Dipendente

Following Jesus is the safe bet??

Who on earth ever said that being a follower of Jesus Christ was a safe en devour?? how have we made the Christian faith so safe and so tame?? I reckon the reason we are not experiencing revival in the church today is because our faith is not costly enough for us, and we have become domesticated by the world. Even though we are bible believing.

(1) The Apostle James

James, the Apostle of the Lord, was the second recorded martyr after Christ’s death (Stephen was the first). His death is recorded in Acts 12:2 where it is told that Herod Agrippa killed him with a sword. Clemens Alexandrinus and Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History II.2) both tell how the executioner witnessed the courage and un-recanting spirit of James and was then convinced of Christ resurrection and was executed along with James.

Date of Martyrdom: 44-45 A.D.

(2) The Apostle Peter

Although, just before the crucifixion, Peter denied three times that he even knew Christ, after the resurrection he did not do so again. Peter, just as Jesus told him in John 21:18-19, was crucified by Roman executioners because he could not deny his master again. According to Eusebius, he thought himself unworthy to be crucified as his Master, and, therefore, he asked to be crucified “head downward.”

Date of Martyrdom: ca. 64 A.D.

(3) The Apostle Andrew

Andrew, who introduced his brother Peter to Christ, went to join Peter with Christ in eternity six years after Peter’s death. After preaching Christ’s resurrection to the Scythians and Thracians, he too was crucified for his faith. As Hippolytus tells us, Andrew was hanged on an olive tree at Patrae, a town in Achaia.

Date of Martyrdom: 70 A.D.

(4) The Apostle Thomas

Thomas is known as “doubting Thomas” because of his reluctance to believe the other Apostles’ witness of the resurrection. After they told him that Christ was alive, he stated “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). After this, Christ did appear to him and Thomas believed unto death. Thomas sealed his testimony as he was thrust through with pine spears, tormented with red-hot plates, and burned alive.

Date of Martyrdom: 70 A.D.

(5) The Apostle Philip

Philip was corrected by Christ when he asked Christ to “show us the Father, then this will be enough for us” (John 14:8). Christ responded, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father ‘?” (John 14:9). Philip later saw the glory of Christ after the resurrection and undoubtedly reflected with amazement on Christ’s response to his request. Philip evangelized in Phrygia where hostile Jews had him tortured and then crucified.

Date of Martyrdom: 54 A.D.

(6) The Apostle Matthew

Matthew, the tax collector, so desperately wanted the Jews to accept Christ. He wrote The Gospel According to Matthew about ten years before his death. Because of this, one can see, contained within his Gospel, the faith for which he spilled his blood. Matthew surely remembered his resurrected Savior’s words, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20), when he professed the resurrected Christ unto his death by beheading at Nad-Davar.

Date of Martyrdom: 60-70 A.D.

(7) The Apostle Nathanael (Bartholomew)

Nathanael, whose name means “gift of God” was truly given as a gift to the Church through his martyrdom. Nathanael was the first to profess, early in Christ’s ministry, that Christ was the Son of God (John 1:49). He later paid for this profession through a hideous death. Unwilling to recant of his proclamation of a risen Christ, he was flayed and then crucified.

Date of Martyrdom: 70 A.D.

(8) The Apostle James the Lesser

James was appointed to be the head of the Jerusalem church for many years after Christ’s death. In this, he undoubtedly came in contact with many hostile Jews (the same ones who killed Christ and stated “His [Christ's] blood be on us and our children” (Matt. 27:25). In order to make James deny Christ’s resurrection, these men positioned him at the top of the Temple for all to see and hear. James, unwilling to deny what he knew to be true, was cast down from the Temple and finally beaten to death with a fuller’s club to the head.

Date of Martyrdom: 63 A.D.

(9) The Apostle Simon the Zealot

Simon was a Jewish zealot who strived to set his people free from Roman oppression. After he saw with his own eyes that Christ had been resurrected, he became a zealot of the Gospel. Historians tell of the many different places that Simon proclaimed the good news of Christ’s resurrection: Egypt, Cyrene, Africa, Mauritania, Britain, Lybia, and Persia. His rest finally came when he verified his testimony and went to be with Christ, being crucified by a governor in Syria.

Date of Martyrdom: 74 A.D.

(10) The Apostle Judas Thaddeus

Judas questioned the Lord: “Judas said to him (not Iscariot), Lord, how is it that you will show yourself to us, and not unto the world?” (John 14:22). After he witnessed Christ’s resurrection, Judas then knew the answer to his question. Preaching the risen Christ to those in Mesopotamia in the midst of pagan priests, Judas was beaten to death with sticks, showing to the world that Christ was indeed Lord and God.

Date of Martyrdom: 72 A.D.

(11) The Apostle Matthias

Matthias replaced Judas Iscariot (the betrayer of Christ who hanged himself) as the twelfth Apostle of Christ (Acts 1:26). It is believed by most that Matthias was one of the seventy that Christ sent out during his earthly ministry (Luke 10:1). This qualifies him to be an apostle. Matthias, of which the least is known, is said by Eusebius to have preached in Ethiopia. He was later stoned while hanging upon a cross.

Date of Martyrdom: 70 A.D.

(12) The Apostle John

John is the only one of the twelve Apostles to have died a natural death. Although he did not die a martyr’s death, he did live a martyr’s life. He was exiled to the Island of Patmos under the Emperor Domitian for his proclamation of the risen Christ. It was there that he wrote the last book in the Bible, Revelation. Some traditions tell us that he was thrown into boiling oil before the Latin Gate, where he was not killed but undoubtedly scarred for the rest of his life.

Date of Martyrdom: 95 A.D.

(13) The Apostle Paul

Paul, himself a persecutor of the Christian faith (Galatians 1:13), was brought to repentance on his way to Damascus by an appearance of the risen Christ. Ironically, Paul was heading for Damascus to arrest those who held to Christ’s resurrection. Paul was the greatest skeptic there was until he saw the truth of the resurrection. He then devoted his life to the proclamation of the living Christ. Writing to the Corinthians, defending his ministry, Paul tells of his sufferings for the name of Christ: “In labors more abundant, in beatings above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once was I stoned, three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeys often, in storms on the water, in danger of robbers, in danger by mine own countrymen, in danger by the heathen, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in the sea, among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness “(2 Cor. 11:23-27). Finally, Paul met his death at the hands of the Roman Emperor Nero when he was beheaded in Rome.

Date of Martyrdom: ca. 67 A.D.

Thought on Humility

I think humility is somethign that is one of those things that is hard to attain, harder to maintain and sometimes is lost in the business of life or the arrogance of theology.

Robert Morrison said that the great fault in our missions is that nobody likes to be second

One verse used often i think to justify lack of humility is Philippians 4:13

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

This verse is often pulled out of context and used in some triumphalistic manner “I can do anything cause God is on my side”. Paul’s ‘everything’ is not ulimited, as if Paul could say

“I can leap a building with a single bound, cause I am a Christians and God is on my side”  And in the same way this verse should not be pulled out by well-meaning but –ill-informed Christians who are trying to manipulate each other into doing something they really don’t think they should do:

“But Mrs Brown, you can’t say ‘NO’ to our invitation to teach ten-year-old boys just because you have never taught Sunday school before, or just because you feel you have not gifts or calling or interest in this area. After all Pauls teaches us that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength”

This is horrible. Paul’s everything is constrained by the context. His point is that whatever the circumstances in which he finds himself, there with the rich and the powerful or with the poor and the powerless, whether preaching to substantial crowds or incarcerated in a filthy prison, he has learned to cast himself on God and be content. He can do all things, everything that God assigns him to do, through the one who gives him strength. Let the gospel advance; let god’s will be done in me and through me, Paul is saying: I am content, for I can trust the one who invariably strengthens me to do what he assigns me.

Paul is a humble servant of the Lord and humility is something that he works on and strives for through out his life.

Paul’s progression of his view of humilty:

Early on “Least of the Apostles” 1 Cor 15:9
“Less than all of Godss people” (Eph3:8)
“Christ came to save sinners of who I am the worst” (1 Tim 1:15)

How do we work on humility and attain it.

William Law said: Let every day be a day of humility; condescend to all the weaknesses and infirmities of your fellow-creatures, cover their frailties, love their excellences, encourage their virtues, relieve their wants, rejoice in their prosperities, compassionate their distress, receive their friendship, overlook their unkindness, forgive their malice, be a servant of servants, and condescend to do the lowliest of offices to the lowest of mankind.

For all church planters

His authority on earth allows us to dare to go to all the nations. His authority in heaven gives us our only hope of success. And His presence with us leaves us no other choice.
John Stott

Quote for the day

Legalism will always seem like strong leadership
Grace never seems strong until people recognize Jesus

Father Mike Cocaine

Babel

I was reading Genesis 11 this morning, you know that story which everyone is very familiar with, people being stupid decide to try and build a great city that reaches the heavens and become God's. Of course we all know that they were immensely stupid for trying to do something like that cause of course we all know that you cannot reach the heavens, so God scattered them and that is how we came up with languages, and that is the end of the story and all we can get from it. As i was reading this morning i came across an interesting parallel and am not sure if i am reading too much into it or if it something that is actually there

3 They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

The first thing that stuck out to me is the fact that they tell each other "let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly" This is what Israel ended up doing in Egypt, Moses was very familiar with the process of molding bricks and burning them.

The other thing that struck me is the statement "so that we may make a name for ourselves"

The purpose of their hearts is now more fully expressed.  A city is a fortified enclosure or keep for defense against the violence of the brute creation. A tower whose top may be in the skies for escape from the possibility of a periodical deluge. This is the language of pride in man, who wishes to know nothing above himself, and to rise beyond the reach of an over-ruling God. "And let us make us a name." A name indicates distinction and pre-eminence. There is a lurking desire for empire and self-aggrandizement to the design of the leaders, a new form of the same selfish spirit which animated the antediluvian men of name Gen. 6:4. But despotism for the few or the one, implies slavery and all its unnumbered ills for the many.

I find it ironic that what they did to raise themselves above God (i.e make bricks to build a tower) ends up being their enslavement.

I suppose the more i look into life and people whatever we do to lift ourselves up, to state our independence from God, ultimately ends up enslaving us rather than giving us the position of grandure that we are looking for.

Thoughts on Jonah 1

This month at all services we are looking at the book of Jonah, i get a break from teaching but this book is very interesting and has caused a lot of thoughts for me

When we come to the book of Jonah we tend to think:

•    A silly prophet thought that he could run away from God, but you can’t do that.

•    He was in a whale for 3 days, then he went the way that God wanted him to.

•    Gulump went the whale

I remember as a kid being frightened that if I didn’t go God’s way I would swallowed by a fish.

But Jonah is far more than that.
 
We need to look at a bit of his background and the situation he is in to understand him better.

He was a prophet who loved and served God during the days of Jeroboam the second, a very wicked king who did evil in the sight of God.

Jeroboam was the fourteenth king over the nation of Israel, the ten tribes that broke away 150 years earlier during the days when Solomon ruled. After Solomon died there was a civil war; ten tribes went to the north and were called Israel, two tribes went to the south and they were called Judah.

Now Jeroboam the second was a king who desired to do those things that pleased himself, and one of the things he did immediately was to introduce the worship of the two golden calves.

When the Jews wanted to go down to Jerusalem to worship God, Jeroboam said, "Wait a minute! I can't have all my people going down to Jerusalem. They might stay and I'd lose some of my best people. I'll make two golden calves and I'll put one all the way up north in Dan, and one halfway down, in Bethel. I'll get a bunch of priests together and we'll just work these people through this system." So he got some wicked priests together and they collected all the money they could from the poor and they sprinkled calf worship with a little Jehovah worship to make it sound religious.

At the same time there was one little irritant in the land. His name was Amos, who was running around telling the king, "You're going the wrong way." They didn't like Amos very much,

Now, in the midst of all this, there was a war going on between Syria and the ten tribes of the north. Syria would come down and afflict Israel, so God looked down on them and said, "These people are afflicted, and they are bitter, so I'll send someone to help them."

Now, as Amos was going about telling the bad news, God called on Jonah to be the bearer of good news. "Jonah, I want you to go to this wicked king Jeroboam the second and I want you to tell the king that I'm going to allow him to deliver the people from the Syrians." (This is all in 2 Kings 14.)

So Jonah went to Jeroboam the second with this great good news, and he says, "Jeroboam, guess what? God's going to use you to deliver the people of Israel from the Syrians."

Jeroboam the second thought that was great news. He got his army together, went up, defeated the Syrians. Jonah of course felt great. I mean, it's nice to be a prophet who brings good news, and have it all fulfilled! So he's walking around town feeling very good about all this.

Then there was another day, perhaps several years later, when God decides to pick one of his men again--not Amos, but Jonah. He has a whole new ministry for Jonah. In Jonah 1, it says,

     1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."

 3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

Jonah faced three problems that i can see
1.    was that Israel itself was also involved in idolatry, drunkenness and sexual immorality. Israel was really in trouble, morally, spiritually, socially, and militarily, and so we can imagine Jonah saying, "Why should I go to Nineveh? We need to take care of our own act at home first. But God says, "No, I want you to go to Nineveh."

2.    Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrians, the greatest city on the earth at the time. They knew about the wickedness of these people, knew about their worship of gods and goddesses, he knew that no one wanted anything to do with Nineveh. 

Now you don't mind being a prophet among people you like and are happy to bring good news too, but you certainly don't want to be a prophet among people you hate. You're not about to go and give them good news.

But God asks Jonah to go and cry against the city.
To "cry against" means to give them a chance to repent, though Jonah did not want to give them that chance because they were wicked idolators and they should be dealt with, he thought.

3.    Jonah was worried about the fact that God would show compassion to Nineveh, and if he did and they accepted his compassion and repented, then God might love them more than he loved the Jews.

You see Jonah knows God’s character, he knows that God gives people the opportunity to return to him (we see this in Jonah 4)

So Jonah does five things:
•    He rises up,
•    goes to Joppa,
•    finds a ship,
•    pays the fare and
•    goes on board to run away from the presence of God.

A lot of us think of Jonah as the dumb prophet who thought he could get away from God, but Jonah must have known the Psalms of David as later in chapter 2 he quotes.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
       Where can I flee from your presence?

 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
       if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
       if I settle on the far side of the sea,

 10 even there your hand will guide me,
       your right hand will hold me fast.

 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
       and the light become night around me,"

 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
       the night will shine like the day,
       for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)

Jonah knew God and he knew God's character. He is not a dumb prophet, he knew there was no hiding from him, but he tried to hide anyway, because I he didn’t want to see the salvation of the Gentiles. He wanted nothing to do with them. He forgot what he was all about.

The calling Jonah to go to the Ninevites was like asking a Jew from Maroubra to go to Hitler and tell him that God loved him, and that everything he did would be forgiven if he would but repent.

So the Jew got on ship, and went to New Zealand; He wanted nothing to do with it. That's the struggle and tension that is going on here.

I was talking to a mate recently we were talking about this, "Why do you think God chose a man to go to Nineveh when he knew that man would run away?" he thought for a moment and said, "I guess there aren't any other kinds of men. We all run away."

Gideon had a lot of things he wanted to work out first before he followed God. Moses said, "Lord, they'll never believe I talked with a bush, so could you do a couple other things?" The most common thing God or his messangers have to say when they appear to men is “fear not” so they don’t escape.

I run all the time, I remember just as I was finishing school telling my parents that there was no way I would ever go into minstry, because of the little money that my parents had as I was growing up, the stress, that dad went through, there was no way I was going into ministry.

I ended up as one of the youngest intakes ever at Moore

“I will never go to the North shore” was my next statement which I held all the way through college, I still remember the day that the list of churches came out, there was Chatswood and some other churches in the Northern Suburbs which I had been recommended to, so I just whited them off the list casue there was no way I was going to go to the North Shore, I ended up in Chatswood.

Then "I don't want to have to go in and clean someone else' mess up, there are so many other healthy churches that want me" I ended up learning the lesson by then an even though not wanting to clean up messes i knew there was no way to get out of what God wanted.

The Lord caused this great storm and these Phoenician sailors began calling on their gods to save them. And there were many, believe me, that they called on. There was Asherad (the sea goddess), Baal-shamin (the god of the sky), and Baal-tyre (the god of the mariners). There were all kinds of gods and goddesses they could call on so they were trying them all, but they were not working.

Then one sailor said to somebody else, "Hey, there's a passenger down in hold, and he's sleeping. Maybe the captain will tell Jonah to pray to his god. Maybe his god will work."

So they go down to the hold and say, "How can you sleep? Don't you understand that if the gods get angry you're supposed to get right up and pray to them to get us out of the storm?" Finally, because the storm doesn't stop, they cast lots, and the lot falls on Jonah. So they say to him, "Hey, we discovered it's you! Now what is going on? Where are you from? Why is this all happening to us?"

Jonah knew who he was. In the midst of the storm he understood who he was and who God was, and so he gave his testimony in the midst of his disobedience,

"I'm a Hebrew. I'm of the nation of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We're the ones who came out of Egypt into Canaan. I worship the true God, the one who made the heavens, the earth, the sky and the dry land."

    10 This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)

 11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"

 12 "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."

 13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried to the LORD, "O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

I don't understand where Jonah got the confidence to say, "I'm responsible for the storm. All of you are in trouble because of me, so throw me into the sea." Maybe he thought God would deliver him because of his relationship with him, or maybe he was giving up totally and deciding that this was it, that he couldn't fight it any longer, and was going to commit suicide.

I find it interesting that Jonah is quicker to say “throw me overboard, rather than saying turn back to shore so I can go to Nineveh”

Either way in the midst of Jonah's disobedience, the ship's crew came to know the Lord. That happens a lot in the midst of our disobedience.

The crew did three things. First, they prayed that the Lord would forgive them for this innocent blood, "Then the men feared the Lord greatly [accepting him], and they offered a sacrifice [worship], and made vows [they were willing to serve]."

In the midst of his disobedience God brought a whole ship of people to himself, a bunch of most likely Phoenician fishermen, the grace of God was shown.

Jonah was not a dumb prophet, he actually was so in tune with the mind of God that he knew exactly what God would do, he just didn’t like what he saw, and disobeyed.

May you be like Jonah and realise that God is a God of compassion to all nations.

May you realise that God will work through you no matter how much you kick and scream.

May you be like Jonah and hear God’s voice clearly, and respond appropriately.

Sex God Movember - Ask Anything

Finally got some questions over the last couple of days which meanc i will actually have something to talk about tonight, but i am not really sure i want to be talking. Whose stupid idea was this? here are some of the questions i will be dealing with tonight

• Why would we deal with something like this(i guess they are referring to the Sex God Series) in church?

• Is it wrong if a beautiful girl walks to notice that she is beautiful? (This is the questions that made me laugh the most, I didn't know beautiful girls could walk :P)

• Everywhere that i look there seem to be things that tempt me. What can i do to stop being sexually tempted?

• Thank you for the series Josh this has given me a way to talk to my kids about this very important topic, at what age do you reckon/should parents speak to their children about sex and their bodies?

• What is the biblical view of masturbation?

• Why is it wrong to live with your girlfriend before you get married?

should be a fun night. will post the answers i give up later tonight.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

How small are we

I took these photos a while ago on a retreat i went to. They just remind me of how amazingly small I am and how big God is, and how amazing it is that he actually loves me
    

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Single Beauty

1 CORINTHIANS 7.24-35
24. Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to. 25. Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26. Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are. 27. Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. 28. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

29. What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30. those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31. those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 32. I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs-- how he can please the Lord. 33. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world-- how he can please his wife-- 34. and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world-- how she can please her husband. 35. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

IS THERE ANY VALUE IN BEING SINGLE

Single Beauty is a beauty that is rarely recognised, if not undervalued, in today’s world: both within and outside the church. Those of my generation – GX-GY - may claim the highest number of never-married adults in Australia; with the average age of marriage steadily climbing to 30. However, with up to 70% of people living together, de facto, before they finally tie the knot; how many people can seriously claim to be single? Even those who espouse being free from the bonds of marriage; how many of them sleep around, skipping from partner to partner and indulging in the one night stand?

Shows like The OC, Beverly Hills 90210, Desperate House Wives and so on confirm the preoccupation that young people, especially in the US have with dating or ‘coupling’. People drop one person to go out with another within a very short space of time; say within a couple of hours at best! And even in our printed media, there is a preoccupation with relationships. Every Wednesday, the SMH puts out its Radar section; specially targeted to the 18-35s, with a match-making competition. Have a look some time? It’s worth a smile!

With all this preoccupation with sex and relationships, and for Christians, a preoccupation with marriage; is there any value in being single? Is it is a special gift from God? Is a single late 20-something or even 30-something left on the shelf? Are they painfully desperate? How much are single people like Bridgette Jones? Is she the patron-saint of the desperately single?

So what does God have to say about singleness?

THE BEAUTY OF ONE

1 CORINTHIANS 7.25-28
25. Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26. Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are. 27. Are you [bound to a woman] ? Do not seek [to be released] . Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. 28. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

The apostle gives a lengthy account of what he believes God has to say on marriage and singleness. In the first part of Chapter; Paul talks to those who are married, as well as those who are widowed: both male and female. But from Verse 25, he specifically addresses those who have never been married, or those who are engaged to be married.

In speaking to the never-married, Paul declares that “it is good for you to remain as you are”: single (Verse 26). It’s a striking statement given the usual perception among Christians today. Most people think that it’s better and normal to be married. But it is even more striking given what we read about marriage last week.

How can Paul say that it is “good for you to remain as you are”: i.e. single, when in Genesis 2.18, God thought that “It is not good for the man to be alone.”?

Genesis, Jesus & the New Life in Christ

In Genesis 2.18, we read:

GENESIS 2.18
18. The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

Well, there are three things we need to consider:

1.    The consequence of Adam’s fall into sin: when Adam and Eve sinned, they not only caused a breach in man’s relationship with God, but also a breach in man’s human relationships. As such, while the Bible holds a high view of marriage, there are no guarantees that everyone will get married, must get married or remain married

2.    Jesus, himself, says that some people will not get married. We read in Matthew 19.10-12
MATTHEW 19.10-12
10. The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” 11. Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

This was in response to what Jesus had said about the difficulties of sticking it out in marriage. I hope to return to this passage a bit later. But for moment, Jesus opens us to real possibility; that despite God’s desire in Genesis, some people will not be able to marry or will forsake marriage for will of God.

3.    The Christian view of the world puts marriage in a new light

Coming back to 1 Corinthians 7; from Verse 29 , Paul writes:

1 CORINTHIANS 7.29-32
29. What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30. those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31. those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 32. I would like you to be free from concern.

The whole trust of 1 Corinthians 7 is built on the idea: that although we might enjoy the good things that God has provided for us to live out this life; we need to live in a way that shows that ‘what is to come’ in ‘the age to come’ is more important. We might have the pleasure of being in a marriage relationship or the pleasure of ownership of property, or even the joy of being almost eternally content; but need to live as though these things weren’t important.

Let me illustrate with the following diagram:

We live at the crossing of two ages. Before Christ; sin and death reigned and people lived without hope. Yet, when Jesus died and rose again on the cross, he began a new age: and those who put their trust in him are a ‘new creation’. Because of Christ, the sting of death and the power of sin are broken for those who believe. Secure in Christ, such a person waits for the Day when they will no longer have to wrestle with sin, despite being free from its power.

We will in the tension of the ‘now and not yet’. We are secure in Christ, yet we are waiting for the Day of Salvation. So while I live ‘now’, I need to live in light of the ‘not yet’. I am free to get married, but because there will be no marriage in the age to come; I have a reason not to get married.

In fact the single life symbolises a pure devotion to God. Just as marriage symbolises Christ’s relationship with the church; singleness symbolises the purity of one’s desire for God. Hence, those who marry are called to demonstrate Christ-like love through mutual submission and sacrificial giving; and those who remain single are called to demonstrate Christ-like devotion to the Father’s will.

Now, in speaking into this issue, Paul speaks as “one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy” to give some wisdom or “judgment” on this topic, over against any “command from the Lord” (Verse 25). As such he seeks to uphold both the cause of the single and of the married.

Paul prefers celibacy; but this is not on moral grounds – as if it were a matter or right or wrong; but in light of an urgency that comes from a worldview that sees clearly what is ahead; namely, the return of Jesus. 

This is most striking! Most often, when it comes to singleness and marriage, we talk in terms of having luck in love. And yet the stress of Paul’s argument lies within the mindset of what Jesus is about. It has nothing to do with romance.  

When Paul says that “those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you of this” (Verse 28), he is not saying that marriage is an inferior state of living. Rather, he wants us to be realistic about the troubles and issues that come through being a Christian in the first place. Marriage only adds to what is a difficult and trying pilgrimage.

The “present crisis” or ‘anxiety’ that Paul refers to, in Verse 26, is not so much caused through marriage, but over the choice to marry or not to marry. Paul speaks to all people. We need to live; buy and marry, “as if we did not”: for these things do not determine who we are. Rather, our existence is determined by a clear vision of what is to come.

As for what we read in Verses 29-31, the Christian needs to live strongly in light of the age to come: where people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Now it’s not that Christians are now ‘spiritual beings’ who should refrain from marriage. The point is that we do not know the time or day when Jesus will return. We currently live in the distress of the end times: we belong to Jesus Christ; we are marked for heaven; but that divine relationship should dictate the kind of decisions we make now.

Above all things, the point of what Paul is saying; is not to necessarily remain in the one’s social setting, but to accept it as right. There is nothing wrong in staying single and there is nothing wrong with getting married and staying married.

Is a Christian ever Single?

Bottom line, our relationship with Jesus determines everything. In speaking into the issue of sexual immorality; Paul writes 1 Corinthians 6.13, 15, 19-20:

1 CORINTHIANS 6.13, 15, 19-20
13. The body is […] meant… for the Lord, and the Lord for the body… 15. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? ... 19. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20. you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

So whether you are single or not, know that you’re never alone: your life is inter-twined with Christ’s.

THE PATH OF SINGLENESS

Now, having said this, there is much we could say about being single as a Christian.

1.    The Pressure of Purity
2.    The Power of Passion
3.    The Promise of Purpose

1.    THE PRESSURE OF PURITY

There is a tremendous amount of pressure today on single people, including Christians, to express themselves sexually. Our society has bought the lie of evolution; to the extent that without God, we are simply no more than animals. There’s a song on the radio that makes me cringe every time I hear it. The lyrics go something like this: “You an’ me baby we’re not more than mammals; so let’s do it like they do on the Discovery Channel.”
The apostle Peter warns us about such people in his first letter, chapter 4, verses 3 and 4:

1 PETER 4.3-4
3. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do – living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.

The pressure to remain pure is tough; yet it’s not impossible. For as we saw in our reading in 1 Corinthians 6; the zeal for purity comes through our spiritual marriage to Jesus. Jesus is the chief reason why sex before marriage is wrong. Sex with another person unites us to that person. And because we are united to Christ; when we united ourselves outside the bounds of marriage, we defile our relationship with Jesus. It’s not that Jesus is defiled, but our relationship with him is (1 Corinthians 6.15-20).

The second reason we are called to avoid sexual immorality is because of the damage it causes other people. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4.3-10:

1 THESSALONIANS 4.3-10
3. It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4. that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5. not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6. and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

Purity comes in many forms: and it’s not just about refraining from the act of sexual intercourse. It’s about gearing our entire being: body, soul and spirit – with the knowledge and power that comes through the Holy Spirit. As Paul writes again in 1 Thessalonians 5.23-24:

1 THESSALONIANS 5.23-25
23. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
 
We defile ourselves sexually when we engage in acts that pollute the mind as well as the body. And single people are not the only people to take heed here. We are defiled through pornography: both imaged and text based; when we check someone out; when we dwell on sexual fantasies; when we become addicted to masturbation; when we touch or allow ourselves to be touched by another person in an erotic way, even if we stop short of sexual intercourse.

2.    THE POWER OF PASSION

Now you might say, “let’s be realistic, What am I meant to do with all this sexual energy that seems to burn within me?” Well, let’s get realistic about that too. I’m no stranger to sexual temptation and seemingly uncontrollable urges; and neither is God.

If we look at the first part of 1 Corinthians 7, Verse 8-9; Paul writes:

1 CORINTHIANS 7.8-9
8. Now to the [widower] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. 9. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn [with passion].

The power of passion is great and can at times overcome us. This is especially true for those who have had the pleasure sex in marriage, but who are now widowed. But there are many Christians who experiment with sex before they turn to Christ; and even as they seek to live out the Christian life. The power of passion is great. 

There is nothing wrong in the desire to express ourselves sexually. Yet those who desire to - and that accounts for most people – “it is better to marry than to burn”. The NIV qualifies “to burn” with the phrase “with passion”. However, it would be better to say that the ‘burning’ has more to do with ‘judgement’ than with any uncontrollable urge within us; though the burning sensation is surely real! If marriage is not on the cards, then you will have to remain self-controlled. As hard as this might seem, God is not adverse to your particular circumstances and has given you the strength to persevere. 

Overall, we need to come to a sound understanding of ourselves: while we are strongly sexually wired, we have the capacity to take command of the flesh.   

Sexual expression is a learned response. But we are not always conscious of what things trigger those responses. In Scripture, we are called to take every thought captive in obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10.5); to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12.2); to set our hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3.2); to put to death whatever belongs to the sinful nature (Colossians 3.5); to dwell on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable (Philippians 4.8); to be sanctified in the truth (John 17.17); to arm ourselves with the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6.17). When the stimulation comes and the desire starts to rise, we need to perform a very conscious act of transfer onto Christ. We need to admit how we feel to God and ask that Jesus would be the greatest desire of our hearts. Ongoing prayer, reading God’s word and accountability are essential to the path of purity.

CELIBACY

In addition, we need to be open to the reality that some people don’t desire to express themselves sexually; as hard as that is for us in this sex-sated society.

There was an article in the Sydney Morning Herald a while back about people who consider themselves ‘asexual’. The headline read, “Be it vice or virtue, sex is over-rated: for many, the bedroom dance has too many complications, writes Hilary Burden.” Let me continue; and I quote, “Apparently A-pride is the latest new sex club. But the difference is that this A stands for asexual. According tot a recent New Scientist report in the US, it’s seriously cool to be asexual… Although only limited research exists, one survey suggests that just 1 per cent of the population are asexual. Apparently these are people who don’t experience sexual attraction; never have, never will…”

Jesus expected that some would not marry; saying, “Some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it” (Matthew 19.11-12).

Now when Jesus says ‘eunuch’, he doesn’t only mean people who have been castrated. Those who are born eunuchs were probably born with some defect that either prevented them from sexual expression or are born without a sexual inclination. Those who are made eunuchs by men are those who have been castrated: as were many slaves in the ancient world – to serve in harems. Those who choose to be eunuchs for God’s kingdom probably don’t literally become eunuchs. They choose to be celibate because of the nature of their particular ministry calling. This is not to say that by being celibate, one elevates to a higher level of spirituality. We are all on the same level.

Paul picks up the gift of celibacy in 1 Corinthians 7.7. But those who desire to be celibate need to do so for the right reasons: not for ascetic reasons, although bodily desires were to be denied or suppressed out of warped worldview; but as a result of ‘giftedness’ in light of their calling to serve Christ in that way.

3.    THE PROMISE OF PURPOSE

Thirdly, we all need to be sober in our thinking. Single people are fully human and can be completely satisfied in their desire to abstain from sexual pleasure. The single person is not without purpose. Jesus, himself, along with John the Baptist, and even the apostle Paul were single – and they functioned quite well. The single person is able to make decisions to serve God, without needing to consider the needs of spouse and children. Again, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 7.32-34:
   
1 CORINTHIANS 7.32-34
32. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs-- how he can please the Lord. 33. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world-- how he can please his wife-- 34. and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world-- how she can please her husband.

The choice to be single is not superior to marriage, but is equally valid. Yet even for those who desire to be married; our calling in life is not first seek a marriage partner, but to find our fulfilment in Christ. Is this a realistic option? I believe so: for while there is nothing wrong in seeking out a marriage partner; we would be better off excelling to godliness and Christian service. Who knows, by becoming the people that God’s wants us to be; we may without knowing, find ourselves face to face with a like-minded, and potentially long-term special friend.

To those of you who are single: I encourage you seek to live out the beauty of who you are in Christ. If you are struggling to remain pure, seek godly counsel. There is grace and forgiveness of all. For those who are married; never lose sight of your first love. He is there to help you in your marriage.

Melbourne Cup 2008

The Melbourne Cup is known as "the race that stops a nation" every year people wait for the one race at 3:30 or so in the afternoon to see little men on big ponies race as fast as they can around a track. But why does it stop the nation? Well for the past 2 years our local government has had this crazy idea of making the the Melbourne Cup day a public holiday mainly because people just weren't going to work or being productive (in my opinion).

Today i dropped Kris and some of the other mums from playgroup out there (something about girls jsut wanting to dress up, put on some make-up and spend a day away from the kids they are otherwise locked inside a house with most of the time :) ) As i drove them to the entrance of the Canberra race course where they were going to be showing the race on teh big screen, i saw person after person standing at the back of their cars sculling bottles of Champaign, beer and those girly lolly-pop drinks, before they went into the race course.

It just made me sad to think that this is how people are wasting a day off, and ultimately are hurting themselves. Now i am not saying people shouldn't drink (never hear me say that, i like my beer and spirits when appropriate) but it would be interesting to see the cost this one race has on the nation, if we were to take into consideration:
1. accidents due to people drinking too much at this race
2. Medical bills caused by drinking at this one race
3. Amount of people who call in sick the folloowing day because they are too hung-over
4. If the productivity level on average is lower the following day because of hang-overs adn depression caused by people losing a lot of money.

Just some thoughts, but hey on the other side it might help the economy with all the girls and guys going out to buy a new dress or shirt or whatever to wear to the races