Thoughts for reflection . . . (The future)

God says in Is 65.17, 'for behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.'

Am I looking forward to that day, is it something I am consciously preparing for, waiting for, desiring to see? One may respond and say, "but that is way off in the future, there are more important things to focus on" but in 2Peter3.12-14 the Apostle Peter says 'looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God', 'we according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness', 'wherefore ... seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent .... '.

The emphasis in these scriptures is one of looking into the future with expectation to what God is bringing in, so that it has a direct impact on our daily living - 'that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.' (2Pet 3.14)

This same perspective was seen back in the Old Testament influencing the patriarchs: Heb 11.10 of Abraham, 'for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God', and in Heb 11.14,16 of all those that died in faith, 'they ... declare plainly that they seek a country ... they desire a better country, that is an heavenly'.

God has an incredible future planned for His children. Imagine for a moment how wondrous that new heaven and new earth will be such that the former will not be remembered or come to our mind. A place that fills us with wonder and joy in the direct presence of God, a place of no tears, no suffering, no pain, no sin, a place where righteousness dwells.

Our hearts need to be caught up with the expectation of that time and place. It will radically change our perspective on what by comparison is a 'short' period of time in this fallen world. We will then be more likely to consider ourselves pilgrims and strangers in this life (Heb11.13, 1Peter2.11), and hold lightly to the things of this world. Less likely to get wrapped up in pursuing earthly matters but will rather turn the rudder of our lives to catch the winds of the Holy Spirit's purposes and goals for us.

May I keep my focus on the unseen (2Cor4.18), remembering my true citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3.20), and living in such a way that I'm getting ready to dwell there.

- sent from Palm T|T3

Thoughts for reflection . . . (One minute)

A Christian sits beside a man on a train. It's the first time they have met and in the conversation that ensues it becomes apparent that the other man has no religion, has never read the Bible and has no understanding of why Jesus came and died on a cross. The train is about one minute away from the station where the man is getting off. The Christian may never see the man again, who may never have another chance to hear the Gospel. What does the Christian tell him in that final minute that will furnish him with enough knowledge and understanding that he will have an opportunity to repent, be converted and give his life to Christ? (Acts 3.19) What can he tell Him that will leave the right type of seed in his heart which the Holy Spirit can use to bring conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment? (John 16.8)

The Christian continues and tells the man, "... you see the Bible says it's appointed to man once to die and after that the judgment. You and I one day will die and we will meet God and He will judge us. What we deserve at that judgment is eternal hell, a place of suffering and torment that never ends. We deserve this because we have all broken God's commands, which is called sin and are guilty before him and the Bible says the wages or penalty of sin is death. Such things as lying and blasphemy are just a few examples of sin. But God, because He loves us, doesn't want us to perish and the only way our judgment could be lifted is if Someone took our place. That is why Jesus Christ the Son of God came and lived a perfect life, died on the cross and rose from the dead. When he died and offered His life to God, God put all our wrong-doing, that sin, on Jesus. This made it possible for you and I, if we turn away from all that we do wrong and from living life our own way, asking God for forgiveness through Jesus and give our life to Him, receiving Him as Lord over our life, for God to then to forgive us, wash us clean and make us His child. We then need to walk close to God every day in that new relationship with Him that comes by trusting Jesus daily and surrendering our life totally to Him. . ." The conversation closed with the Christian encouraging the man to consider seriously what had been said and handing him a small card with some Scripture verses written on the back, the man walked away to leave the train.

We meet so many people as we pass through life. We may be the only voice they will ever hear that will tell them the good news of the Gospel: that the pending judgment over their lives and eternal punishment that is waiting them (which they probably don't even know about) has been lifted away through Jesus and they can receive eternal life and experience God's love. They need to know why it was necessary for Jesus to die and why they must repent and believe.

Am I telling them? Am I looking for opportunities to spread the incredible news of the gospel with them? Even in a brief moment of time (60 seconds) we can pass on the keys of knowledge (the complete picture of the Gospel) to someone which the Holy Spirit can then use to set that person free.

May I daily be looking to the Lord for the boldness to be the voice that brings the words of life to souls heading for a lost eternity.

- sent from Palm T|T3

Thoughts for reflection . . . (pathway)

Our life as believers is a pathway which the Lord describes as a narrow way (Matt 7.14). Heb 12:13 says 'And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.'

In that narrow way what sort of ground am I preparing for my feet to walk on?

We have a much greater influence on the path we tread than it may immediately seem when looking at the circumstances we face. This Scripture in Heb 12.13 indicates we can make our paths straight, which also means we can do the opposite!

One of the greatest influences on the path we lay down for ourselves is our tongue. In James 3.6 we see the tongue 'sets on fire the course of life'(NASB). Our words will either smooth out and straighten the road ahead, or will have the effect of dropping rocks and boulders in front of us, causing risk of stumbling, falling and injury. For example, in a moment of heightened emotion in a relationship such as in a family or at work my words can stoke the fire of argument and contention or can bring a calming effect such as described in Proverbs 15.1 where 'A soft answer turneth away wrath.'

Am I conscious of the power of my words and their influence on what I'm going through? Am I cautious in how I speak and what I contribute to conversations?

May I live by James 1.19, so that I am 'swift to hear': 'listening' carefully to the situation before me being attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He directs me. 'Slow to speak': avoiding hasty words of reaction but instead taking time to ponder my responses and words. 'Slow to anger': Giving room for God's peace to stay ruling and umpiring my heart in whatever situation I am facing.

- sent from Palm T|T3

Thoughts for reflection . . . (Unshakeable)

In the midst of a world where there is so much turmoil, how do I remain unshakeable in my resolve as a follower of Christ, unaffected by whatever situations confront me?

The apostle Paul says, 'Therefore .. be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.' (1Cor15.58) How do I remain unmovable? The 'therefore' at the beginning of the statement points to the previous verse where he says, 'Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ' (v57). It is from the basis of the victory we have in Christ that we can attain a position where we are unmoveable in our faith. How is this practically worked out as I face what may be extreme difficulties or challenges in my daily life?

As with so much of my life in Christ the key is my heart condition. The psalmist writes in Ps 112.7-8 speaking of a good man, 'He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid . . .'

The Hebrew word translated 'fixed' literally means 'to set up, to make firm, to establish, to prepare'. It speaks of actions that have been completed resulting in a condition of steadfastness.

The way in which I will not just survive but overcome in all my circumstances is preparing my heart beforehand, so that when those situations arise 'the evil tidings' will bring no fear or dread because the sound condition my heart is already in, planted firmly in God's promises, and faith in Him.

Our heart is also likened to soil itself by the Lord (Matt 13.3-9, 18-23). It will bear fruit according to how it is cultivated. The focus of our heart preparation should always be to know God more and move into a deeper level of trust and relationship with Him. As such we should be vigilent in keeping our heart free from all that would hinder knowing Him.

As well as preparing the soil of our heart we must be continually sowing the Word into our heart (Ps1.2-3, Josh 1.8). The presence of God's Word is a climate for faith (Rom 10.17), which itself is a shield that will protect against all the fiery darts of the enemy (Eph 6.16).

King David said in Psalm 16.8 'I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad. . .'

Every day I need to be 'setting the Lord before me', that is, bringing God into every area of my life. If God is before me then my focus is on Him and not on the size of the situations I face.

May I be perpetually preparing my heart to walk in that level of knowing God that I will never be shaken but instead be resolute and determined, ultimately experiencing God's peace amidst every trial.

- sent from Palm T|T3

Thoughts for reflection . . . (Thirst)

How thirsty am I to know God? How much do I hunger after righteousness and desire to be conformed to the likeness of Christ in my character, words and actions?

We have every reason for such an intensity of desire towards the Lord: He redeemed our lives from eternal destruction through giving Himself for us on the cross; in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2.3); eternal life itself is knowing God and Jesus Christ (John 17.3); in His presence is fulness of joy ... (Ps 16.11). The Scriptures are full of such examples that should inspire an intense longing to know God.

The Psalmist wrote in Ps 42.1 'As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God:'

It's very easy in the context of Church meetings or listening to Gospel music to sing songs of being hungry and thirsty for God, but is my daily life reflecting that hunger and thirst?

A hungry and thirsty man when placed before food and drink will devour it. He will make the most of the provision laid before him to quench the thirst and satisfy the hunger.

In Ps 23.5 the Scripture declares 'Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies'. God lays before us the provision of His Word and access by grace (Eph 2.8, Heb 4.16) into His presence. My hunger and thirst for God will be measured by how I take hold of that provision. It will be seen by how frequently I sit at that table and feed on His Word through study and meditation, whether my thoughts are continually drawn with a desire to spend time in God's presence in prayer.

Our world is so full of 'other things' that can come into our lives and consume our thoughts, time and energy. And one of the tactics of the enemy of our souls is to choke us (Luke 8.14) and distract us with these things so that we don't bare fruit.

May I continually be making room in my life so that I allow that hunger, thirst and desire for God to arise within me. Closing the door on the distractions this world offers and running to His table to partake of His goodness.

Jesus' promise in Matt 5.6 is 'Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.' What a promise!! - we will be filled with the righteousness we hunger and thirst after. We will see the Lord forming Christlikeness in us, He who is our righteousness (1Cor1.30).

- sent from Palm T|T3

Thoughts for reflection . . . (The Secret Place)

When pressures and stresses daily increase,
And seem to do all they can to steal away our peace.
When storm clouds may be building and the thunder may roar,
And the sun's face is hidden and doesn't seem to shine any more.
(Is 50.10)

Then this is the time when that secret place we must seek.
The place of stillness and calm found only at our Saviour's feet.
His peace is unlike any other, His love can none compare.
His faithfulness reaches to the heavens, and His presence is always there.
(Ps27.5, Ps91.1, Luke10.39-42, John14.27, Phil4.6-7, Eph 3.17-19)

So seek Him and we will find Him, that is the promise in His Word.
As we put our faith and trust in Him we will see a sure reward.
For we must turn our lives over to Jesus, the One who is so worthy.
Of all our praise and worship not just for the now but eternally.
(Matt 7.7, Jer29.9, Heb11.6, Rev5.12)

So these are some keys of how to walk above the storms.
How to win the victory when all things around are so far from calm.
Find and live in the secret place of the Most High where nothing can trouble or distress.
And we will then experience the peace of God in the midst of every test.
(Ps91, Ps112.7-8, Ps16.8, Ps25.14)

- Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46.10)

- sent from Palm T|T3

Thoughts for reflection. . . (Counsel)

Who and what am I listening to?

Our level of victory (knowing experientially the will and purposes of God as revealed in His Word) in every area of our life and character will be significantly influenced by the counsel (guidance/advice) that we allow to lead and direct us.

Most every day we are faced with decisions we need to make and situations to which we must respond. Living in such a way that my choices and responses bear the right fruit will be achieved by carefully choosing the counsel I listen to.

We should not limit our definition of counsel only to specific forms of instruction we receive from a given source but need to recognise that it can include anything we expose ourselves to which can influence our way of thinking, our opinions and our lifestyle.

There are many voices from the world clawing for our attention, and seeking to influence us: the media, the entertainment arena, the fashion industry to name just a few. Combined with this we face an enemy that will use any means to try and deceive, distract and infiltrate our lives by getting us to adopt his counsel. Consequently we must heed the Scripture in Ps 1.1 that says, 'Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord. . .'. We must continually guard ourselves from taking on attitudes, opinions and lifestyles that are influenced by these voices in the world.

Our objective should always be to know God's counsel in all things and be aligned to that counsel in all our ways. It is God's counsel that always prevails (Ps 33.11, Prov 19.21, 21.30), and as we therefore come under the shadow of that counsel we will partake of the benefits of it.

The counsel of the Lord is always available to us as followers of Christ through the Scriptures and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives (John 16.13, 1John 2.20,27). It just requires us to recognise the greatness of our need to be led of God and to set our hearts daily in the direction of seeking His counsel and wisdom.

May we so love God's Word that like the Psalmist we can say 'Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors' (Ps 119.24). And be tuned to the Holy Spirit's working that we may experience what God promised His people Israel '.. thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left' (Is 30.21).

- sent from Palm T|T3

Thoughts for reflection . . . (Conscience)

How sensitive is my conscience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit? How effectively is my conscience influencing my pursuit of holiness (Heb 12.14)?

The conscience should be equivalent to a litmus paper test that operates alongside all that we say, do and think, aligning us to the will of God. However, the Scriptures show us that the conscience is subject to external influence and can be corrupted, defiled and seared (1Tim4.2, Tit1.15). Our conscience therefore is only as good a rule as the plumbline against which it is aligned and our response to it's operation in our life. As believers therefore it's important how our conscience is trained and exercised.

In Rom 2.15 we see that our conscience works alongside the heart and operates in the realm of our thoughts. In Heb 4.12 the Word of God is spoken of as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart ('discern' here in the original Greek means to be able to decide, critical, skilled in judging). The level of the sensitivity of my conscience to the Lord as well as what will be acceptable or unacceptable to me as a believer in walking in godliness and holiness will therefore be directly influenced by the measure of the presence or absence of the Word of God operating in my life and my willingness to be changed by it.

Am I soaking myself in God's Word? Am I a positive responder to God's Word? Is the still small voice of the Holy Spirit sufficient for me to take action? Do I allow other influences into my life and my activities that will harden my conscience, that will dull my ability to discern between good and evil (Heb 5.14)?

May my testimony be that of the Apostle Paul who stated in Acts 24.16 "herein do I exercise myself (Grk: exert all one's diligence, study, endeavour, strive), to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men".

- sent from Palm T|T3

Thoughts for reflection . . . (Hold Fast)

Whatever the storms, whatever the pressures and stresses, however great the current need in our life, we must hold fast to the anchor God has given us (Heb 6.18-19) and we must hold fast to speaking of those circumstances in the light of God's promises.

Heb10.23 says that we are to hold fast to the profession of our hope without wavering (for He is faithful that promised). The word profession in the original Greek means 'to say the same thing'. There needs to be a consistency of faith in how we speak in the midst of all our circumstances but especially in the storms.

It is natural when going through tough times to speak of things as our eyes and feelings would dictate to us. However as believers we have a greater truth than the facts of what we see. And that truth, God's Word, can change and impact what we see if we believe unwaveringly in God's faithfulness to what He promised (Rom 4.20-21).

Heb 3.1 speaks of Jesus as the High Priest of our profession (same Greek word). So what will I decide about how I'm going to speak about things that I'm going through?

Let me consistently speak from the perspective of knowing the Almighty God that has me in His hands - however dark the clouds above me may be. Let me speak according to the declared promises of God to me . . promises of healing, provision, deliverance, strength, hope, restoration. Let me speak in faith and trust in the One who will come to my rescue and aid (Ps 46.1-3)

God is faithful, and through faith and patience we will inherit the promises (Heb 6.12).

- sent from Palm T|T3

Thoughts for reflection . . . (Values)

How highly do I value the Lord and knowing Him?

If someone were to look at the details of my life, how I spend my time, the subjects of my conversations, what occupies my thoughts - would they conclude that the Lord is precious to me, that He is highly valued, and a treasure to my life . . or other things more so?

In Phil 3.7-15 the Apostle Paul provides us with an insight into how much Christ Jesus should mean to us. He considers all that was previously gain and advantage to him as refuse in order that he may gain/win Christ and know Him.
It is so easy in this life to have our vision clouded so that the temporal things of this world draw our attention and corrupt our value system. There is nothing in this world that can compare to the privilege and wonder of knowing the Lord. Do I believe that? do I live by that?

In a world where all around us everything moves so fast, let us step off the treadmill of the world's ways and focus upon the One with Whom we will spend eternity and to Whom we owe our lives.

Let us press into knowing Him.

- sent from Palm T|T3