The problem with The Message 'Bible'

The first thing that everyone must consider when approaching the Word of God is 'for what purpose am I using this translation?'  If the use is clearly to see what one individual thinks the Word of God says then you are OK with The Message and other terrible translations like it.  But anything else ranging from devotional readings or serious Bible study we need to use something that at least tries to have some dynamic equivalence.  When someone takes a scripture and says it in a nice, different or poetic way, we must make sure it is not losing what the passage was supposed to mean.  Worse case scenario is that believers take on board The Message and develop doctrine around this.  This is happening now.  Has this ever happened before?

Jesus slammed the Teachers of the Law because they had created the Traditions of the Elders. These were fence laws or oral law that had nothing to do with what God has said. The Scribes first did this.  They produced sub laws to make sure people didn't break the 613 actual Laws from God.  Then the Teachers of the Law came, around the time of Jesus, they made the scribes fence laws equivalent to God's Law.  So they taught that the laws made up by men were as authoritative as Gods 613.  Jesus was in all out war against this massacre of God's Word.  Who do we think we are to take the Holy Scripture of the New Testament and declare it valid and authoritative when it has been reworded?  Yet many church leaders are desensitised to this issue because church growth, public profile and personal status have become the goals and aims of 'church.'

Amos 8 speaks of our times. 

11 11 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord,
    “when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
    but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 People will stagger from sea to sea
    and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord,
    but they will not find it.

In the same passage it speaks of the 'grain becoming less but the shekel high.'  Today less leaders care about the quality of the grain (word of God) and care about the money.  When the first coming of Jesus occurred, John the Baptist preached from the desert.  Now, as we anticipate the second coming of Jesus the true Word of God will also be preached from the desert.   You don't have to live in a literal desert to qualify, you just have to be preaching and teaching truth in the place what Amos describes, a place where the true Word of God is scarce. 

I know the author of the Message will receive a glorious reward for the things Jesus was able to issue forth through him.  I don't think Peterson was responsible for the way lazy church leaders allowed The Message to become a valid source of God's word.  But what has come from the misuse of this commentary, wrong doctrine and practices, is a mess. 

Gary Ward

The blind spot of every church leader

It was about 20 years ago the Lord started to stir me up about 'the church.'  At the time I was in an aspiring mega-church with possibly the poorest examples of leadership I've encountered.  Watching the egotistical pushing and shoving, and feeling drawn into it all,  led me to evaluate this 'church' thing.  It seemed that only the favoured few were happy and not-so-coincidentally, they were the best tithers.  What is it that keeps people with seemingly good intent blind to what the scriptures teach, and unwilling to hear beyond everything that suits their purposes?

Once I had settled in my own heart that I wanted no part of the trappings associated with being a church leader, the Lord began showing me the truth about 'church' and 'Biblical leadership.'  Standing back from the church system gave me a chance to observe what was going on without being implicated by it.  It was also a chance to put space between myself and the things I had held valuable like status, profile and position among my fellow community of believers.  I can honestly say I didn't go looking for these things consciously. But when I became a person of regard among other believers and beyond our own church, it sure felt good!  It also felt wrong, and I saw that being significant and recognised in the church circles was addictive.  Some even think it is their calling from God to be a christian celebrity!  I thought this whole thing was about lifting Jesus up as we follow the Baptiser in radical humility before the Lord?  Don't I become less, lowly and intentionally bowed of heart before Jesus? 

Those around me still appear utterly blinded to any of this and have gone on to set themselves up as central figures in what they do.  The adoration, applause and attention of their sycophants just feathers the bed for this 'drug'.  It would be all well and good if the Bible underlines this as marks of successful Godly pursuit.  But it doesn't, it says quite the opposite about anyone God is issuing forth through.  Paul tells the Corinthians that his life is routinely battered and bruised for the sake of his sending.  I'm sure we are all united in placing Paul in the 'successful Godly pursuit' bracket.  Of course, not everyone has the addiction.  Many struggle with the inevitability of being raised up by others yet do not activate the solution to the problem.  The vast majority just accept their fame among others as 'going with the territory.'  I call this the 'King Thing,' the problem Paul slammed in the Corinthian church (4:8f).  God predicted this of Israel in Deut 17 and calls it idolatry in 1 Sam 8. 

We live in the Western culture where hierarchy is the way to lead.  But we must remember that the instructions given in the New Testament have little to do with western culture.   Our culture derived from Rome and this constitutes the blind spot of every church leader.  It doesn't seem to matter that we aspire to the 'winds of heaven' while employing the 'stuff of earth' to outwork its aims and objectives.  Whether we are basking in the regalia of the 'King Thing' or struggling with it, everyone has to disengage it.  The answer is to drag our hearts before the Lord and submit our crowns to Him, the only one who is worthy to wear a crown.  We also have to do what Jesus told the Apostles to do:  have a meal in a home.  This is a covenant sign, a rehearsal for the wedding feast of the Lamb.  It re-calibrates the assembled body as 'family,' brothers and sisters under one Father.  In this environment, no one can become the big cheese.  There's no CEO in a family.  There's no rank among children. 

Some have said to me over the years that I'm simply doing 'house church.'  It's as if we all have options and I opted for this.  I champion the case for Biblical church because it is ... Biblical!  But it would be just like the genius of the Lord to have us meet a certain way so that our wayward hearts would not be corrupted.  Attention, adoration and applause are sucker punches for church leaders.  Satan can't stop a believer who wants to lead but the evil one can fill your life with the idea that you are significant, important and 'God's secret weapon in our times.' Searching people will dive right into that unbiblical way to lead, thus bolstering the myth that we 'should' be receiving the accolades.  People have made doctrines to support this warping of all that is right and true. 

The blind spot of every leader is tackling this problem.  Jars of Clay said it well in 'Unforgetful You:'

You never minded giving us the stars 
Then showing us how blind and unaware of You we are 
You painted me a picture and showed me how to see 
Though I just won't behold it 
Unless it pertains to me



Gary Ward

Voices in the wilderness...

You don't have to live in a desert to be a voice in the wilderness.  Today many believers are experiencing isolation, abandonment and social martyrdom in their towns and cities.  Their way of seeing Biblical truth seems to be less merged with fads, trends and the traditions passed on through history.  When they speak it is standing for biblical truth, walking it out faithfully and calibrating their church practice to the teachings of Christ and the pattern passed on by the Apostles.  When you determine to walk this way it can get very lonely, discouraging and often we eventually stop speaking out the truth.  After all, whose listening?  Many return to church projects they know are somehow amiss just to make sense of their faith.  I want to try to encourage you to continue to be a voice in the 'wilderness,' to walk and talk this faith filled life in the name of Jesus.

The Apostles applied Jesus teachings to their whole life and practices.  The lived in faith and repentance and also met with other believers according to the  'paradosis,' passed on patterns and traditions.  'Church,' for them, was meeting in homes around food and drink as a covenant sign.  They shared the scriptures and the Lord issued forth through graces that we call 'gifts' to build up and encourage one another.  When the Apostles died, the way believers met began to be more like any-old meeting where a spokesman stands up and everyone listens.  In the 4th century Emperor Constantine started a process of merging the meeting of believers with the state.  'Church' began to look like the Roman Empire with central meeting halls, professional clergy and compulsory attendance.  The church was squarely placed into the hands of Man.  That which facilitated the moving of the Spirit was now Man's enterprise.  But this is not the whole story. 

Ever since the meeting of believers was made into a systemic institution there were always those who sat outside of it, walking and talking as led by the Spirit and not by the state.  God always had his remnant who refused to recognise Rome. In Europe many groups were standing firm for Biblical truth and as Rome sent the Inquisitors, many were killed for standing outside the system and refusing to align with the Pope.  Hermits and monks, although problematic in their own practices, came up from non alignment with the system.  But any divergence from the Apostolic pattern for biblical ekklesia always found itself in a cul-de-sac where the enemy would manipulate and pervert. 

As history continued The Roman Catholic church became the major force on earth.  It was a political giant and entire countries were assimilated to its agenda.  It continued to send unholy auditors to infiltrate who they saw as heretics and burn them, sometimes in the homes they were hiding in.  Some willingly clamoured into burning bonfires rather than turn to the Pope.  So many groups existed to live led by the Spirit of God outside the system and Rome was infuriated.   Of course, we then had the Reformation and a clear distinction was made between Rome and the 'Protest-ants.'  With it came the idea that we have only two camps... Rome and Protestants.  But this is flawed thinking. 

If we discard labels and categories for a minute, we can explore what it actually is what made Rome into a systematised institution and eventually a killing machine.  The problem is when Man discards the biblical direction and tries to do it without the Lord.  So when Roman Catholics throw away the scriptures it is easy to see.   They will affirm that the Pope is Jesus' representative and he has final authority.  No need to scratch your head there, right!  What is new to our thinking perhaps is that many Protestants, when they discard biblical direction, they are also not to be aligned with.  How do Protestants violate the direction of God?  Surely to be separate from Rome is enough? 

When the Pope sits on the Throne in the Vatican he has substantial power.  This is the blatant refusal to bow his heart to the King of Kings, Jesus our Lord.  When we truly submit, yield and abandon to the Lord Jesus, He can rule and reign, His will and His purposes issuing forth in the earth.  Protestants may be vehemently against the Pope, Rome and the idolatry but many are still happy to create their own rule and reign on earth.  Even though this may be with only a few people, the desire to be over other believers is still there.  The whole point of Jesus risen and glorified is to be our sole King.  Believers are supposed to be His hands and feet, not another enterprise of man. 

Rome has one Pope, and as I've said before, Protestantism has millions of Popes!  When we consider the simple, home based ekklesia, meeting around food and drink as brothers and sisters, we can see how it would be more difficult to become 'Father!'  I can't see and assess a man's heart so I'm not sure anyone sets out to be over other believers in Protestantism, but as long as the structure of meeting together is 'special people doing special things in special places,' it will always lead to systematised institution.  While it may not be subduing governments and killing its opponents today, there is denominational-ism and social martyrdom for anyone refusing to take part in man made systems. 

So if you find yourself a voice in the wilderness, unable to associate with 'whats out there,' you are not alone.  You stand with the many who, by the grace of the Lord, stand outside of the systems and structures made by men.  Before we even get out of bed in the morning we are already standing against the world system that pressures us to assimilate, whether by sword or by the pain of loneliness, abandonment and accusations.  Like those who ran towards the flames of the inquisitors, embrace the life, or death, that you find yourself in.  It is much more significant, important and productive that you could ever imagine!


Gary Ward

Jesus the Mercy Seat

When we explore Romans we will come across God presenting Jesus as the Hilasterion (3:25).  This word has been translated 'propitiation' or 'sacrifice of atonement.'  While these translations speak of the result of God presenting Jesus, it doesn't say what the word means.  Hilasterion means 'Mercy Seat.  The Mercy seat is what covered the Ark of the Covenant.  What can we observe about Jesus being presented as he Mercy Seat covering of the Ark of the Covenant?

The Ark of the Covenant was in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. Only the High Priest could go in with some very specific instructions from God.  Leviticus Ch 16 speaks of the procedure.  In short the High Priest transfers the sin of the nation (there are a few sin categories) into the animal and the animal is killed.  The blood from the resultant wound is thrown onto the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant.   This act brings about God's approval to forgive the sins.  Iv'e simplified this ritual because at every turn it is rich and loaded with meaning.  What is of my interest is to think INSIDE the box.

Inside the Ark of the covenant were three things.  One was the tablets with the ten commandments on it.  This is a story of lawbreaking by the nation (Exo 32).  Another artefact was Aarons rod that budded.  This was a story of rebellion by some who rose up against Moses leadership, in effect, against God's express will (Num Ch 16and 17).  The other item was Manna.  Manna fell when the Israelites had no food.  At one point the people complained and roused God's anger.  They wanted meat so God showered the camp with quail, so much that they had trouble collecting it all.  It was a picture of ungratefulness (Numbers 11).  So in the Ark was Lawbreaking, Rebellion and Ungratefulness.   All of these things were covered by the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.

God presented Jesus as the Mercy Seat and as we will know from the Cross, Jesus had the sins of the world transferred to Him, just like the animals.  Then his wounds bled all over him as thorns tore his scalp, his scourged back bled down his legs and crucifixion wounds turned him into a dripping bloodbath.  So we have the sin transfer, the blood  and the covering all in Jesus on the cross.

This sacrifice covers our lawbreaking but also our ungratefulness and rebellion.  God presents Jesus as the Mercy Seat and in doing do not only covers the fact that we sin but also the wretchedness of our ungrateful rebellion.  All of this is known to God yet he took the initiative to fix the whole thing for us at infinite cost.  Simply:

God's got you covered!  Shalom!

Gary Ward

How do I know when... *1

How do I know when... I'm being oppressed by the enemy?

Spiritual oppression is when the enemy is allowed to get close enough to affect a believer.  It has a purpose in God that we are not always clear about.  One thing is clear:  we can get into all sorts of problems if we don't detect a spiritual attack.  Here are 5 indications you are being oppressed spiritually.  Its not the only 5 and certainly not a defining comment. 

1.  The 'skies' are not clear.  Eph 6

Often a believer can readily think of the Lord, their church family and the blessings they have and rejoice.  Even in trials we can think of the way the Lord has blessed us, firstly with salvation.  The readiness of this sense of joy, I call 'clear skies.'   When we experience this sense disappear and it's hard to even muster up a prayer, it could be spiritual oppression / attack.  We all have flat days but when oppression is occurring we feel genuinely fogged up about how we relate to the Lord and peripheral matters.  The skies are not clear!  Many churches teach that we can somehow make a difference by binding this and that but the Biblical response to all this is to 'stand.'  Paul tells us in Ephesians that a day of evil will come and we must set ourselves up to wear God's armour.  This armour is steadfast understanding and assurance of 6 things:

• Truth
• Righteousness
• Peace
• Faith
• Salvation
• God's word

These things need to be understood as second nature by believers because these are the focus of the enemies attack.  When we stand in steadfast surety of these elements it is like armour.  The enemy wants these elements to become unclear and foggy and when we are being attacked it will be these elements that come into his cross hairs.  Paul says to 'stand' and pray.  Clear skies are coming!

2. The devil tries to form division Phil 4:8

For no reason we can think of, we experience a nagging negativity about others.  It's a niggling sense of discomfort often coupled with accusations forming in our heads.    Sometimes we have thoughts about others and come to wrong conclusions based upon how we feel during spiritual attack.  The aim of the devil, who is basically a frustrated politician, is to bring about disunity and fractures within the family, be that actual, or spiritual family.  

One of the best tricks the devil uses is half truths.  There's no point telling an absolute whopper that you can see straight through!  The enemy can craftily have us concocting stories and conclusions from strands of truth.  When we find ourselves coming to dark conclusion about others, we need to examine our thoughts in the light of 'loving our neighbour' or we are being lied to.  The Lord does not deal with others by bringing us into dark conclusions or accusations.  It is the enemy who weaves his plans to steal kill and destroy into our minds.   How do we combat this?  When we find ourselves in a cul-de-sac of negativity turn to scripture... Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

3. We are accused and lied to about self  Eph 1

Another strategy of the enemy is to lie and accuse us about us!  Often we don't need the enemy to give ourselves a hard time but it is his speciality to have believers defeated by accusing them of their sinfulness and things from the past.  This is one of the destructive things about sin... it gives the devil ammunition!  The devil has a field day ripping into us about our failures, our devotion to the Lord and our daily walk.  One way I defend myself against this is by reminding myself of the truth about my salvation:   

When I became a believer I was accepted and adopted by the Father and he did this with total awareness about what he was taking on.  The Father has been pleased to give me the kingdom and has done so with all wisdom and understanding. So when I find myself in need of forgiveness because of sin I take it very seriously and keep short accounts with the Lord.  But what I don't do is imagine the Lord is impatient and fed up with me.  God knows the total dimensions of my sinful potential, much better than I do!  So the Lord is not surprised that I have messed up.  The enemy will give the impression that I'm a total failure and have damaged the relationship with the Father incalculably.  What the Lord expects is for us to go to Him and repent.  Then pick up our cross and carry on.   

4. We are being utilised by the Lord 2 Tim 1:11-12

If you are being utilised by the Lord, we should expect the attack of the enemy.  One believer said the enemy has no authority to attack them!  Seems strange to me that the Apostle Paul was attacked from 'outside forces' right there and then as he wrote 2 Timothy!  The greater the calling or sending, the bigger attack!    The honour of the Lord involving us in His work is amazing and we can rise up with thanks and gratefulness that he can and will issue forth through us in some way.  Don't fall into a trap thinking its only the leaders who are being utilised.  Being a Christian is, before you've done anything, a pushing back of the forces of darkness.  As we walk in the Spirit we are resisting the Spirit of Antichrist that has gone forth into the earth.  Being on God's side is enough to get the dark forces riled.  Good!



5. People say or do things that are really odd!  

Where the devil tries to divide us as in (2) above, he can also cause people to do and say things.  On more than a few occasions people have said or done things that add to the occasion of being attacked by the enemy.  I've had people say things that could never have been in their knowledge, yet they come forth with words to make the burden even harder.  With the weariness and exhaustion that comes with spiritual attack, it feels right to unleash on the people but we are not at war with people as Ephesians 6:12 affirms.  It is also tempting to live in fear of people and their words.  We may also get an option of a person who has clearly been manipulated by the enemy.   A whole world of drama can come from building a profile of a person based on this.  Resist!  

Much of this comes in on the blind side.  Being in proximity to the Lord, praying, imbibing God's word and being around your brothers and sisters is God's plan for survival during these times.  The enemy's strategy varies person to person but it will always include stopping you going to church, neglecting the Bible, distraction away from praying and feeling like the Lord can't help you.  

Hope this helps.  

Gary Ward

Critical / Cynical / Biblical?

One of the more significant challenges when wanting to follow the Lord and obey His word is being misunderstood.  One of the best examples of Jesus being misunderstood is in his death! He was Messiah, Israel knew this yet had him killed.  One of the reasons for him being set up for death was John Chapter 8.  Here we find Jesus absolutely ripping into the Pharisees and leaving no margin of 'whatever could Jesus mean by that?'  Jesus was responding to the accusations with basic facts which when understood could lead to their salvation.  So Jesus used hard truths in love.

Today there are hard truths around just like in Jesus' day.  If a believer delivers hard truths to other believers there are boxes available to be placed in.  'Cynical' and 'critical' are two of the boxes that people get put into.  It is true, however, that there are critical and cynical people around and their 'truths' can be easily measured against the word of God and debunked.  Also truth can be delivered in the wrong way to appear that there is an agenda.  To speak hard truth today is tricky because of the many boxes there are and believers ready to assign if they don't like what is being said.  The other side to this coin is that ideas that are offered as truth but are un-biblical are assigned to the 'acceptable' box and the body of Christ wanders down any old cul de sac.

Recently I was talking to a believer about mega churches not seeming to have discipleship as a priority.  This person said I was critical but I asked what Jesus meant when he said 'you compass the land and sea of the earth to win a convert then make him into twice the son of hell that you are.'  The believer asked if Jesus really said that!  It was a hard truth in Jesus time and a hard truth today... some churches are focused on looking good... filling seats.  Yet the aim of all of this, 'making disciples' is signed off with church attendance and service.  Discipleship is facilitating a believer to source themselves in their risen Lord and draw upon Him.

That said, it is also easy to become cynical and critical as we see the unbiblical practices of the church.  If you love the idea of God's people coming together to grow and encourage one another, when others make a mockery of this and clearly make it into a means of gain, it's hard to contain the frustration.  The answer is to figure out biblically why this is not sitting right in your heart.  Ive met so many people who are for 'this' and against 'that,' yet cannot tell you why biblically.  It's just their opinion based, again, on their own criteria for serving self.

 It appears to me that Jesus was unconcerned about gaining a fan club so he said it as it is.  It is a precarious position to sit between a scriptural stance and the affections of Mankind.  So many don't want the hardship of standing for Gods word that will inevitably lead to being isolated, alone and misunderstood.   Does that life sound familiar?  Jesus would identify with it and so would the Apostles and Prophets.  As the aspirations to build mega church increase, there is one who is building His church with the remnant who will not bow the knee to status, profile and personality cult.

The way ahead is to be constantly calibrating self to God's word.  That's what the Lord is doing as we offer our lives as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (Rom 12:1-2).  As we join in His program for us we will find ourselves understanding that all of the corruption we see around us has all happened before in Israel.  As Paul tells the Corinthians a ballpark, ' learn from the journey of Israel' because all of that occurred for our observation.  Yet millions of believers continue to repeat the mistakes made by the leaders, even in Jesus' time, raising up a platform for self and using the ministry for personal gain.   The way to stand firm and resist error is to steadfastly avoid these ministries and make sure as they reap their rewards now, we are nothing to do with it. 

Gary Ward

God's love for the orphaned heart 1

As many people will know, you don't need to be lacking parents to be an orphan.  So many people like myself have experienced parenthood that was positional.  The ideal is that parents are functional and walk out the responsibility of parenthood.  Sadly, there are those who can interact with a person who was part of their being born but not engage the love and joy of having functional parents.  I have had this experience where my dad has been present-absent all my life.  As an adult I can pretty much live life without my dad but have to say it impacts on my relationship with my heavenly Father.  It turns out a few from our church also have issues in this area.  So how do we navigate these waters when 'father' was not exampled?

For many the main issue lies around believing that the heavenly (F)ather is not like your (f)ather.  I can readily accept this as a fact but it all gets snarled up when I have to go to the Lord when troubled.  My father caused much of my trouble so to go to my Father when troubled seems impossible.  The unlearning old patterns of thinking seems exhausting when you can't muster the faith to believe Father loves you.  Some have written books about their intimate relationship with their heavenly daddy and quite frankly it frustrates me.  'Thank you for telling me how cuddly you are on His knee!'  My experience is not that and I have to believe the unbelievable to even think he cares.

So I do my 'orphan therapy.'  I put myself in the shoes of the prodigal son.  Then I put myself in the place of the woman caught in adultery.  I'm then in Ephesians 1 seeing the Father has pleasurably, with all wisdom and understanding chosen me to be in the New Covenant.  Psalm 139 comes in handy and I am starting to feel better.  This is about me.  My Father has been pleased to give me the Kingdom.  All of this is great and helps but one thing slips through the confusion:

God made an independent free will decision to adopt me personally.

The Creator of the Universe chose me before anything was put on the clock.  This has to eclipse any absent parenthood that was also trying to recover from the fall.  God, in the most lucid state anything could ever be, saw every particle of your being, including the very bad bits, and elected you for eternal life.  Still not moved?

Now consider that the Father could not do any of this unless his own Son was crushed... and the Father had to do the crushing!  To rescue me and you, the Father went to ultimate personal expense such is His regard for you and me.  He had to inflict torture and pain on His Son to rescue us after it was us who willingly choose to rebel.  God took the hit for you, and it was of unimaginable proportion.

With this in view we can conclude that no father has ever done what the Father has done!  So you and I can take the component of 'I don't understand the love of the Father' and re-examine.  NO-ONE can fully grasp the whole nine yards of this love!  If anyone says they do then they either don't understand it or are fooling themselves.  Would I crush my Son for anyone or anything? NO!

Let us with orphaned hearts re-calibrate towards the Father and encounter this Joy!

Gary Ward