Windows On The Soul

Two of the more difficult tasks at work are trying to hire the right people, and laying off the wrong people. Apart from the basic technical skills for a job, the factors that make the difference between hiring and firing, relate to character. High on the list comes co-operability, being a good team member, adaptable to the group, teachable and manageable. Then of course there is honesty, not just in dealing with customers and the company, but honesty about oneself - to me, a danger sign is when a person has a too high (dishonest) opinion about themselves. When Jesus calls followers, we are called to discipleship (students/apprentices) [ Mt.18:3 ], to an honest, sober opinion of our sinful standing under God's judgement [ 1 Jn.1:9 ]. Accepting Jesus as Lord, means submitting our life to His management [ Jas.4:7 ] - totally, no divided loyalties [ Mt.6:24 ]. And of course we are called to membership of His "body", the church, to be a team member [ Rom.12:5 ], fulfilling ou...

“ What the Church needs are more ‘deep’ Christians ” (Richard Foster, “Celebration of Discipline”).  The Apostle Paul wrote, “ Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!!” ( Rom.11:33 ) How does one become a ‘deeper’ Christian? It takes ‘Time’ and ‘Experience’. To know the depth of something, one must have ‘plumbed’ the depth, that is attempted some sort of measure. To have some knowledge of the depth of God, one must explore the consequences and implications of Christian faith on one’s life and society, and thus to start to see the vast possibilities. Such exploration, takes time in God’s word, time with Him in prayer, and time in constructive, exploratory fellowship together. But most of all, depth of understanding and knowledge of the wisdom, grace and ways of God, come from experience. We learn only a small amount from what we hear, a larger amount from what we read and s...

Our family’s most prized piece of family history would have to be my great-great-grandfather’s apprenticeship indenture certificate from the 1860’s. To modern eyes, the terms and conditions border on slave labour. The young teenage George had to leave home to live and work with his ‘master’, who in turn had to teach him the mysteries and secrets of the trade of clothier, as well as house, clothe and feed him, and pay him the princely sum of two shillings at Christmas. When the Bible talks about Jesus’ disciples, the concept of Disciple is very similar to that of Apprentice. The disciples lived, traveled and worked with Jesus, learning ‘on-the-job’. The commitment, to which they were called, included leaving their homes and jobs. As we celebrate with the young people being baptised tonight, lets encourage them in their commitment. For the commitment of ‘becoming a Christian’ is not like joining an organisation, but rather the commitment of entering into a life-long relatio...

In reading last week, I was reminded of the difference between " accepting " Christ, and making a " decision " for Christ. " Acceptance " does not have the sense of completeness as does " decision ", which implies a cut-off point, a turn around, of burning one's bridges.  A favourite hymn states " I have decided to follow Jesus, No turning back ". A man recently came to the Lord later in life. He felt convicted about a criminal act in his past and sought to confess and make amends. Though he has forgiveness from the Lord, the law of the land did not, and he is now serving a prison sentence. For him, taking up his cross to follow Jesus has had an enormous price. Please pray for him, his family and church, and remember the prison ministries and other prisoners who have come to the Lord through them and are still serving their time. ----xxxXxxx---- Lk.9:23 "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up ...

I thank my parents that as a child I was taught to write an "I want" list. This helped me identify those things I "really" wanted well after the initial plea had faded. Then came the hard part of giving up some things to save up the money to buy my heart's desire. The same principles apply to our Christian walk. We want to serve, but are we prepared to pay the price? We want to be humble, but are we prepared to be humiliated? We want to be a true disciple, but are we prepared to truly discipline our body, mind and soul? We want to be loving, but that includes the "unlovely", and carries the cost of sacrifice, non-reciprocation, even outright hostility. We ask in pray, but are we willing to accept and obey the answers given? ----xxxXxxx---- Lk.18:18-23 "'What must I do to have eternal life?'...you lack one thing, sell all you have and distribute to the poor...he was very sorrowful for he was very rich" Mt.16:24 "If anyo...

Temptation is one of those words that over the years has become associated only with its negative connotations. Temptation is not a sin, its our response that might be. Not only is temptation usually thought of as a negative influence, but also as something that happens to us. Temptation is essentially neutral, being an attraction or test, good or bad. I would further suggest that most often we "tempt" ourselves, by the "attractive" things with which we surround ourselves. Temptation feeds on itself - attraction begets desire and if fulfilled, increases the attraction - that is human nature. But we have self-will - by surrounding ourselves with things that are just, pure and lovely, we can make these "temptations" work for good. As H.E.Fosdick put it, we should allow ourselves to be "Tempted to be Christian". ---xxxXxxx--- Phil.4:8 "Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtue and praise, think on these...

The Lord God - the pre-eminent command, demanding total love with every fibre of our being. One's Self - when natural self-love is put under submission to the Holy Spirit, healthy self-respect and self-control develops as the miracle of the Holy Spirit making our bodies His temple, dawns upon us. Neighbours - the people we encounter in our daily walk, especially anyone in need, is loved by God, equally a (potential) temple of the Holy Spirit, to whom we must show equal love as for our-selves. Each Other - familial and sibling love now extends to the whole "family" of God into which we have been reborn/adopted as sons and daughters. This is the principal sign to the world around of our membership in this family. The Stranger - even the stranger who we will never see again, who has no particular need, deserves our hospitality - no strings attached. The Lost  - these have a need far deeper than our "neighbours". This is the love of Christ on the c...

Father? Kingdom? Adopted into a royal family? It all seems too much to comprehend! Yet I seem to so easily take our relationship for granted. "Your Kingdom", "Your will". Yes, you are my King as well as my heavenly Father. Forgive me when I pray "My will be done", instead of "Your will". Dare I presume to try and change Your mind? "Will be done!" My faith rises like the soaring eagle at the very words. Your certainty, my uncertainty. Oh that my will might be at one with yours. ---===X===--- Lk.22:42 "Not my will however, but your will be done" Mt.7:21 "He that does the will of my father...shall enter His Kingdom" Jn.5:30 "...do nothing on my own...only what He who sent me wants." Rm.12:2 "...be transformed...know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God" Eph.5:17 "...understanding what the will of the Lord is." 1 Jn.5:14 "He hears us if we ask f...

It was not enough that you made me like yourself, But you chose me, adopted me, joint heir with your only begotten Son. As I turn to you in prayer, your love engulfs me, pure, heavenly, undeserved love. "Daddy" I cry. "My child" you reply. I pour out my day to you, the highs, the lows, the bumps, the bruises, My needs and dreams, hopes and aspirations, we share, together. Father, I honour you, as only you deserve - Father knows best, it may seem trite, But I submit to your holy will, that it might, Be well with me and my children for ever. ---===X===--- Lk.11:1 "Lord, teach us how to pray!" Mt.6:8 "Your Father already knows your need before you ask" Rom.8:15 "...received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba, Daddy" Mt.7:9 "...if his son asks for bread, will he give him a stone?" Eph.1:5 "...unto us the adoption of children by Jesus Christ." Deu.5:29 "...keep my ...

Ian Fleming’s ‘007’ said, “ Twice is coincidence, but three times means enemy action ”. Have you ever had, seen or heard of those series of incidences that when least expected, quietly whisper, “ God’s incidences! ”? It’s a truth that the most beautiful, desirable things in the world can never be grasped. It’s as if in the very reaching for the desirable object, relationship or emotion, it is immediately polluted by the selfishness of the grasp, and immediately slips further away. How many times have we pleaded with God to act in a certain way, or desperately looked for signs of some answer to “prayer”. But in the silence of His reply, He is saying, “ Don’t you worry about what I should do; I will do what I need to in my time. You just get on with what YOU should be doing ”. It's in these times when we are faithfully, obediently and lovingly saying and doing what God invisibly leads us to do, and boldly stepping forward to tackle the needs of the world that He puts across our ...