Grace Shouts Louder 9780954694128

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Grace Shouts Louder

Grace Shouts Louder Ray Bevan

Copyright Ray Bevan 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

First published in 2015 by Rayla Ministries. ISBN 978-0-9546941-2-8

Scriptures quotations marked (NIV) are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scriptures quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Cover designed by Simon Clement Title typeface, Gandhi Sans (Librerias Gandhi S.A. de C.V) Body typeface, EB Garamond (Georg Duffner)

Contents Acknowledgments

1

Foreword (by Darlene Zschech)

3

Introduction

5

Grace Shouts Louder

21

Grace Shouts Louder than Do

26

Grace Shouts Louder than your Pain

46

Grace Shouts Louder than Lack - a Foundation of Love

82

Grace Shouts Louder than Lack - God’s Heart to Provide

111

Grace Shouts Louder than Lack - Positioned for Provision

125

Grace Shouts Louder than Lack - Potential and Principle

138

Grace Shouts Louder than Persecution

167

Grace Shouts Louder than Judgement

192

Grace Shouts Louder than Hypocrisy

215

Grace Shouts Louder than the Voice of Culture

249

Grace Shouts Louder than the Voice of Discouragement

267

Grace Shouts Louder than the Voice of Religion

278

Grace Shouts Louder than Law

306

Acknowledgments First of all, I want to thank the congregation of Kings Church Newport for drawing out much of the truths I’ve written in this book. As I’ve preached to them over the past 25 years, they have continually inspired me to go into my study day afer day to dig for gold. Bless you guys. Thanks to my wife Laila for her continued encouragement and support. Thank you to my very patient PA Hayley Corley for her tireless commitment to typing each chapter as I’ve dictated it to her. Thank you to my fantastic editing team of Lindsay Bruce, Pete Jobes and Susan Hinton - you guys have helped to make this book shine. Thank you also to Mark & Darlene Zschech for their encouraging words in the foreword and for their friendship over many, many years.

Foreword By Darlene Zschech Grace. It seems to be a word that we hear a lot in church these days. It’s a word that stirs the religious and yet gives so much hope to us all. It’s the word that describes to us that God’s love has no breaking point and is limitless in its capacity; without His great grace toward us, we are all lef to the rhythms of an exterior law, impossible to uphold in our own strength. Thank God His interior law, a life changed by His love and saving grace, upheld by the Holy Spirit and every promise in God’s word, is at work in each of our lives. Some of Jesus’ last words personifed grace as He prayed, ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do’... His love ALWAYS reaching beyond our limits... Such grace is hard to wrap our hearts around. And yet even our lack of understanding does not diminish this divine grace toward us. Mark and I have known Ps Ray Bevan for many, many years and 3

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have seen his life journey over many mountains, and also through many valleys. His consistency and devotion to God’s Kingdom has always inspired us, and his buoyant way of living life has impacted us all greatly AND lef us crying with laughter many, many times. Yet the most revolutionary season we have witnessed on his life has been the one of late... as the message of the GRACE of Jesus Christ has literally turned Ray’s life upside down and inside out... and the revelation fowing from his life is nothing short of miraculous. As we’ve heard him share the teaching within these pages, we literally hung on every word, a language of freedom and grace pouring from within the depths of his heart. Be ready to be challenged, be ready to look at things differently, be ready to delve into God’s word in a fresh way, and be ready for the Holy Spirit to work beautifully at the core of who you are. Grace is certainly amazing, and so much more. Thanks Ps Ray, for an important book that we know will bring MUCH release and blessing to every reader. With love always, Darlene Zschech

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Introduction General Jonathan Wainwright was the only US General captured by the enemy in World War Two. He was lef in charge of Corregidor, in the Philippines, by his superior, General Douglas MacArthur, who then fed to Australia and organised the armed forces' massive counter-punch which would eventually defeat Japan. MacArthur's orders to Wainwright were very clear: Never surrender – fght to the end. Wainwright tried very hard to stick to the letter of that order, however, the massive, merciless, systematic destruction he witnessed fnally forced him to go against his convictions and surrender. He, and what was lef of his rag tag army, were shipped of to Prisoner of War camps all over Asia. Wainwright himself ended up in such a camp in Mongolia. Feeling like a failure for surrendering, during these terrible years of 5

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captivity, Wainwright laboured under the guilt of his decision. His body began to deteriorate, and he came to depend on a cane to move around, but it was his soul which would suffer the greatest deterioration. In due time, MacArthur led his troops to total victory. He eventually occupied Japan and took up residence in Tokyo, a considerable distance from Mongolia, where Wainwright was still held. As a consequence the camp commandant was able to keep the truth from his subject, leaving Wainwright enslaved because of his ignorance. The only thing enabling the Japanese commandant to persist in his fraud was Wainwright’s ignorance of truth. Wainwright was liberated but he did not realise it. The commandant’s power over him was based on a lie; Wainwright was free but didn’t know it. When I read that story for the frst time, something of Wainwright's situation resonated with me. I related to Wainwright’s guilt-ridden conscience because he surrendered against his conviction. He made a promise never to surrender, but under pressure he gave in. The overwhelming burden in Wainwright’s life was not the condition of the camp, nor the treatment of his captors, or even the pain in his body — he almost felt he deserved this. No, the greatest weight he carried was the weight of guilt whispering menacingly that, because he surrendered against his conviction, he’d missed the mark. He made a promise; a vow he failed to keep. He had failed. 6

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For many years my Christian life was lived with that same continuous sense of guilt Wainwright had felt, because my behaviour didn’t match my commitment. I was trapped in the whirlpool of performance, feeling compelled to set up my own three-ringed religious circus. I jumped through my own religious hoops, walked on my own religious tightrope, I even spun my religious plates hoping the audience of Heaven would break out in rapturous applause … but instead I felt the whip of my lying emotions demanding, taunting me, to perform some more. Philip Yancey, in his liberating book, What’s so Amazing about

Grace?, perfectly illustrates my frustration during that season of spiritual gymnastics. He writes:

“Instead of the sound of appreciative hand claps, I heard the shouts from the stalls hollering ‘sing the song of the Seven Dwarves’, but as I began to sing, instead of the familiar Disney wording, the words that came out of my mouth were ‘I owe, I owe, to work I have to go’, and the leering audience of lying emotion clapped in appreciation some more.” And did I work! I increased my Bible reading, upped my church attendance, changed my dress code, and even adjusted my tone of voice. I attended every meeting there was, hoping it would increase my favour with Heaven. I became a Pentecostal monk living in my own 7

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portable monastery of detachment and drudgery. I began to relate to Martin Luther who, like John Forbes Nash, the mathematician from the flm A Beautiful Mind, had his own destructive emotional stalkers. Luther believed the only way he could enjoy the smile of God was to impress Heaven with his spiritual workaholic lifestyle. In pursuit of holiness, not only did he decide to become a Catholic monk, but also to scale every mountain of spiritual discipline imaginable to make him ft for Heaven. He would sleep fewer hours, fast more meals, spend more and more time in confession, until one day they found him lying on the foor of his room, close to death and worn out from his religious works and feelings of despair. Raised against a Catholic background of mysticism and religious duty, he was taught that Jesus, Mary and the saints behaved much better than they needed to on earth in order to store extra credits of holiness in Heaven; this reservoir of extra holiness was available for anyone who worked hard enough, or was wealthy enough to pay the price. It seemed that no matter what Luther did, religion demanded more. Finally to his rescue came the sabre of salvation, cutting through the career of performance holiness, dividing soul from spirit.

“The just shall live by faith.”1

1 - Romans 1:17 (NKJV) 8

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With one skilful swipe of the Master’s sword, Luther was free. His soul was cleanly divided from his spirit, his life transformed and the religious world reformed; with this came the discovery that the currency of penance his feelings demanded could be forever ignored, as his spirit embraced the truth of justifcation by faith. Just like Luther, the story of Wainwright reminded me of how, through ignorance of truth, Satan was able to keep me living that way for years — robbing me of the liberty and freedom purchased for me by Christ’s victory through His fnished work. I was liberated but didn’t know it and as a result lived as an enslaved believer, like Lazarus, having life but still bound by the grave clothes of law-based legalism and condemnation. This book is a testimony to the truth that set me free, and is continuously setting me free. This revelation of the gospel of the grace of God has revitalized my life. Grace disarms the executioner. Grace dismisses the fring squad. Grace dismantles the gallows. A revelation of the gospel of the grace of God liberates us from living with a prisoner of war mentality. Understanding it is the difference between an executioner coming to your cell with an axe or a defence lawyer coming to your cell with a key.

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My hope is that this book will be my contribution in helping fuel the revival of the gospel of the grace of God within the Church. It comes with a prayer that you too will experience the gospel's liberating power and join a growing army of believers who believe that “Grace Shouts Louder”. I couldn't fnish this foreword without thanking Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church, Singapore, for being used by God as a catalyst in my own personal epiphany concerning the gospel of the grace of God. He was my Ananias. During a shared platform in South Africa, scales fell of my eyes as Joseph, through his preaching and private conversations with me, expounded the Scriptures. I thought I was a grace preacher; I prided myself on my understanding of the grace of God. I was humbled and exhilarated at the same time as I listened to the gospel of the grace of God poured out from this man in a way I’d never heard before. At frst I was afraid to accept some of the things he was saying as it almost sounded like heresy: “The Holy Spirit does not convict the

believer of sin...”, “The 10 commandments are not given to the believer for sanctifcation...”, “It’s impossible to lose your salvation...”. As I listened to him, I was beginning to understand how the apostle Paul felt as the religious, law-based, performance-orientated mat was well and truly pulled from beneath his feet. With questions racing through my head like cars at the Monaco Grand 10

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Prix, one statement he said was the key that opened a door to the personal, revelational discoveries I have written in this book, and it was this:

“Condemnation and guilt have no part in a believer’s life”. Immediately my mind focused on Romans 8:1:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the fesh, but according to the Spirit.” 2 I felt I had to challenge him on this one.

“I agree,” I said, “but the blessing of no condemnation for the believer is conditional. It clearly states that in Romans 8:1.” I quoted the Scripture and even pointed it out to him from my NKJV Bible.

“There is, therefore, now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,” and with great authority I read the last point of verse one, “who do not walk according to the fesh but according to the Spirit.” I thought to myself, “explain that one!” With a smile on his face, he said: “Ray, what does it say alongside the

last part of verse one in the margin?” Something amazing happened inside my spirit when I read these 2 - (NKJV) 11

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words in the margin:

“NU-Text omits the rest of verse one.” 3 As Joseph looked at me sitting there in stunned silence, the Holy Spirit opened a door of revelation and bid me walk through into a place I had never been before. For many of you these words may be something you already know, but for me it truly was an epiphany. Like the apostle Paul’s visit to Arabia afer his conversion, where the Holy Spirit led him to delve into the Scriptures, revealing to him the mystery hidden for ages, so the subsequent years afer that meeting with Joseph Prince, the Holy Spirit has been leading me by the hand and showing me the amazing richness of the landscape of the gospel of God’s grace. I have since devoured Joseph Prince’s book, Destined to Reign, and everything I could fnd dealing with the doctrine of God’s grace. The commentary on the book of Romans by Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones unfolded a depth of truth that I had been ignorant of for years. As I walked into the gold mine of Romans with Dr Jones, the golden nuggets of truth placed on my heart took my breath away and created an insatiable hunger to dig for more. I plan to never leave this mine for the rest of my life and I'm committed to share what I fnd to enrich the 3 - The NU-Text (Netsle-Aland Greek New Testament /United Bible Society) is the oldest surviving Greek manuscript of the New Testament. It does not contain the second part of Romans 8:1; many modern translations omit this verse also. 12

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church and help her grow in grace. Like me, for many of you the voice of grace has been overpowered by the voice of religion, legalism, condemnation, and performance-based Christianity. I pray this book will turn up the volume to show that “Grace Shouts Louder”. I believe it’s time to join our voices with the growing army of graceliberated believers to make a sound so loud all other voices will be drowned out, and experience, like Joshua, the walls of guilt, fear and insecurity crumble on a heap as God’s people shout His command. Whatever voices are defantly shouting at you from walled strongholds in your life, “Grace Shouts Louder”. It’s the only shout that will demolish strongholds and frustrate the enemy’s plans to hinder, rob and steal from you. The voice of persecution bellowed in the apostle Paul’s ears, so loud in fact he begged God to silence its unbearable roar. God’s response:

“My grace is sufficient for you.” Persecution, trial and hardship may be insisting you give up, give in and turn back; in your desperation, like Paul, you may have asked God to take you out of the fring line, or to turn down the volume on their harsh condemning voices. His response to you is the same: “My grace shouts louder, my grace is

sufficient.”

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As Jesus stood before the grave of Lazarus the Bible says:

“He groaned within himself.”4 In the amplifed it says:

“Sighing repeatedly and deeply disquieted.” It was obvious to those observing Jesus' reaction at his friend's tomb that he was troubled outwardly, emotional and angry. His inward agitation was physically expressed outwardly, so it could be seen. In fact, according to Timothy Keller, these translations are too weak to describe how Jesus reacted that day.5 The Greek translation in its original form reads: “to bellow with

anger”. “To bellow,” according to the dictionary, means “to make a deep loud noise like a bull or to shout angrily as if in pain.” What John is actually telling us is that Jesus approached the grave of Lazarus not in a state of uncontrollable grief but of irrepressible anger. He stood there in the face of death and decay and bellowed like an angry bull. If you want to know what God thinks of the robbers of life as he designed it to be — there it is. If you want to know how much Jesus wants you healed, blessed and 4 - John 11:38 5 - The Grieving Sisters, Tim Keller 14

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abundant-life flled — there it is. As I meditated on this scene in the light of the context of this book, I saw it — the perfect picture of grace shouting louder. Through lawbased, guilt-producing preaching, the Church has been lying behind the stone of the law, wrapped in grave clothes, imprisoned by the ministry of death. Before Lazarus enjoyed abundant life, two things had to happen: 1

the stone had to be rolled away

2

grace had to shout

It’s time to obey the command to roll the stone away and, through the liberating Gospel of Jesus Christ, it’s time for grace to shout louder. It’s time to speak grace into a Church that has been decaying and stinking behind a ministry of law based condemnation. In John 11:39-44 (NKJV) it says:

“Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ “Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’ “Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifed up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard 15

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Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.’ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’” I used to think I was over-reacting to legalism and law based slavery in the Church until I read how Jesus reacted when confronted with the enemy of abundant life, both spiritual and natural. But now I am more committed than ever, armed with the gospel of Grace, to command the stone of law to be removed from churches everywhere so believers can hear that “Grace Shouts Louder,” and calls for their deliverance into freedom. Steve Brown, in his wonderful book, A Scandalous Freedom, made a statement which stopped me in my tracks and again opened up a door of revelation to explain the wonderful freedom we have through the grace of God. He said this, “Grace invites us to dance”. That’s the difference between law and grace. One commands you to march, the other one invites you to dance. Grace redirects our focus from our need to obnoxiously look upon our goodness, our commitment and our correctness and invites us to dance, allowing the Holy Spirit to be our partner. 16

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A good dance partner can make a bad dancer look good. The popular programme Strictly Come Dancing illustrates that. On this TV show even the worst dancers are made to look good because of the skills and showmanship of their professional dance partners. When you march it’s your faults that are hi-lighted, the commands you’re not obeying. “You’re falling behind...”, “Try to keep up...” etc. On a march the drill sergeant commands. In a dance your partner leads. He will lead you into all truth, not drive you. I used to dance with my mother when she and my dad would come home on a Saturday night from their local club afer a night of dancing. She wanted to carry on at home and I was her dance partner. I was hopeless. I didn’t know how to waltz but my mother wanted to dance. Because she took the lead I found that, even though I did not have a clue, it looked like I could dance. Not because I obeyed orders, but because I let her lead me. Jesus invites us to dance. Religion has turned the dance into a march. Always critiquing to see if we are doing it right, walking in step, and in line with the other soldiers. We know a dance will be more fun, but religion demands we keep marching. While dancing with my mother I stepped on her toes; I wanted to go in another direction but, with a smile on her face, she would whirl me around sometimes with a loud,“wwweeeeeeee,” and if I stepped on her toes, she would just laugh. If I tried to go in an opposite direction, 17

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she would just hold me tighter and steer me in the right direction. When you’re marching you’re on your own, obeying an order. When you’re dancing you have a partner, enjoying the music. What has happened? How have we taken a message and turned it from a dance to a march? A message that was so good, so exciting, so freeing, has been made into a religion that creates people who have been given a misery pill and then instructed to medicate the rest of the world with the same pill. Ever seen someone afer a long march? They’re just glad it’s over. They’re tired, exhausted, and in some places demoralised. None of them say “let’s do that again!” Compare that with someone who has been dancing all night. They’re tired, but exhilarated and joyful and they say, “Can’t wait to do that

again”. Law marches. Grace dances. Sometimes Christian teachers are like sergeant majors always pointing out Jesus’ disappointment with our lack of commitment, our shallow theology and our selling-out to culture. Ofen the Church looks more like a parade ground than a dance foor. A place of drudgery rather than a place of joy. There really is something neurotic about Christians who spend all of their time on the parade ground desperately trying to please and impress God with their marching, when God is already pleased with us without it. There 18

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is hardly anything that will beat you down and rob you of your freedom more than your efforts to get better and please God the wrong way. God is not a drill sergeant. He’s your dance partner. With all of the teaching I received on the parade ground about holiness, obedience, and commitment, with all the marching in step to perfect my behaviour, dancing with grace has taught me more. It has brought me closer to Jesus, given me more security as a believer, released me from the guilt of an imperfect performance, and restored my joy. When you’re commanding you’re detached. When you’re dancing you’re involved. That’s the difference between the relationship God had with people under the Old Covenant and how God now relates to us under the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant it seemed like he was a drill sergeant detached from his people, commanding and demanding. In the New Covenant He got involved. He became fesh. The Bible says, “the Law

was given by Moses, but grace and truth came”.6 The Law demands. Grace supplies. This book is not another set of commands to help you march more 6 - John 1:17 (NKJV) 19

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effectively, but an invitation to dance with someone who will make you look good even when you’ve performed your worst. Someone who will hold you tighter when you want to go in another direction. With someone who will love you, unconditionally, even if you step on His toes. Grace sings in the silence. Grace sees in the dark. Grace prays with no words. Grace helps with no help. Grace gives with no conditions. Grace stays when others leave. Grace dances and invites you to join.

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Chapter One Grace Shouts Louder “Though sin runs rampant, Grace Shouts Louder.” While preparing for a series of meetings, I was invited to preach at a Church in Cape Town, South Africa. I was challenged by the response of a blind beggar to a bunch of selfrighteous bullies because he simply asked a question concerning Jesus. His response to their bullying is the catalyst for writing this book. We fnd the details of his courageous defance to these bullies in Luke 18:35 – 43 (NKJV):

“Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told 21

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him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ “Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ “So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ “He said, ‘Lord, that I may receive my sight.’ “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.’ And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.’” The story is simple, but the lesson profound. A blind beggar, who had enough of his daily misery, heard that a miraculous solution to his problem was just feet away. As he sat there sightless, disconnected, ignored, abused, and demoralised by the dust kicked into his face, hope began to rise in his heart at the sound of the one name — Jesus.

“What’s the fuss?” he shouted, “what’s going on?” “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they replied. I don’t know how Bartimaeus knew about Jesus’ reputation to 22

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perform miracles, especially toward the downtrodden and outcasts of society, but obviously he did. In fact, he had a greater revelation of who Jesus was than anyone in that bustling crowd. He may have been sightless physically, but spiritually he had 20/20 vision. It’s through those eyes we look and learn that grace always shouts louder. From the position of helplessness and hopelessness, Bartimaeus shouts: “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.” The response from those surrounding Jesus was not so informative or helpful, in fact they didn’t just tell him to be quiet; they threatened and bullied him. “Hey you blind beggar, shut up or else!” He was now annoying them; this persistent shouting was aggravating them to the point of potential abuse. For many, that would have been enough. The threat of further harm to himself, on top of an already debilitating lifestyle, would have been too much to contemplate. “Better shut up, it’s bad enough as it is.”

“Just let it go, better to be blind and mobile than blind and lame.” For Bartimaeus, his response to the bullies makes it very clear that was not his way of thinking. He was fed up of begging and being led around. There had been enough of being shouted down, so he raised his voice even louder than the voices that were shouting him down.

“Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.”1 1 - Luke 18:38 (NKJV) 23

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That’s when the revelation hit me. The Church has had enough of being bullied. You have had enough of being bullied. Enough of being told you’re a beggar and always will be. Enough of living a substandard lifestyle when in your heart of hearts you know abundant life is what has been promised. Thank you Bartimaeus for giving us an example of what the Shout of Grace is and the Shout for Grace does. It gets Heaven’s attention. “Jesus stood still.”2 It silences all opposition and commanded him to be brought to Him. It brings us into the presence of God, “and when he had come near”. It gives us boldness to be specifc, “what do you want me to do for

you?”.3 Grace magnifes His performance not ours. “What do you want ME

to do for YOU?”, not, “this is what YOU need to do for ME before I heal you”. Faith in the grace of God releases the power of God. “Receive your

sight, your faith has made you well.”4 For me, however, one of the greatest revelations to explode in my own thinking regarding my own walk with God was found in verse 43 2 - Luke 18:40 (NKJV) 3 - Luke 18:41 (NKJV) 4 - Luke 18:42 (NKJV) 24

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when it says: “And immediately he received his sight and followed

Him, glorifying God.” Grace is the only motive for discipleship. Not fear, not performance, not works, but grace. How many Christians like myself, and like the believers in Galatia, receive our sight by putting our faith in grace alone? The believers of religious bullying voices follow Him trusting in their fesh. Paul put it to the Galatians like this: “Are you so foolish having begun in the

spirit, you’re now trying to be made perfect by the fesh?”5 There will be many Christians who proudly say, “but I do believe in

grace… a lot!”. I’ve written this book not to encourage you to believe in grace a lot, but to encourage you to believe in grace alone. My prayer is that this book will help you face up to your bullies and shout louder than their threats. You’ve been begging for too long; God has not called us to beg but believe. He’s not designed us to cower down under the verbal abuse of a host of threatening voices, but be energised by the revelation that truth comes down frmly on the side of grace. And when we do we will experience that, though sin runs rampant, Grace Shouts Louder.

5 - Galatians 3:3 25

Chapter Two Grace Shouts Louder than Do “Law says do, grace says done.” It has been said that Christianity is not the sacrifce we make but the sacrifce we trust. Watching the classic war movie ‘Saving Private Ryan’ I was reminded of this statement, so pregnant with truth. The flm is based on the true story of an elite group of soldiers sent behind enemy lines to bring home a young private called Ryan. Ryan was one of fve brothers, four of which had already been killed in action. He was the last remaining son of an already deeply grieved mother. Realising the death of her remaining son would be too much for the mother to bear, the war office devised a special mission to bring her only living son back alive. 26

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A small specialised group was deployed, but all of its members lost their lives in the process. The last rescuer was played by Tom Hanks; as he lay dying in Ryan’s arms, just before he breathed his last, he whispered something into the young soldier’s ear. Ryan was safely returned to his mother and lived the remainder of his life in peace — or so it seemed. Although he was saved from the ravages of war, the rest of his life was spent dealing with an internal war plaguing him into his old age. In one scene, as he made his regular visit to the grave of the man who saved him, we discover the reason for his lifelong internal battle. Now, as an older man, with tears rolling down his face as he gazes down upon his saviour’s grave, he mumbles the only suitable response to the words whispered into his ear as his rescuer took his last breath:

“I hope I’ve earned this, I hope I’ve earned this.” All his life, Ryan had lived with the suffocating expectation of repayment. The words whispered into his ear were to defne the rest of his life: ‘earn this’. Every year, he would return to the grave hoping somehow he had lived his life in such a way as to merit the sacrifce of those men who gave their lives to save him. “Have I done enough?”

“Have I earned this sacrifce with the life I was spared to live?” Ryan lived his life as a free man because of the sacrifcial death of those heroic men, but was held captive by guilt; he was trying on a daily basis to repay the debt he felt he owed. If only those last words spoken 27

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to him from his saviour’s lips were ‘appreciate this’, it would have delivered Ryan from a life of penance. As I watched that graveside scene, a truth was forcibly brought home to me afresh that many Christians need to hear and understand: Grace shouts louder than doing. How many live with a debilitating sense of debt concerning the sacrifce of their saviour Jesus? How many interpret Jesus’ dying words, “it is fnished,” with, “now earn it,” making sure their lives are spent attempting to pay back what was uniquely sacrifced to give us eternal life. Tullian Tchividjian, in his book Glorious Ruin, wonderfully verbalises what we need to hear in order to deliver us from making the same mistake as Ryan. He writes:

“Christianity is not frst and foremost about our behaviour, our obedience, our response or our daily victory over sin. It is frst and foremost about Jesus. It is about His person, His substitutionary work, His incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension and promised return. We are justifed and sanctifed by grace alone through faith alone in the fnished work of Christ alone. “Even now the banner under which Christians live reads ‘it is fnished’. Everything we need and everything we look for in things smaller than Jesus is already ours in Christ. Therefore the accountability we really need is the kind that causes our natural 28

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tendency to dwell on me – my obedience or the lack thereof, my performance good or bad. My holiness instead of Christ and His obedience, His performance and His holiness for me. The gravitational pull of conditionality is so strong, our hard wiring for law so ingrained that we need real friends to remind us of the good news every day.” The good news is, grace shouts louder than doing. ‘Earn this’ has no part in the economy of God. It’s time we understood, in a practical way, just what it means to live our lives not bound by the guilt-ridden demand of ‘earn this’ but to the chain breaking liberty of ‘it is fnished’. In an interview with journalist Michka Assayas, U2 lead singer Bono spoke eloquently about law and grace, do and done in terms of Karma.1 He said:

“At the centre of all religions is the idea of karma, you know, what you put out comes back to you – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth or in physical laws, every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It’s clear to me that karma is at the very heart of the universe. I’m absolutely sure of it and yet along comes this idea called grace to upend all that. As you reap, so will you sow stuf. Grace defes reason and logic. Love interrupts if you like the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed because I’ve done a lot of stupid stuf. I would be 1 - Bono - In Conversation with Michka Assayas: Michka Assayas 29

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in big trouble if karma was going to fnally be my judge. It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the cross because I know who I am and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity.” The internal voice that says do this and live, gets shouted down and drowned out by our Saviour’s cry from the cross: “It is fnished”.2 There is nothing harder for us to wrap our minds around than the unconditional, contingent free, grace of God. In fact, it defes our reason and logic. It upends our sense of fairness and offends our deepest intuitions, especially when it comes to those who have done us harm. Like Job’s friends we insist reality operates according to the predictable economy of reward and punishment.3 Grace is the gif with no strings attached. It is vital to our spiritual well-being that, as recipients of this amazing grace, we understand the practical implications of those fnal words of Jesus, “it is fnished”. The signifcance of these words spoken by our Saviour in His human body from the cross, if not understood, will rob us of all God wants us to enjoy and will distort the message of the Gospel of which we are commanded to share with humanity. The Greek translation of the phrase ‘it is fnished’ is the word ‘Tetelestai’. It means ‘to end’, ‘to bring to completion’, ‘to bring closure’, ‘to fulfl’, and ‘to fnish’. 2 - John 19:30 (NKJV) 3 - Book of Job, Old Testament 30

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Jesus did not cry out, “I am fnished, Satan has won. What a waste of

time.” He did not cry out, “you are fnished,” addressing a blood-thirsty religious audience surrounding Him at the cross. He did not look down from the cross in retributional anger and say,

“just you wait, in three days I will be resurrected and in just over a month I will be sat on the throne of the universe with the frst order of business to wipe you lot out.” He did not shout to a hostile, sinful world, “you are fnished”. On the contrary, He shouted “you are forgiven”.4 To help us fully understand these universe-changing words, it will be time well spent to know just what, in fact, Jesus was referring to. I believe Jesus was referring to the cessation of fve things.

Firstly: He declared the completion of His mission. Jesus did not die primarily for the world; He did not die to fulfl a personal ego trip. He died frst and foremost for His Father. In His passionate personal prayer to His Father, in John 17:4, He uttered these words endorsing the statement I’ve just made. “I have brought

glory to You here on earth by completing the work You gave me to do.” I heard someone say once that when a servant was sent on a mission 4 - Luke 23:34 31

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and then later returned to the master he would say ‘Tetelestai’. In other words, “I have done exactly as you have requested,” or, “mission

accomplished”. The amazing thing about the plan of salvation from Heaven’s perspective was it was fnished before it started. Ephesians 1:4 says: “even before He made the world, God loved us and

chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.”5 These amazing words suggest there was a great eternal council between the Trinity. This verse informs us of when that council was held...

“before He made the world”. Our salvation was planned before the world was created. It was not a thought that came to God afer man had fallen into sin. In this council, the work was divided up between the Trinity; each one agreed to engage in particular tasks. The Father’s part is described in Ephesians 1:4-6, the Son’s part in Ephesians 1:7-12 and the Spirit’s part in Ephesians 1:13-14. In each case, the decision ends with “to the praise and the glory of His

grace”. The practical implication is that if God planned our salvation before we were born, why waste one second worrying about anything? In that council, God drew up a great covenant called the covenant of grace. In the garden, God was able to tell Adam about that covenant. It had already been planned and God announced it beforehand to Adam. Later, certain subsidiary arrangements were made. A covenant 5 - Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) 32

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was made with Noah, Abraham and Moses, but they were not the one and only original covenant. The original was the one made between Father and Son, before the world was created. All the other covenants were temporary and pointed to His eternal covenant of grace. There was a lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Our salvation was signed, sealed and settled before Jesus came to earth. His cry from the cross of, “it is fnished,” was for the beneft of mankind to know it was so.

Secondly: Satan’s hold over humanity had come to an end. This wonderful truth will be covered in a later chapter when talking about ‘positional provision’, where a rogue government is dethroned, referring to Satan’s rule over mankind. Tetelestai was declared to the reign of Satan’s dominion. “It is fnished.” Those wonderful verses found in Colossians 2:14-15 deserve quality time and meditation: “

He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it

away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”6 A regular declaration of these verses should be made every time the devil comes with his lies of dominion over your life. The Bible says our power to overcome the enemy’s accusations is found in the declaration 6 - Colossians 2:14-15 (NLT) 33

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of Jesus’ fnished work and the fact that we are recipients of it.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the

“

word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”7

Thirdly: an outstanding debt is also finished. In a secular sense, Tetelestai was used in the business world to signify the full payment of a debt. When a debt had been paid of, the parchment on which the debt was recorded was stamped with Tetelestai – paid in full. When Jesus shouted, “it is fnished,” it was a declaration that the debt for sin had been fully paid. The wonderful, incomprehensible fact regarding the gospel of the Grace of God is that a debt we could not pay was fully and completely paid for us by Jesus. Colossians 1:14 says: “We have redemption through His blood the

forgiveness of sins.” Many think the only sins to be forgiven were the ones you committed

before you were saved but, according to this verse, God forgave all of them, even before I was born. How many sins did God know about before you were born? All of them. How many did He cancel on the cross? All of them. How many were future at that time? All of them. One incident in the life of our Church graphically brought this truth home to me. At the time we didn’t have a large mortgage on our 7 - Revelation 12:11 (NKJV) 34

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property in comparison to other churches but, for a small church of a few hundred people, £400,000 was a large amount of money. Amazingly, because of the generosity and sacrifce of our members, we were able to clear the debt in a relatively short time. To celebrate the joy of fnally paying of the mortgage, we publicly burnt the mortgage contract one morning during our worship service. As the fames engulfed the written requirements concerning our responsibility to pay the mortgage, the Holy Spirit whispered: “That’s what Jesus did

for you at the cross – He paid the debt, in full and burnt the record of it.” Tetelestai. As far as Heaven is concerned, there is no more debt concerning your sin. It is fnished. Imagine if, afer burning the mortgage contract and celebrating a debt paid, the following month we kept paying the bank the monthly payments for the already paid debt. The bank would think we were crazy! How many believers are still trying to pay a debt that’s already been paid? Every day, through penance-based sacrifce, they bring their daily duties and disciplines before the bank of Heaven. This is insulting the spirit of Grace; declaring, with guiltbased payments of repentance and promises to do better, that what Jesus did was not enough. It’s time to accept the fact that as far as the east is from the west, that’s how far our sins have been removed from us.8 It’s time to accept and live in the reality of the fact that Jesus took what was written against us, demanding payment, and burned it publicly on a hill outside Jerusalem for all to witness. 8 - Psalm 103:12 35

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“He cancelled the record of charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” 9 It’s done. We’re forgiven. It is fnished. Paul continues to encourage the Colossians to stop trying to repay a debt that’s already been paid. “Stop following religious rules,” he tells them in Colossians 2:20. Stop listening to those who demand you live a life of pious self-denial and spooky mysticism (Colossians 2:18). Stop trying to keep dietary laws and holy days as a means to pay God to maintain a relationship (Colossians 2:16).

“For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come and Christ Himself is that reality.”10

Fourthly: an imperfect sacrificial system has finished. The word Tetelestai was the equivalent of the Hebrew word spoken by the High Priest when he presented a sacrifcial lamb without spot or blemish. Annually, the High Priest would sprinkle the blood of that spotless lamb on the mercy seat which would offer temporary forgiveness for sin for one year. The following year, they would have to do it all over again. Jesus, God’s lamb, presented His own blood a 9 - Colossians 2:14 (NLT) 10 - Colossians 2:17 (NLT) 36

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sacrifce so complete that God never again required the blood of animals for forgiveness. Hebrews 9:9-12 says: “

This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifs

and sacrifces that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies —physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established. “

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good

things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.”11 So when Jesus shouted, “it is fnished,” He was declaring the end of the temple sacrifce because the ultimate sacrifce had been made. The sacrifce for our sins, past, present and future, was completed. Fully accomplished. Once, for all. Forever. When the Apostle John was transported to Heaven during his incarceration on the prison island of Patmos, one of the things he saw amidst all the wonders of God’s dwelling place was a rainbow that 11 - (NLT) 37

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encircled the throne. In Revelation 4:3 the moment is described:

The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—

“

like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.”12 What caught my attention when reading and meditating on that picture was the fact the rainbow was a complete circle. Our general perception of a rainbow is of an arc not an orb. A half rainbow not a full one. Under the old covenant, they lived under half a rainbow. God’s multi-coloured bow of promise to the world signifed His commitment to keep covenant. For 1,500 years, the children of Israel tried and miserably failed to keep their part of the bargain. With all of their obedience and sacrifce and religious duties, they could never complete the rainbow. Under the old covenant it was, “if my people,”13 there were conditions to stay in favour with God. They had, as it were, to complete the rainbow. They had to perfectly fulfl their part of the covenant, through their obedience. Under the new covenant, we live under a full rainbow. Why? Because what we could never do, Jesus did. He, with His perfect obedience to the law, a spotless sacrifce before the Father, completed the rainbow.

“When we are faithless, He remains faithful.”14 That’s the de-stressing revelation of the full rainbow. The blessing of 12 - (NLT) 13 - 2 Chronicles 7:14 14 - 2 Timothy 2:13 38

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God in our lives no longer depends upon our faithfulness but His. For years I was bound by guilt-producing, performance-demanding, preaching; I tried to complete the rainbow through my efforts. What a wonderful, burden-lifing reality to realise Jesus has completed the rainbow for us. I love the way Eugene Peterson writes his paraphrase of Matthew 11:20 in the Message Bible:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burnt out on religion? Come to me, get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk and work with me. Watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-ftting on you. Keep company with me and you learn to live freely and lightly.” Wonderful! It’s time for the Church to meditate and apply the truth of a full rainbow. Christianity is no longer the sacrifce we make: It’s the sacrifce we trust.

Fifthly and finally: an old covenant has finished. In classical Greek, the word Tetelestai depicted a turning point when one period ended and another began. When Jesus shouted, “it is

fnished,” it was the turning point for the whole of mankind. From that moment, the Old Testament came to an end and the New Testament began. In that divine moment, all of the Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus’ earthly ministry were fulflled. At that moment, the sacrifces of the Old Testament as a means to approach a 39

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Holy God permanently ceased. The old covenant had ended and the new covenant began. It was the fulflment of the one, and the beginning of another. Hebrews 10:5-10:

That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,

“

“You did not want animal sacrifces or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—as is written about me in the Scriptures.’ First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifces or sin

“

offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the frst covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifce of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.”15 And also in Hebrews 8:7-13:

If the frst covenant had been faultless, there would have been

“

no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said: 15 - (NLT) 40

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“The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the Lord. But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbours, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” 16 When God speaks of a new covenant, it means he has made the frst one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear. What took place in the temple the moment Jesus uttered those cataclysmic words was nothing short of breath-taking. To visually stamp authority on the fact that the old covenant had ended and the new covenant had begun, Matthew records an amazing event; in chapter 27: 50-51, taken from the New Living Translation, it reads:

“Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in 16 - (NLT) 41

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two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart…” At the exact moment Jesus shouted, “it is fnished,” Caiaphas the High Priest was standing at his station before the great curtain that shielded God’s holiness from a sinful world. That massive fortifed curtain, which I’ve heard some say could be as much as one foot thick, suddenly ripped from top to bottom and fell in a pile all around a shocked, terrifed, and now unemployed High Priest. Imagine what went through his mind as he saw the way to the Holy of Holies opened up, and with it the realisation that God’s presence was no longer there. The cross had now become the eternal mercy seat on which the spotless, eternal blood of Jesus was sprinkled. Once that sacrifce was made, it was no longer necessary for a High Priest to continually make sacrifces every year. Jesus’ blood settled the issue forever. God himself ripped the veil of the Temple in half declaring the way into the Holy of Holies was now available to everyone who came to Him through the blood of Jesus. That’s why Paul, in Ephesians 2:13-15, said:

But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were [so] far away,

“

through (by, in) the blood of Christ have been brought near. For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us, By abolishing in His [own crucifed] fesh the enmity [caused by] the Law with its decrees and ordinances 42

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[which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace.”17 When you stand in God’s presence, He does not look at your imperfection. He looks at the Lamb’s perfection – Jesus the Lamb of God. Religion will always get you to focus on your own imperfect performance, which always comes up short and leaves you in a state of guilt. Religion will always focus on the fact that what you do is never enough. Adam and Eve had everything they needed but Satan convinced them it was not enough. If Satan, through ignorance of truth, can convince you Jesus’ fnished work is not enough, he can lead you into the bondage of legalism. Eve became a legalist. She believed the lie presented to her by Satan that God’s promised provision was not enough. “You will be like

God,” he suggested. Eve took the bait and was convinced that in order to be like God there was something she had to do to make it happen. 18 She desired the right thing, but went about it the wrong way. Spiritual insecurity is the fruit of legalism because you never know if you’ve prayed enough, or sacrifced enough, or repented enough. Ignorance of Jesus’ fnished work seeds insecurity which produces legalism. As a result of these three life-changing words - it is fnished -

“Tetelestai”, we need to keep the stones unemployed. 17 - (AMP) 18 - Genesis 3:5 (NLT) 43

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Let me explain. In Luke 19:36-40 it says:

As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the

“

road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! ”Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”19 That statement sent shocks reverberating to the very heart of creation. It was such a climatic statement; it sent shock-waves through creation that caused a reaction:

“Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart…”20 It’s amazing that although Israel rejected Jesus, and the Romans crucifed Him, creation always recognised Him. During His life on earth, the waves obeyed Him21, water had no choice but to turn into 19 - (NLT) 20 - Matthew 27:50-51 (NLT) 21 - Mark 4:35-41 44

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wine at His command22, fsh obeyed His instruction to swim into nets.23 Bread multiplied at His touch24. The atoms in water solidifed so as to support His weight so He could walk upon it25. The winds ceased at His rebuke26 and fg trees became fruitless.27 The Bible even says the trees clap their hands28 and, as we learned at the beginning of this section, even stones have the potential to praise Him. Again, at the resurrection, creation erupted and could not contain its joy; sin and death, that had shouted fear and bondage to an imprisoned humanity, were drowned out by the shout of grace. It’s time to join with creation and raise our voices, and clap our hands, and be powerfully moved by the three words that changed the universe. It is fnished. Grace shouts louder than doing. Grace shouts louder than everything.

22 - John 2:1-11 23 - Luke 5:4 24 - Matthew 14:13-21 25 - Matthew 14: 22-33 26 - Matthew 8:23-27 27 - Mark 11:12-14 28 - Isaiah 55:12 45

Chapter Three Grace Shouts Louder than your Pain “One of the greatest blessings of grace is that He restores your song.” “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows,”1 that’s what the Word says. But surely the pain Jesus bore on the cross for us was not just relegated to the physical, but to every area of our life? How do we deal with the grief and sorrow that life throws at us? The pain of negative nostalgia, fear, doubt, betrayal, and regret? You can try escapism, revenge, willpower, or simply just giving up on life, as sadly many do. Or you can, like Paul, when the pain of life raged against him, trust God’s grace because grace shouts louder than pain. 1 - Isaiah 53:4

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God’s answer to Paul’s request to be delivered from unjust persecution, betrayal, fear and regret was simple but powerful:

“My grace is sufficient for you, my strength is made perfect in weakness.”2 Paul fnished his course in spite of life’s tragedies and pain, trusting God’s healing grace, and so can we. In the wake of that supernatural Easter earthquake - the resurrection of Jesus - a tsunami of fear, disappointment, doubt, nostalgia, and regret overwhelmed people and robbed them of their song and passion. The amazing truth regarding the afermath of the Easter story is that Jesus, in His resurrected body, afer He had presented His blood before His Father and secured our eternal redemption, returned to earth. He stayed 40 days visiting people, helping them deal with grief, unbelief and even the treachery of their own hearts. Living life carrying the pain of personal failure and merciless persecution is like, as one writer puts it, “playing the piano with

mittens”. Lots of noise - no song. Lots of energy - no melody. The worst part of playing the piano with mittens is the frustration; you know you have the ability to make the music your fngers and ears 2 - 2 Corinthians 12:19 47

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desire but you just can’t seem to make it happen. Jesus, in His resurrected body, helped people take of the mittens and restored their ability to make music. One of the greatest blessings of grace is that He restores your song. He shouts louder than your pain and He strengthens you to fnish your course. Some of you reading these words have lost your song and instead of living in Ephesians 5:18-19:

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be flled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.”3 You’re living in Psalm 137:1-4:

“Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. We put away our harps, hanging them on the branches of

“

poplar trees. For our captors demanded a song from us. Our tormentors

“

insisted on a joyful hymn: “Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!” But how can we sing

3 - (NLT) 48

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the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?.”4 Instead of making melody in your heart, the captors of pain and grief have silenced your singing heart. One of those factors that keep your melody imprisoned is the jailer that is betrayal. Some of you have lost your song through the pain of betrayal. The only person that can help you deal with this hooded executioner is grace embodied.

Grace shouts louder than betrayal. Grace comes to our rescue and dismantles the executioner by showing us how He dealt with betrayal and the pain it causes. If the effects of betrayal in our lives are not surgically removed by grace, the cancer of bitterness will develop and negate the potential power grace has to heal you. Paul, urging the Corinthian believers not to “receive the grace of God

in vain”, then pleads with the new converts, both Jew and Gentile, to “continue in the grace of God”.5 Why? Because it’s the only thing that keeps you connected to the risen Christ. It’s the only thing that will protect and strengthen you against the tragedies and pain of life. He later warns the Galatians as well, that returning to a performancebased relationship with God through law will actually cut them off from their life source. He’s not talking about losing their salvation but 4 - (NLT) 5 - 2 Corinthians 6 49

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instead about losing their grace-flled song.

“For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut of from Christ. You have fallen away from God’s grace.”6 And here’s the reason ‘you have fallen away from grace’: Your Christian life has become... 1

merit-based instead of mercy-based,

2

self-righteous-based instead of gifed righteous-based,

3

human goodness-based instead of divine grace-based.

A self-righteous lifestyle, a merit-based lifestyle or a law-based lifestyle severs you from the sufficiency of grace. To fall from grace does not mean to fall in immorality, but to return to legalism as a means to perfect your holiness. We are saved by grace and kept by grace. Our salvation and sanctifcation is totally and absolutely procured by God’s unmerited favour – grace. I say that to draw your attention to the fundamental necessity of grace to save us, keep us and protect us. Protect us from what? Bitterness.

6 - Galatians 5:4 (NLT) 50

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Grace shouts louder than bitterness. The writer to the Hebrews warns his readers to be aware of the destructive power of bitterness. He warned of its power to actually negate the power of grace in our lives. Hebrews 12:15 reads: “

Look afer each other so that none of you fails to receive the

grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”7 Bitterness corrupts and destroys; grace is the only antidote to deal with this spiritual cancer and to uproot it from our lives. But how do we deal with the bitterness that can develop as a result of betrayal? Jesus comes to our aid with a personal testimony when the word explains that: “In the same night he was betrayed he gave thanks.”8 Jesus did not give thanks for the betrayal, He gave thanks for the throne. Jesus lived with the revelation of the sovereignty of God in His life – even His relational life. As He continually faced His Father, as He continually trusted His father, He lived with the assurance that the Father oversaw all the relationships that came into His life — and that included His betrayers. “

But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew

from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and 7 - (NLT) 8 - 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 51

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who would betray Him. And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”9 “No one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by my father…” Wow! Jesus knew that even Judas was necessary for His Father to fulfl the plan for His life. When you live with that revelation, it seems that God can turn even the worst relationships around for your good. When you live with that revelation, human relationships will never become idolatrous and neither will they ever become a necessity for developing your selfworth, your security or your destiny. Afer Jesus made that statement regarding the sovereignty in His relational life, the Bible says “many went back and walked with Him

no more”.10 When He declared to them that they were not essential in His life to fulfl His divine mission, their sense of importance was demolished and true motives were revealed. Jesus did not need the crowds to affirm who He was. His security regarding His relational life was further demonstrated when He turned to His disciples and said: “Do you also want to leave?”11

9 - John 6:64-65 (NKJV) 10 - John 6:66 11 - John 6:67 52

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Betrayal never closed Jesus down relationally. He never gave a foothold to bitterness because He lived with the revelation of His Fathers’ sovereignty regarding His relational life. He could call His betrayer “friend”. He could heal an enemy who came to arrest Him. 12 He could forgive His executioners at Calvary. 13 He could declare peace to those who deserted Him and re-commission those who denied Him.14 When you live with that revelation you can love one way, forgive one way, be long-suffering one way. And amazingly, you can keep no record of wrongs one way. Grace shouts louder than the pain of bitterness. Trust His power in your weakness and see His strength empower you. While enduring a personal season of betrayal some years ago, a friend’s counsel taught me a great lesson. I pass this on to you today with the prayer that your heart will be established in God’s sovereignty regarding your life. My friend reminded me of a message God gave to Jeremiah regarding how He works in our lives as a potter works on a lump of clay, forming it into a vessel of His design. During the process of creation, Jeremiah says that the clay vessel was marred in the hand of the potter so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good for the potter to make.15 12 - Luke 22:50-51 13 - Luke 23:34 14 - Matthew 16:18 15 - Jeremiah 18:1-6 53

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The clay, in the process of being shaped was ‘marred in the potters hand’. The clay had not fallen of the potter’s wheel. The clay was not stolen from the potter’s machine, it was damaged during the process of being lovingly shaped by the potter. Perhaps you have been marred by betrayal; so damaged, you feel beyond repair. Take heart. However painful the effects of betrayal have been, however ruined you feel your relational life has become, you’re still in the potter’s hand. You’re still on His wheel of destiny. He still has a plan for your life. He will fnish what he started. While listening to my friend share with me this wonderful truth, he said one more thing to help me realise that not only am I still on the wheel of destiny, it is God my Father who is turning the wheel and not the people in my life. My friend said to me, “Ray, look under the

table. Whose feet are on the pedals empowering the momentum of the wheel? Is it the people who betrayed you or the God who loves you?.” That day, something broke in my life and I began to see that people don’t operate the wheel of my destiny, God does. Why don’t you ask God to help you, today, to believe this truth for yourself?

Grace also shouts louder than the pain of silence. When we are in need of answers during confusing times, silence is not golden. Sometimes it seems that God hides himself at the very time we need Him to manifest Himself most. Sometimes it seems God is 54

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disinterested in our trial when we think He should be most involved. Sometimes it seems that God is most silent when we need Him to be the most vocal. Isaiah 45:15 echoes this spiritual mystery when the writer says: “Truly

you are a God who hides yourself.” When I began to meditate on this truth, it opened up a whole new understanding on why sometimes God seems to hide himself. He hid himself in Mary’s womb and so the innkeeper missed an opportunity to serve God.16 Could He be telling us that sometimes our prosperity can blind us to our need of Him? One of the greatest enemies to threaten our intimacy with Jesus is selfsufficiency. The innkeeper didn’t need Mary and Joseph’s business. He had a full house, not realising Jesus was present at his door, hidden in Mary’s womb. The innkeeper was a busy man but in his self-importance and self-sufficiency he missed the greatest blessing of his life, to serve the King of Heaven. How ofen is that scene repeated? Jesus stood outside the innkeeper’s door hidden in Mary’s womb. Truly you are the God who hides yourself. What a lesson! Sometimes He comes to us during times of prosperity and busyness hidden in Mary’s womb.

16 - Luke 2:7 55

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Sometimes He is hidden in an opportunity to serve. Rebecca’s destiny was hidden in the opportunity to serve ten camels.17 Peter’s destiny was hidden in Jesus’ request for his boat. 18 Zacchaeus’ transformation was hidden in Jesus’ request to come to his house for tea. 19 Jesus ofen turns up hidden in an opportunity to serve and sacrifce when we are the most busy and prosperous. To a busy prosperous church, who believed they were thriving in the power of God, a church who believed Jesus was at the centre of all they did, He declared:

“Look, here I stand at the door and knock.”20 The inference was this: in your self-sufficiency and prosperity, your ears are dull to my call and ignorant to the fact I am actually on the periphery of what you do and not at the centre at all. He goes on to explain this further. Jesus said:

“You say I’m rich, I have everything I want, I don’t need a thing and you don’t realise that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” 21 17 - Genesis 24 18 - Luke 5 19 - Luke 19 20 - Revelation 3:20 21 - Revelation 3:17 (NLT) 56

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Sometimes God hides himself to evaluate our motives. Have you considered that perhaps He remains hidden to allow our focus to shif from achievements to attitude? From what we do to why we do it? There are so many other lessons to learn during those times when he seemingly hides himself. He hid himself in an infant’s cry. Herod had to kill a whole generation, trying to fnd the King that threatened his kingdom.22 He hid himself in a carpenter from Nazareth, undetected by His siblings.23 He hid himself in the shame of Calvary’s cross, so that even the Devil and his hordes could not detect the divine thumbprint of the fnger of God.24 “

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden

wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory...”25 And we mustn’t forget that darkness covered the land, as Heaven closed its doors to divine light, and God hid himself for three days in the caverns of Hades.26

22 - Matthew 2:16 23 - Luke 3 24 - John 19 25 - 1 Corinthians 2:7 (NKJV) 26 - Ephesians 4 57

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He did come out of hiding for those with humble hearts like the shepherds, for those who sought him persistently like the wise men, for those who waited patiently like Anna the prophetess and for those who believed when others were blind.

“He was in the world and the world was made through Him and the world did not know Him. He came to His own and His own did not receive Him but as many who received Him to them He gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in His name”.27 For those who see more than a baby, or a carpenter from Nazareth, or a failure hanging on a cross, He comes out of hiding. When others around are bewildered and confused, to those who are humble, wise, patient and believing — He may be a God that hides himself seasonally, but He’s never a God who is absent. Someone who knew this better than most was Job. Standing amidst a personal war zone of tragedy and bludgeoned by the taunts of blindfolded friends,28 even his own health began to crumble under the onslaught of relentless pessimism, causing him to cry out, “why do you hide your face and regard me as your enemy?”29 However, Job knew something we all need to be confdent of during 27 - John 1:10-12 (NKJV) 28 - “Curse God and die Job”; “When God hides himself who can see him?” Job 34:29 (NKJV) 29 - Job 13:24 58

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times of heavenly silence when God seems to hide himself...

He may be hidden, but He’s never absent. Job cries out during an onslaught of negativity from family and friends, and from a place of darkness and doubt in his own heart but still manages to declare:

“For I know that my redeemer lives and in my fesh I shall see God”. 30 Like Job, one thing I know, we will all experience seasons where God seems to hide Himself but He’s never absent. The fact Job cries to Him testifes to the fact he knows He’s there, just hidden. I know in my life the the contrary has been true. When I have felt like God is nowhere to be seen He’s actually been closer than ever and teaching me the greatest lessons I’ve ever learned. And I’m not alone. During a season of extreme confusion and pain in the life of David, when God seemed to be hiding Himself yet again, he felt lost and alone. The promise of Kingship most likely felt like a fgment of his own imagination, and he found himself pouring his heart out to a seemingly hidden God, while he himself was hiding away from the destructive jealousy of Saul. Can you imagine the thoughts going around in his head? He could probably still taste the anointing oil that poured down his face 30 - Job 19:25-26 59

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seventeen years earlier when Samuel, under God’s instruction, set him apart for the throne of Israel. But where was God now? Perhaps the silence of time passing had affected David, like it would do to us. Perhaps his circumstances overtook his faith. They didn’t exactly point to promotion to royalty. In the darkness of the Cave of Adullam, surroundings that mirrored the darkness of his own soul, he gave vent to his frustration, the words of which are recorded in Psalm 142 and 143. The honesty of that prayer is so refreshingly authentic and liberating even though it’s flled with anguish, despair and pain.

“My spirit is overwhelmed within me,” he cries, “Bring my soul out of this prison, my life is crushed to the ground, I dwell in darkness and my heart is distressed”. It seems so depressing. How can we squeeze any positive help for ourselves from these words when we too are experiencing such pain? The answer is found in verse six of Psalm 143. David did something that I pray will speak to all our hearts, bringing hope and comfort. Simply, “I spread out my hands to you.” When I was a young boy we used to play a game I’m sure many of you will know; Blind Man’s Bluf. For those who aren’t familiar, a blindfold is placed over one person’s eyes, they’re then spun around 60

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and then the object of the game is to walk around blind and disorientated to fnd and identify those who are present but hidden. Instinctively, we ‘spread out our hands’ in our attempt to locate those we know are there but cannot locate. What we are saying with that gesture is this: “I can’t see you, or feel you, but I know you’re there.

You may be hidden but you’re not absent”. David

was

seemingly

blindfolded

by

disappointment

and

disorientated by despair and, although he couldn’t articulate it with words, the thing that he knew, he declared through his outstretched hands: “God, I can’t see you working in all of this, I can’t feel your

presence either, but I know you’re there somewhere.” Sometimes God wants us to realise that when He’s seemingly hidden and unresponsive, it’s enough for us to know that He knows. When God hides Himself in silence, when you have been unfairly treated, accused or rejected, when frustration foods your heart at Heaven’s apparent disinterest, God is still working. Not only to help you, but to use you to speak to others. This truth is encapsulated in that gut wrenching cry from our Saviour during His darkest hour when he too stretched out his arms to Heaven:

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”31

31 - Matthew 27:46 61

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For some who were witnessing Heaven’s seeming rejection of its darling that day, it served as proof of His deluded claims of divine sonship. For others, it was a crushing disappointment pointing to His promises being shallow and deceptive. But for Heaven it was purposeful. Heaven did not come to His rescue that day because, unknown to all, Heaven was working its genius in a hidden place. Heaven is always working for the good of all those that love Him32 but, during these times of silence, it doesn’t appear He’s working for us at all. Heaven was deliberately silent that day in order to display its greatest passion. The world would have been wronged of the greatest display of grace and mercy and unselfshness if Heaven had interrupted the silence. If Heaven had answered that day, we would never have heard those immortal words that were orchestrated for our good: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”33 You may be unfairly treated right now, misunderstood or even rejected. Your cries for divine help may seem to echo in what you perceive to be the empty corridors of Heaven, unheard and ignored. Heaven may be silent but from Jesus’ example be assured; it’s working a higher purpose than your personal deliverance and comfort. God may be hidden in His silence to you but through your reaction and response to personal injustice, He’s speaking loudly to those watching. When a hardened Roman soldier observed Jesus’ response to a 32 - Romans 8:28 33 - Luke 23:34 62

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vindictive crowd and a silent Heaven, he was convinced of Jesus’ authenticity. Surely this man is the real deal? Surely He is who He said He is? Surely He is the son of God.34 People are watching us during times of heartache, persecution and trial. They are not looking at perfection but authenticity. Are we the real deal? Are we consistent in our trust in God during cross times, crucifxion times, silent Heaven times? Do we respond to our persecutors with cries of revenge or forgiveness? Do we respond to Heaven’s silence with disgust or trust? That Roman soldier may have seen Jesus perform miracles, or could even have heard some of His preaching, but it was Jesus’ response to a silent Heaven and a merciless mob that allowed Heaven to shout louder into his cynical heart. When thinking along these lines, 1 Peter 2:19-23 will make sense of a silent Heaven.

“For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. “For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. “He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate 34 - Matthew 27:54 63

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when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He lef his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.” Be encouraged, when God hides in silence during seasons of unfair treatment and slander, Heaven may be silent but it’s never deaf. Hebrews 5:735 states:

“... in the days of His fesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear…” God hides himself during times when we are unfaithful, rebellious and disloyal. His responses during times like these are not the reactive response of a pouter but the loving response of a parent. The Bible says when we are faithless He remains faithful.36 When we reject Him, and fail Him, when we disobey Him, we will inevitably suffer the consequences of our own choices but never God’s judgement. God is always ahead of our mistakes, sins and unfaithfulness and He lovingly prepares, ahead of time, to get us back on track. He did it for Peter. He prophesied Peter’s betrayal yet at the same time 35 - (NKJV) 36 - 2 Timothy 2:13 64

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prepared his breakfast. He prophesied his unfaithfulness yet He remained faithful.37 Jonah is a classic example of the truth I’m attempting to convey. Jonah ran from the call of God and suffered the consequences. When you run from God the path is always down. He went ‘down’ to Joppa, ‘down’ to the lowest parts of the ship, ‘down’ to sleep, ‘down’ to the bottom of the ocean. Jonah bought a ticket for the ship, and the consequence was that he had to pay for that decision.38 But even in Jonah’s unfaithfulness, God in His faithfulness, was saving Jonah from himself. Jonah 1:17 says: “now the Lord had prepared a fsh for Jonah.” God was hiding, even in Jonah’s unfaithfulness, by providing unusual protection. It’s amazing how God in His faithfulness to us even protects us from ourselves. His grace, although hidden to us, surrounds us in the most unusual ways. Jonah would never have seen himself surrounded and protected by grace, all he would have seen is a ribcage amidst the the gurgling and stench of digestive juices. Unknown to Jonah, God’s faithfulness was hidden in that horrible environment. His protective grace was disguised as the innards of a fsh and Jonah would not have seen it. You can’t outrun the grace of God, it has no perimeter. 37 - Matthew 26, John 13 38 - Jonah 1:3, 5:15 65

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You can’t outperform the grace of God, it has no ceiling. You can’t out-sin the grace of God, it has no measurable depth. He surrounds us with His grace even when we are ungraceful and ungracious. He surrounds us with his protective faithfulness even when we are unfaithful. Perhaps it’s time to come to a place of repentance and realisation that

“God not only stayed with me in my unfaithfulness, but protected me in my unfaithfulness”. It was this revelation of God’s goodness, in the midst of his own badness, that caused Jonah to pray to the, “Lord his God,” from inside the fsh. He said:

“When I had lost all hope I turned my thoughts once more to the Lord and my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. But I will offer sacrifces to you with songs of praise and will fulfl my vows for my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”39 - Jonah 2:1, 7-9 It is God’s goodness that leads us to repentance, not His judgement. 39 - Jonah 2:1, 7-9 66

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When the realisation hits us that even in our unfaithful and rebellious decisions, He is working in mysterious and invisible ways to get us back on track; like Jonah, it will cause us to run into His faithful, outstretched arms, changed forever. God’s protective grace, even in our unfaithfulness, should render us speechless. Even Cain, the frst murderer, learned this lesson regarding the protective grace of God. “

Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can

bear! Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who fnds me will kill me. “

And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain,

vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone fnding him should kill him.”40 Only Heaven will declare how many times God has hidden himself, silently working for our own protection during times of unfaithfulness and self-destruction. Only then will we know the times when He surrounded us with His protective grace hidden and disguised in the most unusual places and people.

“In all things (even our unfaithfulness) give thanks for this is the will

40 - Genesis 4:13-15 (NKJV) 67

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of God for us in Christ Jesus”. 1 Thessalonians 5:18.41

Grace shouts louder than regret One of the deepest pains that can render our lives motionless and sabotage our future is the pain of regret. The classic story of how regret can affect us, and how God can delivers us from it, is found in our old friend Peter. In just a few hours Peter deteriorated in status, from being a hero to a traitor. In front of amazed peers it was “you are the Christ the son of the living God”,42 but in the face of persecution it was “I don’t know this man”.43 In front of the disciples, he was Jesus’ protector confronting His enemies with his sword. In front of the world, he was His enemy denying Jesus with his words. In front of the disciples, he was the only one to believe Jesus, managing to tentatively walk on water. In front of the world, he was the one who voiced his unbelief. In front of the disciples he was the one who declared, “even if they all run, I won’t”. In front of the world he declared these words, “even if others followed Jesus, I didn’t”. 41 - (NKJV) 42 - Matthew 16 43 - Luke 22 68

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As the rooster crowed, a wave of regret overpowered Peter and swept him away into an ocean of guilt. “

At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter.

Suddenly, the Lord’s words fashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter lef the courtyard, weeping bitterly.”44 Here’s the amazing thing: Peter’s denial was not a surprise to Jesus, it was only a surprise to Peter. I can imagine him now, with tears streaming down his face, huddled in some dark corner, repeating over and over, through his gutwrenching sob, “how could I of all people have done that?”. For Peter, the worst thing of all was the fact he could not undo the damage. Regret was now the song he was forced to sing, and it was all in the minor key. Peter had lost his song through regret, and maybe you’re reading this feeling exactly the same. It feels like playing the piano with mittens. If there was a title for the song that regret composes it would be, ‘if only’. Edith Piaf sang, “no regrets”. Frank Sinatra sang, “regrets, I’ve had a

few”, but unfortunately, many of us can’t bring ourselves to sing. Regret robs you of peace by day and sleep at night. ‘If only’ is one of 44 - Luke 22:61-62 (NLT) 69

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those songs you just can’t get out of your head. I read recently that a Chicago University undertook a study on the subject of regret. They discovered there were six main reasons why people sang the lament ‘if only’. 1

Mistakes in relationships

2

Wishing they hadn’t argued with loved ones

3

Failure in education

4

Career decisions

5

Money decisions

6

Parental errors

It seems we are living in a society of regret-aholics — an addiction that’s arguably been destroying more lives than any drug. The biggest problem for any addict is not the fact that they are addicted but the gnawing regret that they ever took that frst drink or that frst pill. Regret defned in the dictionary is this: “remembering with remorse.” The word regret is taken from an old Norwegian word ‘grota’: ‘to weep’. Therefore, ‘re-grota’ – regret means to ‘weep again’. The French version is ‘regrote’ which has the inference of lamenting the dead. That is exactly what happened to Peter. He wept again and again over something he could not change. And so do we. Regret is not something that happens to you — it’s what you allow in your heart to 70

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be cultivated because of what’s happened to you, over which you have no control. On a trivial level, it’s jumping a queue only to fnd the line you just lef is now moving faster. Or wondering why you didn’t wait one more week to buy that washing machine — because now it’s half price. At the other extreme it’s a man sitting in a wheelchair paralysed for life, with daily regret of being in a certain place, at a certain time, being hit by that drunk driver. The train of thought with regret goes down a track leading you to believe you would have acted differently if you knew then what you know now. You can’t change the facts, however, or re-write the past, it’s out of your control and so your only response is to ‘weep again’. You ‘regrote’. You relive the pain again and again because regret loves to regurgitate the past. Some years ago I read a tragic story which reinforced the terrible consequences of allowing regret to take up residence in our hearts. A man who lived with his wife and his elderly mother lef the house to buy groceries. On his return he was horrifed to fnd his home surrounded by fre engines as fames engulfed the house with his mother inside. He stood helplessly watching the inferno destroy his home and, even more devastatingly, take the life of his mum. So soul-destroying was the personalised guilt of leaving the house, and so also leaving his vulnerable mother at the mercy of the fames, that 71

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on the same day he lost his mum, he also lost his voice and was unable to speak. His inability to talk continued for days, turning into weeks and then months. Concerned, his wife took him to a specialist for a diagnosis. Afer a thorough examination the doctor concluded that there was physically no reason why her husband should not be able to speak. His vocal chords were intact and speaking was entirely within the realms of possibility; the doctor was bewildered as to why he was unable to open his mouth and form words. The doctor then began asking more personal questions and probed the wife as to whether her husband had experienced something traumatic in his recent history. She then told the tragic story of the fre, the death of her mother-in-law, and of her husband’s visit to the grocery store that day. The doctor looked at her knowingly and said that he believed the root cause of her husband’s disability was not physical but psychosomatic. He was living with the guilt and regret of leaving the house, of leaving his mother alone. He was blaming himself for her death. I don’t know how it turned out for that man, but one thing I do know is that regret, if not dealt with, is a vicious jailer. He has no mercy. He laughs when you cry. He taunts you at night when you are at your lowest. 72

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He ridicules and sneers at you accusingly piercing your heart with a shout of, “you should have known better…”, “how could you do that

knowing what you know now?” and the ever present, “if only…”. Peter had lost his song through regret, he was voiceless. Understandable when you consider the following context. Historians tell us whilst scourging a prisoner, the Romans were merciless. The scourge - or one skilled at using a whip - was a professional at his trade. He could scourge a man within inches of life allowing the prisoner to live, to face death by crucifxion. The Bible tells us of Jesus receiving such a scouring prior to crucifxion. This horrible and terrifying ordeal was graphically depicted in the Hollywood movie, The Passion of the Christ. One interesting fact about Jesus’ scourging and beating was that they blindfolded him. In Luke 22:63-64 we are told of Jesus being mocked and beaten: “

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And

having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?”45 Why? Well, during scourging, the torturer would stand in front of the victim to check their eyes. When he gaged even a possibility of life leaving the 45 - (NKJV) 73

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victim he would back of to allow crucifxion to be the instrument of death. Then why blindfold Jesus? It’s my own belief that when the scourge stared into the eyes of Jesus he could not stand the gaze of compassion looking back at him. I say that to say this: as they dragged Jesus out from that place of torture, the Bible says Peter watched from a distance.46 Under the scrutiny of Jesus’ enemies, Peter had fatly denied knowing Jesus three times. Just like Jesus had prophesied, at the sound of the rooster’s cry, Peter’s treason was sealed. As the words of treachery and denial were coming out of Peter’s mouth, I can only imagine that he would have gladly been blindfolded, for at that moment, the Bible says: “The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered

the word of the Lord how He had said to him, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. So Peter went out and wept bitterly.”47 That gaze. That look must have burned like a laser into the very marrow of his bones. The spectre of regret rose up grabbing Peter by the throat and began to squeeze the very life out of him. It would be understandable if, for Peter, it felt like the end of the road. His own words became his scourge. Lash afer lash of disloyal declaration came down upon his soul. 46 - Luke 22:54 47 - Luke 22:62 74

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“They will leave you but I won’t…” Lash! “Even if they all desert you, I will stay…” Lash! “I will never deny you... die for you, but deny you, never…” Lash! For days Peter would have tried to untie himself from regrets torture pole. He wept bitterly but still the whip came down hard on his conscience. He tried escapism through work but still the tormentor’s scourge ripped his heart to shreds. Unknown to Peter, while he was giving up on himself, regretting his past, Jesus was preparing breakfast to fuel him for his future. Jesus’ classic encounter with Peter is recorded in John 21:15-19. While reading this account with fresh perspective, I discovered how Jesus delivered Peter from the dungeon of regret and restored his passion for life. John 21:15-19 records the encounter. “

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,

“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the 75

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third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”48

Firstly, he got Peter to focus on his relationship not his regret. Jesus did not ask Peter, “do you regret failing me then but do you love

me now?” Jesus was, in fact, saying to Peter and - as a result - to us as well:

“Stop focusing on what you’ve done wrong and focus on the one who keeps no record of wrongs. “Stop focusing on your condemnation and start focusing on my ‘no condemnation’. “Peter, I’m not here to rub it in, I’m here to rub it out.”

48 - (NKJV) 76

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Secondly, he got Peter to focus on his present ministry, not his past mutiny. The words “feed my sheep”, give Peter permission to serve Him. He did the same for Moses. He told Moses to stop regretting a failed opportunity forty years earlier and instead to focus on preparing people to be delivered from slavery.49 He did the same for Samson. For months Samson was eaten up with regret while he walked around sightless and powerless, grinding corn at the Philistines’ millstone, while God was trying to get his attention on his new head of hair.50 Or what about David? He wept, fasted and beat himself up afer his horrendous sin with Bathsheba and the cowardly plot to kill her husband. While David disqualifed himself through regret, God encouraged him to focus on the Solomon that would be produced as a result of his restoration.51 It’s time to forget those things that He has forgiven. The longer you live in regret, the longer this world will be robbed of the Solomon God wants to produce through you. The angels questioned a group of grieving women, who turned up at a tomb to mourn, “why do you seek the living amongst the dead? He is

49 - Exodus 3 50 - Judges 16 51 - 2 Samuel 12 77

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not here, He is risen.”52 It’s time to stop laying fowers on the tombs of dreams that have died, relationships that have died. Refuse to allow regret to lead you by the hand and lament things you cannot change. Jesus has prepared breakfast for you, the meal of new beginnings, new starts, and new days. What Jesus has prepared for you is not the last meal of a condemned man but the frst meal of one forgiven.

Thirdly, Jesus got Peter to focus on his triumphant finish not his disastrous past53 What God has started in you, He will complete. You may be in the darkroom developing right now but, as far as God is concerned, the picture has already been taken. Your failure has not taken Jesus by surprise; He will not only use it to develop you, but in turn, He will help you help others. Look what Jesus said to Peter before his denial in Luke 22:31-3254:

And the Lord said] “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for

“

you, that he may sif you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” One of the gifs Jesus received at his birth was myrrh, a pain reliever. 52 - Luke 24:5 53 - John 21:18-19 54 - (NKJV) 78

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It’s interesting that Jesus received myrrh at His birth but refused to drink it at His death. For me, it reemphasises the fact that His birth declared His promise to help us with our pain and His death proves the fact that grace shouts louder. Even louder than our pain. I love this short illustration called Leaving the City of Regret by Larry Harp. He writes:

“I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet I found myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant and I knew in advance that no real good would come of it. I'm talking about my annual "Guilt Trip." “I got tickets to fy there on Wish I Had airlines. It was an extremely short fight. I got my baggage, which I could not check. I chose to carry it myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand memories of what might have been. No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City International Airport. I say international because people from all over the world come to this dismal town. “As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed that they would be hosting the year's most important event, the Annual Pity Party. I wasn't going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the town’s leading citizens would be there.

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“First, there would be the Done family, you know, Should Have, Would Have and Could Have. Then came the I Had family. You probably know ol' Wish and his clan. Of course, the Opportunities would be present, Missed and Lost. The biggest family would be the Yesterdays. There are far too many of them to count, but each one would have a very sad story to share. “Then Shattered Dreams would surely make and appearance. And It's Their Fault would regale us with stories (excuses) about how things had failed in his life, and each story would be loudly applauded by Don't Blame Me and I Couldn't Help It. “Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing that there would be no real beneft in doing so. And, as usual, I became very depressed. But as I thought about all of the stories of failures brought back from the past, it occurred to me that all of this trip and subsequent "pity party" could be cancelled by ME! I started to truly realize that I did not have to be there. I didn't have to be depressed. One thing kept going through my mind, I CAN'T CHANGE YESTERDAY, BUT I DO HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE TODAY A WONDERFUL DAY. I can be happy, joyous, fulflled, encouraged, as well as encouraging. Knowing this, I lef the City of Regret immediately and lef no forwarding address. Am I sorry for mistakes I've made in the past? YES! But there is no physical way to undo them. 80

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“So, if you're planning a trip back to the City of Regret, please cancel all your reservations now. “Instead, take a trip to a place called, Starting Again. I liked it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence there. My neighbours, the I Forgive Myselfs and the New Starts are so very helpful. By the way, you don't have to carry around heavy baggage, because the load is lifed from your shoulders upon arrival. God bless you in fnding this great town. If you can fnd it -- it's in your own heart -- please look me up. I live on I Can Do It street.” Friends, can you hear the whisper of truth? Grace shouts louder.

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Chapter Four Grace Shouts Louder than Lack - a Foundation of Love “Wherever your roots rest is where you source the spiritual nutrients for your life” “Go to the phone, go to the phone now,” the televangelist passionately beseeches his audience as his eyes pierce through the camera to the viewers, enforcing the urgency of his appeal.

“If you disobey God by not giving into this ministry before April 17th, the door of Heaven will be closed and you will miss your opportunity to be blessed. The Angels of God are ready and waiting to be released into your life to bring your miracle,” he declares, tears now beginning to fll his eyes.

“Your family will be saved, your body will be healed, your debt will 82

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be cancelled, but…” The seriousness on his face now at its intense maxim, “for all of this to happen it is crucial that your seed of £77 for

twelve months must be sown now into this ministry. Go to the phone now!” On and on he pleads like some charismatic salesman reducing our incredibly loving, gracious God to some teleshopping con man. There seems to be only one statement missing to parallel this appeal with a TV shopping channel; “this offer closes on…” It’s no wonder large sections of the body of Christ have not only turned of their televisions but also tuned out their hearts, when it comes to anyone talking about fnancial prosperity. God has had so much bad press concerning His passion to provide for His people, largely because some desperate preacher struggling to keep his ministry afoat resorts, like this example, to manipulation of the worst kind to do so. I really understand the revulsion of many Christians in response to this type of charlatan behaviour. Indeed, I share their sentiment. One of the reasons for devoting so much of the book towards gracebased giving and receiving is to present to you the truth regarding our generous God and His willingness to provide fnancially for His children. In order to stop you throwing out the baby with the bath water I pray the next few chapters will restore your faith in Jehovah Jireh and, by 83

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using this revelation, will also help you recognise manipulation when it is presented to you. It’s time for you to be released and delivered from any guilt or fearbased giving and receiving.

It’s time for a new understanding of God’s willingness to give. A certain bank was receiving an unusually large amount of counterfeit notes. They sent for an expert to investigate the problem. While busy working an employee remarked to the counterfeit expert: “You must

have studied hundreds of counterfeit notes to be able to do what you do.” “No,” said the expert, “I spend all my time studying real notes so that when I see a counterfeit note I can immediately tell the difference.” I pray that what you are about to read will help you discern what is real from what is counterfeit and cause your heart to burst with gratitude and amazement at God’s grace-based banking system, set-up for the believer to access when needed. Another reason for sharing this revelation is to help people understand that Kingdom principles work regardless of the social, economic or circumstantial environment. During the mid-2000s a global fnancial recession hit the world’s economy, leaving the global banking system foundering and fearing 84

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for its survival. People lost their jobs, pensions and even their homes. As a pastor, I gave myself to study what the Bible had to say about such a situation and what it meant for the church. I remember asking myself what on earth should I teach my own congregation so they could live through times of fnancial famine? I discovered our Heavenly Father is totally unaffected by whatever is happening in the world’s banking system and has instead committed himself to protect, provide for, and bless His family. He even uses this process as a means for His Church to declare to the world that “Grace shouts louder than lack”. Of particular challenge and encouragement to me was when I read of how God provided and protected His people in the face of severe persecution, famine and lack. While the whole of Egypt panicked under social, economic and spiritual disaster, God’s people thrived and prospered despite what was happening around them. These verses from Exodus 8:22 and 23 say it all.

“I will set apart the land of Goshen in which my people dwell, that no swarm of fies be there, in order that you may know I am the Lord in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between my people and your people.”1 When Egypt was reeling from divine judgement, God’s people lived in prosperity and peace. 1 - (NKJV) 85

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The words that hit me concerning this phenomena in these verses were ‘set apart’, ‘my people’, ‘no fies’, ‘that you might know’, ‘I am the Lord in the midst of the land’, and, ‘I will make a difference between’. These statements are packed with encouragement for God’s people. My feeling is that God is basically saying to the Church, “You’re different, you belong to me. Whatever is infesting the Land won’t infect you. I want you to know I am with you in the midst of it – whatever it is, so when the world observes my care for you, they will see that grace shouts louder than lack. Trusting me to provide for you will not only bless you but also bring glory to me.”

God’s motive for grace-giving During my study to present these truths to my congregation I discovered six avenues designed by a generous God so we can be fnancially provided for. With hindsight, as I review my personal walk with God, I realise there have been times when I have been operating outside of these principles without the revelation I’m sharing with you now. I’m sharing them now, through these pages, to demonstrate that they really do work. God has met my need time and time again. Tapping into these amazing divine principles will enable you to be delivered from selfshness, worry, hopelessness, independence, laziness and insecurity. Now we understand the ‘what’ — that God can and does want to provide for His people, it’s now time to look at the ‘why’. Why is it 86

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that God wants to give us anything?

But first: Roots Before we look into this more it is frst required that we undertake an honest evaluation of the ‘roots’ we have operating in our lives. Wherever your roots rest is where you source the spiritual nutrients for your life, and from that source the fruit of your life will be produced. Roots are important. No, I should say roots are vital in relating to God, yourself and others. The parable of the sower endorses this principle. 2 The main emphasis in this parable is the soil and the root system. The productivity of the seed is dependent on both. The root system of a tree is the means by which its life is supported. The substance into which the roots of that tree are embedded is vital to its fruitfulness. If the roots of a tree sink deep into oil it will not be fruitful and would probably die. If the roots of the tree reach down into acid it will not be fruitful — it would again, most likely, die. Only water can provide what’s necessary for the tree to survive and thrive. I heard of a young psychiatric nurse walking through the hospital on his frst day. While pacing the corridors he was confronted by an elderly patient continually repeating the phrase, “how could he?” He gently confronted her, looked into her dark eyes and asked her why she kept on repeating those words? She stared blankly back at him 2 - Luke 8 87

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before repeating those three words over and over again, even as she turned and walked away. The bemused nurse found his superior and questioned him as to the reason for this woman’s constant heartache. “Well,” said the superior,

“when she was a young woman, her husband lef her for another woman. It affected her and hurt her badly. She couldn’t understand why someone who she loved so deeply could have betrayed her so terribly. Since then, all she’s able to say is, ‘how could he? She has been in this hospital for many years bound by unforgiveness, which has now turned into bitterness, which has imprisoned her for life.” When I heard that story, it reinforced my belief that the root system in our lives, and particularly the soil which those roots draw their life from, are so vital to our health. They're vital spiritually, mentally, emotionally and, as medical science has now proved, even physically. If the roots of your life are not frmly embedded in God’s unmerited favour and unconditional love, your motives for serving Him will be seriously affected. Before we attempt to apply any principle from Scripture to our lives, it is imperative we understand that God is love. Not just theologically but also experientially. He heals because He loves. He saves because He loves. He chastens because He loves.

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He gives because He loves. In describing God’s essence the apostle John did not say ‘God is wrath,’ or ‘God is power,’ or ‘God is wise’. He is of course all of those and more. The aspect of God’s character which John encourages His readers to meditate upon, and the characteristic of God which he exhorts them to embroider into the core of their being, is instead this: God is love. So, before I share with you these six ways in which God has designed for His grace to shout louder than lack, we have to make sure our root system is frmly embedded into God’s unconditional love.

“For this reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name]. “May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. “May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, that you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all 89

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the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be flled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly flled and fooded with God Himself]!”3

Titanic proportions of Grace and Love When Jack chose to freeze to death in the icy waters of the North Atlantic to save Rose, as depicted in the blockbuster movie Titanic, we didn’t evaluate that act of love with dictionaries in our hands to decipher if each word spoken was grammatically correct. We didn’t refer to our history books to calculate the exact time of the disaster which took place that tragic night where thousands lost their lives. We didn’t turn to our physics manuals to determine if the wooden board Rose was hanging onto could, in fact, have supported the weight of both of them. Not at all! We didn’t use mathematical statistics to calculate the length of time 3 - Ephesians 3:14-19 (AMP) 90

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that Jack could have stayed before dying of hypothermia. On the contrary, we watched with tears in our eyes and lumps in our throats. Why? For Jack so loved Rose that he gave his life for her in order that she would not perish. We are moved deeply with the gospel according to Hollywood, so why then do we react to the gospel of God’s grace with such an emotionally blasé attitude? Why do we watch Hollywood’s gospel-depicting scenes of amazing sacrifcial love, reducing us to emotional wrecks, yet approach the greatest act of love the universe has ever seen with lexicons, concordances and dry eyes? We can be stimulated theologically by divine revelation; we can be challenged intellectually by God’s amazing predestined plan, but what about our emotional response? We can study God’s love… Talk about God’s love… Evaluate God’s love… … but what about being moved by God’s love? God doesn’t just want this selfess sacrifce of Jesus to educate us but to move us. We observed the love Jack had for Rose, but she experienced it. We could tell others of Jack’s love for Rose based on our observation, but 91

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Rose could talk about it with authority because she knew she was the object of it. We know the facts about it, Rose experienced the power of it. Jesus does not love us because, theologically, He has to; i.e. God is love, therefore, He has to out of duty. On the contrary, God is love. It’s who He is. Afer watching that sacrifcial love scene in Titanic, we didn’t feel the need to sit down and discuss why Jack died. So why have theologians spent years discussing why Jesus died? What about just accepting, believing and experiencing the truth found in John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.”4 Even more amazing is that if we compare Jack’s love for Rose with Jesus’ love for us, the comparison is miles apart. According to scripture, Jesus died for us when we were his enemies:

“But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”5 As simple and basic as it may sound, nothing less than a revelation of God’s unconditional love, both theologically and experientially, will 4 - (NKJV) 5 - Romans 5:8 (Paraphrase) 92

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do as a foundation for our lives. We need this in order to have confdence that God desires to provide and bless us purely because He wants to. Without such a foundation our Christian lives will be lived riddled with insecurity, guilt and fear of judgement.

Rooted in the experience of God’s love Both Paul and the Apostle John realised the crucial need for such a belief underpinning all they did. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian Church revealed his passion for them to build on nothing less. 6 Unless our lives are frmly and deeply rooted in God’s love, in terms of our experience, we will have great difficulty relating to Him, ourselves or others. I can honestly say the one single thing that has revolutionised my life and ministry is experiencing personally the kindness, generosity and forgiveness wrapped up in God’s love. I remember one incident during my school days that may help you practically apply what I’m trying to say. I was a model pupil, never in trouble; I always sat at the front, was always being heckled as a teacher’s pet. But one day I was led astray by another boy who I was desperate to be friends with. I was caught jumping on top of the piano in the music room, which of course caused damage to the piano. When I was discovered in this precarious position, I was immediately frogmarched to the headmaster’s room and made to sit outside his office door awaiting my punishment. I was terrifed. 6 - Ephesians 3:14 ff 93

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On top of the terror came the guilt. I was a good boy and a model student. How could I have been so stupid and reckless? I looked at the door and waited for the executioner’s voice to thunder out, “Bevan,

come in!” You see, in those days, in 1961, caning was still a means of keeping unruly school children, like me, in check. Our headmaster used this freedom to punish his students to the maximum. Normally it was ‘six of the best’, across the hand or the bottom, with a cane which he wielded with painful expertise. I sat there, outside that door, shaking with fear because I knew the punishment that awaited me was certain and painful. How many believers live their lives like that; waiting this side of eternity believing that when they walk through the door of death, punishment instead of blessing awaits them? Every sin and every failure as a Christian has been recorded in God’s judgement book awaiting sentence, no? You repent but still feel guilty. We sacrifce, but still live terrifed because of the daily accusing voice that sneers, “you

should have known better”. While writing his frst epistle John the Apostle realises this was a major problem in the hearts of many believers. He undertakes to identify the problem and also to provide a solution.

“And as we live in God our love grows more perfect so we will not be afraid on the day of judgement but can face Him with confdence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such

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love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear”. 7 If we are afraid it is for fear of punishment. This shows we have not fully experienced or know His perfect love to be true. The reason for my passion in writing this book is because so many believers live their lives in constant fear of judgement because God has been misrepresented to them. John wrote these words to insecure believers who lived in fear of God’s judgement because God was being misrepresented to them. Recently a Pastor stood up before his staf to introduce me before I started speaking. To my amazement he started to apologise to me publicly because he had believed rumours about me that were not true. For years, he had an image of me that was completely distorted because I had been totally misrepresented to him and he believed it. Because of that, his relationship with me was seriously affected. The most misrepresented person in the universe is God. Many believers have been given a distorted image of God and as a result live joyless, fearful, penanced-based lives. This book is my public apology for being one of those preachers who, for years, mainly through ignorance, misrepresented a merciful, loving, forgiving God causing many to sit outside the headmaster’s office trembling with fear.

7 - 1 John 4:17-18 (NLT) 95

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God is not angry with you Before I lead you into the heart of our generous God’s desire to provide for you fnancially and before you more fully understand that Grace shouts louder than lack, there is one basic truth you must be marinated in. Simply, God is not angry with you. So many people have a major problem relating to the God of the Old Testament. He appears to be a God who thunders out judgement and lays down conditions before blessing, who seemingly deals out unjustifed punishments. In the New Testament we are told to look at Jesus if we want to see the heart of God but when we compare the two, it can be like reading the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. How do we deal with that? Perhaps this story I heard will help. A group of navy seals were deployed on a covert operation freeing hostages from a building in a dark part of the world. They few in by helicopter, made their way to the compound and stormed into the room where the hostages had been imprisoned for months. The room was flthy and dark. The hostages were curled up in a corner terrifed. When the seals entered the room they heard gasps from the hostages. They stood at the door and called to the prisoners introducing themselves as Americans. The seals invited the hostages to follow them out but the captives wouldn’t move. Instead, they sat on the foor and hid their eyes in fear. They were obviously not of healthy mind and didn’t believe their rescuers were really Americans. The Seals were unsure as to what to do next as they couldn’t possibly 96

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carry everyone out. One of the Seals had an idea. He put down his weapon, took of his helmet and curled up tightly next to the hostages, getting so close his body was touching some of theirs. He sofened the look on his face and stretched his arms around them. He was trying to demonstrate that he was one of them. He knew none of the prison guards would have done this. Staying there for a little while, he began to notice that some of the hostages were beginning to give him their attention before fnally locking in on him with their eyes. The Navy Seal whispered again that the team were Americans sent to rescue them. “Will you follow us?” he urged. The hero stood to his feet as one of the hostages did the same. Another followed, then another until all of them were willing to go. The story ends with all the hostages safe on an American aircraf carrier. The key to the hostages following that Navy Seal to safety? The Seal did not change his identity, he simply changed his approach. Many see the God of the Old Testament like that fully-armed Navy Seal, unsure whether he’s there to save them or infict punishment on them.

Same God different approach The approach to God under the old covenant was much like an instruction manual for handling nuclear material. In the new covenant God hasn’t changed his identity, but he has changed his approach. He came disarmed. He snuggled up to us as a person, identifed with us and sat in our place. He shared our fears and, through the cross and resurrection, destroyed our captors, leading us to safety. Jesus is God 97

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in receivable form. Jesus is God coming to us in a different way. The writer to the Hebrews puts it this way:

“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold frmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will fnd grace to help us when we need it most.”8 While under the old covenant they were reminded of their sins annually:

“Instead, those sacrifces actually reminded them of their sins year afer year.”9 But through the new covenant, God didn’t change his identity, He simply changed his approach. Hebrews 10:1-2 says:

“The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifces under that system were repeated again and again, year afer year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could 8 - Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT) 9 - Hebrews 10:3 (NLT) 98

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have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifces would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purifed once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.” 10 The old covenant method of approaching him was fawed because of our inability to keep our part of the bargain. Romans 8:3-4 sheds light on this by explaining that the law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do and sent his own Son. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifce for our sins. It then goes on to say that God did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfed for us. Do you see it? Same God, different approach. Wonderful! As a result of this one perfect act of love he can now bless us based on Jesus’ perfect act not our imperfect performance. All God’s anger against us was exhausted at the cross and as a result, the writer to the Hebrews declares – we can expect a lifestyle free of guilt and full of provisional expectancy.11

Adjectives for God’s love There are so many words that could be used to describe God’s love. It’s unbreakable: ‘Nothing can separate us from it.’12

10 - (NLT) 11 - Hebrews 10:16-22 (NLT) 12 - Romans 8 99

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It’s unprejudiced: ‘For God so loved the world that whosoever…’13 It’s undeserved: ‘God showed his loved to us while we were still

sinners…’14 But the adjective that takes my breath away is this: His love is absolutely ‘unconditional’.15 The old song says “I love you because,” other human attempts are “I

love you if,” or “I’ll love you when,” but God says, “I love you – period”. The human heart longs for unconditional love but is convinced that it’s conditional. When you boil it down, that’s the basis for all religion. Meet the conditions, gain the love. The reason why religion works is that we believe in conditional love and doubt the existence of unconditional love. We measure the standard of our love against the quality of divine love as declared in 1 Corinthians 13 and again beat ourselves up because we fail miserably to measure up. We don’t ofen realise that this is not a description of a love that God demands from us, but a description of a love that God gives to us. His love towards us is patient, long suffering, kind, and more importantly in the context of this chapter, keeps no record of wrongs. There is an amazing story in the frst few chapters of Genesis that illustrates this for us. 13 - John 3 14 - Romans 5 15 - Romans 8 100

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Grace had to shout from the very beginning What a legacy to have a name like Eve,which means ‘life-giving’, but being the means through which Satan was allowed to bring death and destruction into the world. Imagine the sense of disgust when she realised what she had done. Imagine the sense of horror when she saw her paradise turned into a hell. Imagine the sense of panic as strange emotions, never before experienced, swirled around on the dance foor of her soul; loneliness, fear, anger and guilt. Imagine the sense of devastation as she observed the lives of her two sons disintegrate before her eyes, one ending up a murderer, the other the victim. But worst of all, imagine the reality of alienation from the one who formed her from the side of his masterpiece - Adam. I don’t think any of us could really enter into or understand that sort of pain. Expecting the worst, Eve must surely have bowed her head and waited for the executioner’s axe. What she did was unforgivable. Judgement was fully deserved. Why would she want to live any longer anyway? Yet in the middle of this cataclysmic disaster, while she stood reeling from the effects of her sin, she overheard words from her creator that revealed something about Him she had never experienced before. You see mercy wasn’t needed until now. It was a concept alien to her and the word itself actually means God’s ability to not give us what we deserve. In this case a punishment ftting to the crime — how apt; she was allowed to live, with hope beginning to rise as she overheard her creator’s judgemental words to the serpent:

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“So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the feld; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”16 Let’s imagine for a minute the afermath of these moments. I can just see her wiping the tears from her eyes, quelling her gut wrenching sobs as she slowly begins to comprehend the weight of what’s just been said. Because, although stipulations were given around childbearing and what life would be like, her purpose and future remain intact. I can almost hear her repeat the words, ‘my seed will play a part in putting all this right... I deserved death but my creator is promising life... can it be true? God is still going to use me to bring life into this world even though I’ve committed high treason? What is this? Who is this?” In reality as God pronounced judgement on the serpent he also produced hope in Eve because in judgement God remembers mercy. You can hear Heaven whisper can’t you?

“Yes Eve, you have sinned, you have given an opportunity to the Devil to destroy all I have made good. Yes, your failure will have repercussions that will affect earth and heaven but because of my 16 - Genesis 3:14-15 (NKJV) 102

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mercy there is something coming from your womb that will cause the devil to regret the day he ever approached you in the Garden. Your seed will bruise his head. Your seed will put right all that you’ve done wrong. I’m not changing your name. You’re still Eve - the life giver.” One day, years later, I’m sure she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry holding a little bundle in her arms remembered that promise of mercy:

“Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed. When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people frst began to worship the Lord by name.” - Genesis 4:25-26 (NLT) For me the most amazing truth brought out in this story is that the birth of Seth not only gave Eve a new start but because of mercy her sinful past was, as far as Heaven was concerned, totally eradicated. If you compare the Genesis accounts of Adam’s genealogy in Chapters 4 and 5 you will understand what I mean. In Genesis 4 verse 1-2, in the NKJV the genealogy includes the birth of Cain and Able, Eve’s frst sons. As you will no doubt know, they had their own issues which led to murder.

“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she 103

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bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.” But in Genesis 5, verse 1-3, also in the NKJV it’s as if God starts again:

“This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, afer his image, and named him Seth.” The genealogy through Eve did not fnish with the tragedy of Cain and Able but, from God’s perspective, started in Seth. When Eve’s critics would rise up to remind her of her failure as a woman and as a mother, she could simply hold up Seth and declare; ‘My genealogy - from Heaven’s perspective - is not seeded in the consequences of my failure but the compensation (that’s what the name Seth means) of God’s mercy.’ Wow! What a revelation to live by!

Grace shouts louder than past mistakes I doubt anyone reading these words can hold a candle to Eve’s failure. Your sin may have had a destructive effect on those around you but none of us can equate the disastrous effects of Eve’s failure. The lesson? Your genealogy does not end with your failure but always begins with God’s mercy. 104

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Your future doesn’t end with Cain it begins with Seth. Some of you, like Eve, are standing in the middle of a war-zone created by your own choices. You read these words and wonder for yourself:

“Can any good come out of this mess?” There may be pain stabbing into your heart when you think of all the people you have hurt because of your choices. There may be hopelessness flling your heart because the clock can’t be turned back to undo what’s been done. There may be despair taking over your heart because of the shame you feel. For some of you, like Eve, the consequences of your failures are dancing on a public stage entertaining your critics.

It may seem bad but, listen to me now, please lif up your head. Into that disastrous mix, God throws something that changes everything: His mercy. Believe it. Trust it. Accept it… …and soon you too will hold Seth in your arms and hear God’s heart declare: “Your genealogy starts here. My mercy has not only forgiven 105

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you of your sins but as far as Heaven is concerned, it has also cancelled out any record of it ever happening.” This breathtaking fact about God’s mercy, grace and unconditional love is that it doesn’t just declare the fact he did it for Eve, but he will also do it for you. While reading the seemingly boring genealogy of Jesus in Luke Chapter 3, I came across an amazing revelation. Luke Chapter 3 is the type of chapter you read to help you sleep - until you come to verse 37 and 38.

“... the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.”17 Where are Cain and Able? Where is the record of the consequences of Eve’s failure? They are not there. Why? Because, as it states in 1 Corinthians 13:5, love keeps no record of wrongs. Unless the foundation of your life is built on God’s unconditional love you will never expect His provision for you based solely upon His grace. There will always be an element of penance or guilt or selfrighteousness. Repentance based on guilt will never last. It’s a lifesucking treadmill of confession, repentance and works. Repentance based on gratitude will keep you genuinely humbled and in the love of God. A love that keeps no record of wrongs. 17 - Luke 3:37-38 (NKJV) 106

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A picture painted of unconditional love While travelling on a plane one day I sat beside a man who had obviously broken his foot. The plaster on his leg gave him away. Afer asking him how he had hurt himself, we entered into an amazing conversation which affected me in a profound way. When I asked what he did for a living, he told me he was a portrait artist. Not content to leave it there I then asked if he had ever painted anyone famous. He told me very humbly that he was, in fact, the personal portrait artist for the British Royal family. He also told me he had been commissioned to paint Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister, and the last two popes. I was lost for words. He then asked me what I did. It’s usually at this point I say anything but “I’m a preacher”. On this occasion, however, I felt compelled to say it. Expecting the usual abrupt end to the conversation I was taken aback when he began looking at me very seriously before saying: “Can I ask you something

that’s puzzled me for years?” Of course I said yes. He continued on to say that many years ago he had a dream. In the dream he described being on his knees before a man he had never seen before but somehow he knew it was Jesus. As the dream went on he began tell Him of all his sins, some of which, by his own admission, were “really bad”. 107

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Afer the confession in the dream, the artist remembered looking up and into into Jesus’ face, only to notice that he was totally unmoved by his debauched confession. With emotion now the man carried on his dream description.

“I am a portrait painter. I read faces. It’s a gif I have. I don’t just paint faces, I read them. I can read them and then with my brush convey what the face is saying onto the canvas. “But His face was saying, ‘so what, I’m not shocked. I’m not here to condemn you.’ “Then I read something else as I looked into that face; I read… anticipation. “It’s as if He was waiting for me to say something. I did. Perhaps the greatest sin of all. In the dream, with tears running down my face, I said ‘but the worst thing Jesus is the fact that I don’t believe in you.’ “When I said those words, I looked into His face again to fnd his eyes had dropped. “I know disappointment when I see it. When I told him I didn’t believe in Him his face emanated disappointment. Then I woke up.” Then the artist turned to me and asked, “Ray, what do you think it 108

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means? What does that dream mean?” I looked compassionately at him and said these words:

“John, theologians have written thousands of books trying to explain what you’ve just described. The reason Jesus was unmoved when you were pouring out your sins and badness is because on the cross he already paid the price for them. “When God looks at you through the cross all he sees is forgiven sin. John, you are already forgiven. You are unconditionally loved. The reason His eyes dropped in disappointment is because you told Him you didn’t believe it.” That encounter spoke volumes to me. The one thing I believe that causes great disappointment in the heart of Jesus is not the fact that we sin and fail as believers. Our sin is not the problem. He’s already dealt with it so he’s fully aware of it. No, the thing that causes Jesus’ eyes to drop is when we don’t believe it. So before we move on to the second part of Grace shouts louder then lack, where we really discover God’s supernatural, grace-flled, unconditional, love-motivated banking system, let’s take some time out right now. If you, like John, are more concerned about how much you’ve sinned instead of how much you’re forgiven, raise your hands to God right now. Begin thanking Him for wiping out your sinful record. Declare 109

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aloud so both your heart and your head start to take this in: “He keeps

no record of wrongs.” That’s the love of God.

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Chapter Five Grace Shouts Louder than Lack - God’s Heart to Provide “It’s time to establish your heart in paternal provision” While reading the account of the miracle of the feeding of the fve thousand in Matthew 14, the Holy Spirit opened up a door of revelation concerning his overwhelming desire to graciously provide for us. Examples of God’s unconditional generosity in the face of our ingratitude, anxiety and selfshness are too numerous for me to pen. From the undeserved covering of our frst disobedient parents, to the knee-bending generosity displayed in shoals of net-breaking fsh given to Peter who, in response to such provisional kindness, fell on his face and declared: “Depart from me for I am a sinful man.”1 1 - Luke 5:8 (KJV)

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God is kind to us in spite of us. He provides for us because that’s what loving fathers do. Grace as personifed in Jesus shows us what to do when faced with the enemy of lack. It just shouts louder. This miracle for me reveals many principles that, if applied, will release God’s abundance into our lives. They are not keys or mathematical steps but observations of how grace shouts louder than lack. Before I present to you the ways that grace desires to provide for you practically and materially, allow me to challenge your thinking in the whole area of fnancial provision and raise your expectation, based purely on His desire to do so.

God provided food, in the midst of their lack I think we have ofen overlooked the fact that initially the disciples wanted to send the people away. It didn’t even enter their thinking to ask Jesus for His provision. Grace is proactive. It doesn’t need to be asked. It doesn’t need favourable conditions. It doesn’t check for behavioural standards or moral excellence before giving. Grace applies unconditionally, unreservedly, and ofen unconventionally. Grace is not affected by negativity. When the disciples viewed the scene, the impossibility of the situation urged grace to send them away. They insisted it was too late, the place was too deserted and the crowd was too large. They declared to grace, basically, “this cannot be done”. But grace shouts louder, overrides our negativity and doubt. It totally ignores impossibility. When the disciples were forced to get involved by the offer of a few 112

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loaves of bread, unselfshly given by a little boy, they even tried to stife grace with their hopelessness by asking, “what is this among so

many?” Grace speaks up and says it makes no difference what you have in your hand - just give it to me. Grace totally refused to be sucked in to the vortex of despair. Grace keeps believing when the need overwhelms the resources. Grace not only ignores negativity, it creates expectancy. Grace shouted to the crowd to sit down. Grace knew exactly what was about to happen. As the crowd obeyed the command to sit, they knew something was about to happen. Grace always creates expectancy and hope in our hearts. If you leave a preacher, afer listening to the message, with no expectancy and hope then you have not heard grace speak. Grace is always positive, always helpful, always unconditional. Grace always looks to Heaven. Before Jesus blessed the meagre resources, these words are recorded: “...and looking up to Heaven.” Grace will always direct your gaze Heavenward, to His ability not ours. His perfection is your perfection. His inheritance is your inheritance. His righteousness before the Father is your righteousness before the Father. In the area of our approach to God this is a crucial principal to understand: when petitioning God for help - it is grace that meets the need. It is recorded that they all ate as much as they wanted and aferwards the disciples picked up twelve baskets of lefovers. As well as the fve 113

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thousand men who were fed that day there were also all the women and children. Wonderful! If that miracle doesn’t convince you that God wants to provide for you, in spite of you, I don’t know what will.

Grace provision isn’t just a good idea - it’s a GOD idea We experience, at my home church, this amazing passion of grace to supply, through the social arm of our church called Jesus Cares. While conducting a carol service on one of our housing estates, my assistant pastor’s wife was moved by a young child sitting nearby sparsely dressed in the chilly night air. The poverty on this estate seemed to personify itself in this little child, so much so that she suggested to her husband that he should refrain for buying her a gif that Christmas and instead use the money to buy gifs for some of the children on the estate. They bought some train sets from a local toy store with the aim of packaging them and delivering them to families on the estate. Before carrying out their plan the husband had an idea that instead of giving away what they had initially bought, they should sell the train sets on eBay. This wasn’t just a good idea… it was a God idea. Following that initiative they raised £1500; enough to deliver scores of Christmas hampers to needy families. Their actions inspired my wife and I to give money to package more hampers. The following Sunday I shared our concern with the church regarding the poverty on our doorstep and encouraged them to bring food and gifs to be placed in a shopping trolley standing in the foyer of our church. 114

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We began to distribute many more parcels and realised with a steady fow of food contributed by our congregation we could give out regular parcels on a monthly basis. My wife felt we had to give our feeding programme an identity and she came up with the logo Jesus Cares.

One morning, during one of our Wednesday prayer meetings, I felt led to ask those present to pray for God’s blessing on Jesus Cares. We presented Jesus Cares to Him like the little boy who handed Jesus his lunch. Things began to happen immediately. God began to bless and multiply our bread and fsh. Food started coming from everywhere. Space that was planned for other Church activities had to be used for housing, packaging and distributing the food. The Big Lottery fund granted us £250,000 to take it to the next level; it was breath-taking to watch the miraculous provision of our generous God. We all stand amazed as we survey our present situation. Two thousand substantial food hampers a month are distributed all over Wales, supplying food to hundreds of agencies who work with needy families in Wales ensuring the food gets to the right people. Two 115

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vans with our Jesus Cares logo on the side, along with scores of volunteers stacking, packing and delivering and two full time staff with plans for more due to the expansion, and we have more plans ready to be developed. We are believing to develop Jesus Cares to include a baby programme, helping single parents with necessary baby products, helping people who are challenged with mental illness, and so much more. The stories of God’s amazing provision regarding Jesus Cares are too numerous to count. One particular story comes to mind though. When my wife wanted each hamper to contain chocolate as an extra blessing especially for the children, she asked God to provide. Within a week, God sent us 100,000 ‘Snickers’ bars. We serve a generous, gracious God. The reason I share our Jesus Cares story is to demonstrate the overwhelming truth that grace shouts louder than lack.

Six principles to allow grace to shout louder than lack David declares it loud and clear as he pens the opening lines to his signature psalm with the words, “the lord is my shepherd I shall lack

nothing”2. God so graciously waits to provide for his people. He has placed a number of principles in His word and, if activated, will release His abundance into our lives. 2 - Psalm 23 (Paraphrase) 116

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Your fnancial well-being is so important to God, He has instituted six principles in Scripture to ensure that provision gets to you. As believers, our main problem during times of fnancial lack is not the absence of provision but the absence of wisdom. God says that his people perish because they lack wisdom. 3 The only lack you should be concerned about in your life is the lack of wisdom. James exhorts the believers in his epistle when he writes: “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”4 Rick Renner, a great theologian, breaks this verse down and by digging into the tense of the sentence, translates it as follows:

“‘If anyone lacks insight let him frmly request it. If anyone has a shortage of wisdom he should demand it. If anyone is baffled and doesn’t know what to do he should be bold to ask.’ When it comes to wisdom God does not advise us he commands us to be respectfully bold in our approach to him, expecting him to respond positively and gracefully and liberally. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to believers. If Satan can convince you to remain ignorant regarding what God has already promised you through grace alone, he can render you powerless and hopeless. That’s why the Apostle Paul continually appealed to the

3 - Hosea 4:6 (Paraphrase) 4 - James 1:5 (NIV) 117

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believers’ understanding.” 5 The secret to growing is knowing. As Joseph Prince says in the title of one of his books “right believing produces right living”. Turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 1:17-20, Romans 8:38, 1 Corinthians 2:11-12, and 2 Corinthians 8:9. Scriptures like these, and many others, emphasise one of the main problems in the body of Christ regarding its inheritance in Christ through grace: Ignorance! It’s reported that Billy Graham once said that if a person gets his attitude to money straight, it would help straighten out almost every other area in life.6 Through the following six principles I believe the wisdom you need regarding the release of provision into your life will be invaluable. I will major on some more than others, and in this chapter we will look together at the frst three of the six principles, so here goes… I pray you will be blessed as you read.

1 - Paternal provision God provides for you simply because he is your Dad. The words spoken to the disciples by Jesus regarding their concerns for the provision of daily needs beautifully conveys this aspect of God’s heart. He is our dad and he loves to provide for our daily needs. 5 - Taken from Lightsource.com. From the ‘Refuel with Rick’ section and the article, “If you lack wisdom.” 6 - Widely and commonly attributed to Billy Graham 118

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“You fathers—if your children ask for a fsh, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifs to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” Luke 11:11-137 Then also in Luke 12: 22-32, also from the New Living Translation, it says:

“Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for fowers that are here today and thrown into the fre tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

7 - (NLT) 119

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“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t be afraid, little fock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.” These words were not spoken to the world but to His disciples. I travel extensively and one of the perks of travelling with the same airline is that you amass gratuitous air miles. I am fortunate because of my worldwide travel, with one particular airline, to be issued with a gold card. This card gives me access to their business lounge where free food and free drink and other luxuries are available to me. Now there are thousands in the airport, but only gold card members have access to this personalised provision. I am not talking self-righteously because through Jesus’ death and resurrection, access to a personal relationship with God and access to personalised provision is available to all who believe. Jesus is our gold card. It’s available to all. But not all choose to believe it. They would rather choose to live without God, trusting their own ingenuity and hard work to secure provision for themselves. Because Jesus is our gold card, because God is now our father, simply because he is our Dad – he will provide for us. He can’t help it. To alleviate all fear and worry about the supply of their daily needs, 120

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Jesus uses nature to instil peace into His disciples’ hearts. He talks to them about the ravens and how they neither sow nor reap. 8 In other words they do not put into action any specifc spiritual or natural laws but they are paternally provided for simply because their creator loves them.

“Or what about the lilies,” Jesus says, “they neither toil nor spin.”9 I thought about those two words – toil and spin, and for me, it describes perfectly the worry and nature of a workaholic - to work with a sense of panic, or working eighteen hours a day because of the fear of not making ends meet. Jesus is trying to show them that their Father knows all about fnancial needs and it’s enough to know that He knows. So don’t worry. When was the last time you solved the problem by worrying about it? Imagine someone saying that they can’t pay their bills so have resolved to worry themselves out of debt and it actually working. I can just hear the foolishness now, “A few sleepless nights, a

day of puking through stomach acid erosion, I yelled at everyone for a week, took some pills and behold all glory to worry, the money came.” No, it’s time to establish your heart in paternal provision. It’s time to get your heart and mind routed in God’s paternal love for you.

2 - Practical provision Having settled the issue of paternal love, we can now approach our 8 - Luke 12:24 9 - Luke 12:27 (NLT) 121

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vocations, jobs and callings, no longer as worrying workaholics but instead understanding that God can bless us to be a blessing to others. Don’t despise your job – thank God for it because through it, God is not only providing for you, but using you as a means to provide for others. That’s exactly what happened in the early Church. Those who were blessed by God through their work were able to provide for those who were unable to for various reasons. (Read Thessalonians 3:7-15 and Acts 2:44-45 for more on this.) Between 1982 and 1989, God called me to take the message of the Gospel to the young people of our nation. Countless hours were spent travelling up and down the UK visiting schools and churches. I never asked for a fee and very ofen I could minister for a week and what I received fnancially wasn’t even enough to meet my travel expenses. By trade I am a painter and decorator, so when the provision did not come one way, God used another avenue by providing me with work as a decorator. Through the avenue of work, God blessed me, enabling me to provide for my family and fnance my ministry. Paul the Apostle operated by the same principle. In order to minister to people he sometimes resorted to his trade as a tent maker to alleviate the pressure of those he ministered to, to provide for him. 10 The practical means of divine provision should be recognised and appreciated. It’s a wonderful means for our heavenly father to channel the resources we need to provide for our families and others. 10 - Acts 18:3 122

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3 - People Provision I’ve already quoted Acts 2:44-45 as an illustration of how people who have, provide for people who have not. I have lost count of how many times God has miraculously provided for me and my family from the most unlikely places and the most unlikely people. During her horrifc upbringing as a child, in the western mountains of Norway, the only place my wife Laila found refuge and joy was in her Grandmother’s house. It was a hundred-year-old timber farm house in four acres of land. It had magnifcent 3000 foot mountains on either side, an idyllic place, with a glacial river running through the property and included a 20f waterfall in the back garden. In fact, the house is named afer the waterfall (Fossheim – waterfall house). The house was empty afer the last member of the family was taken to a nursing home and in desperate need of renovation. The house was then lef to my wife’s father who tried to sell it without success. The cost of keeping the house was too much of a burden so he offered it to Laila, at frst for a price, but then eventually he gave it to her as a gif. We took the house, spent fve summers restoring it and as an added blessing, along with a number of other farmers along the river, pooled together to build a power station that provides electricity to the national grid. The money we receive from the power station is enough to cover all running costs for the house. What a wonderful demonstration of paternal and people provision. 123

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Through the very man who caused so much pain to my wife in the early years, God provided the only place where she found a safe haven and peace. This house has brought so much joy over the years and will continue to do so in future years. God ofen provides from the most unlikely places and through the most unlikely people. Friends, grace shouts louder than lack, even using the people and things we would overlook.

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Chapter Six Grace Shouts Louder than Lack - Positioned for Provision “In the natural, we are positioned on terra frma but in the spiritual, we are seated with Christ in Heavenly places.” Have you ever noticed how a mother can hear the cry of their child in a room full of noise, amidst the wailing of other babies, even from a distance? The noise of that child seems to permeate everything else to get right to the heart of the parent. And so it is with us, when it comes to lack. This time in reverse, the grace of God shouts over and above all else so the message of hope and provision can get from heavenly parent to child. Again, let’s remind ourselves, grace shouts louder than lack. 125

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So far we have laid out and looked at the foundation for our understanding of God’s heart to provide and we have covered the frst three, of six, key principles: Paternal Provision, Practical Provision and People Provision. Now let’s focus on Positional Provision.

4 - Positional provision This is an aspect of Divine provision that is ofen overlooked. The essence of positional provision is found in Romans 4:17; there we learn that God gives life to the dead and calls those things, which do not exist, as though they did. God, because He is God, can call things into existence; things that do not exist. The universe was created just like that. God called it into existence from nothing. But you say, “what has that to do with me?” Well, when you understand just what happened to you when Christ came into your life it will open up your eyes to a dimension that you thought existed only in the minds of Sci-Fi writers. Jesus told us that if it were not for doubt we could speak to mountains and see them moved.1 We could raise dead people to life, and order nature to obey us. Pretty radical stuf? Sounds like the script for the Xmen movies, or is it? Why would Jesus say these fantastic things? Was 1 - Matthew 17 126

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it just for effect or was He trying to raise our expectation for us to also live in that realm. I think the key is found in John 14:12-14:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”2 The key phrase in these verses is ‘because I am going to be with the Father’. He told his disciples that the reason why they would be able to command a blessing, call things which are not as though they were, is because He was positioning himself on your behalf beside the Father. John, in his epistle, emphasises this amazing revelation in connection to the ascension (as He is so are we). In the natural, we are positioned on terra frma but in the spiritual, we are seated with Christ in Heavenly places. In other words, provision sometimes can be commanded but not because of our status… by His. Let me explain in more detail. The western world rejoices to see the overthrow of rogue governments and the re-establishment of legitimate ones. It’s wonderful to witness the demolishing of a tyrannical power-crazed dictatorship. We’ve seen more than our fair share of Dictators whose lust for power and wealth 2 - (NLT) 127

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receives its sustenance from genocide, torture and human abuse that defes description. From Ceausescu in Romania, Idi Amin in Uganda, Adolf Hitler in Germany, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, whoever it may be; apart from the bloodshed, loss of life and human misery involved to dethrone these devilish regimes, the world rejoiced to see them and their rule dismantled and destroyed. Why talk about these conficts in the context of positional provision? The reason is that, according to Isaiah, God’s master plan was not just to rescue mankind but to dismantle and destroy a rogue government and reinstate His own. Isaiah declared hundreds of years before the birth of the baby king;

“for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER” .3 Satan, working through Herod, was not threatened by news of a baby being born but of a King being born. He was not threatened by a child being born but a ruler being born. The wise men stirred up Herod’s envious rage by asking the question, “where is He who has been born king?”4 The most overlooked and underestimated message of the frst coming of Jesus is not concerning midwifery, astronomy or mass angel choirs. It’s about government. The good news of Christmas is the fact a rogue government has been overthrown and a righteousness one has been instituted. As a result believers in Jesus, joint heirs with Jesus in this 3 - Isaiah 9:6-7 4 - Matthew 2:2 128

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new government, can now reign in life and not run from it. We can overcome life not be overcome by it. We can rule in life, not be a slave to it. And just like our king we can ‘call those things which are not as though they were’. Allow me to take you on a whistle-stop tour through the Bible concerning this very topic. In order to understand that ‘Grace Shouts Louder’ you need to know just how signifcant a shout grace has, even when it comes to government.

Four stages of government A - The original government Who was the original monarch of earth? To whom did the maker of Heaven and earth hand the sceptre of authority? In Genesis 1:26-27 it states:

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fsh of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”5 Notice very carefully how the Trinity speaks regarding the government of His newly formed planet... “Let us make man… let them rule” . 5 - (NKJV) 129

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When God declared they were made in His image, He was not referring to the qualities in their character but the capacity in their nature. He was basically saying to that frst couple, “I rule in heaven,

you rule on earth”. Then in Psalm 115:16 it says that the the heavens are the Lord’s but the earth has been given by God to the children of men. So the original government on earth, the original ‘sovereign’ of this planet, delegated by God, was mankind. Under His rule there was peace, order and righteousness. Then what happened? Something must have changed because as we look around our world today it’s far from that.

B - Surrendered government Adam, with his own free will, surrendered man’s governance. There were two trees in the garden that our ancestors had to choose to eat from each day. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Without going into a detailed explanation regarding the signifcance of the two trees, God emphatically said don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil — if you do you will die. Adam did, and he died. He died spiritually and eventually physically. 6 The lesson? Adam’s rule was dependent upon relationship: his relationship with his creator. Through disobedience and his own free 6 - Genesis 2:17 130

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will Adam surrendered his throne to Satan. The government of Planet Earth was handed over to a rogue government. Adam’s crown was handed over. The sovereign became the slave, the ruler became the subject. Satan was given universal dominion over God’s creation. All the evil-motivated dictators who bring misery, death and destruction receive their orders from their ruler, their commander, their sovereign… Satan. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he fouted the fact that he had a legal right to the throne of the kingdoms of this world. In fact, he offered to share that sovereignty with Jesus if He would just acknowledge him as master of the planet. Jesus obviously resisted that temptation but the fact that he didn’t pull Satan up on any delusional whim shows us that Satan’s claims were in fact true. The authority of the throne of earth had been willingly handed to him. Sometimes when talking to people about their relationship with God as father, a relationship that can only be made possible through the son, I receive the reply “but we are all God’s children”. Let’s be very clear about this: the whole reason Jesus came is because that is not true. We were all born into Adam’s family. That explains our sin-biased dysfunction. In fact, when some of the Jewish religious leaders were claiming God as their Father, Jesus emphatically declared that their father was actually the devil. Why? Because Satan reigns over the sons of Adam as king because of surrendered government. 131

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The only way out of Adam’s family line, which is under the reign of Satan, is to die and be born again into God’s family. There is no other way. God sent Jesus on a rescue mission to get us out of ‘Adam’s family’ and the lineage of death, into God’s family and the lineage of life. That’s why it’s impossible for any religion, however strict or apparently holy and moral, to take you out of Adam. Whether we like it or not we are either in Adam or in Christ. We are either in the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of light. Our father is either Satan or God. Just like Adam chose death through disobedience, Jesus came to reverse the curse through obedience to life. He did it for us and all we have to do is believe it and, as a result, change environments, fathers and eternal destinations. (Read Romans 5:2-25 for more on this!)

C - Reclaimed government As a result of the tragedy in Eden, God didn’t destroy Satan and start again. Satan had a legal and political right to rule humanity. God had instituted that principle and would be unjust to violate His own laws. He gave authority on earth to a man, He lost it through a man, and He had to regain it through a man so He devised an ingenious plan to legally redeem humanity and reclaim government. Operation Second Adam. Listen to these words from 1 Corinthians 15:20-22: 132

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“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the frst-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”7 Man is spirit with a physical body, only spirits with physical bodies can function legally in the earth realm. That’s how God designed it. Even Satan has to approach Adam in the form of serpent because any spirit without a body is an illegal alien. God himself is spirit without a physical body. He made himself subject to his own law by becoming fesh (the word became fesh and dwelt among us).8 Jesus realised the key to the success of the rescue mission was a physical body. In order to accomplish victory and reclaim the righteous government he had to become another man like Adam and defeat the devil on earth as a man not as a spirit. So Adam II was born but not subject to death or the rulership of Satan. That was the genius of the virgin birth.

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law…”9 Notice Jesus was born of a woman, not man and woman? When pronouncing judgement on the serpent in Eden, God was very specifc 7 - (NKJV) 8 - John 1 9 - Galatians 4:4 (NKJV) 133

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how Jesus was going to be born. “Her seed,” He declared to the new evil ruler of earth, “will bruise your head.”10 Her seed, not their seed. Medical science has never tested a baby’s blood to detect who the mother is, only the father. Why? Because it’s only the fathers blood running through the babies veins. God designed the woman in such a way that when she is carrying a child, all the nutrients of the mothers blood is conveyed to the child but her actual physical blood never mixes with the blood of the child. Brilliant! As a result the blood running through the second Adam’s veins was not tainted human blood but spotless divine blood. “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the fock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”11 Satan had no jurisdiction over the second Adam because there was nothing of the frst Adam in him. Satan’s reign over humanity is dependent on tainted human blood. We sin because we were born sinners. Our blood is tainted because of the frst Adam and there is nothing humanly possible we can do to change that. And it’s because of the tainted sinful blood of the frst Adam that Satan has a legal authority to rule us.

10 - Genesis 3:15 11 - Acts 20:28 (NKJV) 134

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D - Ruling Government The Gospels are the record of a perfect man walking in his rightful authority. Adam II exercised the same authority as Adam I before the fall. He ruled over nature, over creatures, disease, the devil and even death. His death and resurrection was the knockout blow that overthrew the rogue government and reinstated the legitimate one. When Jesus died he bore the legal punishment for Adam’s sin and reversed thousands of years of Satan’s stranglehold upon humanity. 12 Satan thought he could kill Jesus at the cross and fnish Him in the grave but unknown to him, as the soldiers were driving nails into Jesus’ fesh, in actuality they were driving nails into his own coffin.

“Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”13 Acts 2:23-24 sums this up beautifully:

“Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucifed, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be 12 - Romans 5:17-19 (NKJV) 13 - Colossians 2:14-15 (NKJV) 135

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held by it.”14 The Bible also says that death could not hold Him, He conquered death and the grave, rose from the dead and… here’s where it really gets exciting... He ascended to the right hand of the Father where the government, that was handed over to the devil by Adam I, was fnally reclaimed by Adam II.15 Read Philippians 2:9-11 and Ephesians 1:20-23 because these Scriptures emphatically declare that Jesus sits in the place of total authority and all things are under His feet. What was Adam’s original position regarding his rule on earth? Psalm 8:6 gives us the answer when it states that God gave humanity dominion you have dominion over creation. Jesus has reinstated man to his rightful place. When you are born again you became part of the body of Christ. The head is in Heaven but his feet are on earth. We know how to apply the power of the cross because we are crucifed with the cross. We know how to apply the power of the resurrection because we are raised with Christ. It’s time now for us to apply the power of the throne because we are

already seated with Christ. We are back in power, Satan has no legal right over our lives and because of our position in Christ we can call those things which are not as though they are. 14 - (NKJV) 15 - Mark 16:19 136

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That’s the power of positional authority. That’s why we can be confdent in the fourth of our principles - positional provision. Now on to the next...

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Chapter Seven Grace Shouts Louder than Lack - Potential and Principle “A seed will never produce the picture on the packet until it’s sown.” I’m sure you are now growing in confdence when it comes to understanding Grace Shouts Louder than Lack. We have looked in depth at the frst four of the six key principles that have helped free me, so now it’s time to focus on the signifcant fnal two.

5 - Potential Provision I love watching an American television show called Extreme Makeover. The basis of the show is to help families who are facing 138

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extreme circumstances in their lives, particularly relating to their housing. The chosen family are sent on a holiday while hundreds of volunteers tear down their present home and rebuild a new one. I’m always in foods of tears when the family return from their holiday to fnd a custom-built house, which has been completely paid for. While watching one of those shows I learned something powerful in relation to potential provision. On this particular show the crux of the story was that the husband had died leaving a 20 acre farm that the widow could no longer manage. The team built her a new home and new barn but the greatest gif they gave to her was what they did to the 20 acres of land; they tilled it, furrowed it and seeded it. The greatest gif they gave that family was not just provision for the present but provision for the future. One of the greatest gifs God has given us is potential provision: the principle of seedtime and harvest. In the context of fnancial provision Paul, speaking to the Corinthian Church, encourages them to understand potential provision. He tells them that God gives seed to the sower.

“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness…”1

1 - 2 Corinthians 9:10 (NKJV) 139

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Not seed to the spender, not seed to the saver, but seed to the sower. The law of seedtime and harvest alleviates the worry of future provision. When I think of it, a lot of the fnancial provision I enjoy now is the result of seeds sown in the past. Many people look at their wage packet and think survival. God says look again and see potential. Potential could be defned as ‘a power or quality that exists but has never been developed or used’. For example, a battery doesn’t have actual power it has potential power. A seed is the same. It will never produce the picture on the packet until it’s sown. What picture do you have of your fnancial future? It will never be realised by saying “Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be,” BUT instead, “whatever you SOW will be.” God operates in the earth within the laws He established. We’ve already seen that regarding His coming to earth in human fesh and the same applies to the law of seedtime and harvest. God used the very same principle himself to vegetate and populate the earth. He instructed Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. 2 God did not populate the earth by creating a population but gave Adam and Eve the responsibility to do so. It’s very interesting to note God 2 - Gen 1:28 140

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did the same with the Garden of Eden. He didn’t create a ready-made garden, he planted one.3 Let me say that again: God did not create a garden – He planted one. In contrast, He placed the man. Adam didn’t develop from a child to a man. God placed him fully grown into a garden He planted. He also placed the tree of life – He didn’t plant it. Adam’s sustenance was received through the tree of life. In other words, God did not create His harvest of a populated earth, He planted it. He didn’t create a ready-made garden, He planted it. He didn’t create a populated planet, He placed a couple with the potential to do so. He didn’t create the vegetation of Eden, He planted seed into Eden’s ground that had the potential to. When you understand the principle of potential provision, you will understand what Jesus was teaching in the parable of the sower. In this parable, found in Mark 4: 26-29, Jesus explains how this works. The parable of the sower is heaven’s answer to recession and lack.

“Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand 3 - Gen 2:8-9 141

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how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and fnally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”4 Notice from these Scriptures, once the seed is in the ground, “you rest”.

Firstly you rest from working. Jesus describes the sower as one who will rise by day not work by day. No need to plant the seed again. There is no need to command the soil to work. If you’ve planted your seed into good soil, if you’ve sown your fnancial seed into good soil the seed will sprout and grow yielding crops by itself. This principle is found in Genesis 1:11 where God instituted it. It says: “...and God said let the earth bring forth grass,” not the effort of outside help. Once the seed is in, let the soil do what it is designed to do: bring forth.

Secondly, you must rest from reasoning. Mark 4:27 says: “He himself does not know how it happens.”

4 - Mark 4:26-29 (NLT) 142

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Stop trying to fgure out how your harvest is going to come. Let God amaze you. As a church we sow one tenth of our total income into our city through our Jesus Cares programme. We bought a facility next to our church, a former fabric factory, to be used for offices, youth and children’s work, and warehousing for the food we provide through Jesus Cares. The whole building was in desperate need of renovation. We started the work using the money we had available but, at a crucial time in the process, we ran out of funds. We didn’t know what to do or how we could raise the money. While driving my car one day I received a phone call from a pastor friend from Singapore, Joseph Prince. During the course of the conversation, he asked me what projects we were involved in. I told him about the new building we were renovating to use in reaching the youth of our city and feeding the poor. I never mentioned our fnancial crisis. In fact, I was so excited sharing the vision with Joseph that I’m sure it must have come across that fnances were not a problem. He listened very carefully, then paused before saying: “Ray, the Lord

has told me to give you £30,000 to help you fulfl that vision.” I had to pull the car over! I then shared with him regarding our fnancial crisis and we praised God and rejoiced together. I believe that money was the harvest from 143

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the seed that we had sown into the city over previous years. When you sow fnancial seed, you will never know how, when or where God will send the harvest, so stop trying to fgure it out.

Thirdly, you rest from worrying. The sower referred to in the parable did not worry by night, instead, it is noted that he slept by night. One of the blessings of a sower is a fnancially worry-free life.

“Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.”5 These Scriptures encourage those who sow to go to bed and sleep. On another occasion, Jesus inferred the key to a worry-free fnancial future is not saving but sowing. He implored those listening to make a shif in trusting earthly treasures, all of which could rot and devalue. 6 He’s not saying don’t save, what He is saying is don’t trust in the world economy to protect your money. Jesus is saying shif having your confdence in your savings and move it to your sowing. He’s not saying saving is not important but He is saying your savings should not be your security. 5 - Psalm 127:1-2 (NLT) 6 - Matthew 6:19-21 144

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Over recent years thousands of people have lost their savings and pensions because of the instability of this world’s fnancial system. Sowers can sleep by night. Why? Because you have God’s guarantee of a harvest and that’s more trustworthy than the promise of any human investor.

Fourthly, you rest from stress. When you understand the principle of seedtime and harvest, and you practise it, two incredible qualities will develop in your life. Firstly, faith - delivering you from worry Secondly, patience - delivering you from stress.

“For the earth yields crops by itself, frst the blade, then the head and afer that the full grain in the head.” The harvest does not come immediately, there is a process. For us to receive the full grain in the head, we need faith and patience. God used faith and patience to produce the Church. What did God do to turn around the disastrous circumstances of the fall? By faith He planted a seed and by patience He waited for the fullness. As we have already seen, He told the serpent that Eve’s seed would bruise his head. Two thousand years later he saw it realised when the fullness of time had come and God sent forth His son.7 7 - Galatians 4:4 145

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So many people live with stress because of a seemingly ‘delayed’ harvest not realising that in every harvest, whether fnancial or otherwise, there comes a ‘fullness of time’ or a ‘full grain’. Patience releases you from the stress of unfulflled promises or unrealised harvests. Patience will guard you from making unwise decisions. 1

Abram couldn’t wait so produced an Ishmael.

2

Esau couldn’t wait and lost his birthright.

3

Judas couldn’t wait and lost his eternal life.

How many are living in unfulflled relationships? How many are experiencing unfulflled business deals and receiving unfulflled harvests because they are driven by stress and not patience? Galatians 6:9 says: “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in

due season we will reap if we do not lose heart,” and Hebrews 6:12 adds: “do not become sluggish but imitate those who through faith

and patience inherit the promise”.8 One key, when operating the principle of sowing and reaping, is the condition of the soil you are sowing into. The parable of the sower highlights the importance of sowing seed into the correct soil to yield maximum results. Jesus mentions stony 8 - (NKJV) 146

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soil, thorny soil and good soil. For me, from studying God’s word and having led and pastored the same Church for 25 years, I realise you cannot get better soil than God’s house. As I fnish this section on potential provision, the words you are about to read will introduce you to the fnal point: ‘Principled provision’. When you receive your wages, inheritance or gifs of money, what is the frst thought that comes to your mind concerning them? Is it your comfort or His Kingdom? Is it your body or His body? Is it your house or His house? The reason David was known as a man afer God’s own heart was because of his love for God’s house. Not just in word but in practice:

”Now for the house of my God I have prepared with all my might: gold for things to be made of gold, silver for things of silver, bronze for things of bronze, iron for things of iron, wood for things of wood, onyx stones, stones to be set, glistening stones of various colours, all kinds of precious stones, and marble slabs in abundance. Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver.”9 9 - 1 Chronicles 29:2-3 (NKJV) 147

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When God talks about His house, He takes it personally. In Haggai 1:9 the Lord says: “‘You looked for much, but indeed it

came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.’”10 Then in Malachi 3:10 it is written: “‘Bring all the tithes into the

storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’”11 The little word that changes a general concept into a personal possession, a little word that moves His house from the realm of religion to the realm of relationship, is the little word ‘my’. When God talks about His house, He talks about it as a parent’s relationship with a child, as a husband’s relationship to a wife, something that is precious and personal. What constituted such a violent reaction in Jesus that day when He entered the temple with a whip and drove out the money changers? One little word, ‘my’.12 What is it that will produce the same passion in us? What is it that will cause us to do everything we can to protect His 10 - (NKJV) 11 - (NKJV) 12 - Matthew 21:11-13 (NKJV) - “‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” 148

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house from splits and disunity? What is it that will cause us to die to self in order to serve His house and keep it healthy? What is it that will cause us to make personal sacrifces to see His house resourced? When our understanding shifs from talking about His house to talking about my house. Jesus said ‘I will build my Church,’ and proved the sincerity of His words by dying for it.13 Unless we can say the same, we will never stay in one church long. We will never be proactive in building God’s house and we will never prioritise our fnances to ensure there is food in it. That little word ‘my’ brings with it a sense of ownership and responsibility. It brings with it a desire to protect and provide. While meditating on this thought I believe the words which I am about to write were borne of the Holy Spirit.

“I took what was yours and made it mine, and will you take what is mine and make it yours. He was wounded for my transgression, bruised for my iniquities, the chastisement of my peace was on Him and by His stripes I am healed. Selah.” The principle of the tithe determines our motive. The principle of the tithe will determine whether we are able to say “not just God’s house 13 - Matthew 16:18 149

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but my house”.

6 - Principled Provision Nothing has caused more controversy and confusion in the body of Christ than the principle of tithing. In this wonderful restoration of the gospel of God’s grace to the church some, who really don’t yet understand how tithing is grace-based, actually use grace to disregard the principle altogether.

“I’m not under law,” they say, “I’m under grace.” Or, “tithing is an Old Testament law and therefore, to demand we pay our tithes is to put us back under slavery to the law of which Paul warns us to reject”. If I wanted to be blunt I would say those sentiments reveal three things about the people who hold them: 1

Their ignorance of Scripture concerning grace-based giving

2

Their love of money

3

Their lack of trust in God

One concerned Christian asked the pastor of a church she was considering joining: “Is this a grace-based Church or a law-based

church?” The pastor assured them it was grace-based. “Oh thank God,” they replied, “the last church taught us that we had to give one tenth of our money!” “No,” said the pastor, “we would never limit you to just 10 percent, you can give as much as you want!”

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I believe fnancial tithing and giving is one of the most misunderstood principles in Scripture. It’s certainly been one of the most abused. I implore you; please don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater because of ignorance or offence. Allow me to share fve Bible-based truths concerning the principle of tithing. These truths have helped me to allow God to bless me fnancially, and protect me from fnancial manipulation.

1 - The essence of tithing is not law-based but lovebased. I don’t tithe because I have to, but because I love to. One of the most challenging and ofen misunderstood verses in the New Testament is Ephesians 5:26-30:

“… to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body.”14 As Christ loves the Church and gave himself for her, He also feeds and cares for it. Seeking God’s Kingdom frst does not just mean loving 14 - (NLT) 151

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God but loving what He loves, and He passionately loves His Church. As intimated in the last chapter, if we love the Church like He loves her, we would be more willing to protect her, serve her and provide for her. One of Jesus’ core mission statements is, “I will build my Church”.15 If you gave your lifeblood to build your dream home, you would be insane if at the same time you tried to sabotage the builders of it. You would never spend your nights planning to sabotage the work of those you employed to help build it. Then why do we do the same with all of our local churches that Jesus is trying to build? When we love the Church like He does, serving her will not be a social inconvenience, loving her will not be infringement of our rights because we’ve been wronged, giving to her will not be an unreasonable fnancial commitment. The reason why God prospered His people coming out of Egypt was so that they would be able to build the tabernacle not the golden calf. Read Exodus 12:35-36 and 36:2-7.

2 - The essence of tithing is not mathematical but motivational It’s not about giving a tenth but giving your frst.16

15 - Matthew 16:18 16 - See Exodus 13:2 and Exodus 13:12-13 152

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The basic principle of giving your frst fruit or frst born was because it had the power to redeem the rest. In a very real sense, Jesus was God’s tithe, God’s frst fruit. He was born a pure and spotless lamb to redeem every one of us born unclean. When I tithe, I tithe with this thought in mind: “Lord, according to this principle, I am giving you

the frst of my fnances believing, by faith, for you to redeem the rest of my fnances.” This principle is re-emphasised in the book of Malachi. In chapter 3:10 it says:

“‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’” God says, in essence, give me your frst and the devourer will be rebuked from touching the rest. God is afer your heart not your money and He knows to get our hearts He has to touch our treasure because “wherever our treasure is, that’s where our heart is”.17 The classic example of this is seen in Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler.18 Jesus was not afer his money but his heart. When talking about mammon, Jesus was not referring to money itself 17 - Matthew 6:21 18 - Matthew 6:24 153

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but the spirit that rests on it. It’s the love of money that’s the route of all evil, not the money itself. Giving the frst of your fnances to God releases the hold of the spirit of mammon over your life. Greed, worry, and covetousness are all manifestations of the spirit of mammon. It’s no coincidence that the anti-Christ will attempt to dominate people through the use of economics, preventing people buying or selling unless they submit to him. In this way that’s how his evil rule will be based. The spirit of mammon. There is an amazing incident in the life of Abram who tithed to the King of Salem long before the law was given commanding people to tithe. When I read this incident, foods of revelation hit me that produced within me not only a desire to tithe, but an understanding of how much Satan wants to keep us bound to the spirit of mammon which he controls.

Abram gives credit where it’s due “Afer Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High,[a] brought Abram some bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. “And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your 154

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enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered. The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered.” Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.”19 What was Abram doing when offering tithes to Melchizedek, this mysterious parentless individual, in the presence of the King of Sodom? Melchizedek represents the Kingdom of God and the King of Sodom represents the world system of fnance controlled by Satan. The King of Sodom demanded that Abram give him credit for his fnancial prosperity. He demanded that Abram should place all credit for his fnancial provision frmly at his feet. Abram, however, lifed up his hand and declared that his fnancial well being was attributed to the public offering of his tithe to Melchizedek. When I read this, and saw it with new eyes, I realised something that changed my life. I realised tithing my fnances was not just about giving a tenth of my 19 - Genesis 14:17-23 (NLT) 155

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money to God, but also about declaring to the god of this world that he has no right to claim himself as my source or for sustaining me in any way, particularly fnancially. I realised every month it was as if two kings come out to meet me: the King of Sodom and the King of righteousness; The spirit of mammon and the spirit of God. I raise my tithe in the presence of both and say, “I want you to know

devil, the source of my prosperity does not come from you, but from Jesus. This day I make a statement with my tithe of where I put my trust, direct my honour and anchor my heart.” The spirit of mammon will ask you to honour him for the contents of your wage packet. He will attempt to keep you connected to the world economy and disconnect you from God’s economy. The tithe is more than a mathematical equation or religious duty. It is a powerful statement to the devil and the spirit of mammon under his control that “my God shall supply all my need,” 20 and, “the

Lord is my shepherd, therefore, I shall not want.”21 Each month as I give a percentage of my fnances to God, I declare to principalities and powers that I honour God with the frst fruits of my fnances and by faith I believe the rest of my fnances will be protected and blessed. It’s grace shouting louder than the enemy that he has no 20 - Philippians 4:19 21 - Psalm 23:1 156

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part in my life and can take no credit for my fnancial well being. By faith not fear, by love not duty, I honour my king.

3 - The essence of the tithe is not duty but trust Faith is not an intellectual agreement with doctrine. Faith is not agreeing with a scriptural truth. Every time you sit on a chair you act out the principle of trust. Intellectually and mathematically I have no doubt the chair will support my weight but just believing that doesn’t display my trust in the chair to hold my weight. I have to sit on it. The word faith in the Bible goes way beyond mental assent or theological agreement. It involves dependence and demonstration through action. Faith always involves a decision of the will to act upon what the mind believes to be true. Giving the frst of my fnances is an act of my will declaring I don’t just believe God can provide for me, but also that my trust and reliance are upon Him to do so. There are many who give God the credit but not the cash. Please don’t miss this truth though: the essence of the tithe is not about money, it’s about relationship. The well-known tithing Scripture found in Malachi 3:7-10 has been classically preached in such a way as to suggest that if you don’t tithe 157

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you’re a thief and, furthermore, if you don’t tithe, your fnances are cursed. I preached from that viewpoint for many years until I came to the realisation that the cross changed everything. I would preach deliverance from generational curses because of the fnished work of Jesus but somehow was blinded to the fact that because of the cross, I am also delivered from every curse including fnancial ones. Spectacled now with the gospel of the grace of God I studied these verses again and was amazed at what the Lord showed me. Through the lens of law all I read was thief and curse but through the lens of grace I saw return to me and prove me. I began to realise these pleas did not refect the heart of a God commanding duty, but the heart of a God desiring relationship. When appealing to His people, even under the old covenant, God’s language was not military but relational. The tone of the text is not “give me what’s mine or else,” but the cry from a loving God for relationship. You can see it, can’t you, with the choice of words, “return to me,” coupled with a cry from a generous God for trust, found in the term, “prove me”. The question has to be asked; why use money for a basis for indicating our love and trust of Him? Answer: because He knows the power of money to take you away from Him, and because He knows that 158

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worrying about it will stop you trusting Him for it.

God’s not after your money, He’s after your heart I love watching movies and very ofen, when I’m studying the Word, God brings to my mind a movie clip that beautifully illustrates a key point I’m trying to make. While meditating from this revelation a scene from ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ fashed through my mind. On the few occasions I’ve preached this revelation and showed the movie clip, people have been moved to tears afer they realise that through the tithe, God is not afer their money but their hearts. In the movie Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford, was accompanied by his father who was played by Sean Connery. Their mission was to search and fnd the Holy Grail, the cup said to have been used by Jesus at the last supper. For years, the relationship between Indiana and his father had been very strained, bordering on the point of non-existent. Together they team up on this incredible adventure and together they face dangers, disappointments and heartaches until they fnally make it to the place the grail had been hidden. As always, there is a bunch of baddies also afer the grail and the last scene is a big fght-out or shoot-out to claim the prize. In this movie, when all the bad guys have been eliminated during a violent confrontation, the grail was kicked over a precipice and into a bottomless pit. Thinking all was lost and believing all the trials and 159

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hardships were a waste of time, Indiana and his father believed the grail to be forever out of their reach. They took one fnal look into the darkness of the pit, dreaming of what could have been. It’s at that point that they see the grail precariously resting on a small rocky ledge about 15 feet down. “Hold my hand,” Indiana shouts to his father. Firmly held by his father, Indiana is lowered down into the pit. Indiana reaches down to rescue the precious cup only to fnd he couldn’t quite grasp it. His fngers were actually touching the priceless artefact but was unable to grab it with his hands.

“Lower,” he shouts to his father, “lower!” Indiana’s father, understanding the impossibility and impending danger, gently replies to his son, “Indiana, let it go”. Indiana kept reaching out desperately trying to retrieve the grail but his father realised that in order for Indy to gain the grail he would have to loosen the grip he had on his his son. As the scene progresses the penny drops for Indiana too realising he will either lose the grail and stay connected to his dad, or loosen his grip and fall from his dad. Everything in me wants to burst out in song with the theme tune to Frozen so the lead character will hear, but fnally Indiana gets it… the adventure was not about fnding the grail but developing a relationship with his dad. Through all the trials, battles and adventures, that was the real prize. 160

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When I watched that scene the truth of the tithe hit me more forcibly than ever. It’s not about the money, it’s about the relationship. For many the tithe is the grail – they must have it, they must keep it, they feel they can’t live without it. But when you realise it’s not about the tithe, it’s about the relationship, these scriptures in Malachi reveal to us God was not addressing a fnancial problem but a relational one. The Israelites had lost their grip on God in favour of grasping the tithe. A loving God cries out and still does, “return to me… let it go. Stay

connected to me.” What a beautiful picture. That revelation changed my life concerning the principle of the tithe, which leads me to my fnal point.

4 - The essence of tithing is not giving but returning In returning the tithe we’re not giving to God what is ours, but

returning to God what is his. Everything we have is from God. Returning the tithe reminds us of this fact and keeps us humble and connected. Connected and trusting. When you realise that, you will look at the frst fruit of all your income and prefx it with this understanding: “This is not mine.” As we bring this chapter to a close, let me help you with some practical guidelines on how to maintain a healthy grip on God through the tithe. Let me help you take some practical steps to return to Him what is His while release you from the suffocating demands of the spirit of mammon.

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We turn to Deuteronomy 26:12-15 for this practical help.

“When you have fnished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year—the year of tithing—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be flled, then you shall say before the Lord your God: “‘I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me. Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, “a land fowing with milk and honey.”’” These verses give us practical assistance on how to return to God what is His. These are not laws for us in the new covenant but we can use them as a practical tool to break selfshness and the power of mammon over our lives.

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The four ‘Rs’ for keeping a right heart concerning tithing Removal – v13 When your priority is the removal of the frst fruits from your fnances and you return it to God. The statement you could choose to make is: “ This is not mine, I will

not keep it.” Renouncement – v 14 If you don’t remove it, when mourning comes in a fnancial area of your life, the temptation to eat it becomes greater. Very ofen, we treat our holiday savings with more respect than the tithe. Very ofen, the frst thing to be eaten in difficult times is the tithe. The statement you need to aim for is: “This is not mine, so do not eat

it.” Don’t eat your tithe in difficult times; you may be eating your harvest for the future. Reverence – v 14 God refers to the tithe as a Holy thing. Holy, in this sense, means ‘set apart for a designated use’. The statement to help you remember this is: “This is not mine, don’t

abuse it.” 163

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Responsibility The question must be asked, if the tithe is holy and set apart for sacred use, to what has it been set apart for? These Scriptures in Deuteronomy 12:5-8 and v 13 of the same chapter help us.

“Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honoured. There you will bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifces, your tithes, your sacred offerings, your offerings to fulfl a vow, your voluntary offerings, and your offerings of the frstborn animals of your herds and focks. There you and your families will feast in the presence of the Lord your God, and you will rejoice in all you have accomplished because the Lord your God has blessed you. Your pattern of worship will change. Today all of you are doing as you please…” Then, “Be careful not to sacrifce your burnt offerings just anywhere

you like.”22 In these Scriptures God is saying that He has a designated place for the tithe and that place is HIS house, not your house. Deuteronomy 26:13 says “remove it from your house,” and Malachi 3:10 says, “that there may be food in my house” . For me, the local Church, where you have made your home, the place where you 22 - (NLT) 164

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worship and serve and where you are fed, is the designated place for the tithe to be returned to God. In so doing you’re making this statement: “This is not mine, I will not

be irresponsible with it.” For me, in the New Testament, His house is the local Church. This is beautifully expressed in Ephesians.

“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.”23 My prayer for you is that you come to the settled revelation that Grace shouts louder than lack. I share the same sentiment Paul had for the Corinthians when encouraging them to live generously. Just like them, because we are connected to a generous God, giving and receiving based on grace will always overpower the enemy of lack and deliver us to a worry free life.

“Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get 23 - Ephesians 2:19-22 (NLT) 165

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a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty lef over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.”

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Chapter Eight Grace Shouts Louder than Persecution “Thank God for that promise to never leave your or forsake you; that promise to complete the good work he started in you.” The apostle Paul is the New Testament champion of the gospel of the grace of God. He carried its message either by foot or by pen into the darkness of a heathen world. As a result he experienced both the joy and the pain that comes with such a calling. His payment for such a privilege was a double sided coin. Pleasure and persecution. Love and hate. Adoration and aggression. There was a price to pay and Paul embraced the price tag, but not without an honest desire to declare, like Jesus before him in the garden when having to face the brunt of the full force of evil, "I 167

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wish there was another way!"1 In Paul’s own words, expressing the same human response to unrelenting persecution, he reached the ‘pinnacle of human endurance’; in other words, he’d had enough of the abuse. He was brought to the point of begging the Lord to end it. In fact not once or twice but three times, and back came the answer three times – “My

Grace is sufficient for you”. It took a while for Paul to understand and embrace the fact that grace shouts louder than persecution. Resigned to the fact that there is a price to pay to be chosen as a carrier of this wild, liberating message, he leaves us with encouraging words, from 2 Corinthians 12, to help and strengthen us as we face our challenges:

“So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and insults and hardships, persecution and calamities. For when I am weak then I am strong.”2 Paul encourages us to understand that grace shouts louder than persecution. Grace shouts louder than insults. 1 - Matthew 26:39 and 2 Corinthians 12:8 2 - (NKJV) 168

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Grace shouts louder than hardship. In fact, the mind blowing, ego-destroying fact about grace is this: “Its

power works best in our weakness”.3 The classic, ofen quoted, opening line of M. Scott Peck’s book, “A

Road Less Travelled,” asserts something we can all relate to: “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it - then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”4 The problem with that, is that although it is true that we all have troubles, it’s ofen not as easy as simply acknowledging that to disarm its power. Sometimes, for many of us facing calamities and tragedies, even calling it or experiencing ‘persecutions’ seems understated. Sometimes the reality does suck. Sometimes, like the apostle Paul, we wish we were not in it. Yet from the pen of the apostle Paul we fnd the testimony of a man suffering incredible trials and very real persecution who was able to keep going. 3 - 2 Cor 12:8 4 - Published by Arrow; New Ed edition (15 Mar. 1990) 169

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Paul wasn’t suicidal when he penned those well-known words to the Philippians, he just knew that grace shouts louder than his persecution. He said:

“For me living is for Christ and dying is gain, better yet if I live that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don’t know what is better. I’m torn between two desires. Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, but it’s better for you that I live.”5 Wow. The Grace of God not only sustains you in the stuf of life but frees you to be honest about it. But then God has been very honest with us even from the beginning of our Christian walk.

Jesus tells us: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows but take heart because I have overcome the world.”6 Peter diffuses the surprise element of following Jesus with these words:

“Dear friends don’t be surprised at the fery trials you are going through as if something strange were happening to you, instead be very glad because these trials will make you partners with Christ in this suffering and aferward. You will have the wonderful joy of sharing, his glory when it is displayed to the 5 - Philippians 1:20-23 6 - John 16:33 (NLT) 170

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world. Be happy if you are insulted for being a Christian for when the glorious Spirit of God will come upon you I wish the resting presence of the Glory of God would be seen.”7 So persecution, it seems, is part of life. Insults come with your stand for Christ. Tragedy hits because we live in a fallen world. But… light shines all the brighter when it’s surrounded by darkness. When I was about 14 years old, I was part of a gang on the Welsh housing estate where I lived. Entertainment for us on a Saturday afernoon was throwing verbal abuse at the Baptists doing an open-air crusade on the corner of our street. In those days it was a common thing to hold an “open air” on street corners. They sang, we laughed. They preached, we mocked. One Saturday as the Christians were thrown to us teenage lions, something strange happened. Stephen was about our age, standing next to the ‘Jesus Freaks’, playing his trumpet. For us this was even better fun. He looked ridiculous standing there red-faced. We didn’t know whether his face was red because of embarrassment or because of the effort needed to make such a horrible noise. 7 - 1 Peter 4:12-14 (NLT) 171

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The viciousness of our abuse was now focused. Stephen was going to get it all. The strange thing was, even though Stephen looked ridiculous, even though he may have been embarrassed, even though our abuse was directed at him alone, he shone! There was something about him that demanded respect; something about Stephen that day touched me, moved me, and convicted me. I know now it was the glory of God resting upon the insulted. The grace of God, strong through weakness. In Hebrews 12 a tremendous picture is painted to give us a focus in our own trials. Written initially for those from a culture that prized sporting prowess and athleticism, a picture is painted of an arena, and a race taking place. It says:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip of every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become

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weary and give up.”8 Jesus is our ultimate example of endurance, but the writer to the Hebrews also includes the added description of the crowd of witnesses shouting encouragement. In fact verse one tells us there is a huge crowd of them. We are told they are witnesses to the life of faith. They stand in heaven shouting their encouragement to us as we face our trials, as we bury our heads in our hands during seasons of unbearable pain, voicing our desire to God that we want out. What are they shouting to us? What would Abel and Abraham and Moses and David say to you, if they stood right beside you at this moment? Perhaps you consider this to be one of the the worst seasons of your life - what are they witnesses of and could they have something to say to you? I believe each and every one of them would put their arms around your shoulders and, with a voice so full of conviction, would lovingly say:

“We made it... and so can you! “He was faithful to us He will be just as faithful to you. “Don’t give up. Don’t turn back. His Grace truly is sufficient for you.” These three statements describe the Christian life in stark reality. 8 - Hebrews 12:1-4 (NLT) 173

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It’s not a clinical list of advice from people who have never been where you are, but the voices of real, imperfect, fawed humans, who kept living by faith even when their feelings told them it’s madness. These are people trusting God when every evidence of His presence is gone. People like us: frail, weak, unfaithful, doubters, believing in a God who loves unconditionally and fnishes what He starts. Abel would shout, “obey God whatever the cost - even if it costs your

life.” Abraham would join in and say, “follow God wherever he leads.” Samson would say, with tears running down his face, “you’ve never

failed too much for God to use you,” and on and on we could go. Perhaps this is what Saul experienced when witnessing the execution of Stephen. Perhaps the seed of God’s grace was planted in his heart as he witnessed the tangible, presence of God in weakness. When Paul exhorts us to actually celebrate our weakness, knowing it attracts the grace of God like iron flings to a magnet, he was voicing the agreement with James, the brother of Jesus when he penned these words:

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and complete, lacking nothing.”9

We’ve all been hit son... Knowing that life is hard for all of us, knowing that we all have to deal with insults, persecution, calamities and hardship, bands us together in spirit camaraderie. To know this stuf is not only happening to us can be so uplifing. In the movie Black Hawk Down, a flm about an incident in a Somalian war, a vehicle flled with American soldiers lurched to a stop in the middle of a street where Somalian bullets were fying everywhere. The officer in charge screams the command to a wounded soldier to

“get in and drive”. The panic-stricken, pain-flled soldier screamed at him, “I’ve been hit

sir…” The officer screamed back, “we’ve all been hit son, now drive!” That’s the story of us all. We’ve all been hit. We’ve all been betrayed. We’ve all been insulted, but with God’s amazing grace we can keep on going anyway. The reason for our problems in life are sourced from fve areas: People, the world, circumstances, ourselves and Satan. Regardless of the 9 - James 1:3-4 (NKJV) 175

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source, however, they are the very materials God uses to perfect us. When you see it from that perspective you will be able to face them with joy.

Heroic past words, shaping our future Let’s remember again those three verses from Hebrews. There is so much encouragement for the battle weary in these verses. I love the fact we are surrounded by witnesses who can testify to the fact that grace shouts louder and that one day, if we persevere, we will join them. Their words of encouragement echo even still. Throughout the epochs of time the last words spoken in the face of insurmountable odds and tragedy have rearranged the course of history. From the fnal heroic defant shout of freedom through the lips of a half-dead Scottish warrior called William Wallace, and the soul-stirring prophetic words of “I have a dream”, from a young black pastor shortly before his assassination, to the haunting words of a condemned man to his executioners, “Father forgive them”. History, and in fact the Bible, is full of such language. It is the language of heroes all witnessing and testifying to the fact His grace is sufficient. “Be it done according to Your word,” spoken by a young Jewish girl may not sound all that brave, but when you consider it came from the mouth of an unmarried teenager growing up in a culture where being pregnant before a wedding warranted the death penalty, and that it was the response of this young woman afer 176

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discovering she was the person chosen to be the mother of Jesus, it is a statement loaded with courage.10 And who can forget the courageous words of another young woman called Esther who declared, “If I

perish, I perish,” putting her life on the line to save her nation. 11 You cannot fail to be inspired and strengthened by such sentiment. Now, garrisoned by the revelation of the power of grace and those who have gone before us demonstrating it, we need to hear such language in the Church again. The grace of God, far from being some passive, insipid excuse for a comfortable life, actually restores the backbone of a pampered Church. The language of grace is not emotional but intentional. It’s not based on circumstance but conviction. It’s not based on our safety but His glory. In fact, when you really study the lives of those Heavenly witnesses as someone preached once, “such language has a smack of insanity to it.”

Crazy little thing called love Recorded in scripture is the history of people who acted as if though they were insane.

10 - Luke 1:38 11 - Esther 4:16 177

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God continually called them to carry this outrageous message of love, to believe Him when they could not see, to become people they didn’t think they were, to accomplish feats that were clearly beyond their abilities and ofen asked them to do things that defed reason. On top of that He would hold them responsible for it, proof, if it were needed, that God will never ask you to do something His grace is unable to equip you for. All of this is only possible because grace shouts louder and because grace thrives in an atmosphere of weakness and apparent insanity. The pages of Scriptures also record for us the decisions and exploits of seemingly irrational people. When Noah built an ark he didn’t live in a food zone. When Elijah called fre down from Heaven and Peter walked on water it was a frst time for both. If obeying God is rational and always reasonable then David should have lef Goliath alone, Hosea should never have married a prostitute, and Moses would never have thought to lif his staf to point it at the Red Sea. And that’s before we ponder what Peter’s friends must have thought to his plans to get his tax money. All these stories and more support and testify to the fact His strength is made perfect in weakness. His grace shouts louder than giants, obstacles, rejection, lack or 178

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persecution. People who prove on a daily basis that His grace is sufficient do not live normal lives. Their actions are sometimes viewed as ludicrous. Anyone who risks listening to God, following His voice and trusts the power of His grace knows that everyone else, deaf to His voice and trusting in their own strength, will think they’ve gone crazy. Trusting the sufficiency of grace may cause you to confuse many bewildered friends and family, but the voice of grace will be deafening in their ears. Some people say “the safest place is in the will of God” ; tell that to Stephen, who was stoned afer his frst sermon, or Matthew who was stabbed to death in Persia, or to Mark and Thomas who were torn apart by horses. Luke was hanged, Peter, Philip and Simon were crucifed, Bartholomew was skinned alive and Mattias and Paul were beheaded. I don’t say that to scare you but to demonstrate that the voice of Grace does not cause you to live a self-gratifying life, but a God-glorifying one. Whatever you’re doing right now, whatever voice is intimidating you and encouraging you to give up, turn around and go back, listen instead and be encouraged by the cheers of those who have gone before, by the heroes who have faced and paid with the ultimate sacrifce, and realise grace shouts louder, even louder than persecution.

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ran his race, it was the Apostle Paul. If anyone demonstrated the deafening voice of grace in the face of persecution it was him; if he was to come alongside you in your trench, as the enemy artillery is whistling over your head and exploding just feet away from you, he would whisper in your ear, empowered by the voice of experience of trusting the power of grace. He would instil courage in you afresh by reminding you not to let what’s happening around you get inside you. He would challenge you to stick to your stance so as to never stop being who you really are. He would chasten you to not let the devil get under your skin. He would, above all else, pray alongside you so that your heart would be rooted and established in grace. Looking back on his life, I believe Paul would admit that in his war with the devil it wasn’t the plans to break his skin through persecution that proved the biggest enemy to him overcoming, it was the enemy’s desire to get under his skin causing frustration. In order to begin his assault and to attempt to get under your skin, Satan pulls out of the arsenal one of his most subtle and underestimated weapons aimed at frustrating us - his strategy to hinder. In 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18 it says:

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hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us.”12 That little phrase, “but Satan prevented us…” is small but powerful. Paul told the Thessalonians of his desire and plans to visit them in order to be a blessing, but Satan continually threw a spanner in the works to frustrate those plans. A piece of dirt in your eye doesn’t take away your sight, but for a season it hinders your vision. A sore throat doesn’t take away your ability to speak but hinders your desire to do so because of the pain that occurs. A blister on your foot doesn’t stop you walking, but can hinder your pace. Satan effectively uses his power to hinder by attacking your heart with irritation, frustration and exasperation. He can’t stop you walking in your destiny, so he attempts to blister your feet to slow you down. He can’t stop you speaking boldly for Jesus but will try to cause pain emotionally, mentally or even physically as a result of doing so. He can’t stop you pursuing your dream, so he will attempt to splinter 12 - (NLT) 181

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your eye so you feel disorientated. To live in ignorance of the strategy to hinder through irritation, frustration, and exasperation, is like walking into the stadium of a derby football match not realising you’re wearing the away team’s colours and then sitting with the home crowd. You’re courting trouble even if you can’t see it coming.

Grace shouts louder than internal conflict Jesus asleep on a boat in a storm is a visual demonstration on how to defeat the devil when attacked by hindrance. Jesus’ desire for his disciples that day, as the thought of drowning flled their minds, was not to still the storm going on externally but to calm the one going on internally. How many gifed people, flled with supernatural resource and able to empower others, have been hindered by the devil due to failing to guard their heart? By failing to deal with the storm on the inside, they have allowed their hearts to be dominated by irritation, frustration and exasperation. They’ve allowed the devil to get under their skin. Learn the lesson, you may not be able to control what happens to you, or around you, but with the power of grace you can control what happens inside you. There is a story I heard once about a shop owner who was approached by a massive chain store and asked if he would sell his business so they could build a megastore on the very land which his shop was built. He 182

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fatly refused because the shop had been a family business for generations. As much as they tried, the megastore owners couldn’t make the shop owner change his resolve. So they built their megastore around his shop. On opening day the mega store stretched a banner across the frontage saying ‘Grand Opening Today’. The small shop owner placed a sign on his door saying ‘main entrance’. Jealousy, bitterness, pride, revenge, self-pity and despair are all internal responses Satan desires to arouse within us, to cause us irritation, frustration and exasperation. His sole purpose in his attack is to hinder you. Whatever is happening to you or around you, don’t stop being who you are. One saint is reported to have said to his executioner:

“Your weapon against me is to kill me; my weapon against you is to die.” The story of your life is the story of a long brutal attack on your heart, by the one who knows what you could be and it terrifes him.

From wrong turn to revival - from detour to destiny If we look again at the Apostle Paul as an example we learn that we can defeat the devil using his own tactics, raising the megaphone to our lips declaring loudly, “grace shouts louder than persecution!” Acts 27 records Paul’s trip to Rome. It was his destiny; he had been given a promise by God that he would stand before Caesar and present this gospel of God’s grace. As far as Paul was concerned, it was locked in, it was a done deal. In relation to Paul’s personal destiny it had already been written in the book of days.

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Psalm 139:16 says: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life

was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”13 Nothing could stop it coming to pass, but as seen in Acts 27, it could be hindered. Satan used every instrument at hand to prevent Paul fulflling his predestined assignment. He destroyed his means of transport; he attempted to drown him in open sea; he used the Roman guards to attempt his murder; he even used a snake to infect him with poisonous venom. On top of all that he detoured him to a place far away from his intended destination. All this was designed to irritate, frustrate and exasperate Paul. All this was designed to get under his skin, to get to his heart, to get Paul to question his calling, God’s divine protection and God’s unfailing love. But Paul, throughout this whole terrible ordeal, demonstrated the power of grace. He demonstrated the fact that grace shouts louder than persecution. Through the power of grace, Paul leaves us with the most incredible testimony. Satan may have been able to get to his world but he was unable to get to his heart. He could not stop Paul being the man of God that he was. 13 - (NLT) 184

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Instead of despising them, Paul helped the soldiers that were going to kill him. Instead of lying down to his fate, he kept serving afer a snake bite and, when he could have easily written-of his detour destination, he turned his wrong-turning into a place of revival. What possibly would have frustrated the devil the most was that Paul didn’t complain to God about his shipwreck, but thanked God for the plank that kept him afoat. Friends, don’t give up, instead turn the tables on Satan as he tries to hinder you, through means of persecution, shipwrecked plans, snake bites, betrayal and delayed detours. Irritate him, frustrate him, and exasperate him by thanking God for the plank that’s keeping you afoat. When he wants you to focus on what’s gone wrong, cling to, and thank God for what’s still going right. Satan may have got to your world but never allow him to get to your heart. You may be foating in an open sea right now wondering what just happened, well thank God for that plank. Thank God for that promise to never leave your or forsake you; that promise to complete the good work he started in you. In all things give thanks and wherever you end up for a season, even if it seems way off course from your intended destination, turn that place of detour into a place of revival.

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Never stop being who you are Pray for those who hurt you. Serve God despite that snake bite of false accusation, the object of jealousy or disappointment. Nelson Mandela spent over 20 years in a South African prison. They took away his liberty, his dignity, his reputation and his infuence. Robben Island was not his destination; he was destined for the Government Headquarters in Pretoria. That dream was severely hindered, but one thing they could never take away – his belief in who he was: the leader of a new South Africa. If Mandela hadn’t guarded his heart from revenge, bitterness and unforgiveness, it would never have happened. Forgiveness does not excuse your persecutors’ behaviour, it simply prevents them from polluting your heart. At the end of the famous movie, The Greatest Story Ever Told , the very same flm where I frst realised I needed Jesus as my saviour, there’s a scene where John Wayne, playing a Roman centurion, watches the crucifxion of Jesus before concluding the movie with the words, “Surely this must have been the son of God.” Despite it being born in the studios of Hollywood the epic feature flm actually reports the exact words from Matthew 27:54. Something must have happened in the heart of that hardened Roman Centurion, 2000 years ago, as he gazed up at the man skewered to the centre cross. He had probably heard this Nazarene preach. Perhaps even one of his friends had been healed by his hand, but it was neither of those things that was the convincing factor of Jesus’ authority. Jesus 186

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remained who He was in the face of persecution and death. From Calvary’s hill, grace reached maximum volume. All creation joined in the song: grace shouts louder than persecution. It was “Father, forgive them”14 that melted his heart. It was “into Your

hands I commit my spirit,” 15 that convinced him. Never underestimate the power of authenticity in the face of persecution. Whatever is happening to you, or around you, never let it get under you. Live in forgiveness not revenge, purpose not compromise, love and not bitterness, and you will always frustrate the devil’s plan to frustrate you.

It’s not who you are but what you carry... In writing to the Romans, Paul gives us the reason for Satan’s persistence in this unrelenting passion to hinder us; he fears what we are carrying. Let me explain with this illustration from nature. Have you ever noticed that we can learn so much about God’s dealings with us from creation? The life cycle of the salmon holds incredible truth in relation to hell’s pursuit of us to hinder our destiny. The miraculous return of the salmon to their place of birth afer a lifetime at sea, baffles scientists and remains one of nature’s wonders. Full of eggs for the next generation they battle hundreds of miles of upstream swimming. They journey over large rapids and seemingly 14 - Luke 23:34 15 - Luke 23:46 (KJV) 187

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impossible waterfalls to reach the place where their eggs would be laid. Then, destiny completed, they die. On their perilous journey the biggest threat to fulflling that destiny are the bears. They wait, claws extended, for the salmon. But the tenacious fsh use all their effort to haul themselves over the torrents of rushing water with many making it all the way. Of the ones who don’t make it, the bears fork them with their deadly spikes, take one deep bite into their bodies and throw the macerated carcass to one side. Why don’t they eat the rest of their kill? Because they’re only afer the eggs. In his attacks against us, Satan’s not really interested in us, but he is interested in what we are carrying. Eggs for the next generation. Paul in writing to the Romans authenticates this truth with these words.

“And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; and those who have not heard shall understand.” For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you.”16 Figuratively speaking, Paul was full of eggs. Wherever he went there were signs, wonders, the gospel of grace and a passion to reach the lost.

16 - Romans 15:20-22 (NKJV) 188

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In verse 22, it’s almost as though he has a revelation when he declares,

“for this reason I have been much hindered”. It’s like he thought, “he’s afer the eggs I’m carrying!” The power of the gospel of the grace of God is what Satan fears the most. Paul leaves us in no doubt... “I’m not surprised I’m constantly

persecuted and hunted by the devil because I know the reason... He fears another generation of radical grace-carriers that will be produced as a result of me laying these eggs in his territory.” Persecution, hardship, insults and calamities can be embraced when you know why Satan fears what you’re carrying. He’s fearful of who you are. Keep swimming through the rushing torrent of sin, and the words of the devil that try to resist your purpose, push you back and steal your eggs. The next generation depends on it. In the movie Amadeus, a flm about the life of Mozart, there is a scene that explains it all for me. Mozart is a brilliant but struggling composer. His wife, desperate to help her husband succeed in providing for his family, approaches a wealthy contemporary composer called Salieri, and asks him to employ her husband. She hands him one of Mozart’s recent manuscripts. Salieri scans the manuscript with his trained eye and amazement rises within him as he plays its genius in his head.

“Are these the originals?” he asks Mozart’s wife. 189

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“They are,” she replied. Salieri gazes at the printed music one more time and realises that there are absolutely no alterations. Mozart had written it as he’d heard it without one mistake. It was a work of pure genius. He looks up, and asks to be excused. He walks into his study, grabs a crucifx from the wall, raises the manuscript and with jealousy in his voice turns to God and says, “from now on you and I are enemies, because you chose him to write such beauty I will hinder and harm your creature here on earth and as far as I’m able I will ruin your incarnation.” History records that in spite of Salieri’s vicious attempts to destroy and discredit Mozart’s genius, and his passion to rip out the eggs of masterpieces destined to bless generations, grace shouted louder, and millions over the centuries have been inspired because Mozart refused to stop swimming. I want to fnish this chapter with the ultimate evidence that grace shouts louder than persecution by including the story of Paul in prison. What did he do when not just faced with, but bound by persecution? He sang, and he thanked God.

“Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately few open, and the

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chains of every prisoner fell of!”17 When you allow grace to shout louder than even the chains of your situation freedom is the end result. If you want the chains of persecution to fall of, to have the restrictions of your trials rendered useless, to have doors open that have previously been closed… stir up that song in your heart and let grace shout louder!

17 - Acts 16:25-26 (NLT) 191

Chapter Nine Grace Shouts Louder than Judgement “In the New Covenant, grace paid the penalty for us — so grace shouts louder than judgement.” I was generally a good kid in school. I wanted everyone to like me, especially the teachers, so I tried my best to stay out of trouble. One day, trouble found me. Thanks to my mischief-making younger brother I found myself sitting outside the headmaster’s room awaiting punishment. I was terrifed. In my day, caning was thought to be the best way to keep school terrorists, like myself, in check. The headmaster used a very thin wispy cane that stung like a bee when it was directed at the palm of your hand. Depending on his mood that day it was either 192

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on the palm of the hand, the knuckles or, as he ofen told us, the place on a child’s body God designed for the cane. As I sat there looking at the door, knowing I was guilty, awaiting my justifed punishment, the fear of my anticipated caning was unbearable. How many believers live their whole lives this side of eternity like that, living with the fear of punishment? That every sin, every mistake, every failure for the believer, has been recorded and logged so one day they will step through the doors of eternity and face the big headmaster in the sky to receive their justifed punishment. The Apostle John addresses this problem and provides us with the reason many believers live in such a dreadful way:

“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confdence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”1

Seeing is believing It’s like the blind man who needed a second touch from Jesus in Mark chapter 8. He was healed from his blindness but needed a second touch from Jesus to now see clearly. I believe a whole host of believers need the same thing to happen to 1 - 1 John 4:17-18 (NLT) 193

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them. The blind man could see, but he needed a second touch. Seeing but not seeing is a common problem. Christians see that Jesus carried their sins but they still don’t see themselves as righteous. Christians see Jesus become poor that they might become rich, but still have a problem with God being generous to them. Christians see that there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus, but still live with a nagging sense of guilt and fear, believing judgement awaits them because of their imperfect Christian lives. And because behaviour follows belief, their whole lives are spent trying to appease an angry God. I heard something recently that illustrates well the human default setting of believing that judgement must come, and that our imperfection should equate to judgement and not God’s love. The story goes that a missionary couple had moved to a remote area in Africa and, with help from local tribes, had begun learning the very complex language. Trying to get to grips with how words came together the man started noticing a pattern where changing a vowel at the end of a word completely changed it’s meaning.

“Almost every verb ends in i, a, or u. But the word for 'love' was only found with i and a. Why no u?,” the missionary asked the leaders who were helping him. 194

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Wondering if they were both understanding love in different ways the missionary began to question them.

“Could you dvi your wife?” “Yes,” they answered, “that would mean that the wife had been loved, but the love was gone.” “Could you dva your wife?” “Yes,” they responded, “that kind of love depends on the wife’s actions. She would be loved as long as she remained faithful and took good care of her husband.” “Could you dvu your wife?” Everyone laughed.

“Of course not!” they replied. “If you said that, you would have to keep loving your wife no matter what she did, even if she never got you water and never made you meals. Even if she committed adultery, you would have to just keep on loving her. No, we would never say dvu. It just doesn’t exist.”2 When I heard this, which comes from actual missionary transcripts, it confrmed to me that human beings have an instinct that tells them they need to earn love. This instinct tells them that if they fail in any 2 - Illustration taken from American missionary journal, cited: http://usa.ntm.org/mission-news/52145/the-question-that-madethem-laugh 195

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way they, in turn, don’t deserve to be loved, or do deserve a punishment. But thank God, Grace shouts louder than judgement. As you think on that, can you see yourself? I can. For years I lived like that with an ‘earn this’ mentality. I lived with a debtor’s ethic, trying to repay with my service something that had already been paid. But Ray, doesn’t it say, “work out your salvation with fear and

trembling?”3 Absolutely. So then why do so many read that verse with the same confusion they have for 1 John 4:17? Listen to this:

“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confdence because we live like Jesus here in this world.” And then from Philippians 2:12-13:

“Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” It doesn’t say work for your salvation. To work for your salvation 3 - Philippians 2:12 (NLT) 196

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implies a merit-based system that can be attained if you reach a certain standard. It doesn’t say work at your salvation, implying it’s imperfect and there is something you must do to perfect it. To have a correct understanding we need to look at another verse. If the assurance of my salvation depends on my faithfulness, my love, my commitment, I would have reason to worry and fear. The Ephesian Church had the same problem as the blind man who needed a second touch. They could see, but they couldn’t see. They were saved, born again, but Paul prayed for a second touch of revelation. He prayed their spiritual eyes would be opened. They could see something of God’s grace, generosity, goodness and love but they needed clearer sight. Paul prayed the eyes of their understanding be opened to see what had been already accomplished through the fnished work of Christ: 1.

the hope of their calling not the fear of their judgement,

2.

the riches of their inheritance not their works of merit,

3.

the exceeding greatness of His power at work within them not a list of disciplines that had to be performed to perfect their salvation.

But above all, Paul shared the same passion as the Apostle John, as seen in 1 John 4. He prayed their eyes would be opened concerning 197

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God’s love:

“Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”4 Many believers see that God loves them but need a second touch to really see and understand that they can’t earn it. The difference between law and grace is punishment. The commands of the law come with a penalty attached. In the New Covenant, grace paid the penalty for us — so grace shouts louder than judgement. If we are afraid John tells the believers, “it is for fear of judgement…” Why? because it shows that his love has not been perfected in us. The one adjective that takes my breath away when describing God’s love is ‘unconditional’. While reading 1 Corinthians 13 one day God opened my eyes to see something that was so obvious yet I’d been missing it because I was reading with the wrong glasses. It was the love chapter, you know the one that always fnds its way into wedding addresses or men’s meetings. It’s the one where husbands are challenged to love their wives with His criteria and you end up leaving such meetings thinking;

“you got me, God, with love is patient, so how on earth can I do all 4 - Ephesians 3: 17-19 (NLT) 198

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that?” Well, that’s certainly how I had always read this chapter. It was like a standard of love had been set out and we have to reach it. In our love relationships with one another, if this is used in a demanding way, which it ofen is, it can leave the husband, wife, parent, friend and child feeling totally inadequate and defeated. This love chapter, when read through the grid of our faithfulness and our attempt to generate such a standard of affection, kills us in our tracks. However, it all changes when you understand that 1 Corinthians 13 is not a love that God demands from us but a description of a love He gives to us. When you realise His love is patient, kind, long suffering and, above all, keeps no record of wrongs, it will revitalise your life. It was this revelation that Paul prayed the Ephesians would catch and John the Apostle hoped to impart to the believers he was writing to. If you don’t have a revelation of the depth of God’s love for you, you will live your life sitting outside the headmaster’s door in constant fear of judgement.

Grace shouts louder than the accuser I read this story some time ago and wanted to share it with you now. There was once a youngster shooting ducks with a slingshot but he could never hit his target. As he returned to his Grandma’s backyard, 199

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he spied her pet duck. On impulse he took aim and let fy. The stone hit and the duck was dead. The boy panicked and hid the bird in the woodpile only to look up to see his sister watching. Afer lunch, Grandma told Sally to help with the dishes. Sally replied,

“Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn’t you Johnny?” She whispered to him, “remember the duck”. So Johnny did the dishes. What choice did he have? For the next few weeks he was at the sink ofen - sometimes for his duty, sometimes for his sin.

“Remember the duck,” Sally whispered. When he objected because he was so worn out from all the chores, he decided any punishment would be better than washing more dishes, so he confessed to killing the duck. “I know Johnny,” his grandma said, giving him a hug. “I was standing at the window and saw the

whole thing. Because I love you, I have already forgiven you. I was wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave out of you.” 5 Johnny had been pardoned but he thought he was guilty. Why had he listened to the words of his accuser? How long are you going to allow Satan to make a slave out of you? He paces back and forth Heaven’s judgement bench day and night, accusing you of sins committed as a believer. He arrogantly struts before God accusing you by name, demanding justice, reminding God of his own law, whispering, “The soul that sins must die.” 5 - Taken from Grip of Grace – Max Lucado 200

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God actually agrees with our prosecutor but throws a spanner in works by declaring, “but in this case a death has been executed. My

justice has been satisfed, their debt has been paid. So, therefore, for them there is now no condemnation. Case dismissed.” Your goodness cannot earn God’s love neither can your badness lose it. While studying at home once, my son, who was then about fve or six, just burst into my study and asked for money for an ice cream. Without a single thought of, “how dare you just barge in here

unannounced,” I gave him what he requested. “Thanks Dad!” With a smile on his face lef the room. As he walked out, I heard my Heavenly father whispered to me:

“Why can’t you be like that with me? Ray, as one father to another one, how would you have felt if your son stood outside your study, knowing what he was about to ask for and stood there anxious as to how you would respond. “How would you feel, if he started crawling on his face towards you continually demeaning himself and recounting and repenting over every sin and failure he felt he’d committed that day? “When he arrived at your feet, still grovelling, and terrifed, vocalising his request, while at the same time covering his head with his arm to protect himself from an anticipated blow from 201

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an angry dad because he had the nerve to even think he deserved anything afer the way he’d behaved. How would you feel as a dad Ray, if your son approached you with his request for money for an ice cream with an expectancy of judgement based on his bad performance that day?” In my heart I responded in a way any father would, who loved his son and wanted to bless him. “I would feel terrible Lord,” I said.

“Then now you know how I feel when my children come before me like that. Go tell my children that they can come boldly to my throne of grace to obtain mercy and fnd grace to help in time of need. Why? Because grace shouts louder than judgement.” I recall a funny story about a burglar who broke into a house. While he was in the act of removing the DVD player, he heard a voice coming from a dark corner of the room.

“Jesus is watching you…” He froze, looked around, and wondered where the voice had come from. He waited a while, thinking perhaps he had imagined it and carried on with the crime. Once again, out of the blackness came the spine-chilling warning, “Jesus is watching you”. He swung himself around and shone his torch into the darkness, only to fnd a parrot in a cage staring back at him. The burglar started to 202

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laugh, “it’s only a parrot,” he thought and then for some reason asked the parrot his name. To his surprise, the parrot replied, “My name is Moses”. He laughed again and said, “who in their right mind would call a

parrot Moses?” The parrot replied, “the same people who named their Rottweiler

Jesus!” How many see Jesus like the Rottweiler in the corner ready to pounce in judgement when we sin or fail?

“But Ray,” I hear some of you say, “if we don’t feel guilty when we sin, how can we change? How can we repent? Not only that, but hasn’t the Holy Spirit been given to us to convince us of our sins as believers?” Because of our built-in tendency and bias toward guilt and condemnation, our deceived emotions support that doctrinal lie. Even though we know we should walk under a banner of no condemnation, the negative gravitational pull insists we do. To shackle us even more, we are told by well-meaning sincere believers, who are just as enslaved as we are, that we should know better and it makes things even worse! So when problems come, sickness attacks, tragedy strikes, we hang our heads in shame actually believing we deserve it. Before long it’s on to the treadmill of guilt-based repentance we go, to earn our way back into God’s favour. 203

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I know afer attending many men’s meetings that I’ve come away feeling totally rottweiler-ed. Bashed about not being the husband I should be, drilled about the evils of masturbation and reminded continually about the awful tendency I have as a male to lust over anything in a skirt. I came away believing Jesus is a Rottweiler and I am a selfsh pervert. The Gospel is good news not only for unbelievers but especially for believers who need to know that condemnation is not from God. A believer in Jesus should never feel condemned, even when they fail or sin. Ashamed but never condemned. Chastened but never judged. Failed but always forgiven. Disappointed in ourselves but always loved by God. The difference between a believer who sins and a non-believer who sins is the difference between a lamb falling into mud and a pig falling in mud. A pig wallows in it, a lamb cries in it. You’re not a convict, you’re a free man. The word convict actually means "to pass judgement awaiting sentence". When you give some thought to that, you have to come to the conclusion that is far from the Holy Spirit’s role in the life of the believer. I hear many say, and I’ve preached it myself, that the Holy Spirit is in our lives to convict us of our sin to keep us in line. I now understand that to be a distortion of truth. Religion teaches that, tradition teaches that, but the Bible doesn’t. The best authority as to the function of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life is Jesus. His words should have fnal authority and He leaves us in no doubt as to the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives with his explanation in John 16:7-14: 204

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"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you."6 According to these verses, the prevailing thought which we are encouraged to understand is that the Holy Spirit convicts the unbeliever of sin and constantly works to convince the believer of their righteousness in Christ. Satan has done an expert job of keeping Christians preoccupied with the thing that God has dealt with once for all: Sin, and kept us ignorant of the thing God wants us to be preoccupied with: Christ in us. He is our helper not our jailer. Our comforter not our convictor. 6 - NKJV 205

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Our guide not our executioner. Rationale tells us if the Holy Spirit is our convictor and Jesus is our advocate they are working against each other but according to 1 John 5:7-8 they are eternally agreed:

"For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one."7 I know it blows our mind - it’s intended to. We are forgiven without conditions. "But Ray, you can’t say there are no consequences when

believers sin!" Well I’m not saying that, I’m saying there’s no judgement. Never confuse the law of consequence with the judgement of God. The story of the prodigal son wonderfully illustrates this. When the prodigal was wallowing in the stench of the pig pen, was he experiencing the law of consequence or the judgement of the father? Did the prodigal stop being a son to the father even in the pig sty? Of course not. The robe, ring and shoes; were they replacements or the originals? The prodigal didn’t earn the Father’s forgiveness, he responded to it. This story serves as a continual reminder – grace shouts louder than judgement. Repentance is not what you do to earn forgiveness; it’s the result and response to forgiveness. But, I hear many of you say, you’re 7 - NKJV 206

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teaching all the grace and goodness and good news. What about holiness, repentance and the fear of God? My answer to that is I’m not commanded to plant fruit, but seed. Any farmer knows you don’t plant fruit to produce fruit, you plant seed. I want my church to be fruitful in repentance, fruitful in holiness and fruitful in the worship of God. So, in order for me as a pastor to produce such a harvest, I have to plant the right seed. To produce the fruit of repentance, I plant the seed of the goodness of God, because it’s the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. To produce the fruit of holiness, I plant the seed of grace because it’s the grace of God that teaches me to say no to ungodliness. To produce the fruit of worship I preach the gospel because that and that alone is the power of God unto Salvation. The most effective weapon Satan has to enslave Christians is not temptation but accusation. Because of His fnished work Jesus declares ‘you’re not guilty’, he remembers your sins no more. His love keeps no record of wrongs. Remember the story I told you in Grace Shouts Louder than Lack, about Eve? When it was as if God was saying to Eve, “yes Eve, you

have sinned , you have given the devil an open door for him to bring destruction and death to my beautiful creation. Yes, your failure has consequences that will affect Heaven and earth, but I promise out of all this good will come. There is something coming from your womb 207

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that will compensate for all the disaster and pain of your fall. There is something coming from your womb that will cause the devil to regret the day he ever approached you in the garden”. I want to call that to your attention one more time because, aside from when I mentioned it previously, it also powerfully goes to show that grace shouts louder than judgement. But remember Eve had to not only deal with the consequences of her own rebellion but she also had to navigate the turmoil of being mother to a son who killed his own brother. Watch this and be awed. In Genesis 4:1-2 God writes down the genealogy of Eve which included Cain and Able, but in Geneses 5:1-3 it’s as if God is rewriting Eve’s own story. Let’s look:

“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”8 And then in the later passage:

“This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created 8 - Gen 4:1-2 NKJV 208

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them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, afer his image, and named him Seth.”9 It begins... “This is the genealogy…”

“But God you wrote down the genealogy in Chapter 4 – you can’t do something as radical as rewriting that!” “Oh yes I can! I’m God; I can do what I like... This is the genealogy of Adam…” According to these verses the genealogy of Eve did not fnish with the tragedy of Cain and Able but, from Heaven’s perspective, it started with Seth. When Eve’s critics would rise up and remind her of her failure she would hold up Seth and declare ‘my genealogy is not

seeded on the consequences of my failure but begins with God’s grace.’ Because Grace shouts louder than judgement. Seth means ‘compensation’, and the defnition of compensation is

“payment made as reparation for loss or injury; the act of making amends for something.” Wow! That’s grace in its essence. When we were still sinners Christ paid the price. He made the payment to repair the damage. His act of love amended our sinful history, past, present and future. My genealogy does not end with failure it begins with His 9 - Gen 5:1-3 NKJV 209

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grace. Some of you feel like Eve as you read those words. You’re standing in the middle of a war zone created by your own choices wondering if any good can come out of this? There’s a pain that stabs in your heart when you think of all the people you’ve hurt because of your choices. Or maybe it’s a hopelessness you feel because you can’t turn back the clock and undo the mess, or shame because, like Eve, the consequences of your failure are dancing on a stage entertaining your critics. But in it we have a God who sees… He sees a repentant heart. He sees a heart that desires change. He sees a grateful heart. He sees a heart that responds to His amazing grace. Be encouraged that you too can hold your “Seth” in your arms, because someone has paid the price, caused by your sin. Right now stop wallowing in guilt and condemnation, open your mouth and declare to yourself, the devil and all the other fnger-pointers:

“My genealogy starts here because of His grace! “Not only have I been forgiven for my sin but as far as Heaven is concerned, God has cancelled out any record that it happened!” God kept His promise to Eve and made a declaration in writing for 210

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you to know He will do the same for you. Check this amazing Scripture out. Ofen when I come to boring genealogy records in Scripture I turn the page, that’s what I normally do when reading Jesus genealogy in Luke Chapter 3. But here it is in its entirety and note my emphasis. It’s taken from the New King James Version (Luke 3:23-38):

“The Genealogy of Jesus Christ “Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, the son of Joannas,the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,the son of Judah, the son of 211

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Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.” Where are Cain and Abel? Where is the record of Eve’s wrong? It’s not there! You know why? Love keeps no record of wrongs. Is it any wonder it was Paul’s priority for the Ephesians? Is it any wonder John felt it was a priority that his readers understood the key to living as believers, without that crushing sense of guilt and the fear of judgement, was to understand this amazing love keeps no record of wrongs? There’s no DVD in Heaven of the history of your sins and failure as a believer. There’s no angry headmaster waiting beyond the door of your life on earth. There’s no condemning judgement for the behaviour or a

“depart from me I never knew you”. Why? Grace shouts louder than judgement. I love this story taken from, “The Lost Message of Jesus”:

“One of the most harrowing images of the twentieth century was caught on flm in 1972 on the outskirts of the Vietnamese village of Trang Bang. The now-famous photograph captures 212

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Kim Phuc, a nine year old girl, running down a road with outstretched arms, her face etched with terror and pain. The naked girl is screaming in agony from the terrible burns inficted on her just minutes earlier by a napalm attack on her home. It was a picture that shocked the world, bringing the pain of war momentarily home to tens of millions of ordinary people. But for John Plummer, one of the helicopter pilots involved in that fateful raid, this image would haunt him daily for the next twenty four years. “On Veterans Day in 1996, hundreds of former soldiers gathered at the foot of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC to remember their colleagues lost in a war fought a quarter of a century earlier. Among them stood John Plummer, still unable to come to terms with what he had done, his life destroyed by inner turmoil. But unknown to him, this day would change his life forever. As he watched the ceremony unfold, to his and everyone else’s surprise, a Vietnamese woman stepped forward to lay a wreath alongside the others at the foot of the memorial. She turned to address the crowd. Kim Phuc told the hushed audience her story, one of tortured years of psychological and physical suffering. Then, as if it were the easiest thing in the world, Kim gently added that she now no longer held any bitterness towards the men responsible for bombing her village. At last, she had found a sense of peace through the act of forgiving them. 213

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“Weeping uncontrollably, John found himself pushing through the crowd. He knew that he desperately needed the forgiveness, acceptance and peace that only Kim could grant him. Somehow, despite the mass of people and Kim’s police escort, he managed to get her attention. “‘Kim saw my grief, my pain, my sorrow...’, he later recalled. ‘She held out her arms to me and embraced me. All I could say was ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry... over and over again.’ And at the same time she was saying, ‘It’s all right, I forgive you.’ As Plummer went on to testify, the twenty four years of torment he had endured were wiped away forever in those two short minutes. “If a human can do that, what can God do?”10 That was an accurate depiction of a demonstration of human love. Multiply that by a number that cannot be written and you’re still not even close to understanding how much God loves you. The famous 19th Century preacher C. H. Spurgeon is quoted as having said it this way: “As the swallow skims the surface of the water and does not dive

into the depths beneath, so it is with every word we use to try and describe the love of God. They merely skim the surface while immeasurable depths lie beneath.” Grace, most defnitely, shouts louder than judgement.

10 - The Lost Message of Jesus, by Steve Chalke, Zondervan; 1st Paperback Edition edition (1 Mar. 2004) 214

Chapter Ten Grace Shouts Louder than Hypocrisy “Our perfection is an imputed perfection. We didn’t earn it but instead received it as a gif.” “Hello my name is John and I’m an alcoholic.” The frst step for an alcoholic on the road to recovery is to admit that he is one. He no longer has to hide. Live in denial. Pretend. He no longer has to live a life of hypocrisy, but with those nine honest words, the demon of alcoholism begins to loosen its grip. 215

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One of the amazing things about grace is that it empowers you to be free. Free to be honest. Free to fail. Free to be human. One of the most powerful things I’m fnding about having a life marinated with the revelation of grace is that is loosens the hold of hypocrisy in your life and as a result you no longer play to the gallery, believe your own publicity, or live a narrow life of judgementalism. One of the most powerful concepts in the New Testament, if you really think about it, is found in James 5:16: “Confess your sins to each

other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”1 I’ve been meditating on this verse recently and the more I think about it, the more incredible I fnd it. How many of us have lived in a culture of demanded perfection through law based preaching, where behaviour like that would be thought of as sinful in itself?

“Confess your sins…” “You shouldn’t be sinning as a Christian…” “Not only that, you should be confessing your sins before God with genuine deep repentance to be restored to fellowship with 1 - (NIV) 216

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him!” For years, during the early seasons of my Christian life, under a Pharisaical atmosphere, I would read that verse like this: “Confess

your sins to one another so that we can share it with other people, so that it may be brought to the attention of the leadership in order for them to decide what sort of discipline needs to be enforced.” Law based, performance-demanding preaching does not create an atmosphere where imperfect sinning saints can be honest. Quite the opposite. It seeds and grows a harvest of Pharisees who live in denial, live self-righteously, and live sick. James tells us healing and wholeness are not connected to our attempts to manufacture holiness, or present ourselves perfect in the eyes of each other. On the contrary, he explains that our healing as Christians is dependent upon our honest vulnerability, humility and willingness to go to a trusted friend and admit we have a problem with pornography, or gossiping, or whatever it is that you’re trying to deal with on your own because the thought of admitting it would shatter the perfect image you have presented of yourself to others.2 When Christians do not have a clear revelation of the power of grace they are forced to live a life of hypocrisy, guilt and fear, because they know in their heart of hearts they’re living a lie. It’s interesting that there is nowhere in the New Covenant where Christians are 2 - James 5:14 (Paraphrase) 217

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commanded to confess their sins to God in order to restore a broken relationship with him. That’s been taken care of once and for all and nothing can separate us from His love. Our relationship with God is constant whether we sin or not. Not because of our performance but because of His perfect performance and as the Apostle John states, “as

He is, so are we”.3 Our perfection is an imputed perfection. We didn’t earn it but instead received it as a gif. The early Church lived in a culture of authenticity. They lived it and protected it because they realised that without it the power of grace would be negated. Grace freed them from pretence, it freed them from self-righteousness and it freed them from hypocrisy. They weren’t perfect but because of God’s grace they realised that they didn’t have to be. We are not called to be perfect but we are encouraged to be faithful. Faithfulness is in contrast to perfection. Being faithful is a far cry from being perfect. Faithfulness means being authentic, consistent and loyal. An alcoholic who regularly shows up at AA meetings is faithful. She may slip and fall and relapse, but she is faithful to get up again. She may lie to her supervisor but she is faithful to tell the truth when confronted. Faithfulness allows for failure, perfection does not. 3 - 1 John 4:17 (Paraphrase) 218

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When God calls for perfection it is assumed that I cannot perform it. It’s the demand for perfection that keeps me relying on God’s grace. But the call to faithfulness is a call I can answer. Faithful to confess, faithful to repent, faithful to believe. The greatest threat to a culture of authenticity is hypocrisy. When the leaven of hypocrisy tried to spoil the early church through Ananias and Sapphira it was stopped in its tracks. This couple gave hypocritically. They pretended to be more generous than they were. 4 And Jesus warns us to watch out for the danger of allowing the ‘leaven of the Pharisees’ to spoil the bread.5 The Oxford Dictionary describes hypocrisy in this way: “the practise

of misrepresenting one’s real character and opinion.” There are a number of reasons why we choose to misrepresent who we really are or what we really believe, but one of them has to be the desire to be liked. The fear of rejection from those whose acceptance and respect we crave can be a powerful motivator for hypocrisy. It’s amazing to see, when you scroll through scripture, that even years afer the event where Peter suffered the pain and shame of his denial of Jesus, he still seems to be struggling with hypocrisy.

4 - Acts 5:1-11 5 - Matthew 16:11-12 219

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Freedom without Fences The tension between law and grace came to a head in Antioch. Gentiles were receiving the gif of salvation through the preaching of the Gospel by Paul. Multitudes of people were enjoying a relationship with God without fulflling the requirements of the law - particularly the sacred rite of circumcision. For these Gentile Christians in Antioch, to the horror of the believing Jews in Jerusalem, there were no rules, no restraints and no restrictions. Freedom without fences. Liberty without law. They ate what they wanted, worshipped how they wanted, fellowshipped with whoever they wanted. News of this apparent sacrilege reached the ears of Jewish believers in Judea and was so shocking that they felt the need to go to Antioch to set them straight. Paul called them “false brethren,” who had wormed their way into the congregation to “spy out our liberty which we have in Christ”.6 It was salvation without adherence to the ceremonial, sacrifcial or dietary restrictions laid down in the law. You can almost hear it, can’t you?

6 - Galatians 2:4 (NKJV) 220

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“Salvation by faith alone? Disgusting!” “How dare they throw away centuries of sacred religion!” “How dare they claim a relationship with God through faith alone… We are the custodians of the protocol concerning the approach to God. How dare they violate and disregard 1500 years of divine command concerning that protocol.” “We are Jews. We are the chosen race. The Oracles of God have been committed to us. We are circumcised; proof we are the children of God. How dare they claim the same status without circumcision!” When Paul detected the attempted pollution of the gospel of grace through these Judaisers he addressed it head on and in his own words said: “we did not yield to them even for one hour that the truth of the

Gospel might continue.”7 As a result of this contention between law and grace Paul went to Jerusalem to speak with Peter, James and John to bring resolution to the problem. When they came to Jerusalem they were received by the church, the apostles and the elders and reported all the things God had done with them. They told them of the liberty the Gentiles were receiving through faith in Christ, and the joy of living in relationship with God without the heavy yoke of the law. But before they could fnish a group of believing Pharisees rose up, probably the same ones 7 - Galatians 2:5 (NKJV) 221

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that had gone down to Antioch to “spy out their freedom in Christ”, and insisted it was necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.8 There was uproar at that meeting.

“You can’t just throw out 1500 years of divine legislation,” the Judaisers shouted, “this is heresy.” In the middle of this religious brawl, Peter stood up and the spirit of grace, through his mouth, shouted louder than hypocrisy.

“Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples?” Peter shouted passionately, “which neither our fathers or we were able

to bear. Be honest, why are you asking these Gentiles to keep laws we can’t even keep? It’s totally hypocritical of us to demand they live a life even we can’t live”. That did it! All the apostles shouted “amen” and sent Paul of with a letter to be read to the believers at Antioch highlighting some basic requirements of behaviour concerning eating food offered to idols and sexual immorality. Good for Peter. He had the guts to stand up to these hypocrites and shout for a grace-based relationship with God, as opposed to the oppressive law-based relationship the Judaisers demanded.9

8 - Acts 15:5 9 - Paraphrased paragraph based on Acts 15 222

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“But Ray, you said Peter was still struggling with hypocrisy: ‘the practise of misrepresenting one’s character and opinions’. But from what you’ve just told us it seems that Peter couldn’t care less what people thought of him - especially the Judaisers. So how can you say he was a hypocrite?” Well, let me explain. Peter was intrigued with this amazing liberty of grace as practised by the Gentile believers at Antioch. He went to see for himself and loved it. You see Peter was dealing with the transition from law-based living to grace-based living himself. God had to visit him in a vision in which he saw all kinds of forbidden animals for consumption under the dietary laws of the Old Testament and told Peter to kill and eat. 10 Immediately afer, he himself was used to bring the liberating gospel of grace to the household of a Roman centurion called Cornelius. In fact, Peter was the catalyst for the inclusion of Gentiles into the Church. So when he arrived at Antioch, he loved it. He ate with them, fellowshipped with them, enjoyed the same freedom as them until some Judaisers came down from Jerusalem.11 When Peter saw them he gave in to hypocrisy. Paul couldn’t believe his eyes. 10 - Acts 10:9-16 11 - Acts 10 223

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In his own words again he said:

“Before certain men came from Jerusalem, he (Peter) would eat with the Gentiles, but when they came he withdrew and separated himself fearing those who were of the circumcision and the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him so that even Barnabas was carried away with the hypocrisy.”12

Peter’s double standards What happened to Peter? The Rock. What happened to Peter? The one who was not afraid to confront those who were guilty of the very hypocrisy he himself was now displaying. Paul was incensed at such double standards. Realising the potency of the leaven of hypocrisy spreading through the purity of gospel-based authenticity in the Antioch church, he, “withstood Peter to his face

because he was to be blamed”. 13 I honestly believe the motivation for Peter’s hypocrisy was simple. He wanted to be liked. He feared rejection, particularly from those he felt should be giving him respect. I don’t know why Peter became so two-faced. Perhaps it was because in Jerusalem he was surrounded by fellow Jews 12 - Galatians 2:12 (Paraphrase) 13 - Galatians 2:11 224

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who were of the same mind-set as himself? Perhaps because the rhetoric of grace-based behaviour made it a lot easier. In Jerusalem it was easy to support Paul with his words. In Antioch he had to live it. We could throw up our hands in horror at Peter’s double standards as it seems he still hasn’t learnt his lesson. It seemed that when push came to shove he still committed relational treason against Jesus. We could easily click our lips in righteous disgust at Peter’s hypocrisy but in so doing we reveal the fact that we are no different. We all like to be liked. We all like to be accepted and, as a result, we sometimes sacrifce our real selves on the altar of hypocrisy.

The dark side of wanting to be liked A more sinister side to hypocrisy is connected to the self-deceived belief that you genuinely are better than others, when it’s obvious to all that you’re the only one who believes it. The Pharisees were professional hypocrites. They actually believed their own publicity. In an atmosphere of law they excelled, they were unequalled, but in the presence of grace their hypocrisy was glaringly obvious. Jesus continually confronted and exposed hypocrisy in its perfected form as seen in the Pharisees. Grace always exposes hypocrisy. 225

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That’s why I’m writing this chapter because one of the effects of the revelation of grace in my life has been just that. The uncomfortable discovery that against the blazing authenticity of grace the reality of insincerity and hypocrisy are continually being exposed and as difficult as it can be, I thank God for it. We read the Bible stories about David and Daniel, Jonah and Noah and many others and we see ourselves in them. Their humanity, their repentance, their faws and their failures. We fnd great encouragement and comfort as we relate to them but do I ever compare myself with a Pharisee? God forbid. They are scheming, self-righteous and judgemental. They preach one thing and practice another.

“I can see myself in David; I can see myself in Moses, but a Pharisee?” I’ve come to the realisation that the Pharisees may be more like me than I care to admit so here goes: “Hi, my name is Ray and I’m a

Pharisee… but because of God’s grace I’m now in recovery.” One of the most notable characteristics of a good Christian, especially a good Christian leader, is having an impeccable reputation. But what we fail to realise ofen is that reputation is what people see, character is what God sees. Reputation is the perceived image people have of you; character is the truth that God knows about you.

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The Pharisees were all about image, all about a good reputation in the eyes of their peers and their followers. But what happens when that reputation is lost? What happens when the image is destroyed? Reputation can be a good thing or a bad thing. Obviously as Christians a good reputation with non-Christians is very important, but if your perception of a good reputation is perfection then sooner or later it will become distasteful to others and an idol to yourself. There was a time, because of my Pharisaical perception of reputation, not only was I becoming distasteful in the mouths of those I was trying to infuence for Christ, but I was setting myself up for great disappointment and heartache.

My personal journey with an inner Pharisee In my early days as a Christian, because I was nurtured in a legalistic church culture, where watching TV was ok but going to the cinema was not, where walking into a bar was seen as “giving an appearance of

evil”, but having a glass of wine at home was not, I developed a warped perception of what having a good reputation meant. I believed it was all about externals: behaviour, image, presenting a picture of holiness, righteousness and purity not realising I was missing the real necessary ingredient that would infuence others… authenticity. You see, reputation has nothing to do with how you see yourself but how others see you. While I believed I was presenting myself as a 227

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wonderful advert for Christianity, I was in fact presenting the opposite. And that was the Pharisees’ problem. Reputation was all about image not infuence. It was all about how they looked through their own eyes not through the eyes of others. I did not realise how much I had been seduced by my reputation as a church leader until my marriage of 26 years came crashing down around me. Without going into too much detail, my wife decided she wanted out. There were no other people involved and even me saying that reminds me there are still traces of the Pharisee in me, because I want you to know I’m not an adulterer. I can hear the inner me pleading from within: “please understand I didn’t get divorced

because of sexual sin, don’t think of me in that way, and not only that, my wife divorced me – I didn’t divorce her.” On and on he goes, desperate to salvage some favour and respect, because even the thought of you thinking such things about me hurts me, even now, as much as the trauma of the divorce itself. By God’s grace I planted the Kings Church in 1989 and within fve years it gained the reputation of being the fastest growing church in our country. The evangelical arm of the Church in Wales conducted a survey to fnd out the size and health of Welsh churches. When they received all the stats from the 78% of Churches in Wales that contributed, they removed our attendance fgures from the survey because it distorted the true picture. The average sized church in Wales at that time was around 32 people and at the time of writing this in 2014 it hasn’t changed a lot. Although we were only about 600 people, 228

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for such growth to happen so quickly in our country was unprecedented. Oh how I enjoyed the prestige and the attention that came with the profle! I’m just being honest. Our conferences were attracting people from all over the world. We were the frst ministry in the UK to be broadcast on the God Channel, which then was only broadcasting a few hours a day. The invites were pouring in to speak all over the world. Little did I realise what was ahead. Little did I realise that I was not only relishing in my glowing reputation but the Pharisee in me, that I kept feeding, was rising up and becoming stronger. I didn’t realise how arrogant I was becoming and when I look back on some of the things I said and did, I realise now how much of a competitive spirit I had developed. You see the Pharisees not only relished the fact they were the only ones to reach the standard, but were horrifed by the fact that others could claim the same. The Pharisees fgured out a way to make the Old Covenant work for them, thus making the new one unnecessary. As the official interpreters of the laws of God, they adapted their standard through their own interpretation of the law — a standard they could achieve but lef others looking on thinking they were amazing. The standard was set in such a way that attaining it could only be reached by them. Armed with this high standard, they could qualify themselves to be the judges of righteousness of which, according to their measurement, everyone else fell short. What arrogance! What self-deception! But hey, don’t be too hard on them – there’s a Pharisee 229

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in all of us. And during those early days for me, he was running wild. One of the down sides of believing you’re the best is you have to deal with what I call the ‘Snow White’ syndrome. You stand in front of the magic mirror hoping no one else is bigger or better than you. I began to realise that along with the upside of a high profle, there is a down side. Not only are your successes celebrated (or envied, depending on how strong the Pharisee is in you), by a large number of people, but also as I was about to discover, so too are your failures. Pharisees cannot handle failure or the criticism that comes with it. Check out the reaction of the Pharisees to Jesus’ scathing attacks on their reputation. Jesus couldn’t care less what people thought of him because he lived with an audience of one. He laid aside his reputation so he was not dictated by it. He was not out to curry favour with anyone. As long as His Father was pleased that was enough. That’s why He hated hypocrisy above anything. Especially as seen in the Pharisees because it’s a cancer that robs you of your need for grace. I’ll let Jesus do the talking here. His words are strong and to the point:

“Woe to you teachers, you hypocrites, you’re like whitewashed tombs – all white on the outside but full of the worst sort of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”14 They hated it. Jesus stripped away their religious veneer. Their 14 - Matthew 23:35 (NKJV) 230

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reputation for being the bastions of righteousness was not only laughed at by Jesus but publicly dismantled. Jesus’ exposure of their sham did not produce a spirit of repentance but revenge. They didn’t cry mercy, they cried murder.

Snow White Syndrome Anyway, what has all this got to do with my situation? What do I mean by the ‘Snow White’ syndrome? Well, because success had raised my profle, my divorce was also viewed from that platform. It was very public. Even when the divorce was fnalised I still lived in denial regarding people’s reaction to it.

“It wasn’t my fault…” “I didn’t petition the divorce, I’m the victim here…” “Look at my reputation, the devil is so afraid of me, he fears the way that God is going to use me…” I could go on and on. Although there is an element of truth in all of that, I really did have a wrong sense of my own importance. Through the process of the breakdown of the marriage and then the divorce, the inner Pharisee was fnally confronted and he didn’t like it. When the dust began to settle and the rumours began to circulate, and 231

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the control over how people viewed me began to wane (something every Pharisee hates), I found myself back in front of the magic mirror. This time though it was the shame, anger, humiliation, the slander, lies, and the gradual corrosion of the reputation I had come to idolise, which caused me to continually stand before the mirror knowing I was now no longer the fairest in the land. The ‘Snow White’ syndrome. Not only was I devastated from the loss of my reputation, but now jealous of others who had kept theirs. I remember hosting our annual conference in the year 2000. It was our ninth. Previous years saw these conferences packed out and full of anticipation and by this point I was now re-married to a wonderful woman from Norway called Laila. The process of the divorce and re-marriage took about two years and we had already lost over half of our congregation as a result. Some lef for theological reasons, others because they believed the lies, and others just didn’t want the stigma of being part of a church led by a divorced and re-married pastor. But still I clung to the belief that my reputation was still intact. I turned up at the frst service of that conference expecting the usual packed house. Why expect anything less? We had built up a reputation over eight years, of being one of the best conferences in the county with some of the best speakers in the world. As I walked onto the platform, my heart sank and my pride was executed. It wasn’t even one third full. I preached and confdently blurted out some encouraging Pharisaical clichés which everyone - including myself 232

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knew was a cover for my embarrassment. That night I was so depressed I voiced my devastation to my wife Laila. She looked at me and told me straight that I was not depressed because the attendance was low but because my pride had been hurt. The Pharisee in me was now screaming, being led away to the gallows to be hanged.

“Who’s speaking tomorrow morning?” she asked. “I am,” I said sheepishly, expecting a hug and a shoulder to cry on. “I hope no-one turns up. It would be the best thing that could ever happen to you.” Although the Pharisee in me hated those words, I knew the spirit of grace was speaking, through my wife, to deliver me from the sickness of Pharisaism. The trap door opened, the Pharisee in me felt the noose tighten around his neck and it was over. Something happened in me that night. It wasn’t pleasant but for the frst time in a long time, I didn’t care what people thought. I didn’t care if anyone turned up and I was about to fnd out Jesus had never lef me and that’s all that mattered. It was all about His empowerment of grace, His undeserved favour, not by reputation or the favour of others. I was about to realise that it’s not about the pats on the back and the 233

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‘woos’ and ‘aahs’ of followers and peers. I was about to really discover that His grace is made perfect in weakness. You see, you cannot have one without the other. We all want others to see the grace and favour of God on our lives but recoil at the thought of our weaknesses being paraded publicly. That morning, I turned up to preach and there were fewer people there than the night before. The situation hadn’t changed. The sad looks of ‘embarrassed for me people’ were evident and it became clear the rumours hadn’t changed either. The lies hadn’t changed but I had changed. I was beginning to realise something the hypocrite in me couldn’t bear. Grace shouts louder than hypocrisy. The stronghold had been broken. I was free to live with an audience of One and be content. Don’t get me wrong, the hypocrite is still there. He’s always lurking to take centre stage but his voice is not the dominating factor anymore. The voice of grace shouts louder and helps me to live in authenticity more and more. Tullian Tchividjian in his book One Way Love, wrote these words which found an amen in my heart as I refected upon the painful but liberating season that I have just shared with you.

“Jesus came to liberate us from the weight of having to make it on our own, from the demand to measure up. He came to 234

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emancipate us from the burden to get it all right. From the obligation to fx ourselves and free ourselves. Jesus came to release us from the slavish need to be right, rewarded, regarded and respected. Because Jesus came to set the captives free, life does not have to be a tireless effort to establish ourselves, justify ourselves, and validate ourselves. Grace is a bit like a roller coaster it makes us scream in terror, and laugh uncontrollably at the same time.”15

Maintenance work being carried out here, sorry for any inconvenience Pharisees fnd it very hard to apologise and say they are wrong. Pharisees fnd it very hard to allow rumour and lies to remain unchallenged. Pharisees fnd it very hard to lose control. Pharisees fnd it very hard to say that they need help. The reason I knew I was a recovering Pharisee is because I was fnding it easier in all these areas. Two incidents in particular stand out. While spending time with a friend of mine in Glasgow walking through a large shopping centre, I remember feeling very hurt and very vulnerable. Those characteristics are very different from embarrassment and pride, by the way. God cannot do much with people who are embarrassed and proud because Pharisees don’t need help – they need vindication. 15 - One Way Love, Tullian Tchividjian, Published by David C. Cook (October 1, 2013) 235

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In the mall I noticed that there was one particular store being renovated. A large sign had been placed across the front which read,

“maintenance work being carried out here – sorry for any inconvenience”. Because grace was now shouting louder than the hypocrite in me, the focus had shifed from me to them. From me to others. I began to really think about the effect my marriage breakdown had been having on the church. While I was lamenting the people who had lef, while I was reeling from the devastation caused by the betrayal of those that had lef, I had forgotten about the loyalty of those that had stayed. They had to watch their pastor struggle with private and public pain and humiliation. They had to suffer the consequences of my failure and I realised right then what I was reading outside that store was what the grace of God in me wanted to say to them. The following Sunday, I stood before the congregation and explained what had happened to me in Scotland. I apologised for not being the pastor they deserved. I apologised for the times during my preaching over the past months for sometimes ministering from my frustration, anger and hurt. I apologised for allowing the Pharisee in me to dominate the content of my preaching instead of God’s grace.

“Maintenance work being carried out here, sorry for any inconvenience.” When I had fnished, I asked them if they were brave enough to say 236

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the same. How many of you would like to say the same thing as you review your behaviour as a spouse, a friend, or even as a Christian? How many of you are prepared to silence the Pharisee in you and apologise for any inconvenience because maintenance work is being carried out? On that day, when I asked the question to my church, I was amazed. Nearly everyone stood. My eyes flled up as I began to realise that even through my disaster, God was able to show us that His grace shouts louder. A culture of authenticity was being birthed where imperfect people had the freedom and safety to say so without being judged. As previously mentioned, Pharisees want revenge, it’s an ‘eye for an eye’ thing. They want vindication, especially when they are misrepresented, and particularly when they are lied about. I can remember the Pharisee rage within me in response to an article posted on the internet by someone who felt the need to protect the church from the ‘leprosy of divorced ministers’. In the article he blatantly lied about the circumstances surrounding my divorce, basically stating I had petitioned it. The article spewed out a total distortion of the facts which infuriated me. If you were to ‘Google’ my name at the time the frst thing you would have encountered was this defamatory posting. My frst thought? “Wasn’t my reputation battered enough… I’m

going to sort this guy out!” 237

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In the middle of my self-preserving ranting and my rage for justice and vindication, I heard a voice inside say, “leave it”.

“Leave it! Are you serious? These are blatant lies. I want people to know the truth. I’m not letting this guy get away with it.” Again the gentle, but authoritative voice said, “leave it”. I didn’t want to admit it, but the only voice I wanted to hear was the Pharisee, not grace. But grace continually and persistently shouted louder inside me as the Pharisee in me bayed for blood.

“Leave it.” I did, for about eight years, until one day the same voice told me to confront the man who wrote that lying article. I had actually forgotten about it. The effects of that article on my reputation had completed its work. It no longer bothered me. The Pharisee in me had been bound, gagged and hanged. Why confront the lie now? In response to that question I heard grace shout once more. This time saying, “because it’s

not about you now, it’s about others”. Eight years previously I had been concerned about my reputation but in that moment I was genuinely concerned about others. If this man could lie and discredit me, he could cause great pain and damage to many others. And upon investigation, I discovered he had. I confronted him, threatened legal proceedings against him, motivated not with a spirit of revenge but with a concern for the potential soiled 238

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reputation of others because of this sick man. Within 24 hours it was removed. Through that experience, I then realised I was well on my way to recovery from Pharisaism. I also learned very ofen we live by grace vertically but live by law horizontally. In other words, we receive grace from God when we mess up but refuse to give it to others when they mess up. There will come a time when that man who enjoyed vertical grace for his own obvious short comings daily will have to face the stunning realisation of his need for horizontal grace from others. Very ofen we live relationally with God through grace but relationally with people through law. Again, Tchividjian writes

“Most parents and spouses and siblings and friends, even preachers, fall prey to the illusion that real change happens when we lay down the law, exercise control, demand good performance, or afer ‘constructive criticism’. We wonder why our spouses grow increasingly withdrawn over the years, why our children don’t call us as much as we would like them to, why our colleagues don’t confde in us, why our congregations become relationally and emotionally detached from us. In more cases than not, it happens because we are feeding their deep fear of judgement by playing the judge. Our lips may be moving but the voice they hear is of law. The law may have the power to 239

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instruct and expose but it does not have the power to inspire and create.”16 Very ofen we enjoy a vertical relationship with God that is unconditional but in our horizontal relationships we impose conditions. We revel in God’s unconditional acceptance but we refuse to offer the same to others. When Peter questioned Jesus as to the measurement required in relation to horizontal forgiveness Jesus’ answer showed the immense gap between law-based forgiveness and grace-based forgiveness. According to ‘law-based Peter’ it was seven times! Grace comes back with 70 times seven!17 In other words, Peter’s mentality concerning forgiveness was limited. Grace on the other hand was unlimited. Law said seven times. Grace said ALWAYS! Jesus then went on to show him the hypocrisy of living by grace vertically but by law horizontally. Take the time now to read the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35 and then prayerfully and ask yourself the question, “What relationships in my

life are law-based that need to be changed to grace-based?”

16 - One Way Love, Tullian Tchividjian, Published by David C. Cook (October 1, 2013) 17 - Matthew 18:22 240

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Grace in the strangest of places I read of an amazing example of horizontal grace from the most unusual place… an award ceremony from the flm industry in Hollywood. Hollywood is not known for having a culture of grace. In Hollywood, your personal value is determined by your box office revenue. You can be an A list celebrity one week, bottom of the pile the following week, depending on your popularity. It was in this environment of gracelessness that the beauty of horizontal grace was shown. Robert Downey Jnr. was receiving a very prestigious award for his contribution to the big screen in 2011. This award ceremony, and the ensuing award, is one that most actors would covet the most. When you’re chosen for this award you can actually choose the person who you want to present it to you. They asked Mr Downey who it was he wanted to present the award. He asked for Mel Gibson. At that time, Mel Gibson wasn’t the popular choice. Mel Gibson’s reputation at that time had reached an all-time low. Robert Downey was at the top of his game reputationally. Mel Gibson was at the other end of the scale. Hollywood had all but turned their back on him because of his downward spiral behaviourally. In 2006, Gibson was arrested for drink driving. In the same year the world was furious over his alleged anti-Semitic remarks. In 2009 there was also a high profle divorce with adultery cited and in 2010, tapes were released alleging horrifc verbal abuse against his girlfriend, which were later posted on social media. Mel Gibson’s name was not a nice taste on Hollywood’s palate. With all that stigma 241

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attached to Mel Gibson’s name, Downey surprised his peers by inviting him to present the award. The question on the lips of everyone was “why?” I will let Robert Downey explain by directly quoting the speech he gave prior to introducing Mel Gibson. It silenced every Pharisee in the room. He said:

“Actually, I asked Mel to present this award to me for a reason, because when I couldn’t get sober, he told me not to give up hope, and he urged me to fnd my faith – didn’t have to be his or anyone else’s as long as it was rooted in forgiveness. “And I couldn’t get hired, so he cast me in the lead of a movie that was actually developed for him. And he kept a roof over my head, and he kept food on the table. And most importantly, he said that if I accepted responsibility for my wrongdoings, and if I embraced that part of my soul that was ugly – “hugging the cactus” he calls it – he said that if I “hugged the cactus” long enough, I’d become a man of some humility and that my life would take on new meaning. “And I did, and it worked. All he asked in return was that someday I help the next guy in some small way. “It’s reasonable to assume that at the time he didn’t imagine the next guy would be him. Or that someday was tonight.

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“So anyway, on this special occasion, I humbly ask that you join me, unless you are completely without sin (in which case you picked the wrong industry), in forgiving my friend his trespasses, offering him the same clean slate you have me, and allowing him to continue his great and ongoing contribution to our collective art without shame. He’s hugged the cactus long enough.” When you are presented with an award, all eyes are on you but Downey beautifully demonstrated the essence of horizontal grace by allowing the spotlight to fall on someone else. In Steve Brown’s book, A Scandalous Freedom,18 he warns us of the danger of ‘puffing up our heroes’. By doing so we rob God of His glory and fuel the spirit of Pharisaism. He writes:

“I’ve given up reading ‘puf’ biographies of famous Christians. When I’ve taken the time to do the research, I’ve discovered that those kinds of biographies have done Christians a great disservice. They create non- existent people whose examples don’t inspire excellence, only despair.” Flawed humanity is the only kind God uses - it’s time we owned up to it If you are reading a biography of a great Christian, and that biography 18 - A Scandalous Freedom, by Steve Brown, published by Howard Books (June 1, 2004) 243

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doesn’t tell you the bad as well as the good, burn the book. It’s a lie and it will only make you feel guilty. Charles Spurgeon went through months of depression and refused to preach because of it. If you read the words of Martin Luther regarding the Jews of his time, you would think that they were direct quotes from Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. John Wesley who changed the face of Christendom in our nation, did so while enduring a disastrous marriage. We must understand that God uses sinful and fawed human beings because those are the only kinds of human beings he has available to use. He knows it. It’s time we owned up. In my discovery I’ve found an incredible freedom. A freedom that putting people high up on pedestals never gave me. Brown continues:

“Whatever you think about the Bible, it doesn’t contain ‘puf’ biographies. In fact, God has been very careful to see the greatness and the smallness of Biblical characters. Throughout the Bible, we encounter heroes of the faith with major faws, serious sin and embarrassing failures. Adam and Eve messed things up for themselves and for the rest of us. Noah got drunk. Abraham offered his wife in return for his own safety twice. Sarah offered her female servant to Abraham so Abraham could have a son. Jacob was a con artist. Moses was a murderer. David was an adulterer and a murderer. Jeremiah was a big time failure. Rahab an ancestor of Jesus was a prostitute. Paul was contentious. And as we’ve already seen, Peter was a hypocrite.” 244

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A group of conservative, political and religious leaders once gathered during the headline hitting presidency of William Clinton. A mother looked on and asked her peer for suggestions for what she was going to tell her children when they see our president amidst scandal.

“Madam,” said a wise Rabbi who overheard, “just tell them the same thing you say when you read the Bible to them.” I’m not suggesting that we should rejoice in the sin, that we praise it, or that we emulate it. God forbid! We do a great disservice to ourselves and to other Christians, however, when we pretend that anyone in our family has no need of redemption. The size of a problem can be measured by the degree to which one must go to remedy it. In the case of our sin, God resolved the problem by sending His son to die on a cross as our redeemer. If we could be as good and as faithful as some would suggest, God would have sent a book instead of His Son. Every time God destroyed the pedestals I had placed other people on, I hated it. But unbeknown to me God was teaching me something very important and it’s the same thing I want to teach you. There are no super Christians and if you have found one you have diminished yourself. It gets worse. When you’ve demeaned yourself that way you will fnd yourself in a prison of shame, guilt and impossible expectations. The false idol of 245

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super Christians has destroyed the freedom of those who don’t match up. In conclusion to this chapter, I have to mention one of the best books that has helped me allow grace to shout louder than hypocrisy in my life. It’s by a guy called John Fischer and it’s called Twelve Steps for a

Recovering Pharisee, and in brackets next to the title the author writes “(like me)”. I’m going to give you the 12 steps outlined by Fischer but also encourage you to buy the book. For those of you who feel ready to join the recovery group and stand up and declare your Pharisaical ways, then the medication contained in this book will help you on the road to recovery. Step One – Admit that your single most unmitigated pleasure is to judge other people. Step Two – That our means of obtaining greatness is to make everyone lower than ourselves in our own mind. Step Three – Realise that we detest mercy being given to those who unlike us haven’t worked for it and don’t deserve it. Step Four – Have decided that we don’t want to get what we deserve afer all and we don’t want anyone else to either. Step Five – Cease all attempts to apply teaching and rebuke to anyone 246

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but ourselves. Step Six – Be ready to have God remove all these defects of attitude and character. Step Seven – Embrace the belief that we are and will always be experts at sinning. Step Eight – Look closely at the lives of famous men and women in the Bible who turned out to be ordinary sinners like us. Step Nine – Are seeking through prayer and meditation to make a conscious effort to consider others better than ourselves. Step Ten – Embrace the state of astonishment as a permanent and glorious reality. Step Eleven – Choose to rid ourselves of any attitude that is not bathed in gratitude. Step Twelve – Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we will try to carry this message to others who think that Christians are better than everyone else.19 The spirit of Pharisaism is not seeded in the desire to infuence but the desire to impress. The desire to be admired. My desire to impress was hindering His desire to infuence.

19 - 12 Steps For A recovering Pharisee (Like Me), by Steve Fischer, Bethany House Publishers (1 Mar. 2000) 247

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I’ve come to realise that God’s method to heal a lost and blind generation is the same method he used to heal a blind man. His divine spit mixed with our fawed dirt creates the mud that heals the world.

(For further reading the author suggests Extreme Righteousness by Tom Hovestol)

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Chapter Eleven Grace Shouts Louder than the Voice of Culture “True grace can’t be controlled. It can’t be tamed.” Bartimaeus was a beggar. He had been for a long time. His lifestyle, clothing and behaviour were that of a beggar. If the defnition of culture is “an atmosphere that is sustained and supported over

time,” then Bartimaeus is a classic example. His culture of dependency made him who he was. His culture of begging developed his mentality and framed his future. When you live with a certain mind-set for a long time it creates a mental culture that has a strong voice.1 As Jesus approached, and Bartimaeus began to realise that his day of release could fnally be upon him, he had two choices, he could do 1 - Taken from the story of Bartimaeus in Mark 10

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his usual thing; spread himself out on the foor displaying his uniform of dependency, his bowl and his cloak, and listen to the voice of culture which taunted, “you will always be a beggar… you’re a victim

and will always be a victim.” Or he could listen to the voice of grace. Mark 10:49 (paraphrase) says: “So Jesus stood still and commanded

him to be called. Then they called the blind man saying to him to be of good cheer... Rise he’s calling you.” That’s the invitation of Grace. That’s the shout of Grace. Can you hear it calling you? It says:

“I’m here. I’m waiting. I’m willing. I want to set you free, to live in freedom. “Rise, stop being bullied anymore by the voice of culture that insists you can’t rise above your circumstance, the voice of culture that gloats at you saying you will always be a victim; it’s the way you are, it’s the way you always will be. “Shut up, don’t raise your expectation. Make the best of where you are.”

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The voice of culture is a strong voice but Grace shouts louder and commands us to rise and be free.

Grace demands a response The key to Bartimaeus being released from his debilitating culture is found in the next verse of that passage. Mark 10:50 states: “And

throwing aside his garment he rose and came to Jesus.” Bartimaeus made a conscious decision to be done with his lifestyle of dependency and demonstrated to all that he meant business. Ofen times it seems that before Jesus releases his power and grace into a situation a response is needed frst. To the wedding party at Canaan, the key to the miracle to turn the water into wine was to obey the command to “go fll”.2 To another blind man, mud was applied to his eyes and the key to him receiving his sight was to obey the command to “go wash”.3 When approaching the tomb of Lazarus, seemingly detached from the atmosphere of grief and more angry at the devastation that sin and death causes, before grace could shout loud the words, “Lazarus come

forth,” someone had to obey the command to roll the stone away.4 It was while I was contemplating these incidents that I began to understand Jesus’ reason for asking Bartimaeus the obvious when he 2 - John 2:1-12 3 - John 9:6 4 - John 11:43 251

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said: “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus knew exactly what he needed but grace needed a response. As crazy as it may seem, there are some people who enjoy being victims. It seems they feed on the affection they receive because of their predicament. The voice of culture has bellowed at them for so long it’s a sound they’ve come to almost enjoy. As warped as it may seem, their pain has become their passport to the land of pity. Without that, they would lose their identity, their importance and their dependency. I’ve even heard of people who don’t want Jesus to heal them because if that happened they would lose their disability allowance. Bartimaeus responded to the invite of grace by throwing aside his garment and rising up to go to Jesus. He rose. It’s time to live on a higher level, seated where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.5 What do you need to throw aside in order to enjoy the freedom of grace? Perhaps that’s your problem, that you’re afraid of the freedom grace brings. The reason many can’t accept the message of grace is because they can’t handle the freedom. They need the uniform of a beggar. They need their rules and their rituals. For years I needed my bowl and cloak. I listened to the voice of culture 5 - Mark 16:19 252

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that kept me begging. I had a religious mind-set that demanded I beg for favour and freedom through works and merit. I remember one of my problems afer being set free through the revelation of the gospel of the grace of God was the difficulty in handling the freedom.

Better the restriction you know than the freedom you don’t? Long-term prisoners ofen struggle with their new-found freedom afer their release from prison. In some ways the walls and the bars and the regimented lifestyle become a culture that gives them a sense of security. They were told when to eat, when to sleep, when to shower. Over time the voice of culture, as restrictive as it was, almost became their friend. Once released, the reality of just how cultured they’d become to years of a restricted lifestyle was brought to a stark reality when faced with freedom. No rules. No bars. No commands. Suddenly, they must now fgure out for themselves where to go, what to do and how to act. I love the classic prison movie, The Shawshank Redemption but it includes the harrowing tale of one prisoner who was released afer spending his whole life behind bars. Now an old man, he looked up 253

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into the blue sky on his frst day of freedom, not with the look of joy on his face, but despair. One week later, they found him hanging by his neck dead in a motel room. Why? Because he couldn’t handle the freedom. The problem with the Galatian Church and the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews was exactly the same. They couldn’t handle the freedom that grace brought with it. They needed their rituals and rules. They needed the uniform of dependence. Their security was sourced in their victim mentality. They loved their dependence; grace came and messed it up. To them, it was not good news. The voice of a prison culture shouted louder and convinced them to hang onto their bowl and cloak. They couldn’t handle their freedom in Christ. They needed the prison bars of their sacrifcial system to give them their security. It was their bowl and cloak. They refused to respond to the shout of grace. They preferred the beggars lifestyle. It fed their ego. They loved the attention. The Law taunted them to hold on to their religious uniform of dependence; making them believe it gave them the respectability they craved. Law shouted: “keep begging, it looks very spiritual. You look very

humble. You look very holy.” Paul, to the Galatians and the Hebrews, exhorted them to throw aside their begging bowl and respond to the shout of Grace. 254

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“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. “Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no beneft to you. I’ll say it again. If you are trying to fnd favour with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut of from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.”6 There is something about that grace, though, that just rubs some religious people the wrong way. It used to rub me up the same way too. True grace can’t be controlled. It can’t be tamed. It can’t be used by the leadership as a social construction to manipulate the people. It’s wild. And you have to trust it will do its job.

Grace sings a different tune In Greek mythology the Sirens were extremely seductive characters. They were mermaid-like females who lived on an island and would lure passing boats with their entrancing music and singing. Innocent sailors would follow their voices to the shallowest parts of the sea where they would be shipwrecked. It was believed that sailors learned where the Sirens were, and so they would do everything possible to block the Sirens’ songs. 6 - Galatians 5:1-4 (NLT) 255

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In Homer’s poem, The Odyssey, the sailors stuffed wax into their ears to keep from being seduced to their deaths. In order for Odysseus to hear the music – and presumably to know when it was safe for the others to unblock their ears – he demanded his men tie him to the mast so he was unable to steer the boat. While they pass near the Sirens, Odysseus demanded to be set free so he can go to them, but his men only tied him tighter to the mast. In Apollonius’s epic poem, Argonautica, which tells the story of Jason stealing the Golden Fleece, the story of the Sirens is told with a different detail. The island of Sirens is present and a boat is approaching just as before. In this version, however, the Sirens are human-bird hybrids, and the sailors don’t use wax to stuf in their ears. The Argonauts are saved from the Sirens by a man named Orpheus. Once he sees his men moving to dive into the water, instead of tying them up or stuffing wax in their ears, Orpheus starts playing his lyre to drown out the Sirens. He did exactly what the Sirens did, except his music was louder and more attractive. Because of this all the men were saved except one. They didn’t have to tie themselves up and force themselves not to go anywhere because their ears were flled with the sound of his twanging; and the lyre overcame the maidens’ voice. That’s the truth with God’s grace. It’s not that we are holding on tight in hope of not being seduced by our old lives and sin, but rather it’s that God’s grace is so sweet and precious it compels us to stay with it. 256

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Grace is better music than sin. We don’t take advantage of it because there is nothing better out there to take advantage of it for. In the same way Orpheus’ music was beautiful, so God’s grace is an alluring, compelling, stunning, and powerful force that invites us to get lost in it’s vastness. We no longer have the thought process that causes fear, worrying that our actions will lead to a chastising response from God. Instead we come to an understanding that His grace is so much better than whatever anything else can offer and so we cling to grace and begin to avoid sin. We don’t please God when we white-knuckle or tie ourselves up to our obedience. We please him by showing the world just how enjoyable His way really is. The best part about that type of grace is that it changes people. Real grace loves us right where we are, but it loves us too much to keep us there. Cheap grace – which is not really grace at all – is like a horrendous version of love that sees its loved one in danger and simply says, “I love

you”. That doesn’t cut it. We need rescuing. And God does exactly that.

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look different. Don’t think grace is beyond your grasp. God is offering it to you. It’s free. And it’s life giving. Will you trust him? Someone defned living in the Grace of God as ‘responsible freedom’. I like that defnition because that’s exactly what it is. I know from my own experience, as illustrated in a previous chapter, how difficult it is to embrace radical grace when you have lived with a mental culture of fear, guilt, law-based performance and appeasement. Relating to God on a daily basis purely based on unmerited favour can be confusing and scary. It’s the difference between how people relate to God under the Old Covenant and under the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant the command was to live a life of obedience to appease a holy God. Under the New Covenant, the cross changed everything. His holiness and righteous anger was appeased once for all. Under the Old Covenant, you believed your righteous life was a gif you gave to God to be in right standing with Him. Under the New Covenant, His righteous life is His gif given to us to be in right standing with Him. The new precedent for relationship in the New Covenant is not obedience, but faith. That approach is very difficult for those who have lived their Christian lives based on appeasement not trust.

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Looking at the history of Christianity, teaching people to fear God and His judgements has been used more than any other motive to hold the faithful in check. It’s seems that it’s almost universally accepted that it’s the best way to get people to follow God. Offering the right combination of reward and punishment exploits those deep seated fears in people which make them do what otherwise they wouldn’t. Preaching like that only serves to encourage Christians to hang onto their bowl and cloak. Such preaching keeps believers begging. Friends, it’s time to throw aside your bowl and cloak; rise up, respond to the voice of grace, and like Bartimaeus, receive your sight. When restoring the failed Peter, Jesus didn’t ask if he feared him, he asked Peter if he loved him.7 When Mary and Martha requested that Jesus come and heal Lazarus they didn’t say “the one who fears you is sick” but instead, “the one

whom you love is sick”.8 They did not try to curry favour with Jesus by recounting Lazarus’ religious gymnastics; they didn’t use Lazarus’ record of faithfulness as their basis for Jesus to dispense healing grace. They did not ask Jesus to heal their brother based on his love for Jesus but on Jesus love for him. Fear and guilt in any relationship, but especially in our relationship 7 - John 21:17 8 - John 11:3 259

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with God, cannot lead us into lifelong transformation, but only into a momentary reformation of behaviour. Living a life based on fear and appeasement pushes us away from God with feelings of inadequacy and repetitive failure. It’s difficult to give up our fear of God if it has served us so well. I’m sure if you were to spend time mediating on Romans 8:15-16 and 1 John 4:16-18 you would begin to throw aside any religious uniforms of dependency and respond afresh to the voice of grace.

True love cannot be commanded Under the New Covenant our love for Him is a response not a command. We love Him because HE frst loved us. Under the Old Covenant our love for Him was a command that was impossible to keep. Those simple words that we know so well, “Love the Lord your

God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength,” 9 kept the Jewish nation in a constant state of striving and failing for 1500 years. That was the whole purpose. God gave them, and us, commandments to show us our love for Him is fawed and defective when generated by self-effort. In the New Covenant He actually gives us the love which we need to love Him back. His love, it says in Romans 5:5, has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

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Jesus did not come seeking employees. He came to employ Himself for our good. Never try to work for Him as a means of appeasement or reward, by doing so you rob Him of His glory.

All credit to God and His grace Paul was convinced that no blessing in life can be credited to anything we can do, it is all by God’s Grace. Look at these four examples:

“When people work, their wages are not a gif, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.” - Romans 4:4-5 (NLT) “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” - Philippians 2:13 (NLT) “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” - 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NKJV) “So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.” - Romans 9:16 (NLT) Peter also understands the importance of crediting God and hammers 261

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home this principle when he wrote these words:

“God has given each of you a gif from his great variety of spiritual gifs. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gif of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gif of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”10 He basically encourages us not to serve God with what I’ve heard Timothy Keller call a ‘debtor’s ethic’. For years I served God with a debtor’s ethic. My service was my way of paying back a debt I owed God. My good deeds and acts of service were the instalments to pay off the debt. I confused my gratitude with a debtor’s ethic. It was as though I was saying, “Look God – I’m showing you how grateful I am by my service to you.” That’s not gratitude – it’s a debtor’s ethic. Romans 11:35-36, taken from the New Living Translation, sums this up beautifully. It says:

“And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? “For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.” 10 - 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NLT) 262

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God is not looking for people to work for Him, but people who will allow Him to work through them. At frst sight the gospel seems to remove all incentive to live a holy life. That’s why, over centuries, churches have felt the need to tear down the radical claims of the gospel. The gospel of freedom has at times been traded for a law-based message which aims to stop people living any way they want. Behaviour is important. Conduct is important. But it’s the motivation of behaviour, not the mechanics of behaviour that’s the issue. Your continual standing before God is not based on your morality or behaviour but on faith in His blood. When the Angel of Death passed through the streets of Egypt seeking out all frst born, he didn’t go inside the houses to check on the occupants’ behaviour. When he saw the blood, he passed over. He didn’t check each individual to see if they had met the behavioural standard. The blood on the doorpost was their standard. They were putting their faith in the blood to avoid death.11 The same principal applies in the New Covenant, it’s through faith in His blood that allows God to pass over us with His wrath. 11 - Hebrews 11:28 263

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Nothing else. That’s it. If our standing before God depended on behaviour, many Muslims would put Christians to shame. The problem with the Galatian Church was just that; they were majoring on the mechanics of behaviour instead of the motive. Paul commanded the believers to stay true to grace-based motivated behaviour, not law-based mechanical behaviour. Law-based mechanical behaviour can be copied. Grace-based motivated behaviour is created. One is natural the other is supernatural. One has a form of Godliness but no power. The other is the fruit of Godliness produced by power. The Galatian Church was experiencing gospel pollution. Law-based mechanical behaviour verses grace-based motivated behaviour. Paul was so passionate about it because the freedom produced by grace was being eroded. They were being lured by their freedom in Christ back to the fear, insecurity and dependency of the beggars bowl.12 This was and still is a major issue. Paul talks about ‘falling from grace’ or ‘becoming slaves’ or ‘being estranged from Christ’ and lays down some stern warnings to the polluters of the gospel of grace. Law-based 12 - Galatians 5:1-10 264

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mechanical behaviour verses grace-motivated behaviour meant the difference between living in fear or freedom, abundantly or slavishly. The literal translation of Galatians 5:1 is so much stronger than the English translation. It literally says “for freedom Christ freed you”. Everything about the Christian gospel is freedom.

“He has set me free.” Those words are written in the aorist tense. It refers to a single past action now completed. Paul warns that freedom can come under attack and be lost. That’s why he commanded the Galatians to stand frm. Grace is responsible freedom. When boundaries are removed we are lef to make up our minds about what is and isn’t proftable. Thinking back to Bartimaeus then, we are presented with a challenge: Culture verses Christ. Bartimaeus chose not to listen to the voice of culture that kept him bound and begging. He responded to the voice of grace that shouted louder and he threw aside his garment to rise up and go to Jesus. Every day, we need to throw aside our uniform of dependence whatever that is: people approval, a negative history, social status, selfpity, or powerless religion. Come to Jesus and live free. There is an old well-known tale about Abraham Lincoln buying back a slave from the marketplace. He bought the woman and then lef. He simply saw her in her slavery and wanted to set her free. She quickly 265

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followed and asked, now that he had paid for her, what he wanted from her. He famously responded, “You are free. I just wanted to let

you out of bondage. You are free to do whatever you’d like now. That’s the defnition of free.” Not believing what she heard she asked, “Free? Free to do whatever I

want?” He said yes.

“Free to be whatever I want?” Yes, again.

“Free to go wherever I want?” He said yes again. With a smile on her face she simply replied, “well if that’s the case and

I am truly free to do whatever I want, then I’m following you”. Sounds familiar eh? That’s grace. And it shouts so much louder than the voice of culture.

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Chapter Twelve Grace Shouts Louder than the Voice of Discouragement “It’s no accident you’re reading these words. He’s not surprised in fact, he’s been expecting you.” So many believers live with the mentality that even God has forgotten them. You may be reading these words, struggling to believe that God is hearing your prayers because the voice of discouragement has been bellowing at you, like it did to Bartimaeus. I touch on the life of Bartimaeus a few times in this book, because he is a great example of how the many voices that encompass our lives can shout louder than the one voice we should tune into; grace. I like to imagine myself in the story and create an idea of a scene. I can almost hear those around Bartimaeus trying to drown out his 267

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own voice when he heard Jesus was coming by.

“Shut up…” “Who do you think you are?” “Jesus is passing you by... He’s not even looking in your direction.” “He’s got more important things to do.” “You don’t deserve His attention anyway.”1 Unlike the voice of culture that tries to keep us where we are, the voice of discouragement makes it personal. It shouts loudly, “even God has

forgotten you!” Even though Bartimaeus possibly struggled to believe, at frst, that Jesus would change direction and focus on his need, something inside him refused to give in. Something inside him believed it was no accident that Jesus was passing by on that day in that place. Something inside him believed this encounter, this opportunity, was no accident. He dared to believe another voice, the voice of grace. This was his day for deliverance. Something inside energised him to shout louder. You have not chosen to buy this book by accident, something inside you shouted louder than the voice of your circumstance, louder than the repeated negativity of discouraging 1 - Based on accounts from Mark 10:46-52 268

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voices and, like Bartimaeus, you know that Jesus sees what others don’t and He hears what others do not. To be forgotten has to be one of the worst experiences of life. Mother Teresa was once visiting a nursing home in the UK and as she walked around the communal lounge talking and embracing the elderly residents there, she turned to one of the nurses and asked why the residents all looked so sad. She went as far as to suggest that even those dying in the slums of Calcutta don’t have expressions as sad on their faces. With a fnal look round the room Mother Teresa added: “...and why

do they keep looking towards the door?” “They are hoping someone will walk through the door for them,” the nurse replied, “many of them just feel forgotten.” To be in a place where you’re not appreciated, visited, remembered, stroked, touched or called by name is surely the most effective way to destroy self-worth? My wife is Norwegian and every summer we spend time in a beautiful valley close to where she was raised. Her auntie Inga is well into her 80’s and spends her time now in a nursing home in a little town called Stryn, near our holiday home. While visiting her one day, the reality of Mother Teresa’s experience came home to me forcibly. When she saw my wife Laila enter the room, when she heard her call her name, when she felt the stroke of 269

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her hand on her face, her expression said it all: “I’m not forgotten,

someone knows I’m here.” For someone in that position it doesn’t take a lot to bring joy. Simply to know you’re remembered, simply to come to the realisation,

“someone knows I’m here,” can produce incredible hope. To live with the realisation that you are not only forgotten, but also seemingly invisible to others, can be devastating. Bartimaeus must have experienced all those emotions and on top of that he was being told, “shut up, even God has forgotten you” ; that must have been overwhelming.2

Grace helps you see in the dark The voice of discouragement does not confne its crushing vocabulary to one section of society or age group. That voice is indiscriminate. David was in his thirties when he prayed the prayer:

“For the enemy has persecuted my soul He has crushed my life to the ground He has made me dwell in darkness My spirit is overwhelmed within me My heart within me is distressed” 3 For me, those words of David not only describe the nature of discouragement when it comes to verbal abuse but also the 2 - Mark 10:46-52 3 - Psalm 143:3 (NKJV) 270

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demoralising effect it has on its victim. As David sat in a dark cave, hounded by a demented King, driven from his family, his friends, his place of worship, his wife and his sense of destiny, the voice of discouragement echoed around in that dismal place.

“Where is your God now?” “Even God has forgotten you... He’s passing you by.” This bullying voice had not just been howling at him for 17 days, but 17 years. He could still taste the anointing oil in his mouth, he could still hear the voice of the prophet declaring him the next King of Israel, but the voice of discouragement drowned out the promise of God trying to convince him it was a long forgotten dream. But like Bartimaeus, David could see in the dark. That’s what Grace does - it enables you to see in the dark. The voice of discouragement shouts,“you’re forgotten,” but the voice of grace shouts louder. Bartimaeus sat there in the dark, disoriented in the crowd and hammered by the voice of discouragement. But like the story of David, which I recalled in more detail in the chapter on pain, he too stretched forth his hands. 4 He shouted for Jesus, basically saying what David tried to articulate in his darkness and disorientation: “I can’t see

you, I can’t feel you but I know you’re here somewhere!” What a 4 - Psalm 143:5-6 271

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picture, what an encouragement for those of you identifying with Bartimaeus and David right now. You’re confused, hurting, sitting in a dark place totally disoriented. The voice of discouragement is screaming at you, “even God has

forgotten you”. But grace shouts louder. Listen to that voice right now and stretch forth your hands and begin to make that declaration: “I can’t see you, I can’t feel you Jesus but I

know you’re here somewhere, and it’s enough for me to know that you know.”

A legacy of grace shouting louder Paul asked God to deliver him from the continual harassment that felt like a thorn annoyingly scraping his fesh. He was in the dark concerning its reason to be allowed. He was disoriented as a result of its continual irritation. He cried to God three times for its removal. God’s reply... “My grace is sufficient for you.” 5 Paul responded, energised and comforted, with the revelation — it’s enough for me to know that He knows. As the voice of discouragement squealed in David’s head trying to make him believe that he was forgotten, and that God was passing him by, to drown out its demoralising effect he simply applied the voice of 5 - 2 Corinthians 12:9 272

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Grace and declared, “it’s enough for me to know that He knows”. Those sentiments of Psalm 139 outline David’s personal declaration: He knows where I am, He knows how I feel, He knows my future, He knows my past, He knows my present. He knows what I’m going to say before I say it. He knows all there is to know about me, and that’s enough. Dora Haley was a resident at Beeches Nursing Home in a place in South Wales, UK called Blaenavon. During the last few years of her life she was unable to speak but was occasionally seen to write. Afer her death, her locker was emptied and this poem was found. We don’t know whether she penned it herself or whether she cherished it because it echoed her own thought. This is what it said: What do you see, nurse, what do you see, what are you thinking when you're looking at me? A crabbit old woman, not very wise, uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes. Who dribbles her food and makes no reply 273

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when you say in a loud voice, "I do wish you'd try?" Who seems not to notice the things that you do, and forever is losing a stocking or shoe. Who, resisting or not, lets you do as you will with bathing and feeding, the long day to fll. Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see? Then open your eyes, nurse; you're not looking at me. I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still, as I use at your bidding, as I eat at your will. I'm a small child of ten with a father and mother, brothers and sisters, who love one another. A young girl of sixteen, with wings on her feet, dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet. A bride soon at twenty-my heart gives a leap, remembering the vows that I promised to keep. At twenty-fve now, I have young of my own who need me to guide and a secure happy home. A woman of thirty, my young now grown fast, bound to each other with ties that should last. At forty my young sons have grown and are gone, but my man's beside me to see I don't mourn. At ffy once more babies play round my knee, 274

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again we know children, my loved one and me. Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead; I look at the future, I shudder with dread..... For my young are all rearing young of their own, and I think of the years and the love that I've known. I'm now an old woman and nature is cruel; 'tis jest to make old age look like a fool. The body, it crumbles, grace and vigour depart, there is now a stone where I once had a heart. But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells, and now and again my battered heart swells. I remember the joys, I remember the pain, and I'm loving and living life over again. I think of the years; all too few, gone too fast, and accept the stark fact that nothing can last. So open your eyes, nurse, open and see, not a crabbit old woman; look closer - see ME!!6 You may feel like the most insignifcant person in the world, the voice 6 - “Look at Me” is said to have been written in 1966 by Phyllis McCormack then working as a nurse at Sunnyside Hospital in Montrose, Scotland, although there is no factual confirmation of this and the poem remains officially anonymous. 275

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of discouragement may have been shouting at you. Join the ranks of Bartimaeus, Paul, David and others and allow grace to shout louder. It’s enough for me to know that He knows.

Expecting grace in the least likely place We don’t know why he became a thief, perhaps for genuine reasons, perhaps through bad company or unbridled lust. Whatever the reason, it had caught up with him and he knew, as they strapped him to that cross, he had a few hours to live. When the dull thud of the cross hit the bottom of its socket it was only a matter of time before it was all over. We don’t know whether he had the support of his friends and family during his last hours but one thing must have been a reality to him as he hung there feeling worthless and forgotten, guilty and abandoned. It would be entirely plausible to suggest that he must have felt that people couldn’t care less about him, and perhaps he felt that God didn’t care either. Turning to his right he saw the battered form of the Nazarene preacher. He’d probably heard him preach a few times; perhaps even a friend of his had been healed. For reasons we don’t know this dying thief realised, in that moment, this Nazarene had the answers not only to life but death and beyond.

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With a revelation similar to Bartimaeus, he shouted, “Remember

me”.7 The voice for grace shouted loud above the calamity of Calvary’s noise and the voice of grace shouted louder still when it responded, “today

you will be with me in Paradise”. It was no accident this thief was crucifed on that day, at that time, next to that man. It’s as if it had been arranged especially for him, it was as if Jesus was expecting him. It’s as if Jesus was saying, “I’ve been

waiting for you”. To others Jesus was passing by, but for Bartimaeus it was as if Jesus was waiting for him to cry out. It’s no accident you’re reading these words. He’s not surprised - in fact, he’s been expecting you. As you whisper now, “God remember me...” The voice of grace shouts louder in response.

“I know. I’m here. Receive.”

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Chapter Thirteen Grace Shouts Louder than the Voice of Religion “Religion said stone her, grace said let her go.” I want to take you on a little deeper in this whole area of religion versus the Gospel using our good friend Bartimaeus once more. One of the most deafening voices Satan uses to keep people from receiving blessing from God is not sin but religion. The voice of religion wants to keep you begging and poor. That’s the essence of the voice of religion;

“Do this or else.” “Reach this standard or go away.”

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“Who do you think you are Bartimaeus?” “You’re just not good enough.” “You need to clean your life up frst.” “When was the last time you attended the synagogue?” “Do you tithe? I think not!” “What sort of prayer was that? ‘Jesus, son of David...’ How dare you!” “You’re so irreverent, and by the way, ever wondered why you’re blind? Probably the result of some sin.” “You want to be thankful Jesus is passing you by. Who knows what he would do to someone as sinful as you.” The voice of religion is harsh, condemning, judgemental, accusative and totally void of grace. The voice of religion demands you pay the price for your acceptance. The human heart longs for unconditional love but doubts the reality of its existence. That’s why religion works. The strength of any religion is based on two things: 1

A guilty conscience

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A displeased deity 279

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Since a guilty conscience is inherent to the human psyche, it’s no wonder religion thrives in every culture. We so deeply want to contribute to our own salvation that we become intoxicated by the rules. When I refer to religion and how much I hate it, I need to clarify what I mean when I refer to it. Jefferson Bethke, in his book ‘Jesus is Greater Than Religion’ , puts it brilliantly:

“When I say I hate religion I am not saying I hate The Church. I am not saying I hate the commandments, traditions or laws. I am not saying I hate organisations or institutions, but what I am saying is that I hate any system that upholds moral effort or good behaviour as the way in which we can have a proper relationship with God. My main problem with religion, how I defne it is, if that is possible, the fact that we can just be good enough for God, then that is spitting in the face of Jesus. That is mocking Him saying His sacrifce is not good enough, it wasn’t necessary.”1 My sentiments exactly. Performance-based religion is a criminal thing; in fact Jesus refers to law-based, performance-operated, religious preaching as criminal. I will deal with that aspect later on. While reading about this incident, on the roadside just outside Jericho, I noticed something that re-emphasises what I’m saying: Grace shouts 1 - Jesus is Greater than Religion, Jefferson Bethke, published by Thomas Nelson Publishers (7 Oct. 2013) 280

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louder than religion. It’s interesting to note that when Bartimaeus asked what was going on, the answer he received and his reply didn’t correspond.

“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they informed, but Bartimaeus response threw me completely out of the ball park. As loud as he could shout he cried, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.” They tried to shout him down but the Bible records that not only could they not shut him up, but he turned up the volume. The crowds ahead of Jesus tried to hush the man but he only shouted louder, “Jesus Son of David have mercy on me”. There it was staring me in the face. Religion describes, in a sterile way, what is happening (Jesus of Nazareth is passing by), but the voice of grace shouts louder and calls out, speaking to who Jesus really is (Jesus, son of David). Religion shouts ‘Jesus of Nazareth’. He’s from Nazareth. He’s a man, a good man, a clever man, a kind man but just a man nevertheless. In Nazareth he was Mary’s son not God’s son. In Nazareth he was a carpenter not the Christ. In Nazareth he was an offence not a blessing. 281

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In Nazareth he was limited not Lord. In Nazareth he was treated with familiarity not worship. In Nazareth he was dishonoured not honoured. In Nazareth he was rejected not accepted. In Nazareth he was opposed not believed, Religion shouts, “can anything good come out of Nazareth? We don’t

need his goodness we have our own.”2 You see the religious self-righteous don’t cry out for mercy they cry out for credit. Nazareth speaks of unbelief, rejection, dishonour, stigma and selfrighteousness. Bartimaeus saw Jesus with another set of eyes. He may have been blind in the natural but he had a supernatural revelation of Jesus which others didn’t have. This was no ordinary man; His lineage did not originate in Nazareth, He was more than Mary’s son, He is from the lineage of David, that makes Him Messiah, Lord Saviour. He is the promised one. The one promised to crush the head of Satan, the one who has come to open the eyes of the blind and even raise the dead. The one who takes away the sin of the world and justify the ungodly. He is the Alpha and 2 - Mark 6:1-6 282

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Omega, the ruler of the universe. He is the Son of God full of grace and truth. I believe the voice of grace is rising up from within this generation, and in doing so is slowly drowning out the voice of judgemental accusations, self-righteous performance-based religion to declare:

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gif of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”3 Religion hates mercy but loves merit. Religion says earn but grace says believe. Religion counts, grace cancels. Religion brings a curse, grace brings a blessing. Religion focuses on behaviour, grace focuses on blood. Religion says do, grace says done. 3 - Ephesians 2:4-9 (NLT) 283

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Religion demands you respect God, grace invites you to believe God. Religion excites sin, grace dominates sin. Religion shouts Jesus of Nazareth, grace shouts Jesus, son of David. Religion shouted “crucify Him”, Grace shouted “Father forgive”.

When you really know Jesus you can shout louder than any other voice A messenger of Satan shouts through persecution that you will never make it. Grace shouts louder: “I’m sufficient for you.” God instructed Moses to build the mercy seat dimensionally bigger than the ark containing the law because grace shouts louder.4 The frst person Paul saw afer being blind for three days was Ananias – his name means the “Grace of God,” not the “law of God”. That would defne the rest of his life. Up to that point, religion had been the tune he danced to but grace shouts louder, the song had changed. Religion said stone her, grace said let her go.5 Religion said stay in the house you’re unclean, grace shouted louder and said go in peace, your faith has made you whole.6

4 - Numbers 7:89ff 5 - John 8:7 6 - Luke 8:43-48 284

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Could we have a spiritual learning disorder? Many Christians struggle with sin, emotional bondage, fear, guilt and mental turmoil because they suffer from what I call ‘spiritual dyslexia’. Dyslexia is also known as a reading disorder, where people have trouble understanding words, either by listening, reading or writing. It can affect anyone and people with it tend to have normal or even increased intelligence - they just struggle with this, now understood, disorder. If you transfer that into a spiritual context, could there be people of normal or even high intelligence who struggle with comprehending the words of Scripture? While meditating on 1 John 4:17, the Holy Spirit showed me something.

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement. Because as He is so are we in this world.” 7 I will deal with the issue of boldness before God in another chapter, right now let’s deal with the issue of this thing I’m calling ‘spiritual dyslexia’. You understand I mean no offence by this terminology, it’s simply there to help us understand a ‘condition’ many of us suffer from. This verse does not say “as he was so we must be” , but by our lifestyle 7 - 1 John 4:17 285

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as Christians, many of us demonstrate it. This verse shows us where we are going wrong. We are not called to copy his life but contain it. We are not commanded to live like Him but to live from Him. Paul emphatically declares, “it’s no longer I that lives but Christ who live in

me.”8 Because I suffered from spiritual dyslexia for years, I was not reading the truth but a distortion of it, and it turned me into a pharisaical, law-based, moralising, pathetic, imperfect copy. We tag What Would

Jesus Do onto our lives instead of What Has Jesus Done. If we really lived by the lifestyle principle of “What would Jesus do”, many of us would be in jail right now. This verse encourages us to live an incarnate life, trusting the Holy Spirit to live His life through us in every situation. We try in our own strength to copy His lifestyle ending up frustrated, with more guilt and more repentance. We look at what Jesus did on the cross and because of our spiritual dyslexia we read, “as He did so we must do”. So we embark on a journey of morbid introspection to copy Jesus’ suffering not realising that dying to self is the means of releasing the life of Christ from within us, and not the path to holiness. “As He is

so are we.” This verse is a declaration of our identity not a command regarding our morality. God’s desire for us is to live through the power of our 8 - Galatians 2:20 286

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identity not the power of our morality. We praise God for what He did. For His sinless life, His substitutionary death, His resurrected body, but that is what He did once, for all. John is getting us to focus on what He is doing now, because a revelation of that is the key to living a victorious and productive Christian life. Look at these passages from Hebrews:

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and fnd grace to help in time of need.”9 And then:

“There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. “He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honour in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer 9 - Hebrews 4:15-16 (NKJV) 287

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sacrifces every day. They did this for their own sins frst and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifce for the people’s sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But afer the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.”10 As He is, so are we. He is our High Priest, and also our representative. In other words, we stand before God in Him, He stands before God for us. He is eternally righteous, He has been perfected forever. As He is, so are we, that deals with spiritual insecurity. He is eternally loved. As He is, so are we, that deals with guilt and condemnation. What about these incredible words in Romans 8: 34-35:

“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honour at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?”11 He is eternally victorious 10 - Hebrews 7:23-28 (NLT) 11 - (NLT) 288

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As He is, so are we. The key to living life as God intended us to live mentally, emotionally and spiritually is by faith applying the truth on these verses. What are you struggling with to change in your life? What are you battling with in your life and can’t seem to have a breakthrough with? Understanding what I’m about to write next could change your life. Are you ready? Repentance is not you “correcting” something, it’s actually helping you “consent” to something. Don’t be shocked, just think it through: Sexual lust, anger, unforgiveness… don’t focus on how you are ‘but as He is’. Let me explain. Your prayer may sound like this: “Lord, I can’t change

in this area, give me time, I will do my best, I failed last time but I will try again.” And you do, and you fail again, and you’re flled with guilt again, and you repent again, and so the carousel of repentance based on guilt, condemnation and failure keeps spinning you around. Lots of activity, lots of energy but no progress. You need to change your prayer so it’s based on ‘As He is, so are we’ and pray like this: “Lord, I thank you for who I am in Christ. I’m

fnding it difficult to change in this area of my life so I consent for the power of grace to empower me to change.” That’s Biblical repentance. 289

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Responding to the truth and reality of God’s goodness, not some form of guilt based penance. While pursuing this truth a little further, I listened to a message by Joseph Prince that quite literally blew my mind. Using the Biblical principle of the role of a high priest, what he shared helped me deal with the greatest area of spiritual warfare in my life: my thought life. I’m convinced it’s one of the biggest areas of struggle in any believer’s life, if not the biggest area of struggle in our health life. How can I be righteous before God when my thought life is sometimes so unholy? Even during worship we can be worshipping God in Church and suddenly into our minds comes a lustful or bitter thought, immediately defling us and condemning us, convincing us we are now not acceptable to God and need to repent immediately, but the more we try to reject those thoughts, the more they attack us. We give up and leave God’s house depressed, defeated and demoralised. It’s a real problem but when we understand and apply the reality of ‘as He is, so are we’ freedom can be enjoyed. There is the reality. In the same way our High Priest represents us bureaucratically, he also represents us mentally. In the same way God accepts us in Jesus, despite our imperfect behaviour, He also accepts us despite our imperfect thought life. That’s why the Bible exhorts us to set our affection and our attention Heavenward.

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“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”12 Why does God exhort us to focus our thoughts on where Christ is seated? Because where He is, so are we. How He is, we are. Because “as

He is, so are we,” even in our thought life. In the Old Testament, the high priest stood before God representing the people. As he was, so were the people. He was dressed in such a way that made him acceptable before God. So as he was, so were the people. He represented them. But you may be saying, “what has that got to do with my imperfect thought life?” A reading and meditation from Exodus 28:36-38 gives us the answer.

“You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: “And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifs; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted

12 - Colossians 3:1-2 (NKJV) 291

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before the Lord.”13 The signet engraved on the high priest’s forehead said ‘Holiness unto the Lord’. Verse 38 in the NLT says that Aaron must wear it on his forehead so he may take on himself any guilt of the people of Israel when they consecrate their sacred offerings, and also that he must always wear it on his forehead so the Lord will accept his people. Our high priest’s thought life is continually, eternally, holy before the Father. It takes the guilt of our completely unholy thoughts, making us continually acceptable before the Father. Hallelujah! What a liberating revelation. Jesus’ thought life is continually holy before the Father, and by faith we apply the truth that ‘as He is, so are we’. Read 1 Corinthians 2:16 for more on evidence of this principle.

Jesus – our advocate not our adversary When we have bad thoughts we immediately go into repentance mode based on guilt, we should instead go into revelation mode. The Father doesn’t condemn you or reject you because you have a defective thought life any more than you have a defective moral life. He accepts you because your representative, your High Priest, Jesus in Heaven has a perfectly Holy one. That’s why Peter exhorts us to “gird up the loin of your mind”.14

13 - (NKJV) 14 - 1 Peter 1:13-16 292

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Loins are your reproductive system. Thoughts carry the power to reproduce so remember your thought life, before God, is constantly holy; be holy because you are holy, not be holy or else. God would never ask you to be what you’re not. Next time a barrage of unclean nasty thoughts come into your head, don’t deal with them repentantly but revelationally. Don’t own them. Your re-born spirit has not generated them, they have originated either from your fesh or the devil but you are a new creation who has the mind of Christ. You are holy and so are your thoughts before God. The moment you own devilish or feshly thoughts, guilt and condemnation will follow. Allow Christ’s mind to be in you. That doesn’t mean you have licence to fll your mind with unclean, bitter or angry thoughts. We do have a responsibility to guard our hearts and minds, but I believe the majority of believers are not looking for a licence to sin but instead, a victory over it. Genuine born-again new creations are empowered and energised and taught by grace to say no to ungodliness. The reason why some of you struggle living by the power of grace is because you’re trying to embrace it emotionally and mentally, instead of legally. We still don’t get the fact that Jesus is our advocate not our adversary.

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case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.”15 It’s imperative we understand we have someone in Heaven who speaks on our behalf. Again, to my help came Timothy Keller as I heard one of his sermons. It switched on a foodlight in my spirit. What follows are generally his words more than mine. I’ve had to paraphrase but this is the general sentiment:

“We may have difficulty in our culture relating to a priest in a temple but we have no problem relating to a lawyer in a court room. We may not be familiar with intercession within the framework of a temple but we don’t have a problem understanding intercession within the framework of a court room. If you were faced with a life or death charge, you’d choose your lawyer carefully because you know you’re not qualifed to represent yourself. The lawyer becomes you in court.” What do you look like in court? You look like your lawyer – as he is, so are you. Your lawyer is perfect, he has no impending sentence against him. If he did, he could not represent you. The writer to the Hebrews stated that He had no need to offer any sacrifces for His own sins. He has the perfect life. He stands fawless. No one can fnd fault in Him and He represents you. Jesus has a foolproof case in the court of Heaven. He paid the price for 15 - 1 John 2:1 (NLT) 294

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your sin with His perfect sacrifce. Because of that, we stand on the unshakable confdence that our relationship in Heaven is a legal thing. Heaven recognises it, Satan hates it and we should enjoy it. Jesus is not in Heaven asking for mercy. He demands acquittal based on His sacrifce for us. He has an infallible case. He is not standing before the Father asking Him to give you a second chance. He’s asking for justice. Jesus stands before the Father for us and demands justice based upon His fnished work. It would be like Him saying, “I paid the price Father and

judicially there cannot be two payments for the same sin.” In fact in Hebrews 10:18 it confrms this when it says that when sins are forgiven there is no need to offer any more sacrifces. Then in Hebrews 7:27 it says:

“Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifces every day. They did this for their own sins frst and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifce for the people’s sins.”16 As a result, the righteousness of God is satisfed and at the same time, our innocence is justifed in one sacrifce for ever. Pure genius!

Believe and receive Under the old covenant you had to obey and behave. Under the new 16 - (NLT) 295

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covenant you have to believe and receive. The shout of grace is “what

do you want me to do for you?” not “this is what you have to do for me”. In the new covenant, the key to receiving is believing not repenting. This is the essence of grace – no demands, no conditions, no small print. It’s unmerited, undeserved and unlimited. Grace never says this is what you must do for me before I do this for you. One of the hardest things for believers to do is receive. We know how to repent, we’ve been hammered enough with the old ditty from 2 Chronicles where we are reminded that, “If my people, who are called

by my name, will humble themselves and pray… I will forgive their sins and restore their land.”17 The emphasis on this scripture to ensure God’s favour is the behaviour of the people. “If my people…” do this or do that then I will forgive and heal. When are we going to realise the cross changed everything. When are we going to realise you cannot apply old covenant principles and expect new covenant results? It’s like going to a cash dispenser and trying to receive cash using a discontinued card. You will walk away frustrated, angry and totally disappointed. In the new covenant, God’s blessing does not depend upon my repentance or behaviour but by believing and receiving and applying the fnished work of Christ.

“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this 17 - 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT paraphrase) 296

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wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 (NLT) We know how to be responsible and that’s very important but the way we have been exhorted to respond has been guilt and fear based. Be responsible or else, not realising we are ‘response – able’ because of the power of grace. You can shout at a pear tree all you want and tell it it’s responsible to produce apples but the pear tree is not ‘response-able’ to produce apples so it lives with the guilt and the frustration. It’s the grace of God that enables us to respond. It’s the grace of God that empowers us to be ‘response-able’. And grace to make us responsible can only be received. Don’t beat yourself up struggling to be a response-able spouse. Receive His grace to help you whether you need help to be a responseable employer, employee, parent, leader or friend. With all the responsibility Paul carried, he exemplifes for us this principle of enabling grace and vocalises it in 1 Corinthians 15:10:

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all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”18 I repeat with emphasis, the biggest problem we have as believers surrounded by a religious, performance-orientated, guilt-ridden, fearfuelled Church culture is receiving. The key to the explosion of life in the early church was not their holiness, nor their repentance, neither their spiritual discipline nor Bible knowledge – it was their willingness to receive. When you read the incident between Jesus and His disciples, in John 20:19-22, where Jesus in His resurrected body faced His disciples for the frst time collectively, afer their cowardly desertion, you will understand what I mean. There they were huddled in a locked room, fearing for their lives. They had failed Jesus miserably, it could have been called treason at the highest level. Their promises of ‘we will always follow you’, proved to be shallow and hypocritical. There they were, the ones chosen to change the world for Jesus. Fearful, disloyal and totally irresponsible. Jesus enters the room supernaturally. When they saw him they probably thought, “now we’re going to get it, we can’t talk our way

out of this one, we’re guilty, and we’ll take what’s coming.” But amidst these self-condemning thoughts their hearts were melted when grace pronounced peace over them. Peace! Not only was it unexpected, they knew His response to their 18 - (NKJV) 298

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cowardice was totally undeserved because a guilty heart knows what it deserves and a pronouncement of peace isn’t it. How is this possible? The correct and justifed response could have been – “repent, you’ve

messed up, I need a confession and it has to be genuine because I can tell the difference between genuine and fake. Before I give you anything, if I give you anything, I’m going to want to see if your repentance is genuine. Go on; get out of this room you bunch of failed hypocrites. Go stand in the streets and declare I’m alive. Do that and I will consider blessing you.” If religion stood in that room that is what it would have harshly shouted, but religion was nowhere to be seen. Grace entered their fearful, disloyal, guilty world and shouted louder, “Peace to you”. Oh how wonderful the voice of grace to our ears when we’ve messed up. How humbling it is to hear grace pronounce peace over our pathetic, fawed attempts to be faithful but there it is. There He stood. What struck me forcibly when reading this encounter of grace versus guilt was what Jesus was doing while pronouncing peace. He was showing them his hands and feet. He wanted them to know this was a new dispensation. He had instituted a new covenant. He wanted them to know that from now on the blessing and favour of God was not based on their performance but His.

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shallow promises to me. It’s a new day. This is not the time to repent but receive because without my grace, you can neither repent nor be responsible.” How many of us have had a wrong perception of the principle of repentance in the new covenant? How many of us have had a wrong perception about the whole issue of holiness and responsibility? How long have we missed out on God’s blessing because we have thought as believers that repentance precedes receiving? No, we cannot put the cart before the horse, it’s the other way around and this encounter the disciples had with grace versus their unfaithfulness demonstrates it. Grace settles our hearts with a pronouncement of peace. Grace then strengthens our heart with the invitation to receive. As Romans 5:17 tells us, it was the sin of Adam which caused death to rule over many but even greater is God’s grace and His gif of righteousness, because everyone who receives it will live in victory over sin and death through Jesus. The key to receiving as believers is believing not repenting and behaving. All Bartimaeus had to do was believe and receive. The same promise that rang out to that helpless beggar rings out to every believer.

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God loves you as you are not as you should be Brennan Manning was a Catholic priest who struggled all his life with alcoholism, loneliness and the effects of a divorce. While writing his memoirs he reviewed the grace of God operating in his life. It was a life littered with failure, spiritual lapses and heartbreak and he encapsulated his perception of grace, which reinforced for me the reason for Jesus’ response to a bunch of imperfect disciples with similar regret. This perception comes from a man who, like the Apostle Paul, spoke not only from the breath-taking revelation of grace in scripture, but from the undeniable reality of grace in his life. Brennan, like Paul, had confdence and gratitude for God’s grace, as the result of what they’ve learned experientially and not just academically. God loves you as you are not as you should be. The Gospel declares this - it doesn’t debate this. The declaration from Heaven through the gospel of grace is this: “God has done the whole job in Jesus. Once for

all. We are simply invited to believe it.” But Manning did come to an understanding of the power and liberation of grace. He wrote, in The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News

for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out: “Because salvation is by grace through faith, I believe that among the countless number of people standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and 301

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holding palms in their hands (see Revelation 7:9), I shall see the prostitute from the Kit-Kat Ranch in Carson City, Nevada, who tearfully told me that she could fnd no other employment to support her two-year-old son. I shall see the woman who had an abortion and is haunted by guilt and remorse but did the best she could faced with gruelling alternatives; the businessman besieged with debt who sold his integrity in a series of desperate transactions; the insecure clergyman addicted to being liked, who never challenged his people from the pulpit and longed for unconditional love; the sexually abused teen molested by his father and now selling his body on the street, who, as he falls asleep each night afer his last 'trick', whispers the name of the unknown God he learned about in Sunday school. “‘But how?' we ask. “Then the voice says, 'They have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb.' “There they are. There *we* are - the multitude who so wanted to be faithful, who at times got defeated, soiled by life, and bested by trials, wearing the bloodied garments of life's tribulations, but through it all clung to faith. “My friends, if this is not good news to you, you have never understood the gospel of grace.” To trust the bizarre, unprovable proposition that in Him every last 302

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person on earth is already home free without a single religious exercise, that there’s no need for fasting till your knees hurt, that there’s no prayers you have to get right or else, there’s no standing on your head with your thumb in your ear reciting the correct creed... The entire show has been set right in the mystery of Christ. Yes, it’s crazy. Yes, it’s wild. Yes, it’s outrageous and to the selfrighteous – vulgar. Any God who would do such a thing is a God that has no taste, but there it is. Good news. The only permanent news there is and that is why it’s captivating. The gospel of grace amazes and offends. It’s a grace that pays the eager beaver who works all day the same wages as the grinning drunk who shows up at 4.50pm. It’s a grace that pulls up its robes and runs recklessly towards a prodigal reeking of sin, wraps him up and decides to throw him a party. No whys and no buts. It’s a grace that raises blood shot eyes to a dying thief’s request to remember him and then gives him the assurance. This vulgar grace is indiscriminate compassion without demanding anything from us. It’s not cheap but it is free and, as such, will always be a banana peel for the orthodox self-righteous even though they huf and puf with all their might, to fnd something or someone it cannot cover. In Paul’s words, it has no height, no depth and no width.19

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It’s incomprehensible, unfathomable and totally unconditional. Staggering, I know, but we are commanded to believe it and invited to receive it. Someone once said if you can understand the gospel intellectually, you’ve not heard the gospel. I now understand with greater intensity, because of the breath-taking truth of the gospel of God’s grace and the words of Jesus exhorting us to become like little children. The truth of the grace of God, because of its fantastic claims, seems as though we should relegate it to the world of fantasy and fairy-tale.

The impossible is a reality My little granddaughter, when she was fve years of age, sat down in our garden and asked me, seriously, “Bampa, how old are you?” I told her I was 65 years of age. Immediately she started to cry uncontrollably. I tried to console her but she kept repeating through her sobs, “I don’t want you to die Bampa, I don’t want you to die.” Then suddenly she stopped crying, her face lit up as if somehow miraculously she’d received some kind of revelation. “I know what to

do Bampa,” she said, wiping the tears from her eye, “I’m going to make you 30!” Going along with this little girls’ solution, I excitedly asked, “how are

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“Fairy dust,” she confdently replied. She went on to explain that the tooth fairy had been the night before and had lef behind some fairy dust, and that when she read Peter Pan he never grew older because of Tinkerbell’s fairy dust. She then threw some fairy dust on me and I responded as if something magical had happened. “What’s just happened to me?” I asked.

“Bampa, its magic,” she said. “You are now 30!” and she walked away happily playing with her toys, no longer worried about her Bampa dying. Fantastic! You see, she lives in a world where pumpkins become golden carriages, where wooden boys become real ones, where magic mirrors speak. A child’s imagination lives in a realm where impossible is not in their vocabulary. To accept the amazing claims of the gospel of God’s grace, I now understand why we too have to live in that realm. Not of fairy tale or fantasy but where impossible is a reality. It’s blessings are beyond human comprehension, that’s why to embrace it you simply have to believe it. When the voice of religion dares to shout you down, don’t worry. The incomprehensible, powerful, beautiful gospel of Grace just shouts all the louder. 305

Chapter Fourteen Grace Shouts Louder than Law “The just shall live by faith in the gospel of the grace of God.” Someone once said to want to live under law is like trying to dispense cash from a cash machine using an out of date credit card. You come away disappointed and perhaps even angry. You followed all the instructions, punched in the right pin number, but no matter what you do, you’re getting no cash because your card is obsolete. It’s out of date. It’s discontinued. That is what’s been happening in the Church for years. Christians have been using a discontinued system, an out of date covenant and expecting New Covenant blessing. We’ve been praying Old Covenant prayers and expecting New Covenant results. 306

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The book of Hebrews is an amazing book, written to a Jewish audience, who believed in Jesus the Messiah but were having great difficulty trusting Him alone for salvation and a maintained relationship with God. Their sacrifcial system and temple protocol was all they had known. I imagine if I had been one of them I would have been asking questions like, “Why can’t we have Jesus and the

law,” or “Why can’t we approach God like we always have, it’s worked for 1500 years, why change it now?” The writer to the Hebrews provided answers that were clear and simple because that way of approach to God was obsolete, out of date and discontinued. Sadly many of those Jewish believers couldn’t handle grace alone to save and keep them, and returned to the slavery of the law, trusting in the blood of animals to sanctify them. It was to those people that this was written:

“For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come — and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.”1 If you return to trusting the sacrifcial system of animals to save you, 1 - Hebrews 6: 4-6 (NLT) 307

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you’re rejecting the son of God, by stating with your action that His death is not enough. Not only that but, because of that, many of you have placed yourself in an impossible position to be made right with God, as the truth of Christ’s death and forgiveness of sins have been presented to you.

Unthinkable God, unthinkable grace The truth of one man, dying once, for all, for the sin of everyone, was embraced by some of those people as a glorious reality. Afer weighing it all up, however, it seemed like some decided to return to an obsolete system, discontinued and no longer recognised by God as a valid way to be made right with Him. The book of Hebrews, in chapter 10:9-10, continues:

“Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the frst covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifce of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.”2 In fact, the same book in the bible also states that if the frst covenant had been faultless then there would have been no need for a second to replace it,3 and that when God speaks of a new covenant it is shorthand for saying the old one has now been made obsolete.4 2 - (NLT) 3 - Hebrews 8:7 4 - Hebrews 8:13 308

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It couldn’t really be said in much clearer terms but still many of those early Jewish people chose a discontinued covenant over God’s new way. By doing this they made a choice that placed themselves in a position where they could never be right with God, however sincere their Old Covenant-based repentance was. To press the truth home even further, to make it even more obvious, God does the unthinkable. He not only introduced a new covenant but a new priesthood to administer it.

“So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron? And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it. For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests. What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe.”5 These are amazing words, mind blowing in fact. For 1500 years, only priests from the tribe of Levi were allowed to handle the sacred duties of temple worship. It was set in stone and as far as the Jews were concerned, it would be unthinkable, beyond comprehension, that it would ever change.

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But it did. God did the unthinkable. He not only changed the covenant but the priesthood also. The High Priest of the New Covenant came from the tribe of Judah, punching the fnal nail in the coffin of the Old Covenant sacrifcial system. To change the priesthood from Levi to Judah meant there is no going back; because this priest was alive forever, it’s never going to change. This is for eternity; Jesus is the new High Priest. God has sanctioned it. There’s no going back. But sadly many still did. Even sadder, the same is happening in the Church. We have believers who rely on the law to be sanctifed. And while they don’t lose their salvation because of their messed up theology, they don’t enjoy it either. Their names are written in Heaven but they’re living in slavery till they get there. That’s why we have so many joyless, ineffective Christians. They are always trying to be perfect. Law-based living demands it. Their worth is measured by their performance and that’s why they are miserable. Law demands perfection and they know internally, irrespective of how their external attempts to be justifed by their behaviour, they are far from perfect. Tullian Tchividjian says, in his book One Way Love:

“Law is any voice that makes us feel we must do something or be something to merit the approval of others. In daily living, law is an internalised principle of self-accusation.” Someone once said life is the art of drawing without an eraser. It’s a slogan meant to inspire hard work and spotless morality but it really 310

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speaks as the booming voice of the law to everyone who reads it. What it actually says, as does the law, is, “don’t mess up, there are no second

chances, you’d better get it right the frst time”. As the great Scottish Churchman Ralph Erskine beautifully wrote,

“the law could promise life to me if my obedience perfect be”. Someone once said, “if you want to make people mad – preach law, if

you want to make them really mad – preach grace”. That’s what was happening in the early Church. Some were mad because of law-based preaching like the Apostle Paul, but some were really mad at grace-based preaching like the Judaisers.

“The law offends because it tells us what to do and most of the time we hate anyone telling us what to do but ironically, grace offends us even more because it tells us there is nothing that we can do, that everything has already been done. If there is something we hate more than being told what to do, it’s being told we can’t do anything, that we can’t earn anything, that we are helpless, weak and needy. However much we hate the law, we are more afraid of grace. Because we are natural born ‘do-ityourselfers’, that strong reaction to grace is understandable. Grace generates panic because it wrestles both control and glory out of our hands.” - Tullian Tchividjian And so it was with those poor early Jewish people who wanted to 311

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believe in Jesus but could not handle the unconditional grace of God to establish a relationship with him and maintain it.

The law has to leave when grace shows up The Bible is full of pictures depicting the transition from law to grace. One of those if beautifully seen in Luke 2:25-32 in the story of Simeon, who was known as being devout. The story goes that he was waiting on the Messiah, because previously the Holy Spirit had come upon him and told him that he wouldn’t die until he had seen Him. So when Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple Simeon was there, where he picked up Jesus and said:

“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” What a beautiful picture of law bowing out to grace. Simeon represents everything the law demands. He was devout, just, but in transition. He was waiting for the reality. He had no need to keep the photograph any longer. He was now holding the real thing. Simeon means hearing and obeying, he represents the law perfectly, because that was the essence of the law. Hear and obey as opposed to the New Covenant which is hear and believe. But for me it was the words Simeon spoke in verse 29 that say it all:

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promised. I have seen your salvation...” The Bible declares the law is merely a schoolmaster that brings us to Christ. Once that happens in a person’s life he no longer needs a tutor. Jesus will take it from there. Not only do we see the law represented in Simeon bowing out, but in verse 38 his wonderful transition from law to grace is captured in the arrival of Anna.

“And coming in that instant arrives Anna.” What instant? The moment Simeon leaves. Anna means Grace. Genius! Breath-taking. Humbling. Law has to leave when grace arrives. Law and grace cannot co-exist in a believer’s life. This essential truth needed to be understood and applied by faith if we are to be joy flled productive Christians. One beautiful story clearly showing us that law and grace cannot co-exist in the same room is found in John 8:1-11.

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The woman caught in adultery The law dragged her from an adulterous bed. She was caught in the act. She was guilty without doubt. No need for a trial. There was no defence. No lawyer in Israel would take on her case. It was full proof. What a perfect picture of the correct use of the law in someone’s life to declare us guilty before God. But the other side of the law’s purpose is also clearly demonstrated; it’s like a school master to bring us to Christ. The law dragged her through the streets naked, shamed, guilty and threw her down at the feet of grace. What a graphic scene. The law with rocks ready to kill, the condemned awaiting deserved punishment, and grace about to speak. As the law demanded justice, grace reached down and starts to write with His fnger. In the movie the Passion of the Christ, this scene depicts Jesus writing in the dust, but the account of this story found in John Chapter 8 tells us that Jesus was teaching in the temple courts. Previously, and also later in the book, this area is called Solomon’s colonnade. Jesus was not standing on dusty ground. He was standing on stone slabs. When he bent over and wrote with his fnger he most likely wrote on paving stones, or stone tablets. The lesson was obvious to those ready to judge. 314

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The response was totally predictable. They lef realising there was no one standing there that day who could stand up to the scrutiny of the 10 commandments, the law of God, the standard of righteousness written 1500 years previously on stone tablets with the fnger of God. They were all guilty and they all lef. Except the only one who could pass judgement and could execute sentence, based on the fact He was the only one ever to fulfl the requirements of righteousness demanded in the law. What a picture. The guilty quivering with fear at the feet of grace. No defence. No hope. The law had done its job and done it well… but had to leave the condemned at the feet of grace and look for the exit door. Grace reached down again completing the picture perfectly. You see there were two sets of tablets on which God wrote his standard of holiness. One set was smashed in judgement, the other set placed out of sight in the Ark of the Covenant, covered by the Mercy seat sprinkled with blood. God told Moses He would meet him there, between the Cherubim 315

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above the mercy seat, where there is no condemnation. Jesus reaches down to the guilty as the true Mercy Seat and his words and actions make it clear to the woman that her shame is now on Him. That she can go because He won’t be condemning her. Then he adds in something wonderful. Because of this grace, he urges her to use that as her incentive to live a righteous life not a sinful one.

Grace brings life and the enemy wants to steal it When Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, said that he desires abundant life for his sheep, he also warned against a planned robbery to steal it away.

“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and fnd pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”6 Jesus promises His people abundant life. A life full of joy, victory, peace and security. Then why is it that large sections of the body of Christ do not enjoy these blessings? Jesus gives us the answer; “thieves and robbers.” What’s interesting here is that in reference to thieves and robbers he 6 - John 10:7-10 (NKJV) 316

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directs our attention to all who ever came before me. This is not a reference to the devil but his inside men: “the teachings of the law and

the Pharisees.” The context of John chapter 10 is Jesus’ response to the Pharisees question in John 9:40.

“Are we blind also?” “Are you inferring we are ignorant regarding having a relationship with God?” He goes for the jugular and brands them as criminals. Satan’s most effective means to steal the new covenant blessings from the Church, is not persecution from the outside but pollution from the inside. I love watching bank robbery movies like The Italian Job or The Great

Train Robbery. When you watch movies about bank robberies the same thing always happens. For the robbery to be effective there has to be an inside man; someone who appears loyal and trustworthy to the bank, but someone who has been seduced and bought by the robbers. The effectiveness of Satan’s thievery from the Church is in his subtlety. In much the same way, he doesn’t use demons to carry out the Great Church Robbery, but inside men. Pastors and leaders within the Church, sincere faithful men and women, who are unaware of their collaboration with the enemy. 317

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performance-demanding preaching, the Church is being robbed of everything the Good Shepherd desires for his sheep. Not through persecutors but pulpiteers. While meditating on this concept some old testament Scriptures came alive to me, describing this New Covenant church pollution clearly. The frst was Ezra 9.

“From the days of our ancestors until now, we have been steeped in sin. That is why we and our kings and our priests have been at the mercy of the pagan kings of the land. We have been killed, captured, robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today. “But now we have been given a brief moment of grace, for the Lord our God has allowed a few of us to survive as a remnant. He has given us security in this holy place. Our God has brightened our eyes and granted us some relief from our slavery. For we were slaves, but in his unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery. Instead, he caused the kings of Persia to treat us favourably. He revived us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruins. He has given us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.”7 Verse seven describes the problem: For years the Church has been sinconscious, culturally and socially unproductive, because she has been 7 - Ezra 9:7-9 (NLT) 318

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killed, captured, robbed and disgraced. But verses eight and nine prophetically declare how the liberating message of the gospel of the grace of God is setting her free. Right now, because of the revival in the preaching of the gospel of the grace of God sweeping across the planet, the chains of slavery are being broken, brightening our eyes and empowering us with favour for one purpose. He revived us so we could rebuild the temple of our God and repair its ruin. A guilt-ridden law-based Church is useless to God. It’s ineffective to reach a lost world, totally weak to build itself up. An enslaved Church is not just a modern problem. Paul battled day afer day using the weapons of the gospel of the grace of God to keep the Church free from slavery. William Wilberforce spent his life with one passion, to abolish slavery from the world. Paul the apostle spent his life with the same passion to abolish slavery from the Church. His letter to the Galatian Church, a Church riddled with the devil’s inside men, who were robbing them blind, was not tempered with political correctness.

“Christ has truly set us free,” he declared. “Make sure you stay free. Don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”8 8 - Galatians 5:1ff 319

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The revival the Church longs for is not what the charismatic Church tradition has presented it to be. True Heavenly revival is not about manifestations and moves. It’s about the Church coming alive to the liberating revelation contained in the gospel of God’s grace. It’s about the Church coming out of slavery into liberty. It’s about the abolition of slavery. The reformation, of which Martin Luther was the catalyst, sets the precedent for every true revival. The just shall live by faith in the gospel of the grace of God. The voice of religion demands you pay the price of acceptance with God but through the gospel of the grace of God, God gives the verdict before the performance. When we were still sinners Christ died for us.9 I heard Timothy Keller articulate this brilliantly once. He said:

“Religion puts you in court every day.” This is true. It’s as if a verdict is passed on your performance that day. A religious law-based mentality lives with the hope that the verdict is good, our gospel starts with a good verdict. Every major religion is based on this threat, that every day you’re on trial. The gospel dismisses the jury, the judge has passed sentence and we are free. 9 - Romans 5:8 320

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There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.10 The moment you believe the gospel, God attaches to your account Christ’s perfect performance as if it were your own. It was that revelation that released Luther from religious slavery into the freedom of the Gospel of Grace. Luther believed that religion was living a righteous life and giving it to God. He was set free afer he realised Jesus had lived a righteous life and given it to him. Moves come and go, but a Church revived to this revelation of the Gospel of the grace of God, a Church emancipated from the chain of slavery, will not only last but be a powerful and practical infuence in the community where it’s established.

Law is inadequate, grace is sufficient When Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda he not only set him free from 38 years of sadness and sickness but, as a result, painted a picture for us of how the Church can enjoy the same deliverance. When recording the event in John 5, John was deliberate in his motive. In fact the miracles or signs he chose to record were chosen deliberately to show a Jewish audience the inadequacy of Judaism and the sufficiency of Grace. The pool of Bethesda was covered with fve porches where the sick and 10 - Romans 8:1 321

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dying lay. The fve porches represent the frst fve books of the Old Testament or the law. The lesson? The law cannot heal, deliver or set anyone free. Grace and truth arrive in the person of Jesus and the man is liberated. Every now and again the waters would stir and heal the frst one in. But that was it. Afer the brief stirring of the waters, they returned to their sad, sick life under the fve porches. For me, it’s a perfect picture of a law-based Church, waiting for the next big move of God. Whether it be Pensacola, Argentina or valleys of Wales. They just stir the waters for a while and when it’s all over, the Church returns to live under the fve porches of the law waiting for the next move. Jesus doesn’t want the Church to live like that. Through the power of Grace he wants you to rise, take up your bed and walk away from such slavery. Again let’s remind ourselves of how Jesus’ question to blind Bartimaeus encapsulates the voice of grace to His Church. “What do

you want me to do for you?” Grace never says, “this is what you must do for me.” Here lies one of the biggest problems for a believer who has been blind for so long, or chained for so long, or crippled for so long. It’s not the ability to repent but the capacity to receive. One of the hardest things for believers to do is receive.

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This is not the time to repent but receive. Jesus’ appearance to a bunch of undeserving disciples wonderfully demonstrates this important aspect of enjoying God’s grace and unmerited favour.

“That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were flled with joy when they saw the Lord!”11 They were fearful, disloyal, unfaithful, law-breaking, irresponsible cowards but Jesus appeared amongst them without a hint of judgement or condemnation. No fnger pointing, no recounting past sins and failures. He gave them what we all need during times of embarrassing backsliding - grace. Encapsulated in those four words,

“Peace be with you,” are the ingredients to motivate discipleship. Not “you could have done better,” but, “peace be with you”. It’s disarming, so unexpected, so needed. Jesus was about to commission them, not condemn them, to send them not smash them. In the presence of such unconditional love and acceptance any heart would melt. Anyone would follow. As he was showering them with Shalom, all the while he was showing them his hands and feet. He was showing them the reason their sins were not 11 - John 20:19-20 (NLT) 323

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remembered. It was fnished. The sacrifce had been accepted once, for all. He wanted them to know that from now on the blessing and favour of God was not based on their performance, but His. His instruction to them shouts out to us across the ages.

This is not the time to repent, this is the time to receive. He was not showing them the law that demanded their perfection but His hands and feet, His fnished work that secured their perfection. The blessing of God was no longer dependant on their faithfulness but His. God’s pronouncement of peace can never be enjoyed through law, only grace. Because grace shouts louder than law. Under the Old Covenant, forgiveness was dependant on their repentance. In the New Covenant, repentance is the response to His forgiveness. It really is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. If Jesus had showed them the law, condemnation would have flled the room. But He showed them His fnished work, so peace flled the room. That’s why, pastors, we should preach grace alone in our churches - it flls all our churches with the Peace of God. Through law-based, legalistic, performance-dominated teaching, Satan has been able to rob the Church of her ability to receive. Many Christians are so focused on getting right with God through self-righteous repentance that they don’t realise what they think opens the door to God’s blessing is 324

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actually locking it. Take a minute and read Romans 10:3-4 before moving on. The Gospel, Jesus’ fnished work, has dealt a death blow to the curse of the law and the power of sin. We need to hear it, believe it and receive it. We need to abide in its light and live in it. We need to deliver it to others to be freed by it. We need to worship God according to it. We need to wait on the Holy Spirit who inspires it. We need to exalt Jesus at the centre of it. God wants his Church to worship Him without the chains of slavery to the law - the taskmaster.

My calling as an abolitionist A beautiful parallel to this truth in the Old Testament can be found in Exodus 3:7-10:

“And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land fowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, 325

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the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”12 These words came alive to me. They are very personal in the light of my call as an abolitionist, and what’s happening to large sections of the body of Christ found its parallel here. God’s response to the cry of His people for deliverance from their slavery is the same response to the cry of His Church for deliverance and revival. He sent them the answer to their cry in a package they didn’t expect. The Church is crying out for revival and deliverance from slavery, but God is answering their cry through a package she doesn’t expect or recognise. In her mind she has a picture of how He’s going to send revival, through charismatic moves, manifestations and miracles. Through outpourings, in-fllings and soakings, but as mentioned, all they do is stir the waters. God’s answer to the Church’s prayer for revival is not some feeting emotional

experience

but

the

life-changing,

chain-snapping,

abolishing of slavery through a revelation of the gospel of the grace of God. Pharaoh wanted the people of God under his jurisdiction, under his control, worshipping God in their chains. God’s command through Moses, the abolitionist, was to let His people go so that they might 12 - (NKJV) 326

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worship Him. Pharaoh could no longer dictate what God commanded. Satan cannot stop you getting saved, Satan cannot stop you worshipping God, but through law-based legalistic teaching, he can keep you under his jurisdiction, worshipping God in chains. Satan cannot stop you having eternal life as long as it restricted. The amazing thing is, even under law-based teaching, Satan cannot stop the growth of the Church. That’s why alongside abolitionists we need the midwives. In Exodus 1:7-14 we are told the children of Israel were fruitful and had multiplied. In fact when the king of Egypt looked out on them he recognised that they were mightier than the Egyptians and so ordered his men to treat them harshly, in case they rose up and fought against them. He wanted them to know who was boss. But instead of the Israelites shrinking back they kept growing and multiplying. God’s plan during these end times is not just to raise up Moses but also the midwives. Both are needed in this end time revival of deliverance from law and freedom through grace. Satan knows that a new generation is been birthed into the Church who will never experience bondage through the law, so his plan is to kill it in its infancy. It’s as though the enemy is whispering under his breath: “Don’t let 327

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the babies become warriors. Don’t let seeds become forests. Threaten the midwives. Cause the midwives to kill the new generation before they breathe the fresh air of freedom through grace.” There is a need for the midwives to take their place to protect the birthing of this generation into the grace of God. People who fear God not man. People who nurture potential not kill it. People who grow the Church not hinder it’s growth. People whose lives are given over to help others be born into grace. We need more midwives, people who build and sustain people and feed people with the fruit of their lips. Grace flled words. Life giving words. Seeds of life not death. Paul encouraged the Colossians to work on this when he told them to let their speech always be flled with grace and seasoned with salt.13 One powerful verse that came alive to me recently while I was thinking along these lines was from Proverbs 13:2 where it says: “A man shall eat

well by the fruit of his mouth, but the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.” When I realised the fruit of my lips was a source of sustenance for myself and others, the question I asked myself if the people who live of the fruit of my lips were malnourished? Were they starving for love-flled, grace-flled words?

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The challenge came to me to make sure those around me, who feed off the fruit of my lips, weren’t starving for words of love and grace, and to make sure I was worshipping God freely and not in chains, hindering the potential of others? The priority for a Church in chains is not more tasks bellowed from hard task masters, but the liberating message of grace that fnds its power in the fnished work of Christ. David said “He leads me beside still waters”.14 He still does. The Holy Spirit is continually leading us beside still waters. Not gushing, rushing, pouring fast-fowing waters, but still waters. Waters at rest. Waters at peace. Water no longer working to get somewhere. Water that has fnished. If the law is represented by the rushing water, still water represents grace. The Holy Spirit is continually leading the sheep beside still water, because it is the only water that can satisfy our thirst. Still waters represent for me the fnished work of Christ. No more rushing and gushing and trying and working for righteousness but still water imparted righteousness, unmerited righteousness, gifed righteousness. In the midst of my imperfect performance and unfaithfulness, In the midst of my unholy thought life and unholy emotional responses, I need to know I am still loved, still accepted, still righteous. That’s why 14 - Psalm 23 329

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he leads me beside still waters. That’s why he leads me beside the fnished work to reassure me it’s all about His performance not mine. According to Phillip Keller, in his book ‘A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23,’ when sheep are thirsty they become restless and set out in search of water. If not led to good supplies of pure clean water, they will ofen drink from polluted potholes where they pick up internal parasites and germs.15 How many Christians are drinking from polluted potholes, contaminated by law-based performance demanding religious water? Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church, Brian Houston, once said: “The Church is not a place where laws are given but instead outposts of grace.” So many churches fail to realise they’re outposts of grace not polluted potholes, allowing God’s people to ingest parasites of arrogance, judgement and condemnation. Jesus clearly points out that any other water than still water, water that has fnished, will never quench our thirst. He actually declares that drinking His still water, His righteousness is the cure all for life.16

Still waters show grace running deep Two amazing visual demonstrations of this fact are found at Jacob’s well, where Jesus talks to a Samaritan woman, and His religious matpulling statement at the feast of Tabernacles. First let’s eavesdrop on 15 - A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, By Phillip Keller, published by Zondervan on April 1, 2007. 16 - Matthew 5:6 330

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his very private, personal but powerful conversation between Jesus and the relationally challenged Samaritan woman.

“Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” “Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” “The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” - John 4:12-15 (NKJV) Here we see a classic example of religious working water versus lifegiving still water. She proudly asserted that this was Jacob’s well. She was making sure He knew it had a pedigree. That He knew it was a holy place - a righteous well. Jesus’ reply says it all:

“That maybe so, but you have to keep coming back to drink. It’s a lot of hard work in the hot sun, carrying heavy loads and afer all that, it never really satisfes, you have to keep coming back for more. I am still water, water at rest, water that’s fnished. Whoever drinks of the water I have will never thirst again. No 331

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more heavy loads to carry in the hot sun. No more constant trekking to a religious place.” Her response: “I want it.” There are millions of Christians drinking water out of Jacob’s well while still water sits alongside offering to quench their thirst. Millions of God’s sheep carry heavy loads in the hot sun to drink water that will never quench their thirst for holiness. You have to work to dig a well and you have to keep coming back to the same place to drink its water. Jesus declares the water of His righteousness, the only water that can quench our thirst, is a permanent fountain within us. Instead of working and carrying and sweating to quench our thirst, everything we need for life and godliness is within us. It’s living water. It becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.17 The second scene fnds us in Jerusalem at the feast of Tabernacles with Jesus, about to demonstrate the inadequacy of religious water in comparison to the sufficiency of still water.

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will fow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the 17 - John 4:14 332

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Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorifed.” - John 7:37-39 (NKJV) The religious feast mentioned here was the last feast on the Jewish calendar, the feast of Tabernacles. It was celebrated for eight days. Jesus stood up on the seventh day. The seventh day was the climax. Priests would draw water from the pool of Siloam and with great rejoicing, celebration and religious pomp, they would lead a vast procession to the altar at the temple to pour water into a silver basin. Two silver trumpets were sounded to the accompaniment of a religious roar. It was loud. One Rabbi wrote that anyone who has not seen this water ceremony has never seen rejoicing in his life. At the pinnacle of this dramatic religious frenzy, Jesus did the unthinkable. He raised His voice and with the words that roared out of His mouth, he basically said: “all that is good, but it’s not enough.” Amidst this sincere, holy, ritualistic but symbolic show of fervency for God, amongst the copious amount of ceremonial religious water being poured out, grace raised its voice and shouted louder. Jesus stood up and cried out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty let

them come to me and drink.”

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Amazing. Astounding. Humbling. Jesus waited until religion had reached its crescendo. He waited until the drawing, the carrying and the pouring of religious water had done it’s all and declared, “your thirst for acceptance with God and your

quest for holiness before God can only be quenched by the water I have.” Still water. Finished water. How many years did I spend my time drawing and carrying religious water then coming before God and pouring it out before Him hoping it was enough, and then repeating the process day afer day until I was exhausted. I’m so glad the gospel of God‘s grace raised its voice through Joseph Prince that day and invited me to drink of His perfect life not my religious one. Still water produces living water. It may be still but it’s not stagnant. Still represents rest. Finished. Drink of Jesus’ fnished work and out of you will fow rivers of living water. Rivers not searching and striving to fnd rest, but rivers fowing from rest. Righteous living can only fow out of rested believing. My prayer for the Church is that it be full of midwives who will, in the face of religious tyranny, help give birth to a new generation of 334

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believers working with the abolitionists to free God’s people from religious slavery and refuse to worship God in Pharaoh’s chains, but Worship him in freedom and truth. For fve hundred years Christians have summed up the gospel in terms of Solas. That’s the Latin word for ‘one and only’. No comparisons. Standing alone. So in historical terms I would describe the gospel of justifcation by faith like this:

“By faith alone, through Grace alone, on the basis of Christ alone, for the Glory of God alone, sinners have eternal glory in God alone. Scripture alone is the fnal authority for revealing and defning the Gospel.” Paul thundered in a loud voice above the religious din of the Galatian Church, “If anyone preaches another gospel to you than what you’ve

received, let him be accursed.”18 Grace shouts louder. It needs to if the Church is to be loosed from its chains. Be loosed, friend. Grace shouts louder.

18 - Galatians 1:8-9 (NKJV) 335