You raise me up to be more than I can be.....I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
The below link is to a beautiful song that describes very well what we have in God when we put our trust in him.
Josh Groban - You Raise Me Up
From my experience this can be a daily struggle, to trust God and realise on his provision when its too easy to want to do things my own way. It has robbed me many times of experiencing the joy God provides, the peace one feels when carried by God.
Sunday, 10 November 2013
God was not happy, I wonder what he thinks now (Genesis 6:5-8)
God was not happy, I wonder what he thinks now. Back in the days of Noah, way back in Genesis, God was less than impressed with what he crated. Check out what he was thinking;
Genesis 6:5-8 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
Genesis 6:5-8 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
I wonder what he is thinking these days, when it seems that the human race generally does not have time for him, crimes of every nature are getting out of hand, people look to sex, drugs and alcohol instead of to him for happiness and on and on the list goes. I really wonder what he thinks.
If we all make an effort one person at a time to do what is pleasing in God's site, imagine what kinda of peaceful God fearing earth we would live on. Is that the goal we are chasing, to concern our own person with being pleasing to God, or does it even make our top 10 for goals?
I wonder what he is thinking these days, when it seems that the human race generally does not have time for him, crimes of every nature are getting out of hand, people look to sex, drugs and alcohol instead of to him for happiness and on and on the list goes. I really wonder what he thinks.
If we all make an effort one person at a time to do what is pleasing in God's site, imagine what kinda of peaceful God fearing earth we would live on. Is that the goal we are chasing, to concern our own person with being pleasing to God, or does it even make our top 10 for goals?
Saturday, 9 November 2013
We are Cain and Abel (Genesis 4)
We are Cain and Abel. Checkout the below passage.
Genesis 4:1-12 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
How often are we like Cain, thinking that what we are doing should be pleasing to God rather than doing what God has asked us to do? Cain did what came easy to him, thinking it would be pleasing to God. Perhaps we have been gifted in a certain area or we aspire to use a certain gift when God is asking us to go in a different direction as he clearly was asking Cain to do. God asked a stuttering Moses to lead his people when I am sure Moses had talents that he may have thought would be of better use to God. God may not be asking us to use our most prominent gift for his glory, he may be stretching us and asking us in faith to rely on his provision to lead as Moses, Gideon and many other bible characters did.
Are we choosing to be obedient, to surrender our will to do what God has in mind for us?
Genesis 4:1-12 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
Cain and Abel
4 Adam[a] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[b] She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[c] a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
How often are we like Cain, thinking that what we are doing should be pleasing to God rather than doing what God has asked us to do? Cain did what came easy to him, thinking it would be pleasing to God. Perhaps we have been gifted in a certain area or we aspire to use a certain gift when God is asking us to go in a different direction as he clearly was asking Cain to do. God asked a stuttering Moses to lead his people when I am sure Moses had talents that he may have thought would be of better use to God. God may not be asking us to use our most prominent gift for his glory, he may be stretching us and asking us in faith to rely on his provision to lead as Moses, Gideon and many other bible characters did.
Are we choosing to be obedient, to surrender our will to do what God has in mind for us?
You are Adam, you are Eve (Genesis 3)
You are Adam, you are Eve, ya its true, I am no different than Adam, I am prone to the same choices. In the following passage we see really the first choice mankind makes. From what I can understand God has granted us the privilege to choose in life and in the following passage Adam and Eve acted on the privilege to choose. Yes they chose poorly, but now I ask myself and you, when we read this passage do we see ourselves making similar choices in our lives when we know better?
Genesis 3:1-13 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
How often our we convinced by the crafty devil to choose poorly? How often do we then convince a friend, neighbour, etc., to make the same choice, maybe its to gossip, maybe its to steal or partake in something we should not, but we regularly are enticed and sometimes fall into the trap, don't we?
We are Adam and Eve
Thankfully we have a saviour
Genesis 3:1-13 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
The Fall
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
How often our we convinced by the crafty devil to choose poorly? How often do we then convince a friend, neighbour, etc., to make the same choice, maybe its to gossip, maybe its to steal or partake in something we should not, but we regularly are enticed and sometimes fall into the trap, don't we?
We are Adam and Eve
Thankfully we have a saviour
Friday, 8 November 2013
Is it well with your soul?
Is it well with my/your soul? Are we all giddy inside or does our soul feel in turmoil like a stomach on the verge of a bad flu? Are we experiencing a calm and a peace that only God can provide or are we riding the waves that we experience in this life on our own merits..... trying vigorously to keep from sinking?
Can I say it is well with my soul? Can you?
Perhaps it's to revealing to honestly answer that question. It may mean change, a change that only God can work and possibly at the price of superficial happiness.
Hmm, what choice should one make, to have a happy soul and for eternity or the momentary happiness of today?
We all face the same choice.
It is well with my soul by Kutless with Lyrics
It Is Well With My Soul by Hillsong Live
4Him - It Is Well With My Soul
Can I say it is well with my soul? Can you?
Perhaps it's to revealing to honestly answer that question. It may mean change, a change that only God can work and possibly at the price of superficial happiness.
Hmm, what choice should one make, to have a happy soul and for eternity or the momentary happiness of today?
We all face the same choice.
It is well with my soul by Kutless with Lyrics
It Is Well With My Soul by Hillsong Live
4Him - It Is Well With My Soul
Sunday, 3 November 2013
well done my good and faithful servant
Over the course of my working career I have received promotions and wage increases, but without being affirmed they mean little. It means so much to hear those words "well done my good and faithful servant". Its very motivating.
One day we will have the opportunity to hear those words from our saviour. In the meantime we are given clear direction on how to live. I am not suggesting that those words should be our only motivator but rather an added bonus, a bi product. I am suggesting that our motivation to live for Christ should be the fact that he spared his life for us so that we can have eternity with him.
As per the below parable, will our master (Jesus) one day say to us "well done my good and faithful servant".
Matthew 25:21 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
One day we will have the opportunity to hear those words from our saviour. In the meantime we are given clear direction on how to live. I am not suggesting that those words should be our only motivator but rather an added bonus, a bi product. I am suggesting that our motivation to live for Christ should be the fact that he spared his life for us so that we can have eternity with him.
As per the below parable, will our master (Jesus) one day say to us "well done my good and faithful servant".
Matthew 25:21 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
Will you hear from Him, “Well done my good and faithful servant?”
Will you hear from Him, “Well done my good and faithful servant?”
Saturday, 2 November 2013
buckling under the pressure to be like Christ, failing miserably
How do we be like Christ? Sometimes I have felt like I am buckling under the pressure to be like Christ, I am failing!!!
BUT the following passage asks us to, it sets a clear goal for us.......I awoke thinking of this, my favourite passage this morning.
Philippians 2 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
BUT the following passage asks us to, it sets a clear goal for us.......I awoke thinking of this, my favourite passage this morning.
Philippians 2 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
Imitating Christ’s Humility
2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Thankfully we have a patient and a forgiving God, one that gives us the provisions to continue the life long trek towards a more complete and full relationship with him. We serve a great God.
Am I willing to accept his provisions, the help of his Holy Spirit and strength to be what he is asking me to be? Are you? Are we willing to keep seeking him, to grow, to mature as Christians, to get up when we stumble and fall and to keep chasing the goal.
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