Category Archives: Bible Study

A New Covenant—Neglected

Posted on 26/04/2016 | 3 comments

Appallingly, today, we see a denial of much of the glorious features of the New Covenant—New Testament life. Instead of God’s laws poured by the Holy Spirit into their minds and written on their hearts, many are content to get their spiritual input not from the Lord Himself, but from middlemen with agendas—spiritual directors, priests, pastors. Instead of being the people of God, many see their identity as Baptist or Catholic or Evangelical and so on. The two-tier (clergy-laity) mentality persists.

Does not the Living God find fault with us in our unbiblical practices of assembly and hierarchy which we continue to hang onto?

Instead of all God’s people being in unbroken fellowship with the living God—knowing Him in their personal experience—they are dependent on professional Christians as mediators. The whole concept given to us by S. Paul—that of the one body with many active functioning members, each with gifts of the Holy Spirit—is ignored, seen as irrelevant or even mysteriously withdrawn. Millions even attend rituals in which it is believed Jesus is re-sacrificed again and again by a priest, clearly at great odds with the message of the New Testament—this sacrifice was made once for all and all time and is unrepeatable.

The key to much understanding of the New Covenant is that we are each born into a Body—the Body of Christ. Individualism is contrary to the New Covenant and to our organic, community life in the Body of Christ. We are many members and one body. God makes covenant with a people, not with individuals, but with the body of Christ, in Jesus.

When the Lord talks about a new agreement (covenant), he means that the first one is out of date. And anything that is old and useless will soon disappear. (Hebrews 8:13)

All kinds of spirituality that are inadequate or out of date have now been made obsolete by God’s flawless design; and what is obsolete and outdated soon disappears. And now what is not planted by the Father will be rooted up (Matthew 15:13). What is built, even if on a good foundation, if not with God’s specified materials, will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

This New Covenant is made with Christ and we get under the New Covenant by being hid in Christ together. So it can never be broken! You cannot break it—it was not made with you!

So what are you going to do about this?

You have the wonderful power of choice. To change your mind and heart and actions.

Must we keep disobeying the Lord who gave Himself for us?

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Posted in Bible Study, Covenant, new, old, Discipleship

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A New Covenant—Ignored?

Posted on 22/04/2016 | Leave a comment

God’s first agreement (covenant) with His people, Israel, was defective, wrote the author of the New Testament book The Letter to the Hebrews (8:7-8) so a better was needed. This author shows how much more serious is our attitude and response to the New Covenant (how shall we escape if we ignore its implications, Hebrews 2:1-4).

The new must not be ignored. God’s design practices for corporate worship revealed in the New Covenant/New Testament must be followed. We must not lose His words or replace them by worldly or pagan ideas and practices like clergy—laity, pastor—people.

In this better covenant Jesus is not prevented by death and we are ALL called into the experience of the Lord Jesus in the power of his endless, indestructible life in which he works in us who draw near. He promises to energise within us, in our own life, breathing his life in us, so that it becomes our new nature to love him, delight to do his will—his own life in us.

Have believers gone backwards since Judaism with corporate matters?  In many ways our practices in churches as Christ’s people today are often more bound and institutional and domineering to that of many devout Jews in Jesus’ own day. Jews did not have a pastor or priest ruling over them. Nor did they meet in ‘house-of-the-Lord’ type buildings. Nor was the sharing of the word of God jealously guarded by one (or two) leaders.  The synagogue was a place of discussion and sharing of scriptures by the several.  Common meals were frequently shared together. Plus each synagogue was independently managed. They did not have to toe the line of any outside superintendent, C.E.O., denomination, statement of faith, or any head office!

These churchy practices plainly ignore the New Covenant.

How far we have drifted from the apostles’ teaching and practice! They were liberated from the practices of Judaism, yes, of religion and the Holy Spirit was living in each one! Yet today Christendom is weak, divided up into competing denominations, living “in the flesh” and generally not experiencing the New Covenant. It seems we have a similar situation today to that which our Hebrews author was addressing  (Heb 8:7-8) . . . .

 If the first covenant with God had been all right, there would not have been any need for another one. But the Lord found fault with them and said . . . . . .  (quoting Jer 31:31-34)

I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.
No longer will they teach or say to one another, “Know the Lord,”
because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’

Can we just go on and on ignoring the New Covenant made at the most tremendous cost to the Father by Jesus?

“If you love me you will keep my commands”  John 14:15

To be continued

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Posted in Bible Study, Covenant, new, old, Discipleship

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Persons are us

Posted on 22/01/2012 | 3 comments

A few years ago, my grandson, Max, when his sister Sophia was a new baby, was pretty jealous of sharing his parents’ attention with this newcomer.  

 Max : “Dad, you are a person.”        “Yes.”.

 “Mum you are a person.”                    “Yes.”

 “And I am a person!”                            “Yes.”

 “But Sophia – a sausage, burning.”   Smiles.

 Still makes their Dad chuckle.

 So what is a person?  Yes, much more than a sausage! Even a sausage burning.

 For Jesus, the one whom God sent to show us what He is like, the most important thing was meeting people. Talking to them and showing that he actually cared that they were there. That they were persons. He heard the cry of their hearts. He entered into their lives.  

 I like what a friend wrote recently about music and song, wonderful though they are: “You may be the only person who connects with someone on a personal level who then shows them that someone actually cares.  This, to me, is more important than all the songs you can write, sing or play.”

 People really want to know that you care about them.  We so need to get to know them on a deeper level and create true relationships with them. We need to laugh with them, cry with them, eat and drink with them.

So where did Jesus meet with people in his days as a Jewish man? Yes, in the synagogue, as he was a Jew. But in the synagogue, it inevitably led to controversy with the strict religious, or conflict over his teaching and then forcible removal. So it was mostly on the street, in the open, at dinner parties, weddings, funerals and especially with his followers and ‘sinners’ over meals.

 And, he doesn’t suggest his followers attend anything like a ‘worship service’ or a church or to go to a synagogue service! Nor were they told to create such human constructions, but to simply go the houses of “people of peace” and accept their hospitality.

After his death and rising and the out-pour of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’  followers continued to meet in Jerusalem in homes and at public places to be part of a whole new community of the Spirit. It was all about loving, caring relationships instead of laws, rituals and legal requirements. Real persons.

 That’s because Jesus and his Dad are persons. We also are persons ‘made in his image’, wonderfully designed and wondrously equipped to be God’s friends.  And so God still meets persons on the street, in the open, at dinner parties, weddings, funerals and especially with his followers over meals.

 Why do we so often deny our uniqueness, our special-ness, our design, the purpose of our existence here on Earth?  Why do we continue to deny the greatest matter of all? Why do we keep on ignoring such a gracious and welcoming Dad?

 I would welcome your answer.

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Posted in Bible Study, Discipleship, Identity, Make disciples

The human desire for certainty

Posted on 18/01/2012 | 10 comments

“Faith is believing what you know ain’t true”  Mark Twain

No. No. No. Not so!  Faith, true faith, is trust and we need evidence to be able to trust! We need evidence.

That is how we live, e.g., we trust surgeons and flight captains with our lives. We trust that others will obey the road rules when we are driving. And we trust those we love. We cant see it, but we trust that there is this thing called love.  The scientist trusts that the world is really there, that her brain is working well, and that the laws of nature are in place.

We base such trust on evidence.

It is truly true that reality is that which is actually there even when you don’t believe in it and it’s an absolute certainty that disbelieving in God won’t make Him go away.

However it is fashionable in some circles to say “nothing is certain”. But there is this human desire for ‘certainty’. It’s everywhere. Here’s a good example.

In John’s biography of Jesus, Thomas was told by the others, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” But then eight days later Jesus appeared and said to Thomas “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” The record says that Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” And Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? How blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

I wonder if doubting Thomas actually put in his finger or his hand to Jesus’ wounds, evidence of who he was, evidence of his suffering and death, and of course, of his bodily resurrection?  

I can’t be certain, but one day I will find out.

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Posted in Bible Study, Discipleship, Identity

The Bible Story Conversation

Posted on 10/01/2012 | Leave a comment

Commencing next month, I am starting another small group project at my home at Ashgrove with the object of looking at the entire biblical message from Genesis to Revelation. This is a big project and will be rigorous. There will be some startling revelations as there will be stuff people don’t  get in regular Christendom.

We will meet to make conversation with one another and with its author about the teaching of the Scriptures.

This project will include much He has taught me and stimulated me deeply over the last couple of years, including uncovering the Messiah Jesus who has been overlaid for millennia by Big-Church, Christendom and commentators of a Greek mindset. There are many sayings of Jesus that we have in our English bibles which do not reflect accurately the Hebrew meaning. So much light will be shone on the difficult words of Jesus.

It’s a challenge to think like a Hebrew!

 There will be no assignments, no direct questions asked (lots of questions to the whole group though). And if you are new to all things Christian then there is a likelihood you won’t have to unlearn much. There is a cost involved. Not of money but of time, energy and commitment. He is worthy of that and more.

 This project is designed to yield not just data, the evidence, the facts, information, but also to make transformation, to come face to face with our Creator and Sustainer and Saviour.

Who would like to join with us in this great project? Do you know anyone else who might benefit from this offer? Please phone me ASAP on 33661633 if you want to join with us in this adventure or if you need more information. Our dining table is very limited for space. So last call.

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Gallery

Kid’s stuff movement

Posted on 09/01/2012

Have you read that little story where people were bringing little kids to Jesus for him to place his hands on them? And then when his disciples saw this, they tried to stop them. But Jesus called the children to … Continue reading →

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