CAN WE AGREE?

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 16 March 2013

Jim & Phyllida at home in Johannesburg

Hi all,

The following is a quote from Wikipedia:

The Protestant Reformation was the 16th-century schism within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. It was sparked by the 1517 posting of Luther's Ninety-Five Theses. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to ("protested") the doctrines, rituals, leadership and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led to the creation of new national Protestant churches.

To take sides on the validity of this “protest” is a bit pointless. Many Protestant churches have returned to, or are in the process of returning to “Rome” So much so, it’s appears that in the 21^st century, we need a new protestant revival. If not, all the good work of the early protestant reformers will be wasted. It is interesting to note that the conditions which sparked the 16^th century reformation are no different now than they were back then. Almost nothing has really changed in the Roman Catholic Church!

In many respects, we should all be making an attempt to close the gap between the various denominations. This is certainly true within Protestantism. Many of us are poles apart. Perhaps the greatest dividing issue today is between Evangelicals and Charismatic/Pentecostals. An over simplification, but one worth mentioning, is the difference between those who believe that a number of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for today; that they “vanished” with the death of the apostles. Others state that they are just as valid and in evidence today as they were back then; that they have continued to be manifest since that very first day of Pentecost.

This week, the Roman Catholic Church has elected a new Pope. For the little we have seen of him, he seems to be the sort of man, Protestants could associate with. For my part, I hope this is true. But will it lead to an even quicker return to the welcoming arms of the RC’s? Personally, I’m not sure that even Pope Francis’s allures will be sufficient to entice many back into the RC fold. Perhaps, provided the Lord has not returned, it may be possible in the distant future. For me, there can be no unification with Rome until we are reconciled within the Protestant churches. Protestants need to be reconciled with each other. This is not an option. It must be done. The fragmentation within the body of Christ is a disgrace. He has given us all the ministry of reconciliation. We are supposed to reconcile unbelievers with Jesus. If we can’t reconcile with fellow Protestants, how will we ever be able to do so with Roman Catholics or unbelievers?

Fortunately, with God even this “impossibility” can be achieved.

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland 

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Saturday, 16 March 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	Can we Agree?
In our library we have a couple of authors of whom we are particularly fond; Gene Edwards, Dr AW Tozer, Jamie Buckingham and David Pawson to mention only four. We would be hard pressed to select a favourite. Each in their own way are unique and profound. The one I’d like to refer to this morning is David Pawson. He’s an Englishman who has travelled the world with his teachings and insights into the Word of God. David trained at Oxford and started out as a conventional Methodist Minister. A couple of years later he had to leave the Methodist Church as a result of his position concerning infant baptism. He joined the Baptist Church and shortly thereafter received the “Pentecostal” experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. The impact on him was extraordinary. It left him with a great desire to reconcile Charismatics with Evangelicals. It is a desire that Phyllida and I share. We love the enthusiasm and freedom of the Charismatics. We also love the Evangelical’s great desire to teach and understand the Word of God. In our opinion, we need each other. Evangelicals tend to be too rigid and stodgy. Charismatics tend to allow liberty to turn into license! David wrote a book entitled, “The Fourth Wave”. It was an attempt to bring reconciliation between these two streams. It’s an excellent book. It outlines the strengths and weaknesses of both. If there is one issue that causes friction between the two, it’s the gifts of the Spirit and “speaking in tongues”. We’ve sometimes thought that if we could all pause long enough to listen to each other on these sorts of differences, we may be able to narrow the gap. That would thrill us beyond measure. We also believe that Jesus Christ would be pleased. To some extent, the book of Proverbs reveals why this sad situation exists. 18 When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. Pro 29:18 NLT The people on both sides of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit disagreement do not want to listen to each other. Both are so determined that their own understanding of 1 Cor. 12 to 14 is correct, they refuse to listen to the view of other side. Instead of seeking Divine guidance on this matter, they run wild and accuse each other of heresy. One side say the gifts are not for today. The other side says they are. How can the protagonists in this disagreement be mollified? Surely the time has come, when we looked at ourselves and see ourselves for the pompous bigots, many of us have been in the past. I’ve certainly been there. It’s time to laugh at the things which divide and embrace the truth we all have in common. Jesus is so much bigger and better than we are. Let’s move closer together in love and Christian fellowship. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			13 So the person who speaks in another language should pray for an interpretation of what he says. 14 If I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my mind is not productive. 15 So what does this mean? It means that I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with my mind. I will sing psalms with my spirit, and I will sing psalms with my mind. 16 Otherwise, if you praise God only with your spirit, how can outsiders say "Amen!" to your prayer of thanksgiving? They don't know what you're saying. 1 Cor. 14:13-16 GW 17 So don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants. 18 Don't get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit 19 by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts. Eph. 5:17-19 GW 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Col 3:16 NLT 21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and all living creatures will praise his holy name forever & ever. Psalm 145:21 GW 1 Praise the LORD! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting! 2 The LORD is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel. 3 He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds. 4 He counts the stars and calls them all by name. 5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension! 6 The LORD supports the humble, but He brings the wicked down into the dust. 7 Sing out your thanks to the LORD; sing praises to our God with a harp. Psalm 147:1-7 NLT 1 Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him were 144,000 who had His name and His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together. Rev 14:1-2 NLT	Right here in South Africa, the Church is in two parts. The one is Pentecostal. The other will not start To think about the other. It’s really rather sad, Because the unbelievers are saying we are mad! The issue is “tongue talking” Some say it’s only junk. A form of glossolalia that people can debunk. The others say it’s genuine; it hasn’t passed away. It’s just as valid as it was in apostolic days. These gifts have never passed away, look back along the years; At no time in Church history do any disappear. “But it is only gibberish!” is how some folk react. “They don’t know what they’re saying!” That’s true and is a fact! Without interpretation, it’s just a foolish sound. But when it’s from the Spirit, it always has been found, To give help and direction; so that God’s people know, The “sounds” of what they’re hearing, is how they ought to go. “It isn’t from the devil!” as many people state. If it’s from God, such people are really tempting fate. To attribute to Satan, the things the Spirit’s said, Is almost unforgivable, just as Christ Jesus said. Of course no one is perfect. Mistakes are often made. But that is not a reason for standing back afraid. It’s sad to have to comment that folk are just like me. “We don’t like to be criticised. We hear reluctantly. For we have got the standard that truly is the norm And if we see things differently, It’s you who must reform!” I mean, let’s be quite honest. I’m hardly ever wrong, And when you disagree with me, my shouting gets quite strong. My brothers and my sisters. When will we ever learn To love in spite of differences? If we would only turn, And say to one another. “I don’t know if I’m right. But since you are my brother, I am prepared to fight With everything I have for you”. The Lord did that for me, When I was just a seething blob of lost humanity! That’s when the Master saved me. In spite of all my mess, He took me in His loving arms and said that He would bless, Any “whosoever” who trusted in His Name! Is it so impossible for us to do the same? Jim Strickland – Written 16th March 2012