Authentic Christian Living - more thoughts

Jesus said the entry level requirement for discipleship is to be 'losing your own life.' What a negative marketing strategy for something that God wants to be embraced by the lost!  "Come to Jesus and DIE!!! However, the only way God can have us become a transformed individual is by this process.  The problem is a little like the present position of the England football team after the world cup 2010.  To play for England you have to be English.  The strange thing is, the manager is Italian and the idea is that his success can be imported to the team. They were very poor in the world cup and this confirmed my thoughts.  I would rather see an English manager lead the team and the team find its own true level that attempt to bring in outside influences that may bring about imported success at some stage.  To me there's no point in winning if the entire outfit didn't reflect the true state of English football.  Its cheating!  In the same way, many Christians import things from the outside to aid Christian living.  This doesn't allow the individual to have a reality check on the true state of their heart, like the England team, it draws from foreign elements to gain authentication.  Jesus has an authentic way that involves 'losing your own life.'

So what mechanism has 'losing your own life' got in God?  There are two ways in which we can live our Christian lives.  Firstly, we can change our behaviour and practices in order to live like God wants us to.  This seems fine until we realise that we are able to bypass the real state of our core self  and change behaviour based on expectations of the pastor, pride, people, performance etc.  God didn't tell us to be-have, he told us to be-changed!  The way 'losing' works is by eliminating all the elements that would protect our core self.  God sees our core self but he wants us to see it!   So here's an example-  Peter: "ill never deny you Jesus" (bypassing core self)  Pete later : "Jesus who?" (the core self). When this was revealed to him, and I'm sure many things not recorded, he was able to be changed.  The reason is because when we see the true state of our hearts we are broken and crumple to our knees in repentance before our Lord. This way we can offer our core self to God, not just perceived behaviours that we think constitute a Christian walk. The result is that when God has worked in a transforming way, practices and behaviours naturally pour from the believer. These become the catalyst for change in this world rather than just surface adjustments, expected Christian nuances and controlled temperament which leads to 'having a form of Godliness, but denying it's power.' 

The way we can ensure we are aware of our core selves is to ask ourselves a series of 'ouch' questions:

• Am I committed to give up the conditioned responses of Christianity to be ACTUALLY changed?
• Am I ready to undertake the process of exploring my true heart motivations, warts and all?
• Is my Christian environment asking me to be-have or allowing me to be-changed?
• Does  preaching, leaders or discipleship courses change my core self or just ask for a change of behaviour?
• Do I want to be changed at core level to perhaps NEVER be a prominent minister/ministry?
• Can I distinguish between God's expressed will for me to be transformed and the expectation on me to perform?
• Have I imported 'managers' to play karaoke to Jesus in my life?

The challenge to Christianity is authenticity.  We have rightly appealed for Godly character to be formed but have we settled for Caricatures?  Does our insecurity or lack of faith lead to being more like a Christian than more like Christ? Do we fail to question our church environment because it perpetuates 'self' when self needs to be cross-bound?  I don't want England to win the world cup with imported help and I don't want to take another step in Christ unless it is entirely managed by my Creator.

Gary Ward

The Ego's need for Genius

One of my main passions is to refocus the nature of gifts in the church.  Many Christians have been taught that they are a gift to the church, an idea that has led to inflated ego and a value system being imposed upon God's children.  The bible says we are given gifts and like all gifts they need to be passed to the one they are meant for.  Taking on the identity of a gift is error in the church as God is the giver of every gift and we simply pass it on to others as led.

I was recently watching a talk by writer Elizabeth Gilbert and she pointed out something very interesting.  She said that genius used to be something that was detached from your being and the genius would work through you to create.  If God works through Christians then it could be fair to say that this idea fits with Christianity.  I have no problem at all imagining that a third party such as an angel can work through us in our general field of creativity and this also applies to demonic forces should we let them.  I wouldn't force this into a doctrine  and right now I am just playing with ideas.

That said I have always been struck with Eph. 2:10 For we are God's workmanship...   the word workmanship is 'poema' in the original Greek.  The word 'poem' comes from this.  Amazing!  God's creativity is worked through us!  You have a genius working through you and he is the great 'I Am.' we need no other!   The drive for Christians to develop some kind of identity for themselves is driven by the misconception that a gift is their own identity.

The idea that 'genius' was a third party working through a person disappeared as Europe strove for self importance in the Renaissance .  Instead of 'having' a genius people 'became' a genius!  Identity was taken on by the person and if you take this to its logical conclusion you will agree it can lead to  the 'have's' and the 'have-nots.'  From here we then have a class system imposed upon gift, talent and ability.  Does this sound familiar?  Isn't gift, talent and ability rewarded at different levels in this world?  Of course,  that's how society sees our roles, tasks and functions on earth.  When this set of values is imposed on church we have a problem.  How can a 'have' and 'have-not' system work amongst brothers and sisters?

It doesn't, yet millions of Christians exist within these wrong attitudes to 'ability'.  The truth is that God is your Genius!  He wants to work through you and your only challenge is to find how God can work through YOU! Don't be fooled into thinking that others are somehow superior or you are less-than amongst brothers and sisters.  And don't be thinking creative genius is just how you paint, act or sing.  God's Genius does not fit into our narrow perspective.  It is far reaching and involves every step of our interaction with this world.  Enjoy being you.

Finding God as your Source

There are loads of people who acknowledge God to varying degrees.  Some are happy to pay a weekly homage in church but others follow the Bible and try to have God become their all.  I believe the latter is part of the fulfilling life we can lead in Christ - to find God as our source.  You don't need qualifications or a special insight to have God become your source.  You simply need to know that God loves you and wants to be the one that becomes your dependence.  God wants this because he thinks you are amazing despite the flaws and failures we all have and experience.  I meet so many Christians who know what I have written above but find it difficult to make it a reality day to day.  Read on to explore how to make God your source every day of your life.

I have worked with young people for many years and I observe how they grow as young adults into a world that  tells them what I call the 'ten acquired laws of western living.'  These are acquired attitudes that present a problem for some young people.  These laws also plague some adults:

1. Others will only think well of you if you present an acceptable image to them
2. What others think is the key to feeling accepted.
3. Because my life is boring, it must be a mistake.
4. You need to accumulate self worth by talent, gifts and ability.
5. How I feel about myself is the indicator of truth about me.
6. I must be lame to have low self esteem.
7. My aim is to be like a person who is respected, even famous!
8. Everything in this world tells me I should be a someone, but I'm not!
9. Others seem to be happy about who they are.
10. I feel frustrated, even angry, about not being happy with me.

We are assessed by this world
The key to all 10 of these laws is to have God become your source for all the issues described.  Every one of the laws have a common thread that connects them all.  This connection is that the person who feels like this is recognising that this world, society, other people are stakeholders in your life.  Simply put, they aren't unless you allow them to be! It is true that we have to live in and interact with our communities but we need to take charge of them, not them take charge of us.  If you assess your life by anything that lies in this world you will at some point become utterly miserable. Young people are trained to assess themselves against others by the exam system for example.  You are graded at an early age.  Many become unstuck as this accepted system of education tells us that we are part of a structured labelling system.  This can become a yardstick to tell us what we can and can't become.

We are valued by this world
Our language has examples of how we buy into the assessment of fellow human beings.  Some people dont 'measure up.'  Measure up to what?  The second we answer that question is the moment we have graded a human being.  Grading is a short step from valuing.  "Listen to your superiors!" This is what I was told about adults and teachers in school.  A superior directly infers that in some way I am inferior!  This world we live in has systems of value, worth and grading and if we listen to it we will have to accept the pigeon holes and labels it dishes out.  Ever been told about the 'career ladder?  It exists because the perception is that someone on a higher rung is higher, therefore better than you!  I know people who recognise the folly of the above but only a Christian can re-source their value system.

God accepts us in this world
God shows us through the Bible initially that his love for you is not based on performance or status.  He loves the intrinsic you!  So if we are going to begin to depend on God you can stop looking to your own gifts, talent and ability as a measure of how you fit in this world. "So you have riches, fame and attention.... God, who made this world loves me with nothing added, just me, as I am!"   Many who acknowledge that God loves them still struggle with the fact that they feel useless.  The church doesn't help!    The majority of western churches are geared around 'task.'  Churches should be working in social action in communities and many do an amazing job.  Within the congregations however, the people are generally urged to find their gifts and abilities and serve God there.  There's nothing wrong with this IF the basic principles of Christianity are present.  In the first century the Apostles taught that church was about brothers and sisters being together in Christ. This is the primary reason for church existing and the New Testament contains chapter after chapter of of this 'being' in Christ.  So many Christians know God loves them but concentrate on what they have to do for God rather than 'being.'  A 'doing' philosophy takes us into the area of grading and measuring.  Pastors are seen as 'superiors' and many sermons are how we fail to 'measure up' in our service to God.

Shifting your perspective
Our lives in Christ have no directive to do anything that lies outside of who we are already.  In other words, you already are all you will do in Christ.  The gifts are all spiritual gifts and spiritual gifts cannot be enhanced, customised or upgraded by anything from this world.  So on a church level you are already equipped for what you can do for Christ.  In churches that have the worldly system of measuring and grading you simply are not able to be yourself.  It is the needs and requirements of the leadership of the church that decide how you fit and function.  One ministry couple told me they 'release' people for ministry.  Whose holding the people that need releasing?  Often those who are leading churches do so because they have experienced the need to feel valued and some because they want to feel superior.  The drive to fill the feeling of emptiness brought on by low self esteem is worth being involved in the 'people business.'  It is a difficult job but the pay-off is worth it.  Feeling fulfilled doing 'God's work' hits the spot, but would you feel fulfilled NOT doing anything?  This is an indication of how dependant you are on 'doing' when the whole point of Christian life is 'being.'

In Christ we are equal
What I have described in church is also true of this world.  ALL your formative years will be based on your pending career.  The higher up the ladder you go, the more you will service the list of 'laws' above.  Fitting and functioning will be your grading and measuring tools.  Money and notoriety are pay-offs here.  Status, profile and fame are also carrots on the road to filling the gaps.  Christians have no need to engage the way this works.  It isn't just opting out either!  God made all people spiritually equal so to have measurement, superior/inferior mindsets and grading structures is nonsense.  Ill address the 10 'laws' above from a Christian perspective:

1.  It matters what God thinks of you and he thinks you're ace!
2. God accepts you the way you are.
3. You are friends with the Lord of the Universe.  Is that boring?
4. God values who you are, not what you can or cant do
5. The truth about you is God loves and cares for you. Does that feel good?
6. Facts are indicators of truth. Fact: God thinks you're ace!
7. You are related to God Almighty.  Fame at last!
8. The Lord of the Universe knows your name.  Now are you a someone?
9. Who you are is a child of God.
10. See 9.

The church was designed by God to be based in a family environment around a meal with open and equal sharing.  Leadership was nothing to do with presiding over people and service was something people did naturally rather than a platform for superior/inferior placing.  It was the Roman Catholics that produced the worst kind of abuses where religious class was concerned.  Today's Protestant church still suffers from the structural anomalies that Roman Catholicism still adheres to.  They structured the church in such a way that places man in charge of the comings and goings of the things of God.  Not fully free from the mindset and structure of the Roman Catholics, the church tends to make 'calling' a reason to remain in the God-rejecting system.  Some Christians need to be in charge to fill the gap of low self esteem and occupy a position that makes them feel important.  Because they don't acknowledge the observations above, they become people who grade, assess and value people based on their own lack.  They call this their anointing.  Out from the church go people with a message that is not outworked in their own life:

God loves and accepts me! (but my value system still subject to the opinions, systems and rules of man).

Lost people see this and are happy to remain untouched by the 'Good news.'  Some ministers have told me that the way people meet doesn't matter and what they do God tells them to do it.  Increasingly though, the case for reform of church practice is becoming more and more urgent.  Whilst wanting to build up the body of Christ and make people whole, the church adheres to the worldly value system that comes directly from structure.   People exist within an environment of expectation but cannot meet the expectations.  The reason is because making God your source requires a person to withdraw from all the things trying to be sources.   By being in the church that is in the New Testament, God takes away the temptation for man to fill the gaps with status, position and profile. Of course, any gathering of people can become manipulated by people but it is easier to identify someone not free from their own need to be superior to others.  Any one who needs to gain value and self esteem from their own position and status would most likely run from an environment where everyone is equal.  With no outlet for being in charge and feed the monster, the only place to find value, worth and self esteem is in God!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of modern day church

The Good.
Having hung around 'church' in the UK for 20 years or so, its interesting to reflect from time to time.  There's a lot of good happening in Christianity today and its always amazing to see people just living to please God and getting busy doing things to be his witnesses in this dark world.  Projects that get loads of people focussed  on Jesus can only be good, and when they become Christians it is fantastic news. My own journey is day to day educating the hard to reach in communities in the UK for TLG a Christian Charity.  I share the desire to see people repent and follow Jesus.  I also take my hat off to anyone who steps up to the plate and gets involved in God's work.

The Bad
Most church leaders are not at all aware of the following information:  The practise of meeting in a hall with a central leadership directing the meeting is not what God intended for Church.  The model where leaders preside under or over the congregation is anti-scriptural and leads to a separation amongst equals.  This in turn leads to people following people instead of following Christ... the whole point of being a disciple. Paul the apostle meets these issues head on in 1 Corinthians and goes on to underline the practise all the apostles taught and agreed upon - a fellowship meal - a family environment - leadership but no hierarchy - open and equal sharing.  Historically the church can be seen, starting with the early church fathers, to stray from what the apostles taught about meeting together.  Having great social action programs is Good but if the hub of the activity is not biblical, this creates a problem for good people who want to genuinely out-pour their lives for God.  Our example of rejecting God for some human-leader is 1 Sam 8 and the first 4 chapters of 1 Corinthians.

The Ugly
Some church leaders are aware of the above and do nothing about it.  And that is ugly.  Knowing scripture warns of mixing 'the done thing' with 'my agenda' should be enough.  However this isn't enough.  If you aren't doing God's thing then you are just doing what Man does.  Didn't we see all that before?  Didn't we repent and turn from wicked ways?  Yet many live in two worlds, the world of wanting to please God and the world of ugly self promotion.  The separation among leaders and the congregation is allowed to become the springboard to polish the narcissism which all humans are plagued by.  If we understood what it took to have all authority, power and dominion handed to Jesus so he could be our leader and head of the church, we would be on our face with our crowns offered to him.  But alas... so many get caught up in the 'self,' missing that 'Bless' has 'less' as the main point.  Some church leaders need to study the one thing Jesus hated - the practices of the Nicolatians.  The word means 'suppression of the people.'  So many leaders are presiding over the people and this makes them subject to that leader, especially in this institutional society we live in.  If you are reading this and feel it strikes a chord then do get in touch.

Yours in the fight for truth.

Gary Ward

Stuff God wants us to know. 1

Jer 33:3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

Thinking that becomes part and parcel of everyday life can be termed as 'institutional conditioning.' This is when something is unquestionably and routinely accepted by ourselves. Christians are good at taking on new concepts and mulling over information as that is part of our responsibility as God's children. However there are aspects of Christian life that are not questioned and therefore routinely accepted, not realising the dangers.

A fun example is 'who said Australia is 'down under?' I can accept that since it was discovered fairly recently by people from 'up top' it will be termed 'down under.' Given that there is no up or down in space the whole idea of direction is a man made suggestion. Australians consider themselves to be down under also, thus also buying into it all. It doesn't really affect anyone if we consider whose down or up in this world but there are some things readily accepted in life that do affect people. History has set things in motion based upon perspectives someone had long ago. These things become the fabric of our society and no-one questions them. An example that harms people is the class system. Sure, the terminology may have started with observing peoples socio-economical status in relation to others but then became a tool used for political ends. Some people are refused jobs because of postcode prejudice. Certain areas are labelled as socially challenged because of labels assigned many moons ago. This thinking is part of our society and while the evidence of the classification is in our towns and cities, has the branding of people set many up to fail? Labels become concepts and that's a short step from concepts speaking back into the situation and producing accepted paradigms.

In my life I have never been handed a book or seen a documentary on why our leaders govern the country the way they do. I've had to accept so much of 'the done thing' because...er.. its the done thing. Again, to answer why things are done a certain way we can point to history, decisions made by men and women to set in motion ideas that will govern people and systems to meet an end result. I sometimes feel pressured by the thought that I can't come up with a better idea so just accept the way it is done. This is a wrong way to think. Just because I may not suggest solutions doesn't mean that I cannot recognise the problems. Class systems, government and geographical anomaly may be impossible to change but we can and must address whether institutional conditioning affects church practise.

The Bible tells us to pray and not be angry about the way things are in the way this world is run. Too many Christians have the same kind of auto-acceptance about church. "It's just the way it is, God must have led the church here." But we all know how far off the mark Roman Catholicism is... did God lead that? Whilst staring at the man made religion of Roman Catholicism many Christians cannot cope with the thought that there still may be a way to go before we are rid of those elements still lingering in church structure and systems. Whilst preaching "God led us here" don't forget all the spectrum of denomination today came from the Great Reformation, a protest against Roman Catholicism. Whilst ironing out some of the Theological issues the emerging Protestants did not stop doing doing what the Roman Catholic priests did, preside OVER God's people.

Given our propensity to readily accept what we were born into, isn't it of the utmost importance to make sure 'church' is not subject to institutional conditioning? Moves have been made towards not doing the done thing where church is concerned. Leaders may have removed the garb, made the preaching relevant to today and produced user friendly environments. However, in our society anyone who steps up to the responsibility of leadership will be automatically in a hierarchical system. How so? Because western history, society, culture and what we readily accept in day to day life accepts hierarchy and rank as standard.

If you don't want church leadership to automatically equate to rank you will need to do three things:

1. You will need to tell people who you lead that they should not see you the same as the teacher, policeman, army officer, supervisor or parent, all of whom are in a ranked position in this society for all their lives.

2. You will need to get rid of all the things that reinforce the idea that you are in a higher ranked position. This means forsaking position, status, labels, privileges and all visual confirmation you are the superior officer ie. the platform, pulpit, front row, titles and church structures that rank the people who attend.

3. You will have to live as a brother who may or may not be a leader amongst your sisters and brothers. What you do will have to become secondary to who you are among others.

The primary reason the church has been hindered in effectiveness despite centuries of activity is because the progress made in what the church looks like and how she appears in society has not changed what she is. Christians are not institutional because we belong to the state or don't, we are institutional because we readily-accept-and-never-question the historical amendments made to what church should do. Leadership doesn't look the same as the Roman Catholic church but it sits in a society that will see church leaders as priest-types, set apart, more than brothers or sisters.

So what form does leadership take if not following the post-Catholic model? How will people who are institutionally conditioned be led if the leadership model is of another nature? The answer to these questions lie in the need to remove anything that promotes the priestly rank and other things that hinder the nature of Christians gathering together for ecclesia. When we do this we find much of what we do, and how we do it, is there to serve the priestly rank and all that means in practise. Scripture shows Paul and the other apostles in agreement to teach church as a smaller gathering in family environments around a meal. Each contributed, not just the few professionals. God in his wisdom wanted us to live under the exclusive leadership of Christ and all that would promote the priestly rank was avoided.

We were born into this world where invisible rules and practises worm their way into our consciousness. Our contentment with 'the done thing' should never be blind acceptance. Only God can open our eyes to the extent of how we have been shaped by the environment of this world. We are a product of church history but not subject to it so can you become free by taking the bold and courageous steps toward biblical church?

Do you need a "systemectomy?"

My journey from inherited church to biblical church

Gary Ward

I believe the scriptures contain a church pattern for meeting. Based on Paul's correction of the Corinthians, Jesus' words to his disciples and historical records, church is home based, non-hierarchical, open and equal sharing around a meal containing bread and wine. The church we inherited is not in the bible and comes from the Roman Catholic practices.

Doing something different for church, even because the scriptures tell you, is only half the story. The real challenge to anyone wanting to do what God says is our own transition from being part of the system to being free. If anyone recognising they should be following biblical directives doesn't have a personal revolution in their own hearts, they will still be all that works against the Lords will. The whole point of reforming our practice is to give freedom to brothers and sisters in Christ. Therefore the personal revolution is paramount. There's no 'how-to' involved with this simply because only God can work with your heart. The 'systemectomy' can be so difficult that many do not complete it. This involves the cross and the first stage is realising the extent to which we endorsed, embraced and entertained the system.

In 1998 I was in Australia and I spoke a message to a youth group called 'Are you a human being or a human doing?' This reflected the birth of some realisations going on in my life as I worked as an evangelist in a Pentecostal church in the UK. I struggled with the leadership's attitude towards those who weren't as 'useful' as others. Using 'service for God' as a benchmark for suitability, a system of membership was used to reflect commitment to the leader's vision. As a leader amongst this system and other abuses, I struggled to see how the leadership team were serving the people. Of course many hours of work was put into the leadership roles for sure, but the fact remained that no matter how much actual work was done, they were in a system that placed them ranked above the regular brothers and sisters in the church. Jesus told James and John that they should not be concerned about superior placing but those who are the greatest are servants. This has nothing to do with putting a 16 hour day in, it is everything about superior and inferior placing amongst brothers and sisters where Jesus said "Not so among you..." Eventually this and other observations about church per se led to an inner conflict. The general party line from church leaders was under scrutiny and it conflicted with God's word/will. After some time I felt God telling me to leave that church and the reaction of the leaders to this confirmed how man-led it really was. It needs to be stressed that we never sowed discord among the church over this. I had no plan 'b' so we went to another similar church which, in time, bore similar characteristics to the one we left.

Meanwhile I was able to step back from the system and it was then God was able to show how church history, human wisdom and hierarchical leadership structures is keeping most of the Church in inherited dimensions rather than scriptural directives. Reduced in effect, it is the lost who pay the price of the man-led church system.

I had to repent because I had also enjoyed my position at times. I was faced with the fact that I too enjoyed the trappings of leadership. This was a time of great breakage. Most people would not say they want to be over people in leadership and many say it goes with the job. However, we are all subject to a fallen, floundering heart. Unless we acknowledge and actively work against this, we gravitate towards wanting to be over people. Is this just me? No... it is in all people because being superior is one of the foundational elements of sin. The root of pride is wanting to be over, Satan tried to raise his throne above the Almighty. Being a Christian does not solve the deeper heart motivations. Some people enter ministry because they genuinely want to help mankind but at some point everyone involved in ministry will entertain what I call 'the King thing.' This is the fallen desire to rule and reign in some capacity on earth and it comes straight from the pit of Hell. This unchecked heart motivation has hindered the church for centuries. It is exampled in the Roman Catholic Church with explicit ranked leadership. Its effects can be seen in the local church where the 'king thing' heart motivations are less explicit yet still present.

Here's a test. How did you react to what I just wrote? Like me I'm sure you want to become all you can be for God. I'm certain that like me you have had things in life to remove and things you need to add as God reveals our hearts. What I have just wrote above is scripturally possible yet the reaction from many is absolute outrage. We will fight tooth and nail to protect our position and status but this is a strange reaction to the suggestion that something hinders The Lord! Wouldn't we want to investigate? I have had the full spectrum of reaction at this biblical suggestion but curiously no real biblical refute. It is a scathing comment on our present condition and instead of responding with rational enquiry, it causes reaction. It can be repented of.... only if someone can acknowledge the scale of the problem and then work against it by practising church. God's design gives little chance for our hearts to buy into 'the King thing.'

On my journey I came across some good people who put flesh on the bones to my experience. I read some good books and also found that some of the authors had bought into 'the King thing' again but this time in the name of biblical church. Its a subtle thing that needs thorough acknowledgement or we will find another way to become the 'King.' I'm guessing that few ministers begin with pure motives but because the ministry is ranked in leadership, few will escape the lure and grip. Even someone reading this and being aware will not stop it. It needs to be taken to the cross and that means repenting. This, in turn, means partying to something that does not give opportunity for the heart to again buy into the King thing. You need to count the cost. It is not your fault or mine that we inherited systems and structures for church. But it is yours and my responsibility to become free from it all when we learn its length and breadth.

The transition time took a while and there are no charismatic fixes to this. We need to allow 'ministry' to bleed out of us and lay down our callings. Don't worry, the world will not go to rack and ruin! Jesus is in charge. He is more interested in your freedom than your feelings so be ready to face some truths about the general state of being and also things personal to just you. You'll know when the enemy is in on the act because you will feel accused as opposed to loved, nurtured and sustained. Jesus knew this time would come where he can take us to a deeper knowledge of himself and be part of the church as found in scripture. There are no dangling carrots here! No promises of millions flocking to biblical churches! It is a hard road with no ego-reward. This thinking is so new it may take hundreds of years to become the mainstream. But when the heart is dealt with, our involvement with church become about truth, love and serving Jesus alone. Much of how we were driven for God's Kingdom you will find is tinged with our own desires and need for notoriety. With the Kingdom safely placed back in Jesus hands, we can then see what his leading is, free from the auto-suggestions of the system. Your calling may have been valid but it needs to take place in the right environment, a biblical one, not a post-Roman Catholic system.

The following are a few things to observe and think through whilst moving from inherited church to biblical church:

• You would do anything for Jesus. Can you do 'nothing?'
• Others may not be ready to see what you see.
• Don't isolate yourself.
• Meet like minded people, we can help with that.
• Don't return fire on the mockers.
• Its not the people that are at fault. Love people.
• The system defined some of your experience.
• Others defined their experience through you.
• The system is not the Devil.
• The Devil uses systems.
• In this world 'being' comes from 'doing.'
• In God 'doing' comes from 'being.'

If you can genuinely see this through you will experience one thing: the truth. This is only about truth but there are a growing number of people who believe and are acting on what Jesus said to his disciples about following him. Its time to lose our own lives, what we have bought into in our Christian lives. No more forging out our notoriety or fame. This was about Jesus Christ only and his Glory. Step aside, let Jesus lead his church again. For more on this read the blogs or contact me by comment.

Gary Ward

Brother in Christ

An answer to inaugurated/preterist eschatology

Luke 9:18-36

A growing number of people are beginning to believe that AD70 was the beginning of the Coming Kingdom and we now are actually living in that time based on passages that contain verses like this:

^{Luke 9:27}I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

The context for this verse starts with Jesus asking who people think he is. Peter saying he was the Christ wasn't just a nice thought, but with John the baptist and Elijah as possibilities in the public domain, people were aware of the significance of Old Testament history. The conversation about Jesus' identity and the ramifications of this on people is at the very crux of anything he could have said regarding 'Kingdom' speak. After all the King has requirements on his subjects in his Kingdom. Then he says some will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God and this has given rise to opting for the significant date of AD70, when among other things the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, being the start of the Coming Kingdom. Josephus tells of terrible times of great suffering. Lets park for a while the fact that healing and prosperity are standard in the coming kingdom yet are strangely missing from our present dispensation and investigate what "seeing" the Kingdom of God actually was.

As we are all aware the Old Testament would be building up to the coming of the messiah and the completed work. We see many significant characters but two stand out more than most. These are Moses and Elijah. Moses story is better known and we cannot consider Moses without mentioning Joshua. Combined, they made sure the chosen people of God entered the Promised Land. Moses did not enter yet bodily died before he set foot in the place.

Elijah's journey is not as well understood but has similar elements. Apart for his life's work the main significance her is his exit. Elisha with him, he was called at the Jordan and at Gods command purposely took the same exit route from the Promised Land that Joshua had taken to go in. So significant was this route the prophets came to comment at the significance by saying Elijah would be taken from the earth. Moses and Elijah were both ones who established major principles that would become foundational to God's Kingdom in as much as they set the next generation of leader into an entirely different ball game. Through them God was able to establish his principles that changed the circumstance of the next generation. What Moses and Elijah set into motion are part of our experience as Christians today as a direct result of what they set into motion as principles in the Old Testament.

Having had the 'you are the Christ' conversation, telling them he would rise and reminding them they should daily abandon their own lives to follow, then he makes the statement about seeing the kingdom of God before dying. After this some went up the mountain and Moses, Elijah and Jesus.... glowed! usually the glowing is cited as 'they saw the Kingdom of God because they glowed' but what we are seeing is more than that:

Moses died and was buried. Elijah left the earth bodily. These exits were forerunners of how Jesus fulfils two composite elements of God's Kingdom. Firstly Jesus took on our sins, died and was placed in the ground (Moses?). This puts an end to the function of the Law as schoolmaster. Secondly Jesus rises bodily from the earth thus echoing all that Elijah established in his exit with Elisha**. We now know he was able to do both these things because he resurrected. In Christ all is fulfilled and anyone familiar with the Old Testament would know that the promised Messiah would bring all things together and make sense of what can often seem, even to the Jews, as disconnected events in their history.

Seeing the kingdom of God then is not living in the coming Kingdom. The disciples who saw this witnessed in one event the individual composite parts of the Kingdom of God and because the whole conversation began with 'who is...,' it is right for Jesus to tell them some would see the characterisation of God's Kingdom within the context of identity, the who's who of God's Kingdom. Its a little like seeing the early American presidents and their image speaks of their contribution to American constitution for example. Also with Jesus the man, we peer past the Jew and see how he lived, died and rose again to save us.... he represents salvation. Those seeing the three on the mountain that day were seeing God's Kingdom in much the same way.

All this is backed up by the fact that the writer of the gospels ties the transfiguration to 'seeing the kingdom of God' by saying 6-8 days later (or... after that statement....this happened).

So that's just one verse quickly explained.... I'm sure there's a heap more.

** Elijah's exit was establishing the principle of repentance and there are blogs here that explain this huge topic.