Notes from the Journey - Blog #Kingdom of God

25 years on and still no change

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 20:51:39 +0000

This month it is 25 years since I had my first real article published. Not surprisingly, it was an introduction of Natural Church Development (NCD ) which was still a fairly new concept at the time. Since then a lot has changed, not just me, but certainly also NCD - one might say there has been a lot of natural development in the world of Natural Church Development.

One thing that hasn't changed is my belief in the principles discovered by NCD and my firm belief that 'When ordinary corps, with ordinary people take the principles of Natural Church Development seriously, God does give the increase."

When I was introduced to NCD, it was one book (well actually, still just a draft of a book) and the church profile report was a single acetate sheet for an overhead projector (please google it you are not aware of what an acetate sheet or overhead projector is). Now I have a shelf full of NCD books and the church profile has not just grown in size and information detail, it has multiplied into many and varied profiles, not just for a church, but for individual believers too.

Actually, one of the frustrations I often encountered is when people claim to know (or even worse 'have done') NCD when their knowledge is 15 - 20 years old. It feels like what it must be for a 20 year old man or woman, if people treat them as if they still were a baby. So, if you your NCD knowledge is a bit rusty (or if you have no knowledge) can I suggest you it might be a good idea to check out ex

The All By Itself Salvationist | Natural Character Development (ncd.life) - a short introduction to NCD available as an e-book

You might also want to explore the discipleship series at NCD that that help you ask question like

- What's fueling your fire?

- What happens when you enter the room?

- How well do you play with others?

and of course also find answers to them.

Or if you want to explore how doing a church survey can actually give you not only deep and detailed information about the health of your church, but also clear focus for moving forward, and even practical ideas of how to begin the journey, have a look at Welcome | NCD Church Survey

While the article is outdated in many ways, you can find it and a few other published articles here and you are also always welcome to contact me if you would like to have a conversation about NCD and what difference it could make for your ministry and personal discipleship.

I still remember the emotional and physical reaction I had when I all those years ago read the first NCD book and realised, that growth is not a goal and it definitely is not my responsibility. Growth is what God gives and our part is doing what we can, removing what hinders the natural growth, working on the quality of our fellowships, and then watch, as growth happens all by itself.

NCD might have developed, but that seemingly simple, and yet deeply profound observation still holds. And I still believe that when churches faithfully and persistently live and minister according to this, then God will give the increase.

Sunday Frustrations

Sun, 28 Oct 2018 17:42:35 +0000

Today is Sunday and I am frustrated. I suppose it shouldn’t be like that, on the Lord’s day, but I can’t help it, I am frustrated, really frustrated.

Before you get all worried (or excited), I am not going to have a rant about this morning’s worship service. While training to become a Salvation Army officer our principal, the later General John Larsson, told us how the favourite Sunday lunch for some Salvationist was ‘Roasted Corps Officer’, but I am not going down that route. My frustration has nothing to do with this morning’s service – especially as Lisbeth and I was leading it!

It does have something to do with John Larsson, though. When we came home from the service I decided I wanted to look something up in his book ‘Spiritual Breakthrough’. I went up to my little den to pick it up from the bookshelf – and the unthinkable happened: I couldn't find it! Or rather, I couldn’t locate it. You have to understand that I have a few books, and they are not just placed in any random order. There is a system. The books are organised either by theme – Leadership, Evangelism, Discipleship, Holiness etc. – or maybe according to the author, if I have several (i.e. more than just 3) books by the same author. In this case it gave me a couple of options where to find it, but I couldn’t, and here the frustration begins – somehow the system was not functioning.

Realising, or maybe I should say hoping that the system could actually be working, but the book just placed wrongly I did the normal thing, began to look through all the books, shelf by shelf, book by book, sensing my frustration, now mixed with a slight touch of desperation, growing by the Billy (IKEA shoppers will understand). Finally, after even have looked through the section on Bibliographies, Psychology (Lisbeth’s books) and Legal Thrillers, I had to accept the unacceptable; I did not know the whereabouts of one of my books. So now I sit here, deeply frustrated, because as you will understand (or maybe not) not being able to find a book, or much worse, the thought of having lost a book, is really deeply frustrating in and of itself, and even more so when you need to look something up in it.

I know I am not supposed to multi-task, being a man and all, but my mind apparently doesn’t know that. At least, as I was scanning through the books, a thought popped into my mind and began to develop into a question: What if it was the Bible I needed to look something up in? What if I needed guidance in a specific matter, and then couldn’t find it?

I know that nowadays I could just turn to my phone and open a Bible app, but this was not the issue. The Bible is not primarily a reference book, nor a book you seek out when you need guidance (bear with me, don’t cry heretic just yet). You see, in reality, in many situations where we need guidance from the Bible, we do not have time to look for it. As our Corps Officer said a few weeks ago (in another context) what good is it if we raise our hand and sing ‘Great is the Lord’ if we on the way home shake the middle finger of that same hand towards a person driving like an idiot on the cyclist path? If you had time, you could look in the Bible for advice as to how to react, and maybe you would read we should love our enemies, or that we should let ‘everybody know how gentle and gracious are’ (Phil. 4:5) – but by then you finger will have been waving at the guy for an awful long time.

I guess the Psalmist understood this, not driving like an idiot on a bicycle, of course, but that there often is not time to consult the Bible before decisions has to be taken, or reflexes just happen. ‘ I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you’ he writes in Psalm 119. I suppose you can paraphrase that and say that the Bible does not belong on a shelf, or in an app on our phone, it needs to be internalized, to become part of us so, in the words of Timothy Keller, "We so immersed in God's written Word & truth that we are trained to choose rightly in cases which the Bible doesn't speak directly".

Still looking for the book, my mind kept working, or maybe it was the Holy Spirit that was working in my mind? At least I realised this was about much more than not sinning or choosing right. I was reminded of an instance many years ago. We were a group of pastors from Randers (look I up if you don’t know where it is) going to a conference together. As we stopped to pick up Ove, he was not ready to leave. He had a valid excuse though. During the weekend he had torn his Achilles tendon while playing badminton, and now had his leg in plaster from sole to thigh. It had taken him so long to get up and dressed that there had been no time for breakfast, nor his morning devotion, he told us. It took quite a while to manoeuvre him into the passenger’s seat of the Ford Fiesta, but as he settled in and we got off, we were included in his morning devotion. He sat there, with a cup of coffee in one hand, a piece of toast in the other, and quietly, but joyfully, quoted one long Bible passage after the other. He was not reading; he was taking out of his heart what he had invested in getting into his heart.

I have never forgotten that incident, and today I was reminded not only of that, but challenged as to where the Bible sit in my life. With all the technological help we have now a day, one can easily find a bible verse, even if one has no idea of where to look for. It will, however, probably make little difference in our lives. The Bible, the word of God, need to be internalised, to become part of us. In that way, it can be not only a ‘light on our path’ (Psalm 119:105), but be used by the Holy Spirit to form us into what he wants us to be.

I think it was C.H. Spurgeon that told, that if you wanted to make a preacher humble, you should ask to his prayer life. Same could probably be said of many of us when it comes to internalising the Bible. As I was reminded of this, there was, however, no hint of condemnation or judgement. Rather, a reminder of the promise that when we do meditate on the word of God we will be like ‘a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither’ (Psalm 1:3). The word of God is the seed, which the Holy Spirit can take and grow in our lives, and the more seed the more potential for growth.

It is not (just) about not sinning or choosing right, it is much more about knowing Jesus, about doing our part, so his Spirit can form us into being what he wants us to be and equip us to do what he wants us to do. So, let us get the written Word of God of the shelf, out of the app, and into our hearts. Let, as Paul encourages the Christians in Colossae, “the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives” (Col. 3:16 The Message) and experience that when we plant the seed, also here, God will give the growth.

PS!

I any of you have borrowed ‘Spiritual Breakthrough’ by John Larsson of me, could I please have it back?

I am beginning to doubt I believe in God

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 06:21:43 +0000

I am seriously beginning to doubt whether I believe in God.

Airing such doubt probably is not good career advice for a Salvation Army officer - but as I strongly oppose joining those two words (officer and career) and believe an ‘officer career’ is an oxymoron, I need not to worry on that account. (You can read more about this he re)

However, I better explain before you either report me to the General or call a prayer meeting.

Let me tell you a little, but true, story:

We were interviewing for a temp position as secretary to the Chief Secretary (played by yours truly), due to multiplication in the family of my normal secretary (read: maternity leave). The candidate in front of us was very qualified and the interview was mostly to make sure of the right ‘chemistry.’

“How will you manage to work in an organisation that is so overtly Christian as we are?” we asked. She did not stop to think for a moment but answered straight away: “That will be no problem at all, I believe in God,” and she then continued before we had time to react “or Buddha, or Muhammed or whatever one choose to call him.”

To our credit, we kept a straight face and, as far as we were aware, did not in any way let it tell we probably had a slightly different understanding of ‘God’ than the candidate. She was not hired, but the story is an illustration of what is causing my doubts. For many, including adherents to the Christian faith, ‘God’ is being used to express faith in a ‘higher being’ - not clearly defined and impersonal. For many, such a belief carries with it, or can lead to an understanding that it makes no real difference whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, a Jew or any other expression of faith because ‘it is the same god we believe in anyway.’

I do not believe in an impersonal, undefinable ‘higher being’, in a god that for all intents and purposes just is a common designator for some kind of religious belief. As Christians, we believe in the one and only God, creator of heaven and earth, that has revealed himself to us through the god-man Jesus Christ.

Fast forward to another meeting, this one a Sunday morning worship service I attended a while ago. We were welcomed in the ‘name of God’ and the name of Jesus was not mentioned before we made it to the sermon, and there only briefly. I am not sure Jesus was even mentioned in any of the congregational songs. Now, I am not suggesting that the leader of the meeting adhered to the impersonal and diffuse understanding of God mentioned above, but it was not clear - and that is exactly the issue and what is causing my doubt. When people speak about 'god', I doubt what they mean, and whether I believe in the god they are referring to.

As Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth, no one gets ready for battle, if the trumpet does not make a clear sound (1. Cor. 14:8). If we only profess faith in ‘God’ thenwe are producing a muddled, unclear sound, with ‘no distinction in the notes.’ It might be less offensive than proclaiming Jesus, it might create less resistance or ridicule, but as it often is the path of least resistance is not the right path to choose. and in this case, it is even a dangerous path.

John warns us that ‘every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God’ and then goes on to say that such a spirit is ‘the spirit of the antichrist’. I am not in any way saying that every time we say ‘God’ rather than ‘Jesus’ we are denying Jesus, but when we begin to almost exclusively talk of God and not mentioning Jesus, then we are getting awfully close.

We believe in Jesus, not just as an undisputable historical figure, but as the Son of God. We believe that ‘whoever has seen the Son, has seen the Father’, that Jesus is the only way to God, and that whoever has the Son, has the life. So let us 'make a clear sound' and not give any reason for doubt or confusion. Let us lift up the name above all other names, the only name given us unto salvation: Jesus, and see that as he is lifted up, he will draw people unto himself.

And in that, I do not doubt at all.

A lesson from the life of Billy Graham

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 22:54:18 +0000

It probably will not have escaped any readers of this that Billy Graham last week went from life to life or, as we say in The Salvation Army was promoted to Glory. Many have written tributes to this great man of God and I have no intention of adding to this. Actually, I have never heard Billy Graham speak nor read any of his books, and yet he has for me always been the almost ultimate symbol of a Christian with such a high level of integrity that even the world had to acknowledge it.

One reaction differed from all the others I read. In an opinion piece in The Guardian Matthew Avery Sutton writes

“WhenBilly Grahamstands before the judgment seat of God, he may finally realize how badly he failed his country, and perhaps his God. On civil rights and the environmental crisis, the most important issues of his lifetime, he championed the wrong policies.”

And he continues his opening of his piece with stating that “Billy Graham was on the wrong side of history.”

Reading through the piece I think it would be fair to say that the writer’s opinion is based not so much on what Billy Graham did, or did not do, but that he did not fit in to the agenda of Matthew Sutton. There is little doubt that racial tension and global warming are very important issues, which also can, and should, be addressed from a Christian perspective. I do wonder, however, that if Billy Graham had spoken and written extensively on these matters, but never stressing personal salvation and holiness, whether Matthew Sutton would have questioned this?

This made me think of the danger of judging Christian leaders on what they do not say or do, rather on what they do say and do. Billy Graham was convinced, I am sure, that his call was to present the gospel of Jesus Christ and lead people to accept Jesus as Lord and live in obedience to him. He pursued this calling to the extent that he ‘kept quiet’ and probably away from many other important issues. It does not necessarily mean he had not opinions about other issues, nor that he believed they were not important also from a Christian point of view – only that he was focussed on what his calling was and probably saw the danger that, if he involved himself in other issues, would lose, or at least diminish his evangelistic impact and authority.

Maybe he did not march with Martin Luther King, but he did refuse to segregate the crowds in his crusades back in the fifties. Neither did Graham, as far as I know, publicly ever question Luther King’s evangelistic commitment, nor address what to him almost certainly was the questionable sexual morality of Luther King. He did not see that as his calling, but probably millions of people either are in or on their way to heaven due to his ministry. And millions upon millions of people of all races live in a different world due to the ministry of Luther King, who was as focussed and committed to his calling, as Graham was to his.

No one can be all things to all people, and we serve our Lord better by being focussed and committed to what he is calling us to do and be, rather than being diverted to what others might see as an important agenda. Even if it is important, it does not mean it is right or necessary, for us to get involved, as we otherwise might find ourselves ‘beating in the air’ and ‘running aimlessly’ (1. Cor. 9:26).

We serve Jesus best by discerning ‘what is best’ (Phil. 1:10), by being 100% committed and focussed on what he is calling us to do, and then bless those that have another agenda (or calling) rather than questioning why they are not following ours. Let us focus not on what other do not say or do, but what they do say and do and, when it is according to the plan and purpose of Christ, bless them.

We are all just single members of the body of Christ, but when each part plays his part, according to their calling, then the whole body is built up and God’s kingdom manifested and extended in this world. If the ear tries to function as a mouth, or a foot as a finger, Jesus is not glorified, nor will his Kingdom be manifested.

I am grateful to Matthew Sutton for making me think and realise that what I should do is to once again commit to what it is Jesus has called me to invest my life in. I will focus on that calling and not be diverted to other (good) causes, which is not part of my calling. And at the same time, I should stop judging others just because they do not live according to my calling, but bless them, as they respond to their calling, and rejoice that as we join together, we can be a mighty Army fighting for the King and his kingdom.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/21/billy-graham-wrong-side-history?

I am aware that Paul says he has ‘become all things to all people’, but that was exactly so he ‘might save some’ – focussed on his calling

The sad part of Christmas

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:26:51 +0000

Christmas is a time of joy – or at least it is supposed to be. Right from the beginning, the angel told the shepherds: "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people" (Luke 2:10b) and when the wise men arrived at Mary and Joseph they were "overjoyed" (Matt. 3:10). While there also is pain in the Christmas story, as in the senseless slaughter of all male boys below the age of two in Bethlehem, or the, though not explicitly mentioned, but surely very real pain for Mary in giving birth, the overriding message is joy. The story of how God in Christ emptied himself of all his glory and was born as a vulnerable baby right into our world is not only an amazing but joyful story.

There is, however, also an element of sadness in the Christmas story, as John tells it in his gospel. John writes, not as a reporter at the scene describing the events as they happened, but as a theologian, looking back and explaining the meaning of the events, telling what really happened and what might get lost and forgotten behind angels, shepherds, wise men etc. In a few verses, he captures the essence of the Christmas message ending with the utterly amazing and totally mind blowing statement that

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only true Son,

who came from the Father full of grace and truth.

Even when only partly understood, and I doubt any of us has the ability to fully understand the depth and richness of this truth, it cannot help but fill us with joy – especially when we can add our own personal 'Amen' to when John says "We have seen his glory!"

I need, however, to get back to the sad part, not because I want to spoil the joy, but to remind us of the stark reality John also portrays. Just a few lines before John penned the statement above he tells that, "He came to that which was his own" and then continues with the sad dimension of the Christmas gospel

But his own did not receive him.

This, of course, is not a reflection solely on the events of Christmas, but written as a reflection of the life and ministry of Jesus between his birth and ascension. This sad summing up does not reflect upon Jesus, but on his people, his own people. God himself came to them, walked in their midst, reached out to them, wanted to ‘gather them as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings' – but they were not willing (Matt. 23:37).

Jesus was not what the Jews leaders had expected, he did not fit into their ideas of how the Messiah should look, act and speak. They were not able, or rather willing to let go of their preconceived ideas, their traditions, not to mention their positions, and so they did not see the Son of God. They did not behold his glory but saw only an annoying and troublesome Galilee, whom they wished would go away.

It is easy, with the benefit of hindsight, to shake our heads in disbelief over the people. The truth, however, is that we, as they, stand in the danger of not recognising, and therefore not receiving, God when he comes to us. We risk being limited, maybe even bound, by our ideas and beliefs, our past experiences and understanding, our fear of stepping into the unknown, with the danger of losing position, respect and, maybe more than anything else, control and so, as the Jewish leaders, turn our back to God, not receiving him when he comes to us.

Many years ago, I participated in a church planting conference. As I arrived at the church where the conference was held a young man caught my eye. He looked a little bit scruffy, at least compared to all the leaders arriving for the conference. His jeans were well worn and his T-Shirt washed more than one time too many. His hair was somewhat long, some days had passed since his last shave and, maybe worst of all actually wore an earring. As I smiled at him I concluded that he had come to see someone from the church, and rushed past to avoid being approached by him.

It turned out he was one of the main speakers, a leader of a radical church planting ministry that was reaching into areas where no established church dared to go! He did not fit my expectations, my mind was closed, and I almost missed the blessing of his ministry, because surely God could not come through someone like him?

As we celebrate Advent, let us remember that God not only came, he will not only come, but that he is coming, again and again, to his people. Rather than close our minds and hearts, let us, as Oswald Chambers said

"Live in a constant state of expectancy,

and leave room for God to come in as He decides."

Let us change our mindset from a default position of ‘This cannot be God' every time something different or new happens in or around us, but rather ask ‘Is this you God?". When we are willing to be open our door, to take the risk, then he will come in and share fellowship with us. We will then see ‘his glory, the glory the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truths" in unexpected ways, unexpected places and through unexpected people.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus – and let us be ready to receive you.

Happy Advent.

What happened to the kingdom?

Wed, 13 Jul 2016 19:00:26 +0000

When Jesus commenced his public ministry it was with the words “The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15) and from that moment the Kingdom of God was the central message in all his ministry: The parables were often introduced as illustrations of the Kingdom, he taught the disciples to pray for the coming of the Kingdom, he sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom (Luke, 9:2), he promised them they soon would see the Kingdom come in power and during the forty days between his resurrection and ascension ‘he spoke about the Kingdom of God’ to the disciples (Acts 1:3).

After Pentecost and the outpouring of the Spirit upon the disciples, they began their public ministry as commissioned by Jesus. However, it seems as if the message of the kingdom had disappeared or at least been relegated to lesser prominence. In his great speech at Pentecost, Peter did not mention the kingdom of God even once, nor in the Temple after the healing of the lame man nor in front of the Jewish council. Actually, the kingdom of God is not mentioned in any of the speeches in in chapters 2-5 in Acts, nor is it a dominant theme in the early church’s proclamation through out Acts.

So what did they proclaim? Luke sums it up in Acts 5:42: ‘…they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.’ They proclaimed Jesus! They proclaimed the death, and especially, the resurrection of Jesus and called people to repent and believe in him.

What happened to the kingdom? Surely, as they continued the ministry of Jesus they should also continue proclaiming his message about the kingdom of God? Had they misunderstood something or were they confused? Had all the speaking in strange languages caused the message to get lost in translation?

No, quite the opposite! The unique message of Jesus was not the kingdom of God as such, but that the kingdom of God now is here in power – that is through the coming of Jesus. Whereas Jesus literally embodied that message, the disciples pointed to him and proclaimed that Jesus is the king and through him, and only through him, does the kingdom come.

The disciples understood that without Jesus, there is no kingdom. That only through proclaiming his name and as people respond to him, can the kingdom come. Jesus is the king, and you cannot have the kingdom without accepting the reign of the king. So the disciples proclaimed the kingship of Jesus, they proclaimed Jesus and him as ‘the only name, by which we can be saved.’ (Acts 4:12)

We, as the first disciples, are called to proclaim Jesus and lift his name up. He is our Saviour, our healer, and our righteousness. He is the only way to the Father, there is salvation in no one, but him and only as he is acknowledged as king, can the kingdom come. As John Stott once said:

"'…the kingdom of God in the New Testament is a fundamentally Christological concept, and as such it may be said to exist only where Jesus Christ is consciously acknowledged as Lord' although 'the righteous standards of the kingdom….may to some extent spill over into the world as a result of Christian influence"

While we want to be ‘kingdom people’, we first and foremost need to be ‘Jesus people’. As we consciously and passionately follow and worship Jesus, he will form us into a kingdom community of people, as it happened with the early church. While the kingdom was not that explicit in their proclamation, the kingdom was, however, very present in their life together. As the kingdom was embodied in Jesus, so, after receiving the Holy Spirit, the church embodied the kingdom before a watching world. They became what the English missiologist Lesslie Newbigin called a ‘sign, witness and foretaste’, a living illustration of the kingdom of God, that overflows into a world that desperately need the ‘shalom’ of the Kingdom, the peace, righteousness and joy in the Holy Spirit that Paul mentions in Romans 14:17.

As Charles Wesley wrote, “we have no other argument and we need no other plea” or in the words of Paul: “What we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord…” (2. Cor. 4:5a). If we proclaim Jesus and the salvation that is only found in him, when we ‘love him supremely all of days’ and lift his name up in all we do, then he will draw people unto himself. As they, together with us, acknowledge him as Lord and King, as we all continually accept his reign over our lives, and as we, by the power of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit are formed into a living and dynamic fellowship, then the kingdom will be manifested in and through us as a community of the King.