Different shades of poverty

Poverty - surely one of the great blights of this world we inhabit. Millions upon millions living on our below invisible but very real poverty lines. I hate it but can't help noticing the incredible dignity I witness amongst 'the poorer' people of this world. On a few occasions in Dublin I have witnessed rude and arrogant behaviour by a section of Irish people toward people working at McDonalds or in shops that originate in other contexts, mostly 'poorer' than our own. The thing that angers me is the apparent superiority that is assumed in such situations. On several occasions I have been left amazed at the patience and respect shown to people who at that moment frankly do not deserve it...Grace.

Poverty is most obvious in its material sense. I am humbled by the generosity of the Irish people. Any charitable fund-raising I have done here has always been met with incredible enthusiasm and support from neighbours and even strangers in our community. Amazing! Thank God for the Irish!

Having lived 5 years of my life in India I have witnessed poverty, real poverty, right up close. Since returning to Dublin life has not always been easy for us either, but this is a relative thing given the laptop, car, clothes, equipment and so on we own. We are blessed, we just don't always recognise it!

Poverty though is not only 'material' in nature (money, possessions etc)There are other types of poverty....

Motivational poverty is evident amongst many in our time. Take the true meaning out of why you are alive and you have to replace it with something else, right? After a while those substitutes become 'hollow' in our chests. Others find that the spirit of the age - that its all about 'us' isn't all it was cracked up to be. Those who give themselves away learn 'its more blessed to give than receive'

Others experience poverty in relationships or a lack of any sense of community that means that we could live in a mansion in Beverly Hills but be lonely, have had multiple marriages and surrounded by shallow people who love them for what they can get rather than who they are. That friends is a disease.

Finally there is spiritual poverty.

People in the West are starting to wake up to the fact that if you ignore this or try to bury it you bury yourself alive.

Many are looking here and there to the latest new age philosophy to fill the gap. Jesus Christ proclaimed Himself as the answer and this was attested by signs, wonders, miracles and the deep witness of the Holy Spirit amongst many. This continues worldwide today. His death can become to us new life.

Let me conclude by nailing this straight between the eyes. I believe in the Gospel - literally meaning 'good news' (!) - in Jesus Christ. Believing in Him opens the door to a God who loves us and as we trust in Him, even the poor become 'rich' in faith! He is also the God of the break-through, while the Gospel firstly deals with my sinful heart of independence from God and all those consequences, He has told us to expect the love of a Father who gives good gifts to His children! There are no orphans in God's family, all are fully adopted as 'sons'. Expect breakthrough if not a pain-free ride!

Read the following and be encouraged today in our God who has come to meet this world in its 'total state of poverty',

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations
Isaiah 61v1-4

Is there such a thing as a Christless Christianity?

What seems like a bizarre question needs a little clarification in what I mean here!

I have spoken to many in Ireland who refer to Christianity as the 'religion' that they adhere to, with the noteably inference being the church denomination or style that they are most comfortable with ie. 'my religion is Catholic or Church of this or that... or Pentecostal' and so on.

In writing this blog I am aware of many in our nation whose 'Christianity' is more about a cultural association or a style preference than about Christ. Nor is simply knowing there IS a God surely what Jesus came to achieve, even the demons know that a God exists, and tremble at His name!

If any of this is true of you, then don't hang up the phone just yet!

Jesus hated 'religion'! 'Religion' is what we might refer to as 'man's efforts to reach out to God' without the 'key to knowledge', that is Jesus Christ Himself! (see verse below)

"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering' Luke 11v52

In Luke 16v16 we have a record of Jesus saying...

"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it"

This means that Christ (whom John the Baptist was preparing people for)
was the end and the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophet's message. Put simply everything that had come before was pointing to the coming of 'the Christ', God's promised One,

"Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes" Romans 10v4

The Key to Knoweledge, that is lacking in so many lives,even those who may refer to themselves as 'Christian' by association, is JESUS CHRIST and HIS GOSPEL (Good News)

- without this we have no true knowledge (literally intimacy) with God!

Christianity is not a set of moral standards or a mid-life improvement scheme! Christianity is not just some kind of association to a religious code or denomination. No, Christianity is about Jesus - the Saviour and the new life we find in Him.

He died and rose again from death not so that we could 'improve' morally but rather so that we could 'die' to our fallen/sinful nature and be 'raised' with a brand new 'heart' (or spirit) and then walk with personal intimacy with God in and through the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. All this happens only as and when Christ's sacrifice is credited to us too through faith. Otherwise the cross is meaningless to us....

Any other Christianity is surely a Christ-less Christianity. We can learn moral lessons from Jesus' life and teaching and still remain 'Christless' by failing to accept His gift of Grace in faith. Nothing else will make us His 'child'. Everything else will leave us with a 'Christless Christianity'...

What about you?

Please contact me at jjshiels@gmail.com if you would like to learn more about how to make a true and deep connection with God - through Jesus!

JS

Be specific in your prayers

“Time can talk you out of your dreams. Routine can weaken your propensity towards audacity” Steven Furtick

Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Listen to my preach at south city church, dublin 8/1/12 'Audacious Faith-filled living', may it bless you.
Click here!

“The bottom line is this: If you’re going to ask God to do something impossible in your life, you’ve got to have some clarity about what you’re asking for”

Steven Furtick

Broad praying and, for leaders, only 'general' vision casting is a very safe but often back-footed and weak way to lead - At least this way we won’t ‘appear as failures’ if nothing happens, we muse. This is not audacious leading or living. I have been guilty of playing it safe like this sometimes when limited expectations of God answering prayer is at work in my life.

It’s time to hear God for specifics. To pray specific prayers. To have clarity for specific things.

May 2012 be a year where we become more like children as far as our believing God is concerned. To have a 'sanctified naivety', will deliver us from tired and faithless living and cause us to trust God for amazing things

Just one final thing. This can only happen as you look to Christ. It is only as we see and behold Him and hear His Word that we will grow in faith. Look to Christ and the message of Good News otherwise who can believe God for such great, even impossible things? No one.

Imagine.....

Imagine...

Imagine starting a new year like it was your first day as a Christian

Imagine starting a new year like it was your last day on this earth

Imagine starting a new year like it was not going to be circumscribed by past disappointments

Imagine starting a new year like it was an awesome adventure with Jesus

Imagine starting a new year like it was time to walk on your own personal lake of destiny

Imagine starting a new year like it was a chance to believe God like it was your first opportunity to do so

Imagine starting a new year like it was time to dump any excess 'load' or 'baggage' for the road ahead

Imagine starting a new year like it was a moment by moment chance to get to know Jesus better and deeper than ever before!

Imagine starting a new year like it was the Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom (He says it is!)

Imagine starting a new year like it was an epic new time to walk deliberately by the Spirit

Imagine starting a new year like it was time to fly in all that he has called you to

Imagine starting a new year like it was time to stop thinking, breathing and speaking the negative report

Imagine starting a new year like it was already predestined for you with good works prepared in advance, with plans to prosper you (and not to harm you!)

Imagine starting a new year like it was time to simply believe whether you see it or not as yet

Imagine starting a new year like you are a child

No ordinary child, God's child!