My! How things have changed

Well it's summer time in good old Australia and with the temperatures way above 40 deg C, sweaty and hot days are the norm.

Made me think as I turned on the air conditioner just how times have changed and I began to reminisce to myself about the past.

Doesn't seem that long ago that air conditioners/central heating & cooling were a dream for the future - sort of like a scifi film of some distant future time made up of dreams and wishes.

With oscillating fans trying at least to keep the hot air moving, the family together in a hot little room with the west-facing windows heavily shaded and shut tightly to stop the hot sun from making the 'furnace' even hotter.

And bedtime! what can one say?? - laying on top of the sheets waiting for the fan at last to make it's slow revolution across your sweaty body so you could at least catch a breath of some sort of moving air and to cool the pooling sweat particles.

As kids we would talk mum into putting on the sprinkler and run back and forth around the yard like made things squirting each other with water pistols and buckets of water.

The beach Oh! the beach -  heaven awaited us! Into the car, of course minus the air conditioning and with wind down windows and all vents open we at least hoped to catch a breath of hot air as the car struggled with the family on board to get to our destination.

Once arrived, there was the run across the tarred road that almost burned the soles off your bare feet and that was even before reaching the scorching sand. Then the dash down to the water to jump in and spend the next hour or so before turning blue with cold.

The cold didn't last long before struggling back to the car to perch with bare legs and back on the blazing hot vinyl seats of dads old Holden for the journey back home where you were just as hot if not hotter than you were before the whole adventure started.

Back to the fan and a cold drink and then all hang out for the 'southerly buster' to come and cool things down to everyone's relief.

Things are so different now - with a flick of the switch we can have instant cooling/warming. Swimming pools in the backyard and air conditioned cars all go to make life that little bit more comfortable.

As a Christian I have changed too! Again, I look back over the years to where I have come from and where I have been through my Christian walk and must admit I am gobsmacked with the change that God has made in my life.

Like the wind-down windows and the oscillating fans, things were so different way back then - God to me was this BIG person way out there wielding a gigantic stick and making me do the 'right' thing and if I didn't there were all sorts of threats and punishments just waiting to be dished out.

I often thought that I would be somehow 'cut-off' from God if I stepped out of line too often and if I crossed the invisible line of His patience and make all hell (literally) break out.

Like the Israelites of long ago who were so influenced by those nations round about them I too was influenced by my distortion of God. My vision of God was one of Him being cruel, vengeful and uncaring but actually He demonstrates that He is the very opposite.

If you, like me are anxious about your thoughts, ideas, feelings and desires that so often seem to lure you away from God's plan for your life, then like the Israelites, God can and will cut-off and do away with those hurtful and wicked thoughts that pervade your mind.

You are NOT in danger of being completely cut-off or condemned in judgement, instead God applies forgiveness when needed and through His mercy and Grace and use of amazing 'spiritual surgery' removes those feelings of hopelessness and despair.

So if like me you have been thinking of God as uncaring and cruel, I hope this new understanding about Him removes much of your dread about this seemingly vengeful God. He is our Shepherd who leads, feeds and protects us.

So yes, God has brought me a fair way in my walk with Him. Every day is a new adventure. Every day His Spirit guides and directs the paths I take and fills me anew with His love and understanding.

Unfortunately I still wander off the path - Of course I do - BUT He is there ready to drag me back and make me the New Creation I know he has planned for my life.

Are you a Pharisee??

While here in earth Jesus gave his harshest criticism to the Pharisees!

Who were these amazing people?

They were the leaders of Judaism and 'kept the law" of Moses. They were so 'good' at it they became wholly devoted and aligned to it. So devoted in fact that they became extremist in limited parts of the law plus adding to it as they saw fit.

They were like the 'policemen' of the law and were down, like a ton of bricks, on anyone that dared step out of line. So you can imagine their surprise when Jesus came along.

Here He was, the very Messiah in their midst, performing miracles aplenty and changing lives radically. But instead of embracing the truth with joy - what did they do?

They killed Him of course - what else could they do? Jesus brought a message of love, hope, forgiveness, mercy and grace which was utterly opposed to the harsh, unforgiving, merciless and "you must do as we tell you unless damnation awaits" message portrayed by them.

We stand aghast at what the Pharisees eventually did to Jesus - our minds can't grip the truth of the whole deal of Jesus' death and why?

They were a sad yet zealous lot - forever searching for the wrong in peoples lives and dragging them over the coals for breaking the law no mater how trivial.

Thing is - Are we in danger of becoming a "Pharisee"? I have become somewhat concerned looking around churches of late where there seems to be a "spirit of the Pharisee" among a lot of us. Me included unfortunately!

How did this happen?

Years ago when Sue and I were fortunate enough to run a Youth Group, a lot of the young people on most Sunday nights after church would visit a fish and chip shop to hang out and eat. No a bad idea - but the place was filthy - the kids used to call it "Chips Diarrhoea" for obvious reasons - SO why OH why did they keep going back to such a "dive"? Asking them once the answer I received was "I don't know it just sort of happens?"

Shaking my head I couldn't believe that answer - surely there were heaps of other places to hang out? I couldn't believe they would even dream of darkening the door.

But sadly I reckon it is a bit like a lot of Christians today when it comes to being a 'modern-day Pharisee'. "It just sort of happens".

Lots of people have distorted views on God. The truth is that everything He arranges in life is wrapped in mercy! He is good and filled with such love, mercy and grace. God wants the very best for us - He doesn't WANT to judge and punish.

Jesus whole ministry was based solely on love and forgiveness, giving hope and encouragement. The Pharisees on the other hand wanted to punish, judge and condemn.

We can so easily fall into the habit of condemning people, looking down our noses at others judging people, speaking unkindly and in effect ruining reputations and lives.

It's so easy to point out the sin in someones life - in our churches - in our work places - of course there is sin there - we all do it! We all sin consciously or unconsciously

Of course there is sin in our lives and that on-going sin produces deep condemnation and a constant nagging worry that somehow we may have crossed an invisible line with God - Have we gone beyond Gods' grace? Having said that we continue to make very poor choices often many times a day.

Satan loves to 'get at us' this way. He loves to warp God's truth in order to lead people away from the very grace and mercy that can save them from him. God speaks to us of deliverance and His amazing plan of Salvation not of Wrath!

"Guilty, Condemned and Damned" cries the voice of the Pharisee - "Forgiven and Forgotten" whispers the voice of the grace of God.

On saying all of that, one day we will all stand before our God and King and if we haven't given our lives to him in trust and commitment then we can be truly terrified to meet Him - but God doesn't want to judge - He is NOT a Pharisee - He wants to have a relationship with us through His amazing love, mercy, grace and forgiveness.

So how are you? Are you a modern day Pharisee, even unintentionally? Are you always ready to judge others? pointing out their shortcomings to your friends.

In Proverbs 6: 16-19 there is a list of things that God hates and top of that list is what the KJV says is "Proud Eyes" - the ESV  describes verse 16 as "Haughty Eyes". Either way top dog on Gods "anger" list is looking down on others, being dismissive, judgemental and arrogant.

So again. How are you shaping up? How am I shaping up?

But don't despair, good news awaits. It's not too late we can turn back to Jesus - even well-intentioned as you may be - the spirit of the Pharisee is wrong and so sinful.

Turn back to Jesus - take a detour - make a U-turn, back track, turn around or go in reverse - whatever you do climb back up the slippery slope and I can guarantee that Jesus in His great love and mercy will be there welcoming you.

Professor or Possessor

Where are you in your walk with Christ?

I wish I had been asked that question years ago then maybe I wouldn't have wandered far and away from God but unfortunately I wasn't and I did.

Are you merely a spectator? - going to whatever place of worship you go to? Do you go because you know in your heart that you are right with God and there is nothing that hinders your relationship with Him or are you going for one or a variety of reasons known only to you?

Maybe your friends go - maybe it has become a habit after years upon years upon donkey years of going and that's where you go on Saturday/Sundays or whatever?

You, like me may have sat under countless ministers, priests or whoever and heard the saving gospel of coming to Jesus time and time again and yet something inside of you tells you that you are not right with Him.

Will you go on for maybe another 20 or 30 years professing your religion in heaps of ways and all for an outward appearance and attendance?

Easy to do - listen to the word - recite the 'sinners' prayer - sing the songs and 'worship' Jesus.

You know, we can sing all the songs we like - we can read the pages of the Bible till they fall apart - we can shake hands with the people - we can even take an active roll in the church as Secretary or Verger or dare I say it even ministering to the people yet not really know Jesus as Lord of our lives

But if God isn't in charge of our lives and if He isn't worshiped in such a way that He is glorified then all of our lip service doesn't mean zip!

I fell into this category for years - that's what we did on a Sunday - we went to church! Yay and Woohoo!

I shudder to think of exactly how many times I heard appeals and alter calls - it didn't mean me surely! - I was doing my bit - I was here - I was teaching Sunday School wasn't I? When I go out of that door that feeling of "Maybe I'm not right with God" will leave me! (and it usually did).

How many times are you going to listen to that prayer? 10,000 before it sinks in and you get the message that God means YOU? Maybe on your deathbed? - I have time you may think - well you may have to think again - No one knows when our time here on earth will cease and then what?

Sometimes we can get so accustomed to hearing the Gospel that our very souls seem to drop off to slumber land and it becomes all to blase.

Our God is a merciful and loving God - He desperately wants to have a relationship with us - He wants to guide us and nurture us - He wants to show us that love no matter what we have done or even who we have been with. He certainly doesn't want to punish us!

But He also is a just and holy God - a God who won't extend His grace forever. His love for us and the gift held out to us is now! we MUST act now tomorrow may be too late!

We need to have a holy reverence for our God - not treat Him with disrespect - He sent his Son to die for YOU! Yes YOU with all your faults and foibles - He wants YOU as you are to come to Him now.

Don't delay to commit to Jesus - we need to do it now - Handing everything over to Him - nothing held back.

Ask His forgiveness, accept His amazing Gift of the promise of His Holy Spirit living inside of you, changing and molding your life - Turn from your past and trust Him for your future.

He and He alone is the only one we can trust with our lives.

Christ Himself taking up residence inside of your life - you will never be the same again.

So if you are Professor become a Possessor and make 2014 THE most memorable year of your life.