Problems occur when we look to people to fulfil a role only God is capable of.
Friday, 20 February 2009
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Finally
Have spent the past month or so getting a tune together which represents a vision I had of a pendulum. It's in the player on the sidebar. I'll share the vision at some point too!
Monday, 26 January 2009
Friday, 2 January 2009
Anger and Disobedience
So here's a tough post which for me sums up the walk of 2008. Since October this year, I've asked God clearly how he would wish me to see things as we approach 2009. Through at least 3 people and/or situations, He told us (Ellie and I)to look at Jonah.
Jonah?
But wasn't he the spoilt, disobedient brat with an anger problem, who was trying to second-guess God?
Yeah.
Ok, so this was always going to be a little too "honest" and close to the knuckle for me, but it will shape a future if it's God speaking.
I've spent a lot of time in 2009 feeling a dejected, angry and confused. I was really hoping for some things to move on, but apparently they didn't. What I failed to see however, was that I hadn't obeyed God on a key area of my own life, whilst I was busy telling Him how to deal with the "Ninevah's" I saw all around me.
"One day long ago, God's Word came to Jonah, Amittai's son: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get."
But God doesn't need to me to tell Him about those other things. He needs me to respond to His calls and direction on my life.
God said, "What do you have to be angry about?"
So really, I got angry due to my own disobedience and lack of covenant-keeping with God.
But as we enter 2009, my prayer is changing. I wish to remember God. I have now decided to forget resolutions, and make a covenant of obedience in one key area of my life. I'm calling out rom the belly of the whale!
"When my life was slipping away,
I remembered God,
And my prayer got through to you,
made it all the way to your Holy Temple.
Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds,
walk away from their only true love.
But I'm worshiping you, God,
calling out in thanksgiving!
And I'll do what I promised I'd do!
Salvation belongs to God!"
Ellie and I are studying this book (Jonah) at the mo, and I'll post more as it pops up. But the key question for me remains.
"When we get angry at God, is it always because of what He has done / not done? Or are we sometimes ignoring our own responsibilities?"
Jonah?
But wasn't he the spoilt, disobedient brat with an anger problem, who was trying to second-guess God?
Yeah.
Ok, so this was always going to be a little too "honest" and close to the knuckle for me, but it will shape a future if it's God speaking.
I've spent a lot of time in 2009 feeling a dejected, angry and confused. I was really hoping for some things to move on, but apparently they didn't. What I failed to see however, was that I hadn't obeyed God on a key area of my own life, whilst I was busy telling Him how to deal with the "Ninevah's" I saw all around me.
"One day long ago, God's Word came to Jonah, Amittai's son: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get."
But God doesn't need to me to tell Him about those other things. He needs me to respond to His calls and direction on my life.
God said, "What do you have to be angry about?"
So really, I got angry due to my own disobedience and lack of covenant-keeping with God.
But as we enter 2009, my prayer is changing. I wish to remember God. I have now decided to forget resolutions, and make a covenant of obedience in one key area of my life. I'm calling out rom the belly of the whale!
"When my life was slipping away,
I remembered God,
And my prayer got through to you,
made it all the way to your Holy Temple.
Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds,
walk away from their only true love.
But I'm worshiping you, God,
calling out in thanksgiving!
And I'll do what I promised I'd do!
Salvation belongs to God!"
Ellie and I are studying this book (Jonah) at the mo, and I'll post more as it pops up. But the key question for me remains.
"When we get angry at God, is it always because of what He has done / not done? Or are we sometimes ignoring our own responsibilities?"
Monday, 22 December 2008
Intervention
This year, Christmas has struck me in a particular way. I've followed advent and the singing of traditional advent carols in a more thoughtful way this time around. A few really hit home for me. Particularly "O Come O Come Immanuel". Is it just me or is this carol a really depressing one?
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
The first verse seems to capture the mood of the carol. Israel was captive to Rome, a nation in exile, with prophetic promises unfulfilled, and an impatient waiting for the Saviour of the world to appear. There is a desperation in the words here. Mourning, captivity, "o come" - a plea to God.
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Death's dark shadows, un-cheered spirits, gloomy clouds of night. Israel was not in a good state. They were a good generation away from the last prophecies, and hope must have been in short supply. But they held on to a vague belief that God incarnate was on His way to save them. Ok they had more of an idea of political and war-mongering type revolution (which wasn't quite what Jesus did, he sort of trancended all of that), but they were watching and waiting in hope.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Thinking further, one can see here that the people were in a woeful, miserable, unfulfilled sate of longing. How many of us have been in that place? Unfulfilled hopes, waiting on prophecy to be brought to completion, sitting in misery, looking to God (and sometimes everywhere else we can find..!), mourning, exile, an un-peace-able-ness-until-God-sorts-it-out.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
The carol tells the Israel of history to wait, as God is coming. But we are singing back to the Israel of the past. The tense has changed. God has come. He did not stand by and watch his people in misery, destroying themselves, and being destroyed. He intervened. He came Himself, in flesh and blood, and encountered the human race first hand. He does not let His people go.
So as I read this carol I think with hindsight that we can "rejoice". We know God incarnate came through Jesus. He rescued His people in a way that went beyond what they dreamed or hoped. His revolution continues today in our hearts.
So this Christmas, as many struggle through times of difficulty, , at times feeling exiled from God's will, we have a hope that is celebrated in Christmas.
God comes.
God intervenes.
He doesn't just "stand there".
We invite His advent this Christmas for all those who are losing hope in their circumstances. There is a hope. There is a future in Jesus. Happy Christmas.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
The first verse seems to capture the mood of the carol. Israel was captive to Rome, a nation in exile, with prophetic promises unfulfilled, and an impatient waiting for the Saviour of the world to appear. There is a desperation in the words here. Mourning, captivity, "o come" - a plea to God.
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Death's dark shadows, un-cheered spirits, gloomy clouds of night. Israel was not in a good state. They were a good generation away from the last prophecies, and hope must have been in short supply. But they held on to a vague belief that God incarnate was on His way to save them. Ok they had more of an idea of political and war-mongering type revolution (which wasn't quite what Jesus did, he sort of trancended all of that), but they were watching and waiting in hope.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Thinking further, one can see here that the people were in a woeful, miserable, unfulfilled sate of longing. How many of us have been in that place? Unfulfilled hopes, waiting on prophecy to be brought to completion, sitting in misery, looking to God (and sometimes everywhere else we can find..!), mourning, exile, an un-peace-able-ness-until-God-sorts-it-out.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
The carol tells the Israel of history to wait, as God is coming. But we are singing back to the Israel of the past. The tense has changed. God has come. He did not stand by and watch his people in misery, destroying themselves, and being destroyed. He intervened. He came Himself, in flesh and blood, and encountered the human race first hand. He does not let His people go.
So as I read this carol I think with hindsight that we can "rejoice". We know God incarnate came through Jesus. He rescued His people in a way that went beyond what they dreamed or hoped. His revolution continues today in our hearts.
So this Christmas, as many struggle through times of difficulty, , at times feeling exiled from God's will, we have a hope that is celebrated in Christmas.
God comes.
God intervenes.
He doesn't just "stand there".
We invite His advent this Christmas for all those who are losing hope in their circumstances. There is a hope. There is a future in Jesus. Happy Christmas.
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
An Honest Prayer
I'm praying for you,
But not really for you
Because the things I ask God for
Are actually going to make my life easier.
If I really asked God what you need,
Would I say the same prayer?
If I really asked God what He wants,
Would the words trip so quickly from my mouth?
When you're so close that things affect me,
It's hard to know when care turns to self.
To know when I've stopped praying for you
And started praying for me.
So I'll try to be honest with you God,
And let my prayers be true.
I'll admit that I'm praying for myself,
Instead of praying for you.
But not really for you
Because the things I ask God for
Are actually going to make my life easier.
If I really asked God what you need,
Would I say the same prayer?
If I really asked God what He wants,
Would the words trip so quickly from my mouth?
When you're so close that things affect me,
It's hard to know when care turns to self.
To know when I've stopped praying for you
And started praying for me.
So I'll try to be honest with you God,
And let my prayers be true.
I'll admit that I'm praying for myself,
Instead of praying for you.
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