Don’t feel guilty about your wealth …but do use it well (and not just for yourself).

Part 2 of May 15th blog. ("Gospel generosity") 

 On May 15th I wrote about Alexander Balfour, a hero who did much for the Kingdom of God, and was entrusted with increasing resources for global impact. There will be those reading that who know his life history and legacy far better than me, maybe those who are even critical of him for some political reason. From my own perspective I have to be honest and say I've simply been deeply humbled by such a man and his obedience to the mandate and heart of GOD. Maybe (at a push) the only thing some could level at him as criticism was that his impact and legacy of transformation in society was limited to his own era. He could not achieve or accomplish a lasting system or infrastructure of help to those of low income which survives in our age. Relatively little is left of his legacy which helps modern Britain.  Liverpool, shipping, and the world has changed a lot since then. Is this a legitimate criticism of a Godly man ? Surely he did what was right for his own time, shared the gospel and saw many come to Christ across the world through his acts of generosity and ambassadorship for Christ. This was his time of responsibility and he was faithful. This challenges me deeply.

Does God not require each new generation of followers of Jesus Christ to fulfil the mandate of God in their own generation? It is easy to point the finger at others when we ignore the fingers pointing back at ourselves. 

Many followers of Jesus Christ do see the need to do something when faced with people bearing the image of God living through poverty, low income, and trial. What we do however matters. Good intentions will not amount to anything on their own, and proclaiming the kingdom, compassion and love of Christ whilst our hands selfishly guard our wealth neither honours God or bears fruit. 

In our own context in the UK, USA, and Canada we enjoy a standard of living greater than our ancestors could've dreamt of. No, I am not trying to make you feel guilty for that, just grateful, and pray that together we will have a faithful desire to use our generational and relative wealth well. Please God we will at least pray, repent as appropriate, and consider if what we are doing is helpful to those in poverty, to gospel proclamation and whether it offers an appropriate ongoing legacy for the gospel. In reality all of us (Balfour included) are just mere humans, we are not the Messiah and our legacy will be limited. The glory is His not ours. However, mere humans and our feeble attempts can be used greatly for His glory, because He is the one who is able to do immeasurably more than we can think or imagine. He can take our humble fish and loaves when given with a grateful heart, and use them for multiplied blessing.

The world bank cites that half of the world population lives on less than $6.85 / £5.33 a day. In many of the countries we are working in (to establish gospel churches and missional duplication) the amount is significantly less (typically around 30% of that). Brothers and sisters in Christ are among those dealing with such a poverty challenge personally on a daily basis, as they help orphans, widows and families devastated by disease and circumstances which are in many parts of the world preventable and historically solved. All of this is before we get to those nations so spiritually poor that they are yet to hear the good news of Jesus Christ from those who follow and love Him. If we have food in our cupboards, fuel in our cars, water (let alone internet, streaming services, a comfy bed, a watertight roof, luxuries such as toilet paper and medicines) we are amongst the wealthiest of the world. 

How should we respond to figures like Balfour today...

 and what can we learn from them ?

 Those who made such an impact on poverty and the spreading of the gospel in previous generations did so because they submitted to the weight of biblical mandate. They submitted themselves to the heart and mission of God in such a way that it resulted in actions of faith. 

The two things that are categorically not appropriate when we see God's heart for the poor is intentional ignorance for the sake of self-centeredness and inactivity. We are instructed that those who know and follow God have compassion and action for the poor. This is not an advert for ACTION. I'm sure there are times when not all has been done as it should, but I am proud to belong to a team who are constantly submitting to the word of God and trying to ACT on it. God is gracious and seems to delight in even our rubbish and minute efforts on a global scale when they are done in genuine faith and worship.  Good intentions though really are not enough on their own. Every mission agency whether global or local should be considered and dilligent about the real connection links between what is understood to be what we have received from God, and what we are actively passing on and sacrificing for with the resources God has entrusted us with.

World bank map of income 2023. 

(Money is only one criteria for measuring wealth)

The Biblical mandate challenges our comfort and prompts us to do something personally and relationally.

At the heart of what God has gifted us with in himself is the undeniable true cost and extent of His generosity (John 3:16). Leaving wealth behind, to be generous with a hurting and compassionate heart is the essential foundation of all profitable mission. We can hurt for false worship, idolatry which does people no good, poverty and its impact on the family, pain whether from sin or a fallen world, brokenness and decay, injustice and oppression from sinful rule, the prosperity of evil and greed which causes deprivation and impoverishment, the lack of gospel hope. In a broken world this is not as it should be, it is though our daily reality to which we can so easily become desensitised. It is our reality, our world, whatever size of sofa and TV screen we watch it from. Feeling the pain however is not enough, because this cannot stay just as sympathy, or be solved by an arm's length BACS transfer. This might ease our conscience or affirm self rule in our own mind, propping up our pharisaical high view of ourselves, but it is not appropriate for a child of God to respond in such a limited way to his unbounded plenty and abundance of grace.  Our God so loved this world and us in our mess so much, that He came himself. Personal, relational sacrifice is the price paid by those who follow Christ. His grace knows no limits.

When we reflect on those of bygone eras (Balfour, Wilberforce, Wesley, Carey, etc, etc.) what we notice is that they are people whose relational compassion resulted in relational sacrifice and action. Considering the stiff upper lip culture and harsh normalities that many of them were surrounded by (especially Balfour in shipping), this is all the more remarkably the countercultural work of Christ and His grace. The danger in our age is that we know it is appropriate to love the poor if we follow Christ, for we have heard it at conferences, have unread books on our shelves, unlistened to podcasts on our phones on the subject of helping the poor and great missionaries who did ...yet we ourselves live a life primarily driven by the materialistic synchronism of our age, without realising how comfort driven we are. Maybe we even give regularly to mission agencies and our local home church, but because of the depth and consistency of our wealth... it may not actually impact us that much on a deep level or ongoing basis. As far as emotions go, we see the money go out on a statement, and hope that somewhere, somehow, it helps someone who might be in a bit of need. The relational hurt, mandate and action of Christ is so different, so much more personal, so much more costly, urgent and responsive. 

Maybe the most helpful thing we can do at this juncture is meditate on scripture, and let the full reality of God's heart connect with ours... impact us to repentance, worship, and grace grateful eyes that burn with a passion to practice what we say. (In part 3 we can consider the reality of our actions that help not hinder the poor, their receiving and giving of the gospel).

1 John 3:16-18

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Matthew 25

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

GOD'S PROVISION TO US: Phil 4:19 

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

WHEN FURTHER GIVING IS HARD, WE RELY ON HIS RESOURCES AND STRENGTH...

This is a good place to be: 

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half-done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,

Our Father's full giving is only begun.

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure, 

His power no boundary known unto men. 

For out of His riches in Jesus, 

He gives, and gives, and gives again. 

Pray for Pastors mentoring and training in Malawi

 It was a joy yesterday to zoom into Malawi as we looked at the first chapters of Romans. Internet inside the church building was temperamental, so things went outside under the trees... in God's beautiful creation.

Over coming days the pastors will be both relying on and relaying what God says in His word to others, those being mentored, and their churches. Pray for them with us. Romans 1 reminds us that we try to suppress the knowledge and glory of God. However like the law of buoyancy in science ... this is an impossible thing to do. We all learned the law of buoyancy  in the bath as children. It says that if we suppress a ball in water (whether at the bottom of a bath, a bucket or at the bottom of the ocean) the ball will always rise / bounce up to the top. It's an unchangeable reality, a law of life under God.

Psalm 19 reminds us that the heavens declare the glory of God. Whether we look at the night sky in in Malawi, Milton Keynes or Milwaukee, the God of the cosmos reminds us of His glory, the order of His care, the rhythm of his sustaining hand. His voice that spoke us and all things into being, speaks His presence and love, loud and clear around the whole world. Look up at the orchestrated majesty of the stars this evening... and consider yourself before such a God who invented, elevated, and sustains such things with a word. What is man that God would be mindful of us ?

 Creation declares God. Eternity in the hearts of mankind (Ecc 3:11) declares that we have a desire to set to our home in God. A cosmological, spiritual "sat nav" has been placed in every human being. Above all the cross of Christ displays the glory and righteousness of God... welcoming us home in the undeserved gift of Christ, His perfection and His love. Put all these things together with the great truth that Christ has gifted us not only His righteousness by faith, but also His Spirit to be bold in a broken world, and we have confidence to be witnesses of Him. The power of the gospel transforms. There is good news that this world must hear. The only answer to our world is Christ. In Him is our confidence. Pray for confidence in our Malawian friends... that they will declare the truth of Romans, this gospel of undeserved righteousness in Christ to those around them, in the power of The Spirit. May many in Malawi see Christ in His living word through our friends.

F_b = ρ x g x V

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 

ROMANS 1:16

Pray for the great harvest of camps ministry 2024 to continue to come in.

 Continue to pray for youth and children's camps in Ukraine. This year has been a bumper harvest, both of numbers attending and of spiritual impact. Whilst many camps are completed, some continue...

Pray:

1. That young friends will meet with, give their undivided trust to, and overflow with the joy and reality of Jesus Christ. 

2. That young friends who have been through much trauma will receive healing from the great physician who understands us better than ourselves.

3. That the young and depleted teams will continue to be strengthened, especially in the light of so many camps being so oversubscribed.

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

John 8:32

Learning points from the frontline.

 I was asked, "what could the UK church most learn from those working with unreached peoples/ frontier mission/ in persecution / under occupation?"

Foolishly I replied "2 or 3 things" (maybe I was showing my baptist heritage - old habits die hard),  but the conversation has kept going... it's a fascinating subject we can learn a lot from. 

I've limited this bullet summary to the first 7 for now (seems a biblical number). In reality the issue is a singular one of vitality. Those who follow His lead, know His presence. In all things that is paramount. This single issue has many ramifications and I don't want to be guilty of looking at the periphery rather than the source. However the outworking of that vital obedience is an ongoing test of more obedience. Hopefully at least this alerts us to some areas where we need to be obedient in which will drive us to Him in greater dependence. Fruitfulness comes from following the trajectory and instigation of the one who makes all things fruitful. 

The prayer then is for us all. This kind of fruitful dynamic is open to all of us, whatever church or mission group we belong to. Ultimately we are children of the living God and that is our primary identity and calling. It may lead to tough questions about who we work with and what we prioritise. It is not for the super-spiritual or multi gifted to be fruitful, it is the normal, ordinary pattern of a child of God as we seek to live fruitful lives.

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you 

that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, 

so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."

John 15:16

1. The priority of Character: integrity is everything. A veneer of pretence does not cut it in hostile territory. Lives are under great scrutiny. The church is being watched. You may be the only Christian in your people group, the gateway to historic and eternally significant conversations which impact many people and future generations. Maybe we don't view our characters, life and behaviour with this gravity, but every second counts before eternity. Maybe we don't get watched enough because we keep confined to a Christian Ghetto. When we step outside of our comfort zone though...people will only see the reality of Christ when we live Him out in reality. How you live matters, how you and I show humility. love, patience, and authenticity, is what wins the day. Performance living alone, self energised Christianity, or culturally insipid compromise would disqualify the declaration of the gospel as fake. Is it different if you are the only Christian in your family, your class, your office? Are people in the UK not so needing to see Christ in action ? Genuine humility, grace, loving sacrifice, is a vital and critical step to see them move things forward with Christ. People will watch the UK church far more when this is what they see.
2. The Priority of Love: Love and grace have their world epicentre and headquarters in the house of God (at least they should). "See how they love one another." "By this will all men know..." This is the great apologetic of the Living God (who is Love) being present amongst his people. It is harder to love under pressure (including loving enemies and those who have formally lived wretched lives) but frontier fellowships seem more able to love beyond boundaries in the power of Christ. Ironically, in many situations (which are far more comfortable with less opposition/ facing less hostility) there is constant friendly fire which decimates fellowships. We could include the culture of public internet reviling and backbiting within that.  Without love exemplified in the church there is no power of authenticity in those who declare Christ (1 Cor 13:1). 
3. The important priorities of God's perspective: Secondary matters really are secondary when so many need to know Christ. Sadly many of us take our hearts and eyes off the magnitude and plight of the lost, and divert from the reality of Hell which is coming soon. 

• If you are a small group of believers each with an opinion, true unity is defined not by some  "members policy pdf" or a dictatorial leader with theological fetishes of minutiae, but by the vital community in common unity agreeing to disagree in order that 100,000's or 1,000,000's would have a healthy, united, heart beating church of love and overflowing grace in their region to share Christ. The mission of God is way more important than the ego or intellectualism of man. 

4) The priority of God’s household: (Gal 6:10, 1 Peter 2:4-5). The conviction that fellowship is blood bought privilege, a real, vital treasure and lifeline. When church is living and functional in God (and it isn't always sadly especially in the West), the thought of being disconnected to it in frontier mission or individualistic is a stupidity beyond understanding. A small young church in unreached areas or on advancing in strategic missional purposes faces the darts of God's enemy on a daily basis, and therefore keep short accounts with each other, reaches deep into pockets (Acts 2:45) for each other and sees others added to the family (Acts 2:47). 
5) The priority of daily spiritual surrender to Him so that we do not fall surrender to the tactics of the enemy. EPH 6: 17-18

" In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,  praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication."

 Spiritual armour is critical. We are hungry for heaven's resources, knowing they are needed each moment when the earthly battle is hot, and we are truly aware of the cosmic scale of that raging battle and our own fragility.  The normal routine for a Christian is one of utter dependance. All circumstances are seen as critical in frontier mission. In the comfort of the West, we are happy to cite Romans 8:28 as balm, but not so keen to welcome the implications of it to bring on fruitful conflict.  However, those in frontier fruitfulness see each moment with critical clarity, they never take off the ambassadors uniform. Each greeting, encounter, scenario is met with a sober, measured, self controlled desire to know what God wants, and how we should please Him. A day can seem like a thousand years as we wrestle with God and a fallen hostile world with rhythmical repetition. Life support is God's voice through His word which is devoured, treasured, meditated on, acted upon and channelled with power and effect. 

The final two big learning points came as we discussed the main differences between "stable" churches in "safe places" (who attempt equilibrium -where there is neither much daily opposition or missional progress) and "frontier churches" within or on the edge of unreached places...where God is delighted to bless. 

Clear conviction of how blessing comes: 

Follow His heart to reach the lost and everything else will slot into order by His help as you live under His word and in His Spirit.

6.  Priorities and blessing: 

God blesses the lives of faithful followers under pressure. Whether the infrastructure has been perfected or is pleasing to leadership has no relevance. Churches who view  ministry routines as self serving without a dynamic missional vitality are easily distracted by small detail. Mission organisations which have lost their "advance mode" due to size... don't want to be disrupted but may be even perpetuated by a desire (however subversive)  to to being  but In fact they believe that were there more organisation, control and systems in place... blessings would ensue. In reality they are rearranging the furniture on the titanic... or at least a tanker that is not going anywhere on the mission of God and pointing in the wrong direction.

This doesn't mean that frontier churches or healthy mission networks are without structure or organisation, but that both are channelled into the simplicity of whether is biblical (what God wants) and missional (from his heart as they serve his purposes to reach the lost. 

Decide the priorities and preoccupations of the church on the basis of serving the mission of God and the outworking of His biblical mandate for the church to be a radical and critical  expression of transformation in a broken world. 

7. Priorities and His direction: Established Western or larger churches with huge infrastructure and established cultures (that many have signed up to) cannot change quickly or act nimbly for missional flexibility or advance. Some small or medium churches are the same, because the resulting conviction is similar... that what we do and how we are structured is the governing, dominant, determining factor of where we go next. Self perpetuation of church in fear of not rocking the boat is missional paralysis. This is the organisational tail wagging the missional dog as he lies on the grass in the sun. Can you teach such new tricks? Yes is the answer, but some who signed up for an easier life and a ghetto of cultural introspection will leave. 

Direction must be decided by the mission and mandate of God. His global missional plan, biblical wisdom and present provision in a diverse world displays all the colours, intricacies and nuances of a rainbow. His grace covers the globe. His plan, power and provision is big enough. His promise is solid enough. Why would we choose to not go His way?

To paraphrase Augustine (if we are allowed to)...

"Pray knowing that everything depends on God, and is decided ultimately by Him. Work as though everything accomplished for the mission of God on earth depends on you, living in His power and wisdom."

The gift of a broken heart

Each and every fruitful mission initiative starts with the same thing… a broken heart. 

• Are you familiar with this ? The cycle of your eyes reopening to a new day of burden, of spiritual need around us, a new prayer of how He may use our integrity before Him in that reality today ? Is this the reality you see ?

God’s heart response.

The reality view to comprehend the compounding devastation of human life in a broken world comes from God. Seeing the tragedy resulting from being disconnected from our loving, gracious creator and redeemer prompts His heart and searing passion of mercy, compassion, and redemption to rise up in us as His children. It is a passion only of those who walk with Him, and are born of His Spirit.  The acknowledgement that life is not as it should be, viewing that a person would invest their life unreservedly in this temporary and failing world with its myriads of false gods, awakens in us a sense of heat and urgency as we consider the impending eternal catastrophe as the ever nearing conclusion clears on the horizon.

This is God’s heart (1 Tim 2:3-4) expressed through us.

This is a day of opportunity, to work within the boundaries of His grace. 

However dark the reality, the end has not yet come for so many individuals who make up the billions on hearts currently beating on our planet, and our God specialises in new beginnings. This is a day of such extensive opportunity we are so slow to seize. Whilst our wisdom to live is limited, His is infinite, and so it seems is His grace towards us and so many through the generosity he has extended towards us in Christ. So unfathomably big is the extent of His broken heart for the unreached and those yet to hear of His love, that it is not bound by geography, diversity of culture, or whatever background or history the hurting come from or with. So few realise what a day of opportunity this really is. Whilst we might be quick to see the limitations of who might come to into His family, He is not, and heaven’s grace is uncontainable.

This God teaches us that He gives, and gives, and gives again, also works in us a desire to see others live in the sunshine of His grace, have peace with heaven, and be reconnected with the one who satisfies eternally. This God of all wisdom is ready to lead us in His straight path the moment we acknowledge him in all our ways.

A broken heart has always been the pattern for fruitful living. 

The biblical evidence for a broken heart being God’s way for his people in a broken world is mountainous. When the Lord Jesus looked at Jerusalem (Matthew 19:41-44) the tears encapsulated a city and an extensive history of brokenness. 

When Jesus saw the crowds (Matthew 9:36) his whole being was moved in compassion, and so to it was with individuals (men, women, boys and girls) created in his image, and for those systems of humanity that operated without a broken heart or love and compassion for people or children (Mark 9:35-37,42).  

He rebuked his own disciples (Mark 10:13-16) for their hard and small heartedness because it was the antithesis of all that God is. His broken heart was bigger. The Lord Jesus saw the under trodden of society, the ignored women treated as inferior creatures in a patriarchal society. As the prostitute broke down in worship before him (Luke 7:36-50) she was received openly despite her undignified introduction being driven by her shame, commonly known history, and tears falling on his feet. Grace transcends protocol. The scandal of instigating grace towards the tax collectors, (Mark 2:13-17) the poor and suffering (Luke 16:19-31), drunkards, and sinners… was not water which quenched His compassion under Hebraic pressure, but paraffin to fuel the flames of seeing such included within the inner circle, loved at the epicentre of His resplendent kingdom of transformational grace. The measure and boundary of brokenness Jesus responded to was unlimited, versatile, and adaptable.

What we must ask God to help us with.

Why then, if broken heartedness for the lost, and fire to see the broken hearted, spiritually needy and hurting in a broken world redeemed is so instinctive to our way in Christ, do we often display so little brokenness and apathy?

1. Our desensitisation. 

In our world of brokenness, cruelty, and distress, pervading scenes of suffering are at every turn to give us a daily exposure to things as they should not be. This is “normal” life in every city across the globe, wherever we travel and whoever we see, and we have bought the lie of the enemy that this is “ok”. Western hard-heartedness is even more pronounced. We can watch wall to wall 24/7 news coverage on magnificent 4k/8k UHD / HDR computers, tablets and TV screens from comfy sofas. No pixels of tragedy are missed. We see the famines, disasters, wars, injustice, countless millions under tyranny, countless billions serving false gods and then … flick channels to watch a made up drama, go out to the supermarket, mall, football stadium and remain utterly compartmentalised into our own bubble of self service. In a world of S “I” N, we fail to notice billions of broken lives because our modus operandi / auto reset mode is to live for number one, and serve the spirit of our age in individualism.

Part of the nub of this is to understand that His grace is bigger than us, that there is a community and global dynamic to it, to view the scope of God’s grace as BIGGER. You and i need a radical , daily, dose of this reality from God’s perspective. Submissively opening His word to see His world is so key. Hungering for his perspective however is not without a comfort warning if done unconditionally, it demands a personal comittment in response.  

Nehemiah had this heart (Nehemiah 1:4). He saw that things were not as they should be before GOD. He saw a broken world. He was broken by God as the foundation to fruitfulness for God. We may view “worship” as a few well presented uplifting songs before the enjoyable pep talk sermon (and our hyper polished, only attractive performers allowed, suave, contemporarily groomed, technologically heavy,  materialistically fashionable churches have not helped this view) , but the biblical view of WORSHIP is of our whole being and our whole lives… just as we are …in a world of dysfunction. 

Put another way… in a broken world, unsightly tears and unattractive forfeit of the facade, seems to be the reality our God loves from us and blesses.   

“As soon as I heard these words 

I sat down and wept and mourned for days, 

and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 1:4)  

Notice the immediacy of broken heartedness. It is non negotiable when we walk with God’s priorities. See the deep-rooted nature of it. Yes, feelings aren’t enough on their own, things have to be resolved in prayer and doing something, but that something did depend on a penetrating grief stricken response which is not swiftly wiped away or skirted around.

 

God’s grief is not paralysing, but like Christ in the humility of incarnation, results in frontier servant activity.  Let him be Lord of your life, in control of all of you. May He and His love be your sense of dignity and purpose, your emotions, your whole worldview. Don’t watch the news for entertainment, let the brakes off and watch it with a prayerful heart. Find time, make time, prioritise time, to cry for others and not just yourself. See individuals as creatures of the King and put on your redemption specs as you look at the world, the country, city, rural village, street, road, house, family, child, marriage, the depressed, the suicidal, the confused teenager, the terminally ill, the suffering, the abused … to see His grace though the tears.

 

Whilst we are called to live at peace as we are able with those around us (Romans 12:18) we are not called to spiritual mediocrity or the propagation of dead religion. If you are stuck in a spiritual community which forbids or dampens a broken heart, skirting a sense of gospel urgency and reality…prayerfully consider if your time, energies, emotions, gifts, and worship would be better invested in a community context less comfortable (or neat), but more fruitful.  

Maybe your tears are for those hard hearted who call themselves believers around you in such a context?  However, we must consider at what point we are wasting our stewardship on those who are trampling on grace (Matthew 7:6). We have but one life, and eternity very soon. Our priority tears must be for the lost and unreached. Tears now will soon give way to rejoicing, the biblical pattern of tears surrendered to God is seasonal (Psalm 30:5). When we see the global gathering of the grace bought, then our tears will have been contained (Psalm 56:8) by His Lordship and victory , finalised once and for all time by his own tender relational hand (Revelation 21:4). Let him deal with your tears for broken people and a fallen world according to His priorities and purposes (Romans 8:18-19, 26-27). Fit in with his passions, find people who do, and treasure them as friends and warriors of the kingdom. 

2. Tunnel vision for our own life, church and situation. 

The great tragedy of many of us is that we (the very ones who have received his transformational grace) have become selfishly content with that grace. We’ve known and become so familiar with His radical grace in a world of individualism that we’ve started to  interpret it as appropriate or even deserved. 

Let’s get real, self care and self centricity are very different. 

It is possible that for some of us our hard heartedness comes from a place of self protection, that our broken world is too much to bear. We are not the Messiah, and our capacity for the complete brokenness of our world is something only He can take the weight of in totality. We do need to take self care steps by taking every thought captive to Him and His victory.

However, (and it is a big caveat)… for most of us if we are honest, our hard-heartedness is far more often not due to lack of capacity but lack of intent for our comfort to be disturbed. Many brothers and sisters in Christ, many churches have reached a place of equilibrium, where life is lived in the neatness of a full church, a polished program, a tried pattern and contained (even controlled) community or environment. This is especially so if life for believers has been comfortable in a context but now they are trying to protect a comfort zone which is under attack. In such situations church can be seen as oasis spiritual spa therapy, not boot camp to be recharged for a week/ season of frontier mission. 

Being impenetrably hard towards others who are broken and spiritually in need behind a polite veneer however “churchified” our diction and presentation is still empty of God. Change of attitude, to be unsettled for further inclusion of the messed up, can come to those who know His grace and should come in growing measure, as we explore how wide such grace and love is (Eph 1:18). To not want to see this, to hide our eyes and hearts from His impact on our priorities and comfort, to be impenetrable and immovable, never desiring to be in an uncomfortable place surrounded by gospel need and be deeply in pain, is dead orthodoxy, dead religion, dead church. It knows and shows nothing of personal and relational knowledge of the Christ who came. 

The monochrome and monocultural compassion of Jonah had reached its limit. He thought he had found his happy place in God’s Ghetto. Yet there was no joy and there never will be for those who limit his heart, and assume the synchronistic view that this world is for us, or even a self centric view of His kingdom. 

And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, 

in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

Jonah 4:11

His kingdom is outward bound, comfort sacrificing, and the mobilisation of an army of broken hearted worshippers who want others to worship. He sees all things, all people, all situations and the magnitude of brokenness. 

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, 

he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.  

So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 

When Paul was moved to his core in Athens, it was the reality of worthless worship that broke his heart. Observing a person who gives everything to something that will not satisfy prompts us to want to declare the one who will. Not everyone will listen. Not everyone will receive. We will be misunderstood, uncomfortable as our heads poke above the parapet. As we declare the love of the one who made each and every life listening to his invitation, some will come home to him. 

What do we pray for ?

Whoever we look at in History that God has used in mission and lives of grace expressed, it has come from a broken heart for the plight of those who don’t yet know him and the uncontainable privilege that we do. Whether it is Amy Charmichael praying …

"O for a passionate passion for souls ,

O for the love that loves unto death ,

O for the fire that burns !

O for the pure prayer - power that prevails , 

 That pours itself out for the lost !

Victorious prayer in the Conquerors Name , 

O for a PENTECOST ! 

Or my local hero Richard Baxter - 

wanting to redeem the years the locusts had eaten…

"With what love and compassion did he beseech me! and yet I did but make a jest of it. How oft did he convince me! and yet I stifled all these convictions."

In the UK the post covid church is in an interesting season. Some churches have seen accelerated decline which has been subtle as people have been slow to rejoin the army of kingdom industry for Christ. I get calls from those who say their church has become somewhat lethargic, lower in attendance at prayer, less generous in finance and risk / faith averse, somewhat more concerned by what performances look like online than what our hearts look like before God. On the other hand I speak to people whose churches are bulging with hurting people who have come through warm spaces, coffee friendship, children and youth activities. One pastor said “the heart and conviction problems were there before, covid just made it harder to interact with those whose hearts were in a bad place”. I think he was right, the heart of the matter is always the matter of the heart. So let’s address our own first. 

That He would keep our hearts soft to marvel at what He has done for us. That God would keep us in awe and wonder of how amazing the reality of His grace is. It is all of grace. This is the only motivation needed for mission. Compassion and broken heartedness for the lost is our foundation. The attitude of gratitude is what switches on the afterburners to serve his kingdom and not our own.    

David said (1 Chron 17:16) 

Who am I, LORD God, and what is my family, 

that you have brought me this far? 

That God would keep help us be outward bound and not stuck introspectively with grace.

Paul says in Phil 1:8  

"For God is my witness, 

how I yearn for you all 

with the affection of Christ Jesus."

There is some conjecture about the exact grammatical meaning (“ἐν σπλάγχνοις Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ”) of Paul (whether his response of expressed love was from a core realisation of Jesus’ love for you and me, or whether his expression was the kind of love Jesus has for you and me). Either way (and it could be purposefully ambiguous) the prompt is clear (it is from Christ) and the power at work is clear (it is from Christ). This is transparent integrity before God not performance religion.  

Also clear is that such a doctrine is truth for living, and results in outward expression, not just an inner prayer or burden. Whether in Athens before pagan idols or in a fellowship planted through blood, sweat, prison and tears, Paul is looking to the next chapter of grace and seeing people through the eyes of Christ for the glory of Christ. Fatigue is not an option when the Living resurrected Lord is living in us.  

So we do not lose heart. 

 Though our outer self is wasting away, 

our inner self is being renewed day by day.

2 Cor 4:16

Praying for you as I pray for myself: 

Lord help us to press on with grace, loving  your blood bought people, active in seeing the unreached reached. 

Not a casual phrase but considered… 

The Lord bless your heart (as you read).

The Lord bless your tears (as you hear His word and respond to His heart). 

The Lord move you to prayer, with a burden weightier than you can carry, as He helps you to take it to the one who can. 

The Lord bless your going, to make disciples who make disciples. 

The Lord bless your travel to the unreached and persecuted in frontier contexts, where many gods do many people no good.  

The Lord bless your solitary isolation, as you pray for those who go*, and those they go to. May His heart work in us and through us, for His unmatchable glory,

 AMEN

 *(NB If you would like to be more informed on such situations… I have some great friends who would really appreciate your prayer and intercession).