The cost of sin ...

The readings from Scripture over the past few days have disturbed me. Ultimately because they are full of devastation and often the annihilation of a people. And from this there tended to be a thinking from myself, what am I learning from this? What is it God is saying to me? Frankly, I didn't see anything, it made me miserable.

Then, tonight, it dawned on me, doesn't it spell out the seriousness of sin in the sight of God? Doesn't it say something about the cost of continuing to practice sinful acts against the warnings of God? Doesn't it reveal the heart of God? For God cannot turn His back to such sinful practices without consequence, no matter how much He loves these, His people. God cannot put up with a disobedient people. He certainly cannot bless such behaviours.

Well what a learning. For the devastation that we read in Ezekiel, Lamentations, Obadiah and Jeremiah are awful, yet, they serve a purpose, if we will take note.

Offensive ...

Well this reflection comes neither from a book I have been reading (not of recent anyway) not directly from a Scripture passages for today. It comes from recent conversations, and as I have paused a moment and given thought about them a bit more.

Have you ever been in a situation, a conversation, whereby what the other person has said directly to you, or insinuated, made you mad, or angry or raised within you some thought of how dare you! Whereby what they have suggested has actually been offensive, maybe due to the fact that, in your mind and by conscious acts, this was far from what you believed to be truth. And simply, they do not share the same understanding on a particular action or process or direction that you have instituted. Thus in their mind you have not listened to them, or done what they wanted.

Well, believe it or not, my thinking is not of ill toward them (not right at this moment anyway). What I have reflected upon is the times when I have offended God in the same manner. Or even worse, because I have known what He was requiring and not been obedient in this regard. Where I have turned my back on Him and done my own thing.

As I have paused, and thought about how I have felt, I have been challenged by how I have made God feel on occasions. And yet, He continues to show grace toward me. He keeps on loving me. He reminds me that I am His child and He desires me to follow Him faithfully. Still He has a plan for me and the provision of His Spirit to help me fulfill this plan.

Lord, forgive me for the thoughts that have been out of place toward others at times in relation to their actions or attitudes toward me. Forgive me for the occasions where I have been offensive in Your sight because of my actions, my attitudes, my disobedience. Help me to live true Lord to Your desire and will for my life and at the same time, reflect You to those with whom I interact.

Broaden your vision ...

Now to the second part of this discovery from Erwin Raphael McManus - Wide Awake. This time we peer into the life of Peter. As a Jew he has grasped the importance of spreading the Gospel message, well amongst the Jews anyway. That is what is important to him and he goes for it wholeheartedly.

But God gives him a dream, a vision. In it God is preparing Peter for an encounter with a Roman. This Roman, Cornelius, well you see he was not at all on Peter's hit list for those who needed to hear the message of Christ, in fact, far from it. You might recall the dream, whereby all these different foods are being lowered before Peter from heaven and he is told to eat. Peter's response is that he can't, these to him are unclean, and the message from God is that he (Peter) does not determine what is unclean and what is not - that is for God.

The fact is though, this is not a lesson about food. It is not about what God would or would not have us to eat. It is though about the widening, broadening of a person's vision. Effectively says Erwin, God is saying, Peter, your vision is too small. am expanding your field of vision. I am broadening your sphere of concern. I am deepening the burden of your responsibility.

What a lesson. I am challenged by this, not because I have thought the Gospel to be for a select few or anything along those lines. But, because I know that at times I can be limiting of where things could go when God is in control. I can so easily get stuck in the thinking that this is impossible and take the foot off the accelerator from moving ahead as God might desire. I know the need to have my vision broadened and to take on the responsibility of what God has laid upon my heart, Lord, help me to be true to this.

Take a moment to read through Acts chapter 10 - what does God want you to see more fully?

Who to tell ...

I am going to split this into two different blogs (yesterday and today) from a new book I am reading - Wide Awake by Erwin Raphael McManus. Already, a chapter or so into this book, I am really enjoying it and it is challenging me. So here is the first lesson:

It comes from tapping into the dreams you have, those dreams that God implants within your mind, lays upon your heart. You know the things, those unique understandings, visions for the future, sometimes "out there" ideas that seem to right, yet very hard to see how it can actually come off.

The first reminder comes from Joseph, and you will read something of his experience in a moment. Erwin gives this advice - so think about it as you read this encounter - even if you are pondering a dream given to you by God, don't go telling everyone. Have a read:

Genesis 37 (New Living Translation)

Joseph’s Dreams

1 So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived as a foreigner 2 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. 3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. 5 One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. 6 “Listen to this dream,” he said. 7 “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” 8 His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. 9 Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!” 10 This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” 11 But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant. 12 Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. 13 When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to them.” “I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied. 14 “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron. 15 When he arrived there, a man from the area noticed him wandering around the countryside. “What are you looking for?” he asked. 16 “I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Do you know where they are pasturing their sheep?” 17 “Yes,” the man told him. “They have moved on from here, but I heard them say, ‘Let’s go on to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.

Joseph Sold into Slavery

18 When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. 19 “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. 20 “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

You see, not every person you might ant to tell, wants to hear what it is you might have to say. It may very well effect them in ways that they will not actually appreciate or even understand to begin with. Likewise, people are not always in the same space we are in to receive this "word", so use some discernment as to who you choose to tell, or to share this information with, this dream.

At times it is important to share with someone. To even clarify with another what it is God is saying to us. To check it out with them. Just be careful who it is. Look for someone who has a maturity about their spirituality. Someone who can even share the burden of the message you have until the time of fulfillment is revealed. Someone who has strong faith.

Praise the Lord ...

Pure and simple tonight, this Psalm just reminded me of an act that I need to take on board more often. To stop. Take stock of my life. To remember the interest and desire for participation in my life from God. And to bring Him praise. Think a moment, would you argue with the Psalmist here? I know I can't. It is truth. The deeds of God are amazing. His righteousness never fails. He is gracious and merciful.

Take a moment and pray through these verses for yourself, go on, and be refreshed:

Psalm 111:1-10 (New Living Translation)

1 Praise the Lord!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart

as I meet with his godly people.

2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!

All who delight in him should ponder them.

3 Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.

His righteousness never fails.

4 He causes us to remember his wonderful works.

How gracious and merciful is our Lord!

5 He gives food to those who fear him;

he always remembers his covenant.

6 He has shown his great power to his people

by giving them the lands of other nations.

7 All he does is just and good,

and all his commandments are trustworthy.

8 They are forever true,

to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.

9 He has paid a full ransom for his people.

He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.

What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!

10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.

All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise him forever!

Up to you ...

One of those things that strikes me is the opportunities that we have to come back to God if we have walked away, gone our own way or strayed. And ultimately it is up to us as individuals, to turn our back on the way we lived our life to choose God. Have a look at these verses:

Ezekiel 18:30-32 (New Living Translation)

 ³⁰ “Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you!³¹ Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? ³² I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!

To choose our own way is to choose a potential way of destruction, however, to choose God is to choose life. It gets back to that heart transplant that I discovered a few days ago and God implanting a new spirit within me. God desires this for us.

I hope that your choice, like mine,  is for God's way.

Anxious prayer ...

As I read the following Psalm, I was lead to think of the first sentence in parallel with the prayer of a flight of people upon an aircraft today who not long after take-off had an engine catch fire and force them to dump fuel and return back to an airport other than it's destination. As you might imagine, for many of the people on board this was an anxious moment. They were unsure as to what might happen. They had reason to wonder whether this might be the last flight they would ever take, and even the news recorded, many of them prayed.

Psalm 70:1-5 (New Living Translation)
For the choir director: A psalm of David, asking God to remember him.

1 Please, God, rescue me!

Come quickly, Lord, and help me.

2 May those who try to kill me

be humiliated and put to shame.

May those who take delight in my trouble

be turned back in disgrace.

3 Let them be horrified by their shame,

for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”

4 But may all who search for you

be filled with joy and gladness in you.

May those who love your salvation

repeatedly shout, “God is great!”

5 But as for me, I am poor and needy;

please hurry to my aid, O God.

You are my helper and my savior;

O Lord, do not delay.

There is a part of me that might want to respond, yeah pray when your life is at risk. But then I stop a moment and here is my prayer:

Father, I pray that in the prayers of these people, whether they were people who knew You or not, that these people today would recognise You as the living God. They would believe their prayers to have been answered. that in these fleeting moments, they might have seen something, even a mere glimpse of who You are and they now believe.

It is so easy for me to become cynical and down on those who turn to God when something isn't right in their lives, but I hope I am learning more and more to see the possibilities that exist. That even in these moments god can act and can be seen and that people can believe. That is what I ultimately want, people to turn to God and experience Him like I do. I hope you want this too.