Category Archives: Christian Life

A GLITCH IN TIME SAVES LIVES

Christian life, ,

A GLITCH IN TIME SAVES LIVES


Sometimes, things happen that have no other explanation except… but GOD!

I am an avid fan of “Air crash investigations” screened on DSTV daily. A recent account of a near-fatal crash caught my attention.

Piloting an unfamiliar aircraft, the captain inadvertently put the plane into a steep dive, heading straight for the ocean at a terrifying speed.

This pilot had trained on an aircraft that was programmed to disable the autopilot, but the model of aircraft he was flying at the time was the only one in that series that did not have this facility. He was unaware of this difference, hence, in a moment of crisis, he tried to pilot the plane out of danger manually by acting in the opposite way to the autopilot which overrode his actions.

As the aircraft was careening towards the ocean, seven seconds before crashing, the plane suddenly responded to his manual control. He was able to pull the aircraft out of the dive and land safely at the designated airport.

How did this happen? After many hours of careful investigation, the FDR (Flight Data Recorder) revealed a momentary glitch in the autopilot computer that allowed the captain to recover the plane’s dive and gain altitude away from the ocean.

The only explanation (of course, the investigators did not verbally acknowledge this) is that God intervened. How else could the timing have been so precise to the second?

Trouble is that most people, passengers and crew, would probably have “thanked their lucky stars” for their “lucky” escape from death.

How often does God not intervene with a well-timed miracle of which we are even unaware, let alone acknowledge as His mercy!

Proverbs 3:5-6 gives us sound advice as we navigate a treacherous voyage through life.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
[5] “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; [6] in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

A picture on Pinterest puts like this…

“Those who leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything.”

THE ORCHID MY TEACHER

Christian Life, ,

THE ORCHID MY TEACHER

The natural world has many lessons to teach us about God and His ways. A new hobby, reviving dying orchids, is a powerful illustration of God’s dealings with us.

I call my orchids “resurrection” plants because, given the correct treatment, they can live again, no matter how dead they may look. In my ignorance, I allowed numerous orchids to die, not realising what potential they had to recover, had I just taken the time to consult the experts.

After losing more than one beautiful plant, exasperation drove me to seek help from video clips on orchid care which I found on YouTube. To my amazement, even the deadest plants, with no roots and poor-quality leaves (or even no leaves at all), came back to life after cleaning, soaking and feeding them with natural fertilisers made from common vegetables and fruit found in any kitchen.

My first attempt at rescue was a beautiful, soft lilac Phalaenopsis (aka “moth”) orchid with dying, rotting roots, and leathery, withered leaves. I had not repotted it in time to set it on course for a healthy life. I didn’t want to lose it so, after trimming off all the roots, I was left with a sad looking, rootless plant with an intact growth “hub”, I call it, underneath the leaves.

I did what the video clip demonstrated and, after a few weeks, I was rewarded with two small fresh roots peeping out from the base of the leaves. Soon afterwards, new leaves appeared and, eventually, to my delight, a flower stem pushed its way upwards, bearing some fourteen glorious lilac blooms which lasted for five months.

I was so elated with my success that I classified myself as orchid ICU! Friends brought tired orchids to me which recovered and went home after a few months.

A visit to a friend in a frail care facility yielded another victim of its owner’s ignorance. I pleaded to take the orchid home for some ICU treatment. No one took ownership, so I claimed the poor, derelict plant and began its recovery programme. Its roots were bone dry; two leaves were on their way out and the third leaf was a yellow goner.

My first task was to trim and soak the roots in a weak solution of milk and rainwater – always, only rainwater. I planted what was left of the roots in a container with pine bark and granite chips and surrounded the leaf base with moss.

For several weeks, I lovingly sprayed the moss to keep it damp and lo! new roots began to appear. Then I tried a daring experiment. I took the plant out of its growing medium, washed off the roots and suspended them in a cut-off 2lt Coke bottle in plain water.

Well, does my rescue orchid love that!   It’s making its second new leaf and the new roots have almost reached the water. After that successful trial, I now have three orchid plants growing in water, and plan to put my lilac one into water as soon as its blooms have faded.

What have I learned from this miracle of resurrection? God is the God of life, not death. Death is a part of this fallen world that Jesus overcame by His own death and resurrection. Just as the orchid, the queen of beautiful flowers, has stubborn life built into it, so every human being has the potential to live again.

All people have been born spiritually dead in sin.

Psalms 51:5 NLT
[5] “For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.”

Ephesians 2:1 NLT
[1] “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.”

How can we recover from our dead condition? Just as I, the “orchid doctor”, remove the plant from its grave, trim and wash the dead roots, and replace it in a growing medium that provides the environment in which it can flourish, so God rescues dead people from their grave of sin and death.

Ephesians 2:4-6 NLT
[4]”But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5] that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) [6] For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.”

He trimmed off the roots sunk deep into sin, washed us clean in the blood of Jesus, and transferred us from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of light.

Colossians 1:13-14 NLT
[13]”For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, [14] who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

Every human being is destined to live again after the death. It all depends on whether we have been rescued from the garbage dump of eternal separation from God and brought back to life by His grace or whether we go to the grave withered and rootless, to live in utter darkness for all eternity.

Every “dead” orchid can live again. It will respond to its own inbuilt power to revive if it is given the opportunity. Every spiritually dead person can live again. The potential to live again, forever, is in every one of us.

God will never force His life into us. Like the orchid which responds to its life-giving, new environment, we choose to respond to that amazing gift of life by surrendering our lives to Jesus.

Orchids thrive on light, moisture, and nutrients by sending out new roots. The root system is essential for a healthy, blooming plant. So, too, we must grow a healthy root system by responding to the light and nutrients found in God’s Word.

Psalms 119:105 NLT
[105] “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

John 8:12 NLT
[12] Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John 6:35 NLT
[35]”Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

When we feed on Jesus by soaking ourselves in His life, His Word, and what He has done for us, we grow strong roots that keep us secure and steadfast in our faith in Him.

Colossians 2:7 NLT
[7]”Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

If you want to be a part of God’s, eternal kingdom, be an “orchid” in His garden. He has put the potential in you to experience eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. By faith in Him, you can be joined forever to that life that He gives to everyone who believes in Him.

John 3:16 NLT
[16]  “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Romans 10:9 NLT
[9]”If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”


MOLLY AND ME – DISTRACTIONS

Christian Life, ,

MOLLY AND ME – DISTRACTIONS

Molly and I walk… well, ramble if one can call Molly’s pace “walking”! … quite often when the weather and old age permit (my old age, of course)! I have never owned a dog that is so distracted on a walk than this little animal. Everything around the block of approximately 1.8km, and I mean everything, distracts her.

If we haven’t walked for a few days, every smell and sight is new. Every tree and pole has new messages (I call them pee-mail), every dog in the neighbourhood must be barked at again, every person walking past must be scrutinised, pee and poo stops must be carefully selected and… and… and…

Then there are an endless array of interesting and challenging smells to navigate, and so, our “walk” is a stop-start affair, to say nothing of her ABS braking system which works efficiently on all four legs. We will be walking along the pavement at a steady pace when, suddenly, she will stop and almost jerk me off my feet. Nothing will move her until she has completed her investigation.

Molly reminds me of us believers who are so easily distracted by irrelevancies on our journey through life. We lose our focus on the “one thing” we should keep before us as we navigate problems, challenges and… yes… irrelevant distractors.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT
[1] “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. [2] We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Jesus never lost sight of His goal. He talked about it,

Matthew 16:21 NLT
[21]” From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.”

prayed about it,

Hebrews 5:7 NLT
[7]”While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.”

John 17:1-2 NLT
[1] “After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. [2] For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him.”

and set His face toward Jerusalem when the time came to fulfil His mission.

Luke 9:51 NLT
[51]”As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.”

The Apostle Paul also had his sights set in the goal. Despite his many journeys to undertake, letters to write, churches to care for, new towns and cities to evangelise, believers to teach, enemies to overcome and tents to make to keep the wolf from the door, he did everything with one thing in mind.

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT
[13] “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Paul doesn’t reveal the nature of the prize for which he strove so diligently but we find clues in his and other New Testament writings.

John tells me that us what this prize will be in a short, simple statement.

1 John 3:2 NLT
[2]”Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.”

… “We will be like Him”… what a prize! Ponder this thought for a moment. We will be exact replicas of Jesus, having resurrection bodies like His and a sinless, perfect nature like Him. No doubt we shall still retain our unique individuality, but without sin. Having struggled through this life with an old, sin nature that relentlessly tempts us to do wrong, is there anything more desirable than to be like Jesus?

In all his busyness for the kingdom, Paul never lost sight of the goal. It was his motivation and the energy to continue bringing his fleshly nature into subjection to Jesus.

1 Corinthians 9:25-27 NLT
[25] “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. [26] So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. [27] I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

My little teacher has done it again, bending my mind, by her behaviour, to another eternal truth we all need to take to heart. Let’s follow the instruction we read at the beginning. Let’s be aware of the distractors that lure us away from our goal. To reach that goal, we need to embrace the grace God gives us daily, to overcome the flesh and to walk by faith and by the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT
[1] “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. [2] We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith….”

MY FATHER IS ALWAYS WORKING

Christian Life, ,

MY FATHER IS ALWAYS WORKING

Jesus was, once again, engaged in a tussle with His opponents. His weapon was always truth versus error, lies, and deception. His enemies thrived on their dogged determination to catch Jesus out and prove Him wrong. However, they had chosen to tangle with one far superior to them in knowledge, understanding, and truth.

On this occasion, the issue raged around the healing of a blind man on the Sabbath. All the efforts of Jesus’ opponents to disprove that the man healed had been blind, including interrogating his parents, failed to change the obvious… Jesus had restored a blind man’s sight.

So, the conflict shifted to the inevitable, never-to-be-resolved debate on the Sabbath. The religious leaders attacked Jesus for “working” on the Sabbath while Jesus questioned their definition of “work”.

To the Jewish exponents of the law, work was lifting a finger to do anything they pronounced forbidden according to their interpretation of the law. To Jesus, any “work” that alleviated human suffering was in keeping with the compassionate, merciful nature of the Father.

Luke 6:8-9 NLT
[8] But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So, the man came forward. [9] Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”

The Sabbath was akin to the race issue in my country and in many others. If a situation cannot be resolved amicably, up comes the racist accusation. Even on the rugby field (aka RWC final), the race issue stuck its tongue out!

Jesus had the perfect answer to the Pharisees, which by the way, enraged them even more. “My Father is always, working and so am I.” For Jesus, the Sabbath had its place for God’s people, but for Him and His Father, the Sabbath was irrelevant.

God’s rest is one of ceasing from the “work” that the religious leaders were so eager to force others to do. The very purpose that Jesus made His appearance on earth was to do away with the work that wearied His people, and to offer them the permanent work of faith in His work of dying on the cross for their sin.

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
[28] Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

John 17:4 NLT
[4] “I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

John 19:30 NLT
[30] “When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

The debate is forever settled. The work of eternal salvation is complete. There is a rest we may enter by faith in Jesus’ finished work. How, then are the Father and the Son still working? Through the Holy Spirit on earth and in His people, He is convicting and calling unbelievers to Jesus, and He is perfecting the saints for glory.

John 6:29 NLT
[29] Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

So, we can celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death by entering His rest and by working with the Holy Spirit to reach that goal for which He has destined us.

Romans 8:28-29 NLT
[28] “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. [29] For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”


SHACKLED TO THE PAST OR FLYING TOWARDS THE FUTURE

Christian Life, ,

SHACKLED TO THE PAST OR FLYING TOWARDS THE FUTURE

It amazes me how much of our present experience is tied to our attitude to our past. Some of us have had a childhood full of sad and bad experiences, not only from life in our family homes but also mistreatment from peers and teachers at school and beyond.

All sorts of factors influenced the way people treated us and left gaping wounds in our hearts.

Now we are all grown up and must eventually take responsibility for the way we deal with the harm done to us in the past. Some people are resilient enough to let the past go. They learn and grow from bad experiences.

For example, one who has grown up in an alcohol-soaked environment with all its violence, drama, and… yes… shame, may decide never to touch a drop of the poison that destroyed his/her childhood. He chooses to use every opportunity to build a life of honesty and integrity based on hard work and good values.

Someone with this resolve will fly into the future. Despite the pain of the past, a decision to let it go makes all the difference to the present and the future.

Others remain locked to their past and the self-pity that feeds it. They can’t get past the Poor Me Syndrome that colours their function in the present. They float through life on their misery and end up getting nowhere and achieving nothing. Their failure only serves to feed guilt, shame, and despair.

The Apostle Paul had every reason to camp in the field of failure. In Romans 7, he describes his attempts to overcome sin in his life through his valiant attempts to keep the law. He was conscientious about his religious duties but the harder he tried, the more he failed.

Paul ended up being a persecutor and murderer in his religious zeal, but nothing he did brought peace… only guilt and regret.

What did Paul do with his past? He could have become a “basket case” like so many people do, but he made a wise choice that freed him from the guilt and shame of his past. He let go of everything, including his religious achievements and set his sights on a heavenly goal.

Knowing that his past was forgiven and obliterated by the death of Jesus, Paul anchored his present and future on God’s promises.

Philippians 3:6-7 NLT
[6] “I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. [7] I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.”

That was the start of a right-about turn, but Paul didn’t stop there. He pressed on with dogged determination through all the hardships and suffering his choice took him.

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 NLT
[23] “Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. [24] Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. [26] I have travelled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. [27] I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. [28] Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.”

Paul thumbed his nose at all of his achievements and hardship for one reason.

Philippians 3:12-14 NLT
[12]”I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. [13] No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

At the end of his relatively short and struggle-filled life, Paul could say with confidence,

2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT
[6] As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. [8] And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

So, what do we do with our past? Tenaciously hang on to it and waste a life that could be productive and fulfilling? Let it go, wave it a final goodbye, and fly into the future with gratitude for the good qualities hardship and pain has produced, and hope in the many promises of God that shine brightly on our future.

Do you have a goal? What is your goal in life? To live and end up a blob of misery? To persevere and reach God’s ultimate goal by grace and with His help,, a perfect replica of Jesus?

It all begins with a choice.

1 John 3:2-3 NLT
[2] “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. [3] And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.”