My wife and I recently bought our first home… a renovator’s delight… so there was plenty of cleaning up to do, the building inspector said we also had a termite risk and needed to remove any loose wood from around the property so as not to attract the termites.
We stacked all the wood and tree clippings into two piles taller than me on our driveway, hoping the incentive of not being able to use the drive would cause us to take the next step, and mulch the wood – it didn’t.
Eventually we got the wood mulched and spread it on our garden to try keep the moisture in the dirt when it rains. This was initially confusing, why wouldn’t termites like our big lose wood but not the conveniently smaller mulch? Well the answer is quite simple, can I get a show of hands; who likes pre-chewed food? While I have teeth in my head, I’ll be doing my own chewing!
So the termites meet in the strategy room and dusk with big foot. They give him all the location of suspected wood sources and he goes out and kicks at the wood. Mulch has no substance and just spreads about or flicks away, really good wood doesn’t move, it’s solid.
What have you laid down in your life that is attractive to Holy Spirit? And pressure is applied, what happens?
“Yeah, we usually tithe – but cash it a bit tight right now, so we just give what we can and we’ll get back up to 10% later on.”
Is it actually just a ground cover that just brushes away? Or have you laid it down solid? It isn’t going anywhere! God isn’t missing any teeth – He doesn’t want anyone or anything chewing His food for Him…
Our love for God inspires us to plant those tasty delights in our garden. That same love that was first injected into us by Him. We are kidding ourselves to try this without relying on God, attempting to live, move and have our being, in ourselves – He love us more than that.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Dark hides my answer?
What is dark, if nothing more than the absence of light? It is not self sufficient, but like all things it is entirely dependant on light.
This begs the question, why is there darkness in our circumstances? Something must be blocking the light, something must be between your circumstance and the source… I suggest that something is you, and I.
I also suggest that the answer is transparency, openly revealing every area of us to the source of light in our lives. Not endeavouring to keep something secret, veiled, not ignoring something that is unfamiliar within us.
Only when the source is in us, shining through us, lighting our situation can the answer be plainly seen. As electrons shift through steel to align themselves with the field created by an adjoining magnet, so too every component within us must shift into alignment with the pull of God. As each electron aligns with the field created by the magnet, the connection becomes stronger, inseparable, towing the last electrons into position.
This begs the question, why is there darkness in our circumstances? Something must be blocking the light, something must be between your circumstance and the source… I suggest that something is you, and I.
I also suggest that the answer is transparency, openly revealing every area of us to the source of light in our lives. Not endeavouring to keep something secret, veiled, not ignoring something that is unfamiliar within us.
Only when the source is in us, shining through us, lighting our situation can the answer be plainly seen. As electrons shift through steel to align themselves with the field created by an adjoining magnet, so too every component within us must shift into alignment with the pull of God. As each electron aligns with the field created by the magnet, the connection becomes stronger, inseparable, towing the last electrons into position.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
How do I love more?
Thoughts for prayer night: 27.05.08
God’s love.
1 John3:2
2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
1 John 4:7-12
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
The only proof we have of sharing God’s DNA is the way we love him and others – Peter McHugh.
What are you doing to love? How are you training in love giving?
1 John 4:19
19We love because he first loved us.
How can you love others, except with the love that God has given us? That is, to the point we are called to.
We strengthen ourselves in evangelism, and in healing by abiding in the love God has for us.
Enter into "see his love".
God’s love.
1 John3:2
2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
1 John 4:7-12
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
The only proof we have of sharing God’s DNA is the way we love him and others – Peter McHugh.
What are you doing to love? How are you training in love giving?
1 John 4:19
19We love because he first loved us.
How can you love others, except with the love that God has given us? That is, to the point we are called to.
We strengthen ourselves in evangelism, and in healing by abiding in the love God has for us.
Enter into "see his love".
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Scout Code
Be prepared. That’s the tag line for scouting. To add context, as I type this I am wearing a cape. Why am I wearing a cape you may ask? Why are you wearing shoes, or pants or any clothes for that matter?
Picture yourself turning up at school or work stark naked. You arrive, look around at what others are wearing, get a clear idea for your mood today and decide that clothes would be a good choice for this circumstance. You may even think of the exact item from your wardrobe that would be the perfect reflection of how you feel today. The simple truth right now though, is that you are naked – and you haven’t got any clothes to wear. You really should have prepared better for this moment. Choosing to wear clothes today was a “before you left the house” type decision.
Matthew 25:1-13 is a parable about some young women waiting for the arrival of a bridegroom. Half had extra oil for their lamps, so when if the bridegroom was late, their lamps did not run out. He was late, the other half of the girls were busy fetching oil when he arrived and were too late to join the feast.
Only those who were fully prepared for the situation got into the feast.
Verses 14 - 30 of the same chapter has a similar but different story. Three division managers are given extra budget to work with in the absence of the general manager. Each knew the GM well, knowing they needed to protect his investment. They all knew the he would return, and probably soon. They also knew his expectations were high, and methods to be ruthless and non-orthodox.
The two to receive the praise of their boss invested and worked the funds they had been allotted, returning 200% of what they were given. The third man stashed the cash because he knew the market was volatile and could go any direction, he would wait for a better time to invest! His fear meant he never left the starting block.
He did not prepare himself for the GM’s return, as some of the young women didn’t bring enough oil for their lamps.
One of our preparations in life is tithing. Another is offerings and generosity. They will each prepare you;
In your heart, to have capacity and depth of character.
In your relationship with God, to trust and see Him come through - even when the market is volatile or collapsing.
In your expectation, you cannot out-give the Lord. You can only give so much into heaven before it pours back to you.
This tithe or offering you give today is putting clothes on your back before you get to work, it is putting a holding deposit on your house before you even know where it is, or even that your going to buy one. You are preparing yourself for the time when you need to call on heaven, on our Father – and need real expectation of His action. Preparing for a time when you need depth and courage.
Naked is easier, but leaves us in the cold…
Picture yourself turning up at school or work stark naked. You arrive, look around at what others are wearing, get a clear idea for your mood today and decide that clothes would be a good choice for this circumstance. You may even think of the exact item from your wardrobe that would be the perfect reflection of how you feel today. The simple truth right now though, is that you are naked – and you haven’t got any clothes to wear. You really should have prepared better for this moment. Choosing to wear clothes today was a “before you left the house” type decision.
Matthew 25:1-13 is a parable about some young women waiting for the arrival of a bridegroom. Half had extra oil for their lamps, so when if the bridegroom was late, their lamps did not run out. He was late, the other half of the girls were busy fetching oil when he arrived and were too late to join the feast.
Only those who were fully prepared for the situation got into the feast.
Verses 14 - 30 of the same chapter has a similar but different story. Three division managers are given extra budget to work with in the absence of the general manager. Each knew the GM well, knowing they needed to protect his investment. They all knew the he would return, and probably soon. They also knew his expectations were high, and methods to be ruthless and non-orthodox.
The two to receive the praise of their boss invested and worked the funds they had been allotted, returning 200% of what they were given. The third man stashed the cash because he knew the market was volatile and could go any direction, he would wait for a better time to invest! His fear meant he never left the starting block.
He did not prepare himself for the GM’s return, as some of the young women didn’t bring enough oil for their lamps.
One of our preparations in life is tithing. Another is offerings and generosity. They will each prepare you;
In your heart, to have capacity and depth of character.
In your relationship with God, to trust and see Him come through - even when the market is volatile or collapsing.
In your expectation, you cannot out-give the Lord. You can only give so much into heaven before it pours back to you.
This tithe or offering you give today is putting clothes on your back before you get to work, it is putting a holding deposit on your house before you even know where it is, or even that your going to buy one. You are preparing yourself for the time when you need to call on heaven, on our Father – and need real expectation of His action. Preparing for a time when you need depth and courage.
Naked is easier, but leaves us in the cold…
Friday, April 11, 2008
We could be heroes…
The hero of an action movie has an enemy. Batman has The Joker or Penguin, Superman has Lex Luther and Beatrix Kiddo had Bill. The interesting part is that these characters spend the movie hunting their enemy. If not, then at least getting a reason to hunt an enemy, and then probably hunting that enemy… Once they're on that hunt, they take weapon of choice and head into any situation, hoping to find the villain – at no stage thinking the point of contact could bring a problem. There is absolute belief that they will overcome their adversary.
Why do they have this belief? Because inside they know they're the good guy and can't loose? They simply think themselves better than their opponent, or have a strong belief in what the gym and combat training has done for them?
Perhaps it’s just a movie and they've read the script... they're doing what they're instructed to. Doing it with ease because they've read the part where they beat the feshizzle out of the bad guy.
Why are we so different in the way we approach life? Some parts are adlibbed, some things surprises. Yet we seem to avoid the fight scene. Why do we not look forward to the part where we smear our nemesis on the pavement? Have we not all read the script? Luke 10:19 says “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” We win any and every battle we face Satan in through what Christ has done for us?
I think we all want to tithe – I think we all want to be able to give generously – and not have any thought that we may not be able to pay our bills and go out for coffee with friends. I don’t believe any Christian wants to be stingy – but we so often are. The second half Romans 12 talks about not responding to a situation with a default response, but to “not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (v.15). Do we not all know that we are in fact the good guys, we're intrinsically better than Satan.
Don’t let the misconception that we might loose in combat against what the devil has posted against us stop you from even going out to the battle. Take your weapon and choice and hunt that thing – I urge you to tithe, step into the life you want anyway, but have hesitated from.
Why do they have this belief? Because inside they know they're the good guy and can't loose? They simply think themselves better than their opponent, or have a strong belief in what the gym and combat training has done for them?
Perhaps it’s just a movie and they've read the script... they're doing what they're instructed to. Doing it with ease because they've read the part where they beat the feshizzle out of the bad guy.
Why are we so different in the way we approach life? Some parts are adlibbed, some things surprises. Yet we seem to avoid the fight scene. Why do we not look forward to the part where we smear our nemesis on the pavement? Have we not all read the script? Luke 10:19 says “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” We win any and every battle we face Satan in through what Christ has done for us?
I think we all want to tithe – I think we all want to be able to give generously – and not have any thought that we may not be able to pay our bills and go out for coffee with friends. I don’t believe any Christian wants to be stingy – but we so often are. The second half Romans 12 talks about not responding to a situation with a default response, but to “not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (v.15). Do we not all know that we are in fact the good guys, we're intrinsically better than Satan.
Don’t let the misconception that we might loose in combat against what the devil has posted against us stop you from even going out to the battle. Take your weapon and choice and hunt that thing – I urge you to tithe, step into the life you want anyway, but have hesitated from.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Dreamer2487
God is living in a dream. His daily experience does not conform to the regulations of the world we live in. Funny really… but not surprising.
What is a dream? Is it not just what fills the time we are not awake, or is it more. We have all asked ourselves the question: “Maybe this is the dream – perhaps I am the pawn of someone else’s night time reality”.
Gen 1:3 “Let there be light”. Who would say that and actually expect it to happen other than someone who lived beyond reality, beyond the confines of their environment? Truly amazing is that at that moment there was light. But not light switch style, light didn’t just come – it began a journey. This dream God had edged forward, started to move. Some estimates suggest a new sun, (star), is created every second. Now that’s a big dream for “let there be light”!
When you have a dream in your sleep, does it ever have a conclusion, an appropriate end? Mine don’t, their life always seems cut short. God dreams about each of us, he has ideas about where we might go, and how we might get there. He gives those ideas to us in dreams and visions (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17, all through the bible we see dreams interpreted…). If at any point you think you may have possibly reached the dream God has for you, you are so profoundly wrong. His dreams for us move and breathe, they have life of their own.
Let God draw you out of reality, out of this day dream we call life. Find yourself being unreasonable towards the laws of physics, towards condemning words, and towards the figure on your pay-cheque. Tithes and offerings will take you there. Tithe because God asks us to, offer Him more because you want to. But don’t let go of the result we are promised! Don’t let religion tell you He isn’t committed to meet our financial needs if we are honest and tithe. Hold Him, (and yourself), to it – whatever you do, don’t “snap out it”.
What is a dream? Is it not just what fills the time we are not awake, or is it more. We have all asked ourselves the question: “Maybe this is the dream – perhaps I am the pawn of someone else’s night time reality”.
Gen 1:3 “Let there be light”. Who would say that and actually expect it to happen other than someone who lived beyond reality, beyond the confines of their environment? Truly amazing is that at that moment there was light. But not light switch style, light didn’t just come – it began a journey. This dream God had edged forward, started to move. Some estimates suggest a new sun, (star), is created every second. Now that’s a big dream for “let there be light”!
When you have a dream in your sleep, does it ever have a conclusion, an appropriate end? Mine don’t, their life always seems cut short. God dreams about each of us, he has ideas about where we might go, and how we might get there. He gives those ideas to us in dreams and visions (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17, all through the bible we see dreams interpreted…). If at any point you think you may have possibly reached the dream God has for you, you are so profoundly wrong. His dreams for us move and breathe, they have life of their own.
Let God draw you out of reality, out of this day dream we call life. Find yourself being unreasonable towards the laws of physics, towards condemning words, and towards the figure on your pay-cheque. Tithes and offerings will take you there. Tithe because God asks us to, offer Him more because you want to. But don’t let go of the result we are promised! Don’t let religion tell you He isn’t committed to meet our financial needs if we are honest and tithe. Hold Him, (and yourself), to it – whatever you do, don’t “snap out it”.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Liam does a post...
yep, my first post. very daunting - really want to get into a book some time this year and am hoping to get my skills up. so pls enjoy what you read here or don't - but feel free to let me know any thoughts about what i'm saying and, (more importantly to me), how i am saying it.
cheers all,
Liam
cheers all,
Liam
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