What is truly worth dying for?

A great Christian man called DL Moody reportedly said, "If you have nothing worth dying for, then you have nothing worth living for". Actually, that makes a lot of sense. Surely we all want things in life that are so good, so precious they are worth dying for. Those are things really worth living for.

We humans, despite being wonderfully endowed with massive brain power and ability to think carefully in a way unmatched by any other creature known to us in the universe, too often act and even think instinctively as though we are just like all the lower animals not having the power of thought we posses.

So, most commonly we answer DL Moody's words instinctively (not thoughtfully) by saying things like, "my children are what is most precious, they are worth dying for so they are worth living for".

There is no doubt that all human life is precious, and it is natural and right to feel strongly about our children. But that is an animalistic response, it is instinctive and emotional, and very powerful. But it does not use our highest faculty - thought.

What if we think about it rather than react instinctively? Then I think rational reasoning would go like this...

D L Moody "If you've got nothing worth dying for then you've got nothing worth living for"

Us "I do have something worth dying for, that is my children, so I do have something worth living for, that is, my children".

D L Moody "What's so great about your children that their lives are of more value than yours? If your child goes on to find the cure for Malaria or cancer, or if your child is going to end wars, or if your child is going to eradicate pornography and human trafficking, yeah, that is a really important and significant life worth dying for. But if your child is going to be mostly selfish, bum around, be a bit of a bully, spend his best time playing X Box, perhaps doing an ordinary job that earns his living, is that really a life worth dying for? 

If we say our children are worth dying for and so worth living for, then, rationally speaking, either we place a huge burden upon them to do something great with their lives, or if they live trivial lives, we have wasted and trivialised our own precious lives living for their trivial lives.

As much as I love my wife and four beautiful daughters, I am not persuaded that they are living lives that are particularly better than anyone else's, and neither do I want to shoulder them with a burden of feeling they must achieve greatness. But neither do I want to trivialise my own precious life.

There has got to be a 'reason' for living. A rational purpose that makes life worthwhile. And it has got to be more than just my children. After all, they will probably live for their children, who will live for their children, and so on until humanity and eventually all life dies out. Then what? Then it will be that we all lived for something that came to nothing.

A great man in the Bible reflected on this and wrote ...

"Man who is born of a woman, flowers and then fads away, like a shadow that flees at the sunset, in a lifetime that's just like a day". (Job)

And Shakespeare sums up most of our lives well, 

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"

In other words, ultimately, life is absurd and meaningless. There's surely more to life than this!

In my next blog I will explain how Jesus rationally, emotionally, mentally and spiritually can give ultimate meaning to all our lives.

Working for the Gospel

This Easter, we at New Life Church are putting on a community 3 day Easter Event. We are a small church and so for us, this is a big deal. A small number of people will be working really hard over those three days to make the event the best event we have ever done. An even smaller group have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes.

Why do this stuff? That is an important question since we usually have mixed motives and sometimes, mainly wrong motives. An example would be - 

"We are doing it because we feel, we suppose we ought to. It is an obligation as part of the church."

That motive has nothing good about it in God's eyes because there is no heart or pleasure in it. It is like a burden that we reluctantly take on and look forward to unloading so that we have got it out of the way and done our part.

Another motive which seems better - certainly sounds good, but in the end is potentially no good at all is ... 

"We are doing it for the sake of the gospel, we want people to know about Jesus". 

How can that be a wrong motive? I can hear you say, "Julian, don't you often say things like, "this is for the sake of the gospel"?

The problem is, we intellectually agree the gospel is primary, but a lot of the time our hearts prefer other things. So we know in our heads we should do this or that for the gospel, but our hearts are not in it. We do it just because we know we "ought" to do it.

When we talk about doing something for the sake of the gospel, it becomes a right motive when our hearts are in it, when we mean something like,

"I have been captivated by Jesus, He is wonderful in my eyes. My heart is thrilled by Him. When I consider what He has done for me I just want to give myself to Him completely. And when I realise most people do not know anything about this wonderful treasure - Jesus and what He has done and what He is like, I will do anything to help them see what I see that they too may share with me in this joy."

In that situation a person is filled with the gospel, compelled by it, joyfully given to it and motivated by it, for it, they cannot think of anything better than the gospel, it makes their hearts fill up and overflow.

That is what you might call a gospel person. That is what every Christian should be. But to be a gospel person, we must fight battles and discipline ourselves to keep ourselves in the conscious love and joy of Jesus. That is what is meant by 'for the sake of the gospel'.

A gospel person with an overflowing heart sees the kind of events we are doing as an opportunity to do something with the overflow of their hearts. For a gospel person, doing something for the sake of the gospel is not even a sacrifice because it is where their hearts are at. It is a sacrifice when our hearts prefer other things to Jesus, because then we are sacrificing what we really love for something we feel obliged to do - that feels like a cost. But when the gospel person works hard for the sake of the gospel he says like Hudson Taylor, "I never made a sacrifice".

So as we engage in gospel work, check your own heart. if you're heart's not in it, what is the answer? We'll answer that tomo.

The Maddest Gamble ever!

I understand and respect the fact that different people have different beliefs from Atheism to Breatharianism - that's fine (actually Breatharianim is not fine - it's downright dangerous!) but you know what I mean.

So I get all that - and I respect an individual's right to choose what they believe. But there is something I really cannot get my mind around. That is this ...

How is it, so many people - probably you the current reader included, are so confident about what you believe you are comfortable gambling that Christianity and Islam are wrong?

Now I know Islam is not true - but I've done the homework and know why it cannot be true, but I doubt you have down the same.

Most people never bother to find out the first thing about these two great (in terms of size) world faiths - yet these faith systems hold that we live once, then die, then face judgment. All who have not complied will be cast into a lost eternity - hell.

Now I know I am not a genius, I'm not an intellectual or great thinker - but I also know I am not totally stupid. My guess is that I have an average IQ and know how to think things through and be sensible.

Now I also know that Christian beliefs are unpopular today. Most people don't really like them very much anymore. They are considered unsophisticated and primitive.

Now as a common sense man and a Christian I do question my beliefs. Is it really possible that Christianity is the one true faith? Isn't that arrogant, primitive and outmoded thinking? I do wonder from time to time.

The truth is, there are times when I don't even want it to be true - it doesn't fit with society anymore and I just want to be like everyone else. I have times when I doubt it all.

So at those times I re-evaluate all the evidence. That is my own life story and experience, the Christian world view compared to all others and the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What I find when I check it all out is - it all checks out. I'm not saying it is 100% water-tight - but it is say, 95-97% at the very least.

Then I sometimes think - but there is a slither of possibility that it may all be untrue, that 3-5% chance. And I contemplate the possibility of turning my back on the church and the Christian faith on the basis of that 3-5% slither of doubt.

But do you know what?

The thought of it utterly terrifies me - I am not kidding here - man, it make no sense at all to gamble so much. If Christianity is true - and at the very least it is almost certainly true, then my turning my back on it all is to almost certainly damn myself to hell forever and ever and ever.

That is an insane gamble - only a fool would gamble so much for so little.

Yet this is what most of you do. You are gambling on Jesus never having risen from the grave - you are gambling on the Christian faith being untrue - probably not because it is unbelievable - it is believable and has real credibility - but because you don't want it to be true. You don't want Jesus.

Like a mad-man on a helper-skelter to destruction with eyes closed tight and fingers in ears imagining happy thoughts you are hurtling to what the ancients called 'the day of reckoning'.

My advice and plea?

Stop gambling so much for so little. Find out now what is true and begin to do what is right in the light of that. The decisions you make today effect not only your eternity, but will influence the eternity of those you love most too.

Consider this ...

Christianity is not cool and popular, it is considered unsophisticated and doesn't really fit with our modern society - but does that make it untrue? Of course not. So don't reject it on that basis.

Wanna know how you can find out more? leave a comment, go to our web site, message me - whatever, find out.

FIEC Leaders Conference

I have been involved in FIEC for over 16 years. I have worked for FIEC as a Church Planter and have been on their Outreach Team before the rejig 3 years ago. I have been on the inside of FIEC and on the outside of it. In 2010 my employment by FIEC ceased and the church I lead was not yet affiliated with FIEC.

The years I spent working for FIEC were good years. The staff were always very supportive. It's strength was always the gospel centred people. However, being on the inside track was always, very frustrating. I always felt strongly that FIEC needed to change and was much less than it could be. Strangely, virtually everyone I spoke to, including FIEC staff agreed. But FIEC, for all it's good was unwieldy. No-one seemed to know how to bring about change. I think one reason for this was the way FIEC was structured. It was not structured to be led.

However, change did come! Three years ago FIEC for a New Day launched. John Stevens was installed as FIEC Director, Trevor Archer and Richard Underwood followed his appointment as Director of Training and Director of PCT. Later, Andy Patterson was appointed as the Director of outreach which covered church planting.

I always had my reservations - not about the men - they are all great men, but the structure. I felt the main post should be Director of Outreach with training and PCT sitting underneath. 

The next three years was for me, 'be positive, encouraging and supportive, wait and see'. They were talking the talk but could they walk the walk?

Three years later, I am more than delighted to say that the FIEC Leaders Conference was everything and more than I expected. Any previous reservations I had are gone. FIEC has succeeded in establishing a DNA with a foundation that is Reformed Evangelical (thankfully no change there) and spear-headed by the gospel. 

FIEC has always been Evangelical, it has always been 'gospel centred' (I think), but the subtle difference now is that it is more contemporary Evangelical (demonstrated by its statements on Ecumenism and complimentarity and more recently the timely Statment on homosexuality and gay marriage! but as well as being gospel centred! I would say it is now firmly 'Gospel Up-Front and Centre!' It is unapologetically gospel motivated and gospel led. It seems less defensive and more offensive. 

Right now, for the first time, I really feel FIEC is home - and I love it! 

Great conference!

Physical training is of some value, but godliness ...

The tomato plant provides a great analogy for today's meditation. When the tomato plant is young - that is before it has born any fruit, it is one of the most vibrant looking of plants, it is pristine and buzzing with life. It is full of health and attractive. Then it flowers - and again looks good, vibrant and brimming with vitality. The life and vitality, the bushelling growth are all exciting - but it is all about the fruit, the fruit is the really exciting part, it is what the plant is all about. If that plant should bear no fruit for all it's vitality - it is useless, a complete waste. 

However  - all of its strength and energy goes into producing the fruit. As a result, the rest of the plant quickly begins to whither and die. Leaves wilt and hang lifeless, the colour fades and the whole plant becomes a ragged mess, it doesn't look pretty - but it has an abundance of good fruit!  The vitality and life, vibrance and vigour are all gone, gone into bearing much fruit, and that is what pleases the one who will harvest the crop. 

People are like tomatoe plants. Those without Jesus will never produce the smallest bit of fruit, they know nothing of it at all. The best the people of the world can do is put all their energy into trying to stay vital, trying to keep looking young and fit. It is because they know nothing of fruitfulness that aging terrifies them and they do all they can to fight it because it’s all they have. But no matter how hard they try, the onslaught of age is unstoppable, eventually they die -fruitless. This is a sad, sad tragedy. The truth is, like a fruitless tomato plant, their lives have been utterly futile.

But we are Christians. We know that every plant that does not bear fruit is fit for the fire (Matthew 3:10) We know that God has given us health, vitality and vigour - not to be preserved but used to bear fruit. 

But many of us find it easy to slip into worldliness and act as if the vigour, vitality and 'looking impressive' is all we have. Like the world, some Christians put as much energy, money and time on looking and feeling good as people of the world! 

Let’s make the decision to not be like the world. Let’s not spend silly amounts of money on our appearance - trying to look good - it just sin’t that important. Let’s not waste too much time trying to keep ‘age-at-bay’. Let's maintain good health in such a way that speaks to the world that health is not our god - Jesus is. The humble tomato plant - like God's word teaches us, there is a cost to producing fruit - there is a price to pay and a death to die - the vitality of the tomato plant gives way for the sake of the fruit. This is the way of the Spirit.

What is more important to you? Where does the best of your energy, money, time and resources go? How much goes into bearing spiritual fruit? Do you even know what it is?

None of the above is to say we should not look after ourselves. We should, but not for selfish, worldly reasons. Paul says “Physical training is of some value...” (1 Timothy 4:8). This means exercise, diet, hygiene and maintaining good health is good and of real value, but the verse then goes on to say “... but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come”. In fact, the value of ‘physical training’ and maintaining health - is for the sake of the gospel. If I am healthy, I can serve God! To the degree it serves God is the degree to which it is good.

Jim Elliot was a single minded missionary who paid the ultimate price for Jesus but bore great fruit. When at College he was on the wrestling team and was very talented at it. But consider this extract from the biography of his brief life.

"Was Jim enjoying the wrestling? It must have been fun to frustrate the national champion. But this was secondary to Jim. He was not wrestling because he liked wrestling, but because wrestling was a means to keeping his body fit and healthy and strong enough for missionary work ... He wrestled because of the discipline and physical fitness it required-characteristics that had direct relevance to his life goals. Any pleasure the activity may have brought him or anyone else was strictly an extra benefit."

Jim Elliot: Missionary Martyrs (Heroes of Faith) Miller, Susan Martins (pages 25,26)

Jim got it right! Many of us seem to have Paul the opposite way round. We act as though  'godliness is of some value, but physical training has value for all things, holding promise...". That is wrong!

Spend some time now to consider, have you stewarded your physical body well for the sake of the Kingdom? Do you need to begin to do so? Do you idolise your body or appearance over godliness?Does more of your energy go into your own body than godliness? Are you maintaining your body for selfish reasons or for the sake of the Kingdom. Pray and ask The Lord to give you wisdom and grace to make whatever adjustments are necessary that your energy may go into being fruitful for HiM.

Thrown upon the Rock - the best place to be!

This morning consider Colossians 1:23. I have included 21, 22 also for the sake of context.

²¹ And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²² he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, ²³ if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation^[g] under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

In this verse is one very small, very important game changer of a word - did you see it? It is a very small word that has power to completely undo us. It is that little word ‘If”. From verse 21-22 Paul has been speaking about how God has (past tense) reconciled us to Himself through Jesus shed blood - but it all balances on that one little word - ‘if’. It all depends on IF we continue in the faith, not shifting from the hope of the gospel. In other words we don’t just hear the gospel one day and respond and get saved, but we cling to the gospel day after day after day. Clinging to it as a rock amid a tumultuous sea. Clinging onto it for dear life - literally. It is at the same time a rock of comfort and safety, but a rock of terror and fear.

Comfort knowing that on it we are safe, terrifying that we might fall off the rock. So we cling to it - not allowing ourselves to shift from it. This gospel rock is so precious, it is our only hope every single day. Those who have been truly saved will one day be revealed. The light of judgment will reveal it and there will be great surprise. Many we thought were not saved will be. Many we thought were saved will not be. The question is - are you saved? Who is saved? At least one part to that answer is found by looking at who is clinging to the gospel? Who is clinging to the cross? Who is glorying in the gospel? Who is finding all their joy in the gospel - who is reveling in it and worshipping God for it? 

There are those who take it for granted. They said a prayer a number of years ago. They go to church, they even got baptized, so they don’t worry anymore. They say - “God is forgiving and Jesus has died for my sin, I’m not so bad any more - I already put my trust in Him and got that out the way - I live a reasonably squeeky clean life - job done!” But those who truly know and rely on God’s grace tremble. There is the fear of God that drives them again and again to the gospel, to the cross singing in their heart the old prayer ... “Rock of ages, cleft to me, let me hid myself in Thee”. Do you daily glory in the gospel? Does the fear of the Lord cause you to tremble? Have you considered how dreadful a thing it is if your ‘salvation’ is not real? Or are you daily throwing yourself upon the rock, repenting, drinking in free forgiveness, full of praise, joy and thankfulness that He is your Savior and He is keeping you close to Him. 

Take some time now to reflect on your daily walk. What does it tell you about where you are at with Him? Do you have cause for concern? If so, come to Him now and ask Him to give you a heart that loves and values Him and the salvation He gives above all else. Ask the Lord to make Himself the treasure of your heart and keep asking Him until He has answered - and answer He certainly will. (Luke 11:11-13)

The grace of God

Consider the grace of God. For our sin, He - Jesus -  could have banished us to outer darkness in a moment. Most will be. He could have vent His anger and fury upon us for our arrogant rebellion and defiance of Him. But instead, in outrageous humility, He took on human flesh, entered our world of sin and suffering, lived a righteous life demonstrating for us what his Kingdom will be like - and it is truly to die for - and then allowed us to nail Him to the cross, to pay the price for all our sin, so that we could come back to God and find forgiveness, and begin to live in right relationship with Him and be heirs of his magnificent Kingdom.

This is the amazing grace of God! The outrage of God's grace is summed up in this great verse from the bible ...  'God who justifies the wicked...' (Romans 4:5). That is an absolute outrage! How can a righteous God be both righteous and justify the wicked? Only God could do that with integrity. Only Jesus would be willing to do that. Only Jesus does that. And Thank God He does,  because in those few words outrageous words are glorious hope for us all. 

How we should marvel and relish in this magnificent, deep, pure and soul satisfying goodness! How we should drink it in and worship Him for it. Giving Him all glory in all things, remembering the reason He did it.. He did what He did that He might be preeminent in everything! (Colossians 1:18). 

Determine today to return His amazing love for you, by giving Him preeminence in everything. Be a man/woman on a mission today. Make it your aim now, that everything you do today honors Him in the best way possible. Every decision, every attitude, every deed and every word you speak, do it in such a way that makes it as clear as possible that Jesus is your God and not the praise and esteem of men, not money or material things, not people, not education, not family, not career - make it as clear to all as possible that Jesus alone is your God, your savior, your joy, your prize, your passion, your everything. Live in such a way that it is clear to all that in your eyes, compared to Jesus, all other things are rubbish (Philippians 3). If you remember these things today and you will live well for your beloved.

If you don't yet know Jesus - man - you are missing out big time. Ask me and I'll tell you why He is so great and how you can know Him and why you - like everyone else need to know Him too.