Inside:
Sacred songs workshop
Australia’s apology
Mt Magnet
Tweed Valley DTS
Khesed Annual Reports
National Act of Recognition
WCGIP report
General News & Events

Redeeming Old Covenant Law and

Traditional Culture

We have often talked about redeeming culture and indigenous expressions of worship. Sometimes there have been Aboriginal Christians with body paint dancing to the Lord in church. There have been didgeridoos and traditional styles of music used to worship God. There have been traditional styles of painting telling Bible stories and truths. Some have used dreaming stories and traditional ceremonies to show how God has revealed Himself long before the Gospel was brought to this land and people by British Christians.

But some Christians feel uneasy about much of this, and are concerned that there are demonic powers involved in traditional law, ceremonies and cultural expressions. They have good reasons to feel concerned, because Satan has tried to corrupt and destroy every form of worship to God in every culture.

It is always a difficult decision to see if these things need to be destroyed, or whether they can be cleansed and purified from the evil within them to find pure worship to the One True God in Heaven.

A few weeks ago, a Christian anthropologist friend spoke with me about some of these issues. He has deep intimate knowledge of Aboriginal culture and law, and claimed that it is all evil. God doesn’t want that stuff! He wants a new expression of worship from every culture.

As I pondered this, the Lord showed me clearly that no Christian should live under Old Covenant Law and practices. Jesus Christ didn’t come to destroy the law – Jewish law or the law of any other group of people. Jesus came to bring all people into a New Covenant relationship with God Almighty .Jesus came to fulfil the real law that has been hidden by rules and practices for generations - through a new covenant, sealed with His own blood.

I’m still asking the Lord what that really means in practical details. I still believe that there is not just one Christian culture, but there are many different cultural expressions of God’s character in His people.

In February a small group of us met in Rooty Hill at YWAM’s Island Breeze base to talk and pray about expressions of worship from the land through indigenous people. I was again asked what that looks like. Last year, I replied that I didn’t know, but believed I would recognize it when I saw and heard it. I think we started to see and hear a little of it during those few days. It is an ongoing process of discovering that worship to God. We commissioned Island Breeze and Kyle Slabb from northern NSW to seek the Lord more for its release.We hope to meet again soon as we continue the search.

We all need to seek God’s New Covenant expressions of worship in every culture – using the instruments and styles He has given to each cultural group. He isn’t limited to 18th century hymns or to Hillsong styles of worship. God has many instruments and voices and languages and styles of art and music in His gallery, His orchestra and His choir!