All will be revealed

Scripture

1 Timothy 5:24-25 “The sins of some men are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous,

and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

 

Observation

Nothing, either bad or good will be hidden forever. Things will always be revealed no matter how long that may take. Wisdom would tell me to take care of the sins of life now or else have them declared publicly later. Not to worry if no-one sees my good deeds as these too will be revealed.

 

Application

Be quick to repent for the things I do wrong so that they are dealt with now and not revealed at a later stage. Ensure the marks on my life are the things that are good. It reminds me that God sees everything and doesn’t just push things under the carpet but deals with everything – both good and bad.

 

Prayer

Jesus, be my reminder each day to deal with the sins of the day and not let them be swept under the carpet. All will eventually be revealed and I want my life to be lived in praise of who you are and not be sullied by my indiscretions.

 

Jim Jung

'The Good Fight'

S – 1 Tim 6:12

 

‘Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.’

 

O – Paul’s instruction to Timothy to fight the ‘good fight’ of faith. It seems there are good fights and perhaps not so good fights. It seems there were many controversies and energy diversions going on around Timothy. I see that Paul was saying to Timothy don’t extend energy into areas that aren’t important. There is a good fight and by inference there are bad fights. There are important things to pursue and there are unimportant things to pursue. He urges then the taking hold of Eternal life. I wonder if Timothy had taken his eyes off the main game and allowed some secondary issues to consume his focus and energy.

 

A – This challenges me to ask some important questions of myself. Am I fighting the good fight, or am I being energised into ‘bad fights’ or lesser causes? – Am I in a fighting mode at all? It’s consequential that if I am not in a fighting stance how easily my emphasise, thoughts, activities and energy goes to other places. How easy I find it to get involved in ‘bad fights’ – like issues, controversies and other priorities. I get rebuked at how much personal energy and even validation that I can expend and pursue. Paul’s antidote is the focus I need to grab. Take hold of eternal life. This is an active constant warfare perspective as to what my life is all about. Eternal Life is my rallying focus and perspective. It’s not a concept or an ideal. It seems as I take hold of it, make it the energising motivation, it brings me into the ‘good fight’ mode and action.

 

P – Lord you have called me into the good fight. Forgive me when I let lesser issues and controversies take my energies.

A deeper pursuit

Scripture:

So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. Colossians 3:1-2

 

Observation:

We live in a hurriedly full life. Where relationship tensions, work pressures and financial strain can cause us to deviate our attention to what ‘appears’ more pressing. It is so easy to do.  But here in Paul’s letter to the church 2000 years ago, he writes to refocus them. They too had deviated their focus to the shadows rather than to that of substance. They needed to recalibrate and we are in desperate need of this too.

 

Application:

I have been looking down and letting the things in front of me absorb my attention. I have been shuffling along.  It takes a lot to admit that…  My perspective has been skewed and has needed some major adjustment. I am thankful that God is bringing these areas to my attention but it is not enough to just acknowledge… there needs to be active change. I need to cultivate thankfulness, cultivate His Word and cultivate a deeper dependence and pursuit of Him.

 

Prayer:

Father, I am thankful that you are the lifter of my head. I acknowledge my perspective has needed to shift off of what I see in front of me to what you preside over… Kingdom things. I am sorry that my focus has slipped off the eternal and onto the temporal. Help me refocus. I want my pursuit of you to be far and above that of anything or anyone else in my life... for you ARE my life. I am committed to this pursuit. I thank you for your peace and presence in my life.

Amen.

 

 

Hayley

 

 

'Bearing or Brawling'

S – Colossians 3: 13 – 14

 

‘Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you – over all these virtues put on love.’

 

O – The importance of relational integrity in the overall mission and journey together as the family of God. ‘Bearing with each other’ brings the reality there will be issues, differences, annoyances and challenges in our relationships. This word ‘to bear’ is the fruit and attitude that carries and expresses all the necessary attributes that Paul mentions in the previous verses – Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness and Patience. All these are necessary if we are going to ‘bear with each other’. Bearing with each other is not reacting or contending, rather it is the carrying expression of these other qualities. When we ‘bear with each other’ it is the outworking of Holiness. Our forgiveness has to be total; it is for whatever grievance. Our grievances never tend to describe major issues, but lesser irritations that can become so major in our own perspectives and attitudes. Our forgiveness is based on a supreme example, not on conditions, merit or personal disposition.

 

A – This is an important relational check for my own personal attitudes in relationships. The ability to ‘bear’ is more than me being tolerant, or making a self gallant decision to ‘put up with’. It is actually an expression of Holiness. The imperative to forgive is not based on when I feel like it, or when I have worked the issue through, but to forgive whatever the grievance. I will not be able to do this unless I clothe myself with the attributes of Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness and Patience. Quick and unconditional forgiveness is reflection of our Holiness.

 

P – Lord I thank you that your example and unconditional forgiveness for me, enables me to release such to those around me. Let me be quick to forgive and to bear with others in my everyday walk and relationships.

Get off your butt and walk ye in it!

Scripture:

‘My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you have been given.’  Colossians 2:6

 

Observation:

Go Paul! This is his “Get off your butt and walk ye in it!” message. We all need one of those to reverberate through our minds every now and again and the Christians at Colosse were no different. Some of them had been taking the line that yes, Jesus is important but not preeminent. So Paul, in love, and in unswerving confidence speaks out of conviction that Christ occupies the centre…. And we draw all we need from Him.

 

Application:

How easy for me it is to take a look and think I haven’t got what I need. Statements like ‘when this happens…’  or ‘once I have… then I can…’

This is my own perception. My perception can be so negatively altered so it’s only when reading truth I get my reality check! So, the reality is that I now walk in the fullness of Christ.  Everything he has I have access to.  As my life finds its very foundations in Him I can be secure. I am woven in a tapestry of love (col 2:2) so my mind is confident and at rest – focused on Christ. I have what I need- I just need to go ahead and walk in it!

 

Prayer

Father, thank you for your recalibration of my heart today. I am sorry for allowing my thoughts to take me off course. Help me. I want Christ to be at the centre. Renew my thoughts Father.  I need to walk in everything you have given me- that which came at great cost to you- you have freely given to me…. I am grateful…. Help my actions reflect this.

amen.

 

 

 

 

Hayley

Wisdom in our elders

Scripture

1 Kings 12: 8 “But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisors”.

 

Observation

 The new King makes a really bad mistake and the kingdom of Israel is torn in half forever all because he arrogantly dismissed the wisdom of the elders. These elders had experience born from the pain of previous errors. Consequences of past mistakes had been their teacher. Wisdom had been developed within their lives through the trials and journeys of days gone by. Yet the new King rejects their advice and sides with his peers. “What do those old fuddy duddy’s know anyway – they’re past it – their era is over” appears to be his attitude. He didn’t just reject the old men’s advice, he rejected the wisdom of the ages past that they were handing to him. And everyone suffered.

 

Application

God has set me in a family. That family includes grandparents, older relatives, peers of my own age, and children. The lesson I see from the mistakes of this King is that he didn’t allow the older generation to sit at the table with the next generation to mentor and guide them in their decision making processes. He ignored the elders and elevated the young too quickly. Wisdom that had been gained was lost. I need to ensure I allow the elders to have a voice in my life and to ensure they are assisting my generation with the wisdom they have gained to help shape the decisions and directions made today.

 

Prayer

Father, thank you for this stark reminder of a failed king and his arrogance at rejecting the wisdom of his elders. May I be one that sees the value in our fathers and mothers, grandparents and older relatives. May I find ways to encourage them to pass on to me and my generation the wisdom they have gleaned through their lifetimes to ensure that the generation I represent doesn’t lose those hard won lessons.

 

Jim Jung

'The Main Game'

S – Ephesians 6: 10 – 11

 

‘Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.’

 

O – This instruction is a reminder as to what is important for the journey and what ‘the main game’ is, to be strong in the Lord, and not to just exist, have a belief, or to be passive, but to be at a peak of strength, through attention and perspective. This strength is not to be from a human source but in the Lord’s mighty power. This is the precursor for knowing that there is a main game and it requires a greater power and a dimension than my own. This importance for me to have a warfare mentality, perspective and preparation. It’s only as a ‘full armour’ attitude is embraced that the seriousness for battle is embraced. There is no perspective for a partially armoured contender. There is then the stance to be taken against the enemy’s schemes. This is not an option, nor can it be neglected delegated or ignored from a participants view point.

 

A – How I need to be reminded as to what the main game is. This instruction to be strong in the Lord brings me to some personal accountability. To be strong means my focus and priority needs to be challenged in this perspective. It’s only as I am strengthened in the Lord that I posture and take my ware fare assignment seriously. How easy I lose sight of this main game. I can find myself activated in many areas that are outside of being armed against the schemes of the devil. In this way I may even be an enabler of his schemes because of my distractions elsewhere. If my distractions are elsewhere I lose the imperative and urgency to ensure I am well armed. How effective am I against the schemes of the devil? This is a question I need to continuously ask and revue. This keeps me needing the strength of the Lord’s mighty power and to keep myself armed.

 

P – Lord, thank you for your mighty strength – help me to keep a warfare mentality and to be aware of the devil’s schemes. Forgive me when I relegate this warfare to a lesser assignment. Let me be fully armed and ready for the battle.

A Full or Partial Measure

S – ‘I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ’

 

 

O – How intentional Paul was undertaking his mission and ministry. It seems that wherever he went he wanted to ensure he was prepared as a minister to bring the full blessing of Christ to everyone. I’m sure there was some personal pleasure and enjoyment in seeing old friends, but he knew his mission. He knew his need to come in the ‘full measure’ of the blessing of Christ. I suppose he had experienced the frustration of ministering in a partial measure and the disappointing outcome of such. He was totally convinced he had nothing to share outside of what Christ had accomplished through him. He had learnt that the signs and miracles were only brought about through the full measure of the Spirit.

 

A – I wonder where my measuring indicator lies. I would like to think that it was at the full level. The reality is that I know it is only partial. This then is a challenge to me as a partial measure will never accomplish the Kingdom outcomes that the Lord ordained. The impact into people’s lives will only come from a full measure. I can get used to only having a partial measure and losing my desire and urgency to have my capacity both cleansed and deepened, and allowing other activities to fill up my measure. Then to have only a partial measure or just left over capacity to bring blessing. I feel the more partial I become the more I avoid the necessity to go or seek out people to minister to. I know that the greater will only come from my own measure from Christ.

 

P – Lord, I cannot allow myself to be a carrier of a partial blessing. Forgive me when I have allowed so many other things to occupy my measure. Help me to deal with those activities, attitudes and intentions that have robbed the development of the full measure of Christ.

There's "right" & then there's Right

Scripture:   Proverbs 21:2 “People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart”

 

Observation:  This scripture clearly shows that our ideas of “right”  & “wrong” can be coloured by our own perspectives.  However, there is a perspective higher than ours – a plumb line which never changes.  That is the perspective of the Lord, whose ways are always right.  And He is the only One who can truly test our hearts.  He can see what lies behind our choices, when  some of the motives behind our choices may even be hidden from ourselves!!  The Lord tells us in Jeremiah that “the human heart is the most deceitful of all things”.  That’s why we must have a plumb line that is higher than our own perspectives to measure our choices against.  And the Lord’s plumb line is the only one which is really straight & accurate – for every other one will be a measurement of fallible humanity’s!!

 

Application:  What plumb line do I use when I make choices between right & wrong?  Do I justify my choices with “everybody’s doing it?”; or “no-one will know”; or “I’m not hurting anyone”?  Or do I examine the options before me through the grid of the Lord’s Word, especially as revealed in Scripture?   This proverb clearly tells me that what I might consider “right” in my own eyes may not be right in the Lord’s!!   And as it is Him I long to please, then it is His ways I must choose every time!!

 

Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father,  thankyou for this reminder that, as Your child, my choices must be right in Your eyes, not my own!!  Help me to know Your Word & Your ways so well that, when choices between right & wrong come, I will choose Your right, not my own.  May any deception in my heart that would pull me away from You be revealed and dealt with, that I might grow ever closer to You.  In Jesus’ name   Amen

 

Sue Otto