Abundant Life

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John10:9,10

I think we need to ‘KISS’ these verses. Let’s Keep It So Simple! And look at the content and context. Jesus came to this earth, and into the Christian’s heart to give him/her life, but not just any life, it’s abundant life. Some translations describe it as overflowing life, and that’s extraordinary living. Who would not want that? Or to put it another way, why would anyone want to pour cold water on this promise?

The phrase “The thief comes only to steal” is a clue to who would want to spoil the Christian’s full and abundant life, and it is a thief. Someone who would steal your joy. The trouble is that our abundant life can be most in jeopardy and stolen by other christians who will decide (for you) that you are not living your life correctly. Perhaps you are watching the wrong Christian TV programs and movies, or reading the wrong inspirational books, enjoying the wrong Christian music, or even listening to the wrong Christian pastors and leaders. This is being done on an industrial internet scale by those who would want to mould you into their image of who God is to them, and by extension, should be to you too. However, I hope you can hold on to the fact that as Christians we have abundant life, and as the following verses confirm it is full of joy and gladness. I for one need to hold on to my future reward which is great in heaven. Amen, and thank you Lord for the positive message of the Gospel which grows in joy, rejoicing, and abundant life.

And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah8:10

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew5:11,12

Perfection

The Lord’s teachings are perfect. The Lord’s rules can be trusted. Psalm 19:7

There’s not a lot of things in this life that we think of as perfect, and few rules that we can fully trust to keep us out of trouble. That’s in spite of the laws of our land being based on the commandments and principles of God’s Word.

The Psalmist in chapter 33:12 says: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. These verses of the Psalmist automatically take our mind to the state of our nation. Our laws were indeed initially formed from the basis of God’s Word, but do you still see that intent today as laws and amendments are made to accommodate the sin sick society we now live in? Changes to reflect our view of sexual sins in particular come to mind which the Bible is so clear about. Now we also make it so easy to terminate life in the womb, and also by ending life by euthanasia of the old, and the not so elderly? Beware the ‘good’ we think we do!

The Bible is clear that any nation will be blessed when they honour God. Can we truthfully say that our once great nation still honours God? Is it possible, or perhaps even certain, that our nation’s fall from grace is directly linked and due to the clear fact that we no longer honour God, not only as our Law Giver, but also as our Lord and Saviour at both a personal and national level? May God forgive us and have mercy on our nation!

The Unhealthy Church Problem

How does a church once averaging a healthy number in the Sunday service, drop to half in the relatively short space of a couple of decades? I think the answer may be in confrontation, or to be more accurate, the lack of confrontation. Most of us say that we would rather know what’s going on than guess, so leaders will say, please come and tell us your problems, issues, or those things you don’t fully agree with and we will talk it through and maybe find a solution because we don’t want to lose you.

The other more likely possibility is that some folks will leave without saying why, or making a fuss, or raising an issue, and before we know it we have let them go. Maybe we are not surprised they went, and possibly we even expected it. Perhaps we even secretly thought that we would be better off without them? I certainly hope not! The bottom line is that no one followed through to ask them. Why would this be?

Let’s go back to confrontation. No one likes it, no matter what they say in public to make themselves sound caring. So, when a person or family decide to move to another church, we let them go. Normally, we comfort ourselves with the thought that at least they are not lost to the Kingdom, because another church assembly has benefitted from our loss. But what if that same process keeps being repeated? Worse still, what if they decide not to go to any church? Are we bold enough to learn, and change?

We know that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will leave the ninety-nine in safety to search for the one lost sheep, but what about us? How does that translate to your church, or to mine for that matter?

Christianity Light

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Cor 6:19,20 ESV

It’s a clear and obvious temptation to just coast the life we have, either in or out of faith. But then a verse like this one comes along to remind us that our salvation should not, and must not be taken lightly or with a shrug of the shoulders.

Imagine for a moment that your wife or girlfriend goes without some things of her own, to buy you a nice, expensive, Rolex watch. Instead of looking after it, you don’t. The face gets scratched, you drop it into the toilet, and it keeps getting mislaid. I wonder how your gift looks in the eyes of the giver now? Was it worth the expense and the other things that were done without? You would have to forgive the giver for thinking it wasn’t worth the effort.

We can never earn our salvation. It has been granted us by a loving God and all we have to do is accept the gift. But do you really think that God wants us to stay in the mire of our sin? I don’t think so. We ought to cherish our priceless gift, and show how thankful we are by our lifestyle change. We are bought with a price and it cost the Saviour the cross, and the heartache of the Father forsaking Him while He hung there.

Shouldn’t we strive to live a Christian life deserving of the love of an eternally Holy God by becoming an example to others who look on us to see if there is any difference between who we were, and the person we are now? Or do we play the ‘Christianity Light’ card in the hope that it will be enough, and since we didn’t deserve it anyway, what possible difference could it make? A final thought: We take good care of our earthly gifts, so shouldn’t we care even more for the eternal gift of salvation which cost Jesus so dearly? It’s a clear choice.

Safe Place

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

There is something calming and soothing about this well known verse. Another translation says it like this “God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble.” Do you have a safe place? One where you can retreat to, and you won’t be bothered by some of those well meaning people who don’t seem to be able to help, and a bit like Job’s comforters? If we don’t have a physical place, I would hazard a guess that you do it in the recesses of your mind.

We all need a refuge, or as I prefer, a ‘safe place’ where problems can be met head on, without someone saying, “don’t worry it will work out”. I know they mean well, but there are times you need to sort things out on your own because you know in your heart that things will not just ‘work out’ by themselves. Some problems need to be faced, and tackled, not ignored.

It doesn’t matter what age you are, or how clever, we know deep down when a problem has gone on for too long and now has to be encountered and dealt with. No two people are the same, and no two problems are the same. Every person and problem is uniquely personal, and therefore needs our personal attention. This is exactly the time that you and I need that ‘safe place’ where God can be allowed to work and speak into our heart. In the silence of our safe place, we may find that the resolution is in our own hands. Do we need to forgive someone? I don’t mean only to say I’m sorry, but to go that step further and forgive? No one said it would be easy, but it might just be what is needed. Many times it doesn’t matter whose fault it was or who started it, we need to reset our life and relationship. I have found that when I retreat to that quiet place, and God’s will becomes apparent, He does not show me the problems that need resolved in my friend’s life, but shows me the failings that must be addressed in my own. God is good, and so where better to start than in our place of refuge that is God’s safe place?

Party!

“Let’s party” seems to be the byword for a good time, and the signal that party time is the only way to have fun. The unspoken thought behind the words, at least in my culture, is that alcohol must be a part of the night’s revelry, otherwise it’s a waste of time. But does it have to be that way?

In our young, immature years, we think that some wine, beer, or spirits will unlock the door to fun, and happiness. Sadly, many have to learn the hard way that this is not true. Ask the young girl who ends up with the choice between having an unplanned baby, or an abortion. Ask the young man who has picked a fight with his best pal, and maimed him for life. Ask the nurses at A&E. Ask the Police who have to literally pick up the pieces shed on a good night out. Ask a parent who lies awake praying that their son or daughter is safe and will come home unharmed.

We can’t be too hard on our teenagers, when we remember our own youthful escapades. We may have got out of our youth unscathed physically, but many of us bear the unseen scars mentally and emotionally. That is the very reason parents, and yes grandparents too, worry for their own because they have been there, and even now may live with the uneasy consequences. So the next time your mum or dad says, “be home by …”, “stay safe” or “keep good company” or “don’t be on your own”, it’s not because they want to be a kill joy. On the contrary, they want you to avoid the pitfalls they almost fell into, and they know that the unintended bad memories stay real and vivid for a long time. Maybe for ever. So next time you hear the words, “let’s party” try to keep in mind the things that are important. The things that will outlast your years, way beyond any (bad) decision you may make for the short term. Oh, and for the record you CAN have fun and enjoy yourself without alcohol. It’s true!

“Then he said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger barns! I will put all my wheat and good things together in my new barns. Then I can say to myself, I have many good things stored. I have saved enough for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!’ “But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight you will die. So what about the things you prepared for yourself? Who will get those things now?’ Luke 12:18-20