Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Prayer - in 'the fear of God'
There is a major difference between 'fearing' something and living 'in the fear' of something. 'Fearing' shows a lack of security or a sense of being unprotected. Living 'in the fear of' something shows a deliberate and conscious respect towards someone or something.
A healthy 'fear of God' is a forgotten truth today. Jesus gets called the 'Big J' and God 'The Big Guy in the Sky'! Us puny little mites on earth forget that we are living before and coming in prayer before the Almighty Creator of the universe! He gives us the very breath in our lungs and then we want to "tell" God what we want and order requests from Him and His celestial e-store?? It is only when we try to understand God's utter holiness and our utter helplessness and sinfulness without His intervening mercy, that we can come in true humility before Him in prayer and leave our requests before His mercy seat and His promise of an eternal love towards us. Prayer can never be flitting and thoughtless!
A healthy 'fear of God' is a forgotten truth today. Jesus gets called the 'Big J' and God 'The Big Guy in the Sky'! Us puny little mites on earth forget that we are living before and coming in prayer before the Almighty Creator of the universe! He gives us the very breath in our lungs and then we want to "tell" God what we want and order requests from Him and His celestial e-store?? It is only when we try to understand God's utter holiness and our utter helplessness and sinfulness without His intervening mercy, that we can come in true humility before Him in prayer and leave our requests before His mercy seat and His promise of an eternal love towards us. Prayer can never be flitting and thoughtless!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Prayer - Glorifying God!
"The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." - I still remember learning this catechism truth as a child and yet, somehow, when I start praying, I quickly fall into rattling off all the needs I might have or others have asked me to pray for. I don't stop and first consider who this is I am praying to. I take God for granted!
The Psalmist says in Psalm 63:3 "Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips shall praise You." I need to start my prayers expressing praise to God for His steadfast, unending and undeserved love to me - a fragile, inconsistent, fallible being. The God of the universe - the awesome, all powerful, all knowing and ever listening God - is the one who hears my words and sees the condition of my heart even as I come before Him.
As I start to praise and glorify God - expressing truth about Him as revealed by God Himself in His Word - my own needs seem to melt away into insignificance and they are replaced with a calm assurance in my spirit that He has heard my heart-needs even though I have not yet expressed them and that He will answer in His own time and manner because He loves me with an unending love!
"To praise God is to prize God" (Eastman). Do I value, esteem and cherish Him enough? Do I 'prize' God? If I do, it will be the first thing that comes out in my prayers because it will flow out of a heart brimming over with thankfulness and love. Soli Deo gloria!
The Psalmist says in Psalm 63:3 "Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips shall praise You." I need to start my prayers expressing praise to God for His steadfast, unending and undeserved love to me - a fragile, inconsistent, fallible being. The God of the universe - the awesome, all powerful, all knowing and ever listening God - is the one who hears my words and sees the condition of my heart even as I come before Him.
As I start to praise and glorify God - expressing truth about Him as revealed by God Himself in His Word - my own needs seem to melt away into insignificance and they are replaced with a calm assurance in my spirit that He has heard my heart-needs even though I have not yet expressed them and that He will answer in His own time and manner because He loves me with an unending love!
"To praise God is to prize God" (Eastman). Do I value, esteem and cherish Him enough? Do I 'prize' God? If I do, it will be the first thing that comes out in my prayers because it will flow out of a heart brimming over with thankfulness and love. Soli Deo gloria!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Lord, teach me to pray!
I have been gripped by an insight from Bishop J.C. Ryle on prayer - "Prayer has obtained things that seemed impossible and out of reach. It has won victories over fire, air, earth and water. Prayer opened the Red Sea. Prayer brought water from the rock and bread from Heaven. Prayer made the sun stand still. Prayer brought fire from the sky on Elijah's sacrifice. Prayer overthrew the army of Sennacherib. Prayer has healed the sick. Prayer has raised the dead. Prayer has procured the conversion of countless souls."
I have always believed God answers prayer but, like many Christians out there, I struggle daily to keep my prayer life consistent. As an aid to anyone else with the same struggle, I have found Dick Eastman's book 'The Hour that Changes the World' very helpful in this regard. It is extremely practical and challenging! "Only as we apply our knowledge of prayer to the actual practice of prayer will we discover the practical power of prayer" (Eastman).
Join me as I strive to have prayer become primary in my daily life - not just an add-on or an afterthought...
I have always believed God answers prayer but, like many Christians out there, I struggle daily to keep my prayer life consistent. As an aid to anyone else with the same struggle, I have found Dick Eastman's book 'The Hour that Changes the World' very helpful in this regard. It is extremely practical and challenging! "Only as we apply our knowledge of prayer to the actual practice of prayer will we discover the practical power of prayer" (Eastman).
Join me as I strive to have prayer become primary in my daily life - not just an add-on or an afterthought...
Monday, October 19, 2009
Radio Quizz Awards Weapons as Prizes
Allegedly (according to the NZ Herald, Oct 19 2009) a radio station in Kismayo, Somalia, recently ran a broadcast quizz competition during the Muslim month of Ramadan. It posed questions on science, culture and the Koran and the winners were given a first prize of one AK-47 assault rifle, two hand grenades, an anti-tank landmine and office supplies (supposedly to further their planning activities). Second prize winners had to console themselves with an AK-47 and ammunition only...
One has to question why we in the west (or any other civilised country in the world, for that matter) allow Islam to grow without opposition when you read about incidents like this one. Yes, things look very peaceful and harmless on the surface - and that is the image that is put out there for the general public to soak up - but the latent principles of jihad are deeply instilled and rise very quickly to the surface when any opposition is encountered.
Jihad takes on more subtle forms too. Recently, in a supermarket queue, I noticed a Muslim woman just ahead of me carefully reading the label on a tin of food. When she got to the counter, she placed the tin down and said that she would have liked to have bought the food item but it did not have the halal mark. She asked to speak to the supervisor who apologised profusely and said she would see what could be done. Having myself, previously, tried to ask the same supermarket to try to get hold of a specific food item, I did not get the same response but was told that the company had buyers who only bought specific items. The difference in responses is what interests me. The question is not one of food but of religion. Islam is conquering the west by stealth - one social facet at a time - but steadily expanding.
Radio competitions, like the one above, are only a symptom and indication of progress of a much deeper malady...
One has to question why we in the west (or any other civilised country in the world, for that matter) allow Islam to grow without opposition when you read about incidents like this one. Yes, things look very peaceful and harmless on the surface - and that is the image that is put out there for the general public to soak up - but the latent principles of jihad are deeply instilled and rise very quickly to the surface when any opposition is encountered.
Jihad takes on more subtle forms too. Recently, in a supermarket queue, I noticed a Muslim woman just ahead of me carefully reading the label on a tin of food. When she got to the counter, she placed the tin down and said that she would have liked to have bought the food item but it did not have the halal mark. She asked to speak to the supervisor who apologised profusely and said she would see what could be done. Having myself, previously, tried to ask the same supermarket to try to get hold of a specific food item, I did not get the same response but was told that the company had buyers who only bought specific items. The difference in responses is what interests me. The question is not one of food but of religion. Islam is conquering the west by stealth - one social facet at a time - but steadily expanding.
Radio competitions, like the one above, are only a symptom and indication of progress of a much deeper malady...
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
W(H)anganui Decision anti-democratic...
W(H)anganui ??!! In NZ, DEMOCRACY = BOWING TO A VOCAL MINORITY... That starts at Government level, right down to local bodies. NZ loves PC
Monday, August 17, 2009
'Living before Muslims in the world...'
While reading through an English translation of the Koran (in preparation for specific evangelism during the month of Ramadan), I was struck by the high calling we have as true Christians to "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10).
The Koran states, "Yet they (Christians) are not all alike. There are among the People of the Book some upright men who all night long recite the revelations of God and worship Him; who believe in God and the Last Day; who enjoin justice and forbid evil and vie with each other in good works. These are righteous men: whatever good they do, its reward shall not be denied them. God well knows the righteous" (3:113).
People we come into contact with watch us constantly, and as ambassadors for Christ and with His help, our everyday lives should reflect the reality of what has happened (and is happening) in our hearts. "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honourable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation" (1 Peter 2:12) Holy Bible.
What a challenge - but what an opportunity!
The Koran states, "Yet they (Christians) are not all alike. There are among the People of the Book some upright men who all night long recite the revelations of God and worship Him; who believe in God and the Last Day; who enjoin justice and forbid evil and vie with each other in good works. These are righteous men: whatever good they do, its reward shall not be denied them. God well knows the righteous" (3:113).
People we come into contact with watch us constantly, and as ambassadors for Christ and with His help, our everyday lives should reflect the reality of what has happened (and is happening) in our hearts. "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honourable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation" (1 Peter 2:12) Holy Bible.
What a challenge - but what an opportunity!
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