Post by Pilgrim Marc on Jul 27, 2005 14:38:48 GMT -5
A DEEP DESIRE FOR UNITY AND SIMPLICITY
(Titus 3:2-9)
Do you sometimes have this too? You really want to believe; you want to follow Jesus as a disciple, a pilgrim, a student, a beloved child; but you constantly come up against questions and opinions, churches and doctrines; without speaking of all the questioning within yourself, the choices you have to make, your doubts and searching.
The questions you have ( ‘where do I belong?’; ‘in which church?’; ‘where do I feel at home?’) aren’t new. In the Bible the church had only just come into existence when people began to look for reassurance in leaders, doctrines and rules, instead of in the foolishness of grace, that made the rough fishermen and unsteady followers; people who sometimes followed and sometimes denied, pillars of the church. Because of the foolishness of grace do we see prostitutes and tax collectors, criminals and failures who received a crown and a king’s cloak and led the way in a procession of redeemed sinners.
Do you know, I have discovered that I don’t actually feel at home anywhere. In each church I find some things but miss others. Wherever you go people will disappoint you and you (and I!) will disappoint them. The truth can supposedly be found in a particular group or it comes diluted with the water of compromise. In short the church has something to offer but holds just as much back or rejects it altogether. And I’m not much better. So often it has to do with the right doctrine, the right rules or dogmas; even whether you’re wearing the right clothes or consuming the right food and drink. Do you smoke? Drink? Something else? In that case the gates of heaven are shut in your face. We could go on. There is always something.
One movement defends the Christian celebrations and Sunday. Another swears by the original festivals and the Sabbath. And there we go again; divisions and splits.
One group stands behind Israel and the other is sober enough to see that the people of God still aren’t perfect ( and just as in the old days push God easily to one side); in the land which God has given them His people still make silly mistakes in faith, life and politics.
As far as that is concerned not much has changed.
And amongst Christians? One is Reformed, the other is Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, a sort of Messianic or something else; yet another follows Yeshua without calling himself a Christian.
And you know we are regularly busy defending our viewpoint instead of finding the similarities, the unity, the simplicity, the foolishness of grace.
I believe there is a wonderful measure for unity that we often miss. It requires only a slightly different way of looking at a text written by our brother, Paul in 1 Cor. 3:11-15.
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
These verses contain a some important points concerning unity and simplicity. We are saved by grace, as we see in Titus, and not because of anything we have done. It was Jesus who, through his death on a Roman means of execution, opened the door to the Father heart of Creator - Adonai; Jesus who, through His resurrection from death made a fool of satan and promised victory to all who follow Him, even if you don’t always see or experience this victory.
This Jesus is the foundation of our faith; through faith in Him, and repentance we are, by grace, fully assured of eternal life by Creator - Adonai – by grace. Jesus is the foundation. All faith movements and doctrines etc. etc. are built on this foundation.
So we build on this foundation, and that’s when the criticism begins, because we think we know damned well what is best for others. Yes, damned, because it damns the other and confirms how good we are in following the rules and regulations based on all our doctrines, pre-judgements and religious nonsense.
Do you know that if our foundation together is in Christ then we may trust that Creator - Adonai is the one who will judge our building work, not now here on Mother Earth but on The Day, His Day.
Then He will say, ‘Your salvation is not based, in the first place, on your building work; at the most this is instrumental in deciding the measure of responsibility I can trust you with in my new Kingdom, the reward that lies waiting for you; but your salvation is only dependant on your foundation and if that foundation is Jesus then I will welcome you to my table with the new wine. Even if other children of mine don’t think much of that.
Do you know I really long for unity and simplicity; yes I have a deep desire to simply follow Him in unity with other pilgrims; to learn from His Spirit and from my brothers and sisters in the kingdom and together as stumbling pilgrims to follow the Way. But what do I see? In place of following Him together I see, alas, that we argue and bicker. There must be a way of travelling together, knowing that here on this planet we will never feel truly at home because we are on the way to His House, the House of Abba. Only there shall we never more disappoint each other or cause each other pain. Only there will the unity be complete; there we will sit at the table with those we have rejected here because their teaching wasn’t the same as ours.
Is there then a key that opens the door to simply following Jesus?
Maybe there is but I haven’t found it yet; however I am searching and will continue to search and keep feeding the hunger of that deep desire for unity and simplicity because I know that the answers are there to the things I’m looking for.
And I hope there are people who, like me, will follow on the Way together, as stumbling pilgrims, whether or not they are members of a fellowship or church; whether they come together on the Sabbath or on Sunday, whether in a church or a living room or the pub; whether they paint eggs at Easter or build huts for the feast of Tabernacles, burn candles at Hanukkah or hang balls on the Christmas tree; whatever. Pilgrims who, despite all the differences, have Yeshua, Jesus as THE foundation, and therefore want to meet with each other, honour Him, and together want to pray and learn.
Then maybe together we will find the key to simply following. I have the feeling that we are already a bit closer if we add up the verses that are near the end of the four gospels, even if I’m not sure why. Do you know?
Do you also long for unity and simplicity? Let us follow the Way together...
Marc Pranger
www.ruachstream.com
January 2004
(Titus 3:2-9)
Do you sometimes have this too? You really want to believe; you want to follow Jesus as a disciple, a pilgrim, a student, a beloved child; but you constantly come up against questions and opinions, churches and doctrines; without speaking of all the questioning within yourself, the choices you have to make, your doubts and searching.
The questions you have ( ‘where do I belong?’; ‘in which church?’; ‘where do I feel at home?’) aren’t new. In the Bible the church had only just come into existence when people began to look for reassurance in leaders, doctrines and rules, instead of in the foolishness of grace, that made the rough fishermen and unsteady followers; people who sometimes followed and sometimes denied, pillars of the church. Because of the foolishness of grace do we see prostitutes and tax collectors, criminals and failures who received a crown and a king’s cloak and led the way in a procession of redeemed sinners.
Do you know, I have discovered that I don’t actually feel at home anywhere. In each church I find some things but miss others. Wherever you go people will disappoint you and you (and I!) will disappoint them. The truth can supposedly be found in a particular group or it comes diluted with the water of compromise. In short the church has something to offer but holds just as much back or rejects it altogether. And I’m not much better. So often it has to do with the right doctrine, the right rules or dogmas; even whether you’re wearing the right clothes or consuming the right food and drink. Do you smoke? Drink? Something else? In that case the gates of heaven are shut in your face. We could go on. There is always something.
One movement defends the Christian celebrations and Sunday. Another swears by the original festivals and the Sabbath. And there we go again; divisions and splits.
One group stands behind Israel and the other is sober enough to see that the people of God still aren’t perfect ( and just as in the old days push God easily to one side); in the land which God has given them His people still make silly mistakes in faith, life and politics.
As far as that is concerned not much has changed.
And amongst Christians? One is Reformed, the other is Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, a sort of Messianic or something else; yet another follows Yeshua without calling himself a Christian.
And you know we are regularly busy defending our viewpoint instead of finding the similarities, the unity, the simplicity, the foolishness of grace.
I believe there is a wonderful measure for unity that we often miss. It requires only a slightly different way of looking at a text written by our brother, Paul in 1 Cor. 3:11-15.
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
These verses contain a some important points concerning unity and simplicity. We are saved by grace, as we see in Titus, and not because of anything we have done. It was Jesus who, through his death on a Roman means of execution, opened the door to the Father heart of Creator - Adonai; Jesus who, through His resurrection from death made a fool of satan and promised victory to all who follow Him, even if you don’t always see or experience this victory.
This Jesus is the foundation of our faith; through faith in Him, and repentance we are, by grace, fully assured of eternal life by Creator - Adonai – by grace. Jesus is the foundation. All faith movements and doctrines etc. etc. are built on this foundation.
So we build on this foundation, and that’s when the criticism begins, because we think we know damned well what is best for others. Yes, damned, because it damns the other and confirms how good we are in following the rules and regulations based on all our doctrines, pre-judgements and religious nonsense.
Do you know that if our foundation together is in Christ then we may trust that Creator - Adonai is the one who will judge our building work, not now here on Mother Earth but on The Day, His Day.
Then He will say, ‘Your salvation is not based, in the first place, on your building work; at the most this is instrumental in deciding the measure of responsibility I can trust you with in my new Kingdom, the reward that lies waiting for you; but your salvation is only dependant on your foundation and if that foundation is Jesus then I will welcome you to my table with the new wine. Even if other children of mine don’t think much of that.
Do you know I really long for unity and simplicity; yes I have a deep desire to simply follow Him in unity with other pilgrims; to learn from His Spirit and from my brothers and sisters in the kingdom and together as stumbling pilgrims to follow the Way. But what do I see? In place of following Him together I see, alas, that we argue and bicker. There must be a way of travelling together, knowing that here on this planet we will never feel truly at home because we are on the way to His House, the House of Abba. Only there shall we never more disappoint each other or cause each other pain. Only there will the unity be complete; there we will sit at the table with those we have rejected here because their teaching wasn’t the same as ours.
Is there then a key that opens the door to simply following Jesus?
Maybe there is but I haven’t found it yet; however I am searching and will continue to search and keep feeding the hunger of that deep desire for unity and simplicity because I know that the answers are there to the things I’m looking for.
And I hope there are people who, like me, will follow on the Way together, as stumbling pilgrims, whether or not they are members of a fellowship or church; whether they come together on the Sabbath or on Sunday, whether in a church or a living room or the pub; whether they paint eggs at Easter or build huts for the feast of Tabernacles, burn candles at Hanukkah or hang balls on the Christmas tree; whatever. Pilgrims who, despite all the differences, have Yeshua, Jesus as THE foundation, and therefore want to meet with each other, honour Him, and together want to pray and learn.
Then maybe together we will find the key to simply following. I have the feeling that we are already a bit closer if we add up the verses that are near the end of the four gospels, even if I’m not sure why. Do you know?
Do you also long for unity and simplicity? Let us follow the Way together...
Marc Pranger
www.ruachstream.com
January 2004