The Cat Saga

When we moved into our current house, there was a sandy strip beside the driveway that evidently had become the communal litterbox for the neighbourhood cats.  Come to think of it, the first week we were living in the house (which had been vacant for some time) one of our neighbour's cats deposited an unpleasant surprise right in the middle of the pavers leading to the front door--as if to say, "You might be moving in, but this is my territory."  Living in this house has provided a crash-course of learning firsthand the tenacity of cats to mark their spot in vile, smelly ways.

Shortly after the BBQ and smoker were set up on the back porch, I began to notice dirty puddles and spray marks on the covers.  At first I thought little of it, that condensation had dripped from dusty covers.  After I cleaned the mess from the BBQ covers and tiles, I was surprised that in a night or two there were even more marks--and that cats were the culprits!  It was then I declared war on the habits of our neighbourhood felines and took action to prevent them from freely accessing areas where they relieved themselves.  After the adjacent retaining wall was completed, I filled in the area with decorative rocks to prevent cats from accessing it.  I purchased an ultrasonic "CatWatch" that is motion activated and designed to protect birds and gardens from cats.  Humans and birds cannot hear the tone, but cats can.  I was pleased to see this had an immediate effect, and I foolishly assumed the cat saga was over.

The cats then began to favour using the silty soil out of sight behind the bins, so I repositioned the CatWatch to move them on from their new dumping grounds.  This very morning, after moving a recycle bin to the porch, a cat decided to slink behind it--carefully out of sight--and poop on the porch tile!  So now the bins have been moved to a new location so the CatWatch can train the cats there are no safe havens on the porch.  I have been impressed and surprised by the tireless tenacity of those critters to find a way to dump their refuse all around the property.  It is at this point I could give up and allow the cats to have their way, but I am determined to win the war.  The appearance of disturbed soil, swarming flies, spray marks and puddles tell me to press the advantage and not lose ground gained with great effort.

The cat saga bears similarity to sanctification from sin in the life of a believer.  Like cats driven by instinct, we naturally tend to go our own way and do our own thing.  Having been born again by faith in Jesus, we ought to recognise the uncleanness of our sin--the bitterness and unforgiveness in our hearts, cursing, addictions, lying, greed, selfishness and unbelief--all the works of the flesh Jesus died to cleanse us from and give us victory over.  When attitudes, words and actions that mark our old life spring to the surface, we go to the heart of the problem to confess and repent of sin and do what pleases God.  Slowly but surely, we will progress as we learn more of our sinfulness and our Saviour's goodness and grace.  A cat problem or a rat or roach infestation is not going to "go away" on its own, and besetting sins have great tenacity and treachery we must deal with personally.  Take decisive and diligent action to remove safe havens for sin in your life.  Don't give up, dear Christian, for we are victorious in Jesus. 

Bought Out of Love

Years ago when my family and I lived in Riverstone, there was an old derelict house on the corner of Garfield and Hamilton that had been condemned and fenced off.  I had no idea how old it was, but I would have liked to have explore inside and step back in time.  Exploring the house would not have taken very long, for it could be no more than one or two rooms with a dunny out back.  It could have been built before electricity and plumbing was available!  I expected the "fibro" siding to contain asbestos, and that would be expensive to safely handle and dispose of.

As the land in Riverstone grew exponentially more valuable in recent years, clearly the uninhabitable house had become a liability when it was taken away.  I was surprised when I drove by and the house was gone, and all that remained was a bare spot of dirt.  In one day the house had been demolished and the materials carried away.  It was a bit disappointing to lose a bit of history and charm when that house went.

Now imagine (if the house still stood) a wealthy fellow loved the old place, contacted the owner and made in a significant offer on the house with the intention to restore it to its former glory.  It would not be restored to be a museum or holiday house, but he wanted it to be his primary residence--just because he loved it.  Wouldn't this be a curious decision when the guy eager to buy and restore the house could easily afford to design his own modern, custom mansion and live in luxury?  Why would he prefer to live in a cramped house with a dunny in Riverstone when he could live in an exclusive Sydney suburb with harbour views?

The rich man buying a derelict house to live in it is like what God has done by saving people at the cost of the precious blood of Jesus.  He saw us in our condemned condition and instead of razing us from the earth He has chosen to redeem no-good sinners and make Christians His dwelling place as His temple.  Developers often have more interest in the land than the structures that sit upon it, yet God's greatness and glory is seen in saving sinners and adopting them as  His beloved children.  When we see a born-again Christian, we ought to marvel over the richness of God's love and grace that prompted Him to seek and save the lost.  God's interested in more than saving us, for He desires to sanctify us through a relationship with Jesus.  How great is our God!

The Golden Rule (With Love)

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught what is commonly called the "Golden Rule" to His disciples in Matthew 7:11-12:  "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! ¹² Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  God is good and the generous source of all good things.  Jesus pointed out since sinners are able to give good gifts to their children, our heavenly Father is infinitely more inclined and able to give good things to those who make their requests known to Him.

Because God gives good gifts to those who ask Him, Jesus said whatever we want others to do to us, we ought to do also to them.  The opposite of this can be true.  If there is something we do not appreciate to us, we avoid doing the same to them--even if it seems they deserve such treatment.  When I was musing upon the Golden Rule yesterday, I realised it cannot stand alone without great risk of making myself the flawed standard of morality I adhere to.  The Golden Rule in isolation can lead me to justify being unloving, devoid of sympathy or compassion, and resisting the Holy Spirit who always guides us to walk in love.  The Law and Prophets are summed up well by the Golden Rule, but Jesus fulfilled the Law and gave His disciples a new law to obey:  we ought to love one another as Jesus loves us (John 13:34).

In a conversation with my wife yesterday, I recalled laughing when my GP told me I had torn my ACL playing baseball.  She was a bit caught off guard and asked me what was so funny.  I thought it was funny that all I had done was rounded first base and fell over like a sniper took out my knee, a rather pathetic way to hurt oneself that required surgery, rehabilitation, financial cost, and missing over a year of sport.  When being fitted for glasses recently a new optometrist looked at my file and in great seriousness questioned if a specialist had fully explained the potential impact of an eye condition I have been diagnosed with.  I quipped, "Yep, untreatable and incurable."  "Yes," she said slowly, trying to make sense of my casual response.  The point I am trying to make is, if the Golden Rule was the only standard I employed to guide my conduct towards people's conditions or problems, it would lack compassion, gentleness and tact.  Love leads me to be sensitive to others when I am naturally harsh with myself.

The Golden Rule is a good rule that helps guide our conduct towards others, yet it cannot be followed rightly without God's love.  Paul wrote in Romans 12:9-15:  "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ¹³ distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."  Jesus taught His disciples the Golden Rule, also commanded them to love one another, and demonstrated His love for sinners by dying on the cross.  God has provided the whole Bible and the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us to walk in love to one another:  to bless and not curse, to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

Following His Steps

As I was driving the other day, I saw a family walking on the foopath parallel to my car.  I was stopped at a red light, and dad was leading the way.  What I noticed right away was the boy who followed behind his dad, imitating in an exaggerated fashion dad's normal gait with swaying shoulders and swinging arms.  The way he was walking did not look like his dad to me, but he clearly was doing his best to copy him.  His extra long strides, carefully timed to his father's steps, made his head bob up and down as he tried to keep pace with his shorter legs.

It is natural for young children who look up to their parents to imitate them, to want to be like them.  This also ought to be true for those who are made children of God by faith in Jesus Christ.  John 1:11-13 says of Jesus, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."  Because God is our Father who is eternal and does not change, we are perpetually His children who ought to trust and obey Him.  Unlike children who grow older and become increasingly independent of their parent's oversight, children of God grow spiritually by becoming more dependent and reliant upon Him for everything.  In our season of adult life when we have learned to do many things ourselves, it is a continual challenge to submit to Him.

As followers of Jesus, Christians are called to walk in His ways as Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:31-5-2:  "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. ¹ Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."  The Bible teaches us by Christ's example how we ought to live, loving God our Father and others as Jesus loves us.  Our resemblance to Jesus isn't by copying His terms of phrase, growing a beard or walking from city to city in Israel:  our imitation of Christ comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit within who teaches us of Jesus and empowers us to be His witnesses in real time.

Peter charged servants to walk in the steps of Jesus even in submitting to harsh masters in 1 Peter 2:18-23:  "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. ¹⁹ For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰ For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. ²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ²² “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; ²³ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously..."  We cannot imitate Jesus or walk in His steps without Jesus helping us.  Let us be numbered among those who follow Christ's example of love like the little boy who happily followed his dad.  It was no chore to walk in his father's steps but his great delight.

Mixing Paint Musings

Today I was doing a bit of painting, and one of the tins of paint had never been stirred or mixed.  When I began stirring, for awhile it didn't seem like much was happening.  But as I continued stirring, the colour began to swirl and become cloudy.  The paint reached a stage where it was nearly the correct colour of white, yet there remained thin, faint grey swirls that still needed to be incorporated.  Finally, the paint was mixed sufficiently and could be put to good use by applying it evenly to a door.

My mind drifted back to when I was a child and my dad was painting something around the house.  He gave me a large brush and a bucket of water to "paint" the unfinished cedar fence in our back yard.  No mixing was required, so I could get right to "work."  It was satisfying to see the wood quickly absorb the moisture and instantly change to a darker colour.  Board after board was nicely painted, but it wasn't long before the effect of the water began to dissipate as the water evaporated in the sun.  I began to double back on boards I already painted to make them look uniform again.  Because I was painting with water, the results were only temporary--and this wasn't very satisfying.

Mixing paint is a very mundane task, but it is an important step in the process of painting well.  When paint isn't fully mixed it leads to uneven colour, streaks, poor adhesion and an irregular finish.  Because paint is expensive and time is valuable, the lack of mixing paint properly leads to unnecessary waste and a massive amount of extra work.  Being patient and thorough in the process of preparation for painting is key to pleasing, lasting results.  God knows all about preparation with patience because this is a fruit of the Spirit.  God is willing to spend a great deal of time, effort and expense to prepare people to do His work.  For instance, God caused Moses to be raised as a prince in Egypt until he was 40 years old, and then he tended his father-in-law's sheep for 40 additional years to prepare him to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt--mostly learning he could never do it without God.

There much Moses experienced that certainly stirred and agitated him, and this continued to happen after he led the children of Israel through the Red Sea, to Mt. Sinai and in the wilderness for an additional 40 years.  He was stirred to anger when he saw a fellow Hebrew being beaten by an Egyptian, and he also was stirred to flee for his life after he killed the Egyptian for it.  He was troubled by the idea of going to Pharaoh and speaking publicly, and he was awed by the presence of God again and again.  He was stirred by the idolatry and stubbornness of God's people and their unbelief and disobedience.  All the trials, troubles, experiences, failures and successes he faced were used by God to sanctify and refine Moses to know and trust God more.  This is one of God's purposes when we are stirred, troubled and agitated by experiences God allows.  He knows what He is preparing us for and the good works He would have us do.  Amazingly, His plans for us extend far beyond what is naturally possible for us on earth and for all eternity in His presence.

When we are stirred or troubled (and we realise it!) it may not feel pleasant, but feelings of anger, anxiety, worry, impatience and frustration are reminders to look to the LORD Jesus in faith and rest in His love, grace and goodness.  Our lives on earth serve a valuable function of combining faith and obedience to God with our natural way of thinking and living.  Paint that sits for a long time in a tin separates with clear binders on top and the pigment settled beneath murky fluid.  God would have His wisdom, knowledge of His will and empowerment of the Holy Spirit be fully integrated with our daily lives.  May it be we embrace and delight when God stirs us, for it provides an opportunity to be more like Jesus than we are right now.

General or Personal Application?

I recently led an Inductive Bible Study course at church aimed to help reading and Bible study to be more fruitful.  A similar course I took many years ago had a profound impact to help me develop the skill of careful observation, more accurate interpretation and personal application of God's word.  Familiarity with the Bible can cause us to skim or gloss over critical information, to fall back on what we already know as if it is all there is to know, and never take definite action in light of one specific thing God has said.

When I put together an itinerary for board meetings at church, each director has a slot to report on notable things that have occurred since our last meeting.  Before we launch into "New Business," we read through "Unfinished Business," and these are projects which have yet to be completed.  Once I was a board member of an organisation that always put "Unfinished Business" at the end.  These important tasks and projects were rarely mentioned and not completed because they were afterthoughts when time was running out rather than a priority given prime time.  Our "Unfinished Business" was never finished because there was never discussion or specific actions delegated to directors.  At the conclusion of our board meetings at church, we always review "Actions to be Taken" so every director is reminded of their responsibilities and will be held accountable to report on them the following meeting.

One of the points of emphasis of the recent Inductive Bible Study was our need as Christians to intentionally put into practice what God has said.  Our tendency when it comes to personal application of God's word is to keep it general, and this requires no action at all.  When Jesus was asked by a lawyer who sought to justify himself, "Who is my neighbour?" Jesus responded by telling the story of the Good Samaritan.  In the tale the Pharisee and Levite ignored the plight of the wounded man who was beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho, but a Samaritan was moved with compassion to help him.  Jesus asked the lawyer in Luke 10:36-37:  "So which of these three do you think was neighbour to him who fell among the thieves?" ³⁷ And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."  Rather than setting limits on who should be considered a neighbour, Jesus taught the lawyer and all who read His word to be neighbourly:  to go out of our way to be merciful to others.

There is a difference between applying this passage generally and personally.  Some might be content to say, "A Christian ought to help people who are hurting" or "We should be willing to give sacrificially for the good of others like the Good Samaritan."  These points of application are not personal at all.  To make it personal, we need to include an "I" in our answer and put it in the "Unfinished Business" section of our pressing agenda.  Our takeaway could be something like, "I need to show mercy on so-and-so, and I've failed to do that.  I've been like the Pharisee or Levite, dismissive of his/her feelings or needs.  Now is the time to make a call and apologise for being callous and careless."  When the word of God is applied personally in our lives, it is always a call to action:  is God telling me of a sin I need to avoid or a command I need to obey?  Are there promises to believe or examples to follow I have ignored?  What should I do in light of what God is saying?

When we begin to make our decisions and live according to God's word, faith expressed by humble obedience to all God has said, God's word will become exponentially fruitful in our lives.  The Bible will go from words on a page or knowledge in our heads to being most practical and useful, working by the renewing of our minds to transform aloof Pharisees into godly people who repent and freely give mercy.

Heeding and Receiving More

Jesus taught His disciples in Mark 4:23-25:  "Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. ²⁵ For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  This teaching is affirmed in a parable Jesus told of a master who delivered talents to his servants according to their ability, and while he was away two of his servants doubled the amount given while the lazy, wicked servant buried his talent in the ground.  It was given to the servant who had 10 talents, and it is wise management of resources to take away the talent from the lazy servant and give it to the one who had been faithful.

In this passage, Jesus taught those who hear Him--and the implication is to heed all He says--will be given more from Him.  Those who do not listen, however, what he has will be taken away from him.  In discussing this recently, I was reminded of an experience I had in a trade as an illustration of this principle.  When I ran a small crew on a jobsite, a new apprentice was sent to work who was the son of a current foreman in our shop.  He was young, arrogant and acted like he knew everything despite having no practical experience.  As a pre-apprentice I was taught the most important qualities for an apprentice was to arrive early, have a good attitude, and do what you were told.  I don't believe any of these had sunk in with this lad.

I took the apprentice to a wide open area of duct with the intention of giving him a little demonstration with tips that would help him.  I showed him the rolls of duct wrap, wire and tape.  He was bored with everything I said, assuming he knew what to do because his dad was a duct-wrapping legend.  I decided since this punk already knew everything, there was no use wasting my breath on giving him pointers and tips.  What followed was 30 minutes of tradie hilarity at his expense.  As I slammed on material like a well-oiled machine, from across the room I watched him struggle and fumble with the most basic things.  His wire was a tangled mess, his pieces of duct wrap insulation were hacked crooked with a dull knife, and because he did not consider the thickness of the material all the pieces were cut too short and wasted.

Finally, having been soundly beaten by his failure to successfully install one piece of insulation, he sheepishly came over and asked for help.  That's what I had been waiting for.  He was far more receptive to instruction the second time, and I showed him exactly what to do.  Whenever I had an apprentice who was eager to learn and put into practice my directives, I was much more apt to give more pointers, tricks and opportunities to do better work.  These quality apprentices were groomed to do finish work with an aim to retain them throughout their apprenticeship, continue to develop as journeyman and even run work as a foreman.  But lazy, late and arrogant apprentices would not be working for a local shop very long.  Journeymen were not interested to teach apprentices a valued skill who had no intention to learn.  Before long, even the job they had would be taken away.

My interaction with my apprentice illustrates how God speaks of the true riches of His kingdom in the Bible, He will be more inclined to say more to those who listen and are faithful to obey.  If we will not waste our words on those who are bored by them and will not obey them, should God do differently if we are bored by Him?  Those who value and treasure God and all He has to say will be given more from His word to understand.  God did this concerning Abraham in Genesis 18:17-19:  "And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, ¹⁸ since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ¹⁹ For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him."  God went on to converse with Abraham who believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness.  His faith in God was shown by his works, and the wise will walk humbly in his steps with our Saviour Jesus.

If we heed God much, more wisdom and responsibility will be given us from Him.  However if we refuse to heed what God has said, we ought not to expect to hear much from Him.  Our peace, joy and rest can be taken from us by circumstances of life.  The arrogant apprentice did one thing admirable that day worthy of emulation:  he humbled himself and came to me and asked for help.  If we are struggling and realise we need God's help, let us be those who come to Him humbly with intent to do all He says.

Deeds and Character

New South Wales has recently introduced legislation to abolish the "good character references" in sentencing for criminal offences.  Previously when someone was found to be guilty of committing a crime by a court, they could supply "good character references" which would be taken into account and likely minimise the punishment doled out by the court.  People could use their prior good social standing or personal connections to reduce their culpability.  Their past good conduct or ability to find others to write positive descriptions of their character in no way lessens the severity of the crime committed and should not remove strong consequences criminal activity deserves.  Our deeds are better indicators of our character than what people say about us.

It may be a surprise to some, yet God's word sets a precedent for this positive change.  God said the wicked man who turned from his ways and did good would be pardoned, yet the one who turned from righteousness and did wickedly would bear the full brunt of the Law in Ezekiel 18:24:  "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die."  God emphasised how He did not punish the son because of a wicked father, nor would He punish the father for the wickedness of his son:  each would answer and be judged for his own sin.  God said concerning the repentant sinner in Ezekiel 18:21:  "But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die."

The audience of the prophet Ezekiel took issue with God's judgment and accused Him of His ways not being equal!  God responded, "My ways are not equal?  Your ways are unequal!"  God's ways are gracious, just and entirely consistent.  The children of Israel pushed back upon God's judgments because they were not just or merciful.  They were not inclined to forget the wrongs people had done, and they would give people of good reputation a free pass to do wickedly.  They would blame and punish the father for the wickedness of the son, and they also would condemn the son of a convicted criminal.  I have observed this many times, where a church or ministry leader is condemned because someone in a church or organisation does wickedly, or a current government is vilified because of what happened many years ago when other people were at the helm.  We see a badly behaved child and we may instinctively blame the parent for a lack of discipline, but consider how God is the best Father and the way His children sometimes behave.

God emphasised the need for sinners to repent and revealed His inclination to forgive (unlike people who criticised Him) in Ezekiel 18:30-32:  "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. ³¹ Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? ³² For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"  A convicted felon could supply many good character references to the court, but God's judgment is the only one that matters.  God knows better than anyone that iniquity will certainly be the ruin of all those who walk therein, and He takes no pleasure in the destruction of sinners--but that sinners would turn and live.  By faith in Jesus Christians are declared righteous, and the wise will continue to repent of sin and turn to Jesus in willing obedience.

The Sovereign Judge

In Ezekiel 15, God compared the usefulness of a vine to a tree in doing work and making things.  From the wood of a tree, boards can be milled and structures can be built.  Wood from trees would have been used to make many things:  carts, tools, doors, furniture, crates, ships, musical instruments and much more!  In stark contrast, the building potential of a vine was nil.  Trying to make dowels out of the soft runners would be a pointless waste of time.  In regards to doing work, what the vine was best suited for was to be burned in the fire.  At least it could provide a bit of fuel for a short time until it was reduced to ash.

God spoke through the prophet in Ezekiel 15:6-7:  "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; ⁷ and I will set My face against them. They will go out from one fire, but another fire shall devour them. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them."  The people of Israel were like a vine that bore no fruit, and the only profitable use for them was to be made fuel for the fire.  They had been unfaithful to God and sinned against Him, and Jesus made mention of this common practice in John 15:6:  "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."  Those who by faith abide in Jesus will be made fruitful, yet those who are unfaithful and depart from him will be consumed in the fire of God's judgment.

Because vines are not suitable for building anything, no one would question the wisdom of landowners who gathered and burned the vines that littered the ground.  Wood from trees was a valuable resource that was employed for useful purposes rather than burning it all.  The ironic thing is, people who would not think twice to dispose of vines by burning can fault God for bringing fiery judgments upon anyone--even those who have cut themselves off from God through wilful sin.  The owner of a property has the right to do whatever he wants with his vines, and the sovereign Creator has every right to do as He pleases with His creation.  By His wisdom everything we see He created, and without Jesus Christ nothing was made that is made (John 1:1-3).  Doesn't God have the most basic rights to ownership we claim for ourselves, to do as He wills?

A literal example of God's fiery judgment was seen long before the season of Ezekiel's ministry in Leviticus 10:1-3:  "Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. ² So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. ³ And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.' " So Aaron held his peace."  Aaron, the high priest and father of Nadab and Abihu who were killed before the LORD for their trespass, knew his sons were to blame--for God did no wrong to judge those who do wickedly.  Peter remarked it is time for judgment to begin at the house of God, and if it begins with God's people what will be the end of those who do not obey the Gospel (1 Peter 4:17)?  Nadab, Abihu, and the suffering of God's people in Jerusalem in Ezekiel provide sobering clarity on the subject.

It is the sinner who does wrong, and the just and righteous God has every right to judge sinners as He sees fit.  Praise the LORD He has provided a means of atonement and forgiveness by His own gracious sacrifice.  Should God be blamed for the severity of His judgments when mankind refuses His sure remedy by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus?

Jesus Unites People

There is a local bridge that attracted the attention of a community Facebook group due to an odd reason.  Someone, for some reason, had climbed the supports of the bridge to fly an Australian flag.  Days passed and I was surprised an individual or local council had not had it taken down.  From a liability standpoint, it makes sense to remove the flag to deter additional people from risking their health in scaling the bridge to fly a flag.  When the flag was finally removed, people on the online forum noticed and the majority lamented it was gone.  Overnight, on each side of the bridge Australian flags were attached near the footpath.  After these were taken down, 10 Australian flags took their vacant spot--5 on each side!

The bridge was flag-free until around Australia Day when one Australian and Australian Aboriginal flag were displayed by one another on each side of the bridge.  It wasn't too long until the Australian flags were taken down, but the Aboriginal flags remained.  As I walked across the bridge one early morning, I thought it would take a brave soul to take it upon yourself to be the one to decide to remove the Aboriginal flag.  As an Australian immigrant it seemed a provocative gesture to have the Australian flag removed and the Aboriginal flag to remain because it was first flown in 1971 at a land rights rally.  Interestingly, the flag was granted official status in 1995, and the copyright for the Australian Aboriginal flag was purchased by the federal government in 2022.

I had never considered it before:  it struck me that without Australia there would be no Australian Aboriginal flag.  Borne out of great struggles, the Aboriginal flag became a symbol of Aboriginal history and identity that brought people together.  The experiences of people (indigenous and otherwise), both good and bad, can be useful in guiding us to mature into the people we are today.  We observe this many times in the Bible, how God is able to use anything--even the hatred of family members--to be redeemed for God's good purposes.  Joseph's brothers stripped him of his coat and sold him to slave traders, yet what they intended for evil God meant for good and to save many people alive when Joseph was made ruler in Egypt.  In Jesus Christ all people can experience unity that transcends the bonds of family, ethnicity or shared experiences, for we are all citizens of God's eternal kingdom.

One wonderful aspect of trusting and following Jesus is He changes our perspective completely.  Rather than focusing on the past, comparing ourselves with others or worrying about the future, we are called to look to Him today and find rest for our souls.  Whilst wrongfully imprisoned, Paul wrote in Philippians 1:12-14:  "But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; ¹⁴ and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."  By faith in Christ, Paul realised how God was able to further the Gospel though he remained in chains.  He saw fellow believers grow bold in their witness and rejoiced rather than becoming bitter about the injustice he faced.

With identity secure in Christ, there is no need to be annoyed or provoked by what flags are flying on the bridge today.  We don't need to fall prey to victimhood by repeating all the wrongs done to us or how we feel slighted today because we have an audience with the Almighty God who loves us and gave His only begotten Son Jesus to save us.  The lyrics of a worship song "At the Cross" came to mind recently that says, "I know a place, a wonderful place where accused and condemned find mercy and grace, where the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us were nailed there with him there on the cross."  Isn't God wonderful, to provide atonement and forgiveness for the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us?  By the cross, Jesus has drawn all people to Himself.  If we rejoice to have God atone for our sins and wash us clean of them, will we also permit the wrongs done to us be nailed to the cross and washed away by God's love and justice forever?

Crucifying the Body of Sin

I have seen pictures of religious annual festivals where people traditionally re-enact the crucifixion with people nailed to a cross.  It is one thing to do a stage production where the crucifixion of Jesus is shown, but for me it goes too far to shed real blood in a demonstration when Jesus already shed all His blood to provide atonement once for all sinners when He laid down His life (Hebrews 10:10).  The cutting and piercing of the flesh was a pagan practice in the Old Testament and was forbidden for God's people in the Law of Moses, and the mutilation of the body does nothing to sanctify anyone or honour God by obedience.  The aspect of crucifixion not copied in the festival was the whole point of the brutal Roman method of execution:  the killing of a person.

Perhaps some view people with hands nailed to crosses as pious and devout to voluntarily suffer such pains out of devotion to Christ.  I am reminded of Paul's words to believers who put themselves under self-imposed rules in Colossians 2:23:  "These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."  Submitting to having our palms pierced does nothing to prevent us from indulging our proud flesh.  Previously Paul explained how Jesus had already done everything for Christians to be purified and set apart unto God in Colossians 2:11-12:  "In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."  There is no spiritual need for a man to be circumcised or to be crucified, for we have been raised with Jesus by faith in God, and His righteousness has been imputed to us by grace through faith.

To the end Christians would realise we who have been made new creations are to cease from sin, Paul wrote in Romans 6:3-7:  "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin."  Sin no longer has authority or power over us because we have died to it, and now we live with our risen Saviour and walk in newness of life.  Christians continue to live in a physical body that will see corruption, but we have been set free from sin and can choose to serve God instead.  In one sense we are dead and the life of Jesus is being lived out through us.

Far better than emulating the physical act of crucifixion in front of a crowd once a year would be to appropriate the spiritual implications of Christ crucified for believers daily in private.  This taking up our cross daily, following Christ and dying to self is alluded to in Galatians 5:24-25:  "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."  Being physically nailed to a cross does not help anyone to walk in the Spirit.  We are called and divinely enabled by Jesus to bear fruit of the Holy Spirit rather than the works of the flesh as we crucify our sinful passions and desires.  God's word and the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin helps us identify sin in our hearts, confess it, repent and forsake it.  We live in the Spirit, and thus we can walk in the Spirit and do what pleases God.

Finishing Our Race Well

When I was in high school, for 3 years I was part of the cross country team that competed against other schools in a weekly 5K run.  Over 3 decades have passed since I raced, and this morning I decided to run the 5K fun run course our suburb hosts every week.  Let's just say, long gone are the days of running 30-40 miles a week for training that kicked off with an easy 7 or 8 minute warm up before stretching!  I was pleased simply to continue jogging nonstop for first half and averaged 10 minutes a mile throughout.  While I was jogging, puffing and walking, the LORD brought some observations to mind concerning the race of life God has prepared for all of His people to run with joy.

I was never close to being the fastest, most technically sound or best runner on my cross country team, and yet there is a massive contrast between my ability and endurance back then compared to now.  The same can be true concerning our walk with Jesus Christ, that we can go from energetic and fighting fit to becoming heavier, slower and incapable of keeping the pace we did previously.  Even as men and women are different, so our abilities and strengths change over time.  There is nothing wrong with this.  But when our perspective is shifted for our convenience and a desire to avoid painful strain, this can undermine our spiritual preparation and fitness to do what God has called us to do--to run well the race He has set before us.  Youth has its own pitfalls as our lives were often marked by arrogance, pride and we looked down on others because we viewed ourselves as superior.

I am going to share some personal examples of how my approach to running as physical exercise which over time changed for the worse, and may the LORD in His wisdom reveal to you, dear reader, of what correlations can be made and positive steps you can take in your life for the better.  The first change I have observed is these days I can allow the weather to dictate whether I go walking or not.  Our cross country team would run in all weather, rain or shine.  We did not substitute half an hour on a treadmill or excuse ourselves from exercise because of misty weather so we could sit and drink a cup of tea.  We weren't worried about an increased chance of falling or catching cold because running was not negotiable.  We were runners; that is what we did, and we did it together and on our own time.

Another thing I have started doing that I never did before was to set my sights on a short term goal based upon how I was feeling.  I have decided when walking, "I will run to that light up ahead."  Sometimes I have not even managed to run to the light because my body was not feeling good about running.  When I ran a race in high school, I was committed and determined to keep running all the way to the end.  The goal was the finish line--not the next tree, bush or mile marker to take a break.  To set your sights on what is not the finish line and to settle for less than complete effort because of how you feel means some runners drop out and do not finish the race, and others do not bother starting it.  Better than looking forward to walking a bit and catching my breath after successfully reaching the light, I ought to look forward to the shower I will enjoy after the race is completed.  Rest in the presence of God in heaven is far better to consider than retirement from paid work.

A big point of emphasis for runners is that of time.  We all wore wristwatches so we would check our pace and ensure we were pushing ourselves and still have enough in the tank for the last kick.  Our final time was often compared to our "PR" or personal record, and even when others were faster than us we could be encouraged by our improvement.  A slow time felt like a failure, and when compared to others (or our previous times!) it could be embarrassingly slow.  Again, doing poorly in our minds can lead us to feel it isn't worth doing at all when others are so much faster.  I am reminded that Paul rejoiced to run the race set before him with joy, and he wasn't in competition with anyone else.  We used to take pride in how fast we could run a race, but it is irrelevant how long or how short it takes us to run our race before the LORD--as long as we finish well.  Rather than priding ourselves in our training or hard work, we credit God for calling us and helping us cross the finish line.

One aspect of cross country I liked was that it was challenging to run on different surfaces, with hills, valleys and pleasant changes of scenery.  Running around a track over and over to me was like a hamster on a wheel, a lot of activity and motion but not going anywhere.  Cross country races have a clear starting and finishing point, and the course in The Ponds is a big loop that finishes where it began.  There is a lot to see, experience and enjoy of the creation God has made.  For those of us who are getting older, it is likely we have reached or gone well past the midpoint of our race:  now we are heading home and that motivates us to keep going.  We aren't to focus on the time we've lost with regret, nor are we to run to best others:  we look to Jesus who sets the pace, strengthens and guides us to finish well.  As Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Open Only For Jesus

When I left my house the other day, I noticed something out of the ordinary at a house on our street.  Despite the early hour, the front door adorned with a Hindu banner stood wide open with no one in sight.  A small wooden table was arranged on the porch with two ornamental brass and silver vessels sitting on top.  I am not sure what the significance of the decorations and the open door were, but it seemed to signal a home that was open and welcoming to spirits and good luck.  It certainly requires faith to believe a banner (Toran) can act as a spirit filter like a flyscreen--allowing sunlight and the cool breeze to pass through but prevents flies and mosquitos from coming in as well.

I suspect those who go to great lengths to obtain good luck and prosperity are often in a quandary when troubles arise and lack sure spiritual footing:  did a malevolent spirit come into their home?  Is their bed or mirror arranged in the wrong way?  Have they angered spirits because they could not find their preferred flowers for an offering?  In the midst of a long season of idolatry in Israel, the Jews found themselves in a similar predicament.  Though the God of Israel established them in the land of Canaan, provided seasonal rain, prosperity, and protection from their enemies, they departed from Him and served the "queen of heaven."  The people of Judah fled from their land to Egypt, and they doubled-down on their need to sacrifice to the queen of heaven in Jeremiah 44:18:  "But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine."

God's people foolishly gave credit to the queen of heaven for all God had graciously provided them.  God revealed it was their sin of idolatry that withheld good things like seasonal rain and bountiful harvests from them in Jeremiah 5:25:  "Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have withheld good from you."  The hearts of God's people were cluttered with useless, hopeless idols that were powerless to save, and their troubles were a direct result of departing from God.  The queen of heaven could not help, deliver them from trouble or restore them to their land, but they insisted on serving her anyway.  What a sad situation this was, for spiritually impoverished people who had a rich spiritual heritage of faith in God to wear themselves out seeking the favour of idols that could not see, hear, speak or save.

The door standing open aligns with the new age approach of opening yourself up to deceitful spirits that are not of God.  Jesus Christ showed His power over all unclean spirits by delivering people possessed by them.  He explained what can happen when an unclean spirit leaves a person in Matthew 12:44-45:  "Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ 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. So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  It is good to regularly clean our houses and to put them in order because they quickly become dusty, grimy and disorganised.  Unless the LORD Himself takes up residence in our hearts by faith in Jesus, our hearts and minds resemble an empty house with an open door that allows any unclean spirit in.  Any spirit that would dare enter us--beside the Holy Spirit who is part of the triune God--is a wicked, malevolent spirit.

Jesus pointed out the last state of a man influenced by unclean spirits was worse than the first, and so it also would be with this wicked generation--a blasphemous, unbelieving and corrupt generation.  We observe history repeating itself with the idolatrous men of Judah in the book of Jeremiah, with the self-righteous and proud religious rulers who argued with Jesus, and unbelief in God and His word continues in our day.  There is only one remedy and means of being purged of sin, reconciled to God and true prosperity:  by faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God, by opening up the door of our hearts to Him only.  He alone is able to wash us from sin and grant eternal and abundant life.  In this case the cure is also a preventative measure, for Jesus does not leave us empty but fills believers with the Holy Spirit.  One great tragedy in the world is when people are willing to open themselves to every restless spirit but intentionally close the door when Jesus stands, knocks and calls out for us to open to Him.

A More Excellent Way

Paul exhorted the believers in Corinth to walk in the way of God's love and to desire spiritual gifts.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit and bearing good spiritual fruit is paramount for a Christian, and the greatest of these is love.  He asked in 1 Corinthians 12:29-31:  "Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way."  While God has comprised the church of people who serve in a variety of roles and have spiritual gifts that differ from one another, God's love is what ought to govern us always.

Paul told Christians to earnestly desire the best spiritual gifts, and in saying this he is not pitting gifts God gives against one another in a sort of competition.  Even as we learn to choose to use the right tool for the job, the best gifts are those divinely suited for an occasion as He leads.  The operation of spiritual gifts prompt us to trust God and throw ourselves upon His mercy to help us use them wisely and appropriately.  It is likely one reason why Paul urged Christians to earnestly desire spiritual gifts is because they were not sure where a gift from God began or ended; gifts did not appear as apples or oranges that could be plucked from a tree.  Perhaps it seemed presumptuous to desire a spiritual gift because they were not clearly defined, browsed like wares at a market or exchanged for currency we possess.  When it comes to eating new foods, I often defer to people who have knowledge of that cuisine and what seems most appealing to me.

What we see and experience creates a predicament when it comes to spiritual gifts because under the guise of spirituality and usefulness we can desire spiritual gifts for fleshly reasons, for personal validation and status rather than the glory of Jesus and the edification of the church.  One gift may appeal to one person more than another, yet we ought to come to God willing to receive and operate in gifts that are not our personal preference--like when we attend a catered meal and the food is presented before us without us having a choice--where trading is not allowed.  Even before we ever received a spiritual gift we may have been like Samwise Gamgee in the The Lord of the Rings who was not impressed or grateful with the Elven rope Lady Galadriel handed to him because the nice, shiny daggers Merry and Pippin received looked better.  It is good for us to make our requests known to God concerning particular gifts, yet we ought to rejoice in every gift of God He graciously and sovereignly gives us--even those not on our wish list.

God's wisdom is shown in our praying in faith to receive a gift as well as exercising faith to operate in it.  For a myriad of reasons I have observed people not respond well to spiritual gifts even when they were used "decently and in order" as Paul exhorted in 1 Corinthians 14.  The flesh loves to shine, to be seen to do well and be admired, but I have found spiritual gifts bring a sober caution and careful examination of the heart can require prompting from the LORD to step out in faith and obedience.  Using a spiritual gift has resulted in relationships abruptly ending and people leaving the church, yet God has given gifts for us to use as He leads.  The prophet Jeremiah spoke the word of the LORD that was rejected by God's people:  isn't it likely people can still be offended when the Holy Spirit moves today in a way that is not their way?  How important it is for Christians to walk in unity with Jesus Christ and one another as we are led and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do God's will, for then our relationships with one another can be deepened rather than divided over different gifts God gives.  If we ever make gifts our focus, we can easily lose sight of the Giver.

Before I ever asked for any spiritual gifts or desired them at all, I recall being offended as a teen by a fellow youth who received a spiritual gift.  I confess my initial reaction was not to praise the LORD or be encouraged to ask God for spiritual gifts but was like the hard-sleeping harlot who went before King Solomon to resolve a domestic dispute in 1 Kings 3.  She had accidentally smothered her infant whilst she slept, so she rose in the night and switched her dead child with her roommate's living son.  The women appeared before the king and both claimed the living boy was hers.  Solomon commanded a sword be brought and the living child be divided between them--it was fair they both receive half.  The real mother begged the child to be spared while the thieving woman callously agreed to the murder:  she was willing to cut a living child in half out of envy for her loss and lack.  When I heard someone had a gift I didn't, my heart in that moment resembled the envious woman, willing to divide over my own pride.  Brothers and sisters, may we confess and repent when our hearts are thus inclined and neglect to walk in love towards all.  May our compassion identify us as God's own children.

Running With It

It is wonderful to teach the truth of God's word and for people to receive it gladly and run with it.  Years ago I led a course to equip people to share Christ, and it was great to see people put what they had learned into practice and exert more effort in doing outreach I never thought to do.  The people of Nazareth could have been impressed and pleased to hear the gracious words of Jesus as He read from the scroll of Isaiah and addressed them in the synagogue.  "And to think--this is the son of Mary and Joseph who never went to proper school!"  Sadly for them, blinded by unbelief, they were offended by the Messiah who outshone them and sought to kill Him.

Another kind of "running with" suggests something is carried beyond what was originally intended.  I have seen this when Christians embrace a particular doctrine to the point they become divisive and sow discord among the brethren.  Verses out of context can be "run with" to support extreme and even erroneous views.  The works of Luther and Calvin I have read where they sought to push back against the "papists" were embraced by their followers and run with to the point we now have Lutherans and Calvinists.  In one sense Luther was not a Lutheran; Calvin was not a Calvinist.  I do not fault these reformers because their adherents carried their words further than they did.  These distinctions came later as their theological works were examined, further refined and more precisely defined.

Finally, the prophet Jeremiah spoke of prophets who ran to speak though God had not sent or spoken to them:  they ran bearing a deceitful message of their own hearts.  Jeremiah 23:21-22:  "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. ²² But if they had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings."  Rather than running without being sent or spoken to, prophets in Jeremiah's day would have done better to stand in God's counsel and cause God's people to hear His words.  There is a literal example in 2 Samuel 18 of a man who ran without a message after the death of Absalom.  Ahimaaz was very keen to run and bear tidings to king David that the LORD had avenged him of his enemies.  Joab refused to send Ahimaaz and instead directed Cushi:  "Go tell the king what you have seen."  Still Ahimaaz was undeterred, for he wanted to run.  Apparently he liked running, and from what happened later it seems he was known for his running--because his stride and gait were recognised from afar.

Joab asked, "Why will you run, seeing you have no message ready?"  Ahimaaz did not answer.  He just said, "Let me run."  So Joab permitted it:  "Run."  Ahimaaz was a very good distance runner, but he had not been given a message.  Cushi, on the other hand, had been an eyewitness of what occurred and was sent by Joab to tell the king what he had seen.  While Cushi bowed and obeyed, insistent Ahimaaz continued to pester Joab to let him run after Cushi--whom he overtook by way of the plain.  In the passage we have two runners who went two different paths, one who loved to run and the other with a message.  What this section of scripture illustrates to me is the importance of being sent by God, hearing His words and speaking them accurately.  We are called to carry the good news of the Gospel wherever God sends us, but we must take caution we do not run with God's words to justify going beyond what He has said.  We disciples who have received the Great Commission and go into all the world ought to stand in God's counsel and cause people to hear God's word--rather than running because we want to run, competing with others when we ought to compliment.  Standing in God's counsel is what we ought to run with.

Stand in Faith

When we go to the shops to buy food, there are often varieties of fruit or vegetables to choose from.  The fruit that is presented in the shop has already been whittled down by the pickers and the shop to present the best quality options.  Sometimes I have observed the fruit to be fresh and abundant, and other times it is hard to find a single apple that does not appeared damaged, soft or mouldy.  I try not to touch any fruit or vegetable I do not plan to buy, so I take a good look before I pick up each piece and place it in the bag.  Buying quality meat also requires discernment, for I take note of the cut of meat, the portion itself and the marbling.

Since my dad was a carpenter, I learned the importance of looking at the grain of wood and sighting it to ensure the timber was not warped by the process of drying or storage.  The lumber that is twisted and is full of knots is set aside, and it may require digging far into the stack of wood before pieces worthy of purchase are found.  Not all apples are good ones, and not every 2 X 4 is remotely straight.  I was reminded of this when I considered the word of God spoken to the prophet in Jeremiah 15:19:  "Therefore thus says the LORD: "If you return, then I will bring you back; you shall stand before Me; if you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, but you must not return to them."  Jeremiah was a man who feared God among many who were unfaithful to Him.  There were many lies spoken as the "word of the LORD" that were imaginations of sinful hearts.  God exhorted Jeremiah to be discerning to take out the precious from the vile--to single out the truth of God's word, to believe and proclaim God's wisdom in a current of falsehood and deceit.

In the passage of Scripture preceding God's command, Jeremiah wondered why his pain was perpetual.  He questioned if God had lied to him and become as a stream that failed.  Giving space to these doubts and accusations against God who is revealed as good and righteous caused Jeremiah to wander from Him.  Thus God urged Jeremiah to return to Him, to repent of entertaining the possibility God deceives people, fails to keep His word or is incapable of helping the wounded soul.  Jeremiah was not to return to those who spouted such lies, and if he took out the precious from the vile would be restored as God's mouth.  In speaking forth divine truth, those who trusted and feared God would be drawn to Jeremiah to heed the word of the LORD.  This is a good reminder for all God's people, for we have unclean lips among a people of unclean lips.  There were many in Jeremiah's day who claimed to speak for God, but their words were vile in God's sight.  Let us be those who look to God and His word in a sea of deceit, gathering His truth, proclaiming and submitting to it day after day.

God promised if Jeremiah returned God would bring Him back and cause him to stand before Him, and we are called to stand--having done all our LORD has commanded.  Having been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, we need God to help us stand when the wind howls and the fiery arrows fall like a wave upon our position.  The shield of faith has no trouble at all to deflect and extinguish every arrow expertly aimed at us by our adversary.  Praise God for His protection and His promises, for He is faithful.

Embrace Being Changed

God has put in human beings a thirst for knowledge and understanding.  As little children grow they begin to ask questions about everything and love to learn, drinking in everything they see and hear.  When children are at an appropriate age, given their physical and social development, they often undertake formal schooling.  At some point, the marks students receive and doing what is required to pass a class begins to overshadow the joy of learning--especially when the information in a course seems irrelevant, has little immediate benefit, or is difficult to understand.

As a student in school, when I struggled to understand maths concepts I would look at examples and try to mimic them; I turned to the back of the book to find the correct answer and work backwards to see how to arrive at that solution.  I approached the teacher and fellow classmates for more information and details to better understand.  I dug into textbooks (in days before the internet) and asked questions because I wanted to know how to find the correct answer.  It wasn't because I had a burning desire to be competent in calculus, but because I needed to pass the class.  I wasn't interested in personal enrichment, gaining knowledge I would use in a career, or to claw my way out of ignorance:  I wanted to pass the class and move on.

I have observed we can have a similar approach concerning spiritual matters.  Sometimes we are content to be told what to believe without having to think or examine ourselves according to God's word.  We simply desire the security and comfort that comes from believing we know what is true and right.  We look for an answer to our question to support our beliefs, to show others they are wrong, or to validate or justify our practices.  We may not be interested or willing to learn to change at all!  But God is wise to give us His word, the Holy Spirit, and to connect us with fellow believers in a world that is contrary to God so we might learn, grow in understanding, be further refined and fruitful.  While we are seeking a formula to follow so we can arrive at our preferred end, God works to transform us from the inside out and make us more like Him.

As students we were told to correct our own papers that were written in pencil.  There was always a temptation to rub out the wrong answer and change it to right one when it is we who needed correction and changing.  When God tests us, it often isn't a test we pass or fail:  God's tests are meant to refine and purify us, to expose our sin to us so we will repent.  We can be so focused on being told what to do or believe we neglect seeking God for His sake and embracing our personal sanctification.  While we are looking for a checklist of spiritual disciplines like chores to do so we can move on from them, as God would have us continue to rely upon Him, abide in and follow Him.  God is doing a work in our hearts by His grace and He impacts our entire lives presently and our future.  Jesus did not always give easy answers, but He bids us to take His yoke upon us (which is easy and light!) and learn of Him, for in Him we find rest for our souls.

God Has Chosen Us

Years ago we enjoyed an annual Easter family tradition of an egg hunt at my grandparent's home.  This epic hunt required a lot of preparation and expense to buy and fill the plastic eggs--not to mention hiding them so well.  The "silver" and prized "golden" egg were always expertly hidden on an acre of property, and there could be a lull of more than 15 minutes when no eggs were found as the search area was whittled down to find that elusive golden egg.  As an adult it was fun observing the children (including my own) look around for hidden treasures, and I discovered some children (not my own) quickly grew impatient and complained when they weren't easily finding eggs.  They snatched eggs that lay in full view on the grass and quickly moved on for more.  When finding eggs meant moving grass or pushing past a prickly pine tree or crawling near a cactus, they begged to be told where the best eggs were.  In our family hunts, this sort of seeker never found the prized eggs.

The discouragement in children who are not easily finding eggs can at times bear a resemblance to what Christians can experience.  I have met many believers who are disappointed when they have sought a particular spiritual gift but have yet to operate in it.  Some feel left out because they are not aware of God's calling upon their lives, and want someone to tell them what to do or say--a formula to follow--to obtain what they are looking for.  Discouragement will come when we prioritise the search for a gift rather seeking the Giver, and we choose disappointment in pursuing a call rather than Christ who calls us.  Spiritual gifts and callings are not like eggs that contain a special prize we hold in our hands, but they are the divine fruit of our relationship with God who holds us.  As we are not our own, having been bought with a price, our spiritual fruitfulness, gifts and call are not primarily for our feelings of fulfillment but God's glory.

In his book The Call, Os Guinness made an excellent observation how being called by God "subverts the deadly modern idolatry of choice":

"Choice in modern life is central, powerful, unquestioned, and enshrined in how we think and all we do--so much so that it cannot be undermined merely by an appeal to another choice.  Choice for modern people is a right that overwhelms both responsibility and rationality...Arguments against choice need to recognize the special, godlike power of choice.  But ultimately only one thing can conquer choice--being chosen.  Thus, for followers of Christ, calling neutralizes the fundamental poison of choice in modern life.  "I have chosen you," Jesus said, "you have not chosen me."  We are not our own; we have been bought with a price.  We have no rights, only responsibilities.  Following Christ is not our initiative, merely our response, in obedience.  Nothing works better to debunk the pretensions of choices than a conviction of calling.  Once we have been called, we literally "have no choice." (Guinness, Os. The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life. Thomas Nelson, 2003. Page 167)

It is good to realise choice can be idolised, and really this modern luxury is an extension of the ancient tendency to idolise ourselves.  We can be moved to seek a particular gift or calling because of how it could benefit us.  By God's grace disappointment and disillusionment by our preferences not being met can be the means God employs to draw us to Himself, to begin to know and understand God--and have our eyes opened to better recognise how much we need Him.  To be chosen and called by God is wonderful, and to know Him is greater than unlocking a new ability that will someday pass away.  While the focus in our family Easter egg hunt was finding eggs, the real treasure was those loving, generous women who made the effort to prepare, spend and oversee the event.  As we continue on our pilgrimage of faith in Jesus, may God open our eyes to see when we have been searching for and prioritising gifts over the Giver, a calling over the Caller, or our choices rather than God who chose us.

Revive Us Again

When discussing passages from the Bible or theology, it is important to define key terms.  There are many common words and phrases which mean different things to different people.  I have found "revival" to be one of those words.  A casual browse through the Strong's Concordance also shows how one particular Hebrew or Greek word has been translated into a variety of words.  The context of a word is helpful--along with other passages in the Bible that employ the same word--to better grasp the intended meaning.

During a recent Bible study at church, we briefly discussed Psalm 85:6:  "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?"  The psalmist asked God to revive him and all God's people spiritually to the end they would rejoice in God.  He astutely realised God's people need God's spiritual empowerment to respond to God as we ought.  As the fire consumes wood in the fireplace, gravity causes logs to settle further into the grate and smoulder in the ash.  The person who intentionally started the fire will need to adjust the logs with a poker and add additional wood with gaps so oxygen will cause the fire to blaze up again.  God who gave us life on earth also provides eternal life by the Gospel, and having been born again we need God to revive us continually by His Spirit.

Even as fire is lit upon a hearth for a purpose--for instance to supply heat for a home, to boil stew or to toast marshmallows--the psalmist connected being revived again by God with rejoicing in Him.  This is one of many purposes God revives His people to the end He would be glorified and His people edified, strengthened, encouraged and made spiritually fruitful.  Some Christians I have met have a different view of revival than the psalmist, focused primarily on what they desire to see in other people, a church or a city:  more people coming to church, more interest in spiritual things, an widespread "awakening" like historical moves of the Holy Spirit in "revival meetings" long ago.  There can be a desire for this sort of revival in others which we see no need for in ourselves.  And what can follow is unless our arbitrary, grandiose concept of "revival" is realised, people who pray to this end can be discouraged that their prayer has gone unanswered.

Like God fills us with the Holy Spirit when we ask Him (Luke 11:13), we can have complete confidence God will revive us again according to our humble request in faith because it is His will for us.  He gave us life and spiritually revived us, but this "revival" will be for His purposes--not to accommodate our romantic spiritual longings.  When we are moved to rejoice in the LORD, especially when our circumstances are difficult and troubling, it is evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in and through our lives.  God has revived us many times when we despaired, wandered away, forgot about God and His promises simply because He is good and faithful:  won't He also revive us when we ask Him to the end we would rejoice in Him?  Isn't He worthy of our praise and thanks always?  It is clearly God's will we would rejoice in Him as Paul urged believers in Philippians 4:4:  "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"  Let us thank God for reviving us again, for He has done so more times that we have given Him credit.

Repentance as Needed

Yesterday I went on a bushwalk with friends from church on the Ku-ring-gai track to Berowra Train Station and started from the station.  It was a cool morning, and the canopy of trees prevented the light drizzle from soaking us through.  Our small party encountered a couple lyrebirds, heard the wailing of black cockatoos, saw a wallaby, and removed a couple of leeches as we trudged along the 10km track by a creek that seemed more like a river.  By the end of the walk a decent rain began to fall as we hoofed it to our vehicle.  After a slow drive home through traffic, I was pleased to change out of wet clothes (and ensure my prickly feet were leech free!) and relax.

A couple hours later I scratched my side and felt something strange:  a textured, raised area that was not part of me.  I suddenly realised I had picked up a tick that hitched a ride home with me.  Because of the location I wasn't able to see it clearly or grab it with tweezers, and thankfully my son was able to remove the tick.  After close examination of the tick before and after death, it appeared the tick had not drawn any blood.  Then I had a close examination of my body, ensuring there were no additional ticks.  Thankfully all I have to show for the experience is a small welt and what turned out to be an impromptu sermon illustration.

In our church study of the book of Jeremiah, a recurring theme is how God called to His erring people and sent prophets daily to identify sin, urge them to repent and turn to God--yet they were unwilling.  Jesus came preaching repentance and the kingdom of God, and thus repenting of sin should not be viewed as a one-off thing but to be done as needed.  Like children who are filthy from playing in the yard, we might assume one bath a day is enough.  As kids there were days we didn't have a bath; certainly one is enough!  We felt it was too much to ask for us to bathe after a bath though we were sweaty from running and rolled in the grass.  But washing was needed before bed because we were unclean, and this is why bathing usually happened after playing in the yard.  Jesus said we are not only to forgive one who repents 7 times, but 70 times 7.  What we don't always consider is we are the one who need forgiveness over and over because we sin.  When we do wrong, as needed we should confess our sin, repent and do what is right instead.

Galatians 6:1 says, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."  We can be aware of our sinfulness before committing it, and by conviction of the Holy Spirit, God's word and our conscience we can also discover we are sinful in ways we didn't notice before.  As we go through life, we can pick up sinful habits as easily as having a tick latch onto us.  For the sake of our health it is beneficial to remove ticks soon as possible after noticing them, and it is even more important to confess and repent of sin for our spiritual health as needed.  Even as I could not remove the tick myself, we need to willingly expose our sin to the the LORD so sin that clings to us can be removed.  We like to view ourselves as the spiritual ones who seek to meekly see people overtaken in trespasses restored.  We don't always see ourselves as ones needing the help of God and fellow believers to be restored to fellowship due to sin and weights that sap our spiritual vigour.

Knowing there were leeches and ticks on the bushwalk meant thorough examination of the body was important, and realising our fleshly inclination to sin ought to move us to examine our heart, thoughts, motives, words and deeds.  If we will be forgiven of sin we need to repent, and thus we ought to repent of sin as needed--even 490 times a day.