Tag: prayer

Categories
Uncategorized

To Conform or Not to Conform, that is the question?

This was written as I was questioning whether we should even be trying to meet up in the park in order to have some fellowship.
So below is…

To Conform or Not to Conform, that is the question?

Well, with a title like that have I now got all the non conformist’s interested yet?

So what do I mean by the above?
In the church aren’t we meant to be kind, caring, helpful and above all loving?

Hopefully the answer is yes to all the above, especially the Love bit.

So why would I even ask the question of “Should we conform or not?”

From knowing that we hopefully aspire to be loving and all the rest then surely the answer is to conform?
So why should we ever not conform?

I think that where I am trying to go with this is that sometimes we can fall into the trap of not wanting to upset anyone as far as is possible.
Not a bad thing in itself but, can we really avoid upsetting everyone all the time and more importantly should we?

If we see that something is wrong, should we just ignore it and conform to what people are asking of us just because we don’t want to upset them?

This is not one of those yes or no questions where you can say for sure the the answer is …..well, yes or no.

There are times when it is right to conform and times when we should not conform.
The real question becomes why are you acting the way you are acting?
What is at the heart of the matter?

If by conforming you are just trying not to cause a fuss and keep everyone happy, then are you doing the right thing?

If you are trying not to conform just in order go and cause a fuss, then you are most probably in the wrong place.
Hopefully this is a place we try not to visit.

How helpful is non conforming for the sake of non conforming going to be for anybody?

So, is there a time to be the fly in the ointment?

If it is needed, then the answer could possibly be yes.

It needs to come from the correct heart though. One that is looking to improve a situation.
I do think that this is the only time to be the fly in the ointment. When you are trying to improve, correct or build up something that needs to be done, even when it appears that it isn’t wanted.

Be warned, if you do need to be the fly in the ointment then don’t expect to make any friends in the process.
It can very much so be the lonely road.
After all,  who will want to come close to you if you become the trouble maker?

If you do manage to gain a following then please try to make sure you haven’t just formed a band of trouble makers, just out to cause as much mayhem as you can all in the name of your cause.

It is better to seek an open and honest dialogue with all the people involved in order to seek understanding on everyone’s part.
You need to understand others point of view as much as you may feel that they need to understand you.

The enemy seeks to destroy. He will use anything he can to do this.

Misunderstanding is one of his greatest weapons.

If we are in a place of feeling frustrated or annoyed with someone then we need to see where these feeling’s are coming from.

They’re not from God. Feelings of frustration and anger are from the enemy.
If we find ourselves in situations of the like, then we need to try and remove the emotions from the situation.

Such an annoying phrase.

It’s like, I’m so wound up and annoyed at …. and your just telling me to ignore it???

No, not quite. What I’m trying to say is you need to leave the emotion at the door when dealing with difficult situations.
You still need to acknowledge the emotions. They are real after all,  but try to not let them rule you.
Be led by something else….Someone else….

Our Father, the Lord of Lords. The One who knows all and see’s all.
He is the one with the answers after all.
If we can all see our Fathers will then the question of “to conform or not to conform” should hopefully become redundant as we all seek to follow his will.

We all need them ears to hear with, and hearts to follow.

Categories
Uncategorized

Are we like the Church at Laodicea?

If you haven’t read the previous post “Are we too pleasant to each other (at times)” then please do go back and read that one before reading this one. It gives an indicator of where the heart is when writing this one, an introduction if you like 🙂

So, are we anything like the church at Laodicea? (Revelation 3 vs 14-22)
Our knee jerk reaction to that question is almost certainty no. After all who thinks that they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked? (vs 17)
Not me we can all cry out together in one voice.

Well now we have that sorted out shall I just end this post here and say nothing more on the subject…
No. I do think there is a little bit more to look into and to be said about this.

I think that the first thing we need to look at is who were the Church at Laodicea?
What did they look like?

I believe that the short version is that they were wealthy, prosperous and self sufficient. After an earthquake they refused Rome’s offer of help to rebuild, insisting that they could take care of things themselves.

It sounds as if, by and large, that it was a good place to live.
Wealthy, prosperous and self sufficient to boot. Sure there might well have been a poor area but in general life was good for people.

Does that sound anything like how we live today??

Today in the modern society we are wealthy.
If you are reading this then you have the resources to do just that. You probably have a roof over your head (owned or rented) and probably have food available to eat. We are blessed.

We may well have a lot more in common with the church at Laodicea than we first thought we did. We could possibly even say that we are in a better position than the church at Laodicea, with modern technology and medicine to add to the mix.

So we are very much so blessed, just like the church of Laodicea.

So the next question is why did God bring such a tough message to a church which looked as if things were generally going OK?

You can almost hear the church of Laodicea’s knee jerk response to God’s message.
All the things you say we need, well God, we already have them…???  Don’t we ???

God looks deeper than we do though!

God knew they were wealthy and all that they were doing.

As they were wealthy they might even of had some measures they could point to and say, look at what we do to help others, what ever they may have been. 
God would have seen and known about it all.

So WHY does he bring the message that he does?
How can he say that they are  wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked

Did God get it wrong???   A resounding NO to that last one.

God see’s all and knows all. It still leaves the question of why did God bring the message that He did?

Perhaps we should try to see this from God’s side, if we can but try and obtain a glimpse of his point of view.

So what did God see when he looked at the church of Laodicea?

I believe that he saw a church who could do better!
I believe he saw a church who needed to be shaken up in order to be lifted up to a new high.

In short I believe that God saw the level that the church was at but also saw the level they could reach (which was much higher) and knew that they needed a tough message to reach it.

It could possibly be that they had become complacent, because of their success and we’re relying on themselves too much rather than on God.

Is this sounding like it could be more relevant to us than we would like it to be?

How much do we rely on ourselves rather than coming to our Father for his help and guidance?
Are their times when we follow our own instincts rather than following Father’s prompting and guidance?

Saul followed his own thinking in Samuel chapter 15 and it didn’t work out too we’ll for him. As I read it just recently I couldn’t help but think that he was blind to what God wanted. (Have a read of it and see if you think likewise.)

Do we suffer from that same blindness?

The problem with the message when I look at it in this way is that, I could think that it always applies to me.
You see no mater how good I can get to, there is always going to be the next level to reach for.
So is Father always saying to me that I’m “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked”?

I don’t think that Father is constantly saying that to us like a broken record. He is our Loving Father after all.
He’s not just waiting for us to take our first steps just to push us down again, as my older brother used to do to me when I was learning to walk. (He is only a year older than me, so was very little at the time 🙂 )

The question then becomes are we blind to the possibility that he could be saying it to us on any level?

Are we open he hear his voice to us regardless of where it will lead us?
Are we only open to hear the nice things Father has to say to us?
Or do we want to hear all that he has to say to us, not just only the pleasant things but also the tough messages?

As Father says in Revelation 3 vs 19 “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.”

Do we want to be counted as among those of whom he Loves?

If yes (and I hope it is very much so a yes to that one) then are we willing to hear his voice even when he brings a more challenging word?

Father help us all to hear you more clearly, to know your voice that much better and have a heart that is willing to follow you wherever you lead us.

Categories
Uncategorized

Are we too Pleasant to each other? (At times)

Are we too Pleasant to each other? (At times)

That may seem like an odd question to ask, after all aren’t we meant to be Loving to each other???

Loving yes, but does that also mean pleasant, kind and nice.
Hopefully the answer in general is yes, but are there times when we need to be, not quite so ….nice?

What does the bible say?
Does it advocate for us all to be pleasant to each other all the time, having the feelings of others as the most important thing at all times?
I do believe that the answer to that question is no.

The bible does say things like, “Spare the rod spoil the child”. It also talks about discipline not being pleasant but bearing fruit.
The other one that comes to mind is “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline”, that last one is God talking to his Church at Laodicea.

When we think about the church at Laodicea, how often do we think, “I’m glad God isn’t saying that to me?
After all who wants to hear:
You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Revelation 3 vs 17

These are Gods words!
Not very pleasant for the Church at Laodicea.
But he still said it.
The real question is why?

I have already given you the answer.
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline” Revelation 3 vs 19
He Loves Them.
He rebuke’s and disciplines those he loves.

He also gives the church at Laodicea the answer of how to do better.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so that you can see. Revelation 3 vs 18

God saw that the Church of Laodicea could do better than they were doing, but they couldn’t see it.
He needed to bring a harsh word in order to lift them up.
He brought a word that was tough, hard but necessary.
He was more concerned about there well being than their comfort.
After all he LOVES THEM.

He also Loves us.
Are we ready to hear a tough word when he brings one to us?
If he brings one it is only because he Loves us.
Are we ready to hear it though?

Are we ready to share a tough word with someone if God directs us to? (Important bit at the end there, if God directs us to.)

If we are given a tough word to share then hopefully he will give us the wisdom to do it in a loving manner.
We can always ask for help when it comes doing the hard things.
He is always there to help us, if we have a heart that is willing to be lead by him.
We just need to ask Him to guide and help us.

I quite often think that, we can be so much like the Church at Laodicea.
But I think that is a blog for another day.

Categories
Uncategorized

A Rescue Line

Below is something I came across online somewhere.
I don’t know who wrote it but I have added a little extra at the end, so it is something of someone else’s and something of mine.
I hope you enjoy it.

A Rescue Line

Author: Unknown

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church’s pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening.

In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.

With that an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.

“A father, his son and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific Coast,” he began, “when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized.”

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.

The aged minister continued with his story, “Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the lifeline. He had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a christian and he also knew that his son’s friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves.”

“As the father yelled out, “I love you son!” he threw out the lifeline to his son’s friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered.”

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old ministers mouth.”

“The father,” he continued, “knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son’s friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus…

Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son’s friend. How great is the love of God that he should do the same for us.

Our heavenly father sacrificed his only begotten son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the lifeline he is throwing out to you in this service.”

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end.

However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old mans side.

“That was a nice story,” politely stated one of the boys, “but I don’t think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son’s life in the hopes that the other boy would become a christian.”

“Well, you’ve got a point there,” the old man replied, glancing down at his worn bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, he once again looked at the boys and said, “It sure isn’t very realistic, is it? But I’m standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up his son for me.

You see — I was that father and your pastor is my son’s friend.”

_________________________________________

The above is an account I came across. I don’t know if it is true or not, but as a christian I believe that it could be true. I’m also aware that people who are not christains could have difficulty in believing that the account could be true, as who would really sacrifice his own son to save his son’s friend? With this in mind I was given a picture which is listed below.

A father, his son and the son’s friend are standing on a platform at a train station. The son, and the son’s friend are both going onto a train but on opposite sides of the platform. Once the children are aboard the train, the train will depart and the child will not be seen again by the father. The son’s train is heading towards a holiday destination. It will be a great time. Fun, laughter and joy will be at this destination. The son’s friend’s train is heading in the opposite direction to a concentration camp. There will be pain torture and sorrow at this destination. The father is aware of where both children are going and he can stop only one from entering the train. Who will he stop?

As a christian I believe that the father in the above account, “A Rescue Line”, saw this reality in an instant and made his choice to save the son’s friend.

And there’s more…

I believe that the above picture is true for everyone. Let me explain the picture fully. The platform is life as we know it today. It is the here and now. The trains are death. Everyone is going to take one of the trains at some day. The holiday destination is heaven and the concentration camp is hell. The train we take from the platform depends on a choice we have to make. Those that choose to accept Jesus and ask him into their life are going to the holiday destination. Those that don’t are heading for the concentration camp. You may say that you haven’t made a choice to go on either train, but not having made a choice is a choice. It is the choice of in-action that leads to the concentration camp.
You can change which destination you are heading to by accepting Jesus now.

Categories
Uncategorized

I see a Vessel

This is a picture which, at the time, I believe was very much for me.
Hopefully I have now let God in that much more, it is the best option after all.

I see a Vessel

I see a vessel before me. On the outside it looks impressive, strong and altogether, but on the inside it’s cracked and broken, almost falling apart. It feels as if, if anything is poured into this vessel it will just fall apart, it will crack open.

God is wanting to pour his Holy Spirit on us.

The vessel feels that if God pours his Holy Spirit into it, it will break.

God does not come to destroy though!

No, he comes to build up. Where we have cracks He wants to come along and heal them. He doesn’t wish to see us destroyed. No, He wishes to renew us, rebuild us and make us like new.

The fact that we feel broken and not ready should not stop us from saying “Lord, come to me please and fill me.” No it means we need Him all the more.
He does not come to destroy but He comes to build up. But He can only do this if we let Him in.
So He waits patiently asking.

“Will you let me in. I wish to rebuild and renew you, to make you strong and whole, so will you please just let me in? Just let me in?”

Categories
Uncategorized

The Calling Abyss

The Calling Abyss is something I shared with a friend one Sunday, who then asked “Have you got that written down somewhere?”
The answer at that point in time was no. But I did write it down and send it to him. He then published it on his Blog site (Rejoicing Bones) and hence I had my first post published for all to see… Well those who found it, that is.

Below is the post that launched the idea for this blog site.

The Calling Abyss

The abyss is calling. It is calling everyone with nothing. It offers nothing, takes nothing and gives nothing. Who will answer its call? Normally the answer is nobody, but when people are in pain, then nothing can appear to be a better option. This is when the abyss really re-states it’s call: “I offer nothing, take nothing and give nothing.”

It’s at this point when the call can be tempting. Pain or nothing? The problem is, the more you move into the abyss the more it calls you in. “I offer nothing, take nothing and give nothing.”

If you answer it’s call the problem is that one day you will look around and there will be… nothing!
You can shout, rant and rave at the abyss and it will take it all and then then still not care because all it will offer, take and give is nothing.

It will just try to draw you in all the more.

To choose life may mean to choose pain, but it is the better option. It may be the hard option, but it leads to life.
When you hear the abyss calling it is better to turn your back to it and choose life instead, even if it means dealing with pain and hurt. It can be the hard choice to make but it is the better choice to make.

For us as Christians, choosing life can very much so be turning to God.
Choosing life can also mean not doing what you feel you want to do. We may need to take it one step at a time, but one small step in the right direction is one small step back to life. They may not be easy steps to take but they are steps that lead back to life.

Rather than allowing ourselves to be drawn into nothing, it is better to try to choose life.
As always some things are easier said than done. Part of the journey is to be aware that we have a choice. Then we need to endeavour to make the right choices.

Categories
Uncategorized

The Christian Doorman

There was a doorman at a great house who was very good at his job. He was warm and welcoming. He had that something about him where people where just drawn to him, and as they came to him he would repeat his message.
“Come on in and join the party. The Lord God waits for you inside!”
As the doorman was good at what he did, he would see a lot of people pass through his door and enter on into the party. This gave the doorman great joy as he knew he was playing his part in introducing people to….


“The King of Kings and Lord of Lords!”

Every once in a while though, because the doorman was so warm and welcoming this would cause a problem. This problem was that sometimes people wanted to remain with the doorman, he was very warm and welcoming after all. But each time this happened the doorman would quietly but persistently insist.


“You must carry on, and enter on in. You may think that I am good but there is one so much Greater than me just waiting to meet with you personally.
He is The Alpha and The Omega, The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The one who created All and knows Everything. On top of all that He LOVES YOU with a Love that goes beyond measure. You must enter on in so that you too can meet him personally. The Lord God Almighty is at the party just waiting to meet with you, just enter on in so that you can know him too, just like I do.”


You see the doorman knew his role and was happy to play it. He would have times when he was relived from his post so he too could enter the party to be refreshed and renewed. But he was always happy to go back to his post to play his part in order to be the sign post for those who were lost and needed to be shown where the party was.
He could always be heard exclaiming.


“Come on in and join the party. The Lord God waits for you inside!
He is The Alpha and The Omega, The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The one who created All and knows Everything. On top of all that He LOVES YOU with a Love that goes beyond measure.
Come and enter the party so that you can know him too.”