Thursday 10 December 2015

A (nother) Warning

Part of persecution is creating choices in others.  The choice others make is to either come near to my life or exit from it.  As per Biblical dimensions, people largely exit my life and that leads to a lack of comrades in this journey.  Is it because I am difficult?  Probably! But the difficulty is an insistence on the Lord being central to all things.  Obviously I have my blind spots but even to myself I am insistent that He will be all in all things.  That is hard to be around.

However... If you are a person who is not in the business of making the Lord all... I've got an issue.  Firstly, I can understand the journey gets tough and we fail.  My hand is first to go up on this one.  But I know people who consider the Lord to be a convenience, some category to sit back on and treat like a 'go-to' when all is turning to shizzle.   This gets my attention because it is that sort of thing which much of the church fuels.

Jesus is marketed as a problem solver.  In western thinking we largely exist to make the journey sweet.  Many have the mentality of 'apply Jesus' when the road gets tough.  If I was coming from a pious, self righteous point of view, looking down on the 'Jesus elastoplast' culture, I would be as wrong.  My concern is much deeper.

If we don't engage the Lord for who he actually is and allow Him to deeply affect us, we are vulnerable to the great deceptions that are coming upon us.  There is a great deception coming which will deceive 'even the elect' for a time.  The elect are the genuinely saved people but genuinely saved people can be far from the Lord in practice.  It is this which I am concerned about... the ones who are in a 'category' of saved yet live with their own passions, desires, willfulness and self as priority.

I understand that it takes a while for people to yield, abandon and submit to the Lord.  I'm one who thinks the whole thing is a work of the Spirit.  But I come across people who feel their life consists of a soap opera while speaking of the Lord with familiar terms.  Taking on information and rationalizing the bible means nothing if the content is resisted in the core of self.  It isn't an exercise in processing data... it is supposed to be a violent reconfiguring of the core self.   " But Gary, isn't this a bit confronting?"  Yes it is!  It's supposed to be!

Because we are born into a post-enlightenment / post modernist culture, we have certain mindsets that don't come naturally.  One of them is taking self and making the information a secondary issue. Without the intent to do so we will assess data on the basis of 'how does this sit with me?'  While the Bible (God's word) has different intent.  It wants you to re-calibrate all your self to IT.  How you feel and how you consider self to be soooo precious in the equation mean that God's processes will take longer than it should.  "Thanks for your harsh opinion Gary!" But this is what Israel suffered so we would get the message:

Take the painful road of abandonment, submission and yielding to God NOW!

But, alas, more and more I come across people speak of their Jesus knowledge but have little intention of laying down their lives.  It's basically about their own welfare, their own life, their own journey.  The hard truth in all of this is that we are given an image... an icon to consider.  God came into time and said in a horrific display of torture... "This is what I am prepared to do because you are intrinsically loved and valued."  The death of Jesus was supposed to shake us from our sensibilities and grip us with significance that would leave us dumbstruck:

God would demonstrate the most outrageous act of giving that we would offer self for execution.

Ask the Lord today for His grace to expose self, its love affair with 'me' and its tokenistic application to the things above.  Scandalize my short changing of devotion in my core and grip me with the desire to offer all of me into your hands.

Gary Ward

Tuesday 18 August 2015

Are you in "God's will?"

Coming up through the pentecostal church in the UK it was the constant pursuit to be 'in God's will.'  Sometimes this was used as a threat... that this supposed moving target required a level of holiness I'd better be making sure I had that level.  Some displayed their evidence for being in God's will like status symbols in the religious strata of ministry life.  Exhausted and unable to reach such heights of holiness... I decided I was disqualified from being in the will of God.  Then I read the Bible.

As someone who, by the grace of God, had been saved, I was justified before God. This meant that I was his child, adopted into His family... a son.  This also meant that I had nothing to prove.  This was God's will.  So being justified in Christ is God's will.  Can I depart from the ideal path he wants for me while justified in Christ?  Of course!  Israel spent so much time as God's chosen yet not following the plan.  What we find, especially in the 'minor' prophets, is God's wrathful anger towards Israel (incorporating Judah for the sake of simplicity).  When they rebelled they willed God's wrath... so in that sense they were in God's will.  When they did good and came back to God they were blessed so they were in God's will.  So however we respond to God we will incur his will... with one exception.

When Jesus was addressing the church at Laodicea they were sternly rebuked for being neither hot nor cold.  They were lukewarm.  Jesus says he wants to spit the lukewarm church out of his mouth.  Hot churches seem to be the ones who are coming back to God and getting with the task of submitting, yielding and abandoning their lives the Jesus.  A cold church seems to be those who have been justified but have little interest in the Lord's sanctification process.  Laodicea appears to have had a type of Christianity where it was neither of these.  It was acting 'hot' yet these devotional actions covered hearts that had little intention to engage the real work of dying to self to see the Lord glorified.

Israel was often accused as being worse that the pagan nations.  Being hot or cold gives the Lord something to work with but having a form or following yet it all being an act to cover nonchalance is sickening to the Lord.  GIVE ME SOMETHING TO WORK WITH!  I feel like Jesus is saying:

 'Either get with the plot or completely disregard me so I can 'wrath' you into submission. But don't play at being spiritual and walking well... That's making me sick.'

Are you in God's will?  The question is more like 'Is God in your will?'  Meaning when you pursue the aims and objectives of your life (that is in Christ) is God the central factor of all you propose?

Time is short.

Gary Ward

Tuesday 11 August 2015

'Cross Carrying' Christianity?

Many believers say that their 'cross' is their particular problem they have which is distinct to them.  Carrying your cross is termed as putting up with the issue with a good attitude.  Actually cross carrying is something entirely different.  The aim of God in our walk is to make us in the image of Jesus.  This image is not just doing nice things or noble tasks but actually being transformed.  Many never get to real cross carrying because they lean on and become dependent on the 'stuff' of church, ministries and personalities.

There is a way of walking an authentic walk and that is to get back to an unhindered walk with the Lord.  But then you have to be subject to His ways.  That is uncomfortable but Jesus said that disciples must carry their own cross or they can't be His disciples (Luke 14:27).  The terminology is used because all followers of Jesus are on a program that leads to the death of 'self.'  Cross carriers are heading for a season of crucifixion... a time when several factors come together to destroy our willful selves.  

Like real crucifixion the process of death to self has similar elements:

  • It hurts so much you will be utterly shocked at it's ferocity
  • You cannot avoid it.  No matter what you do you are nailed!
  • You will cry out for relief from God
  • You will think God has forsaken you 
  • It will feel like past hurts are being exploited
  • It is suffocating
  • You may shout at God because you are infuriated
Why does this have to happen?  Well, it's the only way to have us get fixed from willfulness and self.  People like me who have had some difficult things to deal with in life may feel like you could do with a break... not dragged through pain again!  That's hard but just imagine this:

In order to save willful and selfish people, the pure, holy and innocent Lamb of God was REALLY crucified.  I won't go into the details but this is absolute physical agony.  Worse still, in order for me to be united with God, Jesus had to be excluded from the Trinity.  The horror of this is unspeakable when we consider He had never experienced separation from his Father.  All of this was done by someone who doesn't deserve it.  The Father watched as His son endured the cross.  

I do deserve that which Jesus did for me.  Torturous pain, separation from God and humiliation from people is what I deserve yet I have been let off the hook by God.  When pain and agony comes in Christian life it is designed for my betterment.  My cross carrying is a real experience but not a punishment.  It is designed to heal.  While I'm struggling with the cross It feels shockingly hard and painful.  However, I know that this is part of God's purposes to fix me.  The Lord wants me to be more like Jesus and that is the best thing for me.  After a season of pain and suffering there is a season of walking in its result.  Whatever it was all for is evidenced in my life and will result in freedom.  

When you are in the pain of the cross remember whats coming... Resurrection!

Gary Ward

Thursday 6 August 2015

"Give careful thought to your ways...." God

When we embark on a leading from the Lord we must be sure that we are in the whole council of God.  In other words the sending or calling must be ballpark in God's word.  Nothing new has occurred in the journey of the church.  It has all happened before:  people have always done their own thing and called it 'God.'   Israel did it all before we did.  They mixed idols with Yahweh worship and branded it as the state religion.  We are given these examples so we would learn from them (1 Cor 10:11).   I believe the church needs to 'give careful though to its ways' because it does not practice church that is God's way and is more about serving the ideas Man has thought up throughout history.

It is biblical to call for assessment of church practice

To find where my calling is to do this is well documented in these blogs.  However I want to underline that this is God's will through the book of Haggai.  The context of the book is outlined by the Lord in that the people say the time has not yet come to build the Lord's house.   The Hebrew word for 'house' is strongly associated with 'family' as does the one when he says the people have their own covered houses.  It is clear that the Lord is referring to the Temple but we all know that a believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant.   They are told be God to 'give careful thought their ways.'  As I have been warning for 15 years at the time of writing, believers need to assess their church practice to make sure they are building the ekklesia the Lord wants and not their own version of church that came from history.

It is biblical to point out that the church is not seeing God's blessing

Next we see the Lord underlining a painful truth.  The people had sown but not harvested.  This is described in various formats in the text of Haggai.  But it is also a painful truth about the church.  Mega churches water down the gospel to fill seats, which brings in tithes, which allows more works to be invested in.  However, the blueprint for God's involvement is the Book of Acts.  I'm not suggesting the exact miracles need to take place to authenticate God's hand.  However, it must have some sort of miraculous mark... it is simply God's way when he endorses something.  God tells the people they are all about their own building and not about His building and therefore barrenness has been the mark. Today it is not the resultant harvest that is celebrated... it is the sowing, the activity itself that people see as God's blessing.  Not according to Haggai.  It is God's hand to bring blessing that we should look for and identify as an authentic work of the Lord.

To wait upon God's sending instead of assuming we are called in biblical

next we find that the people hear Haggai's words and obey the Lord.  It is given to us the reason for their hearing is because Haggai was sent of the Lord.  Care needs to be taken here as it wasn't just anyone who heard this and obeyed.  It was the remnant of the people who heard.  the remnant were the final surviving portion of the people.  In our terms these are those who have survived the system-church and have found this is all about God's glory, not 'my ministry.'  Some time ago I had to be schooled by the Lord that people who opt for 'biblical church' are specific people who the Lord can still add new information to.  Its not like people can't come... but I have no ability to identify those who are willing to reopen their ears to hear the voice



Tuesday 14 July 2015

Are you a 'son of Issachar?'

1 Chronicles 12:32
from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;

This verse is in the middle of an account of David's armies amassing.  It is a useful verse but to properly apply it we must make sure we don't think that Israel is 'the church.'  Israel are God's chosen people and so are believers.  However the Church has not replaced Israel as Paul underlines in Romans 9-11.  We must also beware of anyone who wants to categorize believers into the 12/13 tribes.  That would be error.  I see this question as being in the spirit of... With that understanding I want to ask, Are you (like) a son of Issachar who knows what God's chosen people should do? 

In the church it appears that God is separating a remnant for His purposes.  Many are finding that the historical church is not preaching the word of God.  That someone cares this component is present is a telling factor that you want to honor the Lord and His word.    The worship services that repeat choruses forever yet are void of God worship content are getting tiring.  The fellowship that focuses on 'your ministry' over the sacred bond of 'brother and sister' is wearing and exhausting to many.  In the middle of all this those who are sensitive to the above are fearful of being alone so they stick with the hive. 

Of course there are those who don't really care about all this.  Church is actually a measure of where they fit into a social dynamic.  The message from the church has to be more relevant and contemporary than accurate.  Outreach is the fulcrum of the event and winning the lost is what Jesus is solely focused on.  The worship has to mimic the music of their culture and the words describe the construct of 'our worship' instead of ascribing worth to the Creator.  The word of God is shaped and morphed by the safety of keeping the crowd happy.  People aspire to achieve and succeed towards the upper echelon of church society.  Many are identifying this sort of meeting as inauthentic, man-led and mimicking the world it is supposed to be separate from.   

The painful journey from church to church trying to find a 'word-based' gathering get you labelled as a 'spiritual nomad' and whispers of doom come to fuel the enemy's strategy of doubt.  I have some good news for you if this is you.  You can break free from the 'I still haven't found what I'm looking for' inner melody by doing what believers should do.  It is likely you are called out from the mainstream gatherings to meet under the Lord's directives for 'church.'  It's simple...

Get your family together, cook a meal and get some juice and a single loaf.  Open your bibles and discuss some scripture, break the bread, eat the meal with the juice and thank the Lord for his sacrifice and his anticipated return.  From their the Lord will lead you... lo and behold THIS IS CHURCH!   It is how the first Christians met and Paul stated to the Corinthians that they must do this until he comes.   Maybe the Lord will add to your number.  

In doing this you have departed from something that is off track and unrepentant.  You have calibrated your self and family to walking the way the lord always intended it.  I will warn you though that it is a tough road to walk as the other way to do church included crutches we didn't even know we used.   This transition must be Spirit led and prayerful.   It can be disorientating and you will reach out for flesh to somehow help you.  With this is view I am sharing my skype name so that we can chat to people who want to chat over a transition like this.  This is what God's chosen people must do as we reach the end times scenario.  

Skype:  garywardframe   Facetime: gary.ward.c1@gmail.com 

Let's chat over your walk.

Gary Ward






Monday 13 July 2015

Worry and anxiety?

We all know Jesus said 'do not worry' about anything.  However we do.  Well done if you don't!  I wanted to explore some thoughts around why we worry and can have anxiety.  The ideal place to be as a Christian is entirely rooted sourced and anchored into Christ.  Jesus is in the process of making this possible and sometimes we have good and bad days at this. What are the barriers to Jesus making us free?

As living entities we exist in this world.  To different degrees we are attached to the things of this world.  We are anchored into and depend upon the stuff of earth.  We can have periods of time where we fail and this exposes our need to have a moment by moment walk with the Lord.  Jesus wants us free because He knows that we fail and this causes us pain.  Our dependency on the stuff of earth erodes our faith because when we follow through in that dependency it is always a dead end. Subsequently we can go into a low, a sort of spiritual depression.

As we negotiate these things we can fall into worry.  Worry is the 'now' experience that can lead to anxiety.  Anxiety is more like predicting how the subject of our worry will devastate our lives.  Every worry exists because we are not anchored into Christ.  We are simply not believing-on-purpose His word.  Some have said to me 'I know what the bible says.... I just worry.'  I always say that knowing the text is not the same as having applied it to your own life as a reality.  God has contained in the Bible some examples and stories and direct statements that amount to one thing:

God, your Father longs for you to trust Him for EVERYTHING.

We can afford to disengage from dependencies other that the Lord.  If you've ever had an experience where it seems the Lord was not there for you, you are not alone in FEELING this.  In the sanctifying work of the Lord failure is all part and parcel of the package.  there are things we can learn from Moses, Joseph and Elijah.  They were slapped around pretty good by the Lord.  In each case there was an opportunity to turn to God and question his practices.  I'm sure they all had their moments... for sure.  But the key is to know that the prison, failure, let down, tragedy were all used to break our  dependency on this world.  God has not invented the trouble but He does use it.

Try this:
1. write down your present worry
2. also write down how you feel the thing will impact your future
3. Identify what you are anchored into other than the Lord
4. State what you need to be thinking about the worry
5. Find scriptures that tell you God has it covered.

Generally Psalm 139 / Ephesians 1 and  Matthew 6 of course -

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Gary Ward

Monday 29 June 2015

Do this until the Lord comes...

It is not disputed that the first Christians met in homes and ate a meal.  The big hitting experts all agree that the first century church met in homes around a meal.  My stance on the Lords supper is well documented in this blog but to be clear here are several reasons why I would say the bread and wine are part of a full meal that is not optional for ekklesia but is ekklesia itself.

To be absolutely clear this covenant meal was what Paul called ekklesia and the prayer meetings, teaching times existed where the believers were present but cannot be defined as 'ekklesia,' the word we translate 'church' from.  What we do is, because people come to 'church'... and the 'church' are the people, whenever the people gather for whatever purpose, it is church.  This is not what was occurring in the first century.

In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul is correcting the problem of some believers coming to the gathering early and eating without the others.  Verse 33 states clearly that what Paul calls 'ekklesia' (Church) is when they meet to eat together.  Paul has qualified what we are talking about in the preceding paragraph by reminding the Corinthians where the command to 'This do...' comes from.  Jesus used the bread and wine as emblems of the New Covenant but it is not indicated that there were separated from the Passover and isolated as New Covenant emblems.  The taking of the bread and wine as part of a meal is done in remembrance of Jesus and should be done until  the Lord returns according to Paul.

Let's examine the idea that Jesus was only talking about bread and wine as isolated emblems meaning the practice of eating a cracker  and sipping some wine is valid.  This would mean that Paul in verse 33 'when you come together to eat, eat together' is a weird ritual that has no relevance.  That Paul was correcting the practice of some eating in sub groups or gorging themselves before others arrived tells us that the very practice of eating together, and eating a meal, was of primary importance as what ekklesia does.  God wanted his family to be one and do what families do!

Let's explore another logical conclusion about the Apostles that went on to start ekklesia (churches) in the first century.  If Jesus intended the practice of church to be concentrating on the emblems alone the Apostles, having been there when Jesus said 'this do,' would have been clear about what Jesus meant.  Such was the enormity of stopping the Passover short and instituting a new covenant I can't imagine any of the 11 sat around partaking would have left the room unclear about what was meant.  No-one is recorded as clarifying what Jesus was saying.  A Jewish mind would recognize the feast as the subject of 'this do.'

 We must also take seriously that Paul had a one to one with Jesus about this very subject (11:23).   The early churches did not take the bread and wine as isolated elements but rather celebrated them as part of a full meal.  To do otherwise would have been disobeying what Jesus meant when he said 'This do...'

So if Jesus meant 'just use bread and wine' the Apostles disobeyed Jesus.  However If he meant 'this do' as in 'eat together' the Apostles obeyed Jesus and Paul corrects the Corinthians because they were not eating a meal together.  Having established beyond doubt that Jesus meant eat a meal together (including bread and wine) Paul tells them to do this until Jesus comes.  

For many the idea that ekklesia (Church) is about a shared meal with brothers and sisters is challenging.  Clearly though, Paul told us to eat the full meal that had a loaf and wine included, together, until the Lord comes to get us.  here are other clues you can chase down should you want to explore the possibility that church was something other than the Early Church Fathers told you:


  • "Keep the feast" Paul 1 Cor 5
  • 'Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts' Acts 2:46a (To NOT DO 2:46b)
  • They broke bread in their homes and ate together Acts 2:46b
  • 'I will come and eat with you'  Rev 3   Laodicean church
  •  'This do in remembrance of me' (no questions asked) led to full meals in homes
Gary Ward



Thursday 11 June 2015

Why zeal and wisdom are needed...

In 2002 I visited Texas and a friend who lives there.  I visited his church and the Pastor told a story, every night, about how the Lord had healed him and his wife.  This was not just backache or a headache, on one occasion he said his eye fell out of its socket and the Lord put it back for him!  I immediately latched onto this guy and saw his scheme.  If he could get the people in the church seeing him as spiritually superior to him, this would install an authority he needed to have people follow him.  Generally he was saying "see how regularly and powerfully the Lord uses me.  You can be like me if you follow me."  Note the use of the word 'me.'  I've seen this many times and it always leads to Christians feeling inadequate.

There are many people doing things for God and like to tell others how wonderful they are and how their faith does this and that.  When someone does this it is an indication that they are lacking in maturity in Christ.  Firstly, and indication of this is that one of the Lord's disciplines is to NOT act on your behalf!  We ask him for something and it does not come to pass.  Those who take the 'Ask Seek Knock' passage to mean we can ask Him for, say, a doughnut, and He will give it to you need to ... well... try it.  The Lord takes us through a time in our growth where we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness to ascertain that this is not just a rich Granddaddy relationship.  Telling people it's easy to trust God for things often shows you've never really trusted Him.  How do I know?  Because it's supposed to be hard to trust God! The disciples were rebuked for having little faith and Jesus was stood in front of them! 

Secondly, people who are always telling people about Jesus intimidate the likes of me who isn't always telling people about Jesus.  It's not because I don't want to... of course I do.  It's just that I've been placed in environments where I have to live it out before people.

Matt 5:16

1) Let your light shine before men
2) they will see your good works
3) They will praise your Father in heaven.

Don't get me wrong, if I'm on a plane or something, I'll share for sure.  But in the day to day relationships it's the long haul of living through the hard times and good, shining this light.

The third problem with people who say they are greatly used of God, in saying this, are showing how unlike Paul they are.  We must say that Paul is the ultimate example of a Christian.  His resume is impressive!  However he was the one in the wars, he was the chief of sinners and backwards and forwards with his self denial of the flesh (Rom 7).  He never told people how great his relationship and powerful works were, he just directed people to the Lord Himself.

The Gospel starts with belonging.  There is never a criteria to fit or value system around works. If you, like me, often feel inadequate, useless and insignificant to the Lord and His work, it's probably where He wants you.  He doesn't want you spiraling into a free-fall over your self esteem, value or worth.  It is the western society that has taught you to value yourself through your works.  In Christ you can separate these things for good.  You self esteem, value and self worth can be seen through the lens of being entirely accepted, loved and adored by your Father in heaven.  He has chosen you so just accept it!  Then begin to enjoy NOT having to define yourself through what you do, accomplish or aspire to.   Maybe the Lord will use us but it surely will not be while we equate our works with our value.


Gary Ward






Monday 8 June 2015

Remnant: Truth v Error

If you find yourself sitting in a weird situation among believers it may be for a reason.  Even though we've been part of church set-up's that we've flowed with, we've always wrestled with it all.  As you journey more towards a bible believing, simple, fundamental position on things, you may have to do a study on 'the remnant church.'  In doing so there are a few errors to get past along the way.  

Those who think they are a 'remnant' of the wider church need to be sure it is not because of their elitism.  Elitism is where they believe they walk better than anyone else so therefore they must be the remnant!  The truth is about a remnant church is that they have been made excruciatingly aware of their lack before the Lord and brought it mournfully before Him.  They have not tried to develop some works-orientated program to be so busy they cannot see how wretched they are and in need of the Lord.  A believer can be in a remnant church but not be walking as one 'called out from.'  The Lord does a work to have us cease the notion that we contribute anything to the walk.  

So there's a general error in thinking but as '10 ways you know you are a remnant church' lists form, they have more specific errors.  One of them is replacement theology.  Most of the scriptures to do with a remnant is about Israel.  So many cut and paste these scriptures onto the church because 'Israel is no longer God's people but the church is.'  Error!  Romans 9-11 clearly shows Paul championing Israel to be restored in the last days, specifically in the 'day of Jacobs trouble.'  So how do we view the remnant church?  Is it anything to do with Israel?  Simply put, in this time where Israel has a blindness (which is lifting incidentally!)  the Gentiles have been given Grace to behold the Kingdom.  In effect the gentiles are 'grafted into the vine.'  In this way the come under the covenant made with Israel but do not replace them.  Grafting into a vine is not 'replacing' and Paul was clear.

Another connected issue with the remnant thinkers is that they think they have to return to Law (or at least a hybrid, reduced version).  Error!  Possibly starting with replacement heresy, believers then assume they have to keep laws.   Like all who think they have to keep any works based religion or Jewish law, the flesh loves to get on board with anything that involves them in the redemption plan. That this whole thing depends on my effort denies the unmerited free gift God has given and rips Him off of His Glory.  We can't keep the Law or work our way to right standing so that's why Jesus came... to do it for us.  Read Romans.

While everyone thinks they are the Philadelphia church, the remnant of God, the end times watchmen etc we must be careful for two reasons.  Firstly we can become proud and arrogant over the odd Graces afforded us.  Secondly we can become too humble!  There is a remnant church on the earth today and my understanding is that this is 'Philadelphia' as reported in Rev 3.  In the end it all starts with grace. All believers are offered a narrow road.  Simply, not all take it!  If you happen to be someone who has taken it, grace placed you on this road.  The only response is a deeper walk, a thankful heart, a closer walk and an ongoing commitment to pray for the lost.


Gary Ward




Sunday 7 June 2015

Mad Max v Modern church

Last night my wife and I walked out of the Mad max film after 45 minutes.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not over sensitive in any way.  I like watching all sorts of appropriate movies a lot!  My problem was that I felt insulted in my intelligence.  With almost no storyline, it just erupted into a massive vehicle chase with loads of violence.  It was... just silly.

"Why go and see an obviouly violent film (it's a remake) if you don't like violence?"  The thing is, I will watch a violent film if there are reasons for it being there.  I'm not talking about horror or gratuitously violent films. It's just that we live in a violent world and if the plot justifies it and deals with it well... it has some place in my permissions.  Last night was just ridiculous CGI, implausible situations, an unlikely cargo, metrological impossiblilities and all for no reason.  Even artistic license got up and left before I did!

While refecting on our exit, today I wondered why about 150 other people were happy to sit and soak up the 'fun.' I think I stumbled upon some analogies with the modern day church.

If we reverse engineer the modern church service it is like going seeing Mad Max.  If you care little for the story... how it occurs that we are all stood in a room worshipping, you must only be there for the experience you get from it.  In the cinema you would have had a couple of hours of an experience whereas if you had watched The Matrix for example you would have experienced a truth, a challenge, a peice of art and the usual things we find in a film because of the storyline.  Modern church can see the seats fill because it offers an experience yet fails to explain the truth of why we worship etc.  If that was fully explained from the Bible, people would be a little reticen to look for sensual experiences.  What we are left with is songs that include hints of the story, but while everyone is trying to get a worship experience, theres no chance of drilling truth down.  I'll leave the issue that most worship songs are man-centred for another time.

To be clear, I LOVE corporate worship, but I don't need slick musicians or tight riffs with Coldplay style lyrics.  I don't need it because it wouldn't be filling a void of understanding about why we are doing it.  Today's church has to be more of a live 'here and now' experience because people have little clue about the Redemption story and how it applies to them.  If you find out about what Jesus has done and allow it to drop into your heart you don't need a song about Redemption to help you worship because you'll aready have a heart singing His praise all day!

You will be a worshipper and not need a vehicle to take you to an experience of it.

I think Hillsong has a few good elements but I fear for this and other Hybrids of it that they are producing believers who have defined their Christians walk by how sunday morning goes.  "How was church?" Many ask after the service.  It is, for me, a strange question.  It is saying 'how was your experience of church today?'  Who cares frankly!  The entire issue of believers meeting is a Risen Glorified Lord of all Creation who commands us to turn to Him in our entirety for the abundance of walking with him in repentance and faith.  Who cares how your church experience was!  Get sourced and anchored in Him, not a 'blessing centre' that can only play Kareoke to an authentic Christ life.

Rant over

Gary Ward


Friday 5 June 2015

The Remnant in the last days

It appears that at certain points the Lord takes from a whole and preserves a remnant.  These are always set apart people who have been chosen to walk well in a period where the people have become idolatrous.  Paul tells us of Israel in Romans 9-11 and we observe the 144000 in the book of Revelation Chapters 7 and 14.  Elijah is also told of 7000 who were, like him, set apart, seemingly alone, to serve the Lord.  Noah, Abram, the list continues.

When Jesus said that there would be a narrow and wide road He stated that 'few' would find the narrow road.  It has been cited that this is simply the unsaved versus the saved and therefore the remnant is all those who are saved.  It could be true but if salvation is by grace then the 'finding' is not really your act.  I believe this passage talks about saved people who are required to avoid the wide road and be about the narrow road.  The word for 'destruction' where the wide road leads is also 'loss' or 'cut off from what could or should have been.'  It is reasonable to say that this refers to the destruction, loss of any reward that should have been apportioned for faithfulness.

In Perth Western Australia there is always a road expansion program occurring.  As demand increases so the roads have to be able to take the capacity of the volume of traffic.  Of course in Jesus time we are talking more 'paths' than roads.  Wide paths are formed by the volume of people journeying along the path.  It indicates that these people are walking together and at the same time.  As a group of people walk down a trail, the width of the path will increase as they walk together along the path.  Paths are only places where people have repeatedly walked over.  Narrow paths are where few people have established a route.

Do you feel alone in the intensity of your walk?  Are you isolated around but a few faithful people who want to walk well?  Do you sense a need to be separate from the 'done thing?'  Do you have a longing to see the Lord's return?  Are you aching for the Millennial Reign of Christ on Earth to see justice and righteousness restored to earth?   Have you forsaken popularity, fame, notoriety, position, status or profile to stay on track? Will you not move unless it is the Lord? Are you about first and end times?  Are you the subject of attack from the enemy?  Do the people at work have a weird ignorance about you?  To differing degrees a combination of these circumstances will be evident in your life if you are earmarked for the remnant.

I believe the enemy uses 'wide road' strategy in his dealings with Christians.  An enthusiastic young leader decides to plant a church that will be aimed at quantity (and by default lose quality).  The enemy will sometimes allow a work to grow because while satan has no power to stop salvation, he can frustrate Holy Spirit growth.   So satan leaves these things alone.  People making salvation commitments is a type of fruit and I hope these people reap reward for this.  However, it is rare that this type of quantity orientated set up can bear the quality.

The ancient city of Sardis was known for being impenetrable.  This led to a lax attitude by those on guard.  Eventually their enemies found a way to penetrate the city.  This occurred several times throughout history.  This is a strategy of Satan... he won't frustrate a mega church, he will simply watch the downward spiral of faithfulness then weave into the gaping hole of 'compromise.'

Be Alert!

Gary Ward




Monday 1 June 2015

Flesh v Spirit: Management

All believers have trouble with the flesh.  We have times when we are immersed in the world and we indulge in the flesh.   The ideal is that we don't go to them places but the battle can be really really hard.  What I want to do is describe the process, with scripture, how we go from Spirit to flesh.  Also, what is the real issue with this from the Lord's point of view?  We will also explore the enemy's strategy in it all.

Firstly we are filled with the Holy Spirit.  The standard for Him is absolute Holiness.  The idea is we do not touch this world, that we are set apart and stay apart.  We all know that we have good times at this and not so good times.  I'm assuming the reader wants to walk well in holiness, not some pious attitude but simply walking as a set-apart new creation.  At what point, with good intent, do we switch from walking in the Spirit to walking in the flesh?

The area that nudges us into the flesh is in our thinking.  We are to make every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5).  How does this work in practical terms?  Lets assume a weakness for you is lack of trust in God's provision.  This usually goes with a discontent as you see 'the wicked prosper' (Jer 12).  So to remedy this you begin to think of ways you can make some money. As you are contemplating this issue you are reinforcing thoughts that do not include faith in the Lord in this area.  So as we prolong the train of thought we are sowing a harvest of sinful practices (James 1:13-15).

A better example is the weakness of sexual lust.  Walking through the city on a summers day a man will inevitably see things that are attractive.  At the point where the male beleiver becomes aware that he is entertaining lust in the look, that thought needs to be immediately rendered to Christ.  The same is true of any and every thought that can lead to sowing towards full blown sinfulness.  It is in this thought area where the enemy goes to extraordinary lengths to tempt us.  The enemy knows that if he can keep you in this area it will definitely lead to full blown sinful behaviour.  To be clear, the lustful look is sinful but it hasn't yet become sinful behaviour which has a much bigger social consequence than adultery in the heart.  Sin fully outworked will lead to a more prolonged period of defeat and in that place the enemy sticks the boot in.

The enemy's ultimate goal is to have you become so exasperated with self that you give up even trying.  However the Lord has this all covered.  Because the Lord's will is for us to be so fed up with sin we yield self to God, again the enemy plays into the will and purpose of the Lord.  This is not to say the Lord wants us to sin. Not at all!  Jesus hates sin for a number of reasons but one is that his beloved child becomes estranged from his Lord until he repents.  However, as we continually fail in an area we get to a place where we finally let go of that complex arrangement that makes us love it more than Jesus.

In all of this we still have a sinful nature and a new heart.  The flesh and the Spirit are still at war but our willingness to give in to flesh has weakened by the journey.  This is a process of sanctification. Ive pointed out that thoughts not rendered up to the Lord leads to sinful behaviour, but that can blossom into sinful habits and a seared conscience.  The victory over the flesh does not begin at rendering every thought to Christ.  It starts at wanting to.  How do we want to want to be holy?

The only answer is a close walk with the Lord.  The Lord leads us into a good relationship with Him when we submit, yield and abandon self to Him.  So here are the ingredients of 'Holy pie' -


  • Submit, yield and abandon self to God (Luke 14)
  • Take on devotional study of God's word (Luke 10:27)
  • Study the whole council of God (Heb 5:11-6:3)
  • Get in a group that are serious about the Lord
  • Know that you belong to the Lord (Eph 1  / Ps 139)
  • Find out about 'Israel' and the end times (Romans 9-11)
  • Talk to your Lord all the time (1 Thess 5:16-18)
  • Render all your dark thoughts and lusts to the Lord (2 Cor 10:5)
  • Recalibrate yourself back to God immediately when you fall (Acts 3:19)
  • Have faith in the data but also that this applies to you (Rom 1:17)
There are other things included in 'holy pie' but these are a ballpark.  This list is not something to live by is is something that will be growing as you do the first one.  Always remember that Jesus took you on board fully aware of your worst potentials.  He has dealt with your sin and wants you to be free.  I like this song by Andrew Peterson, especially the last verse:



Walk Well.



Gary Ward






Why God's word is sometimes ignored


Early one morning John did his usual brisk walk to the bus stop to go to work.  Rubbing his hands together he willed his body to warm up on the journey.  Arriving at the bus stop John was taken aback to see the strangest of sights.  A man stood at the bus stop was wearing one of the coats he sells in his shop.  The problem was, he was wearing it inside out.  John was used to talking to people but even he struggled to craft the opening line.  He shuffled as he kept glancing at the man wearing the inside out coat.  After a while John blurted out, "Sorry to bother you but I couldn't help noticing your coat!"  The man turned, extended his hand and said "Steve... hi, nice isn't it!" John looked at him, shook his hand and noticed that Steve genuinely did not know the coat was inside out. After a long ten seconds or so John went for it, "Well the thing is..." Steve interrupted, "You wouldn't believe how much attention I get because of my coat."  John opened his mouth ready to speak when Steve blurted, "And it's really really warm!"
"But it's inside out!" insisted John biting the bullet. Steve looked at him with a furrowed brow and lifting both hands up stated, " I'm offended.  I thought you were admiring this lovely coat but you just want to be awkward and insult me." John was taken aback by the immediate level of injury his statement made and concluded Steve likes his coat a little bit too much.  "Hey I didn't mean to offend you but I sell those coats." John's word seemed to add insult to injury. "I've met the designer and you are wearing it wrong!" Steve took a step back and John knew he was going to defend his coat,
"Look, this coat is warm, my arms go in the sleeves, and I get lots of attention... I don't care who made the coat... it suits my purposes."  Frustrated, John shook his head at the scale of Steve's blunder.
"But the zip and buttons are on the inside, you can't use the pockets and the seams are on show... everywhere!  Here, this is the design on my phone!" Steve briefly glanced at the phone.
"I wear this coat this way, maybe the designer had his way and I have mine.  It works... for me!"
Almost at the point of anger John insisted, " But it isn't doing what it was made to do!"
"Who cares, it's warm!"
"But it would be warmer the other way around!" Exasperated John gave up. "Look," Steve exclaimed, "Just to show you I'll give it a try..." Steve quickly took his coat off and with a cynical glance turned the coat the right way around, "Ridiculous!" he said under his breath as he put the coat back on.  Steve's face lit up as like it was the first time ever he zipped up the coat. Awed, Steve began fastening the buttons as the coat hugged his body for the first time.  Looking at John and the coat he grabbed his hand and shook it with vigour. "All these years I've worn my coats the way I was told to wear it, the way my friends wore theirs but now... now... it fits perfectly! Thanks you so much!"  John was wrestling with this unusual scenario but somehow felt good that someone had decided to try following the designers plan for the coat. "Hey Steve, do you have a phone?" John enquired.  "Ill send you the design."  Grasping into his pocket Steve pulled out a smart phone and a pencil. "Show me the design." Asked Steve.  Looking at the design on John's phone his tongue darted to the corners of his mouth as he began sketching it on the back of his phone. John just looked at Steve and decided one battle was enough for today.


Gary Ward

Thursday 28 May 2015

Fundamentalist? Less of the fun!

Increasingly people who believe the Bible are being categorized as 'Fundamentalists.'  Its not a bad thing except the phrase has negative connotations.  The inability to even have a conversation about doctrine and belief has harmed the 'fundamentalist' label. As the pun goes, ' if you take the fun out of a fundamentalist you just get da mentalist.'  That said, if you are a person who insists on the Bible being God's word in its original languages you are on the right track.

Taking the Bible seriously is exactly what the Lord wants us to do.  Yet in this age of  so called 'reason,' believers feel they have to apologize for God's outrageous stories.  For example, I read Jonah and struggle to picture the fish swallowing him and then chucking him up on a beach.  However, because the Bible is the word of God I choose to believe this happened.  There is no indication to say the story is anything but literal so I choose to get on board.  

Because of this so called 'blind faith' some categorize me into the 'fundamentalist' box.  From my position I would rather stand before the Lord having believed his word than be asked why I allowed mans reason to cloud my view of Holy Scripture.  After all, if God didn't put outlandish miracles in the Bible we could accuse him of being a bit of a rubbish God who 'can't do the impossible.'

On this issue there is a rather large 'elephant in the room.'  Believers who shun me because of taking the entire Bible seriously must have believed the biggest and most ridiculous miracle of all.  To be a believer you have to take on board that a human being was very dead but then became very alive! This 'sign of Jonah' (Matt 12:38-45) is a requirement for salvation and it is first fruits of the resurrection  for all who believe.  Think about it... thousands of funerals will take place and many hearts will mourn for their lost loved ones today.  The available data is that death is still in action all over the world, every day.  No-one has come alive again since the Apostles!  Yet believers can get on board with someone who spontaneously came alive again over a fish puking a man up on a beach!

I wonder if the reluctance to be more literal about the Bible is to do with needing to be seen as reasonable?  Can it be that people get saved with good intent then slip into a world where they are not seen as 'stupid?'  The pain of rejection and being the odd ball is a hard thing.  However this was Jesus' walk and if we are following Him we should expect similar response from the religious and the unbeliever.  "But it's hard!"

So were the nails.

Gary Ward


let's sort out 2 Peter Chapter 3

In this exploration of 2 Peter 3 I want to offer a model for what Peter is saying here.  

Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
Peter underlines that this and 1 Peter is designed to have a wholesome grasp of the Gospel.  Peter draws attention to the Old Testament Prophets... we know that Peter will refer to the end times scenario later and here Peter references for us where that information comes from.  The command of the Lord that the Apostles passed on (paradosis) would have been in and around what the Prophets spoke about.
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 
These evil desires or 'lusts' are not just sexual.  These refer to those who are flesh orientated.  But who is he referring to?
They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 
Three elements of this verse tells us these are believers.  Firstly they have knowledge of a Second Coming.  They also know of 'He' who spoke of it and do not question the source.  They also accept creation without dispute.  These are believers who are falling away.  They believe in Jesus and Creation but the Second Coming is eroding in their thinking (cf v1)
But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
These believers get to a place where they are living for their flesh over living by the Spirit.  This insatiable lust makes them deliberately forget (dismiss) that the Creation they believe in has an Architect behind it who has already judged the earth.  What has occurred here is people know doctrine but they don't know the Lord.  Therefore they are disconnected from their source and their knowledge of scripture is led by their own lusts.  Because the connection to the Lord is lost He is unable to correct wrong thinking (cf v 1) and they carry on in the guise of 'doctrinally sound,' teaching all kinds of heresy.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
Traditionally people have translated verse 8 as describing how the Lord sees a thousand years like a day and a day like a thousand years ergo "The Lord is patient."  I don't necessarily connect verse 8 and 9.  What if Peter is making a much bigger statement?  In Verse 7 Peter mentions the day of Judgement.  In verse 8 his subject is this 'day' he is talking about.  Because the 'Day of the Lord' has a definite day it begins, it is a term used for the entire 1000 year reign of Christ.  The tone is ... ' There's a day of Judgement... and that day is an eternal consequence.  So in effect Peter is saying paraphrased:  There is a day of judgement, and don't forget the Lord uses terms like a 'day' to mean an period of time as in the 1000 year reign of Christ.  So to be clear, the day of Judgement is an eternal consequence.  This seems to me to be consistent with verse 9.  
 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
 The theme of this chapter is 'The Lord's Coming.'  Peter says the reason he hasn't come is not because of slowness.  It is his patience so people will not perish but will repent. 
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Now Peter reminds us of the order of the last things.  First it will be The day of the Lord which has a day of His return but lasts 1000 years.  It comes like a thief but only to those believers who are invested in flesh and lust, not those who are walking well.  Then after the 1000 years the destruction.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
Peter appeals to believers to walk well and not be in the flesh like the scoffers.  Because we are looking forward to the Day of the Lord and we speed its coming.  Walking well speeds Jesus return simply because a submitted, yielded believer renders them more easy for Jsus to work thru and bring in the full number of the gentiles (Rom 11:25).  The day of the Lord (1000 year reign) will lead to the New heavens and New Earth when all things are completed.  
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Peter urges believers to walk well because the Day of the Lord is amazing.  Jesus hasn't forgotten to come back, he's being patient!  Peter tells us here that Paul has a better understanding of these things yet writes the same things in his letters.  
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guardso that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
'Be on your guard!' The error of the lawless is to centre on our own fleshly lusts and leave them unaddressed.  Doing so means you can lose reward as a 'faithful' one.  Jesus' desire is that we all reap our reward already secured for us in the assumption we will walk well.  Peter exhorts them (us) to grow in the Lord.

Gary Ward