Storms will come!

Over the past months, I have faced trials, I have gone through challenges and I have had to deal with conflict with people who are close to me. So as I start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I have reflecting on what has gone on, how I have dealt with circumstances and how I can do things better next time. One thing about me is no matter how much I mess things up....I always look at how I can improve for next time, as we all know storms will continue to come.

One of the biggest mistakes I find myself making at times is that I try to do things on my own, my own strength, my own understanding...and its not until its too late and I have made a total mess of the situation that I finally call on the Lord. Its almost like I use God as my last resort, my last option when other things have failed me. But this is the complete wrong mindset...for God should be the one and only we run to.

Psalm 127 says the following:

Unless the LORD builds the house,
       its builders labor in vain.
       Unless the LORD watches over the city,
       the watchmen stand guard in vain. 

We need to learn that the Lord must be brought into our situations from the start, otherwise the work is done in vain. It's no point asking for wisdom after we have already gone through the situation...and most likely messed it up. From before we commence, we need to look to the Lord for wisdom and guidance through our situations. But in order to build with wisdom, it will cost us something!

Proverbs 24 talks of the importance of wisdom, in particular verses 3-4 where it says

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

When you build according to the Lords word, you can rest assured that you will survive the storms. And not only will we make it through the storms, but we will come through them stronger than we were before we face the situations.

But we also need to understand that it wont be easy, its not going to be a matter of saying "God's got it under control, Im going to go kick back and wait for the storm to be over!" Just like going to the gym to get that awesome 6 pack...just signing up and showing up every now and then will not get you there...you need to go through the hard times. But the awesome thing with our Lord is that we have the assurance He will never leave our side! But one trap that many of us fall into is the over confidence in our own ability. We may start out with that dependence on God, but as we walk through out trials with a confidence, we start to push God away thinking that we know what we are doing...and we know where this will lead us!

So what must we do in order to establish a solid foundation from the start, before the storm takes over...

Realise we are inadequate
We need to fully realise that we are inadequate. We must be completely dependent on God no matter what the circumstances. On our own, our efforts are just not enough.

Realise at times we are on a treadmill going nowhere
We have so much information and resources available to us today, but we must realise that its important to work smarter rather than harder! But even more than this...there are times we need to realise that we dont have to do everything...but rather we just need to pause and wait on the Lord. For the Lord gives his beloved rest!

We have to reign in warfare
Simply put...we need to be prepared for the hard times, for they are not going to come with an announcement of their arrival! At the start of this year, I didnt think to myself that things would get quite rocky for various reasons? This is why it is so important that we read our Bible daily. So that we can get our daily feed of the Lord's word. Otherwise when the storms come, we will be left stranded with no wisdom on how to face the circumstances!

But no matter what circumstances you face, or difficulties you go through...never be ashamed of your story! For your story has the potential to provide hope to those around you, it allows God to use your life in order to guide others. We have a loving God who is always with us and will never leave us in our times of need.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
       and he brought them out of their distress.

He stilled the storm to a whisper;
       the waves of the sea were hushed.

(Psalm 107:28-29)

Team Faith...Yeah!

I really hope this post goes well...a little different to my regular variety...but this is definitely a topic that I feel has great significance.

There is very little that we can realistically do alone...whether it be from playing sport, to our workplace and most of praising the Lord...we are called to do these things as a group. We even see Jesus make mention of this in Matthew 18:20 where he says:

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.

We see the significance of coming together as a team and working towards the common goal. But one area I wanted to highlight was that of faith.

(an example of a great team!)

In Mark 2:1-12 we read the story of where Jesus heals the paralytic man. Actually He doesnt just heal the man, but also forgive him of his sins! In this piece of scripture we see how the four men have brought their friend to the house where Jesus is healing the sick, but the house is overcrowded to the point they cannot even get close to an entrance. But despite what these men could see, they didnt give up and climbed up on to the roof, broke through the roof and lowered the paralyzed man down into the room where Jesus was preaching. Through their actions and most of all their display of faith Jesus responded as we read in verse 5

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

This was an example of team faith. On his own, the paralyzed man could not even imagined getting within 10 feet of the house, but when his friends acted as part of a team...they got the man before Jesus! This is a determined faith! When we work as part of a team, we rise to another level of faith! But we must also learn to work as part of a team. There are times in life where our individual faith is not enough to see the breakthroughs we are after, but what we need is the power of team! Sometimes in life we can lose focus of what is important, the priorities become unclear. We must learn to recognise what is really important...people!

But the good news is that when we begin to act out team faith, great things will happen. Three big results that come from team faith include:

Gets Jesus Attention
Sometimes we feel there are areas in our life that lack Jesus attention. Through this story we see how a man's circumstances were turned around through the determination of four men. This is the perfect example of team faith getting Jesus attention!

Result In Miracles
We are well aware that without his friends, this man wouldnt have been healed on this day. He required his friends to come with him in order to bring about the miracle. Today we can draw parallels from this in that there are those among us that are paralyzed on the inside, whether it be through an addiction, inability to commit things to God, feelings of anger and resentment to those around us. But whatever the circumstance, team faith has the ability to pull you out of these situations, these states of paralysis and into God. Team faith results in breakthroughs in those areas where we feel we have hit a wall!

Receive Jesus' Commendations
As mentioned earlier, when Jesus saw the faith of these men, bringing their friend before him through the roof, he didnt just heal the man but He also forgave him of his sins! If we also act in this way, Jesus will commend us and reward our works.

We also see in Luke 10 where Jesus sends out appointed seventy-two in pair to spread the good word. He didnt send them out alone, but as a team again highlighting the strength that comes from teams!

Therefore we need to fully appreciate the power that comes from team faith. We are called to be part of team, just as it says in 1 Corithians 12:27

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

We are not separate entities, but instead together we form the body of Christ. When we come to a point in life where we are struggling and we feel that God's attention is away from us, it is in times like this that we need to draw on those around us. This may be in the form of our connect groups, or even just a group of friends at church. But we must realise the power that comes from group faith!

We need to desire this new level of faith!

God's timing

Just a quick note to give thanks to God for his awesome timing. Although I feel that I am in the middle of a storm...I know that things are happening and moving in the right direction. So i will continue to hold on to God's word, apply it in all areas of my life and allow it to guide me.

Will have some more concrete updates on whats going on over the next couple days

The Power of Words

The past few weeks I have caught up with a number of friends at various times. There are moments where I complain that I dont have enough time to myself...but at the end of the day there is nothing more I enjoy than spending time with those people close to me. One thing I notice when I think about those people I spend most of my time with, they are all unique and special in their own way.

When I reflect on what I have done over the past few weeks, I think about the words I have spoken and the words that have been spoken to me and it reminds me of a message that I heard earlier in the year that spoke of how important words are. I have certain friends that speak nothing but good news and always see the positive side, while at the same time I have other friends who can be quite negative and frequently speak with depressing outlook.

Basically you could say that the words we speak highlight what is going on inside us. When I think about the words people say to me, what the speak of, it really gives me a picture of how they are feeling and what is going on in their life. But this applies to me just as much...the words I speak show where I am at both mentally and spiritually. But even more than that, there are a number of things that our words can do, in terms of impacting others and building up others...

Our words have the power to create
We all know the first chapter of the Bible, in Genesis 1:3 where God said "Let there be light," and there was light." God spoke it and through His words he created light in our world. We must understand that we too have the power to speak light and hope into our circumstances. As it speaks about in James 3, out tongue is like a rudder on a ship, the words we allow it to speak will ultimately dictate the path we follow. But to put it simply...a kind word encourages.

Our words show where our heart is
There are certain people I know who speak of nothing else but their girlfriend...this is a perfect example of a person whose words reveal where their heart is. Isaiah 54:1 is example of where someone sings worship to God, despite the circumstances. We will face situations we cannot control, but we can control how we respond! Our words have power and can create something, therefore when we speak out in faith, what we say will come to pass. I have seen this countless times in my workplace and it has ultimately taught me a lot. There are times when a project Im working on is not going well. If all I can do is talk negatively of the situation, then ultimately things will progressively get worse. But if I show  a positive approach, things invariably get better. Numbers 13:30-33 is a good example of how the same situation can be viewed and responded to differently by two people

³⁰ Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
 ³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." ³² And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. ³³ We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."

 We see Caleb, a man who believed in the promises of God, wanting to take the land. Then we also see the remainder group, those who doubted God, only reporting of all the obstacles, not believing in the power of the promises of God.


Our words sow seeds
It can be said that what we speak is what we will get. We must understand that what we speak into other peoples lives will happen. Therefore it is essential that we speak words of encouragement and kindness. It says in Proverbs 12:25 -

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.

This is the exact approach to life we should take! When we see people struggling, we should not highlight the negatives, but rather look for words of kindness that will encourage and strengthen the person.

While this all may sound cliched...this is something that comes from God. Sometimes we can forget how powerful our words can be. We must remember that one word can impact a life. We must chose to speaks words of life!

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 

(Ephesians 4:29)

July updates

I have been away from my blog for a time...I guess distracted by the goings on of life. I feel like the weeks are flying by which in some ways is a good thing...but in other ways its not so good.

Im hoping that this week I can reflect on the past 6 months...what I have gone through, what I have left behind and what I have welcomed into my life...but most of all...how I have grown in Christ.

I really value this...although its always easier said than done. But I also feel this time is valuable in relation to highlighting my weaker points, the areas that are crying out for more focus, more attention.

So this week I plan to catch up on my blogging and update what has been going on with me

Busy Busy Busy!

Well going totally against my last post...I havent "paused" ...just yet!

The last week went by in the blink of an eye...but thats not to say it wasnt a good week...quite the opposite...it was an awesome week!

 
 One highlight was the footy on Saturday. It basically poured for the whole second half...leaving most of the people at the G sitting in the open totally drowned. Fortunately for me, my reserved seat is undercover even though its row A. Carlton had a good win to the tune of 41 points despite letting the Demons make up some ground during the 3rd Quarter. The below picture I took on my phone, doesnt really show how bad the rain was, but let me assure you...it was out of control!

But this week...I really need to slow down...and just wait on the Lord...to hear what he has for me and what path I should be taking. Im currently facing a number of decisions and its more important than ever that I listen to God and allow Him to guide me.

Also this week I plan to spend some serious time "Guitar Hero"ing! Anyone up for some GH action...give me a call/message!

Pause...

Over the past week, one thing has become really clear to me and that is this is a time for me to "pause" and wait on God. Since I got back from mission, my emotions have been up and down...I have been pulled left and right...and all this is creating a lot of noise which ultimately makes it difficult to hear God speaking to me.

In Psalm 130:5 it says:

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
       and in his word I put my hope.

This is something that I feel speaks to me in particular during this period. There are many things that I have been challenged in relation to since my trip, things in my life that I need to work on, change, or remove. That is why I feel it is so vital that I slow things down and wait upon His word.

That's not to say that I'm going to retreat, drawing away from others. I think its actually quite important that I speak to others, but at the same time I have to be focused and disciplined in mind and wait for God's word, what is His next steps for my life. But in some areas, I need to slow things down, pause...and wait on God.

One of the biggest things that I came away with from my trip to China was a strengthened belief and trust in the amazing things that God can do through our lives if we love Him, trust Him and follow Him. For I know that the things that I was able to do in China was not by my own strength...it was all from our amazing heavenly father!

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:14