It says in Ezekiel 3:7 "But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate."
Are there any exceptions - No not even one. If it was like that for Israel Gods chosen - supposedly the 'best' - what must the worst be?
Israel was charged with obstinacy and a hardness of heart; how about us? How are we going in our walk with God?
Before Christ changed my life in a very real way, I could sin and feel no guilt - none whatever - I could be sitting in church and actually hear my guilt from the pulpit and not be humbled at all - I could even confess to God my guilt and yet feel no humiliation. My confession was worthless.
I could go the Lord's house - pretend to pray, pretend to praise - sing all the hymns - learn all the catchphrases - pretend to be a very 'good' person when deep down I knew I was really only going through the motions and putting on a show.
I had nothing but a heart of stone - I wasn't effected by the death of Jesus. Until one day - one very special day:-
A book was given to me - a book that changed my life - it was through reading this book - not a special book in any way - but God spoke to me in a special way.
It was the first time I caught a glimpse of the awesomeness of God - after all those years of sitting in church and going through the motions.
It was God - a JUST and HOLY God - a God who cannot bear to look on my sin soaked life. A God who is to be feared - a God who is also uncompromisingly full of LOVE and MERCY!
I caught a glimpse of HEAVEN and I caught a glimpse of HELL.
I also caught a glimpse of JESUS - and what He actually had done for me - His whole experience here on earth was pre-ordained by His father before the creation of time - that really blew me away.
I came to the realisation of my whole dependency on Jesus - I fell to my knees and for the first time really opened my heart and life to Him, asked his forgiveness and also for the first time handed EVERYTHING over to Him. NOT just a part - not lip service - but EVERYTHING, my life, my family the lot.
Learning to trust Jesus is amazing - it has taken me to highs and lows in my life but it has given me such a freedom that I never knew existed.
For me it was a not-so-special book - what is it going to be for you? All you have to be is open to His word and God will work the miracle!
Monday 30 April 2012
Saturday 28 April 2012
Jealosy - it's a pain - it's a drain but more importantly it's a sin
Ever felt jealous of someone or something? maybe of someone's belongings, their relationship, or their ability to have and keep friends.
Jealousy has been around the block a few times ever since Cain and Abel actually - remember Cain? he was the one who wanted what Abel had and he was prepared to go to the utmost to get what he thought was his 'due'.
If you are anything like me - and things don't happen when you expect it to happen and you may miss out on something because of it - inevitably you run into or hear of someone who has that thing or got that thing when they wanted it.
We suddenly feel a surge of 'green' - the horrible "J" word which we won't even admit to ourselves surges into us and makes us feel revengeful or hurt - we sulk, won't talk, get depressed or worse!
It is pretty easy to look around you and feel like you want to have what other people have.
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Can we stop being jealous?
We need (with the Holy Spirit's help) to stop focusing on OUR lives and start focusing on others. In Romans 12:2 Paul tells us to 'Renew our minds" and in 2 Cor: 10:5 "Take our thoughts captive"
Begin to look at all the positives in your life. "Count your blessings" the old hymn says and I reckon it was composed for the very reason to counteract jealousy!
Remember God made us all unique - You in your small corner and I in mine - doing what God gave us with the special gifts we have. God didn't make us to be the very best at everything.
God made you and God made me - all different - don't let jealousy rule your life - remember it will stop you from a wonderful relationship with your creator.
Jealousy has been around the block a few times ever since Cain and Abel actually - remember Cain? he was the one who wanted what Abel had and he was prepared to go to the utmost to get what he thought was his 'due'.
If you are anything like me - and things don't happen when you expect it to happen and you may miss out on something because of it - inevitably you run into or hear of someone who has that thing or got that thing when they wanted it.
We suddenly feel a surge of 'green' - the horrible "J" word which we won't even admit to ourselves surges into us and makes us feel revengeful or hurt - we sulk, won't talk, get depressed or worse!
It is pretty easy to look around you and feel like you want to have what other people have.
We need (with the Holy Spirit's help) to stop focusing on OUR lives and start focusing on others. In Romans 12:2 Paul tells us to 'Renew our minds" and in 2 Cor: 10:5 "Take our thoughts captive"
Begin to look at all the positives in your life. "Count your blessings" the old hymn says and I reckon it was composed for the very reason to counteract jealousy!
Remember God made us all unique - You in your small corner and I in mine - doing what God gave us with the special gifts we have. God didn't make us to be the very best at everything.
Thursday 26 April 2012
Do you believe in life after death?
That is some huge question - and one a lot of us really don't want to think about - Some sceptics, agnostics and of coarse 'true' atheists would tell themselves and us that no such thing is possible.
I wonder though that at times especially as they get older if they let their minds wander to to the vaguest possibility of 'just maybe?'
So what makes Christians think that they, over all other religions have the 'monopoly' on life after death and say with absolute confidence that they are going to live forever after this transient life here on earth is over?
Christianity is the only faith that can give its followers absolute and sure confidence of this amazing promise - A promise?
Yes. Awesome when you think of it - a promise of eternal life - given through one man - the perfect Son of God - the God/Man Jesus - the only sinless person who has ever walked on the earth.
If you take a moment to look at the beauty around our world, the birds, the trees, flowers, anything you may name - the whole universe in fact the stars and planets - everything literally cries out to us of the Creator - it couldn't possibly have just happened - the intricacies of the human skin, the bold colours of the tiger, the amazing fur covered polar bears - the awesomeness of a great and mighty Creator becomes undeniable.
It says in Psalm 111.10 and also on Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practise it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.
So should we rightly fear the God of Creation? The sheer magnitude of His holiness is in itself overwhelming.
He is often represented as a kind old roly-poly wizard of Oz in the sky, granting wishes to good boys and girls - smiling condescendingly at our mistakes and patting us on the Head saying is is OK, run away and be good.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The God of creation, the uncreated Lord of the universe is rightly to be feared and revered - we can only possibly approach Him through one person - and one way only.
Every person, no matter who they are - rich or poor - black or white - all have sinned and fallen short of God's yardstick - we can't possibly save ourselves - it would be like trying to pull ourselves up by our boot laces - impossible!
We are doomed - destined to pay and pay heavily for our selfish lives - what we have done and how we have done it - we have ignored our God - put Him last in our lives - if we think of Him at all that is. Turned our back on Him completely and even mocked the God of creation, using His name in vain and dragging His righteousness in the mud.
Because our mighty yet loving God is so holy - so perfect - he can't possibly even look on our sin-laden loves - so, on the face of it we ARE doomed - there appears no way out.
It says in Romans 6:23
The wages of sin is death!
Couldn't get any plainer than that - but what a death! - It doesn't bear even to think about it. As sure as there is a holy God in heaven there is also Satan or the devil waiting in the wings. The Bible calls him the 'prince of darkness' - and the 'ruler of this world.'
He too has been made by the world to look foolish and innocent - a figment of our imagination. dressed all in red with horns and a pitchfork when in fact he can appear to be our best friend telling you that all is well - do this - do that - don't believe what God says, enjoy this time - there is nothing after death. he is also the king of liars.
1 Peter 5:8 tell us to:-
Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Again, you couldn't hear plainer words than that - the more we ignore and despise our Creator God, the more we play into the hands of Satan and the more we get hooked into our sin selves and the more 'comfortable' we appear to get with our little self centred and unholy lives.
So it appears we are doomed BUT...
Because God is so awesome, loving and yes - JUST - he knows that all sin has to be paid for and we cannot escape the punishment of our sin-burdened lives. God cannot bear to even look at sin - so just how are we, in the state we are in, possibly come to God?
There is just one way and that way is through the sinless Jesus - He actually came to earth for that very reason - born in misery and poverty - brought up in a rough carpenters workshop - ordained by His heavenly Father - and died to take away the sins of the world.
Jesus' Crucifixion was pre-ordained before the beginning of time. He was the perfect Son of God and the only one good enough to pay the penalty of sin - he killed death at his death - and we can know for sure that we are his in only one way and that way is by coming to His cross, asking forgiveness for our sinful lives, and asking Him to control everything we are and everything we do.
In 2 Timothy 1 v 6-12 when Paul was writing to Timothy, we read:-
He has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
Paul was utterly convinced of the saving power of Jesus - we can be as well if we only trust Him to do what he has promised and that is to wash our sins away and make us acceptable to God.
In other words, God has accepted Jesus' sacrifice and now when he looks at us - God doesn't see our sin-soaked lives. He sees us through the sacrifice of Jesus and we can be holy and righteous and acceptable to Him.
Amazing and awesome is our God, so just, so merciful and so loving. And yet the alternative is also very clear - if we reject Christ's offer of salvation, then we can be justly terrified to meet such an awesome God.
Our sin WILL be punished sooner or later - we have two alternatives - we can accept Jesus' offer to take our sin away for us and be put right with God or we can reject the offer, scoff at Christ, turn away and eventually pay the price - The choice is ours to decide which way we are going to go.
Jesus is willing and ready to accept our sin for us - in fact He already has - all we have to do is to trust Him and by faith accept this amazing gift.
I have heard some say - but I am free - I can do anything I want - I can go anywhere I choose - I can watch anything I want to. All that is so true, sad but true, all these so-called earthly pleasures we are bombarded with constantly aren't really pleasures at all - where do they ultimately leave us? - just wanting more and more - it never ends - never satisfied - always craving for something else to make us 'happy' and fill the void in our lives.
We can become addicted, depressed, frustrated, angry, jealous - the list goes on - all because we are never really satisfied with the lives we are living - searching for a happiness that is fleeting at best. Always wanting to achieve more, own more, give our family more - the search for happiness, security and satisfaction will never end unless it ends in Christ.
The only way we can be truly free, satisfied and actually happy - is in handing everything over to God - Give God all the Glory and he WILL give you all the help - He is just not interested in lip service - he wants our whole life.
So is there life after death?
I can certainly say a resounding YES! - Jesus came to this earth to make sure of it - His desire is that we all share with Him this astounding promise that "Where He is we will be there also". But unfortunately it depends on us and the decision we will all have to make at some point in our lives.
Will you accept Jesus offer of eternal life?
I wonder though that at times especially as they get older if they let their minds wander to to the vaguest possibility of 'just maybe?'
So what makes Christians think that they, over all other religions have the 'monopoly' on life after death and say with absolute confidence that they are going to live forever after this transient life here on earth is over?
Christianity is the only faith that can give its followers absolute and sure confidence of this amazing promise - A promise?
Yes. Awesome when you think of it - a promise of eternal life - given through one man - the perfect Son of God - the God/Man Jesus - the only sinless person who has ever walked on the earth.
If you take a moment to look at the beauty around our world, the birds, the trees, flowers, anything you may name - the whole universe in fact the stars and planets - everything literally cries out to us of the Creator - it couldn't possibly have just happened - the intricacies of the human skin, the bold colours of the tiger, the amazing fur covered polar bears - the awesomeness of a great and mighty Creator becomes undeniable.
It says in Psalm 111.10 and also on Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practise it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.
So should we rightly fear the God of Creation? The sheer magnitude of His holiness is in itself overwhelming.
He is often represented as a kind old roly-poly wizard of Oz in the sky, granting wishes to good boys and girls - smiling condescendingly at our mistakes and patting us on the Head saying is is OK, run away and be good.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The God of creation, the uncreated Lord of the universe is rightly to be feared and revered - we can only possibly approach Him through one person - and one way only.
Every person, no matter who they are - rich or poor - black or white - all have sinned and fallen short of God's yardstick - we can't possibly save ourselves - it would be like trying to pull ourselves up by our boot laces - impossible!
We are doomed - destined to pay and pay heavily for our selfish lives - what we have done and how we have done it - we have ignored our God - put Him last in our lives - if we think of Him at all that is. Turned our back on Him completely and even mocked the God of creation, using His name in vain and dragging His righteousness in the mud.
Because our mighty yet loving God is so holy - so perfect - he can't possibly even look on our sin-laden loves - so, on the face of it we ARE doomed - there appears no way out.
It says in Romans 6:23
The wages of sin is death!
Couldn't get any plainer than that - but what a death! - It doesn't bear even to think about it. As sure as there is a holy God in heaven there is also Satan or the devil waiting in the wings. The Bible calls him the 'prince of darkness' - and the 'ruler of this world.'
He too has been made by the world to look foolish and innocent - a figment of our imagination. dressed all in red with horns and a pitchfork when in fact he can appear to be our best friend telling you that all is well - do this - do that - don't believe what God says, enjoy this time - there is nothing after death. he is also the king of liars.
1 Peter 5:8 tell us to:-
Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Again, you couldn't hear plainer words than that - the more we ignore and despise our Creator God, the more we play into the hands of Satan and the more we get hooked into our sin selves and the more 'comfortable' we appear to get with our little self centred and unholy lives.
So it appears we are doomed BUT...
Because God is so awesome, loving and yes - JUST - he knows that all sin has to be paid for and we cannot escape the punishment of our sin-burdened lives. God cannot bear to even look at sin - so just how are we, in the state we are in, possibly come to God?
There is just one way and that way is through the sinless Jesus - He actually came to earth for that very reason - born in misery and poverty - brought up in a rough carpenters workshop - ordained by His heavenly Father - and died to take away the sins of the world.
Jesus' Crucifixion was pre-ordained before the beginning of time. He was the perfect Son of God and the only one good enough to pay the penalty of sin - he killed death at his death - and we can know for sure that we are his in only one way and that way is by coming to His cross, asking forgiveness for our sinful lives, and asking Him to control everything we are and everything we do.
In 2 Timothy 1 v 6-12 when Paul was writing to Timothy, we read:-
He has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
Paul was utterly convinced of the saving power of Jesus - we can be as well if we only trust Him to do what he has promised and that is to wash our sins away and make us acceptable to God.
In other words, God has accepted Jesus' sacrifice and now when he looks at us - God doesn't see our sin-soaked lives. He sees us through the sacrifice of Jesus and we can be holy and righteous and acceptable to Him.
Amazing and awesome is our God, so just, so merciful and so loving. And yet the alternative is also very clear - if we reject Christ's offer of salvation, then we can be justly terrified to meet such an awesome God.
Our sin WILL be punished sooner or later - we have two alternatives - we can accept Jesus' offer to take our sin away for us and be put right with God or we can reject the offer, scoff at Christ, turn away and eventually pay the price - The choice is ours to decide which way we are going to go.
Jesus is willing and ready to accept our sin for us - in fact He already has - all we have to do is to trust Him and by faith accept this amazing gift.
I have heard some say - but I am free - I can do anything I want - I can go anywhere I choose - I can watch anything I want to. All that is so true, sad but true, all these so-called earthly pleasures we are bombarded with constantly aren't really pleasures at all - where do they ultimately leave us? - just wanting more and more - it never ends - never satisfied - always craving for something else to make us 'happy' and fill the void in our lives.
We can become addicted, depressed, frustrated, angry, jealous - the list goes on - all because we are never really satisfied with the lives we are living - searching for a happiness that is fleeting at best. Always wanting to achieve more, own more, give our family more - the search for happiness, security and satisfaction will never end unless it ends in Christ.
The only way we can be truly free, satisfied and actually happy - is in handing everything over to God - Give God all the Glory and he WILL give you all the help - He is just not interested in lip service - he wants our whole life.
So is there life after death?
I can certainly say a resounding YES! - Jesus came to this earth to make sure of it - His desire is that we all share with Him this astounding promise that "Where He is we will be there also". But unfortunately it depends on us and the decision we will all have to make at some point in our lives.
Will you accept Jesus offer of eternal life?
Wednesday 25 April 2012
It’s ANZAC Day in Australia.
Hundreds and hundreds of Allied soldiers died on the rocky
shores fighting against the Turkish army of which they really were outnumbered
and fighting an impossible to win battle.
They were ordered by British Generals to the Gallipoli shoreline
which was so steep as to be almost impossible to climb – but climb it they did –
that is those who were left and not killed as they left their boarding crafts
and became ‘sitting ducks’ for the Turkish forces on the headland.
There they stayed for weeks on end holding onto just metres
of gained territory and there are many many stories from Simpson and his donkey
to friendships forged in ‘no-mans land’ with the Turkish army.
Gallipoli has gone down in Australian History as one of the
most significant battles in our history and every year of the 25th
April, hundreds of people turn out to dawn services, which was the exact time
the troops landed on those fateful shores almost 100 years ago.
Most Australian cities have parades and marches to
commemorate all those who did their part in protecting our fair country
Again hundreds of our people make the pilgrimage to those same
steep rocky shores in Turkey to honour our brave soldiers.
Most Australians have stories to tell about ANZAC day – not only
about World War 1 but about all the following wars and battles since – all these
wonderful people have given or been prepared to give their lives for Australia.
Personally I remember two special men who survived the war
only to succumb to their wounds upon arriving back home.
They were brothers by the names of Arthur and Ernie Bailey. I was taught piano by one of their widows –
the two elderly ladies had never remarried and both were childless .
As children we referred to them as ‘Mrs Arthur and Mrs Ernie.”
Mrs Ernie taught me music and she used
to talk about her husband and his brother and say how that when she passed away
there would be no-one to remember them.
Well, that was a long time ago and we as a family still remember
Arthur and Ernie especially on ANZAC Day.
It was a great privilege for me to see my 11 year old
grandson at the freezing dawn service this morning laying a wreath on the
cenotaph and with head bowed remembering the sacrifice of brave men and women
who paid with their lives for our freedom.
Monday 23 April 2012
Is your Christian walk not panning out like you thought it would?
When was the last time you let fear and disappointment or discouragement get the better of you?
Is your Christian walk not panning out like you thought it would?
Are you getting despondent about low periods in your Christian life?
There is really no reason to be ashamed of these so called low periods. Every true believer in Christ experiences lows and highs, peaks and valleys in their walk with Christ.
The good news is God won't let you stay in the valley too long. God calls us to stay obedient and committed to Him through all the highs and lows. God will take care of all your opponents - even disappointment, despondency and discouragement.
So if you, like me have been there done that or maybe you are going through a special time of trial - don't despair - keep trusting - keep believing - God's help WILL arrive.
Start looking for it today - it may arrive in a fashion you least expected.
Live in joy and peace and in the knowledge of our great God and Saviour.
Got the guilts?? You can fix that!
As I get older I am realising more and more just how forgiving My God is.
When I look back on my life and see the incredibly stupid decisions and mistakes I have made and how I have botched up heaps of areas in my life I remember just one thing that God is amazing and awesome and in his awesomeness he has forgiven me and will always be my wonderful Saviour and Lord.
It was years ago that I came to a pretty clear decision that I needed God.
I came as young person to ask forgiveness and accept God's free gift of a clean slate and a chance to 'start over' with Him. Did than mean that I would live a spotless life without mistakes? - NO!! - but it did open a miraculous door to be able to tap into the everlasting forgiveness and mercy of our Great God.
I was a bit too young to realise at that time just how big that decision was, but I thank God for it because I can honestly say that he has never let me down.
God is so willing to forgive only because His love is just so deep and it is His deepest desire that everyone comes to Him. He doesn't want to turn anyone away.
I, unfortunately constantly let Him down but He has never failed me. Does that mean I have lived a life without things going wrong? - DEFINITELY NOT!! - things happen in my life that happen to everyone. Sickness, financial worries, death, job security - you name it - but through it all God has been there always willing to talk to me and comfort me and through His Word and prayer to give me hope and courage to face the future.
Does it mean then that I will never make mistakes again? - I wish!! but NO!! Unfortunately mistakes and sin are inbuilt in all of us and being human yes I guess it will happen again - Will God forgive me again if I am truly sorry and come to him - of course he will - amazing!!
God also gives us the strength to walk away from mistakes and sin if we let Him - He does say in the Bible that "He saves us FROM our sin" - meaning from the sin that we are about to commit.
All I can say is - keep Him close - as close as you can at all times - ask Him by His spirit to live in you and control your thoughts and deeds.
God is not only forgiving but he is just and Holy.
Because he is so holy - he cannot bear to look on our botched up lives - I know because my life is probably one of the worst botched up lives there is. That is why he gave Jesus to die on the cross and take our punishment and so instead of seeing our wrecks of lives when he looks at us He sees the life of the sinless Jesus. How amazing is that!!So God sees us as holy as well - whew!! But only if we accept Him into our lives.
God is the source of every good thing in our lives. He is the one who daily gives us strength and a reason to have hope and faith. You can tap in to the divine strength today.
Years ago I said a prayer like this:-
Dear God,
Thank you for sending Jesus to die for me.
I am truly sorry for the sins and mistakes I have made.
Please come into my life and take control.
Don't ask me how but God's spirit can come and take up house in our lives and change us. He did it to me and he can do the same for you.
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