Two World's Collide

S - This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him !"Matthew 17:5b

O - These words came right from the heavenlies - through a cloud - interjecting through the babble of Peter as he was still speaking to Jesus about making 3 shelters, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah. Jesus, it is presumed, still transfigured - His face shining like the sun and his clothes as white as light. Peter maybe can't cope. So he gets very practical, very earthly. Here we have the clearest example of two world's colliding - the heavenly and the earthly, the spiritual and the flesh. God interjects! God overrules ! God asserts his power and authority and in doing so, confirms Jesus' authority. He is the Son of God and God loves Him and God is pleased with Him. Wow! There can be no doubt and no arguments for Christ's divinity. Here Joseph's son, the earthly man, was revealed for who he really is, the heavenly man. And amidst the earthliness and distractedness of earthly man God interjects with his clear command - Listen to Him! Heaven and its mysteries are available to us if we would just LISTEN!

A - How distracted I get, How often I forget the reality that this earthly existence with its worries, cares, needs, practicalities, tasks and challenges are only one dimension of our lives. The supernatural, transcendent and heavenly are so much more a reality. And this reality and its mysteries, its wisdom, its instruction are available to me , to us, if only we would LISTEN!

P - Oh Father God, dear heavenly Jesus, forgive us for the earthly that is so much a part of our lives and help us to attune our ears more and more to the reality of your world in our lives I pray. Amen.

Balance and Boundaries

7th September 2009

S - "After he had dismissed them, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone"

Matthew 14:23

O - Jesus had just spent a full day with large crowd healing the sick. This was immediately after he had heard the news that John the Baptist had been beheaded. There had been no time to grieve. No time to process anything. No time for reflection or for restoration. It seems like now Jesus needed time for himself. He was tired. He also knew when to serve and when to rest. He "dismissed" them, even if perhaps there was more to do. But Jesus seems to know his boundaries. He knew what he needed for refreshment. He went up into the hills (nature seems to always refresh) by himself to pray. These words are so important. After being immersed with people he needed restorative time with his Father on his own. He was also there for some time as evening came and he was still there alone. What a wonderful example to me as to how to keep serving people - even when it seems so full and busy! There is the need for balance and boundaries in solitude, prayer and nature.

A - On my day off I need to be ruthless in ensuring it is not fulled with busyness and people, but with a balance of solitude, rest and nature. This has always restored me, and if Jesus' models this, I must take notice and follow.

P - Dear Jesus, please help me to be more ruthless in balancing my time and providing that boundary of space for extended communion with you in solitude I pray. Amen

Finding True Worth

S- "and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" Matthew 10:38-39

O - It seems from this scripture that our worth is aligned to the degree we embrace the cross. Here Jesus says we must take our cross (which acknowledges our personal sin and our personal redemption) and "follow" Jesus. Therefore as I walk through life I must keep before me my Saviour - not deviate from the path that he leads me in - this is to follow. But I must also have the consciousness of the death and life of Jesus as it is superimposed in my life. There is a sense of abandoning my life and having his superimposed in mine instead which gives the experience of true life. The "sinful" parts to be surrendered and at the cross, which is a good kind of loss. Only then will I find true life.

A - I need to be more intentional and conscious of the centrality of the cross in my life -

surrendering through confession of my own personal sin, daily, which is the part I want to "lose", so I can continue to experience the resurrected life of Christ in me. This is where I find true worth and value.

P - Help me to be more conscious of the parts of me, dear Jesus, which offend and block the true way to life in you. Amen

A Radical Perspective

S - "In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" Matthew 7:12

O - Its so easy to overlook the significance and the startling reality of this scripture. In everything. These words are a directive to cause me to be considerate of the "other", at all times, in all places, in every task, in every action, thought and attitude. In truth, the person I am most concerned about at all times - in everything is me!. If i am totally honest it is "I" who is most precious. It is "I" who I perceive through the lens of my feelings, my experience, my assessments, my comfort. What a radical perspective - that if I were to take that indulgent preciousness I have about myself, and consider others in the same way - in everything - what a difference this world would be. What a world! No wonder Jesus Christ is so radical.

A - To become more aware of my thought life and perspective when I am with others. How are they feeling? What are they experiencing? How can I serve them better?

P - Jesus, help me to continue to die to self and be more and more aware of other people and their lives. Amen.

JESUS’ INFLUENCE – JESUS’ FOCUS

S - "Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people” Matthew 4:23

O – It amazes me first from this scripture that Jesus spent most of his public ministry in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali which is north and west of the Sea of Galilee. This was not the “hub” of political or social life for the Jews. This was more like a regional centre (like Albury / Wodonga on the Hume Weir) – Jesus went “throughout” this area. It strikes me that the local church’s influence in our area is significant and can have eternal consequences if we follow Jesus’ model – he didn’t hanker for greener pastures, he gave his all for his local area.

Focus – 3 fold ministry

Teaching - (in the synagogue)

Preaching - Outdoors to the people

Healing - Every disease and sickness among the people

It seems as if Jesus’ ministry was a ministry of Grace and Truth. Jesus gained credibility because He cared for the people. He entered their world. He was one of them, a local. He was not some big shot who just rode into town and performed some impressive feat and then moved out. His focus on healing was just as significant as his focus on preaching and teaching. This comforts me and reassures me. These three focuses in ministry work hand in hand. You cannot tell someone about the love of Jesus until they have experienced His love from his people.

A – I am going to keep before me Jesus’ influence and focus. I am going to continue to pray for and love this town and the people in it. I am going to continue to exert my influence for Jesus in as many places locally as I can. I am reminded to not minimize or find inconvenient people’s hurts and problems when they present themselves to me.

P – Dear Jesus, Thankyou for your model of your influence and your focus. It is so clear what you call us to do. Help me to love, encourage and speak your truth to those I encounter in my sphere of influence. Amen.

Daily Readings - Matthew 4-5

A CLEANER RECEPTACLE

S – “because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit; he will save His people from their sins; and they will call him , Immanuel – which means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:20b;21b; 23

O – It seems inconceivable that the God of the universe desires to be conceived within human beings (conceived within Mary, and now God is with us!). This is the greatest news and story ever told. No other philosophy, no other faith, no other religion has their God becoming so small, so intimate, so humbled, so emptied. God with us! God within us! He came to us in this way because He knew we would be lost without his closeness, his protection and freedom from the shocking and terrible bondage of sin. I have seen what this does in my life and other people’s lives and it is worse than death. His number one reason for coming was to save us from that terrible death. This is what it says here. God was conceived within Mary and by inference, and from other scriptures (Christ in us). we know we have a pathway to freedom and life abundant through confession of sins. Through His spirit living in us!

A – I need to think more intentionally and appreciate more wondrously of how intimate God is - He is in me! And He has made a way for me to live – not bound down by sin. To live truly free in every moment because I can continue to confess my sins and know that He is in me! (Immanuel). I need to be a cleaner receptacle for His spirit like Mary. I need to walk more intentionally measuring my days in the knowledge that my Saviour, my God is ever present residing in me.

P – Oh loving Jesus help me to have a more intimate ever present knowledge of your life within me. Help this body to become more and more a cleaner receptacle of your Holy Spirit I pray. Amen.

Daily Readings - Matthew 1-3

Seeking Righteousness

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them..........For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven...........But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be give to you as well" Matthew 5:17,20, 6:33

O - It seems harsh at first when Jesus tells us that our righteousness must surpass those who are our teachers and leaders spiritually. But as I reflected upon this, I realised that this this is true "life". When I allow my carnal nature to rule ( and sometimes I do), I know that it is always at a cost. I feel terrible later. I grieve that particular action, or thought or attitude, it always leads to a certain death of self that is not the surrender that Christ meant for us. Instead of my bad nature being "killed off", when I act unrighteously, I know instantly it is my "good" nature that is dying. This is not what I want. Jesus is right. And later on He tells us that that by seeking the things that He is concerned about gives us the life that we really need. These words are in the context of Chapter 5 & 6 of Matthew, which are words of life, which teach us about how to live life. The Sermon on the Mount are the greatest words ever uttered, in terms of instructions for living and Jesus gives us the standard he expects from these instructions. We need to "seek" righteousness constantly. And he has given us help to do this.

A - Last night, there were some actions I undertook which I knew were not pleasing to Jesus. This morning I repented , and undertook some actions which I knew were pleasing to Jesus. How different I felt! It really is true that when we seek the things He wants for our lives and his mission here on earth we benefit. How I want to keep living my life in more and more ways that will please Him.

P - Dear Jesus, Thank you so much for the amazing sermon you gave us to help us live life to the full in the way that you intend for us. Please help me to do this more and more in my life. I cannot do it on my own, but with your guidance, and your word to instruct me, and your free gift of forgiveness when I fail, it just might be possible. Help me to seek your kingdom first in my life.

Amen.