WHY DO I HAVE TO STRUGGLE, EVEN WHEN I'M DOING GOOD?

"If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master."

1 Peter 3:13-14 (MSG)

Life never operates according to the calendar.  We try to plan and hope that things will happen according to the time-frames that we envisage - but that seldom ever happens. Ever.  The reason for this is because we cannot completely control what happens, that's GOD's job.

Regardless of this fact, we still try.

What we read above tells us that even if we do good stuff, life may not proceed according to our plans.  There is an incorrect world philosophy that says "if you do good things, good things will happen to you".  The problem with this egocentric take is that it puts the perception of absolute control into our hands... and we know that we can never have absolute control, again, that's GOD's responsibility.

Here's an awesome quote to chew on...

"The purpose of {Christianity} is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes.  It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life."

James Christensen

So, what does doing good do?

HAVE YOU MADE YOUR PLANS?

"Commit your plans to the Lord and you will succeed!"

Prov 16:3

I have encountered many people who live life day-to-day and call it faith. They use scripture to say do not worry about tomorrow, and then prefer not to think about it. They rationalise it by thinking that GOD knows what will happen and He will look out for us, which is true, but it's only half the story.

I ask myself; is this the way that GOD would have us wisely manage His resources? Is time not the rarest resource we have? When we lose loved ones, a common feeling is that we wish we could have had more time with them. Time to learn, time to tell how much we loved them, time just to be together. So how can we make the best use of this time?

The scripture from Proverbs starts off by telling us to commit our plans. That means... we probably need to be making plans! Logically, if you don't have plans, you can't commit them to the Lord.  So, is this in contradiction to the scripture in Mat 6:34? I don't think so, the Bible clearly tells us not to worry and not to be anxious but this doesn't mean that we shouldn't have plans.  The rest of the scripture in v34 goes on to say that today has enough concerns for itself.  In other words, the scripture is saying that our focus should be on today.  But... then why make plans for tomorrow?

WORSHIP WHEN PLANS CHANGE

"He must become greater; I must become less."

John the Baptist (John 3:30)

So here I sit, with 15 minutes left to board a flight for Durban.  Everything is on track; for once - no delays, all is going according to schedule.  Except, I left my wallet (and ID) at home.  My first response?  Panic!  The next flight is in five hours time.  I frantically phoned my lift to check the car, just to confirm that it wasn't there.  I then phoned my wife, who confirmed that my wallet was indeed at home; 20 minutes one-way...

As the realisation sinks in that I've woken up at 04:30 all for nothing, I am reminded of GOD's overriding control of everything.  My mind fights it and tries to remind me that the situation that I'm in is my fault, not GOD's.  I should worry - that's natural!  I should blame myself - that's what any sane person should do!

But then the Spirit reminds me that GOD is greater than my absent mindedness, His presence shines through the holes of my inadequacies.  I don't need to ask GOD to make a plan, because He has already made a plan.  My plan was to board the 06:15 flight, because I had meetings at 08:00.  My plan was spend the morning in Durban.  My plan should've been to remember my wallet.

GOD's plan?  For me to worship Him.  That's all I have to do.  Worry about a missed flight?  Certainly not.  Worry about missed meetings?  Certainly not!  GOD wants me to relax and rest in His presence.  He has His plans, and those are more important than mine.  It's that simple.

WORSHIP OUTSHINES WORRY

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

 Phil 4:6-7 (MSG)

What was the climax of your day/week/month?  I know that if I'm honest with myself (which is not always easy!!) my mind tries to highlight the trials, challenges and worries.  I think things like "Well, I lost a client, but I'm working really hard to get another one", or "I still haven't forgiven myself for..., but I know that I must."

We're programmed to overcome, we're wired in such a way that we naturally need to fix and triumph in difficulties and hardships.  Our natural inclination is not to just sit back and relax - even if we are from Cape Town... it's just not natural.

WORSHIP BIGGER!

As we move forward in our life, one of two things happen; either our passion for Jesus grows or we find that it fizzles out!  Unfortunately, the latter is true for many of us.  I believe that the key to keeping our relationship with our GOD full of passion and challenge lies in worship: daily, true, heartfelt encounters with our Creator. (John 4:24)

Jesus had this to say about devotion...

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other."

So - part of our devotion (or worship) is shown through our service.

In the Greek translation of the New Testament, the word latreuo is sometimes used for worship.  It means "to serve" and is similar to the root word for liturgy (order of worship).  This word is found in Rom 12:1b "...offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."  True worship happens when we serve!

In the Old Testament, we find the word abad is used for worship.  In Deut 6:13 - "Serve  and worship (abad) him [your GOD] exclusively."  Jesus quoted this when the devil was tempting Him to forsake His worship of GOD and bow down to him.

Victim to Victory

Today's post is one of significant personal battle.  It's easy to encourage others to forgive and not hold onto hurts.  But when it happened to me, of such deep and overwhelming hurt, I had to go on a journey with GOD where I couldn't do anything for myself.  I relied on Him completely and worshipped Him in the heart of my pain; in the middle of being a victim GOD was my rock and my salvation.  He was my song.  Or so I thought.

The truth was that He was 'most of' my song.  Deep inside my heart was a hardened spot where I'd been hurt.  I thought it was small enough to be left alone, but it was not.

GOD spoke to me very profoundly and challenged me with this scripture from Jesus in Matthew 5:

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," (v44)

The Guilt Conversation

A walk through the halls of the Bank of Evil... with Gru. (Despicable Me)

Most of the time, we miss out on the abundance of GOD because we spend our energy in the guilt conversation.  We become our own joy-stealer, engaging in an internal mental debate that only brings us more hurt, discouragement and diminished self-worth. It weighs down heavily on us and is a burden that we were never meant to carry.

Why? Because guilt is not of GOD. Guilt is not productive and it does not bring about peace.

"God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again."

John 3:17

It starts when we try to rationalise the choices that we make that we know are not of GOD (aka sin). When we know something is not right, we are being convicted. When we start to argue against it, we enter the guilt conversation and we begin to feel guilty.  We become susceptible to feelings of worry, our patience wears thin and this is where we lose our joy!

10 COMMANDMENTS OR 2?

 

Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

Mat 22:37-40

Critics love to poke holes at the congruency of the Bible, saying that it contradicts itself.  Here is a prime example of the Bible saying one thing in the Old Testament and then something else in the New Testament!

To better understand this, it helps to go back to Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy...  too much?  Indeed, there’s a lot in there.  But this was ‘The Law’.  It contains the 613 mitzvah (rules/commandments/law/words) that every Jewish child needs to learn when they become sons and daughters of the law (bar/bat mitzvah) and take on the responsibility of following GOD.  The 10 Mitzvah in Exodus 20 are known as The Ten Words.

As a Christian, I was only taught ten commandments at Sunday School, not six hundred!  And right there, under the guise of sweet innocence, our foundational teachings in the Christian faith skew our perceptions and understanding of our relationship with GOD.  Instead of us viewing these commandments (10 or 613, doesn’t actually matter) as a checklist to chastity, we should see them as a profile for what life should look like when we love our GOD with all our heart, mind and soul.  

However, instead, we draw pictures and learn the 10 off by-heart, believing that we are now better, somehow closer to GOD.  The flip side is that we feel terrible and worthless when we can't keep them.  The problem:  we will never be able to keep them all.  The solution: Jesus Christ - Grace.

A Leadership Challenge

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under GOD’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

1 Pet 5:6-7

In my time in GOD’s beautiful church, I have found that all too often people step out of the boat because they’re sick and tired of the other disciples… not because their eyes are fixed on Jesus… and they land up sinking in the waves.  This awesome scripture from Peter’s first epistle speaks to a few aspects of leadership and worship, leadership traits that are fundamental to solid, long-term growth and maturity, not only for ourselves, but also for the Church!

Peter reminds us of the importance of humility in response to GOD’s might.  When we worship, we sometimes fall into the trap of equating ourselves to GOD.  This happens when the balance is interrupted by the bias of our friend and brother in Christ.  We must never forget the reverence and awe that makes worship necessary.  We have access to worship because of our joint-heirship with Christ, but worship is required because of the Majesty, Mercy and Grace of GOD, through Jesus Christ.  This humility also reminds us that what we have and where we are is only because of GOD’s Grace, and not because of the Law or our own abilities and works.

We then read that GOD is the one who lifts us up.  GOD is the one that calls to us, from the waves, and invites us to step out.  If we decide that the boat is too crowded, too smelly or too opinionated, we’ll step out before the time is right for growth and maturity.  Sometimes this means waiting a few weeks; sometimes it means waiting a few years.  GOD first spoke to me through this scripture three years ago… and only recently have I felt His promotion (the Message says “He’ll promote you at the right time”).  It’s like GOD wants to make sure we’re in it for the long haul!

GOD wants to know YOU

  

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

John 14:9

Vicar.  A word you know; a word that I know.  But, do we actually know what it means?  Many may answer that vicar means priest or minister - as in the leader of a church.  The sobering truth is that it actually means something quite different...

Priest is fairly close, but in the sense of "one who stands between".  Vicar is a shortened version of the word vicarious, which means "serving instead of someone or something else".  It can be argued that vicar is a good word since we often experience GOD through our church leaders, we experience worship and teaching through their gifting.

I WILL ANSWER

'Call to me and I will answer you.  I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.'

Jer 33:3

I love this verse for two reasons:


Firstly - the assurance that GOD will answer us.  As Christians we often find it hard to believe that GOD will answer our every call - especially when we haven't quite lived up to our end of the 'bargain'.  It's this mindset that limits what GOD is able to do through us because we live with a 'law' mindset.  In the Old Testament you had to pay a price in order to have your transgressions absolved and be able to plead with GOD.

Jesus' death and resurrection changed all of that - so why, then, do we still think in the same way?  I believe that it's because we listen to the Devil when he tells us that we're not good enough.  It takes very little for us to believe that GOD won't take note of our call because we don't deserve His attention.

Light armour

Copyright Protected. Kelvin Joseph.

"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light."

Rom 13:12

Jesus calls us to be a light to the world by doing good so that people will give GOD the glory for what they are seeing. Then, in John 18:12 Jesus says that He is the Light of the world and that those who choose to follow Him will never walk in darkness.  Why would Jesus say that we are to be the light of the world and then later say that He is the light of the world?

It's because He is giving us a portrait of worship - doing as He did in order to bring Glory to GOD!  One of the most attractive characteristics of Jesus is that He never asks us to do or endure anything that He Himself has not already experienced.

Jesus wanted to show the Jews that worship wasn't about meeting at the temple, it's not about paying the right tax - it's about walking in worship.  It's about embracing our redeemed identity in Christ in order to wear the armour of light.

Why then, do we find ourselves walking in darkness?

Strength to my hands

"Energize the limp hands, strengthen the rubbery knees.
Tell fearful souls, "Courage! Take heart! God is here, right here, on His way to put things right And redress all wrongs.  He's on his way! He'll save you!"

Is 35:4

As we near the end of the year, it's a time when we start to feel drained and hardpressed (2 Cor 4:8) and start to wonder why life can be so difficult.  Why do we have to be surrounded by so many difficult people when we feel like we have so little strength left to make it through?

The Two Farmers

"These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name."
Rev 3:7-8

Persist. Persevere. Prevail.

"Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

James 1:4

I AM A CHILD OF THE KING

"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
   I've called your name.

You're mine. "

Isaiah 43:1

(THE MESSAGE)

(This is part 5 - click here for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) 

I HAVE A NAME

(c) www.visualphotos.com

(This is part 4 - click here for part 1, part 2, part 3) 

How do you feel when you are called by your name?  Does it matter who calls it?  Your mother?  Your boss?  The doctor?  Your partner?  When you hear other names, do you think of specific people?

I have two kids and my wife and I thought long and hard about their names… we wanted a biblical name and a family name because we wanted their identities to be routed in GOD and routed in their family.  Although your name is not your whole identity, it is a part of it, and GOD knows it!

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are mine."

Isaiah 43:1 (NKJV)

Imagine being alone, nobody around; you’re walking on a deserted salt-pan.  The ground is cracked and you can see the large honeycomb-type patterns in the hard earth beneath your feet.  It’s the kind of place where the guys from Myth Busters blow things up – but they’re not here right now.  There is no wind.  Not a single sound except for the rushing of blood in your ears, that’s the ringing sound that you can hear.

Then, out of nowhere, you hear your name being called from the heavens.  A booming yet gentle voice, so gentle it gives you chills right to your marrow.  GOD has called your name.  Yours, not someone else’s, yours.  You feel comforted, yet convicted; peaceful, yet uncomfortable with the way things are.  And all that GOD has done is say YOUR NAME.

All of a sudden, you are important, you are no longer an insignificant nomad in a desert wasteland.  Finding your purpose in GOD is intrinsically linked to Him calling you by name.  When we worship, we call GOD by the names that we know Him by, when we pray, we do so in the name of Jesus – that’s because there’s power and purpose in the Name.

There is power and purpose in your name too, power and purpose that can only be recognised and activated by the presence of GOD; the presence of the Holy Spirit, in your life.

Be encouraged that GOD has called out across the universe and He has called your name.  When He called, a life began and creation was different.  When we worship our GOD, it's not as a face in the crowd - it's face to face with the One!

I AM REDEEMED

  “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are mine."

Isaiah 43:1 (NKJV)

(This is part 3 - click here for part 1, part 2)

Redemption is a very special word that is used quite specifically in the bible…  it has to do with slavery.  If someone is redeemed, it means that they used to be a slave – but are no longer.  Redemption is a ‘buyback’, or a swapping of an equivalent or better slave for another and setting that one free.  Does it sound like anything else in the Bible?  The cross!  But here we are reading it in Deutero-Isaiah – nearly 650 years before Christ even came, let alone died on the cross.  That means that all along, GOD’s design has been for us to have an identity and purpose that is linked to redemption.  An identity that says “I was a slave. I am now released.  I am not bound.”

In order to know what we were slaves to, we need to remember that until Jesus died on the cross and rose again, as our Lord and Saviour, we were bound and living in bondage to Sin.  Christ’s death on the cross had nothing to do with forgiveness, it had to do with salvation – with GRACE; with redemption.  GOD always offered forgiveness to His people, so that was nothing new.  The issue was the old covenant, it was a law that we could never fulfill in its entirety, only Christ could fulfill it.  That’s what happened in His finished work on the cross - GRACE.  In order for the law to be fulfilled, a life had to be given - GRACE.  The human race was stuck in the condition of Sin – that’s what we needed saving from; and GOD’s alternative - GRACE.

Often we think that salvation is an event that happens, and WHAMMO – we’re saved.  I like to think of it like this:  Living in Sin is like drowning in the ocean; we can swim, but the distance to shore is just too great for us to swim it alone.  We need a lifeguard to save us, one who knows the currents, swells, squalls and waves.  One who is a seasoned swimmer.  Now, the lifeguard swims out to us, but we still have to swim to shore, with Him.  Just because the lifeguard has reached out, doesn’t mean that the journey of being saved is over.  It’s the same with our walk with salvation in Christ – it’s a journey.

Until Jesus Christ cut loose those bonds, we were slaves to Sin.  We lived differently.  We spoke differently.  We looked different.  Change is noticed by differences, growth and newness and this happens a little more everyday.  Some changes may be radical, but others will be hard and we will have to work through them everyday.  All of this begins with us embracing our identity as REDEEMED!  Before – people would look at us and see us alone.  Now, when they see us, they should see our lifeguard too – what a challenge!

People need to see the change in our lives, they need to see that we are no longer bound if we are going to live with purpose.  Worship is proclaiming the majesty of GOD – not just in words, but also by our choices. ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation.  The old is gone, the new has come.’ 2 Cor 5:17.

I believe that we need to be encouraged to know that we do not need to act like slaves – for we are redeemed, we are released – we are not bound to Sin!

I AM NOT AFRAID

I am not afraid. I have nothing to fear. I am a conqueror.

But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,  the One who got you started, Israel:
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
   I've called your name. You're mine. "

Isaiah 43:1

(THE MESSAGE)

(part 2 - click here for part 1)

I want to encourage you today with GOD's Word - when He tells you that you need not fear anything!  If we are going to live as a people of purpose, who change the world around us, we cannot be afraid. Fear deters us from fulfilling our purpose.  Satan would like you to doubt, to fear, to think that you’re not good enough - because then he can hold you back from becoming all you can be in Christ - from discovering who you are!

Think about that young shepherd that walked out onto a field, in front of thousands of grown men who were trained to rip him to pieces.  He spoke up for GOD, popped a pebble in his rimpie, and klapped an overgrown moron right between the eyes.  And all those trained scary, hairy men?  They turned and ran!  That’s how our GOD operates!  That’s what happens when He says to us – do not be afraid!  That's what happens when we embrace our purpose and change our world!

If you want to become a person of purpose, then you need to become a conqueror in GOD.  Not your own strength, but GOD’s.  GOD doesn’t just say – don’t be afraid – He creates a conqueror’s spirit in you!  It's by His Grace, and finished work on the cross that we are able to stand in victory, to say "I am not afraid - I am a conqueror."

That means, no matter what situation you face, no matter who might stand up against you, you do not need to be afraid.  We are more than conquerors, for if GOD is for us, who can be against us?  I pray that today, you will be encouraged that your identity in GOD is by Christ's Grace, that you have no need to be afraid.

Be refreshed... in abundance!

“Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.”

Deuteronomy 32:2

There is an amazing gentleness about GOD’s love and His teaching, yet it penetrates marrow and bone and cuts through to the soul.  Rain can be gentle and refreshing, (see Psalm 68:9), but it can also completely transform and reshape a landscape. We often see the devastation of rain but if it falls in the right place, at the right time, forests and lush gardens sprout out.  Deserts of baron sandscapes become havens of life, newness and growth.  Wherever GOD’s Spirit is, things will be fresh and full of life!

People are attracted to life and newness, there is a uniqueness about growth that draws people in.  GOD offers this to us in abundance, not in limited supply, but more that we could ever ask or imagine!  If we want to become people who encourage, who stop, listen and love, then GOD’s word urges us to allow His teaching and discipline to grow, transform and empower us!

We need to desire to grow into the people that GOD has created us to be - images of Him.  As diverse and different as we all are, together, we create a glimmer of the diversity and depth of GOD.  It's from this beautiful picture that we begin to take on the image of GOD, and start to experience His abundance.  His Word encourages us to become part of the palette and add our colour to the canvas of life.

It's important to remember that bit I mentioned earlier about the right time and right place.  Often, we pray for GOD's abundance in an area and then struggle to accept why it might take time to manifest in our lives.  GOD knows that if we know too much, too soon, it can destroy us.  We should never rush GOD or His countenance, we should relish in what we have right now, because this is the abundance that He knows will create growth in our lives and in our relationship with Him.  We are like tender plants and He is the gardener, He knows how much sun we need, He knows how much shade.  He also knows how much watering will drown us, and how much will allow us to grow to our potential.

The heaven’s declare His righteousness – let your lifescape be a garden of hope and growth!