Christian Faith Perspectives

When you mention the word prosperity people tend to think it’s just about money and enjoying a comfortable lifestyle. Whilst that is important, the meaning of prosperity is that our lives should be moving forward in a successful and positive way.

We can have a negative attitude to success. This is why we may need to re program our minds, because the way we think largely determines what happens in our lives. God wants us to be people who have faith in the future and have a SUCCESS mindset!

There is a great incident recorded in the Gospels. The disciples had been out fishing all night and caught nothing. Jesus saw them in the morning and said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” The result… success! They even had to tow the net to shore because it was so heavy with fish.

To be saved is wonderful, but the purpose is that we might enjoy success in life right now! Surely, this is what everybody really wants! In my experience, success comes when we don’t give up, and when we are willing to try new ways of doing things!

Ref. John 21:1-11 NIV.

Most of us would accept the general concept that God loves us but what is not often discussed is the INTENSITY of that love. Empty spaces or vacuums exist in our lives because we are deprived of love. Consider for a moment those small airtight containers you can buy in the supermarket. Have you ever rinsed them with steamy hot water and replaced the lid… only to find you can’t get the lid off? Accidently you have created a partial vacuum and the outside air pressure has tightly sealed the lid. With extreme effort a corner of the lid can be forced apart, suddenly air rushes into the container and the lid easily comes off!

We can isolate ourselves from God’s presence, but He is still there wanting to fill our lives with the intensity of His love. In my own Christian life, I did not fully understand the extent, to which Jesus wanted to demonstrate his love. Yet, Jesus tells us that he loves us the same way that he is loved! John 15:9 NIV.

Our most tragic mistake then, is to overlook or be ignorant of the fact that the Lord has a strong desire to love us. It is not superficial, but one that is genuine and emotionally heartfelt toward the individual! Some may be surprised that Jesus can be emotional! He wept over the city of Jerusalem because the people did not understand that he loved them. Luke 19:41-42 NIV.

As we enter each new day of our lives remember that he still says, “I LOVE YOU”. He is totally committed to our wellbeing, he wants to be fully involved, guiding, protecting, and supplying our needs. It is, an intensely personal LOVE!

The Bible is a unique book, it may gather dust on a bookshelf, yet its pages can literally come to life for the person who opens them. It is documented that in the last 50 years it has outsold other books, having sold 3.9 billion copies.

One of the most puzzling statements in the Bible is that Jesus Christ is actually called, THE WORD OF GOD. The full understanding of this fact is certainly beyond my own comprehension. Learned theologians do make commentaries on its meaning; namely, that God has spoken to us by sending his Son, who becomes the full expression of himself, God SPEAKS to us by his SON!

Jesus gives us a hint when he said his words are SPIRIT & LIFE! Most of us would have heard of the work of Gideons International, who distribute Bibles, placing them in hotels, hospitals, prisons etc. But what may not be so well known is that persons who have been at a point of extremity in their lives have opened one of these Bibles and the WORD has come alive speaking to them personally!

In the Bible God’s word is likened to a seed. The horticulturist understands the different ways of reproducing plants; one method is from the seed. The seed is a result of sexual reproduction in embryonic form. Given the right germination environment it will grow into a new plant with the same DNA as the parents. This helps us to understand that when we receive Christ, we become a new creation. Locked up within a seed is all the potential, shape and character of the plant. The ‘seed life’ potential of Jesus is within us, he is the WORD OF GOD!

Ref. Backyard Gardner-What’s in a seed? JOHN 6:63 NIV.

There is something romantic about travel as we set off on a journey; it could be by rail, a cruise, or a flight to some new holiday location. Travel is so exhilarating, it gives us that sense of movement and progression, we are not standing still. We look forward with anticipation and excitement as the journey begins, thinking about the trip ahead.

But have you ever had your trip delayed or even cancelled.? Like on a train journey you stop in a siding for some reason. Your patience is tested as you wait for the train to start moving again. Sometimes life is like that, we feel we are not moving forward anymore. Maybe we are letting the past hinder the future! Our lives can seemingly come to a standstill, and we find ourselves not progressing, ARE WE LIVING IN THE PAST?

In life there are chapters of experience, they involve relationships, work and places. All of these leave an indelible mark in our memory; it is like a fabric in our minds. We can relive everything we have done, all the places we have travelled to, and yes, all the emotional aspects as well. It is natural to dwell on the good things but there are negative ones too, things we would rather forget. The result is we look back rather than moving forward.

We cannot turn back the clock, past events are past, they are finished with! We cannot relive what we were or where we were. We are, nevertheless, a product of all that has happened in our lives. In fact, we are not the same person, we have changed!

Our lives should be progressive, as we change there are new pathways available!

Ref. Jer. 29:11. NIV.

Experts in the field of botanical study tell us that there are some 300,000 known species of flowering plants. Yet each flower is so uniquely different.
Or consider the World population which reached 8 billion on November 15th. 2022. Yet we are each uniquely different, we are our OWN BRAND!

There is a secular quote that runs something like this: –
“TO COMPARE YOURSELF WITH SOMEONE ELSE IS TO INSULT YOURSELF”
We have all done it, we look at others we admire them. They seem to be so successful, and we are not. Then we go on this futile path of trying to be someone else; but we are creating a person that is not really us. We try to imitate someone else, but it won’t work. We just need to be ourselves!

When working as a direct sales agent, I felt somewhat intimidated by other agent’s success. Do I need to become slicker? do I need to adopt a high-pressure approach. Definitely not, the key was to be myself. I had a good product to sell, it only required the presentation to be expressed in my own style, not in someone else’s! I needed to see… I WAS MY OWN BRAND!

The Bible tells the story of Gideon, a man chosen by God to defeat the Midianites. He did succeed, but initially he compared himself with others saying he was the weakest in his family and his clan was the weakest in Manasseh. Gideon came to recognise his own potential. Ref. Judges 6:14-15 NIV.

Even in business today there is much talk about the importance of promoting your brand, and reinforcing what people think of your product. Not comparing yourself with the opposition but majoring on your own special strengths.

YOU ARE THE BRAND! and it’s okay to love yourself too! Sometimes we need to forget about the other person and let our own individuality emerge. Like the opening of a flower bud, you are beautifully different to anyone else!

Ref. Flowering Plant-Wikipedia, Worldmeters.info>world-population.

Searching for gemstones can be such a fascinating and enjoyable hobby. Some take it more seriously, making a living out of digging for opals or even prospecting for gold.
When living in the Mid North of South Australia I had fun fossicking, looking in particular for quartz crystals. A favourite spot was an old roadside stone quarry where a local told me there were crystals to be found. With rock pic hammer in hand, I started digging and probing in a soft clay section of the rock face. In a short space of time a glassy tip was visible, minutes later I had found my first cluster of quartz crystals… so exciting!

Geologists explain that mineral crystallisation requires the essential ingredients of temperature, pressure and time. One source of gemstones is from plutonic igneous rock which forms when hot magna is trapped deep inside the earth. It then cools slowly and crystallizes, forming minerals. Some word meanings of interest; Pluto was the Roman God of wealth and the underworld, and igneous comes from the Latin word for fire.

Of course, there is one gem which has a particular fascination, GOLD! So soft and pliable that it can be flattened into very thin sheets called gold leaf. Also, it does not rust making it so long lasting. The fact that gold doesn’t tarnish either, means it retains its lustre.

In finding precious stones and understanding a little about related geology I see a parallel with discovering truth in the Bible. But like commercial mining or amateur gem hunting, searching is required, we must be prepared to dig for truth. The reward is that we will find something of lasting value, spiritual gems of WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING!

Ref. Prov. 2:4-5. NIV

I think we are all fascinated by moving water, whether it is a small spring bubbling up from the ground in the mountains or a cascading waterfall. Sadly, we know that water can also cause much damage and loss of life in floods. But one thing is common, moving water is a form of kinetic energy by virtue of its motion and that energy can be harnessed as in hydroelectric power stations. To watch energy in motion is captivating and mysterious.

Using this one example of energy, we know it causes certain feelings within us as we watch the moving water; for instance, it could have a calming effect on our spirit. Which reminds me that we are not just a mechanical humanoid robot; for we all have a hidden side to our being, our spirit self, an energy body that can’t be seen or touched.

Anyone who has studied and practiced Yoga or similar disciplines will be aware that they promote increased self-awareness. In addition, teachings of chakra energy centres within the body are also considered important for developing inner spiritual consciousness.

Whilst everyone may not follow these forms of meditation, they do emphasise a very important point. As human beings we not only have a body and mind, but also a spirit. Jesus Christ often referred to the unseen spirit side of our being, a clear indication that he fully understood that it was real and important. When we receive Christ, we are forgiven, but at the same time the spirit part of us is powerfully changed. The spirit within is healed and Jesus described it to Nicodemus as being born again. Our spirit if you like, becomes God sensitive, we become tuned into God; that is to say, on the same wavelength.

In addition, Jesus taught that if we believed in him rivers of living water would flow out of our innermost being. He was referring to the Holy Spirit which is given to the believer, and which makes the presence of God real in that inner part of our body… OUR SPIRIT!

Through personal faith in Christ the spirit part of us is regenerated and made right, but the extra is to also have God’s Holy Spirit moving within us. To use the analogy of the flowing river there is a God energy within which can flow out of our lives as LIVING water, but it starts within us. Our Christian lives can often be just external, but the key is to INTERNALIZE OUR EXPERIENCE. The energy is within us and as we learn to harness its power the benefits will flow to our body and mind, and then outwardly in our life.

I used to do annual business calls to Tawonga, a town situated in the Kiewa Valley. My motel stopover had a view of Mount Bogong, which is the highest mountain in Victoria.
To remember looking at that snow-capped mountain is always a special image in my mind. There is something awe inspiring to gaze up and see a mountain so high and close.

Supremacy is state or condition of being superior to all others in authority, power, or status, For example, the supremacy of a king.

We hear a lot of emphasis today about discovering ourselves; by positive thinking, and other concepts which focus on successful living. All valuable, but the best development of ourselves is to realise that we primarily belong to God. Our submission to that higher authority is the key to releasing our full potential.

Consider the apostle, Paul of Tarsus: Prior to conversion he was self-righteous, self-centred and a persecutor of Christians. But one day this man is confronted by the risen Christ. He falls to the ground and is temporarily blinded. Jesus then says to him, “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do”. Here was a man once self-willed, but now he was no longer giving the orders! He had met the King, who is all powerful!

We are told to make Jesus LORD. He is of course, but the term can lose its meaning through overuse. Rather, let us see God’s supremacy and allow Jesus to be the one calling the shots!

Ref. Jeremiah 10:23, Acts 9:6. NIV.

The agnostic feels that it is pointless trying to discover God for he cannot be proved by human reason. Such a person holds the view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable. Ref. Merriam-Webster.

Yet, God has revealed himself to mankind at the level of human reason and sense knowledge. His Son was manifest in human form, “The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us…” God was actually walking on planet earth!

If we are having trouble believing in God because we cannot prove His existence, it is helpful to realise that Jesus is still in human form. He ascended to heaven, but he is there with the same human body he took to the cross. It was this reality Jesus wanted to prove to his doubting disciples, asking them to touch him and realize that he was not a ghost. Then, he took a bit of fish, and ate it in front of them. How incredible is that?

We are flesh and blood people living in the realm of sense knowledge. Jesus lived as a man, experiencing our humanity and he also took his body into heaven. So, when we call upon him, we are not touching some mystical spirit but a LIVING PERSON!

Doubting, wavering faith can be replaced with the knowledge that Jesus is a real person and above all, HE IS BELIEVABLE!

Ref. John 1:14, Luke 24:38-43. NIV.

We are all preoccupied with keeping life’s schedules. Time frames rule our lives, appointments, deadlines, family commitments. Then I hear you saying, ” I just want time to live my life my way”. The question must then be asked, whose time frame are we keeping? Those close to us are often quick to tell us what to do and when! But our lives are not for other people to control!

I have found that the best course for making right decisions and their timing is not to rush. God is certainly not in a hurry and has a perfect timeline for action. In our enthusiasm, it is so easy to run ahead and find we have left God behind. But when we do things at the right time, everything seems to fall into place.

The golden rule then, is to let God take control of our time even taking control of what we do. This does not take the place of our personal decision making, but GOD IS INCLUDED!

Jesus of Nazareth never allowed himself to be rushed into things, he was always conscious of the right timing. He always lived his life in harmony with the Holy Spirit’s direction.

God has a perfect time schedule for our lives, even though it may require patience. BUT GOD DOES THINGS, RIGHT ON TIME!

Ref. Proverbs 3:5-6. NIV.