Encouragement in tumultuous times

 PART 1: SETTING YOUR ANCHOR WHERE IT CANNOT BE MOVED.

What a crazy world we live in. When you never know what the leaders of the world will do next, what todays surprise headline will be, what flip flop will happen in the world socio-political and socio-economic perspective, we become attuned to thinking that such instability is normal. We live in extraordinary times, where those dictators who hate democracy are commended by agents of the "free world".  The truth is that in a broken world uncertainty will always be our lot. Things we take as firm foundations disappear in a flash. Those who have the perfect gym body can still be sideswiped and floored by the unexpected illness. Those who have lived in neat  and peaceful family can meet circumstances that rip relational beauty apart. Those who thought they lived in a peaceful country can suddenly find themselves preparing for war or in the middle of a massacre. 

God's people are not immune from uncertainty. The veneer deep brand of prosperity, bright light, stage perfect, POPUCHURCH will tell you that you will always be "#blessed" (as long as you click like and subscribe), but this is fantasy not reality. My friends reading this in hospital with myeloma, the teen who follows Christ as they recover after surgery from the tumour, those preparing their funerals with friends today, those recently kidnapped or now in prison for Christ ....would not be subscribers to the idea that life for the believer is without surprises. 

Volatile times reveal the security of our anchor.

Rembrandt's "The Storm on the sea of Galilee"
A great painting representing greater truth,
 which was interestingly, unexpectedly and surprisingly stolen
by two guys pretending to be police officers" 

 

Don't put your security in people: 

Sadly I've been round the Christian block enough to know that putting our faith in other believers is not always our wisest choice for security. I'm speaking from the standpoint of finding my anchor in ultimate security, and joy in the one who will never let me down,  not with any sense of bitterness with others or God.  The truth is people (even those who trust in Christ) can be volatile and vulnerable, and although should display the fruit of self control and discipline can also become unstable in their ways in troubled times or even turn out to not be the people they pretended to be. 

Don't put your security in spiritual leaders who command you to look to them: 

Then there are those who build up their own sycophantic reputation as "godly" who encourage you to look to their wisdom, portray themselves as a higher brand of unique believer, impenetrable teflon coated Christians, but for years have lived the double life of a safeguarding teams worst nightmare, or live a double life for selfish ends. Far too many of those lives have come to light recently, far too many "surprises" have been left unobserved, scrutinised early enough, or dealt with soon enough by the church. There is an appropriate humility from those who walk with Christ. Those who live in Him, always point to Him and away from themselves in genuine deference, tell you to follow Him and not them. Those who have an inflated view of themselves sadly do not and love to be first, or the focus. 

1 COR 10:12

Don't look to spiritual leadership for categorical security without also acknowledging that it is possible some such may also be doing the enemies work for him, (however unwittingly they cooperated or regretful they turn out be).  Even the best of leaders are like the disciples, vulnerable in the boat they need Him, just as much as you and me. 

Don't try to find your security in Church, the routine or packaging of Christianised  culture: 

I've been alarmed returning from unreached fields and pioneering ministries to discover how many in the West treat the church (their flavour of church) and the superstructure of cultural Christianity as their security blanket. Partly what shocks me is the way they treasure something so inauthentic, so missionally undynamic, and static. It seems such a fake inferior version of what beautiful church can be compared to that as outlined by Christ. I suppose this shouldn't be a surprise to us in volatile times, people reset to what they know, and culturally in the West this is sadly what some have only known,  but humbly I want to say it  does feel like it displays a lack of biblical wisdom and depth in the Western church, that we haven't grasped how great God is, yet somehow want "our" church (Christian brand, denomination, collaborative) to be greater and seen as inconquerable. 

Staying out of the storm and building our own security is not His way. 

Referencing Rembrandt's view,  it appears to me that sometimes we see a church that sits in dry dock trying to look good, trying to escape the reality of a broken stormy world, as we stick to our rowing practice as others drown around us. At least true disciples should get into the sea with Jesus shouldn't they?  There is a prospect that in the storm we might get a drop of water splash spoiling our neat appearance. We might not look that good doing what He has told us to do and going where He has told us to go. A quiet Christian life is not our goal and should not be our idol. Admiration is not our goal. If this is our passion we show we know nothing of the greatness of our God and the magnitude and power of His plan of grace. Our God delights to rescue messed up, splashing about, hopeless, helpless people like me. He is all the glory. 

 A Church family can be as simple as a collective of those who love Christ and have found Christ in the miracle of new birth seeking to make Him known together in sacrificial and mutual service. Yes there are biblical directives we must follow as He establishes His church and the pattern of His sovereign way is key to this as outlined in ACTS, but like ACTS In frontier contexts this is beautifully simple, stunningly attractive and productive. 

For those who follow His way and heart It is never however without storms, in fact those who live by faith have constant needs of Christ in the daily routines of all the enemy can throw at them. This is why they walk so strong. He is bigger than the storm. He is our boldness. Get out of dry dock - you may be surprised how He can equip you for every circumstance, how rich and rainbow colourful our walk with Him can be. We are not just robots obeying directives, we are disciples following His way and path to victory in His company.

Things get even more unsettling in the storm when we are focussed on the wrong things. 

Many of the things which we deem as "essential church" or are treasured in  Western Christian culture do more and more sadly appear to me to be simply constructs of human comfort, ways of trying to solidify our monochromatic consumeristic desire for make church in our image, for church to be our stability or ghetto of non change in a volatile world. We have come from a place of comfort, little persecution of note. We have lost the essence of authenticity in some regard by by building towers to our age. We love our programs, our committees, our savings, our budgets, our websites, our youth and children's programs, our conferences, our bookstalls, our media and worship teams. I'm not having a dig at any of the above which remain a great blessing to me in many places and many ways, but ultimately I do not look to find my joy or security in them, I can happily live without them, because I do not see these being given the significance in the bible that many give them, or see them being of ultimate interest to The LIVING GOD on the final day of evaluation.

 I also want to go further and do wonder if this idol of our time is one of the main barriers to our fruitfulness in God and for His mission. The complexity adds to the confusion and storm, we wonder what our foundations are because they are hard to see.  In other words I wonder if we have made our own storm in the Western Church, (and areas across the globe where Christian megastructure has emerged) ? We are here to serve Christ not ourselves, His mission is our Goal, his simple priorities our focus. Is the reason so many have fallen out of love with Church that there is so little of the presence of God to be found there and so much of ourselves and what we want overcrowding that space ? Are we listening to His voice or that of peer expectation ? Have we lost the timeless gospel by hanging on to it so many trappings of our era and culture. Do we want precious friends who are going to eternity without Christ to fall in love with our youth program or guest welcome pack, or with Him? Do we boast in the stability of our mission program, training diploma or church, or boast in HIM and His extraordinary grace for ordinary sinners ?

Where do we go then in volatile times for our security ?

Psalm 46 has and will remain a huge help to me to keep the main thing the main thing.

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

 Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,

though the mountains be moved 

into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling

Note some basics:

1. Trouble is assumed
2. The type of trouble we face is a disappearing or rolling foundation, a roaring storm which seems to have no pattern, even though we can  view it, feel it and be fearful of it from a variety of vantage points.
3. The patterns of our world and its broken state will remain a variety of circumstantial trouble feeling like everything at the core of  life is uncertain and unsettled... until we are with Him forever.
4. THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE FOR THE TROUBLED TO FIND AN ANCHOR OF CERTAINTY, and UNCHANGING SECURITY / ENABLING CAPABILITY.

GOD is where we need to GO and get to:

Whatever the cards, wherever we land on the journey around the monopoly board of life there is one place we must go... WE NEED HIM ! 

As a kid I dreaded the  card which sent me to JAIL and told me not to go to go. True prison is when we cannot live and we are stuck in a place unproductively, there is no hope. This is the nature of a troubled life without a close communion with the living God. Hope comes alone from knowing He is with us and has a purpose for us in the storm. 

But life is not a chance card, our days are appointed by the sovereign one who reigns over all time and space. THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE has been exalted to the highest place following his victory over Sin, Death and Satan, and HE IS WITH US. This is our joy, our fruitfullness and purpose.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.⁶  

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

  The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

We need to be reminded of two great truths:

1) GOD IS OUR GREATEST AND ONLY UNCHANGEABLE TREASURE:

Heaven is heaven because of GOD. God is not circumstantial, he is the beginning and the end, the unchangeable Alpha and Omega, the same yesterday, today and forever. We hear many things about heaven in church; friends talk of seeing loved ones again, new bodies, no more pain or suffering, but the main thing about heaven which outshines all things is that WE ARE WITH CHRIST FOREVER, that He is our GOD and we are his people. This is security and joy. He is our security and joy. Knowing Him, being close to Him outshines all circumstance as we contemplate His presence will never leave us or forsake us. When we have this perspective (even now in trouble) we have enough joy and enabling for the day.

2) THOSE WHO LIVE FOR THE PLEASURE OF GOD, THROUGH THE MISSION OF GOD KNOW HIS INDESTRUCTIBLE, ETERNAL, IMMORTAL, OUTSHINING PRESENCE EVEN IN THE RAGING BATTLE.

Some will look for security in dead church life, a secure pattern going through the same old routine, living in the same place, seeing the same congregation as each die off one by one.  The end game for some is that they reach the end while their local church is preserved each week for them to keep them happy till they go, Some will view this as Christian JOY. There will be others however who delight in so much more, soo much more in God that they want to tell of him by going to the ends of the earth, plant churches where there are non, preach His glory where other gods fail the millions. Will this be a life of quiet joy? No, the enemy will throw all he has at you, many things which others find security in may either be taken away from you or sacrificed to travel light on the journey.... BUT...

OUR GOD WILL NEVER BE TAKEN FROM US 

AND HE IS WITH US NOW IN THE BATTLE

AND FOR ALL ETERNITY. OUR INHERITANCE IS SECURE.

The words to Joshua to be strong and courageous were not a shout of discipline from Heaven, but a calm confident, firm, whisper in the ear from the victorious commander who stood with Him and had already won the battle. Our saviour has won ! He is with us ! He whispers His peace as the storm rages. He who commands the waves is with us in the boat. Even more so this side of an empty tomb we know this peace.  HE WHO CALLS YOU IS FAITHFUL (1 THES 5:18-24).

Nothing will break his purposes, and His purposes will break everything that is not of Him. Our joy is in Him. It is possible not only to face trouble with Him, but to be so aware of Him and His presence with us that there is even joy through the trouble. The storm will be for a time, but the voice of God brings all things to an end.

Come, behold the works of the LORD

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

  He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

  “Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

  The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Whatever your trouble today, my earnest prayer for you as you read, ponder and reflect is that your joy might be full in Him in the context of a troubled world. Hear the still steady voice of the one who spoke everything into being and calms all troubled waters. His people will stand, because He stands victorious. Circumstances change but He will never. Peace and ability for the battle comes from stopping the search in all other places and putting our focus and trust 100% in Him, listening to His voice. As you do that and become again reliant on His granite grip of grace to keep you regardless of all other things that rage around you, you will find your security. As we hunger and thirst for Him we will be satisfied. As we place all our weakness in Him, we are made strong for He is with us, and HE is all we need.