Archive - June, 2010

What Is Perfect?

June 11, 2010 in Comic strip, webcomic with 7 Comments

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It seems that whenever someone is hurt or mistreated within Pastor Moses’ religious organisation, he pulls out the never fail one liner “No church is perfect, because they are all full of imperfect people”, this one liner however, seems to be a little misleading. Is it really ‘the church‘ Pastor Moses is calling imperfect? Pastor Moses seems to be a little confused about this, but in any case, it seems that he is convinced about what is perfect…himself!

John finds it kind of hard to talk with someone, like his pastor, who is convinced they can’t possibly be the one in the wrong.

How Much Is Our Worth?

June 10, 2010 in Mick's thoughts with 3 Comments

It’s incredible that God found us to be worth so much to him personally, that he gave up his own life; dying for us, and then allowing us to be raised with him, so that we could be united with his life forever! God, who rules the heavens in all glory; who owns not only the whole world, but the whole universe, found us so significant in his eyes that he gave up all that he had in the heavens and came down to meet with us.

Why did he do that? It was because his heart yearned for more than a meeting with us, but a permanent relationship: he came to us, so that all of us could be taken back up to his eternal level in glory and live with him forever.

In light of what God has done for us, we can ask the question: “how much is our worth?” Well, for starters, we are worth so much to God that he has freely granted us to be his very own heirs; heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. That’s right, you’re not just going to go to heaven one day, you’re going to own it!

Even if your ‘works and worldly accomplishments’ try to signal to you that you’re worth little or nothing, God’s ‘finished work upon the cross’ signals to you that you are the most treasured possession that God has! You are worth more than all the treasures found within the expanse of the universe. You have so much value; there is quite literally nothing to measure it against except God himself, and how much value and worth does God have?!

If we try to understand our worth by looking at our works, we will quickly conclude we are quite worthless. For what have we really accomplished? However, when we seek to understand our worth by looking at Jesus, then we quickly conclude we are worth more than all the riches of this world.

Now, in light of this wonderful reality, we have the opportunity to look to one another in this same light. What your brothers and sisters in Christ have ‘accomplished’ for God, or in the world, does not define their worth, but rather it is the love Christ has for them defines their worth. All of us in Christ are worth so much, we all have a value that can only be compared to the very value of God himself, and we are all significant because Jesus found us significant enough to die for.

I’m glad we don’t need to try to judge one another in Christ and try to define each others worth or value based on each others ‘works’, but rather we base our opinion on the ‘grace’ that has been given to each of us. We have been made new in Christ, co-heirs with him, and God’s eternal treasured possession.

You are worth so much. I believe it because God believes it, and if God believes you’re significant, then I choose to see you with the same significance too. ~ Mick

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17



Romans -part 8

June 9, 2010 in Paul's letter to the Romans with 0 Comments

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17

When Paul made this bold statement, that now ‘a righteousness from God is revealed’, he didn’t mean that it was revealed through his ideas or thoughts, but rather that it was revealed to us in the Scriptures. It was always there, but mankind could not understand it. God’s good news of ‘a righteousness by faith’ had always been testified to, but, without the revelation of Jesus and the understanding of what his death and resurrection accomplished for us, mankind was always unable to interpret the words of God in light of this way, and so it remained a mystery.

Now, through the light of Christ, we can finally see! As Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians:

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 2 Corinthians 3:12-16

Without the light of Christ, mankind continues to read the Old Testament as if it were veiled of it’s true meaning and intention, but now that we are in Christ that veil has been removed, and we, who allow the revelation of Jesus to be our guide, can clearly see the story of Jesus and the message of God’s grace throughout all the scriptures.

When Paul made this bold statement about a righteousness by faith, he backed up his statement by quoting a scripture from the Old Testament, because when Paul looked at the Old Testament he saw the story of Jesus all through it. Jesus himself helped two of his disciples understand this scriptural reality as he walked along the road to Emmaus with them. Luke records how Jesus opened up their eyes to see him in all the scriptures, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets.

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:27

The truth is that whole bible testifies about Jesus and the grace that came to us through him. The Scriptures were never given to help mankind understand how to live before God, but rather to reveal, and testify to, the life story of Jesus, his suffering and the grace that would be given to us through his resurrection.

It is in this gospel that Paul testifies a righteousness from God is revealed; a righteousness by faith. Paul is leading up to explain to the church that righteousness is not revealed in the law (as in, follow these commands and rules and you will be a righteous person), but rather righteousness is revealed in the good news of Jesus Christ, that the law and the prophets all testify to.

Most of the church members in Rome were still holding onto their religious, traditional mindset that the law was God’s revelation of righteousness to mankind; but now Paul was walking them through the understanding of God’s true definition of righteousness.

It is a journey that not only the Roman church needed to take, but all of us need to walk through in order to truly become comfortable with this profound and glorious reality: Following a written code from God does not make one righteous, but rather it is by following the Son of God that makes one righteous! That can only be done by faith, so walk with faith today as you follow Jesus and rejoice that you have been made righteous in him.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.1 Corinthians 1:30

What Do You Love?

June 9, 2010 in Comic strip, webcomic with 7 Comments

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There seems to be a slippery slope away from a ‘Jesus love‘  into a ‘Pastor Moses love‘ going on. Not that there’s anything wrong with having a love for your pastor, but when the church starts finding their identity in the pastor they follow instead of the Christ they are in, well then,  perhaps it’s something worth rethinking?

The Mediator

June 7, 2010 in Comic strip, webcomic with 3 Comments

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John understands that under the Old Covenant there was need for a mediator, a man to meet with God and then instruct the rest of God’s people in God’s ways. But didn’t Jesus come to bring that whole way of relating with God to an end?

John was sure that the Bible testifies that now in the New Covenant there is no longer a mediator between the people and Christ, but now Christ himself has become the mediator… Eric however, seems to not only be content, but dependant on his Pastor continuing in that Old Covenant office of mediator…. My goodness, what would Eric do without his pastor??

Perhaps he would get to know Jesus up close and personal?

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus 1 Timothy 2:5

The Day We Step Into Eternity

June 4, 2010 in Poetry with 2 Comments

(I wrote this poem based off the song in Revelation 5:9)

The Day We Step Into Eternity

The dead are alive
The sorrows at peace
The tears are dried out
The slaves are released

The joy is eternal
Love now in its prime
The saints are now one
At last, the divine!

No room for division
That era is gone
Now reigns the new heavens
Now plays the new song

“You are worthy, Lord Jesus
To open the seal
For you loved us all
To die and to heal

You paid the price
You bought us for God
That we can now live
In His endless love”

The joy is eternal
Love now in its prime
The saints are now one
At last, the divine!

No room for division
That era is gone
Now reigns the new heavens
Now plays the new song

Written by Mick Mooney

Being A Number 2

June 4, 2010 in Comic strip, webcomic with 1 Comment

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Young Bobby hasn’t yet learnt the Christianese language of Church leadership hierarchy, and he only knows what a ‘number 2′ means in the world. But not to worry, Eric is sure that soon enough, young Bobby will learn to speak Christianese fluently.

God is not afraid of weakness

June 3, 2010 in Mick's thoughts with 9 Comments

It’s interesting to see that when God came to earth in flesh and blood, he chose some spectacularly weak men to be his Apostles. Think about it for a moment, Jesus could have chosen anyone, and yet Jesus purposely chose a bunch of men who were weak and who greatly misunderstood the true purpose for which Jesus came.

Jesus knew these men were weak when he asked them to follow him, yet he didn’t wait for them to get their act together, or get a better theological understanding of his purpose for coming, before he drew them closer to himself, but rather he went and publicly called them to be his Apostles. So now the disciples had been called to be Apostles, and yet they still didn’t really understanding Jesus at all. Throughout the gospel accounts the writers go out of their way to make it clear the Apostles didn’t really understand anything.

At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. John 12:16

Yet Jesus walked with them, stayed close to them and continued to encourage them that they were a team; they were with him; they were one with him.

Even after the resurrection they still failed to understand the true purposes of Jesus, in fact it was about 8 years after his resurrections (Acts 11) before they even came to realise and accept that the New Covenant was actually also for gentiles! That’s the basic point of the New Covenant, and they totally missed it for years, and yet in all those years we read how the Spirit of Christ was amongst them, his grace was poured out greatly, he comforted them and united their hearts; Christ was still walking with them, staying close to them and encouraging them, despite their weakness and misunderstandings.

It was around 20 years after the resurrection that they all met again in the council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) to try to decide if the gospel was a mixed covenant of law and grace, or a brand new covenant completely based on God’s grace, apart from law. It’s hard to believe that after 20 years they still had not settled this basic truth of the gospel! And yet throughout all that time Jesus still walked with them, still encouraged them and still poured out his love and grace upon them.

Peter wrote his letters to the church after all this, “testifying to the true grace of God” after he finally understood the fullness of the gospel and the purpose of Jesus. He would have reflected on all his weaknesses while with Jesus, all his misinterpretations while with Jesus; he would have realised all that he did wrong, and yet in all that time, Jesus still walked with him, still encouraged him and still make him secure that he was indeed a ‘rock’ in the eyes of God.

I believe Jesus chose weak men to be his Apostles to highlight the true strength of God: that God is strong enough to love us, and walk with us, in our weaknesses. That God doesn’t push us away in our weaknesses, but rather walks with us, stays with us, and continues to encourage us, so that when the day comes where we have become strong in him and understand his purposes, we won’t find our boast in how strong we are, but we will always find our boast in the God who loves people in their weakness. Our boast is in God, who is willing to walk with anyone, regardless of their weakness or failings, so that they may see the truth of who God is: The God of all grace; the God who loves.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16

Who Is Leading The Church?

June 2, 2010 in Comic strip, webcomic with 2 Comments

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Eric finds John very naive sometimes; doesn’t he understand that Jesus isn’t a leader in the church? That role belongs first to the senior pastors, and then to their faithful ‘number two’s; those committed to serving the ‘number one’ as he leads… John can’t help but feel Jesus is meant to be the ‘number one’, and the church should actually expect him to be the leader, right?

Resting In Restless times

June 1, 2010 in Mick's thoughts with 1 Comment

What do we do when we find ourselves in restless times? You know, when you feel the temptation to just flick the switch on all emotions, turning them all off, both good and bad; shrinking back into numbness. When you just feel like either everything, or the lack of anything, is dragging you down.

In times like this we, even when our natural eyes are hiding in sadness, we can once again turn the eyes of our heart to Christ; remembering our united life with him, the depths of his love for us, and as a result we are reminded of where we are. We are not lost in a storm; we are actually in the very Rest of God. We are in Christ.

We don’t need to live in denial; it’s OK to recognise that we may be experiencing a restless season in this life, but how much more should we be assured that we are secure in our eternal Rest; a rest that will never end?

I’m thankful that it’s not my strength that secures me in God’s rest, and it’s not my weakness that removes me; it is my faith in Christ that secures me. Me, a weak man, with a huge hope in a God who loves me. It’s in remembering where I am, for I am in Christ, that I find my inner man returning to his natural inhabitants of divine rest.

Jesus said to his disciples: “In this world you will have trouble . But take heart! I have overcome the world .”

None of us wants trouble, but there are days and seasons when it comes nonetheless. Thank God we have a hope in Christ, who has already overcome the world, and it is this glorious over-comer who is committed to love us, hold us, and carry us. In restless times, take heart, for Christ has overcome all trouble, and just as he always does, he will prove himself faithful to you once more.

May the God of all hope fill your heart with his hope afresh today. Whereever you are, my heart, and heart of all your bothers and sisters in Christ are with you.

- Mick

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