Getting God's View

I love the journey we are on as Christians, we strive toward a holy yet at the same time an unconditionally loving God... Its truly a wonderful thing to embrace the future, all God has in store for humanity with all its uncertainties and What If's, without ever letting go of the certainties of our past and this wonderful thing called God's truth or God's perspective. The Bible says if we know Truth it actually sets us free. The power of our Christianity is that we can view the future not only though the lens of the past or the stark realities of the present but also with a prophetic insight that has its focal point positioned on a very high vantage point, a place we call Eternity. This is that perfect view that God sees. Scripture tells us to climb a watchtower to be in position to see what God sees and hear what He would say to us about that. In this way we are empowered with the needed momentum because no matter what we are looking at, we still have the best possible point of view. We see the mystery of what is finite, or difficult to understand completely, through a lens that adds an infinite perspective. It's only in this way we are able to live in each new season with faith in the future. I may never see it in its fullness because we live out this life in contradiction, uncertainties, failure, tragedy, victory, hope, despair. You see, at some point of the full spectrum of our lives we all experience these contradictions. None of us can ever be sure of the future or have a perfect security from our own point of view, as life will always bring uncertainty. Yet our view of the future can be secured by a perspective that is dispatched from eternity. This always creates an Anchor for our soul. A view that ensures us that God knows what He is doing with our lives and that He holds our times in His hands. Life is often a contradiction, yet from Eternity's vantage point it is never a contradiction only a confirmation of what God always knew was true from before our life began and that He has it all planed for our benefit and blessing. How do you view the future - with what lens do you see tomorrow? The only sensible looking glass is to look at it though Heaven's windows, not through our human shutters or the enemy's locked doors. Look at it God's way and learn to see life from a better perspective.

How Come?

How come I do the things I don’t want to do and don’t do the
things I do want to do? A question asked a few thousand years ago by someone I deeply respect and admire, the Apostle Paul. This same question is still being asked often today. So what’s the answer to this puzzling question and how can we stop doing the things we don’t want to do? We could talk a lot about self will, sanctification and discipleship, or asking others to help, and all these would be valid. Yet the answer is a lot simpler than that. The problem is something that is always at work in all of us. The bible tells us that all of us have sinned and this causes us to fall short of God's standards for our lives. Paul also calls it rebellion always carrying on deep below the surface of our humanity. It’s an age old dilemma that goes all the way back to the first man Adam, who couldn’t balance a simple choice to eat from a tree that would bring death or from another tree that would bring life. The real problem is in our gene code unfortunately and this problem has followed mankind mercilessly throughout human history. Paul put it like this… “in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different”. Life can be a struggle of contradictions and the greatest of those contradictions are within us. So what’s the answer to this dilemma? Unfortunately maybe none that is within us, but thanks to God there’s one that comes from outside of us. Paul said the Answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does help us. He acted to set the things that are wrong, right in this life of contradictions. These thoughts are for all of us who have ever felt we have struggled to do the things we wanted to do while doing what we didn't. Jesus sets right what we do wrong. You see we may never get this contradiction under complete control and God’s grace is our greatest answer and comfort when we feel we've failed. His great act of love has broken the power of our sin and rebellion and covered it with his unconditional mercy. This is such good news for anyone struggling with this same question.

Pray for Japan

The devastation experienced in Japan right now is unprecedented, certainly the earthquake and tsunami it triggered could be one of the largest in recorded history. The nuclear threat to that beautiful nation and the fallout this will have across our world could represent a significant challenge to humanity. However you view the situation in Japan, one thing is clear - that it is in the grip of a catastrophic disaster of unimaginable proportions. It is so easy to become overwhelmed by the amount of natural disasters we have seen in our world over the last few years and the challenge is not to become desensitised by it and simply get caught up with our lives and forget. It is essential that people pray for them at this difficult time in their history. So what I am asking is for people to pray... to remember Japan in prayer daily. Maybe you could pass this link on and get as many people linked in prayer as possible. Comment below to let us know you're praying for that great nation right now. Also let me know where you're from and maybe a short prayer or a statement. God Bless.

If my people who are called by my Name will humble themselves, seek after me and turn from their ways, I'll hear their prayers and heal their land 2 Chronicles 7:14

Right Judgments

So many People today unwisely assume that Judgment is something a Christian shouldn't do.
They Misquote Matthew 7:1 which is in fact talking about making right Judgments. It is not asking us to make no Judgments at all. We are in fact called to make righteous judgments to bring truth to a persons life based on the principles of Gods word. This is something if we love someone we will be able and willing to bring. Matthew 7 is actually talking about not judging someone when the same sin is in you. It uses the example of not taking a splinter out of someone's eye when there's a log protruding out of your eye. This is not talking about NEVER making a judgment but about making judgments with the right measure. The scripture actually says an unbalanced judgment is an abomination to the lord, therefore a balanced judgment is a delight to the lord. 1 Corth 14:28 Says that prophesy is subject to Judgment. 1 Corth 10:15 Paul says I speak to you as wise men and he asks them to Judge what he says. 1 Corth 6:1 - Says we will judge the world and one day and in fact judge Angels. He then asks the question, could not one wise person be found among you who can make Judgments between each other. This is in fact a rebuke to them for not making good and Godly judgments. He actually uses the words I speak this to your shame that no one will make these Judgments. In 1 Corth 5 he also talks about being able to make very strong Judgments. In Romans 6:15 Paul says should we, because of God's Grace allow sin to abound, his answer is God forbid. Which is in fact a judgment in and of itself. It also maybe wise to remember that the words Judgment and Justice are close relatives you often can not have one with out the other. Lets love people wisely.