In Jesus’ prayer recorded in John 17 He said, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:20-23).

His prayer was simple but profound – that His people would be brought to complete unity. For this purpose Jesus has given every Christian believer the same glory that the Father had given Him. The word “glory” refers to “dignity and honour resulting from a good opinion”. Jesus has a good opinion of His people – all of them regardless of denomination, culture or race – and treats them with dignity and honour. Herein lies the basis for our unity as believers. Do we dare to have a different opinion of a fellow Christian to the opinion that Jesus has of them? If Jesus views us with dignity and honour what right do we have to view each other any less?

When we look around the Church today, however, we get the idea that Jesus doesn’t always get His prayers answered! Christians in local congregations often have trouble getting along together, to say nothing of reaching across denominational boundaries. And how tragic it is when we consider the results of unity and love amongst believers:

“… that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
“… to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them …”
“… All men will know that you are my disciples that you are my disciples if you love one another.”

Christian unity is the single most powerful key to reaching a world that God loves – no wonder it’s always under attack; no wonder it’s so hard! The world around us is supposed to get an understanding of how much God loves them by looking at the way God’s people love one another. The tragedy though is that the non-church world often looks at us and says, “I have enough problems of my own; why would I want to join you?”

So what causes us to so easily divide? In my opinion there are two main reasons for the lack of unity in the church today, namely, differences in doctrine and style.

One of the greatest passages on unity in the Bible is Ephesians chapter four where Paul exhorts Christians to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” This is a life that is characterised by humility, gentleness and patiently bearing with one another because we love each other. Paul encourages us to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” This unity already exists but our job is to maintain it. However, later in the chapter Paul speaks about a unity that we have to reach for – “Unity in the faith,” (v.13). “The faith,” refers to the body of Christian truth which pertains to salvation; truth which Christians agree on; truth which I’ll refer to as “non-negotiable.”

If something is negotiable it means that there is room for discussion in order to reach an agreement. If a cheque is marked “not negotiable” it means there is no room for discussion about who the payee is – it has to be the person the cheque is made out to and no other. I have found the distinction between negotiable and non-negotiable truth to be very helpful in establishing unity between Christians. The fact is that Christians in general agree on the non-negotiable truths of our faith – those truths that are outlined in the great creeds of the church. There’s no room to talk this over to reach an agreement because belief in these things is essential to Christian faith and salvation: Belief in the existence of God; belief in the deity and humanity of Christ; belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus; belief in Jesus’ current ministry where He continues to save people completely by making intercession for them; and belief in Jesus’ return when “He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him” (Hebrews 9:28). These are all essential Christian truths that all Christians believe, and it’s on the basis of this body of truth that we can enjoy unity.

It is a sad reality that instead of focusing on the non-negotiable truth we hold in common, Christians invariably focus on the negotiable truth in which we differ. Negotiable truth includes all the aspects of our faith that are not essential to salvation. They are negotiable, not because they are unimportant, but rather because there is room to discuss them, and differ in our opinions, without affecting our unity, love and respect for one another.

Next to doctrinal differences Christians seem to divide most over church style and expression. This is nothing new and was in fact one of the many problems the apostle Paul had to correct in the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). The Corinthian Christians divided over the style of ministry they preferred and that unfortunately, has tended to be the case right down through church history. For example, there was a huge controversy surrounding the first performance of Handel’s Messiah in London. The Bishop of London announced that it was blasphemous to utter such sacred words in a theatre. The Irish did not have any problem with it, but the English certainly found it very hard to take and the argument raged on for nearly a decade! There was a similar disagreement over the introduction of Sunday Schools in the 1780s. In more recent times, during the charismatic renewal of the seventies, there were disputes over styles of praise such as dancing, lifting hands and clapping. Christians divided from one another because of these things – how sad! Do we honestly think that on judgment day God is going to say, “I loved the way you lifted your hands to me” or “Why didn’t you dance in church?” I have a feeling that He will be more concerned with things like, “I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35-36).

So, is it wrong to prefer a certain style of ministry? Is it wrong to have a favourite preacher or teacher? No, it’s not. But it is wrong to be sectarian and unappreciative of all Christ’s gifts to His church. It’s vital that we learn to “appreciate” all styles of church ministry and worship, even if we don’t personally “enjoy” it.

Unity does not equal uniformity. We may never see all churches join together and denominations cease to exist this side of heaven. That is not the issue. The important thing is for all of us to learn to appreciate the diversity that exists across the Church. There is one body with many members and we all need each other (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). We can disagree without being disagreeable. We can love and respect each other despite our differences. We can enjoy unity in the midst of great diversity and variety. The gospel message never changes but the methods of communicating and expressing it are as diverse as the people God has made. There is only one way to God, and that’s through Jesus Christ, but there are many ways to express our love and worship to Him. Let us give one another the freedom to do so.

Pro-lifers have been in the news quite a lot recently, firstly with the Melbourne Fertility Clinic and its failed bid to have anti-choice protesters stopped from harassing patients and staff.  Then last weekend Troy Newman, head of US pro-life organisation Operation Rescue, was barred from entering Australia after a Member of Parliament raised concerns that his extremism “would cause significant harm to our community.”  Mr. Newman was due to begin a national speaking tour for Right to Life Australia in Melbourne on Friday night, but had his visa revoked by the Immigration Department and has since been deported.

While I am not for abortion in any and every situation, I believe it is an issue that needs a compassionate, well thought through Christian response.  I find myself struggling with some of the message and method of pro-life groups.  Here are four questions that I’m asking myself about this:

1. Are they pro-life or pro-birth?

In other words, is a pro-life person anti-abortion and FOR the birth of every baby?  If so, are they doing anything to support the mother’s choice to keep the baby if she decides not to go ahead with an abortion?  If not, they are pro-birth and not pro-life.

While affirming the Roman Catholic Church’s pro-life stance, Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation of 2013 recognised the importance of not simply being pro-birth, “On the other hand, it is also true that we have done little to adequately accompany women in very difficult situations, where abortion appears as a quick solution to their profound anguish, especially when the life developing within them is the result of rape or a situation of extreme poverty. Who can remain unmoved before such painful situations?”  It’s a great question.

People that want babies to be born but don’t lift a finger to help them or their parents are just like the religious people Jesus condemned, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them” (Luke 11:46).  If we’re really pro-life we need to offer far more than rhetoric, demonstrations, marches or counseling.  We need to role up our sleeves with practical help and finance and lift more than a finger to help out.

In their defense, The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants (the group that protests outside the Melbourne Fertility Clinic) do offer help to women who decide not to abort.  But a quick Google search shows numerous reports of harassment from the protesters.  One woman who was supporting a friend says, “I walked with them past protestors outside a termination clinic.  It was threatening and intimidating.  Abortion is a difficult decision without the pressure of strangers, some whose intentions are malevolent.”  Another woman was told not to get an abortion to which she replied, “I’ve got cancer!”  That didn’t seem to subdue the protesting group though.

2. Are they pro the life of women too?

While I believe we should certainly be concerned for unborn babies, we should equally be compassionately concerned for women who, for whatever reason, find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy.  Abortion law reform campaigner Professor Lachlan de Crespigny puts it this way, ‘‘these are incredibly vulnerable women. They might be victims of incest or domestic violence; they may have gone through a traumatic marital breakup or the death of their partner; they could be drug-addicted or people who just presented late, not knowing they were pregnant; or young girls hiding their pregnancy.”

According to Emily’s Voice, 97% of abortions are performed to protect the psychosocial (mental, emotional and social) health of the mother.

International research shows women will still seek abortion, even if it is illegal.  Surely we don’t want to return to the days of backyard abortions?  Do pro-lifers really want that?  If not, what is their solution?

3. Are they pro-life in other areas of life?

One of the contradictions I’ve noticed with some pro-lifers is that they advocate for saving babies while also supporting capital punishment and the right to bear arms.  A statement regarding Troy Newman declared he “has never advocated violence against abortion providers or facilities and has instead adamantly encouraged pro-life activists to work through the legal, legislative, and justice systems to bring abortionists who are breaking the law and harming women to justice.”  Mr. Newman said he had been misquoted and yet in his book, “Their Blood Cries Out,” he states, “In addition to our personal guilt in abortion, the United States government has abrogated its responsibility to properly deal with the blood-guilty. This responsibility rightly involves executing convicted murderers, including abortionists, for their crimes in order to expunge bloodguilt from the land and people … The innocent blood of the New Covenant in Christ has the power to atone for all the innocent bloodshed from the beginning of time to the end, and to purify the whole earth — the land. Rejecting that innocent blood is to reject the only standard that is effective against innocent bloodshed, excluding the lawful execution of the murderers, which is commanded by God in Scripture.”

While the Hebrew Scriptures do command the execution of murderers, they also command the execution of children who curse their parents (Leviticus 20:9); a woman who displeases her husband because she can’t prove she was a virgin when they married (Deuteronomy 22:13-20); and a person who works on the Sabbath Day (Exodus 31:14).  It’s interesting to note that God gave mercy to the first murderer, Cain, and Jesus did the same for the woman caught in adultery.  For more on this read my blog, Why the death penalty is wrong.

4. Are they concerned about the damage they do to the Christian faith?

Pro-life protesters that continuously and openly harass and intimidate patients and staff, including blocking footpaths, following them, shouting at them, taking photos and videos, and even striking them, hardly give Christians a good name.  David Kinnaman in his book Unchristian put it this way, “Many outsiders … believe Christians have a right (even an obligation) to pursue political involvement, but they disagree with our methods and our attitudes … they claim we act and say things in an unchristian manner; they wonder whether Jesus would use political power as we do; and they are concerned that we overpower the voices of other groups.”

For this reason the Church is often seen as conservative and negative.  We become known for all that we’re against rather for what we stand for.  The church is often perceived as being “anti from a distance” without compassionately listening to people’s stories or engaging with them.  We also become known for focusing on one or two issues (gay marriage and abortion) while ignoring other issues completely, such as the plight of the poor, the homeless and the asylum seeker, care of the environment, adoption and foster care for children in need, the predicament of the persecuted church (and other religions) and fighting for victims of human trafficking and domestic violence.

Christians need to learn to engage in the right way.  We are called to share the good news of forgiveness, mercy and grace through Jesus: “Keep in mind that politics only gets you so far.  You change people’s lives most deeply by transforming their hearts, by helping them embrace a passionate, thoughtful, personal connection to Jesus.” (David Kinnaman)

Our actions should be merciful, respectful, gentle and careful especially towards those whose opinion is different to ours.  As the apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”  (Colossians 3:12).  Jesus put it this way: “In everything treat others the same way you want them to treat you” (Matthew 7:12).  That would be a great start for pro-lifers!

I created a bit of a stir on social media this week (unusual, I know) by making the following statement: “People who think the world is getting worse have very little understanding of history.”  What ensued was a healthy and somewhat robust discussion that included a number of comments and Bible verses to suggest that my statement is wrong.  Some “strongly disagreed”.  Others proposed that we learn nothing from history, morality is at an all-time low, today there is potential for more horrendous actions to take place such as nuclear war and, the Bible talks about everything getting worse before Jesus returns.

I don’t disagree that the world of today is far from perfect.  As Swedish doctor and world-renowned statistician Hans Rosling said, “You have to be able to hold two ideas in your head at once: the world is getting better and it’s not good enough!”  Nonetheless, I still hold to my original statement: “People who think the world is getting worse have very little understanding of history.”  People who think the world is getting worse view the world through the isolated lenses of the present and a misunderstanding of Bible prophecy.

When we look at the world in 2015 – especially if we simply rely on mass media – we get fed all the bad news and it’s easy to think that everything is awful and getting worse.  When you listen to some preachers or read certain books on Bible prophecy, you buy into a relatively modern understanding of end-time events.

This relatively new approach to the interpretation of Bible prophecy is called dispensationalism.  It was developed in 1827 by John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren and spread widely with the 1909 publication of the Scofield Reference Bible.  Darby went on to be the founder of the Exclusive Brethren cult after George Mueller (and other Brethren) challenged him about some of his unbiblical doctrines.  Charles Spurgeon also claimed these teachings were false.

These days much of the church has gained its understanding of Bible prophecy from novels and movies such as the Left Behind series.  While these books make their authors a lot of money they do little to educate Christians about the historical understanding of the Book of Revelation and other prophetic Scriptures.  As a result of this, much of the church is watching – and sometimes taking a rather gleeful longing – for an increase in war, natural disasters and signs in the sky like the blood moon that passed uneventfully this week.

So back to my statement, “People who think the world is getting worse have very little understanding of history.”  It’s true.  Let me give you some facts to back it up:

Since the late 1800s, life expectancy for Australians has increased by over 30 years. Today Australia ranks number 9 in the world.  While many African countries still have a much lower life expectancy than Western nations things are still improving dramatically thanks to AID agencies many of which are Christian.  Life expectancy across the world is over 30% higher today than it was in the 1960s.

In Jesus’ time, most people were poor but over the centuries this has changed dramatically.  Since the economic growth of industrialisation, the number of people living in poverty has decreased – and has kept on falling ever since.  The number of people living in poverty has decreased massively in the last twenty years.  While there is still much to do we are winning the war on poverty; the world is getting better!

Fewer people are dying because of war.  The number of people per million who have died in armed conflict dropped from 235 in 1950 to 2.5 in 2007, despite an increase in the number of smaller conflicts.  Since WWII international conflict has decreased dramatically.  Compared to prehistoric, pre-state and even medieval man, Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker argues, the world has become incredibly peaceful.  “Violence has been in decline for thousands of years, and today we may be living in the most peaceable era in the existence of our species.” (Wall Street Journal)

There has also been a decrease in disease especially due to effective immunisation programs.  Cancer rates are declining, the number of people with access to improved sanitation has increased by 50% since 1990; HIV and AIDS are in a slow retreat throughout the world.  Africa has cut AIDS-related deaths by one third in the past six years.

Literacy rates have doubled in the last 100 years.  Since the mid-19th century, global adult literacy rates have greatly improved, from an estimated 10% in 1850 to 84% today.  Teen pregnancies are at an all-time low; IQ scores have risen 24 points since 1914; renewables now produce 22% of the world’s electricity; the ozone layer is making a recovery and worldwide gender inequality has reduced by 20% since 1995.

Studying history shows how much better the world has become and that is what we would expect as Jesus came to make the world a better place (Luke 4:18-19).  The Kingdom of God is succeeding.  I’m not saying the world is problem-free, it’s not.  However a study of history shows that the world is so much better today than it was when Jesus first stepped onto it and when He steps onto it again, He will make it perfect!

Over the centuries there have been frequent predictions about the end of the world.  And here comes another one dubbed by the media as the  “blood moon apocalypse”.

On September 28 this year the fourth lunar eclipse in just two years will occur, a series known as a “tetrad”, each coinciding with a Jewish holy day.  September 28 marks the first day of this year’s Feast of Tabernacles.  And the fourth and final of the lunar eclipses will also be a ‘Super Moon’ (when a full moon coincides with the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth on its elliptical orbit).  It’s worth mentioning that the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar – Jewish holidays are based around full moons – and so this is no coincidence, no surprise, and probably no sign from God.

The Blood Moon Prophesy has been propagated by two very influential Christian ministers in the United States: Mark Biltz and John Hagee.  Both men have written books on the subject.  Mark Biltz’s book, Blood Moon, has also been turned into a documentary.  John Hagee’s book, Four Blood Moons, is now a movie.  There’s also some controversy between the two men.  Mark “discovered” this concept first (in 2008) and shared it with John Hagee in 2012.  Hagee now says he did his own research with NASA (even though he quotes his dates incorrectly from the NASA website).  WND Publishing has issued a demand letter to John Hagee for a public retraction of his claim.

Mark Biltz leads El Shaddai Ministries in Washington and is regarded as a modern prophet by his thousands of followers.  John Hagee is founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, and spokesperson for the 1.8 million strong Christian’s United For Israel.

It was Mark Biltz who first coined the term “blood moon” which is not a scientific term at all.  It refers to any total lunar eclipse when the moon almost always appears to be a brownish-red colour.  Biltz and Hagee see the 2014-2015 tetrad, when the dates of the lunar eclipses coincide with two major Jewish holidays, as an ominous sign of the end of days as described in Joel 2:31, “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.”  However, the apostle Peter referred to the Day of Pentecost of his day as being the fulfilment of this prophecy (Acts 2:16).  In the first century AD there were 251 lunar eclipses including one on 3 April, 33 AD when Jesus is thought to have been crucified.   And so when Peter referred to the moon being turned to blood his audience would have known just what he was talking about.

In his book, John Hagee says, “[God’s] been sending signals to Earth, and we haven’t been picking them up.  Two blood moons, in 2014 and 2015, point to dramatic events in the Middle East and, as a result, changes in the whole world.”  Mark Biltz is equally sensational.  While denying reports that an asteroid would hit Earth on September 28, “wiping out most of the Americas,” Blitz said, “the end will instead be heralded by the mother of all earthquakes.”  Neither of those options is very exciting!

Biltz refers to another (apparent) blood moon reference in Revelation 6:12, “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.  The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red …”  He believes this will be a sign of divine judgement.  He says it will be a warning such as “a major war involving Israel and the possibility of an economic collapse.”

Both Biltz and Hagee warn that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will reveal their individual missions on 28 September 2015.  John Hagee says, “There will be a world shaking event … the heavens are God’s billboard, and when something big is about to happen He gives planet earth a signal that something significant is about to happen.  Pay attention!  NASA said these four blood moons are coming.  God has said through Joel and St. Peter, Listen!”

John Hagee is an interesting character with some odd beliefs.  For example he describes trying to convert Jews as a “waste of time.”  He says, “Everyone else, whether Buddhist or Baha’i, needs to believe in Jesus.  But not Jews.  Jews already have a covenant with God that has never been replaced with Christianity.  The Jewish people have a relationship to God through the law of God as given through Moses.  I believe that every Gentile person can only come to God through the cross of Christ. I believe that every Jewish person who lives in the light of the Torah, which is the word of God, has a relationship with God and will come to redemption.  The Law of Moses is sufficient enough to bring a person into the knowledge of God until God gives him a greater revelation.  And God has not.”  So, in short, Jews don’t need Jesus.  In fact he denies that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah.  This heresy, known as Christian Zionism or dualism, was first made popular in the 1800s by John Nelson Darby, a heretical preacher who formed the Exclusive Brethren cult.

In a 2006 interview John Hagee described Hurricane Katrina as “God’s retribution for a planned gay pride parade.”  He said, “All hurricanes are acts of God because God controls the heavens.  I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that.”

While the Bible has little or nothing to say about blood moons in association with end time events, it has plenty to say about the rise of false prophets.  How do you identify a false prophet?  Easy, watch and see if their prophecies and predictions come to pass.  John Hagee has a string of false predictions to his name:

In his 1996 book “Beginning of the End,” Hagee said the tribulation started with the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1995).   The book sold 700,000 copies and was called “the publishing phenomenon of 1996” by the executive vice president at Thomas Nelson.  Hagee saw the murder of Yitzhak Rabin as the event that more than any other confirms that “the Messiah is coming very soon.”  Nothing happened!

So in 1999, Hagee wrote a book called “From Daniel to Doomsday” (which sold 12 million copies) saying that the Y2K Bug’s effect on computers would unleash economic chaos and deaths that marked the start of the Tribulation, the end of the world and God’s judgment.  But I thought it came in 1996?  Y2K came and went.  Nothing happened!

So in 2006 he wrote “Jerusalem Countdown” in which he said the Bible teaches that the USA (which never features in Bible prophecy by the way) would invade Iran and trigger the start of the Tribulation (so much for 1996 and 2000).  Nothing happened!

In 2008 he wrote “Financial Armageddon” about the Global Financial Crisis – after it happened!  In 2011 he released two more books – “Earth’s Final Moments” and “Can America Survive?” – detailing the imminence of the Tribulation (which had now been going for 15 years if you believe his 1996 prediction) asking “could 2012 be the end of the world as we know it?”  Umm, no!

And here he goes again in 2015 with his “Four Blood Moons” prediction for the end of the world next week.

The thing that amazes me more than anything else is that people keep buying this rubbish.  Hagee, who is now 73, has sold 25 million books making him tens of millions of dollars.  No doubt he’s laughing all the way to his 7,969 acre Texan ranch!  It seems you’ll never go broke predicting doom even if that doom never happens.

The sad reality is that while guys like this have made millions profiteering on people’s fear, their false predictions take people away from biblical truth on the end times – they desensitise people to the truth and increase cynicism like the boy who cried “wolf.”

So what can we learn from all this?  There are three options with John Hagee and Mark Biltz’s predictions about September 28:

  1. They’re right.  And if they’re right, September 28 is going to mark the beginning of the end and so it’s time for all of us to make sure we’re in right relationship with God.
  2. They’re wrong but they think they’re right.  In other words, they genuinely believe what they’re predicting is true.  They’re not trying to deceive anyone.  If that’s the case it’s still time for all of us to make sure we’re in right relationship with God.
  3. They’re wrong and they know they’re wrong.  In other words, they know what they’re predicting is false and they are deceiving gullible people in order to get money.  If that’s the case, God will sort it out in His time and His way.  This is still the time for all of us to make sure we’re in right relationship with God.

My prediction?  I’ll be writing another blog next Wednesday 30 September 2015!

There’s a fascinating principle of interpreting and understanding Scripture that is one of the proofs of the Bible’s inspiration.  It’s called the Law of First Mention and it can be defined as follows: “The very first time any important word is mentioned in the Bible … Scripture gives that word its most complete and accurate meaning to not only serve as a “key” in understanding the word’s Biblical concept, but to also provide a foundation for its fuller development in later parts of the Bible” (www.netbiblestudy.com).

The first mention of the tithe in the Bible is in Genesis 14 after Abram had rescued his nephew Lot, “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’  And he gave him a tithe of all” (verses 18-20).

The word “tithe” just pops up with absolutely no explanation at all.  But did Abram just pluck this figure out of thin air?  And, if so, why not 2% or 5% or 25%, why 10%?

According to Jewish sources (www.theonlinebibleschool.net) Shem (one of Noah’s sons) taught Abram to tithe.  Abram was in Shem’s family line and Jewish tradition identifies Shem and Melchizedek as the same person.  The Book of Jasher (which is quoted by Joshua and Samuel in the Hebrew Scriptures) records the fact that Shem had been Abraham’s teacher, “And when Avram came out from the cave, he went to Noach and his son Shem, and he remained with them to learn the instruction of YHWH and his ways, and no man knew where Avram was, and Avram served Noach and Shem his son for a long time.  And Avram was in Noach’s house thirty-nine years, and Abram knew YHWH from three years old, and he went in the ways of YHWH until the day of his death, as Noach and his son Shem had taught him” (Jasher 9:5-6).  Thus Abraham paid the tithe to Shem because Shem had been his personal teacher.  The apostle Paul brings this truth into the New Covenant Scriptures, “The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him” (Galatians 6:6).  The context of this verse is the disciple giving material support to his or her teacher.

The influence of Shem’s teaching about God’s tithe is found among the earliest nations (family clans) after the flood.  Tithing was commonly practised among Gentiles.  It was a custom required by the earliest priest-kings and tithing was practised in ancient nations even before the time of Abraham.  Tithing was a universal act among the earliest nations.  The money was used to maintain holy shrines and support the priests.

In Genesis 14 Abram was still a Gentile.  Although he became Abraham and the first patriarch of the nation of Israel, his tithing was not a Jewish act at all; in fact this event was 430 years before the Law of Moses.

The Law of Moses adopted the principle of tithing and developed it.  Under Moses there were three tithes:

  1. The Lord’s tithe: 10% of gross income that went to support the priesthood and temple (Numbers 18:21).
  2. The Family tithe: 10% of the 90% that was saved for the future support of the family (Deuteronomy 14:22-27).
  3. The Poor tithe: every third family tithe was given to the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).

It’s fascinating to note that four per cent of the American population today is Jewish and yet they own 40% of the wealth.  The reason being that many of them still practise tithing.

The principle of the tithe was then adopted by almost every ancient culture from Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian empire to the temples of Apollo in Delphi and Athena in Athens, pre-Christian centers of worship collected tithes for their gods.  Ancient cultures as different as the Greeks and Chinese—including the Arabians, Sicilians, Cretans, Phoenicians, Romans, Egyptians and Carthaginians—gave in ways mirroring the tithe.

Old Testament truth is still applicable to us today unless the New Testament presents truth that supersedes it.  For example, Jesus cancelled the Old Testament food rules in Mark 7:17-19, but did not present truth that superseded tithing.  In fact He endorsed it in Luke 11:42 & Matthew 23:23.

The New Testament actually increases the conditions of the Law (read Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” in which He increased the definition of murder and adultery amongst other things).  If a tenth was required under the Law, no less than a tenth is required under grace.  The final mention of tithing in the Bible (Hebrews 7) refers back to the first mention – to the story of Abram and Melchizedek.  Here the writer relates this mysterious King-Priest to Jesus the eternal King-Priest.  As Abram willingly paid tithes to Melchizedek we willingly pay tithes to Jesus.

In New Testament times the Eastern Church began tithing out of obligation because they believed Jesus’ conversation with the rich young man demanded sacrificial generosity.  Church fathers like Clement and Irenaeus encouraged the church to exceed the Old Testament tithe because Jesus had freed them from the Law.  I agree!  In my experience those who proclaim that tithing is not for today are usually using it as an excuse to give less or nothing at all.

It’s likely that teaching on tithing originated with God and was then adopted by various nations and individuals from that point on.  It seems clear that teaching on giving and generosity occurred very early on in human history. Consider the story of Cain and Abel who brought an offering (first mention) to God.  Who taught them to do that?  And why did God look with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor?  It had nothing to do with animal sacrifice.  It appears that Cain’s offering was an after-thought and was probably insufficient.  God says to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it” (Gen 4:6-7).  In some way Cain was disobedient to what God – and probably his parents – had taught him.  God’s displeasure with Cain’s offering implies that Cain failed to meet some divinely revealed requirement.

Tithing is an ancient practice of giving 10% of a person’s increase in order to support to a certain person (a king or priest like Melchizedek) or an institution (like the priesthood or a sanctuary).  The New Testament Scriptures make it abundantly clear that a church community has an obligation to meet the financial needs of its pastors – especially those whose work is preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 Corinthians 9:7-12).

Members of a local church have all the privileges of belonging to such a community but with all blessings come responsibilities and that includes financial support of that community.  We have a responsibility to fund the spread of the Gospel, to plant churches, to help the poor and to encourage justice.  All of this takes a lot of hard work, and being generous with our time, energy and resources.  It starts with the ancient practice of tithing!  Have you started?

Along with many Christians, as well as those of other faiths, I was disappointed to hear recently that the Victorian State Government had broken one of its election promises.  Premier Daniel Andrews promised to remove asbestos from schools, but said he would not scrap SRI during school hours.  I’m not sure how the asbestos removal is going, but SRI is being dumped during school hours from 2016.  I know I shouldn’t be surprised, after all both sides of politics seem to entice voters with various promises only to default on them once they’ve gained power: “There will be no SRI under the government I lead!”

The weekly 30-minute SRI program will move to lunchtime or before and after school – of course we parents need another extra-curricular activity to fit into an already busy week!

This move discriminates against all faiths, not just Christianity (including the Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches).  At present SRI is provided by Jewish, Buddhist, Baha’i, Islam and Hindu faiths.  The vast majority of Victorians identify themselves as belonging to a religious group.  Why is the majority being wronged?  This decision also negates the value that religions bring to our society.  Dr. Sue Smith from the Buddhist Council of Victoria says, “All religions have rich repositories of stories that provide resources for ethical exploration with students and can support existing values programs.”

Christian SRI taps into much of what our community already knows about the Bible and Christian faith.  For example, we often hear people refer to someone as a “Good Samaritan” or a person facing a “David and Goliath” challenge.  Teaching children the stories from the Bible gives them an understanding of these concepts and values that enrich their lives and the lives of others.

I had many enjoyable years teaching SRI (known as CRE at the time) in the late 80s and early 90s.  I taught four grade six classes every Tuesday morning.  The kids loved it and so did the teachers.  Very few parents opted their children out.  I never proselytised.  I stuck to the curriculum and we engaged in some great discussions and lots of fun.  I’ve received a number of emails over the years from the kids I taught (now adults with children of their own) saying how grateful they are for those lessons.

But for many years there’s been a concerted attack from secular and humanist groups and individuals to see SRI removed from school hours.  In 2011 the opt-out system was changed to opt-in and enrolments dropped 42% over the next two years as a result.  One of the arguments used against SRI is that non-participating students were sent to the library or sat in corridors.  If that’s true then that’s an issue that needs to be addressed by individual schools and parents.  I believe most teachers use this time for non-participating students to engage in self-directed learning like reading, finishing projects, homework or revision. Children are not being discriminated against. Some parents are exercising their rights to voluntarily withdraw their children from SRI. If schools were to provide new work to non-SRI students, this would result in SRI students missing out.

SRI is being replaced with new content on world histories, cultures, faiths and ethics.  Classes that address domestic violence and respectful relationships will also become compulsory for all prep to year 10 students from 2016.  While I think this course will be of great value to children why does it have to be either / or?  Surely both SRI and the new ‘Respectful Relationships Education’ program are equally worthy.

If you feel strongly about advocating for SRI to continue to be offered during school hours in Victoria here are some things you may want to do:

  • Visit/call/write/email you local MP to voice your opinion.
  • Write to your local paper or to The Age or Herald Sun.
  • Take the petition found on the Access Ministries website to your church, your school and your friends and ask them to stand up for children’s rights to receive SRI .
  • If you want your child(ren) to learn about the Christian faith then make sure your faith is strong and well-informed.  Find a good local church where the whole family can grow in faith together.  This also stands true if you belong to another faith tradition.

And finally, be careful, prayerful, graceful and respectful in all you do and say.

A number of years ago I was sitting around a dinner table enjoying a wonderful meal with a number of pastors.  One of the topics of conversation that came up that night centered around the question, “Why do you do what you do?”  It’s a great question, and one I gave some consideration to.  Over the next few weeks I wrote down 10 things that answer that question for me.  Here’s my list:

1.     God has called and gifted me to be a pastor

I have no doubt about God’s call on my life.  It stems from a passion ever since I gave my life to Jesus in my late teens and early twenties. I’d always wanted to go to Bible college, but an experience I had one Saturday evening in 1984 was the real clincher. I was at home reading my Bible (I read the Bible every year in those days) and I was up to Ezekiel 34 in which God speaks of true and false shepherds.  I was so moved by what I read that I started to intercede and weep before the Lord asking Him to raise up more ‘true shepherds’ in His church.  Shortly after this we had a wonderful old Welshman visit our church.  He was 83 and had been saved during the Welsh revival.  He’d been a pastor all his life and was now travelling and teaching the Word.  He prophesied over me that God was calling me to be a shepherd to His people and encouraged me to train in a Bible college (which I did from 1985 to 1987).  I have no doubt that God has called and gifted me to be a pastor.  I know that’s why I’m on the planet.  I was born for this!

2.     A number of prophecies over the years have confirmed this direction for my life

Edwin Thomas hasn’t been the only person to confirm God’s call through the gift of prophecy.  I’ve been encouraged by this gift on many occasions – and often when I’ve faced tough times and wanted to quit.  Before we pioneered Bayside Church in 1992 we received five prophecies from independent sources confirming that this was the right thing to do and the right time to do it.  In 1 Tim 1:18 the apostle Paul writes, “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight …”

3.     My spiritual mentors and peers confirm the calling of God on my life

That is, the significant people in my world say, “yes” to God’s call on my life.  They recognise that my destiny as a Christian is to serve as a pastor and teacher in the Body of Christ.  People don’t ask me “why are you doing this!”

4.     The members of Bayside Church are relying on me and have placed their trust in me.  I would never want to let them down

I am gripped by the responsibility and sacred duty God has given me to lead our church as well as to be a voice for the Gospel on radio, television, online and in the broader community.  The apostle Paul reflected this charge to the leaders of the Ephesian church, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).  The apostle James speaks of a “stricter judgment” awaiting those who teach God’s Word.  Not only will we have to give an account of our own lives we will also give God an account of what and how we’ve taught others (James 3:1). This is serious and sobering.

5.     The future members of our church are on the other side of my obedience

Christie and I have been leading Bayside Church for almost 24 years.  During this time many people have come to faith in Jesus and had their lives changed and transformed.  The world is a better place because of our church community; but what about all the people who will experience these things in the future?  They are on the other side of my obedience.  Part of the vision of our church is that the community would miss us if we weren’t here.  I hope that’s increasingly true!

6.     I really love what I do (most of the time J)

Like anyone I have my moments – tough times when I’m tempted to quit and walk away.  But I’m not quitter and I’ve proven that over many years.  For the vast majority of the time I really love what I do.  I love people, I love seeing the power of the Gospel change lives, I love teaching God’s amazing Word, I love the impact of the power of God to transform people, I love being a sane, rational and hopefully different voice for the Christian faith in the media and online, I love seeing people helped out of poverty and addiction, I love changing people’s preconceived ideas of what a Minister is like, and I love helping people see that church has changed.  The apostle Peter put it this way, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing …” (1 Peter 5:2).

7.     My partner in marriage and in life is equally called to this ministry

I am so thankful for Christie. She and I have been married for 21 years and, during this time, we’ve served God together by leading Bayside Church. The Psalmist wrote, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity … For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore” (Psalm 133).  This truth can be applied in many ways but it works particularly well in a marriage relationship.  Unity between a husband and wife is powerful and God commands His blessing.  I’ve heard it said that real love is not just looking into the eyes of another person, it’s when both of you are looking in the same direction.  We’ve certainly found that to be true.

8.     The people God has given us on our leadership team and in our church community make my work enjoyable (most of the time)

While we’ve certainly had our fair share of difficult, abrasive and gossipy people over the years, all up we continue to blessed with an amazing community who love God, love each other, love their neighbor AND love us.  They are putting into practice what the writer to the Hebrew Christians said, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you” (13:17).  I am very grateful for the people who make our work a joy, not a burden!

9.     Fruitfulness and success follows what I am doing

2015 marks the 30th year I’ve been in pastoral ministry.  I’ve certainly made my fair share of mistakes over the years, but all in all I sense the smile of God on my life and on my labours.  Jesus continues to grow Bayside Church and the influence of the gospel throughout Bayside Melbourne and beyond.

10. I am forever grateful for what God has done for me

Jesus taught those who have been forgiven much; love much (Luke 7:47).  With my background in drug and alcohol abuse, new age religion, occult and so much more, I am deeply aware of being abundantly forgiven by Jesus.  I am forever grateful and one of the results of my gratitude is a desire to dedicate my life to Him and to His people.

It’s important to know why we do what we do – especially when we feel like giving up or going astray.  I’d encourage you to spend some time thinking through why you do what you do, make a list and read it regularly. It’ll keep you on track.

Many churches display signs outside their buildings – or on their websites – that express something like, “everyone is welcome.”  But what exactly does that mean and do those churches really mean it?  From my 30 years of experience as a pastor, and nearly 40 years as a Christian, I would say that invariably the “everyone is welcome” sign is just an ill-thought-through platitude rather than a reality.

Consider Eric (not his real name) who sat very tentatively in my office a few months ago telling me his life story. Now in his 50s Eric is single, celibate and same-sex attracted. He’s been a Christian all his life, loves God with a passion, is intelligent and servant-hearted but has found anything but a welcome in churches that display “everyone is welcome” signs. He was told flat out that he wasn’t welcome in one church. Another church told him he could attend but not do anything. Finally he’s found Bayside Church and is starting to settle in and be a productive member of our community.

I think what churches actually mean when they say, “everyone is welcome” is, “everyone is welcome as long as you fit into our idea of what a Christian is. You’re welcome as long as you’re like us, middle to upper class, not too demanding, have problems that are fixed easily and believe and behave like we expect you too.”  Everyone like that is welcome.

At Bayside Church we don’t have a sign that says, “Everyone is welcome” because not everyone is.  Let me give you three kinds of people that we don’t welcome into our church community.

1. Predators

By this I’m not just referring to pedophiles although I certainly wouldn’t welcome those who prey on children into our church community where children are present.  They would need to attend an adult small group where there are no children – ever.  I love kids too much to expose them to that level of risk.  But we’ve experienced some more subtle kinds of predators over the years.  One Saturday evening after our church meeting I chatted with a new guy who told me that he’d been asked to leave a church nearby because he was always hitting on the women in the congregation. He told me he’d be coming to Bayside Church from now on. I promptly told him that he wouldn’t be. I value the women in our church community and, as their pastor, I will seek to protect them from the likes of him. I’ve had that conversation several times over the years and I’ll have it again!  Sexual predators are just not welcome.

The apostle Paul encouraged the excommunication of such a man from the Corinthian church who was having an ongoing affair with his Stepmother (1 Corinthians 5). However, once this man had repented and changed his ways he was welcomed back into the church community (2 Corinthians 2).

We do not welcome spiritual predators either. These are the people Jesus warned us about,“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”  Spiritual predators are actually quite easy to pick – they will always try and draw you to themselves rather than to Jesus.  Watch out for them.

2. Antagonists

In his book, Antagonists in the Church: How to Identify and Deal with Destructive Conflict, Kenneth C. Haugk, a Lutheran pastor and psychologist defines antagonists as, “individuals who, on the basis of non-substantive evidence, go out of their way to make insatiable demands, usually attacking the person or performance of others. These attacks are selfish in nature, tearing down rather than building up, and are frequently directed against those in a leadership capacity.”

There are several warnings in the New Testament for Christians and churches to be on the lookout for antagonistic troublemakers. Paul told the Roman Church, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people” (Romans 16:17-18). He told Titus who was overseeing all the churches in Crete, “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.”  In other words, antagonistic, divisive, gossips that create unrest, division and disunity in a church are simply not welcome!  Our church has been hurt and hindered more by these types of people over the years than anyone else.  I used to try and reason with them but I love Paul’s advice – three strikes and you’re out!

3. Quarrelers

The word “quarrel” is a medieval English word for the crossbow dart that was used to kill or wound the enemy.  In combat, these darts were fired back and forth across the battleground.  The enemy soldiers were said to be “quarreling.”  The meaning is the same today although, instead of using darts, people use words to destroy their opponent.  This is different to a robust but respectful discussion. The aim of the quarreler is the conversion of another person to their point of view or they will attempt to ruin them.  The internet is full of blogs from quarreling Christians seeking to destroy the reputations of others. Have nothing to do with them!

The apostle James warned his readers about these sorts of people, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.” (James 4:1-2)

Paul warns Timothy, “Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen … avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene … don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.” (2 Timothy 2)

In a church community everyone needs to hold fast to the non-negotiable truth of the Gospel – who Jesus is, what Jesus did, what Jesus is doing and what Jesus will do. It’s all about Jesus. On any truth that does not affect people’s salvation there can be respectful discussion and we can agree to disagree.  However, there are those in a church whose goal is to argue, quarrel and be constantly disagreeable. Once again, the New Testament warns us not to have anything to do with such people. They are not welcome. It’s the peacemakers who are blessed – not the quarrelers.

Last week I addressed two of the most-often asked questions when it comes to spiritual healing: “does God really heal people?” and, “why do Christians get sick?” 

This week let’s look at a few more questions and what the Bible has to say about them:

Question Three: Do I have to deny I’m sick in order to be healed?

This question is based on some of the teaching that has, in my opinion, taken positive & negative confession too far.  It’s based on a wrong translation of Romans 4:17-21.  The King James (and New King James Versions) translate it as follows: “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead…neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb.”  The apostle Paul is speaking of Abraham and Sarah and their inability to conceive.  Notice how the KJV says Abraham “considered not.”  This infers Abraham denied the fact that he was too old to father a child and that Sarah was barren.  The newer translations of the Bible, which use older and more reliable manuscripts, translate these verses very differently: “Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.”  Denying you’re sick doesn’t bring healing; facing the facts and then asking God for healing is the Biblical approach.  Jesus always ministered to people on the basis of their honesty.  Consider the blind man in Mark 8:23-24.  Jesus prayed for him once and then asked, “Do you see anything?”  The man replied, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”  On the basis of his honesty “Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”  What if he’d denied reality? He would have been half blind for the rest of his life!  Genuine faith does not ignore the facts; it does not deny reality.  Genuine faith is honest about the facts and remains strong in God despite them.

Question Four: Why isn’t everyone healed when they’re prayed for?

If you are a Christian, I believe God ultimately heals you. In chapter 5 of his letter, the apostle James gives the recipe for healing; “is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.”  The Lord can raise people up in two ways: physically, by a complete healing that is either an instantaneous event or a gradual process, or spiritually through physical death and resurrection, ushering the person into eternal life without sickness, pain, sorrow or crying; a place where God will wipe every tear from their eyes!  This is ultimate healing – in heaven with Jesus!  The Psalmist said, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15).  I always pray for healing and life.  If God brings physical healing, I don’t take the glory.  If He doesn’t, I don’t take the blame!  My job is to pray in faith.  God’s work is to raise the sick person up either physically or spiritually according to His sovereign will.

Consider these words from Isaiah 57:1-2, “The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.  Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.”  Sometimes death is a kinder option for a Christian person in order to spare them from a difficult future.  We need to develop the same eternal perspective as the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:19-26.  We are strangers and pilgrims on earth, just passing through!  Don’t hold onto this life too tightly.

Question Five: Is it a lack of faith for a Christian to see a doctor?

The answer to this question is also found in James 5, “…to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the Name of the Lord.”  In this verse we see the wonderful link in the Bible between faith and medicine – pray and anoint with oil.  Pray means that we always seek God first for the answer to any need we may have. “Anoint” means “to pour or massage.” “Oil” in Bible times was often used for medicinal purposes (cf. Luke 10:34).  God is not anti-doctors and medical science.  In fact he chose Dr. Luke, the “beloved physician”, as one of His key church leaders and the author of Luke and Acts.  Doctors and medically trained people can treat many conditions successfully; diagnose a condition so you can pray more specifically; and confirm that a healing has taken place.  Many times Jesus told people to show themselves to the priests, the ones who could confirm a healing had happened and thus declare a person to be clean.  Of course, Medical science still has its limitations.  It is sometimes when doctors can’t help that God steps in.

Question Six: Should I throw away my medicines as a step of faith?

Simply “NO”, because doctors and medicine are ways that God heals people.  It’s important to realize that many medicines are found in nature.  God created them in the first place and people have merely discovered and refined what God placed in creation.  The Bible says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  Medical science and healing professions and techniques are a good gift from God.  It can be dangerous to take yourself off some medicines, so consult with your doctor first.

Question Seven: Are all illnesses, particularly mental illness, demonic in origin?

I’ve heard this question particularly amongst Pentecostal and charismatic Christians over the years and it shows a massive amount of ignorance of mental illnesses especially.  Matthew 4:23-24 identifies various kinds of sickness and disease.  People who were (1) ill with various diseases; (2) suffering severe pain; (3) Demon-possessed; (4) having seizures – sudden attacks of a particular disorder and (5) paralysed.  These five categories cover the main areas of sickness, disease and various conditions that many people still face.  Notice that demonic spirits harrassed some and that still happens today as well.  The discerning person will prayerfully discover, often with the help of medical professionals, what the cause of a sickness is and then seek the best way to bring healing wherever possible.  Labelling people who are sick or mentally ill as demon possessed, can often aggravate the distress that is already being experienced. It also brings unnecessary condemnation and anxiety to the one who is suffering, as well as to those who are caring for them.

If you are helping someone who is sick here are a few things to remember:

Don’t constantly ask them how they are.
Don’t ask if they are feeling better.

Don’t make every conversation about their sickness.

Don’t define a person by their condition.

Don’t quote Scripture verses at them. Let them find their own comfort in God.

Ask what they are believing for and then stand in agreement with them.

Weep with those who weep.

Let them know that you love them and are praying for them.

Don’t be guilty of over-caring.  Look after yourself too.

If you visit someone who is sick don’t stay too long.

Find some practical ways to help.

Don’t offer advice that conflicts with medical professionals.

Don’t condemn people by making thoughtless statements.

Be kind, compassionate, loving, gentle and understanding.

As I sit at home recovering from a rather nasty bout of flu and Pneumonia, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on what I believe about supernatural healing!  It’s not a simple topic.  In fact, beware of thin books called, “Everything you need to know about healing!”  Over my years in pastoral ministry I’ve been asked many questions about healing and it’s those that I will seek to address over the next two or three weeks.

Question One: Does God really heal people?

The Bible is full of accounts of supernatural healing and anyone who reads the gospel accounts is quickly made aware that healing was at the heart of Jesus’ life and work.  The church continued this work of healing throughout the first century as recorded in the Book of Acts.

The expectation of healing continued past the Biblical age of the First Century:

  • Justin Martyr (165AD), “many of our Christians have healed and do heal.”
  • Augustine (415AD) in his book, City of God, wrote an account of a healing that took place at his cathedral on an Easter Sunday morning.  Though originally a skeptic, he said that he knew of at least 60 incidents of healing.
  • Gregory, at about the same time as Augustine, wrote of his sister’s healing from serious injuries through the prayers of the congregation.
  • Through the dark ages the ministry of laying on of hands, anointing with oil and prayer for healing gradually decreased, and so the accounts of healing during this period are few.  Even the reformation, which brought many tremendous reforms to the church, did not restore the healing ministry to the church.  Martin Luther and John Calvin taught that healing only happened in Biblical times to enhance the preaching of God’s Word.  However, the ministry of healing never completely died out.  John and Charles Wesley knew of it, as did George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends, or the Quakers.
  • Not until the turn of the 20th century did we see the beginnings of a worldwide and lasting revival of the ministry of healing, when an Englishman by the name of James Moore Hickson founded The Society of Emanuel in 1905.  He traveled the world to urge the restoration of the healing ministry.  The Archbishop of Canterbury, Randall Davidson, was so persuaded by Hickson that the worldwide meeting of Anglican bishops, in 1908, ordered a study of this ministry.  In 1920 the study was accepted.  The bishops urged that all future prayer books include liturgies for healing.  Also at the turn of the century, a movement stirred in the mainline churches that focused more on the activity and gifts of the Holy Spirit, including healing.  This was the birth of the Pentecostal movement.  Since that time, every major Christian denomination has embraced the ministry of healing in some shape or form including the Roman Catholic Church that restored the ministry of healing at the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

Over the years I have experienced God’s healing power personally. I have prayed for people who have been healed. I’ve met others who’ve been healed.  The prophet Jeremiah declared, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm.  Nothing is too hard for you” (32:17). A God who has the power to create a Universe certainly has the power to heal human sickness.

Question Two: Why do Christians get sick?

So we’ve established that God heals but why do people – including Christians – actually get sick?  Someone may ask, “Aren’t Christians exempt from sickness because of what Christ did on the cross?”  While I certainly believe that Jesus healed – and heals – people, His work on the cross had more to do with healing the human spirit from the ravages of sin than healing the human body from the results of sickness.  The verses most often quoted to defend Jesus’ death for our sicknesses are Isaiah 53:4 and 1 Peter 2:24.  Isaiah says, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.”  The whole passage is usually considered as fulfilled by Jesus death and yet Matthew teaches that this verse was fulfilled by Jesus’ life: “When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.  When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:“He took up our infirmitiesand bore our diseases.”

1 Peter 2:24 is also often misquoted, “… by His wounds you were healed.”  Special emphasis is made of the past tense “you WERE” and so if you WERE then you ARE.  An entire teaching of divine healing and health has sprung from taking this verse out of context and the teaching often leads to unkind and condemning statements:  “If Jesus has taken your sicknesses then why are you still carrying them?  It must be because of your lack of faith or because you have sin in your life.”  Really?  How much faith do you need for healing? Faith the size of a mustard seed will move a mountain – how much faith for a lump of cancer?  For those who would condemn others for being sick why don’t you pray for them to be healed?  In fact James teaches that it is the faith of others than can heal us, “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven” (notice here that physical healing occurs before forgiveness of sin).  Sin may be the cause of sickness (sexual immorality, gluttony, anxiety, overworking, and laziness) but it is not necessarily a barrier to healing.

The context of 1 Peter 2:24-25 is Jesus sin-bearing work on the cross, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”  Peter is clearly speaking of healing, or being made whole, from the effects of sin; particularly the sin of continually straying from God.

Christians are not exempt from the sinless infirmities of life – we get tired, hungry and experience pain and sickness (see Romans 8:22-23).  But all of these things will be abolished once and for all when Jesus returns, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). In the meantime we can experience supernatural healing by Jesus’ life and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but healing is a benefit of salvation and not a guarantee.

In asking this question I’m not referring to the denomination or style of the church you’re part of (or not part of).  Over my 30 years as a pastor, I’ve observed many “kinds” of people who refer to themselves as “Christian.” I’ve noticed some particular trends in the past few years, some of which seem to be especially unhealthy and not accurately reflecting the church Jesus said He would build.  So, what kind of Christian are YOU?

1. The Convenience Christian treats the church, and their spirituality, like the local convenience store. They know it’s there whenever they need something. They’ll just pop in from time to time when it’s, umm, convenient.  This is the lifestyle Christian who fits God and faith around the more important things of life like sport, time for themselves and catching up with friends.

2. The Consumer Christian attends a church for what they can get out of it, and they will continue to attend (when it’s convenient) for as long as you are able to meet their needs.  They want everything to be just right – the right music, the right songs – at the right volume, the right teaching (as long as it’s entertaining) and the right programs for their kids.  Don’t ask the consumer Christian to do anything; they’re not at church for that. Other people do the things!  You have the consumer Christian’s loyalty as long as you continue to do the right thing and as long as a church doesn’t start up nearby who can do things more right than you.  The consumer Christian is also willing to travel some distance to get what they want.  They are very committed to their needs being met.

3. The Crisis Christian is often a convenience Christian too.  They’re the ones you only see when they have an emergency.  They’re quite happy when all is well. God is kind of “there” and they know the church will always be there too, but it’s only when something goes wrong that God and church seem important.  Their prayer life will spring to life and God is entreated to get them out of the problem and to end the pain.  They come back to church as a bargaining chip with God.  They believe in the doctrine of Quid pro quo – offering prayers to God as a trade: “God, if you get me out of this then I will … (fill in the blank here).”  This is not Christianity at all.  In fact, this kind of thinking can be traced back to the idolatry and religious festivals of ancient Rome (Quid pro quo is a Latin term meaning “something for something”).

4. The Crowd Christian just loves to be amongst the multitude.  The bigger the church the better! They often want to be anonymous (which is okay for a while but not long-term).  The crowd is often made up of convenience, consumer and crisis Christians.  This is leading to a modern phenomenon of large churches having more people who attend less often.  It’s easy to build a crowd as long as you have the best of everything.  The crowd will come for an event like a guest speaker, or a band or food.  Just ask Jesus who had a crowd of 5000 men plus women and children when there were miracles and food flowing but only had 120 people at a 9am prayer meeting.

5 The Conspiracy Christian. knows that there’s lots of dark stuff happening in the world and feels called of God to make sure we all know about it.  Some of the conspiracy theories perpetrated by conspiracy Christians over the years include:

  • Obama is the Antichrist and plans to rule America by sharia law
  • Charles Darwin took it all back the day he died
  • The Birth control pill turns your uterus into a grave littered with teeny-weeny corpses of fully formed babies
  • The Bible is really an ancient computer program
  • Jesus invented the Internet
  • Noah came from Mars
  • The Garden of Eden is hidden under Kansas City
  • The government is setting up concentration camps throughout the U.S. to intern Christians
  • Each year, 1 million children are kidnapped and murdered by satanic cults
  • Gay men wear special rings for the sole purpose of giving innocent straight people HIV.
  • The abortion-mad Chinese eat human foetuses.

Now, I don’t doubt for one minute that there are things happening in this world that we don’t know about. There is a dark side to this, but Christians need to stop fixating on the Illuminati and start focusing on Jesus and the Kingdom of God.

6. The Condemning Christian is much like the conspiracy Christian but his “ministry” is to guard the truth and expose and criticise anyone who deviates in the slightest way.  These people seem to have a massive amount of discretionary time to read and respond to blogs and Facebook posts. They like to disagree and argue and it doesn’t matter what you say they will always come back with why you’re wrong. They are cowards behind keyboards – usually faceless, often nameless.  There are whole ministries set up for the express purpose of keeping pastors, churches & other ministries “accountable.”  They are self-appointed guardians of the truth and they are unrelenting and brutal.  Theirs is the ministry of condemnation. Condemning Christians are like the schoolyard bullies of the Internet and, just like the bullies, they crave attention.  They also exist in our churches. They’re the people for whom nothing is ever right and who have to pick the one statement in your sermon they disagree with and focus on that to the detriment of everything else you said. They strain out gnats and swallow camels.

7. The Community Christian is the person that reflects what Jesus came to build – His Church.  The English word “church” is translated from the Greek word Ekklesia that originally referred to a group of people who were called out from their homes (usually by a trumpet) and summoned to a public political meeting.  Jesus, Luke, Paul, James and John use this word 114 times to describe the community that would result from Jesus’ life, death & resurrection.  The church is not a building, not something you simply “attend,” not an event or a consumable commodity, not a convenience or a crowd to hide in.  The church is a community of believers in Jesus who gather on a regular basis in large and small groups to worship, pray, be instructed in God’s Word, eat together, help one another in practical and spiritual ways, build friendships and grow in grace, give and receive and reach out to a world that God loves and for whom Jesus died (see Acts 2:42-47). The New Testament speaks many times of believers gathering or meeting together as a community.  The writer to the Hebrew Christians was particularly strong on the importance of this gathering: “let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Real community is life changing as reflected in this email I received from a guy in Bayside Church last week:

“Hi Rob.  Thanks for last Sunday it was absolutely amazing.  When you showed the video interview with the guy from Open Doors, and he spoke about the 12yr old girl who was persecuted by her father, I found it very difficult to comprehend.  What came next was even more powerful. You asked us to get into groups and pray for the persecuted church. I was in a group of 4 and I felt like I needed to start off but I burst into tears, overwhelmed by Gods presence and how that 12-year-old girl had been treated. I prayed, then the lady next to me started crying when she prayed and so did her husband, and the guy next to me was also in tears.  Then we worshipped God some more and that was amazing. And then we had a pray line so I headed straight out, still crying by the way.  I went down for the count and God was all over me. Awesome!  You know I woke up that morning and straight away I heard the Holy Spirit say ‘honour me.’  You see that day we had no kids so we were going to skip church and do something together. I went instead.”

So which one(s) of the above seven kinds of Christians best describes you?  Be honest and, if you’re not reflecting the qualities of the Community Christian then it’s time to make some changes: “The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”  

 

ABOUT ROB BUCKINGHAM

Rob Buckingham is the founding pastor of Bayside Church, a thriving faith community located in the Bayside suburbs of Melbourne.  Welcoming people from all walks of life, Bayside Church invites all people to experience the Christian faith and God.  For more information about Bayside Church:

What to Expect

Locations

Bayside Kids

Bayside Youth

Livestream

More Blogs From Rob Buckingham

Someone accused me on Facebook recently of “being quiet” on the issue of same-sex marriage. While that’s not been the case, I have chosen not to engage in the vitriolic rants and raves between Christians and LGBTI people.

It appears to me that some Christians are dug down in one trench and some LGBTI people in an opposite trench and they’re just shooting at one another.  I’d like to declare a ceasefire – shooting at each other is achieving nothing other than causing hatred and anger to be stirred up – and the Christians should stop firing first!  I can’t see anywhere in the Bible that teaches God sent His Son into the world to raise up a people to be the world’s moral police.  In fact, He sent His Son for just the opposite of that – to bring peace, forgiveness, salvation, redemption, grace and new beginnings.

Firstly, let me clearly state my views on Biblical/Christian marriage.  In Matthew 19 some religious leaders asked Jesus about marriage and divorce.  In reply He took them right back to the beginning of the Book (Genesis 1:27; 5:2), “Haven’t you read … that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”  When you read the account of God’s creation of people you find that God created people in His image: “in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”  It appears that God divided His nature between male and female so that the coming together of a man and a woman in marriage would be a coming together of the complete image of God hence “the two will become one.”  No other human relationship can reflect the image of God in the way a heterosexual marriage can.

In Ephesians chapter five the apostle Paul speaks of marriage between a man and a woman as symbolising the relationship between Jesus and the church: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church” (31-32).  No other human relationship can reflect the connection between Jesus and the church in the way a heterosexual marriage can.  On the basis of these – and other parts of the Bible – I believe the current definition of marriage, in the Australian Marriage Act, accurately reflects a Biblical and thus Christian view of marriage.

I believe that’s the ideal, but, we live in a far from ideal world.  Just consider again the context of Matthew 19 – a discussion on marriage and divorce.  Jesus makes it abundantly clear that a man and woman are to come together in marriage for life.  I don’t believe most people go into marriage thinking it won’t last – although there seem to be some these days who see marriage as a ten-year lease with an option to extend!  People marry with a view to staying together.  That’s the ideal, but we live in a far from ideal world.  Many people have suffered the pain of a failed marriage and all that that entails.  The church has had to work through this issue over the years and many have come to a place where divorced people are no longer viewed as second-class citizens (for more on this refer to my blog on Divorce and Remarriage.

So, with that in mind, here are some of my thoughts on the same-sex marriage debate:

1. The church doesn’t own marriage in Australia (and many other nations) – the government does.  Christians have as much of a right as anyone else to share their views on same-sex marriage, but it will ultimately be a government decision because the government owns marriage.  As Senator Barnaby Joyce rightly said, “In life, not everybody gets what they want.”  In this debate there are going to be some people who will ultimately be disappointed.

2. Many people in our society do not hold to a Biblical worldview so they simply do not understand, agree with, or want to abide by what some churches and Christians teach.

3. It is my opinion that the Western Church often idolises marriage in a way the Bible doesn’t.  Being single-minded for the Kingdom of God is the emphasis of the New Testament (1Cor. 7).  Think of Jesus, Paul and Barnabas who were all single.  I was 35 when I got married and the pressure placed on me by well-meaning married people to get married was, at times, unbearable.  I feel deeply for single people who are often put under an unnecessary burden because of the Church’s unbiblical view of the importance of marriage.  We are not married to marriage as an institution, we get married to someone we love and choose to spend the rest of our lives with to the exclusion of all others!

4. One of the challenges I’ve had with some of the “Christian” arguments against same-sex marriage has concerned what’s best for the children.  Statements have been made such as, “Children deserve to be brought up by their biological mother and father.”  True.  That’s the ideal.  But when I hear this said my heart goes out to single parents (as well as those who can’t have children) who wanted the ideal only to find out that it wasn’t possible in their case.  I greatly admire single parents who are doing their best in the toughest of circumstances.  They need our support not our ill thought through arguments.

5. Predictions of the downfall of heterosexual marriages if same-sex marriage is introduced are nothing short of ridiculous.  If your marriage and family is so unstable that two men or two women getting married will destroy yours, then you are already in deep trouble.  As for the Christian couple from Canberra who said they’d divorce if same-sex marriage were legalised – you really did a great job of letting Aussies know what the Gospel is all about hey?

6. Please let’s stop using the “slippery slope” argument.  James Dobson, a man I’ve admired for many years as the founder of Focus on the Family, made this disappointing statement on his radio program in February 2013 in the context of same-sex marriage, “How about group marriage? Or marriage between daddies and little girls? Or marriage between a man and his donkey? Anything allegedly linked to civil rights will be doable, and the legal underpinnings for marriage will have been destroyed. Now, that’s more or less a prophecy. Not a divine prophecy, but a prediction.”  This sort of statement makes Christians and the church look and sound ludicrous in the eyes of the broader community.  As for bestiality, until donkeys – or any other animal – learn to write so they can sign their marriage documents I think we’re fairly safe!  James Dobson’s statement perpetuates the “slippery slope” argument that is used in all sorts of ethical disputes.  If we allow “this” then “that” will be the automatic consequence.  But that’s not necessarily true.  I believe the words “to the exclusion of all others” will still be in the Marriage Act so there will be no room for polygamy, polyandry, polyamory, pedophilia, bestiality or any other relationship outside of TWO PEOPLE to be legalised.

7. Everyone is created in the image of God and deserves to be given the dignity of that reality.  A common theme in the Bible is “Love your neighbour as yourself.” This statement is mentioned 9 times in Scripture. In Galatians 5:14 the apostle Paul says “The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” In other words, everything from Genesis to Malachi – all of the 602,585 words – can be summed up in just 5 words. In James 2:8 “Love your neighbor as yourself” is called “The royal law.”  That means this is the most important commandment in the entire Bible.  What does “love your neighbour as yourself” look like when that neighbour is gay or lesbian, transgender, bisexual or intersex? Christian compassion must lead us to see what life is like in someone else’s shoes.  What is it like:

  • To be attracted to the same-sex?
  • To feel like you’re stuck in the wrong body?
  • To be born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male?

8. How would you want to be treated if that was you?  Have you ever chatted with someone who is not heterosexual and asked them what life is like for them?  Jesus’ Golden Rule is, ““Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”  The apostle John put it this way, “let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”  You say you love gay people?  Show them!  As Brian Stevenson says in his amazing book Just Mercy, “You can’t understand most of the important things from a distance … you have to get close.”  It seems to me that there is massive ignorance in the church – and amongst Christians – on human sexuality.  This often leads to fear, generalisations and unkind comments.  Christians and churches need to do their homework and educate themselves on the complexity and variety of sexuality – especially on that which falls outside of heterosexuality.

For more on this aspect listen to my message “Real Christianity is accepting”.  The Christian message is not predominately a message of morality; it is a message of redemption.  Now redemption should lead to morality but I think we sometimes get the cart before the horse.  We build walls instead of bridges and keep people out of the kingdom because of our “moral” stand just like the Pharisees did.  Read Matthew chapter 23 and see how unimpressed Jesus was with this kind of attitude.

9. Christians and the straight community haven’t done a great job at looking after “Biblical” marriage.  Think of the massive divorce rates, the prevalence of domestic violence (most of which occurs in straight relationships), rampant infidelity and child abuse (children are most likely to be abused or neglected by parents).  The Catholic church, and to a lesser extent other churches and Christian schools, has turned a blind eye to the abuse of children for decades, hence it’s very hard for the un-churched community to listen to the church’s defense of traditional marriage and morals when its been so neglectful and hypocritical itself.  Further, it appears to me that some in the church seem to only defend the first part of the definition of marriage not the second part. That is met with silence: “Marriage means the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.”  We hear a lot about the “man and a woman” bit but nothing about “voluntarily entered into for life.”  Where’s the Church’s voice speaking out on arranged or forced marriages, domestic violence & child abuse in heterosexual relationships, and the epidemic of divorce and remarriage?  For more on this refer to my blog Marriage Under Threat.

10. The Bible teaches a hierarchy of ethics – that is, a higher law will cancel out a lower one.  What is the higher law in regards to same-sex marriage? Would it encourage greater monogamy amongst LGBTI people who want to be together for life?  What about the 33,700 same-sex couples in Australia as per the last Census?  Further to this, if same-sex marriage is legalised how will local churches respond to two men or two women who want to come and discover the grace of God as expressed in Jesus?  Should the church make this conditional on the two people ending their relationship?  What if they have children – should the church break up a family?  What is that the highest law in these situations?  These are all questions that churches and Christians need to think through very carefully.

11.  If marriage is a right then it also has responsibilities. On this “right’ Senator Nick Xenophon said, “Gays have every right to be as miserable as heterosexuals.”  I appreciate his humour but of course in every joke there is a grain of truth.  Marriage is wonderful, exciting, mundane, enjoyable, frustrating, difficult, rewarding and just plain hard work.  If same-sex marriage is legalised I hope gay and lesbian people will do a better job managing its responsibilities than many straight couples have done.

12. Can we Christians please stop making stereotypical comments about LGBTI people?  Remarks about “The gay lifestyle” and “The gay agenda” are incorrect and hurtful.  Gays and lesbians are as diverse as straight people.  Yes, there are radical gay people who have a strong political agenda.  Of course there are no Christians who are like that right?  I’ve met gay people who don’t even want same-sex marriage as they consider it a heterosexual institution.  For most LGBTI people their “agenda” is to get up in the morning, have breakfast, go to work, meet with friends, love their families, make a difference for good where they can, laugh, cry, deal with heartache, pay bills – any of that sound familiar?

Having said these things I will finish by voicing some of my concerns if and when same-sex marriage is legalised:

I’m concerned at the removing (or confusing) of the terms “husband” and “wife.”  I’m told that redefining marriage means changing the Marriage Act to remove these terms.  I am concerned that this will cause confusion.  Many couples in common law relationships currently refer to each other as “partners.”  Would this term not suffice for people in same-sex marriages? Why not allow “husband” and “wife” to remain as terms to indicate men and women in a heterosexual marriage?

I’m concerned that we will lose some terms altogether.  For example, in Spain, birth certificates use the expressions “progenitor A” and “progenitor B” in place of mother and father.  Canada has removed the concept of “natural parent” from its laws and Sweden seeks to remove the terms “boy” and “girl”, replacing them with one term.

I’m concerned that there could be an increase in lawsuits against those who, because of conscience or faith, cannot endorse, or provide services for, a same-sex union.  I’m concerned that refusing service may lead to people being punished under anti-discrimination laws.  Currently none of the bills on same-sex marriage offer enough protection of religious freedom and individual conscience.  Any legislation needs to be carefully drafted to give religious exemptions.  Similar immunities need to be provided to religious colleges, schools and social-service agencies.  Religious institutions and schools should not be punished if they teach their own beliefs about marriage.  And these provisions should also be provided for the protection of LGBTI people too.  For example, in much of the US a gay publicist can refuse to provide services for an anti-gay event – and rightly so.

Of course, if we all respected one another then this sort of legislation would be unnecessary – but there we are back in that ideal world again.

 

 ABOUT ROB BUCKINGHAM

Rob Buckingham is the founding pastor of Bayside Church, a thriving community of faith located in the Bayside suburbs of Melbourne.  Welcoming people from all walks of life, Bayside Church invites all people to experience the Christian faith and God.  For more information about Bayside Church:

What to Expect

Locations

Bayside Kids

Bayside Youth

Livestream

More Blogs From Rob Buckingham