"PERFECT FEAR CASTS OUT LOVE!" I don't even remember who said it, but throughout the Lausanne Congress it kept ringing in my ears. Fear is possibly the biggest chokehold on the spreading of the gospel of Jesus today. Fear of rejection. Fear of terrorism. Fear of people of other faiths. Fear of him who can harm your flesh. Fear of the future. Fear of risk. Fear of poverty. Fear of pain.All of these fears keep the people of God from living out their purpose in life - to love God, to love our neigbours, to love one another, to love our enemies. We hide in our comfort zones, our political arenas, our church buildings, our safe places and forget there is a world that we are to be engaged in through living the gospel, teaching the gospel, and loving the way the gospel demands. And I am not trying to sound condemning in any way - I've preached this message to myself every day since day 2 of the conference.
PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR! I know where I heard that! I've studied 1 John quite a bit this year. But, I also heard it at the Lausanne meetings. A beautiful little high school girl who, with her family had to flee North Korea. Here is an excerpt of their story:
In China a relative brought her family to church where her parents came to know Jesus Christ. A few months later, however, her pregnant mother died from Leukemia. Her father started to study the Bible with missionaries and eventually the Lord gave him a strong desire to become a missionary to North Korea. But in 2001 he was reported as a Christian, was arrested by the Chinese police, and was returned to North Korea. Forced to leave his daughter behind in China, he spent three years in prison. During this time the girl shared that it only "made my father’s faith stronger” and that he “cried out to God more desperately rather than complain or blame Him.
After three years he was able to return to China where he was briefly reunited with his daughter. Soon after, however, he gathered Bibles having resolved to return to North Korea to share Christ among that hopeless people. He was given the opportunity to go to South Korea, but he turned them down.
In 2006 he was discovered by the North Korean government and was arrested. There has since been no word from him. In all probability he has been shot to death publicly for treason.
For a full story, see Michael Oh's blog on the Desiring God website:
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/weeping-for-north-korea
This little girl has since become a follower of Jesus while studying in South Korea. She closed with the following words:
"I look back over my short life and see God’s hand everywhere. Six years in North Korea, 11 years in China, and a time of being in South Korea. Everything that I experienced and love, I want to give it all to God and use my life for His kingdom. I hope to honor my father and bring glory to my heavenly Father by serving God with my whole heart.
I believe God’s heart cries out for the lost people of North Korea. I humbly ask you, my brothers and sisters, to have the same heart of God. Please pray that the same light of God’s grace and mercy that reached my father and my mother and now me will one day come down upon the people of North Korea… my people."
Yeah! Janeen (NZ) & Leihlyn (UK) reunite in Cape Town!So, how do you sum up a life experience that includes:
- 23 hours of travel to your destination (Wellington, to Sydney, to Johannesburg, to Cape Town, South Africa)
- 6 ½ days of meetings (6 days of which were from 8.30am – 9pm)
- 4200 delegates + 1100 volunteers
- 1 ½ days touring Cape Town and realising it hasn’t been that long since they became a true democratic nation
- One afternoon touring Robben Island (touring prisons used for centuries, the last of which was during apartheid)
- Focus on the word of God, the gospel of Christ, and the way God is on the move in the world in the 21st century – and how we can participate in HIS plan and agenda (and break some old molds)
- Many divine appointments
- Catching up with a few very dear friends who are around the globe
- Making new friends
- Enjoying a ‘multi-tasking’ roommate
- 23 hours returning to New Zealand
- Still getting over jet lag one week later.
Yep – not an easy task, even for the best thinkers.
On the final night celebrating an amazing time of communion with
a former Cardiff Chateau summer guest, Ching Ching with Singapore Navs
A-123 Table Group!!! Stephanie, Kurt, Johannes, & me
Imagine the effort of setting out tables of 6 for 4200 delegates!
The ISMNZ girls represent (me & Xiaoou)! On our one day off we toured Cape Town
on a double decker! Me, Xiaoou, Leihlyn & my boss Terry.
What a paradox... this is the view of the SA mainland from hell...
Robben Island was used for centuries to hold prisoners
and most recently used during apartheid.
This was the daily diet schedule for prisoners. Divided between the Indian/Asian (B)
And blacks (C) - so so so wrong!
Our prison guide was a former prisoner for seven years. Now the island is home
to those who work there where former prisoners & prison guards live side-by-side.
Talk about a message of reconciliation and forgiveness!
Not easy - but PERFECT LOVE casts out fear.
So - what did I learn? Way more than you have time to read. But here's a summary:
- Realising as we studied Ephesians, that long before Nelson Mandela lived, it was the Apostle Paul who wrote the first manifesto against apartheid from prison – a letter to the first century church that rings loud and clear today.
- To live in a manner worthy of the calling to which you were called!
- Every single person in the body of Christ needs to recognise (and respond) that they are individually called to a life of full time mission (in the home, the marketplace, the neighbourhoods, the campuses... every day life). If even one member of the body is not serving according to the grace God has given them and the calling to which they have been called, and working in unity with the body of Christ, the impact of Christ’s saving work is not glorified. We are not living and breathing on this planet as redeemed, adopted children of God for our own sakes. All areas of our lives must be lived for the sake of the gospel and the sake of His glory.
- That it is not rocket science. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God to save… not our opinions nor our own words! LEARN to share the gospel clearly and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- That even though we have our denominational, cultural, and organisational differences – they are not an excuse for division. In a global 21st century, we must work together – partner together – as the whole church bringing the whole gospel to the whole world!
- There is a drought of Biblical literacy in the world-wide body of Christ… we need to get back to the ‘great commission’ which again – is not rocket science – disciple all ethnos, baptising them and teaching them what the Word of God (Jesus is the Word and the whole Bible is the word of God) says and how to live it as we live it ourselves.
LESSONS FROM PRISON!Our trip to Robben Island has fueled my passion to continue to disciple people from every nation that God brings into my life through the ministry to international students and the 'scattered' peoples (migrants) in the world. Injustice is a consequence of SIN! It's not rocket science. Man tries in their own wisdom to raise up systems of justice - but punishment avails and injustice comes from the very justice we try to hold to. Mankind is easily corrupted. Our hearts are deceitful.
But, "if anyone is in Christ they are a NEW creation: the old has gone and the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting peoples' sins against them. And He has COMMITTED TO US THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)
This is the challenge God laid on my plate while I was in Cape Town. Is my message to every ethno-linguistic (and religious or atheistic or humanistic) people group one of sharing the gospel of reconciliation? Is that what motivates me? Drives me to live on?
So, to my friends who do not yet know Jesus... He is THE way, THE truth and THE life...
"We (those who follow Christ) are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us... we implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who knew NO sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).
Reconciliation begins with forgiveness! And forgiveness is received through faith. And faith is God's gift, and faith comes by hearing the word of God! "God demonstrated His love to us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
2 comments:
"‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’" (John 6:51–52).
His listeners were stupefied because now they understood Jesus literally — and correctly. He again repeated his words, but with even greater emphasis, and introduced the statement about drinking his blood:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him" (John 6: 53-56)
Once we become members of Christ’s family, he does not let us go hungry, but feeds us with his own body and blood through the Eucharist.
In the Old Testament, as they prepared for their journey in the wilderness, God commanded his people to sacrifice a lamb and sprinkle its blood on their doorposts, so the Angel of Death would pass by their homes. Then they ate the lamb to seal their covenant with God.
This lamb prefigured Jesus. He is the real "Lamb of God," who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
Through Jesus we enter into a New Covenant with God (Luke 22:20), who protects us from eternal death. God’s Old Testament people ate the Passover lamb.
Now we must eat the Lamb that is the Eucharist. Jesus said, "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life within you" (John 6:53).
At the Last Supper he took bread and wine and said, "Take and eat. This is my body . . . This is my blood which will be shed for you" (Mark 14:22–24).
In this way Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist, the sacrificial meal Catholics consume at each Mass.
The Catholic Church teaches that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross occurred "once for all"; it cannot be repeated (Hebrews 9:28).
Christ does not "die again" during Mass, but the very same sacrifice that occurred on Calvary is made present on the altar.
That’s why the Mass is not "another" sacrifice, but a participation in the same, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Paul reminds us that the bread and the wine really become, by a miracle of God’s grace, the actual body and blood of Jesus: "Anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself" (1 Corinthians 11:27–29).
After the consecration of the bread and wine, no bread or wine remains on the altar. Only Jesus himself, under the appearance of bread and wine, remains.
Post a Comment