Psalm 1 has been a favourite of mine for a long time, the first half anyway!! The first half is about "The righteous man" essentially of course that is Jesus, but it is also a sign post for our personal holiness and devotion!
Verse 1,
"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!"
There's enough there to keep us going for a while!! It is interesting that Palms and Jesus first recorded sermon in the bible start with blessings! Maybe God is a God of blessing and wants us to be blessed, do you think!!
"does not walk in the counsel of the wicked!"
To walk in some one's counsel is to follow their instruction. Aren't we lucky that we do not walk in the counsel of the wicked, after all we would never listen to their advice let alone do it!! Isn't it funny how we assume "The wicked" means the worst of the worst and we definitely never step into their borders. Did you know that Hitler thought he was a good guy?! One of America's "Public Enemy Number 1's" died in a shoot out, in his was a note that he had written that said, "Why won't people leave me alone, I am a good person just trying to get on!!"
From God's point of view the wicked are those who are headed for the lake of fire. He cannot condemn anyone good. But we see good in everyone. We see unbelievers as being better than Christians half the time! Jesus said that the world is condemned and He came to save it. Paul said that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are not righteous because of our lack of sin, but because the choice we made enabled God to impart His righteousness to us. Those who haven't made that choice are the wicked.
Their counsel is there way of thinking. It is contrary to God's way of thinking. It is against God's counsel. But then so is a lot of Christian's counsel. The only counsel we should walk in is God's and we find that in His word. TV, film, radio, music, the opinions of unbelievers and the opinions of believers who are speaking out of turn all comes together to make up the counsel of the wicked.
God genuinely can say, "When He wants our opinion He will give it to us!!" No one else's opinion counts for anything against God's infinite knowledge and wisdom.
So the blessed man doesn't follow the the ideas of any one's but God's.
"Nor stand in the path of sinners"
This doesn't mean to stand in their way to block their path, but to simply that their is a path that sinners take and believers have a habit of thinking if they are just standing on the path it isn't the same as walking it. I remember when I first gave up smoking, I used to enjoy going and standing with the smokers to breath in their cigarette smoke! It was comforting. I had given up, but still craved it. I wasn't really smoking! I was just standing with them!
We are constantly reminded in scripture that sinners will be condemned because of sin and therefore we shouldn't do what they will be condemned for! Now we are in the Old Testament, we aren't under law, we are under grace. It is wrong and legalistic to follow the written code if your conscience isn't fully convinced. If, like me you still have the cravings or even start becoming bigoted against them. We need to allow God to teach our consciences, to write His laws on our hearts! The more we consider His word the more our consciences will become fully convinced and we will naturally and healthily follow our consciences.
"Nor sit in the seat of scoffers."
Scoffing/ mocking is something that speaks against love. People mock the things of God and they mock the things of the world, God loves them both. He doesn't mock. It speaks of a lofty, haughty and arrogant spirit, to place ourselves in the position where we can scoff and mock rather than have mercy and show love.
The blessed man is doing these things. How blessed is he?
Verse 2
"But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night"
The word law can easily be taken as the paradigm of God's revealed word. In the Old Testament the word law was used to mean God's word. The man who is blessed is already delighting in God's word and meditating on it day and night. Here should be one of the biggest defence scriptures for the evangelical. They are often accused of putting God's word on an equal standing as God Himself - Father, Son and Holy Scripture!! But here, the blessed man is delighting in God's word and obsessing about it! It is the contrast to the counsel of the wicked.
Verse 3
"He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers."
Having talked about what the blessed man does, now we find out how he is blessed. A tree planted by a stream will have as much water as it needs. It is constantly sustained, the strongest of trees. While other trees are hit by drought this tree is still being fed. His hand prospers all the time. No matter what he decides to do he will prosper. God will bless the work of His hand.
The rest of the Psalm belongs to a different talk, a different audience. My feeling here is that if we want to be blessed then we will allow ourselves to do what it says. Not by might or force but by His Spirit. Speaking to our consciences, not listening to the world so as to be instructed, even if we listen that they may be comforted. But we are not impressed. We are not in awe of the world, we are in awe of God. The world cannot compare, if we still favour the world then there is still work to be done.
Monday, 30 June 2008
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Do I want to be rich?
OK, for those who have seen poverty, I appreciate that I am pretty wealthy already. But here I am talking about abundance. Having enough to be debt free and to plenty left over.
Let me first of all outline some principles. Whether you believe in prayer or priming we can influence the outcome negatively. We can self sabotage. This is my struggle. I tend to be a bit of a hermit. Also I am in a bit of a quiet and low mood at the moment. Not depressed, just tired on the inside! I tried to get on the exercise bike this morning and my legs just wouldn't get into it!! Perhaps it is the diet, low energy, perhaps any number of other things.
One of my issues with money, as I have probably said before is that I am a bit of a toy junky. I remember a comedian talking about how his cat had got hold of his lottery winnings and he came home and the living room was full of cat toys!! Well, that is about the level I function on with money. Some preachers say that we shouldn't manage debt, we should be debt free and some! But for me managing debt helps me to curb my spending. If I had plenty of money in the bank there would be no limit to the things I would buy. There is a clip on the front of a Veggietales where Larry turns up with loads of stuff. Bob says to him, "Larry, how much stuff do you need?" Larry answers, "I don't know Bob, how much stuff is there?!"
I like the idea of having the money in the bank to buy whatever I want, but that makes me feel out of control. I have had money before, and I was out of control. I look back now and think of how I would spend it differently. How I would have bought things that had a more lasting effect so that I would still be benefiting. I also hate the thought of working to just scrape by. I used to have a saying, "I work to pay my bills!" How pitiful is that? However, like I say, I have an inbuilt debt limit. That helps me to keep it manageable. Maybe there is someway of raising that limit. But if you have money you can buy stuff. If you don't and you have a limit, you can only buy stuff when you are clear of your limit.
OK, what is "Priming?" I hear you ask!! Priming, it seems, although I could be wrong, but hey, go with the concept not the label. It is like when you buy a new car and suddenly you notice every other car like yours on the road that you never noticed before. Think of that as powerful. All you ever saw before was a blur of cars, they're all just cars. You maybe see the odd one that stands out now and then, but mostly it's just a collage. Then one day you choose a car, you choose it because it's there. The car that suits your needs at an age, condition and price that suits you. You drive it off of the forecourt and suddenly you become part of a club where you just keep seeing other members. Now, lets say that your "car" is business opportunity. You have the ability, we have just seen that. If you were as tuned into spotting business opportunity as you are to spotting your car then you'd be a millionaire. So what stops you? What stops me?
Let's say God wants to give me a windfall, what stops me from wanting it? Well, I have already explained, I have an inbuilt issue with money. I want it, I want it's benefits, but like some kind of self flagellating monk, I am frightened of it's temptations.
Questions then: Is it possible to become happy with money? Can I change myself to be someone who handles money well? Is having money and not spending it more painful than not having it? Those people who are self made millionaires supposedly don't take time to enjoy their money, is that what it takes? What's the point of that? Why am I bothered? Well, I suppose it is a weakness and I hate my weaknesses! I see the theories in how to get money, and am frustrated that I can't follow them through! It is a glass ceiling in my life and I want to rise higher (although it isn't so invisible as to be a glass ceiling, maybe it is a plaster ceiling!) Let's say I write a best seller, let's say that frightens the life out of me, I may become a public figure, my life not my own, money enough to buy bigger toys and be even more out of control! That would stop me writing a best seller wouldn't it? But let's say I'm not actually aware that it frightens the life out of me, I just keep plugging away but never get there.
I lack wisdom therefore I ask God! (But feel free to through in your two pennies worth. I should be safe with two pennies!) I know God must be dealing with me on this. There is other stuff He is dealing with.
Let me first of all outline some principles. Whether you believe in prayer or priming we can influence the outcome negatively. We can self sabotage. This is my struggle. I tend to be a bit of a hermit. Also I am in a bit of a quiet and low mood at the moment. Not depressed, just tired on the inside! I tried to get on the exercise bike this morning and my legs just wouldn't get into it!! Perhaps it is the diet, low energy, perhaps any number of other things.
One of my issues with money, as I have probably said before is that I am a bit of a toy junky. I remember a comedian talking about how his cat had got hold of his lottery winnings and he came home and the living room was full of cat toys!! Well, that is about the level I function on with money. Some preachers say that we shouldn't manage debt, we should be debt free and some! But for me managing debt helps me to curb my spending. If I had plenty of money in the bank there would be no limit to the things I would buy. There is a clip on the front of a Veggietales where Larry turns up with loads of stuff. Bob says to him, "Larry, how much stuff do you need?" Larry answers, "I don't know Bob, how much stuff is there?!"
I like the idea of having the money in the bank to buy whatever I want, but that makes me feel out of control. I have had money before, and I was out of control. I look back now and think of how I would spend it differently. How I would have bought things that had a more lasting effect so that I would still be benefiting. I also hate the thought of working to just scrape by. I used to have a saying, "I work to pay my bills!" How pitiful is that? However, like I say, I have an inbuilt debt limit. That helps me to keep it manageable. Maybe there is someway of raising that limit. But if you have money you can buy stuff. If you don't and you have a limit, you can only buy stuff when you are clear of your limit.
OK, what is "Priming?" I hear you ask!! Priming, it seems, although I could be wrong, but hey, go with the concept not the label. It is like when you buy a new car and suddenly you notice every other car like yours on the road that you never noticed before. Think of that as powerful. All you ever saw before was a blur of cars, they're all just cars. You maybe see the odd one that stands out now and then, but mostly it's just a collage. Then one day you choose a car, you choose it because it's there. The car that suits your needs at an age, condition and price that suits you. You drive it off of the forecourt and suddenly you become part of a club where you just keep seeing other members. Now, lets say that your "car" is business opportunity. You have the ability, we have just seen that. If you were as tuned into spotting business opportunity as you are to spotting your car then you'd be a millionaire. So what stops you? What stops me?
Let's say God wants to give me a windfall, what stops me from wanting it? Well, I have already explained, I have an inbuilt issue with money. I want it, I want it's benefits, but like some kind of self flagellating monk, I am frightened of it's temptations.
Questions then: Is it possible to become happy with money? Can I change myself to be someone who handles money well? Is having money and not spending it more painful than not having it? Those people who are self made millionaires supposedly don't take time to enjoy their money, is that what it takes? What's the point of that? Why am I bothered? Well, I suppose it is a weakness and I hate my weaknesses! I see the theories in how to get money, and am frustrated that I can't follow them through! It is a glass ceiling in my life and I want to rise higher (although it isn't so invisible as to be a glass ceiling, maybe it is a plaster ceiling!) Let's say I write a best seller, let's say that frightens the life out of me, I may become a public figure, my life not my own, money enough to buy bigger toys and be even more out of control! That would stop me writing a best seller wouldn't it? But let's say I'm not actually aware that it frightens the life out of me, I just keep plugging away but never get there.
I lack wisdom therefore I ask God! (But feel free to through in your two pennies worth. I should be safe with two pennies!) I know God must be dealing with me on this. There is other stuff He is dealing with.
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
How to ask!
OK I have kids and I am one of God's kids! When my kids want something they need to negotiate. It's no good them demanding stuff from me they need to make a case and make me understand their need. They need to show me proper respect. It's no good them marching in a being abusing and expecting to get what they want. We know that, but consider this scenario:
Becky - "Dad, at 7 O clock tonight there is a program I really want to watch. It's quite educational. It's something I'm really into and I need to watch it so that I can discuss it with my friends tomorrow. I know there is something on you want to watch but would it be OK?"
Me - "OK, Bex, it sounds fine to me!"
Then, I'm sitting watching telly at 6.59 and Becky walks in.
Becky - "It's 7 O'clock dad!"
Now, notice we have already done the negotiating. We have already done the required respect. Now she is owed something. She has my word that she can watch it. Now, there is no room to be disrespectful. But all she needs to do is say the word to invoke the promise.
Would it make sense if she now walked in at 6.55 and started saying it all again? The deal has been struck, she doesn't need to haggle again. All she needs to do is claim what is rightfully hers. Now, if I am not trustworthy and true to my word then I could change my mind. But God is trustworthy and true to His word. If He has promised something then the deal is done.
"20For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes;" 2 Corinthians 1:20
How many times have you heard someone pray that Jesus would be with us, when He has already said He will never leave us?! How many times when we pray do we plead for what is already ours by His word? The point is that it shows that we are truly trusting in His word, we are not truly knowledgeable of His word. I'm not making any boasts here, I am just as ignorant, but I think I should make sure that I spend some time finding out what God has promised!!
Becky - "Dad, at 7 O clock tonight there is a program I really want to watch. It's quite educational. It's something I'm really into and I need to watch it so that I can discuss it with my friends tomorrow. I know there is something on you want to watch but would it be OK?"
Me - "OK, Bex, it sounds fine to me!"
Then, I'm sitting watching telly at 6.59 and Becky walks in.
Becky - "It's 7 O'clock dad!"
Now, notice we have already done the negotiating. We have already done the required respect. Now she is owed something. She has my word that she can watch it. Now, there is no room to be disrespectful. But all she needs to do is say the word to invoke the promise.
Would it make sense if she now walked in at 6.55 and started saying it all again? The deal has been struck, she doesn't need to haggle again. All she needs to do is claim what is rightfully hers. Now, if I am not trustworthy and true to my word then I could change my mind. But God is trustworthy and true to His word. If He has promised something then the deal is done.
"20For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes;" 2 Corinthians 1:20
How many times have you heard someone pray that Jesus would be with us, when He has already said He will never leave us?! How many times when we pray do we plead for what is already ours by His word? The point is that it shows that we are truly trusting in His word, we are not truly knowledgeable of His word. I'm not making any boasts here, I am just as ignorant, but I think I should make sure that I spend some time finding out what God has promised!!
Questions, questions!!
Here are a few questions, some you may be aware of the answers others not!! (But I would get hung up over it, just revel in the truth of it!)
Have you made Jesus Lord? You can't make Jesus Lord, He is Lord full stop. You can only accept His Lordship and confess it now.
Are you a Christian? Christian, was the mocking name given to early believers by people of other beliefs. They were effectively belittling them to be less significant than their own religions. Their religions had real gods, whereas the "Christians" talked about a man all the time, "How significant can that be?!" Christianity is a name that sits among "the other" religions! Does our faith belong in among the false religions? No. I am surprised that the early believers called themselves "Followers of the way" but that is because Jesus called Himself the way. It is not like the Buddhist idea of "a way" to enlightenment.
Are you a servant of the most high God? Think about the parable of the prodigal son for a while. When the prodigal son decided to repent and go back to his father, he said to himself that he would ask to be a servant. However, when he got back the father was having none of it. The older brother saw himself as a servant rather than a son and missed the family joy of the brother's return.
Servants do not eat at the family table, they do not sit in the family chair, they do not wear the family clothes. Jesus did say in some parables, "Which of you having a servant?" but he also said "Which of you if your ox feel into a river on the sabbath!"
We are told to serve one another. But our status is not servant, our status is offspring, bloodline, heirs. Our nature needs to be that of a servant, but or status is that of sons and daughters.
This ties in with whether we are Christians, we are the children of the most high God. As such we adopt a religion, the New Testament does talk about religion for us, but we are not religious in the sense of pursuing atonement through sacrifice. Ours is a religion of worship and works in thanksgiving for the atonement we have received!
Have you made Jesus Lord? You can't make Jesus Lord, He is Lord full stop. You can only accept His Lordship and confess it now.
Are you a Christian? Christian, was the mocking name given to early believers by people of other beliefs. They were effectively belittling them to be less significant than their own religions. Their religions had real gods, whereas the "Christians" talked about a man all the time, "How significant can that be?!" Christianity is a name that sits among "the other" religions! Does our faith belong in among the false religions? No. I am surprised that the early believers called themselves "Followers of the way" but that is because Jesus called Himself the way. It is not like the Buddhist idea of "a way" to enlightenment.
Are you a servant of the most high God? Think about the parable of the prodigal son for a while. When the prodigal son decided to repent and go back to his father, he said to himself that he would ask to be a servant. However, when he got back the father was having none of it. The older brother saw himself as a servant rather than a son and missed the family joy of the brother's return.
Servants do not eat at the family table, they do not sit in the family chair, they do not wear the family clothes. Jesus did say in some parables, "Which of you having a servant?" but he also said "Which of you if your ox feel into a river on the sabbath!"
We are told to serve one another. But our status is not servant, our status is offspring, bloodline, heirs. Our nature needs to be that of a servant, but or status is that of sons and daughters.
This ties in with whether we are Christians, we are the children of the most high God. As such we adopt a religion, the New Testament does talk about religion for us, but we are not religious in the sense of pursuing atonement through sacrifice. Ours is a religion of worship and works in thanksgiving for the atonement we have received!
Monday, 16 June 2008
The language barrier
If there is one thing I have a real mental block on it is learning languages. I did French at school for a while and couldn't get past the usual, hello, goodbye, please and thank you. I recently started learning Spanish for our holiday in Tenerife, but that was no good either, I learnt the same basic greetings, besides we were told, and it was right that they all speak English anyway!! Although not all speak English, even those who don't are so used to dealing with English and few gestures gets you by!
Right so I am coming into life with a statement, "I don't do languages!" I have also wanted to study certain subjects but only get so far!
Something last night lit a very big light bulb for me. If you want to study law, for example, you need to learn the language of law. If you want to study medicine then you need to learn the language of medicine. Engineering, psychology, in fact anything worthy of study has it's own language. Love is said to have it's own language(s) and of course biblical study.
Here's the deal, for me learning stuff is sometimes like listening to a total bore. You know the kind of person, they stand there and talk at you with non stop drivel until your brain feel like it is going to trickle out of your ears. They have no social skills to be able to recognise that you are not contributing to the conversation and that you have a pained expression on your face. That's how I get when I start to get past the basics of a subject. Like the information is being intrusive in my head. Stupid, I know! Why? I don't know.
It has obviously been a barrier to my learning. I start off all excited about learning something and then I get to the point where I ask myself why on Earth I need to know this! It doesn't matter what it is. Even theology. A friend of mine in who is in his 50s has just told me that he is about to start a degree course. He is like me that he has started no end of courses. It would be really good if he and I were able to finish them, but we always seem to find an excuse to quit once it loses it's initial excitement. I get turned on by stationary. I'm not the only one, I love new books and pens and rulers and all that. And I am the same way with courses. But once the pencil wont sharpen any more, the rubber has a smudge on it, the book has been written in, it all loses the shine.
I often say of myself that I am someone who learns over time by osmosis. Cramming information in doesn't work. So if I want to learn a language then I would probably need to live in a country and learn slowly over time. I also like to think that although I don't learn as fast as others, I tend to either give up completely or master it, whereas many just get by.
Can I change my inability to learn languages? It feels like a complete waste of time to spend time cramming information into my head for a couple of chances at speaking to someone in that language! Other people seem to just learn new languages just for fun! To me it seems like a waste of effort. That is probably the 5 in me. Thinking that resources are limited! They aren't. I wont fill my brain up. I have never heard of anyone learning so much they couldn't learn any more. I don't know what the answer is. I am lacking wisdom therefore I must ask God!!!
Right so I am coming into life with a statement, "I don't do languages!" I have also wanted to study certain subjects but only get so far!
Something last night lit a very big light bulb for me. If you want to study law, for example, you need to learn the language of law. If you want to study medicine then you need to learn the language of medicine. Engineering, psychology, in fact anything worthy of study has it's own language. Love is said to have it's own language(s) and of course biblical study.
Here's the deal, for me learning stuff is sometimes like listening to a total bore. You know the kind of person, they stand there and talk at you with non stop drivel until your brain feel like it is going to trickle out of your ears. They have no social skills to be able to recognise that you are not contributing to the conversation and that you have a pained expression on your face. That's how I get when I start to get past the basics of a subject. Like the information is being intrusive in my head. Stupid, I know! Why? I don't know.
It has obviously been a barrier to my learning. I start off all excited about learning something and then I get to the point where I ask myself why on Earth I need to know this! It doesn't matter what it is. Even theology. A friend of mine in who is in his 50s has just told me that he is about to start a degree course. He is like me that he has started no end of courses. It would be really good if he and I were able to finish them, but we always seem to find an excuse to quit once it loses it's initial excitement. I get turned on by stationary. I'm not the only one, I love new books and pens and rulers and all that. And I am the same way with courses. But once the pencil wont sharpen any more, the rubber has a smudge on it, the book has been written in, it all loses the shine.
I often say of myself that I am someone who learns over time by osmosis. Cramming information in doesn't work. So if I want to learn a language then I would probably need to live in a country and learn slowly over time. I also like to think that although I don't learn as fast as others, I tend to either give up completely or master it, whereas many just get by.
Can I change my inability to learn languages? It feels like a complete waste of time to spend time cramming information into my head for a couple of chances at speaking to someone in that language! Other people seem to just learn new languages just for fun! To me it seems like a waste of effort. That is probably the 5 in me. Thinking that resources are limited! They aren't. I wont fill my brain up. I have never heard of anyone learning so much they couldn't learn any more. I don't know what the answer is. I am lacking wisdom therefore I must ask God!!!
Sunday, 15 June 2008
OK, 3 year - 5 year plan!!
I have heard two different ways of saying the same thing:
If you do something for half an hour a day for five years you will become an expert.
If you do something for an hour a day for three years you will become an expert!
So, either invest half an hour a day for five years or an hour a day for three years and you will become an expert!! Sounds good to me! The question is, what do I want to become an expert in. If I look at what I want to do now, what I would like to be better at now, I can create quite a list, possibly there aren't enough hours in the day!!
Christian maturity, to be self filling and able to love and support others and help them to be self filling.
To be able to make wood pieces (jewellery boxes) that are worthy heirloom status.
To be able to communicate, hopefully through a book, my first point above.
I probably heard this idea of becoming an expert roughly (or over) five years ago. What has changed in the past five years? Five years ago I was writing a motivational daily devotional and wanted to become an expert in that. All I can say is that God seems to have had other plans! However, I still have a desire to motivate others through writing! I wasn't doing woodwork then, but I was probably wanting to do something tactile and creative. I probably haven't invested in this dream everyday for the past five years, but I can honestly say I feel better at the things that motivate me now than I did then.
I am not sure I will invest the amount of time diligently over the next three to five years, but I am sure that I will continue to move in that direction.
I could also add to the list that I want to be healthy, to eat healthy and exercise.
If you do something for half an hour a day for five years you will become an expert.
If you do something for an hour a day for three years you will become an expert!
So, either invest half an hour a day for five years or an hour a day for three years and you will become an expert!! Sounds good to me! The question is, what do I want to become an expert in. If I look at what I want to do now, what I would like to be better at now, I can create quite a list, possibly there aren't enough hours in the day!!
Christian maturity, to be self filling and able to love and support others and help them to be self filling.
To be able to make wood pieces (jewellery boxes) that are worthy heirloom status.
To be able to communicate, hopefully through a book, my first point above.
I probably heard this idea of becoming an expert roughly (or over) five years ago. What has changed in the past five years? Five years ago I was writing a motivational daily devotional and wanted to become an expert in that. All I can say is that God seems to have had other plans! However, I still have a desire to motivate others through writing! I wasn't doing woodwork then, but I was probably wanting to do something tactile and creative. I probably haven't invested in this dream everyday for the past five years, but I can honestly say I feel better at the things that motivate me now than I did then.
I am not sure I will invest the amount of time diligently over the next three to five years, but I am sure that I will continue to move in that direction.
I could also add to the list that I want to be healthy, to eat healthy and exercise.
Monday, 2 June 2008
Conspiracy theories
Do you ever laugh at some of the conspiracy theories that come up on TV? There are some pretty weird people out there with some pretty weird theories. Some have gone to ludicrous extremes to try and prove that they have found some conspiracy going on. However, if you are a Christian then you know that there is a conspiracy going on! The devil is out to deceive the world and we know from scriptures that he goes a lot further yet before God steps in and stops him.
That whole thing sounds like a wacky package for most earthly minded people. We Christians tend to play it pretty safe, we don't want our neighbours to think that we are whacked out conspiracy nuts. The trouble there is that most Christians have lost the plot. They have brought into the idea that the "tribulation" is when it will all kick off and we can all sit back until then. I used to want to draw a cartoon picture (unfortunately I can't draw) The picture shows a Christian sat on a film set. He is sat in a chair marked, "Eternal Security." His feet are on a stall marked, "The Rapture." Jesus is sat in the directors chair with an old fashioned megaphone shouting, "Action!" And the Christian is shrugging and saying, "What's my motivation?!"
This is a fallen world. Jesus described the devil as the ruler of this world. Although Jesus has won the victory we know that satan hasn't be bound up yet. There is so much in this world that is of the devil and worldly, rather than of God and heavenly. Why would we want to indoctrinate ourselves with worldliness. OK, if you are successful as a witness then use the culture, but that doesn't mean we have to eat the culture.
Sorry, this is going in a different direction to what I intended. Getting back on track, come the tribulation, those who are in that time will have to face a huge obstacle of standing out and claiming the conspiracy theory of the mark of the beast. Not only will they have difficulty in finding food and shelter, but the will be ridiculed. Over here there is a guy called David Ike who became a laughing stock for making really weird claims. He started off as a footballer, then became a presenter and then went off into all kinds of weird ideas like the royal family are really lizard aliens and so on. His name has become a by word in stupid!
But that is exactly what will happen to those in the tribulation. It is exactly what we face if we stand up for what we really believe in. Thankfully, even though most westerners don't have primitive tribal religions, so the idea of God isn't alien, instead they have a vague idea of God given to them through the culture they grew up in. Of course the truth is that they have a yearning within them. Sorry, going off point again! I obviously want to explore this some way! It really struck me the other day when I saw someone spouting conspiracy theories that one day they will be the believers in the tribulation. They may well be from all walks of life. Status and position are no protection when someone faces ridicule. How hard is it going to be for those people. We do really need to pray for them!
That whole thing sounds like a wacky package for most earthly minded people. We Christians tend to play it pretty safe, we don't want our neighbours to think that we are whacked out conspiracy nuts. The trouble there is that most Christians have lost the plot. They have brought into the idea that the "tribulation" is when it will all kick off and we can all sit back until then. I used to want to draw a cartoon picture (unfortunately I can't draw) The picture shows a Christian sat on a film set. He is sat in a chair marked, "Eternal Security." His feet are on a stall marked, "The Rapture." Jesus is sat in the directors chair with an old fashioned megaphone shouting, "Action!" And the Christian is shrugging and saying, "What's my motivation?!"
This is a fallen world. Jesus described the devil as the ruler of this world. Although Jesus has won the victory we know that satan hasn't be bound up yet. There is so much in this world that is of the devil and worldly, rather than of God and heavenly. Why would we want to indoctrinate ourselves with worldliness. OK, if you are successful as a witness then use the culture, but that doesn't mean we have to eat the culture.
Sorry, this is going in a different direction to what I intended. Getting back on track, come the tribulation, those who are in that time will have to face a huge obstacle of standing out and claiming the conspiracy theory of the mark of the beast. Not only will they have difficulty in finding food and shelter, but the will be ridiculed. Over here there is a guy called David Ike who became a laughing stock for making really weird claims. He started off as a footballer, then became a presenter and then went off into all kinds of weird ideas like the royal family are really lizard aliens and so on. His name has become a by word in stupid!
But that is exactly what will happen to those in the tribulation. It is exactly what we face if we stand up for what we really believe in. Thankfully, even though most westerners don't have primitive tribal religions, so the idea of God isn't alien, instead they have a vague idea of God given to them through the culture they grew up in. Of course the truth is that they have a yearning within them. Sorry, going off point again! I obviously want to explore this some way! It really struck me the other day when I saw someone spouting conspiracy theories that one day they will be the believers in the tribulation. They may well be from all walks of life. Status and position are no protection when someone faces ridicule. How hard is it going to be for those people. We do really need to pray for them!
Appretiating the blessing
"18"But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day." Deut 8:18.
Now, the obvious way to read this passage is to say that God has brought these people out of bondage and slavery and is giving them their own nation. As free people in their own nation they will have the ability to gain wealth. Therefore, God is empowering them to make wealth. That is a kind of "natural" reading of the verse.
The "spiritual" reading that is given is that God is giving them a supernatural power to gain wealth, a kind of "blessing" that is put on the people that will empower them to get wealth.
Whichever way we read it God is still into giving them the power to get wealth! Now we can read that two ways, one way is to see the "power" as something like the wisdom you will need to set up a business and run it successfully, the other is to see it like a money magnet that will automatically draw money.
"22 It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it." Proverbs 10:22
This verse says the same thing. Here it comes across loud and clear that it is the blessing that makes rich, not our labour. Now, if we look through the bible to see how this was lived out then we can see what we should expect. We have already looked at Joseph. Although he was attacked by his brothers and Potiphar's wife the blessing was still at work in his life working out God's purposes. Joseph said, "20"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." Genesis 50:20. Did Joseph feel blessed when his brothers were attacking him and when he was thrown into prison? It doesn't matter whether he thought he was blessed, he stayed faithful to God.
If we look at David and Saul, the big difference between them was that David knew he had God's blessing on him while Saul acted as if he didn't! Saul allowed doubts and fear to rise, while David stood firmly on the blessing. He trusted God and trusted that he was blessed by God even though he himself did things that would put him out of blessing. He still trusted in God's faithfulness rather than thinking proud thoughts to say that he could do anything to push God away if God didn't want to be pushed away!!
So, we would think it is quite important that we get this! That instead of looking at those who speak against us and worrying about them we would think, "Hey, I'm blessed by God! His blessing is on me, He is for me, who can be against me?!" The likelihood is that you are not feeling like you are the blessed of the Lord. You may be looking at your life but that's the problem, we need to stop looking at our life and look at Him. It is too easy when you get a car breaks down to say, "I'm blessed by the Lord, He will deliver me!" and expect it to be like waving a magic wand. But when you have been sat there for two hours still waiting for the breakdown guy to turn up, can you still say, "I'm blessed of the Lord!?"
Saul made the mistake of getting impatient. If we trust in the Lord then it doesn't really matter what happens. It's a bit like being called onto stage by a magician, who then says trust me as he starts doing things, we trust but with gritted teeth. Or like a roller coaster ride, we get on because we trust the engineers have done their job properly, but as we are whizzing round we still fell all the fear as if we don't trust them, but at least we trust enough to get on!
We really need to tell ourselves that we are the blessed of the lord. I had a friend who said that she had been told she was stupid so many times she believed it. But she wasn't stupid. Because she thought she was stupid she seemed to be drawn to people who called who stupid. There are people in this world who are so horrible they will call anyone stupid, whether they are or not. They aren't hard to find. We need to learn to listen to those who say nice things about us, especially God. And he says you are blessed! Let us hear that enough times that we believe it. We need to keep telling ourselves until we do. We are royalty, others may not recognise it, but it is the truth about us who believe. In England we have a royal family, and we have people who don't like the royal family. Do you think the queen surrounds herself with those who don't like her? Do you think she allows their criticisms to stop her doing her job, or doing it well, or doing it the way she thinks it should be done? Of course not. The difference between us and the queen is that she really believes that she is royalty. She is royalty and she believes it! We are royalty but do we believe it? We need to tell ourselves and keep telling ourselves the truths about us until we start to believe it.
If you listen to certain songs in church you will notice that some songs are sung to God, but some are sung to each other. They are songs that affirm who we are. "There is power in the name of Jesus!" Who is that sung to? God? He knows it! It is us who need to get it!
We need to hear the truth and we need it drummed into us. We need to reprogram our thinking. The tapes that play in our heads that have been put there by all the negative thinking that we and others have programmed into us. We need to brain wash ourselves until we really believe we are who God says we are!! And that is the important bit, God never lies, if He says it about us it is the truth! It is what God says about us, how dare we not believe it!!
Now, the obvious way to read this passage is to say that God has brought these people out of bondage and slavery and is giving them their own nation. As free people in their own nation they will have the ability to gain wealth. Therefore, God is empowering them to make wealth. That is a kind of "natural" reading of the verse.
The "spiritual" reading that is given is that God is giving them a supernatural power to gain wealth, a kind of "blessing" that is put on the people that will empower them to get wealth.
Whichever way we read it God is still into giving them the power to get wealth! Now we can read that two ways, one way is to see the "power" as something like the wisdom you will need to set up a business and run it successfully, the other is to see it like a money magnet that will automatically draw money.
"22 It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it." Proverbs 10:22
This verse says the same thing. Here it comes across loud and clear that it is the blessing that makes rich, not our labour. Now, if we look through the bible to see how this was lived out then we can see what we should expect. We have already looked at Joseph. Although he was attacked by his brothers and Potiphar's wife the blessing was still at work in his life working out God's purposes. Joseph said, "20"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." Genesis 50:20. Did Joseph feel blessed when his brothers were attacking him and when he was thrown into prison? It doesn't matter whether he thought he was blessed, he stayed faithful to God.
If we look at David and Saul, the big difference between them was that David knew he had God's blessing on him while Saul acted as if he didn't! Saul allowed doubts and fear to rise, while David stood firmly on the blessing. He trusted God and trusted that he was blessed by God even though he himself did things that would put him out of blessing. He still trusted in God's faithfulness rather than thinking proud thoughts to say that he could do anything to push God away if God didn't want to be pushed away!!
So, we would think it is quite important that we get this! That instead of looking at those who speak against us and worrying about them we would think, "Hey, I'm blessed by God! His blessing is on me, He is for me, who can be against me?!" The likelihood is that you are not feeling like you are the blessed of the Lord. You may be looking at your life but that's the problem, we need to stop looking at our life and look at Him. It is too easy when you get a car breaks down to say, "I'm blessed by the Lord, He will deliver me!" and expect it to be like waving a magic wand. But when you have been sat there for two hours still waiting for the breakdown guy to turn up, can you still say, "I'm blessed of the Lord!?"
Saul made the mistake of getting impatient. If we trust in the Lord then it doesn't really matter what happens. It's a bit like being called onto stage by a magician, who then says trust me as he starts doing things, we trust but with gritted teeth. Or like a roller coaster ride, we get on because we trust the engineers have done their job properly, but as we are whizzing round we still fell all the fear as if we don't trust them, but at least we trust enough to get on!
We really need to tell ourselves that we are the blessed of the lord. I had a friend who said that she had been told she was stupid so many times she believed it. But she wasn't stupid. Because she thought she was stupid she seemed to be drawn to people who called who stupid. There are people in this world who are so horrible they will call anyone stupid, whether they are or not. They aren't hard to find. We need to learn to listen to those who say nice things about us, especially God. And he says you are blessed! Let us hear that enough times that we believe it. We need to keep telling ourselves until we do. We are royalty, others may not recognise it, but it is the truth about us who believe. In England we have a royal family, and we have people who don't like the royal family. Do you think the queen surrounds herself with those who don't like her? Do you think she allows their criticisms to stop her doing her job, or doing it well, or doing it the way she thinks it should be done? Of course not. The difference between us and the queen is that she really believes that she is royalty. She is royalty and she believes it! We are royalty but do we believe it? We need to tell ourselves and keep telling ourselves the truths about us until we start to believe it.
If you listen to certain songs in church you will notice that some songs are sung to God, but some are sung to each other. They are songs that affirm who we are. "There is power in the name of Jesus!" Who is that sung to? God? He knows it! It is us who need to get it!
We need to hear the truth and we need it drummed into us. We need to reprogram our thinking. The tapes that play in our heads that have been put there by all the negative thinking that we and others have programmed into us. We need to brain wash ourselves until we really believe we are who God says we are!! And that is the important bit, God never lies, if He says it about us it is the truth! It is what God says about us, how dare we not believe it!!
Sunday, 1 June 2008
How many layers!?
I have been thinking lately about how when I first became a Christian I was made aware of the "revelation" of the Holy Spirit that had swept the church within fairly recent years, say 100 years or less. Before that people were content to just be Christians. Since then some have sort to be "empowered" by the Holy Spirit.
So, there are two layers, saved and Baptised in the Spirit! Lately I have heard about the idea that there is a "Favour" of God. So now, we have to be born again, be Spirit filled and come into the "breakthrough" of blessing!
The idea here is that we come to a point, by seeking God and fulfilling certain requirements whereby we are open to a special blessing from God, wealth, health, ease of life. It kind of sounds a lot like the faith by works the Old Catholics used to peddle.
When you look at scripture and especially the people in scripture, you can find some who seem to have "breakthroughs." Take Joseph, he was someone who seems to have had it hard all his life then suddenly he was blessed with position, power, wealth and recognition even from his own family. However, if you examine him more closely you see that he was actually blessed all along. He was favoured by his dad, favoured by Potiphar, favoured in the prison and so on. It was the the breakthrough that brought the blessing, it was the blessing that brought the breakthrough.
When a baby is born you never hear anyone getting worked up because it hasn't got any teeth. I mean it can't be right! We all have teeth yet no one seems to care that babies don't have them! They even let them out of hospital without saying anything! Nothing is said, is this not a concern?! Of course not! The baby has got teeth, they are just in the gum, out of sight and ready to come out in their own good time. Just by growing the teeth come.
It isn't by a special operation that they come. In the same way our "breakthrough" doesn't come by a special prayer or anything, it comes by growth. I'm not even sure what I mean by "breakthrough!" I think that the point is, it's not by going from counsellor to counsellor, or from prayer ministry to prayer ministry. It's not by jumping through hoops it's by growing.
A tree that crack the pavement did it just by growing. They didn't expect the tree to win, they thought the pavement would stop the tree, but even a hard pavement can't stop a tree growing.
So, there are two layers, saved and Baptised in the Spirit! Lately I have heard about the idea that there is a "Favour" of God. So now, we have to be born again, be Spirit filled and come into the "breakthrough" of blessing!
The idea here is that we come to a point, by seeking God and fulfilling certain requirements whereby we are open to a special blessing from God, wealth, health, ease of life. It kind of sounds a lot like the faith by works the Old Catholics used to peddle.
When you look at scripture and especially the people in scripture, you can find some who seem to have "breakthroughs." Take Joseph, he was someone who seems to have had it hard all his life then suddenly he was blessed with position, power, wealth and recognition even from his own family. However, if you examine him more closely you see that he was actually blessed all along. He was favoured by his dad, favoured by Potiphar, favoured in the prison and so on. It was the the breakthrough that brought the blessing, it was the blessing that brought the breakthrough.
When a baby is born you never hear anyone getting worked up because it hasn't got any teeth. I mean it can't be right! We all have teeth yet no one seems to care that babies don't have them! They even let them out of hospital without saying anything! Nothing is said, is this not a concern?! Of course not! The baby has got teeth, they are just in the gum, out of sight and ready to come out in their own good time. Just by growing the teeth come.
It isn't by a special operation that they come. In the same way our "breakthrough" doesn't come by a special prayer or anything, it comes by growth. I'm not even sure what I mean by "breakthrough!" I think that the point is, it's not by going from counsellor to counsellor, or from prayer ministry to prayer ministry. It's not by jumping through hoops it's by growing.
A tree that crack the pavement did it just by growing. They didn't expect the tree to win, they thought the pavement would stop the tree, but even a hard pavement can't stop a tree growing.
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