New Creation

There comes a time in our spiritual lives when we feel separated from God. At these times we may be tempted to think that God has turned away from us, or is punishing us for some sin we may have committed.

This is not the case. When Jesus died on the cross for us, "the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Mark 15:38). God tore it for us, thereby removing the separation from his people.

2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

When we give of ourselves, it’s like cleaning and airing out our house: it has the effect of clearing out the clutter and allowing room for the Lord to give us more. When we hold onto things, they can begin to stagnate. It then becomes difficult to refresh or refill.

We are caretakers, not owners. So, it is good to be reminded that it’s not really giving anything away, but sharing.

Give to others freely. Give to others generously. Give them your time, your patience, your kindness, your prayers, even your financial and material possessions if necessary. The rewards are great.

2 Corinthians 9:13 (NLT)
You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts. For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.

When giving is difficult it can sometimes be because we feel as if we have nothing to give, or we feel as if the little we do have we must hold on to for fear of being left with nothing, or it may be because we are claiming something as ours and that we somehow deserve to hold on to it.

The truth is, however, when we have accepted the Lord into our lives, we have everything we will ever truly need. We realise the Lord provides everything: all our physical needs, all our spiritual needs. The Lord understands us so perfectly that he will give us exactly what we need, when we need it. It is not necessary to hold onto anything except the Lord himself.

Romans 8:32
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Have you ever felt like you're invisible? Someone walks into you in the supermarket as though you are not there, another car pulls out in front of you as though they are the only car on the road or maybe someone says something which is clearly hurtful to you during a group conversation as though you just didn't exist. Our response to these sort of situations is generally to say something like "What am I? Invisible!"

Of course unless we are dealing with the vision impaired it is generally not a case of being invisible to the other person but more so a case of being unimportant to the other person. We are not physically invisible we are emotionally invisible and that is why we often feel unrespected or unrecognised by others.

Imagine then how God feels. Although He is physically invisible to us (although the evidence of Him is seen all around us - but that's another thought) He should certainly not be emotionally invisible to us, but that is how we so often treat Him when we go our own way; leave Him out of parts of our lives; and deliberately chose not to recognise Him in a situation.

Knowing then how we feel when someone treats us as though we are invisible, let that remind us not to do the same to God (or to others)

1 Timothy 1:17
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

One of our commissions as a Christian is to evangelize. We must tell others about how Christ has changed our lives. This might seem daunting to many of us especially when we formulate an image in our minds of having to stand up at the pulpit and preach the word of God. Not all of us are called to spread the word in that manner and it doesn't make us less of a Christian if we shy away from such public presentations.

What we are all called to do, however, is to spread the word of God. This can be done in so many different ways, but the most effective way of doing this is through the way we live our daily lives. We need to remember to live as Christians always, to show kindness and patience to everyone. We need to show the character of God by allowing God to work through us. People will then notice the difference and begin to want that difference in their own lives.

Colossians 4:5
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."

God has invited us into his world, but there is more to it than simply accepting that invitation. To merely listen to his Word is not enough. To merely turn up to church every Sunday is not enough. Even simply agreeing with the Word, or recognizing a truth, is not enough if that is all we do.

Matthew 7:21
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

It is important to train our thinking so that it comes into line with God. It is important to shake off the thoughts and ways of this world. They will only drag us down or hold us back from the true potential that God offers us through Christ.

Train your thoughts so that you do not cling to this world and lose all that which is God, and holy, and right. Cling to God, and gain a new and right understanding of the way things should and can be.

Isaiah 8:11 (NLT)
The Lord has said to me in the strongest terms: 'Do not think like everyone else does.'"

Being the Lord’s and giving everything of ourselves to the Lord, does not mean there is nothing left for us. Many of us are afraid to give all to the Lord because of this fear.

Instead, what happens is that the more we give of ourselves, the more able we are to see the blessings our Lord showers on us. He provides us everything that we need; not just the bare essentials.

The more we give of ourselves, the more able the Lord is to bless us without us getting in the way by running around attempting to bless ourselves.

---
Psalm 89:15-16
¹⁵Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. ¹⁶ They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

We, as children of God, are wholly His. We cannot do his work, or live this life, with complete satisfaction, unless we fully give over ourselves to Him.

We need to think always with a focus on Him. We need to know and act like we know that we do not belong to ourselves, but to the Lord. We need to know and act like we know that our time is not our time, but the Lord’s.

---
Colossians 3:1-4
¹Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Psalm 4:7
You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
---

When we don’t know God we think that God’s will should be our will. We expect God to fulfil our every demand as we expect it to be fulfilled. When he doesn’t do this we think that God has abandoned us or doesn’t care about us.

When we begin to get to know God, we realise that God’s will is not always our will and this can be a fearful time because we are still clinging to worldly values and worldly desires. We fear what God may ask us to do, we fear what God may ask us to give up.

---
---
Psalm 62:5 (NKJV)
My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.

There are some of us who fall into the trap of putting God's work highest on our list, which is great in itself, but it is wrong when it means everything else falls to the wayside; eg our duty to our family, a promise to a friend, our jobs, our study.

---
---
2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Jesus’ complete dependence on God the Father is a strong and wonderful example for us. It shows how very important it is to lean on God for everything – not just the little things, not just the big things, but everything.

As we grow and mature as Christians, we are naturally given more responsibility; just as a child grows into an adult. It is then we come to realise that the more we are asked to do for the Lord, the more we must lean on him.

---
---
John 5:19
Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

Often when we are in hard times, we say as a chant that, "All will be well", as if to convince ourselves and others that our words will make it so. If we then do little else than grit our teeth and bear it, then we should not be surprised when nothing changes. It is not enough to be able to quote from the bible. It is not enough to rely on words.

All the words in the world are empty and meaningless if we do not turn our eyes to the Lord and pray to Him, rely on Him, and include Him in our sorrows. Our Lord has a very real power and a very real love for us, and He does not wish us to endure unnecessary pain.

---
---
James 2:14-17
¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

God supplies all our needs, not all our wants. The likelihood of needing the best state-of-the-art DVD player is slim. The likelihood of needing the biggest house on the block is remote. The likelihood of needing to be happy and unchallenged all of the time is improbable.

We need challenges to grow. If we are never challenged, then we stagnate. While God does not and will not change, we must change. We must grow so that we become more and more like Jesus through our ever enriching and deepening relationship with Our Lord.

---
---
Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

====================

Sometimes we rush around in a frenzy doing “God’s work”, when really it has become our work. We become so busy rushing around doing the work that we forget to ask God what we should be doing. Then we wonder why the work suddenly becomes so much harder.

We often make the mistake of thinking that doing God’s work is the same as spending time with God. When we don’t spend time with God, our relationship with Him begins to fade and then our fears and anxieties begin to creep in. How quickly then, we forget God’s power or even God’s will.

We must, in everything we do, cling to God with trust. We must cling to His will, cling to His love, cling to his endurance and peace shall be ours.

---
---
John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Exodus 20:18b-19
They stayed at a distance ¹⁹and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."

The Israelites wanted Moses to be a barrier between them and God because they were afraid of God speaking directly to them. Often today we also feel that fear, though we may not always acknowledge it. We don’t want God speaking to us directly because He may ask us to do something. We would then have to either do it, or say no to God. It is so much easier to say, “no” when it is not a direct request. And yet, God tells us frequently that those who are right with Him have nothing to fear.

God never asks us to do things we cannot do. God never sets us up for a fall. He equips us and watches our backs. He is there for us. We have nothing to fear and God’s richness, blessings and grace to gain.

---
---
Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Literally run for your life. Run away from anything that separates you from Our Lord. Your life is at stake, so don't get complacent; don't think that just because you 'believe' it is ok to continue living the worldly life.

As Children of God we do not belong to this world. If we cling to this world, this life, then we will lose everything.

If we cling to God and all that is God, then we gain life in abundance.

---
1 Corinthians 10:14
Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

1 Timothy 4:7-8
⁷Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. ⁸For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

We often think we know better than God, which is in itself absurd, but then we go and act on that belief! Inevitably, we then get ourselves into some form of trouble. The next thing we know, we start blaming God for our situations. All too often it is only when the trouble gets really bad that we are forced to admit that we are in fact fallible and God is indeed the only one who can be relied on.

God created us. God knows us and knows what is best for us. He created not only us but the world and everything in it, and he understands all that he created. And yet, we still have the audacity to question him, still have the gall to blame him for many of our problems.

If we put even half as much energy into our relationship with God as we put into our daily anxieties, then we would gain a greater understanding of the true nature of God. We would know that harming us is the last thing God wants for us. We would know that complete reliance on Him is the best path to take. And then we would act on that knowledge.

---
Isaiah 45:9
Destruction is certain for those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot ever argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, 'Stop! You are doing it wrong!' Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be!'" (NLT)

Why do we like our friends? Obviously it is not because we are told to do so. It is because we took the time to get to know them: we learnt about their good qualities, we enjoy being in their company, we can relate to them and because they like us in return. Friends enrich us when we share our lives with one another.

God doesn’t want mindless followers. He wants companions to share eternity with him. We need to take the time to get to know our Lord as a friend and companion. He won’t disappoint us and he won’t betray us. He will enrich our lives in a way that no earthly friend could.

---
1 Corinthians 1:9
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Psalm 119:73
Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.

Titus 1:2
a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time
---

Eternal Life: it is a difficult concept for us to grasp. How can a finite mind even begin to fully understand that which is so huge and infinite? And yet, eternal life is a promise and a gift from God and he planned this for us from the beginning of time.

God knew what he was creating and wanted us to share in his eternity, for eternity, anyway. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Gen 1:31) That is, he saw you and he saw me and he saw all our mistakes and our blindness. And yet, he doesn’t want to lose any of us. We are precious to him; so precious, in fact, that he died for us.

By sharing his eternity, we share in His Power, His Serenity, His Goodness… His Love.

Embrace God's gift now, and forever more.

---
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

We often ask ourselves why there is so much suffering in the world, but how often do we challenge our understanding of the word suffering? Like love, it is a term that is often over-used: we can suffer a change of staff, or suffer a disadvantage.

It is also a term that we can cling to so that we can make excuses for ourselves: we have suffered tragedy and consequently it is acceptable to blame someone or something else; we suffer therefore we are a victim.

When we do this, the suffering is only made the greater. Where is the focus? It is on us: how much we hurt, how much we have to endure.

The challenge is to step beyond ourselves. We need to lay our lives down at Jesus’ feet. We need to start looking to Jesus, and then to others, and wonder instead how we might help them.

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. - Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (1809-1882)

---
Those of us who are responsive to God’s change in our lives, and don’t stay with our natural born human natures, will grow and evolve into blessed spiritual beings. We are no longer ourselves, but God’s children. Our nature is not our own, but God’s nature. Self dies and Christ in us is born. It is not our strength that saves us, nor our intelligence. It is Christ that saves and changes us. Our job is to respond to Christ and to allow him to make this change.

Acts 16:14
One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.

It is in our nature to allow ourselves to get caught up in troubles and dramas. It is in our nature to try to solve them on our own, to wallow in them and be victims of them, or to simply run from them in fear.

This nature is deceptive; this nature tells us that we are alone and we must do things by ourselves, for ourselves. Whether we know it or not, this nature locks us down and imprisons us in a world of fear and hopelessness. Because it is our nature, it is inescapable.

And yet the joyful truth is Jesus overcame it. He alone has set us free from that nature. All we need to do is exercise our faith in him and rely on him to help us. All we need to do is remain focused on our Lord. What then happens is that our perception of problems changes. Troubles no longer seem insurmountable. We are naturally strengthened by our Lord and it is He who carries us through.

---
Psalms 18:2
For The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Too often when we are Christians we get a warm and fuzzy feeling that we are saved and then leave it at that. But that should not be the end of our journey. The journey we take as Christians is one that should last a lifetime.

When we love someone, we learn all about them. We take the time and effort to learn what they like and what they don't like. Our love for them grows deeper the more we learn. We want to please that person, to do right by that person. It is a part of what love is.

It is the same with our Lord. Just becoming a Christian isn't enough for an enriching spiritual relationship. We need to learn all we can about our Lord and never think we have learnt all there is.

---
Ephesians 5:8-10
⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord.

I won't forget the day, it was Friday the 13^th of August 2004. It was the day I was going to have a pizza with all of my Brothers & Sisters in Christ to say goodbye as I headed off to begin yet another chapter of my strange yet wonderful life. Natalie was coming along too, and we had left each other that morning really looking forward to the evening (Me especially to the Pizza!) and saying a hopefully temporary goodbye to everybody.

As the day wore on at work I kept reflecting upon everybody and what each and every one had meant to me. My journey to Australia in September 2002, had lead me to Gymea / Miranda Uniting and the people of its congregations. Through those people God by way of our Lord Jesus had breathed in to me a new life, given me an eternal and purposeful perspective on my life, convicted me of my sinful nature, and helped me to start viewing things in every aspect of it, in a far less worldly fashion.

As is only human however I gradually kept thinking of all the subtle, loving and selfless ways in which each and every one of my Brothers and Sisters had helped me. Some with a gentle hand, others where needed with a firm one but always in a Christ like way, with nothing but my best interests at heart.

As I sat at my desk at work thinking, thinking, I was suddenly struck with a quite overwhelming sensation of loss. Such as I had only ever previously experienced when a close friend or family member had died. I felt like I was making one of the most stupid of decisions of my life, almost without thanks walking away from a group of people who had done so much for me.

Embarrassingly I started to uncontrollably weep at my desk! Then a strange thing happened, a colleague at work saw me, walked in to my office and sat down! Darren I knew from old was a Christian, but unfortunately within the work environment our paths rarely crossed. He asked me what was wrong, and being of more advanced years than myself imparted some encouraging wisdoms from a grounded and Christ like perspective. I don't remember exactly his words, but as he spoke I found myself encouraged and comforted accordingly. The tears and sobbing dissipated, and Darren jumped up and walked out without too much more to say as though the job was done. It was.

This spun me out for a short while because at just the right moment, it was as if Christ had walked in and comforted me saying

Far more importantly though it helped me later realise a number of important things:

Over the coming weeks God sought to comfort me further through his word, and lead me unsurprisingly to Psalms 126:

"⁵Those who sow in tears, Will reap with songs of joy. ⁶He who goes out weeping, With seeds for sowing, Will return with joy, He will return with songs of joy. He will return, he will return, With a harvest of sheaves."

My prayer is that God might bless me with those seeds. Hopefully seeking to sow them through me wherever I go, and that one day when I return to tell you all the stories, that my head, my heart and my mouth might be full of the harvest! Remember the workers are few!

I humbly thank each and every one of you for all you have done, and ask that you all might as I try to, remain forever thankful for all He has done for us.

Paul, in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 12, talks about the need to work as one body and not be critical of one another and not to put obstacles in another Christian's path.

When I read Romans 14 the other day it really reminded me of how critical the human race is of one another. Rumours are, in effect, the spreading of possible untruths about others. One of the other things we do regularly is judge people before we even know them. In choosing David, God recognises this by saying to Samuel that humans judge on outward appearance but the Lord looks at a person's heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

We as Christians are not immune to being critical or judgmental but should know better. What is worse, we often do these things to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, especially if they are not from the same brand of Christianity that we think is right. Romans 14 talks about not condemning each other because who are we to do God's work. Then in Corinthians Paul talks about the body of Christ.

In 2005 let us build up the body of Christ no matter what denomination or type of faith we celebrate and work together to bring a good image of Christianity to our local communities.

---
Romans 14:13
¹³Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13
¹²The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. ¹³For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

The New Year comes with it the promise of a fresh start; the promise of New Beginnings. Any mistakes we may have made the year before, we can leave behind and try again. Any tragedy or hardship we may have experienced the year before, we can now look ahead with a fresh start in mind and a renewed hope of something better.

But, did you know that we don't have to wait a whole year before we can experience a new beginning? Jesus Christ offers these things to us daily. He promises a clean slate: all our mistakes are forgotten, all our sins wiped clean. He gives us strength to look beyond the tragedies and hardships. He promises us hope and life in abundance. And all this is freely given to those who are willing to accept it.

---
1 Peter 1:3-5
³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

2 Peter 1:2
²Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Random Thoughts Archive 2005