Alan Platt's Blog

Our network of US City Leaders came together on June 18 for a discussion on how the church can better facilitate the healing and reform needed to address racial injustices in our country. Rick Russo of��Gloo.us��reported recent survey results from pastors highlighting the realities and insecurities they face in leading their congregations. Alan Platt of��Doxa Deo��compared South Africa’s transition since the end of apartheid to our current situation in the U.S. saying, ���We’re not talking just about legislation, although that’s one component of this journey.��We’re in essence talking about transformation, which needs to happen in the hearts of people.��� And Michael Allen of��Together Chicago��discussed the expansion of this national conversation to include violent crime within African American communities, sometimes referred to as�����Black on Black��� crimes and concerns about the value of every life.

THE LAW HAS BEEN FULFILLED

It is all about Jesus! It is all about His finished work! The more you appreciate the finished work of Jesus and all that He has done for you to reign in life, the more you will worship and glorify Him! Let’s look at the Word of God to see more of His finished work.

John 1:17 (KJV) “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

Truth is on the side of grace, not the law. Notice also that the law was given. Grace is personal and came as a person – the person of Jesus Christ. Grace is not a teaching or doctrine. Grace is a person and you can have a relationship with a person. God is not interested in mere obedience and submission. He is a God of love and He longs to have an intimate relationship with you. This is the essential difference between Christianity and all the other religions. All the other religions are governed by a system of moral codes, rules and laws. Christianity, on the other hand, is not a religion. It is a relationship. It is about having a relationship with Almighty God.

Our God came, died a cruel death on the cross and paid the full debt of sin with His own life so that you and I can reign in life today. His sacrifice on the cross speaks of relationship. Jesus came to reconcile sinful man with a Holy God. When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are made holy and righteous by His blood once and for all. And you can enter boldly into the presence of Almighty God without any guilt, condemnation or expectation of punishment. Because of the cross, the price for sin has been paid, the judgment executed, the anger toward sin exhausted, the veil torn and the way to intimacy with God opened. Sin no longer hinders you from entering His presence. His blood has removed all vestiges of your sins!

 

JESUS FULFILLED THE LAW

The moment you place the law of Moses between you and God again, you are negating the finished work of Jesus, for if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died in vain. Christianity cannot be reduced to an impersonal list of do’s and don’ts Jesus’ death has fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law of the old covenant. The Word of God tells us that the “handwriting of requirements” has been nailed to the cross. Jesus came to fulfill all the requirements of the law on our behalf, so that the way to God is now opened. Jesus said, “I have not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.” Jesus did not sweep the law under the carpet. He came and fulfilled every requirement of the law perfectly on our behalf.

When you have fulfilled your debt to the bank for the mortgage of your house, my advice to you is to stop sending in your monthly payments because the debt has already been fulfilled. If the bank sends you a letter demanding more payment from you, all you have to do is produce the title deed to your home. In the same sense, the debt that you and I owed to the law has already been fulfilled by our Saviour Jesus Christ! Christ is your title deed. You are not your own. You have been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The law has no hold over you anymore!

Col. 2:14-15 “blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. Having stripped rulers and authorities, He made a show of them publicly, triumphing over them in it.”

The law always condemns and keeps man away from God. Once the law was nailed to the cross of Jesus, God knew that the law no longer had the power to condemn man as long as he believed on Jesus. Therefore, when you know and believe that Jesus has fulfilled completely the righteous requirements of the law, the devil cannot use the law to condemn you every time you fail.

The law is holy, just and good. But even though the law is holy, just and good, it has no power to make you holy, just and good. You see, the law was designed to expose your weaknesses, your sins, and your inability to be holy, just and good. It is like a mirror that exposes your flaws – your blemishes and pimples. But you cannot take the mirror and begin to rub your face with it to clean off your blemishes and pimples, because that is not the mirror’s purpose! You need to understand that no amount of keeping the law can make you holy. Only the blood of Jesus can do that. Nevertheless, the law is holy. It is not from the devil. It is from God Himself.

 

THE PURPOSE FOR THE LAW

God gave the law for one purpose, and that is by the law, the world would have the knowledge of sin, and recognize their need for a Savior. Without the law, there would be no sin. For example, if there were no law on how fast you can drive on a particular road, that is, there were no speed limit, the state cannot stop you and give you a ticket for speeding. In simple terms, no law equals no sin. No recognition of sin equals no need for a Savior! The law was given to bring man to the end of himself so that in his despair, he would see his need for Jesus. But through Jesus Christ, you are no longer under the condemnation of the law. Through Jesus Christ, you are now made righteous apart from the works of the law.

Righteousness is a gift. It is not a reward for perfect obedience to the law. You are clothed today not in your own righteousness, which is self-righteousness, but with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. God sees you as righteous as Jesus Himself.

Only the finished work of Jesus can bring us wholeness and shalom-peace. Some people say that the Christian life is very hard. It is not hard, it is impossible! The only one who can live it is Jesus Himself, and He wants to do it in us today. That is why it is not up to our own efforts to fulfill the law of Moses. It was fulfilled on our behalf and the price for our sins has been paid on the cross. Our part today is to believe in our Savior, and receive from Him the abundance of grace and the gift or righteousness. The Christian life is a life of rest in Christ Jesus and His finished work.

Only the finished work of Jesus can bring us wholeness, completeness and peace.

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In 1994 South Africa embraced a new dispensation in which political change re-positioned every single person in our nation. Many will recall the anxious season that led up to this event with much bloodshed and uncertainty prevailing regarding the future.

The transition to the new dispensation happened in a way that it was internationally hailed as a miracle. As people cautiously engaged the future, there were signs of hopeful possibilities of nation building and the promise of unity, harmony and a future for all who shared this incredible geographical space on the globe.

As political leadership transitioned over the last 20 years, much of the anticipation and hope has been fading as it has given way to gradual endemic corruption, crime and sadly, a sense of racial posturing once again in our nation.

The recent events both in Parliament as well as growing uncertainty regarding the integrity of the President of SA, together with a sense that issues of concern are not handled in a transparent way. The deafening silence of other key national leaders regarding the modus operandi of the ruling party, is not being helpful as far as trust and a sense of hope for our future is concerned.

 

It is within this context that we as Christians ask the question: How do we respond in times such as these?

I submit to our own constituency as Doxa Deo, and the larger Christian community the following thoughts on how I think we should respond and engage the way going forward:

Engage in consistent prayer for our nation and for our leaders. Bless do not curse. Know that prayer has great power. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior” 1 Tim 2:1-3 (ESV translation).


Secondly remember that no matter what the situation, God is greater than any crisis. Often we are intimidated by a perception of bad Government or the social order of the day. God’s sovereignty applies to everything in the universe, which includes the season we find ourselves in, and the people in authority. We can therefore put our trust in Divine intervention that can change our circumstances in one moment.


Choose to continue to make a contribution that will positively affect our world. We are called as Kingdom Ambassadors to serve our world and engage in the power of the opposite spirit. Be cautious not to allow the challenges that you experience in your life, to cause you to respond in the flesh and not in the power of the spirit. Guard your heart and your mouth in this time.

May God give us grace as Christ followers to represent the Kingdom well in this time.

May God give us grace to secure a future for our children and their children.

ALAN PLATT

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Are you planning on seeing the movie 50 Shades of Grey? Whether or not you have thought about seeing the movie, one thing is pretty certain: your teenager has probably considered it or heard their friends talking about it. There is a lot of hype surrounding it – even among Christians.

My friends Kay and Julie Hiramine have a ministry called Generations of Virtue. They and their team have 12 years of ministry experience, specifically in the area of helping parents address healthy sexuality with their children. They speak to thousands of parents and youth every year and are currently ministering in southeast Asia. I have included an article, written by one of their team members, which gives solid reasons to converse with your teenager about the 50 Shades phenomenon. They also include some really helpful resources to educate yourself as you consider what you might say to your teen.

This article was originally posted here, on Generations of Virtue’s Post. I hope you find it helpful, as I have!

4 Reasons You MUST Talk to Your Kids about 50 Shades

With the 50 Shades of Grey movie releasing soon (a worldwide release date of 13 February), our culture is ablaze with controversy and debate over sexual issues once again. But this one is a little different than controversies of the past. 50 Shades takes pornography – particularly a violent and abusive form of sex – and glorifies it. People (women in particular) are falling for it on an alarming scale. Even Christians are succumbing to the enticement of 50 Shades. In short, it and the topic of BDSM, is in our faces now like never before.

“BDSM is an acronym for Bondage, Dominance, Sadism, and Masochism. In psychiatry, the terms sadism and masochism describe a personality type characterized by a person deriving pleasure and gratification from inflicting physical pain and humiliation. The terms specifically refer to one who either enjoys giving pain (sadist) or one who enjoys receiving pain (masochist).” This definition is from Pulling Back the Shades by Dannah Gresh and Dr. Juli Slattery.

And guess what: It’s going to have consequences on your children and how they view sex. The more our team has ministered this year, speaking to parents and teens in various nations, we have come to the conclusion that parents HAVE to talk to their children about 50 Shades. As in yesterday. Here’s why:

1. Your kids are curious

It would be unfair and naive of parents to assume their teens haven’t noticed the 50 Shades phenomenon. It is literally everywhere. And with the movie releasing before Valentine’s Day, the hype has only increased. If your teenager doesn’t know what the plot is about already, I guarantee he or she is curious. Use this to your advantage, parents. Answer their questions, let them know they’re not alone if they don’t know what BDSM is, and communicate your willingness to help them understand.

2. If you don’t, someone else will

Where do your kids turn when they have questions about sex? Do they know they can come to you? If they don’t feel like they can come to you, your kids will turn elsewhere to have their questions answered. What kind of information will they find on Google or from their peers? I realize I probably just scared the pants off of you with that question. Take a deep breath, mom and dad. It’s going to be ok. But you do have reason to be concerned here. The only way to guarantee your kids get the right message about 50 Shades is if you craft that message. Despite popular opinion, parents are the BEST people to talk to teenagers about sexual issues. I promise you. All the research done on the subject and our experience in ministry – both with parents and teens – attests to this statement. You are it, mom and dad. Don’t miss your God-given chance. (Also – if your palms are sweating at the idea of having to come up with a conversation about 50 Shades, don’t panic. I’ve included some links below to articles and videos you can use to educate yourself and also share with your teens. You are not alone and you don’t have to re-invent the wheel, either!)

3. It’s an excellent opportunity

Parents, if you feel like you’ve missed the boat on talking to your teen about sex, now’s your chance. I know it may seem odd to view the situation this way, but trust me – another ship has arrived and you need to jump on it! The issue of sex and abusive relationships is in our face in a huge way right now. Our team is claiming this promise from scripture over the 50 Shades phenomenon: what the enemy intended for evil, God is going to use for good (Genesis 50:20). Seriously – all the hype over 50 Shades could potentially turn into a huge blessing in the way of parents talking to their teens – perhaps for the first time – about sex, and more importantly, communicating God’s perspective on sex.

4. This is just the beginning

I have a sinking feeling that the 50 Shades phenomenon is just the beginning of abusive sexual relationships and erotica going mainstream and becoming more and more culturally acceptable. I hope and pray this is not the case, but if history is any indication, I fear we have a very big battle ahead of us on yet another sexual issue culture is trying to push the envelope on. Don’t miss your chance to talk to your teenager about healthy, life-giving sexuality. The best antidote to the enemy’s view of sex so prevalent in our culture is to communicate regularly to our teenagers God’s view of sex and marriage. The truth is God designed our sexuality to bring life, to honor Him, and to fulfill His purpose in us. He did not design it to be harmful or only pleasurable for one party. Furthermore, God’s view of sex is not anything we should be embarrassed of or fearful about. We should feel the freedom to talk about it with our teenagers and not let the enemy silence us on this very important topic.

So where do you start?

Listed below are videos and articles our team has found very helpful to educate yourself, and perhaps even share with your teens as you talk about this issue:

– 50 things you should know about 50 shades video by Covenant Eyes (great video for parents to educate themselves on the topics the book brings up).

– 4 Lies about Sexuality in 50 Shades of Grey video by Covenant Eyes (we recommend watching this one yourself first and then watching it with your teen).

– Parent Survival Guide to 50 Shades of Grey (5 part blog series) by psychiatrist Miriam Grossman MD. Her blogs will give you the information you need to address this topic with wisdom, while also inspiring you to use it as an opportunity to communicate about healthy sexuality in general. You might consider sharing some of the information she brings with your teen.

– Pulling Back the Shades by Dannah Gresh and Dr. Juli Slattery – Dannah and Juli have written an excellent resource for women on the topic of erotica. We highly recommend it for mothers and young women who have tussled with things like 50 Shades, or know friends who have.

– Will You See Mr. Grey? blog post by Dannah Gresh – Dannah has written some excellent blog posts on the topic of erotica and 50 Shades and even has an entire website dedicated to the topic.

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We have just been confronted with legal action wanting to stop all Christian engagement in our schools. This is a rallying cry for all who understand the value of our Christian convictions in education.

In a world that is constantly changing, our commitment to Christian values can play a vital role of bringing hope, vision, direction and stability in many areas of people’s lives.

History has shown, time and time again, that wherever Christianity has gone, societies were radically transformed. It always started with spiritual transformation in people’s lives that inevitably resulted in a wake of societal impact.

When real, spiritual transformation takes place in a community, it always has great impact on society. Orphanages are started, and schools, universities and hospitals are founded. The hungry are fed, the homeless are sheltered and those dying of aids are comforted. Structures and systems of society become humane and just and give people environments in which their lives can flourish.

This is why schools and colleges are to rise to the challenge. They are to be educational environments facilitating not only quality education, but also facilitating deep spiritual transformation in individuals, and so ultimately transforming society.

Simply put: our schools are to be places where we raise city and world changers.

 

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 Children must be encouraged to excel in school, not to compete or feed their ego’s – but because of their sense of calling.

Having a multi-generational plan of training our children to be Christian thinkers and practitioners is the most important calling a parent, a school and church has!

An understanding of your calling

Unfortunately, most Christian parents do not do enough to nurture their children to be world-class leaders. To nurture city and world-changers, as a general rule, young children between 3-10 years old should be immersed in an understanding of Gods acceptance, calling and destiny on their lives.

Once children are in high school, parents and churches need to begin to teach their children how to understand and apply a Christ Centered worldview regarding history, education, government, and business and every other discipline.

They must achieve to qualify to attend the best universities and colleges available. In this way, we are not just teaching our children how not to backslide but how to take on the world and be leaders in culture and society.

Think Biblically, speak secularly

The Bible teaches that we need to have an approach in which we teach our biological and spiritual children to think biblically and speak secularly so they will always be trained to apply the Bible to everyday life. By doing this we will nurture the greatest leaders the world has ever seen, just as the church of old did with the greatest artists, scientists, writers, politicians, and educators that transformed Europe and North America.

Up until the mid 1800’s the church not only cared for the down and out but also nurtured the cultural elites that became the mind moulders of their time. It is sad that nowadays, instead of starting world-class universities like Harvard or Yale, the church shuns higher education and encourages emerging leaders merely to attend their Bible institutes.

As long as we are afraid of higher education we will never ascend to the head of culture. It is time for believers to become the cultural elites of society so that we can lead our communities with wisdom and justice.

 

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You may be surprised to find out that there are many believers today who do not believe that they have been perfected forever by the finished work of Jesus Christ. They are still depending on their self-efforts to qualify themselves.

Only Jesus��� work is a finished work. And not only did He sit down at the Father���s right hand, He made us sit down with Him!

The Word of God declares the following about the finished work of Jesus on the cross: ���But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God … For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.��� ��Hebrews 10:12-14

���Sitting down��� in the Bible is a picture of the believer resting in the finished and completed work of Jesus.�� He has finished all the work on the cross on your behalf and is now seated at the right hand of God.

As it has all been accomplished on your behalf, this means that you can stop depending on your self-efforts to earn and qualify for God���s blessings in your life.

His finished work on the cross was offered as one sacrifice forever, never to be repeated. When you received Jesus Christ into your life, you were perfected forever.

���But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ … and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.��� Ephesians 2:4-6

You now sit down with Jesus at the Father���s right hand! Wow!

 

You may be surprised to find out that there are many believers today who do not believe that they have been perfected forever by the finished work of Jesus Christ. They are still depending on their self-efforts to qualify themselves.

Only Jesus’ work is a finished work. And not only did He sit down at the Father’s right hand, He made us sit down with Him!

The Word of God declares the following about the finished work of Jesus on the cross: “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God … For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”  Hebrews 10:12-14

‘Sitting down’ in the Bible is a picture of the believer resting in the finished and completed work of Jesus.  He has finished all the work on the cross on your behalf and is now seated at the right hand of God.

As it has all been accomplished on your behalf, this means that you can stop depending on your self-efforts to earn and qualify for God’s blessings in your life.

His finished work on the cross was offered as one sacrifice forever, never to be repeated. When you received Jesus Christ into your life, you were perfected forever.

”But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ … and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-6

You now sit down with Jesus at the Father’s right hand! Wow!

 

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���For if by the one man���s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.��� Romans 5:17

The secret of reigning in life lies with receiving everything that Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross.

Based on the authority of God���s Word, you are destined to ���reign in life��� as a king and to have dominion over all your challenges and circumstances. You are called to be above them all and not to be trampled by them. The time has come for you to stop abdicating your right to reign in life!

The Bible tells us that it was because of ���one man���s offense��� ��� Adam���s sin in the Garden of Eden ��� that death began to reign.

It is important that you realise that our lives are wrapped up in those of our ancestors. So we are sinners not because we sin, but because of Adam���s sin. Many believers still think that they became sinners by committing sin, but that is not what the Word of God says. What it says is that we are sinners because of Adam���s sin.

By the same token, we are made righteous in the new covenant not because we do righteous deeds, but because of one Man���s (Jesus���s obedience on the cross. It is not about something we must still do, it is by what is already done!

The secret of reigning in life lies therefore with receiving, believing and embracing everything that Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross.