Age is a Funny Thing! (Philippians 3)

Age is a Funny Thing! (Philippians 3)

Philippians 3.12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. [nkjv]

Age is a funny thing. Do you realise that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we are kids? When I was younger, I can remember being so excited about aging that when asked how old I was, I'd respond in fractions. I may have been 5 years old but I would say, "I'm five and a half!" I never people hear people in their 30's say, when asked the same question, "I'm 36 and a half."

In our teenage years, rather than think in fractions, we jump whole numbers. When asked how old you are, the response is "I'm going to be 16!" You may only be 12 but you're going to be 16!

Then comes the greatest day of your life, you become 21! Even the way we say it sounds impressive, you BECOME 21! And that's where things begin to go downhill. You turn 30. It makes us sound like bad milk. He turned. We had to throw him out. Then you're pushing 40, you reach 50, you make it to 60 and by then you have built up so much speed on your downhill journey that you hit 70!

After that, its a day by day thing. You hit Wednesday. You hit lunch!

A child can't wait to be bigger, older, better, taller, stronger, smarter, richer. It becomes a driving force in their life. There has got to be more out there. But somewhere along the way, we trade in that passion and drive for something less. We become cynical. Complacent. Content. We settle.

Now these aren't all bad things but they become very dangerous when the same attitude creeps into our relationship with God. There is so much we don't know about God and there is so much He has in store for us. He is the God who does exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ever ask, dream, think or imagine. The Apostle Paul once declared, "I want to know Him. I want to be intimately acquainted with Him!" I want to spend my whole life getting to know Him. Our Christian life is about moving forward, pressing on, growing from glory to glory. The minute we decide to settle where we are, we cap our potential and singing the shoulda, coulda, woulda's.

Henry Varley, a British Revivalist once said, "The world has yet to see what God will do with a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to the Holy Spirit."

Is it any wonder the Word of God tells us to come to God with child-like faith. The adventure awaits us. Our best days are still to come. We need to let go of the past. Be spontaneous. Courageous. Take a step of faith and press on. A spiritually mature person is one who loves God with all their heart, lives life to the full and loves people unconditionally.

Rather than holding ourselves back, hiding behind our religious maturity, perhaps we should let our lives reflect our love for the One who has saved our souls and given us hope.

And just be a child again.

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The Fall of Rome (Ephesians 6)

The Fall of Rome (Ephesians 6)

Ephesians 6.10-11 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [nkjv]

The Roman Empire was one of the most powerful and influential in human history. At its territorial peak, it controlled approximately 6,500,000 square kilometers of land surface. In fact, Roman influence on language, religion, architecture, philosophy, law and government are still evident today all around the globe.

One of the strengths of the Roman Empire was its military. The Roman army was highly structured and one of the most disciplined military organizations ever. Soldiers trained daily. The threat of severe punishment was used to keep order in the ranks. Minor punishments included the reduction of a soldier's food ration, while corporal punishment and execution was used for more serious offenses such as falling asleep on duty or leaving your post during a battle.

But this vast empire met its downfall. Although there are many contributing factors as to why this happened, most historians agree that Rome brought about her own demise.

Having conquered the world, soldiers became more relaxed and stopped their daily exercises and training. They convinced their officers that their weapons were too heavy and so the sword and shield were put aside. Eventually the neighboring Goths and Huns attacked and the once powerful Roman army was easily overwhelmed.

As Christians, we are in a fight and our adversary is the devil. It's a spiritual battle. To be victorious Paul is telling us that there are two things we need to do; we need to be strong in the Lord and we must put on the whole armour of God.

It's not enough to just do one without the other. If you take a weak man and put him in the best armour, he will still fall. And if you take a strong man and give him little armour, he is exposed and vulnerable.

The Amplified Bible says that to be strong in the Lord is to 'be empowered through our union with Him'. This 'union' is crucial. Our strength in battle is directly related to the strength of our relationship with God. We need to ensure that we don't neglect doing those things which help build that relationship. Things like prayer and reading God's Word.

Just like the Roman soldiers, when we relax and stop our daily disciplines, we put ourselves in a dangerous position. The attack may not come straight away but it is inevitable. The question I ask myself is, if the enemy launched an attack on my life today, would I stand or would I fall?

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Lionheart! (Ephesians 5)

Lionheart! (Ephesians 5)

Ephesians 5.18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit [nkjv]

Jesse Martin was just 18 years old when he became the youngest solo yachtsman to sail non-stop around the globe. Sailing in his 11-metre sloop, named 'Lionheart', the trip covered 50,000 kms and took 328 days to complete. To Jesse, the dream of sailing was perfect weather, with a nice breeze pushing you along so you can just be steering the boat. His dream of sailing the globe became an adventure of a lifetime and an inspiration to many.

Paul tells us in this verse to be filled with the Spirit. Immediately my mind pictures someone pouring water into a glass until it is filled to the brim. Having grown up in Pentecostal circles, we are told constantly to lift up our hands and be filled with the Holy Spirit. But in thinking about it, once the glass is full, then what? It can't get any fuller, unless of course some spills over the sides.

The picture Paul is trying to paint for us is not a glass being filled but rather of a sail on a ship catching the wind. As the sail is hoisted up, it fills with wind, propelling the boat forward. To me one of the most amazing signs of a Spirit filled life is the ability to move forward in the journey. We are not meant to stand still. A Spirit filled life is not a stationary one. There is movement and energy associated with it.

Just like young Jesse discovered, a boat with wind in its sails can lead to all sorts of adventure and will be an inspiration to many.

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What's in My Jar? (Galatians 2)

What's in My Jar? (Galatians 2)

Galatians 2.2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain. [nkjv]

A high school science teacher wanted to teach his students a valuable life lesson. Taking a large jar, he placed several large rocks in it. He then asked the class, "Is it full?" Unanimously the class replied, "Yes!" The teacher then took a bucket of gravel and poured it into the jar. The small rocks settled into the spaces between the big rocks. And again he asked the class, "Is it full?" Most of the students replied, "Yes!"

The teacher then produced a can of sand and proceeded to pour it into the jar. The sand filled up the spaces between the gravel. For a third time he asked the students, "Is it full?" The students response was a much more reserved "Yes!"

Then finally the teacher brought out a jug of water and began to pour it into the glass jar. The water saturated the sand. At this point he turned and asked the class, "What is the point of this demonstration?" One bright student raised his hand and said confidently, "No matter how full one's schedule is in life, you can always squeeze in more!"

The teacher replied, "The point of the demonstration is that unless you first place the big rocks in the jar, you are never going to get them in later. The rocks are the important things in your life. If you fill your life with small things, you will never have time for the important things!"

Paul went to Jerusalem as a direct result of receiving revelation from God, revelation he received through spending time with God. Jesus did the same thing. The Bible says He often spent time alone with His Father in prayer and it was in these times that He received direction and encouragement. Both Jesus and Paul made their time with God a priority.

Our time with God is one of those big rocks in our life. So many times I've allowed myself to get so busy that I see it as expendable. A negotiable. One of those things I'll get to if I get around to it.

And there are other rocks as well. Time spent with my wife and children, time spent developing my strengths, time spent helping others. If I am not careful, I can get too focussed sometimes on the gravel, the sand and the water only to discover after filling my jar that I've left out a couple of my big rocks.

I need to make sure my rocks are the first things I place in my jar. They are my priority. After all these are the things which have eternal consequences. I need to choose each and every day, "What do I place first in my jar today."

At the end of my life, regardless of what I choose, my jar will be full. I just want it to be full of those things which matter most.

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Eat What You Want and Stay Thin! (Mark 11)

Eat What You Want and Stay Thin! (Mark 11)

Mark 11.13-14 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it. [nkjv]

Sometimes false advertising is easy to spot. We hear those incredible statements like 'lose 50 kilo's in 5 days' or 'eat all you want and stay thin!' If it sounds too good to be true, most often it usually is. But sometimes false advertising is a little more subtle.

Take for example Listerine.

First formulated in 1879 as surgical antiseptic, it was given to dentists for oral care in 1895. It was the first over-the-counter mouthwash sold in the USA in 1914. However by the 1920's it was being marketed as a cure for sore throats and coughs, a dandruff preventative, an anti-shave tonic and a safe way to protect yourself from cuts, bruises, wounds and stings!

It promised the world but at the end of the day, delivered very little. Eventually the company was fined and ordered to make amends.

In this modern day and age, very little has changed. We are surrounded by marketing campaigns promising the world but coming up short. The end result is we get more and more cynical.

Jesus found the fig tree to be guilty of the same sort of false advertising and He cursed it! Not because it didn't have fruit, but because it's green leaves promised fruit but delivered none.

There are too many churches today doing exactly the same thing. They present themselves publicly in such a way that hungry people are drawn to the 'green leaves' in search of food, only to find upon closer inspection that there is no fruit on the tree. People come expecting sustenance and substance but leave empty handed and I think their heart grows a little more cynical each time it happens.

However it's easy to cast blame on the church but we need to remember that churches are made up of people, just like you and me. So we have a responsibility as individuals to ask ourselves the question, "if someone came looking at my tree, what fruit would they find?"

Love? Joy? Peace? Patience? Kindness? Goodness? Faithfulness? Meekness? Self-control?

Maybe if we all did that, the church today would resemble more of what Christ intended for her to be.

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The Nutty Professor (Judges 2)

The Nutty Professor (Judges 2)

Judges 2.1-2 The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.' Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?

You might remember the 1996 remake of the 1963 Jerry Lewis film "The Nutty Professor". Eddie Murphy (aka Sherman Klump) plays an incredibly brilliant and good hearted man who is extremely overweight. Enter Carla Purty (played by the lovely Jaida Pinkett Smith), a very attractive college teacher. Klump falls madly in love with her but realises that there is no way this gorgeous young lady would date a clumsy fat man. He invents a miracle weight loss potion in the hope of winning the girl of his dreams. He tries it on himself, transforming him into Buddy Love, his very slim, stylish and party going alter ego.

How cool would that be if such a potion existed! The amount of time and effort I've spent on maintaining a semi-alright body weight could have been saved simply by one drink of this magic elixir. Imagine a world where we could eat whatever we want and not put on weight! No gym, no diet, no early morning jogs. No pain, all gain.

I think this must be the secret prayer of a lot of us. But the reality is to lose weight and look good, we need to watch what we eat and exercise often. It takes a lot of effort on our behalf. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many gym memberships you have, how many episodes of 'The Biggest Loser' you watch or if you have an army of personal trainers, dietitians and supportive friends at your disposal, if you don't commit to putting in the effort yourself, nothing will change.

There a few people who I admire greatly. One of these is Smith Wigglesworth.

Born in poverty in 1859, he overcame tremendous obstacles in childhood and early adulthood to follow after God with his whole heart. He is considered by many to be a modern day Apostle of Faith and one of the most influential evangelists in the early history of pentecostalism. He saw many miracles take place and raised 23 people from the dead, including his wife Polly. He travelled the world in the 1920's and 1930's seeing thousands saved and healed.

I can look on as a spectator and admire all that God used him for and pray that one day God may choose to do the same with me, but what is not seen is the price that was paid to carry such an anointing.

Smith refused to read anything but the Bible, which he would do every hour. He would pray and fast constantly. He made a commitment to God that he would not go to sleep at night until he had won one soul to Christ. In his early years of ministry he spent hours and days fervently seeking God. He said, "You must every day make higher ground. You must deny yourself to make progress with God. ou must refuse everything that is not pure and holy. God wants you pure in heart. He wants you to have an intense desire after holiness."

Just like Professor Klump, we often seek out the easy road in building our relationship with God. The quick fix. The one which costs us little but we receive maximum benefits. To walk close to God comes at a price. Am I prepared to pay that price?

The children of Israel learned that to follow God comes with a price. God will do His part but He expects that we will do ours. It's called obedience.

Sometimes I think that we wish that God would do the work of Christian maturity for us, that we would wake up one morning and a certain besetting sin will just be gone. Sometimes God grants such a miraculous deliverance, and we praise Him for it. But more commonly, He requires our partnership with Him in the process of Christian growth. We have a part to play.

There is a saying that all good things take time. The same goes for our relationship with the Lord.

Lord let me be the person who doesn't look for the quick fix but will consistently come before You and do those things You ask of me. Let the fruit of my time with You be evident to all I come in contact with.

What verse stood out to you in this chapter?

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All God Things Take Time (James 1)

All God Things Take Time (James 1)

James 1.25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. [nkjv]

A few years ago a survey was conducted in the USA to discover just how many teenagers read their Bible. The results were staggering. After interviewing 30,000 Christian teenagers, the survey showed 86% never opened their Bible outside of church!

What does this say about our generation? Are we becoming Christians whose faith is based purely on the Sunday sermon? A generation of listeners but not doers. In our church, we have the most amazing Senior Pastor who has the ability to take the Word of God and break it down into simple bite size pieces. Despite how good he is, I still have a responsibility to be in God's Word continually throughout the week if I hope to grow in my faith. The Sunday sermon is not enough!

According to James, we need to be people who consistently spent time with God in His Word and then put it into practice. Jesus likened this person to a wise man who builds on a rock. The thing about this is that to build a house takes time and it also takes effort on the builders behalf.

In our instant society have we lost the ability to continue in our labour even if the fruit is slow in coming? There is a saying which goes, 'all good things take time.' This is true of my spiritual growth as well.

I may not see results today, but I know that if I am consistent, change will come.

Lord help me to continue in Your Word consistently. Help me live out my faith in this world and never be content just to sit back and do nothing.

What was God speaking to you about through this chapter?

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