Article 2: The Wisdom of the Ant: Knowing the Season

/ 'face2face' - Gareth Duffty / Leave a comment

“Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.” 

(Proverbs 6:6-8, ESV)

Ants are small, but they know their season. They store up food at the right time, discerning when to gather and when to rest. Jesus rebuked Jerusalem for not knowing “the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:44). Esau, in Hebrews 12:16-17, tragically missed his opportunity and could not recover it.

We live in a generation flooded with knowledge – the Word is published everywhere, on TV, radio, and the internet. Yet, are we discerning the season we live in? Are we storing up spiritual food, making the most of opportunities with our families, in our communities, and in our giving to God?

Let us pray for the wisdom of the ant – to know our weakness, to discern our season, and to act with timely obedience.

Prayer:  

Father, help me to recognise the season I am in. Give me the wisdom to store up Your Word and to act when You call. Open my eyes to the opportunities around me today. Amen.

A Series: Small Things, Exceedingly Wise: Devotions for Restoration

/ 'face2face' - Gareth Duffty / Leave a comment

Over the next period, I will share small bites of wisdom from small things, four small things exceedingly great wisdom…

1: “Think Big, Learn Small, Act Fast – Wisdom for Restoration”

“Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise…”

 (Proverbs 30:24, ESV)

In a world obsessed with the big and the bold, the Bible invites us to pay attention to the small and seemingly insignificant. Proverbs 30:24-28 lists four small creatures, each with a lesson for us in wisdom and restoration. These creatures – the ant, the rock badger, the locust, and the lizard – are not mighty in size, but their wisdom is profound.

Restoration in our lives often begins not with grand gestures, but with small, faithful steps. Jesus Himself wept over Jerusalem because they did not recognise “the time of [their] visitation” (Luke 19:44). How often do we miss God’s work because we overlook the small beginnings?

Let us learn to think big about God’s purposes but be willing to learn from small things and act quickly when God prompts us. The wisdom of the ant, the rock badger, the locust, and the lizard is for our day of restoration. May our eyes be open to see the wonder of the day we live in.

Prayer:  

Lord, give me eyes to see Your wisdom in the small things. Help me to act quickly when You speak and to value the lessons of humility and faithfulness. Amen.

Nations…where do you stand?

/ 'face2face' - Gareth Duffty / 1 Comment

Matthew 28:16-20

The Great Commission

16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.

17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”[1]

Make disciples of all Nations…what are we looking at?

Some of today’s and recent headlines read, ‘Make America great’, ‘United Kingdom separates from Europe’, ‘Rise of Nationalism’, it is the world as we know it. Some would say it’s the increase of modern tribalism, I am of this and not of that, I belonged to this group, not that, ours is better than theirs, us and them all the same root, politically, nationally or religiously. The rise of national boundaries. imagartion challenges.

Nationhood and identity have become large in peoples mind and the evidence are all around us. For many years what is Britishness has been a debate only fuelled once again with the rise of the 4 nations of the UK looking at separation sovereignty. I’m not sure if it is a cry for belonging or control and dominance, time will tell, probably both.  

I’m Welsh, I could not speak a word of English until I reached the double figures in age, so I’m told, or British or both or adopted South African having a permanent residency status to our beloved South Africa. Who am I? Who are you? Perhaps I should have included my Heavenly Citizenship as well. Therefore, I am a Christ-follower that has residence on Earth or Welsh who happens to be British or even UK born that holds a South African residency or yes to it all? I wonder how you would describe yourself, by your culture, by your language, by your colour or by nation, place of birth?

One of the great plights within our world is the refugee or migrant movements that now face us with millions on the move, which we are told with the climate issue this is only going to grow due to soil conditions, millions under enforced migration due to political, safety and economic reasons.

Population figures inform us that at least 79.5 million people have been forced from their homes and 26 million of these are under 18 (UNHCR). With all this movement I wonder what will be and what is Nationhood, what are Nations?

As a follower of Christ, we are probably impacted by some ‘lockdown’ process and are more aware than ever of the practical challenges to our practice of faith, on the one had much work in a food bank or similar to help but how do we practice faith as in the past. Perhaps we have realised the fundamental need to move from the entrapment of ‘platform celebrity’ forms of ecclesia (church) and the performance effort of each Sunday or whenever you meet to realize we do need to discover discipleship in life and all it entails.

Now as an aside before someone points a finger and goes off on one that I don’t believe in the gathered church, that is so far from the truth. I believe fully and am part of the ecclesia of God, however, I do see the liberty to express a people and community determined by culture and social expression, what does that mean it is not one pattern fits all, the body should be expressed diversely without feeling deficient if I don’t follow a pattern. In other words, the pattern is unimportant it is the life expressed, the life of God, from God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and through each person that is central, Christ central in it all. I see the church, the ecclesia as being a fluid, flexible community that fills wherever the people of Christ are, that fluid and flexile dynamic people group expressing Christ, living Christ, being incarnate to our world.  

The ecclesia is the apple of God’s eye, the vehicle of the Kingdom, the magnificent manifold wisdom of God expressed with no predetermined form or shape, Christ expressing. A community that seeks to inform our world and creation that God has a purpose and goal while sharing in and declaring God’s dream. A group of people with a relationship that brings about a changing world, including creation. A Nation from every tribe and tongue.

Now back to my reason for writing on Nations.

In reading Matthew 28:16-20 we are borough to an awareness of the Great Commission to disciple the Nations, I suggest this is not the one-to-one but something greater and grander is hidden hear. Not to say that bringing an individual through to Christ and beyond is nothing more than magnificent.   

How can I open this up, by firstly stating Christ came to bring back the Nations to their rightful place and this is why Nations are to be affected by our discipleship.

Matthew 28:18 has Jesus announcing, “All Authority Given To Me In Heaven & Earth”, but why “All Authority”?

Sadly, today many have reduced ‘faith’ to personal gain and advancement, to achieve their destiny and goal without reference to the dream or goal of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The gospel, our faith has much greater implications than this, a self-help environment.

God from the beginning has been after a family within the ultimate grand plan and at a significant time the children of God will be govern angels, that is on the final coming together of heaven and Earth the ecclesia will become those who will onwardly govern take responsibility for on God’s behalf, fully expressing the image and likeness of God. Unfortunately, many have never heard this and only see the cross redemptively from humanities perspective as a secure ticket to ‘heaven’. They only hear the instruction that is about the supply of personal need whatever that might be. However, within God’s scheme, a dream of a family, but you say God does not have dreams, it is only used as a figure of speech as God only really has a conclusion, a culmination not a dream which has still to fully manifest, arrive this is yet to fully come, but I can dream of it.

 To disciple the Nations, it is necessary to see that the redemptive resurrection of Christ was to redeem the Nations, bring them back into the family and authority of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Christ’s authority was to remove the gods of nations, the authority that direct and controls nations now bringing the Nations into the disciplining of Gods people.   Isaiah 3:3 along with Mic 4:2 is another way of saying the Nations being discipled. All authority was to remove the lesser authorities bring then back to God and a fruitful garden within the authority of God Father, Son and Holy Spirit, returning to the family of God.   

The resurrection powerfully reverts the dividing of the peoples at what the biblical narrative calls Babel, the dividing of people by language. The story of Babel was not about languages, but the outflow of language was the outcome of the authorities over nations. As Deuteronomy 32:8 outlines that the peoples were set boundaries according to the unseen world, the sons of God. Christs’ resurrection was so far-reaching that redemption came to people, creation and the unseen as well as the Nations. Through the scripture, we have glimpses of all this, the unseen realms, the authorities over nations controlling and governing in different ways (Daniel, Psalm 82) Christ brought back the Nations to their rightful God. We see it demonstrated at Pentecost, it was not just about languages, drunkenness, falling over but the reversal of the authority set at Babel the one language of God brings back the Nations. Our Gospel has a Nationhood implication woven into it.

The New Testament writers understood this, Paul especially with his call to the Gentile world, was not in opposition to the Jewish world, it was the commission Jerusalem, Judea, and the nations beyond that Paul took up as he understood the resurrection was bringing back the Nations just as we have today to disciple the Nations, it is the resurrections narrative. In Romans 15:23-28, we find Paul eager to go to Spain, more than that he had to go. Why well in the list of nations at Pentecost Spain was the only nations not mentioned there that was under the then known world and rule of Rome so Paul had to reach as he understood Christ redeems nations to God, therefore, he must fulfil it.  

The Redemption of the Nations is part of our Gospel.

As followers of Christ, we too have a desire to see Nations instructed from dominant authorities to God, a self-emptying authority. I wonder today would we see the nations not only ethnically but in terms of business, art, media where people are finding their identity?

You have been called to bring Nations back to the garden of God, to the garden city of God back to the ’All authority’ of Christ. Discipling people and Nationhood more exact from every tribe and tongue correcting Babel and bring all back to the family of God. We are redeeming Nations and should be at every level it is correcting and removing authorities as we learn to be in union with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Two ‘F’ of my Christian way

/ 'face2face' - Gareth Duffty / Leave a comment

Mark 2:22

No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” 

Lessons from the Field 

While watching my childhood game played by such good international teams, I reminisced about the days I played back in my hometown.   Watching the back and forth of the match on televised, I eagerly observe the technical ability and the setting of set pieces, as they are called.  Watching team rhythms and individual brilliance, whether it’s the strength or speed.  However, undoubtedly, what will win matches are the push and thrust of individuals and teams that can be spontaneous, responding to the moment and keeping fluid and flexible.  

Fluidity and Flexibility are key to being able to respond with initiative and rugby sense.  So what’s that got to do with me, you may say, even if I like rugby or perhaps you dont like the game.   Let me outline the necessary characteristics that individuals and the cooperative church need is to be flexible and fluid.

I find that many live in the church with informed laws and regulations. Even the world knows what the so-called church cannot do, and the laws and regulations are rather about what the church can do: blessing, empowerment, enlarging creation, and people bring maturity, and filling of Christ. All in all,  

Religious prescription has taken away creativity; God desires that we become this heart and the expression of God in our inner being, showing what God is like.  Being the demonstration of God in whatever world we enter.   Faith, having the faith of Christ more accurately, is not about keeping prescriptions, but about being the image and likeness of God, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have made us.     

That we are called to stand as demonstrations of God’s view and thought, not being law keepers but being demonstrators of life, the life of God.

Let not leaders be so caught up in prescriptive laws, but foster maturity and cultivate the life of God in individuals and the corporate church, so that the world around us is awakened to a life beyond. A quality of life that is attractive and filled with Christ.

As life surrounds us with events and circumstances, as situations hijack us, and as plans become distorted and must change, we are those who become flexible.    Ready to adjust, take a side step, slow down, speed up as our environment changes or experience changes before us.  As events come from straight ahead but enter from the side, they invade our world seemingly illegitimately, which is beyond our control.  We learn to be fluid, knowing the word of God is there to become our common sense, which enables our fluidity.   

Beyond Prescriptions: Embracing Spirt life

The word of God is so ingrained in us that it is the base from which our thinking comes from, not that it’s a law outside of us, but as the scripture says, ‘written on our hearts’ (2 Cor. 3:3), it’s our way of living, our common sense.   That is what flows from us, enabling our fluidity as our world sometimes throws all at us.

Keeping the Word of God at the forefront and centre, which if we live this way will enable our fluidity in progress. As Jesus encountered the religious leaders of His day, he would say “you say, but I say,” changing the prescriptions that govern their world, introducing us to fluidity. The woman caught in adultery—the law’s prescription says ‘stone her’, yet Jesus said ‘neither do I condemn you’.

Fluidity: The way of love

I could say that the law of love we are meant to embody, demonstrate, and express indeed requires us to be fluid; it truly does. There are no fixed laws, three instructions, two confessions, or four steps to get you out of every situation; otherwise, we will end up like on Jesus’ day when ten laws, the Ten Commandments, were not enough and resulted in over 700 laws, as faith was replaced by prescriptions. Rather than the liberty of fluidity, each new circumstance needed a sub-law to be made to help people live. Jesus and I both agree—there is only one way, the way of love: “love the Lord your God, love your neighbour as yourself.’ As the old Beatles song said, ‘All we need is love, love, love.’

If we are to be a Christ-centred ekklesia, we will be a love-centred church. Fluidity enables demonstration. Consider Jesus’ display of authority; power was not through domination but through a towel and a bowl. Bring self-emptying in washing feet, taking on the servanthood of humanity, he even said, as often as you gather, do this. Is not the breaking of bread, the communion, really yet another self-emoting, downhearted display of towel and bowl? Which is, alas, rooted in our ability to be fluid or demonstrate to every person and environment we find ourselves in, with our sleeves rolled up.

I often say that the church is not defined by its structure or offices to uphold, but by the life poured into people — the resurrection life — filling every shape it is poured into. Let me try to express it this way. Holding a wine glass of water as a picture of the church, we describe the glass in terms of its shape and size, its colour and smooth edges, the contours, and call it the church. Then we attempt to fit a mug into the wine glass, but it fails, declaring that it is not the right shape, as it is not the same. Proceeding to pour the water into a saucer, as the saucer cannot go into the wine glass.  We forget the water, the fluidity, is the church, not the shape that holds it, the fluid life.  The church fills all that it is poured into, not the shape, but homes, streets, offices, and buildings.  Being the expression of Christ filling all in all, the church by nature is to fill, not prescribe a shape.  The FLUID church is necessary.

Flexibility: Adapting for maturity

The other ‘F’ is Flexibility, being able to deal with every person and every situation that arises.  Being supple and able to stretch for flexibility.   What does it look like?

That is flexibility in the sense that it is adaptable to every culture and generation, adapting to a world without internet or word dominance due to all the technical advances.   Considering new ideas which show a willingness to consider change rather than being stuck.   I think the church and its leaders often show they are stuck rather than adaptable.   Flexibility for some is so difficult to entertain, especially for leadership, as it can involve adjusting your priorities and experiencing and bringing about new methods.

Flexibility is having an open mind rather than preconceived positions, in the same way as being able to have the flexibility to discover solutions when there are challenges to consider.  Which actually brings a people and individuals to the place of ability ot learn anew, adapting and realising there is not one way only.

Living Fluid and Flexible Lives 

A church that is mature, its maturity being fluid and flexible, which is an extension of individuals, functions that are maturing, and they too are flexible and fluid.

Consider

Where and with whom is God inviting you to be more flexible and fluid so you can first demonstrate the life of Christ, followed by being more creative this week?

Until Christ fills all in all, Progressive Revelation

/ 'face2face' - Gareth Duffty / Leave a comment

 

On one of my first excursions, having left my secular employment, I travelled to Scotland, visiting Edinburgh and several bookshops there.   In one particular bookshop, I was handed the first book to enable my long journey in this Christ-like Walk—a value or a notion that would become a challenge to my walk even today. 

The book’s title: – ‘Progress of Doctrine in the New Testament.’ A compilation of lectures from the 1890s. This book challenges the notion of a static revelation, it has been instrumental in shaping my understanding of progressive revelation. Suggesting that the idea of a progressive revelation is not heretical, as some may argue, but rather a continuous unfolding of God’s nature and purpose. Even when Paul, the apostle writes, we can read and see the development of his stance in his thinking and writing.   

 Although I would firmly uphold the statement found in Hebrews 1 that in these last days, God has spoken in the Son, this being the full explanation of God and must always be upheld as the primary thought.  Yet, we can see the progressive disclosure of God continuing down through history and even to this day.      God in wisdom is self-revealing and continuously restores and reveals all about God’s nature and ways.   We would become those who ‘know God’s ways’ as against only God’s deeds, as was said of Moses and the people of God, also understanding that to ‘know God is eternal life.’ (John 17:3).

If we have any thought of continuing in the prophetic advance of God’s purpose, we are those who uphold and believe in, ‘Progressive Revelation’, the onward unfolding of God and God’s purpose as set before the beginning of time.

We accept the progressive nature of understanding and, therefore, doctrine within the Old Testament and the New Testament, for some their understanding comes to an abrupt end, with Revelation 22:21.    At the same time, I believe in the canon of scripture and see the onward continual revealing of God’s self throughout history and through my decades of Christ’s walk.

The scriptures undeniably characterize the various stages of the revelations of God throughout the Old and New Testaments.  

We seem to accept Christ as the great revealer of God yet do not consider the Holy Spirit the continuing revealer; maybe the full revelation in Christ was not seen until after his death, resurrection, and ascension. – particularly along with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.    

Even Jesus told us of onward revelation, progressive, not a stated ‘that is the end of it, no more” Did Jesus not say, “I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” the coming of the Holy Spirit was that these “many things” should not be lost.   Firstly, disclosed in Acts, Epistles contain the beginning of these things, and if we are to be those read by all men, it also continues in our lives.   The Holy Spirit ensures step correctness when these things are being revealed.

The onward revelation of God is advancing communication and the ability to know God more fully.   It certainly is not to give individuals ‘special anointing’, titles or positions but is more about the expansion of the nature of God, the ever becoming, the dynamic becoming God (YHWH). This dynamic becoming of God, constantly revealing more of His nature and purpose, should inspire us and fill us with awe and wonder.   

All Progressive Revelation sits within the frame of Hebrews 1:1-4, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,” that all speak of the Son who only speaks of the Father and Holy Spirit. 

In the same way we are told that at the death of Jesus, the vail was torn in two, Jesus is and was the open veil constantly, there was no hiding, no two worlds, but he came and was the way, was the torn veil making union between heaven and earth, so too progressive revelation stands the same.

In John 17:8, Jesus, in the Lord’s prayer, says, “The words which You gave Me I have given to them”, realising for us this is the Jesus way.    Onward and continually giving God words – REVELATION, I suggest that this is the onward nature of the Christ, the way of Christ, the self-emptying of nature, a character that we might know God.   Progressive Revelation.

When I teach in our Bible school, I begin with the doctrine of God; although we unpack what has been established historically, we must hold on to this, if that is God, however if God is only what has already been revealed, God is tiny, in a way.    We must be open to more of God being revealed in our day and in the future. If we can fit God into our Doctrine, how small is our God?

Therefore, there is still so much more within God to be revealed in all revealed truth to date.   

Our core values are to disclose and establish restoration, kingdom, and covenant in people’s lives; as I often say, God has a purpose and goal, a vehicle to bring it along with a necessary relationship.    With that in mind, we know there is a progressive revelation on Restoration, Kingdom, and Covenant still to be folded 

Therefore, there is a continuing advancement happening, and I believe a wholesome definition of a God move is one that enlarges and transforms our view of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. At the same time, its impact is a necessary construct adjustment (practice, form, structural).  Changing due to revelation, what and how we live and demonstrate or explain that is dawning.

 For example, in the ’60s and ’70s, what was coined as the ‘house church’ movement at that time was born from a revelation of Kingdom breaking upon men and women that brought about the restoration of the church, ekklesia.  It aimed at transforming the church life with the New Testament church’s values from Act 2:42 to see the embodiment of a living, breathing relational community of God.  This also brought about the restoration of Eph 4:11 apostles, prophets, pastor-teachers, and evangelists as necessary functions given by the ascended Christ and then followed the restoration of the individual in view, which brought a focus on the restoration of society, having a voice and holding our world.    

As part of the onward progressive revelation of restoration today, we see the fresh discovery of the restoration of creation. Witnessing the introduction of an escapist mentality of leaving the earth to be destroyed as become popular through writings in the 1890’s.

These insights more and more bring an understanding of our relationship with the non-human creation along with our God-given responsibility for creation.  Somehow, we have ignored God’s covenant with creation, animals, plants (Gen. 9) and our intrinsic weaving to the soil over the years.  Are we not encouraged “if my people” (2 Chr. 7:14) God will heal the LAND?  

We have not realised there is a threesome, God, People and Land (creation) always in God’s restorative and redemptive view.    Humanity in its first creation is magnificent displaying heaven and Earth in union – breath of God and clay of creation.  A model of God’s aim in a union of all things.  It’s another way of saying “Christ Filling all in all”, everything back to a union with God.  Another article is necessary to cover this.   

I aim to establish with you that God moves in a progressive revelation of God’s self to humanity, bringing about an ever-enlarging revelation of God’s self while causing changes, ‘new things’ as God’s nature is a ‘new thing’ so-called.   We are subject to this progressive revelation and must hold an established understanding of this.