Four Pillars of the Christian Walk

PILLAR 1: Prayer

"Base your happiness on your hope in Christ.  When trials come, endure them patiently; steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer." (Romans 12:12)

WHAT IS PRAYER: Communion with God. Talking to God.  Allowing God to talk to us.

 Matthew 7:7 - Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

 Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

1.      HAVE A SPECIFIC TIME FOR PRAYER.

2.      HAVE A SPECIFIC PLACE FOR PRAYER.

3.      HAVE A SPECIFIC ROUTINE FOR PRAYER.

Components of Prayer

PRAISE: I express my love to God

PURPOSE:  I commit myself to God’s will for my life

PROVISION:  I ask God to provide for my needs

PARDON:  I ask God to forgive my sins

PEOPLE:  I pray for other people

PROTECTION:  I ask for spiritual protection

PRAISE:  I end my prayer the same way I started!

PILLAR 2: Word of God

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Hear. Read. Study. Memorise. Meditate

PILLAR 3: Personal Involvement in Ministry (doing something)

Matthew 20:28

[28] Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Ministry is how we are like Jesus.

My personal ministry is determined by my personal makeup!  What God made me to BE determines what He intends for me to DO, and I will understand the purpose I was created for when I understand the kind of person I am.

God is consistent in His plan for each of our lives.  He would not give us inborn talents and temperaments, spiritual gifts, and all sorts of life experiences and then not use them!

1.      I’VE BEEN CREATED FOR MINISTRY!

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:10)

2.      I’VE BEEN SAVED FOR MINISTRY!

“It is He who saved us and chose us for his holy work, not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began …”  (2 Timothy 1:9)

3.      I’VE BEEN CALLED INTO MINISTRY!

“God, in his grace, chose me even before I was born, and called me to serve him.”  (Galatians 1:15)

 “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”  (Ephesians 4:1)

4.      I’VE BEEN GIFTED FOR MINISTRY!

“God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessing.”  (1 Peter 4:10)

5.      THE BODY OF CHRIST NEEDS MY MINISTRY!

“All of you together are the one body of Christ and each of you is a separate and necessary part of it.”  (1 Corinthians 12:27)

6.      I AM ACCOUNTABLE FOR MY MINISTRY!

“So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”  (Romans 14:12)

PILLAR 4: Fellowship

Acts 2:42

⁴²And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

"Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage each other."  (Hebrews 10:25)

·         I need a church family to help me grow spiritually.

"So in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others!"  (Romans 12:5)

·         I need encouragement to help me grow spiritually.

"Let us think of one another and how we can encourage each other to love and do good deeds."  (Hebrews 10:24)

"Two are better off than one ... If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it's just too bad, because there is no one to help him ... Two men can resist an attack that would defeat one man alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break."  (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12)        

·         I need accountability to help me grow spiritually.

"Brothers, if someone is trapped in some sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently ... Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  (Galatians 6:1-2)

·         There is great spiritual power in unity.

"For wherever two or three have come together in my name, I am there, right among them!"  (Matthew 18:20)

There are nearly 60 “one another” commands in the New Testament that you cannot obey unless you are faithful to a local church!

Serve one another       Galatians 5:13

Accept one another     Romans 15:7

Forgive one another    Colossians 3:13

Greet one another       Romans 16:16

Bear one another's burdens     Galatians 6:2

Be devoted to one another     Romans 12:10

Honor one another      Romans 12:10

Teach one another       Romans 15:14

Submit to one another Ephesians 5:21

Encourage one another           1 Thessalonians 5:11

A Word of Encouragement for Ministry Families



My hero in ministry is my dad!
We have a very close relationship.



As a preachers kid, and now in the ministry myself; I am often asked what it was that my parents did that resulted in me following in their footsteps.

Before I go any further, let me first say that our ministry is a calling from God and it is not a “genetic” or an “inherited” thing.  We all have a ministry as part of the body of Christ, and it is our responsibility to answer the call of God on our life and to do what He wants us to do.  As parents, my wife and I do not pray that our children will become preachers, teachers, apostles, prophets or evangelists; but our prayer is that they will answer the call of God on their lives, and be involved in their God-ordained ministry.

My parents never put any sort of pressure or expectation on me to be a preacher or pastor.  That pressure was there, but it usually came from “well meaning” people who would say things like “are you going to be a preacher like your daddy one day”.  However, my parents did encourage me to be active in ministry, whether it was assisting in the maintenance of the church grounds, playing musical instruments, or any other activities around the church.

So what did my parents do?  I acknowledge that it is only by the grace of God and the prayers of my parents that I am serving God today.  I know my parents were not perfect, but they loved God, loved each other, and loved their children.  They were Godly examples – they were the same at home as they were at church.  They modelled the importance of having priorities and living by biblical principles.



My family - on a recent ministry trip to a recent trip
to Murray Island in the Torres Strait.



Looking back, I can see that when priorities are “nailed down”, it makes decision making a lot easier.  So many problems were solved by going back to our values and priorities.  I recall a discussion about playing “just one game” of cricket on a Sunday.  It was never going to happen – because Sunday is church.  Cricket is for every other day of the week except Sunday – church is a priority.

Recently I was reading the gripping account of Abraham and Isaac, and it occurred to me that Isaac was never consulted about the little expedition he and his dad took.  When Abraham headed up to the mountain to worship, we do not read of Abraham asking for Isaac’s opinion.  Similarly, being born into a ministry family is not something children get to choose.

When Isaac was bound on that altar, he was caught up in something that was a matter between Abraham and God.  Abraham said, “me and my boy will go yonder and worship” (Gen 22:5).  I cannot see anywhere where Isaac was okay about it.  Isaac was a “victim” of his father’s decision to “worship”.  Sometimes being a “preacher's kid” feels like that.

To take it a step further, Abraham then proceeded to make Isaac carry the wood for the sacrifice.  Isaac climbing up the mountain carrying the wood (a burden) which was entirely the result of his father’s decision and ends up bound on an altar with a knife to his throat.  This was not a matter between Isaac and Abraham, it was about Abraham showing his love to God.

What thoughts must have been going through Isaac’s mind when it dawned on him what was happening.  Abraham didn’t say “we are going up to the mountain and I’m going to slit your throat”.  No – he said “we are going to go worship”.

Isaac looks around and says, “I see the wood and I see the fire – but where is the sacrifice”.  But carefully notice Abraham’s response to Isaac.  He didn’t say “you’re the one Isaac – I am going to sacrifice you”, but instead he said “God will provide the sacrifice”. (Gen 22:8)

Without these words, I don’t think Abraham could have made it - “Son….God will provide”. 

Worship and service to God requires sacrifice, but God will provide what is needed for you to achieve God’s pleasure in your life.  Our responsibility is to climb the mountain and rely on God to provide.

As the story progresses, the knife is about to come down and Isaac is gazing into his fathers face (who is worshipping remember).  Isaac is the victim, and he is about to lose his life.  Right in the middle of his dilemma, Abraham heard the voice of God.  The Bible says that the angel of the LORD spoke to Abraham out of heaven (Genesis 22:11).  No doubt Isaac would have heard it as well.  As a result of this whole expedition, not only did God know Abraham was committed, but there was a young man who heard the voice of God.  Isaacs bonds are loosed, he is a changed individual, because he heard the voice of God in his dilemma.



Lachlan and Lucas - i pray that i can be
as good example to them as
dad was to me



If I was Isaac, I would have responded by saying, “Dad, that almost killed me and I don’t want anything to do with you and your worship again.  Your idea of worshipping God and serving God is too much for me and I want out”.  But that was not Isaac.

We hear about “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. But in reality, Isaac isn’t as prominent as Abraham or Jacob.  Isaac isn’t known for anything really great. Everything Isaac received, he received from his dad.  Isaac didn’t dig his own wells, he re-dug his dad’s wells.  Isaac didn’t accumulate wealth, He inherited wealth from his dad.  But even though Isaac didn’t dig his own wells, he still had to access the life giving water for himself.  He had to make his dad’s well his own.  All children, especially ministry children, need to make “things” their own.

For most people, if they had to go through an experience like Isaac, it would turn them against God for the rest of their life.  Sometimes it can feel like your on the altar and you had no say in it at all.  It can feel like you are carrying a burden to your own sacrifice – all because dad and mum are doing what God called them to do – “the worship thing”.

There are many tragic stories of preacher’s kids developing bitterness against God because of their experiences as a child in a ministry family.  Some walk away from God, not wanting anything to do with church.   However, looking at the account of Abraham and Isaac, it strikes me is that after such a traumatic experience – Isaac went still we onto to serve God.  Even to the very end, Isaac was a man of faith, demonstrated by his mention in the “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11.

The best thing you can do for your children is live a life of faith.  When you do so, you are showing your children that we serve a great God.  Your illogical decisions (in trusting in God) will serve to show your children that there is a power beyond “the preacher”.  Your children will equate your worship to the credibility of your God.  God will provide!

Your act of faith will allow your children to hear the voice of God for themselves, and they can walk off that mountain knowing that God will provide, and there will be no hesitation in trusting God through the sacrificial giving of their life in ministry.

Jonathan Downs

July 2012

A Tale of Two Dogs

Once upon a time, there was a dog that lived in a sprawling house in the middle of the city. Though the house had plenty of doggie toys and plenty of room for play, the city dog hated being cooped up inside. Day after day, it looked longingly out the window and past the fenced-in yard around the house to the street where cars zoomed and pedestrians rushed by. The dog made little use of its spacious accommodations, choosing instead to focus on the doors that were always closed and the curtains that were always drawn.

Every evening, the city dog anxiously awaited the arrival of its master – not because it loved the master but because the master’s arrival provided an opportunity for escape. As soon as the dog heard the master’s keys jingle outside the door, it attempted a mad dash out of the house and into the yard. But without fail the good master, with a pained expression of disappointment, made sure the dog stayed inside where no harm might befall it. Wearily the dog would retreat to a corner of the house and start planning its next escape.

~~~~~

A dozen miles away, there was another dog. This dog lived in a one-room house set on a sprawling country farm. At one edge of the farm’s borders was a cliff overlooking a rushing river. On the other side was a dark forest. But no fences were present. The country dog was free to roam the farm, but it usually preferred to stay close to the front porch. It worried that if it strayed too far, it might miss its master’s arrival.

Every evening, the master’s arrival was the highlight of the country dog’s day. As soon as the master came into view, the dog would bound to his side to greet him. It followed close behind him, wanting to get into the house, not because of anything special inside but simply because it was where the master stayed. Each day without fail, the master showered his love and affection on the country dog and then led it inside the tiny farmhouse, where it wagged its tail with great contentment. Even in a shack, it was so satisfied to be in the master’s presence that the outside world held no power of attraction for it.

Lesson

Growth in holiness does not take place when our focus is on the boundaries but when our focus is on the Master. Fences may keep us from harm, but love for the Master is what keeps us from fences.

(Source Unknown)

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A Word for Ministry Families with Children.

As a preachers kid, and now in the ministry myself; I am often asked what it was that my parents did that resulted in me following in their footsteps.

Before I go any further, let me first say that our ministry is a calling from God and it is not a “genetic” or an “inherited” thing. We all have a ministry as part of the body of Christ, and it is our responsibility to answer the call of God on our life and to do what He wants us to do. As parents, my wife and I do not pray that our children will become preachers, teachers, apostles, prophets or evangelists; but our prayer is that they will answer the call of God on their lives, and be involved in their God-ordained ministry.

My parents never put any sort of pressure or expectation on me to be a preacher or pastor. That pressure was there, but it usually came from “well meaning” people who would say things like “are you going to be a preacher like your daddy one day”. However, my parents did encourage me to be active in ministry, whether it was assisting in the maintenance of the church grounds (mowing lawns and gardening), playing musical instruments, or any other activities around the church.

So what did my parents do? First of all…..prayer! I acknowledge that it is only by the grace of God and the prayers of my parents that I am serving God today. I know my parents were not perfect, but they loved God, loved each other, and loved their children. What more could one ask for?

My parents were Godly examples – they were the same at home as they were at church. There was no “fake”. There wasn’t any “turning it on for the church people”. I believe that one of the most important things in raising children in the ministry is “authenticity”.

My parents modelled the importance of having priorities. We were taught that God was our first priority and my parents modelled the application of that principle in life. Now looking back, I can see that when priorities are “nailed down”, it makes decision making a lot easier. I remember many problems being sorted out by going back to our values and priorities. I recall a discussion about playing “just one game” of cricket on a Sunday. It was never going to happen – because Sunday is church. Cricket is for every other day of the week except Sunday. Although I wasn’t always happy with the outcome of the decision, it was always consistent.

There were times when I would have preferred to be just one of the other church kids, and not have to deal with the expectation that preacher’s kids are born angels and don’t do anything wrong. If you don’t remember anything else I’ve written, please remember that preacher’s kids are like any other child. Please don’t expect them to be anything else.

Recently I was reading the gripping account of Abraham and Isaac, and it occurred to me that Isaac was never consulted about the little expedition he and his dad took. When Abraham headed up to the mountain to worship, we do not read of Abraham asking for Isaac’s opinion. Similarly, being born into a ministry family is not something children get to choose.

When Isaac was bound on that altar, he was caught up in something that was a matter between Abraham and God. Abraham said, “me and my boy will go yonder and worship” (Gen 22:5). I cannot see anywhere where Isaac was okay about it.
Isaac was a “victim” of somebody else’s decision, and his dad called it worship. Sometimes being a “preacher's kid” feels like that.

To take it a step further, Abraham made Isaac carry the wood for the sacrifice. Here is Isaac climbing up the mountain carrying the wood (a burden) which was somebody else’s decision entirely. Isaac ends up bound on an altar with a knife to his throat and it was all because of Abraham’s issue with God. This was not a matter between Isaac and Abraham, it was about Abraham showing his love to God.

Reading through the account I was gripped with thoughts of what Isaac must have been thinking when it dawned on him what was going on. Abraham didn’t say “we are going up to the mountain and I’m going to slit your throat”. No – he said “we are going to go worship”.

Isaac says, “I see the wood and I see the fire – but where is the sacrifice”. (Gen 22:7)
Abraham didn’t say “you’re the one Isaac – I am going to sacrifice you”. He said “God will provide the sacrifice”. (Gen 22:8)

Without these words, I don’t think Abraham could have made it - “Son….God will provide”.

The next time a question comes, speak these words “God will provide”.

Worship requires sacrifice. But God will provide what is needed for you to achieve God’s pleasure in your life. Our responsibility is to climb and rely on God to provide.

As the story progresses, the knife is about to come down and Isaac is gazing into his fathers face (who is worshipping remember). Isaac is the victim and he is about to lose his life. Then, right in the middle of his dilemma, Isaac heard the voice of God. The Bible says that the angel of the LORD spoke to Abraham out of heaven (Genesis 22:11). As a result of this whole expedition, not only did God know Abraham was committed but there was a young man who heard the voice of grace. Isaacs bonds are loosed he is a changed individual, because he heard the voice of God in his dilemma.

If I was Isaac, I would have responded by saying, “Dad, let me have a word with you. That almost killed me and I don’t want anything to do with it. Your idea of worshipping God and serving God is too much for me and I want out”. But that was not Isaac.

We read in the Bible about God being “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. Here is Isaac, who for the most part was not notable. Other than being the one on the altar at the mercy of his dad, Isaac is not really known for anything. Everything Isaac received, he received from his dad. Isaac didn’t dig his own wells, he re-dug his dad’s wells. Isaac didn’t accumulate wealth, He inherited wealth from his dad.

While Isaac didn’t dig his own wells, he still had to access the life giving water for himself. In other words, he had to make them his own. All children, especially ministry children, need to make “things” their own.

As parents, we need to demonstrate to a lifestyle/environment that will hopefully influence them to choose life. They must experience the same God that we love and serve! They must experience God for themselves. This will give them a thirst that can only be quenched by God himself, leading them to drink for the same wells that we drink from – following in our footsteps.

For most people, if they had to go through an experience like Isaac, it would turn them against God for the rest of their life. Sometimes it can feel like your on the altar and you had no say in it at all. It can feel like you are carrying a burden to your own sacrifice – all because dad and mum are doing the “worship thing”.

I’ve heard of many tragic stories of preacher’s kids developing bitterness against God for what they had to go through as a child in a ministry family. Some walk away from God, not wanting anything to do with church. Some even walk away from their parents.
However, looking at the account of Abraham and Isaac, it strikes me is that after such a traumatic experience – Isaac went still we onto to live for God and still served God.

Think about it……
· How could Isaac go down that mountain and look at his father again?
· How could Isaac go on to re-dig his dad’s wells?
· How could Isaac go on to succeed his dad in his legacy by embracing his heritage?

Isaac equated his dad’s desperate attempts to please the Lord to his faith! He equated his desperate attempts to please the Lord to the credibility of his God, and Isaac said “I want that” and I am going to spend the rest of my life honouring my father.

The best thing you can do for your children is live a life of faith. When you do so, you are showing your children that we serve a great God. Your illogical decisions (in trusting in God) will serve to show your children that there is a power beyond “the preacher”. Your children will equate your worship to the credibility of your God. God will provide!

Your act of faith will allow your children to hear the voice of God for themselves, and they can walk off that mountain knowing that God will provide. There will be no hesitation in trusting God through the sacrificial giving of their life – in ministry.

Another Level

Genesis 19:15-22
[15] And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
[16] And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
[17] And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
[18] And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
[19] Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
[20] Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
[21] And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
[22] Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
[23] The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

Judgement is centered on Sodom and Gomorrah, but mercy provides a way of escape for Lot. The Bible says that the angel of the Lord hastened Lot to get out of the city let he and his family be consumed in the iniquity of the city, but Lot lingered.

The Bible goes on to say that God put him outside of the city and told him to “escape for they life, don’t look back, don’t stay in the plain – go to the mountain – let thou be consumed”.

Grace and mercy reaches after him and pulls him and his family out of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Notice this…..the mercy of God can pull you out of destruction, but will always give you instruction. We must heed God’s instruction.

The mercy of God will always be accompanied with instruction. Think about the woman caught in the act of adultery. Mercy steps on the scene and saves her from destruction, but Jesus gives her some instructions.

Mercy meets a man possessed with demons, heals him, and puts him in his right mind. The mercy of God reaches out to Him, then Jesus gives him instruction (Mark 5:19).

If the mercy of God has pulled you out of destruction – be careful to follow the instruction of the Lord! Follow the instruction of the Lord.

God told Lot to go to the mountain (another level), but Lot compromised and wanted to stay in the same proximity – the familiar. Lot said “Oh, not so, my Lord” (Genesis 19:18), how about I go to this small place nearby (Genesis 19:20). Lot thought he had a better idea!

I’ve been in the church long enough to know the some people want to be delivered, but they aren’t ready to change their lifestyle. They prefer, like Lot, to go to a small place that is nearby. They prefer the same old same old. Lot comprises going to another level to go to this little place.

[20] Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

If the mercy of God has touched your life, make sure you follow His instructions because He will take you to another level.

That’s my five minutes!

Happy Christmas

Daddy!

John 14:18 – “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you”.

Jesus is speaking in John 14 and He tells us that He will not leave us comfortless. That work comfortless means “orphans” or “fatherless”. Jesus is saying “I will not leave you without a Daddy”.

Paul is speaking in Romans 8 and says “whereby we have the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father” or “Daddy Father”.

When we come to church we come to “engage” with God, to meet with God, to talk to God, to worship Him, to hear from Him.

In thinking about God as our Daddy, it helps us to understand the fundamentals of our relationship with God and the way we interact with God. Unfortunately many struggle to have a close relationship with God because of a misunderstanding of exactly who God is to us. Many people approach God with the mentality that they have to beg Him to help them or beg Him to meet with them, or beg Him to talk to them.

We feel like we have to say “Daddy, please heal me”, “Daddy, please deliver me” or “Daddy, please touch me”.

Having a child, it has helped me better understand God as my father. It has also helped me understand the dynamics of my relationship with God. Lachlan doesn’t approach me begging for something……he just walks up to me and says “Daddy, I want this”. He can trust me, as Daddy, to talk to Him, deal with him properly, love Him, to be there for Him.

Many today are weary and in the middle of a battle. Many are warn out, and yet the battle is not over. What God is saying is “I have come to pick you up. I want to put you in my lap and minister to you, comfort you – minister health, comfort and healing to you”.

In Luke 4, Jesus is saying “I am anointed to preach the deliverance to the poor”.

Psalm 23:4 – ye, though “I” walk. Not “we”. “I” will feel no evil…..for “thou” are with me. Jesus is saying “I told you – you will be alone, and although no human help would be there – I will be with you”.

We have a God who is our father, and like a Daddy that takes the hand of a child and walks them through dangerous places such as car parks, past big scary dogs, across the busy and dangerous streets – He is with us always. He is like a daddy who is there to comfort a child after they have had a bad dream. Daddy makes it all OK!

What God wants us to know is, “I am your Daddy” – you don’t have to beg me, wonder if I want to touch you, minister to you, heal you, deliver you, comfort you.

You belong to God, you are His child – you don’t have to wonder if God is going to show up!

He is not a “dead beat” dad. You don’t have to seek after Him. He said “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you”.

Daddy is coming. When you understand this, you will find “rest”.

Between "To Will" and "To Do"

Philippians 2:13: For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

In this scripture, Paul differentiates between God’s desire to do something in our life and the fulfilment of that desire. It is God who works in you both “to will and to do”. Paul is telling the church at Phillip that God wants to work amongst them because he wants to do His will in their life.

For those reading this short devotional – I want you to know that God wants to do His will in your life. God gets pleasure when we are in His will.

So when God works among us, it is not just to entertain us, but it is to put us into a position where He can do in our lives the things that He wants to do – “His good pleasure”.

There is comfort that comes only when you know that you are in the will of God and doing what God has called you to do. Who is it that wants to do the will of God?

But, what do you do if you don’t know God will. There will be times when you cannot honestly say that you are in the perfect will of God. There will be times when we stand between to the “to will” and the “to do”. What do you do when you find yourself in this position?

Genesis 12 tells the story about Abraham, when he was 75 years old, being called out of his country and away from his family unto a land that God would show him. God said “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”. What a promise? But how was Abraham going to inherit the promise? God told him to walk! Just walk! “I’m not going to tell you where it is now Abraham. First you’ve got to walk!”

If you read the account you will find that Abraham walked for 15 years and then stopped. Abraham turns 90 years old and He gets in God’s face and says “God, I’m 90 years old now and I’ve walked 15 years from Ur. I don’t understand how I am in this position. I’ve got to know your will”. God looks at him and says “Abraham, the day that I called you I told you to walk…now get up and walk before me Abraham, my ways are still the same”.

If you are between “to will” and “to do”, and you don’t know what God’s will is at this time, just walk in God’s ways. You may not know His will, but His ways have not changed! It is His ways that will lead you into His will!

Don’t allow the confusion of what you don’t understand to push your heart away from the passion of the things you do understand. When you don’t know His will, you’ve got to remember His ways. It is His ways that will lead you into His will!

That's my five minutes!

What i learnt from a telemarketer!

“And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.” (II Kings 7:3-4)

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12)

Who likes telemarketers? I think I hear a resounding…..NOT ME! I have never met a person that likes receiving a call from a telemarketer. I admit, the first thing I think about when I realise that I have answered a phone call from a telemarketer is “how can I get off this call”. I admit, I have resorted to hanging up sometimes when it seems that the person isn’t going to stop for a breath and doesn’t seem to be listening to me. Why is it that they always call in the middle of dinner?

Given Australians dislike for telemarketers, it got me thinking. Why on earth do companies persist with such marketing methods. You would think that cold-calling people would have to be the most unproductive way of drumming up business. Yet it seems we still get these calls.

Companies use telemarketers because they know that if they sit around waiting for more business, they will more than likely not get it. They have to be aggressive!

You have to admire these Samaritan lepers. They realised that they were in a “lose-lose” situation. They realised that no one was going to offer them food in the midst of a famine, and if they were going to get rid of those hunger pains, they would have to take matters into their own hands. If they maintained the unchanging status quo, then they were going to get the same results that they had been getting—no food and ultimately death. They realised that they would have to be aggressive.

Why is it that minority groups in our society seem to have such “loud” voices? One word “aggressive”. They’ve got something to fight for – something that they believe in and it is worth fighting for. They will push against mainstream society in order to have their voice heard!

Think about the gay community. They have risen to prominence via a core group who zealously promoted its cause. Within the last 20 years, homosexuality has become acceptable by most media outlets. It’s being promoted in schools as a normal lifestyle and anyone with differing viewpoints may be taken to court. Even some churches are now accepting this lifestyle in their organisation – even why the Bible calls it an abomination (something God hates). These people are aggressive about what they believe.

God wants Christians to be aggressive about His kingdom, too. That’s why Jesus said that the violent take heaven by force (Matthew 11:12). A good paraphrase would be that those wanting to make it to heaven are going to have to shove their way past anything that gets in their way.
Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

Are we being aggressive about God daily, or are we satisfied with the status quo. Church attendance, occasional prayer, the odd Bible study. Has your walk with God become something you do with your spare time? Let’s get serious about this thing!

That's my five minutes!

"They HAD potential" - Something i don't want to hear!

Every individual must write his or her own ending to this story!

Luke 15:28-32
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

The petition he heard from his father.

1. It was a petition of pleading

• The father went out and “entreated” this boy to come in to the feast.
• The word “entreat” means “to come alongside of another to offer aid and comfort, to beg, to console, to comfort, to encourage".
• It is the same word that is translated “Comforter” in John 16:13 and is one of the names of the Holy Spirit. This father loved him.

2. It was a petition of promise

• The father praised him for his efforts, and reminded him that everything was already his! In effect, this father was saying, “I value you and our relationship together more than I value your works".
• This boy could have enjoyed fellowship with the father anytime he wanted, but apparently, he was too wrapped up within his own legalism and narrow-mindedness to realise it.
• This boy wanted what the father had, but he did not want the father, and he did not want anyone else to have the father either.
• What a tragedy!

3. It was a petition of priorities

• The father tells this boy that is was “meet” that they should have this celebration. The word “meet” means “necessary”. To the father, the return of the lost son was a cause for celebration.
• A lost one had been found.
• One considered dead was now alive again.

You see, instead of pouting, this boy could have been partying!

• Look at this chapter: everyone is happy but this boy.
• The shepherd is happy. The woman is happy.
• The father is happy. The lost son is happy.
• The servants are happy. The only person in misery is this elder brother.

And, he is miserable because he refuses to be happy. The feast is there, all he has to do is go in and enjoy himself. But, he is standing out there pouting, because he didn’t get his way and because he is not the center of attention!

Have you ever noticed that this is an open-ended story?
Did the elder brother ever come into the feast? We don’t know.
I think Jesus left it this way for a reason.

And here is that reason: Every individual must write his or her own ending to this story!

That's my five minutes!