Focus people focus

An important cousin to passion is focus. Some of us unfortunately need spectacles to get by. There are many different conditions to sight imparement. Some can see close but not far and others can see far but not close.

By making small adjustments to prescription lenses, the eye specialist is able to correct the vision and bring things in focus. My point being that sometimes we need to make small changes in order to bring life back into focus again.

Have you ever wondered why there are some goals that you just can't conquer? Well perhaps it is because there are things that need to be shelved temporarily in order for you to achieve your goal.

Focus will become the fuel to your passion. As your focus becomes clearer and you start to see success in your short term goals, you will be able to get a clearer vision as to where you are headed in the long term.

Powerful passion

Passion is a very powerful force. This time I'm not referring to the passion of love, but the passion of ambition. Many people plod through life wishing something good would happen to them, when God and people are just waiting on them to actually find what it is that motivates them.

When we are in plod through life mode, we seldom wake up with any joy. Life is just a grind from start to finish each day. Passion on the other hand is a force that will push you to take on challenges you would normally avoid, face them head on and push through the problem.

The amazing thing is that you will always find time for the things you are passionate about. Some do this though to the detriment of the people in their lives, which can cause endless conflict. Let me be explicit about this.... It is my utter conviction that the only reason we have been given human bodies with which to live in this world is so that we can communicate love. Communicate our love, communicate God's love..... But communicate we must!

When we take the THINGS we are passionate about and make them more important than the PEOPLE in our lives...... We have missed the point. God's desire for us is to be passionate about the things we do so that we can being Glory to him. Time to go and check your passion account.... Is it in balance or have things outweighed people?

Early birds

My cats love to get out early in the morning. Now I'm not a morning person, but for once I thought I'd check what the fuss was all about.

The air is cold and crisp. The moon is still shining and the morning star is still visible. The loudest noises at this time of day are from the Hadi-dah's. The freshness ofthe day are tangible.

Have you ever messed up really badly and had to face some serious consequences? I know I have. Yet with each new day there is a promise from God of refreshing. With each day comes fresh opportunities and if we listen, the voice of the Holy Spirit will guide us to the right opportunity for a new "catch".

God's mercies are new every morning. He feeds the earth with refreshing dew. He is the restorer of our souls. Wake up and receive God's forgiveness and grace today.

Is there space at your table?

There is nothing more fun than having a great big family meal. The laughter and chatter is contagious and the joy lasts for hours afterwards.

For many though, family time is no longer a possibility. Consider the lonely elderly who have no family that are in Old age homes. Consider orphans who would love to spend just one day with a family.

Less dramatic but equally difficult may be the friend who won't be able to get home to their family because they have to work during the Christmas season.

If you are able, invite someone who will be alone at Christmas to join you at your Christmas table.

When Christmas just isn't Christmas any more

For some folks sadly the Christmas season just brings back really bad memories. Hardest of which is having lost a loved one over the holiday season. No matter how strong our conviction of our eternal being is, dealing with the physical loss can still be devastating.

How do we cope with this loss? The first few years are the hardest and may feel like you'll never recover. Slowly over time though you'll find the new meaning of what Christmas means to you as an individual and look for the reality of the origin of Christmas, in celebrating the birth of Christ.

Then the chain of healing begins. From hope in Christ (as we cannot remember his birth without also remembering his death and resurrection), comes faith. Faith that if Christ was born, lived, died and was resurrected that we too will experience the same joy.

That is when our Christmas joy is fulfilled and we can celebrate the life we have now and enjoy this amazing holiday once again!

Life and death: Is God confused?

The one thing that we can notice in common with all the elements that they all have tremendous life giving power and devastating destuctive power. How is this possible that this God of love who created these elements can have both life and death as part of his being?

There are some questions to which we'll only receive the complete answer to once we are with God. I look at it this way. God said he created us in his image.

Have you ever watched a child playing with building blocks? They build an object or shape, get all excited about it ....... Then they wreck it and start all over.

In God's eyes the circle of life does not end with death the way we see it. In God's eyes we are simply recreated into a new life form. When we die our spirit and soul leaves our body and we are freed to be the pure spirit being God created us to be.

Then more glorious than this is the promise we have from God that at the ressurection we will receive our recreated immortal bodies. Let's rejoice in God's creative and recreative power!

Earth elements: Water

I love water in all it's forms. Being in water - even more fun. Whether it is a bubble bath, shower, pool or water slides, it relaxes and refreshes.

Water is a life giving force and a very precious one. Scientists are already trying to calculate how long our country's drinkimg water reserves will last. The Lesotho Highlands water project was designed to supply much needed water to the Gauteng region, in addition to generating much needed Hydro Electric power.

With much of the earths surface being covered in water, how is it that we are running out of this precious commodity? It is due to pollution and a total lack of respect for this precious earth element.

I think at times we treat the word of God with disrespect. We forget it's life giving force and the healing it can provide to our souls. The Psalmist David wrote in Ps 119 that he would hide God's word in his heart that he might not sin against God. I encourage you to draw God's word close to you and allow it to feed your spirit and guide your actions.

Earth elements: Earth

The earth: God's most magnificent creation! It sustains life with the exact balace of heat and cold. The distance from the sun precisely calculated to allow for this balance. God is the earth's and our source of life. He has planned every detail of what you need to be sustained.

Earth or clay are used to manufacture bricks used to construct homes that protect us from the harsh elements. God's spirit covers us and protects us from harm.

The earths textures are diverse. Sea sand, clay, potting soil, all have different functions. So too are God's people different and diverse. We are all unique and possess the different components needed within the body of Christ.

It is interesting too then that for the most part, precious metals and gem stones are burried deep within the earth. Our gifts and talents may be visible but their source is burried deep within our souls. As you grow in God, these gifts will become more obvious and you'll be able to access these treasures more fully..... I think it is time to get digging!

Earth elements: Wind

Continuing with earth elements, lets consider the wind. We don't know where it comes from or where it is going. We can however see the effects of the wind as it blows. We see the trees swaying and the clouds as they move accross the sky. The winds are the breath of life on the earth that drive the weather patterns. So too God's breath of life within us gives us life.

In Holland there are many beautiful old fashioned wind mills that are used to draw water from canals. Thanks to modern technology we now have giant turbines that harness wind power to generate electricity. The Holy Spirit is our power force to sustain our relationship with God, and to guide us.

Sail boats use captured wind force to power the vessel accross seas and oceans. The Holy spirit will become the power that drives your life.

For all its good, wind is also one of the most destructive forces on earth. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and storms are all driven by powerful winds. When the storms of life come, within minutes, hours or days, they can destroy something we've been building for many years.

BUT, storms do pass. They may leave a wake of destruction, but the do pass. What did Jesus do in the storm - He slept. How could he sleep? Because he knew the storm would end and they would get to the other side. How did he know that? Because he gave his disciples his word. It is vital for you to get to know the word of God, so that in the storm, you will have an anchor for your soul to stay grounded to!

Earth elements: Fire

I think we can learn a lot from observing God's earth. Fire is one of my favourite earth elements. Fire has so many functions and forms.

A candle lights only a small space, but an oil lamp can light a whole room. The bible says that God's word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. A lamp on a dark path only gives enough light to see a little way in front of you. God will always give us enough guidance to see just far enough ahead so that we don't stumble and fall.

A fire place in a home warms the home and creates a welcoming abiance for everyone. The Holy Spirit is our comforter and He brings to life the love God in our hearts.

A flame can be used to cook a meal, wether on gas or an open fire. The word of God nourishes our soul and spirit.

Fire is also used to burn the open veld. I used to think it was just for pest and disease control. Recently though I learned that the veld is burnt at low heat on purpose to put nutrients back into the ground. Then when the spring rain comes these nutrients feed the soil and help the new grass to grow. This is so true in our lives. There are times when we go through difficult situations that burn us and leave us feeling destroyed. In Romans 8, we read that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to his purposes. God will always use every trial we go through to build our lives if we open our hearts to his healing rain.

Why is it taking so long?

Many times we come to God with prayers for things that are very precious to us. Then we wonder why and how it can take God so long to answer our prayers?

Well, let's think of it like a freight liner. A company will order stock from a foreign country. Due to the size of the order and the weight of the stock, it will need to be sent via ocean freight.

The process of getting stock from one country to another is a long and laborious one. Just the process of packing and loading the stock to get it on board ship can take days. Then comes the long haul as the container will be on a freight liner carrying hundreds of tons of cargo. The ship will spend many months on water, stopping at many ports en route before it arrived at the port for our country's client.

The offloading, inspection and transport of the goods to the clients premises can then take several days as well. At last it arrives at the client and can be offloaded and packed into the warhouse ready for sale. Shhhooe - that's a lot to get through.

Well I think the picture is clear. Here's the amazing part: the value of the shipment never changes! God hears hears our prayers and desires to give us the desires / values of our hearts, but there may be many ports of call before our precious cargo arrives.

Never give up on your prayers. Keep standing in faith and believe that God will answer you!

Hanging on through the long haul

Most of us can handle the shorter trials in life. It's the battles of life that set in for the long haul, that frustate is to the point of wanting to give up on the issue and some may even consider suicide. How do you find the strength to hang on? Then to our amazement it seems that God is silent.... Is this really the case?

There are many parallels we can draw in life. One I'd like to look at is a long distance flight. The pilot's are very hands on during take off and ascent. Once they reach cruising altitude they set the course co-ordinates and put the flight into auto pilot and let go of the controls. Then barring any hectic winds, storms or any big bangs, the pilot will leave the plane on auto pilot until it is time to decend.

Then the pilot only chat's to the passengers when there is a change of direction. The rest of the time he leaves the maintenance of the plane to the flight crew.

Well that's what God is like. He gives us instructions to set us on course, then he expects us to stay on track until it is time for a major change in direction. We need to learn to trust the co-ordinates that God has given us and just stay on track. Trust that God will tell you when he wants you to change direction and just keep going.

Building your house on the rock

Most of us know the story of the two men building houses. The one built on sand and when the storm came it destroyed the house. The other build on the rock and it withstood the storm.

Mostly that is taught as the way we should build our relationship with God. Build your relationship on God's word and it will stand. I'd like to take that a step further and talk about romantic relationships.

What are some of the building blocks for a strong relationship. Friendship: make sure you enjoy each others company. Communication: being able to communicate about everything openly. Common ground: focus on the things you have in common, and there should be a few. Your relationship with God: you should both have a strong relationship with God individually and then develop your relationship with him together.

There are many other strong building blocks, but for me, these would be the most important.

Braai time: Need fresh meat

You wouldn't take stale meat to a braai would you? No, I didn't think so. A nice fresh pack with some good salad and some other extras makes for a good braai.

Then there's the company. A good bunch of friends and you're off to an afternoon or evening of lively chatter.

We tend to over complicate Chrisitanity. It's really just about good spiritual food, coupled with good friends to walk the path with you. Stick to that combination and there is no doubt you will definitely grow in your relationship with God.

What's your perspective of people?

I've always been facinated by genetics. It facinates me that although every baby is born with their own unique DNA string, yet we are such an amazing blend of our family members.

In so many cases you will see a distinct resemblance in a child's eyes to their father. It reminds me of a very old Amy Grant song, "She's got her father's eyes." The song was mostly about looking at people through God's eyes.

Through who's eyes are you looking at people? We also often refer to looking at life through different lenses. Telescopes can look at items that are very far away, and microscopes enlarge the tiniest objects.

Are you a fault finder, or do you sometimes ignore people that are right in front of you and keep longing for the attention of people that are afar off? Give some thought to your perspective of people and learn to appreciate people more.

Getting your fill

Have you ever had a meal so big, you just can't move afterwards? Well some books in the bible are so rich in content that there is just no way you can get through it all in one go.

That's where I think we should take our kew's from nature. Cow's have 4 stomachs. And once they have had their fill, they lie down and chew the Cudd.

We need to learn to do that. To read and re-read the same portions of scripture over and over and allow the word of God to settle in our spirits.

God the accountant

Being an accountant myself, seeing the word "reconciled" in the Bible is quite exciting. In accounting, reconciliation brings all things into balance.

Paul speaks in Colossians 1 about the fact that we were all afar of (unreconciled), and that Christ through his death and shedding of blood, has purchased us at a price and reconciled us to himself.

Yipppie, thay means we are part of God's asset book. The good thing is that we are not a medium term asset that depreciates with time, but rather a fixed asset that grows in value!

Our endless possibilities of Glory

I marvel that this amazing God we serve, created all things by his word. Even more amazing though is the fact that he desires for us to know him fully.

Even MORE amazing, is that the full creative power of God resides in us. In Colossians 1 Paul writes that Christ in us, is our hope of Glory. This is a truly mind blowing statement.

We truly do need to open our minds to the endless possibilities that we have if we could only stretch ourselves a little to tap into God's creative power residing in us. Common, tap into God now and streeeeeeetch!

His voice through an inner witness

God will speak to you through an inner witness. There are many terms
used for this i.e. intuition, inner voice, gut feeling. They speak
not so much of a hearing, but a knowing or feeling. In Romans 2 we
read about our conscience bearing witness. In Romans 8 His spirit
bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

Opera has interviewed many people that have gone through personal
tragedies, whether it be through an accident or violence against them.
In so many cases the people have borne witness to the fact that
something just "felt off", but that they carried on with their actions
any way.

In my life I've seen it most active at times when I have had motor car
accidents. I know now that it is by obeying that inner voice to pray
and keep focused on God's spirit that I am still alive today. Learn
to pay conscious attention to this inner voice and act on what it
tells you to do.

His voice through a still small voice

God will speak to you at times through the "Still small voice". In 1
Kings 19, Elijah is on a mountain and he sees a strong wind, an
earthquake, and a fire – but God was in none of them. Then he hears a
still small voice, also translated as "a delicate whispering voice",
and he knows that is God, so he approaches God and God speaks to them.

The scriptures are filled with hundreds of scriptures about the Voice
of God. As we read them, we begin to understand his voice and how it
works. God is a gentlemen and he will never force his way on you. He
will speak to you in a still small voice. The challenge for us today
is that our world is literally filled with things that 'Scream' at us.
The media, Television and movies all impact our daily lives and our
thinking.

We have to learn to take time out to be silent to hear the voice of
God and respond to his word according to his will. This is where
prayer and meditating on God's word will be a vital part of your life.
Learn to find a way to take a quite time to be with God and allow him
to speak to you.

His voice through the word

There are three primary ways that God will speak to you. Through his
word, a still small voice and an inner witness. In this segment we
look at God's voice through his word. Going back to the basics we
discussed earlier. Reading your bible is so important to help you,
not just with getting to know God and Jesus better, but in getting to
know his voice too.

When you commit yourself to regular reading of the word of God, you
will find over time that there will be many ocassions when something
you read in the bible will just jump off the page and speak right into
your situation.

How should we approach reading the word. Well for starters it's good
to read one of the gospels, and the book of John is usually
recommended. Then skip the rest of the Gospels and go to Acts and
then into the Epistles (letters), i.e. Romans through to Jude. If you
are starting out then skip Revelation as this book requires some
teaching to be able to understand some of the symbols and history
behind the writing of the book.

For Old Testament reading start with Psalms and Proverbs and then move
your way through some of the other books. Ask God to guide you in
your reading and you will find that he will quickly show you the books
he wants you to read.

Something for the ladies - a prayer for your husband

Lord today I stand guard over my husband
I pray you protect him physically, emotionally, spiritually and sexually
Guard his heart and mind in Christ Jesus
Give him strength and peace!
Bless him abundantly so that he may be able to bless his family
Conserve his life and satisfy him with long life!

What am I?

In the movie, 'I Robot', Sonny attacks the Police officer and says, "what am I?" Interesting use of words...

I think most of us ask the question, who am I? When we should be asking, what am I?

Well, what are we? I am a spirit, I have a soul and I live in a body. Many of us get so caught up in our fleshly needs and desires, when we need to shift our focus to our spirits.

Living this way can totally change your mental paradigm. Give it some thought and let me know what you think?

Anger management :(

Some situations in life just make your blood boil instantly. They arrive without notice and send you into a rage without warning.

The bible says "be angry, but don't sin". That sounds like a total contradiction. Loosing your temper and "chucking your toys", seldom achieves anything positive.

What do you do? Firstly recognise the fact that anger is a a sign that a personal boundary has been violated. Stop, take a deep breath and think. Realise to that you have the right to tell someone that you are angry with them, but you don't have the right to scream and shout at someone.

Tell the other person that you are angry with them and then tell them why. Then have respect enough for them to allow them to explain their side of the story. In all likelihood you will find that there is a miscommunication of some kind that can be resolved if you talk it through.

Grace that gives endlessly

God gives Jonah a second chance and forgives him of his sin and allows him to carry on with his mission. Yet when God forgives Nineveh, Jonah becomes angry.

This seems at first glace to be so strange. But a closer look reveals that this is a normal reaction. Haven't you prayed for someone to get saved and then when they do and God blesses them you feel angry? It's definitely happened to me.

We need to remember that the grace of God has no bounds nor shows no favourites. God gives all willing hearts the same grace. We need to learn to be gracious too!

Rebel with a cause

It would seem to most people that worship should come naturally once we've commited our heart to Christ. In truth however our natural response to the presence of God leans more toward rebellion.

That's what Jonah was doing when he landed up in the belly of the fish. He heard God's voice clearly yet disobeyed and went in the other direction.

So don't be surprised when you hear the voice of God, or feel drawn to him if you suddenly find yourself running in the opposite direction.

Learning to yield to God's presence and call takes time, but as you surrender, you will soon hear his words of love as well as the words of gentle correction as he guides your life.

Belly of the fish

Yesterday I spoke about repentance. In Jonah 2, Jonah finds himself in the belly of the fish. We've all landed ourselves in trouble at some stage due to our own sin. Yet in the midst of this Jonah worships God and repents and God causes the fish to spit him out.

David worshipped and repented and God forgave him. Paul and Silas, were not in sin when they found themselves in prison, but I'm sure they remembered Jonah and they worshipped their way out of prison.

Worship and repentace release the power of God in our lives and to set us free from bondage.

Messing Up

I mentioned that 1 John 1 v 9, says that we must confess our sins and that God is faithful to forgive us.  Does that mean that we have to sit down every day, take stock of our sins and repent and pay pennance?  No, what God desires is for us to become sensitive to his spirit and to learn when something has grieved him.  Believe me, if you open your heart to God, you will quickly learn when you are being rebuked.

God desires sensitivity to his leading, and his ultimate goal is to have us become so sensitive to his Spirit that he can "lead us by his eye"..... You know what that is right?  That look you got from mom or dad when you just shouldn't have done or said something, and they are not in a place to spank you!

Learn to just listen to your heart and inner voice.  That is where God will speak to you.

Friendships

Normally when we talk about building christian relationships, the emphasis is on church and home fellowship attendance.

What I want to focus on today though is building friendships. We need to make an effort to build friendships. Too often we expect others to come to us. We need to remember that other people have their own insecurities and that friendship is a two way street.

Make the effort to reach out to someone in friendship. I think you will be surprised at the result.

Sharing the Gospel – the easy version

To get started it is probably best you use a hard copy bible. Then
you'll only need to memorize the first verse and you can guide
yourself along from there. Once you've learned the format, it will be
easy to use any version from there.

John 3 v 16 – We all know this scripture well – the point being – God
loves us. God sent his one and only Son to die for us. If he gave
what was most precious to him for us, then that is how much he values
us.

Hint: write the next scripture to use at the bottom of your bible page.

Romans 3 v 23 – All of us have sinned - It's because we have all
sinned that we need a Saviour. Without sin, there may be no need for
God in our lives. Some people may say, "But I am good and live a good
life and treat people well". The truth is that because of our sin, we
fall far short of the standard that God has for righteousness.

Ephesians 1 v 7 - Jesus died so that we could be saved – Our
salvation and redemption was conditional to the shedding of blood.
Jesus died and shed his blood so that we could be saved.

Ephesians 2 v 8 – We are saved by Grace – There is nothing that we
could have done that would have saved us, it was only the blood of
Christ that could set us free. When we accept Christs gift by faith,
it is then that we are saved.

Romans 10 v 9 & 10 – We need to confess Jesus as our Lord – We need to
confess Christ as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead,
and we need to accept that by faith. When we make that confession,
God sends his Holy Spirit to live in our heart and to help bring the
scripture to life so that we can gain a heart and mind reality of our
relationship with Christ.

Reaching Out - how can we effectively witness

I'll admit this isn't my strongest area.  I'm a nurturer and teacher by nature.  I really admire people with the talent to speak words that draw peoples hearts to God on mass and we have many wonderful evangelists today. 

So, if I'm not an evangelist, what do I do?  Well, we need to live our lives with a recognition of God's strength and compassion in our lives.  My aim in life is to live in a way that will honour God.  Yes, I do and have messed up many times, but what people need to see is that we are repentant and that we are willing to change where we need to and that we are not selfish enough to be too stubborn to admit when we are wrong.

Showing compassion to those around us is a great way to share the love of Christ, and somewhere, somehow that touches lives and if we learn the basic skills then for sharing the gospel, then that can be easy for anyone.  I'll share these points and scriptures with you all soon.

Prayer - What is it really?

What is Prayer really?  Well prayer really just is communication with God in it's simplest form.  Yes, there is a lot to learn about prayer as you grow, but getting started is important.  Telling God how you feel, when you are stuck in traffic (and NO, not the bad mouth stuff), but really expressing your feelings in a positive way.... that's part of prayer.  Talking to God when you wake up... that's prayer.

Well, how do we address God?  Well, personally 'Father God', 'Precious Holy Spirit', 'Lord Jesus', all work for me.  You'll find your own love language with God.  What he desires most is for us to ADORE him!

So start talking to him now, he will be your closest friend in every joy and trial. He will rejoice in your victories with you, and weep with you when your heart is broken. 

Read your Bible - Making it work

Never before in History have we had so much access to information, and we are bombarded with it constantly.  At home I have several Bibles all different versions.  These are great to use for home study and preparing teachings, but it can really be impractical for our "On the go" generation. 

Thanks to technology though access to the word of God has also become so much easier.  If you google 'Bible' you will find many versions for download to your PC or Mobile.  My favourite mobile App currently is located on: www.gobible.com (you'll just have to scroll down to find the mobile App).

I want to hear from you what your favourite applications are.  Please add your comments so that I can check them out too :-)

The Big 5 in your relationship with God

In getting started in your relationship with God, it's important to remember the "Big 5".  What are the Big 5?  5 basic keys to help you in growing with God.

Look at your right hand.  The 5 fingers of your right hand must remind you of 5 things that you need to do regularly (not ritualistically), but often to help you to grow. 

Thumb - Your thumb should remind you to flick through the pages of your bible, like you would if you were scanning through a book for a page.  Reading your bible regularly is key to getting to know God better. 

Forefinger - Point your finger up to God.  This finger should remind you to pray regularly to God.  Prayer, very simply is not a ritual, but rather constant communication to God.  You can talk to God anywhere, any time, any how you like, but remember to be respectful in your communication with God as he deserves our honour!

Middle finger - Your middle finger is the longest finger on the hand and this should remind you to reach out to other people and share your relationship with God.

Ring finger - Your ring finger is the relationship finger and is the finger that must remind you to stay in relationship with other Christians to grow.  We need other people in order to grow in our relationship with God.

Little finger - Your little finger must remind you of a scripture.  If you hold your little finger up, you have 9 other fingers left.  The scripture to remember is: 1 John 1 v 9, which tells us that if we confess our sins to God that he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from unrighteousness (or wrong standing with God).

So to re-cap quickly:

Thumb - Read your bible.
Forefinger - Pray to God
Middle finger - Reach out to others
Ring finger - Be in relationship with other Christians
Little finger - Confess your sins

Getting Started

Getting started in your relationship with God is an exciting but scary road.  You will encounter many wonderful experiences as you grow with God, but you must remember that first and foremost this is a "Relationship", and like most relationships it required some work. 

Over the next few weeks I will share keys that will help you establish a strong foundation for a lasting relationship with God.

Looking forward to sharing this exciting adventure with you!