The River of God!

Years ago I heard people trying to describe the will of God. Most used the idea of a cruise liner bound for a destination on a preprogrammed course, set by computer. The passengers on that boat can do what they like but whatever they choose to do they will arrive at the preset destination.

Today I heard a much more biblical picture. The River of God, as the will of God. It is the same idea. The River of God is a river running to a destination. It is a strong current. We who are in Christ are in that river. We might try to swim up stream (against the currentand flow of the river). When we do, that is a struggle. We are striving against God's will. We can tack from sideto side and try to not get dragged along too quickly. But again we are simply resisting God's will. In order to get into God's will we have to resign from trying to do our will. Surrender to the current.

Switching analogies for a bit! An ocean liner cannot do a hand break turn. It takes miles to turn round. We need to allow God to turn us around. Often we are pointing the wrong way. We cannot just stop and turn, we need to keep going in the direction we are going but take our hands off of the wheel and let God steer us around.

Another analogy is that we are like a horse and Jesus is the rider. A meek horse has all the power of a hoprse but is under total control. They do this trick where they tie between a post and the horses bridal. The horse walks around the pole at exactly the right distance. too close and the ribbon wraps around the post too far and it snaps. But the analogy of Christian meekness is like being a horse with our head on backwards. Jesus is our rider and we are looking at Him for His instruction.

Funny how these analogies get weird isn't it!

I used to have a saying, "I am today where God wants me to be, if He wants me to be somewhere else tomorrow, then He will move me!"

Many people had problems with that saying, but not those who knew the walk. To say you aren't where God wants you to be today, is like the man who asked an Irishman directions. The Irishman said, "Well, You don't want to start from here!" Where else can you start from?! To the straight, uptight, middle-class conservative the Junkie is starting in the wrong place! But to the Junkie, where else can they start! We know that Jesus meets us where we are.

We don't get into the will of God by works: by doing all kinds of religious stuff, getting our lives sorted out and so on. That is religion. Religion says, "to approach God get yourself pure." Jesus says, "I will appoach you and make you pure!" That is how we can "Boldly approach!" Not by our works, but by His.

Religious people hate the idea of that saying, "I am where God wants me to be and if He wants me somewhere else He will move me" It urks them. They can't be comfortable with it. But how else can we approach God. There is no logic in having it any other way. "While we were yet sinners Christ first loved us!" or somethinglike that. I feel I have mixed to verses there! But hey, it's still scripture!

I remember a friend saying to me, "If you no longer feel close to God, guess who moved!" God promised He would never leave us or forsake us. How can we think that God has left us? There is a brilliant image in the Lord of the Rings (the film) where Golum is having an argument with Smeagal. At the end Golum puts his hands over his ears and says, "Not listening!"

Does God walk round with a big stick? That depends on what you fear. I am someone who grew up in fear. I was affraid of everything. Not spiders. I think people who are affraid of spiders don't understand what real fear is. I tell you when you have lived in fear of attack day in day out spiders are nothing! Well, to me anyway! To me people who are affraid of spiders don't have enought to be affraid of. (Now I'm speaking as someone who lives in a country where there are no deadly spiders. There are no spiders bigger than your thumb.) OK I am probably talking out of turn so I appologise. If you have lived in constant real fear and are affraid of spiders I let you off!!

We are told to fear God. I have met people who say, "I think that means reverance!" No, it means fear! Healthy fear. Like the healthy fear that stops an electrician getting killed, you stop fearing electricity and you wont be around very long. It wont be long until you touch something without thinking and bang, your no more!

Ananias and sophira were Bang and no more! However, there is no evidence that they weren't saved. No evidence that they were not taken straight to the throne room of God where as a loving Father He could keep them where He wanted them. That isn't wrath, that is love. When a hand goes gangerous, the surgeon will cut it off. Not out of anger, but out of compassion for the rest of the body.

God made us
We fell
God redeemed us

Why do we now say, "You got to get yourself sorted out!" We didn't make us. We don't have a clue what makes us tick. Can you take any child and guarantee to bring that chiold up to be perfect? No, you are just any child, yet you assume you can make you perfect! Doesn't make sense. Only God can make us perfect. A car cannot fix itself. I can't fix my car, but I can take it to the garage! Now, if I can't fix a car, that is a lot more basic in opperation than a person, then how can I expect to fix me? But I know where to go to get me fixed!

Anyway, I am late for bed now!! I have to give a talk in the morning! When will I learnt to not volunteer anymore! It always seems like a good idea at the time! Hopefully, God will give me the words to say!