A City On A Hill

Geographically speaking, Christchurch is far from being situated on a hill. We lay in more of a valley with surrounding hills and mountains that tower over us, but yet I felt God speak this phrase to me very clearly yesterday evening. I quickly hopped on the web and searched the passage of scripture that this came from.
In Matthew 5:14 it says

‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.’ (NIV)

February the 22nd marks the four year anniversary of the earthquake that destroyed this city, but it also marks a time where we became the most malleable form in which God can use us- I will touch in this more in a moment.  We were suddenly in the public eye, news channels jumped on this disaster and it spread like wildfire. I feel this is what really placed us as a city on a hill. This scripture will continue to ring true as we rebuild, slowly building up fresh infrastructure, birthed from minds that suddenly had a whole canvas of a city to work on. Community projects have blossomed like pop up dance-o-mats, poetry walls, and outside movie screenings have adorned this city with hope during this ongoing restoration project. This rebuild will not be a quiet task, it will draw attention no only nationally but internationally and it is pushing me to continue prayerfully that God’s hand is upon this whole process. If we are a city on a hill that cannot be hidden, I want to be a city that shines the light of Christ from every rubble ruined street corner, and every sleek new office building. I desire to be a part of something that has Christ as the centre, and know that if God can speak the stars into existence, he can take the brokenness of this city and make it whole again.

This leads me onto something I touched on before, being malleable in God’s hands. After the quake we became our weakest, as we mourned over loves ones and watched bricks that built up our homes and buildings, tumble around us. The city became a mess of road cones and tears, and we watched as we became very different versions of ourselves than we once knew. But not only did God speak to me about being a city on a hill, the thing that hit me the most this evening was two verses a few above that read,

³You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
⁴ You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. (THE MSG)

How incredible is it that God loves our brokenness? A person who is willing to become completely undone for the sake of being put back together to become more like him is someone who is treasured in God’s eyes. This evening I began to see God’s heart in the way I view this city. I see how I am intrigued by the fading shop signs and smashed bookcases behind windows. I look upon broken dollhouse-like buildings, and I am reminded of my own brokenness and how lovingly God looks upon my every fault, knowing he has work to do in me. I see how when this city and it’s people are at the end of their rope, there is far more God can do because we are willing for him to take the reins. I see how when we have lost what is most important to us, the embrace of our father is that much more comforting and needed. But most of all, I see myself in these broken city streets and hear my Dad call me his child and let me know the passion I have for this broken city is the passion he has for me. He wants me to run into his arms when I reach the end of my tether, or when I feel I am crumbling in the way this city did, because in times like these he will grow me the most.
I encourage you to be attentive to what God is speaking to you about, and don’t ever feel discounted because of your faults of weaknesses. For when we are at our weakest, it is at this place we are most able to be used by our Father- and he can use you in incredible ways.

Honour: It's All About Identity (Part 2)

So in my last blog post I talked a wee bit about honour. How we are first called to honour God and secondly how this leads to us honouring ourselves.

We're also called to honour others. The bible references honour a few times in relation to other people.

Other references to honour:

1. Parents - Exodus 20:12 "Honour your father and mother."
2. Church Leaders - 1 Timothy 5:17 "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching."
3. Employers - 1 Timothy 6:1 "Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honour, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled."
4. State Leaders - 1 Peter 2:17 "Honour the emperor."
5. The Elderly - Leviticus 19:32 “You shall stand up before the gray head and honour the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord" 
6. Widows - 1 Timothy 5:3 "Honour widows who are truly widows."
7. Everyone - 1 Peter 2:17 "Honour everyone."    

You see, once we recognise who God is and who we are in him, it changes the way we relate to others. When I see myself as a child of God, who is holy and blameless, then I have to recognise that in other christians too. If I consider myself made in the image of God, I have to consider others made in his image too. Does that mean everyone gets it right all the time? No. But it does mean that even when I disagree with something I have to do it in a way that honours God, myself and other people. "Honour is not based on performance, it is based on identity." (Simon Holley, King's Arms Bedford).

I'm just gonna look at a few in a bit more detail. We'll start with parents... there will always be situations or outcomes where you disagree with your folks, especially as a teenager. There is a great quote by Mark Twain:  
“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”  
The choice you need to make when dealing with these situations is realising that honouring your parents is the best outcome for everyone. You may disagree and you can certainly discuss differences, but ultimately you acquiesce because they are your parents and you are called to honour them. Even the worst parents need to be honoured, because like your relationship with God, it is not about performance - it is about identity. If they are your parents, regardless of situation and circumstance, they deserve honour. That's difficult at times, you may not even know your parents, but God gives us the grace we need.

Secondly, honouring widows. In New Testament times, the widow's were the bottom of societies ladder. So when Paul tells us to honour widows, he basically is calling us to honour the poor. God challenges us with honour. He doesn't call us to honour the easy people. We are called to honour everyone, especially the down and outs and the unlovable. We are called to show love, kindness and respect to the people that society tries to ignore. We are called to honour the poor. (For a long, but great message on remembering the poor, check out http://vimeo.com/53658214)

Thirdly, honour everyone. Easy to say, harder to do. That means honouring the annoying driver who pulls out in front of you. It means honouring the old lady on the bus that smells. It means honouring that person at school who talks about you behind your back. Honouring people is not about being walked over and 'nice' to everyone. It is realising that everyone else has a story, like you and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect; realising that everyone else is imperfect, just as you are. We all get it wrong sometimes. Actually, we all get it wrong often.

The world doesn't hold honour in high regard. You only have to listen in on conversations, read the news or watch tv and you quickly see dishonour. That's our challenge as christians. It's to be in a place where the Holy Spirit, guides and prompts us to respond to people as Jesus would rather than how the world does. It's where we realise that we have been given grace upon grace and need to give that to others. It's about understanding that people don't have to earn honour and respect, they deserve it for just being people, made in the image of God. 


Biblical honour reminds me a lot of the maori idea of mana. When we treat people well, we not only increase our mana, but we also build up theres. Honour begets honour. If we want this world to start treating each other better, we need to follow God's example and show honour to all people. Especially those who don't appear to deserve it...

Honour: It's All About Identity (Part 1)

Another key word I have been reflecting on is honour. It seems to be a bit of a buzz-word in Christian circles, promoted particularly by Bethel Church in the States. It's not a new word though. Neither is it a new phenomenon in the church. Honour has been around for as long as God has.

The word honour (when used as a verb) means to hold in high esteem. We know that throughout time, each member of the trinity has been honoured and loved. The perfect example of this is when Jesus was baptised and the Father's voice boomed throughout eternity declaring his pride - his esteem - in the Son; and when the Holy Spirit came like a dove and annointed Jesus in the water, He placed his stamp of approval - His honour - upon Jesus. So honour is a key component of the trinity and it is a key component for our lives too.

So what does honour look like in our lives?

Well firstly, we are called to honour God. The opening line of the Lord's Prayer is 'hallowed be your name' (Matt 6:9). Hallowed means to honour as holy. Our first approach to God, our number one priority needs to be in declaring him Lord and Saviour over everything in our lives.

We give Him honour because He alone deserves honour. This is the God who created the universe and everything in it. This is the God that is perfect, holy and blameless in every way. This is the God who gave humanity life. This is the God that gave Himself up on the cross so that we could know Him. This is the God that doesn't deserve a little praise, but our all. The chief end of man - the reason we exist - is to bring glory to God. Our lives need to revolve around honouring Him.

We honour Him through our thanksgiving; by putting our trust in Him; by living by His word; by acknowledging His provision and grace in every moment of our lives; we honour Him by declaring Him to the world! We also honour Him, because out of that worship, we create an environment where He can act. It's no mistake that the opening lines of the Lord's Prayer that give honour to God (hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, will be done) are followed by God's provision, pardon, protection and power. As our hearts turn to worship and honour God, we are in a better place to receive from Him. And this leads us to more worship. Which leads to more of God. Which leads us to more worship. You see the pattern here?!

Secondly, we need to honour ourselves. God says over us that we were 'fearfully and wonderfully made' (Ps 139:14) and that we were 'made in the image of God' (Gen 1:27). We aren't just animals. We are special! This requires us to think 'specially' about ourselves... More than that, as Christians not only is this true of us, but we are also sons and daughters of the living God (2 Cor 6:18, Hosea 1:10, Rom 8:16). And it doesn't stop there, because of Jesus perfect sacrifice we are now considered holy, blameless and perfect (Col 1:22) and nothing we - or anyone else - can do, say or think can ever change that (Romans 8:31-39). Our position with God is mind-blowing!


God holds you and I in very high esteem. He honours us. When He looks upon us, He sees the good in us and then Jesus's blood covering all the rest. All the sin and shame has been replaced by Jesus's perfection. That is how God - our Father - views us. Now, if God views us that way, who are we to say anything different about ourselves? You may feel unlovable, useless or stupid, but you are not. We know that God is perfectly holy and that He cannot stand the presence of sin and yet He dwells in you. What does that say about you?

You see, it's all about our identity. Once we realise the truth about ourselves, we realise how great God is and by extension, how great we are. The lies you whisper about yourself are not true and contrary to what God says about you. In Romans 8:33, Paul asks the question who can bring any charge against you and the answer is emphatically NO-ONE! That includes you. So, stop believing the lies and believe God. You are honoured and treasured by your Father. Accept it!

Once we realise who we are, it changes the way we relate to others. Check out Part 2 in a few weeks to see how we need to honour other people.