Is the Bible Archaic - Written For Another Time?

 

Amongst the Christian community there is so much disagreement over issues of doctrine. There is controversy over what the bible is saying about issues relating to topics like salvation, when the Church Age will end, baptism and virtually any subject covered by the bible that can be debated.

So I guess my question here is “Is the bible consistent on what it says or is there a confusing lack of clarity that leads to many misconceptions?” I think we can agree that the bible is wonderful book full of spiritual revelation from no less than the Almighty God Himself. However at the same time it isn’t set out like the workshop manual for a washing machine.

Don’t misunderstand me here. Salvation is an orderly process based around hearing the gospel and understanding it. Believing that Christ Jesus bore our sins on the Cross and asking Him to forgive our sins and come into our hearts. Which by our faith and through God’s grace the Holy Spirit will then enact salvation, justification and sanctification in our hearts and minds.

However, getting saved is not the same as selecting the temperature, spin rpm and duration of the cycle on a washing machine. Turn this knob, twist that one and push the button to start the wash. No, the bible takes some reading and understanding and sharing the gospel with someone is a deeply personal interactive experience by which the message of salvation is outlined and a personal connection to Jesus Christ is enacted. Really the gospel can only be truly revealed by the Spirit of God and as Jesus said to Nicodemus in John chapter three. To enter the Kingdom of Heaven and man must be born again of the Spirit and of Water.

So what does that mean? Well the apostle Paul put it like this. Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

So, what I’m saying here is that the bible is written in a narrative style and has to be read to carefully and deeply to understand it. The reader needs the guidance of the Holy Spirit to comprehend the spiritual nature of the information that they are seeking to understand. It is a given that the reader will need input from other Christians and at times need to acquire other texts to enable greater understanding of the doctrines and theology of the issues outlined in the bible. It is not something the natural man or the unbeliever can easily understand if they can understand it at all.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural [unbelieving] man does not accept the things [the teachings and revelations] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [absurd and illogical] to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters]. AMP

There is certainly something to the idea that the topical approach to understanding the bible is beyond the unbeliever and to some extent even the Christian who has not attained the correct level of spiritual maturity and understanding. It is the type of tome that continues to reveal new learning even to the theologian who has put in a lifetime of study, work and research into every facet of biblical theology.

One way of looking at it is that the bible gives a historical perspective of creation, the fall of man into sin and then the dispensations of God’s Grace through His anointed people. For instance, the dispensations given to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, then the New Covenant through Christ Jesus in His redemptive work on the cross and finally when He returns to establish His kingdom at the end of this age.

The bible is written by men and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Much of the bible is written as narrative describing the people who love God. It tells about their lives and their interactions with God and others and explains the plight of fallen mankind. The major theme is about God’s Grace and how He has continued to reveal salvation to mankind through the nation of Israel and then the Christian Church.

The bible generally includes the truth of matters. For instance the story of Samson as a judge. It presents him as warts and all as a loose cannon but even so God used him to set Israel free from the Philistines. The story of Jonah tells the story of a rebellious petulant priest who disobeyed a specific command from God to take the gospel to the people of the city of Nineveh. Nineveh was an enemy of Israel and Jonah literally hated them. When God asked him to take the gospel of repentance to them Jonah ran away from God and God pursued him on a ship, with a whale, and delivered him to Nineveh where he preached repentance and then retired to the desert to sulk. But the bible doesn’t make it all smooth and lovely. It tells it how it is.

Non Christian folk often find the seemingly adhoc nature of the bible disconcerting. Some decry it as being like a shopping list. Really it is an historical document and an almanac of God’s truth. It can only be interpreted as the light of God’s revelation through the Holy Spirit. But it contains a lot of information and some of the events that happen in the bible might well cause the reader to question the nature of God.

I often think that it would be so much nicer if the bible outlined the things of God in an orderly manner. Like and appendix to a non fictional work for instance. However this is not how God has caused the bible to be ordered. The Old Testament contains reams of information about the lives, and interactions, of the people of God, the law and instructions from God and prophecies of the future and the coming of Messiah.

The New Testament begins with the gospels and is about the arrival of the Messiah (Jesus Christ), and then His life up until he began His ministry. Finally three years of ministry followed by His death, burial and resurrection. Then the events of His ascension into Heaven including the Great Commission of Matthew chapter 28 verses 18 & 20. After the gospels the book of the Acts of the Apostles is about the life of the Apostle Paul and the other disciples of Jesus. It describes the progress of the gospel through out the Roman empire in the first century after Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Then come the books of Paul, Hebrews, John, Peter and James and the Revelation of John. Which equates to the story of the early Church and the revelation of prophecy for the end of the Church Age culminating in the judgement and then the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

The Bible has been handily edited into books, chapters and verses in an appropriate historical order but it is by no means perfectly consistent and without perceived contradiction. For instance the four gospels each tell a different perspective of the life of Jesus and the events that happened during His ministry, crucifixion and resurrection. The same is true of theological and doctrinal issues for instance about the Coming of Messiah, the coming events of the End Times or, Predestination. In these topics and many others there has always been wide spread argument about what the Bible says and how it should be interpreted.

So can we write the bible off as being and ancient tome merely written by men and simply a work of fantasy? As the apostle Paul said “May it never be!” For a start the bible gives us so much information about the history of mankind. It tells is of the creation, the fall of man and the rescue mission the God has enacted to bring man back into a harmonious relationship with Himself through His Son Jesus Christ.

Every book in the bible is a stand alone work which brings to the table a unique story of the relationship between God and man. Yet every book brings together a continuous revelation of the love of God for mankind and the evolving work of Salvation through Grace. The bible may not be a handbook for humanity per-se but all sixty six books taken together and under the continual revelation of the Holy Spirit. It comes very close.

Of course the number of denominations we have in Christianity today is in part a testament to the diversity of ideas that can be derived from the bible about salvation, the position of the law in modern Christianity and any number of other theologies. You could blame the bible but to be honest where there are men there will be disagreements.

It could be that having faith in God is part and parcel with some degree of uncertainty about the nature of God, who Grace in Christ Jesus is for and how it works. Isaiah 6:10 “Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Perhaps the bible is not meant to be understood with out searching the scriptures in prayer and supplication to understand what it means because God wants a people who will follow Him steadfastly. Who will yearn to know Him and labour to dwell in His presence and in that vein He has made the scriptures deliberately more than a little difficult for the lay person to understand.

Is it just possible that it’s mankind that is the weak link as far as the interpreting the word of God is concerned. We know that all the books of the bible except the two books that were written by the blessed physician Luke are from the minds and hands of Israelites. God’s favoured people of the Old Testament and approved to bring the gospel to the nations after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Personally I think the scribes did a wonderful job of ordering and preserving the word of God down though the centuries and those responsible for editing and selecting the texts for the New Testament did an awesome job as well. The design and order of the Bible and the thoughtful addition of chapters and verses to assist the reader in recent centuries has been a boon for the faithful Berean.

Quite probably those who rail against the Bible and decry it as being an antiquated ancient book from simpler times when men did not understand modern science. Simply can’t truly comprehend the spiritual nature of the text they are trying to decipher.

So in conclusion shall we just say that the Bible is more than just a book. It is a highly technical spiritual masterpiece. It’s unplumbed depths are only revealed to those who have faith in Jehovah Elohim. It is the greatest seller of all time and that in itself shows the depth of man’s need to find out something more about God and the nature of salvation and eternal life. The bible is also the word of God and the sword of the Holy Spirit. In actual fact a world without its truth would be incomprehensible.

Will God Protect Us ???

 

John 10: 28-30 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”

This pandemic business has really put the cat among the pigeons from a Christian point of view. It has literally set brother against brother and sister against sister over the questions that relate to Covid. Questions like “Is the vaccine safe?” or, “Is the virus more dangerous than the flu?” Of course with all of the misinformation, paranoia, media spin and with the latent mistrust that the whole situation is engendering in nearly every facet of society. Add to that all of the disharmony and abuse flying about. Then you have a literal slough of despond in which lies all of the worst of the human condition. Or so it would seem.

Christians are very good at being Berean in the way that they search the scriptures tirelessly and the Internet as well. Sadly, they are not so good at being Berean in searching the scriptures and Internet to see that what is said is true. They tend to search to find scraps and morsels that will support what they already believe. They then employ that information to propound their argument to disrupt the thinking of others. The clear implication is if you don’t believe what they say then you’re an idiot and are not on the right team.

I’ve played this game for most of my life and as a result have tended to steer clear of Church because of it. I just can’t be bothered with the next popular spiritual fad that blows through the Church community laying waste to those who get involved. It’s a lot easier just to stay away and read the word, commune with the Lord in prayer and work on your spiritual life without distractions. It is very lonely though and on the whole I don’t recommend it. Find a Church where you like the people and fit in because at the end of the day the people are the most important thing. So, In Christ Jesus make a difference.

Now, Will God Protect Us? The question I’m asking here is this “Will God protect us if we do something which is wrong like taking the vaccine?” Now to many Christians to take the vaccine is to deny Christ and we all know that if we deny Christ He has said that he will deny us. It is seen as tantamount to taking the mark of the beast. So, will God still protect us if we do this thing which in the view of many Christians is a horrible error?

I think from my point of view as one who has taken the jab simply from a pragmatic point of view. I would cite something that John MacArthur said sometime after the pandemic was first unleashed. He simply noted that over the years he had been called to preach overseas and had to take various vaccinations in order to be able to travel. He hadn’t particularly wanted the vaccinations but in order to do God’s work he had to get the shots and so he did so.

To me this is the same situation. If I have to get the vaccination to continue to live my life and be able to go places ostensibly in the service of Jesus Christ. Then I will do that and put my trust in the Lord to protect me from the consequences. This is a natural part of living a life of faith in Jehovah Elohim. We are always in a battle between the forces of Righteousness and those of Unrighteousness. We are soldiers for God and sometimes the consequences will be fatal but if we achieve what God desires to be achieved then it is all to the good.

At the end of the day it is about being saved in Christ Jesus, being safe in the hand of God and nothing being able to pluck us from God’s hand. Even if we err woefully we are safe in the hand of Jehovah and nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Integral in this discussion is what you believe the nature of God is like and how forgiving you perceive Him to be? In short if you stuff up will God abandon you? Listening to Christians most seem a little confused about this issue. It is not uncommon for Christians to speak of the God of Love and yet also hold to a God who will judge a person and effectively dispense with them in an extremely arbitrary manner. I often wonder if we as humans and Christians don’t tar God with the same brush as we would tar ourselves. We would toss someone to the wolves at the drop of a hat and we besmirch God with the same failings that we as mere people are incapable of avoiding.

In the scripture above God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to the Christians of the time. The people of Israel. He promises them that they need fear not nor be dismayed for He is their God. He will strengthen and help and He will uphold them with his righteous right hand. So if I divide this correctly we have no need to fear whatever happens or however we as humans stuff up. God is with us and will strengthen us and uphold us in His righteousness. If we equate this to walking in the Spirit then God will work through us, strengthening and upholding and keeping us in His righteousness.

This reminds me of 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

So, no matter how badly we stuff up or how great is the carnage we inflict on ourselves and others. If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us those sins, regardless of what they are. Not only that but at the same time cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Thus we are forgiven and made holy.

So how does that play out for getting the vaccine? Well surely if we bring this to God and if it is a sin. Then we confess it to him and He is faithful to forgive us. Not only that but cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Is this only spiritual cleansing or is this physical cleansing at the same time. Does this mean that we are cleansed and healed if the vaccine is a curse to us? I don’t know but it is worth thinking about isn’t it?

Bear in mind Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”

I’ve been dining out on this scripture for some months now but to me it definitely applies here because the vaccine is being foisted on us by the government. It seems we have limited choice in the matter. If it is for our good and they are innocent in this situation then that is to the greater good. However, if it is being used as a weapon against the people at large and Christians as a subset of the whole. Then that is fashioning a weapon against the people of God and it will not succeed. Further, anyone who speaks against God’s people will be refuted. Thinking Harman and his antisemitic attack against Esther and Mordecai and the Israelites in the Kingdom of Medo-Persia as retold in the book of Esther in the Bible. Well worth a read if you have a copy of the bible and definitely confirms the above scripture.

I guess what I’m labouring to say here is that as people we are frail, foolish creatures. We fail and stuff up more often than not and that includes Christians. If we were perfect we wouldn’t have a problem obeying God and making the right decisions but we aren’t perfect. So we really need all the help that Jehovah can give us or we won’t make it to heaven.

Fortunately, Jehovah loves us and gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be the Lamb of God. The Son of Man bore our sins upon the Cross, died and resurrected so that those who believe on Him shall not perish but will inherit eternal life. We will not be snatched from His hand by anyone or anything. Therefore the answer is a resounding “Yes, God will protect us.” even when we make the wrong choices in life. We will be forgiven and we will be victorious in the end. We will overcome and gain a crown and be a part of a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, the bride of Christ. Jehovah a great good God and we can trust Him even in our times of great foolishness.

Without faith it is impossible to please God

 

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

All of the kerfuffle over the Covid pandemic leaves me somewhat stunned at the attitudes of many of the Christians I know. Personally I got the vaccine and although I thought long and hard about it felt that it isn’t the mark of the beast and that if it enables folk to carry on with life it’s probably worth the risk.

I was cautioned the other day not to get the booster shot because the 3rd and 4th shots give you acquired immune deficiency or in other words aids. I think back about three years and the conspiracy theorists were stating with surety that 5G was coming on stream and the likely consequence was that mind altering waves were going to turn us all into zombies.

Then as the Covid virus became the new thing the vaccine in conjunction with 5G was going to turn us into zombies. The next theory was that the virus contained elements of the aids virus and catching the virus would perhaps be a mild flu like experience but further down the road result in immune deficiency.

Of course hysteria about the vaccine and the boosters has amped up with all manner of data from various experts warning that those who have had the vaccine are suffering from failing immune systems and are in a worse state than those who have had long Covid.

Gossip is the currency of conspiracy theory and tales of the vaccinated spreading Covid far and wide by going to cafe’s are rife. The fact that the virus is a flu like organism and that we are simply tracking the movements of a cold virus. Or, that people will be exposed to the virus and catch it and that this is a normal state of affairs with a cold virus doesn’t seem to register in the conspiracy theory almanac.

It just blows me away the lack of faith with all of these Christian folk. Have they not read Psalm 91: 9-10 “Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place - the Most High, who is my refuge no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.”

So, no plague shall come near you and if we believe Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” The servants of the Lord are under His direct protection and therefore have no reason to fear anyone or anything. Assuming that they have faith and believe in the Lord which would seem to be a moot point in the context of the Covid pandemic.

It would seem to me to be pointless to be an adherent to a religion or a God if you don’t believe that religion or God is able to protect you from the ravages of daily life. What use is it if you are just as exposed as the atheist. If your religion has no power as it were.

It amazes me how many Christians are rushing to secure quantities of Stromectol. This is Ivermectin for humans. Stating with certainty that this will protect you from the virus. How does faith play into this philosophy. It seems that the God of Ivermectin has far greater power than my God. At least in the eyes of the fearful Christians.

Which raises the question who is the God of Ivermectin? Ivermectin comes from big Pharma and is a treatment for livestock to control lice, ticks and intestinal parasites. The God of big Pharma is Satan. Admittedly, I would have to acknowledge that the same big Pharma is behind the Covid vaccine which I have taken.

I guess the point that I am trying make here is that as Christians we are commissioned to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Pandemics, virus’s and vaccines are simply part of the job. We don’t have to fear death or persecution or anything else for that matter. We live and we die. That is a certainty and if we die of the virus or the vaccine or, if we are killed in an accident or, in our bed at ripe old age. Then that is the will of God. Our days have always been ordered by the Lord our God and we are delivered from sin unto eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Our mission is to walk in the Spirit being sanctified by him and brought into the newness of life as Christ Jesus is revealed in us and as we take the gospel to the nations.

I guess what sticks in my craw over all of this is that I’m tired of being called faithless by the faithless. As Christians we walk by faith day by day. In theory we trust and obey God through His only Son, Jesus Christ. Regardless of the dangers of the virus or the vaccine this doesn’t change. We are under the wings of God and we are given into the charge of His angels to guard us in all of our ways (Psalm 91). We have nothing to fear.

So which is it to be then brethren? Are we going to trust God and fear nothing or are we going to scratch the ground like chickens in the farm yard. Fighting and squabbling to establish a pecking order and wasting our lives by living in the flesh rather than the Spirit? All the while being bound up by the enemy as we do a poor job of representing Christ to the lost in the last days of the Church Age and all because we are afraid of the world.

I’m not saying that I’m a better Christian than you are because I’m not fearful of Covid. Far from it. I’ve lived with intense fear of the world for most of my life. No, I’m saying give up your heavy load and let Christ Jesus do the heavy lifting. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through this time of trial and tribulation. Know that Jehovah has you covered beneath His wings and His angels surround you and guard all of your ways.

Matthew 11: 28-29 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. KJV


1 John 5:4 ESV

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 John 5:3 ESV

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
1 John 5:1 ESV

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 

1 John 4:8 ESV

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Spirit versus Flesh

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

You know when I look back on my life and I remember. I think of many things that I did in my youth and I have great remorse for not living my life as God would have had me live it. If only I had lived those times in the Spirit and not the Flesh.

I don’t know how you view the flesh but when I speak of the flesh I mean the human body that my soul indwells. The body makes it’s demands felt. It wants to be feed. It wants to be entertained. It wants to reproduce and it doesn’t care how it achieves these purposes. It hates, it lusts and it would murder just to be satiated. The body or the flesh is the antithesis of the Spirit in every way.

The sad thing is that even today I live most of my life in the flesh. There are times when I live in the Spirit but they are few and far between. If only the Lord could bring the surrender of the flesh to be ruled over by Him every moment of the day. Imagine how much better things would be if that were the case for each of us who are redeemed in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

You know, it’s only in more recent times that I have come to be closer to the Lord and seen how often He answers my prayers specifically. This leads me to have confidence that God is changing my heart and that I am closer to Him and have the power of the Spirit within me.

I’m not always in the Spirit but much more often than in my earlier life. I seek to be closer to the Lord more than I did. May be He has helped me to see how this is possible through Him (Romans 8:28). I’m far from perfect but I can see how it is possible to be made a new creation. The old self buried in baptism in the death of Christ Jesus and raised to the newness of life in His resurrection.

When I was younger the emphasis in much of the biblical teaching was focused on the need to be holy. I found that to be an unassailable challenge that led to personal defeat in my Christian life. No matter how I tried I failed to be holy and surrender to Christ was far away.

In fact, it seemed that the more I tried to be better the more easily the enemy made me pious and judgmental to those around me. I became angry and intolerant and hurt those close to me most of all. It seemed as the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:15 "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." KJV. So that became my daily life and my Christian life stalled. Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not claiming to be now living in sinless perfection. Far from it but I sense that God is at work in my heart. Bruce in his end will be better than at the start. Of that I am assured in Christ Jesus.

Surprisingly, it is through the input of my reformed Christian friends that I began to make progress again in my spiritual life. I came to see that it is not my ability to make myself holy that is at issue. It is actually Christ in me and the work of the Holy Spirit to change me into a new creation, born of water and the Spirit. As a poor lowly sinner I have nothing to commend me before God and actually His work in me is to present me as the person He has always intended me to be.

2 Peter 1:4 By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

So I’m by no means a perfect creature of the Living God yet. I am however, on that path and as I find that God is changing me. I can see in the distance the fruit of the Spirit beginning manifest in my life. I lay hold on that while expressing thanks to God. I seek to feel the joy of the Spirit in my life and to express joy and peace that comes from being in the presence of the Lord.

The flesh still arises and with that comes defeat at times. There are times when God enables me get back up and to apologise to those I have caused pain including myself. However, I know that God is revealing His promises in my heart and expanding His divine nature in me while allowing me more freedom from sinful desires. I’m human though.

So, for me the victory is found in understanding the God is working in my life to make the a new creature. I can’t change myself. It comes from understanding that the work is not my own other than I have a will which God may use to guide me away from sin as He develops me into the person He wants me to be. I am His and He is mine forever. I need fear nothing because I am a child of God in Jesus Christ and as Romans 8:28 says “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Finally it comes down to understanding that the body or the flesh seeks to take care of itself. It is wholly carnal and continuously in conflict with the edicts of God and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. We are caught in this conflict until the day we die but throughout this process God is changing and perfecting us through the indwelling Spirit of God. In the end as a preacher once said “The man at the end of the journey will be a different man from the one who began the journey.”

Remember, God will save us through His Son Jesus Christ and sanctify us through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are His chosen nation, His royal priesthood, and a people for His own possession. A people belonging to God the eternal Bride of Christ. The Church.

 

Remember Jonah

As I watch the response of Christianity in New Zealand to the changes unfurled by the Covid Agenda and the New World Order. I can’t help but be reminded of the prophet Jonah. I don’t know if you know the story but in brief it goes like this. God spoke to Jonah and instructed him to make his way to the city of Nineveh and to warn them of the impending destruction of the city by God.

Jonah did not want to do what God had instructed him and ran from God. He got on a boat and God brought a storm. He ended up in the sea in the midst of the storm and God scooped him up with a great fish. The fish vomited him up on the beach and he reluctantly went to Nineveh and preached about their impending destruction.

The King of Nineveh repented and instructed the whole city to repent including the livestock. No one was to work but all were to cover themselves and their livestock in sackcloth and repent. God forgave them and spared them.

Jonah was beside himself with anger and disappointment over God showing mercy to the inhabitants of Nineveh. He went of into the desert to have a sulk and to whinge about Yahweh being a benevolent and merciful God. This being the reason he didn’t want to go to Nineveh in the first place because he knew God would forgive them.

So while he sat under the noon day sun dehydrating in the desert. The Lord caused a plant to grow and give him shelter. Jonah loved the plant and then God sent grubs to chew on the plant and it withered and died. Much to Jonah’s consternation of course. Then God discussed Jonah’s compassion for the plant and compared it to his compassion for the people and animals of Nineveh.

Now how does this apply to the Christians in New Zealand in 2022. Well Jonah was a believer in Yahweh as are Christians today. He was given a commission to share the gospel of repentance in his time, as are we. He had a problem with the target audience for that gospel, in this case Nineveh, as do we. He grumbled and complained about what God was asking him to do, as do we. When God gave him the plant Jonah loved the plant but when God took the plant away he was really disappointed with God.

When Christians were a part of the dominant culture in New Zealand life was good. Just like the plants that shaded Jonah but just as Jonah was angry about the loss of the shady plant so Christians in New Zealand are angry that they are on the outside now and aren’t the dominant culture anymore.

So what can we take from this? Well one thing would be that Yahweh is in control. It may not seem so but He is. As Christians we are a part of a royal priesthood in Christ Jesus. We have a job to do just as Jonah did. We may not understand what God demands of us at times or why he allows changes which seem to be to our detriment and to the Church as a whole. Changes which could even be dangerous to us? However, the fact is that He does allow those changes and we can take consolation that they are a part of His plan.

So we can stop complaining about trampled rights and so forth while realising that even Old Testament saints endured the same types of dilemma and persecution that we do and as Jonah did. We may not realise what God’s plans are but we can rest assured that we are his soldiers in the battle for the hearts and minds of the lost. We can also bank his promises and know that he has plans for our well being and hope for a future (Jeremiah 29:11), and that no hand raised against His people will succeed (Isaiah 54:17). Just like Jonah we are the servants and prophets of the Lord and we have a job to do. We are also in the world but not of it. We are to have the mindset of the Kingdom of God not of the Prince of this World.