Getting of the Starting Blocks

“We must realise that while the new birth is necessary as the beginning, it is only the beginning. We must not think that because we have accepted Christ as Saviour and therefore are Christians, this is all there is in the Christian life. In one way physical birth is the most important part in our physical lives, because we are not alive in the external world until we have been born. In another way, however, it is the least important of all aspects of our life because it is the beginning and then it is past. After we are born the important things is the living of our lives in all their relationships, possibilities, and capabilities. It is exactly the same with the new birth. In one way, the new birth is the most important thing in our spiritual lives, because we are not Christians until we have come this way. In another way, however, after one has become a Christian, it is minimized, in that we should not always have our minds only on the new birth. The important thing after being born spiritually is to live. There is a new birth and then there is the Christian life to be lived. There is the area of sanctification, from the time of the new birth, through this present life, until Jesus comes or until we die.” (Francis A. Schaeffer, True Spirituality, pp4-5)

Not many Christians have gotten of the starting blocks yet. Schaeffer’s insight is spot on. Many are happy to just be Christian. Many are happy to be just born. Many are content with living their “Christian” lives without reaching all the possibilities, capabilities, and relationships. How are you in your Christian life? Are you still a “new born” although you’ve accepted Christ years ago? Are you still in your “infancy” although you proclaim to have come to Christ decades ago? Every moment you live as a Christian, is it a growth from “infancy” to adult hood”? Are you growing out of “me-likeness” to Christ-likeness?

If you want to experience everything good and complete that God has planned for you; all the great and precious promises then you must get out of the starting block of your new birth.

 

The Absence of Presence

This morning I woke up to an instant message from my cousin. She asked, “No post today?” and she appended a crying icon at the end. She’s one of the subscribers to my blog and she keeps tab on the absence of my presence. After she sent me that brief text it sparked some other thoughts.

Thinking about the absence of presence I began to ask myself these questions about our spiritual conditions. Did you talk to the Lord today? If you didn’t, did you miss the presence of prayer? Did you read God’s word today? If you didn’t did you miss the presence of God speaking to you? Did you practice being like Christ today? Did you miss the absence of a Christ-like presence today?

There are so many things in the Christian life that is crucial to your sanctification and it is often absent from your life. You should miss the presence of that! You should miss the presence of God in all of the forms that he reveals himself in your life and if you are not experiencing him then you need to cry out to him for Paul says that he is not too far from those who want to reach out to him.

Make a decision today not to go another day with the absence of his presence.

 

Solar Flare Scare, What Does it Mean?

The social networks are abuzz with warnings about the solar flare. Even while I am writing this blog my social media networks are populated with breaking news about the flare. We’ve been through many natural disasters, not only us but the entire world has experienced a countless number of natural disasters. Millions of people have lost their lives and still millions of bodies are still not recovered from these disasters.

Every day our news media and the experts who are watching the stars and those who are even watching the geological changes here on earth warn us of an impending doom. In fact we could count ourselves “lucky” to be alive because 2012 was supposed to be the end of the world right? And now with the solar flare scare we’ve escaped another doomsday.

Are we lucky or is God giving people another chance at repentance? Are we lucky or is God, in his grace allowing his human creatures a little more time to come to know Jesus Christ? Are we lucky or is this just a warning that the end may be pretty close and perhaps we should start right now of getting out hearts in order and keeping it in order? Are we lucky or is God merciful? Are we lucky or is God long suffering?

Our escape this week and the world’s escape throughout the ages can be attributed to the wonderful, bountiful grace of God in allowing you some rope, rope that is running out, and if you refuse to climb by taking his hand then it’ll be rope that’s too short to keep you from an eternity apart from God. Jonathan Edward delivered a stirring message in the 1700’s to this effect. I have placed a link in the post below for you to click on and download this message.His sermon is entitled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

Solar flare scare, what does it mean? It means that God has given you another chance at a meaningful relationship with him. Take it now, it might just be your last one!

Click on the link below to download Jonathan Edwards sermon
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

 

Cover Up

“A man purchased a white mouse to use as food for his snake. Inadvertently he dropped the unsuspecting mouse into the snakes glass cage, where the snake was sleeping in a bed of sawdust. The tiny mouse suddenly had a serious problem on his “hands”. At any moment he could be swallowed alive. Obviously, to avoid this consequence the mouse needed to come up with a brilliant plan. What did the terrified creature do? He quickly set to work covering the snake with sawdust chips until it was completely buried. With that the mouse apparently thought he had solved the problem. The solution, however, came from the outside. The man took pity on the silly little frightened mouse and removed him from the cage.”

No matter how hard you try to cover up, deny, or hide your sinful nature, it is hard work and it’s also a futile attempt. Sooner or later you will be swallowed up by your sin. Only the loving, gracious and merciful hand of our Master; God, through the Lord Jesus Christ can save you from your sin. The apostle Paul, in the book of Galatians ask, “Why have you began to carry on your faith through the flesh having started with the Holy Spirit?” We all conspire against God, with brilliance to cover up our sinful nature.

If you are one of them who’s covering up your sinful nature through your efforts then you must stop. Ask your Master to bail you out. Allowing him to bail you out is a matter of faith, a faith that you initially had when you came to Jesus Christ. Every day you must demonstrate that same faith in order to have increasing victory over your sinful nature.

Repent today. Stop covering up!

 

Wanted: Healthy Homes

“No church, community, or nation will rise higher that the spiritual conditions of its families. Today our nation suffers from a sickness of the soul because our families are weak. Weak in their knowledge of God. Weak in their convictions about God. Weak in their experience of God. Weak in their understanding of how to love one another. This is not how God intended it. The family is God’s smallest unit in the battle for the soul of any nation. He designed the family as the birthplace and residence of Christianity. It is the place where the knowledge, fear and love of the Lord are taught by parents and learned by children. The family is where character is planted and grown. It is the place where civility and respect are nurtures and cultivated. If the soul of America is to be restored, it will be done one home, one family at a time and in the church we assist that by proclaiming God’s truth for the family.” (Rainey, Dennis: Building Strong Families)

Most Christian families today are not biblical families. By this I mean that the parents are failing miserably at their responsibilities as parents. Today they have abdicated their parental authority and power and by doing so they have ceded that power to the television set, to their children’s friends, to granny and granddad, or to the pastor.

How is it in your home? Can it be said of your home that it’s a healthy home? If it cannot be said then you must identify the illness that exists their and start now, right now, to make it a healthy home.

 

Is the cup half full or half empty?

Usually to gauge whether you’re a pessimist or an optimist you are asked the question, “Is the cup half full or half empty?” If you say it’s half full then you’re said to be an optimist and if you say that it’s half empty then you’re labeled as a pessimist.

So, is the cup half full or half empty? I would respond with, “depends on what your view of God is” If you say that it’s half full then it must mean that before it became half it must’ve been lesser than half. Saying that it’s half full demonstrates your appreciation that although it’s not full to capacity it is at least half full; it rose from a lower level to a higher one,  thanks to the Lord. On the other hand if you say that it’s half empty then it must mean that you feel that God in some way has robbed you of the half that you feel rightfully belongs to you. “Half empty” people feel victimized, they feel robbed and cheated on. They feel that God is holding something back from them. “Half full” people are appreciative of what they have. They know that although the cup is not full to capacity, they at least have something to meet their current needs. They are thankful for what little they get from God. They are satisfied.

I ask you again, “Is your cup half full or half empty?”

 

Photoshop It!

Have you heard the phrase, “Don’t worry, we’ll Photoshop you in”? For those of you who don’t know what Photoshop is, let me explain. Photoshop is a marvellous, sophisticated photo editing and photo-manipulating tool. Photoshop can do the near unimaginable. Some of the pictures that your friends send you that seem out of this world, well, it could very well be a product of the Photoshop world. It is even possible to Photoshop yourself standing right next to Nelson Mandela or the president of the United States. You could possibly Photoshop yourself anywhere and in the company of anyone. Photoshop is amazing!

Photoshop can take away your wrinkles, possibly give you dimples and add a sparkle to your eyes. With a few mouse scrolls, a couple of short cuts on the keyboard and you could very well be in the running for the sexiest person on the planet. In short, Photoshop is a photographers saviour.

You may not have known what Photoshop is or you may simply not have had the privilege of using Photoshop, but we all, in our very own ways “Photoshop” our lives. The parts of it that we don’t want others to see we blur them. We put on smiles when in reality we’re crying on the inside. We place ourselves in the company of people we care less about, but we do it just to show everyone who we’re hanging out with. If you can’t make it on time for your child’s birthday, you “Photoshop” your presence and present in. We’ve become masters at “Photoshopping” forgiveness, happiness, joy, worship, love, peace, and Christ-likeness.

Often insecurity and the feeling that you won’t be accepted cause us to “Photoshop” parts of our lives. For God to really work in your life you must come clean to him, wrinkles and all and allow only him to make the necessary adjustments through his word, through Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

If anyone should do the “Photoshopping” in your life, God should!

 

That’s How the Cookie Crumbles

Have you heard the idiom, “That’s how the cookie crumbles”? It is a slang term, origin unknown from the 1920’s in America. Used to underline a failure of an action, or disappointment in reaching an undesired result, with the additional meaning that the result was not an unexpected one.

For example:
Brad: ” Well, I asked Angelina out, and she told me to go get lost . . ”
Pitt: “Hey, that’s the way the cookie crumbles!”

Christians should never say, “Oh well, that’s how the cookie crumbles” What many don’t realize is that the crumbling of the cookie is controlled by their own actions. Remember what the Psalmist said in Psalm 1, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord…” The cookie will crumble only when you move away from your Lord toward something or someone of your own desires and will. Moving away from the Lord can be ever so subtle. First there is the walking. Walking is a casual acquaintance with something or someone. This is the first step and the most subtlest. Secondly, there is the standing. This is the next logical step toward intimacy. The relationship with the object of your once casual acquaintance has now moved toward a better level of comfort. The third and fatal step of your faith is sitting. This is the most intimate posture of your relationship with something or someone.

Think about everything habit in your life. I can guarantee that every habit in your life started of with walking. “Walking” is like just tasting alcohol. “Walking” is like just greeting a non-Christian guy or gal. “Standing” is like sipping alcohol. It’s like taking a few gulps of it. “Standing” is like stopping and chatting up the non-Christian gal or guy and even asking him or her out on a date.”Sitting” is like buying a few bottles of beer; having a craving for it and you need its company. “Sitting” is like dating the non-Christian guy or gal. You are intimate with them.

If you were to track down how you got were you are you’ll discover that you’ve walked, stood and sat with the wrong things in life, or, you may discover that you are where you are because you’ve walked, stood and sat with the right things, the God-things in life.

That’s how the cookie crumbles? Nope, it’s crumbling because you made the wrong choices.

 

Word Power

Whoever said “sticks and stones may break your bones but words never will”, lied! Words have the profound power to make or break a person. Words are like a chisel in the hands of a sculptor. They have the ability to alter a life in radical ways.
As you scan through your own life you will see the impact words have had upon you. Perhaps you are who you are today because of someone’s words. Word can shape destinies.

Paul says this in Ephesians, “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth except what is useful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen.” Perhaps we can build others up with our words when we start thinking before we speak, instead of just blurting out whatever comes to our minds.
The Proverbs tell us that a word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. What a beautiful picture about words. Words must be aesthetically pleasing and they must have the power to noursish instead of malnourishing.

Take a moment to think about how you use words. Did you know the words, “I love you” can have a profound impact on someone who feels unloved. When last did you tell those closest to you that you love them? When last did you affirm a stranger with words that communicate affection? When last did you affirm a child’s dream by telling her you have confidence in her?

If you have been using words to destroy, begin today by using them to construct. Use your words to shape the destiny of those you come in contact with and when you do you’ll see their eyes light up with hope.

Try it, it works!

 

Compromise

Change occurs through some radical decisions and some courageous steps. Many of us don’t change, neither do we experience change because we lack the ability to take the necessary steps toward change. When we know we need to change, and that change is long overdue, and we don’t change then we’re compromising. We’re compromising courage for weakness, we’re compromising faith for unbelief and we’re compromising innovation with monotony. Someone said, “If you always do what you always did you’ll always get what you always got.” No wonder so many people are still stuck in the rut.

Seth Godin included these quotes in his blog today.

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.”

“On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, “Is it safe?” Expediency asks the question, “Is it politic?” And Vanity comes along and asks the question, “Is it popular?” But Conscience asks the question “Is it right?” And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Are there some changes that are overdue in your relationship with your spouse? Your son? Your daughter? Your boss? Your Lord, Jesus Christ? Remember, if you always do what you always did you’ll always get what you always got.