Broken Down Walls

Ever struggled with walls and chains that just did not want to budge or break?  We all have.  Then God comes onto the scene and sets us free, break down the walls and a new life begins.  Change, however, is not easy in any man’s vocabulary.  It is hard and often times quite uncomfortable.  Sometimes we look back and miss certain aspects of our old life or how things used to be, and so we make the biggest mistake possible and head back to where we were.

I know that at this moment you probably read the paragraph above, and thought to yourself; never!  “There is no way I would ever do something this dumb.”  Fact of the matter is that this might be a lot simpler than we realise.  Take the character if Hiel for instance.  We read that during the time of King Ahab, this man started rebuilding the walls of Jericho.  If this sounds a little off to you as well, then you also realised what I realised while reading this passage in 1 Kings. 

34In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun. -1 Kings 16:34

Now this might have been a noble act originally.  When we see the rebuilt city as an economic move ahead or it might even be strategic for warfare with the enemy.  All things considered, this might have been a great advancement for the kingdom.  However, there is a catch.  Have you noted in what way this happened as well?  This man buried his firstborn beneath the foundations of this restoration.  This was strange in the sense that it was a pagan practice.  In order to receive favour from the gods, firstborns were used to lay the foundations of a new building or city.  Clearly this was not a Godly act.  

26At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:
“At the cost of his firstborn son
he will lay its foundations;
at the cost of his youngest
he will set up its gates  -Joshua 6:26

This is shocking.  Joshua clearly made it known that to rebuilt this city that God destroyed in favour of His people, will in no way be an act inspired by Him but an act inspired by evil.  It is not our place to rebuilt what God broke down for us.  Do not go back to the cage that God broke you out of.  Put that in the past and let it go.  The good news is. and I'll leave you with this, is that God is overflowing with grace...

8The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust. -Psalm 103:8-14

Guilt Born of Fear

Fear.  This is something we all know too well.  But I am not on the topic of fear for heights, or the dark, or even spiders or a small enclosed space today.  I am on the topic of fear of God.  Also, not the fear that we can also translate with being in awe, but rather fear, that is driven by our conscience. 

We all have a past.  Usually, it is not something we are proud of and would like to change it or redo it if we had a chance.  Maybe it is a very recent past.  Let’s bring it closer to home; how has your day been?  Have you miss stepped during this day?  Was there a moment in this day where you dishonoured God or did what you knew was not according to the will of God.  Have you sinned today?

Whatever the case may be, it is easy to start feeling guilty over something.  Now we know that God is almighty.  That God is all powerful.  That God is all knowing.  God is the creator of everything we see.  The only holy and truly righteous being we know.  God is the King over all.  Yet, thanks to Christ, we now have an audience with God.  This God.

It is normal to start feeling uncomfortable at this point.  How can we, as sinner and flawed people, be in the presence of this Almighty King?  We have sinned and fell short of our calling.  The problem is, this guilt separates us and holds us back from enjoying God’s presence.  We choose to not commune with our source of life because we feel guilty.  This guilt; is rooted in a fear of punishment. 

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you^a free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^b God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.^c And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. -Romans 8:1-4

We are assured that there is no more condemnation for us once we are in Christ Jesus.  Life through the Spirit is what makes this pardoning possible.

 17This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  -1 John 4:17-18

We have been given this love.  The love which hung on a cross for all of our sins and trespasses.  We can now take up this love and lay down the misguided fear of being punished.  We do not have to be feel guilty but can step boldly to the Throne of God and enjoy God’s presence.

It is up to you, to make this forgiving love your own and not to trip over your own conscience.

Adopting a New Reality

Allow me to share a personal experience with you.  Yesterday I took a day off.  I mostly filled it with catching up on sleep and watching movies and especially series.  The series I watched was about a time on earth after a nuclear war.  I spent hours watching episodes back to back, always curious about what is happening next and truly living into what I saw.  At the end of my day, everything felt so surreal.  It felt like I needed to convince myself of the reality of the birds and the trees outside.

At this stage in the day it was already after sunset and quite late at night so the darkness around me even gave it a bigger effect.  At this point I realised something; I was so busy the entire day living into these episodes and the situations that these characters had to deal with, that for a moment in time, their reality became mine.

So, why can’t God’s reality be ours.  If we spend all our time or most of our time in a day, focused on what the world says and the situations you find yourself in… things might start to look pretty gloomy.  The world we live in is a rat race for time and money.  If this is all there is to life then we might as well end it now. 

Spending time with God, and spending all of our time with God, is what will make our reality shift from our limited one, to His eternal and true reality.  This is where we need to be.  God needs to be our only reality.

Preparation Time

Time in prayer is time invested.  This quote stuck with me these last couple of days.  I realised I do not always invest as I should, but then my question was; what am I investing?  See, earlier we spoke of how we need to stay in the throne room of God.  How we need to serve other from that place within the presence of the Most High.  But what exactly am I investing when I say that time in prayer is time invested?

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. -Jeremiah 29:11

We know this scripture really well.  We quote it often when we are confused about what is happening next in our lives or what door to take.  But in context it gets a different flavour.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”  -Jeremiah 29:13-14

We never read this last part, do we?  We also have a responsibility.  We need to seek God.  Here the Israelites are promised a time of freedom from Babylonian captivity.  They will be brought to a better place.  A place of prosperity, yet this will also demand more from them. 

In the same way, we need to stay in prayer and spend time in prayer as often as possible.  This is the time where God can prepare our minds and our hearts for what He has in store for us.  Where we can get ourselves, ready and focussed for the future.  This is preparing for battle, for action or for whatever is coming.  This time that you invest, is time in which you are being built up.

So, in short it is of the utmost importance that we prepare for what God has coming for us.  Don’t be caught off guard.

The joy of the Lord.

The joy of the Lord is my strength.  A phrase that is extremely famous.  But what do we mean when we say the joy of the Lord is my strength.  In Nehemiah 8:10 we see this verse.  But the context is important.  T this stage, some of the Israelites has just returned home after captivity in Babylon.  They have rebuilt what was needed mostly and now Nehemiah stands up to read the law. 

“He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.”  -Nehemiah 8:3

He read this law for an entire day while people listened intensively.  This had to be some instruction.  This scripture also says that the people wept and mourned as they heard the words.  My guess is the realisation of how far they drifted from God and probably how they messed up.  It is then that Nehemiah gives the command for the people too celebrate.  He stated that this is the Holy day of the Lord and that rejoicing should be in order.

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  - Nehemiah 8:10

This is quite something.  Here the Israelites learned that they dishonored God, yet after this instruction they are expected to celebrate.  I am of the opinion that grace was celebrated.  Mercy.  A new chance.

We tend to miss the details God gives attention to in our lives.  Each day there is much to be celebrated.  To rejoice in God is to rejoice in His instructions and always giving second chances.  And although we feel guilty and realis what we did wrong, the joy in His grace is what gives us strength.  His joy over us returning is what gives us strength.

Only one source of Life

What is your source?  Yes, I asked this question before, but it is a needed one.  Let’s go a little deeper, on what do you depend to live daily?  To make an existence or to at least see the sunlight of tomorrow?  It might be the food on your table, your salary, your boss or a person you started a new venture with.  It might be your parents if you are still living under their roof or your skills that got you the job you now have.

We all have things we depend on for life.  We live in a system that works with money as its currency.  For this reason, we cannot live in this system without this currency.  Money buys you basic needs like food and shelter.  Money buys you education and can open up a future for you.  It creates comfort if you gathered enough, but it can also cause you to have great anxiety when you lost a lot or struggle to gather even little.

We tend to overlook these facts.  Yet, the principle of God being your life and life source is still a principle.  It did not disappear when God saw that we now have money and that if we work hard enough or some opportunities land magically on your lap, that you will survive.  Before our age, there were also things people were dependent on for life.  Even if it was only the meat on the fire in a cave.  What I am about to say might sound strange, if it does, you truly understand the depth of what I am stating here; God is your source of life.  Not the food you eat or the salary you receive.  Not the exercise you get each day or the amount of water you drink.  God.  Before all food and water, God breathed life’s breath into you.  He didn’t need food or water or money for that.  We sustain our lives on that because we are in this world with bodies made of flesh and blood.

Yet with the above being said, we need to realise that we are living a spiritual life through Christ.  That we no longer only depend on the physical.  I am by no means stating that you should quit your job or stop eating.  What I am saying is, realise that this maintains your body, but it is not your source.  That is quite a mind shift.  Peter tried walking on the water.  When you saw his own strength or the science behind H2O as his source, it didn’t work out for him too well.  When you fixed his eyes on God and saw Jesus as his source, he walked on water and defied the laws of nature itself.

If God is not your source, and only you know in your heart what you see as your real source, then you are busy with idol worship.

The Always-present God

Today we continue on a concept mentioned in yesterday’s post; to be in God’s Throne room 24/7.  It might sound absurd. How can I be busy with God all the time?  And then there is the question of missing the mark, to sin and fall short of His presence (Where did we even get that?).

So, first things first.  Missing the kingdom.  Is that even possible?  Well, no!  And here is my explanation.  The moment we have been baptized, we are dead to sin and alive through Christ, which is a topic on itself for another time.  We have a new identity.  We are now in Christ… not outside of Christ, in Him.  Jesus prays for His disciples in John…

"that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." -John 17:21

See what this is?  God in us, we in Him.  There is no separating this unity.  What God has put together, no man can separate.  How else do we understand the scripture that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ?  We are in God and God in us.  That means that I am in the presence of God all the time, because God is in me.  Trying to move out of God’s Kingdom would be to try and get rid of your shadow.  When you confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you gave up the option of living on your own, away from God.  God is always with you.

So, what are we missing then?  Why does it not always feel like God is near?  Well, our failure to observe.  Does scripture not say that He will never leave us, nor forsake us?  God is always present.  Picture this.  You are spending a day with a friend.  Wherever you go, that friend goes.  So not speaking with that friend or deliberately looking at them, does not mean that that friend disappeared for a moment, it only meant that you did not pay attention.  You weren’t aware.  You can spend an entire day like that with someone, without feeling any connection at all to that person.  Your relationship only grows, and knowledge is only gained from one another when you pay attention and engage this person.  It is exactly the same with God.

My challenge to you is then this; to not try and be in God’s presence 24/7, because that you are as we speak, but to be aware of God being in yours.

From the Throne room

My previous post was about making God our only source.  To not be faded or influenced by this world or the people around us.  Today’s post links up with that idea.  We received the mandate to minister to our fellow brothers and sisters.  When I say brothers and sisters, it is humanity wide.  Not just the Christian faith but all people in our surrounding vicinity.  The assignment, to preach the Gospel.  To minister Life.

We are in contact with people daily.  In some or another form.  Whether it is the person behind the counter or a waiter serving your table.  Whether it is your boss or the person you share an office with.  It can even be a man on a street corner or the person that engaged with your Facebook post.  We minister all the time, regardless of the whether you are aware of it or not.  This is a scary fact.  To how many people have you ministered negativity or death, without realizing or being fully aware of 

what you are doing or saying at that very moment?

I hope you are starting to see the gravity of the situation I am posing here.  This is not something ti take lightly.  The issue is, we have this “water-collector” image of what it is to minister.  We enter the Throne room, receive from God and the exit again to hand out or distribute what we have received, until we are maxed out.  Then we return to the Throne room in order to repeat the process.  But I do not for one moment believe this is how it was meant to be done.  I want to use the same scripture as yesterday for my reference;

Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”  -John 5:19

Jesus was in constant contact with the Father.  What God said and where God went, Jesus said or Jesus went.  When we then minister to people, we need to do it from the Throne room.  Ministering whilst sitting at God’s feet.  Not leaving God’s presence for even a second.  It is only then that I believe, we can minister to whom we need to, when we need to and in the fashion God wants us to.

So, the question then; Does that mean I need to be in constant contact with God?  Should I be in the Throne room all the time?  Always busy with God?

Yes… yes you should.

Our Single Source

A while back, a friend of mine made a comment about the people in our lives.  He said that we so eagerly want positive people, friends who holds us up and stays true.  People who are with us to the end and who inspire us.  But we are depending on the wrong source for inspiration.  Jesus was surrounded by people who doubted, who spoke negatively and who let him down multiple times.  The interesting part is that this never affected Jesus in any way.  He did not turn negative or also started to doubt.  He didn’t lose his hope in humanity once he was betrayed.

His secret?  His source.  Jesus spent time with the Father.  The Father was his source.  He depended on the Father for upliftment, hope and inspiration.  He simply moved among people and engaged with them as he saw the Father did: 

“Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”  -John 5:19

Don’t get me wrong, I am not asking of you to dump the friends you have and trade them in for people that is negative about life and has no faith.  What I am asking of you, is to not lock people out of your life, but to embrace whoever God puts on your path.  To use God as your single source and in that way, to be God’s hands and feet in this world.

Let’s make God our only source.