If you are a fish.......

If you are a fish you were meant to swim, if you are a bird you were meant to fly.

So what's the point, am I doing what God intended me to do. Am I willingly participating in his will and purpose for my life? If I were a fish, I would be equipped to swim. Since I am not, what did he equip me with and how am I using these abilities, talents and spiritual gifts? Am I using them to serve my earthly goals or his heavenly goals.
We are all uniquely gifted for a special purpose that our saviour has in mind. Are we intent on fulfilling it? Are we willing to? Perhaps it will mean carrying a burden with grace, using a skill we would prefer to keep hidden or going where we would rather not go.

Are we willing to swim like a fish if that's how he equipped us or do we need to be swallowed by one and spat out like Jonah before we are willing to fulfil our saviours purpose?

Are we like some fish wanting to swim in the ocean and see all there is to see there, when God actually wants us to swim in some less desirable river and be a witness there?

Have I found my purpose, have you, are we willing to allow God to be our wilderness guide and to guide us to and through the purpose he has for us?

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.^{[b] 11} All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

God answered my prayer!!

God answered my prayer!! It's a phrase that is commonly used, I have used it and I have heard many others use it. Typically I have heard it used when someone gets a favourable response, in fact I cannot recall hearing it used when someone dose not get what they feel is a favourable response.

As a parent I don't always respond to my children with the answer they want, but I always try to respond. My role as a parent is to respond in a way that is best for them, sometimes that is by saying yes, other times it is by saying no and still other times it is by saying wait.

My understanding based on my experience with the relationship I have with God is that is the same manor in which he responds to me. He responds in a way that is best for me and the overall purposes of his plan and goal, which is to bring all people into a relationship with him.  Sometimes it is with a yes, sometimes with a no and sometimes it is with wait.

When God did not heal the apostle Paul from his ailment, did God not answer him? When God has not answered the prayers of my wife and I to heal her vision or for other requests that we have made, he still answered. Would I have been exposed to the beautiful spiritual lessons that I have been if God always gave me what I want?

God always answers, always, perhaps not always the way we expect though!!

He has a much bigger picture in mind then we do and his answers reflect that as they did for the apostle Paul. Perhaps if we were more in tune with the desires of his heart, we would better understand when and how he responds to us.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New International Version (NIV)

⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

How is my core strength, I mean my spiritual core stregth?

Over the past several years people who are fit and athletes often refer to their core strength as being critical to their overall strength and fitness. So what is it, what is core strength?

Core muscles are referred to as the muscles forming around and the trunk of the body including the abdominal, oblique, mid and lower back. Most of the muscles that make up the core are deep muscles, not surface muscles. The core muscles are responsible for many of the things we take for granted in everyday living. The only time your core muscles are completely relaxed is when you are laying on your back in a relaxed position.

It would seem to me that just as our bodies rely on our core physical strength, so too our mental and emotional state must rely on a core strength. So just where should that mental and emotional strength come from. I would suggest that it needs to come from our relationship with our saviour and the helper that he promised us, that helper that is seldom talked about in today's church.

John 14:15-17 (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[a] in you.

Are we working on our core spiritual strength by spending time with our Jesus in prayer, by reading his word, by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us. Have we developed these spiritual muscles deep within us so that they fire automatically just as our core physical muscles do?

How am I doing with this, regrettably not so good some days, how are you doing with this?

How often do you go to Gods gym?

We will soar on wings like eagles

Do we know that powerful freeing feeling pictured when we think of what the below verses say? To me the phrase "soar on wings like eagles" speaks of power and freedom", but how do we experience it? The answer is in verse 31, our hope and faith must be wholly in the Lord our God.


Isaiah 40:28-31 (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New International Version (NIV)

²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

 

Hillsong - Eagles Wings with lyrics

Eagles - Third Day

Are we handicapping God?

Are we handicapping God, have we put him in chains and shackles by not trusting him with our entire lives. On one hand do we expect great things from him, while on the other hand do we give him the freedom or right of way to do great things?
In my life I have no doubt that many times I have handicapped God by not trusting him to resolve things or to provide, perhaps with an issue at work or perhaps with illness and its impacts in our home, etc. If I am not willing to say its yours Lord and to wait on him and let him do his thing without my tinkering, am I handicapping God? Am I really experiencing what he can do and has planned for me?
Lets say I had a carpenter over and I had him do some work. While I said I thoroughly valued his work and trusted him, if I constantly said well I would do it this way or maybe I even picked up a hammer and did it my way myself, would I truly be putting value in the carpenters work? Did I trust him?

I basically do that in my spiritual life with God, over and over again, while I vow my trust and loyalty, on the other hand I often feel more comfortable doing things my own way. I go ahead and not until I cant find a way, do I come on me knees to God. Why don't I do that first? When I do put my faith and trust in him, I am wowed. This doesn't mean the path is always easy, but I am wowed by his faithfulness and what he has to show me, things that are bigger then what I may think is big or important.

So do I trust him or do I handicap him?

Am I ready to trust him with the big and the small, are you? Or will we continue to handicap our great and all knowing saviour.

Do we have the faith to trust him with all areas of our lives, I mean do we really?

Do I have any idols??

Last night I was at a fall conference for a local church. It was appropriately entitled Regenerate.

The speaker passionately introduced the weekend topic concerning "Idols". He spoke of how we often refer to idols as physical things since in the old testament that's what they were, an idol was often a carved image of some sort.
In our material world we can have many idols too and they can sneak up on us. Now you are wondering how on earth will a carved image sneak up on me, can they walk, that would be freaky?
While we regularly attend church and say that we worship the one true God, what do the attitudes of our heart suggest that our idols are? What does our calender, our daily schedule show that we idolise? What are we not so willing to give up when God is calling? Is it a Monday night TV show, sports, clothes, cars, houses, careers? Is is worry, hurt, anger. lust....things that we are not prepared to let the power of God work in? If God were calling me right now to go the mission field, could I leave all my "stuff" behind? Oh but wait a minute he is.....we are all called to the mission field, which is where ever we happen to be, we are all called to put him first. Have things snuck up on us to put a choke hold on the attitudes of our heart?

How am I doing with this? How are you doing with this? What are we prepared to do differently?

Exodus 20:3 (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New King James Version (NKJV)

³ “You shall have no other gods before Me.

Casting Crowns - I Surrender All (All To Jesus)

All to Jesus I surrender © Video Clips by JoVie DiNo Jansen

 

whoooo's your daddy

Whoooo's your daddy.........he is that guy that you look up to, perhaps the one who securely held your hand as a child, maybe he took you fishing, out for lunch...........he is that guy that you felt safe with (hopefully). He is a role model, a mentor, a fix it man, he is your go to guy.

As I reflect back on my dad, he was all of the things that I mentioned and much more. What I miss the most as an adult is the friend type of relationship that most child parent relationships grow into. Dad passed when I was just 21, so we never really had that, at least not for long. He was a loving parent to me, one that I loved dearly, but in my adult years I have often yearned for that secure friendship and mentorship, that father figure I could go to for manly advice. While others may have tried to fill that gap and my mom is the very, very best, I still miss my dad.

Perhaps some of you out there also lost a dad young or he was never the dad that you hoped for. maybe he was abusive, absent, etc.

As I get older and grow in my Christian faith I have learned to appreciate another daddy, that is my father in heaven. He is the daddy that I find security in, he is the daddy that welcomes me back when I go astray, he is the one that is always there for me and while I yearn for my earthly father, I know that my heavenly father is there for me in ways my earthly dad, even though he was a great man, could not be.

So I ask you, whoooo's your daddy? Ya maybe you have an earthly father, but do you have a strong relationship with your heavenly father too? How have you invested in it? Who will you go to when the going gets tuff?

2 Corinthians 6:18  (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”^[a]

1 John 3:1 (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New International Version (NIV)

3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

I pray that if you have an earthly daddy, that you have 2 great daddy's present in your life, your earthly one and your heavenly one!!

Josh Groban To Where You Are

Our Father michael w smith

Our Father with Lyrics (Don Moen) - ANFGM 16th Anniversary Collection

Westlife - You Raise Me Up (With Lyrics)

Do we treat people fairly

Its no easy task, treating people fairly is very difficult. We are all unique and lets face it, some personalities can be more challenging then others.

I have observed unfair treatment of people in the workplace, in the family home, at church, and the list could go on.

Perhaps when we keep in mind that God loves all people equally and that we are to strive to be like minded (Phillipians 2), than we will be slower to mistreat people.

When there are only 2 (kids) as there are in our family, the comparisons are easily made, she is like this, he is like that and so on. The bible has several stories that show how favouritism showed its ugly head. Certainly the story of Jacob and Esau is one, with the mother favouring Jacob and the father favouring Esau. It led to some ugly feelings between the 2, to the point where Jacobs life was being threatened. The challenge with favouritism is that all parties involved know its happening. For example if I favour one child in a particular situation, the other can see that and may resent it. Its so important to provide equal opportunity, even if one may be more skilled at something, I still need to give the other the opportunity too. Its so important to recognise the person for their unique abilities too.

How are you doing as a parent with favouritism? How are you doing as a boss with favouritism? Do we treat the people in our lives with respect?

Am I striving to treat people as Jesus did, with love; are you?

Jesus Loves the Little Children

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

Do we understand how God works in us?

Do we understand how God works in us? What should a growing christian look like, what should their path look like? Should it be a path filled with prosperity or one with trials that will shape us as a child is shaped under the careful and watchful eye of a parent, which sometimes also includes the parent lovingly disciplining the child.

The following is a good biblical based article on how God uses tribulation to work in us.

Tribulation Worketh

Over the past year I have been guilty of placing too much focus on tribulation in my life, be it from health woes, perceived injustices of others, etc. I have not placed enough focus on allowing God to use these things to work in me. I have not always trusted him as I should, knowing that he has a plan and a purpose and desires to use me to honour his name. At times I have fought back like a child resisting what a parent knows is ultimately better for them.

How are you doing with this? Are you welcoming tribulation knowing that it is God desiring to work in you? Are you seeking your own way out as I have at times or are you crying out to him, for the strength and grace that you will need on your journey? Are you placing your faith in God's resources and plan or in your own resources and plan?

Change My Heart oh God - Hillsong (With Lyrics)

The Potter's Hand (lyrics)- Hillsong

Is his grace sufficient for us?

The bible is full of encouraging verses. some of which have been shared with us over the years in a way to encourage us. Don't get me wrong, they are very encouraging and I am not trying to discourage sharing them, but I think some Christians are of the mind that these verses are like saying abra cadabra with a magic wand, or like giving you a magic potion to make you feel well.

They are up lifting, but there can also be a process involved in realising on them. For example the following verse says;
2 Corinthians 12:9 (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
 

..........and his grace is sufficient, but based on my experience you don't necessarily hear or read that verse and then feel instantaneously at peace. It can be a process to experience Gods grace, a process that can take time. Just as a person doesn't necessarily grasp a concept in school right a way, grasping the enormity and complexity of Gods grace can take time. It can be a journey which is often times slowed by our humanness, our unwillingness to rest in God`s provision of grace and so on.

Perhaps you are out there and you feel somewhat silly or inept because you are not always experiencing Gods gifts such as grace and peace the way others may expect you to. You are not alone. Check out the Psalms, David was a man after Gods own heart and it sure looks like he had some blue (down) days. Do you think he always felt God`s grace, do ya think he was always at peace?.

Some Christians appear of the mind that because we have Gods power, we should never hurt. That will happen, but not before heaven!!

Its ok to hurt, David did, Jesus did and the list goes on. His grace is there for you, but its a process to experience it and enjoy it. Its part of the maturing process all growing Christians likely journey.

James 1:2-8 (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New King James Version (NKJV)

Profiting from Trials

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

 

is what you dont have a higher priority than what you do have?

Is what you don't have a higher priority than what you do have?

As I reflect on life and look forward too, I realise that many times I have prioritised what I don't have ahead of what I do have. We live in a very materialistic world where collecting wealth and things seems to be of a high priority. I too am guilty of this. Its so easy to long for what we don't have, a bigger house, a place on a lake, a cottage, health and on and on the list can go, yet sometimes very hard to be thankful for what we do have, a place to live, food on the table, health, etc.
I wonder some times if giving thanks before a meal has become more of a ritual than a heartfelt thank you to a God who has provided above and beyond for us. Are we truly thankful when we mumble a quick prayer before a meal or do we do it more out of habit? We have had things so good for so long, perhaps we just expect it. The meal is put before us by hands like ours, but do we connect the dots and realise who really provided it?
Do we know what it is to be truly thankful and reliant on God as our provider? Sadly I think many of us fall into the we deserve this, we are entitled to this category rather than the thankful category. I wonder if we really know what it is to be grateful. Generations past knew what it was to look to God as their provider, and some today do to, but in general do we really know what it is to rely on God and be thankful for his provision or have we become so accustomed to our own perceived self sufficiency?

How am I, how are you doing with being thankful? Am I, are you thankful for what we have or are our minds set on what we don't have? What are we prioritising, to be thankful or wanting?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

THANKFUL- Josh Groban

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart by Don Moen

 

what do you mean I only climbed to the 1st rung on the ladder

The spiritual journey can be challenging and sometimes feel like we are going nowhere and not growing as we should.

Sometimes I feel like I am striving and striving only to figuratively speaking, look down and realise I am only on the 1st rung of the ladder. This is when it feels like God is tapping me on the shoulder and saying " surrender and let me do the work.......let me make your paths straight......let me lighten your burden".

Am I in control or is he? Are you in control or is he?

Are you allowing your spirituality to be measured by comparison with others or are you reporting to God first?

Proverbs 3:6  (http://www.biblegateway.com)

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

 

Hillsong - Came to My Rescue