Fini de Gersigny - a New Take on Depression!

I first met Fini de Gersigny when I went to the "Glory and Grace Conference 2007" - the first conference held by Rob and Glenda Rufus in Hong Kong! I have to be honest - I wasn't hugely impressed with him at first as a speaker. He was a fantastic, outstanding worship leader - without fail, he led us into the manifest Presence of God in a way I have only seen Kate Simmonds come close to. But as a speaker (I'm ashamed to say) I judged him - he didn't expound anything in the manner I was used to, and laughed a lot, spoke in tongues a fair bit and told lots of stories.

However the second time he spoke at the conference, the Holy Spirit very graciously began to unpeel my pathetic pride and arrogance and see what was really going on in my heart. It wasn't an issue about Fini's preaching. It was that I was jealous of his joy and wonder in the Presence of God. It was that I longed to have a similar experience and relationship with God that he had. Fini himself said at "Glory and Grace 2011" this year;

"There is nothing more annoying that someone who is more joyful than you are".

It's so true! That year I have to say I was more taken with his wife Isi - as both a worship leader and a prophetess. Indeed I had a powerful encounter when she laid her hands on me in the "fire tunnel" that so radically changed my life.

But progressively as I have listened to and followed the "Glory and Grace conferences" that I haven't been able to afford to get to - I've increasingly come to appreciate deeply Fini de Gersigny's wonderful ministry as a man of God and his insights into Scripture and to the mind of God. Yes - maybe he isn't an expositor in the fashion of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones or Stanley Jebb or Terry Virgo. But he is different - and wonderfully so!

I have been listening to both Isi and Fini's messages from this year's "Glory and Grace conference" on the advice of Rob Rufus. I'm still struggling to lay off the legalistic ties of my past and really begin to enjoy and understand the unconditional love of God. My normal practice is to listen to preachers like Rob himself or Terry or others - but in one of Rob's messages, he made a comment about Isi and her ministry that I hadn't heard and so over the last few days I've been listening to Fini and Isi on the way to and from work. And how glad I am that I did!

Fini was just closing his message and beginning to minister to people - and he made a comment about the depressed people there. My ears pricked up - because as many know I've struggled with depression over the past few years due to very bad experiences at Acorns Children's Hospice (bullying) and of course Sovereign Grace Ministries and the excommunication. I have always traditionally believed that depression is a "sin" and that it is our sin that is to blame for it and we are somehow failures for not experiencing the joy of the Lord.

Fini however said;

"Depression - you didn't bring this on yourself! This isn't your fault! It isn't due to your sin - your failing. It wasn't something you did! This is the work of the enemy!".

That comment alone brought me such amazing and outstanding joy. And such freedom! If the devil can keep us believing that depression is OUR fault then we are effectively trapped in a vicious circle that is virtually impossible to break out of. But if we can see that actually it is a work of the enemy to blind us from the passionate goodness of God then we can begin to deal with the depressive feelings and recognise them as alien and not of our doing. Suddenly I can see a clear path ahead - that it is not anti-depressants that are the cure but encounters with the living God!

I have never heard any teacher or pastor bring this insight on depression before. Sadly many Christian leaders seem to uncomfortably avoid depression because they do not understand it. I dread to think what many leaders counsel depressed people in their church with when presented with them. Oh that we could hear more leaders grab this insight and agree and begin telling their people that depression is NOT your fault, you are NOT to blame and it is NOT your sin that is the cause of this! How can sin be the cause when it was crucified at the Cross and is now powerless?

Jesus Christ Himself said of His ministry;

"THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED".

Freedom for those who are oppressed and release to the captives! Surely this includes those who suffer with depression!

Jerry Bridges Compares Grace and Law!

I'm home alone at my parents while they are at church and dinner is all on the go. With everything under control I prowled around a bit bored and saw a book by Jerry Bridges called; "Transforming Grace - Living Confidently in God's Unfailing Love". I must admit rather shamefully I have steered clear of Jerry Bridges in past years being rather suspicious of his close proximity to S.G.M. But having nothing else to read I skimmed through it and found an interesting comparison that he did between; "The Old Way of the Law" and the "New Way of the Spirit".

I think it's very helpful for clarity. Here's what he said;

Old Way of Law - External Code:

The moral precepts of God are only an external code of conduct. The law commands obedience but provides no inclination or desire to obey.

New Way of Spirit - Internal Desire:

The moral precepts of God are written on our hearts as well as being an external code. The Spirit inclines our hearts and gives us a desire to obey.

Old Way of Law - Commanding:

The law commands but gives no enabling power for obedience.

New Way of Spirit - Enabling:

The Spirit enables us to obey the law's commands.

Old Way of Law - Hostility:

Because of our hostility to God's law before our conversion, the commands of the law actually provoked and incited us to sin.

New Way of Spirit - Delight:

The Spirit by removing our hostility and writing the law on our hearts, actually causes us to delight in God's law.

Old Way of Law - Fear:

The law produces a legalistic response to God. We try to obey because of a fear of punishment for disobedience or in order to win favour with God.

New Way of Spirit - Gratitude:

The Spirit, by showing us God's grace, produces a response of love and gratitude. We obey not out of fear or to earn favour but out of gratitude for favour ALREADY given!

Old Way of Law - Working:

Under the Law we perform in order to be accepted by God. Since our performance is always imperfect, we never feel completely accepted by Him. Thus in our Christian life, we always work from a position of weakness. We work to be accepted, but feel we never quite make it.

New Way of Spirit - Relying:

The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are accepted by God through the merit of Christ. By relying solely on His perfect righteousness we feel accepted by Him. Thus in our Christian life, we work from a position of strength because we have been accepted through Jesus and through Him, we have "made it".

In reading this I see absolutely no place where there would be much conflict between what Bridges is saying and what Rob Rufus is teaching. It's all there! But again and again over the past week I've read blogs by Christians, I've heard teaching by Christians that persistantly mixes law with grace. What particularly bothers me is the "sin conciousness" that is so present and so dangerous. Christians are testifying as to what a failure they feel before God and it is often applauded as "humility" when in reality it is pride and indeed somewhat blasphemous to the Cross. We need to stop talking and focusing on "us" and start talking and focusing on "Him" and what He has done for us and what that qualifies us to do for Him!

I'm FREE!!

Sometimes it's the simplest of songs that come as an awesome encouragement when times are dark. Things have all gone weird again at work which is rather upsetting. I'm trying to navigate walking the path of faith and needing help, advice and support from my G.P and other sources. It was quite a comfort reading something of C H Spurgeon's wrestling with depression (from The Christian's Heaviness and Rejoicing NPSP Vol 4, Year 1858, pg. 459, 1 Peter 1:6);

"I was lying upon my couch during this last week, and my spirits were sunken so low that I could weep by the hour like a child, and yet I knew not what I wept for — but a very slight thing will move me to tears just now — and a kind friend was telling me of some poor old soul living near, who was suffering very great pain, and yet she was full of joy and rejoicing. I was so distressed by the hearing of that story, and felt so ashamed of myself, that I did not know what to do; wondering why I should be in such a state as this; while this poor woman, who had a terrible cancer, and was in the most frightful agony, could nevertheless "rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory."

That's exactly how I feel! Working in a hospice with kids who are so needy and yet feeling at times like I could just weep and not know why. Having the blessings of a roof over my head and food to eat (virtually) daily (when I have an appetite) and yet there are millions starving and homeless. Anyhow - this wasn't meant to be a post musing on depression and how to beat it. I wanted to highlight a song that I've heard before done by the amazing Hillsongs guys - but it was freshly renewed to me.

Here's the video;



And here's the lyrics ... I just LOVE them!

"would you believe me if I said....
that we are the ones who can make the change
in the world today....

would you believe me if I said...
that all of the dreams in your heart
can come true....today

would you believe me if I said...
that life could be all that you want it to be...
today..

Chorus:
and if I had wings I would fly'cause all that I need, you are...
and if the world caved in around me...
to you I'd still hold on'cause You're all that I believe...
and the one that created me...
JESUS...

because of you...I'M FREE

Verse 2:
would you believe me if I said...
that God can make miracles happen today....
would you believe me if I said..
that you don't need to wait for the answers before...
you step out in faith...would you believe me if I said...
that nothing is ever impossible...for God...

Bridge:
just live your life...with God inside..
you won't regret one moment of it...
and give all that you can for God, for God".

Joseph Prince on the Danger of Condemnation

I saw this video clip on Lydia's blog and watched it out of pure interest. I've heard Joseph Prince mentioned a couple of times and am increasingly growing grateful for his ministry. This video clip sounds so alike Rob Rufus and his sermon; ! The title? "When you are under condemnation - Gods favour cannot flow". Here it is;



I insist again that we visit and re-visit this issue of condemnation and whether we as Christians should really be tolerating an introspective man-created guilt for sins that are already paid for on the Cross of Jesus Christ 2, 000 years ago! It's like having a bank debt that's been paid off - and yet you insist on going in weekly with your cheque payment. The bank would laugh at you. So why do we insist on trying to re-pay our debts of sin that have already been cleared with guilt that wouldn't do anything to cancel the debt anyway? We may as well resurrect the sacrificing of bulls and goats!

When is the Church going to wake up and realise that we're FREE!?

Overturning the tables of legalism

A good number of posts (and comments) on this blog have discussed the dangers of legalism, and have powerfully proclaimed the glorious grace of God. For a while now, I have been thinking about how we should respond to legalism. Then, a few weeks ago, Dan sent me a text message in which he made reference to the following quote from Rob Rufus:

"If you don't get angry with legalists then you haven't seen grace".

And also:

"DON'T LET THE PHARISEES RAPE YOUR PEOPLE. Don't be nice to the Pharisees! Jesus wasn't!".

I was then reminded of one of the times we see Jesus getting angry: in the temple just before the Passover, where he drives out the money changers and those who are buying and selling animals for sacrifice (who, incidently, were occupying the "Court of the Gentiles", the only place where the Gentiles were permitted to worship the God of all the earth and had turned it into a market). Jesus showed these traders no mercy. He lamented the failure to fulfill God's vision for the place to be a house of prayer for all nations, and told them they had turned it into a den of thieves.

Here we see people (Jew and Gentile) being robbed of the grace of God.

What legalism does

It says: "He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business." (John 2v14)

Oxen, sheep and doves were the animals that people came to sacrifice in order to be accepted before God. There were many kinds of sacrifice, but the essential purpose of them was so that people could be right with God. In particular, at the Passover (the time when these events occurred), the lamb was sacrificed as a memorial that in Egypt the wrath of God was turned aside and the people were set free.

So here in the temple of God, they were selling the means by which people could get right with God. They were forced to pay in the temple currency (hence the money changers) - in other words they were forced to step into a particular mould of behaviour in order to be accepted by God, and to pay for the means of acceptance with the work of their hands.

The only way a person could be sure that the animal was acceptable to the priest was to buy from the sellers there in the temple. And the only way he/she could buy the correct animal was to have the right currency. If they brought their own animal, or tried to pay in any other way, they were rejected. So drawing near to God had been transformed totally into an operation where the people had to fit the mould, work the works, and pay the price to draw near to God.

If someone couldn't pay, they were left out and so could not draw near (or so they were taught). What an abomination!! How disgusting! And yet, this is a clear picture of what legalism does.

So many believers end up having to "tow the line" and approach God in the format demanded by their churches; they have to pay their way into coming near to God (only accepted if their tithes are fully paid up); they have to obey all the rules of church life in order to be an upstanding member of the church; they are taught that their behaviour (not the grace of God through Christ) determines their standing in the presence of God.

And so many, many believers are bound up by rules and regulations, and under a cloud of condemnation (because they don't meet the grade of human regulation) and are missing out on the joy and liberty of living in the amazing grace of God.

What should be our response?

It says: "When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables." (John 2v15).

Jesus overturned the tables. He drove them out. This might not be a popular thing to say, but I believe God has given to those who have discovered the truth of the free grace of God - to drive out the lies about the cost of God's grace and, if necessary, confront the people who stand in the way of grace.

We are to overturn the tables of those who sell God's love, who make the saints feel that have to earn acceptance. We must upturn the ables of law and regulation and invite every precious saint freely to come beyond the Court of the Gentiles right in through the torn veil right into the very throne room.

This might appear quite a rough response. What about love? I do believe there needs to be a difference in approach, depending on who we speak to.

Those enslaved and broken by legalism need a tender and gentle touch as the grace of God is taught and fed.

Then there are many victims of legalism who are, because legalism has become so ingrained, are very zealous for legalism and earning favour with God. These are like all the people who bought in the temple - they were caught up within the system, but they were none the less victims - shut out from intimacy with God and made to pay their way. With such there does need to a firmer hand, but still a tender hand. Be bold, but be gentle and patient, keep loving and keep persevering and demonstrating the grace of God.

Then, there are the moneychangers and the sellers themselves. It is clear from the scripture that Jesus showed them no tenderness, but drove them out. Frankly, these were the people (supported by the pharisees), who should have known better. And today, while I am sure many leaders are very sincere - they should know better. Scripture is very clear about the abundant grace of God.

We need to be bold - very, very bold. It is interesting that those who defend legalism do so claiming the authority of Gal 2v11 - "Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed." This verse is used to excuse all manner of authoritarian action and speech against people who do not agree. Yet the context is in fact an apostle standing firm to challenge another apostle who had fallen into legalism.

This was the line in the sand for Paul. Legalism had come into the church, and was being embraced by a leader - and it had to be opposed.

The likely response

It says: "And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him." (Mark 11v18)

The pharisees sought to kill Jesus. That doesn't bode well! But history has repeated itself since. The religious leadership sought to kill Tyndale for freely giving away the word of God. They sought to kill Luther for revealing the free gift of justification. It is the response of religion.

I'm not saying we will be killed, but it is an almighty battle. Instead of drawing the line in the sand over secondary issues such as the "role" of women in the church - our line in the sand is far more serious.

It is the GOSPEL itself. It is the glorious truth that we are justified freely by His grace, clothed in His righteousness, having the same standing before God as His own dear Son, with the right by His blood to stand in God's presence and bask in His glory as sons and daughters of the Lord, to hear His voice, and to cry Abba Father. And to know that we are free from any form of payment, free from any requirement to meet human regulations, free from the accusations and reminders of how we fall short, free from being reminded about indwelling sin.

I fully expect that we shall be accused of antinomianism (that is, being against the old covenant law - as if that were a bad thing :)!), of promoting licence, of undermining God Himself. But it is simply not true. God's grace is free, access into His presence is free, for every single child of God. It is essential that we encourage God's people to stand firm in the grace of God and enjoy their full inheritance.

Rob Rufus said in his first message on the grace-hating spirit: "When you realise that I can come to God, I can receive grace, then you can see the marriages getting blessed, the wife's a blessing she is a priest, the husbands a priest, they're priests over their children, they're priests in their marriage, they're priests, they are living with God, they have access to God. If we could liberate 1.2bn christians into the priesthood of all believers the power of heaven will come down on the church and what happened 2000 years ago at the cross when the veil was split and the glory of God came out and was accessible to all who were born again, we would see revival break out across the planet."

And there is simply the joy of being in love with Him, in His presence, being drenched in His glory. We must not compromise and allow these false teachings to hold people back from the glory cloud.

I found these wonderful songs from the Parachute Band (from New Zealand):

I see you Lord, in the most holy place
Where angels tremble and lay down in worship.
I stand in wonder, longing to draw near
You catch my eye and call me in.

I fall down, in awe of you
I fall down, in awe of you.

(Shonelle Barnes, (C) Parachute Productions 1998)

And

In so many ways you love me
just as I am not as I should be
and as your child you take hold of me
I see just why I fall in love with you.
The purest love I've ever known
was that you chose to give and die.
The blood that poured from your open hands
all so I could fall in love with you

I've got to worship you my God
I can't contain the way I feel
I dance free before you Lord
it's you that I adore.

(Shonelle Barnes, (C) Parachute Productions 1998)

Let's start dancing free...