Faces in the mirror

I'm always so amused by the great lengths my unusually camera shy kitties will go to, to avoid being photographed. It's as if the thought of a glaring lense capturing their likeness is to invasive for little creatures who don't like to gaze at their reflection in the mirror.

This reminds me somewhat of what the Apostle James wrote in James chapter 1 where he tells us that forgetting the word is like a man looking into the mirror and forgetting what he looks like.

We need to behold ourselves in the mirror of God's word, for it is as we gaze on Christ that our reflection is changed to mirror the saviour we behold.

Will you you gaze on Christ today and allow him to transform your heart?

His strength is perfect

So often in life we face situations where our expectations or dreams get shattered.  In times like this when the pain is so strong, it helps to know that we have a God who has felt our pain and can respond with love. 

Steven Curtis Chapman has a beautiful song about this and the chorus says," His strength is perfect when our strength is gone, He'll carry us when we can't carry on, raised in his power the weak become strong, His strength is perfect!" 

If you are facing disappointment right now, know that God sees your heart and knows how you feel.  God said to Paul, my grace is sufficient for you.  We sometimes think grace is weakness, but it is not, it is God's strength carrying us through our heartache. 

Oh please get organized!

Being a natural organiser myself, nothing frustrates me more than other peoples inability to plan, especially when it disrupts my schedule. There are various problems with this controlling tendency.

First, stressing about the problem is futile. There is good reason the bible tells us to caste our burdon on Jesus. Stressing won't change the outcome.

Second, when are over controlling we try to solve the problem ourselves, instead of making the responsible person take accountability. This disables their own learning process.

Lastley, controlling behavior typically shows little grace to the recipient of our frustration. Learning to be graceful during a crisis will require great personal constraint.

Now just in case you were wondering, this was another sermon to self. Hope someone else can benefit from it though :-)

What's on the cover?

Most people underestimate the value of a file label.  That is until the day they need to find something they filed a few years ago.  We are taught not to judge a book by its cover in order to avoid a judgemental attitude, yet we seldom remember that we all labelled uniquely based on our own attributes.

 

Colossians 3:3 tells us that we have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God.  What does this really mean?  This means that when we accept Christ as saviour our old nature (the sinful one) no longer exists.  To be hidden with Christ means to be tucked in, unseen from the outside.  This would be something like a small baby Kangaroo in its mothers pouch.  From the outside you cannot see that the baby is there, you only see the mother.

 

When God looks at us, he no longer sees us, He sees Christ and the price that he paid for our salvation.  God only sees a blood washed lamb, because we have been hidden away.  All our sins are covered under the protective blood of Christ and that is why we can boldly proclaim that we are Christians, little Christ like ones.

 

That is our true label – Child of God!

 

 

Grave test

All of us struggle with bad habits of one kind or another.  We often hear people say, "I just can't kick that habit."  It can be smoking, drinking, swearing, abusive talk, the list goes on.  The reason we struggle with these habits is that over time we start to assimilate that habit with who we are (our identity).  If it then becomes part of our identity then giving up that habit becomes a denial of self.

I have to challenge this concept.  We are made up of spirit, soul and body.  When we die, our body gets destroyed but our soul and spirit leave together.  Our true identity is in who we are in soul and spirit.  I would like to call this the 'grave test'.  If your habit will stay in the grave when you die, it is not part of your identity. 

When you can separate your 'being' from your 'doing' you should be more clearly able to tackle the problem at hand.  Why hang on to something you can't take with you?  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"  Be strong in God, face your habits and deal with them!

 

Beautiful noise

Whenever I listen to my cats purr, I am reminded of Neil Diamond's song “It's a beautiful noise....it's the sound that I love”. Listening to them purr has a great calming effect and brings great joy.

I also noticed recently that they use the same vocal registers as humans do when singing. By this I mean that the sound is vibrated in the same parts of the body as human voices, i.e. the head, throat and chest.

If all creation shouts God's praise, shouldn't we lift our voices to the heavens and declare his goodness. When you praise the Lord, it is a beautiful noise in his ear that makes him stop and listen.

Naughty little rascals

Going out to visit friends at night is always fun.  My cats especially enjoy the activity and upon my return usually greet me with lots of hyperactive and disobedient play.

It may surprise you, but our natural response to God is not of love as you would think, but rather that of rebellion.  It requires a process of gentle wooing by the Holy Spirit before we are really ready to receive God's presence.

Where are you in that process with God?  Do you still feel yourself pulling away from the tender drawing of the Holy Spirit?  If you do, know that this is normal.  Ask God to help you come to that place of surrender, so that you can enjoy the fullness of his presence.  

Doesn't quit fit right

Rearranging the furniture can be tricky. You can only find out if you like an arrangement once you've spent time in that space. I had a location picked for one of the new wardrobes, but after being in the room a day or two, it just doesn't feel right, so it will have to be changed.

Something else that just doesn't work for me is trying to have a dedicated time of prayer in the morning. If you are anything like me, you'll know what I mean. I wake up in the morning and everything has to get done on 'auto pilot' because I just don't really wake up till about 9am.

Religion has tried to train us that we should always start our day right with the Lord, and in theory that is a good practice and if you are an early bird like my mom, spending time with God at 5am is the most blessed time of the day.

What we need to remember is that we are all unique, so you must find a time to meditate on God when our heart and mind will be most receptive to his presence and leading. For me that's at night. If you are not in a routine of spending time with God, maybe you should give that some thought as you will definitely see a change in your relationship with him once you do.

Table mountain coffee

A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to win a free air ticket through my cell phone provider on their summer promotion. Eager to get away from Johannesburg I headed straight off to Cape Town. I had a fabulous week of relaxation.

One day while strolling down the road, I stopped at a quaint coffee shop for coffee and cake. They had a beautiful window seat looking straight up at Table Mountain. In awe of the mountains beauty, I was keenly aware of God's presence in that moment.

I said a prayer of thanks to God for the opportunity and I felt I heard him say, "My child, if I had to fly you 1200 km to have coffee with you, it was well worth it!" Gods has such a deep desire for us to fellowship with him, that he would do anything to get our attention.

Will you surrender to God's call for intimacy?

What's going on mom?

Today I have been rearranging my bedroom furniture in anticipation of
my expected 'new' wardrobes.  I was expecting my babies (my cats) to
get quite nervous about the new layout.

To my surprise, the new set up created a lot of energetic play and no
fear as I had expected.

I think sometimes in life we are afraid to make the changes we need to
because we are afraid of the response we will get to our decision.

We need to be bold in our resoluteness to make changes in our lives.
God is waiting on the other side ready to bless us!  Be bold and step
out for God!

Loyalty points

While shopping this weekend, the thought struck me, that it is amazing how stores have cottoned on to the fact that we are all really just creatures of habit.

A huge amount of stores and even banks offer you cash back loyalty points if you shop with them regularly. Thereby cashing in on an existing human habit.

Our relationship with God is a little different though. We go to God saying, "bless me and I'll be loyal to you". The thing is, God doesn't want our loyalty, he wants our devotion.

What's the difference? Loyalty is given with an expectation of return, while devotion requires a full heart surrender without the possibility of reward.

Thirst

In John 4 Jesus challenges a women to give him water. He then says to her that if she knew who he was that she would ask him for living water. Naturally she asks him where she can get this magical water. Water is essential to life. So too, we need a special type of water on a daily basis to sustain our spiritual walk. This water finds it's source in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 2 we see the account of how the disciples received the Holy Spirit. How can we do this today, do you have to be in Church? No you don't. You can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit right in the privacy of your home. All you have to do is ask the Holy Spirit to come into your heart in a special way, and fill you with his power. Ask him to give you the gift of speaking in tongues which is our heavenly language. This language will give you the ability to speak to God directly in a secret language that the devil does not understand.

If you haven't done it yet, pray this prayer with me. Dear Holy Spirit, come into my heart. Fill me with your power and give me the gift of your wonderful language of speaking in tongues. I believe that I will receive this gift. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Wait and see what happens :)

Rearranging the furniture

56 Hercules (my home) is undergoing some changes.  I'm busy getting ready to move some furniture into my house that belonged to my late Granny Joyce.  Thing is, I have a really small town house, so guess what, something's gotta give!

Some old things are going to have to get tossed in the process.  This is a process that I've noticed happens quite often in life.  We usually have to get rid of what we don't want in life, before we can make space for something new.

This applies to all areas in life, including our spiritual walk with God.  What we have to ask ourselves is, what is hindering us from having the things in life that God wants us to have?  Whether we want a deeper relationship with him, healing in our marriage or relationships, financial blessing or wisdom to know what choices to make, we will have to make room in our lives by getting rid of things that are holding us back.

This takes work, just like moving furniture.  It will require some work on our part to rearrange the furniture in our heart.

Is it still possible?

Many people ask why in our western society we don't see the spiritual gift of the working of miracles any more.  Quite simply it is because there is simply no demand for it in western culture.  Our dependency on the medical profession has grown so large that many have just become to spiritually lazy to exercise faith and believe God for their miracle.

Do I believe God does miracles?  I most certainly do.  There are many evangelists working across the world today who are the living embodiment of the great commission.  They preach the word with convincing power to multitudes and see miracles performed in their crusades.

Are there fakes out there?  Yes, there are, but Jesus told us that there would be.  Many will claim to operate in Christ's power but have no relationship with him.  Yesterday we looked at the women with the issue of blood.  Doctors could not help her. 

If she had faith that a simple touch of his garment would heal her, then we too can faith where we need it most.  If you need healing, stand firm in your faith and ask God to heal you!  Watch what happens next……. J

 

One touch

Imagine having to walk down the road shouting, "unclean, unclean". Well in Jesus time any person with a specified condition had to do this in accordance with the law. In Luke 8 we read of a women who had an issue of blood that could not be cured by doctors.

In her desperation she sneaks up behind Jesus and touches his coat. Jesus knows something has happened and asks "who touched me?" She crawls before Jesus and confesses. Jesus responds, "your faith has made you well!"

With this story we see two important ways to receive our healing. Faith and a contact point. Faith is a verb, which implies that there will be some action required on our part. What that action is, is up to you. For the women the contact point was Jesus robe. For us it may be a cross, a candle, or a handychief that has been prayed over by a church leader.

It is up to us to decide how to apply our faith or what contact point to use. Go get your healing.

Stripes

Being home ill is never fun. But we have hope. Isaiah 53:5 tells us that “by his stripes we are healed”. Jesus paid the price for our healing on the cross of Calvary and each of us have a right to claim our healing. Receiving our healing can come in various ways.

Mark 16:18 tells us one of the ways we can get our healing. It says, “You shall lay hands on the sick and they will recover”. This means that any believer can lay hands on a sick person and pray for their healing. Note that recovery is a process and not instantaneous.

If you or any loved one you know if sick, ask a believing friend to pray with you. If you are a single person unable to get to someone then lay your hand on the part of your body that needs healing and pray: Lord I thank you that you died on the cross for my healing, I lay my hand on my (sick part of your body), and pray that you will heal me according to your word!

Then thank God in advance for your healing and believe that he is at work.

Cold or flu

We all know the feeling, when your body starts to show signs of weakening and you can feel a cold or the flu is on the way. We all know that we have to get rest and if necessary make a trip to the doctor to get the necessary antibiotics.

The question is, do we know the symptoms when our emotions or spiritual state require attention? Most of us do, but we pay them little attention. Shortness of temper, depression, anxiety, frustration. All signs that something is not quite right.

We all take medicines for colds or flu, but what medicine should we take for our souls and spirit? Rest is key to all forms of recovery. Meditation on God's goodness. Time spent in quite spaces and in nature, sooth the soul. Time spent in fellowship with God, in every form possible, in the word, in church and fellowship.

(I will discuss the role of faith in our healing process in a separate blog)

The recital

Picture arriving at a recital for a world class orchestra......with one little problem, the conductor is missing. Somehow I just don't think you're going to hear a beautiful performance this knight. Does that mean that the individual musicians don't know their part? No, if asked to do so I'm sure every one of them could deliver a great performance.

The problem is not with the skill of the performers but with the loss of the unifying force the conductor brings. Great music demands great direction. 1 Corinthians 13 paints a similar picture, for it tells us that without love our gift, talent, ministry or vocation is like a clanging cymbal just making a noise.

When the perfecting force of love is not present in what we do, the music of our lives just can't be played with meaning. Will you allow love to direct the music of your life?

Paradise

Why is it in life that we feel that we are undeserving of the love of our family, spouse, friends, and yes even God? Perhaps it is because in life we have all been through situations in relationships where someone has hurt us, or we have been on the giving end of the hurt and our soul seems irreversibly wounded.

We all find it hard to forgive at some time or another. Learning to forgive can be a long and difficult road. One of the most powerful scenes of forgiveness is played out at Gethsemane. Two criminals crucified with Jesus, one blasphemes Jesus saying, save yourself and us. The other, acknowledges his sin and pleads with Jesus to remember him. Jesus does.

If Jesus could show love and forgiveness to this man who was left with no time to change his sinful ways, we must know that our sin and those who sin against us is also forgiven.

You are more loved by God than you could ever imagine.

Tranquility

I am surprised when reading one meaning of the word of tranquility. It states: a disposition free from stress or emotion. I can understand being free of stress, or having peace and quite, but to be void of emotion, just doesn't ring true.

I have found at times my deepest joy is to be at places of tranquility. These are places where my soul finds rest and peace and I am able to recharge my emotional and spiritual batteries and face the challenges of life with a renewed inner strength.

God himself says, “Be still and know that I am God.” It is when we are at places of peace that we are best able to connect spiritually to God and to hear his heart and find direction in life. God desires that we will be deeply connected to him.

Will you take time out occasionally to find places of tranquility where you can connect with God?

Just show up

Most companies in SA allow their staff to dress down on a Friday. The first Friday of Spring is different though, we have a national Casual Day which is aimed at raising funds for people with disabilities. This is usually coupled with some fun activities. Our company decided to have a talent show.

Initially I wasn't planning on actively participating, however on second thought I decided it might be fun to do something different, so I entered a few of my own poems. I ended up being the only one in my category, so in the end I got a prize (nothing worth writing home about though).

The thought struck me that I basically got the prize for just showing up and doing something unique. I realized that in life, whether it is in our relationships with people or with God, we often just don't show up. We just aren't present to enjoy what the other person has to offer.

Will you open yourself up to being present in your relationships today?

Happy Springbok day!

Never before has the excitement of Spring day been bigger in our nation than today. For today we have sent our beloved Springbok Rugby team off in a massive farewell as they head to New Zealand to defend their title as world cup rugby champions.

I imagine the children of Israel had a similar excitement as they stood outside the city of Jericho, ready to take them on in battle. Joshua stood before his people and declared, “Shout for God has given you the city”.

Israel's faith in God mixed with a massive amount of energy, gave them the courage to march on into Jericho and take the city in battle and win. There are challenges that we will face in life, but if we have faith and stand strong in courage, God will give us the victory!