Inside Out

This old house once knew my children, This old house once knew my wife, This old house was home and comfort, as we fought the storms of life, This old house once rang with laughter, This old house heard many shouts, Now it trembles in the darkness, When the lightning walks about.

I work in a modernist 'box' of a building, made of glass and steel - everything that is expected of modern utilitarian architecture. On the outside, it surely looks solid and built for purpose. It's only when you 'live' inside, that a different picture comes to the fore.

The flat roof leaks continually, leaving several open 'holes' in the ceilings of all 7 floors. The heating system was 'finished' in a manner that left much to be desired, meaning the interior is often too hot in summer and too cold in winter. There have been numerous other 'problems' related to the nature of the property (wiring, plumbing, cladding) in the years I've been there, so when the top half of the building became vacated by my department some years ago, it proved impossible to see it rented to anyone else... because of the troubles. What keeps it functioning as a workplace is that every year, just enough money is made available to repair the most serious issues.

In recent times, I've begun to face similar troubles with my own property, but there's one key difference. This year, I decided the time had arrived to expend income to seek to fully repair the key troubles. It's hard going in the current crisis, but nearly half of what I'm aiming for has now been done, and it's already making a real difference to the look and feel of the place.

Notice the difference?

Wisdom, Jesus tells us, is all about building what counts on a sure foundation that isn't going to crack and crumble when the storms arrive. The foundation, in other words, is firm enough to give the wiring, the beams, the insulation, and everything else, an integrity that won't buckle and fold, because the quality of what's being installed amidst secure walls is made to last and supply the needs of those who dwell within.

The storms building this year aren't just to do with distant troubles or matters that have no bearing upon us - they are seeking to erode what's within our homes and lives so that, whilst externally, things may appear just as sound, internally, they are being deliberately changed to a point where pluralism and post modernism can define our faith of "no major importance" (official language for Christianity this year).

Luther penned it right when he noted the industry of our enemy in respects to his opposition, both from the world and in terms of 'teaching' amongst us that, in effect, leaves us bereft of the full counsel of wisdom that God requires us to be furnished with, so that we can discern between the spirit of truth and of error (1 John 4:1-6):

"The ancient prince of hell, has risen with purpose fell, strong mail of craft and power, he weareth in this hour, on earth is not his equal".

The point of attack is always the same - to uproot the vital truth that Christ's incarnation alone facilitates full redemption and freedom for us - that is the vital residence which shelters Adam's benighted children - and to seek to trust in any other mode of sanctuary, whatever the source, is to indeed place ourselves on shifting, sinking sand, where anything can be adjusted to allow the appearance and progress of holes in the faith.

It's very rare for us to see our enemy in his true colours. The poison he seeks to administer is always introduced in a fashion that seems harmless, even beneficial, for those who receive it, but just like the fascinating creature standing outside the gates of Mansoul (John Bunyan's The Holy War), behind Apollyon, invisible but eager to subdue, are arrayed all the malignant hosts of the powers of darkness. The war between the Kingdom of God and the corruption of Babylon (Revelation 17 & 18) is at the very heart of what is unfolding amongst us today.

When Christ spoke to the churches in the opening of the book of revelation, He shows how one of the key problems was that they had become too comfortable and complacent concerning the encroachment of what had crept in and become commonplace amongst many (the majority) of them (Revelation 2:4, 14&15, 20, 3:2, 15&16). We cannot expect to see a healthy, growing vibrancy in our churches until the real issues of our time are faced with truth as well as with love, leading us to return to the 'old paths, wherein lies the good way' (Jeremiah 6:16).

The key reason somewhere like my workplace can remain open and useable is the dedicated team of behind the scene workers who spend their days employed making sure that none of the many hazards become troublesome enough to prevent the building from being used. Sometimes that's a straightforward as placing a hazard sign, other times it means full-on maintenance on a system to keep it doing what it should. Because of the nature of these roles, these people are generally not noticed as present by the staff of the office... at least until they're needed, but the truth is they're there all the time, and the warnings and corrections they provide are vital to the general upkeep of the working environment.

There have been several voices raised this year in respect to giving warnings of the growing hazards facing the church at this time. The window is still open just far enough for these to be heeded, but that opportunity will close fast now that it's been proved that controls can be implemented to restrain and curtail Christianity across the globe. Such power, particularly when excercised, is tellingly unhealthy. We must pay attention to what has unfolded and make it a matter of priority to implement ways and means to safeguard the future of our assemblies should this indeed become a condition that extends long into the future.

The fact is the world isn't going to be the same after 2020, and whatever you think as to the reasons for that, the church has already suffered greatly in this new regime, so we have to deal with the issue head on if we want to see things improve in the New Year.

The winter is broken when the light of the world is made evident amongst us. May that indeed be true for our world during this Christmas season, and into the times ahead.