Shooting Stars!!!!

Michelle and I were out walking at the crack of dawn and saw several shooting stars….or at least that’s Michelle’s story. I explained that they could easily have been space debris re-entering the atmosphere which was much less glamorous and romantic particularly at five in the morning which suited me fine. After some heated debate I retreated from what could have got worse.

This did however get me thinking about what lessons could be learnt from this situation.

1 Just cos it looks like a star does not mean it is one.
How often in life we see people as famous stars and we want to be the same. Yet behind the glamour and bright shining lights there is debris. Often we hear of drugs, broken families and a life that is far from Gods plan which eventually comes out and the star falls. You can’t fake it as a star forever. Eventually the lights dim and people see what is really going on. Who are the stars in your life?  Remember that they are no perfect and have much to live up to. Give them a break and more importantly pray for them that God works in their lives. If you are a star, maybe you need to be more real with yourself and those watching. God has gifted you with talents for a purpose. Use the talents for his purpose and at the same time get your life back in order with what is actually important.

2 What amazing creation.
It is amazing how creation is so massive that we have barely understood it. As soon as we discover something we also realise there is more hidden behind it. Behind every star is another star and so it continues. God Is not limited by our understanding of what he can or cannot do. He works within and beyond our understanding. He placed the stars to glorify his name and for us to know that he exists.

3 The moon is but a reflection.
The moon as good looking as it is, is just a reflection of true light. The moon is a dead rock. The Sun is alive and full of fire. Look for what you follow in your life to see if it’s the real deal or just a reflection of what is real. In your own life you can reflect God o you can be filled by him to overflowing. Rather than following reflections follow the true light and son of God Jesus.

4 There is always darkness before light dawns.
Sometimes life gets very dark and it seems like the darkness swallows us up and takes everything from us. The good news is that light will prevail. Jesus the Son will rise and the darkness will be no more. When in the darkness we hope for the light. We wait for the red light on the horizon that shows that dawn is near, when we can bask in the warmth he provides. Don’t give up. Hold on. He’s coming.

5 Your whole body needs work.
We are mind, body and soul. All three should be exercised accordingly. Walking and similar fitness routines exercise the body. Reading and studying is a great way to exercise the mind. Worshipping, Praying, Hearing and listening to God exercises the soul. We should focus on all three in some way to get our lives right. Being close to God however is the most important.

6 You need to spend quality time with Family.
You should set time to be with you family as a goal. Spend time with your wife, husband and children. Not just watching TV. Spend some quality time talking, cuddling, eating and playing games. In the busy lives we have we can easily forget the importance of that. Oh, and don’t forget to let them win the argument sometimes.

God Bless. Have a wonderful day.

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

Free Gift

Once upon a time there was a man who had everything in the world. There was nothing that he did not have. This man decided one day that he would give away some of his wealth. At first he thought it would be a select few. He then decided he would rather give it away to everyone who needed it.

He spent many years planning his great free gift give away. He got the names of everyone who lived with their delivery address which he placed in a large book. He began to wrap gifts for each person individually. He wrapped each gift the same in red wrapping with a big ribbon on top. He made sure that each would change the person’s life in a dramatic way. The big day came for his deliveries. He summonsed his team of helpers who would be responsible for delivery he gift. Trucks were loaded an off the gifts went to their destined addresses.

The wealthy man sat at home waiting in anticipation for those who would receive his gift. He was hoping that they would love the gift. He knew that it would change their lives forever.

A messenger arrived with the good news. The gift delivery was going well. Many people had received the gift with joy and appreciation. Some had opened the gift immediately and their lives had been changed for good forever.  The wealthy man began to receive phone call of thanks and built friendships with those who called who had appreciated the gift.

There was some news that worried the man.

Some people had taken the gift and told their friends and displayed it at home to elevate themselves in their society. They had however not opened the gift. They had missed out.

Other people had taken the gift and hidden it making sure no one knew where it was.

Still others opened the gift and were disappointed that it was not what they wanted. They had thrown it away in their rubbish bins.

A further group had mocked those who received the gift. They wanted no part of it and began to remove the gift from others and to steal it.

There was another group of men who ran a company though it was a good marketing idea and began to hand out their own gifts. They often managing to replace those that the wealthy man had sent.

A messenger came in the door with some disturbing news. One of his helpers had been injured delivery gifts. Someone had set their dogs on him and he had been badly hurt. More news came of another helper that had been beaten to death when he had done the delivery. More and more sad news followed of helpers being beaten and often killed while doing deliveries. The wealthy man got angry with those who had rejected hi gift and even more so with those that had hurt or killed his helpers. He began to record the names of those who had rejected his gift and rejected his helpers and put these in another large book. He was going to get his revenge as soon as all the deliveries had been completed he would send his army of helpers to take revenge.

Jesus is the free gift. We have a chance to accept him now or reject him. A time will come when we will no longer have a chance and God will exact his revenge on those who have rejected his gift, rejected him and called out his wrath. Some of us have become Christians by name only to satisfy our friends and community yet we have never spoken to God and built a relationship with him.

I encourage you. Do not reject God. He wants to hear you and speak to you. Talk to him now just like you would a friend. He will reply.

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

Going Home

I woke with a start. Something was out of the norm. I remembered going to sleep in the hospital. I had been looking forward to going home to see my wonderful wife of 47 years the next day at home. Something however was different this time. I was in a place I had not been before. I should have been worried but I was not in the slightest. I felt strangely at ease. I felt loved more than I ever had before. It surrounded me from all sides. I stood and looked around. I was covered by a thick mist yet through the mist was a bright light. Next to my feet were blue and white balloons. It was as if someone had been celebrating. The light was the brightest I had ever seen. Like a moth to a light I started to inch forward. Slowly at first wondering if my legs could handle it. It was then that I realized there was no pain. I stopped. I lifted one leg...no problem....I lifted the other...it also worked. Better than it had in years. I jumped. What an experience. I began to run delighted by the new found freedom my legs now had. The wind blew in my face, the bright light got closer. I could hear a sound. It was getting louder. I began to recognize it as people. It must have been a massive crowd to make that noise. I started to see the people all around me. They were clapping and cheering for me. They were shouting my name, whistling and clapping me to carry on. I saw a face I recognized. It was my mom and there was my dad. I had missed them so much. I could see some of my primary school teachers, my friends and family who had gone before me. Tears of joy streamed down my face. I wanted to stop running and talk to them. To see what they had been doing. To find out more about this place, but something kept pushed me on. The crowd grew larger. The people were now joined by angels, thousands of them. It was absolutely amazing. I had never seen angels like this. Some were huge and built like body builders with swords strapped to their sides. The light got brighter, my joy and excitement grew stronger as I continued to run. I could hear the faint sound of bagpipes. I recognized the tune of ‘Amazing Grace’, it was one of my favorites. I saw someone in the light running towards me. As he got closer I knew it was him. It was my God and King. I stopped to kneel but before I could kneel he gave me a bear hug and whispered in my ear. Well done Neville, my good and faithful servant. You have finished the race. I took a deep breath and realized I could smell someone braaing and I knew that I was now truly home.

Dedicated to Neville Heron Laing.30th May 1940 - 23rd January 2012

Philippians 1:21 For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.