Does God change?

Introduction

The apostle Paul affirms that Man everywhere know who God is because God has made it plain to them.^[1] Even those who do not have special revelation as the Jews have some consciousness of God’s invincible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature but have suppressed the truth by their unrighteousness and failed to honour him as God. Born from this suppression is the endless form of idolatry of man’s supposed knowledge of who God is, manifesting itself in the Athenian inscription to the “unknown god”.^[2] The apostle made clear the magnitude of their error and boldly proclaimed the truth and nature of who God is given the Athenians an opportunity to be saved. This essay will briefly highlight the essential nature of God as revealed in the bible and then discuss whether it can be argued from the bible whether God changes.

 Andrew S. Kulikovsky in his article^[3] the Nature of God presents ten essential attributes which constitutes God’s nature. The ten attributes listed by Kulikovsky are also agreed on by other theologians such as Wayne Grudem presenting similar attributes in his Bible doctrine and A.W Pink in his classical work The attributes of God writes in agreement.^[4] The Ten essential attributes of God’s nature according to Kulikovsky are:

Spiritual

Self existence and Eternal

Personal

Triune

Immanent and Transcendent

Finite and Infinite

Immutable

Omnipresent

Omniscient

Omnipotent

These attributes listed by Kulikovsky are founded upon biblical text as revealed in the bible. For example in John 4:24, Jesus declares that “God is Spirit” and therefore his worshipers must worship him in “spirit and in truth.” This predicate is clearly adjectival and indicates that God is essentially spiritual.^[5] Thus, God does not have a physical body, nor is he made of any kind of matter like much of the rest of creation.

God’s self existence and eternality can be found in biblical texts such as Psalm 102:24-27 which states:

“O my God, I say, take me not away in the midst of my days -- you whose years endure throughout all generations! Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end”.

Moses tells us that God existed before there was any creation: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”^[6] The grounds of God’s existence is himself, being from all eternity self-sufficient possessing no deficiencies or lacking in happiness. God is not dependent upon any part of creation for his existence or nature while the rest of creation are entirely dependant on him.

The doctrine of the triune God or trinity is used to summarise the teaching of scripture that God is three persons yet one God. The doctrine of the trinity may be defined as follows: God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God. This definition is based on numerous biblical texts such as Genesis 1:26, Isaiah 6:8, Psalm 45:6, John 1:1, Hebrews 1:8, Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 2Corinthians 13:14. Because God is triune He is therefore relational. This triune God creates humanity in his own image endowing humans with personality which demands a personal creator.

God’s Immanent and transcendence are rooted in the following biblical text Haggai 2:5, John 14-16, Isaiah 55:8-9 and Psalm 113:5-6. God’s Immanent is meant as God’s presence and activity within nature, human nature and history. God’s transcendence implies that God is separate from and independent of nature and humanity.^[7]

The three Omni’s borrowed from the Latin term “all” are attributes which states that God is “all” present, has “all” knowledge and is “all” powerful. The Psalmist writes ‘where can I go from your Spirit (Omnipresent), Psalm 139:7, Elihu responding to Job declares ‘Do you know the balancing of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge (Omniscient) Job 37:16 and Jeremiah says of God ‘that nothing is to hard for him,’ (Omnipotent) Jeremiah 32:17.

The scripture is abundantly clear that God does not change. The concept of a growing or evolving God who changes his eternal purposes is not to be found in the scriptures. “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob are not consumed,”^[8] says Yahweh. God’s immutability does not imply that God is static or sterile but that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. God is unchanging in his knowledge and plans, neither does he have mood swings, nor do his affections and enthusiasm fade in intensity (James 1:170). The passages that indicates God changeableness will be looked at in the next section arguing that these passages are a case of anthropomorphisms. 

Does God change his mind and purposes

Orthodox theology has traditionally maintained the doctrine of divine immutability. By this it meant that although everything else in the universe  appears to undergo change. God does not. He is the unchanging eternal one. Wayne Grudem defines God’s immutability as the following: God is unchanging in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels differently in response to different situations.^[9] Not everyone agrees that God is unchangeable. The God of Open view theology is a changing God. God changes his mind and learns from our actions and reacts based upon those actions. 

Both classical theism (orthodox theology) and Open view theology support their views from the bible. I will now discuss whether it can be argued whether God changes from the bible by presenting the two verses that open theist love to champion as evidence of God’s changeableness.^[10] By God’s changeableness classical theist or orthodox theology will agree that from a human perspective, God sometimes appear to change his plans, or his actions based on what people do but this is not so from God’s view point. While open view theology will argue the opposite that from God’s view point God actually changes because he repents and changes his mind therefore God’s plan can be thwarted.

Exodus 32:14 says “And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.” John Sanders, an advocate of Open Theism, says this concerning Exodus 32:14:

Apparently, Moses has a relationship with God such that God values what Moses desires. If Moses interprets God’s intentions in an unfavorable way and God values his relationship with Moses, then God must either persuade Moses or concede his request.  It is unlikely that Moses presents God with new information.  The real basis for the change in God’s decision comes from a forceful presentation by one who is in a special relationship with God.  With Moses’ prayer, the decision-making situation is now altered for God.  Being in relationship with Moses, God is willing to allow him to influence the path he will take.  God permits human input into the divine future.  One of the most remarkable features in the Old Testament is that people can argue with God and win.^[11]

Sanders main argument is that God can be persuaded to change his mind therefore God can change his purposes and plans and even relenting from purposes he had previously set to take place. Orthodox theologians respond to this suggested changeableness of God by appealing to a hermeneutical principle of anthropomorphism. John Calvin, a beloved theologian of the reformed tradition saw this as a case of anthropomorphism commenting on Genesis 6:6 which is another verse that open theist love to champion for God‘s changeableness,  “And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart”. John Calvin writes:

The repentance which is here ascribed to God does not properly belong to him, but has reference to our understanding of him.  For since we cannot comprehend him as he is, it is necessary that, for our sake, he should, in a certain sense, transform himself. That repentance cannot take place in God, easily appears from this single consideration, that nothing happens which is by him unexpected or unforeseen.  The same reasoning, and remark, applies to what follows, that God was affected with grief.  Certainly God is not sorrowful or sad; but remains forever like himself in his celestial and happy repose: yet, because it could not otherwise be known how great is God’s hatred and detestation of sin, therefore the Spirit accommodates himself to our capacity.^[12]

More text can be brought forward to support the hermeneutical principle of anthropomorphism for the biblical texts which seems to suggest that God changes his minds and purposes. For example Paul writes of God’s purposes before the creation of the world to save a people in 2 Timothy 1:9 “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began”. And 1 Peter 1:20 declares that Jesus Christ “was made manifest in the last time for your sakes”. God had a plan and a purpose to save a people before the creation of the world and this plan and purposes was unchangeable as God his unchangeable, timely manifesting his purposes and plans in the last time for our sakes.

Conclusion

Scripture is abundantly clear that God cannot change, his nature and being is essentially the for all eternity. Although there is change in relationship for example his hatred towards sin nevertheless his being is the same as well as His purposes and plans. The passages in scripture which seems to indicate a changing God are cases of anthropomorphisms. As God himself declares “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob are not consumed.”^[13]

K.Oni

---

^[1] Romans 1:19

^[2] Acts 17:23

^[3] The Nature of God (2000) Andrew S. Kulikovsky

^[4] Although Wayne Grudem and Pink uses different titles to describe the different attributes nevertheless they agree in the details.

^[5] Ibid

^[6] Psalm 90:2

^[7] The Nature of God (2000) Andrew S. Kulikovsky

^[8] MalachI 3:6

^[9] Bible Doctrine (1999) Wayne Grudem

^[10] The two passages are Genesis 6.6 and Exodus 32:14. Genesis 6.6 will be touched upon through John Calvin’s interpretation of the text.

^[11] The God who risks: A theology of providence (1998). John Sanders

^[12] Genesis, Calvin’s commentaries, vol 1, 248-249. John Calvin

^[13] MalachI 3:6

Miscellanies 32 - What a lovely morning

What a happy morning, that my dear Lord Jesus, who is the love of my life should fill my heart with so much sunshine. He awoke me, just before dawn opened her lovely eyes, rousing me to pray and meditate on the indelible words his lovely ever pleasing Father gave for man to eat. I could not resist as sleep fled from my eyes distancing itself from the lively affections which has occupied my soul. I bid it all to grace, for in the week before my soul was like a hollow; empty and filthy. There was no room for happiness to play, joy was locked up by depressing melancholy and cumbersome guilt set his camp in the middle of my field. I was like a stone, unmovable in my low fondness with any creature high and low that I resolved much to settle within my own soul. She was all I had for comfort and she proved to be a miserable companion. Then I began to hear and listen to the voice of whom they call the prince of preachers; even though his body have long been decomposed, yet, the words he left his readers to ponder upon are like bandages placed upon an open wound. He preached that gospel which was delivered to the apostles; which ran rampant in the time of the reformation and which seized the hearts of the puritans.  He spoke of Christ, yea, of Christ beloved, that tower of beauty and strength, that meek and tender lamb who died for sins not his own. He spoke of Christ as being the gentle comforter, calling us all loudly through the trumpet of his gospel that all sins his elect have ever committed have all been forgotten. Although the gospel displays the grand-scale of sin yet it also display the eternal cleansing of sins through the Lamb’s atoning sacrifice. It made much my heart glad, and the Lord, adorned with the jewels of heaven came this morning, rising from his throne to touch my cheek, placing his pierced hands upon my head to affirm me of his endless love and mercy; for I am his and His forever. 

K.Oni

As I’m getting older

As I’m getting older the world becomes more of a stranger
I thought I knew her well but each day I feel I’m a pilgrim.


My friends don’t worry, the stillness is my dance
I’ve learned to make peace with the thought that I’ll die.


Its not a beautiful scene - the stars are pretty ugly
But it’s a crime to call ugly what God has made to share in his beauty.


Reflect on my thoughts because I’m getting pretty worse
This heart of mine is getting colder by the minute and the hour.


Who will unfreeze before I take myself to the grave
I’m not looking for hope, hope is a commodity that charisma sold.


Its all down to my nature, there’s conflict within
An outrage, waging war I pray for the Spirit to win.


Its nearly over, a sabotage been played 
A wild card like wild strawberries found where the kids play.


I heard he said he was thirsty, I’m thirsty too.
Thirsty for righteousness, because sin has bankrupt; leaving me no more love to give.


Soon it will be over, unless the music play
A ballad of a saint found freedom from the sins he hates. 


As I’m getting older, the world is not my friend
But I seem to love her well - placing roses on her bed.


K.Oni

She loved him like me

Even in his darkest place
I cannot let him pass! 


His large brown eyes were like a pool of chocolate
His paintings really felt like summer.


His warm brown eyes looked at me intently;


I tried to hide my love but failed miserably. 
I never saw it coming; She loved him like me.


"You give me an exciting place of happiness to escape to"

"You gave me hope" - 

His eyes soft and mellow, 
His posture, Strong and alluring.


Which will he choose
What will he say?


A butterfly from a distance called forth his name


The voice stilled and broke our hearts


Watching him walk to embrace His butterfly.

K.Oni

Psalm 16 - An exposition

This is a Miktam of David which can be said to be a prayer, meditation or poem of deliverance to God. The original meaning of the word Miktam is lost but the Psalm still speaks to us today.

Psa 16:1 Preserve me, O God,  - David begins his plead to God with a heart desire for preservation. One can imagine that David is in a very difficult situation, and whatever enemy may wish to destroy him, David is pleading to God that He may outlast them by God preserving him. One may run into the camp of a strong man knowing that therein is power to protect them, likewise David runs to God because He knows, without a shadow of doubt, that God is able to protect him.
For one to pray such a prayer highlights the impeccable fact that one is in a position where one cannot save or protect themselves; nor is there much hope in humanity to protect them, but in God alone. Only He possess the omnipotent power to secure and protect against the deadly arrows of the evil one. Our Lord Jesus Christ in his Life and ministry was constantly under the protection and preservation of God; only when God lifted his omnipotent hand to let the devils in for a season was our Lord's security breached. My friends, your life is in God's omnipotent hands and you can with confidence and assurance pray with David when your situations become vile and desperate, Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

The Christians home is always a place of refuge because the master of the house is Christ and the builder is God. The wind of the devil and his host have long been blowing upon it with a violent force, but never has it blown over a single brick or cause injury to one of its dwellers. It is a place of refuge and whilst we long for it, for this passing earth is not our eternal home until its renewal, there we shall forever be safe and secure.

Psa 16:2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you. David in his heart has made a resolution, he has declared with a solemn declaration that apart from Yahweh His Adonai, he has no good. That is, that he has no good, no merit nor righteousness except that which is gained from God, or by being in union with God. All of his happiness is to be found in God, and if there is a good which he has that is not found in God, then it is no good to him.

What great lessons we can learn from this my friends which will bring our souls many glad tidings. If we today as good soldiers of Christ, belonging to his kingdom and being children of His Father say with boldness and sternness, that you oh God (that is the trinity) is my Lord and apart from you I have no good, nor happiness, how joyful shall we live our days! We shall be like Paul who counted all things as dung, yea, as utterly rubbish compared to knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. Apart from God, the saints of Christ have no good; they have no righteousness, no promises nor hope - their portion is but vinegar and sour grapes. But with God and in Christ they have an unlimited basket of goodness of which at any moment, when they put their hands in, to take something out, it is always good, yea, good for their souls. The Saints may pull out the imputed righteousness of Christ onto them, or the security of eternal salvation, or the surety of their sanctification, or the fullness of blessings in the heavenly places, or the sealing of the Holy Spirit till the day of redemption; and above all God himself who is their portion forever and ever and will be their delight for as long as God inhabits eternity.

These are the saints scattered all over the earth, found in different plains and islands. Psa 16:3  As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. This should be the Christian disposition towards its fellow heirs according to the promise of grace. The Christian should marvel and delight in the saints of Christ because they are the excellent ones. And why are they excellent? Is it due to any merit of their own? Not at all. It is entirely due to the fact that they belong to Jesus, God has chosen them and they have His Holy Spirit living in them. They are the redeemed, the new creation, and God is pleased to dwell in them, yea, to make his home with them. They are excellent because they have been purged and sanctified, they will be glorified and exalted to dwell with the Lamb of Judah in the new Jerusalem. The old man is gone, that is Adam, and the new man reigns in them who is Christ. The original image was corrupted by Adam which is now still present in those who are not yet saints but the new man is found in those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour. They are the excellent ones, for even angels marvel and inquire about their nature and meaning of their God given status. Therefore, my brethrens, delight in your brothers and sisters for they are the excellent ones of God your King. They are his treasured possessions and priced ones. If they are His, should they not be yours also - oh friends, delight in those who are called saints, who have become co-heirs with him. Delight in them and rejoice, thank God for them and let your feet dance at the mercy which was given to them. They run after the true God, they chase after him and Love him unlike the wicked, who run after false gods, and their sorrows will increase, for they thirst after that which cannot satisfy.

Psa 16:4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. It is true that sorrow, pain and anguish will attend the worship of any other gods other than the true God - if this sorrow, pain and anguish doesn’t follow immediately in this life, then it will surely follow in the hereafter, where the wrath of God will have its way upon them, bringing destruction to their idolatrous way. If men cannot be purged of their idolatry in this life through reason, grace, or the love of God as displayed on the cross, then it is for certain that they will be purged in the hereafter. Worshiping idols is always a fruitless occupation, unfitting for the souls of men which was made to rest in God. But fools we have been in resting ourselves everywhere else except in the green pastures of Christ.

This verse does speak of idolatry in the sense of the physical worship of other gods other than Yahweh. Men are ready to forsake the tabernacle of Yahweh to render service to other gods, to offer them drink offerings and to champion their name as if it was they who rescued them from the oppressive hands of the Egyptians. The Psalmist had resolved to never do such an abominable deed - it is like substituting heaven for hell, life for death. Men who forsake the living God for idols are those who have chosen to go their own ways, their souls delighting in their abominations; gladly they offer their drink offerings to images of stone, or a tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of the craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. They go mad after them, but fools they are, for they do not know that its all a delusion; their works are nothing; their metal images are empty wind. The Apostle said ‘for we know that an idol as no real existence. and that there is no God but one.' God is contrary to these mute idols - Yahweh is alive. He is the creator of heaven and earth.

This sin of idolatry is great in the eyes of the Lord and often in the scriptures it is denounced with a great terror of vengeance. Yahweh says 'They have made me jealous with what is no god' and "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king," 1 Sam 15:23. Saul's foolish ways earned him his just reward, namely the stripping and total rejection of his kingship.
 In exodus 22:20 it says "Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, shall be devoted to destruction." Notice the passion that will be given to the man who sacrifices to any god other than the LORD, the man will be devoted, that is the man will be committed to destruction. There is no alternative to the man’s unavoidable destruction except the man repents of his abominable ways; but if he does not repent, then he shall be devoted forever to eternal destruction. This is so because such worship provokes God to anger, for God had said in Exodux 20:3-5 "You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God."

What are your idols? those elements which you have replaced the satisfaction of the Lord with. Is it money, work, culture, self, sex, etc? Whatever it is, depart immediately from it and remove its name from your lips lest you should also be devoted to eternal damnation. Take the example of righteous David who declared that offerings of blood he will not pour out, or take their names on his lips. They shall not be remembered but entirely removed from his memory, they shall not be a part of his life because the LORD is his delightful portion.

In rejecting Idolatry David concerns his soul with the only food and drink which can satisfy it, namely, Yahweh. Only God can satisfy the eternal thirst and hunger of men because only God is eternal. Men grope in over grown forest to find that fruit which at last will satisfy their desire, but when it is found, they hunger for more and begin to search for a different kind of fruit. But the man who has truly found God and God has found him, there is no other place or scene where he may go. He is infinitely satisfied by the fruit which is found in God - He is forever satisfied. This is why David says Psa 16:5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. Because of this choice, which all with a discernible spirit make by the grace of God, will say at the end, and with eyes of faith declare at the beginning, Psa 16:6 The (or My) lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. That is, all the lines of providence have lined themselves up in pleasant places. And David affirms of the nature of his inheritance, that it is beautiful. David has for him a beautiful inheritance and that inheritance is God himself who is the loveliest of all beings. Nothing surpasses him in splendour, nothing in majesticness - He is Omnipotently supreme, and has in his being all of the treasures of life and happiness. This is the inheritance of David as well as the inheritance of the all the saints. Therefore, David blesses the LORD who gives him counsel.

Psa 16:7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. David blesses the LORD from the depths of his soul. He awakes and delights in God and blesses God, that is, He give thanks to God. David gives thanks to God because God gives him counsel. A counsellor is a confidential advisor and God is portrayed to be the counsellor who gives counsel. Also, the baby spoken of in Isaiah 9:6 which we now know to be our Lord Jesus Christ will be called wonderful Counsellor. And Jesus tells his disciples that 'the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you' John 14:26. The whole trinity is therefore our counsellors - they instruct us in the way of holiness. The Father may whisper his gentle voice to us in the morning, reassuring us of his renewed mercy; while the Son, in the light of the afternoon, reassure our poor souls of his continual presence with us; and the darling Holy Spirit, just before we lay our feeble heads to sleep, may arouse our souls to say a prayer and fill us with unending peace. Therefore Christian, emulate David in giving thanks and praise to God, continually blessing him for given you counsel, which surpasses all the wisdom of the best counsellors of this world. Remember to bless him because your heart delights in his counsel. You might say, but I don’t hear the counsel of the Lord. I assure you this my friend, that God always instructs those who are his, therefore, the fault lies with you - for you must learn to listen and quieten your spirit like a weaned child on his mother’s breast.

The Lord gives us counsel but also does our heart. I would not encourage the natural man to listen to his heart or pay much attention to his heart, for the word of God tells us that the heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. But for those who are born-again, I would advise such a deed, that is, to listen to their heart, for their heart has been changed and renewed to seek and accept those things which are of God. In obeying the instruction of our hearts, it is always wise to check it against scripture, following that principle of testing every spirit by the word of God.

Those who blesses the Lord from a deep sense of joy and satisfaction in their soul will not waver in setting the Lord always before them. David in his joy writes Psa 16:8  I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. With God's presence and aid one is assured of safety. One cannot be shaken.

In the new testament, Peter applies the rest of this Psalm to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Acts 2:25). And how fitting it is that Peter does this noble exegesis. For who else was always in view of the throne of majesty, who else constantly had unlimited resource and the limitless presence of the Father above? It is our dear Lord Jesus - no sin was found in him, no ill or wickedness, but he rightly and perfectly manifested the righteousness of his Father without a single blot or blemish. Therefore, His Father is always before him, and Christ himself set his Father before him, for his whole aim was to glorify his Father and to do his will. The Father was always at his right hand as for Christ never being alone, except on that cross when his Father had to crush his precious Son for the sins of the saints. Even in such a horrific and damnable death - God turned it to be glorious and make it the chief way in glorifying his beloved Son. Even in death Christ was not moved, nor shaken, for His Father raised him from the dead as to crown him Lord of all humanity, angels and all that there is, visible and invisible.

Therefore the heart of Christ was glad - He was utterly happy in God his Father who did not depart from His promise but kept it and gave him a portion among the many (Isaiah 53:12), with Christ’ portion surpassing all of the many put together. Christ whole being rejoices, one can imagine on that Sunday morning, when the eyes of our beloved Christ opened - his whole presence immediately lighting up that dark cave and transcending out of his burial clothes. The cave nor death could not contain his joy and it overflows, for he promised his disciples that His joy would be in them. The joy of Christ is an overflowing fountain, it is contagious like the laugh of an innocent child, it flows richly from the belly and from utter satisfaction in all that His Father his for him. It is this joy that Christ offers to us - rejoice always as the apostle put it. Christ not only rejoices but his flesh is secured forever. For he now has an indestructible body, never to perish again. As long as God is eternal, so his body shall be eternal. His body will be safe and secure. This body can approach the sun and touch it and not burn. It can dwell in acid and not corrupt - whatever may be the fiercest trial heaven and earth can muster, the resurrected body of Christ can endure it and that for all of eternity. As it is with Christ so it will be with us. For we shall have the same body.
All this is secure because God Psal 16:10 will not abandon his Son's soul to sheol, or let his holy one see corruption.

 Psa 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Christ is constantly happy by his Father's side and so shall we for all eternity. There shall never be a grey stroke on the canvas of eternity, there shall be only those colours in the rainbows manifested. Men, woman and angels, Christ and God shall forever rejoice and be glad with each other till eternity dawns and closes its curtains. There shall always be a new mode of joy which streams flow from God - He shall be the constant source of our eternal pleasures and since there are no blemishes in God then there shall be no blemishes in our joy, satisfaction and happiness in all eternity. These manifold blessings may begin here in this world, for eternal life starts in this mortal flesh. We can begin to enjoy God here and magnify that joy a million fold when we have the possession of our new body and the new earth and new heaven.

K.Oni

Book Review: The Resignation of Eve: ‘What if Adam’s rib is no longer willing to be the church’s backbone?

The role of women in the church is a serious topic. There’s a lot of confusion writes Jim Henderson among both men and women about what the bible does or does not say about the role of women in the church. Women struggle (often in private) trying to determine whether their churches’ position on women’s roles are genuinely ideal or simply a reflection of dogmatic conditioning and cultural bias. Jim Henderson encourages the discussion of these issues without the need to ‘break up’ over every biblical disagreement. Jim believes that this attitude needs to begin with pastors. 


This book documents the stories of women’s responses to how they have been treated by the church. It mostly consists of interviews with or stories of women who have resigned themselves to their church situation, or resigned from church, or have re-signed themselves to a place where they are more valued and are able to use their gifts by engaging, influencing and leading. 


Resigned to their church -  Women who have come to terms with the fact that they are not ‘allowed’ to exercise all the gifts and abilities they’re capable of contributing in the church setting. Some say they are perfectly fine with this reality. 


Resigned from - How would you feel if you were capable of leading, thinking, guiding, shaping, and forming a spiritual community but where denied the opportunity to do so? This experience leads some women to walk away from the church, Christianity and in some cases God. On a side note, whilst agreeing that these limitations can contribute to a women walking away from church, yet if she walks entirely away from God, denying his existence till her death, then I would question whether she really did at first belong to Jesus. For Jesus says, ‘no one can snatch them away from my hands’ and Paul writes that ‘those whom God calls, he will also glorify.’


Re-Signed - This is the decision some women make, knowing the limitations, knowing the risks and knowing that things are not likely to change. Women who ‘re-sign’ don’t quit or accept things as they are; they lead, engage and influence. 


Jim Henderson notes that ‘the percentage of women Hollywood rewards for using their brains correlates closely with the percentage of women the church allows to be senior pastors’ pg 242. He concludes that ‘when you see these same patterns in diverse systems, it makes one wonder if what we are dealing with isn’t a gender issue at all. Maybe its more primal than that. Maybe it’s a power struggle’ pg 242. 


Jim Henderson wants to see equality in the roles offered to men and women in the church. Gender should not be an issue but if a woman has the gift to lead, the Church should not hinder her progress by limiting her role only to children’s church and woman ministries. Jim appeals to Pastor Cho’s example who has the world’s largest church in South Korea. Jim Henderson highlights that Cho’s church growth has largely been due to Cho’s early decision in his ministry to use woman in leadership. Out of 50,000 cell groups in Pastor Cho’s church, 47,00 (94 per cent) are women. A staggering statistic which has transformed (perhaps could be the reason) of the cultural revolution in South Korea in the 70s and 80s. 


Jim Henderson also appeals to Jesus’ choice of appearing first to a woman before he appeared to the disciples. A counter-cultural move and perhaps the church should exemplify this way in how Jesus released women from their bound shackled positions in society.


A book to read for all who are interested in women’s role in the church and it offers real life stories of women who have struggled with this issue. This book does not provide an exegesis or a biblical exposition for women’s role - it simply details and analyses real life experiences and statistics drawn from women whom the author interviewed and engaged with. 


A quick passing comment on the sub-title of the book is ask yourself or your church this question, 'What if all the women in your church decide not to turn up on Sunday. What activities will have to close or what would Sunday church look like?


Purchase the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Resignation-Eve-Willing-Churchs-Backbone/dp/1414337302/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326641929&sr=8-1


K.Oni

My Sleep-out in video, words and pictures

On Friday the 2nd of March a couple of us ventured to sleep outside for the night in order to raise awareness and funding for Crisis Centre Ministries. We did it as a small group and I enjoyed having the opportunity to engage in such a good act.



Some people in the picture above are not part of our small-group and not all in the picture above took part in the sleep-out. There are two people from our small-group missing who took part in the sleep-out.

We stayed at Pip and Jay car pack. There was lots and lots of people there. This is a picture of me and one of the girls in my small-group preparing our bed for the night. Also, the manager of the Crisis Centre Ministries, Alan Goddard, slept outside for 12 nights in different locations raising about £2000 for the charity. You can read about it by clicking here






The picture on the right is of another group who had pitched their cardboard-boxes on the grass. Luckily there was hardly any rain but there was lots of tea, soup and chocolate for everyone who wanted one.


Also, big thanks to St John Ambulance who patrolled the car park all night to ensure our safety and health. I remember waking up at one time in the night and lo, there was a St John Ambulance person walking by with a blanket. I asked her if I could have it for extra warmth and she smiled and gave it to me. The morning soon dawned upon us and we all woke up to a nice sandwich and wished each other good- bye.

Here is a video (below) created by Isabelle Neill (I think she's awesome) which details our experience. You can still sponsor us at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=smallgroupsleepout&isTeam=true


The Bristol Sleep Out from Isabelle Neill on Vimeo.

K.Oni