Year: 2024

Rebuild the Temple

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Theology

The early disciples had a strange relationship to the Jerusalem Temple for they seem to have continued to visit the Temple, so for example we read in Acts 3 that Peter and John were going ‘to the temple at the hour of prayer’. When Jesus had spoken about ‘not one stone remaining on another’ those words came as quite a shock to the disciples. The building was awesome, immense and impressive. The Temple was a subject of conversation among travellers within the Imperial world. ‘But have you seen the Temple in Jerusalem?’ would be a comment when a traveller was recounting what they had seen as they travelled across the Roman world. The Temple site occupied around 20% of the entire footprint of Jerusalem – this was not so much a city with a Temple (Canterbury with its cathedral is a city with a cathedral) but a Temple with surrounding buildings. The reference of Jesus to ‘my Father’s house has many [store-]rooms’ is based on the historic Temple with its many storehouses.

The shock of it coming down certainly indicated the end of the age, in our culture something like the detonation of an atomic bomb, with a significant before and after. The trauma of AD70 was intense… The great hope was of God delivering Jerusalem with many prophetic voices asking the people to stay firm. In the midst of the years of assault the Roman armies withdrew as Rome central was in crisis – imagine how those who believed the prophets would have rejoiced. However Jesus had warned about such ‘false prophets’ and once Rome stabilised they returned to finish the work and the end result was utter destruction. [I am deeply concerned that a considerable part of the prophetic movement globally is caught in that position currently – when I hear of ‘go back’, ‘God will vindicate’, or I read of the rejoicing when an intellectual proclaims a return to biblical foundations I get a tad worried, for the prophetic is not about yesterday but about tomorrow. Yesterday might stir faith but it is faith for ‘a new thing’. I see parallels between Jerusalem and today – the crisis we are in is to bring us through to something different, to landscape that is all-but unrecognisable.]

There is a hope for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem that is held to by some Zionists and Christians influenced by Dispensationalism, but seems so unlikely to me. There is no hope found in early Christian literature of the hope of the Temple being rebuilt that I am aware; Ezekiel’s vision of the Temple is never specified as being in a specific location, other than the city shall be called ‘The Lord is there’. Ezekiel’s vision fuels John’s vision in Revelation 21 of the New Jerusalem, the city that comes down with dimensions that fill the whole earth, and John says ‘I saw no Temple there’… The old Jerusalem was a Temple with a city around it, and any visitor would say ‘I saw the Temple’ for there was no way that one could visit the city and not see the Temple. John’s statement is in total contrast. A city without a temple! Or as we read we know the city is both a city and a temple. The eschaton has no hope of a third temple.

One final text that is quite powerful are the closing words of Matthew’s Gospel known as the Great Commission. Matthew begins his Gospel with the Genesis of Jesus Christ, he often then writes of Scripture being fulfilled, then comes to the close with the Great Commission:

Thus says King Cyrus of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Let any of those among you who are of his people—may the Lord their God be with them!—go up.

OH, did I get the wrong quote? Maybe not. The last words of the Writings (2 Chronicles) – the ‘Great Commission’ of king Cyrus, to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem… ‘Go to Jerusalem’ from the place of Exile, and may God go with you… OK here comes the quote,

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

The direction has always been the radical opposite, Jerusalem… to the ends of the earth, Jerusalem to all exilic places; temple building, but not with stones one upon another. Presence – now what does the Presence of God look like / feel like? The Presence is the evidence. Presence with, among not simply for people and certainly way beyond a power to act on people. There is a Temple being rebuilt, and maybe these next years will see a ‘temple’ that we are convinced will remain intact being removed one stone from another? I am not an iconoclast, but I do believe in a journey into the unknown, hence the promise of ‘I am with you always’ is so important.

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Who knows?

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

Ignorance – something we seem to share in significant measure… and when we put it in relationship to heaven’s knowledge and wisdom, our ignorance will be seen as more than a significant measure!

I like to know things. I like to do something that I know is world changing(!) but always have to come home to rest with ‘that day will reveal all’. I have pointed out that once we take away the artificial chapter divisions that are immediately preceding the amazing prophecy of fall of Jerusalem / the Temple is the widow who puts her two coins into the Temple treasury both releases Jesus to prophesy and is a major catalyst to bring the Temple down (probably coupled to Judas’ monetary contribution). The sight I did not have on the widow was that she did not do her act as something ‘prophetic’, as something full of knowledge (Steve Watters – thank you!).

Now a bit of a jump to Paul’s words in Rom. 8:28

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose (NRSV Updated edition… though not wholly happy with the translation this time!).

I like the NRSV because it tries to come at things without a bias, it should be more ‘evangelical’ in places, but also de-evangelicalises in parts where the language is more neutral… this time round it kind of goes back to the KJV(!!) with its ‘all things work together for good’ – a very fatalistic interpretation, so let’s correct that one first and bring it in line with most modern translations… God works all things together for good. Not ‘all things’ are what they should be, but we need to know that God is not passive. Craperoo at a personal, social and cosmic level exists… but God. what a place to start. God is involved in my life, my world and the world.

Let me (with all my expertise???) try a translation that might push a direction – and also one that might fit the wider context of the groan of creation just a little better (to those who want to follow along or simply be impressed the ‘original’ text as best we have it):

Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τὸν θεὸν πάντα συνεργεῖ εἰς ἀγαθόν,
τοῖς κατὰ πρόθεσιν κλητοῖς οὖσιv.

We know that (a challenge to start – do I ‘know’ this) to those who love God (might be ‘with those who love God’) s/he works all things toward good (all things – normally used not of my personal circumstances but of the ‘all things’ of creation, probably indicating that God is working everything within the context of the whole of creation toward ‘good’… cf. to Genesis 1 – and saw that it was ‘good’), with those who are called according to [God’s] purpose.

Here we go… Creation and the redemption / restoration of creation is the ‘goal’ / eschaton we are headed toward, and in the same way as creation follows humanity (Genesis 1 – 3) so Paul indicates that now (fallen) creation is looking to those of God’s family for freedom, longing for the same freedom. In that context I think this verse sits… God’s purpose and focus is creation’s redemption, and the how is WITH those who are called. It is beyond FOR, and it is beyond my circumstances. It moves beyond the widow puts her two coins in the treasury and comes back home to find an incredible gift of 200 coins (a hundred fold) on her door step. Maybe… and we can declare ‘God looks after the widow’, or certainly we can declare that God has always instructed that we look after the widow… but it goes beyond the multiplication of coins to a process toward the good. The corrupt temple, with its exploitation through the ‘sacrificial’ system has to come down. [The Temple occupied approx 25% of the city; the many mansions / rooms in the place that was intended to be God’s house were mainly storehouses!] A process where God works with this (ignorant) woman toward good was unfolded. Ever since religion has sought to rebuild the temple… ever since we are provoked to both find the Presence of God and to take the Presence of God to the entire cosmos, to work with God so that the dwelling place for God might be in totality with the totality of humanity. If we align with that – with all our ignorance – then there is a release for God toward shifting all of creation toward what is truly ‘good’, a place of harmony, reconciliation. That can be at the personal level – many are ‘lost’ in the sense of not knowing who they are, are in conflict within themselves; at the relational level – many are ‘lost’ within their context… and of course at the cosmic level, and of course of course ‘lost’ in that they have never heard that ‘I/Thou’ question of ‘Martin where are you?’ the answer of which begins the journey with God.

All things might not line up for me so that I have the life I have always dreamed of (did Paul… ship wrecks, beatings, prison, despairing of life itself)… but in and through all the things where I respond so positively… and in the many areas where I do something that I think has no value (like the widow) makes a contribution to the future of this world. That great day will be beyond wonder – imagine the face of the dear widow that we read of (not to mention Judas’ face). I hope I have a few shocks too as I ask the question – but when did I visit you in prison, when did I give you a cup of cold water?

Who knows the value of our amazing contributions? But we know God works with us, with all our ignorance.

I am not elevating ‘ignorance’, I think we need simply to encourage one another to align with the future so that we might be included in those who God partners with – those who are called according to God’s purpose.

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The contract

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

Years ago I read Renegotiating the Church Contract (author: James Thwaites) which gave an insight to how within the church there is often an unwritten contract between leadership and followers. This is more true within the charismatic and non-denominational brand of churches where the emphasis is on moving ahead, so ‘leaders’ are vital (my background). It is part of what is getting unravelled at this time, and the nature of unravelling is not a lot happens for a while as ends are pulled, then at a certain moment something gives and then the whole process speeds up enormously.

A sect is not a bad thing, for even followers of the way were sociologically a sect within Judaism, but it is when cultic elements make their presence and become established that the problems begin in earnest. Cults are deviant, but cultic elements can be present in all kinds of orthodox movements (and of course are often present in ‘secular’ corporations).

I am convinced that someone with 5% discernment could enter many organisations and without being given clues about the structure could soon establish who is part of the leadership, the aspiring leadership and the followers. I have sat in the distance observing some movements – one in particular that has entered the great unravel currently – and even from a distance can see that there was an unwritten contract in operation. Leaders who hold to a world view of the dangerous, evil world with a certain amount of conspiracy thrown in; followers who carry deep anxiety about the world so need to find safety which they find in the strength of the leaders who also helpfully carry something of an inside track on the path to the future. Made for each other. Make sure the ratio of leaders to followers continue at a level where the honour flows.

Same story over again and again. ‘We want a king… a king who will fight our battles for us’. Well there is a price to pay for that contract. This contract operates within the church and as it takes root it often then sets in motion something very unhealthy in the church / political realm.

I believe ‘the heart after God’ that was sought for in the successor to David is not so much the person who can pick up the harp as the one who will bring that contract to an end – to do so we might need to pick up the harp, write poetry, be reflective, rather than pick up the sword, shed blood and boast. Finally there was one who did just that, the son of David, the king of the Jews, the one who took all that to the cross:

Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” (Matt. 27:37).

Jesus broke the contract, and from the depths ascended on high to pour out gifts, so that the entire body might come into a fullness. That fullness is not getting to the heights and forgetting the depths, it is filling all things from the depths to the heights. In that way the contract disappears.

Leadership is a gift (and it is difficult sometimes to get new words when old words have been filled with a different meaning) but when any level of cultism invades that gift – in whatever realm – the gift will only serve the system not the filling of all things. Cultism (like the desire for the king) flourishes in that in-between space; the ego within the ‘king to be’ needs to be suppressed so that s/he is not finding the baggage as a temporary hiding place but remains there till the ego gives way to sober self-identity; the desire for security within us all has to find a place of settlement that reluctantly knows we will have trouble but can find stillness within for Jesus has overcome

‘Not so among you’. Could it be?

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Sects, cults, -ish and -arians

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

So if the article does not get your attention I hope the title does! I have an offspring who loves to tease me… dad of course we grew up in a cult, ‘I don’t think it is normal for the father to be casting out demons in the front room while we eat our dinner in the other room’. Still trying to work out who she means by ‘the father’. Please help me identify this strange character.

Sect… a sect is that which shares the beliefs of the wider community they are a part of, but they believe they are more faithful to that view. Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes all believe in the God of Israel but which the challenge was as to which of the approaches was the most faithful. Those Sadducees were just too liberal for the Pharisees, then within the Pharisees there were different schools – Hillel or Shammei, so of course not all Pharisees were in agreement. And the Essenes (assuming they are at Qumran) had had enough with that old Temple stuff, they were the true prophetic pioneers. Then comes the Nazarene followers… Sects have an ability to multiply!

Cult… deviant on core belief issues. Mormons – though when Mr Romney was a front runner it looked for a time that Mormonism might just be brought in under the ‘Christian’ label. A little fickle, methinks. JW’s, Seventh Day Adventism… the list goes on, but in the spirit of the member of my family, how far ‘off’ qualifies? Life in heaven in an eternal worship meeting? Penal substitutionary atonement? Any belief that holds to Christendom as the kingdom of God?

Secterian… now we are looking at an attitude toward others. I will separate myself from you because I judge you as in error. Thank God when I met all kinds of believers in churches that were ‘compromised’ in the 90s I soon realised that there were many rooms in ‘God’s house’ and I was no longer so sure that mine was not on the outskirts of it all! Now I meet all kinds of people who profess no faith I am on a different challenging path. All healthy for me. As I said to my professed atheist neighbour (and a softening one!) I with my faith might just be needing you more than you need me. A journey for him and for me.

Cultish… It is possible to part of main-stream and cultic. A cult is deviant belief-wise, but something cultic is deviant practice-wise and particularly with a focus on leadership structure and style. A common feature in a cultic scenario is the ‘hermes principle’ where there is no direct access to the leader (‘main gods’) but that there is a ‘Hermes’ character in place to interpret the god(s) and who has direct access to the divine counsel. [Paul and Barnabas encountered this, and many ‘apostolic’ movements embody this, hence many have a ‘Hermes’ figure system in place.]

I am still pretty much on the ‘sect’ trajectory… partly due to my understanding that it is only in the second half of life one becomes reflective. I am still ignoring all the blooded noses I have manifested to possess much ability to reflect. I am still running up the next hill proclaiming ‘this is the one’ only to find the answer to all things was not there… but the next mountain will definitely be the one. I don’t think though I am sectarian.

A cult… if it means to be deviant from the main core of our faith. No, No, No. Never possible! And cultic… I think I am innocent of that one or of giving my allegiance into something that is main stream but cultic.

So to all my offspring… no you did not grow up in a cult… and I am still focused on the front room activity (maybe – the jury is out) with a little more wisdom.

I am pretty stubborn but my defence is ‘I am where I am because of the journey I took and am far too young to harbour regrets’. That might render me not too smart, but am naively happy on the way.

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The cross changes what?

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

A certain UK pastor was slammed a few years back for claiming that if one explained the cross to an ordinary run of the mill person as ‘God punished his Son so that he might not punish you (if you believe)’ the response would be that one has just described ‘cosmic child abuse’. There are nuances on the above presentation but something akin to that is standard for many evangelicals. Sin, guilt, justice, wrath, hell one side of the equation… Jesus in the middle being punished in our place… we can cross over.

What does the cross change? It certainly does not change God, it does not move God from wrathful to forgiving. In simple terms God does not need the cross in order to forgive us. ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself’, Paul wrote. The cross does change us, but not in the simple way of being an example that we ‘see’ and then are moved by that love – the so-named moral-influence theory. It does that but that is not to touch the core. It certainly changes our subservience to the powers, the devil, sin as a power and death. Outpoured love sucks up all that is wrong, all rebellion, all domination. The cross – expressed as ‘Christus Victor’ – seems to centre there; but not one power proving to be bigger than the other (God is bigger than Satan) but as love conquers all.

God is love. Love is not simply an attribute of God but God is love. True love, love that gives, that flows for the other. The Trinity is love, a flow of love for the other; hence a hierarchical approach to the Trinity does not work. Love is eternal… Genesis 3 might be myth, but so deeply true – sin is not eternal (and even if we posit a pre-Satanic fall we still come to the same conclusion that sin is not eternal). It has a beginning and an end, sin is temporal. Although ‘battle’ as we understand is focused on ‘power and strength’ the key to overcoming in any situation is not to give up. Love does not ‘give up’, love is eternal, and the powers whether they be personal (Satan and demons) or personified (sin and death) are exhausted, nullified in the face of the cross.

The cross is the expression of the eternal nature of God within creation. That which had no beginning is expressed with a beginning – the Word became flesh; that through which (whom) all creation came became part of the creation. God becomes human. The cross is not a temporary fall of God from the place of power, but the temporal manifestation of the eternal God of love – hence ‘slain before the foundation of the world’.

The cross changes creation. The temporary sickness / poison within creation is drawn out to that event in Jerusalem some 2000 years ago. The after-results are still taking place. Maybe we see those after-results clearly when someone finds faith, but so much more than ‘Jesus died for me on the cross’ occurred at the cross. Every healing is a sign, every deliverance a pointer… and as we move beyond a greater Power over power to the presence of love, one wonders what can happen. I am all for confrontation and have enough bruises to illustrate that approach… but if I (and a few others (ekklesia)) could align with the eternal nature of the cross the inevitable response would be a manifestation of resurrection.

There is a before and an after with the cross. Forgiveness of sins is part of the before (after all God even covered the sins of the first murderer, not demanding justice or compliance to ‘the law’) in the sense of forgiveness for what someone had done that was wrong. There is an after to the cross… an empty tomb, death conquered.

The cross changed creation. By faith I was told one received the forgiveness of sins… maybe by faith I need to see the boundless possibilities of the cross, possibilities that one day will be a reality. I see a new heaven and a new earth.

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Something and nothing

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “no idol in the world really exists” and that “there is no God but one.” Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist (1 Cor. 8:4,5).

What exists? Does Satan exist? Demons? Principalities and powers? Maybe / maybe not. Let me assume for a moment that the devil is not a ‘personal’ entity. I can certainly understand the arguments for that position, yet regardless of the position taken the conflict is real; if demons do not exist as personal entities our commission is still to cast them out! I have had personal visitations from powers that have manifested in personal form and I remember one from my first visit to a particular nation. Manifesting in personal form I still remember the eyes, the stance with NO nervousness nor intimidation she informed me of where she was situated and what she controlled and nothing was going to change! The experience was real, the after-effects were real enough, certainly when I was literally evicted from the country, escorted by four armed guards back on to the airplane; I was, and remain, convinced of the reality of the conflict. But did ‘she’ exist as a personal entity? And if so from back in time as one of the devil’s fallen angels?

There are so many experiences, but theologising from experience is never wise… nor is developing a theology without reference to experience.

In writing about what I believe it becomes evident that there are many, many gaps as I do not have things tied up. It does seem certain to me that there are beliefs that ‘create’ powers. This creative power is very evident in the more extreme form of conspiracy theories that abound. In believing something I give power to the thing I believe exists, even if it does not exist. Paul seems to be wrestling with this aspect. There are no gods beside the one God… but there are gods and lords.

Earlier in 1 Corinthians Paul has said that,

God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to abolish things that are (1 Cor. 1:28).

‘To abolish’ (καταργέω) carries a wide range of meaning from literally to obliterate / annihilate through to render inoperative. That leaves us some possible options. And my non-dogmatic response is that there are spiritual entities (or at least the presence of spiritual presences that manifest as entities) that we ‘create’ through our beliefs, and beyond that there probably are ‘fallen spiritual beings’ that exist and get attached to what we create, behind which seems to be ‘the Satan’. [The story of the demons going in to the pigs seem to suggest that they were at some level ‘beings’ independent of the Gadarene gentleman.] So perhaps the wide range of meaning seems appropriate. Abolish what we create, thus giving no / less space for spiritual powers (demons) to operate thus rendering them inoperative.

Beliefs get us so far… our stance (‘stand’ being such a strong word in Ephesians 6) and our prayers are there to bring solutions that our beliefs might never be able to do.

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Not for profit?

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

Money is at one level a ‘nothing’, at another level simply a set of figures on a spreadsheet / computer screen – even the ‘gold standard’ is a little arbitrary, and ‘money’ at another level when tied to ‘mammon’, greed or outright consumerism manifests as a power. It is quite amazing that Jesus drew the line at ‘God or mammon’ and that the ‘mark of the beast’ manifests as to who can buy and sell, and with the fall of Babylon it is the merchants who are the ones who weep. A rather narrow, but extremely helpful, focus.

There is something within humanity that pushes for progress thus demonstrating great creativity, but the push for progress comes at a cost – the ‘eating the future’ path that homo sapiens has pursued.

I have a very practical eschatology, be as clear as possible, don’t speculate and try to twist Scripture to fit into any prior view (not written to us), but pray and aim toward as much of heaven on earth as possible. Hence if there is to be an antiChrist let’s minimise the effect of such a rule rather than accept it all as a universal fate. I am agnostic about a future antiChrist, but affirmative that we will always be in a battle. ‘Let your kingdom come!’

I wrote about kingdom business cannot have profit as the bottom line. I am also aware we live within this creation and a denial of this creation can take us into the unreal vision of utopia, or in theological terms over-realized eschatology. However…

  • Maximising profits is not a starting point. Don’t harvest to the edges of the fields, leave opportunity for the widow, alien and outcast to benefit (glean). Jubilee (and the Sabbath / the Sabbath year of rest) put a major limitation on how far progress can go. Care for the land and also care for those who need a new start are written in to Jubilee. The laws were social as much as they are spiritual.
  • Jesus broke the hold of mammon with respect to his own work. Giving the care of the money to a thief took care of that issue. (The planned, strategic ‘loss’ of money surely has to be part of ‘kingdom’ business?)
  • Work and money are not put together in Scripture – certainly I see Paul as pulling them apart. Work is a creational term, how do we work within this world for the benefit of creation, work is a prayer for the kingdom of God to come.
  • Resources are there to release not reward. Wages (and bonuses) are there primarily as a reward for what has been done, and what has been done to enhance the corporation, whereas a kingdom-oriented economy promotes the release of the giftings that people have.

There is a ‘b-corp’ movement that suggests a prioritising (bottom lines) of people, planet and then thirdly profit is the way to go. This approach might be improved on but if held to it is certainly something that lines up better against Scripture than placing the word ‘Christian’ in front of business with the same bottom-line remaining.

People. Not assets to get the corporation to a greater level of success (and when I write corporation we can easily see how some expressions of ‘church’ have become not a manifestation of heaven but of the world around). How to see corporations as a tool to develop all kinds of people to their potential is so necessary, and to acknowedge that some might be developed beyond the corporate setting they are in.

Planet. Not there to be exploited – and this is where ‘future eating’ manifests, with the sacrifice of the next generation for blessing now – the very spirit of Moloch. Abortion is a complex issue but certainly rampant forms of capitalism are a factor in the widespread abuse of abortion. Campaigning and praying are not enough… as always seed needs to be addressed as an eternal creational principle is of seedtime and harvest.

Profit. Not illegitimate. But profit as the only bottom line, profit that simply impoverishes others… No, no, no.

All the above might / might not be interesting and if the Lord is returning in the next (say) 50 years might prove to be a simply ‘well, whatever, here comes Jesus to bail us all out’. But if Jesus does not return int the next 50 years and we are serious about ‘longing for the day of the Lord’ we might be able to contribute to some new manifestations. I also believe we entered ‘the great unravelling’ probably with some intensity in around 2020 (my sight of this is about from 8 months ago – around 3-4 years late!) and much that has been seen as progress will emerge to have seriously diminished resources to simply continue with old models.

In the ‘spiritual’ realm it is here. I have had a series of dreams concerning the prophetic going back 11 months – old models, protocols, contexts, manifestations are over, they have reached their sell by date. I am currently tracking that I have had similar experiences regarding healing over these past two months – old manifestations are over. I am sure there is much more to come… The unravelling is not stopping there. The abuse of democracy, the polarisations within society… I have written since 2010 about the end of the hegemony of the US dollar as the currency of exchange – I expected that to take place by 2020. I now realise that the physical manifestation follows the practice, and I suggest that there has been an increase of international payments in currencies other than the dollar, a new currency will arise displacing the dollar.

New forms of warfare are here. Not simply with conventional weapons, but through the realm of the media. Always warfare is for the space between our ears. Hence ‘fake news’ is both true and false. Calling out what is broadcast, and silencing what is broadcast.

There is a new world already here. The world of my grandparents and of their grandparents were not too dissimilar. The worlds that we inhabit and the one that 2 generations on from us are vastly different. By all means cast a vote for whoever one is considered best, but any ‘make xxx great again’ is missing the mark – certainly for us believers who long for the coming of the kingdom. We serve the God who is – so important cos I have to connect now, today; the God who was – wow that gives confidence to us; and the God who is to come – nice change of language in John as the future is not something we move towards, it comes to us… and it is coming ever more rapidly.

That coming future is not ‘hell on earth’, certainly not if we explore with heaven what can come from the throne of God. That coming future will bring (it always does) a stop to some aspects of the Babel project of the tower that reaches ever upwards. As I move toward the second half of my life(!!!) I await with great anticipation, and pray that I will not be shaken by what can be shaken.

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Gayle is away…

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

Choice of sub-title:

  • how sad am I?
  • my companion is a dog.
  • can I keep the apartment clean?
  • getting on with work unhindered.
  • will I do more Zooms than she normally does?

Actually this post has nothing to do with her being away (on work) but a way in to tie why I am interested and committed to her work and how it relates to my previous post of miracles and great patience… in other words, posts need a title and I need a way in to write what I want to write, so quickly moving on…

Gayle has been working into the business world seeking to bring about (firstly) culture change within some pretty much hard headed ‘bottom line is profit’ corporations. She is uniquely qualified for this – not qualified by academic study – but by the timing, opportunity and her history coming together in this time. I have long had the focus on how do we see genuine transformation, not simply can we stick ‘Christian’ in front of business, and then take a proportion of the profit and put it into mission work. That might be a step in the right direction, but I think beyond that I am asking how can we see society itself transformed. A number of aspects push me that way:

Paul did not (my opinion and reading) help catalyse Christian communities to keep them separate from the wider world so that one day they might catch the bus and go to heaven, but that they were formed as the body of people who were present to shape the wider community – yeast in the bread. I consider his lectures over two years in Tyrannus’ hall went considerably beyond a set of spiritual laws, but given the resurrection of Jesus it led to an outline of what ‘new creation’ looked like. The vision he carried which was in opposition to the propaganda of Rome was so profound that even ‘Asiarchs’ who did not ‘convert’ wanted to preserve his life.

I can only respond to ‘let your kingdom come on earth as in heaven’ as having a final fulfilment and also present manifestations, hence I look for areas where there will be some evidence of that ‘on earth’, and certainly not through a ‘christianising’ way as we might find within the popular ‘seven mountains of influence’ ideology.

New inventions that speak (to those of faith) of the deposit of the creative God in humans, with great patience, that does not rob the future for today’s prosperity, but follows the pattern laid out of ‘seedtime and harvest’. That would be ‘apostolic’. New economy, not based on the trade of ‘buy and sell’ thus reducing the scope for the antichrist spirit to be present. I am looking for signs… signs in the corporate world of an apostolic spirit being present. And if slow to come… I will need patience, and probably also putting my ‘tackety’ boots on to see if those corporate strongholds won’t just move out of the way!

So Gayle is away, and when I first encountered some of what she is now involved in I said to her – this is not for me (beyond my understanding and ‘pay grade’) but it will be like a hand in glove when you encounter this. I am not away, but the impact of what she (and I am sure a growing number globally) is involved in is where my focus lies. I have many questions, the core one (at the moment) being can we really see a shift without confronting the corporate spirit within organisations… of course I would love to get my hands into that one! But moving on quickly, miracles and patience. Innovation – producing a before and an after – might be pushing into the ‘signs and wonders’ realm but the patience is so lacking. Indeed the Western drive for progress comes at a cost, and it is there that we have to consider what the OT confronted – Moloch – is very present. Why sacrifice of children? It was to get the favour of the gods now, so the future was sacrificed. Now, now, now – the opposite of patience. Progress – and profit – but at what cost? And the idea of not believing in ‘gods’ is not a journey we have made: ideologies.

I do believe we have entered what I term ‘the great unravelling’. A train wreck is taking place, dots not connecting in what has been built within ‘the church’, particularly within the charismatic, happenning end of our faith. But it will not stop there. Manifestations will appear in the economic realm (the area where the signs take place when there is a shift of powers spiritually), so major bank failures, new economic polarities that spark conflict. In other words much of the Western world’s security will be shaken… the sacrifice of the future for prosperity now is running out of road (homo sapiens have sadly become future eaters).

My date of birth confronts my fantasies! One fantasy is that I am nowhere close to entering the second half of life… DOB says ‘wake up’. That together with what I wrote above leads me ‘Gayle is away, and I am focused on what is rising that can sow into a future transformation’.

I do believe we can see a change to economic structures, to the empty shell of the democratic process, to the increasing gap between rich and poor, to the issues of racism and immigration. Changes not simply within the Christian world, but that the leaven will infect the whole loaf.

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…with great patience

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

The signs of an apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works (2 Cor. 12:12).

Not sure Paul was an easy person to live with, and of course there were times when he got things ‘wrong’. But he has such incredible insight, this verse included. The Corinthians were easily impressed so it would seem, this pushed Paul into some ‘foolishness’ where he said he could compete with anyone they suggested, recounting one of the times he went to the ‘third heaven’, here though I think he moves right away from foolishness as he puts two aspects together as indicating what marks out a true apostolic calling. The miraculous, those immediate and tangible changes with a before and an after, and the overriding context of ‘great patience’. Not one without the other. The combination presents a challenge.

Patience… seems to have a connection to trials, tribulations and even suffering. If we see following Jesus at the level of ticket to somewhere a lot of difficulties make no sense, for all we should expect is a good life with troubles truly far away from us… if however alignment with Jesus, incorporation into his destiny (predestination – all to do with being caught up into Jesus’ destiny) then we are part of the body that is in partnership with heaven to see the transformation of the world. Hence, my little context, and my little responses are so important for the future of the world. If I can respond to God with a ‘yes’ (which will necessitate at some point a ‘no’ at the human level) I am making a contribution to the future. It is as if my life is connected to someone else’s – and I might have no idea who they are – and as I pull for the future and wonder why the resistance is there and think what is wrong with me… I need my eyes opened – you are pulling more than you realise.

Patience. Oh yes. I am asking for another 500 years (not for me personally… my delusions do have limits) so that we contribute now to what is coming; that we begin to see not simply the collapse of so much (that is on the way already) but the seeds sown for the growth of something different.

These next couple of decades will see a different world all around us, with a level of issues that will feel overwhelming. At some point there will be a series of major catastrophes and the continual growth of the world population will decrease quite dramatically (I have been seeing this for the past 8 or so months). Huge issues… and (if I ever got myself another tattoo it would read:

Καὶ εἶδον οὐρανὸν καινὸν καὶ γῆν καινήν· 

For all you linguists out there… of course it reads… but more importantly for all of us who claim to follow the Lamb who went to the lowest point for the redemption of the world:

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth (meaning ‘a whole new creation’).

My context has changed, my activity has changed, my priorities at a day to day level have changed… but some things can never change. This is where we are headed. Patience… John the author of Revelation introduces himself with

I, John, your brother who share with you the persecution and the kingdom and the endurance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Endurance / patience (same word as Paul’s in 2 Cor. 12:12).

That is so evident… Visions, conflicts, catastrophes… endurance evidenced that he is still there saying ‘AND I saw…’

I am convinced there is a new apostolic mantle waiting to be embraced – not by this apostle or that one, but by a collective people. It is not that we have entered a new ‘magic’ era and suddenly there is a ‘new move of God’ it is far more that old ways are exhausted so there can be a new beginning. All moves of God are from the past – a cross and an empty tomb – and from the future – a new creation.

I guess the jury is out, hence I am not looking personally for another 500 years, but am very focused on these next 16 or so years. And into this, indeed, signs, wonders and miracles.

Much more to be said!!

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I believe in ‘glorious’ failure!

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by Martin Scott
Posted in Personal Perspectives

Let me start with a context. I am looking for transformation of our world. I believe that was what Paul was motivated by as he relentlessly travelled the Imperial world of Rome (an empire that contained maybe 20% of the entire world’s population). It was not as simple as ‘get people to put their hand up, announce they are born again’ and then look for that number to grow. He actually thought that the communities that did not ‘include many smart / rich / influential people’ were enough to see the world changed. If we could have popped in on his lectures in Ephesus over those 2 years the narrative of Jesus would have been central but the implications for all aspects of society would have been addressed.

I am sure into the chaos of decline God is speaking. We will have to see a greater decline yet in what we have given the label of ‘church’ to in order that ekklesia can rise: a move from a religious manifestation to a political one (not thinking political party!!). Into that situation ‘we’ hear the voice of God and repeat what we hear, but speak as a child (how we learn how to speak – took me almost 5 years to get there in my childhood). Childish talk (my ever so humble opinion) is what we hear with so much of ‘influence the world’ talk, the child is ego-centric, and the childish talk is of getting to the top of the mountain.

I hope we get beyond the childish talk, for to continue to talk as a child and there will be no change to our world.

Babylon always starts with what is, starts from where we are, sees the ‘heaven’ and will build a tower that reaches there and a name will be made. We so easily fall into that trap. At the simple level of a celebrity coming to faith… we celebrate, but it is it for the sake of the world or to stroke our ego and confirm that we got it right. A certain athlete who would not perform on a Sunday because of his faith was celebrated; a video could be bought of his story… Later (and still now as far as I am aware) he abandonned his faith and claims to be on the atheist / agnostic wing. I would benefit enormously from watching a video of his journey that took him to his current position. I don’t think that will ever be made by a Christian film company. I need my faith challenged, I do not need a simplistic pat on the back. We love a name for ourselves – we are right!

In starting from where we are we draw up from what is below. It comes through in what is built… and never reaches the heaven though a reputation grows.

Jesus who was on high, went to the lowest point, and ascended on high – the result being he filled all things. Starts in heaven, goes to ‘hell’ and all things are filled… on behalf of the ekklesia.

One way in to the book of Revelation is to follow the four ‘in the Spirit’ markers. John sees the Ascended Jesus; he enters the throne room; he sees Babylon; he sees the New Jerusalem. He does not start from what is here. It is the same movement as Jesus… from heaven to the pit to the reward.

The pit… and I am not meaning literal ‘hell’ (and beyond this post I am glad that is on the scrap heap, literally!) is part of the journey. We set our face toward something and have prophetic words to pull on – wonderful. ‘Did you not understand that first the Son of Man must suffer’. We should never deify suffering, but to deny it as part of the journey is to miss the process.

Making it practical there are monsters (‘beasts’ in the words of Scripture) that are there to devour. A business that is making profit and is then generous into missions might indeed be a ‘Christian’ business… but unless it goes deeper it is not a ‘kingdom’ business. To make a dent into the buying and selling contractual trade system (heavily critiqued in Revelation as the antithesis of the Lamb slain) has to be present in a kingdom business, and practically ‘profit’ can not be the bottom line – not even profit to be generous.

Embark on a kingdom path and it is always possible to be part of the ‘first’. Did you not understand that first the movement will suffer, there will be ‘failures’, bankruptcies… and then later there will be glory, transformation to the whole world system.

Following Jesus is not a hobby! The kingdom of God is not a patch that is placed on a sick world and all is better. That kingdom is at hand and still calls for a total re-think.

Let’s re-define ‘failure. Some ‘successes’ will prove to be failures. And some ‘failures’ will prove to be the seeds to glory.

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