24 - Is this the end?

Many people are jumping onto the religious bandwagon at the moment with some predictions of the end of the world, especially in the light of the Corona pandemic. Again, I will not get into that debate at the moment, but I find it interesting, that in the days before he went to the Cross Jesus preached about the end of days. I find these final teachings of Jesus so interesting and challenging.

This is what he told his disciples:

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." - Matthew 24:42-44

I honestly don't know when the world is going to end, but the one thing I know I can control is how I respond to the Son of God, today. By choosing to receive the gift of grace offer to us through Jesus, we are promised a placed in Christ's kingdom.

C.S. Lewis wrote in "The Case for Christianity" - 
 
"That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realised it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.”

Living in Grace
D3LM3

It is seldom "Convenient"

"Convenience" seems to be the default to which we all revert, especially when we are feeling tired and too busy. We wrestle with driving to the mall to get whatever we really want (or what is cheaper) VERSUS popping to the convenience store to get a similar item at the higher price.Of course there are many other examples of such everyday decisions.

I don't believe that convenience is the same as laziness, it is just an alternate way of making decisions. It can make perfect sense to go for the convenient option 9 times out of 10, unless of course we are using it as a mask to avoid making a CRUCIAL decision. Take a look at Felix in this next reading. Note how he lies to himself and thinks that he will make a commitment to follow Jesus, when it is more Convenient for him.

Acts 24:25 – “As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”

It was just an excuse to avoid the tough decision he was faced with. And so that is why I believe that following Jesus is NEVER going to be convenient. 

What do you think?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Assistant?

We are so used to taking charge of situations in our lives that we don't like to be second in command. We may be happy to have an Assistant, but we like to know that we can call the shots most of the time. The trouble with this is that we then treat God in the same way. We think that God will make a great Assistant - we can call on him whenever we get stuck on our own projects.

In truth, God is not looking for the job as our Assistant. God wants to be our LEADER, our LORD and our Captain.

Let's stop trying to fit Jesus into the position as our assistant and let's hand over the reins to Him.

Psalm 68:6 -  God makes a home for the lonely; He leads the prisoners into prosperity, Only the stubborn and rebellious dwell in a parched land (Amplified).

Living in Grace
D3LM3

What makes us God-followers?

I have been reflecting on this question over the last week or so - "What makes us followers of God?"
The answer is not as simple as one would like to think. In trying to answer the question, we sometimes get stuck on some of the external "things" that could indicate we may be God-followers.
For example:

Going to Church
Reading the Bible
Prayer
Fasting and giving

Yes, these are all disciplines we should be practising in our experience as Christians, but it all starts with a change in heart. Once our HEARTS have encountered the Living God, that is when the 'lights go on' for us and we decide to follow God. And this change in Heart doesn't come from a magic formula or a special medicine - it is through the work of the Spirit of God. We need to give God the grace to work in our lives and it is His work to change our hearts.



²⁸ For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. ²⁹ No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.” – Romans 2:28-29

How is your Heart today?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Sidelined

The definition of the word 'sidelined' can be: "to remove from the centre of activity or attention; place in a less influential position." We use this term often in sports jargon, when we speak of a player being sidelined, either because of injury or perhaps not performing so well. We can also use this word to describe how people treat us - we can feel sidelined or removed from their attention. We will all experience being 'sidelined' at some stage in our friendships or communities.

But, how about when we choose to sideline God from our lives? What happens when we 'remove God from the centre of our attention?' Or as the definition implies - we place God in a less influential position? The sad thing is that we end up doing this without even realising that we are doing it. We get busy, we get distracted, we get anxious, we get caught up in other things - and the end result is that suddenly God finds himself removed from our attention.

This happened to King David in a dramatic way. In his prosperity and fame, he took his eyes off the Lord and sidelined him. The end result was tragic - lives were lost and relationships destroyed. David's story serves as a clear reminder that we must avoid sidelining our Lord.

Pray this prayer today:
Lord, forgive me for sidelining you so easily. I don't mean to do this, but the stresses of my life consume me and soon I find that my eyes have been removed from you. You are the One that I need at all times, so please keep reminding me to look to you. Amen.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Choosing God

Is there anyone who serves me with the same care and devotion given to the world and its leaders?
To gain a few dollars, a long trip may be taken;
for eternal life, many will barely lift a foot from the ground.

These are the words of Thomas a Kempis as he challenges the apathy of our faith. We are willing to do many things for 'worldly treasures', but often we are not prepared to go the distance for God. Quite a challenging sentiment and worthy chewing on today.

Psalm 94:12-15 (The Message)
"How blessed the man you train, God,
    the woman you instruct in your Word,
Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil,
    while a jail is being built for the wicked.
God will never walk away from his people,
    never desert his precious people.
Rest assured that justice is on its way
    and every good heart put right."

Living in Grace
D3LM3