The Ease of Access!!

If you happened to be in my part of suburbia in Birmingham this afternoon you would have heard something like squawking coming from my apartment. No - it wasn't a cat being strangled. It was me singing along to worship songs for the first time in a while. It hasn't been easy at all "connecting" with God over the past year or so. I don't know why - I think I've been praying and expecting "something" to happen and got incredibly frustrated and cynical when "it" (whatever "it" is) didn't!

So today I got home and was thinking about this issue - of the silence of heaven. I've been emailing my friend Pete Day in London about this. We both agreed that if this - the status quo - is all there is, then frankly what is the point of staying alive? We might as well enter into a mass suicide pact now and get to heaven so it's all over! I should add I said that - not Pete.

I don't quite know what or Who but I decided in the quietness of my own home to start playing some of my favourite but too-neglected worship songs. The one I played reminded me oh-so painfully and oh-so wonderfully of the Brighton Newfrontiers Leaders Conference in 2007 when Rob Rufus was speaking. It was one of my favourite songs by Matt Weedall;

Jesus Christ has made the way to the Father-heart of God,

He became the sacrifice, He fulfilled the covenant - crucified for us.

Jesus high and holy priest, He has satisfied the law,

Living out the perfect life, bearing all the wrath of God - on the cross for us!

I stand redeemed, righteous and clean! Washed in the blood of the Lamb!

No guilt remains! I'm unashamed to stand before my King!

Now the Spirit testifies, that we're children of the light, set apart to worship God,

Through the death of Jesus Christ - who was raised to life!".

An amazing thing happened - just as the music started I felt the experience of God that I have missed so desperately. It was just so ... easy! Hence the rather tuneless but enthusiastic singing. I spent a really happy hour or two just singing through many of my favourite Stoneleigh Bible Week and Newfrontiers worship songs with a few Hillsongs thrown in for good measure. God felt so close! I just couldn't understand again how easy it was.

That's why this song is so full of truth - because the explanation is all there. Here's my train of thought;

1. It is MEANT to be so easy because "Jesus Christ has made the way".

2. It is MEANT to be an amazing encounter because it is "the Father-heart"! Not the "Father's law".

3. It is MEANT to be free because He "has satisfied the law".

So - I ask - why do we so persist in trying to add costs into that? Why do I automatically feel that I should pray or ask forgiveness that I have been away so long or run to read my Bible or sing louder to impress? It's meant to be free! He satisfied the law! I didn't!

4. It is MEANT to be complete, total and final!

The song says; "I stand redeemed! Righteous and clean! Washed in the blood of the Lamb! No guilt remains!". So why as a people washed in the blood of the Lamb with no guilt - do we spend so much time talking about sin? Why do we spend so much time "trying"? Something occured to me while enjoying this wonderful encounter with God.

Am I right is saying this;

The greatest act of worship is to enjoy freely the lavish gift of grace and greedily take it with no strings attached.

The greatest act of blasphemy is to try and add or justify that free, no strings enjoyment through acts of "sacrifice".

Why do we find it so hard to let ourselves enjoy God?

Time to Step Upto the Block!

I was interested to read John Piper's latest blog; "John Piper's Upcoming Leave". For those who haven't read it - Piper announces that he is shortly going to go on leave until December 2010. Unlike his previous sabbaticals this will not be a flurry of productivity (usual Piper) with books that we can enjoy and benefit from. He wrote;

"In this leave, I intend to let go of all of it. No book-writing. No sermon preparation or preaching. No blogging. No Twitter. No articles. No reports. No papers. And no speaking engagements".

Bad news for Piper fans. Why is Piper doing this?

"I asked the elders to consider this leave because of a growing sense that my soul, my marriage, my family, and my ministry-pattern need a reality check from the Holy Spirit ... I see several species of pride in my soul that, while they may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry, grieve me, and have taken a toll on my relationship with Noël and others who are dear to me".

There may be some who wonder why Piper is taking this leave and what's going on - and I confess I'm one of them. But my wondering about Piper the man is overridden by the challenge facing the generation he leaves for a season.

My friend Pete Day and I like to think of these living heroes of the faith as "teachers" in the analogy of a school. Students rely on full-time teachers that come day by day and impart knowledge (local pastor/teachers). But some key teachers only come part-time or sometimes once a term to teach a key lesson (apostles/prophets/national pastor/teachers). John Piper is to many thousands just that - a teacher that we value and love.

But he's going away - and there is nothing we can do about it. For those who over-rely on his teaching, his blogs, his Twitter, and his books - there is a problem! They are going to find a Piper-shaped void. I think that our generation has a challenge and an opportunity to step up and see the amazing productivity that John Piper rolls out month by month. He writes, he prays, he blogs, he tweets, he lives the message that he loves and believes in.

What about us? Do we moan and whinge that we don't have "time" to blog or write or tweet or share what is on our heart? Maybe there is nothing on our hearts! Maybe that is a truth we must honestly confront and go and live in the Word of God and under the hovering Presence of the Holy Spirit. Find the message! Live the message! And then write and share that message. Even if John Piper does return in December to us as he left us - if not better - (and we pray he does) - he will go to glory one day and will not be with us forever.

Where are the John Pipers of our generation? The visionaries who believe in and are prepared to die for the vision they have seen?

Sam Storms at Desiring God Conference for Pastors!

If I had an unlimited budget then there is no doubt that one of my greatest pleasures would be to "conference-hop" over the earth and manage to hear the great names that I admire and respect. I was extremely excited to hear that Sam Storms was the keynote speaker at John Piper's conference for pastors at Desiring God this year. The conference has just ended and blog updates can be found at the Desiring God blog. Adrian Warnock has taken a slightly different approach but still reflects on the conference extremely well.

Sam's topic (unsurprisingly) was Christian hedonism. It is a doctrine I am familiar with but Adrian Warnock said quite rightly that it is something we need to be reminded of. In fact he said;

"The message of Christian hedonism is intoxicating!".

I like that. Sam Storms third message dealt extremely practically with the issue of combating sin and this is something I am increasingly becoming passionate about. I have made no secret of the fact that the SGM/Mahaney approach of speaking about "indwelling sin" and the processes of accountability trouble me. Frankly I don't think they work and actually give sin a platform that it does not deserve and take away from the power and finality of the Cross.

Sam Storms summarises the various approaches to dealing with sin well:

"I think Christians have typically employed three tactics in their efforts to help others fight sin:

1. Labor to portray sin in the ugliest possible terms, hoping and praying to frighten people into righteous living.
2. Revert to legalism by producing long lists to corral our impulses.
3. Argue that the problem is the presence of desire for pleasure in the human soul".

He summarises;

"The only way you can conquer one pleasure is with another greater and more pleasing pleasure. The only way to break the bondages in which our people find themselves is by cultivating a passion for joy and delight in beholding the beauty of Jesus".

And concluded;

"People are in bondage to sin today because they are bored stiff with God, and that's our fault. If your people don't hear you speak the same truths that Paul did and if they don't sense the enthusiasm in you that was in him, they will just go home and turn on whatever anesthetizes their pain".

I realise that to some who view grace seriously - this may not be enough. To others like those who still see indwelling sin - this may be too much. But I found this message encouraging and challenging. And above all if it makes us re-think the wonder of what Christ did at the Cross then it's going to be worth-while!

GLUTTING on God!!

This term isn't one I invented. I actually read it many years ago in Sam Storm's excellent book; "Pleasures Evermore: Life-changing Power of Enjoying God". I brought it at Stoneleigh Bible Week and read it and I don't think I could quite "get" the phrase. I liked it. Just couldn't allow myself to get over how "selfish" it sounded.

I remember once some of us tried to introduce the beautiful song; "My Jesus - My Saviour" at my home church in Dunstable when it was fully into it's functional cessationism. The answer from the elders was; "No - it's too "me" centred". Hymns were promoted as being "Him-centred". I know that certain church circles still promote such a view and ban beautiful songs such as "Draw Me Close to You" in favour of more liturgical hymns (who can drearily forget the Charles Colson row?!). I was amused to listen on my IPOD to a Grapevine live worship interpretation of "O for a thousand tongues to sing". A wonderful hymn and a glorious live atmosphere. But for a "theological hymn" - it says "me" quite a bit too ...

Anyway - that's beside the point. I don't see why the two have to be split. I love gloriously, well-sung hymns and I love short, emotive songs of worship and intimacy. Why have to have one without the other? My point is this:

Unless we first and foremost enjoy God through glorious encounters with Him then we will never effectively reach the lost.

I know - there are so many caveats to that. God is sovereign etc etc. But look at salesmen. The most effective salesman is one who actually personally enjoys and believes in his or her product. You can tell the sales pitches that just don't quite ring true. Why should Christians be any different? I know the analogy falls down drastically. We are not selling a product - we are witnesses to a glorious living Person. But how can we be "witnesses" to Someone we have never personally encountered or Someone we are passionate about enjoying and living with?

Marriage is a glorious picture of Christ and His Bride. I believe that with all my heart. But how disgusted we would be with a husband who speaks unenthusiastically and rather bored with his wife just after their honeymoon. We would decide they are heading for divorce rapidly! I love nothing more than hearing Rob Rufus speak about his wife Glenda. I don't know why - it just thrills me. They've been married for 30 years and yet Rob is besotted with Glenda. Just so - I loved seeing Terry Virgo dance with Wendy at "Together on a Mission" in 2007 when I was last there. To see couples who have been married for years and adore each other still is a true testament to what we should be like with God.

I want to re-state my love for Lex Loizides beautiful song; "It is for me". I was running on the treadmill listening to the glorious lyrics;

"This is for ME - this blood of Christ, washing all MY stains,

Breaking all MY chains - this is for ME, this death He died,

Taking all my sins and giving ME a chance to live again!".

And what is wrong with allowing that truth to thrill? That before time and eternity God the Trinity decided that you and I would be created and born - and that God the Son would willingly lay aside His majesty and go to the Cross to suffer and die that we might be reconciled to Him! That we might "boldly approach the eternal throne"!?

Mark Heath wrote a post recently called; "False Dilemmas - Discipline vs Delight". I liked Mark's conclusions but while I was running I felt I heard God speak and say how much He actually despises "duty". John Piper uses his famous example frequently saying how utterly insulting it would be to deliver flowers to his wife and say; "I did it because it's my duty". Any husband who says that to his wife DESERVES the slap she should rightly give him.

So how DARE, DARE, DARE the church proudly and self-righteously exalt in it's "duties". How DARE Christians parade around recounting how they adhere to the spiritual disciplines? How DARE Christians even assume that God is pleased with this? Anything that does not stem from delight and adoration in God surely is nothing but blasphemy. Jesus Christ Himself said it most accurately and succinctly; "I wish that you were cold" ... rather than lukewarm.

How do we become passionate for God? Well - again back to the marriage analogy. How do you become passionate about someone you love? You spend time with them. You think about them. You fantasise about them. You speak to them. You enjoy their presence. You buy them gifts because of how it makes YOU feel good! John Piper said;

"The way to become white-hot for God is to draw near to a white-hot heart for God - and there is none hotter than God Himself".

So my prayer is; "Draw me close to you - never let me go!".