New Habits for a New Year

HabitsAs we prepare to finish another year and start a new one, it’s always good to pause and reflect. There are so many things to think about – our relationship with God, our relationship with people, our sense of contribution and life purpose, as well the seasons and stages of our life. In many ways, our lives are simply a mass of habits. In fact, most of the choices we make each day are more likely habits than they are actual decisions.

The apostle Paul tells us that genuine life transformation occurs when we renew our mind (Romans 12:1-2). Our thinking affects our emotions and our behaviours in profound ways. That’s why it is important to think about our own thought processes, to reflect and be self-aware enough to observe our own life patterns, habits and characteristics.

A number of recent studies have been conducted concerning habits. Here are a few insights from one such study, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

• Our brain constantly looks for ways to save effort. It tries to make almost any routine into a habit, which allows it to ramp down more often.

• The process within our brains is a three-step loop. First, there is a cue, a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which habits to use. Then there is the routine, which can be physical, mental or emotional. Finally, there is the reward, which helps your brain figure out if this particular loop is worth remembering in the future. Over time, this loop becomes more and more automatic. Eventually, a habit is born.

• Habits aren’t destiny. Habits can be ignored, changed or replaced. Every habit, no matter its complexity, is malleable.

• When a habit emerges, the brain stops fully participating in decision making. It stops working so hard or diverts to other tasks. So unless you deliberately fight a habit – unless you find new routines – the pattern will unfold automatically.

• Habits never really disappear. They’re decoded into the structures of our brain … the problem is that your brain can't tell the difference between bad and good habits, and so if you have a bad one, it's always lurking there, waiting for the right cues and rewards. Cravings drive habits … and figuring out how to spark a craving makes creating a new habit easier.

• The secret to changing old habits it to use what is already inside your head. Habits are a three-step loop – the cue, the routine, and the reward. Attack the middle step – the routine. You can never truly extinguish bad habits. Rather, to change a habit, you must keep the old cue and deliver the old reward, but insert a new routine. Almost any behaviour can be transformed in this way. Habits cannot be eradicated. They must instead be replaced.

• For a habit to stay changed, people must believe change is possible. Also, your odds of changing go up dramatically when you commit to changing as part of a group, even if it only as large as two people.

• Some habits have the power to start a chain reaction, changing other habits as they move through your life or organisation. "Keystone habits" start a process that, over time, transforms everything. The habits that matter most are the ones that, when they start to shift, dislodge and remake other patterns.

Two thousand years ago, the apostle Paul described life-change as a process of ‘putting off’ certain thinking and behavioural habits, especially the sinful nature, and ‘putting on’ new ones, such as the character of Christ (see Ephesians 4:17-32). This is a process that takes time and it is a partnership between God’s Spirit at work within us and our own discipline (Philippians 2:12-13).

What area of your own life is God prompting you to change next year? What unhealthy habits need attention? What new habits need forming? 

I pray that you will take some significant steps in the coming year to become the person God intends you to be. After all, life is lived inside out. 

Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.

Further Reading: Daily Habits7 Habits of Highly Effective People and A Fresh Start.

If Life were a 24-hour Clock, what Time is it for You?

Clock

As we come near the end of another year, it is a good thing
to pause and reflect on our life, as well as our relationship with God.

Here is the prayer of Moses, a man who spoke to God face
to face.

Psalm 90:12. Teach us
to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. NIV

Psalm 90:12. Teach us
to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. NLT

Life is short. We enter through the door of birth and leave
through the door of death and none of us know the distance between. Most
tombstones have a birth date and a death date and a dash or hyphen in-between.
Right now we are living in that dash. Yet what we do in time, will echo through
eternity, including the choices we make. 

If life were a 24-hour clock, what time is it for you? When we were born the clock began to run. When we die, the clock stops running. What if we get only 24 hours on our clock of life? Under these rules, what time is it in your life? Is it 10.00 am, noon, 5.00 pm or is it nearly midnight?

According to the World Bank, life expectancy for an average human being is currently numbered at 78.4 years.  If 78.4 years represents our average life span, we can assume our clock will hit 24 hours when we reach that age. We have 24 hours of time to live and it will take us 78.4 years to live that 24 hours.  Therefore, each hour will be represented by 3.267 years of life lived (78.4 years divided by 24 hours of our life clock).

  • When your 24-hour clock reaches 3 A.M. you will have lived almost 10 years of life.
  • When you reach the age of 20 years old your 24-hour clock reads 6:24 in the morning. 
  • At 30 years of age, it's just after 9.00 am in the morning
  • At 40 years of age, it's past noon for you. 
  • A person 50 years old is looking at the clock and it shows a time of 3:18 pm. That person is approaching dinner time in their life. They have less than 9 hours remaining in life on their 24-hour clock. 
  • A person 60 years old is looking at the clock and it shows a time of 6:22 pm in the evening. That person has less than 6 hours remaining on their 24-hour life clock. 

If your life clock was a 24-hour clock, what time is it right now? Do the math.
You will discover that you do not have a lot of time remaining to do the things you wanted to do when you had more time. The clock is beginning to squeeze out some of the things you dreamed to do. This type of process requires you to make some serious adjustments in your life. You begin to work on developing the things you can do that are the most important things you should be doing. You eliminate the things that do not matter as much and begin to focus on the ones that matter the most.

Your clock is too short to permit useless activities to steal your precious time, unless they are recreational activities as part of your weekly Sabbath. After all, we all need to play too.

What time is it on your 24-hour clock? How much time do you have remaining to do the things that matter the most?  What will those things be and how will you make the most out of the adjustments you need to make? I think it is a good time right now to begin that change, if you are not currently doing what matters the most. You better get started. Your clock is ticking away.

[Source]

See also Living in Light of Eternity

The REAL Christmas Story (Pt.2)

Nat

After presenting an extensive genealogy, something that would have been very important to his Jewish readers (a high value for heritage, inheritance, legitimacy and rights), Matthew moves on to tell us about the birth of Jesus … It’s a unique story about a unique person with a unique conception and a unique message and ministry.

Matthew tells us exactly what happened (not when, as far as an exact date), who this baby is and why he came (Matthew 1:18-25).

This baby boy is given two names: Jesus and Immanuel. Names held far more importance in that culture than in ours, being thought of as linked with or pointing to the actual character and destiny of the individual. 

WHY Jesus came – as Saviour

The name ‘Jesus’ was a popular boys name at the time, being the Greek form of the Jewish name ‘Joshua’ who brought the Israelites into the promised land after the death of Moses. This name was given to boys as a symbolic hope for Yahweh’s anticipated sending of salvation. Matthew sees Jesus as the one who will now complete what the law of Moses pointed to but could not itself produce. He will rescue his people, not from slavery in Egypt, but from the slavery of sin, the ‘exile’ they have suffered not just in Babylon but in their own hearts and lives. This is the central purpose of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry. Jesus was born to be the Saviour of the world. 

Our Greatest Need 
If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; 
If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; 
If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; 
If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; 
But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Saviour.

To "sin" means to miss the mark or the target. We all have sinned – individually and as a community. We have done things we knew we should not have done and we have failed to do other things we knew we should have done. We all "fall short" of God's standard.  In response to this, religion is spelt DO – us reaching up to god or trying to become like god, through our self-effort. In contrast, Christianity is spelt DONE – accepting what Jesus has done for us, as a free gift. He never sinned and took the penalty for our sin so that we could go free. Christ offers us forgiveness for our sin and power over sin, through the gift of his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

WHO Jesus is – Immanuel ("God With Us")

By contrast, the name ‘Immanuel’ (mentioned in Isaiah 7:14 and 8:8, 10) was not given to anyone else, perhaps because it would say more about a child than anyone would normally dare. It means "God with us." Matthew’s whole gospel is framed by this theme: at the very end, Jesus promises that he will be ‘with’ his people always, to the close of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Often we ask, "Where is God?" … especially during difficult times. Joseph probably felt the same. He and his very pregnant wife had to go on a 125 km journey to Bethlehem just for a census (not a comfortable trip, when riding on a donkey for over 4 days!), then when he arrived there wasn't even a vacant room. After that, they had to escape to Egypt to avoid the threat of a murderous, jealous King Herod. "I thought God was with us," I am sure he wondered more than once. Yet God was with them, working out everything according to His plan. Only when looking back did it all make sense. And so it so often is in our own lives (Romans 8:28). 

A Response

Jesus offers us forgiveness as our Saviour today. Like any RSVP, that requires a response. Will we turn from sin to God placing our faith and trust fully in Him? Accept his forgiveness, love and grace … for your guilt and shame.

Finally, trust in God – whatever you may be experiencing in your journey of life. God IS with you and for you … along with all the resources you need (faith, hope and love … and joy). You are not alone. He is not far away. He is right here, right now … with you. That's good news … and that's the real Christmas story!

The REAL Christmas Story (Pt.1)

NatThe Christmas season is upon us again and with
it all sorts of nice Christmas stories.

One of my favourite is the The Grinch Who Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss (1957). The Grinch hates Christmas and wants to stop it from coming. So he forms a devious plan: to impersonate Santy Claus and to steal the Whos’ Christmas presents. But come Christmas morning, the Grinch is in for a shocking surprise. He did not stop Christmas from coming! And the Grinch realizes something new. That maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. That maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!

It’s a good Christmas story … but it’s not the real Christmas story.

Over the years, there have ben many Christmas movies about or related to the Christmas season. Do a Google search on “Top 10 Best Christmas Movies of All Time” and you find  ElfScroogeMiracle on 34thStreet (about a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus but is institutionalized as insane; a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing), A Christmas Carol (based on the novel by Charles Dickens in which an old bitter miser is given a chance for redemption when he is haunted by ghosts on Christmas Eve), A Christmas Story (in which Ralphie has to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect gift for the 1940s) and the #1 watched Christmas movie – Die Hard (in which, John McClane, officer of the NYPD, tries to save wife Holly Gennaro and several others, taken hostage by German terrorist Hans Gruber during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles)!

These movies have some good Christmas stories in them … but none of them are about th real Christmas story. Check out your local Christmas Day television program and you'll probably only find about 3% of it has anything to do with Jesus. The rest is a good dose of everything from Mr.Bean to Dr.Phil.

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ into the world, 2,000 years ago. That’s the real story of Christmas. Unfortunately, one thing many other stories and movies have in common is that many of them have taken the “Christ” out of “Christ-mas.” Even Christmas greetings of "Merry Christmas" have become "Happy Holidays," "Seasons Greetings" or "Cool Yule!"

Our Response?

We know that Jesus was probably not born in December (it’s
pretty cold for the shepherds and their sheep out in the field this time in the
northern hemisphere!) and that Christmas now has a lot of paraphernalia that
has nothing to do with the real meaning of the season (Christmas trees, Santa,
elves, etc). So what do we do? Do we become old grumpy scrooges who take the
joy out of the season? Do we morph into the Grinch and try to steal
Christmas? Do we boycott Christmas? After all, Santa is an
anagram for SATAN!

No! I suggest we take advantage of the season and recover
the real meaning of Christmas … then do our best to keep that memory alive … for
each generation. The memory of the birth of Jesus Christ!

Let’s read the real Christmas story together …

Matthew 1:18-25. This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Joseph, son of David, the angel said, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All of this occurred to fulfill the Lords message through his prophet: Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God is with us. When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. NLT

This is a unique story about a unique person, with a unique ministry and message – Jesus , with Christ. It's an action-packed story, with surprise and excitement, the ordinary and the ordinary and the miraculous, good and evil, an innocent young girl, her husband and a baby, an evil kind, angels and all sorts of drama. 

Matthew tells us exactly what happened (not when, as far as an exact date), who this baby is and why he came …

Part 2

What if the Three Wise Men Were Women?

WomenWhat would have happened if it had been three Wise Women instead of three Wise Men? 

  • They would have asked directions, 
  • arrived on time, 
  • helped deliver the baby, 
  • cleaned the stable, 
  • made a casserole, 
  • and brought practical gifts, and
  • there would be peace on earth.

But what they would have said when they left…? 

  • "Did you see the sandals Mary was wearing with that gown?" 
  • "That baby doesn't look anything like Joseph!" 
  • "Can you believe that they let all of those disgusting animals in the house?" 
  • "I heard that Joseph isn't even working right now!" 
  • "And that donkey that they are riding has seen better days too!" 
  • "Want to bet on how long it will take until you get your casserole dish back?"

[Source Unknown]

Jesus, Born to be King

KingChristmas draws our attention to the arrival of Jesus on the
earth as a small baby over 2,000 years ago. It provides an opportunity to
reflect on his life and how He intersects with our life, wherever we may be on
our journey. Jesus is known by many titles, each describing part of who
he is and/or a role that he fulfils. We can think of Jesus as Saviour and Immanuel. Jesus was also called the
Messiah or the Christ, which means ‘anointed one’, as well as Son of Man (his humanity) and
Son of God (his deity).

I love how one old preacher described Jesus in 'That's My King!' As we read the Gospels, one title rings loud and
clear – that of King. The first disciples saw Jesus as Israel’s long awaited
King.

Matthew’s dominating idea for his Gospel is
presenting Jesus as King. He continually shows the royalty of Jesus. Right at
the beginning the genealogy is presented in order to prove that Jesus is the Son of David
(Matthew 1:1–17). The title, Son of David, is used more frequently in Matthew than in any other gospel (see Matthew 15:22; 21:9; 21:15).

The wise men came looking for him who is "King of the Jews" (Matthew 2:2). The triumphal entry wass a deliberately
dramatized claim to be King (Matthew 21:1–11), fulfilling prophecies from Isaiah 62:11 and
Isaiah 9:9. Before Pilate, Jesus deliberately
accepted the name of "King of the Jews" (Matthew 27:11). Even on the Cross, the title of "King of the Jews" was
affixed, though in mockery, over his head (Matthew 27:37). However, Jesus was a King of a different kind. His message was of God’s kingdom come, yet realised through
a cross on which he would die.

After the resurrection of Jesus, his followers saw Him as
not just Israel’s promised King and Messiah but also as the King who was
sovereign over the entire world, including Caesar (Acts 17:5-7). The early church declared Jesus as King over all kings both
now and in his return (1 Timothy 6:15. Revelation 19:16). They worshipped Jesus as the Son of God and the King who was
and is reigning now. They saw themselves as kings and priests, representing God's rule and work on the earth. They waited expectantly for his return and the full
realisation of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (something they prayed for regularly, as Jesus taught them). They understood Jesus’ message of kingdom and cross (suffering) as something that they would need to embrace in this life too.

If your life could be likened to a
car
 … is Jesus: nowhere near your car? In the car, but locked in the boot for Sundays,
where you stuff him back in for the rest of the week, in case he upsets your
ordinary life? In the car, but a back-seat passenger who
you don’t pay much attention to? In the car, but a front-seat passenger? … Or is he the driver in your car … and if so, are you a backseat driver?

How do we know that
God is first in our lives? What are the indicators? Consider your relationships, your priorities, your interests, as well as the use of your time and your finances. 

General William
Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army. Toward the end of his career, he
was interviewed by the press. As he looked back over his lifetime, this is what
he said: “God had all there was of me. There have been others who had greater
plans and greater opportunities than I; but from the day I had a vision of what
God could do, I made up my mind that God would have all there was of William
Booth.” Does Jesus have all of you?

Being a disciple of Jesus or a “Christian” is not just about
having your sins forgiven and knowing that you will go to heaven when you die.
It is about living life here and now under new management – under the new
leadership of King Jesus. It is seeing Him as the Lord and therefore the Leader
of your life. Life is about following Him and partnering with the work he is
doing in history as your story contributes to HIS story. Surrender afresh to his loving leadership. He is a leader worth
following and he knows best. His desire for your is life to the full (John 10:10).

Australian Government Considering Diverting Money from Poverty-Reducing Aid

OzNEWSFLASH: The Government is considering diverting money from poverty-reducing aid. The Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, recently admitted plans to divert at least $375 million of Australia's poverty-focused aid program to fund rising refugee support costs at home in Australia.
Not only would this reduce the amount available for poverty-focused programs overseas, but it would make Australia the third largest recipient of Australian aid.

World Vision Australia CEO, Tim Costello, has publicly condemned this decision, “I am stunned by the Government's plans to divert hundreds of millions of dollars away from its intended purpose." 

What can we do?

1. Call and email Treasurer Wayne Swan (wayne.swan.mp@aph.gov.au and 02 6277 7340) and Foreign Minister Bob Carr (foreignminister.carr@dfat.gov.au and 02 6277 7500).

2. Call your Labor MP and tell him/her you don’t want life-saving aid intended for international development being diverted for use in Australia. Call on the Government to be transparent about where this money is coming from and which aid programs will miss out.

3. Call your Coalition MP and thank them for opposing the Government's announcement. This follows criticism by both Julie Bishop and Teresa Gambaro that Labor is hijacking Australia's foreign aid program. Ask for the Coalition to rule-out similar "phantom aid" spending – aid used for purposes other than international development – in the future.

4. Get active on social media and let others know what's at stake. #dontdivertaid  Promote the message through blogs and Facebook pages encouraging people to get involved in the actions outlined above.

It's not too late to influence this decision for this coming May budget and future budgets so that more aid is not diverted. Together, we can help give a voice to the world's poor…

For further information:

Finger-Pointing and the Impulse to Judge (by Greg Boyd)

FingerA well-written article by Greg Boyd, worth re-posting:

To no one’s surprise, yet to the sadness of many of us, several Christian spokespeople, including James Dobson, Mike Huckabee and Bryan Fischer, are blaming the shootings in Newtown, Conn, on abortion and gay marriage. This is sadly reminiscent of Jerry Falwell’s hurtful response to 9/11 when he divined that “the pagans,” “abortionists,” “feminists,” “gays,” “lesbians,” “ACLU” and “People For the American Way” were to be blamed. It’s reminiscent as well, on a smaller scale, of John Piper’s disturbing public declaration that the collapse of the 35W bridge here in Minneapolis that killed 13 people was God warning us about our sin and the toppling of a church steeple by a tornado was God warning a denomination not to ordain gays.

It seems to have become a staple of American conservative Christianity to respond to tragedy – when people most need to be reminded of God’s comforting and healing love – to grab a megaphone and accuse.

How very different is the posture that the NT teaches God’s people to have. When Jesus confronted people who claimed to discern the punishing hand of God in the face of tragedy, he rebuked them by telling them to worry about their own relationship with God (Luke 13:1-5). He taught us to never look for specks in other people’s eyes, because we have planks sticking out of our own (Matthew 7:1-3). Whatever sin we think we discern in another person, in other words, we should regard it as a mere dust particle compared to our own plank.

Reflecting the same humble mindset, Paul taught us “a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance” by everybody: namely, that “Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15). Knowing that we are all sinners in desperate need of a savior, we should each confess that we are the worst of sinners. It would never occur to someone who took these teachings of Jesus and Paul seriously to ever try to put the blame for a tragedy – or even a damaged church steeple – on someone else’s sin!

I’m reminded of Paul’s beautiful teaching that God “reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” He then fleshes out what this means when he repeats: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them, [a]nd he has given us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). In other words, God handed over to us the wonderful assignment to manifest his love and saving work by never counting people’s sins against them! Our job is to do the exact opposite of what Satan, the Accuser (Revelation 12:9) does. From the garden, to Job, to the end of the age, he holds people’s sin against them and inspires to do the same. All who follow Jesus are called to engage in warfare against this enemy of humanity by manifesting the loving attitude of Jesus when he offered up his life to free all from their sin, praying for our forgiveness with his last breath (Luke 23:34).

I don’t doubt the sincerity of those who respond to tragedy by pointing fingers. But I want to, in love, warn them that in pointing fingers, they’re unwittingly aligning themselves on the side of the cosmic finger-pointer.

For my two cents, I’d much rather find myself on the side of the one who died to end all finger-pointing.

[Source]

Christmas Joy

JoyRegardless of personality, most people when asked what they want out of life usually answer something like, "I want to be happy" (in addition to world peace, of course). We want to experience positive feelings. As a result, for many people, life is a pursuit towards happiness.

We try to find happiness in a number of ways, including through acquiring stuff. The advertising industry's sole reason for existence is to make us unsatisfied with what we have and to tell us what items will make us happy. Christmas Day will be a moment when presents are opened by kids around the world, both young and old (after all, the only difference between the men and the boys is the price they pay for their toys!). But we all know, that by the afternoon, many of those toys will be lying around and we will have moved on to something else. 

At other times we look to fun and pleasure. The entertainment industry exists to give us positive feelings, whether through movies, sport or other experiences. Some are looking forward to upcoming new movie releases – such as The Hobbit or Les Mis – while the cricket lovers can't wait for the Boxing Day test match. But they will come and go too.

We also look for happiness in our achievements – in education or business or maybe in reaching an important goal. But these come and go too. Yes, possessions, fun and achievements create a degree of happiness, but these feelings are momentary. Before long, they have faded and we're left looking for more.

By its very definition, happiness is based on what happens to us. It is circumstantial. In contrast, joy comes from within. It moves inside-out.

I'll never forget visiting Africa 5 years ago with our family. We saw a lot of people in poverty and difficult circumstances. Our children observed how these people had nothing but were so happy (just looking at their smiles), yet back at home we all have so much but often not the same level of happiness. This reminds me of the African man who once said, "You Westerners have all the watches but we Africans have all the time." Maybe we also have all the stuff … but not as must joy.

Christmas reminds us that joy is a gift, not something we acquire or achieve. "Joy to the world, the Lord has come," the well known carol teaches us. Joy is a gift from God in the person of Jesus (John 3:16). A gift based on love – the fact that God loves us, just as we are. The One who knows us best, loves as the most. What a profound thought that can lead to great joy. 

It is a gift also based on a peace beyond our ability to comprehend or figure things out. A peace that we can experience even in the midst of a storm – whether financial, relational or a storm of violence, as we have tragically seen in the recent shooting in the USA. Only God can give peace in the midst of such chaos and grief. Christian psychologist, Larry Crabb says, "Joy in Christ does not replace our suffering and pain; it supports us through it."

Finally, this joy is based on hope – hope for a better tomorrow. The world is broken and longing to be set right by God, who will bring justice to bear, and ensure that good ultimately triumphs over evil. There is a future where there will be no more suffering, crying or pain. That is our hope. 

All of this is found in Christ – the gift of Christmas. 

What is our response? As the carol goes on to say, "… let earth receive her king." This gift of Christmas joy from God has to be received. Reach out your hand and welcome Christ into your life. Allow his joy into your world – bringing you love, peace and hope. Let this joy fill your heart and mind then overflow to others around you. After all, Jesus wants us as his followers to know his joy (John 15:11), a joy that overflows into our broken world. 

May you experience Christmas joy during this season!

… and don't let anyone or anything take that joy away from you. Watch out for irritations. In every situation ask yourself, "Is this worth losing my joy over?" Most of the time, it's not. Avoid the negativity that focuses only on what is not happening and be grateful for what is. Gratitude fuels joy. Don't hang on to the hurts and offences of others, allowing them to fester into bitterness. Forgive as you have been forgiven. Refuse to become a prisoner to worry. Place your trust in God.

As Paul said, "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (Philippians 4:4 NLT)"

Bible Engagement in Churchgoers Hearts, but not Always Practiced

BLifeway Research reports:

While the majority of churchgoers desire to honor Christ with their lives and even profess to think on biblical truths, a recent study found few actually engage in personal reading and study of the Scriptures.

"Bible engagement" is one of the eight attributes of discipleship identified in the Transformational Discipleship study conducted by LifeWay Research. The study produced the Transformational Discipleship Assessment, which measures an individual's spiritual growth in each of these areas of development.

The survey found 90 percent of churchgoers agree "I desire to please and honor Jesus in all I do," and 59 percent agree with the statement: "Throughout the day I find myself thinking about biblical truths." While the majority agree with both statements, there is a significant difference in the strength of agreement. Nearly two-thirds of churchgoers (64 percent) strongly agree with the first statement, but only 20 percent strongly agree with the second.

However, when asked how often they personally (not as part of a church worship service) read the Bible, a similar number respond "Every Day" (19 percent) as respond "Rarely/Never" (18 percent). A quarter indicate they read the Bible a few times a week. Fourteen percent say they read the Bible "Once a Week" and another 22 percent say "Once a Month" or "A Few Times a Month."

"Bible engagement has an impact in just about every area of spiritual growth," said Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research. "You can follow Christ and see Christianity as your source of truth, but if that truth does not permeate your thoughts, aspirations and actions, you are not fully engaging the truth.

"God's Word is truth, so it should come as no surprise that reading and studying the Bible are still the activities that have the most impact on growth in this attribute of spiritual maturity," Stetzer said. "As basic as that is, there are still numerous churchgoers who are not reading the Bible regularly. You simply won't grow if you don't know God and spend time in God's Word."

[Source]

How's your own Bible reading gone this year? What will be different next year? Are the potential changes worth it to you?

Cats or Dogs?

DosSo what's your favourite – cats or dogs? I grew up loving cats (especially kittens) but ended up having a number of dogs after getting married (my wife, Nicole, was allergic to our first cat!). Here's something funny my daughter just sent me …

A dog's daily diary:

8:00 am – Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am – A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am – A walk in the park! My favorite thing! 
10:30 am – Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm – Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm – Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm – Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm – Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm – Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm – Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm – Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

In contrast, here is a cat's diary on Day 983 of captivity:

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Dogs! 

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now …

Meow!

A Letter to the Church at Laodecia

RevHere is a challenging message from Jesus to the church at Laodecia:

Revelation 3:15-19. I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, I am rich. I have everything I want. I dont need a thing! And you dont realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and e discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. NLT

This church had become lukewarm – complacent, indifferent, lethargic, apathetic and lacking in passion. Apathy means “without emotion” or “a lack of feeling or concern. 

Satan knows that once we lose our passion we become ineffective. Once we lose our passion, we lose vision and perspective. We become critical and apathetic and instead of doing good we start becoming destructive. There is nothing he likes better than an apathetic Christian. One definition of lukewarmness is “serving God in such a way as to not offend the devil.”

That’s why we need to guard the flame within us. This passion of God is a consuming fire within you. Protect it ferociously, realising it is the enemy's target.

How is your passion for God? Burning brightly, just burning or burnt out? What may have caused this? Was it complacency, familiarity, difficult circumstances or maybe an unbalanced lifestyle (sometimes the pace we live at damages God's work in us)?

What steps can you take today to ignite your passion? Some ideas: associate with passionate people (fire-lighters not fire-fighters), stir up your spiritual gifts (they are Spirit-energising), return to your first love (do the things you did in the beginning), and pray for passion. After all, God is a fire-lighting God!

A Letter to the Church at Sardis

SardJesus had John write another letter to the church at Sardis. 

Revelation 3:1-6. I see right through your work. You have a reputation for vigor and zest, but you're dead, stone dead. Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there's life in you yet. But I wouldn't know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God's work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears – grasp it again and turn back to God. If you pull the covers back over your head and sleep on, oblivious to God, I'll return when you least expect it, break into your life like a thief in the night. You still have a few Christians in Sardis who haven't ruined themselves wallowing in the muck of the world's ways. They'll walk with me on parade! They've proved their worth! Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I'll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels. Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. Message Bible

Wow, what a challenging word from Jesus to his own people!

What stood out to you the most?

Here is a church that appears to be alive and active but is spiritually dead and asleep. Jesus calls them to wake up. How easy it is to become busy doing our own work, maybe even asking God to bless it, rather than taking time to see what the Father is doing and align our efforts with his will. 

Externals can be deceiving. In a day of bright lights, noise and hype, Jesus looks beyond the surface – to the heart of the matter. He calls his own people to repent and turn back to God (it's interesting how we think that repentance is for the unbeliever, where often it is a call for believers to turn back to God). 

Holy Spirit, awaken our ears to your voice today. Tune us to your promptings. Amidst the wind, the earthquake and the fire, may we hear your small gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-12). 

A Letter to the Church at Ephesus

EphHere is a copy of a letter from Jesus to the church at Ephesus in the first century, as given to John as he was in the Spirit praying …

Revelation 2:2-7. "I see what you've done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can't stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out. But you walked away from your first love – why? What's going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you've fallen? A Lucifer fall! Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I'm well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle. You do have this to your credit: You hate the Nicolaitan business. I hate it, too. Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I'm about to call each conqueror to dinner. I'm spreading a banquet of Tree- of- Life fruit, a supper plucked from God's orchard." Message Bible

What stood out to you as relevant for God's people today? For you personally?

Is it time to remember, to repent, or to return?

Familiarity can become one of the great enemies of life. Romance turns into routine. That which was once precious becomes merely common. What is truly special becomes just ordinary. It is so easy to
take things in life for granted. 

Someone once defined “religion”
as going through the motions without any feelings. The result is apathy. We become emotionally
dead – we don't dance, they we sing, we don't laugh, we don't feel, so
we don't do. Apathy isn't a state of mind; it's a state of heart. Apathy = a/pathos or without
passion.

The church at Ephesus started with an incredible revival that impacted the entire region (see Acts 19). Yet over the decades they drifted from the love they had at the first. The routines of church life continued but the fire of passion had diminished significantly. Jesus called them back to their first love. Jesus is more interested in the authenticity and warmth of our relationship with him than all we may be doing for him. How easy to get caught up in the work of the Lord and forget the Lord of the work.

May the Spirit of God kindle afresh our love for him and for each other today.