Hi folks – at the local Christian fellowship we are connected to, the leadership have encouraged the congregation to participate in reading through the entire bible this year in chronological sequence. What a great idea!
Many people are using the NIV version and enjoying it. I am personally using an older KJV chronological version complied by Edward Reese, former Professor of Bible & History at Hyles-Anderson College – you have to make allowances because of my age and “baptism into Christianity and the Authorized King James Text” – which I love very much . Edward Reese spent over 20 years preparing “The Reese Chronological Bible” and it was the first of the modern versions presenting the bible story this way. This particular KJV version uses the dating system complied by Frank R. Klassen, which is slightly different to the other versions available on the market today.
However, regardless of which particular version you use, it is a smart move to read chronologically all of the events recorded as they happened. Following through on this decision will certainly give yourself a clearer understanding of this amazing book of books, apart from God being able to speak to you daily from His Written Word!
So in an age when people often say – “Where is God – how come He doesn’t speak to me?” – this affords the opportunity for God to speak not just “once in every blue moon” , but every day – every day – I mean, EVERY DAY!!
So as we are reading through this amazing Book of Books as a church body, many people are finding that their “thoughts and imaginations” are being stirred again and again, and many people now meet one another and simply want to share “what God has been revealing to them” from His Unchanging and Timeless Written Word. That is so exciting – because it gives God room to move in our lives with one another in an entirely new way.
I want to take this opportunity to put forward some of my thoughts pertaining to some of the Biblical Characters – the actual people whom the Bible is written about. This will give you some food for thought and hopefully you may want to make some changes as needed, as they go along.
So here goes – the first of many …..
Oh and by the way — to read the somewhat irregular “daily posts” click on the box on the Right Hand Side to choose the daily post you want to read … it’s really very simple to access …. And this gives the continuing storyline of characters from the Chronological Bible readings. God bless ….
These are days of radical transition and change – probably far more radical than most of us realize. Many of the old denominations are suffering the loss of members by the thousands and tens of thousands each year. In the last fifty years we have witnessed the burgeoning growth of independent churches and the rapid growth of parachurch organizations, whose evangelism and discipleship programs have exceeded those of the historic denominations.
The latest studies from the USA show that the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches grew on average by 18% during the years 1999-2001, whereas the Roman Catholics, the Methodist, Episcopal and Presbyterian churches all suffered large losses. The Southern Baptists showed decline at only 5% growth, but still remain the largest Protestant denomination. The studies also show that few previously unchurched people actually became Christian believers, whilst many transferred from one denomination to another, particularly over moral values and worldviews.[Ken Sanchagrin,Glenmary Research Center, Mars Hill College, N.C. –N.Y.Times]
Is there a reason for such low growth rates? The survey just quoted claimed that many US citizens felt the church was no longer relevant to their needs, but only wanted to push it’s own outdated agenda.
Here is a quote from “The Living Body” by Dr. Richard C. Halverson, Chaplain to the US Senate that “hits the nail right on the head!”
“Christianity began in Palestine as a Life- changing Experience,
- it then moved to Greece and became a Philosophy,
- it then moved to Rome and became an Institution,
- it then moved to Europe and became a Culture,
- it then moved to America and became an Enterprise! “
One has to ask the question in the light of this type of information – How relevant is the Christian Church in Australia as we commence this 21st Century, and it is possible for us to have impact that will cause the nation to change it’s moral stance?
In the 2001 Census of Australia, 12.8 million people identified with a Christian denomination – that was 68% of the population, not including visitors.
However, of the total population in 2001 (18.823 million) only some 2 million, or approximately 9.5% attend a church service at least once on any given week (this includes some 300,000 children under age 15 years) – so 90.5% do not consider the Church relevant at all! They stay away!
Studies by the University of Michigan in the United States record that Australia’s average church attendance like most of the western world, have all declined substantially over the last two decades. They stated that people invariably responded with statements of how irrelevant the church was to their lifestyle and needs.
A large percentage of people stated that with the high cost of living and the more pressing economic demands upon them, attending or participating in a church was not an option.
It was reported that after President Vladmyr Putin of Russia took office, he sent requests to the main religious denominations of Russia [Orthodox, Catholic, Baptist, and Pentecostal] asking what contribution they thought they could make in shaping Russia’s future. One of the evangelical denominations replied, “None – ourtask is only to prepare people for heaven and eternity.” If the same question were asked of us today what would our response be?
Acts 1: 1- 5
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day that He was taken up to Heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. After His suffering, He showed Himself alive unto these men, and gave many convincing proofs of His physical state. He appeared to them over a forty day period and spoke to them at great length about the Kingdom of God
There are only a few occasions in all of His recorded public ministry that Jesus actually mentions the phrase - “the Church,” and that is in relationship to two neglected areas – revelation and discipline . Most times people only think of the church as that narrow-minded lot of hypocrites down the road that want to take all of the fun out of living and they pontificate on matters they know little about – they are so irrelevant!
Tragically since the days when Jesus walked the earth, many have come in His Name and declared themselves to be those who will build the church. However, Jesus clearly stated that He would build the church – and that we were to pray for His Kingdom to come on earth each day, even as it is already accomplished in the heavenlies.
Our responsibility is to walk in the revelation knowledge that He gives through the power of Holy Spirit to each individual believer, and that this would be displayed in our lifestyle as salt, light, yeast and seed in the community we find ourselves in. All of these four images are most effective when working out of sight, or invisibly!
[Salt:Matt.5:13 – Anaglogy of Salt & Its Influence; Light:Matt.5:14- Analogy of the Candlestick;
Seed:Matt.13:3-9,36-43 - The Parable of The Sower & The Seed ; Yeast:Matt.5:33 – Analogy of Leaven in dough]
Many believers over the past two millennia have formed themselves together just as we have, and called themselves “the Christian church.” Not all have lasted the distance, nor achieved the goals they established at the outset. Some have fallen on the way, others have given up, but many have “stuck with the stuff” and witnessed the resulting changes in the lives of local communities.
I want to draw upon two examples today, one from scripture, the other from more modern history to encourage you that God has a plan and purpose for all of us, and that these goals are reachable in our day and generation. Our responsibilities include not just making it hard for men and women to go to hell from the Sunshine Coast, but also to have them change this society and our planet called Earth, while they wait.
Firstly, let us consider the Jerusalem Church,found in Acts Chapter 5. The young apostolic church that emerged in the post- Feast of Pentecost days, was a gathering of hotheaded radicals, freshly converted from Judaism and paganism. They abounded in zeal and enthusiastic evangelistic endeavor, and suddenly found themselves on the wrong side of the religious leaders, their temple police and guards - Acts 5: 28 tells us-” Did we not command you that you should not teach in this Name? And behold, you have filled the city of Jerusalem with your doctrine, and now you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us!”
Their radical and nontraditional lifestyle meant that they would meet together for times of sharing their experiences over the last 24 hours. This meant that they would be in and out of each others houses, not only having meals but also remembering the One who had given His life for them in special love-feasts and times of great intercessory prayer and praise. No wonder the neighbors got upset!!
Those who were poor and without work, in the community, were cared for by the more prosperous; those with needs of all kinds were ministered to by others who responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in their midst, and many of the sick were healed and made whole.
& They encouraged those who were slaves not to run away, and to actually work better than before for their masters; they encouraged men to stop their pleasuring in the public bath-houses and bordellos, by becoming good husbands and fathers, and to be responsible citizens!
The impact of these radical people caused many of the traditional religious leaders and synagogues to lose substantial portions of their congregations, as daily there were literally added thousands of newborn believers to the emerging new Christian Church (called the Followers of the Way). Having thousands get converted always creates its own problems.
The exodus of these new converts from the Jewish religion and other religions soon gained the leaders a notoriety they did not set out to attract – but it happened nonetheless! With it came a persecution instigated by the religious leaders of the Hebrew Sects and other communities. Their attacks and disapproval drove the believers out of their city and across the inhabited world of the Roman Empire, into Europe, Africa and all of Asia.
History tells us that -
Barnabus went and preached in Armenia;
Andrew preached in the southern steppes of Russia and the Ukraine;
Thomas went to southern India and Persia;
Matthew preached in Ethiopia; James the younger went to Egypt;
Jude preached in Assyria and Persia;
Peter it is believed wrote some of his epistles from Babylon; as well as preaching in Asia Minor.
These radicals went everywhere, preaching and teaching the Word of God they had received by revelation, establishing new communities of believers into what we now call “local churches, and teaching them how to live as members of God’s Eternal Kingdom.
We know from reading scripture that when these radical firebrand believers reached Thessalonica, they found men posing as religious leaders, who were in fact the enemies of Christ. These false leaders soon accused these radical believers of disrupting society with the charge –“ these are they which have turned the world upside down, and now hath come hither also!” [Acts 17:6] - what an indictment!
However, they not only impacted the religious groups of their day, but they also impacted greatly the civil government of their day!
They became good citizens, paid their taxes, supported the authorities and the Roman laws unless they violated the laws of God, and became model citizens both as employees and masters, which created its own set of problems too!
This showed up the religious leaders of the synagogues and traditionalist sect communities who supported the slave trade and many corrupt practices, as well as turning a blind eye to all manner of social evils.
· But in their day, these radical firebrands served their generation according to the will of God, and then passed on to their eternal reward – they had great impact – they accepted their responsibility in fulfilling the Great Commission
2. Now let us look at a more modern example of a church community – in England some 200 years ago radical Christianity came out of an Anglican Church in the Clapham district of London, UK.
This church community, like hundreds of others was greatly influenced by the revival ministry of John Wesley. Whereas most of those converted under Wesley, usually left the Anglican Church to join the emerging new Methodist movement, the new believers at the Clapham Church did not. Many of these new believers in the Clapham Church were not only generally wealthy and of titled nobility, but were also members of the British Parliament, some even peerage members of the House of Lords.
The Clapham Church was pastored by several notable men of God during the late 1700’s and the early 1800’s. It would be a mistake not to attribute the effectiveness of the Clapham Church in part to the inspired and prophetic leadership of Cannon John Venn. Cannon Venn was the visionary who set forth the transformation vision for the group of 12 men and women who met twice weekly in a private home for prayer, intercession and bible study, devising strategies for achieving their spiritual, social and political goals. Their vision was to change their world. It was a not a big church, being no more than some 400 people at it’s pinnacle.
Not all of the 12 were members of the Clapham Church, but all were soundly born again and in spiritual unity and purpose. Where are the men and women today who want to change their world? Are such dreams and aspirations confined to historic revivals alone?
Let me give you a thumbnail sketch of just four people in particular who were members of this group and made monumental contributions to the overall achievements:
1. Hannah More [1745-1833] daughter of a Bristol school-master, Jacob More.
Hannah was recognized by many as the Apostle to the Rich and the Poor alike, she was considered to be the most well-known and influential woman of England.
A close friend of Rev John Newton, who wrote “Amazing Grace”, Hannah was passionately concerned about the lack of education for the general populace, and wrote many new text books for schools.
Hannah used her position of social influence to precipitate a reformation of education and schooling for all levels of society, but in particular focused on establishing Christian Schools and literacy classes for underprivileged children from the slums.
Hannah fed this fire for education by writing many plays and novels which were sold to the nobility and middle class people, thus generating funds for her philanthropic endeavors. Her greatest literary achievement was a book titled “Coelebs in Search of a Wife” which was really an essay on how to choose a good wife. It went through more than 30 editions alone in the United States within ten years.
2. William Wilberforce – was converted to Christianity at the Clapham Church through the reading of a book written by Philip Doddridge titled “The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul.” Wilberforce was soundly converted and committed himself to serving Christ whatever the cost.
Wilberforce then used his power as a member of the House of Commons to bring an end to slavery in England. He first got a bill passed that made it unlawful for any British ship or citizen to transport slaves. This was only his first successful effort.
Because of his lifelong persistence, just a few days before Wilberforce died in 1833, the British Parliament passed the “Abolition ofSlavery Act,” that gave all slaves in the British Empire their freedom. The complete passing of this Act to grant freedom of all slaves in England, took some 18 years of persistence by Wilberforce and his friends.
They never lost sight of their goals, but worked to secure incremental change as they moved from one objective to another in social reform. The international ripple effect from this act of the British Parliament was that 30 years later, Abraham Lincoln made his Emancipation Declaration in America, thus making slavery illegal in that nation also.
3. Lord Ashley [ 1801-1885] also known as Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftsbury from 1851.- another member of the Clapham Group was also a member of the House of Commons.
Lord Ashley used his position as a member of the House of Commons to secure the passage of another significant bill as part of the overall strategy to change the social and industrial life of their nation. This was the “Factory Act of 1833” which made it illegal for children under the age of 9 and for women to work in the mines and factories longer than 8 hours a day.
Then, in 1840 Lord Ashley had passed the “Coal Mine Act” that prohibited women and children from working underground at all. Children were at that time used instead of ponies to haul out the coal, tin and lead ore from the mines to the smelters and foundaries.
The Clapham Group also secured legislation that banned bull fighting, bear baiting and other blood animal sports, as well as suspending the lottery, and working to improve prisons.
When he died in 1855 Lord Ashley, the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury was hailed as the friend of the working class, the true companion to the poor and downtrodden.
4. Henry Thorton, [1760-1815] – a banker and economist – wasanother convert at the Clapham Church.
Thorton used his position as one of England’s most influential bankers and economists to underwite many of the social reform and missionary activities of the Clapham Group contributing 80% of his very substantial income
Thornton used his political leverage with his close friend Prime Minister William Pitt, who I might add regularly came to their weekly meetings seeking prayer support and spiritual counsel, to introduce significant changes into a wide range of statutes in the British Parliament
The Clapham Group met weekly in Thornton’s home, and his resources were at the disposal of all who were championed by this man of wealth and substance.
Henry Thornton is today known in the global schools of Economics as the man who first challenged the practice of “Paper Credit Theory” as used by the European banking system. His major work titled “An Enquiry into the Nature and Effects of the Paper Credit of Great Britain” is still in use in universities around the world today.
On Monday 6th September 1943, Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill was speaking at the Harvard Graduate School of Business in Cambridge Massachusetts, USA. The Second World War was raging and in his speech he spoke of the joint heritage of both nations, and that without God as their guide they were doomed. Then he said – “Tyranny is our foe – We must go on: it must be world anarchy or world order. The price of greatness is responsibility.”
What is responsibility? It is the ability to make decisions and be accountable for the consequences of those decisions.Being accountable means that whether the decisions are wise or unwise, you accept responsibility for choices made. Tragically we live in a society that have been brain-washed into believing that someone else is always responsible for the wrong decisions we and others make, instead of accepting responsibility ourselves.
In Genesis 2 we find a secret to unlocking God’s plan for mankind and making dreams come true. “The Lord God made the earth and the heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground.” Genesis 2:4-5
In the Biblical record we see that there were plants that had sprouted on the earth. Obviously there were seeds in the ground, but they had not germinated and begun to produce fruit. They were lying dormant in the earth. Future harvest was already resident in those seeds, but there was no evidence of fruitfulness – why? Because there was no man to till the soil!
God never “waters seeds” when He has no man or woman who will take responsibility for them! God plants dreams and visions in your life – seeds of potential influence, missionary endeavor, wealth creation, evangelistic outreach – life and progress – they are already resident within your spiritual DNA as the purposes of God for your life!
Greatness does not come prepackaged ! It is always the result of hard work, difficult choices, of sacrificial giving, a lifetime of following after God and His Word and the acceptance of responsibility!
Regardless of what transpires in your lifetime if you will accept the responsibility that God calls you to – you can leave behind a legacy of world changing consequences! The scripture teaches us that those who aggressively pursue their God-given dreams and visions are those who bring the Kingdom down from the heavens into the Earthly.
The Clapham Church was sovereignly placed at the right place and right time in history. God’s people within that church were ready to step out in visionary faith and courage to become instruments of change within their community. This is what it means to be Salt and Light, the Good Seed and Yeast – just as Jesus commissioned us to be -CHANGE AGENTS.
Between them the members of the Clapham Group established some 70 charitable foundations for social reform, missionary and evangelistic endeavor, including the British & Foreign Bible Society, the Church Missionary Society, many private schools and colleges, as well as numerous commercial enterprises for sharing their wealth creation abilities with the wider body of Christ. Their influence was not confined to any one church or denomination, but stretched across the boundaries to demonstrate the Kingdom of God at work.
Where does the Church of Jesus Christ today touch the world with its maximum influence?
Is it at the denominational level, with ecclesiastical institutions? Is it because we have the most prominent building location, or because our building is so special and unique in its architectural construction?
Do we best influence the world through our various programs for outreach with radio and television, through mass movements and great evangelistic crusades filling huge stadiums, or the miracle meetings ?
Important as all of these are, in their own right and place, their influence is really infinitesimal compared to influence of the aggregate of individual believers committed to Christ under the control of God’s Holy Spirit, working wherever they are, penetrating all the social and institutional units of our world between Sunday meetings.
The time is ripe again for the Christian Church, or many local expressions of the church to rise to the task before us.
This local church, known as GoodLife Church here in Buderim or your local church wherever you are, could be God’s 21st Century Jerusalem Church or another Clapham Church to bring needed change to the world before Jesus returns in power and glory. You don’t have to be born to nobility and wealth to be influential like these men and women of old. If we arise and build as the leaders have been exhorting us these last four weeks and allow God’s Holy Spirit to fill us and keep us filled, we can become the makers of history in not only this nation, but also the whole world.
What God is looking for today is men and women, irrespective of age or social position who will make themselves ready and available for the work of extending His Kingdom. God is looking for men and women who will honor Him by accepting the responsibility of fulfilling His Great Commission to transform nations by working with individuals, their families and their communities, starting right here in this great country called Australia.
God wants men and women who will not settle for petty issues but will seek first His Kingdom and all that goes with it – people who are surrendered to Him whatever the cost – to make their all of their gifts and abilities available to Him and His Kingdom.
Will you be one of those people?
Will you make yourself a living sacrifice ready to do His will?
[Excerpted from The Monday Morning Church by Jerry Cook. Reprinted with permission from www.jerrycook.org]
You are called not so much to do great things, as to be a great person–and that person is Jesus Christ. The Church is the resident presence of Jesus in the world.
No matter how big church attendance is on Sunday, it will never penetrate the culture with Jesus. The reason is clear: The church on Sunday is experienced by the church community; it is only observed by the unbelieving community.
However, Monday through Saturday, the church operates in the experience of non-believers. It lives on their turf, moves in their society, and operates in their culture. On Monday Jesus becomes incarnate through you. And because He can be seen and touched, He can be received or rejected. True evangelism is possible.
Your Strategic Placement
Most Christians have been trained quite well to be the church on Sunday. But what does it take to be the church on Monday?
The first step is to recognize your strategic placement. “Strategic placement” means this: each redeemed, Spirit-filled Christian has been strategically placed by Jesus, the Lord of the church. Where each believing man or woman lives and works is part of that strategy. Christians are people of destiny, purposely placed deep in our culture. We are God’s points of penetration. Because of us Jesus is present at the very heart of society. And it is this strategic presence of Christ that opens the door for his revelation as Savior to man.
Christians are people of destiny, purposely placed deep in our culture. They are God’s points of penetration.
Incarnational Christianity doesn’t try to get people to God. Many men and women don’t want to get to God. Others are unaware there is a God to get to! The incarnation was God coming to us; in a similar way, incarnational Christianity brings Jesus to man.
That’s the basis for true evangelism: in the believer the presence of Christ reaches out to others. It’s also the basis for true discipleship: in the believer the presence of Christ walks alongside the new believer. Thus, the two main activities of the church–conversion and discipling–are wed, as they were meant to be. The Great Commission, after all is not simply to go into all the world and make converts; we are to go and make disciples.
Jesus said simply, “I am the way. If you have found me, you have found God.” Unfortunately, the church often adds a debilitating step to the divine program. We say, “Jesus is the way to God, and the church is the way to Jesus. Come to the church and find Jesus, then Jesus will take you to God.” We must never allow the church institution to be the way to God. Jesus himself is the Way. The goal of the church on Monday is to make the Way present and visible in the world.
Open for Business
Of course, it does no good to have a strategic force in place if the people don’t know they are strategic, don’t know they are a force, and don’t know they are in place.
Most Christians give mental assent to this idea of strategic placement, but they have no concept of its implications. Some think of inviting hurting people to a church program, others think of using some type of soul-winning gimmick to make a convert. Most, however, don’t do anything with the idea at all. It simply floats around, untapped, in the background of their experience. They’re strategically placed, but they’re not “open for business.”
Through the gifts of the Spirit, you are fully equipped and capable of responding to the needs of others exactly the way Jesus would.
“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27) means you are filled with the Holy Spirit and Jesus is present wherever you go. You are capable of responding to the needs of others exactly the way Jesus would. The gifts of the Spirit are how Jesus works through you to touch people’s lives.
Our time on earth is about being Jesus in our world. Jesus didn’t come to our planet on vacation; He came on assignment. Likewise, you and I have not been born here and now accidentally. We don’t just happen to bump into hurting people. There’s divine strategy at work. You are where you are because God strategically placed you there.
I’m convinced that if more Christians were open for business, then more business would show up. Evangelism as a primary goal is often artificial and powerless. But when it’s a serendipity of spirit-filled believers being Jesus in their world, it is natural and unstoppable!
Excerpted from The Monday Morning Church by Jerry Cook. Reprinted with permission from www.jerrycook.org.
The Monday Morning Church: Out of the Sanctuary and Into the Streets
Unless there is a church on Monday, the church on Sunday makes no difference. Drawing from the book of Ephesians, Jerry clearly lays out how Christians can be the church on Monday–not just in buildings on Sunday, but 24/7 in the clutter, confusion, and hard work of everday living.
Incarnational Christianity doesn’t aim to get people to God; incarnational Christianity brings Jesus to them. As Christians we are people of destiny, purposely placed by God deep inside our culture. We are his points of incarnational penetration, his strategic presence in the world.
As God’s redeemed people, filled with his Spirit, we have been strategically deployed into a hungry world to bring the presence of Jesus into the very heart of society. Not a list of clever techniques, this book describes a way of seeing, a way of understanding, a way of responding.
It’s time we stop doing church and time we start being church–in the world, on the streets, among the people. This book will show you how to be the Monday Morning Church, open and ready for business.
Table of Contents
Part I: Where is God on Monday?
The Power of the Church on Monday
The Radical Relocation of God
A Window in TimePart 2: Who You Are
Where Confidence Begins
Will the Real You Please Stand Up?
Embracing Your New Identify
You Are What You BelievePart 3: What You Have
Hope, Wealth, and Power
Alive and Free
Transformed and Courageous
Welcome to the FamilyPart 4: How You Live
A Worthy Life
The Christian Lifestyle
A Life of Love
Not in My Neighborhood!
God’s Plan for You
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