Now is the time......For Revelation

I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel – therefore I came baptizing with water. John 1:31

As I sat reading the first chapter of John on a beautiful Sydney morning beside the Cooks River, these words of John the baptizer suddenly struck me as interesting. Now I confess that I haven’t done a thorough study of this, so what I am about to say is just an ‘off the cuff’ thought. John, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Jesus were cousins. When Mary visited Elizabeth both were pregnant. When Mary greeted Elizabeth the spirit within her recognized the significance of her cousin Mary’s son to be (Luke 1:40-45), and she prophesied about him. It seems inconceivable to me that in the ensuing 30 years their children had no face to face contact; yet John says in our text here, “I did not know Him.” I think what happened was that John knew Jesus as his cousin but on this day, the day appointed by God, John received a revelation of the true identity of Jesus, the Christ, the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world.

Revelation is a wonderful thing. Sometimes it comes quickly, other times revelation may dawn slowly, but when it comes our thinking is changed forever. John’s revelation changed him from him from being a relative of Jesus to a revealer of the Redeemer of the world. The most significant revelation a person can and needs to have is the one John experienced that day – Jesus, Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. But that is not the end of revelation. There is so much more truth that God wants to reveal to us if we will only prepare ourselves to receive it.

As we stand on the threshold of a brand new year we wonder what the coming year will hold not only for us personally but also for our family, our nation and for our world. One thing that I am sure of is that God waits to reveal Himself to us. As we take time in His presence and read His word we should ask the Holy Spirit for revelation of the truth God wants us to know. We will be surprised and delighted at what God shows us.

Sometimes you may go for a long time with no fresh revelation, but don’t stop reading your Bible and waiting for it, and don’t stop doing what God has shown you to do while you wait. Did you notice John’s words? He knew that the Saviour was to be revealed sometime, and he said, “therefore I came baptizing…”. He was obedient to God’s call, preparing the way and waiting for the day of revelation.

What has God shown you to do in this season of your life? Are you doing it faithfully, waiting for His next revelation?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing me safely through this past year. I commit this New Year to you, asking that you will strengthen me by your grace to be faithful and obedient to do all that you have revealed to me. Help me not to be discouraged but to patiently wait for your timing as I wait for your promises to me to be fulfilled. Amen

Now is the time.... To Be Refreshed

For I am like a tree whose roots reach the water, whose branches are refreshed with the dew. Job 29:19

Two hectic days after our return from a wonderful holiday with family in New Zealand, I sensed a sadness, a yearning in my heart and I recognised that it was a yearning for intimacy with my heavenly Father, my faithful Lord and forever Friend.

Holidays are great, but for me, I’m out of routine and that usually means I end up feeling spiritually dry. Yes I pray and read my Bible, I rejoice in God’s creation and his goodness as we travel in beautiful countryside, but I lose the intimacy that comes only from spending quality time in his presence. Relationship with God is really just like any other relationship; we need to spend time with people to really know them.

The added factor at this holiday season is the mad rush that precedes Christmas. We fly around buying gifts, mailing cards and shopping for too much food. There seems to come a drivenness that robs us of rest. Even when our bodies stop running our minds run on, thinking and rethinking all the details that need to be attended to…….tomorrow!

When this happens, then it is time to be refreshed by making a special effort to press into God’s presence by taking time to be with him. The wonderful thing is that he is patiently waiting for us to come to him, just like a parent of adult children waiting and looking forward to a visit from their kids.

Refreshing ourselves in His presence is so important to do, and to do regularly, but never more so than when we prepare to celebrate God’s wonderful gift to us of himself. We need the sense of quiet and rest that it brings in the midst of our busyness. I am so thankful for His peace that is restored to my soul as I sit in his presence this morning.

This verse from Job speaks of two types of refreshing – a tree with roots that reach down to the water and a refreshing from the dew. We do have roots that draw water constantly from God if we are rooted and grounded in Him. We need the dew also that will water our ‘leaves’. Dew doesn’t form when there is wind. The rushing too and fro is the wind that prevents the dew from settling and refreshing us. We need to stop and be still for this dew to come. Will you do that?

Prayer: Thank you my wonderful God that you want to refresh me and restore my soul again. Help me to make time in my daily busyness to be with you. Amen

Now is the time ....... To Love

Owe nothing to anyone – except for your obligation to love one another.
Romans 13:8

So many songs have been written about love over the years; some disappear, others remain. Many are ‘throw away’ lines, some of the lyrics contain truth. A couple of lines immediately spring to mind – ‘love makes the world go round’ and ‘all you really need is love’. Both are true in a way but perhaps not as the songwriter meant them to be.

Love does indeed make the world go round because God is love and he holds everything in his hand. Scripture says ‘For of him and through him and to him are all things.’ (Romans 11:36) and also ‘…by him all things are held together’ (Colossians 1:17). He (Love) is the creator and sustainer of the universe (John 1:3).

Also it is true that ‘all you really need is love’. We were created to love and to be loved by Love Himself, God. Our need to be loved is inbuilt and we are fashioned in the likeness of God so our nature is to be a vessel through which God’s love flows to others.

I found the New Living Translation rendering of Romans 13:8 interesting in that it says that we have an obligation to love one another. Why would loving one another be our obligation? Because it goes on to say ‘love fulfils the requirements of God’s law.’ God so loved us that he gave his only Son to become the fulfilment of the law which judged us. Jesus so loved that he gave his life for us. Our ‘obligation’, if we are to be Jesus to this world, is to love with that same love – God’s love - which he puts in our heart as we yield to him, (Romans 5:5).

Human love grasps for itself, to satisfy its own needs. It can manipulate, intimidate and control to get its needs fulfilled. On the other hand God’s love is given to us unconditionally, unearned. It is supernaturally ‘generated’ by the spirit of God and it is available to each of us – not only for ourselves but also for us to pass on to others and so fulfil God’s purposes on this earth.

How will you choose to love this Christmas season? Take a moment to stop and ask your loving Heavenly Father how He wants you to show His love to others during this time when we remember how He so lovingly gave us the most precious gift He could think of.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, God of love, please show me how I can share your love with someone in need of love today. Amen

Now is the time ....... To Overcome

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

When faced with the challenge of learning to work some new piece of techno wizardry it’s very easy for me to say “I can’t” (which really means “I won’t”), and give up, leaving it to my clever husband to figure it out then lead me through in steps I can understand. That’s called ‘spoon-feeding’!

Sometimes life offers us a challenge – often in the form of a habit that needs to be overcome, or a difficult situation we have to learn to handle. Perhaps it’s a person you find difficult to deal with. It’s part of the growing in grace journey that we are on; part of running the race to win the prize of the high calling in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:14).

Seven times in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 it is written “to him who overcomes I will give……”. The promise of the prize is to the overcomer – not to those who avoid the challenge. Is this fair and just? I believe it is because as we abide in Christ we have all that we need to overcome whatever challenge we face. The nature of Christ is an overcoming nature. He faced the challenge of the cross, taking upon himself every sin the world would ever commit against God. He bore them bravely and strongly, overcoming all the power of the devil so that we could have restored fellowship with God the Father. In his weakest moments angels came and ministered to him for they are God’s ministers who help and sustain us in our battles.

Facing our challenges and overcoming them opens the door to our next level of growth. The taste of victory is sweet, its rewards are great. Is there a challenge in your life that you are facing right now? Is there an area that needs to be overcome? Remember that it’s part of the process of our being conformed more to the image of Christ.

Will you join the apostle Paul today and make a decision to say “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”?

Prayer: Lord today I choose to draw upon your mighty strength to help me become the overcomer that you want me to be. Amen

Now is the time ...... To Grow Up

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11

It is late spring as I write, and nature has woken up and begun its annual cycle of growth once again. There is the beauty of the flowers and wonderful colours of new growth in the trees, but there is a messiness running alongside all the beauty. The spotted gum outside my home is bursting out of its bark and making a big mess as great chunks of dry bark land all over the gardens and the porch. The branches look like they have a very bad case of peeling sunburn – not very attractive, but very much a part of the process of growth.

For us growing up is often a messy business. If you remember your teen years you can attest to that. If you have a teenager in your home you will most likely understand what I’m saying! Actually growing up as a Christian can be just as messy. Paul says this in Ephesians 4:15 "speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

We should grow up; we must grow up, painful and messy though it may be. You may think that this is a rather obvious statement but it is my observation that sometimes we don’t want to grow up in certain areas because it will mean that we have to deal with things we don’t want to. It means facing the fact that life is not plain sailing; that bad things do happen to good people; that marriage takes work and commitment once the honeymoon is over; that children are a blessing from the Lord but that they can cause you much frustration heartache along the way.

Growing up means that we face the difficulties and challenges with faith and courage, knowing that God has promised he will give us strength that is sufficient for everything we encounter in life’s journey. It means that we don’t run way from the hard things, or decide to take the ‘easy’ way out – which is never the easy way in reality. It means that we decide to do things God’s way, not our way, even if it causes us some pain during the process.

It also means loving people enough to allow them to make mistakes and then come alongside and help them through their mess rather than giving up on them…….. just like Jesus does with us! I read or heard something recently that struck a chord with me. It said that bones grow strong with stress. Weight bearing exercise strengthens bones. In the same way, our troubles and trials can make us strong – if we will face them rather than avoid them. (Look at James 1:2-4)

What difficulties are you facing in your life right now? Are you able to look at them as an opportunity to grow up in Christ through them? If you are, you will be rewarded with a new level of maturity and peace.

Prayer: Heavenly Father please help me to see my trials as an opportunity for growth. Please strengthen me to face it and walk through the darkness with you and into the light. Amen

Now is the time ..... To Be Wise

Fear of the Lord is the foundation all wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Psalm 110:10 NLT

Have you ever had the pleasure of sitting awhile and listening to the wisdom that flows from a sweet spirited older person? The book “Tuesdays With Morrie” tells of the experience of a young man who, after many years, is reunited with one of his old college professors who is dying. The young man penned the story of his encounters and the book was on the best sellers list in the USA for 10 years. It has changed the way many people view their elderly relatives. Now the author travels widely passing on Morrie’s wisdom to help others have hope and peace by making the most of every day they are given.

This verse in Psalm 111, whose sentiment is repeated in Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10, tells us that wisdom only begins when we fear the Lord. Psalm 14:1 says “The fool has said in his heart “there is no God”. Acknowledgement of God is a good starting place for developing wisdom, then following God’s instructions will continue the process. Keeping his commandments is not following a list of rules and regulations or legalistically keeping the 10 commandments. Experience has shown us that we don’t have it in us to do that, which is why Jesus had to come and fulfil God’s requirement for perfection. No, keeping his commandments as explained by Jesus (Matthew 22:27-40) is to love God with all of ourselves and to love others. If we walk in love we will fulfill God’s commandments. That is wisdom.

God is the source of all wisdom, he’s our Creator and he knows what will work for us. He has graciously left us with a manual for life in the form of The Bible, and when we hand over our life to God we get his Holy Spirit to be our guide through life. That’s quite a deal!

To walk in God’s wisdom brings peace and joy. Following his ways brings life, and wisdom grows. How do we do that? By changing our thinking to God’s way of thinking through studying His word (Romans 12:2); by deciding to do things God’s way - to walk in love toward God and man (Matthew 22); and finally, to have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:6) which is a humble heart that is willing to do God’s will by living like Christ.

If we make it a practice to read God’s word and obey it, we will grow in wisdom which is a beautiful attribute. James 3:17 says this “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure” (as shown in a life of purity), “It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others” (not difficult to get along with). “It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favouritism and is always sincere.”

Prayer: Dear God, help me to aspire to a life of wisdom which will show your goodness in the way I live my life. Amen

Now is the time ....... To Let Go and Let God

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares for you….
1 Peter 5:7

This morning I watched a seagull body surf to the shore. It would have been more spectacular to see him standing up on his little webbed feet surfing into the shore but it seems that even water birds have their limitations! Actually it would have been quite ridiculous to see the little bird struggling to make it in by his own efforts when the waves could so easily carry him.

This small incident made me think about the greatness of God’s power and grace and how, if we will only allow ourselves to be carried by him on the waters of life, we would experience far more peace on our own life journey. So often we struggle so much to “make things happen” when most times all that is needed is for us to drop our independent “I can do it” – or worse still, “I must do it” mindset, and say to God, “I give it all to you Lord.” All we need to do at times is to rest on the waves and let them bring us to the shore. (That’s all Noah and his family could do in the flood. They had absolutely no choice but to trust God and ride the waves and wait for his time of release. God, of course, faithfully brought them to a place of safety and peace.)

The apostle Paul was so frustrated with the Christians in Galatia that he said to them “Oh, foolish Galatians…… let me ask you this one question; did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ….. why then are you trying to get things done (author’s interpretation), by your own human effort?” (Galatians 3:1-3).

We trusted God for our salvation and in our early years of faith it seemed easy to leave God to work things out. Then as we ‘grew up’ we have often decided that we had to take control and work things out for ourselves, forgetting that Jesus said we need to become as little children…. (Luke 18:17).

In every situation I believe that God wants us to experience his grace and faithfulness. Sometimes we are too impatient to wait for his timing, sometimes we think that this particular situation is out of God’s area of interest or control. That is very wrong thinking. God wants us to bring everything to him, just like a little child wants to tell Daddy or Mummy about every little thing. Nothing is too big and nothing is too small for God to be interested in it.

Being carried by his grace is something that many of us find difficult, but we need to learn how to let go and allow God to work things out so that he then gets the glory. What is the situation that faces you today that you should let go of and allow God to take control of?

Prayer: God of love and grace you are faithful in all your ways. Help me to become like a little child again in my faith and to trust in you. Take my cares about …………. today and please help me to leave this situation in your capable hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Now is the time..... To Change Your Perspective

Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. Philippians 2:4

This morning as I spent time with God at the lake, I enjoyed the view and the busy chatter of many different birds. Later I moved just a few yards further along the lake edge to take advantage of some shade and was interested to note that the view had changed. Even though it was only a slight change along the curve of the shore, it was actually a prettier view with different things including. Also the jetty and the settlement of Nords Wharf came into clearer focus.

Life is sometimes like that. We need to change our perspective in order to get a better view of a circumstance or situation. I remember an incident many years ago when we were living in close quarters on a mission compound in Papua New Guinea. A situation arose concerning ours and the neighbour’s children, something that had happened on the school bus I think. In my mind the other mother, was being far too sensitive and protective of her children. She blamed my children for something I was sure they hadn’t done (but perhaps they had!).

When I went to bed that night I was ‘stewing’ about the incident and turned to my evening Bible passage, Philippians 2:4. “There you are!” I said to my husband, “That’s the whole problem; she never thinks her kids are wrong, she should care about others too.” My anger had twisted my perspective on God’s word. I can’t explain how I got such a meaning out of that verse, but I did and my anger felt justified and I fell asleep – feeling very self righteous.

Next morning I awoke and went for the verse again. Wham, bam, it hit me like a rock. Suddenly God was speaking that verse to me and I heard the words, “The ball’s in your court.” Oh dear. God had totally turned the tables on me. I saw that I was equally guilty of being concerned about my own ‘things’. I needed to humble my heart and repent of my anger. It didn’t even matter who was right or wrong. God wanted me to forgive and love.

The day before I had felt cornered and defensive; God had graciously allowed me to see that he was on my side as I read his word the night before, but in the light of day, and feeling more secure, he led me to a place of humility that was more pleasing to him than my being “right”.

We are often reminded about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes before we pass judgment on them. That is so true. Things look so much different when we try to put ourselves in another’s place. Do you need a change of perspective today? Don’t let the enemy keep you angry, bitter or needing to be ‘right’. It keeps you locked in your own prison. Forgiveness and understanding bring release and joy, because that’s God’s way of peace.

Prayer: Dear Father, please help me to have a humble and forgiving heart when things don’t go my way. Amen

Now is the time ...... To be Tolerant

"....as much as it depends upon you, live at peace with everyone”. Romans 12:18

In the early morning I sat at a table enjoying the changing colours of the lake as the sun rose behind me. A Currawong (similar to a Magpie) and a Magpie wandered over to investigate intrusion into their territory. One hopped up onto the bench beside me and the other ventured onto the table. We exchanged greetings (yes I talk to the birds!), and off they went to find their breakfast.

Later, from a different place, I watched a Currawong feeding near that same table till a Magpie came and chased him right away. Not to be intimidated too much, the Currawong flew a few paces away and resumed feeding, but the Magpie wasn’t done; he once more rose and flapped and finally chased the Currawong far away. Then Mr Magpie landed on the table and stood in solitary splendour. Mission accomplished!

What struck me was that now he was alone. He’d gotten his own way – he had his space, but no companionship of other birds because of his selfish, bullying ways. How depressing!

Sometimes it’s difficult to get along with others but we need to unless we want to be left lonely. Romans 8:6 says “…. Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” Again it says, ”as much as it depends upon you, live at peace with everyone” Romans 12:18.

We choose to live in peace by what we allow to control our mind and emotions. Yes, there will always be those difficult neighbours, colleagues or classmates, sometimes even family members or fellow Christians; but we can choose not to allow them to disturb our peace. We do this by praying for them and praying for God’s grace and strength for ourselves so that we can choose to walk in love toward them.

Remember, we are all different and we all have our strange or difficult ways that irritate others, so if we want others to be tolerant towards us, then we had better show tolerance towards them. Different is not wrong, it’s just different. God loves diversity, he made it. Let’s grow in our love for others and enjoy our differences lest we be lonely in the end.

Heavenly Father, please grant me a tolerant and loving heart and help me to appreciate people even though they are different from me which I sometimes find annoying. Help me to remember how much you love them as well as me. Amen

Now is the time... To Be Honest

Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! Psalm 32:2

I love honesty because it is the key to so many things; the one I am thinking about at this moment is that it is the key to revelation from God.

Recently I attended a women’s retreat where the theme was “Priceless Women”. In one of the discussion groups one of the women honestly confessed something that I’m sure others were thinking. She said, “I can believe that I am valuable to God, but I am finding it difficult to believe that I am priceless.” Some discussion ensued, then one woman shared this revelation she received from God. “When something, like a jewel or a rare artifact, is discovered it is valuable, but when it is the only one of its kind in the whole world, it is unique and therefore priceless. Because you are unique – even your fingerprints are one of a kind – then don’t you think that makes you priceless?” What a joyous revelation that was to all of us. One person’s honesty enabled revelation to come forth.

If we walk in honesty before God we allow him to reveal his grace and mercy to us – especially when we confess our weakness, struggles and sins. It is only then can he forgive us of our sin. If we are honest with others it keeps us humble and enables others to see us as we really are. It also kills any lurking spirit of competition because we are not trying to be something we are not. Honesty enables us to demonstrate God’s grace and love because when we’ve received forgiveness and unconditional love we are more able to offer it to others. Honesty is also our defence against pride, judgmentalism and hypocrisy and who doesn’t want to be protected against those horrible sins!

You will be surprised at the effect your own honesty will have upon you if you are used to living in pretense. It is hard to keep up a façade all the time. Being honest is so freeing. It also frees others to be honest with themselves and with God. It can enable them to become more accepting of their own frailty, and to love themselves in spite of it. It can be a key to helping them to feel secure enough to love and accept others rather than feeling they have to compete.

Honesty brings freedom, not only to ourselves but to others. Start the ball rolling. Dare to be honest and find great freedom…. today!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please give me the courage to be honest in all my conversations and always in everything I do. Amen

Now is the time ...... To Hold Your Ground

……but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory. 2 Samuel 23:12

One of the things that must be very hard to do, is to hold your ground in the face of the enemy. To stand and look into the face of the enemy as they did in battles of years past, and not flinch but face them down. Such was the stand Shammah, one of David’s mighty warriors took. He just stood and beat back the enemy. Did he know that he was going to win? I don’t know, but I know that the Lord brought about a mighty victory through him.

As I write this, we have a fairly young woman in our church who is holding her ground in the face of cancer. She is not shrinking back, she is not submitting to it, but she is ‘beating back the enemy’ who is seeking to destroy her life – quite literally. Does she know if she is going to win the battle? I guess not, but she does know that it is her Lord who can bring about her victory and she is standing on the promises in his word. She refuses to be intimidated. I pray that the Lord will bring about a great victory for her.

I remember another battle that the Israelites fought in 2 Chronicles 20:17. King Jehoshaphat and all Israel were afraid because a great army came to fight against them. When they came before the Lord to enquire what they should do, the spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, and he gave them God’s message. It went like this ‘Don’t be afraid or dismayed, this is not your battle, but the Lord’s. Go down, set yourselves before them then stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.’ As you read this wonderful story (and I hope you will), you will see that Jehoshaphat set singers at the front of the army and as they sang praises to the Lord, the Lord had the army destroy itself. Only God can do that! When the Israelites came all they found was dead bodies and lots of loot! They got rewarded for a battle they didn’t have to fight. What a mighty God we serve!

I cannot help wondering if I would be so strong and brave in the face of such a battle but I do know that God promises that his grace is sufficient for each trial. He gives strength and grace when it is needed.

What is your battle today? Is it the mind games the devil plays with you? Is it sickness, persecution, discouragement or grief? No matter what your battle, hold your ground, don’t back down. Remember the battles you’ve won in the past and be encouraged. Sing a song of praiseto the Lord. He is the one who gives the victory.

Prayer: Mighty God, you are my strength and my victory. I choose to sing praises to you today in the face of my enemy. Thank you for your strength and grace for each new day. Amen.

Now is the time ...... To Stand Firm

…….then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Ephesians 6:13 (NLT)

Have you ever tried to dress an active toddler? What a task! They wriggle and fidget, squiggle & squirm; they are anxious to get on with their day. The next adventure beckons them; getting dressed is just an inconvenient and unwelcome interruption in their busy life. If only they would stay still the job would be done much quicker!

Notice in Ephesians 6:14 it tells us to ‘stand your ground, putting on the belt….” It is possible to get dressed while ‘on the run’, but really it’s much quicker to stand still and focus while dressing. Many Christians tend to run from one thing to another, reluctant to stop and spend time in God’s presence. We need to be still to focus on his word and listen for his voice. We could save ourselves a lot of anxiety if only we would spend time in God’s presence and get his wisdom and peace for our day.

Dressing in the armour of God needs focus; we need to remind ourselves of his instructions as we face spiritual battles. If we do that, the enemy won’t be able to knock us out in the fray. Verse 13 says that if we put on every piece of God’s armour, ‘Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.’

When Peter speaks about watching out for the enemy who ‘prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8), he goes on to say ‘Stand firm against him and be strong in faith.’ Again in verse 12 he encourages ‘stand firm in this grace’. What grace? In verse 12 he says something that deserves serious thought. ‘My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that (the trials) you are experiencing are truly a part of God’s grace for you.’ That’s rather a strange thing to say, but he has reminded them that what they are experiencing is the same experience of their brothers and sisters all over the world. When we are going through tough times we do well to remember and pray for fellow Christians who also suffer. In doing that we can find courage because one of the things the enemy likes to do is to make us think that we are the only one getting such a rotten deal. That’s his way of getting us to spiral into self pity and isolation.

Don’t go there – remember the devil is a liar, and that there are plenty of people going through difficulties just as bad if not worse than yours. Pray for them and your focus will change for the better. As we stand firm, then the wonderful promise is that ‘after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support and strengthen you and place you on a firm foundation.’ (Vs 10). That's the grace that results from suffering trials. So, stand firm, you can win!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to take time to stand firmly when the enemy attacks me, knowing that you will strengthen me and help me because you are my strong place of refuge. Amen

Now is the time for battle......

8 - Pray


Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

Some of the churches in our area have joined together to enter into a season of 40 days of prayer and fasting for the region. It’s so good to have times of special focus, so today I am spending some hours in the sunshine with the purpose of prayer – and writing. It just so happens that today is my time to write on prayer as part of our battle plan.

After telling us to clothe ourselves in the armour of God, Paul then urges us to ‘pray in the spirit at all times’. Prayer is our lifeline to heaven. On the battle field communication with the commander is vital because from him come strategies and orders on how to proceed. The Holy Spirit is our communications specialist. He’s the one who directs our prayers to the Father and communicates the Father’s directions back to us. We need him in our communication.

It is easy for us to bombard heaven with our prayer list but it’s quite another to say, “Holy Spirit please help me to pray according to the will of the Father today. Show me how I should pray and for whom I should pray.” It is vital to stay in tune with the Holy Spirit.

Staying in union with Christ and being mindful of and thankful for all that he has accomplished for us on the cross will also help us maintain an attitude of humility which is so endearing to God. James 4:7-8 urges ‘So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come close to God and he will come close to you.’ Also Hebrews (4:16 and 10:19) reminds us that we can come boldly before God’s throne of grace. We have confidence towards God if we come with sin cleansed. Then we can hear from God and pray according to his will knowing that he hears and answers our prayers (1 John 3:21-22)…… in His time, not necessarily ours.

Prayer is an amazing privilege because it can touch lives near and far, people in places of high authority and people in prison. Prayer does not discriminate and is not limited. We shouldn’t only pray for our immediate family and friends; we need to remember to extend our prayers to cover leaders in our church, community and country – in fact all in authority, so that they can rule well and we can live in peace (1 Timothy 2:1-2). I confess that I often fall short in this area. By the way, it is fine for you to pray for yourself too. It is not selfish as some would think. God has room for all our prayers.

We have been given great power and authority in prayer by Jesus Christ. Let us not neglect to use his gift to us, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Holy Spirit help me to recognise the great privilege of prayer and please keep me walking in close communication with my Heavenly Father through you. Amen

Now is the time for battle......

7 – Use Your Sword

…and take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17

Today I have the pleasure of spending the day with my two younger grand- children, Dan & Leah. It’s a gorgeous day and I have been watching Dan bouncing on the trampoline. He wasn’t doing his double somersaults which he often likes to do. Today he had a large plastic sword and was bouncing and wielding the sword in deep cut and thrust movements – no doubt as he’s seen happening on his computer games or in the movies. He sure knows how to use that thing!

His timing was great as an opening for my writing of today’s Daydrops because our next piece of God’s armour is the sword and Paul tells us that our spiritual sword is the word of God. So how do we use God’s word as a sword, and how do we use it skillfully?

Jesus is our best example of using the word of God as a weapon. When he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, (Luke 4), Jesus always used the scriptures to withstand or counteract the enemy’s temptations. When tempted to do a creative miracle and turn the stones into bread, he countered with “The scriptures say, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”. He was saying that there is more important food, the food for our spirit that truly satisfies the deepest part of us.

When tempted with power and authority when Satan offered him rule over kingdoms of this world in return for Jesus bowing down to him, Jesus resisted the temptation and submitted to the headship of God his father. Acknowledging the truth of God’s word that “The scriptures say, you must worship the Lord you God and only serve him.” In his final thrust Satan tempted Jesus to throw himself down from the highest point on the temple and when he did he quoted scripture to support his ‘test’. Jesus recognised his subtlety and deception – we are not to test God with foolish actions. He said again, “The scriptures also say ‘You must not test the Lord your God’.”

Jesus had been brought up knowing the scriptures. Jewish boys learn from a very young age to memorize God’s word and talk about it and how it applies to life. We too must know the scriptures well. Colossians 3:16 invites us to “Let the word of God dwell in you richly…” If we will read the word and allow it to become a part of our thinking every day, it will dwell in us richly. The Holy Spirit can then draw from that storehouse of the word within us, when the need arises. At times when the enemy comes with temptations, the Spirit of God then has that rich store from which to draw to help us counteract the attacks of the enemy.

Allow the Holy Spirit to help you wield that sword with great skill and you will have all that you need, but we must do the work of putting the word into our hearts so that it can be drawn upon in time of need.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your holy and powerful word which is my weapon against the attacks of the enemy. Help me to study it and allow it to become a part of my daily life. Amen

Now is the time for battle......

6 – Protect Your Head



Take the helmet of salvation….. Ephesians 6:17

In my childhood and through my teens I spent many happy hours riding quite a few kilometers on my bicycle. In those days safety helmets were not required as they are in Australia today, and fortunately I never had any nasty falls. Today kids wear helmets for bike-riding, rollerblading, and similar risky ventures so that if they do take a tumble their head is protected because our head is one of the most vulnerable parts of our body. It contains the operations control centre of our being, our brain.

In spiritual warfare God recognises our need to protect our head because the enemy attacks our mind. Unprotected, we are vulnerable to his attacks. Our helmet is referred to as the helmet of salvation. How does that work? Salvation changes everything; we become a brand new creation, born anew to a living hope that we have in Christ Jesus (1 Peter 1:3). We have a new status as a child of God and we are to develop a brand new way of thinking (Romans 12:2). We have to learn to think like God thinks by renewing our mind through understanding hi’s word.

Just like a computer needs to be re-programmed according to what task we require it to do, so when we come to faith in Christ our minds need to be re-programmed. It’s a whole new way of thinking because our thinking was corrupted by our sinful nature. It is a process which takes time and practice, learning to think like God thinks.

Our mind becomes a vulnerable area which the enemy likes to attack through lies and accusations. It is therefore vital for us to renew our minds by reading and remembering God’s word. This is how we learn to think like God thinks. We need to remember that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:30), that we are forgiven through the blood of Jesus (Ephes. 1:7), that we are redeemed from our past life and set free to live in newness of life (2 Cor. 5:17 ) and so on. It is the knowledge of who we are in God, the truth of our salvation, which is our protective helmet.

Another great scripture passage to remember is… ‘We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the devil’s strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their, (read ‘our’) rebellious ideas…. 2 Cor. 10:5-6 NLT.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you so much for such a great salvation. Help me to walk in all its fullness to bring glory to you as I withstand the attacks of the enemy to undermine my faith. Amen

Now is the time for battle......

5 – Raise That Shield


In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith…..

Ephesians 6:16

Have you noticed that our reflex action when something comes flying towards us is to raise our arm like a shield to protect our face or head from injury? It is an automatic reaction of self preservation.

Roman soldiers carried a large and heavy shield to protect themselves from the arrows that were directed at them in conflict. In order to get closer to the enemy to get a better battle position, sometimes a group of soldiers would huddle together each holding their shield above their head in tight formation with the other shields thus making a turtle-like formation. Those on the outside would use their shields to protect their bodies. A group like this was virtually impenetrable so long as they stayed in close formation and moved in unity.

In those days a favourite weapon of the enemy was an arrow that had been doused in oil and set alight. This is why Paul uses the illustration of ‘the fiery arrows of the devil’, likening the attacks of the enemy to those fiery arrows. They are deadly. Remember the enemy is out to steal, kill and destroy us (John 10:10).

Our shield is the shield of faith – an invisible but nonetheless powerful protection against the unseen attacks of Satan. In many of the Psalms, (3, 5, 18, 28, 33 and 144), David and other writers refer to the Lord being their shield and protection from their enemies. David prayed and trusted God to be his protection from his ‘flesh and blood’ enemies who were out to destroy him. Our enemies are not flesh and blood, even though it sometimes feels like they are!
How do we lift our shield of faith to protect ourselves? We remind ourselves that we are valued and loved by God; we get to know his word and what it says about us. We believe that God is for us and not against us and that he is able to protect us and bring us through whatever difficulties may come against us. Believe the word that says ‘God is a very present help in times of trouble’ Psalm 46:1, then stand firm using that promise as a shield against fear and doubt.

Our attacks may come through thoughts, through people or through our own thoughts of unworthiness or inadequacy. The trick for us is to recognise these attacks of the enemy for what they are, and to hold up that shield of faith, trusting in our loving Saviour, then we will be protected. The word of God promises that if we ‘resist the devil; he will flee from us’ James 4:7. Just keep resisting the temptation to entertain such thoughts or accusations and the enemy will slink away defeated.

Prayer: Faithful God, thank you for every provision you have made for me to fight a good fight against my enemy the devil. Help me to recognise his attacks for what they are and raise my shield of faith, trusting in you and in your word. Amen

Now is the time for battle......

4 – Slip Into Your Shoes

For shoes put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
Ephesians 6:15

One of the things you will see in country New Zealand is people walking barefoot. They even drive their cars barefoot to go shopping in bare feet. Of course, they are in the minority but it happens because they just love going without shoes….. don’t ask me why! Though I grew up in New Zealand I never learned to be comfortable going barefoot, perhaps because I remember one very painful experience. I was at home playing with friends and running barefoot through the lawn which was full of clover in flower. Bees love clover and they didn’t appreciate my stomping through their territory. One of them expressed his displeasure by leaving his sting in my toe. Ouch – the pain is unforgettable!

The third part of our spiritual armour that we are instructed to put on is shoes. Shoes protect our feet from injury as we walk in ‘rocky’ places and they speed us on our way. There will surely be rocky places in the pathway of life.

Notice that Paul associated the shoes with the gospel of peace. Receiving the gospel message and allowing it to become a part of our lives brings us into a place of peace with God and a place of growing peace with ourselves and others. The world is searching for true and lasting peace – it is to be found only in Jesus Christ. He is our peace.

The shoes of an athlete are important. They are designed to give protection and support and to help the wearer perform at his or her best. The shoes of the gospel are shoes of peace that enable us to stand in the peace of God in any situation. This can be such a testimony to those who don’t know God. When we learn to face trials wearing these shoes, people will be amazed at how peaceful we are. We can then share with them about the goodness of God and so our peace becomes an ‘open door’ to share the gospel with them.

Slip into these shoes today and be ready to walk confidently wherever life may take you.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the peace and protection that you provide for me in so many ways. Please give me open doors to share your goodness and love with others. Amen

Now is the time for battle.....

3 - Cover Your Heart

….with the breastplate of righteousness in place….
Ephesians 6:14

You’ve prepared to fight and tightened that belt of truth around your waist. You are reading God’s word and making it the foundation for your life; now it’s time to put on the breastplate of righteousness. No soldier would think of going to war without his vital organs being covered. Today it takes the form of a bullet proof vest. So what is the breastplate of righteousness as far as we are concerned? It is our protection from the attacks of the enemy on our heart.

Susan thought that she’d led a pretty good life. She had a successful marriage, she worked for charities, and she never did anyone any harm. She felt that she was quite a righteous person and that God wouldn’t have any complaint with her when she came to stand before him. Dave, on the other hand, had been a drug-dealing, wife-beating womanizer. He knew that he was rotten through and through and he found it difficult to believe that God could have any time for him at all.

Both Susan and Dave needed to discover the truth about righteous-ness in a different way. Susan had to realize that to God, in all his purity and holiness, our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Nothing we could ever do would make us good enough for God. That is why Jesus Christ who was pure and sinless came to die in our place. He took our sins upon himself on the cross. Now his goodness or righteousness becomes ours when we receive him as our Saviour and Lord. Dave had to realize that no sin is great than another; that Susan’s pride in her own goodness was as sinful as his drug-dealing and wife-beating. God loved each of them equally and each had to come to God in the same way, through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). The shield that is our protection is the righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ. It makes us acceptable to God and it tells the devil that we are not trusting in ourselves but in God’s mercy and goodness.

Jeremiah 33:16 speaks of “The Lord our righteousness.” When Susan is tempted to compare herself with Dave, she needs the breastplate to remind her that only in Jesus Christ is she good enough for God. It protects her from a prideful heart. Dave needs the breastplate to cover his shame and remind him that Jesus Christ paid for all his sin. Satan can no longer accuse him because he is covered with the righteousness of Christ.

Put on that breastplate so that you can stand confidently before God, knowing his mercy; and boldly before Satan, knowing that he has nothing with which to accuse you because God has got you covered!

Prayer: Lord Jesus thank you so much that I don’t have to try and be good enough for God. Thank you that in your mercy, grace and love you have become my righteousness. Amen

Now is the time for battle……

2 – Tighten Your Belt

……. having tightened the belt of truth around your loins… Ephesians 6:14(Amplified)

Today I watched a professional window cleaner working and I was interested to see that he wore a belt as part of his ‘tools of trade’. In his belt at the back were tucked a wad of clean rags, extra mop heads and sponges and his mobile phone – a necessity for a man on the move without an office. That belt needed to be firmly fastened so that he lost none of his accoutrements.

In this passage the apostle Paul is writing to instruct believers on how to stand against the attacks of our enemy, Satan. He is telling us how to put on spiritual armour to fight a spiritual battle. He likens that armour to the armour of a Roman soldier of his time. The belt the soldiers wore was one that held other parts of the armour together and perhaps some of his weaponry, certainly his sword. This belt needed to be tight in order to keep other pieces in place.

For us to keep our lives on track and in order, we have to ‘tighten’ our belt of truth which is our understanding and knowledge of God’s word which is truth. How do we do this? We make time each day to read God’s word to gain understanding of his ways and his will. It should become the foundation for how we live our lives once we become believers. It becomes our map for life.

Why is God’s word so important? It is important because it contains the wisdom of God for us, his creation. I call it the ‘Manufacturer’s Handbook’. God made us and he knows how life will work best for us. He’s given us directions to follow that will keep us safe, happy and fulfilled if we will but follow them.

His word becomes a rock-like foundation upon which we can build the structure of our life and we can be sure that it will then help us to stand strong. It doesn’t mean that life will be without challenge and difficulties, but God’s truth will bring encouragement and guidance to us during the tough times, and bring us safely through. God’s word is our encouragement when we are discouraged, our comfort when we are sad, our strength when we are weak, our wisdom when we are floundering, and our direction when we are undecided. We cannot live well without it. It is to become our strong foundation.

Has your belt of truth stretched or slipped lately? Are you reading the word regularly and putting it into action in your life? If not then today is a good time to get back on the job and tighten your belt.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your word which is my guide through life. Help me to hide it in my heart daily and walk in its truth. Amen

Now is the time for battle……

1 - Prepare to Fight

Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…. Ephesians 6:10-12

These days it is rare to hear a news broadcast that doesn’t tell of war, a court battle, or a domestic fight somewhere. Some wars go on for years but there is one war that has been going on since the beginning of time. That is the war between God and Satan, a war between good and evil. Satan has forever been out to destroy what God has created. It started in the Garden of Eden and continues to this present day. This war is in the spiritual realm.

Years ago I had a discussion with a church-going relative who did not believe there was a devil but Jesus certainly believed in him. He referred to Satan as ‘the prince of this world’ (John 12:31), and so he is. Jesus did battle with him in the wilderness right after he was baptized. You would do well to re-read that story and note how Jesus handled Satan’s attack on him (Matthew 4).

Anyone who has not come under the lordship of Jesus Christ is by default under Satan’s lordship. A scary thought, isn’t it. Satan can do what he likes with them and use them for his purposes. Trouble comes when we change our allegiance from Satan to Jesus Christ. That is when we stir up his anger and his real nature is revealed. Satan’s nature is to ‘steal, kill and destroy’ (John 10:10) so his aim regarding believers becomes the prevention of God’s goodness being seen and experienced in our lives.

In Ephesians 6 Paul warns that we need to prepare to fight, and then he goes on to tell us how to prepare for battle with our enemy. This is no ordinary war, it is a spiritual war. Our battle is not against flesh and blood (vs 12), but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. To westerners this may sound strange because we have not been attuned to believing in a spirit world, however many other cultures are very aware of spiritual activity and so find it much easier to believe in another realm outside of the natural or physical realm. We’d better believe it because it is there and very real!

Natural weapons are no good for this fight, so Paul goes on to teach us about our spiritual weapons. First he tells us to ‘be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power’. We need to put on ‘the whole armour which God supplies’ (vs 11), ‘so that we can take our stand against the schemes of the devil.’

It is important for us to recognise that there is a fight going on to undermine our walk with God. The devil schemes to discourage us, to disappoint us, to make us sick, to make us sin…. anything to make us feel ashamed, bitter or angry – whatever will make us turn away from God who loves us and wants to do us good all the days of our life. Learn to recognise the enemy’s work in the things that happen to you and learn how to fight in God’s strength.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you have given me spiritual armour and spiritual weapons with which to fight against the plans of the enemy. Help me to learn to use them well. Amen

Now is the time……To Choose Your Words

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Did you ever stop to think of the power of the words that you speak? That they actually can bring life or death to a situation? It’s true; the Bible says so in Proverbs 18:21. Our words have power for life or death in our own life and in the lives of others. Perhaps that’s why Jesus warned that by our words we would be acquitted or condemned (Matthew 12:37).

There have been many times throughout my life when I could have “bitten my tongue” as my mother used to say. Times when I have spoken hasty words of ‘death’ that were angry, critical, unkind or complaining. I have long asked God to give me a wise tongue. Proverbs 12:18 says this, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” In another place it says that “harsh words stir up strife but a gentle answer turns away wrath”. Proverbs 15:1.

My mother taught my sister and me a little rhyme when we complained that kids were mean to us. You know what it is! Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me. I believed that for many years and taught my children the same words until I realized that it is a total lie. Unkind words and name-calling do hurt. In fact they have ruined many lives and done permanent harm to many people.

Let us never think that the words we speak don’t have power. There is so much written in the Bible about the power of words. Remember it is by the words of God “Let there be…..” that our world and everything in it was created. Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) says that Jesus is still “sustaining all things by his powerful word”. That is quite an amazing thought.

Our lives can and should be sustained by his powerful word. We need to read his word and store it in our hearts. It will keep us on a straight path and protect us from going astray if we will live by it. If we hide God’s word in our heart then it will be a storehouse of good treasure out of which we speak wisdom and life.

James chapter 3 speaks of the tongue as being a fire, a world of iniquity. He says that no man can tame the tongue and I believe that to be true. Only the Holy Spirit can tame our tongue as we yield it to him and ask his help. He is our hope and our helper.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I yield my tongue to you today and ask for your help in speaking words of life; words that build up encourage and comfort those I come in contact with today. Amen

Now is the time... To Take Your Position

"…when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth" John 16:13

The Beijing Olympic Games began this weekend and for the next two weeks many Olympic contestants will be taking their positions as they get ready for the ‘race of their lives’.

As I thought about taking our position in the race of life I was reminded of a wonderful new addition to our car. We’ve called her ‘Flo’ and she is a great help when we are navigating new roads when we are out driving. Flo is our GPS (global positioning system) – oh the wonders of modern technology! However, I have to say that Flo is not perfect and definitely not infallible.

When I was learning how to work her I used her on a familiar route from Sydney airport to home. She did well until I got to the top of the first freeway, at which point she told me to “turn back, turn back”. There was no way I was turning back, I knew where I was going, I realized that her data was probably a little out of date as there had been a minor change made in the road at that point. More recently Flo would have had us going in circles if we hadn’t taken over and gone the way we knew was right (after we’d done one circle!). I don’t think we had programmed our required destination correctly. Flo is only as good as the data that has been put into her ‘computer brain’.

As believers we all have a GPS – it’s a God Positioning System – otherwise known as the Holy Spirit. He is sent to ‘guide us into all truth’. We need to learn to listen to his promptings and follow his leading. He will lead us in good ways, safe ways that keep us in correct position in our walk with God. If we are wise we will check in with him often so that we stay on track. How do we do that? The Holy Spirit uses our conscience to keep us moving in the right direction. Colossians 3:15 says ‘And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts’ . Another version says, ‘Let the peace of Christ guide every decision you make.’ A sense of peace, given by God, can be our guide when making any decision.

Just as with my using Flo and getting used to knowing how to program her, we have to get used to working with the Holy Spirit and allowing him to lead us and learn to trust him as we go. He will never give us wrong directions. His advice will always be in line with God’s word so if you are unsure, check out what you are feeling and don’t neglect to ask advice from your pastor, leader or trusted Christian friend.

Prayer: Holy Spirit thank you that you are a faithful guide for me through the roads of life. Help me to tune into and follow your leadership. Amen

Now is the time ...... To Dare to be Different

What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people. Galatians 6:15

A couple of years ago when we visited my aunt and uncle in Spain I met Kito and Oscar – they couldn’t have been more different. Kito is big and black and a little timid while Oscar is small and white and quietly confident. They are two dogs, a Doberman and a white haired Scottish terrier.

Kito and Oscar are Spanish bred dogs but because they live in an English speaking household, they understand English. This makes them different from other neighbourhood dogs. Even though they are so different in size and personality they live comfortably together in the same backyard, at times sharing the same kennel if it really gets cold in the winter; each is equally special and loved by their owners.

These two dogs were a great illustration to me of how, in spite of our great differences as people in race, colour, personality, size, shape and language, we are all equally special to God. We are unique and uniquely loved by him. The wonderful thing that dogs have over us human beings is that they don’t judge themselves or one another. At least I assume that to be the case but I am not a dog psychologist so I could be wrong, which would totally spoil my illustration!

For Kito and Oscar to compare themselves to each other would be ridiculous. It is equally foolish for us to compare ourselves to other people. We are different because each of us is made for a unique purpose in God’s plan. Accordingly he has given us gifts which will fit his plan and purposes for us in his Kingdom.

I observed how Kito and Oscar came confidently to their owners for loving attention. They seemed to know and be confident in the love of their owners. This is how God wants us to be towards him. He wants us to come confidently to him knowing that we are loved not only in spite of our differences, but because of them. We should not act timidly towards God, and if thoughts of not being good enough assail our minds, we can dismiss them as Satan’s lies to keep us from meeting with God.

Becoming a Christian automatically makes us different. We become a brand new creation but still an individual, fashioned for the purposes of God. Enjoy who he made you to be and enjoy your differences.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that you have no favourites. You love us all and you love us just as we are. Nothing that I can do can make you love me more, and there is nothing I have done or will do that will make you love me less. Help me to fulfil your special purposes for me. Amen

Now is the time ...... To Dig Deep

“…if you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding; if you seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures-- then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:3-5

Where we live we often see the famous Australian bird, the Kookaburra around. Recently one posed for us on the electricity box outside our home. As I look at them I am struck by the long, strong, sturdy beak which fits right in with its stocky body. In God’s creation everything has its purpose and the Kookaburra’s strong beak is for digging deep into the ground for worms and bugs. His beak is a very effective hole-digger and that’s how he feeds himself.

In our western world most of us don’t have to go out and dig for our daily food. I thank the Lord for that! I do enjoy picking fresh lettuce leaves and herbs from the pots at my back door though. However we do need spiritual food and for that we must dig deep into God’s word. Yes, we can have a quick little read of the Word during our day but to set aside some time to dig deeper into God’s word either in your own personal time with God or by attending a Bible study is very important for your spiritual growth and understanding.

Just as a person can’t live healthily on one meal a week, neither can we increase our spiritual growth by just hearing a sermon at church once a week. I have heard people complain about ‘not being fed’ in their church. If that is the case, it’s all the more reason for us to learn how to feed ourselves. We have a whole Bible to dig into and explore, we have the Holy Spirit who is our helper to give us revelation and understanding if we just ask, and we have Christian books, online Christian broadcasts not to mention early morning TV broadcasts. We have absolutely no excuse (aside from apathy and laziness), not to grow and mature in our Christian life.

God’s word encourages us to ‘grow up in him in all things’ (Ephesians 4:15). It also encourages us to desire the ‘sincere milk’ of God’s word in order that we may grow (1Peter 2:2). God doesn’t ask us to do the impossible, just what is reasonable and right and good for us. I challenge you to start digging!

Prayer: Father God, help me to desire your word as my spiritual food and to make the time to dig deep into your word so that I might grow in my faith and understanding of you. Amen

Now is the time ...... For Grace

For the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John 1:17

In the seventeen hundreds John Newton wrote the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ which still has a voice today almost 300 years later. A few years ago author Philip Yancey asked a question ‘What’s So Amazing About Grace?’ The theme of grace continues to be an important one to the Christian church today, and it certainly needs to be.

The apostle Paul reminds believers in Ephesians 2:8 ‘For by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…. '. I think every letter Paul wrote began with the words ‘Grace and peace’. Paul was very aware of the grace of God to him who had once persecuted and murdered in misguided zeal for his faith. He said in another place ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’ He held no confidence in himself, only in his God.

When we truly understand and experience the grace of God in our own lives, we are able to extend grace to others. Sometimes people have to go to awful depths of sin and degradation before they can experience God’s grace. But it will often be found that those who have come out of terrible life experiences will be the ones most able to extend grace to others.

Sadly, many Christians receive God’s grace for themselves but find it extremely hard to be gracious to others. I would dare to say that they have not truly understood the awesomeness of God’s grace, because when we understand it, we will stand ready to give grace as freely as we have received it.

I once heard a teaching that described grace as ‘the empowering presence of God’. Grace empowers us to live a life that honours God and shows love to his people. The law was a rigid moral code with little room for grace. But grace and truth, (the truth that we needed a Saviour to fulfil the law of God on our behalf), came through Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!

Sadly we often experience so little grace from fellow Christians when we fail in our Christian walk. Many times I have seen Christians ‘write off’ their fellow believers rather than try to help restore them to God. That is not the way of God that Jesus showed us. He spoke volumes about the grace of God in his story of the prodigal son (Luke 15). We too need to take the truth of this story and extend as much grace to others as God has shown to us or we are in danger of being rigid, moralistic upholders of the law. Such were the Pharisees of Jesus’ day and to them he showed no mercy because they did not portray God as he truly is. Their god was their rules and regulations. May God help us to avoid falling into such a religious trap and may grace and peace be the hallmark of your life and mine.

Prayer: Loving Father, have mercy on me for the times I have neglected to extend grace to fellow Christians. Please fill me with your love afresh and help me be a grace-giver, as you have been to me. Amen

Now is the time…… To Walk in the Light

If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

How would you feel if your friend exposed the secrets of your sordid life to the world? Not that I’m suggesting you have a sordid life of course! However this is what happened on the Dr Phil TV show recently. A woman with a hoarding problem (way over the top) was so putting her three beautiful children at risk that a concerned friend decided to ask Dr Phil to help the woman face her problem and get help. To their credit the family fronted up for the show and the incredible truth came into the light. The images of the house and the way this family lived were just horrible, but relief was offered and accepted. I trust that healing and restoration has ensued and that this woman can learn to live a normal life free from all that junk once her emotional junk is dealt with.

The word of God instructs us to ‘walk in the light as he is in the light’. What does that mean? It means that we need to be open and honest in the way we live. Sadly there are many Christians who live in darkness. They choose to hide their problems with alcohol, pornography, sexual immorality and physical & emotional abuse, to name a few. They are ashamed of their behaviour or of what others are doing to them, so they hide it rather than expose it and risk feeling ashamed. Not one of us wants to feel ashamed, but shame holds us prisoner if we allow it to. It robs us of the joy and freedom that can be ours if we will bring those things to the light. I have noticed that when a person shares their secret with someone they can trust, they feel some immediate relief. We cannot be helped if we don’t share the truth that we have a problem.

Sexual abusers always demand secrecy of their victims so that their sin will not be found out. They make threats that hold their victims in fear. In the same way, Satan holds us in fear of being ashamed, this keeps us from telling our story. The truth is that the shame goes when we allow sin to come to the light and be dealt with. So long as it is hidden, we are its prisoner. All of us have sinned and all of us need to be forgiven. All sin is equal. Although we often think otherwise, the truth is that no sins are worse than others. Sin is sin.

1 Corinthians 4:5 tells us that when the Lord comes again the hidden things will be revealed and judged. Let’s decide to walk in openness and honesty so that there is nothing that needs to be revealed on that day. Decide today to come into the light. Find someone you can trust and share your secret with them. Ask them to pray for you and with you. Listen to and act on godly advice. The relief you feel will make you wonder why you waited so long to find healing and freedom. "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed." James 5:16.

Prayer: Holy God, please help me to walk in your light every day, and have fellowship with others and with you. Amen

Now is the time…… To Change Your Mind

How long O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Psalm 13:1-2

When I read this psalm I am encouraged to know that David, the psalmist, also struggled with his thoughts and that there was a battle going on for control of his mind. In the same way today there is a battle for your mind and your thoughts. Bible teacher Joyce Meyer calls it ‘the battlefield of the mind’.

This battle is a very real thing and it is important for us to win the battle for our thoughts because as Joyce says, “Where the mind goes the man follows.” The Bible says “As a man thinks, so he is.” Proverbs 23:7 (KJV). Our thoughts determine our attitudes and actions so our thought life is very important. If I harbour negative, gloomy, critical thoughts then that is the kind of person I will become; depressed, angry and bitter – not nice to be around. On the other hand, if I determine to obey God’s instructions in Philippians 4, to think on the things that are good, pure, lovely and of good report, I will be a happy, confident, thankful and loving person.

David made a decision in this psalm. He began by crying out to God, “How long do I have to deal with these thoughts Lord? They are making me miserable.” He did the right thing; he took his complaint and misery to God. He went to the one who could help him. Suddenly his tone changed and he decided to change his thinking. In verse 5 he says, “BUT I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I WILL sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.”
David changed his mindset by changing his thoughts from negative to positive. It happened when he went into God’s presence and poured out his complaint. As he put voice to his thoughts the Holy Spirit began to remind him of God’s faithfulness. A song began to rise within him and he determined to sing praise to God instead of whining and complaining.

How is your thought life? Do you need to change your mind? Try putting the Philippians 4:4-9 verses into practice and see what a difference they make to your life. I call these verses ‘The Recipe for Mental Health.’ God’s word really works!

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for holding onto negative thoughts. Help me to think on the things that are good, pure and lovely and to always remember to be thankful for your goodness to me. Amen

Now is the time…… To Check Your Measurements

I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was checking it with a plumb line to see if it was straight. Amos 7:7 (NLT)

Years ago while I was working for a furniture wholesaler in Papua New Guinea I watched the building of a huge new warehouse next to our office. The site was prepared, foundations laid and the structure made ready to receive the steel roof trusses. The crane arrived and lifted the trusses over the framework below. Problem! The roof was too big for the structure. There was only one thing to do and that was to rebuild the roof trusses to fit the frame. It was later found that the workers who laid out the foundations had used a tape measure which had been trimmed of some inches because it was damaged. Hard to believe, I know, but nevertheless true.

Site preparations have been going on for our new house as I write. It is in a development which has many trees that cannot be moved. Any building must go on around the trees. Normally this would be fine but when the builder came to measure for the concrete slab for the garage, it was found that one tree had not been marked correctly on the site plan. It seems that the person who had originally done the development plans had measured the tree from the outside of the trunk instead of the inside. This made quite a difference to access to the garage and caused our builder a few headaches in getting some adjustments made to work around the position of the tree.

Measurements are vital in construction of homes, carpentry and even in dressmaking which I used to enjoy. Just a few fractions of an inch (or millimeters) can make a huge difference. Accuracy is essential. But how does this apply to our Christian lives? In the verse in Amos God speaks to the prophet about a plumb line. This is a long line that builders used to use to get a straight line for a wall or fence. (Today they use lasers!) God told Amos that he was testing his people with a plumb line to see how they measured up to his standards. Were they in line or were they ‘out of whack’.

God’s word is our plumb line. It is so important that this becomes the standard for our lives. For us to be able to correctly build our lives in a way that is pleasing to and honouring of God, we must know his word. After many years of reading, hearing and studying God’s word it is relatively easy for me to know whether or not I am living up to God’s standard. I know what his word says and can measure my actions accordingly. If you are young in the Christian life I cannot over stress the importance of studying God’s word so that you can line up your life and conduct with his instruction. It is vital.

Solomon wrote “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.” Proverbs 3:1-2 NIV. Read the book of Proverbs for some good life principles.

Prayer: Lord God help me to hide your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Amen

Now is the time ...... To Celebrate

Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread….. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. Exodus 34:18

Birthdays, anniversaries, promotions and other milestones are times for celebration. Are you good at celebrating? I am not sure that I can answer a resounding ‘yes’ to that question for myself. I enjoy celebrating for others but I do find it a little difficult to celebrate for myself. I think I am a bit lacking in that area.

God, on the other hand, seems to be the God of celebration. There were a number of feasts of celebration laid down for the Israelites to observe. In this verse God was asking them to celebrate their time of release from the bondage of Egypt. It was to be a 7 day celebration! This was among many feasts they were commanded to observe; the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year, the Feast of Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets and Tabernacles and others. Each denoted a milestone that was to be remembered and celebrated.

When Jesus celebrated the Feast of Passover with his disciples he instituted a new feast that we, his followers, should observe. We call it by various names the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, or the Eucharist. It was to be in remembrance of his death but also a reminder to celebrate that he is risen and will come again (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Remembering these things gives us cause for great thankfulness but is also a reminder of the hope that we have that he will come again to receive us to himself. That is certainly great cause for celebration in the darkening days in which we live.

We do have so much to celebrate. We can celebrate our very life and each new day that God gives us. We can celebrate new life in Christ which is his gift to us. We can celebrate the gifts he has give to us, the family and friends we have, not to mention the freedom of worship that is ours. So many things to celebrate if we will take the time to think about them.

Right now you may be struggling with a difficult life situation that overwhelms you, if that is the case then now is a very good time to reflect on your life and God’s goodness and faithfulness in times past. Finding a cause to celebrate will lift your spirits and gladden your heart. God knows that it is good for us to celebrate because thankfulness has the power to overcome a spirit of heaviness, so come on and celebrate or help someone else to do so.

Prayer: Glorious and faithful God I celebrate your great love for me and thank you for the gift of life that you have given to me. Amen

Now is the time…… To Choose the Best

Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. Galatians 6:8

Sometimes as I do my weekly grocery shopping I wish there were not so many choices of products available. We are bombarded with great, yummy or just plain decadent; heart-smart, natural and organic, to mention just a few. Of course the healthiest choices are usually the most expensive which often puts them out of the reach of those who need them the most.

Just as in the supermarket the ‘best for you’ is often the costliest, so it is in the spiritual life. Every day I am faced with making choices for my health that my flesh doesn’t like. My body would much rather sit at the computer than go for a walk, or eat a cookie rather than fruit, not to mention reading a book rather than doing the ironing, or watching TV rather than reading the Bible! It costs me something to choose to do what is best for me. My choices also affect others.

The apostle Paul speaks about a choice that Christians need to make; we can either serve our flesh, or we can walk by the Spirit. Whichever we give in to becomes our master (Romans 6:16). As a Christian we need to be in a process of enabling our spirit to rule our flesh by denying the demands of the flesh which continually assail us. We need to reprogram by moving from flesh-driven actions and reactions to Holy Spirit-led decisions. This can only be done as we make a choice to move out of old habits and living patterns and into a brand new way of living and doing things. To do this we need to invite the Holy Spirit to help us daily to make the changes that are needed for us to live a life that is worthy of God (Colossians 3:10), one that is pleasing to him. It is a daily challenge.

There is something that is available to each one who believes in the living Christ, it is the grace of God. The apostle Paul wrote, “By the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10), in other words it wasn’t just him working for God and living a life that was pleasing to him, but it was the grace or enabling that he received from God by which he could do what he did.

Yes, God’s grace is available to us also, but we need to work with it. Paul also went on to say that he did not receive that grace in vain but he worked hard too. It is up to us to receive the grace from God to make good choices, but in the end we need to decide to make the right choice. I close with the choice that Joshua put to the children of Israel which still challenges us today……. ”Choose this day whom you will serve…” (Joshua 24:15). Who will be your master?

Prayer: Gracious God, help me to have a revelation of the plans you have for me so that I can make good choices for my life which will strengthen the life of your Spirit within me. Thank you for your grace which is always available to me. Help me not to receive it in vain, but to work with it for my growth in this new life. Amen