Week 4 Day 5: If you are willing and obedient..

There are no unconditional promises in Gods word. The entire plan of the ages rests in His hands, but He requires our participation as well. Isaiah 1:19 "IF you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land".

Willingness and obedience are character traits, and therefore God focuses on our character intensely. "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks". "Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life". Who I am inside is much more important than what I have outside.

I am the clay and He the potter. I must give Him the authority to mould me as His will. After all, His plans are to give me a future and a hope.

Week 4 Day 3 - 4: God is Willing and Able

It has been a slow and painful journey to get to the point where I believe God is able, and willing to be involved in my life. For so long I thought my life was a constant stream of trivialities, not befitting audience with the King of Glory. I imagined Him quickly taking a passing glance at my life and moving on to more important things.

All this changed when my wife and I suffered a huge and terrible loss. A very present help in the time of trouble is what He became to us. Like the beggar on the street we cried out "If you are willing, you can make me whole". To which Jesus responded without hesitation "I AM willing...". We are not out of the woods yet, but we have no doubt that He is willing, over and above being able. Despite the tragedy, I am grateful He gave us the chance to trust in Him, and, despite the fact that things didn't work out as we would have liked, He remained there for us.

Week 4 Day 2: Whatever the Cost

Luke 14:28 "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--"

I have no illusions. This journey will cost me EVERYTHING. But then again, what do I have that He did not give me in the first place. What does it profit for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose his soul? (My favourite part) Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul??

As I surrender my will in exchange for His, then what I have to gain will fade away...and I will finally be able to rejoice in seeing His will accomplished. It stands to reason that at this point in time my own issues will be insignificant in comparison to His surpassing glory. I have no excuse. For so long I have been held by by what I thought I could not do without but no more:I want to love, and I want to server, from a clean heart and pure conscience. No holds barred. Nothing held back. Nothing to lose because I have everything to gain from following His will.

Week 4 Day 1: No longer I

Gal 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself for me"

Despite the ups and downs of the past week, it is a joy just to consider how much I'm learning about God. Its totally different from the past. A hunger seems to have been awoken deep within me, and I cannot seem to get enough. I seem to be falling more and more in love with Jesus. I couldn't stop myself even if i wanted to! It feels sooo GOOOD!!

Where is this leading, I wonder...where am I going...I am tempted to panic, and turn back or withdraw but no. This has been a long time coming. I have wanted this for so long. I will press on, knowing that He has my best interests at heart.

I am finally on my way...

Week 3 Day 4 -5: By Prayer with Supplication and Thanksgiving...

Prayer is conscious and deliberate..the forces that be will not permit otherwise. I am working on making my prayer life consistent and private: I seem to have too much to do ALL the time, a situation that I do not believe is accidental. The enemy must keep one away from Gods throne room: it is the only place he has no power over the proceedings, and therefore whose outcome he cannot control.

I have never had a problem with praying genuinely. After years of watching 'performance prayers' both on and off the pulpit, I am painfully aware of my inadequacy before God, and my complete ineffectiveness if i try to impress Him. Why should I try to be like someone else?? They are already taken!!!

Besides I find it much more fun to be myself with God. I really have nothing to hide before Him; there is nothing I CAN hide from His all seeing glare. When I come to Him just as I am, I believe I can clearly see Him just as He is.

I will appropriate the ACTS system of prayer (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication). I will also blog my prayers as well so as to remind myself of all that God has done.

Week 3 Day 3: Gods Word, a Treasure

It is only recently that I have begun to read the Bible for transformation, as opposed to information. I must confess that for a long time, I was caught in the 'endless disputes' section of Christians as described by Paul, something that can severely stunt spiritual growth.

I am glad to be out of that one. My personality does tend towards knowledge for its own sake, but I am glad to have the added advantage of now being able to credit specific behavioural, intellectual, and verbal transformations to Gods word, for His sake and to His glory, not mine.

I guess this means that I am already on my way to the spiritual 'prosperity and success' that Joshua was assured of IF he meditated on Gods word, day and night. Off course the benefits transcend spiritual, but then again, His will is done on earth, just as it ALREADY IS in Heaven.

Week 3 Day 1 -2: Jehovah Speaks, Jehovah Hears, Jehovah sees, Jehovah Knows

By far the most important topic in the series so far, at least for me. Its hard to put a finger on it...in a nutshell, I feel I really needed to hear this, to know it.

The fact that God speaks is treated so casually in the Bible...as if I was somehow meant to know that He does!!! Repeatedly! Incessantly even!! Its as natural as He is. He is, therefore He speaks. And in every single way possible. From the thunder and lightening and earthquakes of Sinai, to Elijah's still small voice, from the plagues of Egypt, to a lunch dinner with Abraham. God speaks. All the time. If the heavens, even the highest heavens declare His goodness, and the raging oceans his glory, if the stars shout his praises, then Gods actions are so loud its a wonder we can hear the voices of doubt and fear and disbelief.

Jehovah speaks, Jehovah hears...

The WRAPS quiet time is very encouraging. I must confess mine is not even nearly alike, but perhaps that is something I will listen out for in the next class; the others may have interesting ways of having a high-impact quiet time. I read the Bible chapter that accompanies Spurgeon's devotions every morning (OK most mornings:-)) and I'm currently fighting to have a 15min prayer time every evening. When it works, it works perfectly. When it doesn't, it all falls apart, particularly when I am having a major issue at work.

But since the essence of a quiet time is intimacy with God, them I'm sure He will help. After all,

Jehovah sees, Jehovah knows

Day 4 - 5: The Solution, and its Logical Consequence

Not feeling well today. Have had a nasty flu and just coming out of it. So this wont be as flowery as my normal posts..

So the solution to man's problem was for God to step in. Trust us to put our foot into something we couldnt get out of. Again and again, God reaching out to His creation to help them out of their own messes. Grace never-ending. Eternal. Consistent and focussed. And therefore, able to seek and to save, and sustain, eternally.

I therefore have nothing to fear, no reason to doubt, nothing more to add, and nothing that can be subtracted.

Day 2 - 3: Who God is, and What I am Not

I have combined the two lessons coz of...err..illumination issues (read power cuts at home).

So here goes. Ps this is strictly my view of how things went down...

GOD...in the dateless past created the Heavens and the Earth..perfect!!! (no...we have not gotten to the formless and void part yet) Job actually states that the stars sung for joy when He unveiled our planet to the Hosts of the heavens, and indication it was not quite the hunk of rock it is now.

Fitting with its radiant beauty, he assigned Lucifer as head of the planet. Lucifer, called the son of the Morning, second only in beauty and glory to the Bright Morning Star. What more could a man (or angel for that matter) want!!!!

But then something went horribly wrong. Details are scanty, but what we do know is that Lucifer decided he could be equal to God, that he too could make his throne room in the Heavens.

Now, if God did create us to do good works, and prepared the same for us in advance, from the foundation of the world..then can you not see it?!?!?! Suddenly Lucifer is meant to subject himself to some lowly terrestrial, biological being!! And not only has God planned to create this "thing", He planned to create it IN HIS IMAGE!!! ON LUCIFERS PLANET!!! Something had gone horribly wrong with the Godhead, Lucifer thought. This is NOT the way you run a universe. Why if I was in charge, reasoned Lucifer, no such thing would be permitted! The bottom would fall out of the space-time continuum if we let such things slide. If I was in charge.....

And that is where all Hell broke loose (literally).

Fast forward a bit: fight with Lucifer, ensuing destruction of the earth (insert "and the earth became formless and void" here), recreation, welcome Homo Superious!!! (Sapiens is a poor reflection of Superious). And what do we do?!?! Make like Lucifer and try to be like God!! Its ironic the Devil used the exact same temptation he fell for to get us...he most likely didn't have too many ideas. I mean, what's the worst you could do if you were a bunch of fallen angels floating thru the universe?!?

So the point: God had me in mind all along!! I was ALWAYS part of the plan!! I wasn't a date night accident, He had seen me from beyond, when there was nothing to see!!! I was always meant to be, and therefore always had a part to play. And no, not even my rebellion from God could stop Him from wanting me. So He sent His only Son so that I could see this, and turn back to Him, and be everything I was meant to be, and do all that I was given power to do.

Thank you Jesus.

Oh and the awesome picture is Chaos Theory by Hameed (http://hameed.deviantart.com/art/Chaos-Theory-639032)

Day 1: Who God is Not

So we have joined Mizizi course...I remember thinking during the class that finally I could have a way of drawing closer to God.."to be where He was at" as it were.

Simplistic I know...but if God decided to hide Himself from man then we would be truly lost..for no man would or could find Him. So the prayer from my child's-heart is that I may find Him, and be found in Him, "not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith".

Ok first topic: Who God is not

My perception has varied widely through the years. I vaguely remember trusting him simply, completely, a long time ago...but then came the need to define Him, and that's where it all came unglued. From the harsh taskmaster to the indifferent parent to the uncool big brother...all some variation of a victim mentality, of subjection to Him who I had to contend with, and perhaps felt that i was failing in every aspect.

A certain helplessness at not being able to match up to the standards proposed (read yelled) by the preacher at the pulpit, anger and frustration at not understanding why I just couldn't get it down, as if it was an musical instrument, or particularly difficult piece of code. Didn't help at all that everyone in church seemed to be breezing right through it, saints all ready for heaven.

The need for mentors readily comes to mind. How much more easier would it have been if only I had known that it was a JOURNEY...not a destination!! That it was the smallest mustard seed that grew into the biggest bush!

In many ways the ups and downs of my relationship with my earthly dad directly affected my perception of my heavenly father. The maturing of the same has led me to realise that they were always meant to be similar in many ways, and you know what...that has made all the difference.