Living Under Mercy

As a people living under mercy, it's easy to think that we are above the law, when in fact we are not. There are burning fires of judgment ready to consume us for all our countless sins. We are standing here, boldly before the Throne of God, simply, and only because of His Mercies. It's only because he purchased us with His precious blood. Because He took the blame for our sins. Because He chose to take on my guilt.

We are saved by grace. The more we take it for granted, the more we let it slip away.

People with a Purpose

Bad things happen when people lose their purpose. Men become a danger unto themselves when they lose sight of who they are. There would be nothing the devil would love more than to have a disillusioned church.

It pays to remind ourselves of the big picture every once in awhile. To take a step back to realize once more that we are just travelers here. To understand once more that worldly gain means nothing in the long run.

It pays to take a moment to breathe, to close our eyes and dream of the Golden City lit by the light of God. That, is where we are headed.

The Legacy that we stand on

While listening to Bro Dabb's sermon yesterday, it became clear to me what a great legacy we are standing on today.

Countless people have given their lives for the gospel. Starting from the prophets of old who were rejected by their people, some even hunted to be killed. They were followed by Our Lord Himself, who gave His life for us as the ultimate sacrifice. If everything else never happened, this alone is more than good enough to keep us going. The disciples followed in his footsteps, and many more are still paying a high price to carry on the Gospel.

Getting the big picture into view, we have indeed come into the Kingdom for such a time as this. Life is much more than a town we pass through, or a long transit stop. We are part of something that's as old as the earth itself. We are part of an operation that launched 2000 years ago, on a mission that has to be completed. They that came before us have done their part, fulfilled their role. It is now up to us to carry on our part of the greatest rescue mission in history.

Finding and Keeping the Treasure

It happens everywhere. When someone finds something of great value, everything of lesser value fades into the background. When you have found something of great value, nothing else matters.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. - Matthew 13:45-46

When you find your place in the heart of God, nothing else really matters. Everything else that you held onto so dearly will fade into the background. Everything that used to matter, is now forgotten.

The importance we place on worldly things and worldly pursuits is a measure of how much we treasure God's presence. What you are closer to, is what will be more important to you.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:21

Proactive Seeking

Usually when I pray every morning, I will ask God to be with me during my day. But lately, God has shown me that that is not what is not what he expects from me.

When I was a little baby, I needed my parents to be with me all the time. I needed them for almost everything, even to put me to sleep. But when I grew up, and became more mature, I could do some things by myself. I could also get up and go where I wished. I still needed my parents for most things, as I still do now, especially when I need counsel. But this time around, the onus is on me to be with them.

I have the ability to go anywhere I want. So staying with The Father is a choice I have to make. Instead of God following me wherever I go, I should make it a point to see where God is going, and follow Him wherever he goes.

So from now on, my new morning prayer will be "God, I will be with you today".

Wonder of an Omnipresent God

I love the fact that I have an omnipresent God.

That means He's always there for me. I don't have to go to a church, a temple or a mosque to look for Him.

My God can be with me when my boat is rocking in the middle of the storm. He can be with me when I'm backsliding down the road to Emmaus. He will protect me when the accuser comes to stone me. He will raise the lame when I pray for them. He will be there in Fire when I gather with my brothers to praise Him.

What a mighty God we serve.

Reading the Bible in Context

It can't be overstated how important it is to read the Bible in context. Here's one e.g:

A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds. - Proverbs 17:8

This would lead us to believe that the Bible promotes bribery. What it is actually doing though, is truthfully stating the facts. Proverbs is a book about life, wisdom and education. Therefore it states what bribery accomplishes. However, reading further a few verses down,

A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice. - Proverbs 17:23

Lesson learnt: Read the Bible in context, always.

Rules and Regulations (or Lack of it)

The Old Testament is extremely detailed about holiness. You are to do certain specific things, and you are to abstain from other specific things. Everyone had a clear picture of what they should and shouldn't do.

However, when Christ came along, He did not come with a rulebook. He did not come with specific instructions on what to do and what not to do. This leaves us today with questions most of us have faced at one point or another like, "the Bible never says not to consume alcohol", "the Bible never says not to have pre-marital sex", "the Bible never talks about smoking".

The simple answer is, the Bible didn't need to. In programming, we have frameworks, which are pre-built systems that provide a programmer with everything they need to build upon it. We have the single most important ingredient that the OT people did not have, the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the framework, and the Holy Spirit is our guide. When we are sensitive to the Spirit, He will tell us what we should do and what we should not. Our conscience and our guilt are our friends. They are the guiding rails God placed in our bowling alley.

When I was small, my mom had to tell me everything I needed to do, from what I wore to what I ate. When I grew up and she stopped doing that, I felt lost. But it was not long before I learnt how to do things on my own. I love parallels.

The Promises of God

While growing up, I was taught that promises should never be broken. Saying "I promise" was the acid test of honesty. Whenever an important issue arose, a typical dialogue would go as:

me: Did you lose my new ball?
my sis: No. I didn't even touch it.
me: do you promise?
my sis: silence....
me: LIAR LIAR LIAR

So sacred was a promise, that we were thought that we would receive all of Heaven's wrath if we broke a promise. So the "promise card" was only brought out during critical issues (which for a 10 year old happens to be the loss of a brand new tennis ball). It wasn't used for trivial issues like "did you take my candy".

Promises are important to everyone. Witnesses in court have to promise to tell the truth. Contracts are written promises. A credit card payment is a promise of future payback. Politicians make promises all the time. Promises are everywhere.

If us mere mortals can regard promises so highly, how much more then, will a holy and just God honour His promises?

The Bible, which is God's contract with man, is full of promises. Countless books have been written detailing the promises of God. We've heard them, we know them. For most of us, God's promises are written in our hearts. However, years of personal struggles, disappointment and discouragements have caused the dust of unbelief to settle on them, and the cobwebs of doubt to weave around them.

Just like spring cleaning brings out of hiding something that was once close to our hearts, this week God brought me back to His promises during my pastor's preaching last Friday.

When God makes a promise, He intends to keep it. If that promise hasn't come true in our lives, there are reasons for it. Whatever the reason is, it's not because God forgot, or that God just didn't care.

God remembers His promises down to every last detail, and He's constantly working to guide our way into receiving them. Finding the way to the promise takes some getting used to though. Nothing of value was ever attained easily.

Every promise of God will come to pass if we, in my pastor's words, simply be patient, and trust and obey.

Proverbs 18:9

One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys. - NIV

Slack habits and sloppy work
are as bad as vandalism. - The Message

He who is loose and slack in his work is brother to him who is a destroyer and he who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide. - The Amplified Bible

Slackness is destructive. Slackness diverts. Slackness brings regret. Slackness is not for you.

Spiritual Optimization

Optimization is good. I spent the most of last week optimizing a website to make it run as fast as possible. I have a friend who races cars, or at least he likes to think he does. So he strips off all unnecessary weights from his car, switches to a carbon hood, titanium wheels, etc. Cyclists spend hours stripping off every possible gram from their bikes. Why? When unnecessary weights bog you down, it hinders your journey.

These past few days God has been talking to me about optimizing my life. We are here on this earth for one purpose, and all we do should be aimed at achieving that purpose. Here's a few things God has spoken to me about optimizing:

1. Forget what is behind

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead - Phillipians 3:13

The past belongs in the past. Good memories or bad memories, they all go in the great archive of your life, ready to be retrieved when needed. That's what archives are for, for storing things you don't need in the present for easy retrieval when you do need them. Past events help shape who you are now, but holding onto them only bogs you down.

2. Pursue Holiness

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming......But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. - Colossians 3:5-8

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. - Hewbrews 12:1

Sin bogs you down. If I count all the times I've spent repenting at the alter, and fighting temptations, that would make up a big chunk of my life. If I had spent a little more time planning my journey to steer away from potential temptation potholes, I would have a much more efficient journey. When in doubt, don't. If you know you're going to be playing with fire, then don't play.

3. Let the Peace of Christ take over

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:15-17

That verse says it all. The peace of Christ brought about by the His Word in our hearts, is the tailwind that will make the journey seem lighter that it really is.

4. Bring the flesh into submission

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. - 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

A well trained and controlled physical body will take the spiritual body further and faster. An untrained, un-submitted physical body will only divert, and slow down.

5. Strip off unnecessary weights

No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. - 2 Timothy 2:4

Time is precious. With the clock ticking on Armageddon, spending time on things with no eternal value not only wastes time, but also has the potential to unsuspectingly slip us into reverse gear.

I'm Thankful

I'm thankful my God loves me,
even when I turn my back to Him
even when I love His enemies
even when I break His heart

I'm thankful my God never leaves me
even when I shame His name
even when I become ashamed of Him

I'm thankful my God came for me
even when I drove a nail into His hand
even when I pushed thorns into his head
even when it meant to die in place of me

Revival

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14

Revival is....

Dry bones coming to life
Streams gushing through the dessert
Rain falling on parched ground
A closed heart opening up to God

Revival is...

Putting God before man
Putting Heaven before earth
Putting the Kingdom before the Corporate
Putting your ministry before your paycheck

History Makers

Footnote in my Bible on 2 Kings 14:

Secular historians report that Omri and Jeroboam were the strongest kings of Israel. Under them, the nation gained new heights of power and prestige. But consistently the book of Kings gives little notice to political strength. It judges kings on the basis of spirituality, and thus both Omri and Jeroboam II are dismissed in a few paragraphs.

Will the people we think matters today, still matter in eternity? Will it be the little old lady that spent most of her time in prayer for the nation that will be remembered more than the pastor of a megachurch?

The Price of Rebellion

Numbers 16 tells the story of Korah's rebellion towards Moses, which resulted in the death of almost 15,000 people. At first appearance, Korah only appears to be rebelling against Moses:

They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” - Numbers 16:3

However, God regarded rebellion against God's chosen leaders as rebellion against God himself.

Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD. And what is Aaron that you complain against him?” - Numbers 16:11

This kind of rebellion hurt God's heart, and the punishment was severe. God is unchanging, and He still feels the same about rebellion today. If it were not for the blood of Christ, most of us would be swallowed alive by the earth by now.

Holy and Acceptable

Reading through the Old Testament, it becomes clearer and clearer that God expects things to be to a certain high standard. The specifications of the sacrifices required by the Israelites are laid out in extensive detail.

What does this mean for us today in the New Covenant?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

-Romans 12:1-2

The covenant has changed, the law has changed, but the principle still remains the same. God requires a holy and acceptable sacrifice through us.

Fig Leaves

When Adam sinned, he tried to cover himself up with fig leaves. This was a clumsy thing for him to do. God was prepared to give him hand-made leather apparel to cover his shame. Adam instead tried to hide it from God.

When God exposes areas of our life that we should clean up, we have 2 choices. We can either choose to cover it up and let it remain in us only to have it come out again, or we can come clean, and expose ourselves to God to let Him do a changing work in us.

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. - 2 Corinthians 2:18