Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A motto...
"Stat Crux dum volvitur orbis"..."The Cross is steady, while the world is turning". (Carthusian's motto)
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Fear Factor
Franklin D Roosevelt once said "we have nothing to fear but fear itself”. Fear is an insidious and unseen force, causing restless nights and robbing us of our peace.
To fear is to be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event. It's a form of dread or anxiety which is always 'of the future' and exists solely in thought and imagination.
Fear is after our faith. It wants us to place our faith in it and not in the promises of God.
Oswald Chambers wrote "all our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God”
So the best solution is to make sure that God is part of the picture - placing Him in the centre of the situation. Involving Him in what is worrying or concerning you.
"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. There is no fear in love." 1 John 4:16-18
There is no greater protection afforded you than to live in God’s love. It is here that you are hidden and inaccessible to the enemy. Perfect love and fear cannot abide together.
So press into God and see your fears flee!
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
To fear is to be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event. It's a form of dread or anxiety which is always 'of the future' and exists solely in thought and imagination.
Fear is after our faith. It wants us to place our faith in it and not in the promises of God.
Oswald Chambers wrote "all our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God”
So the best solution is to make sure that God is part of the picture - placing Him in the centre of the situation. Involving Him in what is worrying or concerning you.
"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. There is no fear in love." 1 John 4:16-18
There is no greater protection afforded you than to live in God’s love. It is here that you are hidden and inaccessible to the enemy. Perfect love and fear cannot abide together.
So press into God and see your fears flee!
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Grace
Bono lead singer of U2 says this about discovering Grace…
"You see, at the center of many religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics — every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace…Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff."
And that is the wonderful thing about grace and about our God! He interrupts our lives with His love. He takes our sin, our failings and our mistakes and He removes them from us.
It is no longer about what we deserve or even about us earning forgiveness. It is about a God who so loves us that He interrupts our lives with the sacrifice of His Son, and gives us uninterrupted access to Himself.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Personally, I'd chose grace over karma any day!
"You see, at the center of many religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics — every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace…Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff."
And that is the wonderful thing about grace and about our God! He interrupts our lives with His love. He takes our sin, our failings and our mistakes and He removes them from us.
It is no longer about what we deserve or even about us earning forgiveness. It is about a God who so loves us that He interrupts our lives with the sacrifice of His Son, and gives us uninterrupted access to Himself.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Personally, I'd chose grace over karma any day!
Move Closer to the Heater
Leonard Jones, from Morning Star, wrote this on his blog “After our meeting at church last night, my wife and I sat out underneath our arbor and had some hot tea. It was chilly so I turned on a small space heater. I was telling her how cold spiritually I've been feeling lately and wondering what to do about it. And then I looked at the heater and I felt the Lord say to me, "Just move a little closer to the heater."
What Leonard shares here really nails it! If you’re going through a hard place, feeling distant from God, it is time to press in harder than before. Faith requires an action to be activated. So just as Leonard had to move closer to the heater to get warm, when we’re feeling distant from God we need to do something about it. Soak yourself in His presence – put worship music on, let it wash over you and just let your heart take you to God!!
What Leonard shares here really nails it! If you’re going through a hard place, feeling distant from God, it is time to press in harder than before. Faith requires an action to be activated. So just as Leonard had to move closer to the heater to get warm, when we’re feeling distant from God we need to do something about it. Soak yourself in His presence – put worship music on, let it wash over you and just let your heart take you to God!!
Hearts on Fire
"You called, you cried, you shattered my deafness. You sparkled, you blazed, you drove away my blindness. You shed your fragrance, and I drew in my breath, and I pant for you. I tasted and I now hunger and thirst. You touched me, and I now burn with longing for you." St Augustine.
That is what an encounter with God is about - He touches our lives in such a way that we long for Him even more. Let God sparkle and blaze His way into your hearts today, this week, this year! As you go about your business, your daily lives - He is there walking alongside you ready for you to see and encounter Him!Let your hearts burn for Him! "Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road" (Luke 24:32)
That is what an encounter with God is about - He touches our lives in such a way that we long for Him even more. Let God sparkle and blaze His way into your hearts today, this week, this year! As you go about your business, your daily lives - He is there walking alongside you ready for you to see and encounter Him!Let your hearts burn for Him! "Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road" (Luke 24:32)
The Tipping Point
Tipping point :> The point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible, often with dramatic consequences. The moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point.
In the vaulted halls of the Vatican, home to the Sistine Chapel, amongst the glorious collections of paintings by Michelangelo and Raphael are three maps depicting the Siege of Malta of the 16th Century. This was no ordinary battle, however, and the inclusion of these paintings alongside the great Renaissance Artists is deliberate. For these paintings depict a battle that saved Christian Europe from conquest by the Islamic Ottoman Empire. It was a battle that defied all odds and proved that majorities do not always rule.
The Knights Of Malta
The odds for the defenders of Malta – the Knights of St John - were pitiful, yet these brave and noble Knights managed to repel the most powerful army of their time. They faced down a force that consisted of some 180 warships carrying approximately 30,000 men. Yet this great Turkish army was defeated by a mere 600 knights and some 6000 soldiers and volunteers.
The Knights of St John proved to be the tipping point for their time in History – they thwarted the power of the Ottoman Empire and saved Christian Europe. Through their determination, the tide of Islam across Central Europe was halted. They had stood against the most powerful army in the world and through their courage and endurance they had prevailed. So great was their achievement that all of Europe celebrated and honoured these noble Knights, and even their enemies recognised their courage. Still today, over four hundred years later the exploits of these valiant men are remembered and the Knights of St John continue to represent honour, courage and tenacity.
Ordinary People – Extraordinary Stories
History before and after the brave Knights of St John is full of stories of ordinary people leading extraordinary lives as they stepped up to be change agents and shape their times. Churchill rallied a nation against Hitler. Martin Luther King had a dream that brought segregation to an end in the United States. Ghandi, a lawyer from India, broke the strength of the British Empire and a nation was born. In our own land, Kate Shepherd forged the way for New Zealand women to have the vote in 1893, before any other country granted women the same right. These ordinary people, born for such as time as theirs, pressed against History and transformed their world. They were the tipping point and they demonstrate that one person can make a difference.
Even more so, throughout the Bible we see time and time again, God choosing the few to overcome the many; the small to overcome the large. We see it with David and Goliath, Gideon and his 300 soldiers, and Elijah against the prophets of Baal.
In the book of Esther, we read how an extraordinary Queen saved her people. Yet her story begins not as a Queen, but as an ordinary girl who “won the favour of everyone who saw her” and secured “the approval of the King” (Esther 2:15-17). Then in her position as Queen, yet still with the threat of death, she appeared unsummoned before the King to save her people. She took a stand, found favour with the King and saved the Jewish nation. She changed the course of History.
Our Sphere of Influence
We may not be Kings or Queens, Knights or Prime Ministers, but we are all change makers. We all have a sphere of influence. You may be just one person – one Christian in your family, one Christian in your workplace but you carry within you the King and Lord of all! Don’t underestimate your ability to influence. You affect and impact the people you are around. You can be that tipping point for change that your family, your workplace, city and nation so need.
We were all created for a specific purpose by our God. A purpose to change the world in which we live, to do His divine will. Every pawn on the chess board has a role and is needed if the game is to be won. Don’t discredit yourself if you are not the Bishop or the Queen. We are all needed. We are all planned for. We all have a role to play. We are told in Daniel that “the people that know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32). So we can confidently and boldly step out and impact every nation and every generation.
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone.” (Ephesians 1:11)
When God looks at you, His focus is not on what you don’t have. His focus is on what you do have. He doesn’t care about your limitations, your IQ, or your education – He cares about what is in your heart. He is moved by people whose hearts are wholly on Him, and He will strengthen those people.
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
Believe What God Has Placed In You
So watch for that divine connection when you’re out with friends, with family and at work. Understand that there is more to what is going on around you than “you.” There is a divine purpose from God for where you are placed and who you are!
“From one man He made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” (Acts 17:26)
Resist the efforts of the world to keep you as one of the crowd. Look beyond the present conditions. Look beyond the obvious and see the future of your dreams. Ghandi did, Churchill and Martin Luther King did. They saw a future and so they stepped out from the crowd and fought for it.
It takes just one person to stand. So don’t despise the day of small beginnings -just keep on being obedient to whatever God tells you to do. Those small acts of obedience to God, those small responses to God moving in your life all count. Small becomes large – a minority becomes a majority when our God is involved.
A Queen of Persia risked death for her people. The Knights of St John fought against insurmountable odds and changed History. Something happens when a person steps out from the crowd and pushes against History. Are you going to be that someone?
You have a place in History – You were born for such a time as this!
In the vaulted halls of the Vatican, home to the Sistine Chapel, amongst the glorious collections of paintings by Michelangelo and Raphael are three maps depicting the Siege of Malta of the 16th Century. This was no ordinary battle, however, and the inclusion of these paintings alongside the great Renaissance Artists is deliberate. For these paintings depict a battle that saved Christian Europe from conquest by the Islamic Ottoman Empire. It was a battle that defied all odds and proved that majorities do not always rule.
The Knights Of Malta
The odds for the defenders of Malta – the Knights of St John - were pitiful, yet these brave and noble Knights managed to repel the most powerful army of their time. They faced down a force that consisted of some 180 warships carrying approximately 30,000 men. Yet this great Turkish army was defeated by a mere 600 knights and some 6000 soldiers and volunteers.
The Knights of St John proved to be the tipping point for their time in History – they thwarted the power of the Ottoman Empire and saved Christian Europe. Through their determination, the tide of Islam across Central Europe was halted. They had stood against the most powerful army in the world and through their courage and endurance they had prevailed. So great was their achievement that all of Europe celebrated and honoured these noble Knights, and even their enemies recognised their courage. Still today, over four hundred years later the exploits of these valiant men are remembered and the Knights of St John continue to represent honour, courage and tenacity.
Ordinary People – Extraordinary Stories
History before and after the brave Knights of St John is full of stories of ordinary people leading extraordinary lives as they stepped up to be change agents and shape their times. Churchill rallied a nation against Hitler. Martin Luther King had a dream that brought segregation to an end in the United States. Ghandi, a lawyer from India, broke the strength of the British Empire and a nation was born. In our own land, Kate Shepherd forged the way for New Zealand women to have the vote in 1893, before any other country granted women the same right. These ordinary people, born for such as time as theirs, pressed against History and transformed their world. They were the tipping point and they demonstrate that one person can make a difference.
Even more so, throughout the Bible we see time and time again, God choosing the few to overcome the many; the small to overcome the large. We see it with David and Goliath, Gideon and his 300 soldiers, and Elijah against the prophets of Baal.
In the book of Esther, we read how an extraordinary Queen saved her people. Yet her story begins not as a Queen, but as an ordinary girl who “won the favour of everyone who saw her” and secured “the approval of the King” (Esther 2:15-17). Then in her position as Queen, yet still with the threat of death, she appeared unsummoned before the King to save her people. She took a stand, found favour with the King and saved the Jewish nation. She changed the course of History.
Our Sphere of Influence
We may not be Kings or Queens, Knights or Prime Ministers, but we are all change makers. We all have a sphere of influence. You may be just one person – one Christian in your family, one Christian in your workplace but you carry within you the King and Lord of all! Don’t underestimate your ability to influence. You affect and impact the people you are around. You can be that tipping point for change that your family, your workplace, city and nation so need.
We were all created for a specific purpose by our God. A purpose to change the world in which we live, to do His divine will. Every pawn on the chess board has a role and is needed if the game is to be won. Don’t discredit yourself if you are not the Bishop or the Queen. We are all needed. We are all planned for. We all have a role to play. We are told in Daniel that “the people that know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32). So we can confidently and boldly step out and impact every nation and every generation.
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone.” (Ephesians 1:11)
When God looks at you, His focus is not on what you don’t have. His focus is on what you do have. He doesn’t care about your limitations, your IQ, or your education – He cares about what is in your heart. He is moved by people whose hearts are wholly on Him, and He will strengthen those people.
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
Believe What God Has Placed In You
So watch for that divine connection when you’re out with friends, with family and at work. Understand that there is more to what is going on around you than “you.” There is a divine purpose from God for where you are placed and who you are!
“From one man He made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” (Acts 17:26)
Resist the efforts of the world to keep you as one of the crowd. Look beyond the present conditions. Look beyond the obvious and see the future of your dreams. Ghandi did, Churchill and Martin Luther King did. They saw a future and so they stepped out from the crowd and fought for it.
It takes just one person to stand. So don’t despise the day of small beginnings -just keep on being obedient to whatever God tells you to do. Those small acts of obedience to God, those small responses to God moving in your life all count. Small becomes large – a minority becomes a majority when our God is involved.
A Queen of Persia risked death for her people. The Knights of St John fought against insurmountable odds and changed History. Something happens when a person steps out from the crowd and pushes against History. Are you going to be that someone?
You have a place in History – You were born for such a time as this!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
What will you do?
"All you have to do is decide what to do with the time given to you" Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings)
What will you do with your time?
"As for me and my house we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15
What will you do with your time?
"As for me and my house we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15
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