Water Gate

Neh 8:2,3; “Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday.”

A few weeks ago there was an important date in the Jewish calendar. The date I am referring to is the 1^st of Tishri, which signals the beginning of a new civil year. (Their religious calendar commences on the 1^st of Nisan). All around the world Jewish people were celebrating what many of us know as ‘Rosh Hashanah’ or ‘The Feast of Trumpets’. During this time I was drawn to the only biblical noted observance of this particular feast. Mentioned in both Ezra and Nehemiah, the same story is told. We read about God’s people returning to Jerusalem after their 70 years in captivity in Babylon. The scene is set, and all the people are gathered together at the Water Gate whilst the Law is heralded to them by Ezra the faithful scribe.

There were many things that attracted my attention in these passages, but none stronger than the structure we know as the Water Gate. There were ten gates around the city of Jerusalem and yet this is the gate that they all met at. Sitting to the north of the Fountain and Dung Gates, the Water Gate would keep a constant flow of water into the Holy City. There may have been certain circumstances that led them to meet at the Water Gate rather than any other gate but I find it tantalizingly thought provoking to say the least. On this special day in their history, this 1^st of Tishri, this New Year’s Day, there was about to be a new beginning and it was all going to be centered on God’s Holy Word. A Revival and Spiritual Renewal were about to take place in the great city, that had not seen since the days of King Josiah and the high priest Hilkiah. So what is the spiritual importance of the Water Gate?

The Apostle Paul states in his letter to the Ephesians that there is a ‘Spiritual Cleansing’ when we are ‘washed in the Word’. Furthermore, In the Gospel of John we see Jesus state that the disciples were clean because of the ‘word He spoke to them’. If then, the Word of God has a cleansing aspect to it, it is fitting that the Water Gate is where everyone gathered. The question for you and I today is this; Do you/I need to revisit the Water Gate? Do we need to be submersed in God’s Word in ways that we have not been before, so that a ‘Spiritual Renewal’ can take place? Let us then surround ourselves with God’s Word, let us not neglect it and cease to bathe in it. If we visit the Water Gate and hear His voice, I pray that our journey to the neighboring Fountain Gate, where the living waters of Christ flow in abundance, will in turn flood the earth with blessing….

Wood you Altar that????

Job 8:7; “Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.”

‘We must have the best’, ‘The production must be engaging’, ‘If people aren’t attracted to it, they won’t come’.  These are all lines that many of us have heard before, either in our work place or in our churches. But what is ‘the best’? What makes something ‘engaging’? What ‘attraction’ will ultimately draw people?

Recently, we have been spending some time looking at what God was doing in the first decade of the 20th century.  In 1904 in a small town called Loughor in South Wales, God was using a man called Evan Roberts. A 26 year old form collier was given incredible visions and a zeal to see the lost become found in Christ Jesus. This revival swept the nation and over 100,000 people were converted. A revival that saw unlearned men leave the coal mine after a long shift and then preaching with great eloquence at night. A revival that saw the Pit Ponies flummoxed and disorientated when they could no longer understand their masters directions due to the lack of curse words used. A revival that saw sight restored to girl that only had eye sockets. A revival that at its core started with the simple and humble prayer; ‘More Lord’. The church simply just asked the Lord for ‘more’. More of His Presence, more of His Power and more of His Spirit. People came because of what God was doing, not because the building or production looked like.

By the time 1906 arrived the Welsh revival, through various connections had spread to Los Angeles. More precisely, 312 Azusa Street. Originally constructed as an African Methodist Episcopal Church in what was then a black ghetto part of town. The rent was $8.00 per month. A newspaper referred to the downtown Los Angeles building as a "tumble down shack". Since the church had moved out, the building had served as a wholesale house, a warehouse, a lumberyard, stockyards, a tombstone shop, and had most recently been used as a stable with rooms for rent upstairs. It was a small, rectangular, flat-roofed building, approximately 60 feet long and 40 feet wide, sided with weathered whitewashed clapboards. Discarded lumber and plaster littered the large, barn-like room on the ground floor. Nonetheless, it was secured and cleaned in preparation for services. They held their first meeting on April 14, 1906. Church services were held on the first floor where the benches were placed in a rectangular pattern. Some of the benches were simply planks put on top of empty nail kegs. There was no elevated platform, as the ceiling was only eight feet high. Initially there was no pulpit. Frank Bartleman, an early participant in the revival, recalled that "Brother Seymour generally sat behind two empty shoe boxes, one on top of the other. He usually kept his head inside the top one during the meeting, in prayer. There was no pride there.... In that old building, with its low rafters and bare floors...” Furthermore, the Altar was a single piece of wood resting on two chairs. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT IN A WESTERN CHURCH TODAY???

I suggest for your thoughts today that we consider what it means to ‘Have the best’. I am not opposed to churches with large campuses and well-kept buildings with their nice furnishings. Many have diligent spiritual man and women exercising their great gift of stewardship in them. But seldom do we find great moves of God having their genesis in a palace. It is much more like God to use a stable. Great things in God often start with humble beginnings.....

Some Heights Are Asphyxiating...

Hab 2:4a; "Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him."

I recently took a family holiday that had me spending a fortnight back home in the North-East of England. Going back to see my family, eating a ton of mainly bland savory foods along with as much chocolate and candy I can inhale before my cheeks turn a pale shade of green is always a highlight for me. Being in the English countryside surrounded by sheep, cows and horses that roam the undulating vibrant green hills that are occasionally peppered with churches that are often over one thousand years old; seems to cultivate a tranquil environment unlike any other. One of my favorite things to do is to visit these old churches and walk around their graveyards and walk their naves. Whether it is surveying the weather-beaten-tombs outside or the glorious masonic craftsmanship inside, you can't help but be filled with a sense of awe. 

It was on one of these outings that I visited Durham Cathedral. This is my home county cathedral that stands high above the city that has a rich history of around one thousand years. County Durham, the place of this magnificent structure is known as the "Land of the Prince Bishops". Such was its seat of power in the 7th, 8th and 9th Century, one of its later bishops said: "There are two kings in England, namely the Lord King of England, wearing a crown in sign of his regality and the Lord Bishop of Durham wearing a mitre in place of a crown, in sign of his regality in the diocese of Durham." Having ‘Prince Bishops’ enthroned such as Aldhun, Antony Bek, Thomas Hatfield and N.T. Wright, the Diocese of County Durham has always carried ecclesiastical influence in England.

On this particular visit as I walked down the nave, through the quire and onto the altar, my attention was brought to the ‘Bishop’s Throne’. This is a chair that has its own staircase and is situated above the quire, where the choir would sing with the accompaniment of the largest organ I have ever seen. This throne (in terms of altitude) is the highest throne in all of Christendom. My sense of ‘wow’ and ‘awe’ were quickly replaced with a sense of dread. I now found myself standing in one of the greatest cathedrals in all of Europe, which has been a seat of power and self-rule, a place where the remains of St. Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede are housed and that has a library that has three copies of Magna Carta. Scriptures of self-exaltation and pride started to flood my heart. Oh, the dangers that will destroy a man, a place or city when it exalts itself.

I was reminded of a man called Diotrephes in the Third Letter of John. A man who loved to have preeminence amongst men. He loved to be first. He was the kind of man that would not sit at the lowliest seat at a table and wait to be called up to a greater seat; but would take the seat of honor at a feast, even if it was reserved for someone more distinguished than himself. In a time where self-promotion is expected, let us not elevate ourselves. Let us not make for ourselves high and exalted thrones to sit in. Some heights are asphyxiating....

Jesus said this; “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Taking Time To Celebrate...

Rom 13:7; “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”

I turned on the television set this morning to find the Monaco F1 Grand Prix was on. Ran since 1929, the race is held on a narrow course laid out in the streets of Monaco, with many elevation changes and tight corners as well as a tunnel, making it one of the most demanding tracks in Formula One. In spite of the relatively low average speeds, it is a dangerous place to race. It is the only Grand Prix that does not adhere to the FIA's mandated 305 kilometers (190 mi) minimum race distance. The Monaco race is some 30 miles less. Watching these skilled drivers take these machines to speeds up to 177mph on this particular track is simply breathtaking. When it was all over the top three drivers gathered together to receive their prizes and accolades. It was at this point the television coverage STOPPED!!! Viewers that had watched these drivers do 78 laps were not allowed to see them celebrate. This really irked me. This is not the first time I have watched a sporting event to its conclusion, only for the television coverage to end.

What is it about our culture, that we are so concerned with the actual result more than the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of someone else? How many times have you been robbed of the chance to see a victory lap, or a podium full of excitement and accomplishment? Why is it that when we watch a sporting event on television we have the scores from other games scroll across our screens?

As a society we are so results driven that the only thing we often care about, is the result. We are often not even bothered about how the result was achieved. We just want to know the bottom-line. The danger of having this mentality is that we get a particular result and simply move on to the next task. Results are so ‘black and white’ that they often remove us from the human element of the accomplishment. One problem with this is we are not ‘spreadsheets’ with ‘formulas’ that work regardless of their environment. We usually put our blood, sweat and tears into a task. The result is then, much more than a ‘W’ in the win column, it is a ‘W’ that has cost something.

Paul instructs us in his Epistle to the church in Rome, that we should give honor to whom honor is due. This means that we should celebrate our achievements. When we see a brother or sister in the Lord come through something with a note of victory, we should take time to celebrate and rejoice with them. We should take time to elevate them and honor them. This is very hard to do in a self-absorbed individualistic society.

Let us try to have our Inner Man break through the walls of our own feelings and desires so that we can give our time to someone else. Someone, whose achievements should be recognized and celebrated. May we all increase in our ability to honor one another.

As In The Days Of Noah...

Matt 24:37; “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

So, according to the new Noah movie that was released; eight people never made it on the ark, angels encrusted in rock roamed the earth, an energy infused snake skin from the garden was passed down the generations of Seth as a ‘birthright’ and Methuselah had a sword that could create a fiery tidal wave. All of this ridiculous silver screen action brought me back to the words of Christ concerning Noah and his generation. Our Lord said this; “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” So what did the “days of Noah” look like? I have listed four things from the scriptures for our consideration.

1.) A POPULATION BOOM

Gen 6:1; “Now it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth.”

There evidently was a big population boom in Noah’s day. The earth at that time was starting to be filled with mankind. I do not know how many people roamed the earth but I do find our current population trends interesting. Here is a list of the years mankind hit certain population milestones:

• 1 Billion                 1804
• 2 Billion                 1927
• 3 Billion                 1960
• 4 Billion                 1974
• 5 Billion                 1987
• 6 Billion                 1999
• 7 Billion                 2011

Are we having our very own population boom?

2.) A SEXUAL BIZARRENESS

Gen 6:4; “There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men and they bore children to them.”

Now, I don’t pretend to understand the details or ramifications of this verse, but one thing I do know is that there was something bizarre going on. The context of this passage of scripture does not lend itself to “happy families”. Sexually something was amiss here. But when we put the microscope on our generation, we find that we also have a generation that is full of sexual sin. Here as some horrify facts:

• Pornography is a $57 Billion industry.
• Child pornography is a $3 Billion a year industry.
• There are 4.2 million pornography websites.
• Gnutella (a child pornography site) has 116,000 request DAILY!!!
• 53% of “Promise Keeper” men have viewed pornography in the last week alone.
• 9.4 million women access adult websites each month
• To date: 17 states have legalized same-sex marriage in the US

Does our generation suffer from its own sexual bizarreness?

3.) EVIL IMAGINATIONS

Gen 6:5; “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

This topic of evil imaginations seems to surround us these days and the young amongst us are being targeted on a more frequent basis. For instance; I was recently in a toy store with my kids and as they looked around I scanned the shelves to see what was “new”. To my horror I saw a stand of Voodoo dolls. One of the dolls was even in the form of a devil and consequently was named “devil”. On its tag it said, “To watch over you and keep you from harm.” WHAT!?!?!?! There was a whole collection for a child to collect. I was already alarmed at how the adult-embracing of zombie themed movies and ghoulish retelling of children's stories on TV has resulted in toy firms manufacturing dolls based on monsters and zombies for children to play with. I certainly was not comforted by this new doll. 

Are the Evil Imaginations of men everywhere we look: Movie screens, TV shows, Posters etc…?

4.) VIOLENCE

Gen 6:11; “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence”.

In a very similar way to the evil imaginations of mankind, violence has been glorified in our times; primarily through the prism of entertainment. Movies that promote gratuitous violence, songs that brag about killings and "sports" that are dragging us back into the gladiatorial area are common place. In our times we seek to be entertained so much that we are but a whisker away from the "Give them bread and circuses" culture of the Roman Empire. Our desire to be entertained, coupled with the natural darkness of our own hearts creates a perfect environment for violence to be prevalent in our societies. With the average 18 year old being exposed to thousands of murders through various mediums and crime stats in the US like these:

• 1.2 millions violent crimes a year.
• 15,000 homicides a year.
• 760,000 aggravated assaults a year.
• 84,000 rape cases a year.

Are we perilously close to a culture of violence that resembles the days of Noah?

So as I sat in that movie theater and watched a pathetic rendition of a biblical character being portrayed, I asked myself: If the coming of the Son of Man is likened unto the days of Noah, how close are we to seeing Him descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God?

Ain't Nobody Got Time For That....

Psa 61:4; "I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever; I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah."

Do you remember the story you heard as child about the Hare and the Tortoise? How the hare, being one of the fastest animals around would win every race he partook in? If you do, then you'll remember that one day the hare challenged the other animals to a race. It seemed like no one was going to step forward until the tortoise says, "I will race you." Immediately there is laughter, since all the other animals thought that this was a joke. (After all, what chance would a tortoise have against a hare?) The hare, full of self belief in his own speed, takes a nap half way through the race and awakens to see that the tortoise's slow and steady pace has him at he finish line. Much to his horror the hare can not make up the distance in time and loses the race. 

This fable from Aesop resonates so deeply with me for many reasons; one of which, is that the narrative taps into the human condition of "Just get it done." God has created us in such a marvelous way that through our giftings and talents which He has bestowed upon us, we can accomplish so much. The potential danger with this though, is that there is a fine line between accomplishing something in our own strength and on our own timeline versus accomplishing something in God's strength and on His timeline. We have been brought up mainly under the banner of, "You have got to keep increasing and moving forwards, never stop." This prevailing cultural behavior makes it very difficult for anyone to wait upon anything anymore. Instead the "Ain't Nobody Got Time For That" attitude sweeps across a hasty generation that often times has embraced a "Ready, Fire and then Aim" policy. 

Waiting implies a level of trust. For followers of Christ this equates to holding fast to what the the psalmist, David says, "I will trust in the covert of they wings. Selah." Do we trust Him enough to simply "just be", in spite of our obvious abilities to "Just get it done.?" With each passing generation I am convinced that we will find it harder to wait for something. Take the very scripture I have referenced today. It finishes with the word "Selah" (סֶלֶה). This word is a Hebrew musical term that at it's core, means to "wait and pause". In essence, to take time to reflect on what you have just heard. It's a spiritual rumination that carries a sense of exaltation. Pause on that thought for a moment..... It means, that to have a "Selah" moment, is to exalt and lift up glory to God. God wants us to pause and think. And yet, we see that many of the newer translations of the bible (which shall goes nameless for this post) have omitted the term "Selah" altogether. Now, I can't speak with full authority on why this is happening, but I put it to you to consider that it is just another "sign of the times", that if allowed to go unchecked, this notion of not needing to wait or pause will start to have a major affect inside the church walls. 

The world's economy says that a "plateau" is a bad thing and that if you are not moving onwards and upwards you are going to be left behind. In God’s economy that is a lie. What you gain through these times of "plateau" (a Selah moment in the Christian life) is of such high value, that you cannot put a price on it. Never despise a "plateau" from God. It could be the one thing that is about to catapult you into a new season. 

Selah...

Are Dubai-ing what they're selling?

Gen 11:4; "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."

I recently had the privilege of travelling to the U.A.E. with OneHope for some program design sessions. These sessions were taking place in the city of Dubai. (A place that surely will become a missionary hub for the 10/40 window over the next few decades) I was joined there by a great team that was made up of ministers and cricketers of different nationalities. The aim of these meetings was to come together and design a Cricket Program that could be used alongside the Gospel in South-East Asia. There are over 100 million kids between 6-16 years old that play cricket in South-East Asia, many of whom will not simply walk into a church and hear the Good News. However, give them an opportunity to play the game they love and present God's big redemptive story to them over the course of 16 plus weeks and you just never know what salvific work the Lord could do in their lives. This is a project that we will continue to appreciate your prayers.

After the sessions were over we were able to go downtown and see the city. So many buildings. I read a sign in the Dubai airport that said there was only 1 skyscraper in Dubai in 1990. Now, in 2014 there are over 900 and they are still building more. The pinnacle of their 'creation' is the Burj Khalifa (برج خليفة‎,). Standing at 2,722 ft it is the tallest building in the world. It is Dubai's 'Jewel in the Crown'. In all honesty it is hard not to stand in awe of its sure size and structural beauty. Add to that the water show that is presented to the passing masses every 30 minutes at evening time and it’s difficult not to take you phone out and snap a few shots. And yet for all of its grandeur there was something that 'did not sit well' with me. Entering into any city for the first time I ask the Lord, "Who is really in this place?" and "What is really going on here?" Every city is different and every city carries a different 'spirit'. So, what is Dubai all about? What are they selling? Well, when I walked into the lobby of the Burj Khalifa, this was the first thing I saw: 

“I am the power that lifts the world’s head proudly skywards, surpassing limits and expectations.

Rising gracefully from the desert and honouring the city with a new glow. I am an extraordinary union of engineering and art, with every detail carefully considered and beautifully crafted.

I am the life force of collective aspirations and the aesthetic union of many cultures. I stimulate dreams, stir emotions and awaken creativity.

I am the magnet that attracts the wide-eyed tourist, eagerly catching their postcard moment, the centre for the world’s finest shopping, dining and entertainment and home for the world’s elite.

I am the heart of the city and its people; the marker that defines Emaar’s ambition and Dubai’s shining dream.

More than just a moment in time, I define moments for future generations.

I am Burj Khalifa.”

If these are not frightening words, I don't know what are. The self-declaration of power, beauty and life force capabilities makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. In the Book of Genesis we see that the people of Babel built a tower for the purpose solidifying their collective strength; not much seems to have changed over the last 4000 years. In walking around the city of Dubai you are quickly aware of the fact that the ‘world’ is there. So many different nationalities and cultures are found in Dubai. It seems as if the ‘spirit of the place’ and natural tendencies of the ‘spirit of man’ are so hungry and strong there, that they are trying to reverse the act of Genesis 11:8 where the Lord did indeed scatter the people over the face of the whole earth.

As mentioned earlier, I think Dubai will in some way serve the church and its mission due to its unique location, but will the city become to opulent and amazing for its own good? Can it continue to sell itself to the nations as the greatest city in the world? Is it built on sand in more ways than one? Only time can answer these questions. Until then, are ‘Dubai-ing’ what they’re selling?