Author Archives: Pieter Stok
Prevenient Grace
Prepared for Action
Therefore prepare your minds for action: 1 Peter 1:13
If, as I have suggested in my earlier posts, we are rapidly heading into a post Christian/Christendom era in the west. In this environment, how should we live?
Once again Peter’s epistles overflow with answers. For example:
Do not conform to evil deisres (1 Peter 1: 14) So be holy (vs 15) Remember who you are in Christ: a chosen people and etc. (2: 9)And he continues with submission to authority, love, self control, willingness to suffer and much, much more. In all he is urging the church to live lives that are an alternative to the way the world lives: lives that are a beacon of hope in the hopelessness of paganism. You find the similar echoes in the second letter.
We could translate that into negative statements: Don’t live the selfish, selfcentred lives of those around you. Don’t live lives obsessed with ego, fame, money, possessions, greed, materialism, consumerism. Don’t live fractured lives in fractured families … and so on.
Churches speak about mission, evangelism and witnessing, which I hasten to add is great, but unless we come to realise ( as Peter is telling us) that our greatest tool is the witness of our own lives – our actions, deeds, words, character, our expression of Christ to our neighbours and friends, our marriages, our families … or to put it into a Biblical term, our holiness. Lives purchased by Christ and being transformed by the Holy Spirit. Our lives need to attractive and attractional. God’s people need to be living billboard to the character of Christ.
I see this as the challenge for the C21st Church and Christian. Every time a celebrity preacher falls and every time you and I fail, we damage the name of Christ. So in the words of Peter, “Be firm and steadfast.”
A Visit
Comfortable Church Part 2
… though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds
The Colosseum. A Place Where Christians Were Not Called Hypocrites
of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.1 Peter 1:6 & 7
In the West, on the whole, our faith has not been tested by fire. Christians and Churches are not scattered in fear of their lives. “Suffering grief of all kinds” has not been the norm. With the continuous decline of Christianity from a mainstream movement to a peripheral group, maybe that time is not that far away. Social and moral values in our cultures are diverging from Biblical values everyday. Understandably, from within the church there are many cries of alarm. People even try to hijack political parties and candidates. But is this the answer?
Could there be a silver lining to this dark cloud? Is it possible that the church, scattered and strangers in the world (1Peter 1:1) could be a far more effective witness for Christ as it was in the early church. Could it be that a Church unencumbered by 1700 years of peripherals (i.e from the time of the Edict of Milan under Constantine) such as buildings, constitutions, robes, habits, customs and the rest, could be far more effective and genuine than it is today? Imagine, the only thing to grab hold on were the promises of God – nothing else. Imagine – your only protection was our invisible God ( 1peter 1:8)! Imagine, that our joy at being a child of God’s was so infectious it transformed a sceptical world.
It seems to me, the people of God are most effective when under the pressure of refining fire; whether Daniel in Babylon, Christians in the Roman world or Christians suffering persecution today. In the West we are often called hypocrites. I am sure this charge was never made against those who were, and are, prepared to die for their faith.
The Visit
The doors were tall and dark,
The handle ominous.
A suited gent
extended a hand
with a made up smile
that tweeked his lips.
“Bulletin”
Thank you.
Cautiously we wandered in.
Hushed mirmurs.
Which seat?
There is a cushion there,
and a book.
Lets take a chance.
The space dribbled full.
well, fullish.
Pipe organ rumbled the building
Men filed in.
One man ascended.
Songs, and words,
alternated.
A long word.
Songs and words
alternated again.
Then
Hands lifted.
(One set. At the front)
Amen declared.
And people made
for the doors.
Eyes averted,
Shoes inspected.
Ah, fresh air again.
The service is over.
Time for Coffee.
Want one?
Comfortable Church
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus … 1 Peter 1:1
Currently I am reading 1 Peter. The book begins with 3 conditions: the church are “elect”, “strangers” and “scattered”. The first speaks of the Christian’s relationship with God but the other two indicate that the church was living on the edge. The church in Asia Minor were living a tough life of persecution. They were on the fringes of society and certainly not part of the Roman mainstream
They didn’t have big buildings or budgets, large music teams, large staff and the budget to match. Yet the church at this time was effective.
There are many themes woven through Peter’s epistle, but the one thought I want to reflect on at this time is: Is the Western Church today too dependent on structures and programmes rather than living the nitty, gritty coal face Christianity that is reflected in 1 Peter? Then, if it was more like the early church, would it be more effective?
I would love to have your thoughts.
Our God Sings Lullabys
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
This is an amazing verse! It is the only verse in Scripture in which God is described as singing. What is even more amazing is that God is described in maternal terms. He is like a mother cooing and singing with love over the baby in her arms.
In Zephaniah God foretells the disaster that is about to overcome His people because of their arrogance and rebellion. Yet later in the same book, in 3:17 He manifests his love. Despite this rejection by His children, He paints this picture of, on the one hand, a warrior who will ride in the like the cavalry to save them, and in a contrasting image, one of pure maternal love.
The second image is one we often associate with Mary and Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem – motherly love and adoration with her new born baby, quietly singing songs of rapture and joy. (The irony, of course, is that in Bethlehem it is humanity holding God in her hands!)
Two final thoughts: Note God’s delight. Like a doting mother He doesn’t just tolerate us, but He delights in us. He enjoys calling us His children. We see the motivation for sending Jesus to the cross on our behalf. The other, He rejoices. In other words He celebrates the fact that we are His children. There are echoes here of the future parable of the father of the prodigal son.
So today as you live before and worship your Creator and re- Creator, know and delight in the truth that to Him you are like a baby in His arms – someone to celebrate.
A Day in the Garden
Finally, after a number of wet weekends, I had an early start and got into the garden. I was
reminded once again that rain and warmth equals luxuriant growth – particularly for weeds.
A while back after spending many hours in back breaking weeding, I made the comment that I wanted a word with Eve when I got to Heaven. A friend ( a lady) said I would have to stand in line behind all the women before I had my turn to say my piece. I was put in my place!
The garden is a place of two truths, One truth is the miracle of creation and its beauty. There are flowers, trees and shrubs of infinite shades, colours, shapes and sizes. I am always amazed at what I hadn’t noticed before. I love being out there. It is a place of respite after a busy head filled week. The other truth, though, is the reality of brokenness and sin. Plants die, there are pests that destroy them and then there are the weeds that run rampant and choke anything in their path.
This tension between beauty and ugliness is a metaphor for our lives. There is much to rejoice over, and sadly, much to sorrow over. For the Christian, the beauty is also a reminder that Christ has a place for us – a new weedless and pestless heaven and earth. In fact, we are there with him now (Eph 2). Still, we are also here dealing with our own sin and that of those around us.
But for me, the garden is a place of hope (usually) and it helps me look forward with a real sense of joy. So I had better stop rambling and get out there again.
Counting the Cost
Luke 14:25-34
“… In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”
“All to Jesus I surrender” we sing in the old hymn. Alas, it is not that easy. Even in the midst of this global financial instability the words of Jesus found in the Gospel of Luke ring loudly and uncomfortably. In the West we are a “consumer” culture. It is part of what defines the western lifestyle. We are a “thing” culture and we measure people by their wealth and “things”.
Jesus turns this on its head. A relationship and life in him is all that counts; is all that matters. However, we have grown up “thing oriented”. For us it is a tough call … The line “it easier for a camel …” echoes uncomfortably in our heads.
As I write this, my computer, iPad and cameras sit on my desk accusingly. My desk attests to the things in my life and they are just the beginning.
Faith requires not just belief in the person of Jesus but also the desire to follow him and forego all for him. “All to Jesus …”
My prayer, “Jesus, help me to follow you unencumbered.”
PS. Over the next few weeks this is an issue that I want to return to. I don’t know about you, but it bothers me.Advent – the joy of expectation
Advent
Coming and becoming.
Anticipating
and hoping.
Longing and
Rejoicing.
The ancient Words,
Promises
and pledges
Coming to Life –
Eternal Life.
The salvation plan
winding through
history and people,
kings and peasants,
obedience and rebellion.
Dim distant Covenant shadows
Given breath
and Voice
in starlit Bethlehem.
God made flesh.
Humanity offered life.
Travels from Ur 