You Don't Have To Roll The Old Chariot Along

I had one of those trains of thought lately that you don’t ignore because it gets you thinking about something that you often take for granted. OK, you may not being the ever observant, considered and thoughtful person you are, but until I grow up to be just like you, I’m left with these occurrences.

Who was the writer who put together the song Roll The Old Chariot Along? (We sang it differently, but then that’s to be expected, we’re always different we are.) I’d like to know what on earth was going on in his head. I know my parents’ era loved that kind of song. I can still see it now in a typical service where people get all emotional and high on the song, obviously with the appropriate beat and musical accompaniment. Given the right atmosphere some people may get all carried away ‘in the Spirit’ with the thought of rolling it over him.

Has anyone checked the lyrics to that song, though? I mean really, what on earth is the old chariot? Why can’t we look behind? Who wants to roll an old chariot along? What’s in the chariot that makes it so special? Where is the liberty given to use the vehicle as a weapon of demonic aggression?

What do you expect to do in rolling it over the devil? You ever noticed how Jesus engaged with demons by expelling them from whomever they were inhabiting, but you’ll notice he doesn’t destroy them. You’ll also notice the complete removal and destruction of the forces of evil is scheduled for the end of time. Our engagement and encounter with the aforementioned forces of evil is one in which by the power of the name of Jesus we are able to overcome evil with good and victory is enjoyed when we do that good and then the enemy is obligated under spiritual protocol to do a runner having met his match with the Creator of the known and unknown universe. You’ll notice that the running over of those opposed to the venture of discipleship with an aged chariot is nowhere prescribed.

That would be bad enough, but then to go as far as to promote the use of such vehicular violence on people opposed to your forward progression is surely irresponsible and may be a subliminal support to the enjoyment of games such as Grand Theft Auto.

Here the new generation could give new lyrics to the traditional favourite. Here it is the case of speed the latest pimped up ride to the location of choice and rather than rolling it over the opposition proceed to use souped up weaponry to dispose of any who are likely to prevent that progressive propulsion.

Of course with the local law enforcement officers in hot pursuit the advice to never look behind may indeed prove to be ill-chosen if the constabulary happen to be right on the rear and about to exercise their duties in placing you under arrest.

The song may have worked for the militant civil-rights, establishing our place on the planet strongly generation, but those of us who actually want to be peace-makers and realise that the only violence required for that is to forcefully enter the Kingdom then such as song really is unnecessary and actually pointless.

If you’ve read this and you’re wondering with that quizzical look if this guy’s for real welcome to one of my regular trains of thought that takes you to destinations you don’t know through some stations that make sense and some that do not. There’s enough to be getting on with, so make of it what you will.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Nothing Personal Part 4

Thanks for your patience, we’ve finally come to the end of the road and I can’t let go, it’s impossible, you belong to me, I belong to you. Hold on a minute – that belongs elsewhere doesn’t it? In any case, here we are at the climax of a minor detour from the thrilling fasting series that you’ve been reading with great interest. I’m looking at the theme of how things are not personal in the context of a journey from being insular to a more considered approach to different expressions of Christian faith. I’ve also identified my dear friend Pete Orton from Burton-on-Trent who has helped me in relationship reaching the position I’m in. In the last entry I laid the claim that the gospel itself makes some outrageous claims about the nature of humanity and how as a result it’s not going to be digested by everyone.

Do not forget the disclaimer from the first part! I won’t dwell on that, I know and you know it’s the thing to do before you think any further!

So we’re in the position that the power in the gospel is so amazing because it and it alone saves people – not intelligence, not works, not any other measure of man – only faith in the revealed Son of God and His restorative, atoning work at Calvary.

What does that mean for people who clearly have not accepted or even had an opportunity to receive this precious gospel? Well these people are susceptible to various forms of demon possession or at least loving the darkness. Apostle Paul sheds light on the issue in his letter to the church in Ephesus by stating quite clearly that our issue is not against people – flesh and blood – but against spiritual powers in high places – influential places, places that shape and guide ideologies, faiths, beliefs and the like in the world today.

So when I meet opposition from people the first thing I am to recognise is that it’s not the people. Having acknowledged then that it is not the people, the next step open to me is how to proceed from there. Often the best course of action is to leave the vicinity – no need for open warfare at this time. Equally sometimes it’s best to expose the force for what it is and expel it in the name of Jesus – that kind of stuff freaks people out, but that’s what we’re facing with a lot of people and we don’t appreciate it.

It has been exaggerated in places and its stigma has been used to turn people off from the reality of spiritual warfare, but I can testify that unless we recognise the forces behind people’s behaviour and beliefs we will either wear ourselves out trying to sort people out or worse still actively try to embrace those forces as we show ‘love’ to the people in the way of tolerating and endorsing their lifestyle. So what’s left to us is the task of finding out where there’s a demon behind the bush and following our Master’s example tell him where to go, i.e. behind us and far away from us.

Having been given all power in heaven and earth and commissioning us in the power of His Spirit we are told that we can meet this spiritual wickedness head on and experience victory by His authority. Personally this reality sometimes appears overwhelming and daunting and reading of spiritual luminaries who have faced tremendous spiritual oppression manifest in severe physical beatings does not entice me into the fray. Yet the reality remains that it is nothing personal I’m coming across when I meet staunch atheists, rabid liberal humanists and proactive almost militant supporters of other sects and religions. Worse yet it’s nothing personal when well meaning nominal Christians attempt to persuade me otherwise with the use of man-centred thoughts.

It can come across as personal and for the people themselves they can be so entwined in the philosophy and cultural norms that there’s no other way of looking at things. Yet what gives me hope and confidence is the Master and with that confidence comes a heart-felt compassion for people locked and captive to the forces of the enemy as I once was.

Within me then cries the same cry I made not so long ago for God to deliver them as He delivered me. For that same manifesto that Jesus read in quoting from Isaiah to be the reality for so many people who are otherwise closed from the power, glory and love of God’s Kingdom. I do not speak as one who is not susceptible to the wiles of the wicked one. I speak as one who has been the conduit for the malevolent forces of the wicked one to attempt to cause chaos in my home, the church and work. Yet I am the same one who has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and has been delivered time and again from the snares of the enemy. It makes the cry for deliverance in the Lord’s guide to prayer all the more important so that we are not trapped in sin and its consequences, but are set free from it to see God’s Kingdom come and will done on earth as it is in heaven.

It’s nothing personal – it’s everything spiritual, so we need to deal with it with the weapons of our warfare especially using the Sword of the Spirit to pierce through the ties that bind and bring liberty through the defeat of the enemy once more. Thank God for His Spirit at work in the lives of many bringing that deliverance and freedom to worship Him as they were created to do in truth and Spirit.

(I have a lot more thoughts on deliverance that I’m deliberating as to whether it’s worth posting them here on the blog. In the meantime what you can read for yourself is a recent six-part series of blogs on the LJN blog on this very subject – Deliverance, Deliver Us, Hear Me Out, What Hope of Deliverance, Is All Hope Gone, and When All Hope Appears Gone.)

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Nothing Personal Part 3

I’m on the finishing strait of this mini diversion from the fasting series – after this just one more part to post and we’re done! The inspiration for this was a series of things happening on Tuesday that conspired to bring this about. I’ve shared my journey from being close-minded to a more considered approach to different expressions of Christian faith. I’ve also identified my dear friend Pete Orton from Burton-on-Trent who has helped me in relationship reaching the position I’m in.

Now what you’ve read up to this point has been fairly harmless stuff. These be Just mere thoughts from the head of a professing follower of Christ who is as flaw-ridden as the next follower. From here on, however, things may get a bit rocky for certain Christians and non-Christians alike. So before you start reeling off correspondence, remember the crucial disclaimer from the first part – remember it. Now the thing about disclaimers and this one is no different that you can still read it, read the rest of what I’m about to say and be offended. Be seriously aggrieved. Be mighty put off and think that in as much as you thought that CD was alright that he’s revealed his true colours and he’s a rather arrogant, nasty piece of work who has this high convoluted view of faith. Can’t stop you having those views or any others. Go ahead and have them. I’d like to think, however, that it wouldn’t change my views on things at this time. Still the disclaimer is there all the same.

The link between what’s gone on before and this series on Nothing Personal is that it was whilst I was with Pete on Tuesday that the things happened that brought about this series of thoughts. An incident took place among a group of us that left things in a rather baffled state. What it brought to mind was something I said to Pete later on and that was it’s nothing personal, it’s something spiritual. Earlier on in the day I had read Luke 9:1 about Jesus giving power and authority over demons and that verse in itself arrested my thoughts for the rest of the day and was useful for that scenario at least in encouraging me to fight the battle at the level at which it was being fought.

We’re reminded again of that bizarre episode in scripture where one minute Jesus appears to be calling Peter the rock on which the church will be built with the gates of Hades never prevailing against it, and then a few verses later he appears to be calling Peter the devil. Now I don’t know about you, but if I were Pete, I’d be a bit hurt and confused, because one minute I’m being called the rock and the next minute I’m the devil himself, what’s that all about?

Not only that but in another episode Jesus is talking to Peter about how the devil wanted to sift him as wheat but he’d been prayed for so that when he got over it he would encourage his brothers. So one minute he’s Pete, the next he’s the Rock, the next he’s the devil and then he’s the target for the devil! That’s quite a series of identity changes, non?

My understanding of what’s going on here is the reality of spiritual warfare and where we humans are in the midst of everything. Scripture points out that the prince of this world has blinded our eyes. The narrative of the mission of Christ is to a people who have been captivated by death, disease and the devil. Jesus has come on a rescue mission that’s why we refer to Him among other things as our Saviour. We’re also informed that we cannot serve two masters … that in itself is pretty indicative that we’re going to serve someone or something.

By nature despite being made in the image of God the curse of Adam means we do not have the natural default to serve God. So it doesn’t matter how good we look or what apparent good things we do or how good we are, at the essence of our being where we are meant to be connected to God there is a fatal disconnect. That disconnect has thankfully been sorted thanks to the Cross, but it is now for people to acknowledge that and thus go from serving gods to serving the One True God.

In the meantime we have all sorts of expressions of fallen man. Some are misguided and oblivious to how misguided they are. Some stumble in the dark but proudly denounce anyone who would have the arrogance and temerity to suggest that there is a truth to be found and a light to guide us to that truth – such claims, we are told by these experts, are dangerous and behind many of man’s inhumanity to man. There are many others and the theme is familiar – failure to acknowledge the Sovereign Creator of the universe.

This is what makes the gospel so incendiary in many places because it does have the temerity to declare a single all embracing, comprehensive truth. That truth is the existence of God and His role in His creation as redeemer coming in the form of a man to satisfy righteous judgement and restore man back to Himself to recognise their place to bring Him glory. People will not accept that. People will enjoy the love part of the story, and enjoy the bit about apparently being the object of the sacrificial love, but they will not accept responsibility or their own divisive, rebellious nature to a Power that defines Himself as Yahweh reveals in Scripture.

That is why the power in the gospel us so amazing because it and it alone saves people – not intelligence, not works, not any other measure of man – only faith in the revealed Son of God and His restorative, atoning work at Calvary.

In the final part of this series I’ll wrap things up and show how that plays a part in subsequent conversations with people who are not yet of the faith who come with particular … baggage. Make sure you join me for that final part of this series. As ever your views are welcome.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd