Much has been made of the metaphor of the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to Canaan, and rightly so. It is a powerful story, in which the Hebrew people learned to free themselves from a slave mindset, grew to believe the promises of God, and readied themselves for possession of their promised inheritance, which was a fertile land of their own. A journey which could have taken weeks instead took many years, because of the depth of change and preparation needing... Read more
How do you know if your circumstances are from God? The church of my youth taught that if you prayed about something and gave the outcome into God’s hands, saying ‘thy will be done’, whatever happened would be God’s will. If a person asked God for a blessing, the failure of that blessing to arrive would be interpreted by the spiritual leaders of my youth as an answer to prayer, the answer being ‘no’. This approach is not in... Read more
The word ‘respect’ summons an array of potential meanings, the most obvious of which might be to honour, look up to, obey, and revere. It occurred to me recently that none of these form the foundation of respect. In fact, there might only be a handful of people each of us looks up to in such a way, in which case respect becomes something rarefied rather than universal. To me, the foundation of respect is care. When I respect... Read more
Heaven and Earth are connected, and that connection is the Holy Spirit flowing from paradise into us and out to the world. The Book of Revelation pictures the origins of the river like this, Rev 22:1-2, Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood... Read more
Glory is a commonly used word, peppering worship songs, hymns, prayers, and colloquial Christian speech, but what does it mean to bring glory to God? Take a moment if you will before reading on: what does the word glory mean to you? What does it make you think of? When have you given God glory? In what circumstances might you say the phrase ‘glory to God?’ In the church, Glory is often understood as credit – I take... Read more
God’s blessings flow to us in an organic way. There is seed time (when we make choices and set our sights on new outcomes, diligently taking step after step in a conscious direction) and there is harvest (when the promise of God comes to pass). Why might God choose this method of growth and breakthrough? Wouldn’t it be easier to simply inherit God’s promises the moment we see them with the eyes of revelation and lay claim to them?... Read more
Over the past year or so I’ve been writing for Patheos, several people have told me my articles don’t belong in the Evangelical channel. I’ve been reflecting on this over time, and realise I have a conundrum to solve. There is much a share with my Evangelical brothers and sisters: I love the Bible, spending regular time diving into its wisdom in the presence of the Holy Spirit. If I want answers, prayer and Bible study are my first... Read more
Theology serves a crucial purpose. It steers us back time and again to the heart of God. It informs us of Whom we worship and provides a structural understanding of the faith we hold to. In my opinion, theology is often employed in a less laudable endeavour – to reinforce the status quo. For example, I was brought up in a church which regularly taught on ‘wilderness times’ – periods in the life of a believer when God seems... Read more
I’ve often taken comfort from the idea that Jesus’ resurrection body still bears the scars of crucifixion in his hands, feet, and side. A teacher I respect says that the only person in Heaven whose body remains imperfect will be Jesus, who carries the marks of mortality and the sacrifice he made for all humanity. I’ve also reflected on the idea that his wounds are an expression of his continual intercession for us – though we be perfected in the... Read more
I’ve been dwelling on this verse in Proverbs 17: ‘The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.’ As a younger Christian, I was offered the explanation that God tests us through difficult circumstances to see if we will still hold to faith in the midst of the storm. This picture of refinement through suffering dovetailed with a general view of God as stern, obsessed with our good behaviour, and putting our... Read more
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