From the Fire

I was listening to some preaching of Mac Hammond and I'd like to share some points in his message that stood out for me.


But first, lets set the scene. Daniel 3 tells us the awe-inspiring account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego's uncompromising stance in the face of a life-or-death situation. The King of Babylon had made a decree that everyone should bow in worship to his statue at a musical cue - on pain of death.


No Compromise
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego went to the square where the statue stood as summoned along with the rest of the city, but when the instruments sounded, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were still standing. 
By this time, these three had been through a lot. They had experienced the destruction of their nation, the death of family and friends, forced exile from all that was dear and familiar to a strange land and people. They'd been trained as the King's advisors, escaped death by the skin of their teeth (Daniel 2), and now they stood standing in the midst of a sea of bowing men, with the certainty of death hanging over them again.


They were arrested and taken to the enraged King, who threatened them:

    “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?
    Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”  

Their answer was swift and blunt:

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

It's clear that the matter was settled in their hearts. Does it amaze you that they did not try to butter up the King, or express themselves in less incriminating language? They did not try to run from the situation. They stated their position clearly, and was prepared to pay the full price for it. No wonder King Nebuchadnezzer was hopping mad!


Now let's get into the meat of this.
Mac Hammond stated that their words were full of faith. They declared God's ABILITY: "our God whom we serve is ABLE to deliver from the burning fiery furnace"; they declared God's willingness: "and He will deliver us from your hand, O king." 


Many Christians who have heard faith teachings might recognise this principle of the power of declaration; and there are many who do the same. They declare God's Word, and they declare His willingness. They hope for the best, and expect the goodness of God to be shown in their lives. However, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego took it one step further. They had made up their minds that no circumstance would induce them to change their view of God, or of their decision to disobey the King's command in question: but if not, let it be known to you O King, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.


These three young men were refusing to lock God into the course of action they thought He should take. Mac made the point that for many people, their faith wavers when the outcome is not as they thought. I didn't get the money in time. I must have prayed wrong. Maybe I'm just not righteous enough.
Or,
My friend still died of cancer, even though we all believed for healing and did everything we could. Maybe healing isn't for today...Maybe God doesn't exist!


Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego had it settled in their hearts and minds: God was still God whether or not they were delivered from the fiery furnace, and they would still love and obey Him.


The Bible tells us that the King's expression changed towards these three men (Dan 3:19), and he ordered that the furnace be heated seven-fold. They were bound - turban, robes and all. They were carried roughly over to the furnace, and thrown into it, while the men who carried them screamed in their death throes as they roasted in the super-heated flames. The men throwing them in died, but Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were seen walking in the flames.


His way, not our way
If I was Shadrach, Meshach or Abed-Nego, I would have expected God to have delivered me before the situation got a bit too desperate. It would have made sense if God delivered me before I was bound, or at least in the distance between the palace and the furnace. 


God could have sent someone running to distract the King, or caused the furnace to refuse to heat up or or or... But no - the fire was allowed to be successfully heated seven-fold, and they were thrown into it. 


They were only delivered when they were thrown in. There is no record of them struggling, or crying for mercy. They had chosen their course, and they trusted God for their future no matter whether it was to be continued on earth, or in heaven. Perhaps, as they glimpsed the fierce glow of the furnace coming into view, they were fully expecting to leave this world. But the prospect did not change their minds.


God doesn't change
Just because God was not doing what they had hoped, did it mean that God's arm had shortened? Just because God had not showed up, did it mean that He did not exist, or that He was not actually a good God? No! God revealed His ace within the fire. The bonds burnt up. He walked with them in the midst of the fire, and they emerged unscathed and unaffected by the flames. They did not even have the smell of smoke on them (v.27). And the whole outlook of a nation was changed as a result.

God is still a good God, no matter what it looks like. God still loves us, no matter what it looks like. This is as certain as the rising of the sun after the dark of night. He is a good God, but it does not always mean that He will stop you from entering a fiery trial. 


As He walked with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the midst of the fire, so will He walk with you. As He glorified Himself in the eyes of King Nebuchadnezzar and all his advisors, so will He glorify Himself before the mocking eyes of all those gloating over your difficulty so that they will speak as Nebuchadnezzar did:

“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” 

 There is no other God who can deliver like this. He always has an ace ready.



^{Why does He allow it?}
So what can we expect if we find ourselves thrown into a fiery furnace while trusting Him?

• we will be loosed from our bonds
• We will walk with the Lord in closer intimacy than would otherwise have been possible
• We will walk out from the fire without the smell of smoke
• The power and reality of God will be revealed to unbelievers, and the course of their destiny altered forever

There is one more thing we can expect when we trust in the Lord as Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Bego did (Dan 3:30).

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

Mac Hammond explained that the word 'promoted' has the literal meaning of 'made to prosper'. God used the same evil entity that threw them into the fire to make them prosper after they had emerged from the fire.

You will be made to prosper, and He could use the very same difficult person or situation to do it.

Praise the Lord!

• Cultivate an enduring faith and trust in God that is not moved by circumstance.
• No compromise.
• Don't limit Him to our way of doing things.
• God always has an ace ready. Trust Him to reveal it in His time. 
• The result of our trust before and during the fire is calculated to be much bigger than you and your life.

Are you encouraged? I know I am. Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way.

Facebook Faithfulness

I'm just as guilty as the next person when it comes to being addicted to Facebook. There is rent to collect, animals to feed, cities to build, friends to catch up with (or just stalk). So much to do! If we want to get ahead on any of those games, they need to be played everyday. If not, you'll lose your rent, or your crops will wither (gasp).

We are faithful in these little meaningless things. What if we translate our Facebook faithfulness to faithfulness of the things that DO matter?

God challenged me the other day about this. I was being so diligent to collect my rent and build things in games - but God was wanting the same diligence in building my soul in the Lord, and my relationship with Him. What are the other things in our lives that we could be diligent to tend - things that matter in the light of Eternity?

Comic update

Another quick peek as I keep working. I'm amazed at the fact that I'm able to produce this even though I haven't drawn anything for a very long time now - at least a year! Praise God - He is able to provide in His time.

I'm working on the last four scenes and will post as soon as it's ready.

Without Faith, it is Impossible to Please God

Mark 9:14-29


It must have been quite a contrast for Jesus when he came down the mountain. Up there, he had just met with Moses and Elijah. He'd had a personal visit from loved ones at Home to strengthen Him for the time ahead; for a short time, it may have seemed that He breathed the very air of Heaven. 


But not long afterward, there was a very different atmosphere when he reached the foot of the mountain. There, He was faced with ashamed and perturbed disciples arguing with a group of scribes, a despairing father and a very sick boy. It all looked like trouble, really. 

And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” 

Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” 

Jesus' reply was frustration itself. He had just had a visit from Heaven, where faith was a given. Here, the contrast was as great as black against white; the difference must have almost been palpable.

“O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

The disciples had tried to do as their Rabbi would have done -- but they had given up, intimidated by the convulsing boy who did not respond to their attempts to deliver him. "How long shall I bear with you?" Jesus was, to put it mildly, upset by their lack of faith. It irked Him. No wonder the scripture says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Heb 11:6)

When the boy was brought to Jesus, he promptly fell at his feet into another convulsion, foaming at the mouth. The father's faith had almost faded altogether; all the disappointments of the past were spoken through these words, "But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." (emphasis mine)

Jesus needed to enlist this father's faith. His words struck like an arrow into that weary heart:

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 

The father reacted as if stung - had he really given up on his child? No! He would seize this opportunity, even though the past disappointments weighed heavily on his memory:

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” 

It was only then that Jesus acted to deliver this man's child. God can only act on our faith. He will not act on our unbelief.

Jesus was not moved by what things LOOKED like. Everyone else was. Faith! This world needs to see faith in action. God needs us to have faith so that He can work through us. Our lack of faith must continue to grieve Him.

O Father, we pray in Jesus' Name -- make us great people of faith! Teach us to walk in the kind of faith that pleases you and makes it easy for you to reveal yourself to the world. Forgive us of our unbelief; teach us the fear of the Lord that we might walk in the very air of Heaven and be unmoved by what we see.

The Jump Part 1

My drawing is going a bit slower than I anticipated. Here is the first scene for now.

He'll take you by the hand

One day, during one of my quiet times with God, a short comic strip flitted through my mind. It blessed me so much that day that I scribbled it down. It's about us on a journey with God. Sometimes we come to obstacles that are too big for us. But they are not too big for God. I'm still working on it -- hopefully I will be able to post it in a day or two.

A little child, in the face of a problem, runs straight to Mum or Dad and enlists their help. Children seem to think that their parents are superheros. They know that Mum or Dad can do it, even if they can't. As we get older, we become used to working it out on our own. We become despondent when we cannot do something by ourselves - but that is not the right response for the child of the King. The right response is to run to Him for His help. 


When things threaten to overwhelm us, let's not focus on ourselves or our circumstances, but at the greatness of our God who is more than able.

The Three Friends of Jesus

Jesus had many followers but few friends. Even those who professed to follow Him would be later found calling for His crucifixion; others saw Him ascend into heaven, yet fell away and were not faithful.


Jesus said in John 15:14-15:

"You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

However, it pays to be careful: accepting the invitation of John 15:15 does not mean that the preceding verse is not applicable:

"You are my friends if you do whatever I command you." (emphasis mine)

This friendship is conditional. Many are called but few are chosen. 


The people of this democratic age of equality may recoil at the authoritarian tone behind the words 'if you do whatever I command you' -- but it makes complete sense when you remember that we are talking about our Creator and the King of the Universe.


The invitation is clear. We are all asked to apply for the position, and most of us who believe God was dead serious in His invitation have responded. However, the reality is that friendships take time to form, and they must survive the gauntlet of challenges that every friendship undergoes. In reality, not everyone will end up in the King's inner circle.


I propose that Jesus had three main groups of friends: The Badge Wearers, ie the ones who made up the crowds; the Regulars - those who followed Him everywhere but had their own agendas; and lastly, the Devoted few who were faithful to the end.


Let's look into each group a bit more.


The Badge Wearers
Jesus had a big crowd of people following Him everywhere. Some may have drifted in and out as they went about their lives, but did not have the time or interest to stay long. But some joined the club, got email updates and a membership badge from the celebrity reporters and would go out of their way to be at His next appearance. They would nod knowingly at His teachings, watch with amazement when people were healed or demons were cast out. 


They watched for and relished the shock and indignation on the faces of Pharisees and scribes when Jesus threw a verbal bomb. They would return home from the event with exciting reports and stories to tell at friend's parties. They would quote Jesus when discussing politics or social values and agree with Him that the analogy of whitewashed tombs certainly fit the bill for all those uppity Pharisees and Scribes.


If people asked the Badge Wearer, "So, are you a follower of Jesus?" they would answer, "Are you kidding?? I know the colour of His sandals! I know all His messages by heart - especially the one that goes 'Do not pray on street corners to show off' or something like that. You should have seen the Pharisees' faces when He said that! I even got to shake one of His Disciples' hands. He talks the truth, I'm telling you."


But later on, the same Badge Wearer might whisper urgently to a friend, "Did you know that the Synagogue rulers are kicking anyone out who associates with Jesus? You'd better hide your badge! I did."


The Badge Wearers were never really serious about Jesus: they were just there for the show. 


Many Christians today wear the badge of Christianity but not all live it. Their heads acknowledge the teachings of Jesus but they tell themselves, "I'll deal with it later". Their business, ambitions and personal issues take priority over applying the Word of God to themselves. Christianity to them is no more than a habit on Sundays. These are the people who walk in and out of Churches and Bible Studies but see nothing change. Over time, they will wonder why they ever believed in the first place and become even more deceived. 


I once heard with shock and grief when a friend of mine answered a question about her religion, "I'm a Christian, but I don't really practice it." She talked about Christianity like a something you could put on or take off and I had heard her say, "Oh, we studied the Bible to death in School. I don't need to study it anymore." 


Such words are terrifying in their ignorance and deceptiveness and I was so sad and shocked that I didn't know how to answer her. My mind went completely blank although everything in me wanted desperately to say something that would stir her heart. To this day, I think of that moment with great regret and tears. 


Satan's lies are prevalent throughout this world; don't you take a bar of it: there is no middle ground. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life whether you would believe it or not. It is impossible for anyone who has truly understood and accepted the Gospel to be unaffected by it: you are either Christ's, or you aren't. 


The Regulars
This next group of people in Jesus' crowds gave up their day jobs to help out in Jesus' campaigns. They handed out the fliers, swept the floor, recorded the sermons and served as crowd controllers. Jesus' messages stirred their hearts; they sensed something new and could not get enough so they did all they could to be near Him and hear more. 


They were part of the seventy who came back rejoicing, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your Name!" They kept their membership badges on even when they were threatened to be thrown out of the synagogue: Jesus was going to become King, and they weren't going to miss out on being part of the new revolution. 


But then things became confusing. When they tried to make Him King, He slipped away. His repeated warnings about His death and rising in three days left them all bewildered and scratching their heads. On top of that, Jesus began to ask for too much. I and my Father are one?? He's taking this too far! Who does He think He is? Eat His flesh? Drink His blood? Is this guy a madman? They would ask themselves. 


When Jesus refused to fit into their mold, they were left flabbergasted and began to doubt Him. When He challenged their faith, they refused to be challenged. They left in disgust when they could not understand. They abandoned Him when it became clear He could not help them achieve their goal to overthrow the Roman Empire.


Judas was deep down, in my opinion, part of this group of people. On the surface, Judas seemed to be in the Inner Circle. He was one of the twelve, hand-picked by Jesus. He had given up everything to follow Jesus. Along with the rest of the twelve, Judas knew Jesus' favourite places, heard every sermon; he'd healed the sick and delivered some from demons with Jesus. Yet, down in his heart, not all was committed to his rabbi, and he had not accepted all that Jesus had said.


Judas may have been the loudest protester when Mary broke that alabaster jar of precious spikenard oil and poured it all over Jesus. Judas still had his own agendas. The scriptures clearly said that Judas had often helped himself to the money box (John 12:6). The fact that he was willing to sell his rabbi for a few silver coins says a lot about the true state of his heart. 


Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" and so we are also warned: "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor 10:12).


It is easy to fall into this group; it is easy to continue to serve your own agenda while seeming to follow the Lord's. You might fool everyone, but you cannot fool the Lord.


The Devoted

The last group of Jesus' friends were close to Him. They included - but were not exclusive to - the twelve. These people served their rabbi and truly believed what He said. They gave up everything to follow Jesus and scorned the fellowship of the synagogues, their reputation amongst their peers to be with Jesus. 

When the Badge Wearers melted away and the Regulars left in a huff, the devoted few remained, saying, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." (John 6:68-69)

They were prepared to swallow the hard sayings and pay the price to be His disciples because they knew that Jesus was the real deal whether they understood Him or not.

However, it is interesting to note that, even here, there were degrees to the intimacy shared between Jesus and His devoted disciples of the Inner Circle. Jesus chose Peter, James and John to witness His transfiguration. After Jesus had been arrested and the others had fled, only Peter and John could pluck up the courage to be as close to Jesus as they dared in the last few hours of his mortal life. It was Peter and John that ran to the tomb that strange, amazing morning when Mary stumbled back into the house to gasp, "I saw Him! He's alive!"

Later, Peter and James would become prominent leaders of the Early Church (there is no specific mention of John as a leader although it is almost certain that he was involved). They had been groomed by Jesus for this task. They were part of the inner circle who believed and accepted with their whole heart that Jesus was the Christ, and would hold to that to their dying day despite severe persecution.

These were the Devoted.

So What About You?

If we go back to where we started in John 15, we find that when Jesus said, 'but I have called you friends', it was in the Upper Room with the Twelve on the night of His betrayal. 

He was talking to the original Twelve that He had handpicked at the beginning of His ministry. 

Jesus chose His Twelve disciples while He was on Earth. But what if you knew that Jesus had likewise chosen you? When He died on that cross, He did it because He was not willing for any to perish, but all to come to Him. He thought of you.

If you accept, will you be a Regular like Judas, still holding on to His own agendas? Or will you be like Peter, giving his whole heart, warts and all? Peter did not let his shortcomings stop him from earnestly following Jesus. He was there, broken, as He looked into Jesus'  knowing eyes at the last cock's crow, and he was there, in the brokenness of his failure at the shore of the Sea of Galilee running and shouting, half-naked, "It is the Lord!" towards the waiting figure on the beach roasting fish over a fire (John 21). His earnest love for Jesus overtook his whole life, and he was changed forever.

In turn, Peter was one of those who 'turned the world upside down' and made history just by being a passionate servant-friend of Jesus Christ.

We must learn the lesson from the Scriptures: it is possible to have been with Jesus, and yet miss it all; Judas missed it. At least 500 people saw Jesus after he had risen from the dead, but not all of them made it to the end:

...that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep..." (1 Cor 15:3-6)

Association alone is not enough. Will you answer the invitation with your whole heart? Will you lay it all down to be the Lord's servant-friend without reserve, without compromise - to the end?

"You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." John 14:14-15

The Turn of the Heart

See the link below to read my latest article:
http://www.covenantchurch.org.au/resources/pastors_corner.php

 "Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!"

1 Chronicles 16:11

"He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts."

A.W Tozer, The Pursuit of God 

What the World is Waiting For

I was reading a bit of a Terry Pratchett book today; it had lots of rantings against religion. Amongst the ranting, I was challenged. He had a bone about religious people (specifically CHRISTIANS) just being nice but not much else. A lot of fluff but nothing substantial when it came to the crunch. I know I'm guilty of that.


It's strange that for a group of people who profess to have the truth and say that they can offer something amazing and life transforming, there aren't many Christians who live like it. We've gone limp and uninteresting. The Bible says it well: For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” (Rom 2:24).


Jesus was challenging, confronting; His standard was consistent, revolutionary. He was definitely someone who you'd have to respect even if you didn't agree with what He said. Christians are meant to be Jesus' disciples. I was told that in Jesus' day, a disciple of a rabbi didn't just follow the rabbi around and learn from him, they were working towards being exactly like the rabbi. Based on that, a lot of us don't fit the definition.


Jesus had convictions. A lot of Christians have belief but may not have a strong conviction about it, a conviction strong enough to move them to actions and habits that are consistent with Jesus' own. The world is full of different beliefs. They don't need us to tell them our beliefs, they want to see conviction in action. They don't want to become limp and uninteresting. Based on my interpretation of Terry Pratchett's rants, it seems everyone wants a conviction they can give their lives for. They're expecting us to show them what the fuss is about.


What if we didn't care what people thought about us and just lived true to our convictions? What if we were willing and hungry enough to pursue God until we were overtaken, completely captive to His heart and ways so that our beliefs aren't just good thoughts and adopted mantras but driving convictions that made us REAL, and showed God clearly to the world?


It's what the world is waiting for.

A.W Tozer

I've been reading a biography: "A.W. Tozer: In Pursuit of God" by James L. Snyder.


I first discovered about this man when I stumbled over some of his sermons at SermonAudio.com. His preaching caught me in a way I'd never experienced before. Even decades after his death, the presence of God was palpable: I was convicted, humbled, moved to seek God more. I had tears running down my face while I was driving, and all I wanted to do was stop of the side of the road and get on my knees. I wanted that anointing. 


As I read about his life, I am challenged to 1) seek God with greater earnestness, 2) be more disciplined, 3) seek to always improve myself.


I haven't heard of another Christian who sought to improve himself  as a writer quite the way he did; he was what I call a 'wordsmith' and loved beautiful prose. That resonates with me; I love words too. My lovely Year 7 English teacher taught me to 'edit edit edit' and I do but I haven't reached the drive for perfection that he had. In fact, I've even let up a bit on this so that I can write fluidly without being so conscious of the mechanics of construction. There's always a balance to find isn't there?


On the other hand, Tozer was a perfectionist and labored over his writing. He was known for his pithy quotes, quick wit, and concise yet approachable language. He read widely and voraciously. This, to me, is a contrast to one other turn-of-the-century Christian dynamo of his day -- Smith Wigglesworth, who, if I remember correctly, did not read anything other than the Bible. 


Wigglesworth challenges me too: fire, passion, an intense focus on the Lord's will; his tenacious faith; a willing courageous obedience that sought only to please his God; anointing to do great miracles. I'll always remember the anecdotes of him standing up in a bus to preach, and the drenching of Holy Spirit manifestation that followed; the time he woke up (reportedly) to a visit from Satan and said, 'Oh, it's only you' (!). Wigglesworth was one of the first to set me in pursuit of a God who was inviting intimacy and the discovery of the significance He had planned for my life. Tozer inspires me a bit differently. 


He preached forcefully and with great intellect. He was a thinker. His messages are saturated in the presence and anointing of God. Tozer devoured classical literature and the devotional books of Christian mystics. He would deliberately travel away from the city to worship and spend time in solitude with His God.


Tozer is famous for the book that defined his heart: "The Pursuit of God". I'm finding free pdf versions online but own a book of my own that a close friend bought for me. It makes me remember the days I would cry with longing, "Show me your glory" and find myself moving in that direction again.


I praise God for the champions that have gone before us. What God has done in one life may be unique but He is the same God who also invites us to a life of intimacy, power and significance with our King. May we, including myself, not just sigh with longing but pay the price to take up the baton and run diligently without a backward glance. 


May the Lord, by His grace, help us move beyond ourselves to the place where the price no longer matters, and the deceitful flattery of the world is scorned because of the greatness of our heavenly reward.

Intimacy One Day at a Time

I've just come back from our awesome annual Church Camp that we themed 'Deep Calls to Deep' from Psalm 42:7 this year. It was too short!


Coming back from the camp, I'm challenged to live out the challenge of drawing closer to God each day, responding to His call to know and understand Him.


Thus says the LORD: 

      “ Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, 
      Let not the mighty man glory in his might, 
      Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 
      But let him who glories glory in this, 
      That he understands and knows Me, 
      That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and  righteousness in the earth. 
      For in these I delight,” says the LORD. 

Jeremiah 9:23-24

God desires that we know Him, not just know about Him. The word 'know' (yada) in that verse describes a level of acquaintance and knowledge of a person that is as intimate as that between a husband and wife. 

As any married couple would know, such a relationship requires a lot of work and commitment. But the joy of sharing life and love between them despite all the trials makes it all worthwhile.

So it is with God. He offers us the most satisfying relationship possible, and the most reliable friend and lover in Himself. However, how much we get to know Him depends on us. We are our biggest obstacle. 


One prayer can sweep a legion of demons out of the way when you are hungry for God; God created us for that very encounter, that moment when He answers the hungry searching that originates from the thought there has to be more! God will move heaven and earth to reach you. He paid with His blood to make it possible. 


So if you're feeling like God would want nothing to do with you right now, you could not be further from the truth. He is the answer to the very thing that you think keeps you away from Him. Run to Him! He is waiting for you.

Every sincere Christian who wants to experience a life pervaded by the presence of God like Abraham, Moses and King David is faced with choices everyday that can shape the path towards God, or away from Him. They can be as simple as 'Do I switch on the TV?' and, 'Magazine or Bible?' to 'what university course should I pursue?' and 'Is this person the One?'. We can choose to involve God and seek His opinion, or do it our own way. I've found time and again that when I choose to leave God out, and refuse to obey Him, I reap sorrow, pain and regret.

It's in our interests to seek God. When it comes to trusting yourself, you'll find that there is a limit to the reliability of a philosophy of independence from God. Our hearts betray us, deceive us. We thought they would be the One -- but now we're not sure. It felt right - but nothing's working! All our understanding, skill and experience can still fail us: we're not sure whether to accept this offer, or that one; buy this house, or the other one; listen to your parents, or your friends. Wouldn't it be nice if the right choice was always clear like Dorothy's yellow brick road to the Wizard of Oz? 


The Bible teaches that we are to depend on God; it is wisdom to do so. The Christian that pursues God will realise that our need to depend on Him runs deep; we need Him as much as we need air to breathe. Only He knows the answers every time. Only He truly satisfies the deep parts of our soul.

Abraham, Moses and King David were all human, and made mistakes as we do. But they made consistent choices to keep in fellowship with their God, to fall in step with Him and stay there. We too need to purposefully make the choices that allow God to participate in every area of our lives; let Him fill the hungry corners of our hearts and make the dark places awash with refreshing light by letting Him in, and letting Him work in us. We need to choose to obey Him in the little as well as the big things, to fan the flames of passion - everyday, one day at a time.

One of our speakers used an analogy that has stuck with me: intimacy with God is like tending a garden. Weeds and bugs spring up overnight to threaten the health and beauty of our gardens; unforgiveness, idolatory, self pity, jealousy etc can spring up in our hearts in a moment. Those things can deafen our ears to His voice, block access to our hearts, plug up that spring of divine life within us.

I have to remind myself of that too because until we started preparing for the camp, I was actually letting a lot of things slip till I came to the point that I felt further from God than I had been for a very long time. I'd left Him out for too long. But God is so faithful, so merciful. I am continually amazed at how He continues to love us even though we have failed time and again. I would have given up on me long ago! But He is big enough for our smallness. And more than worth the pursuit.

The Gospel of Jesus

I was reading the book of Mark this week and was struck by the fact that it says in 1:14-15

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

And I thought to myself: "preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God...believe the gospel... but the gospels weren't written yet!" What did Jesus then preach?

Well, the obvious answer is - whatever's in red text in the book of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John!

His teachings were about God's standard of righteousness, and that it was not enough to just keeping the rituals, the letter of the law; He called people to believe and follow the Lord with all their HEART, not just all their actions. He taught about the Kingdom of heaven, and who would be counted in it. He taught many things, exhorted, warned, challenged, rebuked, and contrasted plainly God's ways and standard against the accepted standards of men.

What are we preaching in our churches? Jesus, even in an informal conversation managed to bring up the 'gospel of the Kingdom of God' - think of His encounter with the Samaritan woman. It was His whole life, His focus, His being. 

What is in our focus, our conversations? Is it the gospel that Jesus told us to preach? If the servant cannot be different from the Master, then does it follow that we should preach what Jesus preached? How do we fare against the standard He made so clear?

Makes you wonder doesn't it?