending on your political persuasion or your experience of working for management or other leadership forms.

But spare a thought for those who live under the regimes of evil dictators as you read the following:

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. ⁴ For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. ⁶ This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. ⁷ Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour.” (Romans 13:1-7)

What are we to make of this?

The powers that be are there because God appointed them.
For the Christians, living under the wicked Roman Emperor, Nero, they would find this hard to swallow.
You may also. For your powers that be may not act anything like God.
You may struggle to obey them.
Your government.
Your manager or supervisor.
Your spiritual leader.
All these can make things difficult for you.
In turn you may want to belittle, rebel and usurp the authority above you.
But strangely God has them there for a season.
They are serving a bigger picture than just your life here and now. You are part of that big picture so submit, do what’s right and respect those people.
For when you do this you are in line with God.

But this is not blind obedience.

Paul says 2 things: God has established these authorities and you must obey otherwise they will punish.

How do we weigh this with resisting the beast’s demands for worship?

Or how do we hold to this teaching alongside the refusal to be silent about Jesus, ““Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!”? (Acts 5:29)

Perhaps it is this:

1. No government or spiritual leader has ultimate authority over you; that belongs to God.
2. God is in control of history and governments and we need faith to believe this even when we cannot see Him.
3. Do all that we can to obey respectfully those in authority.
4. When it is against that ultimate authority we serve God not man.

Let’s be different today. Where there is hurt let us bless. Where offence comes let us take every barrier down. Where there is war let us bring peace. Who do you struggle with today? Bless them. Show kindness. Demonstrate the cross. Die for them. Do not pick up the sword no matter what they have done.

Paul continues on from instructing not to retaliate by speaking of doing all we can to reconcile: “On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12 v 20-21)

The Rwandan genocide in 1994 only lasted 100 days. But during that time 800,000 citizens were brutalised and murdered by their own neighbours.

Though Hutu and Tutsi tribes are the same ethnic group, share the same language, lived and worked together, shared the same religion (mainly catholic), Tutsis and supportive Hutus were slaughtered by people they had co-existed peacefully with for generations.

Even from school age Tutsis became dehumanised.

They were called snakes and cockroaches.

The killings were horrific and sadistic.

Here is a story of a mother whose son was killed in that genocide.

The woman had nursed bitterness, grievance and thoughts of vengeance; she just wanted to find her son’s killer and bring due punishment. But one night she had a dream and in the dream she was going down the street and saw a house and she knew it was a house of her enemy.

And she heard God say, “Go into the house”.

She said “I don’t want to go into the house”

She went into the house and God led her through many rooms and then up the stairs.

And He said “I want you to go up the stairs”

She said “I don’t want to go any further in this house”

“I want you to go up the stairs”

She went up the stairs, opened the door at the top, and found it led into heaven.

And she had a revelation.

That the path to heaven goes through the house of her enemy.

Two days later there was a knock on her door.

A young man is standing there at the door and he is shaking.

He says to her, “I am the man who killed your son. I place my life in your hands, whatever you want to do with me, I accept it. I have had no peace since I did what I did. And I will accept whatever. If you want to kill me, you can kill me.

If you want to turn me in to the authorities turn me into the authorities. Whatever you want, my life is in your hands.

And because she had a revelation from God, she said “I will not do any of this. But I do have one request. You must now become my son.”

She took him in and fed him at the table where she fed her son. He’s the same size so he wore his clothes. He actually moved in and became a son to her, because heaven passes through the house of her enemy.

Who is your enemy? Who is the person that hurt you? Would you believe that heaven goes through that house? It does. It’s called the cross. Pick it up today. Love is your most treasured commodity that no one will take from you. Give it today. Do what you can to reconcile.

The right to retaliate is sadly front cover again. The demand to carry guns and use them because otherwise evil would wreak havoc from those who carry guns. I’m so glad I live in a culture where this particular argument is not an issue. Yet retaliation is in every culture of the world.

Was Paul a pacifist? “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.”  (Romans 12 v 17-19)

Was Peter? “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3: 9

Was Jesus? “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5 v 38-42)

We must go back to the beginning to understand the reason why the law of Moses stated “an eye for an eye” for it was to make sure that punishment was not harsher than it deserved to be.

In Genesis 4:23-24, the father of Noah, Lamech, says, “I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times”

Lamech’s son, Tubal-Cain, had invented what was the first primitive sword and weapons of war are seen for the first time. We don’t know what happened but it would appear that the punishment did not fit the crime. He truly believed that those who tried to take revenge on him for his revenge will receive the vengeance of God 77 times over. A huge presumption on the mercy of God. Lamech was now self-confident and self-sufficient because of the weapon he had in his hand.

Interestingly when Jesus teaches Peter to forgive he says that he should forgive not 7 times but 70 times 7 (Matthew 18:22).

So what do we do with the bad guy?

Here’s the big thing and I simply write it in a number of different ways, my own responses to the attacks that come our way, I have failed many times but this is what I try to say and do:

“I will not do life like you do life. I belong to a different kingdom to you. I choose a higher level. Not out of arrogance or pompous attitude but simply because I will not stoop down to a level of the world which says I should retaliate by ‘hitting your cheek or saying NO to my shirt, that mile, that ask or the loan.”

“Look down on me, make me look unequal to you and my response to you will show the world that we are indeed not equal.”

“Make my life hard and I will expose your injustice by making your life easy.”

“Make me look like some cattle carrying your bags for a mile (the Romans practiced conscription amongst the citizens) and I will show you I will not be demeaned for I will go the extra mile. My generosity will defeat your conscription”

“Humiliate me but I will not be humiliated in my heart.”

“My humanity will expose your violent humanity by revealing a bigger heart than what is being shown.”

“I will fight within the Kingdom of Jesus not within your kingdom.”

“Though you are a bad guy: I will do my best not to retaliate.”

There is one more thing. If not retaliating is difficult then what Paul says next is even more so!

The Spirit comes on people that are full of the mission to love the world and reach it with the Gospel.

The Spirit comes on people that do not think of themselves higher than anyone else.

The Spirit comes on people that have learnt to live on the level of common ground.

“Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.Do not be conceited.” Romans 12:16

Happy Pentecost Sunday everyone

As we celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of our Queen’s reign we marvel how she has been the one constant in what at times has been a turbulent family. Can you remember 30 years ago? 1992 and the year that she described as ‘annus horribilis’? Maybe she has known further ‘horrible years’ as she has kept the family together in harmony?

Even prestige families struggle.

I knew these 2 family members for all the years that they disliked one another. But as a friend and a Pastor I managed to bring them together in unity and there was a public display of peace and reconciliation within a church service and it was indeed very powerful. But it didn’t last very long, maybe a couple of years if that. Then it all unravelled and that was nearly 30 years ago and today they don’t speak to one another at all. Neither of them attend church now. Their hurt and anger ate away at them.

These stories are sadly all too prevalent in any community but even more so when we see it in the Church.

Paul says “Live in harmony with one another.” Romans 12:16

There are deeply engraved divisions in our upbringing. Look anywhere in the world and you find historical disputes that the present generation don’t fully understand why they hate that tribe or family but they do. Anyone can live in harmony with what agrees with their position. But can the Jew forbear the Gentile and vice versa? That is the question. The answer is obviously NO. That is why we need more than ever the Spirit to empower our lives. Without HIM this is a nonsense.

Tomorrow we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the day the Spirit came to birth the church.

Shortly after that first outpouring we read these words in Acts 4:32, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.”
This passage is one of the most incredible passages from the New Testament regarding harmony. They have all been filled with the Spirit again and the outworking was a united church body where no one was in need.
They were one in heart and mind.
People are never convenient. If you wait till you feel like it, you will never have genuine fellowship, nor if you wait for things to be perfect. There can be a fantasy of what community should be like.
“He who loves his dream of community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter … If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even when there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty; if on the contrary, we keep complaining that everything is paltry and petty, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow.” Bonhoffer. a German pastor who was martyred for resisting the Nazis.
no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own.
We have no claim to anything except we are a child of God, a servant to the King. We have no claim on anything we have or title we have gained. All that we have all that we possess belongs to Him. We do not own a penny. But He owns it all.
Plato, the Greek philosopher of the 4thc.BC saw his ideal republic as one devoid of all private ownership. The people reading this were aware of this theory. The instruction from Paul would have brought an immediate response from the Gentile readers. What was an ideal is now a reality and it is found in the church and it is for both Jew and Gentile. That is still true today. The ideals of the world for harmony, happiness and love are a reality and they are found in Christ’s body, the church.

Who are you out of harmony with today?

Children’s birthdays are really happy occasions. The joy of them opening their presents and cards fills their home. But for their sibling it is often a challenging moment. As they learn the art of sharing in the other’s happiness. They don’t have presents to open or cards to read or money to count as it falls out of the cards. They just sit there learning to ‘oooh and ahhhh’ with joyful noise grateful for the opportunity of being happy for their loved ones happiness.

Do you know this learning experience as an adult? When a work colleague gets promotion but you don’t? When your friend finds the lover that you don’t have? Can you find such generosity of heart that you can be happy in their happiness?

It applies for the negative too.

I was standing in a field of volcanic rock in the civil war of DRC listening to a woman tell me that she had lost count of how many times the soldiers had raped her over the 5 months of her capture and she had truly lost everything and every person in her world. Tears began to fall. Not from the lady but from me. Real tears. The Holy Spirit was taking me on a journey into the generosity of heart where we learn how to cry with strangers. These are the tears of God for the suffering.

We should spend more time in the moment with people. To feel what they feel, to see what they see, to get into their position and perspective, to get into their shoes and under their skin.

We sometimes bypass the person to get to the cause of their celebration or the root of their problem, we want to analyse, justify, dissect the situation to best help. But perhaps the greatest help is to sit with the person (as Job’s friends did when they didn’t say a word for 7 days but just got into his space) or we dance with them (as Jesus did when the disciples returned from a successful missions trip).

This is the inspirational short sentence from the Apostle Paul: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15

Let’s be present more. In the moment. Occupy the space of emotion.

Rejoice with those who rejoice even when they are receiving what you have always wanted.

Rejoice with those who rejoice even when you don’t think it is deserving.

Rejoice with those who rejoice even when it only exposes your own lack.

Mourn with those who mourn even when they are getting their just deserts.

Mourn with those who mourn even when you cannot see the reason for their sadness.

Mourn with those who mourn even when you want to rage, fight and campaign for their cause.

Enter into happiness for those who are happy and learn tears for those who are suffering.

“Holy Spirit lead us”

Be there. Dance. Sit. No words.

Do more blessing and less cursing

How sad that certain journalists are trying to mar the Queens Platinum Jubilee anniversary with raising the issue of forgiveness and the sins of one of her sons. Archbishop Welby was simply answering the question on what is the central principle of Christianity and you could see how careful he was with his chosen words. Still, the journalist created a story! This kind of story sells papers.

The world loves to hate and even more so when we have just cause to do so.

A quote attributed to Martin Luther King, Jr. stated that: “The old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind.”

The ‘partygate’ scandal is a scandal and it was unusual to see a Prime Minister apologise and it was right he did. But I also know of people who though they are cursing others now were also guilty of breaking the lockdown rules then and abusing the furlough scheme where nearly £6 billion was wasted in fraudulent claims.

Even the cursed love to curse.

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans 12:14

Most of us go through life and have to carry the problem of people not liking us and even worse, though we have tried to fix the situation we seem to be their enemy. They really don’t like us! They hold a grudge or they speak ill against us and they want to do as much damage to our reputation as possible.

I remember the phone call from one such man in the year 2000, “We will bring you down!” it was very unnerving as I pondered what that would mean exactly. They did try but the opposite happened as God lifted me up! I and the church I pastored were taken to an employment tribunal for an unfair dismissal charge. The charges were littered with lies. However, those that brought them really did believe they were handled unfairly. They hated me with a passion and they were determined to finish me. They cursed me and believed God was behind the curse. They had joined some jihad. What surprised me was I found that even though we won the case unanimously, (in fact the judge said ‘there was no case to answer’) the real battle began inside of me after it was all over. The temptation to curse was so alive in me and I knew if I didn’t master it then it would be the cursing that would bring me down. I discovered that though I was not naturally a cursing person, when I was wrongfully cursed the temptation to curse back, to get even, to let the world know was a new monster to face. I had to fight not to become one of the many angry people that walk around in religious clothing.

It would seem that these things are expected: You will have enemies; there will be people who hate you; they will curse you; they will ill-treat you; they will insult you; they will steal from you. The kingdom principle is to do the opposite of what comes your way and not the same response. To love, to do good, to bless, to pray, to not retaliate and to give what they need or want. To bless is to live in the place of forgiveness. To bless is to live large and accepting. To bless is to permit the sinner to come back into your space, with consequences perhaps, but not with cursing.

Hard that this is, it is the only way to stay in the kingdom and to let God reign in your life. Above all, it is the only way to keep your love sincere.

I was on the border of India and Nepal and I had just checked into my hotel at 5 dollars per night. It was a bargain I thought until I opened my bedroom door to find 2 monkeys sat on my bed. I went down to the reception and after asking if I had paid extra for the monkeys demanded they be removed. They had entered through an open window. It was then I did think about moving hotels.

“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practise hospitality.” Romans 12:13

We were in Burkina Faso and had stayed the night in a Pastors home, 3 men all so tired (that was my excuse) and we laid down to sleep in the same room on straw mats. It wasn’t ideal but we were glad for somewhere to stay and we were soon in dreamy land. In the morning we were woken by the children laughing as 3 white men were laid on their floor snoring louder than the cockerels outside. The children had never seen white men and they had never heard such a noise!

The stories could continue! I am sure you have many stories too of staying in strange and yet wonderful places. Thankful for the hospitality offered to you.

At a time and in a culture when hospitality gave the opportunity for refreshing the dusty feet, receiving scented oil, food, shelter and friendship, Paul gives further instruction springing from love needing to be sincere. Share and do hospitality.

I have another place which has become a refuge type place; a haven; a couple who we have known for many years; I have a room there. It’s not my room obviously but they call it ‘Paul’s room’. When I go in the towels are on the bed and there are chocolates on the pillow, a news magazine on the desk, next to the kettle are my favourite one-cup coffee filters; toiletries are in the en-suite. Now, do I need all those things? I don’t think so. But maybe this couple think I have other needs which their hospitality is actually meeting and they would be right, it is. One thing I know is their love for me is indeed sincere!

The world is better for homes such as In Burkina or my haven home; but not so better for having hotels with the monkeys perhaps!

The last of the 3: joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Pray and don’t give up: Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up… And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? Luke 18: 1-7

Pray with listening: I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Habakkuk 2:1

Pray with an awareness of the battle: Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5: 8

Never stop praying. If you have, start it up again. Make a determined effort to pray every day and throughout the day. Stay up late and pray. Get up early and pray. Spend the night in prayer. Fast things so you can pray more.

For when you are praying you are hoping. You are waiting. You are expecting God to answer. When you are praying you are focused on Him. Prayer keeps your eyes lifted upwards even when your heart maybe heavy. When we pray we are acknowledging that we are not alone in this life but there is another presence, the Living God.