Intimacy with God

How would you feel if you were in a room full of people and they were talking about you as if you didn't exist?  Most of us would be offended at the rude behaviour of these people.

Let me give you another scenario.  You are standing in a room with a person next to you that you know well.  A person walks in that you know from the newspapers, but that you have never met.  You lean over to your friend and comment on what you have read about that person in the newspaper the previous day.

Many people worship like that.  They sing ABOUT God as if He is not in the room.  They talk about the wonderful things He does for other people without ever experiencing real intimacy first hand.

Do you know God or do you KNOW God intimately?  I want to quote a piece from a blog I wrote last year (you can read it here if you want: http://www.abroomformybrain.blogspot.com/2011/03/wedding.html)

 Listen to this scripture:
Matthew 7:21-23: Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Has this scripture puzzled you? How could Jesus say He never 'knew' them? This word in the original Greek speaks of intimacy. With other words: "You went to church, you paid your tithes, you sang when the worship team sang, you did all the right things, you even prophesied, but you were never intimate with me".

Are you intimate with your Lord and Savior? When last have you been? When last did you really spend quality time with God? When last did you really take the time to wait on Him and hear His voice? When last?

Are you talking TO Him or ABOUT Him?

To grow or not to grow...

I saw the poor palm tree yesterday.  Planted in a pot.  Put on an outside porch.  No space to grow.  The leaves were pushing against the concrete slab above it.  I felt sorry for it.  I stood there wishing somebody would move it out into the sunshine and into unlimited space to grow tall!  And like always, the voice of God came unexpectedly, using something ordinary to touch my heart - "How tall are you?"  Food for thought.

So how tall are you?  Are you still growing in your relationship with Jesus?  Or did you somehow move into a space where your growth is curbed?  Note the words - "did YOU somehow move"?  You see, it's never God that moves - God is constant.  We move away from God and then wonder what went wrong.  We went wrong!

Growth is the result of a conscious decision and constant effort towards it.  Growth doesn't just happen - it takes some effort on our side.  It requires sacrifices.  And it isn't easy either.  Instead of reading a piece of fiction, rather read a teaching or study the word of God.  Instead of listening radio on the way to work, listen worship music and worship God in the traffic.  Instead of hanging out with people who have a bad influence, hang out with people who will have a Godly influence on you.  I can come up with a lot of example but I am sure you understand the concept.

Let's make a decision today to actively persue growth in Jesus.  The Kingdom of God needs spiritual adults - there are far too many babies still.  And don't think you can relax when you consider yourself a spiritual adult.  The evil one is prowling around, looking for those he can destroy.  If you are not vigilant, you will lose the battle.

"Heavenly Father, help us to grow.  Make us aware of those activities we waste time on that is not beneficial to our spiritual growth.  Make us sensitive to the voice of Holy Spirit and call us to intimacy with You. Amen"

Christianity is not for the faint hearted

We were on the way home yesterday when my daughter made the comment.  "It's not easy to stay on the straight and narrow".  How true.  Being a Christian is not easy.  Staying a Christian is not easy.

Many times we are faced with question for which we don't have answers.  Many times we cannot understand why God allows certain things to happen.  Many times we hurt and we silently wonder if pressing on will be worth it.  Keeping our faith up is no easy task.  To keep believing that God will make it all work together for the good is sometimes very difficult.  To make it worse, people laught at our child like faith when everything seems to be going against us.

Do I have an answer for all of this?  No I don't.  All I know is this: we need to surround ourselve with fellow Christians that will keep us standing when our knees start to buckle under the pressure.  A fellow believer will keep your arms up when you have no strength left.  Invest in Christian friends.  Make time to attend a small group or cell group - you need support.  Sooner or later, you are going to need somebody to lean on.  Sooner or later, you will be the one offering support to a brother or sister who is depleted of faith and strength.

The Bible clearly says we should not give up meeting together.  The above is the reason for this verse in the Bible.

If you are strong today, find somebody that needs you to keep going.  If you are weak today, make a call and get somebody to keep your faith up.

Together we can stay on the straight and narrow.

All back to normal!

We are all back at work.  Studies have started again for those brave hearts among us.  The children have a week or so left before they too will head back to school.  Another year - gone.  Another year - ahead!

What are you going to do different this year?  Have you thought of something that needs to change in your life?  I am not referring to that empty new year's resolutions that never last.  I am talking about God inspired change in your life.  God spoke to my husband and I about some things we need to change.  We need to portray Jesus to the world.  We cannot be known as Christians while Christ is nowhere to be seen in us.  How we live and act is our testimony of the goodness of Christ. 
Can people see Christ in you?

What to pack?

I don't know about you, but I travel light. One bag with clothes can keep me going for a week. My daughter is the total opposite. A weekend away sends her packing with enough clothes for a month. Yet, even a light traveller often packs unnecessary items. Items packed `just in case`. Items that add unnecessary weight to the luggage.

What are you packing for the 2012 journey? Are you taking unnecessary baggage with you? Unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness and the likes are all unnecessary baggage that will weigh you down and drain your energy. So is a bad attitude.

Leave it all behind. Start your 2012 journey with an open heart, a light mind and Jesus as your guide.

Cleaning the kitchen

I wanted to cook apricot jam. And I could not find a certain, much needed piece of kitchen equipment. Scratching through cupboards and shelves ended up in me throwing out all the drawers and clearing all the shelves. Much to the disguist of my domestic worker. She knew she had a lot of work on her hands. Work that should have been kept up to date - then this would never have happened.

The findings were terrible. It`s amazing how much dust and dirt can collect in closed cupboard! Bowls that were clean the last time they were used were now dirty and sticky. Disguisting.

It`s the same with our hearts. We go to church and do all the right and noble things. We say the right things. We appear to be on top Christians - so holy.

Until God forces us to take a long hard look at the content of our hearts. Then we realise, we have a long way ahead of us. We are so far removed from portraying Jesus to the world.

In this festive time, ask God to lead you into a thorough cleaning of your heart.

It's funny season...

This hectic time of the year got an official name.  Funny season.  I can think of a few reasons why this name is quite suitable.

People that are otherwise quite normal, start acting funny this time of the year.  Tempers are short, stress levels are high and everybody is in desperate need of a break.  But when the break finally arrives, people further exhaust themselves with long hours of shopping in hectic malls.  Funny.

Speaking about the malls.  Christmas is not celebrated by non Christians.  But judging by the variety of people and religions that flock to the shops decorated for Christmas, Christmas is clearly no longer a Christian event.  Funny.

We buy bigger and more expensive gifts than last year.  Somehow small just doesn't seem fit anymore.  Funny.

We spend all our money on vacation junk that we don't really need and then suffer right until the end of January.  Funny.

The shopping spree has become so big and addictive that children get locked in a car so that the mother can shop in peace.  Funny.

Or is it?

No, it's not funny at all.  It's a big irony.  Funny Season is everything but funny.

We have lost the true spirit of Christmas.  We have lost the real meaning of Christmas.  We have lost the true meaning of giving a gift, regardless of the cost thereof.

Let's get back to basics.  In this funny season, one thing stands firm above all else.  Jesus is still the light and the way.  He still calls you to come and seek rest at His feet.  Don't let the rush this time of the year rob you of your peace and the rest you deserve.  Find time to spend in God's presence.  Find time to allow Him to restore your soul after the long year of 2011.

May you have rest and peace in this funny season!