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Jesus commissioned His disciples to make more disciples and teach them to observe everything He had commanded (Mt.28:20). He also said that those who loved Him would keep His commands (Jn.14:21-24). We’re so used to the idea that we can’t earn God’s acceptance that talk of commands is unusual. Jesus is highlighting genuine faith with a real heart change. The next obvious question then is: what are His commands? One author found 684.

The commands Jesus highlighted were to love God and love our neighbour. In coming weeks we will be looking at Jesus top Ten in those two categories. The first is His first Command – Mt.4:17 “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”. Repentance is the first command because it is the key to receiving the grace of God. To repent is simply to change direction. To genuinely repent we need to recognise that we have offended a truly holy God, seek His mercy and live to honour Him. This represents the genuine change that God brings and releases His grace.

Applications:

1. Who do you identify with the most? Peter realising his sin and asking Jesus to leave him (Lk.5); The rich young guy who thought he was OK (Mk.10) or the Pharisees who were full of themselves (Mt.23)?
2. How fully do you think you have appreciated the Holiness of God?
3. How does that understanding guide your life?

Many try to free themselves from inhibitions through various drugs, usually alcohol. I’ve often wondered why the same people can’t just enjoy life and freedom without the drug. God has made us to be free and certainly uninhibited when it comes to pursuing His purposes and enjoying life. The last thing He needs is a bunch of bound up, sour faced religious people.

As with the other messages in the series, this freedom is found in Christ. In Him we are free of condemnation (Rom.12), renewed by His Spirit (2Cor.5) and chosen by God (Eph.1 & 2). We are gifted for His glory (Eph.2:10; Rom.12) and recipients of His Grace and Favour (Pr.3; Ps.5). More than any others we have the foundations to be confident in the call and blessing of God and so step out to bless others.

Application:

1. In what situations do you find yourself most inhibited?
2. How would an understanding of God’s calling and favour help you in those situations?
3. What changes in your thinking is God pointing you to this week?

Blessings!

Eph 4:26

“And don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry for anger gives a mighty foothold to the devil.”

Have you ever been really, really, angry, where someone has provoked you? This is the type of anger this verse is referring to, but there is another type.  

Eph 4:31

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behaviour

The two words for anger in these verses are slightly different. The first is about being provoked to anger, the second, which we are to get rid of, is about a character that is defined by anger. We are to get rid of anger because it can become something that defines us and defines our behaviour in the long term.

Freedom from anger does not mean that we supress it either. Supressed anger can also cause us all sorts of problems. Turned in on us it can lead to depression, expressed outwardly and violently, it appears as rage.

If we don’t deal with anger, we become controlled by it.

So, how do we live a life in freedom, a life that is not controlled by anger?

1.    No excuses

Take responsibility for your own anger

Recognise that whilst anger is a natural emotion, it is an indicator that something is wrong.

How is my anger affecting my thoughts, my behaviour and my actions towards myself and towards others?

We must stop blaming others and stop excusing the anger. Instead we can ask ourselves: “What is going on for me here?”  “Why am I feeling angry about this situation?”

Is this anger because something good has been violated?

Or: Am trying to protect my own pride, am I trying to get my own way; am I trying to control others, or a situation?

When we are brave enough to ask ourselves these questions and be honest about them, we can begin to resolve the issues.

2.    Forgive, Forgive, Forgive

Seek forgiveness and extend forgiveness. When we have anger from unresolved issues, and we have identified those issues, then we can begin to move forward.

Matt 18:15 gives us the way. We must go with the right motive!

Firstly deal with our own stuff

Seek God’s forgiveness for our own behaviour. We need to deal with our own stuff and come before God. We need to get the plank out of our own eyes and to come in repentance for our own behaviour. Seek his forgiveness for holding onto anger and extend forgiveness towards others.

Mark 11:25

But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.

This is tough. Forgiveness is not always easy, and reconciliation is not always possible.

BUT Forgiveness frees us!!!!!!!!!

Who do I still need to forgive?

3. Work on our thinking

Romans 12:2

Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect

Freedom from anger is about changed thinking that produces changed behaviour.

1 Peter 1:13

So think clearly and exercise self-control

This means stop replaying the angry thoughts, the hurt thoughts and the bitterness and the resentment we hold onto for real or imagined hurts. Turn the CD player of hurt and resentment in your thoughts off.

Replace the list of resentment and anger with Spirit controlled thinking. Thinking about all that is good and right and lovely.

Where does my thinking need to change?

So, no excuses, forgive freely and change the thinking patterns.

Rejection is inevitable and painful. It brings on a grief reaction that can be deep and very difficult to recover from, knocking our confidence and undermining our capacity to trust. Jesus was totally familiar with rejection. Isaiah prophesied (Is.53:3) that He would be despised and rejected by men and He was. We should also not think that we will be immune from rejection for His sake as well though i suspect most of the rejection we experience is not faith related.

Jesus example is the key for me in gaining freedom from the effects of rejection. He sought and found His approval in His Heavenly Father (Jn.13:2-5 & 8:28-29) and He practiced forgiveness toward those who rejected Him (Lk.23:33-34). I never cease to be amazed by Jesus capacity to rise above the junk of life and take the high road. He was, and is, amazing.

Application:
1. To what extent and in what circumstances are you still seeking the approval of people?
2. Who are you holding bitterness against due to rejection?

Blessings!

Fear is very debilitating in all it’s forms. Fear of failure, hurt, pain, loss, etc, etc. It binds us up and restricts us from pursuing God’s call and His best. We know that the answer is in His love, in fact, in Him, Himself. From Adam to Paul the answer to fear for God’s people has been, and always will be, relationship with our loving Heavenly Father. The problem is we don’t always live it out.

Jesus Disciples were no different. In Mark’s gospel chapter 4 we see the wind and waves experience. The Disciples immediately react with fear and panic just as we do. We need to note that Jesus is in the same boat; He is in control and He cares deeply what happens. We often loose that perspective and surrender to fear. Jesus cares what happens to you, He is working out His purpose in your life and He is always with you, whatever you face.

Application:

1. What fears do you battle with the most?
2. What is God’s perspective on that – His plan; His thoughts?
3. What could you do differently this week to break free of those fears?

Blessings – Ron

Over the next few weeks we’ll be looking at what it means to live in the freedom that Jesus intends for us. In Gal.5 it says that it was for freedom that Christ has set us free. Many don’t live in that freedom. Bound by religion, fears, insecurities and inhibitions. We want to open our hearts to the freedom Jesus can give.

Over Easter we’ll be focusing on how to start exercising that freedom. We can’t begin to live free if we are bound by a religion that enslaves us to rules, merit and guilt. Jesus came to set us free from that treadmill and lead us to a life of faith and love. Begin your walk of freedom today. Receive His forgiveness (Jn.8:36); focus on grace (Lam.3:21-23; Rom.8:1-2) and live in His Spirit, empowered to be free (Gal.5:13-18)

Application:

1. What do you find restricts your freedom in Christ? What binds you up?
2. What is the difference between religious bondage and God’s grace and forgiveness?
3. How can we live free without indulging the sinful nature?

Blessings!

Romans is an amazing book. It is filled with God’s plan of Salvation for mankind. The grace of God is so evident in this plan and the more I read Romans, the more I am thankful for God’s grace towards us.

Paul spends the first eleven chapters talking about God’s grace and his plan of Salvation for all through faith in Christ. Then in chapter 12  he starts writing about how we are to live, and we find that it is because of what God has done for us, it is because of his grace and mercy, because of his kindness, that we are to be “living sacrifices”. It is because of all that he has done, that we are to be transformed.

This is not something to be taken lightly or for granted.

Romans 12:2 says:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of Your mind” (TNIV)

So often we want God to change how we think, but we are actually responsible for changing the way we think. And we can do it because God has given us everything, and has shown his  grace and kindness and mercy towwards us. Our thoughts are our responsibility. The onus is on us to do something positive, to think differently, to be actively thinking differently, because of God’s grace. His grace, and his mercy towards us, is an enabling factor, but it is also our motivation for changed thinking and changed behaviour.

The grace of God is not there just to mop up when we stuff up. Instead, because  of everything God has done for us, we are to live differently and to think differently, not with a worldly perspective but with a Kingdom perspective.   

I’m heading off to China on Sunday night to conduct training for a new Micro-Enterprise group which is a bit hectic but a real privilege. It’s made me think about one of the core paradigms for Micro-Enterprise Church Development. That being, the Cave or the Kingdom Church. It comes from David’s shift from the cave of 1Sam.22:1-3 to the establishment of the Kingdom in 1Chron.12:38-40. The change is dramatic and has strong implications for the Church as we bring God’s Kingdom to the Community.

I got to thinking how that applies to us as individuals – the Cave person or the Kingdom person.. The Cave is characterised by debt, distress and discontent with an inward survival focus majoring on the minor issues with no Kingdom vision. The Kingdom brings unity of purpose, release of joy filled fellowship and leadership with a big Kingdom vision. The question is which person am I?

Application:

1. What parts of the cave person do you still struggle with?
2. How can you build more of a Kingdom connection and vision?
3. What is God speaking to you about to change this week?

Blessings!

I looked up the definition of ‘Hard Core’ and my favourite part was: ‘those whose condition seems to be without hope or remedy’. I know people like that in relation to the mission of Christ that we are called to and it is my desire never to be cured of the obsession for the call of God to the world. The Hard Core missionaries are to found on the fields of the world and in the workplaces, schools and homes of our nation. They are the ones who get the job done no matter the cost or obstacles.

To become a hard core misso all you need do is count the cost; determine to do whatever it takes and cultivate an unreasonable perseverance. Easy to say, challenging to live out but within the reach of every follower of Christ. He said to count the cost before we build (Lk.14) and to keep our eyes forward when our hand is to the plow (Lk.9). I am encouraged by the guys who lowered their mate through a roof to bring him to Jesus (Mk.2). That’s the spirit I want to cultivate.

Application:

1. How can you be a hard core misso in Australia?
What does that look like?
2. How can we bring the paralytic to Jesus here and around the world?
3. What is God challenging you about in this area?

Blessings!

Dealing with the Quit Zone

Whenever we embark on anything significant, when we resolve upon a course of action, there will be challenges along the way. Working through these is a normal part of life and learning to deal with these situations well makes us stronger.

David was anointed to be the King of Israel, but it did not happen straight away. He faced many challenges to his personal life and to his leadership along the way. There were times when he could have quit, but he did not.

What can we learn from David?

1. Look to God.

God has the answer. Our own perspective can become unreliable or skewed depending on our circumstances but God’s persective is always right and gives us the bigger picture.

Psalm 86:11-12

Teach me your ways O Lord, that I might live according to your truth!

Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honour you.

With all my heart I will praise you , O lord my God.

I will give glory to your name forever.

Here David is asking for God’s perspective. He is seeking to learn from God and to understand his way, his perspective. David chooses to look to God and to seek him, to glorify his name, and to honour him.

When we read God’s word, when we open our hearts to hear him and to learn from him we get God’s perspective on life and on our circumstance and we can move forward.

We can ask: In what areas of my life do I need to get God’s perspective?

2. Remember the vision

When its tough, go back to the vision God gave you.

When we revisit the vision, we begin to take our eyes off the immediate difficulty and to get the bigger picture of where God is taking us. The vision is not stuck in the “here and now” but speaks of the future, of success and of hope in what God is doing.

We can ask ourselves:

What is the vision for my life/ministry/family?

If you don’t have a vision, seek God. he will give you his vision for your life. Write it down, carry it with you and revisit it. It will encourage and inspire you along the way.

When we remember the vision, we can refocus, get back on track with the vision and begin with a renewed attitude.

3. Keep Going

Those who achieve do so because they do not ever give up, they simply keep going. David could have given up when his family and friends turned on him (1 Sam 30). He returns from battle to find the enemy has taken all his possesions and his family, and those of all his men. His men turned on him, but David found strength in God and did not give up. Instead he pursued the enemy and won back his family and possesions.

David could have quit right there and then. He had already had to deal with Saul wanting his life, and now this. But he did not give up. He sought God, strengthened himself and kept going. He would never have become king if he had given up. He chose to keep going and went on to become the greatest king Israel ever had.

Winston Churchill said “Never, never, never, never give up”. If we determine that we will never give up, we will never quit just because it seems too hard. Our greatest triumph may be just around the corner, we will miss it if we quit, but we will see success if we never give up.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us that God is the author and perfecter of our faith. It is God who brings to completion the good work he has started in us. (Phil 1:4).

God is at work, he is making a way. The Apostle Paul understood this. In his letter to the Corinthian church he says:

“Therefore my dear brothers stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain”. 1 Cor 15:58 (NIV).

God is in the business of finishing what he started and he will enable us to keep going to the end.

What areas of our lives do we need to persisit in even though we might feel like giving up?

What strategies will we use to ensure we keep going?

God has a great plan and purpose for us all. Let’s be people who seek God, remember the vision and never give up.