Life sux without purpose

Picture the scene, a family dinner. Dad shouts for the children to be quiet and tells them how stupid they are. Demands someone bring him a drink and food. The children run riot. Dad screams at Mom to sort out the children. A huge argument ensues. Mom gets mad and tells him to get out. Later they divorce. This all happens on Sunday night after church. A great reflection of Christianity.

The Boss at work is know as a tyrant. He orders people around. Pays poor salaries. Fires anyone who shows the potential to take his position. He Dominates, manipulates and controls. He shows no empathy for anyone. Its work to the bone but on weekends he's at church singing worship songs and listening to a sermon. What a contrast of characters. Would Jesus be proud to call you his Son?

What about the regular Personal assistant in the office. She takes hour long lunch breaks when in should be 30 minutes. Arrives late, Leaves early. Uses company equipment for personal use, heck she even takes some stuff home. Sugar, tea, coffee, some of the water bottles from the boardroom fridge nothing big so it should be ok. She refuses to help anyone. She worries about herself and how much money she can score in any way possible. The people at work see all this. What do they think when she says she is a Christian?

I have been thinking a lot about how we handle everything in life. What are our motives and what drives us. We often get stressed out because we are probably doing things our way. We get stressed out because we have no control of what happens and we want it to be our way. We want to be in control. We sometimes use prayer as a means to achieve our objectives forgetting that we need to align our lives with Jesus and his objectives. Our prayers are often a wish list of things we want and we expect God to deliver because we said so. Much like spoilt children talking to Rich Daddy. This is not exactly correct. Sure we can ask God for things but he will in the end give us what is right and good for us and for his kingdom and not just anything we ask. If God thinks you need to work on your selfishness why would he give you more stuff to be selfish with. He would probably trust you with more if you were not selfish and that means not being selfish in your heart and not just in action. Faking the end result because of wrong motives just shows once again that the motives are wrong and you need more work before you before God can make you what he wants you to be.

I guess in this year we should be asking what's the point then? Why am I here and what should I be doing? If work sux for me should I run or is there more? If Family is a pain should I run or Is there more? I would like to throw some thoughts at that and it all revolves around Mission. What is your purpose and mission in life?

Firstly let's look at family. Is your mission to be married and be selfish and obtain as much as you can from the family life, from your spouse and your children or, is family about getting your spouse and children to reflect God. This means your role is to help the others in family find God, Grow in God and reflect God with the aim of ultimately being missional themselves. If your family is not where it should be the question remains about what part you have played in either helping or hindering the family from growing to the goal of reflecting God. What will you do each any every day to help your family members be messengers of Jesus and his Love.

What about church.... Same thing, is church there to support your selfish agenda? Do you leach of church, get happy on worship and great sermons but contribute zero to the people who attend. Is this Gods purpose for you in a community of believers to sit back and absorb without giving back to what is happening in the Church, Community and Home Cell. I think God has gifted you in some way. Use these gifts to further the kingdom.

What about work.... For some people it's a power trip. For others a money making machine. Maybe you hate work? I don't know what goes on at your work but have to ask the question....What's your purpose there? Is it to sit through the drudgery or is it to shine the light. To reach out to others and show them Jesus. this is done through what you say, What you do and in some cases requires you to step out and maybe offer to help someone. Pray for someone. Feed Someone. Comfort Someone. Not work.....Pure Joy. Being the light in the work place. If your are a person that brings Anger, Grumpiness, Stress, corruption.....your are not bringing the fruits of the spirit to your work place. Maybe it's time to try and lets God be more and you be less.

Anyway......So there's a new years resolution for you. Be missional and change where you are.
Be real. Don't fake it. Be the original you the way you are designed to be.

Cheers
Greg

Talking to Demons

I was up in the hills of the Drakensberg enjoying another Christian youth camp. I had enjoyed them all and seen many young people meet Jesus. This particular camp had been stranger than most. We had spent significantly more time in prayer and looking to God. We had seen more young people showing more interest in being closer to God. We had quiet times and the camp and had allowed the young people to go off and pray and come back with what God had been telling them. More than before God had spoken. He had met the thirteen year olds and touched their lives. He had spoken directly with them in ways that had blown my mind. God had shown that he was real and that he was alive and well and wanting to be a friend of those who wanted. God had spoken because the faith of a young person is strong and alive. God honours that faith and touched lives.

That night the leadership were all relaxing and having discussion about God, the camp and how things were going. We were amazed at what had happened and prayed and thanked God. Things were disrupted however by a young man, one of the leaders of the camp. The young man jumped up and began to speak foul language. Cursing everyone and in a voice that was not his own. Before we could understand what was happening he had run out the building towards the river screaming that he was going to drown the man. It had very clearly dawned on us that we were experiencing a demon manifesting. Most of us had heard the stories, read the book, watched some movies. This however was very different. This was real and in our faces. We ran after the guy to help him. We saw him dive in the cold waters of the Drakensberg to drown himself.

A few of us dived in and with great effort managed to rescue him from under the water. We dragged him up to the building in a stupor and sat him down with towels to dry him. He seemed normal. We began to pray for him and then he changed. He became the demon again. His voice was different, His language was different, and his actions were different. He threatened us and taunted us. The demon was in control of him and we were out of our depth. We prayed harder, we called on Jesus and we rebuked the demon. Nothing worked. The demon said he had the right to stay. We knew no different. We were young and impressionable. We eventually got to talk to the man. He confessed that not only had he been molested as a child but he had also molested children himself at a school. He was unrepentant and did not want to let go. We knew why the demon remained and was in control.

The next day the camp was over and the young man left. I have never seen him since. I still wonder who is in control of his life? Had he dealt with his past? Had he laid it all before Jesus or was he holding back? That experience woke me up. I realised that demons are real. That the fight we have is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. (eph 6) I also realised that if demons exist and are real I needed to be very sure about my relationship with Jesus. we needed to lay everything before him so that he would be in control our our lives. Have you truly laid it all before Jesus or are you holding something back? Jesus wants your all and not just the pieces you think are nice. He wants you warts and all. Thats what repentane is about. Lay it before him, all of it, and let him turn you into what he wants you to be.

cheers

Greg

Angry with GOD

I was no friend of God. He had killed my parents. He had ruined my life. I had to live my life without any help. I had to feed myself and protect myself. God!!!, give me a break. He had left the planet if he even existed. He was probably watching us all through his magnifying glass. Burning us like little ants whenever he pleased. I was no friend of God. I was more of his enemy. I was the wolf people spoke of. I had taken their daughters, I had taken their money. I had used people as much as possible for my own gain. I was wealth and could do what I wanted. I had no need for God.

That was until now. I was battling to breathe. My ribs had cracked from the impact of me hitting the rocks below the cliff I had been rock climbing on. I had tried to call but winced in pain. I was alone and bleeding to death. No one knew where I was. I tried to push myself up. My one leg bent sideways in an angle it should not have done. Pain rushed through my body and I collapsed. My head throbbed. I could feel blood oozing down my face. This was my time. This was my end. I was now going to meet my maker, assuming he still existed. I could feel the strength draining from my body as the blood flowed out. As the blood flowed out so did my anger. I prayed, begged and pleaded. God if you really exist. Show me. If you really Love me Show me. Save me now. I tried to negotiate my way out. I tried to beg my way out. I shouted at him. “You want me dead like my parents”. “What kind of God are you? Everything went black as I passed out.

It was a great day for a walk. I was in my usual spot overlooking the mountains and the beautiful view. This was where I found God the most. On weekends I Loved Spending time with him, listening to him and worshiping him in this spot amongst his creation.  It was my favourite place and with my favourite friend, Jesus. “Lord, I am here for you”. If you need me speak to me”. “I am all yours” I prayed.  That was when it happened, the audible voice. I had never heard Gods voice so clearly before. I had read about it in the bible but had never experienced it so vividly.  “Get up, go down the cliff face”. “Follow the path to the left along the cliff at the bottom”. “I need you to share my love with someone today”. I was shocked. To hear a voice was one thing. To obey the voice was madness. I considered the voice was a dream. Then it came again. “Get up, go down the cliff face”. “Follow the path to the left along the cliff at the bottom”. “I need you to share my love with someone today”.

There was nothing down here. What was the point of being sent here? This was a wild goose chase. I must have been dreaming about the voice I had heard. No one was waiting for me at the bottom of the cliff. I had been walking ten minutes and was considering giving up. This was an exercise in futility. It was then that I saw some rope on the cliff face up ahead. It was dangling loosely on the rock face. Some rock climber must have left it behind I thought. My eyes followed the rope and what I saw shocked me. It was a man lying on the rocks at the bottom. He was still attached to the rope. He was badly injured if not even dead. There was blood all over the rocks. I ran to him and checked his pulse. He was still alive barely. I pulled out my mobile and called 911. I was praying “Jesus, Help this man”. I heard a voice reply “I am“.

I was sitting in church getting ready to preach. I was a friend of God. He had saved me that day at the bottom of the cliff. He had sent someone to save my life and the least I could do was tell others and share his love for them. I got up and walked forward using my crutch to support me. I knew what I needed to do.

Q – Do you share God’s love with others? How?
Q – Do you listen for Gods voice? When, where, How often?
Q – Do you obey him even when it seems stupid or unimportant?
Q – Do you resist God in your life? Why?
Q – How has God shown his love for you?

Millions of people die every day without knowing God. That could be you. Maybe it’s time to cut God some slack. Get over your petty human issues and realise that he does Love you and does want the best for you and from you. Without him you are nothing. With him you are everything. You are designed to fulfil his purpose and not your selfish desires.  I hope you feel as challenged as I am to hear God and obey. To bring Jesus to a broken world and show that he cares.  Paul was the worst person, killing Gods people yet Jesus wanted him and met him on the road to Damascus. How much more does he want you?

God Bless

Greg