Caught in an earthly perspective

It is so easy to be caught in an earthly perspective and complain about all kinds of things that, really in the light of eternity, are very small. Here I am, on the way to heaven, yet so many people as well as members of my family are facing an Christless eternity in hell. The bible is very clear:- "He who has the Son has life, He who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 Jn 5:12 and Jesus warned: "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." According to the parable of The Sower, only 25% of people will believe and go to heaven. That really is not good odds and it is imperative that we get out the message, the Good News, that Jesus saves us and we have forgiveness for all our sins because of what He did on that cross.

What a perspective to have, The Eternal! If we could keep focused on that alone, how different would our lives be lived here on earth.

For me, I think it helps to produce humility. The fact that God, the Creator of the Universe and all things, chose me before the foundation of the earth to be adopted into His family is a very humbling thought. If I had not heard the Good News and believed, I could still be in my sin and if I had died whilst a sinner, this would have packed a horrible eternal judgement. Oh for the grace that found me and loved me to salvation.

An eternal perspective encourages the gift of compassion as we deal with the lost everyday, even for some, our spouses, children, relatives, friends and workmates. We're ok, they are not okay. We need to shine the light of Christ's love, acceptance and grace upon them so that they can see how different life is when we walk in the love and peace of the Son.

If we kept this eternal perspective, I don't think we would have much to grumble and complain about. We would not be focusing on and critising our church family or pastors, but rather keep on working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Being saved and on our way to heaven, should keep us rejoicing as we have opportunity to gather together with our brothers and sisters before God Almighty, to have times of refreshing in His presence and worship Him with thankful hearts. After all, what is more important, that the Pastor didn't say hello, the music is too loud, the church seems too , "clicky", or the fact that we are saved and growing in God's presence and love. No one and no church is perfect, but we go to meet with God and to please Him. Isn't that more important then all the things we can critise.

If something is lacking in your church, step out and volunteer to fix it. Remember we have been saved from a sure judgement and eternal punishment. Hell, let the full weight of that word sober you, is an awful eternity for those we love. Let's rejoice instead in the forgiveness of our sins and the eternal life we have been promised.

Rom 6:20
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
Rom 6:21

What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
Rom 6:22

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
Rom 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do you want to be healed?

Jesus is willing and able to deliver us from every ailment that besets us and the question, "Do you want to be made well" (Jn 5:6) is a legitimate one.

The worst condition that holds us back from being healed is the "victim" mentality, that condition of the heart that derives its power from the "why me" questions. This mentality allows us to stay where we are, sucking up the empathy and sympathy from others. This mentality loves the self-prophesying mantra, "It always happens to me" and "Why expect the best only to be disappointed" syndrome.

It takes hard work to uncover the attitudes that have caused strongholds, stop the grumbling and complaining that keep us trapped to begin to call God's report over our lives. When everything within cries out in pain, it's hard to rise out of the depths of the "pity party" and declare God's promises with confidence and belief. But the bible teaches us " Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. (Pro 18:21) We get to CHOOSE!!!! We alone can watch out thoughts and words and we can chose the testimony of our word for either a good or bad result.

Sometimes fear can keep us trapped for a long-seated illness almost becomes like well-known lover to our soul. It is sometimes easier to accept the slavery of Egypt (better the devil you know then the one you don't) then walk into the liberty and freedom of the children of the King. We can lose a sense of "identity" if we give it up but God has declared, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Cor 2:9) God has a better way, a better life and His perfect love can cast out all fear, (1 Jn 4:18) because we trust Him to take us through the "valley of the shadow of death" (Ps 23:4) into the glorious "Son" on the mountain.

Jesus died for us to have an abundant life, not a depressed, down life. He calls us upward and outward, toward Him and toward others. Getting our minds off ourselves and onto others is a first step toward freedom from self and liberation into a life He wants for us. Remember, "Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him." (Jn 13:16) Jesus set us an example and if we walk in His steps we walk in the path of blessing.

Unending love, amazing grace!

Just think on the love of God. What an amazing gift to us that His love endures. It endures through all seasons. It endures through our struggles, through our victories, our everyday Monday to Sunday life. His love is always there, always read to receive us. We know we can come boldly, confidently into His throne room to find His amazing grace. It's available 24/7 to help us. His love, so unconditional, loves us even when we don't perform, even when we sin, even when we fall short of His standard. He waits for us to come running into His arms.

When Adam and Even sinned in the garden, we know the first thing they did was to try and cover the shame and pass the blame. Don't we do the same today? Our society loves to pass the blame, yet Father waits for us to come, face our responsiblilities and sin and ask for help.

We are brought up on performance-based conditional love. We find it so hard to imagine that God loves us regardless of what we do. We "feel" we must try to earn His love but nothing could be further from the truth. His love is always ready to be kind and patient toward us when we come. That's all He wants is His children to come, coming running into His arms and spill our guts, be honest and quiet our soul trusting in His mercy. He doesn't want us to hide from Him when we sin. Christ paid all for our sin and God wants His children to come and find rest and restoration in the arms of the Almighty. He's ready to wipe the tears of repentance away and to remove the guilt and shame and cast our sins into the sea of forgetfulness. He holds no grudge. He holds mercy and grace. Amazing grace.

Let us swim in the sea of His grace as He gently deals with us and calls us into a higher way of living. As we behold Him, as we float on the waves of His love, His nature is able to be imparted to us, until we too become like His Son.

That appointed time came...

But [that appointed time came] when Christ, the Messiah, appeared as a High Priest of the better things that have come and are to come. [Then] through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with [human] hands, that is, not a part of this material creation, He went once for all into the [Holy of] Holies [of heaven], not by virtue of the blood of goats and calves [by which to make reconciliation between God and man], but His own blood, having found and secured a complete redemption – an everlasting release [for us].

There was a time. There was a plan. There was a destiny..when CHRIST came to earth for mankind. Christ, The Messiah, our Saviour, came. This was His destiny, "to seek and to save those who were lost." His plan – LOVE! He showed us His love by laying down His life freely, so that those who believe would freely receive eternal life. This plan concocted before you and I were born, in the eternities of the eternities, and at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

His death and resurrection brought in a better covenant, not through endless works and sacrifices, but a covenant of love and mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Yet like the proverbial monkey who has his hand stuck in the jar of sweets because his fist is full, we still all go our own way. God sent His Son who brings us a better life, yet we choose the life of unforgiveness, greed, covetousness and earthly success, when He offers spiritual success. A life of peace in Him, joy and strength in Him with blessings on that which we have and do.

No wonder God weeps in Heaven when He gave all to save, yet we chose the waters of pride and independence instead of the safety of the Ark of Christ. Our eternity is sealed in Him. We alone have that choice to make "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." This could not be plainer – we choose, life or death. God has done all to bring us life and be reconciled to Him for He alone is Holy, Right and Just. The consequence of choosing death will mean eternal separation from that which is good, GOD.

Beloved ones chose carefully.

A Sower went out to sow...

This well known parable of the seed that was sown in four different soils has been much talked about and discussed.

Interesting the sower scatters the seed and it falls in different places and so begins a journey of the life of the seed and subsequent harvest or lack of harvest. This is encouraging in the fact that God has given us the job to scatter "seed" but even as the sower does not stress about where the seed falls, so we too need not fuss. The seed will do its own work in a heart that is willing or perhaps lie dormant until the right conditions are met.

The sower is scattering the same kind of seed. The seed has the same potential, the same life and the only difference is how it is received. The same seed is capable of producing 100% harvest dependent upon where it falls. The most harvest is produced in the soil that hears and understands what potential there is in the seed.

Jesus told us that His words are spirit and life and it is in allowing the seed of the word, the life in it, to work in all our situations. We are called to be doer's of the word and not just hearers. James likens those who hear the word and do nothing with it like those who look in a mirror and then walk away forgetting what they look like.

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. Jas 1:25

We are blessed when we listen and obey the Word. Sometimes we can read a passage of the bible and wish we hadn't opened to that section as it seems that it is too hard a struggle for us to do. We need to remember that if God is commanding us to do, than He has also equipped us with the power with which to do it. The Seed (Christ) dwells in us and so does the anointing to accomplish His Word.

I find it really interesting that God has called His Son, The Seed. Think about this. If you plant tomato seeds you will harvest tomatoes in time. Everything, all the DNA, the life and all the information is contained in that seed to produce tomatoes. So everything of Christ, as The Seed (and as the amplified bible puts it, the divine sperm of the Almighty), dwells in us producing Christ likeness when the seed is watered by our affection and obedience to it.

As the apostle John so amply put it:-

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 1Jn 3:9

As with all sowing, there is a waiting time until the harvest. This is where the word encourages us not to be weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap. (Gal 6:9) If we remain faithful to the Word, leaning on the Holy Spirit to help us and empower us, we will produce a harvest, some 30, some 60 and some 100%, but a harvest nevertheless that will glorify the Son by producing fruits of righteousness, peace and joy in our lives. A great thing about harvests is the more we sow, the more we will reap. The more we listen and obey, a greater harvest of fruitfulness will be seen.

No Spirit of Fear

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. Heb 10:24-25

With all the natural disasters around the world, surely people are beginning to wonder what is happening. Our world which seemed stable is seemingly being hit in all directions with earthquakes, cyclones, floods and even financial disasters. Jesus warned us in Matthew and Luke that these days would come and explained that it would be the start of birth pangs for the day of sorrow, the tribulation that is to come upon the whole world. It would seem that the day of the Lord approaches, and although the term "end of the age" has been thrown around since the disciples walked the earth, there is particular need for us not get blasé but more and more to look up as our salvation draws nigh.

Church this is the time that we should, as the children of God, rise together and do what the bible tells us to do. This is the time, like never before, to humble ourselves, seek God's face and pray for the nations and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the people of the world. This is the time that we should encourage each other, knowing that the days are dark and the love of many will grow cold with the increase of lawlessness that abounds. More and more the Church of the Living God needs to unite together and encourage each other to live for Jesus, to be the light, to stand for righteousness and intercede on behalf of all for God's mercy and grace.

We are living in days of fear, crippling fear, where the future is unpredictable and yet we can stay in peace, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."(2Ti 1:7) We know the One who holds our future securely in His Hands.

They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them. Psa 112:7

I would encourage you, if you are not committed to your local church, get committed. I would encourage you, if you are not reading the Word every day, begin to. Don't wait for disaster to strike before you go before God for help. The Word needs to be banked in your heart and soul so that the Holy Spirit can bring it to you at the appropriate times and keep your mind at peace. If you are not committed to Jesus, it's time to get committed. Don't sit on the fence any more, it's not just you and your families lives at stake, but others. Pray, pray and pray and no longer live for yourself.

Like all labour pains, they begin slow and come to a crescendo. This seems to be happening in the world, and I don't want to be a "prophet of doom", but we need to support each other, love each other and pray for the salvation of others like never before. Remember,

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Joh 3:16

Because He gave, we were saved. Let us now give our time, our talents, our love, our allegiance to our God so that others may hear about the Life and Hope we have in Him.

Jesus Alone

New Age philosophy is sweeping into the church and winding its tentacles of confusion and bondage around the hearts of people everywhere. Not that this philosophy is new at all, just packaged with a new name, but was seen right back in the Garden of Eden where innocence was lost and Adam and Eve's eyes were open to good and evil. Right back in the garden, Eve misquoted God's Word, when satan introduced his seductive lie that would appeal to the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Gen 2:16 -17

Eve misquoted God because her emphasis was on what she couldn't have whereas God's emphasis was on all the blessings they could enjoy, every tree but one. In twisting God's Word, satan managed to take Eve's attention off the blessings to lust for the fruit (which she could not have –lust of the flesh) and seeing the fruit looked good to eat (lust of the eyes) and, "a tree desirable to make one wise" (the pride of life), she succumbed to the temptation, tasted and offered it to Adam who also partook. It was in that instant they knew sin experientially and the whole human race has been infected with the disease of sin ever since.

John the apostle warned in his epistle:-

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1Jn 2:-15-17

The world's philosophy is totally opposed to God. Of all, desiring to be like God, has appealed to the flesh and leads us into all kinds of evil. Many people are caught up in the New Age philosophy that we can find the "god" within us. John warned the church of his day to look out for those who came, and who he dubbed as having a spirit of anti-christ, who preached a false doctrine and who had departed from the fellowship so that they could spread their lies and gain a following. (1 Jn 2:19) They come preaching a different message to the one the disciples preached, a message, often divine, that has been given to them only. They denied the faith and that Jesus is the Christ who came in the flesh. This deceit is still around today and denying the deity of Christ, people deny that Jesus is THE only way to heaven and is THE truth. Truth has become relative and countless souls will be lost for eternity believing this. The bible is quite clear, that

"He who has the Son has life; He who does not have the Son of God does not have life" I Jn 5:12

And again Jesus Himself said:-

"You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not.

That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, you will die in your sins." Joh 8:23-24

John assures us that we need not be taken captive by these lies if we abide in the Word, and that the message that we have heard from the beginning abides in us. (1 Jn 2:24-26) We also have the greatest teacher to guide us into all truth and that is the Holy Spirit in us. John tells us to "test the spirits" and it is the Holy Spirit who gives us discernment by the "Anointing" or the unction of the Spirit in us. (1 Jn 2:27) The Holy Spirit teaches us all things. (1 Jn 2:27) The bible tells us that "there is nothing new under the sun", so when someone comes preaching some new truth, we need to test it against the Holy Scriptures (which is what the Berean believers did. Acts 17:11)

The Christian message is simple yet true and can be trusted. We are sinners and we needed a Saviour. God (as in Jesus) came in the flesh and die a horrific death on a cross to save us and reconcile us to God. When we believe in Jesus, He gives us eternal life. People don't like to consider that the alternative to Heaven is Hell but think about this, if there was another way or if all "good" people go to heaven, why did Jesus have to go through all He did for us?