Dec | 31 | The Glory of God is Person Who Is Completely Alive

Key Word:- BECOME

Title:- The Glory of God Is A Person Who Is Completely Alive

Philippians 3:12-14 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I think I like this time of year. I am the kind of man who loves the planning rather than the implementation of things, so, setting out goals for the coming year is quite exciting and though achieving them will be somewhat more excruciating, I do like all the planning, all the expectation of change, all the anticipation of newness and the bringing into order of all my most disordered days. I like this time of year as well because my parents were Scots. Glaswegians to be precise. Some of you will understand then that Christmas took a poor second place during our family’s winter holiday season. Hogmanay or New Year’s Eve was the big event in our house.
In preparation for the event, my mother would clean the house, wash all her glasses and china, clean out the old ashes from the grate, get on her glad rags and then of course, together with my father all booted and spurred and suitably juiced up, would celebrate both well before and well after midnight, bringing a bunch of friends and inebriated strays home from the local pub to join them in the partying. I tell you, Karaoke is not some new torture friends! Tipply pub singers have been around a long, long time and as a youngster, up at midnight during Hogmanay, I saw many of them arrive at our house, still sloshed and singing, melancholy and teary eyed, waiting for midnight and the first foot of a tall dark stranger to enter the house at the front carrying some coal to add to the fire and bringing some good luck with him, having a wee dram and a toast of good luck, only then being allowed to leave the house at the back, taking the old years bad luck away and away forever and ever, amen. Better luck for the coming year was all they wanted. However, this fascinating combination of strange superstition and ancient practice, never ever worked; certainly not at our house anyway. Never the less, it’s a good plan to welcome guests though for in the so doing, some have entertained angels unawares and it’s an excellent picture of what we all truly desire for the coming year. Good fortune! So tonight dear friend I want you to first foot yourself into the New Year. How?
Well first of all, simply refuse to carry some of your unnecessary burdens into the awaiting future. Did He not say “cast all your care” upon Him? Yes He did! So why not finally do so tonight and then daily refuse to lay hold on them again. Is some of that anxiety bubbling up in your being and burning your voice and destroying you? Then simply refuse to carry it anymore. Choose the settling words of His grace instead, yes, cast all Your care on Him and refuse to be anxious! Be stupid in the world’s eyes and become that beaming idiot abroad and because you totally trust in Jesus to take care of you, throw your shoulders back, take a deep breath and sing a little. So tonight, first foot yourself by casting all your cares on Him, and refusing to let worry live on your back. Yes, it is as easy as that!

Oh and secondly, how about some of that old glory, that old gold of yours. Is it a bit tarnished? A bit well worn? Past deeds and good works, excellent achievements and goals achieved, are all well and good but sometimes they hang like a tarnished gold 'macho man medallion' around an open shirted hairy chest for all to see. It's very nice dear, but a bit old and a bit of a joke. So move on. Let past achievements go as well along with all the other nonsense and put that heaving chest away. Please! Tonight, let go of both the bad and let go of the old good! Forget them and move on. It's all in the past. Choose to let them go so you have freer hands to embrace a better future! Cast both the cares of your back and the weights of your front all upon Him today.
Do remember however, that in all this effort of letting go, in all this work of throwing away, so a♠s not to be so uneasily encumbered about again in the coming year, it is important to speedily and correctly lay hold of the right thing. I mean, just look down friend, what do you have in your hand right now? Should that be there? I didn’t think so! So make sure, that you lay hold of the right thing this coming year. Reach out, strain forward toward the prize. Lay hold of that which is ahead of you. You know, the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Eh? You know, that supreme and heavenly prize which God is calling us up to heaven to get because of what Christ Jesus did for us? That prize, you know? The one that gets real Christians all excited and gives them goose bumps. You know, that prize your spirit yearns for. You know, the prize that brings a warm joy to your heart when it gets a little cold. Ahh… that prize! You know what I am talking about and you do know how to set your heart on it? Don’t you?

I am not talking about just ‘Jam tomorrow’ here dear friends, for Ignatius sees this prize as a deposit in the now. In other words it is the 'purse' and not the belt; it is the 'crock' and not the crown. The prize then is the realisation of the future reward that can both begin to be spent and enjoyed right now. The prize is the realization of our incorruptible and eternal life which is rooted and enjoyed through God, because of God, with God and in God. This prize is to be 'all we truly are.'

Yes, this prize of becoming all we truly are, and is the commencement and continuing fulfilment of our eternal and happy destiny with Jesus. This prize is our tailored and thrice tested, all singing, all dancing, go faster, you can’t bend it or break it, capacity to happily become all we ever could be with Jesus. This prize, is supremely precious and highly personal and it is yours for the living this coming year. Be sure that this is the best of prizes, for this prize is the glory of God and this prize is you, fully alive!!

So, why not right now, let go and then lay hold of this prize of a life which becomes a child of God like you. Do this in the coming year by: pursuing God with all your heart; possessing who you are in Jesus and practicing what He preaches. Let the coming year then, be a pursued pilgrimage of released life for you. Yes, this coming year, why not at last become fully alive and so start glorifying God in the best ways possible. I mean come on friend, start living this year why don’t you!

Oh and finally, may I be the first to wish you, a very Happy New Year!

Listen:- May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice! Philippians 4:4 TEV

Pray: - As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for You O God, for the living God! When I remember this past year, I pour out my soul within me. Let me enter the courts of this coming year of grace with the voice of joy and praise, along with a multitude of runners that keeps the pilgrim feast. O remember me my God as I remember You. From the heights of my hopes and the depths of my despairs. Lord, command Your loving kindness to caress me in the daytime, and in the nights of this coming year, surround me with Your singing songs of comfort, Your joy and consolation, Your happiness and continuing restoration, in Jesus name I pray, amen.

Dec | 30 | Bomb Da House!

Key Word:- CLEAN


Luke 11:24-26 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
 
Bomb Da House!

A common site in South Florida is to see whole houses encased in tarpaulin and wrapped up like some gigantic Christmas present without the ribbon on top! The purpose of this is 'pest control' or more particular, 'termite termination'. The whole house is about to be 'bombed' with a highly toxic 'fogger' which will penetrate all cracks and spaces and do its deadly work. Subterranean termites are highly concentrated in this part of the United States and it is estimated that across the whole of America these most destructive of insect pests cost people up to $2 billion per year in total wood damage.

It is thought that termites can chemically sense the presence of wood. The worker termites are always searching for new places of feeding. When they find it, they return to the colony to get more workers to help feed in the new location.

Essentially secretive in their feeding and design, termite infestation is usually only noticed when thorough tunneling and eating leads to structural weakening and collapse. It is said in the pest control trade that there are only two types of houses: Those under attack by termites and those that will be under attack by termites!

May I say there are only two types of Christian: Those under attack by demonic evil spirits and those that will be! Imagine if you will that your whole being is a spiritual house. It provides food, sustenance, and shelter even, for those spirits that are wandering, dry and thirsty. If we have failed in erecting barriers of protection in the form of confession, forgiveness, avoidance and warfare, then it is likely that at some point we have allowed 'access' into our spiritual house and are now secretly troubled by unwanted intrusions. Where we thought all was well, an eating has taken place below our surface. A quick temper, an annoying attitude, an unpleasant thought life, an inability to believe God, weakness in faith, the rise of old habitual sins, heaviness, depression, and the list goes on; all of these things could be indicative of secret eating, malevolent invasion, open windows, open doors and unwanted guests if you will. I am talking about oppression here rather than possession.

At the end of the year, it's probably a good time to do some spiritual fumigation, de-festation and barrier erection. Oh come on friend, get real. Wouldn't you like to be rid of that problem? Wouldn't you like to be rid of those most intrusive thoughts, those devilish doubts and those fiendish feelings? Where do you think they are coming from? You just might have a bad infestation! Demonization does not mean that you sit there with your head spinning around, puking green vomit all over the place. It usually means your ‘bothered’ and feeling dirty and in need of a good old clean. We’ve left some doors or windows open and in they’ve come, these dirty squatters, making a right old mess! We all need a good and regular clean out friends and this time of year is a good time to begin this process.

The Christian bait, the barrier and the bomb for dealing with such spiritual infestation is all one and the same. It is truth. Truth in context and truth applied. It is the truth of God’s word. It is God’s word, correctly applied. Though applied truth is not toxic, even so, truth when placed in contact with lies and deception can make life a bit messy, a bit smelly, and a little unpleasant and unhealthy for those around us. So here is my advice for safe and productive, protective cleaning:
Get with a good friend, preferably someone who knows a little about pest control. Encase your spiritual house in the tarpaulin of prayerful solitude. This is not a public thing remember; the public don't need to see. Now, remove all living things from your area, and oh yes, remove all ignition points. Turn off pilot lights. In other words if you know a thing will 'set you off,' acknowledge that before you begin, make peace with it. Now are you ready? Good. Set the bomb off!

Invite God the Holy Spirit to walk you through your spiritual house, exposing the lies and deathly destructive ways that the enemy has catacombed your foundations with. Confess your sins. Repent of believing this deathly 'stuff,' and declare that you now choose life and truth. Invite the light of His truth to explode through your whole house, exposing the enemy and exposing his lies and death. Give possession of yourself totally and completely over to God. Begin now to thoroughly reclaim your spiritual house. Once you have done this, remove the tarpaulin, and clean up any mess. Simple eh? No! For this is just the beginning.

You must understand that thorough cleansing takes time. This takes effort on your part. Often it is a continual process over many years. Sometimes the infestation is so widespread, so endemic, that you will need to bomb and clean up one room at a time. God must help you with this. The important thing is that you acknowledge the infestation and start to do something about it. Begin! Begin to hear the Word of God and keep it, begin to hear the Word of God and apply it. This coming year, begin!

Listen: - And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:27-28

Pray: - Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God. Psalm 43:3-4

Dec | 29 | Believing, Way Beyond Any Reasonable Doubt

Key Word:- BELIEVE

Title: Believing, Way Beyond Any Reasonable Doubt

Luke 1:20 “But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

Dear Archangel Gabriel,

I do hope this little letter finds you well and happy. Standing always in the presence of God must be an unbelievable experience! Sorry, I shouldn’t have used that word, you know, “unbelievable,” as I know how much it seems to annoy you. However, it’s a good introduction Gabriel because that is what I want to really speak to you about, you know, belief!

You see, it seems to me that you angels and dare I say, you in particular Gabriel, are pretty unbending when is comes to believing words from God. Now don’t get me wrong here, I know that’s the right thing to do, however Gabriel, you’re a bit brash with us humans aren’t you, a bit unmerciful, a bit robot like, a bit inhuman really in applying that principal of total belief and consequent judgment for any hint of unbelief! That’s pretty frightening for us sir, ‘cos I am assuming that you are indeed a person of great authority and power, with the ability to smite at will. (Poor Will, he’s always getting in the neck! Just a little joke there Gabriel : -))

Look Gabriel, Zacharias is my case in point. As a young and righteous newly wed, he was exceptionally disappointed (cultural understatement!) when his wife Elisabeth could not and would not fall pregnant. How many long years followed then Gabriel, when their daily prayers for an opening up of her womb came up to the throne of God? How many Gabriel? Come on, you know, you stand in the presence of God after all. It was a lot wasn’t it? No doubt you are also aware that as the flower of Elizabeth’s womanhood shrivelled and fell to the ground and old age crept upon them like a mangy dog with fleas, their prayers, virtually whimpered out as they resigned themselves, with lots of regret, to the good will of their good God. You know all this though? Then, as Zacharias gets the job of burning incense in the temple of the Lord, you turn up in all your magnificence and scare the poor old guy almost out of his holy little socks. Man! You put him on the spot didn’t you? An old geezer like that, he could have had a heart attack! Then out of nowhere when his little heart is still all a racing you smilingly announce (I am assuming you were happy for him) that he is going to have a child, a son, already named John who is going to be magnificent in the Kingdom. Marvellous news I agree, but a little overwhelming don’t you think?! All those years of praying with no answer and then when it’s way, I mean way past midnight, you turn up in all your glory, scare him almost to death and then answer all his deepest desires. Seems like Christmas already eh! Especially for old Zachy baby.

Now then honoured Gabriel, listen in, for here is where I take umbrage with you. I do not and say again, I do not think it unreasonable for an old man, well frightened and well advanced in years, to have just a little bit of doubt slip out of his mouth. Saying “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years,” is not unreasonable is it Gabriel? Of course not! However, I beg to suggest, that your response of striking him dumb just because he didn’t believe your words was not only unreasonable but down right insensitive, embarrassing and frankly, on your part, very, very rude. Hence the reason for my letter. Mr Gabriel. This is just not on.

The problem with you angels, if I might say so without being disrespectful, is you're so inhuman and that being the case, are so, well so, non-linear. Time has passed you know? Duh. Didn’t you see that Zacharias and Elizabeth were both past it? He knows it, she knows it, but it seems you don’t care about it. Oh no! Time in your gross non-linear thinking is completely irrelevant to you. What does it matter to you if all your equipment is shrivelled up, unattractive and not in best working order, so what! “God’s said it, you’d better believe it!” That’s your very inhuman approach isn’t it? I mean, what does it matter if the answer to their prayers at their age is now so very inappropriate? Old people with rheumatism, smelling of “Ben Gay” and “Vicks Vapo-rub” taking care of a small child, come on! Social services would never allow a kid to be adopted by people this old. Zachy knew this. Completely inappropriate timing Gabriel, completely inappropriate! Didn’t you see that? Oh no, obviously not, it was wham bam thank you maam, smack him in the gob and so, “because you didn’t believe,” nine months of being dumb and stupid looking! Ha! What an unmerciful, unthinking, and completely inappropriate response on your part mate. Completely inappropriate. I’m sorry, but I’m annoyed and these things just had to be said.

Well Gabriel, I shall close now, hoping that when we meet you will have learnt to be a little bit more linear in your understanding and a bit more merciful when it comes to just a little reasonable doubt. More human maybe. Please don’t get annoyed when we simpletons don’t believe beyond this reasonable doubt. I think it is because unlike you, we live such linear lives.

It’s hard for us to believe beyond reasonable doubt, even though you Gabriel seem to find it oh so very easy. I suppose standing in the presence of God so often and for so long seems to help you with this? We know all things are possible with God. We know that, honest we do. It’s just that unlike you, we don’t really know that it means that ‘He will take care of every little speck of a thing related to and regarding His spoken word that requires us to believe beyond any reasonable doubt.’ Do you see what I mean? I think maybe you do. Anyway, I hope this clears matters up a little and assists you in all your future dealings with the elderly. Don’t bother replying, I know you are busy, but remember when you are dealing with us, “think linear!”

My kind regards, yours disappointed of Tunbridge Wells, etc… etc…

Listen: “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:36

Pray: My Lord Jesus, thank you for your servants, all the angels of the Most High God. In the coming year please make us as unswerving in believing as those angels of Your light, in Jesus name we ask it, amen.

Dec | 28 | Sanity! The Advantage of Listening to Vintage Verbosity

Key Word:- CONSIDER

Title:- Sanity! The Advantage of Listening to Vintage Verbosity


Isaiah 28:23 Give ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my speech.

“Oh what I would do to have the kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I’m in, onto the crashing waves. To step out of my comfort zone into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is…” So goes the opening lines of Casting Crowns choicest song on choosing truth. Got it? Choosing truth!

I will act on what I truly believe. Action is based on what we truly believe, on what drives us deep down inside. This internal engine of basic belief and pushing progression, is in turn fuelled by high-octane words, or voices, if you will. It is frightening to hear the voice in your heart echo in your head. Friend, you do not have to be insane to hear voices. Believe me, we all do.

Bosses, spouses, children, relatives, friends, dogs, cats, radio, email, fax, pop ups, instant messengers, texting, talking pages, cell phones, landlines, iPods, iPads, Tablets, DVDs, CDs, internet broadband, web casting, podcasting, television, video, news, PDAs, magazines, soaps, movies, newspapers, advertising, billboards, are all voices, all selling, buying, dying to be vying for just a little piece of your already overwhelmed attention. Voices are heard all over the place and are all-intruding. These demanding sales voices, for that is mostly what they are, are most disconcerting, but it is the other voices that are the most damaging and hurting.

The internal voice of conscience for example, if it still hasn’t had it’s beak fully seared in the hot houses of our silly little hearts, every day begins its squawking, constantly repeating the truth to us of His broken laws. Yes, that often and mostly all bombastic bird of condemnation, often squawks it’s insane accusation, chattering away like “Polly the Parakeet” high on speed, until for the Christian, that great bird, bigger than our hearts, bigger than our conscience, that larger dove, that blessed ‘Paraclete,’ swoops upon the scene and drowns out the squawk of conscience, by singing His even louder song of loving forgiveness. Even so, conscience can still be that all too prevalent and troubling voice.

As well as the squawking, the internal voice from the place of unhealed pain can still cry out from the wet chasm of open wounds, whilst the untrusting, self-protecting voice cries, “Watch it! Careful now, not too much information. Don’t trust, back off, hide, don’t reveal, don’t let them see!” These deep wounds and their bodyguard are debilitating and minimising voices from a place of pain that needs the quieting and healing oil of the great Samaritan poured into it beyond measure and then lovingly massaged into silence. The voices of deep wounds and self-policing, self-protection, speak very loudly don’t they friends?

In addition, the voices of internal declarations and self-curses which we have installed in our own self-protected lunacy, can appear like armed security officers, rude and not listening, commanding us to “cease and desist” from freedom and any attempt at bounded perimeter crossing, openness, and reaching out again. These security voices will not listen; they only speak loudly, protectivly and proudly.

Lastly and most disconcertingly to our inner ears, are the demonic voices which we have allowed to laugh and lie through our open windows and cracked doors. They squeeze themselves in on our weakness and stand on lost ground preaching lies, telling disconcerting tales and interrupting every holy thought.

Now, because belief still needs the fuel of high-octane words, voices to kick it into action if you will, these other loud and speaking voices will never let faith flourish. So yes, out of all we listen to today, we need to actively take the advice of Casting Crowns and “choose to listen and believe the voice of truth”. You see there is an advantage to listening to vintage verbosity and that advantage is a rich red clarity, yes, it is nothing short of sober sanity. So, be sure to get into to the Word of God this coming year, and get the Word into you. Do have your reading plan ready to begin on January 1st? Then get to it guy; get to it! Because you will be listening to loads of voices in the coming year; make sure your hear the voice of truth.

Listen: “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.” John 8:43-44

Pray: Lord the devil has within his dominion the capacity to make ears deaf to Your word. Lord, now, and in this coming year, plant a seed of desire that will grow into a tree of satisfaction, planted by the waters, which are ever budding with ten thousand open ears, all attentive to Your voice of truth. In Jesus name I ask it, amen.

Dec | 27 | Talkin Tsunami's

Key Word:-TRUST

Title:- Talking Tsunami’s

Matthew 24:7,8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Now dear friends, stick close to my words this morning, right to the end and you shall be rightly encouraged. However, before we get there today, we must traverse some terrible terrain. So stick with me right to the end.

As we move towards the end of the year, it has been my observation that in my whole life, whenever I arrive at this point of observing my planet and its peoples, I am amazed at the advances in technology and medical care, in fashion and in fun. Yet when I examine the human condition expressed in community, both local and global, I despairingly come to the same conclusion: nothing changes; nothing gets better. Indeed, things are getting worse. (Stick with me now, stick with me.)

Our text today is part of an answer given by Jesus to a particular question posed by the disciples sat with Him on the Mount of Olives. He has just wept in anger and despair over the coming desolation and destruction of Jerusalem, when they ask, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3) We have no time today to proceed to cover His reply with an eschatalogically fine-tooth comb. Let’s just be a little shaken today when Jesus says in effect, “It’s gonna be bad and it’s gonna get worse!” (Stick with me now, stick with me.)

Tsunamis are viewed by the scientific community as natural disasters. Tsunamis are still currently viewed by the financial community as “acts of God,” that is, actions that are both terrible and out of their control. Tsunamis are viewed by the victims as inexplicable. I met an old lady, a Christian, who after many years was still suffering the after effects of holidaying with her husband on a secluded beach, where a freak wave reached onto the shore and before her face, snatched her loved one away to a watery grave. The sea reluctantly but eventually gave up its dead and she spent the next few weeks battling to get the corpse of her beloved, back to the dry ground of her homeland to be buried. As she recounted her story to me, her face and especially her eyes, were a constant witness to the fact that she had never really recovered from this. There are some things we must never recover from. (Stick with me now, stick with me.)

There are some things we must never recover from and despite government control of battlefield information, there are horrors that must not be hidden from us. Despite the glib mental sickness smiles of made up news presenters, that can through shiny teeth and loud lip gloss, tell of both death and destruction and the drop of a few degrees in temperature in the same smiling sentence, there are things we must be sad and very sorrowful about. Remember, no anaesthetic lasts forever. Jesus replies sadly and honestly about the signs prefixing His return. It would appear that the enemy will try to apply a scorched earth policy to His impending arrival, as well as Jesus Himself “eating up the ground” before Him in righteous indignation. Look. What is to come is not lovely! Look. It is not lovely!

At the end of this year let us talk tsunamis. Let us look at the devastation around us. Let us lay aside our numbing Novocain and see that all these things are indeed but the “beginning of sorrows”. Prophecy shall be fulfilled and friends, before we get to a better chapter, we must read ourselves through this next horrific one.

So how can we possibly be encouraged by what we see around us? Well in truth we cannot. Except that Jesus foretold that this is how it should be. His word is true, and if His word regarding these things is true, then so are His other words. All His words are true. He shall make all things well. Yes, in the end, He shall make all things good.


Listen: “Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money (including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions) and be satisfied with your present (circumstances and with what you have); for He (God) Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. (I will) not,(I will) not, (I will) not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor (let you) down (relax My hold on you)! (Assuredly not!) So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm (I will not fear or dread or be terrified). What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 AMP

Pray: My Lord, I will not fear, even though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; even though its waters roar and be troubled, even though the mountains shake with its swelling. For I know that there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God. Amen and amen.

Dec | 26 | Bloody Mary

Key Word:- OBEY


Title:- Bloody Mary


Luke 11:27 In addition, it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!”

So what do you do with the Christ Child the day after He is born? Ask any mother and she shall tell you: You take care of Him.


The hungry little Jesus has no doubt by now already been fed several times by his mother; washed, cuddled and caringly cosseted. She has counted each finger and each tender toe, shook her little head, stared into His seeking eyes, whilst speaking several sweet hello's. Kissed his cheeks, held His dangly little head in the palm of her hand and kept Him warm in the darkness of the tomb like manger. Mary, just recently having delivered her child, will indeed now daily hold in her loving hands, her own deliverer, her own salvation and even the salvation of the world. Imagine how special a person you would have to be to have been chosen to be the caring intimate of God, the gentle mentor of Jesus, the cleaner-upper after, the teacher, the trainer, the nurse, the advisor, the counsellor. Mary was indeed among all women, most blessed! Imagine that.

Soon Simeon, over a pair of white and bloodied, dead turtle doves, shall speak of this child’s destiny and of God’s Salvation, of Israel’s Glory, of the light of the gentiles, of the revealing of hearts and the rising and falling of many over this little, oh so little baby. And with ghastly words, shall begin to prepare even Mary’s own dear soul for the hurt that only a mother can experience, “Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also,” Luke 2:35. Ignorance is better methinks, than for years to come, to carry this shadow of hurt alongside the joy of raising up Jesus. Though God knows best and maybe she needed to know this now, even from this great distance, so to be prepared for the horror she would witness on Calvary’s tree. Imagine Mary’s bloody heart. Just imagine that.Now look at God’s grace, for together with Mary’s swallowing of this bitter medicine from the mouth of old Simeon, comes heaven’s honey from the lips of old Anna. For at the instant the message of the inevitable and coming piercing was given to Mary, Anna arrives on the scene performing two most important things. First, she gave thanks and second, she proclaimed with joy! She gave thanks to the Father for the gift of His Son and she then spoke of Him, with utter and fervent, expectant excitement, to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
In this coming year friend, so soon now to be upon us, when the Father gives you some bitter medicine, look for the accompanying honey. God will always make the bitter, sweet. Always! Imagine that.

In this coming year friend, so soon to be upon us, may you find your self in the temple of the Lord. Find yourself under the red dove of peace. Find yourself under the sacrifice. Find yourself humble before your God. Imagine that.

In this coming year friend, so soon to be upon us, may you seek out the Simeon’s of Zion. Seek out those who walk close with the Father. Seek out those who have the ear of Jesus; seek out listening and proclaiming saints. This year, may you walk with the old giants. Imagine that.

Finally, in this coming year friend, so soon to be upon us, I ask you to seek out Jesus. Walk so close to Him, that you too, like awesome Anna, will be able to speak of Him to all those who look for salvation in Jerusalem. Many do dear friend; many still do. Imagine that.

Listen: And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it!”

Pray: Father, may the reality of your presence be manifest in me and amongst us all in this coming year of our Lord. Amen.

Dec | 25 | True Wisdom Out of a Christmas Gone Crackers!

Key Word: CONSIDER

Title:- True Wisdom out of a Christmas Gone Crackers!

1 Kings 4:33,34 Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

Tom Smith invented the cracker in 1848. Now for my American friends, let me tell you that a cracker has nothing to do with cornmeal, grits or liquor! No sir, at this time of year, a Christmas cracker is an integral part of every British celebration.

Around the meal table at Christmas, at every place today there will be silver cutlery and a shining cracker. Upon being seated, the first thing that will be done before eating will be to, pull the crackers! A small cardboard tube covered with brightly coloured and twisted paper at the ends, the Christmas cracker will be pulled apart by two people. A small strip of chemically impregnated paper is eventually popped apart producing a small bang, and out of the fun packed centre of the cracker will fall the contents of the cardboard holder. Usually a paper hat, an unnecessary plastic object that will never be seen or used again, maybe a balloon and most definitely, a small piece of paper containing the lamest joke you have ever heard or a daft piece of Christmas wisdom. Ah, I remember and always look forward to the Christmas wisdom of crackers!

Political correctness is rampant at the moment. Today, even 'Google the Good,' will have some completely Christmas disconnected imagery on its main search page and the sound of “happy holidays” from every politically correct goods outlet, is still ringing in my ears. I was out shopping just yesterday (I’m mad I know!) and saw not one ounce of happiness in tons and tons of overweight and over spent, sick, sad and surly shoppers. I am no grinch at Christmas time but I tell you friends, Christmas is being so successfully redefined and its partakers so alarmingly reconditioned, that there is no Holy day and there is no happiness. Let’s face it shall we, take Christ out of Christmas and all you are left with is a mess. It’s all a bit mad, it’s all a bit bonkers and it’s all a bit crackers really!

The only way we can redeem the situation is to instil some Christian wisdom back into the leaders and the landowners, the moneymen and shareholders, the decision makers and agenda shakers. But it must be the sweet smelling, stargazing, treasure carrying, come to worship, camel riding, desperate “We Three Kings of Orient Are” kind of wisdom which we see in the Bible. A wisdom which seeks and speaks of Jesus.

The world shall speak of everything except Jesus this Christmas, and seek happiness and joy at the bottom of empty glasses, empty flashing lights and red ripped up paper. Let us make sure that we, His purchased people, seek and speak of Jesus, the Lord of the Universe and Saviour of the world, at this wondrous time of year.

Happy Christmas!

A poem: - Still Looking - Still speaking

Wise men speak of trees
From the Cedar to the Hyssop
Springing from the wall
From the Aspen to the Alder
Beside the water fall

Wise men speak of animals of creeping things and fish
Of birds and bees and smooth black cats
That lap the dainty dish

Wise men sing of love and capture moments in a jar
Wise men suck the juice of days
Wise men shop at Spar

Wise men count the fallen ticks
Of old clocks running down
Wise men number muscles
That help create the frown

Wise men follow after
Wise men follow far
Wise men seek the Saviour
Beneath the wandering star

Listen: Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matt 2:1-2

Pray: King of all days, oh so highly exalted, glorious in heaven above. Humbly You came to the earth you created, all for love’s sake became poor. So here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that You’re my God. You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me. Thank You my Lord, thank You.

Dec | 24 | The Baby Jesus. A Lovely Little Body but a Horribly Big Skull!

Key Word:- BECOME


Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

The Baby Jesus. A Lovely Little Body but a Horribly Big Skull

It is a well-known fact that childlessness is hereditary; if your parents don’t have children, then in all probability, neither will you! Unless of course, you are a miracle baby. Enter Jesus, stage right.

Well on the eve of God’s official birthday, let’s celebrate what actually happened and take in the wonder of it all, for Joseph having wandered from Inn to Inn trying to find a place in Bethlehem, (they couldn't get a room because they were Jewish), has his wife Mary, about to give birth in a stable. Out in the cold fields under an open and starry sky, stinky footed, sin defeated shepherds, quietly wash their socks by night, only to be very soon surprised by a multitude of celebrating and proclamating heavenly hosts, all singing and dancing in the dark, dank fields of Bethlehem of a Saviour born in a manger. Yes, it’s Christmas time in Bethlehem and Mary shall give birth to the Messiah, the promised Saviour of old. However, it’s not His miracle birth the angels are celebrating, no! On this most wonderful night of nights, the heavens are rejoicing in totality over the cord separating arrival of the Saviour. For you see, what is going to happen physically is in fact the most beautiful, but the most natural thing in the world: Childbirth! No, despite the rejoicing of the angels, this is not the miracle of Christmas. So where is it?

The Scriptures are clear that life begins at the point of conception. So the real miracle actually took place nine months previous at the home of Mary in Galilee at that very point of conception. You see at Christmas we must remember that the Christ, already given the name Jesus by His Father, had been with us for the full term of this pregnancy, a whole nine months; and hidden away in Galilean embarrassment and obscurity! Yes embarrassment! For a virgin conceived! “Oh really,” said the neighbours. “Yes really!” was God’s happy reply.

A virgin conceived a child from the Almighty. A virgin conceived and carried within her the Holy thing! God clothed Himself with flesh and quietly grew from molecular proportions within the warm womb of this frightened yet faithful young virgin, to be the baby of nine months, popping His head out into the world in a stable on Christmas morning, to the young boy posing eternal questions in the temple, to the young prophet terrifying all the religious hypocrites around the roads to Jerusalem, touching the lost and the leprous, dining with the downcast and outcast, loving the lame to leaping joy, the unseeing to sight sublime and raising the dead to live again. Aged thirty three, He will lovingly release the whole world of the weight of its amassed and terrible sin, and place them all upon his magnificent and manly shoulders and take them to Calvary’s cross, where with shredded flesh and pierced head, with holy hands and love set, love sick heart, He shall pay in full the penalty we all so deeply deserve and buy us back from the devil.

The purpose of the conception was always Calvary and Mary knew it. She shall watch Him there and Scripture shall again be fulfilled, when a sword, more terrible and sharp than the sword of the wraith witch king, hot from the burning coals of hell, shall pierce her pitiful little mummy’s heart, when they take down her lovely and beloved son’s broken and bloodied body from the terrifying cross. But today it is Christmas Eve. All is bright and all is white. Tomorrow the promise, indeed all the promises from Adam onwards, all the deliberations and plans between the persons of the Holy Trinity, all that is yet to come in the eternal ages now bound up and encased in the organic safe of Mary’s marvellous little womb, shall be born! Even Mary's personal Saviour.

Yes, Mary, though a most magnificent woman, from her own lips rightly testifies that she was a sinner, in need of a Saviour. The miracle is that God took residence in her womb, took DNA and sustenance from her body and became fully human, in need of her tender care and loving direction. This virgin conception of the Christ child is no invention, no trap, nor trick, nor contrivance. This virgin conception is necessary, unsullied, pure, holy, and immaculate. There was no sexual intercourse with God the Father as some have taught over the centuries, else she would not have remained a virgin. No, from the text and the tenor of the Scriptures, we can make a reasonable assumption that within the home, the room and the womb of Mary, nine months ago, there was an “enveloping in a haze of brilliancy”. Possibly Mary was surrounded by a shining cloud of brightness which infused her whole being and touched her with preternatural influence, as God clothed Himself with flesh and to the astonishment of gaping mouthed angels, stepped through the shining protected portal of eternal proportions and contracted Himself to embryonic dependence.

The real miracle of Christmas friends, took place nine months ago! Tomorrow the safe and natural arrival of the Christ child will be celebrated when Jesus pops out his gentle head and begins His own independent journey towards His prepared destiny outside the city walls of Jerusalem, all the way to that grotesque Golgotha, that hard and horrid, place of the skull. That is what Christmas is all about dear friends. Amidst the snowy white, is the flowing red of blood that will be shed for us and the living verdant green of life, that shall be given to us.

Listen: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” And Joseph and His mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:29-35

Pray: O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.

 

Dec | 23 | Warped Factor 7 Scotty, Warped factor 7!

Key Word:- FOCUS

Title:- Warped Factor 7 Scotty, Warp factor 7!

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

The context of our verse today lies in the strengthening of the Christian by Christ our Master, to provide us with the ability to be abased and to be abounding in every place and in every circumstance and situation. “It's no problem” says Paul in our text for today, “I have learned how to do this.” Now I do believe the reception of this truth must first be advanced by clearly seeing three important points.

First, that it is not a sign of Christ's desertion or judgement, indifference or aggression, when Paul is hungry, abased and abandoned.

Secondly, and subsequently then, it was also not necessarily a sign of Christ's faithfulness and pleasure, attentiveness and gentle care, when Paul had more than enough for himself and others.

Now these first two points are fascinating, for they produce imprints onto the spirit of a person, like convex and concave mirrors imprint images of the self onto the mind. In other words, that which we judge when we see, may give a very false representation of what is in fact true. In other words then, don’t believe everything you see! Indeed, Paul appears to be saying here that the presence or absence of either ‘much or need’ may have direct effect on his bodily and social condition, but actually has no affect whatsoever on his position in, or relationship with Christ and when we believe they do, then we are in fact staring into warped mirrors. So never judge your true stature in Jesus by your present circumstance alone! Doesn't Paul say in another place, “Mostly the Holy Spirit has bad news for me anyway so I expect it. It is my calling. None of these things move me.” Tell me, do your circumstances move you?

Thirdly now friend, think on this. Would you consider someone struggling to keep a roof over his head, on the Dole, Medicaid, Social Security; someone derided by his neighbours and near kin and scourged with various illness and misfortune, as someone blessed by God? Of course you wouldn't! However, we may well be wrong! Maybe our judgement according to Paul is not so much like seeing through a glass darkly, but more like looking into a mirror warpedly! (I may have just invented a new word there!). Bottom line is this: we might appear to see right but we rarely judge right and if we don’t judge right then maybe we don’t see right after all?

The challenge may lay in our understanding of blessing. For example, if we want to bless someone, then usually we want to see them prosper, and that prosperity we wish upon them, is for us inevitably within a material context. We at the very least want to bring them up to our level in material benefits. After all, these material things are evident signs to us of God's favor. Aren't they? Well of course they are! Every tele-evangelist tells us so in glorious Technicolor, so it's got to be true. I mean, look at the social fabric of our post Christian society! It may be collapsing in on itself and all around us whilst the chasm of secular humanism is opening it's jaws so wide, that like some great snake it is about to swallow up the people of God whole and alive down into it's torturous and confined, politically correct little belly, yet we still cry out for all the world to hear, that we are truly blessed by God and I mean, just look at all the 'stuff'' we have to prove it! Yes, the slithering is getting louder and the dead scales of the great serpent, cover our feet but we are truly blessed indeed, honest we are! Hmmm? Evidently, we are using the wrong measuring stick. How can we be blessed, possessing so much stuff as evidence of those blessings, whilst Zion-like Atlantis seems to be slipping below the waves of the secular world, forever?

How can we be blessed, sitting rich and happy at the Gates of Sodom and Gomorrah, whilst the smell of unleashed sulphur lingers in the late morning air?

How can we be blessed, when we are cocooned and cosseted into spiritual immaturity, immobility and inactivity by petty little messages from post modern, post Christian pulpits?

How can we be blessed, when our eyes are on bulls and bears and stocks and shares, instead of firmly fixed upon the coming King?

It makes you think doesn't it? Let me ask you this then, if, and God forbid this happens dear friend, but if you were to find yourself destitute, would your heavenly focus and your eternal investment be of such strength and consequence to you that you too could say with Paul, “none of these hardships move me.” Would you shout to your aghast and on-looking family friends and peers, “Hey listen, I said none of these hardships move me!”

It makes you think dear friends, it makes you think. Tell me today, what kind of glass are you looking into? To what factor is your vision warped dear Scotty?

Listen:- “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:18-24.

Pray: - Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches — Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:7-9

 

Dec | 22 | How To Eat Your Enemies

Key Word:- FIGHT

Title:- How To Eat Your Enemies

2 Kings 6:28,29 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son".

Guidance is such a confusing issue for the Christian. The old search committee interview joke goes like this- the committee ask the prospective Pastor, “Do you like children?” to which he replies, “I love them, but I can never eat more than one!” Now before you slam today's little devotional shut with a loud offended bang!, look at our text again and tell me just how such a horror, can be dutifully dealt with? For that is what it is, it is sheer horror!

Robert Benigni's intriguing film, 'La Vita è bella': 'Life is Beautiful', 1997, is about an Italian Jew's use of humour to help his small child survive the Nazi death camps. This kind of use of humour in the context of overt horror is the nearest thing I have found to so terrifyingly display the grotesqueness of such a horror! Look at today's verses again. Just look at the cocktail of terror, the despicable and devilish desperation which must have been shaken together so consistently and violently, that the bubbles of personal survival took two mothers way over the brink of outrage! Lest we judge this to be simply ancient horror, or deep jungled tribal eating habits, let's remember that it was today in 1972, that 14 'civilised' survivors of a plane crash in the Argentine Andes owned up the to the fact that they had eaten human flesh to survive. The Bible is outrageously blunt. God then, is outrageously blunt. Let me then be, outrageously blunt!

Ben Hadad king of Samaria was employing a well used and effective method of war against the people of God called 'siege'. The results of such siege warfare are seen in our verse today and that is the resultant destruction of the very thin cords of civilisation that stop each of us, from devouring one another. We must therefore be very careful and also be very aware of all the manifold consequences of war, before we so called civilised nations take ourselves to arms. Winston Churchill was correct when he said, to “Jaw, jaw, is always better than to war, war!” This terrible verse can be applied to us in three ways today:

First, let us be aware of the righteousness of our cause before removing our sword from its sheath in either retribution or protection. This applies to us individually as well as nationally. There is a time for war friends, but let us approach it gingerly and fearfully, for its consequences are manifestly terrible. Be careful today, before you start that argument, bring up that issue and grab that particular dog by its insolent little ears. Be careful and be prepared for the consequences.

Secondly, let us be aware of the terrible propensity that still lies within the heart of the old man, the flesh, the sinful nature. It is still in darkness and it is still a monster which the removal of laws through desperate war will assuredly unleash. Let us be aware with what devilish fires we are playing with here, when so called 'civilisation' is removed from any single one of us.

Thirdly, let us labour to do good. Let us follow the example of Elisha earlier in this passage and of Christ in the gospels, when He tells us to feed, clothe and bless our enemies.

“Love our enemies!?” These are hard words in the best of circumstances and virtually impossible in the worst. Let us never the less pursue such commands to love, knowing that when such love does not propitiate the aggressor, that it is then the responsibility of right government to unsheathe its sword and go about its terrible and righteous killing work. May we always tremble at all the horrific consequences that come with such unsheathing of the sword of war.

Listen:- So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. Now Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” But he led them to Samaria. So it was, when they had come to Samaria, that Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and there they were, inside Samaria! Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” But he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel. 2 Kings 6:17-23

Pray: - Lord, teach me how to build the city of God in the middle of my enemies, with food in my pocket, good will on my lips, a trowel in my left hand and my sword in my right. O Lord for grace, truth, wisdom and strength I truly pray to You today, in Jesus name, amen.

Dec | 21 | Rhythmic Fluidity

Key Word:- PEACE

Title:- Rhythmic Fluidity

Psalm 55:12 Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
 
Chopin’s, “Funeral March” in B flat minor, is embedded in our psyche as a sombre plodding tone that clothes our very inner self with grey and dreariness as we trudge towards the open grave. It's not the nicest piece of music to greet the day with. Thank God it wasn't the only piece of music he wrote!

Some days are like a death march though. No matter how hard you rebuke and bind the mail box in the name of Jesus, the bills keep coming in. Even if you're getting sick from eating too much humble pie, your spouse is still angry with you. You don't want to go to school because none of the kids like you, and neither do the teachers, but you're the Principal, so you've to get up and go anyway! Life and certain days seem to sometimes possess within them the B flat trudging rhythm of the death march, don’t they? And so with deep sighs and heads down, we eventually cave in to the inevitable, depressive death of ourselves! “Da Dt….D Da.. Da Da Dah D Dt… Da Dah…”

However friends, it doesn't have to be that way. Even in the most difficult of circumstances, instead of marching to the rhythm of death, we can march to the sound of the rhythm of life. It can be as simple as making sure we gaze outwards to Jesus and then handle all things we are involved in with the lightest of touches. This too shall pass you see? Let the Lord take care of a few issues eh? Shall we give them over to Him?

‘Chopin, Polish composer and pianist, made his debut at the age of eight. As a performer, Chopin revolutionized the technique of pianoforte-playing, turning the hands outward and favouring a light, responsive touch. His compositions for piano, which include two concertos and other works with orchestra, are characterized by great volatility of mood, and rhythmic fluidity.’ Yes indeed, Chopin favored a Light responsive touch! Do you get it?

Today, hand some stuff over to Jesus, say to him “here you are Lord, this is killing me! Please take care of it for me.” Don’t get too serious about things even the most important of things! Have a light responsive touch. Look to Jesus, and then let go of a few things, listen to the Holy Spirit, let Him tell you when to pick it up, make that phone call, nudge that person, address that issue. Let God's rhythm of life flow through you today, adopt the lightest of touches, breathe deeply, relax and live! When we do this dear friends, when we have the lightest of touches, both today's destinations and tomorrow's departures, will all be life itself to us!

Listen:- Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21

Pray:- Lord God , let me have a lightest of touch on the silliest and most serious of things that present themselves in my life today. In Jesus name, amen.

 

Dec | 20 | The Greater Guidance Systems of God

Key Word:- OBEY

Title:- The Greater Guidance Systems of God

2 Kings 8:1,2 Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the LORD has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.” So the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God, and she went with her household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years.

Guidance is such a confusing issue for the Christian. One of the main reasons why this is so, comes from our perception of the exactness of God’s goodness in relation to His total control. Our thought process might go like this: “God is in control. He knows how many hairs are on my head, He knows where the sparrow falls. God is in control. He knows the thoughts in my heart the words in my head before they slip from my stammering lips. God knows everything, controls everything. He is my Dad and He will do good to me. He will never let anything bad happen to me and will always give me clear direction”. Oh and by the way, this isn't just a good internal monologue, this is also great and correct Biblical thinking! So far so good then...

So, having come to grips with and believed God’s gracious Sovereignty toward us, why then do we oftentimes then find ourselves in ungracious, difficult and even terrifying situations?! The former reasoning on God’s loving and gracious sovereignty does not go with the latter situations I have described us often finding oursleves in,  and so we when we do, we become both perplexed and worried. After all, you hadn’t been sinning; you had been seeking God and His glory and yet look at this mess. What’s happening here? Is there something more we should have known about His good will toward us?

“Ah well of course,” says the theological acrobat, “you have probably stepped into God’s permissive will, rather than His perfect will for your life, and that’s always problematic. You’ve missed your way, you’ve not been listening as acutely as you should have been somewhere along your journey, no sir, so then, right now, you had better start asking for God’s perfect will to be done in your life, mate!” My stomach get's tied in knots just thinking about such a ‘helpful’ theological conversation. What to do then, what to do?

Well, look at God’s will here in our verse today. “I am sending a famine. Get out and go ANYWHERE but here.” In light of God’s Sovereignty this seems pretty poor direction doesn’t it? If God told me something like this I would say, “Lord, thanks, but shall I go to the South where the sun is shining bright and my rheumatism may find some relief? Should I go to the North where the cost of housing is cheaper? Should I go to the East and have a greater witness amongst people that do not know the Lord? Should I go to the dangerous badlands of the West, where amongst the raucous mountains, sinners abound? Lord, where should I go?” Well, the answer of God towards us right here would still be: “GO ANYWHERE but here!”

Now don’t get me wrong, I do believe that God is into specific direction giving. Not all the time though and not here in our verse for today. He is certainly not saying to the Shunamite, “you are so insignificant in the big play, it does not matter where you are on the field girl, just go. ANYWHERE!” Nope, He warns her only to leave the land, and in so doing, she is exceptionally blessed and supremely loved. She matters to Him. “Get up, get out and go ANYWHERE but here.” says God. "I'm gonna leave the 'where' to you and your wisdom, you and your desire, you and your own possibilities." Can you see that?

Let us relax a little more in the three greater truths of direction finding:

Greater truth No1: It doesn’t matter where you live, but it matters HOW you live, where you live.
Greater truth No2: You can only serve God, where you are right now.
Greater truth No3: Your influence is greater when you live abundantly in your time frame. Don’t wait for your space frame to be more pleasing to you. How we live in time is of more eternal consequence than where we live in space. 'Now,' is much more important than 'where.'

Friend, if you are fretting today about the coming New year and about your geographical locale within it, then maybe some prayerful consideration of this trinity of truth will help focus you a little more. Of course like all great trinities, they are in fact, all one and the same truth. Here it is:-How and now, is always greater than where and when. This should be our priceless and well practiced phonetic.

Listen:- We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2

Pray: - Lord, don’t let me grow old waiting to be in the right place to serve You, to be Your salt and to be Your light. Rather, help me today to live in the now and in the how, trusting You, O wise and loving Father to take care of all my where’s and of all my when’s. Amen.

 

Dec | 19 | Of Dogma and Dynamite

Key Word:- CLEAN

Title:- Of Dogma and Dynamite

Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead, Is there no physician there?

It has been my observation that with the fall of the established churches, ‘spirituality’ has increased and with the fall of the Curate, there has come the rise of the meta physician. When I talk of ‘spirituality’ I am not assigning good or bad to the definition, but simply recognizing that people at the beginning of the 21st century are very aware of both the spiritual side of their nature and the spiritual world and are comfortable to explore both of these arenas. In addition to this, when I talk of the ‘Curate’ I am of course referring to a very old but wonderful name for any Pastor or Clergyman. It now seems too long ago that Pastors were known as ‘curers of souls’. Their work then was essentially metaphysical, dealing with the unseen spirit of a man as it inhabited the unseen spiritual world. Pastors today, especially in our larger churches are more likely to be corporate managers, business executives, purveyors of purposes, principles, and mission statements, being more au fait with bank statements and collection campaigns than the Word of God and the blessed Holy Spirit. So the ancient curate of old, the metaphysician of times past in the Christian church and the true Pastors of ages gone by are all in this respect, mostly extinct. So as spirituality rises, a vacuum has been left by the church and it is being filled!

Most general car mechanics are ‘pan manufacturer’. In other words they recognise a combustion engine, whether it sits in a Ford or a Chevy, a Honda or a Toyota, it doesn’t matter, it’s a combustion engine! In the same way, most metaphysicians today are ‘pan spiritual.’ Spirituality is spirituality; truth is truth, whether it resides with Buddhism or Baptists. However 'spirituality' is deemed by today’s metaphysicians to be mostly likely found in Buddhism! These metaphysicians have vast followings. The reason is simple, and let’s not use 'the blindness of demonization' card just yet. The reason they are on the rise is because they have such a good measure of success! They are able to come up with the goods they have promised. Their methods seemingly work, for to some extent they can cure souls and relieve spirits of many hindrances, which in turn has led to peace, sometimes physical healing and definitely a greater awareness of self, personal gifting and the 'divine'. These are the facts presented to us by multitudes of personal testimony. They are not all lying and they are not all deceived. So, just what is happening here? Why such success?

Three things and I believe three answers:
First there has been a misuse of language and subsequent loss of linguistics. Theological terms have been replaced with more acceptable ones. To the ‘Pan-whateverists’ it doesn’t matter what we call 'it' after all? So:
‘sin’ has become, ‘baggage’ or ‘hindrance’;
it’s ‘deathly killing power’ has been called ‘toxicity’;
‘repentance’ is simply ‘letting go’;
‘walking in the Spirit’ is called ‘positive living;’
‘peace’ is just ‘being centered’; ‘
God’ is ‘the greater good’ the ‘ultimate intention,’ the source of all ‘positive power’.

Language then has become pan dimensional, pan denominational, pantheistic. This is much more acceptable to pan spiritual post modern man, for the edges of the absolutes have been truly blurred indeed. The warping and blurring of Christian theological terms has made Hollywood Buddhism very attractive.

Secondly, ‘self realization’ has become the forefront of all metaphysical endeavor. “For”, as they will tell you, “how can we know God if we do not know ourselves?” After all, the divine will only speak to our true selves. So it is imperative to walk in the newness and trueness of who we really are. We need to focus on our selves for people are lost not only in theological terms but also lost in cyberspace, lost in an overwhelming technological tsunami, lost in financial slavery, lost in family fragmentation. In many, many ways, people have lost themselves! The quest to reclaim who they are and the dignity that goes with that, is in and of itself, very attractive. Who wouldn’t want to truly find themselves? The searching for and the embracing of one's true self, is seen is now a great journey which is most worthy of pursuance.

Thirdly, true wholeness, that is, the defragmentation of the individual, can only be achieved by going on this journey of self realization. It is only then that we can know the divine, that is, when we are authentic, that is, when we are whole! After all, people still have eternity in their hearts, still have a God shaped hole within them that needs filling. This journey then of a self realization that in the end may find God, is also remarkably attractive. However, the message that we will find Christ when we find our true selves is one that needs much further examination. Still, the defragmentation of the personal self which pushes us towards personal wholeness is an attractive prospect for many.

What should the response of the church be to these three reasons for the 'success' of post modern pan spirituality? What should be your response dear friend?

Well first of all, we need to corporately repent. We have failed to come up with ‘the goods’ for both ourselves and other people. We have failed in our pastoral training by churning out politicians, managers and corporate executives from our seminaries, rather than Doctors of the spirit! There has been for many years, no balm in Gilead. The church has shamed itself and failed humanity in not coming up with good doctors.

Second, we need to reclaim our linguistic ability, for when we find our voice, our words will have power. Remember, truth is only truth, when it is found in context. That context is the meta-narrative of the revelation of God’s Holy Word, the Bible. We must know and use The Word, like we have never known it or used it before. Dogma alone though will not do, no, our doctrine must be linked again to the dynamite of the Holy Spirit.

Lastly and individually, we need to repent of our own lack of power; our own petty walk of religion that is often times seen in our seemingly magnificent outwardness,♠ but most truly manifest in our secret our most pathetic inwardness.

Today then, let us covenant to begin our real journey, our deep sanctification with Jesus. Let such repentance and heavenly resolve, so renew our inheritance and so reclaim our power, that our position, presence and prominence in the spiritual world, would be as it should be! May God so help us in this. Amen.

Listen:- ….if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14-15

Pray: - Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14
 

Dec | 18 | Staying out of the Currents of The Ship Swallower

Key Word:- DISCOVER

Title:- Staying out of the Currents of The Ship Swallower  

1 Timothy 1:18,19 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck…

 
In 11th Century England, the Earl of Godwin was the most powerful Anglo-Saxon then around. A large landowner in the South East of the country, he was also responsible for a strip of land, a small low lying island called Lomea, just a few miles off the coastal town of Deal. It is reported that either his mismanagement of funds designated for the upkeep of the sea wall on Lomea, or direct judgment from God against his disloyal and deceitful actions regarding the king, led to the disappearance of Lomea in such a fantastic storm, that like Atlantis, it sunk below the waves.

The name ‘Godwin’ may be mean ‘God’s friend’ but history paints this infamous Englishman in a very different light. Like most of his contemporaries at the time, his life and legacy was full of intrigue and deadly political maneuvering. However, the sinking of his island of Lomea into the English Channel has left an even more deadly mark for mariners over the centuries, in the form of the infamous ‘Goodwin Sands'.

Having lived for some months in the coastal towns of Deal and Walmer I remember walking along the coastline of the English Channel and gazing out onto the distant breakers running up and into these same sands at low tide. In the summer, it is possible to land your boat there and walk across the hardened, rippled surface and play cricket and even soccer, on what must be the most unique playground in the middle of the English Channel!

Twelve miles long and five miles across at their widest point, the shape of The Goodwin Sands changes so constantly, that charting them with accuracy is impossible. A combination of bad weather and the pull of strong currents in the area, turn these quiet and quaint sandy playing fields, into moving and monstrous magnets and so to thousands of ships and some estimated 50,000 dead over the years, the sands are anything but playful! Yes, I said 50,000! These sands are dreadful and deceitful; a sucking graveyard of an open mouthed and ever hungry, accursed ship swallowing monster!

Now friends let’s learn some lessons from the Goodwin Sands. Goodwin may be Anglo-Saxon for God’s friend, but today you must:

First know that not everyone who claims to be a friend of God, is a friend of God. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian. Satan has planted tares amongst the wheat; has sent wolves amongst the sheep. Be careful now and watch for fruit. Especially if these ‘nice’ Christians are more concerned with dollars for Jesus than dying for Jesus! You know what I mean, don’t follow them, don’t be so gullible for in the end, their heritage to others will be nothing but cursing, death and destruction. Watch them now. Watch them.

Secondly, know that our enemy, though sometimes so clearly seen, can shift his shape and disappear below the waves. He is movable, monstrous and magnetic. The strong tides of this world will always lead you upon his gaping and growling mouth. Keep clear then, of this world's currents, for no matter how tall the guarding buoy of faith, or how loud the ringing bell of a good conscience, when a storm comes down, he shall shift his shape and the currents he has instigated, shall pull you onto himself. Note the markers of faith, and the sounds of good conscience, but most of all, most of all, keep out of the currents if you can. Keep out of this worlds currents. Keep out of his currents!

Thirdly, and most importantly, the best form of defense for the Christian is attack. There is something positive we can do. Paul, says “WAGE A GOOD WARFARE.” To Timothy he instructs him to make use of the ‘prophetic words’ granted to him regarding his calling, his purpose, his destiny and his person. Paul seems to be saying here, “Remember who you are; who you have been proclaimed to be in Jesus! Remember who you are in Jesus and what He has commissioned you to do! Remember who you are, what you are to do and the promises and power He has equipped you with to fulfil His will! Believe it and like that Popeye, that strong sailor of old, so when the enemy comes in like a flood, you might reach into your heart and pull out a large can of 'whoopass' spinach and pour it down your pipe of power. Get bulked up, pumped up and then by those words from Him who is both faithful and true, from the eternal Amen, FIGHT REAL GOOD IN THE LORD’S BATTLES.

Friend, who are you? What are you? What has He commanded you to do? Where are you in the line? What have you been given? What do you still need to be able to wage a good warfare? Do you know? For Gods sake, for the sake of His Kingdom, isn’t it about time these questions were answered in your own heart? Get on your knees and ask for revelation. Find people who have power with the Father and who can speak to you concerning His destiny, commission and calling for your life; get them to speak these things into and over your life, for you shall not wage a good warfare without these heaven sent revelations. You shall not!

So find out today what they are, for the swirling sands of the enemies of God, the ship swallower’s of old, are waiting open mouthed, for his deadly currents to drag such passive Christians as yourself, upon his sinking and shape shifting sands.

Listen:- Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12

Pray: - Lord. What do You have to say to me concerning these things? “Speak, LORD, for now Your servant is listening.” In Jesus name I pray, amen.
 

Dec | 17 | Ghastly Ghosts & Great Ideas

Key Word:- REDEEM

Title:- Ghastly Ghosts & Great Ideas

Luke 7:22-23“Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
 
“I have endeavored in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humor with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it. Their faithful Friend and Servant, C.D.” So goes the preface of ‘A Christmas Carol’ written by Charles Dickens and first published today in 1843.

I visited Broadstairs, the summer home of Dickens, a few years ago now, with a view to pastoring a church in the area. Broadstairs was still resplendent with Dickens memorabilia and the evidence of overcoming poverty via legal and illegal methods, I am talking about smuggling of course, which still hung in the damp seaside, seagull filled air.

Dicken’s childhood experience of living in a debtor’s prison had made him into a champion against child poverty and illiteracy; indeed he was an avid supporter of the ‘Ragged School’ movement. I remember that some time around Christmas in 1981, I had preached at a small gathering of Christians who met in an old ‘Ragged School’ building in a place called Chesterfield. The building was a left over of the benevolent side of Victorian society’s attempt to educate poor children. You must remember, that at the time of the writing of ‘A Christmas Carol,’ it is estimated that half of all funerals held in the city of London were of children under the age of 10. Imagine that. Fortunately for us now at Christmas time, with Ghosts and a good idea, Dickens has brought poverty, greed, and the need for redemption to the forefront of generation after generation.

Wrangling with his publishers over pricing, Dickens eventually published the book himself. The binding was expensive and the profit margin was to him, negligible; however, the profit this ‘Ghostly idea’ brought to society is beyond reckoning. Contemporary author William Makepeace Thackery comments “Was there ever a better charity sermon preached in the world than Dickens’s Christmas Carol? I believe it occasioned immense hospitality throughout England; was the means of lighting up hundreds of kind fires at Christmas time; caused a wonderful outpouring of Christmas good feeling, of Christmas punch-brewing; an awful slaughter of Christmas turkeys, and roasting and basting of Christmas beef.”
Tell me today friend, who hasn’t heard of poor Tiny Tim or Bob Cratchet and the despicable Ebenezer Scrooge? Dickens did a great job in turning the misery of Christmas time into joy and today, as we are surrounded by glitzy lights, whilst running headlong into increasing debt and being constantly chased by hounding consumerism, all day and all night, let us ask ourselves what we need to do to redeem Christmas once more, this time not from poverty, but this time from gross consumerism? For surely Christmas needs redeeming once more?

I think that holidays, holy days, are never happy without Christ. They never can be. So may I say to you dear friend as we approach the festivities of this joyous season and the glorious remembrance of the arrival of the Christ child, “Merry Christmas to you and may God bless us, everyone!” Remember, Jesus is the reason for the season and so it must mean more to us than a plastic singing Billy Bass fish from Wal Mart!

Listen:- (from the mouth of the redeemed, Ebenezer Scrooge of ‘A Christmas Carol’) “It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself.” “He (Tiny Tim) told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant for them to remember, upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk and blind men see” .

Pray: - Lord, let generosity of spirit and the freedom of being Your child, be gifts to myself, my family, my friends, and all people that I touch this coming and most glorious Christmas time. Amen.