The Purity of the Church

There is a popular saying that circulates in ‘churchy’ circles that goes something like this: “If you find a perfect church, don’t join it because if you do, you will spoil it.” Beyond being a just clever quip there is, of course, a great deal of truth in this observation. There is no such thing as a perfect church this side of heaven’s glory. All churches, no matter what their denominational label, are filled with far less then perfect people from the pulpit to the pew. And yet, the New Testament, while recognizing this reality in many different ways, nevertheless encourages all Christians and all Christian churches to strive after holiness and purity.

The church is not just another social or religious organization. It is a group of people who are called to worship God in the way he has revealed, to share the gospel with others, and to reflect the truth and values of God in our daily lives. We are to love Christ and one another and seek to be more and more like the Lord who died to give us life that is really life! Even though we will never fully fulfill these lofty objectives here on earth, this is to be our aim, our goal and our joy.

Contrary to the mindset of too many today, we are not to look for the most pure church we can find and then be ready to move when a more pure one comes along. We are to look for a true church and work to make it all that it can and should be under God. We must never forget that we are part of the church problem. The church that we are attending will only be as pure as those attending it and their desire to seek the Lord.

As a pastor I hear lots of criticism of churches. Sadly, at some level much of it is true. But it is also my experience that those who do the most criticizing often do the least to make a positive difference. Arm-chair quarterbacks are easy to find but people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work are rare indeed. Perhaps we should add to saying I mentioned at the beginning this question: “What would church look like if everyone’s commitment and involvement was the same as yours?” Now there’s something to think about!

The Winds and the Waves

Before hurricane Wilma battered the Florida coast I saw an interesting news item on the Fox News Channel about Our Lady of Loudes Shrine which is part of St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church in Key West, Florida. Apparently after the last major hurricane to hit Key West in 1922, Sister M. Louis Gabriel and her fellow nuns decided to build a grotto (i.e. a small artificial cave in a park or garden). When they dedicated the grotto, Sister Gabriel proclaimed that as long as the grotto stands this island will never suffer the full force of a hurricane. Ever since, when a hurricane threatens, the people of Key West light candles and pray at the grotto. At least up until Wilma, Sister Gabriel’s blessing seemed to be working, because since the dedication of the shrine, Key West had been spared an major hurricane damage (http://www.keywest.com/attractions/ourladyshrine.htm).

But sooner or later reality has a way of intruding on vain superstition. Grottos and shrines cannot protect people from hurricanes. After Wilma, 35 percent of Key West was flooded as a result of a nine foot tidal surge that inundated some parts of the city. Wilma reminds us that the winds and the waves are under the sovereign control of God who does what he wants in heaven and on earth as mysterious as his ways may appear to us now. These events should be a wake-up call to all the inhabitants of planet earth to get right with him by taking refuge in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can guarantee our eternal safety no matter what happens here on earth. And he is the only one who can rescue us from the fiery wrath to come which will make the most destructive so-called “natural disasters” look insignificant by comparison.

Human beings have a long history of misplaced trust and idol worship. In fact, this is our crowning sin according to the apostle Paul. We worship created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised (Romans 1:25). Religious superstition is no substitute for faith in the living God who has clearly revealed his will to us in the Bible. It is unlikely that those who trust in false prophecies, candles and shrines will give up their foolishness as a result of hurricane Wilma. Human beings are a stubborn lot who tend to hold on to such things even when they fail to deliver the promised protection and prosperity. That is why it takes a miracle of God’s grace to bring any one of us out of our darkness and into the glorious light of the kingdom of his Son.

George Muller

This evening while watching my youngest son Javan play basketball at the local community centre I started reading "A Brief Account of the Life and Labors of George Muller." Between flashes of brilliance on Javan's part :-) I read the introduction and first chapter of this reprint originally written by Muller's second wife Susannah Grace. I was immediately captivated by the account of his life before he met Jesus Christ and the change that took place once he was called by God's grace.

Muller, of course, is renown in Christian circles for his faith in the Lord and his dedication to praying down blessings from heaven. Over the course of his lifetime he believed that he saw 50,000 specific answers to prayer. He is also known for his ministry to 10,024 orphans for whom he provided food, clothing and housing. You don't have to read very far before you realize that there was an intensity to his spiritual life that we should long for as Christians. God has not changed. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. O that we might reflect on what Jesus said in Matthew 21:21-22 "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

As I read on in the book I will share some of my thoughts with those who read this blog. Muller's book has been reprinted by Jim Elliff and his ministry known as Christian Communicators Worldwide located in Kansas City, Missouri. Information on the book is available at: http://ccwonline.org/mullerbook.html.

A Lord's Day Eve Meditation

With tomorrow being Sunday, I thought it might be good to say something about “church.” The church has fallen on hard times in this part of the world at the beginning of the 21st century. There are no shortage of critics and prophets of doom when it comes to the present state and future of the church. This is not to say that there are not very real problems; there are. Attendance is down. For many “church” is irrelevant. Then there at those who willing to bet their lives that they can be okay with God and yet have nothing to do with the church in any organized sense. My own experience is that many sincere people even believe that the church is actually a hindrance to true spirituality and that they are better off without it.

However, before we write the church off as a hangover from a bygone era there are a few things we need to keep in mind. In terms of the Bible, the church is not passé. It is not merely a social, human institution that has outlived its usefulness. Nor should it give way to the myriad of para-church organizations that have arisen that in many cases think they can do what church cannot do or what it has failed to do.

According to the Bible, the church is directly tied to God in a special way. It is to express his character as holy and gracious, it is central to the accomplishment of his purposes in the world, and when it is functioning as it should, it bears witness to the Trinitarian nature of God as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The church is the ultimate expression of God’s desire to have a people of his very own. It is a community of people who have been called out of their natural moral and spiritual darkness into the wonderful light of the kingdom of God’s Son. They have been born again and joyfully acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. They are a redeemed community who are indwelt, guided and energized by the Holy Spirit.

Contrary to some popular teaching, the church did not just appear “out of the blue.” It is the fulfillment of ancient promises made to Abraham and others. The church has its roots in the Old Testament people of God and yet it is not identical with that Old Covenant community. The church is the New Covenant expression of the remnant chosen according to the election of grace that has come into its own on this side of the cross, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. This is why New Testament authors boldly and consistently apply terms that once applied to the nation of Israel, to the church of Jesus Christ, as the new Israel of the God.

The apostle Peter brings these strands of thought together when he writes: “As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10).

If I take Peter seriously, it doesn’t sound as though the church is an after-thought or that it has outlived it’s usefulness! While the church is frequently in need of reformation and revival, it is not something we can afford to be indifferent about. It is my prayer that God will visit his church again in wonderful cleansing and renewing power. What we need more than anything else is a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit and an accompanying sense of the glory and wonder of being in Christ and consequently of being part of the bride he is preparing for himself; the bride that one day will be without any imperfections at all.

A Reminder of God's Majesty

Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said:

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.

He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and disposes them.

He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him."

The Prophecy of Daniel 2:20-22

In Praise of Prayer Meetings

In many churches “prayer meetings” have gone the way of the dinosaur. What I find interesting is that when I ask people why they do not attend our midweek time of Bible Study and prayer I frequently discover that many Christians are uncomfortable praying in public. Another cause of prayer meeting absenteeism are less than satisfactory experiences in the past. Meetings that go too long or are dominated by wannabe “prayer warriors” who like to hear the sound of their own voices drone on and on. There is nothing wrong with being a true prayer warrior and the church needs more of them, but that kind of intercessory combat should be reserved for the private prayer closet not the public prayer meeting.

It is unfortunate that more Christians do not see the need to gather with other Christians to pray. Ever effort should be made to eliminate or at least minimize those things that make people feel uncomfortable and to encourage them to develop new skills in this area of their lives. Prayers need not be profound to be a blessing. Simple expressions of praise, thanksgiving and confession, combined with sincere intercession on behalf of an individual or situation, can be a tremendous spiritual boost to those who are gathered together in the name of Jesus Christ.

So in spite of the potential pitfalls and past blunders I think the prayer meeting is something that should be rediscovered, revived, maintained, and promoted in our day. Historically great works of God were often preceded by humble, contrite, believing prayer on the part of those who were longing for something wonderful to happen that would extent the kingdom and glorify the Savior. After the ascension of Jesus into heaven, prior to the day of Pentecost both men and women “joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14). Still basking in the glory of the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, the early church is described as a community of believers who “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Even when threatened and persecuted the early church did not stop praying. In fact the troubles they were experiencing instinctively drove them to pour out their hearts to God and as a result “the place where they were meeting was shaken… and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31).

With the cross looming before him, Jesus told his disciples that in the days ahead, based on what he was about to accomplish, that they would experience a new intimacy and power in prayer. “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24). While these words were primarily intended for them they do speak of blessings which are for all God’s new covenant people. Because our own needs and the needs around us are very great we need to begin by asking our Lord to teach us to pray. We need his help to enter into to all that the Father has treasured up for us in him.

Read The Word!

Our Christian forefathers used to speak about Bible reading as a “means of grace.” By that they meant that reading the Bible is one of the ways that Christians are strengthen in the grace of God. Other means of grace include prayer, gathering with other believers to worship and even sharing the faith with those who are unbelievers. In all these ways God works to mature our relationship with him and to make us more useful in the service of his kingdom.

Since January I have been trying to work my way through the Bible following a plan originally devised by Robert Murray M’Cheyne, a remarkable minister who died before he was thirty in 1843. His plan involves reading about four chapters a day and at that rate takes the reader through the Old Testament once in a year and the New Testament and the Psalms twice.

M’Cheyne’s plan also provides the basic structure for twin volumes by D.A.Carson called, “For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word.” Over the course of two years Carson provides commentary on one of the selected readings. His thoughts sum up the main thrust of the passage and help one to appreciate how God’s word applies to our lives today. I have been enjoying the first volume and plan to carry on with the second next year.

Let me encourage you to read the word of God. The Bible is a supernatural book that we need to read on a regular basis and commit to memory if we are going to be able to take our stand in this evil day. As the psalmist said: “Your (God’s) word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path.”

More Reasons To Be Thankful This Thanksgiving

Psalm 93 (ESV)

1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty;
the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

2 Your throne is established from of old;
you are from everlasting.

3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring.

4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves of the sea,
the LORD on high is mighty!

5 Your decrees are very trustworthy;
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, forevermore.

Something To Think About This Thanksgiving

Psalm 75:1-10 (A Psalm of Asaph) English Standard Version

We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.

“At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.”’

For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.

But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up. Amen.


How thankful we should be for Jesus who has come to our rescue and who lifts us up by his great grace!

Hockey As Religion

This morning while driving my daughter and another student to university, I was listening to the excited hockey chatter on The Fan 590, a Toronto sports radio station. Today, as every hockey fan knows, is the start of the 2005/2006 NHL season, a day long anticipated after a labor dispute robbed Canadians of NHL hockey for more than 500 days. Somewhere amid predictions about who would win Lord Stanley's Cup and complaints about the new rule changes someone said something to the effect that he was so glad the season was about to begin because "in Canada hockey is religion."

Now this is not the first time I have heard someone say that and I know that he may have been speaking metaphorically, but it struck me that for many in this country hockey is religion in that it gives meaning and significance to their lives, they follow it with great interest and order their schedules around the games.

Personally, I do not believe there is anything wrong with hockey per se, or sports in general for that matter, or all sorts of other interests and hobbies that people energetically pursue. My problem is with those who make these secondarily (at best) matters primary.

Hockey, football, basketball... are great as far as they go but they can never give ultimate meaning to our lives. As human beings we were made for God and made to glorify and enjoy him forever. Nothing else will do!

It is my prayer and the prayer of many others that God will help Canadians get their priorities right. That he will be loved and worshipped above all else, even hockey. Then and only then can we truly enjoy his good gifts without substituting what is of ultimate value for what will pass away when Jesus returns in his glory.