Ever noticed how important testifying about Jesus was to John when he wrote his gospel?
In chapter 1 you have the witness of John the baptist integral to getting the momentum going (v6-8, v15, v19f, v29f and 3:27).
Then in 1:49 Nathanael testifies loud and clear. With ministry then underway, there is the testimony of the key signs, beginning with water into wine. Signs are important (2:23 and 3:2).
Accepting the testimony asserts that God is indeed right: the testifier is speaking for God and on behalf of God (3:33). More on this in 13:20.
More on testimony in 5:31f. Note how works/actions speak also (5:36).
The Spirit will testify too: 15:26 and 16:8-10!
A bit more testimony thrown in for good measure in 19:35.
And in the final verses, testimony again - this time converted to written form (21:24-25).
Yes, I think we can conclude that to testify about Jesus is very important to John. And we are to testify too, joining in with the Spirit's testimony (15:27). The woman at the well caught onto this very fast - she simply told what she had surmised about Jesus (4:28-29).
And the cool thing is ... testimony inspires belief (4:39).
Go on - give it a go!
Saturday, 15 December 2012
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Downward Movement
Look at the great 'throne room' passages in the early part of Revelation and it contains (pretty much) what you would expect: John is lifted up into the very place where God is seated, surrounded by those gathered to adore and worship. Its a great vision, and encouraging for us all.
Yet reach the concluding passages of Revelation and there is a subtle difference. Rather than the upward movement for John, it emphasizes a downward movement of a 'holy city'. Reading a bit more it then becomes clear that God Himself is in this city, inhabiting it, providing its light & sustenance - and so God even seems to be in this downward movement.
God comes down to us.
John 1 - the word became flesh: another downward movement. Philippians 2 - same deal. Acts 2 with the outpouring of the Spirit - more downward movement on a hitherto unprecedented scale.
God comes down to us. He has already done it in the person of Jesus Christ. He has already done it (and goes on doing it) in the person of the Spirit.
Time as we know it will be completed when the whole God-head comes down.
Yet reach the concluding passages of Revelation and there is a subtle difference. Rather than the upward movement for John, it emphasizes a downward movement of a 'holy city'. Reading a bit more it then becomes clear that God Himself is in this city, inhabiting it, providing its light & sustenance - and so God even seems to be in this downward movement.
God comes down to us.
John 1 - the word became flesh: another downward movement. Philippians 2 - same deal. Acts 2 with the outpouring of the Spirit - more downward movement on a hitherto unprecedented scale.
God comes down to us. He has already done it in the person of Jesus Christ. He has already done it (and goes on doing it) in the person of the Spirit.
Time as we know it will be completed when the whole God-head comes down.
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Building Mission into Society II
In my last post I explored the principle in Leviticus 19:9 - 10, showing how it builds mission into society, i.e. in the way you work you have conscious and intentional provision for the poor and disadvantaged.
In fact the concept goes even further than this. It enables such people to keep their own dignity by doing their own work to provide food for themselves. In other words instead of the farmer simply giving some of his hard earned crop away, which would be a fine thing, there is the invitation for others to actively share in the crop by harvesting from God's provision for themselves.
This would be especially poignant in a society where if you had no land, it would be difficult to work for yourself for such provision. The principle effectively 'lends' or 'spares' them some land from which to glean, enabling them to work just like other privileged people. If they work hard, they too can do quite well (as per the story of Ruth). This system thus levels the playing field, enabling privileged and unprivileged alike to work productively.
It is therefore a system of grace, operating on more than one level. And once again it is built into the normal rhythms of the society.
In fact the concept goes even further than this. It enables such people to keep their own dignity by doing their own work to provide food for themselves. In other words instead of the farmer simply giving some of his hard earned crop away, which would be a fine thing, there is the invitation for others to actively share in the crop by harvesting from God's provision for themselves.
This would be especially poignant in a society where if you had no land, it would be difficult to work for yourself for such provision. The principle effectively 'lends' or 'spares' them some land from which to glean, enabling them to work just like other privileged people. If they work hard, they too can do quite well (as per the story of Ruth). This system thus levels the playing field, enabling privileged and unprivileged alike to work productively.
It is therefore a system of grace, operating on more than one level. And once again it is built into the normal rhythms of the society.
Saturday, 10 November 2012
Building mission into society
Leviticus 19 verses 9 & 10 give a very important principle: leave some slack that others can freely pick from. It is gloriously simple - in your natural harvest there is provision for those who would otherwise struggle.
I wonder if the foodbank we opened this week could be considered as an equivalent for our culture of these verses: in your shopping build in some extra capacity that is made freely available to those in need. Both have a sense of building mission into society, i.e. in the way we operate provision is made for those in need. What takes it a level above the welfare state is the active consciousness of it - it is not simply a tax that disappears into the ether, but instead you purposefully leave slack for the benefit of others in your locality.
The Leviticus 19 verses goes against the grain (excuse the pun) of how much of our society operates - since we strive to squeeze out every last fraction of a percent of productivity. Yet right from beginning Israel was taught to create a society that deliberately had some inefficiency, but it was an inefficiency that would enable the society to be richer overall. Mission was built into the way society was to operate.
I wonder if the foodbank we opened this week could be considered as an equivalent for our culture of these verses: in your shopping build in some extra capacity that is made freely available to those in need. Both have a sense of building mission into society, i.e. in the way we operate provision is made for those in need. What takes it a level above the welfare state is the active consciousness of it - it is not simply a tax that disappears into the ether, but instead you purposefully leave slack for the benefit of others in your locality.
The Leviticus 19 verses goes against the grain (excuse the pun) of how much of our society operates - since we strive to squeeze out every last fraction of a percent of productivity. Yet right from beginning Israel was taught to create a society that deliberately had some inefficiency, but it was an inefficiency that would enable the society to be richer overall. Mission was built into the way society was to operate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
