Communion: Some thoughts (1)

Malaysia is one of those places where Communion is becoming increasingly inclusive. Years ago, you had to be a card carrying certified baptised member of your denomination to take communion. And like some credit cards, these were not transferable. If I was baptised at a Methodist church for example, I was allowed to take the bread and wine (or grape juice) at any other Protestant church but not a Roman Catholic, or Eastern Orthodox church

In some cases, this stringency has been relaxed. If you profess to put your faith in Christ as your Lord and Saviour, then you are more than welcome to participate. Communion is both vertical and horizontal. By the act of taking communion, the former entails partaking in the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. It is an act of communion between you and God.

On the horizontal level, when we take communion as a church, we are effectively saying that although you and I are different in appearance, race, background, gender, etc...we are bonded together in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, and thus, we celebrate this communal communion. This on the horizontal level

Now, here begs the question:

Is everyone who takes communion your brother or sister?

The answer is dangerously simple, and scary all at once. Not all who profess a faith in Christ are saved. Even if they have done the catechism, membership or prepatory classes. Not even if they've been dunked in the Jordan river itself, three times over for good measure. Now this means (at the risk of sounding like a line from a dramatic war movie) ,that the next time you all line up at the rail to take the sacraments, you should take a good look at the person to your right or left; they may not be spending eternity with God. Heck, take a good look at yourself first! You may not be spending eternity with God in the first place.

This is an important issue because I believe that we have all taken salvation for granted, including myself. And an easy trip up the aisle to take the wafer and wine only serves to reinforce a possible delusion that we are saved, while all this while, our names are not in the book of Life.

Check yourself. Look at your brother and sister. Ask them to check themselves. Seek repentence for yourself, and them. Bring them and yourself to the foot of the Cross first, to Christ all else before doing so. The bread and wine are not magical items that confer you entry into the Kingdom of God. Christ's life, death and resurrection has already done that. He has paid the penalty for you. You need not do anything else but believe onto him.

Then, the walk up the aisle will thus have true meaning. Where you now understand and believe that Christ alone died for your sins while you were dead in your transgressions, to satisfy the wrath of the father, and through his grace and mercy, you now have new life.

SDG

The Remnant: Holding the primacy of Scripture

This morning, I started a course called "Bible Overview". It's a 10-week course that is part the Moore College external studies Certificate in Theology. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will blog more about it, but for now, I want to say that my initial impression of it is one of great joy and hope.

Why? Not because God has granted me the opportunity to do it, but because there is something I saw today that has raised my spirit regarding the modern church and the lamentable state it has fallen in.

I say young people - university youth, some from high school, eager to learn, study and appreciate God's Word. For a while, others have told me that Bible study is boring, the youth will never take to it,that they need experential, fun filled activities, relevance etc etc. Well, so much for that load of compost.

These were young people who were realising that it wasn't about them or their felt needs. It was about God. And it was about reverence for his revelation that is found in Holy Scripture. It also warms my heart (there ya go, a Calvinist using an Arminian phrase! :-) )to see that these Caleb and Joshua's are still around. They are the remnant

In every dark period where the church has been assailed, ripped apart and generally discredited; a remnant always remains. They are true to God, his sovereignity and sense of his true character. They remain faithful to his Word, relying on his grace and knowing that they are justified by faith alone in Christ alone.

This is a beautiful thing.

My prayer is that through the beauty of Sola Scriptura (solely by scripture), more young people will see the Bible as the primary means of understanding who God is, his past, present and to be revealed will, and his plan of redemption in Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross.

SDG

What's Christian camp for?

Imagine that you have signed up for a tennis camp that says it will turn you into the next Roger Federer, Nadal or Sharapova (or at least try to). So you eagerly go there with your racquet in tow and your best tennis sneakers ready to learn how to hit scorching forehands down the lines and the intricacies of a serve-and-volley game

Now, assume that when you get there this is the schedule you get:

1) 3 hours on the badminton court..
2) A trip to the closest town to buy souveniers...
3) Loads of fun in a swimming pool, and a seminar on aqua aerobics..
4) An intense 3 hour session on how a tennis ball is made, plus a trip to a tennis ball making factory

And so on...

You would feel pretty ripped off, woudn't you? Presumably, the time spent might be fun, enjoyable and relaxing..but it's not what you're supposed to be doing.

None of those things make you a better tennis player.

The prime reason you wanted to go for this camp was to have hours of gruelling sessions hitting thousands of balls. You needed seminars on court tactics with your double's partner. And everyone wanted to attend those talks on better body mechanics on a service motion. Essentially, you wanted to become a better tennis player, and you payed money and sacrificed time for the opportunity to learn to be one

By now my point is pretty clear. Christian camps that don't do what they are supposed to do, that is - preach the gospel, make disciples of men and women and teach them how to be more like Christ should not be in the game of holding Christian camps. You can call it a motivational, spiritual, get to know your inner hurt child camp but once you remove the 'Christ' from the 'Christian' part..it's as good as if you never put that in the first place

All those points in 1 to 4 are in themselves relatively benign, or even good. But they are not what part of those things that should constitute a tennis camp because they add nothing of value. It's like what one of my tennis coaches used to say to me when I asked him how to get better. He said:

" Hit balls. Lots and lots of balls."

So, this is one of the way to become a better follower of Christ. Read the Word. Lots and lots of the Word. Pray to God. Pray lots and lots to God. And this is what you should be getting in a Christian camp. Lots and lots of what you should be getting

SDG

Leading Worship: It's all about the gospel

I had a great worship session this morning.

After practice the previous night, I was kind of wondering how it would go; but it went much, much better than what I was expecting. Of course, there a few snafu's here and there but for they were not of earth shattering consequence, in my opinion.

Most of all, I hope the gospel was proclaimed in worship today. It's nice if I hear that someone told me they enjoyed worship, but it would absolutely thrill me if they told me that the gospel message reached them. And that Christ Jesus was proclaimed in song today.

That would be nice. Really, really nice

Getting it the first time

Sometimes when I take a friend to hear a good sermon from a speaker I highly regard, it stumps me when that person doesn't react as passionately as I would have expected. At times, I want to say: "Are you made of stone?!? Doesn't what he said move you in any way?". In my less charitable moments, I am likely to dismiss that person as one who is not in the rarified circle of those elite who "get it"

Now this might work two ways and I too have been on the receiving end as well. Quite a few times, I've sat stone faced through a sermon when all around me, people are guffawing and rolling in the aisles with laughter. And on certain occasions, I can almost sense the same condenscention directed my way as I have done to others.

Maybe one's man's meat is another man's poison. After all, it all comes down to personal preference and mood right? The latter is important, to be true. How often have we gone to a church service and while the worship was good, the sermon was God glorifying and the whole service honoured the Lord; you were in a different world thinking about something else? It happens

But it's not an excuse when the Gospel is preached. When the emphasis is not on the techniques of motivating presentation and all expositing the Word, I must say that at that time, irregardless of mood or frame of mind or whatever; the Gospel must pierce. How deep is a matter for debate. Either you have harderned your heart or God has harderned it for his purpose, the lukewarm response is no response at all. It doesn't have to move you to drop to your knees in repentance (although should you be so moved to, it is not a bad thing), nor should you have to shout "Yes! Preach it, brother!!" at the top of your voice. But it should speak to you. And it can't be ignored

If your father speaks to you, no matter how you feel at that time; you have to respond. And if the Father speaks to you through his word, there is no way you can hear the words: "Jesus died for your sins" and not be affected..unless you are not of the elect

Of course, it is not for me to say who is and who is not. I could very well type these words now and years from now, be the equivalent of the son of perdition. I pray to God I hope not. But I might also be a layabout in the faith, and suddenly die as one who God knows and loves. It is possible for in God, all things are possible

However, this does not excuse a non-response. Once the gospel is heard, you must react. Even if you get angry at it, the reaction shows that it has done it's work as a spear to your conscience. But not to move as a result, it is a dangerous thing indeed, my friend

Put the Gospel First

This is from D.A Carson's Book "Basics for Believers":

"I would like to buy about three quid's worth of gospel, please. Not too much - just enough to make me happy, but not so , much that that I get addicted. I don't want so much gospel that I really learn to hate covetousness and lust; I certaintly don't want so much that I start to love my enemies, cherish self-denial, and contemplate missionary service in some alien culture. I want ecstasy, not repentance; I want transcendence, not transformation. I would like to be cherished by some nice, forgiving broad-minded people, but I myself don't want to love those from different races - especially if they smell. I would like enough gospel to make my family secure and my children well behaved, but not so much that I find my ambitions redirected, or my giving too greatly enlarged.

I would like about three quids worth of gospel please"

- "Basics for Believers" , page 9; D.A Carson -

2 Kings 5:1-14 : Meditations

The first thing that grabs you is Verse 1: "..the LORD had given victory to Syria". This is not to be skimmed over and it gives those who say that God always favours them as his children, no matter, what had better take a second, or even a third look at this verse.

It may be that the Syrians avoided the Israelites in battle, and thus preserving the notion that God always sided with his chosen people. However, this is unlikely. The reaction of the king (note the small "k") of Israel probably indicates that neighbourly relations were not always of the cordial kind. And in an era where skirmishes and wars were common place, Israel and Syria came to blows and the LORD favoured the latter!

This goes to show that the Lord is indeed sovereign, and that everything is under his command, both good and evil. Not that he is evil, but evil is not outside his jurusdiction. A quick read of Job 1-2 will show that Satan cannot do anything unless it is willed by God ultimately. Now, this also means that God is not in our pocket, so to say. That even the best of intentions may not garner his favour because we look on 'favour' in uniquely earthly terms (i.e: If I do good, God is sure to bless my requests and give me stuff etc etc)

Was the king of Israel always good? Was Israel always devoted to it's God? Of course, not. So one could say that the Syrians, like the Babylonians, were at one time or another used as instruments of his wrath for his purpose. Not that they were any better, they too were cruel, bloodthirsty and idolatous, with the Syrians and Babylonians worshipping Rimmon (v.18) and Marduk respectively

No, the issue here is that God chooses to save who he'll save and let those perish who he chooses to let perish. This is harsh to our ears but what can we say of the fact that he chooses to save Naaman, a gentile and worse, an enemy of Israel who was probably directly involved in the loss of Jewish lives in his role as commander of the Syrian army? That he uses a Jewish prisoner who is now essentially a slave in a Syrian household to carry out her plans. What of her eventual fate or redemption? We hear no more of her after this.

But in the end, Naaman is cured and becomes a follower of Yahweh. He seems for all intents and purposes, a changed man on the inside and out. His leprosy was external but the more serious condition of the leprous heart was dealt with in this chapter. And in God extending his mercy to Naaman through Elisha, it is in essence a snapshot of Paul's mission to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13)

Ultimately, the lesson we learn from this is that we should not be presumptious in being able to read the mind of God. It is God's perogative to give grace to who he wants, and likewise, it is his choice to issue condemnation. It should serve to make us a little less cocksure about our self delusional lofty status in this world and to realise that we are his created beings, made to worship and serve him with meekness,humility and love

SDG