Christian Faith Perspectives

It doesn’t matter what we believe the quality of determination is still the essential ingredient for a successful life. It is the personal attribute which takes an individual through to the conclusion of a task or personal goal. To give up is to surrender yourself to failure and mediocrity; it is a compromise which settles for the easy road. To hang in there and finish the course is determination.

When we think of mountain climbers whose goal is to reach the summit, we know the ingredient of determination is vital. It may involve considerable preparation such as setting up base camps, supplies and equipment. But the desire to reach a goal requires application and not giving up when the going gets tough. Nothing of value will be achieved without total commitment.

The Christian life is not a singular experience we may have had at some point in the past. It is a journey of faith which continues till we cross the finish line. It could be likened to a race which is not so much about winning but completing. I recall those school cross country runs where we would follow a paper trail that would take us through paddocks and over creeks. Covered in mud we would arrive back at school exhausted but knowing we had completed the run.

There will be times in our Christian lives when we feel like giving up. In those moments of spiritual weariness when the journey seems too hard, we don’t have to give up. We may, need to pause and regather our strength. God wants us to be determined to finish, but not without His help. The guarantee is this… our strength will be renewed as we wait on God and yes, we will FINISH!

Ref. Isa. 40:31, Heb. 12:1-2 NIV.

There is something awe inspiring about a blazing fire! it could be a bonfire celebrating some event or just those glowing coals and curling flames of an open fire at home or out camping. Fire can also destroy forests and property and tragically, human life too.

We learn at an early age to respect fire, but it is still fascinating to watch. Fire is so alive with energy. I recall as a youngster seeing a large building on fire and been spellbound as I watched flames reaching skyward. But all our experiences of fire pale into insignificance when we think of the heat and power that is generated in a nuclear reactor core.

In the Christian context of fire, I find it encouraging to remember that the Holy Spirit is not only symbolized by fire but is in fact fire. We touch on something here which seems too hard for our finite minds to comprehend. However, when we think of the intensity of the sun, we grasp a little of what God’s presence would be like. When the disciple John had a vision of Christ, the eyes of the Lord were like blazing fire, his feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace and his face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. Rev. 1:14-16 NIV.

When the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost there was a sound of a very strong wind, and tongues of fire came to rest on each of those present. A dynamic and instant change began to take place, and it was manifested by them beginning to talk in inspired languages. It was in fact, Jesus anointing his disciples with the Holy Ghost and fire.

God wants us to be anointed with the Holy Ghost so we can live our Christian lives in the power of that fire… the Spirit of Christ!

Ref. Luke 3:16, Acts 2:3-4 NIV.

Do you remember the old-fashioned way of tracking your route to a destination on a road map. Somewhat cumbersome by their size but nevertheless indispensable to keeping us heading in the right direction. Today we can use satnav which uses satellite navigation that directs us as we drive. So simple, just follow the route displayed on the screen and listen to voice commands.

We can get over concerned about God’s will when most of the time we need to just get on with life, working diligently in our chosen profession. I’m reminded of the words…”By the pathway of duty, Flows the river of God’s grace” (Chorus) Sidney E. Cox.

But God does have a spiritual ‘roadmap’ for our lives, and which includes specific purposes for us to fulfil. Our responsibility is to ensure we are open to God’s directions and His Spirit’s leading.

Ref. Prov. 3:5-6 NIV.

Does God answer prayer? Certainly, and often in quite dramatic ways. Yet, there are times when we pray and there is no answer. The reason could be that we are praying for something which is not God’s will. On the other hand, it might just be that we are not praying through for an answer… we are not being persistent.

Another viewpoint is that God responds to our needs, but not necessarily to our wants! I have certainly proved by personal experience that we have a Heavenly Father who cares for us and will supply us with the necessities of life. A recent experience was the purchase of a new car. My old car had served me well, but with over 700.000 Ks. on the clock it was costing me money in repairs and becoming unreliable. So, I started praying and looking, for a new car. There were numerous visits to car yards, enquiries and test drives. The right replacement vehicle just didn’t seem to be there! So, I just kept praying, still believing for a more recent model of my current car and which would have the latest technology. Finally, I found what I thought was the right car and made an offer. The weeks passed without an answer from the owner, and I began considering another vehicle that I wasn’t really happy with. Just as I was about to ring the other seller the owner rang to accept my offer!!

Jesus hinted at prayer requiring some tenacity on our part when he said there is the aspect of asking, but also the need to seek and finally the emphatic knocking on heaven’s door so to speak. We have all knocked on a door or rung a doorbell and walked away if there was no immediate answer. God is looking for a faith that doesn’t give up, depending totally on Him for the answer.

Ref. Matthew 7:7 NIV.

The pursuit of fitness is popular today as people work out at the gym to strengthen their bodies. There are so many pressures we encounter in our lives, and we feel that making our bodies stronger will help. Physical fitness and self-defence training may well enable us to protect ourselves but will do little to withstand emotional pressures. We need spiritual strengthening within.

I remember that Science Room experiment where the teacher puts water in a kerosene tin and brings it to the boil over a Bunsen burner. Steam begins to gush out of the screw top opening. The teacher would then screw the lid back on, switch off the burner and we would wait to see what would happen. After a while the tin began to crumple as if by some invisible force. We learned that it was the outside pressure which was now greater than that inside the tin.

We can feel crushed by the circumstances we are experiencing, maybe sickness, maybe the loss of a loved one, or simply some life situation which seems to be overwhelming us. We need an equalizing pressure within, some inner power which will withstand those external forces. God’s provision is the Lord Jesus Christ.

At home my garden wheelbarrow tyre has a tendency to go flat, and I have to get out the hand pump to put air pressure back. Amazing the difference it makes! Sometimes I feel that lack of pressure within, that ‘flat tyre feeling’ where my Christian life is a struggle. At such times I remind myself to have faith in Jesus who gives power or if you like, increases my spiritual pressure level.

Ref. 1 John 4:4 NIV

There’s something about a pathway that leads you on through beautiful scenery and has you wondering what view awaits you around the next bend. The day is perfect as you enjoy panoramic views, and your cares vanish as you become one with nature.

The paths we have travelled in life are many and varied, there is the path of employment, of financial matters, of relationships and even the path of self-discovery. Some paths have been good some not so good, and we wish we had our time over again. Our pathway choices determine what will happen in our lives.

From the Christian perspective we know that Jesus is the ‘WAY’. His pathway leads us to God, and no other direction provides us with the forgiveness we all need. But it is more than just freedom from sin, but also the removing of all anxiety from our lives.

Our Heavenly Father has the ability to resolve every situation that is causing us to be anxious. The key in every situation is to be very prayer specific about what concerns us. Gods re direction will be a freedom pathway which is free of stress and worry.

Ref. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV.

We have come a long way in the mechanization of our world. Since machines started doing the work we used to do by hand the speed of new innovations staggers the mind. In an era of advancing mechanization even robots are accepted as a normal replacement of activities we would normally carry out by hand. We now give voice commands, and our equipment responds.

Every area of life is affected by mechanization and associated advances in technology. However, there is one exception, namely our communication with God. There is incredible development in the way we communicate; we can Facetime or use Skype for talking to family and businesspeople around the world. But the method of prayer remains unchanged… no IT help is needed.

And that is what God wants, people that will open their hearts in honesty and talk to Him as their best friend. The Bible records that Moses talked to God face to face like one would talk to a friend. We can all identify with those genuine conversations we can have with a friend; they are heart felt and not a pretence.

Our Heavenly Father is a person we can talk to with sincerity. It is not impersonal or mechanical but personal and from the heart.

Ref. Exodus 33:11 NIV.

Most of us would be familiar with those lumpy crustaceans called barnacles which attach themselves to the skin of whales. These freeloaders are also found on the hulls of ships and actually have a negative effect on the speed of the vessel. The accumulation of barnacles on the ship’s hull creates drag as it moves through the water. The end result is the ship uses more fuel due to this problem called biofouling. The removal of these barnacles from merchant and naval boats becomes a necessary priority to keep boat hulls clean.

In our Christian lives we also have a similar “barnacle’ problem. There can be wrong attitudes and habits in our lives which hinder our progress as believers. The result is our Christian lives are handicapped by these personal failures. God wants us to be free of those things which are holding us back spiritually.

As Christians we can all identify with that personal struggle of not doing the things we want to do or vice versa; that is doing what we don’t want to do. So, we have this “barnacle problem” which needs to be removed. The cleaning up of our lives as it were, is something beyond our ability. This is where the grace of Christ comes into operation to deal with the situation. As we depend on Jesus the result will amaze us; those ‘barnacles’ will be removed from our lives.

So often in our self centred lives we think the world revolves around us. Now there is nothing wrong with having a good self image, and discovering the inner healing of learning to love ourselves. But not to be thinking that it’s all about me, my needs, and my feelings.

All that self-need can just revolve around us, and we get upset if our needs are not satisfied. We can become isolated without any reference point other than ourselves.

From a Christian perspective it is reassuring to know that through personal faith in Christ we have been placed in a spiritual orbit. Our lives now revolve around God and not self.

We are God’s sons and daughters; having been adopted into his family. Nothing has changed, so when doubts arise remember we are still His children.

Ref. Romans 8:15-16, Ephesians 1:4-5. NIV.

 

Consider the diversity of different flower types. Most of us would be familiar with the daisy flower; it belongs to the Asteraceae family which has over 32,000 species. The flowers pictured above belong to the Proteaceae family which has some 1,660 known species.

We see the amazing number of differing species not just in flowers but in the many other kingdoms of the created world. The question arises… what power holds the biological world together? And also, what power enables the myriad of created species to maintain their type or DNA. There must be a force which holds it all together.

I suggest that God’s active word is the sustaining power of the universe and all of creation as we know it on earth. Psalm 33:6 says, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” NIV. When God spoke, the natural world was created. There is an innate power in God’s word which maintains permanence in the creation of which we are a part.

When we consider that everything continues by the sustaining power of his WORD there is security, for God is in control!

Ref. Genesis1:1, Psalm 33:9. NIV.