Christian Faith Perspectives

My last post talked about the importance of God giving us knowledge and wisdom. Important as that is, I would like to balance that with the fact that our Heavenly Father also wants to be our provider! So let us look at God’s providence toward us.

We can know so much, but if God is not supplying our needs, we are deprived! We can be in need of material things such as food, clothing, or a home. It could be money, health and happiness; even friendship, or a partner soul mate…. the list goes on. God is so good and full of love towards each one of us. Also, God’s love is an ACTION LOVE! God does not just say He loves us, He demonstrates that love by providing! The idea that God is wanting to give us good things must surely spark our interest. The sin aspect is a given, that is, we all know we have fallen short of God’s standards. Yet each of us, nevertheless, want a life that is a satisfying, life with a capital L, one that is fulfilling and enjoyable! Jesus put it so simply and powerfully when He said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10. NIV
God wants to give us ABUNDANT LIFE! How can one not be moved by such an offer! When God sent His Son as an ambassador into this world, it was not to condemn us, but to save us! And not only to save us, but to provide us with good things.

When you look up the word ‘providence’ it is surprising to find some interesting definitions:- ‘the care and control of God or of a force that is not human in origin’ Cambridge Dictionary. Or again, ‘divine guidance or care’ Merriam-Webster. Then we have the thought of a shipping or maritime providore. A person or business that provides all the necessary provisions and equipment for ships that sail the oceans. We are all on a voyage with many needs to successfully complete our journey across the sea of life. On that voyage our Heavenly Father wants to be our loving provider!

WE ARE EACH SPECIAL AND OF IMMENSE VALUE IN GOD’S SIGHT

We are living in a time when knowledge is at our finger tips, literally! Using our favourite search engine we can type in any subject and presto, a wealth of information is available.

But another resource is the Holy Spirit, also known as the Spirit of truth. We will find a reservoir of knowledge available; it is simply a matter of tapping into God’s infinite mind.
But consider for a moment, the Hume Dam, situated on the NSW-Victorian border. it is one of the largest dams in the world and has a capacity about 6 times the volume of Sydney Harbour when full. I recall visit to look at the spillway and gazing at the torrents of water gushing out of the irrigation valves, to cascade into the mighty Murray River.
Our faith has the unique ability to turn on the valve which will release the flow of God’s wisdom into our lives.

Mankind has accumulated so much knowledge in the various fields of science and continues apace! No doubt God has helped our scientists in the pursuit of such vast knowledge.
It was King Solomon that asked God for wisdom to govern wisely over his kingdom. He did not ask for riches or fame and as a result God honoured his request by giving him great insight and incredible understanding about life and the world in which he lived. Nothing has changed, God is still in the business of giving wisdom to those who ask.

One of the remarkable things about Jesus of Nazareth was His depth of understanding and ability to KNOW! He had the mind of God, He was in fact God; and He was full of the Holy Spirit without limitation. Now we, who are IN CHRIST, have the mind of Christ. We too, can know the mysteries of God. It is not something for the future but a present experience available to us by the Holy Spirit.

We must however, accept the truth that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would reveal and teach us, “… the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” John 16:15 NIV.

Ref. James 1:5, 1Kings 4:29-34, 1 Cor. 2:16, Col.2:3, John 16:12-15. NIV

It is so easy to stay in our personal comfort zone, you can be content and comfortable where you are. To move into a new experience, or perhaps a new occupation, there will be risks and fresh challenges. You will have to rise above the fear of failure as you begin, but start you must! You will become the stronger for beginning the journey of a new life experience. You will develop skills and make personal discoveries as you explore unfamiliar territory.

One challenging experience for me was when I commenced working as a Sales Agent. Prior to this I was a Church Pastor with no fear of speaking in public. Now I had to leave my comfort zone! It would involve me contacting business owners, introducing myself, and quickly establishing a connection where the person would hopefully listen to my product presentation. The point I am making, is not about direct selling as such, but the challenge of meeting people for the first time in a ‘cold call’ situation. I was so nervous, apprehensive and fearful on my first day; I was out of my comfort zone!

That first step is the hardest, but take it you must. Sure, you will make mistakes, but you will be successful, and your fears will be replaced with confidence.

Now, in my last post I was talking about the importance of the breath of God; that is the Holy Spirit enabling or empowering us to live our Christian lives. The Spirit of God is also symbolised as water and with that idea in mind, come with me for a swim down the beach. As you walk into shallow water, you find it warm and pleasant; going on you begin to feel the force of the incoming waves on your body. Then you go further out, and the water gets deeper, you now sense the chill of the ocean around you. Now here is the challenge!… the water is now lapping your chin, one more step and you will be out of your depth. Sure, you are stepping into the unknown, but you will be able to swim and discover a new freedom. You will have left the security of your comfort zone, no longer feeling the firm sand beneath your feet. This is the point where you let go, meeting your fears head on and discovering you can!!

In the Christian journey or pathway, the Holy Spirit is always active in some way. Be it Christian conversion, our prayer life, or God’s guidance and provision in our lives, the Spirit of God is always involved. Before considering other aspects of Christian experience the part that the Holy Spirit plays should be mentioned first; it is the way God does things… by the creative power of His Spirit!

The first verse of the Hymn BREATH OF GOD is the perfect introduction to such an important consideration:-
Breathe on me Breath of God
Fill me with life anew
That I may love what you would love
That I may do what you would do

It seems to me, that one should think about this subject as the BREATHING of God, it gives the emphasis of ACTION! We can talk about the Breath of God all day, and even discuss Christian doctrine at length; but all that is pointless unless God breathes… for that is when things happen!

For a moment come back to the dawn of creation. Adam is formed out of dust, and he becomes a living being as God BREATHES into his nostrils the breath of life. Explain creation how you will, the primary point is this, GOD BREATHED! Adam received not just oxygen but the pneuma (ancient Greek word for breath) of God Himself. If you like, it was God breathing Holy Ghost ‘oxygen’ into Adam.

Now come with me to the incident after the resurrection where Jesus breathes on His disciples, “…. he breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
John 20:22 NIV. This verse I must admit, has troubled me; for a start it seemed possibly unhealthy and seemingly unnatural for Jesus to breathe literally on his disciples. But wait a minute, this is God’s Son so imbued with the Spirit of God! The very action of breathing on them was more than the breath of oxygen, but something of the Spirit too; and also a prelude to another imminent event… the day of Pentecost. On this historical day God breathed the Holy Spirit into the waiting, gathered disciples and they ‘breathed out’, speaking in other languages.

What is the conclusion? The all important ingredient for a God empowered life is the inbreathing of God. There are secular breathing techniques, but consider the benefit of breathing in the Spirit of God, it is the breathing in of the Holy Spirit, allowing God to fill your ‘spiritual lungs’.

My own desire is to discover more of the life of God through breathing in the Holy Spirit, that is… to be filled with the Spirit as a continuing daily goal. Consider for a moment those devices we have, they all need powering up. So easy to suddenly find that the battery needs urgent charging! We can also get spiritually run down! We need charge up times too!

The Gift of the Holy Spirit is your right, your inheritance and indeed the blessing God desires to give you. We are physical, but also spiritual beings; we are so made that receiving God’s Spirit is the most normal and natural thing to experience. So, as a Christian, ASK & RECEIVE!
If you are not a Christian, ACCEPT JESUS and the PROMISED GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT is for you too! Acts 2:38-39.

Ref. Zech. 4:6, Gen. 2:7, John 20:22, Acts 2:4. Acts 2:38-39. NIV.

The meaning of the word Israel is quite intriguing! ‘ he struggles with God’
This name was given to Jacob because he wrestled in prayer, not giving up till God blessed him.
If anything should be a priority in a person’s life, it should be the activity of prayer, When a person prays they are unlocking the divine dimension.
So often we blame God, why did this or that happen, but did you pray?
If you question the existence of God, or if you question the validity of Jesus being the Son of God, why not pray! Ask God to reveal Himself to you.
Prayer is the grasp of a person reaching out and touching God. In your extremity God will meet you, but you must wrestle or prevail until your answer is secured. For Jacob, his extremity was a fear of his brother Esau. Alone in his predicament, Jacob had to hold on to God in prayer, prevailing until he got the answer.
God wants to see if we can be tenacious enough to take hold of Him in prayer until we obtain our request. Jesus put it simply, saying that we should always pray and not give up. Your ability to persist in prayer is the dynamic principle which will release divine activity into your personal situation.

I recall a time in my life when I discovered the power of prevailing in prayer for something or not giving up until the answer was secured. My career in Local Government at the time was at a point where I felt I needed to be more than just an accounts clerk, it was a time of personal frustration. Sure, I was happily married with a young family, but workwise I felt the need for something more challenging and personally satisfying. I was at the time, still doing part time studies to further my career in LG Administration; which would qualify me to hold a position as a Council Clerk in SA. In my lunch break over the ensuing weeks I would pray daily that God would give me success with my applications. Indeed, He did just that! Not long after, I was appointed to a rural District Council. A challenging, but exciting and enjoyable period of my life ensued.

Whatever stage you are at in life, whatever changes you would like to see, God your Heavenly Father will answer with His blessing. God is good and wants to respond to your believing, prevailing prayer.

Ref. Gen 32:28, Luke 18:1 NIV

2. KNOWING JESUS MAKES YOU DIFFERENT

I can recall the actual moment that I received the Lord Jesus Christ into my life. The dynamic change I experienced during the next few days is as clear today as it was then. Amazingly, God suddenly seemed so close and I found myself talking to Him with a new found confidence and intimacy, like there was no barrier between us.

In life we make friends, we get to know someone on a personal basis. That relationship may be forgotten, you may not see that person again, but a relationship has been made.
The impact we have on each other is real. Your friendships are real and dynamic. To have met someone, spoken with them, forges a link, a reality that remains. It is a spirit to spirit contact. Part of you has touched them, part of them has touched you.

When you come to know Jesus you are eternally and vitally changed, you will never be the same. The moment you believe in Jesus Christ, you become a child of God, a new born person.
To know Christ is to enter into a personal relationship, a one on one friendship. It is not a mere mental acknowledgement but an actual meeting up with the Son of God.
Conversely the person that does not know Christ, has never been introduced, is still the same and totally different to the person who has.
The reality is this, there is a difference, you are not the same, they are not the same. God in Christ has set you apart; that makes you special and unique. You are a child of God and God is your Father.

Ref. John 1:12 also 2 Cor. 5:17 NIV

INTRODUCTION

Christian Faith Perspectives are based on my personal life experiences as a believer in Jesus Christ, whom I received as a teenager.
When using Biblical passages for reference the New International Version of the Bible is used and abbreviated, NIV.
My life as a Christian has included careers in Local Government Administration, Church Pastoral work and in recent years self employment as a Sales Agent.
The intention of my posts is to highlight what I see as important aspects of living life as a Christian. The goal is that they might inspire and motivate others in living their own fulfilled lives in the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. JESUS IS THE PATHWAY
It is interesting that one designation of early Christians was that they were followers. of the Way. They were in fact followers of Jesus who said of himself,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
This pathway is unique for it has no darkness; it is characterised by light. So if we follow him we will not walk in darkness. He, Jesus is the light of the world and he has that ability to dispel darkness.
I recall a late afternoon river fishing trip, accessed only by a bush track. As nightfall approached we packed up our gear to return home…. in a 1925 T Model Ford!! You guessed it, we had not travelled too far and it broke down. We were now stranded in the dark, on a track we could barely see, and with thick bush all around. My unease at the time as a young boy was only placated by an adult companion who was able to guide us out to the main road.

Ref. Acts 22:4, John 14:6, John 8:12