Confusion

 And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will . Luke 23:25

I have no particular current world situation in mind as I pen these thoughts, for there are many; some will no doubt come to your mind as you read.  As I read the account of Jesus' trial and sentencing, I imagined afresh the confusion in many minds as they watched this farce play out.

The crowds cried out for an innocent to be put to death and for a murderer to be released. What was Pilate to do?  His wife had warned him not to touch this man, she'd had a dream.  Yet not only was the crowd calling for his execution but the religious leaders were too. Pilate had power to make the call but he wanted to have the favour of the people. Finally he washed his hands of the matter he couldn't face and handed Jesus over to his own people.  Was it cowardice?  Who am I to say?  He did, however, have the last say through the customary written charge on Jesus' cross. He wrote "This is the king of the Jews", and he refused to change it when the people complained (John 19:21).

Can you imagine the confusion of his followers as they watched this play out; the pain and disappointment when Jesus finally died? Surely this could not be God's will, this man demonstrated his power over sickness, disease and death, wind and waves and so much more.  Why this waste? In hindsight we know it wasn't waste at all but the greatest gift ever given to the human race. Jesus gave his life, it wasn't taken from him.

We have all been touched by confusion at seeming injustice in our world.  We have cried out to God to protect his people, save our sick, bring justice, have mercy; then watched as our cry seemingly went unheeded and unanswered.  Why God, why? We know you have the power....

We may never know, and certainly never understand why such sad, even terrible things occur, especially to God's people.  But Jesus did tell us that 'in this world we will have trouble'  (John 16:33, Matt 24).  The word for 'trouble' can mean pressure, oppression, affliction, tribulation and distress.  Our trouble can take many forms, and when it comes we have the choice to remain in confusion, or to rest in the confession that Jesus has overcome the world.  This is not the end, it's part of the journey.  

The battle here on earth seems to continue but it has been won in the heavenlies; Satan does not get the final say.  If we choose to trust God's wisdom even when we cannot understand, our confusion will turn to peace.  The reason Jesus warned us that we will have trouble is so we that won't be taken by surprise when it comes, but rather rest in peace in the knowledge that he is still in control.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank you that even when I am confused and troubled by things around me, I can rest confidently in your peace, knowing that, though the enemy may triumph for awhile, the final victory is yours.  Hallelujah! Amen

It's My Choice

......and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9b

In our crazy, fast-paced, and increasingly dysfunctional world, the word of  God continues to provide solid guidelines for healthy living.  For this I am so thankful.

For many years I have referred to a few verses in Philippians 4 as 'The Recipe for Mental Health', and today I feel the need to remind myself (and you), of this again. As the news and social media provide an abundance of serious, sad and negative words and images to fill our minds and thoughts, I find myself needing to combat this by renewing my mind with what God teaches is the recipe for true peace of mind.

It is too easy to be caught in a negative thought trap, so today I simply offer you a recipe that, if followed, will bring peace in these troubled times.  For if my heart and mind is tuned into union with Jesus Christ, I will know more clearly what His will is for me TODAY. And today is all he tells me to be concerned with.  Burying my head in the sand?  No, I choose to focus on the greater reality that he is in control and he is coming again and what he wants from me in a trusting relationship.

"...... whatever things are true, whatever is noble,  just, pure, lovely and whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ......and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9. That is a promise!

So, I sit and survey the bright splashes of colour of the pansies on my patio, a fading half moon the blue morning sky, fluffy clouds, new leaves bursting on the tree outside,  and a seagull soaring through the scene.  I feel His peace rise and my heart is filled with thanks and praise.

Prayer:  Father thank you for the beauty on my doorstep and the wisdom of your word.  Help me to set my mind on what will bring true peace today. Amen

Following

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  John 8:12

Throughout my years as a 'follower of Jesus' I have taken it for granted that I will not walk in darkness.   He says "whoever follows me".  I took that to be a blanket coverage from the time of my acceptance of Jesus as my Saviour.  No more darkness! As I read that verse this morning I have seen that Jesus' promise is conditional.  However, as I thought upon it I began to see it from another angle. The Apostle John, in his latter years wrote much about the importance of walking in the light and avoiding darkness (1 John 1& 2).  

I have known some 'dark' times when I felt far from God and some of those times have been when I have not been closely following Jesus.  To follow Jesus means to be tuned in to his Spirit and to be walking in fellowship and obedience.  I haven't always done that.  In those times I have given a foothold to the devil (Ephesians 4:27).  And once he gets his foot in the door it's easier for him to gain more access.

Darkness is uncomfortable for us once we have experienced the joy and freedom of Jesus' light and it comes as we move away from God and slip into sin.  The discomfort is meant to make us want to get back to God.  Darkness also comes as we slip into unbelief when difficult times come.  Sometimes we don't even know how we have grieved the Holy Spirit, but if we ask for His light to shine into our darkened heart, he will show us.  The Holy Spirit gently convicts us and when he does, our spirit wants to repent and walk in the light.

The psalmist obviously loved God yet experienced times of darkness when he wrote "Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" (Psalm 42,2b-3a).  He felt the oppression of the enemy and his was more than likely a physical enemy, but ours are spiritual enemies, that require spiritual weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).  He cries out to God, Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me;"  He recognises that it's through light and truth that guidance comes.  God's word is the truth we need to turn things around.  We are good followers when we keep the word of God central in our thoughts and on our lips.  Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  How true that is.

We live in a world of increasing darkness that desperately needs light.  As followers of Jesus we are the ones who can bring that light into the world, a light that cannot be hidden and a light that will shine more and more brightly until the 'full light of day' who is Jesus, comes (Proverbs 4:18).  Keep your light shining brightly, don't make room for any darkness because in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5) and there can be no fellowship between light and darkness.

Prayer:  Jesus, light of the world, shine your light on any darkness in my heart today.  Help me to actively follow you and not give any foothold to the devil, but to hold firmly to your truth. Amen

Rest

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.  Psalm 127:2

So is this good news for those who want to sit back, put their feet up and do nothing?  No, that wouldn't be very satisfying at all, would it!  I think the key word I picked up on as I read this verse today was "anxiously".  Jesus enlarged on this in Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

So far as I know birds are not known for their anxiety, they just flit around and have fun.  They are totally care-free.  I haven't seen one sitting forlornly in a tree with droopy wings or singing a mournful song.  The thought is ridiculous to us.  The Father takes care of their needs. Isn't it interesting that Jesus compared us with birds, saying that we are of far more value than them, yet our Father in heaven supplies them with their daily needs so why would he not do the same for us.  Good question!  He didn't leave it at the provision of food bit.  He went on to speak about God clothing the lilies of the field and how he would do the same for us.

Remember Martha of the 'Mary, Martha and Lazarus family'?  Martha worked anxiously to provide food for Jesus and the guests (that would be me too), yet Mary sat at his feet and savoured his teaching and wisdom.  Martha was spiritual too but she was concerned more for the earthly needs of the people in her home than she was for their spiritual needs.  Jesus gently reminded her "Martha, Martha, you are concerned about the wrong thing.  My words are better than food." (My paraphrase.)

 If we feed our spirit, and develop an intimate and trusting relationship with Jesus, it will naturally follow that our anxiety level will decrease because we will be learning to trust more in him than in ourselves and our own ability to do the work and provide for our own needs.

Do you have a financial need today that you see is impossible for you to meet.  Will you invite your heavenly Father to help you to refocus your life and thinking on Him so that He may show himself mighty on your behalf. It's much more of an adventure that way, but you will find it enormously difficult, if not impossible, if you try to do it without being in vital relationship with him which brings rest from anxiety.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive my anxiety. Please help me to focus more on my spiritual needs so that I truly walk in a trusting relationship with you so that you can show yourself mighty on my behalf. Amen

Exchange

...to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.  Isaiah 61:3

Recently we travelled on the NZ Transalpine Railway from Christchurch, to Greymouth across the Southern Alps.  We were so blessed with the weather, perfect in every way from (mainly) glorious blue skies to snowing in Arthurs Pass.  When we did the return journey next day, Arthurs Pass was clear of all snow and did not look nearly as pretty. Interesting!

It got me thinking, and this verse in Isaiah 61:3 which was personalised in song by Robert Manzano in 1979 came to mind.  It reminds us that God does indeed exchange our ashes for beauty and can replace mourning with his oil of joy.  But the snow/sun scenes at the mountain pass reminded me that there is a beauty in the 'cold' times that cannot be found in the sunshine.

It has been my experience that often it's in the 'cold' times that I write my best poems because my heart is affected differently by the season I am walking through, and these times certainly cause me to press in to God for his warmth.  The sunshine is lovely and the views glorious but the snow vistas have a beauty unrivalled.

God's desire is that we see every season of life through his eyes and we do that by putting our hope in the Lord, standing on his promises and allowing him, in his time, to exchange our ashes, our mourning, our pain for something much, much better as his purposes are worked out in our life.

Prayer:  Father God, thank you that you can make something beautiful out of every difficult season and event in my life as I yield to you.  I praise you for your love and your faithfulness and I wait for you.  Amen

Transformation - 2

.....let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2b (NLT)

I am continuing the transformation thoughts from my previous blog, because it was interesting the number of responses I received from people who felt themselves or knew friends were feeling 'under a cloud'.  Clouds in the spiritual realm are normal, just like they are in the physical realm.

Clouds gather for various reasons but, for God's people, no matter what the reason, they are for one purpose - to do us good.  When Saul, later called the Apostle Paul, encountered Jesus, his 'cloud' was blindness.  God had to blind him in order to 'wake him up' to his wicked ways and change the way he thought.  You see Paul thought that he was doing the right thing by persecuting Christians because he was zealous for his Jewish faith and saw them as a genuine threat to what was right.  It was only when he encountered Jesus for himself that he realised he was wrong.  That Jesus was indeed the Son of God; God incarnate; the God he worshipped.  When we fight against God's purposes in our lives, we can expect the clouds to come.  We just need to be able to recognise what is happening and to find God in the cloud and allow him to enlighten us and lead us on.

When life is toddling along nicely we don't think too much about it.  We can easily be blind to mindsets that need to be changed in order to be in line with God's word.  It is so easy to have an opinion about something, whether it be matters of faith or in the secular world, and be convinced that we are right.  It is quite a risk for those of us who put fingers to keys or pen to paper expressing a certain viewpoint because I have realised that I need to remain open and teachable so that God can 'tweak' my viewpoints and my thoughts about things as time passes and I grow in the knowledge of him.  

Of course the basics remain but we should never be dogmatic because we are all at different stages of revelation in our faith walk and what he has convicted me of in my life may be different from what he needs to deal with in yours.  We are all under construction, but in different phases ......and, come to think of it, we are different parts of his building, each with our own unique gift to bring.  They are building an extension to the care wing of our village and this morning we could see a crane lifting roof trusses to the second floor.  Other parts of the building are handled differently.  Let God handle you  in the unique way you need in order for you to be prepared for his service.

Changing the way we think is so that "Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect"  as the rest of verse 2 goes.  God had a plan for Paul that was revealed to him as he received his sight, was baptised and filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9).  Paul then embraced God's purpose and went on to be a great ambassador for Christ.  He experienced many 'clouds' in the form of persecutions himself but he suffered gladly that the gospel might be preached. He sang in his prison, he gloried in infirmities so long as God was glorified.

Perhaps God wants to use your cloud transform your thinking and reveal another part of his plan for you.  Will you open your mind and your ears to his possibilities and stop trying to work things out in your own mind.  There is great peace in releasing yourself, your burdens, cares and concerns into his very capable hands and in allowing him to map out the path for your feet instead of holding tightly to the reigns of your life. This will require you to press in and find him in the cloud. Will you do it?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank you for the cloud.  And thank you that your will for me is always good, pleasing and perfect.  Transform my thoughts today and bring them in line with your will and purpose for my life.  Please show me if I am holding onto cares and concerns that I need to give to you.  I ask you to lead me in your way of peace.  Let me learn to flow in the rhythm of your grace.  Amen

Transformation

Than Moses went up the mountain and the cloud covered it.  Exodus 24:15

For a couple days last week the distant mountains that we can see from our home were shrouded in cloud.  The weather forecasters were predicting severe weather south of us and in fact snow fell on cities that don't see snow regularly.  Yesterday dawned bright and clear and the first thing I did was check out the mountains!  Yes, they were blanketed in a glistening white robe. Stunning!

It caused me to think about the transformation that had happened.  First the mountains had to be covered in snow-bearing cloud before they became a sight to bring joy to my heart.  My thoughts wandered to Moses climbing the mountain.  The cloud came down on him but it wasn't snow cloud, it was the glorious presence of God cloud.  In the cloud Moses spoke with God face to face (Exodus 33:11) and received the tablets of the law.  When Moses came down from the mountain his face shone, so much that he had to wear a veil because his appearance was blinding to the people (Exodus 34:35).

In order for us to grow in the likeness of God, which he desires for us, we need to be transformed and this is a process that is happening as the Holy Spirit works in us (2 Corinthians 3:18).  Sometimes, though, we have to be in the cloud for awhile in order for God to do a transforming work in us.  These clouds take various forms; darkness, loneliness, pain, grief, frustration.  These times are uncomfortable but if we can trust God to do a work in us during such times; if we can seek after God in our cloud; then when the cloud lifts, we will find that he has brought about changes in us and we have become a little more conformed to his likeness.

If you are in a cloud right now, look for God. Seek him out, don't waste this experience, draw all that you can from it as you draw near to him.

PRAYER: Though I can't see you God, I believe that you are there and I trust you to do a work in me that is pleasing to you.  Help me press into you and find you in my cloud.  Let it be for me a glory cloud. Transform me into your likeness. Amen