Luke didn't want to read a sermon by Radisa Antica because it was too long. I shortened it and also added things

 To Luke,

“Vanity of vanities. All is vanity” says the preacher in Ecclesiastes 1:2. The Hebrew word used here for vanity (hevel) translates to breath, mist, or vapour. These things are with us only briefly. The other translation of the word is passing. The book of Ecclesiastes describes a man concerned only with himself and what he can accumulate in his life during his short stay on this earth. Some could say that in a world without meaning (which is how some people see the world we live in) one should merely focus on what is material in their lives. But to get to the meaning of meaninglessness, to try to reason with what appears to be a spinning rock of chaos circling the sun, we must return to the first time hevel is mentioned in the bible. Hevel appears in Genesis 4 as the name of Abel.

Cain

Before discussing Abel, however, we must first approach Cain. Cain’s name in Genesis Qayn can relate to the word qanah which means to acquire, to possess or to get. These words may not be inherently evil but under the wrong mindset and attitude we can get to the root of all evil. 1Timothy 6:10 says that the root of all evil is the love of money. Was this craving to want more, to acquire something outside of what God deems right for us, to possess our own godhood, was this stirring inside Cain? When God favoured Abel for offering the first-borns of his flock with fatty portion and ignored Cain, was that insidious craving eating away at Cain? If it were a pure craving, Cain could’ve bettered the crops he offered to God. But no. This type of love doesn’t create. It destroys. Murder. Chaos. Meaninglessness.

After murdering his brother, God curses Cain to wander the earth. I hadn’t revisited Genesis 4 in quite some time, so in my mind what followed immediately after in the text was the birth of Seth. I was wrong. God of course marks Cain to show people who may harm him that he is divinely protected and that “If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold”. Under God’s protection, Cain had acquired a wife, had a son, and built a city named after his son. It seems as if Cain has a happy ending. Ecclesiastes 8:14 harkens back to the life of Cain. Cain’s son, Enoch, went on to have a son and then a grandson. Enoch’s grandson was Lamech. Genesis 4:23-24 sees that Cain’s bloodline kills once more. This time a young man, the text describes. And Lamech himself states that “if Cain’s revenge is seven-fold then Lamech’s is seventy-seven-fold”. The further and increasing perversion of sin is on display. A friend had recently described sin as a needle; it pierces once and a whole thread can follow. What a sad state of affairs. An apple leading to murder and murder to something far worse for Cain’s family.

Abel

But before the fate of Cain’s descendants, we must return to hevel – Abel. Not much is written about Abel. He appears and disappears from the text like vapour or mist. Genesis 4:10 has Abel’s blood crying to God yet Abel is not known to speak. All we know is that he was faithful to God and made offerings that clearly showed that putting God first in his life was important. Perhaps Ecclesiastes 12:13 alludes to this type of life. Fearing God and keeping His commandments. The author of Ecclesiastes (I will assume King Solomon) uses the word hevel, Abel’s name, 38 times. I believe it is safe to say that the allusions to Genesis 4 are intentional. Why is it then that most of what

Ecclesiastes describes as meaningless is more in line with the life of Cain? Solomon compares a long life filled with accomplishments to nothing more than a breath to hevel and that all men and women will see the same fate – the ground.

The consequence of Adam’s sin was death entering the world. For Cain, the consequences came far later and far greater than just death. What Cain brought upon his descendants and his city was elimination. Removal from the earth as easily as a breath disappears in the wind. God may have protected Cain from others who may do him harm. But that was not a dismissal of his sin. His sin was dealt with by a flood.

So where does that leave us? If humanity is destined to constantly destroy itself, if sin is ingrained so deeply into our skin, if this spinning rock we live on is so cursed then what is the point? Is there no meaning to any of this?

Seth

Genesis 4 ends with the birth of Seth – Eve’s third son. His name means appointed or placed. With Seth there is hope. Because the last words of Genesis 4 are “at that time people came to call upon the name of the Lord” when the new beginning started. This was the start of setting things right. See Cain wasn’t the only son of Adam to have a descendant named Lamech. Cain’s Lamech displayed the ever growing and ever twisting aspects of sin. But Seth’s led to deliverance. Seth’s Lamech had a son called Noah. Through his faith and the mercy of the Lord he had built a boat – an ark to save humanity.

So, this is what the meaning in meaninglessness is. Sin will be dealt with. The evil will not go unpunished. And the faithful - God’s people will find deliverance. The world was given a lifeline with the birth of Seth. So, the Lord has made it clear that to deal with sin in the world, he must involve a new birth. And the Lord has promised never to deal with sin using a massive flood again (gaze upon the rainbow in the rain if you forget). He will provide something far more powerful to deal with sin and He has brought us something far greater than an ark. Far greater than Seth. Far greater than Elijah, Moses, Adam. It is the second Adam Jesus Christ. A sacrifice of the choice lamb. Much like what Abel would offer God. Jesus Christ is our safety; Jesus Christ is our meaning. There is a light and He lives and He loves. Because we are not like Abel. We are like Cain.

Jesus

For believers, the name of Jesus is the sweetest thing we can use our breaths for. Through Jesus we have been given freedom from the bondage of sin and death. Free from the curse of Cain. Yes it's true! We who are like Cain, Jesus came down to save. He took a look at every single one of us; he peered into every single malicious thought and deed and kept the promise. The promise of no more flood. He provided not a deluge of  wrath but instead he arrived with baptism and living water. While Noah needed an ark to survive the waters, our ark - our Lord Jesus - walks atop the water Himself. Through Jesus, the walking dead - ourselves before we believed -  were given a new breath of life. One with meaning and love and a gentleness that overcomes the nature we shared with Cain. So speak, whisper, sing His praises with the wonderful breath He gave you, In Jesus' sweet name.

by Lazlo Evan Reed 

Silence in June 2020

 “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14

Silence. Many if not all Christians are guilty of silence in the face of injustice. Some may criticise me for my silence on hot topics Christian circles tend to debate on; among these are abortion and transgender rights. You have every right to rebuke me on my silence; I believe iron sharpens iron (proverbs 27:17) so it is an admirable Christ-like quality to have.

The reason I am writing this is not because of silence but the opposite. With the senseless murder of George Floyd, many of my Christian friends have been anything but silent. Though I am mournful of the tragedy, I am also glad that it’s not another tragedy ignored. One who sees the glass half empty may express concern that people on social media are only jumping on the bandwagon so they can prove to everyone that no they’re not racist. Me? Least racist person I know? But the optimist inside me thinks that maybe these people have also been humbled and God’s grace has truly softened their hearts. Maybe then money is donated to peaceful protesters unjustly arrested. Maybe enough petition signatures will get government officials to finally rethink policy. Maybe things will change. Or maybe it doesn’t. But if the good outcome did happen then I would like to think that softened hearts and the Holy Spirit moving in my brothers and sisters contributed somehow. I wholeheartedly disagree with the notion that we should be disappointed with each other for speaking out against this great injustice. Jesus is not disappointed in you.

I mentioned the protests happening in America at this current time. I understand that the June of 2020 is not the most appropriate time to gather in large numbers in light of the pandemic. I had previously shown contempt for Americans gathering in public so that they could get their hair cut. I still think it’s dangerous. But the protests right now aren’t for barbers to open up; They’re here so that the butchers in blue stop killing innocent people – of all races – but specifically black Americans who are more likely to be profiled and targeted by the police. It is dangerous for them to go outside even without the men in full armour armed with guns and tear gas prepped to take them on. They are facing the danger anyway because that’s how desperate we’ve become. As much as I disagree with lockdown breaching, I must not overlook the reason why they’re breaching them. And I will definitely not use it as an excuse to disregard the seriousness of the message the protest wants to send. Unfortunately, I have come to a disagreement with a dear Christian friend of mine about the protests. I left him with the message that we will pray for each other and that I hope we do not justify the wicked (Proverbs 17:15)

Christians, you may be wondering where Jesus is in all this. All I know is that He is the redeemer of our souls and He has rescued us from the Egypt that enslaved us with the chains of sin and death. The great redeeming work is done. You know this. We will enter the great reconciliation when the time comes but for now, we are in a desert surrounded by death. You are urged to spread the gospel that breathes life into the

dead (Mark 16:15). Christians I further urge you to protect those who are under the thumb of current day pharaohs who inflict the first death; Even if they are sinners; Even if they are gentiles like I am; Even if they don’t look like you; Even if they wear a badge. Yes, please pray for them also. Their souls are worth just as much as ours. While you quote your bibles, please don’t overlook what Jesus says about the Samaritan and the traveller in need (Luke 10). Have faith that God will deal with the wicked. Even if they are as powerful as Pharaoh; Pharaoh who has wealth; Pharaoh who has slave masters; Pharaoh who has a great glistening palace; Pharaoh who has bullets; Pharaoh who has tear gas; Pharaoh who has a stubborn and unrepentant heart, storing up wrath against himself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgement will be revealed. God will deal with Pharaoh.

I am not the most articulate, but I pray what I have written down comes from the Holy Spirit. I do not mean to patronise nor condemn. I write all this in love.

originally written on 3rd June 2020 by Lazlo Evan Reed

Malachi and Titus

When my sister first requested me to approach both these books together I was reluctant in the fear that I may manufacture a connection that simply is not there. After a refreshing read through the both of them, the answer was clear; And after a deeper dive still, the answer was sublime. 

Malachi is a translation of “My Messenger” in Hebrew as the author remains to be unknown. A rather ominous way of presenting the core message of Malachi. No background to whoever wrote the words physically leads us to think that whatever is being conveyed is something that transcends an individual. We have no time for dealing with a prologue of a coward prophet, a reluctant king, or a tragic maiden. Israel instead simply requires a direct message. If I were to paraphrase the 4 chapters it would be like so: There is a great debt and The Lord will collect. 

Following the destruction of the temple Israel has once again fallen out of love with God. They have once again corrupted what God set out to be good; their sacrifices have been inadequate (Mal 1:7-8, 1:12-14), the priests have warped God’s word causing their flock to stumble (Mal 2:8-9), and their hearts have turned away from the blessings God has showed them in favour of ideologies and religions from other cultures ( Mal 1:2-5, 2:13-16). That last point is important. The people are starting to think that God is just like any of the other gods with a lowercase g. The messenger is here to tell the people of Israel that He will make stubble of the unrighteous who think and act in a way as if God is not king of all things. Of course as dark and dreary as the book of Malachi is, it does end on a hopeful note. He promises to send “Elijah” to set things right (Mal 4:5). Now at this point of the book it seems like we will find another human vessel through whom God will provide deliverance. A story we have seen many times in Israel’s history. God delivers, Israel turns away, God allows Israel to be overthrown, Israel turns back to God, God delivers.  With Elijah’s name being  invoked, one can’t help but  think also about the deliverance from the pagan god of Baal. When he was outnumbered by prophets of Baal 450 to 1, he stayed true and faithful to the Lord and showed all around him that there is only One true God. By having wet wood and stone set aflame by falling fire from the sky, God showed who truly was the one in charge of the heavens and of the earth. The book of Malachi ends on a note that harkens back to a better time of deliverance and looks forward to a day where the new Elijah will arrive and “prepare the way before [The Lord]” (Mal 3:1)

But you turn the page and something much sweeter arrives. 

When I first read Malachi it was on the bible app. I didn’t know what the next page was going to be. I just clicked the arrow after reading chapter 4 asking myself what will follow the heralding of a new Elijah. After I clicked there it was - the genealogy of Jesus Matthew chapter 1.

Now Jesus of course was not the Elijah who was to come. In Matthew, Jesus addresses Malachi 3:1 and outright says that John the Baptist was the Elijah preparing the way for Jesus himself to set things right and settle the debt (Matt 11;10-14). While Israel’s sacrifices were inadequate, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice; While the priests warped God's word and caused others to stumble, Jesus WAS The Word and led people to the saving truth; And while Israelites claimed “great is the God beyond the border of Israel”, Jesus tore down the borders for people beyond the border to look in and claim Jesus to be king (Phillipians 2:9-10). And that last point is what brings us to Titus. 

The death and resurrection changed everything. Without Jesus, the intense throng that was Malachi cannot have the serene resolution of Titus. In Malachi I said there was a great debt. Insufficiencies in the physical sacrifices to God and the spiritual sacrifice. More specifically, the sacrifices of the priests. The ones who were given the privilege to pass on and teach God’s word had become corrupted. But through Titus (and similarly 1Timothy and 2Timothy) we are given new instructions on how to conduct ourselves better as teachers of the word. Titus is the happy ending to the despair of Malachi. How is it that these things have been made right? And how is it that we are now able to be going in the right direction again? I think Titus 2:11-15 explains it far better than I ever could.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you”

 

I think that’s what my sister was pointing me towards. The focus now for Titus and for us is to rescue. While the book of Malchi harkened back to the time of Elijah, where he slaughtered the prophets of Baal after displaying God’s might (1Kings 18:40), we have been given a much different task. Titus was not sent to kill the people who thought differently to them as was Paul’s previous occupation. Through Christ we have become more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). The love and grace of Jesus Christ was so great that it doesn’t (or perhaps I need to write “shouldn’t”) inspire us to set out in wrath but of peace and love. So that our service and relationship with God is far deeper and better than the ones outlined in Malachi. 

That’s all I have to write about the matter at this point in time. I’m sure there are other ways this can be expanded. By either myself or someone better equipped than I. But for now while Christmas is almost upon us, I write in the hope that you can use this to find a sweeter celebration of the coming of Christ. For we are no longer or should no longer be in a state where we cry out saying the god beyond the border is greater. Our God has breached His own borders, he became flesh, and saved us all from the darkness. He arrived as a meek baby and lived a perfect life for us.

Happy Christmas! Yours always, Denzel.