May | 28 | Taking Comfort In The Dark side of The Divine

CONTINUE

Taking Comfort In The Dark side of The Divine

1 Kings 19:18 
Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.

Does God need a disaster recovery plan? Does God need a billion disaster recovery plans for each one of his failing children throughout the ages? Does a person in Sovereign control need a plan for disaster? Maybe I am asking the wrong question here and asking it from the position of a mere microbe even. So, maybe a better question should spring from the obvious disasters in our lives and from those points of disaster, yes, maybe we should ask, "If/when disaster should come upon us, does God have the capacity to recover the vision, the mission, and me and mine?"

Now, in terms of internet technology there is not time today to look at the history of the rise of optical dark fiber networks, suffice to say that the available of unused bandwidth and unused optical cables led to a rise in the term ‘dark fiber’ and this, together with the evolution of the Data Center and the parallel development of Disaster Recovery, led to the rise of Dark Data Centers; that is, operationally ready but unused and hidden facilities which could be switched on should the functioning unit be in some way ‘destroyed’ . With that of course, came the Dark Websites, all waiting to go live in an instant, to report to shareholders and other interested parties, what the CEO and the company were doing to restore communication and recover any losses. In terms of maintaining mission, you see, continued customer communication is paramount.

In the background of daily work therefore, wise Companies invest vast amounts of time and money in the preparation and maintenance of all things ‘Dark.’ From a purely human perspective, there is, I think, a Dark side to the Divine. In God’s ‘A’ plan, for I do not believe He has a plan ‘B’, there is obviously prepared capacity and bandwidth, even an accommodation for human failing. No matter how big the disaster, God has His Dark side ready to be switched on, ready to take over, ready to come on line, should He so wish.


 To those pressing on, my counsel is this: Where we can avoid disaster, we should. Where we can prepare for disaster, we should. However, when the action is not sinful but the outcome is unpredictable, yes, when the command is clear but the backup solutions are negligible even seemingly absent, then we must press on regardless anyhow, taking comfort in the preordained preparations of the Dark side of the Divine. 

Listen:-  "Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"?  But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."  Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Romans 11:3-5 

 Pray: -  Father, help me neither to be stupid nor presumptuous. Father, help me not to invoke wisdom and preparation as excuses for disobedience and cowardice. Father, in all things help me to be obedient to the leadings of Your Holy Spirit and then Lord, as each step on the way is committed you in acknowledgement of our need and Your grace, direct our paths for Your glory and our safety in Jesus name, Amen and amen.

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Dec | 25 | Re-Gifting

Dream Word – CONTINUE


2 Samuel 24:24a Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” NKJV 

Re-Gifting

Now that all the business of the day is over and you have had the discipline to take the time to come aside a while and reflect upon Jesus and His Word, may I say to you that I hope your day has been both enjoyable and profitable. Of course, I do hope you got some gifts as well and that some of you even got some gifts that are going to be useful to you in the coming days! Oh and by the way, may I ask you what gift you gave to Jesus today? It’s an interesting question isn’t it? I mean, just what do you give to the God who has everything?

Unfortunately, God does not possess everything. For example, He may well be waiting for the fulfillment of some of those vows you made to Him in the oh so, long ago. Or, He may not have the attention which He requires from you. Maybe, He may not have the obedience which He would like to see from You. He may not see the fruit He expected in You. He may not see your wallet as open as much as he would like to. He may not have your ears and as yet, good grief Charlie Brown, He may not even have your heart.


Now, though some of these things I mention, which God does not yet possess, are frankly more our filial duty than gifts, more a farmers expectation, more a Master's demand if you will, or a friend's desire, rather than a gift to be given to Him at Christmas time, never the less, may I ask you to consider your own heart's response to a gift you may have received yourself, which has been well thought out, tailored to your dreams, and costly to the giver. Surely such a gift would always warm and bless your heart. I wonder tonight then the manner in which we give even that which is rightfully owed, will never the less be received as a gift and that with great joy by the receiver?

I think tonight is a good night to apologize to Jesus for our forgetfulness, by maybe deciding to deliver to Him tomorrow, something that will bless His heart. Christmas is always a good time to re-gift ourselves to God. Don’t you think?

Listen: - My son, give me your heart, (Proverbs 23:26a NKJV)

Pray:-
When the music fades, all is stripped away and I simply come
Longing just to bring something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
I bring You more than a song for a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You. it's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You, it's all about You, Jesus

King of endless worth no one could express
How much You deserve, though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours, every single breath!
Matt Redman

Dec | 02 | Right Declarations of Death

Dream Word – CONTINUE

Joshua 1:1,2 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. NKJV

Right Declarations of Death

Tomorrow and if not, then someday, most of us will take up pole position. The leader we have been shadowing will have gone. Gone maybe in terms of physical death, gone maybe in terms of sickness, gone in any event, for good! When this happens, it is we, their near followers who are left to take up the fallen baton and when this happens, many of us need the assurance that it is in fact we who should be leading, that it is, it is we who now have the authority to continue to lead.

There are many folk leading without the God approved authority to do so. The baton has not been theirs to pick up but rather, with ignorant blindness, they have taken upon them a task which is beyond them, or with arrogant culpability, they have assumed a role of their own proud heart’s desire. When this happens, disaster is in the making for both them and the blind sheep that now follow them. It is only a matter of time.
So then, in light of such terrible and misguided leadership endings, how may we be assured, that it is indeed us, who must take up the fallen baton and move on with it?

The body of Moses was never found. It was never found because God was his undertaker and the Archangel Michael was the hefty bodyguard that kept Satan from discovering its whereabouts, less even the rotting flesh of this great man and the brittle bones of this dead prophet, should be set as a place of homage and sinful worship! The problem for Joshua was that there was no body and consequently because of that, maybe many people thought that one day, Moses would just mosey on back on in the camp and pick up where he left off! I wonder if our text for tonight indicates that there was uncertainty about the formers leader’s plans and presence to fulfill them, even now playing on the heart of Joshua and that because of that, the LORD Himself had to come to Joshua and verify the case, clarify the new situation and certify Joshua’s role in full. The baton was his to pick up.
 Friends, in our text for tonight, this right and opening declaration of death was absolutely necessary because a new leader is being birthed and with this new leadership, a new authority. This authority though linked to the past, is of necessity fresh and independent of the past. A living leader is now needed for Israel, one facing forward, one facing the future, one quickened for action, one fully free to operate with no reference save to God himself. Moses is Dead.

So, how may we be assured that it is indeed we, who must take up the baton and move on with it? Well, only when God speaks to us of the death of the person we are replacing, for this is the foundation of all future revelation which we will receive concerning ‘the how’ of all our present leadership. Without this declaration of death from the most High God, our face will always be looking over our shoulder instead of looking ahead. If the leader you think you are replacing is not in some sense declared to be dead, then rather than mighty manifestations, you are in for some mighty problems.

Listen: - Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." NKJV

Pray: - Lord, for each new role You place me in, declare the death of the past and then quicken my whole body, soul and spirit for the task ahead, in Jesus name I ask it, amen!

Aug | 22 | Sticky Situations Demand A Very Sticky Church

Dream Word – CONTINUE

Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. NKJV.

Sticky Situations Demand a Very Sticky Church

In Ridley Scott’s epic Movie, ‘Gladiator,’ I am reminded of the scene where General Maximums with his small band of gladiators are placed in the Colosseum before some huge gates. Death, in dread but unseen shape, lies ready behind those gates to come out and not so speedily devour them from the earth. In face of such a growing fear among his men, in double quick time, Maximus speaks to his men saying:

“Whatever comes out of these gates... we've got a better chance of survival if we work together. Do you understand? If we stay together, we survive. Stay close! Come together! Lock your shields! Stay as one!

And all the while their enemy is speaking to them, shouting in their ears

“Kill! Kill! Kill! - Soon all your men will be slain.- You don't have a chance!”

If there ever was a better picture for the absolute necessity of the unity of the local church as it comes against the gates of hell and of the terrible fear and discouragement that our enemy pours into our hearts through our alert and open ears, then it is this! We survive when we stick close together.

My thoughts for your consideration tonight then are very simple. You must lock your shields with your brethren, stay close and stay as one. You see, a sticky church is not one that applies assimilation principles to keep the back exit as small as possible, no, a sticky church is a church that is storming the gates of hell and where its blood bought soldiers have been taught how to fight, did you get that, they have been taught how to fight and not throw tea parties and they also know, that if they do not stick close together in that fight against the enemy, lock shields, hold the line and stay as one, that they will be isolated and killed.

Amidst all the managerial hype in the Christian market place, please remember that a sticky church is a fighting church. Don’t forget that. Don’t lose sight of that! For if you do, it just might cost you your life. Stick together in the fight.

Listen: - "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17:20-23 NKJV)

Pray:- Deliver us from that prowling lion, that great red dragon waiting to eat us up. Give us O Lord, sticky fear, sticky wisdom and good shepherds, to glue us all together in Jesus name I pray amen.

Aug | 08 | Despite DisappointmentsThere Are Always New Beginnings

Dream Word – CONTINUE

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. NKJV

Despite DisappointmentsThere Are Always New Beginnings

Tonight, do you go to bed confused? Tonight, are you at the end of your rope? Good! For know this: ‘All trails come to an end and all ends are really 'New Beginnings'. No, this is not some dank, motivational, little thought in the face of debilitating disappointment, that will never do, that will never edify, no that, will only get you angry! However, you must understand that the last three stations towards the end of all our present rail journeys of seeming un-achievement and failure are always, I mean always, Trepidation, Confusion and Disappointment!

Even when we think we have arrived at the end of our rope of possible fulfilment, at the end of our line of promise, we find upon reflection that we usually have either missed our connection to our goals, or simply, for some unknown reason, have arrived at a dead end, a cul-de-sac in a journey that seemed, at first, to certainly be going somewhere, yet despite the scenery outside our window so slowly passing by, our train inevitably rolled onward through those last three stops of Trepidation, Confusion and Disappointment! If you are feeling a little lost, bewildered and unsatisfied tonight, don't get too depressed, for this coming and mournful and triple grumble of mine, is simply the pressing preamble to an oncoming hunger for Satisfaction and Completion. Yes, we must succeed at something! Anything even! Yet, even when these Chinese food of the senses are sometimes consumed and digested, yes when we feel satisfied in seeming completion, they will eventually leave us hungry for them once again, and that pretty quickly as well. Listen to this poem…

Trails End 

Lost
I picked up what I thought was
Your red and golden thread
Followed it
Hand over hand
Dragging it’s
Dew dripping platts
Through my
Wet little fingers
I followed it
Hunched back and looking
Over raging rocks and
Down the slip grass hills
Through the ice cold river up to my
Shivering knees
Along the muddy path and
Through the green specked trees
I followed it Singing
I followed it
Winging
My way with
Prayers and fastings
I followed it with
Hope and with
 Belief I followed it
Happy with relief
Like four dogs
Hungry for their prey
Straining at the leash
Yet when my face hit the mountain
No rock opened wide in its side, but
There on the floor
Like a dead maggot
Unwriggling
Lay its yellow and tattered little
End
 Now, having travelled
The length of the thread I find
At both ends
There is nothing.
Nothing but
The journey and
The ever changing
Seasons of my soul

There is some truth in this poem, but only some. For friends, at all our present bewildering trail ends, even if it is at the last station of disappointment, there are always three choices left to us when we get there

 The First choice is to either go under and through the subway, or go over bridge above the tracks to the other platform and get the next train back from whence ye came. This choice of returning, of doubling back, might neither be good nor bad, might neither be right nor wrong, but it is a choice. Be sure of this though, that when you get on that train of return, although some scenery looks the same, all things have changed, and you especially so. Time and space have both moved on and you with them. Do not be deceived by seeming similarities. Things are different, things are new, even this return journey is a new journey for you.

The Second choice is to find a seat in the waiting room, plonk down your baggage, stare into your moth- filled wallet and then feeling totally spent, begin your wailing and your bemoaning. This choice might neither be good nor bad, might neither be right nor wrong, but it is a choice. Be sure though that others shall join you there. Many others still have been in this same disappointed waiting room a long, long time and in a scary sort of way, are somehow comforted by your arrival there. Misery enjoys company you see. It always has. If you have gone into this waiting room, do be careful not to turn it into a funeral parlour. You are not dead yet! Bite yourself, real hard! Did it hurt? Did it make you smart? There I told you. You are not dead yet! You still have a lot of living to do! So, put your emptiness away, get in contact with your Dad and see what He can do. That’s the best way to wait.

The Third choice, which though it might not either be good or bad, though it might not either be right or wrong, is I think never the less, the best of choices, and it is to go and find the Station Master. This is the end of this trail, no doubt about it, but with His help, with His provision, with His instruction and direction, it will assuredly be the beginning of another portion of your short journey home. Go find the Station Master.

Today, you arrived at a destination. If it is the station of joy and satisfaction then eat it and bathe in it, knowing that its taste will soon either dull, or sour and you will soon be hungry again, yes, even the present warm waters of your satisfaction, will soon grow cold. All achievements this side of heaven, still slowly roll on to disappointment. Go seek the Station Master
Today, you arrived at a destination. It may be the last station of Disappointment on this leg of the journey. Go seek the Station Master, He will undoubtedly send you to the trail head station of hope, in the vale of fresh vision, where new vistas and exciting adventures and discoveries await the travelling man!

In all your journeying dear friends, remember this, that despite the fact that you never purchased a ticket to disappointment, you shall be here again. Don’t you see it yet? Almost ALL the legs of all our journeys lead here to this station of Disappointment! Just about, every single one of them! That is until your final day when, instead of coming to a steaming halt, your train shall pick up steam and scream through this last stop of disappointment, its whistles blaring in speeding thunder, until it finds itself coming to rest most happily in Jesus, where, in the land of the God of all comfort and fulfilment, your face will be filled with ever-smiling peace, for only in His land of heaven, shall He lay His treasures and wonders of completion and utter satisfaction before your travelling feet.
Today however, you arrived at an earthly destination. What will you do tomorrow?

Listen:- These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:13-16 NKJV 

Pray:- Master tomorrow, travel close by me and help me to enjoy each moment of my present journey with You, for surely You and this short and ever changing, almost always disappointing ride, are the only constants in my life. Master, this night I choose life and this night I choose new beginnings. Tonight, my station Master, in faith, I lay my head in the lap of Your goodness and on the soft pillows of Your hope. Please prepare me with strength for the coming day, by granting me fresh dreams of hope and vast visions of fruitfulness. Amen.

Jun | 24 | Sticking Around To Taste The Vintage

Dream Word – CONTINUE

Song of Songs 4:10 How fair is your love, my sister, my spouse! How much better than wine is your love, and the scent of your perfumes than all spices! NKJV

Sticking Around To Taste The Vintage

The age of a bottle of wine has an important bearing on its character, that is, its taste, its colour and its bouquet, all of which in turn I find manifest their impact on my tongue in terms of beauty, balance and my bank account! I say my bank account because I have tasted older and sweeter wines that have cost enormous amounts of money, and frankly, they don’t taste as good as some much cheaper varieties. This is not only a subjective observation, but a proved and objective reality. Material cost does not make an older wine taste better, no it is much, much more than that, which goes into making a great vintage wine.

Not all wines of course improve with age, only a comparatively few wines seem to have the capacity to morph into a mature flavour whilst maintaining an inner, tip of the tongue, dancing vigour. You can’t always tell which wines these will be, but providing the harvest was good, it is the combination of time, temperature and the right kind of environmental tools which will allow the Master winemaker the opportunity to soften any harsh wine characteristic into something smoothe, something soft and something velvety on the tongue. To taste it though, listen now, to taste it and enjoy it, you’ve really got to stick around.

You need to know tonight that I do not know a great deal about wine, however, I do know a little about people. In this gained and increasing knowledge which I have accrued over the years, I have observed that when a man has finally begun to drink of a great bottle of wine, then his face bears a subtle and shining, well oiled gladness and that all his life and all his limbs seem to bounce, with re-sprung sinew-ed strength. I tell you, if you're sure of the roots, sure of the fruits and sure of the sunshine of God’s grace, then it’s well worth sticking around to see God finally uncork His vintage!

I wonder if the Scriptures might suggest, that there is nothing better for a bitter old man than some sweet decanter full of rich red, vintage wine? Let me speak clearly. Stick with your spouse, for if the Master Wine Maker has His way, the best is yet to come.

Listen: -
Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart. Proverbs 31:6 NKJV

....And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. Psalms 104:15 KJV.

Pray:- Lord, if there is one thing needed in our life, it is the removal of stupidity and the infusion of stickability. Give us faith, courage and tenacity today and in all the years to come to stick around and taste the uncorked vintage. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Apr | 22 | Sinister Sinners and Shining Sons

Dream Word – CONTINUE

1 Thessalonians 2:11 ...as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, NKJV

Sinister Sinners and Shining Sons

In recent years, the word ‘Martyr’ and the idea of ‘Martyrdom’ has taken on a most sinister connotation. Rather than being a word which evokes the lifestyle of undeniable selflessness for the glory of God and sacrifice for the sake of others, even and especially in the face of grossly unjust suffering, it now evokes images of mass murder, wanton carnage, legless torsos, headless corpses, of blast damages instead of blessed messages.

Our text for tonight is drawn out of First Thessalonians which teaches Christians to wait in patience for the coming of the Lord and to wait with clean noses, quiet personas and productive lives knowing that suffering is assigned to the watching and waiting saint.

In our text for tonight, it is interesting to note Paul’s metaphor of personal discipleship here, for while building on the metaphor of a nurse towards her charges, he turns quickly to that of a father towards his children. The childless Paul, took his own instruction here most probably from the observation of other fathers as well as his own Heavenly Father, whom he saw exhorting, comforting and charging their children.

As a father to his own dear spiritual children, Paul exhorted the Thessalonians. Literally, he beseeched them and this is nothing short of desperate pleading! When a parent gets to this point in the proceedings, it’s an end game scenario. If pleading doesn’t work, the wind of parental disappointment will blow, shaking the quivering leaves of already bent over trees into frantic frustration. To be sure, a spanking is sure to follow. Yet the apostle Paul here says, part of his discipleship process was to plead! How very humbling for a parent to do this, yet Paul pleaded with them as part of his discipleship process. It worked!

As a father to his own dear children, Paul comforted the Thessalonians. He consoled them, he literally got alongside them, put his arm around their shuddering shoulders and said, “So you fell off your bike then? There, there, there, it’s alright darling, you’ll do better next time. Now get yourself up, let’s dust you down and then let’s try it again.” Yes, the apostle Paul says here that part of his discipleship process was to exhort! It’s a bit baby-ish really isn’t it? It’s all a bit namby-pamby! Yet Paul exhorted them in this way as part of his discipleship process. It worked!

As a father to his own dear children, Paul charged the Thessalonians. The root of the Greek word he uses here is from where we get the word ‘Martyr.’ Paul witnessed to them in self sacrificing terms, how, in being a witness to the truth, they must suffer for righteousness sake in this present world. The end of this charge of true martyrdom is very pointed here, and it is this, “WALK WORTHY!” That is, walk appropriately, walk fittingly, walk rightly as a child of God, indeed, walks as a child who is called into the Kingdom of the most Glorious God! It is as though Paul says, “O.K. enough! Stop your whining! This is who you are, you are Royalty. You must expect and accept both the privileges and the challenges of being a son of the King. Now, blow your nose, stop your blubbering, stand up straight and no matter what happens, honour the king.” Yes, the apostle Paul says here that part of his discipleship process was to charge them in the way of Royal Martyrdom! It’s a bit scary, its more than a bit demanding, yet Paul charged them to walk worthy in this way. It worked!

You too must make disciples. You shall have those folk who you have helped birth into the Kingdom or have others who being been birthed by others are then put into your charge, your spiritual directorship, your life formation class, your personal discipleship programme. Do not think I am talking about clergy here or paid church staff, or an organized church programme with books and dollars and loads of frills. No I am talking about YOU, the very same person he commanded to go and MAKE DISCIPLES. When you are doing this folks, you are engaged in real Kingdom ministry and when you are doing this, though you mightn’t be referred to as ‘Father’ never the less act like one! Act like a Father, act like a godly mother would toward her dear children whom she is moulding into independent man or womanhood. Yes, in all matters relating to making disciples, if you let ‘Tender Love’ be your guide, ‘Release’ be your watchword and ‘Growth’ be your motto, for then you shall go a long, long way to producing shining sons! This is the true way of Martyrdom.

Listen: -By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1 John 3:16-17 NKJV.

Pray:- Lord, may the wise spirit of parental gentleness rest upon all my dealings with the younger members of the Kingdom, no matter how old they are, that the crop produced, may be a sea of shining stars. Amen.

Apr | 20 | Meat is Murder! & Other Mad Hyperbole

Dream Word – CONTINUE

1 Corinthians 8:13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. NKJV

Meat is Murder! & Other Mad Hyperbole

An 'Hyperbole', is a statement which is exaggerated, a statement used to evoke strong feelings and also to make strong impressions. As a figure of speech, it is not necessarily to be taken literally but rather, the outrageous extremity of the statement is there to suddenly halt us in our tracks and make us consider the underlying point, further, deeper and in a much more personal way, than the point could ever make without introduction of the hyperbole. I am of the opinion that our text for tonight, this single verse summary of 1 Corinthians Chapter 8, is in fact a Pauline statement of hyperbolic proportions!

My daughter is presently a vegan. Cooking for her, going out with her to eat, does have its challenges. She is not a nasty Vegan but conscientious, deliberate and determined. I am an omnivore and will kill to eat if necessary. Despite Morrissey’s declarations, death for food is not death for no reason and it is not murder. Though I would admit, that the death of animals on such a now vast and industrialized scale, is indeed, death without honour, death without respect and subsequently, death without thankfulness. Yet still, it is not murder. When Christians choose to be vegetarian and even vegan, it has been my experience that it has not been done out of a weak conscience but out of resolute and informed decision. Indeed, it was a decision that demanded such committed change of lifestyle and frankly is a decision that exhibits a strength and determination way above my own omnivoristics tendencies. RESPECT! You see, there is a great difference between the strength of informed decision and a weak conscience. 1 Corinthians Chapter 8 is not primarily about strength but rather about ‘Weak Consciences’ residing in weak brethren.

Now you see, taking Chapter 8 and verse 13 in particular out of the context of the whole tenor of Scripture is very dangerous and has led to lots of problems. After all, Acts 15:20 gives a clear command from the council of Jerusalem to abstain from meat offered to idols, while Romans 14:1-3, seems to highlight once again the seeming weaker faith of the vegetarian! However, if we allowed these particular texts to be judged by the rest of Scripture, then we would see that a seeming contradiction would not necessarily be so. So, in the same way, we need the whole Scripture to understand this particular verse in 1 Corinthians 8:13.

It would appear that at Corinth, there were those ‘in the know,’ as it were, whose conscience allowed them not only to eat meat, but eat meat offered to idols and not only that, but eat meat offered to idols in the local heathen temple restaurant to boot! Even if it was on a Sunday, with roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings thrown in for good measure!. Other Christians, and this passage relates only to other CHRISTIANS and THEIR conscience, Other Christians, and this passage relates only to other Christians and their conscience, other Christians who were not in the know, seeing those liberated Christians machinating on the meat, free of a condemning conscience, participating in this abomination as they saw it, were severely offended, nay, so sufficiently aghast were they, that they wrote letters to Paul and signed them, ‘Yours faithfully, ‘Outraged’ of Tunbridge Wells!’

Now if this ‘church trouble’ was not bad enough, some of those with these weak consciences had tried to follow in the footsteps of those libertarian temple meat eaters and in the so doing, stumbled! “Such weak conscience stumbling” says Paul, “Leads to perishing (physical harm or even death) and the perpetrators of such perishing stumbling, (scandalous entrapment of conscience) are doing nothing short of sinning! So STOP IT!”

Now here is something for the weak conscience to remember, ‘Doing those things engaged in by stronger conscience brethren, will not strengthen you, but rather, will lead to stumbling and perishing! In other words, ACTION against conscience does not strengthen conscience but rather diminishes it to stumbling and eventual perishing!” Brethren, the only thing that strengthens conscience is instruction and that particular instruction, which brings revelation into full and personal illumination. It is light that strengthens conscience, not action which runs contrary to its dictates.

Now, here are five things for the strong conscience folk to remember when erring into the stumbling perishing of others.. Yes, there are five things you heathen, idol temple restaurant meat eating Christians must do in the face of all the mail from ‘Outraged of Tunbridge Wells!

Firstly, you can simply NOT GO to the temple restaurant to eat meat.

Secondly, you can go there when the weaker conscience folk are not there!

Thirdly, you could set up in business yourself and open your own fully Kosher Kingdom Meat restaurant, with additional options for vegetarians, vegans, and fruitarians.

Fourthly, and most importantly, in meekness and humility, you could instruct the weak conscience Christians from the Scriptures, that they too might be illuminated and released.

Lastly, simply love the weak, and may I say that in loving the weak conscience Christians, you will in fact do any of the above three! However, you must engage in the fourth action of illuminated instruction. This is vital for the health of the whole body.

If we fail in this ‘instruction of illumination,’ then the mad mandate of Paul’s hyperbole will lead to a multitude of silly injunctions. Good grief, if we had to, without illuminated instruction never eat meat again, we would be doing a whole lot less of whole lot of other things. For in satisfying the weak and uninstructed conscience of other Christians, I might never drink wine again, never wear leather again, never have a T.V. again, never go to the movies again, never listen to rock music, never read certain books, never wear jeans, never have a beard, never wear makeup, never go out to eat on a Sunday, never go to Halloween parties, never tell jokes, never read anything but the King James Version, never pray in tongues, never go to the beach, never swim in public places, never bare my arms, never wear a skirt above my knees, never prophecy, never exercise certain gifts, never...and oh my goodness, the list goes on and on! Indeed, I am sure the mere suggestion of some of those NEVERS will have evoked strong affirmation and repugnance in many of you even! Yes, all right 'reigning in' of Scriptural liberty, without the giving of illuminated instruction, will result in wanton wackiness of every kind! You can feel it. Remember that.

Finally may I say, unless it is regarding hypocrisy, the world does not give two hoots what we the church get up to. 1 Corinthians 8, refers to other Christians .Never the less, let us remember that Liberty is not stupidity and strength will quickly turn to weakness, should we begin to justify such liberty, for dabbling in the works of darkness and that list my friend, would be very long one indeed!

Listen: -For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! Galatians 5:13-15 NKJV.

Pray:- Lord, teach me to wisely love. Give me also the wisdom to in my liberty, eschew all works of darkness. Help me always to rescue the perishing and not allow my liberty turn to stupidity and downfall. In Jesus name I pray, amen.