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…
Saturday, April 19, 2008
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”.
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