Wednesday, April 30, 2008

What does it mean to totally forgive? Cross purposes 115

Hi Friends.

This weeks Cross Purposes is a ‘borrowed with permission’ article on forgiveness. I have personally always found ‘forgiving others’ a really difficult and troublesome thing – especially when the person/people concerned have never said sorry in any way.

Reading each of the 7 statements in this article forcefully and radically challenged my commitment “to forgive as God in Christ has forgiven...”
It was one of those times where as I read, I knew I was receiving truth in my spirit. Each of the statements presented me with “Christ’s way or my way” alternatives. And since in my heart I want to be such a forgiver, well, I commit myself to it! But note the last sentence!

Be Blessed

Fred



What does it mean to totally forgive?
By RT Kendall

Totally forgiving someone who has hurt you is one of the hardest things that anybody ever has to do. That’s why Open House’s Sheridan Voysey recently interviewed RT Kendall, author of Total Forgiveness, to talk about what it really means to forgive.

Kendall, former Pastor at London’s Westminster Chapel, says that it is only natural to want an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth. As he says, “We cannot bear the thought that another person can be let off the hook and not get punishment.” Kendall says that his book, Total forgiveness, was inspired by his own experience when a friend advised him, “RT, until you totally forgive, you will be in chains – release them and you will be released.”

So in his book, Kendall offers ways you can find forgiveness for those who have hurt you. And he gives seven proofs of total forgiveness:

1. You tell nobody what they did to you. With the exception of telling one other person for therapeutic reasons, or for legal reasons, do not tell anybody what offence was committed against you.

2. You will not let them be afraid of you.

3. You will not let them feel guilty. Kendall says that the majority of people you need to forgive don’t even know they have done anything wrong. It takes more grace to forgive someone who is not sorry.

4. You will protect their self-esteem.

5. You will protect them from their darkest secret.

6. You will pray for them. Do not just say, “Lord, I commit this person to you.” Pray blessings upon them just as God has blessed you with his undeserved love.

7. You will serve a life sentence of forgiveness. “Forgive and forget” is a popular but not a very practical saying, because we simply cannot forget; but we can continually forgive.

Kendall says that total forgiveness is possible with Christ, “Partial forgiveness can be done at a natural level. Total forgiveness can only be done by the help of the Holy Spirit through Jesus.”



This article comes courtesy of Sydney’s FM 103.2 The website is www.heart1032.com.au

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Opening the eyes of a 10 year old - CROSS PURPOSE 114

Yesterday it fell to me to take three of my grandsons to the Australian Museum which is just around the corner. They’d been dying to go, especially since the new Dinosaur Exhibition was recently opened. We had a great time, all the more since they each have a surprising interest in things of history. (What was life like in the olden days grandpa?)

Close to the end of our visit we spent some time in the “Indigenous Australians” exhibit. It has been upgraded and took in Stolen Generations material as well as Mr Rudd’s apology. All fascinating, but it was a photo from West Australia (circa 1890?) which provided me with a special moment.

Eight healthy aboriginal men, each wearing nothing but a loincloth. No, that’s not right. Each man also wore a steel collar and each collar was linked to the others by a massive chain. Some of these men were also manacled together at the wrist. Eight indigenous men, side by side, in a land their ancestors had enjoyed for centuries. Welcome to the new order brothers!

I guess at the time the photo was taken most in white society didn’t see anything here to worry about. Certainly it wasn’t much questioned in my years at school in the 1950’s and 60’s. In the Museum yesterday, however, well, it was an image that appalled.

And yet it was a moment of quiet joy as well. Why? Because my 10 year old grandson Jayden stood in front of that photo with me, and in his spirit reacted to the horror of the circumstances of those men and their predicament. My joy was in his guileless recognition of injustice and cruelty. “His eyes were opened” to see something of the human condition. He’s a joyful ‘’believing in Jesus Christ” kid but his facial expression and his words registered both the pain of the men and the pain of God. He was moved beyond indifference. He saw. He knew. He felt. He cared.

The heart of Jesus is growing in him. And that’s good.

Take Care

Fred

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

‘When joining “The Chorus” might be a betrayal of your own truths.’

CROSS PURPOSES 112

‘When joining “The Chorus” might be a betrayal of your own truths.’

Hi People. Trust you are well.

Just before Easter the Sydney Morning Herald ran a series of “Special Investigation” articles concerning “Mercy Ministries”, a program for helping young women in trouble of one sort or another. Mercy Ministries was introduced to Australia through people connected with Hillsong. It receives substantial support from the Gloria Jeans Coffee organization.

A number of young women who had not had ‘good experiences’ in the program were interviewed. You can imagine the headlines and the “horror stories”. Newspapers and other media love that stuff. And if we have a bias against Hillsong we’re tempted to ‘silently applaud’ as well.

Now I’ll admit upfront that I have personal reservations about some things Pentecostal. I have my own questions. But I have my own questions and reservations about the media presentation and hype as well. What’s true and what is not can be hard to know.

HOWEVER… HOWEVER…

There was a sub-text running through the SMH articles and subsequent media commentary which is important for us to discern, evaluate, acknowledge and disown. Let me give you some examples. (The best way for me to capture the tone is to paraphrase.)

“These young women had to participate in daily bible studies as part of their ‘healing’. Can you believe that? It’s laughable that anybody would entertain the idea that bible study would help young women in trouble.”

My comment: Jesus said to the tempter, “Humans shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus said “if you continue in my word you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Paul says “be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
To know Jesus Christ ,and Jesus Christ centred truth is, for us, the beginning and end of all healing! It’s why we put high value on Bible reading and Bible Study.

“Oh dearie, dearie me. These people actually believe that prayer for healing can lead to healing! How fanciful is that? I mean, this is the 21st century after all. How naïve can you be?”

My comment: Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James and Hebrews on prayer and healing. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful in its effects”.

“These fundamentalist Christians think the ideas of Jesus, spoken 2000 years ago for heaven’s sake, are the way to understand the issues of our modern world. They even want to talk about guilt and shame. That’s ridiculous, let alone dangerous to a person’s mental health”.

My comment: It’s clear that if we unthinkingly join the chorus of ridicule and criticism being sung over that ministry, which is being carried out in the name of Jesus Christ, then we sacrifice our own identity and foundations on the altar of secular acceptance.

Jesus saw, identified and recognized the Prince of Darkness and his Kingdom for what they were. He understood the enslavement and burden of sin, guilt, shame, fear and condemnation. Good Friday, and all that led up to it, was an utterly necessary action on God’s part for human forgiveness, freedom and fellowship with God.

SO THERE. Have your questions. Ask them. But let’s resist with fierce love the possibility that we deny our own truths, and condemn our brothers and sisters without cause. Jesus is Lord.

Fred

I am the Good Lollipop Lady

Cross Purposes 113 By Rene - I am the Good Lollipop Lady

“I am the Good Lollipop Lady”
(John 10:11)

Wakehurst Primary School is just around the corner from where I live. The school is assisted by a “lollipop” lady who dutifully walks into the middle of the school crossing to stop the traffic with her lollipop “STOP” sign whenever a child needs to cross the street, and then caringly sees the child safely across to the other side before allowing the traffic to proceed. In the five years I have lived in Belrose it has always been the same lady. She is there every morning and every afternoon of the school term – come rain, hail or scorching heat.

It seems a strange thing to say, but I’ve come to enjoy being part of this little ritual at the school crossing when I happen to be driving along the street at the beginning or end of the school day. It’s because in the action of the lollipop lady, and her interaction with the children and their parents, I see an unfolding of the story of the Good Shepherd, and in the face of the lollipop lady I see the face of Jesus.

The connection with the Good Shepherd story (John 10:1-30) occurred to me one Wednesday morning last year. I was waiting at the school crossing on the way to the Scripture classes I teach at two other primary schools a few suburbs away. The lesson for the morning was Jesus the Good Shepherd.

As I watched her that morning and recalled all the other times I had witnessed the same little ritual, I thought about the care this woman shows in ushering the kids safely across the road. It wouldn’t surprise me if she knows by name most, if not all the kids who use the crossing, and that likewise they know her name, or have an endearing name for her. She goes onto the crossing ahead of them, stepping into the oncoming traffic alone, bringing it to a halt and rendering the crossing safe before allowing the children to step onto the road. Should there ever be an incident where a driver fails to respond to her stop sign (and we pray there never will be), she alone would be the one in danger of injury or even death – her children at this point still safely on the footpath. Only when it is safe does she call them across, while she stands guard in the middle of the road.

In reference to the good shepherd, Jesus says: “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (v.3). Then he says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep” (v.11); and then goes on to say, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (v.14). A little further Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (v.27).

From my observations of this lady going about her daily task, it would not surprise me if the children were not the only ones who listen to her voice. Often I will see her engaged in conversation with the young mums who have taken their kids to school. It’s a lovely interaction to observe. One gets the impression that these young mums see the lollipop lady as a motherly figure – someone in whom they can confide, someone in whom they can share their joys and concerns, someone in whom they can put their trust and confidence.

The story of the Good Shepherd concludes with the wonderful reassurance that we can confide in Him, and that we can share all our joys and woes with Him, and above all that we can have complete confidence in His promise to us, and can entrust everything to His care. He is the good shepherd, and he speaks thus of us, his sheep: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (vv.28-30).

As we reflect on the ‘Good Shepherd’ readings, it is timely for us to remember and understand that, “He and the Father are one,” for as Matthew records in his Gospel, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).

He is with us, indeed, as our Good Shepherd, as our Redeemer, as our Saviour and, yes, as our Good Lollipop Lady!

René van den Tol

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

CROSS PURPOSES 112

CROSS PURPOSES 112

‘When joining “The Chorus” might be a betrayal of your own truths.’

Hi People. Trust you are well.

Just before Easter the Sydney Morning Herald ran a series of “Special Investigation” articles concerning “Mercy Ministries”, a program for helping young women in trouble of one sort or another. Mercy Ministries was introduced to Australia through people connected with Hillsong. It receives substantial support from the Gloria Jeans Coffee organization.

A number of young women who had not had ‘good experiences’ in the program were interviewed. You can imagine the headlines and the “horror stories”. Newspapers and other media love that stuff. And if we have a bias against Hillsong we’re tempted to ‘silently applaud’ as well.

Now I’ll admit upfront that I have personal reservations about some things Pentecostal. I have my own questions. But I have my own questions and reservations about the media presentation and hype as well. What’s true and what is not can be hard to know.

HOWEVER… HOWEVER…

There was a sub-text running through the SMH articles and subsequent media commentary which is important for us to discern, evaluate, acknowledge and disown. Let me give you some examples. (The best way for me to capture the tone is to paraphrase.)

“These young women had to participate in daily bible studies as part of their ‘healing’. Can you believe that? It’s laughable that anybody would entertain the idea that bible study would help young women in trouble.”

My comment: Jesus said to the tempter, “Humans shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus said “if you continue in my word you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Paul says “be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
To know Jesus Christ ,and Jesus Christ centred truth is, for us, the beginning and end of all healing! It’s why we put high value on Bible reading and Bible Study.

“Oh dearie, dearie me. These people actually believe that prayer for healing can lead to healing! How fanciful is that? I mean, this is the 21st century after all. How naïve can you be?”

My comment: Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James and Hebrews on prayer and healing. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful in its effects”.

“These fundamentalist Christians think the ideas of Jesus, spoken 2000 years ago for heaven’s sake, are the way to understand the issues of our modern world. They even want to talk about guilt and shame. That’s ridiculous, let alone dangerous to a person’s mental health”.

My comment: It’s clear that if we unthinkingly join the chorus of ridicule and criticism being sung over that ministry, which is being carried out in the name of Jesus Christ, then we sacrifice our own identity and foundations on the altar of secular acceptance.

Jesus saw, identified and recognized the Prince of Darkness and his Kingdom for what they were. He understood the enslavement and burden of sin, guilt, shame, fear and condemnation. Good Friday, and all that led up to it, was an utterly necessary action on God’s part for human forgiveness, freedom and fellowship with God.

SO THERE. Have your questions. Ask them. But let’s resist with fierce love the possibility that we deny our own truths, and condemn our brothers and sisters without cause. Jesus is Lord.

Fred