Today is raining - in little bouts with short reliefs inbetween.
The latest short relief gave me enough time to walk along two beaches to my favourite cafe - before the next bounty dribbled from the sky. By then I was sitting in peace drinking hot chocolate hoping for the next reprieve - just long enough to walk back to my car. It doesn't always work ofcourse. It's a little like praying for car parks! The traffic and sadly the weather rarely revolve around my desires or timetable.
However in the spiritual realm this is how God promises to work. He says as we seek Him first and His righteousness He will add everything else. Perhaps it won't include everything we want, or at least everything we think we want, but it will definitely include everything we need to achieve His will in our lives - to achieve His desires.
And this can even include the weather and the traffic if necessary!
So how can we know the difference? How can we develop our capacity to know His desires instead of just wanting our own?
Prayer is the place we can learn to tell the difference. As we listen we can recieve revelation from His heart, we can understand His desires and as we submit to Him they will become ours.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Effort in Abundance?
Where is our effort in this abundant life? What part do we need to play?
We have to put the nets out and then we have to haul them in - In other words we need to be obedient to everything we believe God is saying to us. So there is still always work to be done. But the difference is that when working with God (and remember God is always working, He never goes on holiday)the strength, resources, in fact everything comes from His warehouses in heaven.
And becasue of this He gets the glory!
He won't share His glory with you or me or anyone else so don't try and snatch a little for yourself. It will turn to dust and run through your fingers.
Yet, when we do things His way, He says His fruit will remain forever!
We have to put the nets out and then we have to haul them in - In other words we need to be obedient to everything we believe God is saying to us. So there is still always work to be done. But the difference is that when working with God (and remember God is always working, He never goes on holiday)the strength, resources, in fact everything comes from His warehouses in heaven.
And becasue of this He gets the glory!
He won't share His glory with you or me or anyone else so don't try and snatch a little for yourself. It will turn to dust and run through your fingers.
Yet, when we do things His way, He says His fruit will remain forever!
Abundant Life
God doesn't want us to pretend because He wants us to enjoy abundant life. And we can't do this if we won't engage in the reality of life.
But what is God's way to this abundant lie?
Obviously when we die we enter into it - but it's for now too.
When considering the story of the disciples fishing it becomes clearer.
Jesus was in Simon's boat preaching and when He had finished Jesus told him to put his nets out again. Simon replied, 'We've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets.' It was no sooner said than done - a huge haul of fish, spraining the nets past capacity.' (Luke 5:5,6Msg).
They had been fishing all night obeying maritime laws, doing everything right, they were experienced, this was their job. But they had been fishing in their own strength and knowledge.
Then Jesus said a 'word'.
His words are miraculously creative. He only had to say a word to create the world, to bring light. His words bring the power for their fulfillment.
The disciples caught so many fish they couldn't haul the nets in alone.
This is God's way when we walk in obedience to His word.
Listen and hear His voice.
Once you have His word - obey - and the abundance will be there.
Truly!
But what is God's way to this abundant lie?
Obviously when we die we enter into it - but it's for now too.
When considering the story of the disciples fishing it becomes clearer.
Jesus was in Simon's boat preaching and when He had finished Jesus told him to put his nets out again. Simon replied, 'We've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets.' It was no sooner said than done - a huge haul of fish, spraining the nets past capacity.' (Luke 5:5,6Msg).
They had been fishing all night obeying maritime laws, doing everything right, they were experienced, this was their job. But they had been fishing in their own strength and knowledge.
Then Jesus said a 'word'.
His words are miraculously creative. He only had to say a word to create the world, to bring light. His words bring the power for their fulfillment.
The disciples caught so many fish they couldn't haul the nets in alone.
This is God's way when we walk in obedience to His word.
Listen and hear His voice.
Once you have His word - obey - and the abundance will be there.
Truly!
Pretense
Pretense builds a wall around you. You may think you are fooling everyone else and even protecting yourself but actually you are the one who is trapped.
Yes, being real does make you vulnerable. But the more you know God the more you will be willing to be vulnerable. Why? Because you will not ony know that He is with you to strengthen you, bring truth, help, guide, protect and deliver you but also that He has the character to know what is right and the power to do it.
If He is like this and does all these things then what does vulnerablitiy on your part matter?
In fact a person without secrets, who is not oversensitive, who takes responsibility for their foibles and doesn't blame everone else is a much stronger person even though they may be vulnerable. So much so that is can actually annoy some people!
Are you up for the challenge? BE REAL! BU!
Yes, being real does make you vulnerable. But the more you know God the more you will be willing to be vulnerable. Why? Because you will not ony know that He is with you to strengthen you, bring truth, help, guide, protect and deliver you but also that He has the character to know what is right and the power to do it.
If He is like this and does all these things then what does vulnerablitiy on your part matter?
In fact a person without secrets, who is not oversensitive, who takes responsibility for their foibles and doesn't blame everone else is a much stronger person even though they may be vulnerable. So much so that is can actually annoy some people!
Are you up for the challenge? BE REAL! BU!
What does repentance look like?
What does repentance really mean?
Is it just confession of your wrong doing? Is it being sorry and doing it again tomorrow? Is it being oh so sorry we have been caught and don't like the consequences?
Repentance is very poorly understood. It simply means turning around - that's turning around 180 degrees away from whatever it is that is offending God and your conscience and what is limiting your life and then walking toward God doing things His way.
Stop fooling yourself! God isn't fooled!
It's time to stop pretending and be real.
Is it just confession of your wrong doing? Is it being sorry and doing it again tomorrow? Is it being oh so sorry we have been caught and don't like the consequences?
Repentance is very poorly understood. It simply means turning around - that's turning around 180 degrees away from whatever it is that is offending God and your conscience and what is limiting your life and then walking toward God doing things His way.
Stop fooling yourself! God isn't fooled!
It's time to stop pretending and be real.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
God's searing passion
To know God more means to enter into His world - His supernatural world -
Where His ways are so vastly different from ours
Where His standards are so much higher
Where His grace is so much wider and deeper
And His love all encompassing
Yet His love is not sentimental. He never winks,laughs or smiles at your sin. He hates it with a furious hatred and He loves you with such a searing holiness and passion that He will never tolerate your sin. Never! Stop thinking He won't mind. He does!
Do you realize that your sin actually causes Him pain?
As God watched all the debauchery, lies, deceit, pompousness and arrogance in Noah's day we are told 'He was grieved in His heart' (Gen 6:6)
It's time to deal with this honestly. It's time to repent!
Where His ways are so vastly different from ours
Where His standards are so much higher
Where His grace is so much wider and deeper
And His love all encompassing
Yet His love is not sentimental. He never winks,laughs or smiles at your sin. He hates it with a furious hatred and He loves you with such a searing holiness and passion that He will never tolerate your sin. Never! Stop thinking He won't mind. He does!
Do you realize that your sin actually causes Him pain?
As God watched all the debauchery, lies, deceit, pompousness and arrogance in Noah's day we are told 'He was grieved in His heart' (Gen 6:6)
It's time to deal with this honestly. It's time to repent!
God Revealing Himself
God often gives us experiences so He can reveal more about Himself. We need to know about Him intimately to have an intimate relationship with Him. It's no good just knowing about Him - in our head - we need to actually know Him in our experience.
It's surprising how many Christians don't! If they did they would not get themselves into the situations they do.
This is why I wrote 'KNOW GOD MORE' - to help people know who the Bible says God is not just who we may like to think He is. This is why there are so many scripture references in the book - so you can check it out!
He is revealed as a loving, outrageously different, sometimes furious, patient, holy, kind, sovereign, gracious and totally surprising God who we really can trust.
I hope you are like me and just yearn to know Him more and more.
It's surprising how many Christians don't! If they did they would not get themselves into the situations they do.
This is why I wrote 'KNOW GOD MORE' - to help people know who the Bible says God is not just who we may like to think He is. This is why there are so many scripture references in the book - so you can check it out!
He is revealed as a loving, outrageously different, sometimes furious, patient, holy, kind, sovereign, gracious and totally surprising God who we really can trust.
I hope you are like me and just yearn to know Him more and more.
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