Finish The Course

During my travels in Africa over twenty two years, one of the things that has stuck in my mind is the amount of unfinished buildings. I have seen little order and much chaos, but now things are slowly improving. Projects had been started, but the builder had run out of resources, gone away, died, changed his mind! The scaffolding, bricks, dust, mud, weeds on the land cry out 'who will finish me?'
The Apostle Paul was motivated by the desire to finish his course with joy, and to fulfill his ministry given by God. He had to keep working because that is why He was on this earth. At the end of his life he was able to say that he had fought a good fight, had finished his course and had kept the faith 2 Tim 4:7.
We are here on this earth to finish the work that Jesus started in His earthly ministry. God always completes what He started. He always provides the help needed to see things through. He doesn't abdicate His throne! But we need to make sure that we are actually doing what God has called us to do. Thing often go awry because God was not the initiator in the first place. But as we co-operate with Him, together we can bring His order into the chaos and change things, and create with Him. We are co-workers with Christ. He needs our input. Do not let anyone put you down, or stop your plans that have been given to you by God. The devil will use people to discourage you, block you, destroy you. God will use people to help you and come alongside you, and He will stand with you as you are tested and tried.
'Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completetion of it, according to your means. 2 Corinth 8:11

Strength For Today!

It always amazes me to read about the way God provided the Manna in the wilderness for the Children of Israel. The grainlike flakes appeared each morning with the dew for six days. They collected as much as was needed and enough for two days on the sixth day as nothing fell on the seventh. It was there for them without fail. When the camp moved on to a new place, so the Manna fell in that place too. Quietly, silently, it fell, making no big show about it. I'm sure they took it for granted, and they complained about the simplicity of the diet. It was not their choice. But it was God's provision that gave them strength for each day, kept them healthy, and they travelled many miles on that Manna! Jesus said ' I am the Bread of Life' Jn 6:35. He is there for us every day, has planned our provision, never fails, gives us extra when we need it, and is sufficient for all of our life come what may! All we have to do is come and collect His blessing each day, let the dew of His Spirit wash us, and be lovingly obedient to His words.

Fruit Bearing

A fruit bearing tree lives solely to bear fruit that others use for refreshment and life. As soon as the fruit on the branch is ripe - it lets it go! It starts afresh the cycle of fruit bearing for another season. If it holds on to it the fruit will rot, then fall to the ground and be trodden underfoot as it is not good for anything. No, fruit is for partaking, sharing. The seed is passed on as the fruit is spread out to others.
Our lives are meant to be a blessing to others. The fruit is not for us. Life becomes stagnant if we do not allow others to enjoy the fruit of the Spirit within us. As we become a blessing, others are refreshed and experience Christ. Selfishness can make us decide to keep the fruit. We want it for ourselves and are not willing to continue to give it away. Keep offering love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self control. Gal 5:22

An Answer!

I had a few troubled hours in the night recently. Have you noticed that things loom dark and large in the early hours? I though of Jesus needing to slip out at night, away from His disciples and talk to His Father about some decisions and matters weighing heavily upon Him. So I was encouraged that He also had sleepless nights and knew the pressure I felt. I tried to pray but it did not seem to help! Eventually that verse ' Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart' Col 3:15 came to my mind. So I put my worries on hold and started to think of scriptures that pursuaded me that He was close even if I did not feel it. Then came 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly' Col 3: 15 to my thoughts, and it is so true, because I was able to draw out of my mind verses and promises that I had put there over theyears. So I meditated on these.
Slowly I felt less stressed and then found that I was able to tell Jesus all about my problems and asked Him to show me a way through as I had some decisions to make. Eventually I went to sleep and felt at peace knowing that he was now responsible for all that I had committed to Him. Next morning a thought slipped into my mind about how to solve this situation, and without the confusion that had been blinding me, I tackled it and it worked!

Abide In The Vine

The Vine is a plant that is not grown for its ornamental shape, shade, fragrant blossoms, or its wood! It is grown soley for the fruit it produces. It only produces fruit in abundance as it is trained, shaped, and pruned. If not pruned it can run away with itself, and grow straggly, and become unfruitful! The world loves the fruit of the Vine! The wine produced from it is sampled with relish, drunk in abundance, discussed with fervour! It is no wonder that Christ used the illustration of  the Vine to teach us to 'Abide in Him'. Not one Vine is planted without the owner thinking only of the fruit. So our 'Husbandmen' looks at our lives and desires fruit, more fruit, much fruit from us. And this is accomplished through pruning.
We do not like the idea of pruning, it speaks of loss and some pain. But when we suffer the Spirit of God and glory rests on us. When we are afflicted, God shows us His tenderness and that leads us to understand and sympathise with the misery of others. Left to ourselves we would become self centred, and become straggling branches on the Vine. The things we learn whilst we go through the pruning process, teach us to pray for the blessing of others, not just ourselves. Our times of affliction, sorrow, suffering, can become times of the greatest blessings in life. The secret is to'Abide in the Vine'. Rest in Jesus love, stay put in His presence, believe that He is using this time for your profit not for your punishment. You are in a process that will lead to you bearing much fruit.
'I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing..............This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples'. John 15: 5,8.

Bless The Lord O My Soul!

The most important time to praise God is when we don't feel like it! Give thanks to Him for He is GOOD. He never fails. He is always merciful and kind. He washes away our sin and heals our wounded souls. Praise Him for the wonder of His creation. Praise Him for the new day; the trees and flowers; the birds and animals. Bless His name today! Bless His handiwork; your friends and family; your health and strength. Praise Him that you can breathe; Praise Him for the sunshine and light. Praise Him for loving you, just as you are!
As you give thanks, absorb His love into your being, just as you soak up the sunshine on a beautiful day. Even if your day is not beautiful, still praise Him, it will change, for all things change. There is an old chorus that says 'count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done!'
'This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it'. Ps 118:24

It Takes Time!

'I trust in You, O Lord; I say, "You are my God" My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let Your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love'.Psalm 31: 14-16. Let us rest content in knowing that our times are in His hands......and He never drops anything! And no-one can snatch us out of our Father's hand Jn 10:28. Let us patiently wait for the Lord, He is never too late. Occupy yourself with doing good to others as you wait for His visitation. He will come! He has not forgotten you.
'Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! Isaiah 49:15.

Test Everything!

Be careful about making decisions out of fear. God leads by His peace and you can afford to wait for His peace to settle in your heart before you move forward. Fear pushes us to hasty decisions, and causes us to panic and try to keep control of our lives. God's peace leads gently and there is a feeling of 'rightness' about the proposed plans. Fear brings a darkness that shadows the ability to think things through calmly. Peace brings light and there is no claustrophobic pressure with it. Bring everything to the Lord for His guidance and then wait for Him to reveal the next step. Overcome fear by faith, and do not walk into unsure situations. Avoid evil where you can, and test all things. Some things seem good and right at the time, but later on reveal shaky foundations. The enemy would like to trip us up and can present us with a set of actions that 'seem' good. But they are arranged to lure us away from what God had planned for us.
 'God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind' 2 Tim 1:7.

Do What You can.

You are going in the right direction, so just keep moving forward doing what you know is right. Soon you will turn a corner and find that the things that caused you confusion and troubled you have all been staightened out, put in their place, and ordered neatly! In the meantime, get on with attending to matters that have dragged you down, and need putting in order. You do what you can, and God will attend to the greater part and work on your behalf. Don't struggle over it. Ask the Lord to motivate you and show you how to go about putting things in order so that when you turn that corner you are ready for your next phase of life.
'I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron' Isaiah 45:2

The Joy Of Giving.

There is an account in the Bible about Peter catching a fish and in its mouth is a gold coin. Jesus told him to pay the tax that was due with it. It was a miracle of provision, but Peter had to do the fishing, and the first fish he caught contained the provision. There is a well known verse 'my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus' Phil 4:19. But read the verses beforehand 15-19 and see this verse in context. God provides through the generosity of others!
I was invited to a special dinner in Uganda and the host was an important person. Because I was the honoured guest I was first in line at the buffet table. I put a small amount of food on my plate because there were many guests behind me and I was not sure that there was enough to feed everyone. Half of the people behind me piled their plates high with food, probably because it was a free meal. But that left the other half in the line with nothing!
Sharing what we have is the important thing. We may have little, but it is the generous giving that God sees; He sees what we have kept for ourselves, and what we have given to others in their need.
'Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap.For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you'. Luke 6:38

Stay Strong!

Expect Me to work and bring you through into new pathways. Some things have overwhelmed you and therefore you have thought it was impossible for improvement. But as you trust Me I will answer faith that does not waver. This is a time for you to stay strong in faith. Though the testing has continued over many months, you will soon see the benefits. You will need this stable, unwavering faith for your future assignments. So refuse discouragement, and don't give up, because the rewards of this time will amaze you. Don't fret over imaginery things! Let the peace of God rule in your heart each day.
'The testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.' James1:3,4.

Come With Confidence

The sin in the world is great; the burdens are many; the pain is never-ending, and the sufferings of men, women and children are heartbreaking. We can only do what we can to help others in their distress. It is easy to become over burdened with the confusion of the nations, the pains of our loved ones and those around us. Sometimes things are so heavy that we do not even see the sunshine, or the flowers, or hear the birdsong. But, take heart! Jesus bore all this worlds agony, every bit of it. For you and for me. He took the weight of sin, the destruction of sickness, the evils of satan, and bore it in His own body. Death gives way to resurrection through Him.
If you are sad today, and have weights and shadows heaped upon you. Look to Jesus. He feels your pain and will help you through and bring you out into a place of peace if you trust Him. He won't let you down, and will lift you up again. He knows how to encourage the downcast; to befriend the lonely; and bring you into life everlasting, where there is no more death, tears, or loneliness. Don't carry it all yourself when there is someone who will carry it for you.
'For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.'

Consequencies!

Esther was raised into the position of queen for a specific purpose. God worked through human circumstances to bring her into an influential place. Her heart had been prepared and she was equipped for the task that lay before her, the deliverance of God's people. Above all things she was abandoned to God (Mordecai, symbolic of the Holy Spirit) and said "If I perish, I perish".
As we are obedient to the Lord He places us in positions where we can influence people and circumstances around us. Some things we cannot change, but there are things that we can change. Focus on the things you are in a position to change, and don't fret over the things you cannot change. There is a time to speak out and not remain silent! Your words may be just the very thing that effects change for the good. If you remain silent when God wants you to speak and act, He will raise up someone else to do the job. But you will be in lack because of it.
'If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this' Esth 4:14.

Praying For Others

It is exciting to see answers to prayer! It makes us realise that God is alive, interested in our pleas, and able to keep His promises. In fact, prayer is vital. Sometimes the answers come in surprising ways. Other times the answers come softly and slowly. But one thing is sure, praying for others involves compassion, and self abasement. It can be hard work praying for other people day by day when we don't get any feedback, or even thanks. But when we do pray we join Jesus in His great high priestly ministry of intercession. To know the power of His resurrection we have to enter into the fellowship of His sufferings. And we can do that through prayer. One day we will see the result of our sacrificial prayer and be amazed! Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances, you can pray. And prayer does change things. Someone has said that prayer is the Christian's vital breath. Jesus brought all His petitions to His father. He spent nights on the mountainside because His work in the day was dependant on His life of prayer. His life was one long prayer poured out to God for the world and those around Him. True prayer brings 'action', it calls forth the power of God upon the earth and into the lives of those we pray for. Through prayer we become the answer to others. We become His heart, His hands and His feet, that others might find Life. Through prayer we become Jesus on this earth giving ourselves that others might see what God is like.
'And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends' Job42:10

Don't look back

Jesus was talking to a group of people. They were making excuses for not following Him. One wanted to do something else first; another wanted to visit his family before following Jesus Lk 9:59-61. It is easy to find reasons for not being obedient to Him 'now', and want to do it later!
God never asks anything of us that we cannot accomplish. All is possible. Saying 'goodbye' is not easy, but eventually we will all leave this world; for as it has been said 'we bring nothing into the world and we take nothing when we leave'. So it is good to hold things and people 'lightly'.
We have to keep looking forward, towards our heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. This is not 'make believe', it is the only way to live out a righteous life on earth. This world and life is not all there is. There is more. One day God will make a new heaven and new earth and populate it with His new people. A whole new creation will come into existence and His overcomers will oversee it all. There is a resurrection that will take place. We will have new bodies, without sickness and pain. We will meet loved one's again. Let us encourage one another with the truth that there is a future and a hope for us, a heavenly home waiting for us, service and work in the new kingdom, and a bliss and glory that will amaze us! it helps us to keep going!
'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.' Lk 9:62

Expectations

'There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven' Ecc 3:1. It takes 9 months for a baby to develop in it's mother's womb and then be born. The gestation time for an elephant to be carried in the womb is 22 months!
Everything has an allotted time. If we try to force changes it that time schedule God has planned then there are problems. It takes time for character to be formed. It takes time for habit patterns to change, and time to mature relationships.
We can't know God in a hurry! it takes time to BE with Him, SIT with Him, LISTEN to Him, TALK to Him, ENJOY His presence, and time to KNOW Him. In fact it takes a lifetime!
Don't try to change the season of life you are in. Let it happen in God's time, in His way, by His design. If you try to push it yourself it will lead to frustration. God's timing happens in Peace

Let God Have His Way!

Asking God to deal with your pride is a huge step! Pride and arrogance dress themselves up in many different clothes. It is possible to wear sackcloth, and yet be proud of appearing humble. Standing up for our rights can be a covering for pride; yet to be seen doing the humble thing in a situation can also be masked pride! thinking we are not proud can be camourflaged pride. The only one who can expose our pride is the Holy Spirit, and He is the one who must reveal and deal with it.
We can be sure that God hates pride. It caused the fall of Satan. It can cause us to fall. There is a proverb that says 'pride comes before a fall'. And the Bible teaches that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. So some of the difficulties we find ourselves in are allowed by God to deliver us of our pride. When people don't think well of us; or we are not given the honour we think we deserve, others overlook us or speak about us behind our back, wanting to be right all the time, all these things touch our pride. Being pushed into taking the lowest place, rather than choosing the lowest place can hit our pride.
If we are in need of grace, want to come close to God, then in humility we must ask Him to cleanse us and then draw near to us again. He will do it if we are honest and sincere about our self. Don't shrink, let all be exposed before Him. We are to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, not necessarily man, and He will lift us up Jas 4:10
'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.' James 4: 6-8

We Shall Overcome!

I have heard it said that God gives grace as we overcome. We have to determine to overcome through His help, and He does help us. But we have to take the first step, out in the cold, as it were, almost as if God was not there! And that can be painful, but when we know what we have to do, then we have to get on and do it. We may not feel like it, it may seem almost impossible, but no one can do it for us. However, as we take one little step towards victory and decide to overcome, then God steps in with all the power of heaven for us!
The battle may be hard, but the victory is assured with God on our side! God is for us, not against us. He wants to work things out for the very best, but we have to go along with Him in it all. Even if we draw back, there is help available for us to start over again! It is our very circumstances, afflictions, difficulties, that are an opportunity for God to work a godly character within us. How we would love to be blessed without any effort involved! let us co-operate with the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, and as we overcome, be partakers of the peacable fruit of righteousness.
'To him who overcomes I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God'
Rev 2:7

God's Mercy

We cannot determine the time and place of our birth. It is almost by chance that one is born in Africa, with a black skin, and another is born in the USA, with a white skin. One person speaks English, another one speaks Swahili. No one by cunning or expertise can change the colour of his skin or the time of his birth. The wisdom writer in Ecclesiastes says that he saw everything under the sun and discovered that the race was not always won by the swift, or the battle given to the strong, or bread to the wise, or riches to men of understanding Ecc 9:11. Why is one person raised up above another in this world? How can two people write a good book, and one have success, and the other not get results? Time and chance happens to all. Some live a long life, others never reach adulthood. We can't control our circumstances.
To find out the meaning of life we have to look beyond and above the world around us. There is the Person of Almighty God behind all things, and He can turn adverse events for good. Only God can address the evil in the world, and bring good out of heartbreak. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. There is His providential care, in that He causes the sun to shine, and the rain to fall, on the just and unjust alike. But then there is the special care that He has for His children who own His name. He specifically answers their prayers. There are things that only happen because someone prayed. Special answers that come because petitions were asked in the name of Jesus. He uses people to bring down blessings from heaven to the earth. That accident of birth, whether time or place, is used to place you as a person right where He needs you to be! Your destiny is fulfilled when you yeild to His perfect will and do not fight against the circumstances you find yourself in. Things can change because you are there; lives will never be the same because you cared; your mission field is all around you and in it you prove your love for Jesus. It is not what you say; but who you are and what you do, that proves your love for God.
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
For the scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that i might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Rom 9:15-17

You Shall Reap

You are nearer your goal than when you started, so give it your best and keep going. The seeds that you have planted will come to fruition at the right time. Ok! it seems that nothing is happening and no one is looking, or seeing the amount of effort you are putting in. But God watches and says that a reaping is guaranteed. Your life touches many others and the quality of your faith shows endurance. It is your gaining ground each day, bit by bit, that speaks of a righteous life in the sight of God. And it is Him that you are doing it for. He is looking! You shall reap what you have sown, and more than you have sown, because all will multiply. That which you have done in secret will be rewarded openly and God will be honoured because of it. 'Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up' Gal 6:9.

Give Love Away!

If you lack love, ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. There is an infilling available for us moment by moment. We are not alone. God will lead us into victory by His own Spirit. We could not save ourselves. He came and brought us out of the prison of self and sin. If Jesus left His home in heaven, walked this earth sharing the pain of humanity, then dying on a cross to bring us to God, surely He will give us victory over all our difficulties. You can trust the Man who died for you! Who else is there who forgives, delivers from the power of death, and is utterly faithful?
His grace is sufficient for today, tomorrow, and the future. Ask and it shall be given you, good measure, overflowing, more than you need. Don't run from God, run to Him, and He will prove Himself faithful. People let us down, human nature is fickle, and we are not what we often pretend to be. But God is true, perfect, kind, just. And He loves us just as we are! Be filled with His love today, and give it to someone else!
'God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit he has given to us' Rom 5:5

What Do You Want?

The Apostle Paul said that he wanted to know Christ! Everything else he counted as loss. He had a determination and zeal to press on in his walk with God. Sometimes I think "well he was Paul, a really spiritual person. I could not be like that!" However everything written in the Bible is for our instruction, encouragement and development. We can be like Paul. In fact he exhorted the Christians to be like in him in his desire to follow Christ. He so much wanted to become like Jesus!
He did not consider that he had arrived! he was still learning, still struggling against sin, suffering loss each day, and often hungry, friendless, and lonely. But he gave us the secret of his zeal which is an encouragement to us. He said "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:13,14
We can do that! let us push on, let us look forward and upward. Let us leave our old ways of thought and action and move into the new things God has for us. This coming year will not be like the last one! 2011 is over and gone. God has new things to teach us, new blessings for us, new hope and a deeper fellowship with Him. Don't look behind! Regret, disappointment, fears, heartache, are all shadows that fall behind us as we look to the SON! Before us are new opportunities, new blessings, untrodden ground to claim for the Lord.