Can we believe what we read ?

In the aftermath of the very sad and tragic events during the Liverpool FC celebration parade (links to two articles), one police officer commented this morning "this was an event covered by public authored journalism. In the context of half-truths it is so difficult to explain that there is "The Truth"".  In our age of prevailing relativism, we need to remember that there is such a thing as THE TRUTH. It matters in the behaviour of our lives, our desire to live lives close to God, the attitudes of our hearts before God, understanding the world He has put us in and our influence on the eternal destiny of each and every person made in the image of God. 

The bible, though expressed through lives and minds of those created by God, is divinely authored. Each writer makes it clear under the process of divine influence that they are not being mechanical, He is the primary influence and they are always secondary. It is not a human book. In fact it is made clear from cover to cover that the vantage point of God is greater to see the truth, know the truth and declare the truth.  Isaiah 40:22 says ...

It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,

and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;

who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,

and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;

who brings princes to nothing,

and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

In our internet culture, a little knowledge can be dangerous. Everyone who has read a blog, tweet, seen a TikTok believes they have the truth or even worse that they are an expert in it. I spoke to a teacher of A-Level history last week who told me that a kid complained when their answer was marked as wrong. It turned out they had watched a TikTok about it and that therefore belived they must be right (even though the text book said something very different.) 

GOD's ENCOMPASSED TRUTH

The Hebrew word in ISA 40:22 ('circle') literally means "roundness". Above the circle of the earth there is God's complete encompassing view and knowledge of all things. Everything we are, do, think, understand and feel is contained within the knowledge of what God knows about us, physics, chemistry, sociology, etc etc. This is huge, not least in the realm where people talk of God being disproved by science. 

So this is not just a matter of God's infallibility (He is, humans are not), or about Him being the creator and author of the manual (He is), it is that He remains God - what He breathes therefore must be true and be obeyed. It is this last issue that most have a problem with even though we might mask it in other ways. We might say there is an alleged error found by human ingenuity, or human knowledge has "developed or progressed" so much  since this ancient book, but even this is not relevant. If He is God we are still not. 

Many of the human writers  of the bible actually display their own limited sphere of understanding and view. If they had fully understood what God was saying they may not have even wanted to write things in the way they did, but they were unable to change the message. Think of Isaiah's inquiry "How Long O Lord" (Is 6:9-13) or Ezekiel being sent to a people who would definitely not listen (Ez 3:4-11), but he was among them - one of the contributory factors under the view of God (Ez 2:5). The prophets wrote things which incriminated and tested themselves (Eek 33:1-11). That their understanding was not full is particularly apparent in the apocalyptic writings (Dan 12:8-9, Revelation 5:1-4). They all attest to the fact that God was and is in control and we are not (Nahum 1:3, Matt 5:45, Dan 4:17, Phil 2:13, Prov 21:1), they attest to God's view of History being authoritative (Gal 3:29, Eph 2:13,4, Rom 4:13, Acts 13:17, Num 20:7-13, Gal. 2:11-14) and trustworthy.

The best way to respond to what God says is to place ourselves personally and relationally into the truth and respond to Him, and His offer of grace. His grace covers all things, all our past, all of our history, all of our lack of past belief, all of our mistakes, all our limited understanding. We can trust Him, we can trust His word. There is great TRUTH and it is that Christ died for us whilst we were still sinners, still not listening, still didn't want Him, still unable to comprehend the extent of His mercy and love. 

 

Continue to pray for Ukraine and those who remain in the midst of the spiritual battle.

 Since the beginning of the Russia's present public war on Ukraine (2014) one thing has been clear, this is a spiritual battle between those who serve human authority under satanic tyranny and those who serve Christ and seek to see Christian Biblical principles outworked in society. In truth the oppression, hatred, persecution and aggression against Ukrainian evangelicals from its neighbour has never gone away. Churches were burned and tormented by Russians in Ukraine long before Feb 2022. Pastors and friends who led beautiful congregations "disappeared" and had car "accidents" long before 2022, The church had to conduct many things in the East in carefulness long before where we are now. I remember the fear on pastors faces as they negotiated their tails to be with the brothers, at no time did they relax and as soon as anyone reached for a phone their blood pressure reached critical levels. The fear in their eyes is a picture you can't forget. This is real fear because of real hatred and real consequences for any who walk with Christ and confess Him as LORD.

Not all Russians hate evangelicals, many evangelicals have fled from Russia or continue to witness to Christ there walking the tightrope against authorities. They are noble people, with complex lives of faithful service. Nothing is ever binary or monochromatic, but it is an archetypal principle tenet at the core of the Russian government that it uses its Orthodox ruse as a front for terrorism against biblical Christianity. The church for them must remain an arm for politics and manipulation of people into military dominance, so through the R. Orthodox arm of government control of society is exercised whether in Russia or Ukraine. If you find this hard to believe because your news channel has normalised Russia's war in Ukraine or you have become desensitised to the liberal scandal that says there are always two sides to every story therefore we never know the real truth, I urge you to look again. Some things are just plain. Please watch this helpful film. I commend the makers for their trustworthy representation and straightening of the facts. I challenge you not to be moved even if you just watch in part. 

We seem to live in a western media cloud which has been bombarded by Russian propaganda. I'm not a conspiracy theorist by any stretch of imagination, just an observant normal watcher of the daily effort, people power and finance the Kremlin puts into causing such mistruth and confusion. The truth is clear... 

• Evangelicals remain under attack, yet the Church of Jesus Christ grows whilst the Church of communism and Russian imperialism leads you to death, as they prepare you for the frontline in your childhood.
•  There are many perspectives as we look to the future and the rebuilding of Ukraine. This film does not represent the full story. For every high profile believer who has seen family destroyed in a public way as a gesture of Russia's "might", there are 100's 1000's, 10,000's 100,000's of others who have their story of tragedy known more by heaven than the media. 
• The evangelical church has a central role in Ukraine society. This has increased during the war. For any future rebuilding the evangelical church will be a central component with great opportunity and responsibility. 
• Ultimately we believe both in God's love and God's justice. (PS 62)
• As Psalm 62 reminds us, we wait on Him for He is the one of true might, all His ways are just, and all His ways are perfect. (Deut 32:4).This does not make the waiting easy, but one day all wrongs will be made right. Nothing is private from God, and in waiting on Him there is His presence and help for each day,  in this even amidst a dark world there is joy and delight enough to continue in the waiting.  

In the meantime please join me in pouring your heart out for Ukraine before God. 

Psalm 62: Waiting in God

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;
    my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
    pour out your heart before him;
    God is a refuge for us.

Please pray for...

1. Children displaced either into occupied territories or far from their original home. Those children taken to military "camp" who have not yet returned - but are known in every detail by the one who sees all things and knows all of them intimately. Pray especially for the evangelcial camps we are connected with this summer, for orphans and those traumatised,  and their growth in Christ, their healing in His love, their strength to serve the Father who protects them. 

2. Pray for those who testify to keeping grace through love and darkest tragedy, that God will continue to use those who minister comfort out of the comfort they have received, and bring others to find the everlasting grip of grace, the joy that is only known to the children of God. Pray especially for those evangelicals, in captivity and confinement at the hands of the opponents of Christ. 

3. Pray for numerous church plants as they continue to growth through displaced peoples coming to Christ. One such church is shown below.

These believers, tried through the furnace have lost homes not just once. After relocation many of these friends lost their refugee home. This story is not uncommon. Yet God loves the refugee. If you would like to pray more intelligently and have more regular updates or give to those who provide ministry on a shoestring, please don't hesitate to contact me or the UK team. We can assure your prayers and support are not in vain, and God is blessing the Ukrainian Evangelical church. The least we can do is pray and stand with our brothers and sisters, share their burdens, carry their country in our hearts to God.

4. Pray for Ukrainians now in occupied territories. I spoke to one displaced pastor just a few days ago who reported that his church had quadrupled there in his absence. This is quite a remarkable season.Typically only the elderly and infirm remained, yet God has treasured their faithful witness. Just like in Acts, when the church is under pressure... authentic Christlike community shines and is attractive. People even sign up to Christ knowing that persecution, financial suicide, work loss, family trouble will inevitably come but that Christ is greater treasure. This is authentic church. Pray for those who remain, and walk by the light, proclaiming eternal truth in a context of lies. 

A prayer for every day and every way.

Your kingdom come, 

your will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven.

It is not possible to effectively build the kingdom of God without simultaneously displaying in yourself the character of God. The will of God is both missional and moral. (1 Tim 2:4, Gen 17:7, Exodus 6:7, Ez 34:24, 36:28, Jer 7:23,  30:22, 31:33. 1 Peter 2:9) The culture of God is both Holy and loving. It is not possible therefore on the one hand to preach with great intellect the heart of God but have no missional intention to engage with those around us or to the ends of the earth. The mission of God is not cerebral, so engaging with the head tennis of doctrine, and only producing a congregation influenced to a neat mind, who go from God's word into a ghetto of self congratulation and segregation from a broken world where millions hurtle head long into judgement, does not know or show experiential knowledge of God. In the same manner it is not possible to effectively preach the liberty of the gospel,  or proclaim yourself an ambassador of God's mission without showing the greatness of His character, especially in integrity and holiness, and the selfless diligent care to support the ministry of other people that backs up the beauty of living under the King whose Lordship you commend. 

Proclaiming "our God is with us" is one thing, but how do we show He is? Should we need to proclaim it if so self evident? 

 

The presence of Christ in the storm changes everything.

 It has been a historic and timeless prayer of God's people... "Come Lord Jesus, Come". There has never been a time in all eternity when we have not needed Christ. The prayer of the Old Testament faithful is for Jesus to come in incarnation, a rescuer in the eternal storm of sinners before a Holy God. The prayer of us who are on the mission of God is for the resurrection Christ to come in all His authority and power, to know that He is with us always until the very end of the age. For the persecuted church it is the presence of Christ which brings a song in prison and fruitful isolation as the mission of God is forwarded, the Lamb has won, is with us and is leading His people in victory even through vile and dark opposition. The prayer of all time and all of God's people is that one day a broken world will be done with and Christ will come to usher in the ultimate age of His presence with His people, when His enemies are in their rightful place. 

Praying for the presence of Christ in all His fullness is consistently needed and unflinchingly fruitful. I am reminded of the Hymn we sang as children ...

More about Jesus would I know,

more of His grace to others show;

more of His saving fullness see,

more of His love who died for me.

More about Jesus let me learn,

more of His holy will discern.

Spirit of God, my Teacher be,

showing the things of Christ to me. 

More about Jesus in His Word,

holding communion with my Lord,

hearing His voice in every line,

making each faithful saying mine. 

More about Jesus on His throne,

riches in glory all His own;

more of His kingdom's sure increase;

more of His coming, Prince of Peace.

More, more about Jesus;

more, more about Jesus;

more of His saving fullness see,

more of His love who died for me.

 

• Whatever your storm today : Christ is Master over it and all things.
• Whatever your focus today: Nothing outshines the ultimate purpose of being made more like Jesus. If this is part of the reason for going through the storm, today can become more of a good day as you surrender to Him and in faith become more like Him.

• Whatever your ambition today: The mission of God is always more about Him than about you. We work for His Kingdom increase and not our own.  This is joy and liberty. On this He has perfect mastery and authority. He will accomplish the task, be confident in Him, faithful for Him, obedient to give Him all the glory and praise. 

In the presence of Christ there is; indestructible hope, complete satisfaction and uncontainable Joy, eternal peace, help for every pain circumstance and challenge, a perfect plan, wisdom for every missional challenge - pastoral complexity and leadership decision, unconquerable power to sustain us,  perfect integrity to restore us, guaranteed justice and resolution for us to leave our burdens with Him, love compassion and grace which cannot and will not be drained. 

Hebrews 13:5-6 

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 

"I  will never leave you nor forsake you.”  

So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;

    I will not fear;

what can man do to me?"

 Romans 8 

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be[i] against us?...

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written,“For your sake we are being killed all the day long we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.