Gayle and I are on the road (if I added ‘again’ it would not only be true but I could write a song about it and if I recorded it… OK bad idea)… and with limited wifi, so I am seeking to keep up with emails – but see this morning 44 unanswered ones. We have a rental in our apartment till the end of July, so a great time to reflect and check priorities are still our focus. I will (hopefully) get up the post I promised on ‘time’ alignment tomorrow… until then here is a podcast produced by Martin Purnell – this one the first of two with Paul Golf. I have chatted to Paul a few times on Zoom – always great value, so listen and enjoy.
Category: Personal Perspectives
Place: what is located on the land
Land is so foundational, with not simply great physical diversity but great ‘spiritual’ diversity. (The word ‘spiritual’ is not the right word to be used for this and perhaps I should have used something like ‘innate gifting / purpose’, but chose the inadequate term ‘spiritual’ to indicate that material land, physical location relates to the equally real (not more real) world of heaven). There is a connection that Paul affirmed between people, times and specific land when addressing the crowd in Athens, so that God can be found. Scripture indicates that the land can be polluted and can also be cleansed / reset to original intent.
Place… and again what term to use? I am using this term as an overall term to cover what we call city / town / settlement, business, trade, commerce – any institution or corporate construct that is ‘placed’ on the land. I also have to include church within this though I think Paul’s vision for ekklesia was different to that, essentially being a body of people who with a vision of, and from, the future were to be a redemptive catalyst, enabling the land to reset and accommodate whatever would develop a future that was beyond simply creational beginnings but moving toward new creation manifestations. If that be true, once again we can note the phenomenal and crazy Gospel. A Jew suffered the fate that many fellow Jews suffered in the first Century, and the claim was that the entire order of things had changed (way beyond ‘personal salvation’). Hard to believe this could be a made up new religion, and the traction the message gained in the Roman context surely indictes that there was a major endorsemnt of the message from heaven itself.
The challenge is once land is polluted – and I have written about the four elements that seem to repeat as being that of idolatry, blood shed, sexual immorality, and broken covenant – land then subsequently draws to itself that which sits comfortably with the pollution, hence a stronghold is established. Those sins seem also to sit under the (not surprising) umbrella of power to achieve whatever is wanted with the exploitation of fellow-travellers trampled over: a de-humanisation process.
The encouraging element in the Babel story (same word as ‘Babylon’ which is tracked to a clear exposure in Revelation) is the unfinished nature of it. Evil is not complete, only Jesus is the one who ‘becomes mature’ and as the firstborn of all creation offers hope for us all, and for our world. Everywhere can experience some level of redemption. I am agnostic about the future but I am inspired in the present to look for a new future in every situation, and hopefully not naive to expect this will take place without elements of Babylon coming down (could have written dominant Western culture as that is my context).
Place… changes within institutions so that the Babylonish elements are in part dismantled, and elements that belong to the New Jerusalem (not what rises up but what comes down) manifesting.
These next years are inevitaby going to see a major shift of understanding and activity among followeres of Jesus toward being placed in diverse locations with a view to seeing this provocative Gospel being expressed in a way that works with the innate gifting of the land.
The first parable that Jesus spoke of in the set that are put together is the well known one of the parable of the sower / four soils. Jesus explained that one in some detail and he said if we don’t get that parable how would we get any of the other ‘kingdom’ parables. In that first parable the seed is the ‘word sown’ and the soils represent different responses. Certainly, and necessarily, indicating that a personal response and receptivity.
And the parables move on… the challenge is for us to move on, for the second parable also speaks of seed that is sown, but the seed this time round is no longer the word of God spoken but the word of God incarnated – the seed is ‘the children of God’ and they are sown into the world. Place / location.
In that context two incarnations grow up together (wheat and tares), and they grow up together to the harvest.
The pessimist sees the glass as half-empty; the optimist sees the glass as half-full – so we are told. I suggest that the one gripped by a measure of new creation sight sees the opportunity to help fill the glass fuller than it has ever been, in other words moving beyond pessimism or optimism. A full (or fuller) glass is envisaged.
I am one monnth away from another birthday, and this year will accept that I am now more than half way through my life (that is not an optimistic perspective, just a straightforward stupid one!), but I would love to see the Lord give us (as humanity) another 500 years to help move the land forward. Maybe the Trumpet will sound long before that, maybe even before my birthday… regardless (why does American English use the term ‘irregardless’?) of when the trumpet sounds there must be an apple tree that can be planted (placed) today. Small, ever so small changes, probably not visible above the land, but what and who is planted today determines what will be visible tomorrow.
Placed on the land – organisations, cities, institutions – they can all lock the land up or… they can help bring about a redemption. Redemption does not mean perfection but a better afterwards than before.
And in the 20 year reset (signalled by COVID) there will be displacings of what is on the land and prayerfully and slowly new placings. Perhaps this is why many have felt displaced over the years preceding and running through 2020.
Very serious
I have been (when was I not) thinking about the challenge to the powers and to the systems; elections all around the world are probably some indication as to whether there are ‘real shifts taking place’. Moves to the extremes (right or left) are not a good sign. We can read it as – and I do – a shaking and a sign of collapse beyond the polarities, nevertheless are we very serious about getting wholesome shifts? A note first on the collapse. Something that does not simply leave those with the power intact but marginalises yet further those who are disadvantaged I would consider a healthy shift (no, that is not a ‘socialist’ comment’ but in line with OT social legal instructions and the ethics of the NT). There is a collapse coming, I have no real sight as to when but for some 8-9 months I have been seeing even a day coming when the population of the earth will decline significantly, perhaps aligned to critical food shortages and pandemics that overlap. Harbinger of bad news? Simply a pessimist? Hope not – our hope is in the God who has never abandoned the planet that we were given jurisdiction for.
So how serious are we? I do believe that ‘money’ as we have it – founded on debt – is a manifestation of the infiltration of powers (mammon included) into our world. We have to find a new way in this battle area, where people who have power to buy and sell feel they have no option but to set profit as the bottom line. Some years back… probably almost 2 decades back I asked for those who were on the property ladder and well settled in to pray with me that we would see a rebalancing of prices, so for us in a privileged state we would be expecting our properties to reduce in value. I had no volunteers to join me. Maybe I was simply stupid. But I was serious about seeking to make a contribution. How serious are we? Checking how much our property has gone up in value, checking our pension funds (now what were they invested in again?) I don’t think indicates we are very serious about bringing about a shift, but are probably happy that we are benefiting from the status quo (as Gerald Coates said ‘Latin for “the mess that we are in” ‘). I am not so smart on things economic but can certainly say that on the property front that our personal bank account was affected. I don’t know how, but when I went to the bank, one I had been with for 30 years, to ask if I could open a mortgage with them, they looked at all my figures and said – you already have a mortgage with another bank, stay there, for given your figures we cannot offer you anything. In those few preceding years we had been able to help three separate people enter into the property market. God has a way.
I understand how anxieties arise, and if you are reading this and are struggling financially, this post is not for you. Not all Scripture is for all time nor for all people – ‘sell all you have’ was biblical for that one person. Anxieties are real, but many anxieties are not based in reality. Gayle and I could certainly not sell what we have in Spain and move back to what we once lived in – we could not even purchase half of it. It is irrelevant – we are not moving back today. If tomorrow we were to move back then, and only then, it would become a real issue.
Anxieties are real, but as they relate to the future they are very powerful, and powerful spiritually. Paul instructs us not be anxious about anything but that in everything we present our requests before God. We are to be people of the future, hence how we relate to the future is important. I do see the whole economic basis of debt (borrow from a future that has not yet happened) contributes to a present manifestation of war and the taking of life (including abortion). Maybe I am single issue focused, the same charge that is often brought against the evangelical wing of Christianity, but my single focus seems to me to be a very central focus of Scripture.
Maybe Jesus will return and bail us all out? However, as much as I pray maranatha, I also pray let your kingdom come on earth as in heaven. And it is seldom when contemplating the powers that the shift that takes place is in some realm distant to me. If the shift takes place within me I think the powers have to give way.
Old and young
Bad influences, avoid them at all costs… In a couple of months Richard and Christopher Hays (father and son) will publish a book that probably won’t come up with something totally innovative but will annoy the (theologically) conservative world because Richard’s previous writings were used to defend their position, often used as a quote… as Richard Hays says in The Moral Vision of the New Testament…
There is already some response to the forthcoming book with one of the best quotes being
Unfortunately, I’ve seen young adult children turn their previously biblical parents toward heresy, not more than once — including a president of a Bible college.
‘Young adult children’… quite a comment!! Richard is 76 years old and I guess Christopher is around the 50 mark… and Jesus was reaching maturity in his early 30s. By the standards of the quote I hope I am deeply influenced in my thinking by a ‘young adult child’, the one who pioneered true faithfulness in God.
Seems the term as used in the quote is simply a convenient way to say ‘don’t read this book as I don’t agree / like the contents’. And I guess we all like to do that at times, to say ‘don’t confuse me with the facts’ or ‘I have everything buttoned down so don’t disturb my certainties’.
The other day I noted that I am getting older(!), that I am just passing beyond the category of being a ‘young adult child’, and crazily a big percentage of my time is as a sounding board (I will progress to ‘mentor’ once I am past middle-age) to those younger than me – with some of them being considerably older than Jesus was, and as someone older I do have a perspective on entering the last phase of life. Circumstances, health and some level of energy allowing that phase should be the most productive of all phases. I however observe that a number of people just seem to keep on with what they were always doing, occupying space so that the multiplication that should take place does not happen; possibly out of a fear of ‘redundancy’ they continue – the world has moved on, they have not, and they continue doing what they have always done but the effect and circle of influence become ever smaller, and often unresolved issues that busyness has kept covered / in check surfaces.
‘Be less visible and more effective’ that I think is the invitation for us who are no longer ‘young adult children’… and to be influenced and challenged by those who are ‘young adult children’.
I hardly think Richard (the father) has at this latter stage of his life is about to become a heretic (Stanley Hauerwas says of Richard Hays, ‘There are few people I would rather read for the actual exposition of the New Testament than Richard Hays’)… he might change some of his views and in doing so adopt something ‘in error’, for like us all when he does pass away he will not have sussed out everything – that is not our goal in life! Life is an adventure, it needs to be centred in on devotion to Jesus so that we do not simply meander and travel into unfruitful areas. But ‘knowing’ the truth as in propositions… no… and hence a vote for all those young adult children (probably in the 20-30 bracket, not the 50+ age group) to provoke, and a vote for those who are intent on making space as they seek to be less visible and yet more effective.
Who knows?
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.
The contract
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?
Sects, cults, -ish and -arians
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.
The cross changes what?
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.
Something and nothing
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.
Not for profit?
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.