A Vision of the Night

The times are changing. We are witnessing a remarkable phenomenon in Western democracies. People are voting in defiance of establishment expectations and celebrity endorsements. They are ignoring pollster predictions and media prognostications. 

We have this year witnessed Brexit, the resurgence of Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party and, just this week, the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency. Both Brexit and Trump's election have been accompanied by market volatility. There is uncertainty and incredulity that the masses are no longer following the script. 

It seems there has been an awakening of the oft-mentioned 'silent majority.' A majority that have decided they're not going along with identity politics and the elitist engineering of society. No amount of name-calling and public shaming by the political establishment and the demigods of the entertainment industry can drown out their voice. The silent majority have a set of values and a stock of common decency that they will not surrender for government hand-outs and cheap thrills. The political elite and leftist media dismiss these values as homophobia and bigotry and hate speech. It is unfashionable, it would seem, to hold conservative values. And yet outside the trendy television studios and the classrooms of leftist indoctrination, there exists a silent majority who are beginning to stand up to the bullies and make their presence felt.

It may explain the Australian Labor's Party backflip on supporting a plebiscite on the redefinition of marriage. Maybe the polls are wrong? Maybe people don't care for what Jimmy Barnes or Kylie Minogue or Henry Rollins have to say on the issue? Maybe people don't believe that to vote "No" to the redefinition of marriage is homophobic and bigoted? In 2013, Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten argued, "I would rather the people of Australia could make their view clear on this than leaving this issue to 150 people." [1] So what's changed? Was Mr. Shorten a homophobe in 2013? Or, in his words, "a hater crawling out from under rocks"? [2] Or is it rather that the Australian people can no longer be trusted to have their say according to the set script?

We are witnessing in our lifetime a phenomenon -- a revolt against the agenda set forth by global elites hell-bent on dissolving national sovereignty, polluting the institution of marriage, muddling human sexuality, and ultimately undermining the family unit. The silent majority are becoming a thorn in the side of vested power. Any fear this majority may have of wrecking the system, by prompting cataclysmic events like an EU exit or a Donald Trump presidency, are offset by the satisfaction they feel at finally being heard.

This change in the times and seasons and the rise and fall of governments is ordained by God Himself.

Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. Dan 2:20-21

And He reveals His timetable to those who fear Him and who tremble at His Word.

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him... Ps 25:14

He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him. Dan 2:22

Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do... 1 Chron 12:32

God's people would do well at this time to exercise caution and to resist being swept along with worldly fervour and emotion. Given that more than eighty percent of white evangelical and born-again Christians voted for Trump [3], we would do well to remember that there is no such thing as a political saviour for Christians. We are an other-worldly people with a spiritual agenda and a heavenly hope. Our Lord Jesus Christ set the example for us when He withdrew from the crowds that were seeking to make Him a king. (John 6:15).

Donald Trump will hopefully stem the bloodshed of the unborn with his appointment of pro-life chief justices to the Supreme Court. He may well take the wind out of the sails of the unrelenting homosexual movement. He is expected to generate jobs and income for American families. The truth is that Trump may also prove to be a strong-arm leader who curtails basic freedoms and endangers lives domestically and abroad. America may find that he is a certain beast that is not easily tamed. 

How should the church respond to a Donald Trump presidency? How should we respond to any government that we find ourselves in subjection to? We must remember that the church's value exists in her ability to establish God's domain on earth.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matt 6:10

As the Body of Christ, the church alone is equipped to usher in God's domain or kingdom on the earth. The church is successful, and the kingdom manifested with power, wherever a human life is transformed. Only God can change a heart and He uses the church to accomplish His mission on the earth. The church's value rests in her ability to hear from God and to gush forth the river of life into the barren terrain of humanity.

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, "From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. John 7:38

Only the church can fulfill the dual roles of physician and prophet. The world desperately needs healing and salting. If the church cannot walk in heavenly power and fulfill her God-ordained purpose to heal and prophesy, she has lost her value and is destined to become road base. (Matt 5:13).

If, however, the church functions as conduit between heaven and earth -- a Jacob's ladder style manifestation of the presence of God -- her value will be established and recognised by any government.

The Jewish exile, Daniel, served under a veritable dictator in Nebuchadnezzar. In a season of distress for this volatile king, Daniel distinguished himself among his Babylonian peers -- not by pandering to Nebuchadnezzar -- but by virtue of his separation from iniquity and his friendship with Almighty God. Like Joseph centuries before him, Daniel demonstrated early on in his Babylonian appointment that career aspirations always come second place to convictions. Later he would demonstrate that even life itself comes a distant second to the open worship of the one true and living God.

It was Daniel's courage and convictions and his commitment to prophetic truth that set him apart from Babylon's best talent. It was his courage and convictions and commitment that God honoured. Daniel is a type of the church. Inasmuch as we seek the world's approval and try to be like other 'respectable' organisations, we lose the honour that comes only from God and we have nothing to offer our secular leaders.

The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter of Chaldean. The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, who dwelling is not with flesh." Dan 2:10

When Nebuchadnezzar was at a complete loss, Babylon's finest minds and spiritual advisors threw their hands up in the air and lamented, "This is a job for the gods." They were bankrupt and they had no understanding of what a man, endowed with the Spirit of God, could accomplish. They did not account for Daniel's connection with Almighty God and it almost cost them their lives.

Satan's agenda to rob, kill and destroy must be thwarted. His agenda to spoil the harvest and degrade this generation must be resisted. It could be that United States President-Elect, Donald Trump, and other secular leaders help serve this purpose. The LORD raised up Cyrus and strengthened him even though he didn't know God. (Isa 45:1-7). The LORD continues to remove kings and set up kings. Blessed be His name!

Our response as the church in these changing times is to maintain our identity as physician and prophet to the nations. Ours is not to pander to any leader of any political persuasion in an effort to accomplish our kingdom mandate. Ours is to walk in holiness and purity and to steward and dispense prophetic truth. Ours is to stand and eyeball the strongest of political leaders with a "Thus saith the LORD" and then embrace whatever fiery furnaces or lions' dens come our way. Ours is to read 'the writing on the wall' to those in the highest offices in the land, without fear or favour. A lifestyle of holy resistance to evil and worldly compromise is a prerequisite to walking in the power and counsel of God. And it is our ability to walk in the power and counsel of God that is our value proposition to secular governments.

There is a swing to political conservatism at this time. The silent majority are stirring. We welcome that. May the church maintain her other-worldly identity and kingdom vision in these changing times. The LORD shall rise upon us and His glory shall be seen upon us. The nations shall come to our light and kings to the brightness of our rising. (Isa 60:2-3).

The king answered and said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is God of gods, and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery." Then the king gave Daniel high honours and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court. Dan 2:47-49

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References:

[1] Emily Brooks (29 June 2016) Bill Shorten stands by his backflip on same-sex marriage plebiscite. http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/06/28/bill-shorten-stands-by-his-backflip-on-same-sex-marriage-plebi/ (Accessed: 12/11/16)

[2] AAP (30 August 2016) Opposition Party attempts to stop gay marriage plebiscite. http://www.news.com.au/national/opposition-party-attempts-to-stop-gay-marriage-plebiscite/news-story/dce06fe666d263265557090efa38d43d (Accessed: 12/11/16)

[3] Ian Lovett (9 November 2016) Evangelicals Back Donald Trump in Record Numbers, Despite Earlier Doubts. http://www.wsj.com/articles/evangelicals-back-donald-trump-in-record-numbers-despite-earlier-doubts-1478689372 (Accessed: 11/11/16)

Can We Find a Man Like This? The State and the Indispensable Church

We are living in an era where social breakdown and moral decay are drawing heavily on the state's resources and collective wisdom. The elucidative bankruptcy of the state’s ‘wise men’ is being exposed, as surely as it was in the ancient empires of Egypt and Babylon.

The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant. Gen 41:8 

The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.” Dan 2:10

Take the very broken community of Aurukun, for example. I have been reflecting on the crisis in this remote Aboriginal community. Last month, teachers were evacuated for the second time in three weeks following concerns for the safety of school staff. In the latest incident, the school principal was threatened by children wielding knives and machetes. The school was closed and will remain so until the start of third term in July. The current crisis in Aurukun follows decades of violence, sexual abuse, and alcoholism in the remote north Queensland community.

While the turmoil of Aurukun could easily be forgotten by the wider Australian community, compassionate souls like Australian rugby league player, Johnathan Thurston, are helping to keep Aurukun at the forefront of the nation’s thoughts. In a heartfelt gesture by the rugby league great, Thurston used a recent post State-of-Origin interview to encourage children in the embattled community. “There’s obviously been a lot of trouble up there,” he said, “so to all the students there, I just want you to believe in yourselves and keep turning up to school.” The following day, an Aurukun teacher reported that the children cheered when they heard Thurston reaching out to them. 

And yet for all the goodwill expressed by Thurston and others, and for all the strategising by government agencies, I don’t think all the king's horses and all the king's men can put Aurukun back together again. A certain wisdom is needed that transcends the most brilliant intellect of fallen men. 

The demise of Aurukun is a tragic story that begins with broken promises and broken dreams. It is a story of Goliath-like state and corporate interests outmuscling local and cultural leadership in a greedy grab for Aurukun’s vast bauxite reserves. It was Aurukun’s buried treasure that attracted mining leases and state administrators in the 1970s, followed by the imposition of a wet canteen in the 1980s. In the face of vehement objection by community elders, trucks laden with beer rolled into the town in 1985 and Aurukun took a nosedive. According to Herbert Yunkaporta, a pastor who was born and raised in Aurukun, the decade following the introduction of alcohol was the darkest decade in the history of the community. “I’ll tell you this: the community is asleep. When did they go to sleep? In the mid-eighties. This is a deep crisis. Aurukun needs help.” [1]

It’s hard to imagine that, as recently as 1970, there was no hint of the misery that would engulf Aurukun. Professor Sutton describes his experience of Aurukun in the early 1970s. 

Suicide was unknown. People who survived the rigours of infancy and early childhood had a good chance of living to their seventies… Local men mustered cattle and ran the local butcher shop, logged and sawed the timber for house building, built the housing and other constructions, welded and fixed vehicles in the workshop, and worked in the vegetable gardens, under a minimal set of mission supervisors. Women not wholly engaged in child-rearing worked in the general store, clothing store, school, hospital and post office. [2]

Sawmill in Aurukun (circa 1950)

This somewhat idyllic life, as described by Sutton, was the peaceful and industrious heritage left by the Presbyterian Church and the Archer River Mission Station. Despite being poorly funded, and not withstanding its shortcomings, the mission station founded in 1904 is remembered for being supportive of Aboriginal rights and self-determination. Natasha Robinson reports that in 1975 the “progressive [Presbyterian] church was advocating land rights, bilingual education and a return to outstation life.” [3] A Queensland Government report describes the mission superintendants from 1924 to 1965, Rev. Bill Mackenzie and his wife, as being “unusually liberal in their support for their continuation of Bora traditions, traditional hunting and the use of Wik languages.” [4]

Without a doubt, the church played an essential role in laying the platform for the 1970s optimism and social cohesion that existed in Aurukun. There was hope and resourcefulness in the community, a healthy work ethic, a trustworthy moral compass, and emerging cultural leadership. While it’s not popular to say these days, the church led the Aboriginal community well and was the chief supporter of Aurukun’s journey to self-determination. Tragically, the church would be sidelined as the lucre and liquor interests exploited Aurukun and sabotaged its promising future.

There is a direct correlation between social breakdown and moral decay and the sidelining of the church. The church is irreplaceable as both preserving agent and physician. Where the church is maligned and neutralised (as in the case of Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon), the state finds itself ill-equipped to halt moral decay or heal society’s wounds. Both ancient and modern history teach us that the silencing and imprisoning of the church is never in the interest of society. Hitler scorched Germany’s soul with his murderous agenda – something he could only achieve with the church rendered dormant. With the exception of lone prophetic voices, like Lutheran pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, there was little moral resistance to Hitler. The removal of the church and its prophetic voice left Germany in great darkness.

Greg Sheridan's recent column in The Australian is as sobering as it is insightful. Sheridan describes the rise of a "new religion of aggressive secularism” that is filling a void in Australia that used to be occupied by the church. While this aggressive secularism is “more self-confident and fundamentalist than ever,” he astutely observes that the western church is nowhere to be seen or heard because, "widespread, prolonged affluence has been more effective than oppression ever was in killing religious belief and practice." [5] I know where Sheridan is coming from. While we have not really known tribulation and persecution, the cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches have been effective in choking out the potent Word of God and rendering the western church unfruitful.

Jesus warned about the church losing relevance. He warned that if the salt loses it saltiness, and its preservation qualities are squandered, it is good for nothing except road base (Matt 5:13). He taught that lamps that no longer provide light must be removed (Rev 2:5). The western church would do well to heed these warnings and strengthen the things that remain. In many ways we have failed in our responsibility to be salt and light in the world. Many young people in the western church have been short-changed. Rather than energising them and capturing their hearts with a truly noble cause to die for, church leaders have fed them entertainment and the merits of upward social mobility. 

The church always thrives when it believes and embraces its true mission statement, as taught by Christ himself. “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Self-denial, humility, and servanthood may have never been attractive, worldly ideals but these qualities underpin a satisfying and meaningful life and they give the church relevance. The church, when true to form, has the power to provide young people with vision and intrinsic motivation for living a purposeful and selfless life. This is what Aurukun had, I believe. And this is what Aurukun needs today. This is what worked for David Wilkerson, founder of Teen Challenge, when he spent himself for New York's bloodthirsty gangs in the late 1950’s.

The church is the remedy to society's ills. It is the preserving agent against moral decay and social breakdown. It is steward of the Balm of Gilead that alone can heal the most broken lives. I remain a believer in the power of the Gospel message and what it can achieve when lived out. However the western church has dropped the ball and we have work to do. And it is in our current, seemingly 'irrelevant' condition that we must once again prove our worth. It is in our sidelined state that we are facing the fight of our lives – a life and death battle. Thousands of years ago, an intimidating foe, by the name of Goliath, threatened the existence of God’s people. Today, the hairy giant defying the weakened church looms in the form of ‘same sex marriage’. Marketed as a step-forward for human rights and equality, the redefinition of marriage is a Trojan horse designed to shut down what remains of the prophetic voice of the church. Under threat in this brave, new world of aggressive secularism and intrusive statism is no less than the freedom of conscience and religion. 

And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span… And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight together.” 1 Sam 17:4,10

Ironically, the church is facing a fight for its existence at a time when the world needs us the most. As a pastor and man of God, Herbert Yunkaporta knows the answer for Aurukun. “Aurukun needs to be awakened. When we throw a rock in the water, where does the ripple effect begin? From the inside out. We want to make a ripple effect in each and every individual man and young man, by helping them to restore what was lost.” [6] The hope for mankind and for our communities truly is a change in the human heart; a transformation of the human condition. And only the living organism, that is the church, can offer that miraculous remedy.

It is through the power of the Gospel that broken men and women receive true cleansing, a new heart, and the energising presence of the Creator Himself. It is in the God-breathed Scriptures that we find the blueprint for peaceful and productive societies. In the case of Aurukun, it was the discovery of treasure in its earth that led to its oppression and demise. It will be the rediscovery of the treasure in its people that will lead to Aurukun’s freedom and triumph. Exploration companies and mining interests cannot help here. The state must ask for the church’s help. The church alone is steward of the Gospel, wherein is the power to transform men and women “from the inside out.”

And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.” Gen 41:38-39

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References:

[1] Natasha Robinson (27 May 2016) ‘Aurukun Needs to be Awakened’: Local pastor hopes town at ‘turning point’ after difficult past. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-27/aurukun-in-deep-crisis-after-difficult-past/7451556 (Accessed: 14/06/16)

[2] Peter Sutton (2010) The Politics of Suffering. Melbourne University Press, p.40

[3] Robinson, ‘Aurukun Needs to be Awakened’

[4] Queensland Government (8 April 2015) ATSI Community Histories: Aurukun. https://www.qld.gov.au/atsi/cultural-awareness-heritage-arts/community-histories-aurukun (Accessed: 15/06/16)

[5] Greg Sheridan (4 June 2016) Christian Churches Drifting too far from the Marketplace of Ideas. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/greg-sheridan/christian-churches-drifting-too-far-from-the-marketplace-of-ideas/news-story/e641fab1f62b1a63b08cc1ec75634af5 (Accessed: 06/06/16)

[6] Robinson, ‘Aurukun Needs to be Awakened’

The Truth Always Wins - A Review of the 'Fearless' Event with Eric Metaxas

On Thursday night, I attended the Fearless. Cultivating Courage event in Brisbane with Fiona and the children. We found it inspiring. It was encouraging to rub shoulders with hundreds of Christians who want to stand and be counted at this time.

Lyle Shelton, managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), opened the evening by speaking about some of the challenges Christians are facing at this time, most notably the fight to preserve the sanctity of marriage. His gentle warning, about the demonising of Christians in the media and planned protests at upcoming ACL events, brought to mind Martin Luther King Jr.’s warning to civil rights marchers in 1968 of “difficult days ahead.”

The keynote speaker, Eric Metaxas, came with hearty recommendations from the ACL and his address did not disappoint. Metaxas was as articulate, as he was impassioned. This is a man who cares about the oppressed and understands the responsibility of the church to be a prophetic voice to governments and culture. His wife, Susanne, directs a crisis pregnancy center in New York. A Yale University graduate and New York Times bestselling author, Metaxas has a robust and succinct intellectual approach to the big questions. And having experienced a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ in the summer of 1988, he is also a deeply spiritual man. One of his recent books, Miracles, offers compelling and inspiring evidence for the world of the miraculous.

Metaxas' address had me on the edge of my seat. With passion and clear logic, Metaxas has the ability to renew Christians' confidence in their beliefs and worldview. Sound reason and scientific consistency are on our side. Most importantly, the truth is on our side. And the truth always wins. It just takes time, and a whole lot of courage.

Metaxas spoke a lot about courage and standing up for truth. He also spoke a lot about laying down one’s life. Faith without works is dead he reminded us, quoting from the second chapter of James. For most Western Christians, our struggle against sin has not really been unto bloodshed, but the times are changing and there are difficult days ahead. I felt faith rising as Metaxas reminded us that the sting of death has been removed for the Christian. Christ has already overcome death and we are therefore assured of victory as we follow in His steps.

Metaxas has written several profoundly relevant books for Christians living in 2016. They include: Seven Men: And the Secret of their Greatness (2015); Seven Women: And the Secret of their Greatness (2015); and a powerful biography, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy (2011). 

Metaxas took the opportunity to share insights from the momentous life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This was a man who stood up against no less than the might of the Nazi regime. As a Christian pastor, he walked a lonely road of resistance against Hitler and his evil regime, while the church in Germany slumbered. “The call of God is a burden,” observes Metaxas. This has been his own experience and it is borne out time and again in the Scriptures and throughout history. For Bonhoeffer, the time came when even the Lutheran Church disowned him. Just weeks before Hitler’s defeat and the end of World War II, Bonhoeffer would pay the ultimate price. After spending two years in prison, the 39 year-old pastor was sent to the gallows where he departed his earthly tent and stepped into glory to receive his crown.

“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” 
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1937). The Cost of Discipleship.

In his 1968 'Mountaintop' speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about “difficult days ahead” for the non-violent, civil rights movement he was leading. He spoke about a promised land and the certainty he had that African Americans would eventually arrive there as a people. In the same speech, he shared that he did not fear man and that he did not fear death – his only desire was “to do God's will.” Like anyone, he wanted to live a long life but he was prepared to lay that desire down. Luther King, Jr.'s words proved prophetic and the Mountaintop speech would be his last public address. The following evening he was gunned down and killed as he stepped onto the balcony of his Memphis motel. He too was 39 years old.

Click to watch a short portion of the 'Mountaintop' speech

“When I took up the cross, I recognised its meaning... The cross is something that you bear, and ultimately that you die on.” 

- Martin Luther King, Jr. (22 May, 1967). Penn Community Center, Frogmore, South Carolina

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.” 

- Jesus, the Christ. Matthew 16:25

Love for our Lord Jesus Christ and for His kingdom and for the hurting and oppressed of this world demands that we, as the church, do not remain silent. We must speak and be counted among the remnant who will not bow the knee to evil, God-dishonouring laws. Our reputations and earthly gains – perhaps even our lives – will be required of us. However, this should come as no surprise. What do we have that we have not been given? Our influence and prosperity and privileged position as Western Christians must be offered back to our Lord in selfless sacrifice. The words of Mordecai to Esther, during their time of testing, are a prophetic message to the church today:

Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. Est 4:13-14

To visit Eric Metaxas' website and to listen to his radio program, go to:

www.ericmetaxas.com

To listen to my recent 3-part message on holy resistance, click on the following links:

They Have Forsaken Me (Part 1)

We Will Stand (Part 2)

The Fire in Resistance (Part 3)

They Have Forsaken Me

The cartoon below appeared in The Courier Mail on Thursday, 24th March 2016. It jolted me.

Last week as I was preparing to preach on Sunday, the word of the Lord came to me. The hand of the Lord was heavy on me for days and I knew that, as difficult as it was, there was only one message He would have me bring.

For my people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Jer 2:13

What came forth on Sunday was a prophetic message to the nation and for us as the church in this hour. Reflecting on the message, I understand now that it was something of the Lord's response to this cartoon. His right of reply, if you like. Obviously in a one hour message only so much can come forth, but I believe we received something of His heart. 

To listen to the message, click on this link: 

They Have Forsaken Me (Part 1)

To listen to the follow-up messages, click on the following links: 

We Will Stand (Part 2)
The Fire in Resistance (Part 3)

May the word of the Lord come forth powerfully in this hour, that we may turn and be healed.

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of My people been restored? Jer 8:22