Category Archives: Morning Musings

Morning Musings

Have You Ever Thought of This???

Quinn Joy aWhen a child is born it is totally dependent on its parents for all its needs. As it grows older, so this dependence is taught to turn to independence until the child is able to look after itself and ultimately leave home.

But in the spiritual life, it should be the other way around. We so often  loudly declare, “I’m not having anyone tell ME what to do!” The sign of a truly spiritual person is that of growing dependence on the Lord as they go through life. We are to learn to depend on the Lord for our decisions and our behaviour more and more as we go through life …the Lord said “Unless you become as a little child, you cannot have part in the kingdom of heaven”.

It doesn’t mean that we behave childishly, just the opposite in fact. The more mature a Christian becomes, the more he will depend on his Heavenly Father. Just as a small child depends on its father for its daily needs, so we have to learn to depend on our Heavenly Father for our spiritual needs. Without this dependence, we will surely make a mess of things in our life.

We remember that Jesus called Himself the “Good Shepherd”, and a shepherd’s job is to look after his sheep. He only allows what is for the ultimate good of the sheep, and sometimes we take ourselves out of the shepherd’s care. Then we have to endure the consequences of our foolish and independent actions. The trouble is that we often take those we love with us into this maze of trouble that we have deliberately  gone into.

Morning Musings

Go, All Blacks!

All Blacks UniformThe All Blacks are the New Zealand National rugby team, and as such are very special to New Zealanders. At the moment with the world rugby games on in UK, the teams’ results make news most days. Thinking about this and the distinctive uniforms that each team wears brought several thoughts to mind.

Firstly, each member of the team is chosen. In the same way each person who belongs to God has been invited, chosen and called. The only difference in this analogy is that ALL are called by God, but not all choose to respond to Him positively.

Secondly, all wear the uniform with pride. How much pride do we have in wearing the uniform that marks us out as different when we belong to God? Do we hide our light or do we wear our uniform openly?

Thirdly, our uniform and belonging to the team, shows commitment. We must live up to what the uniform stands for, and any member of the team who disgraces the uniform is dealt with immediately. How thankful we can be that God has patience with His people when we let Him down!

Fourthly, all members of the team wear it, and are responsible to each other. We cannot take it off and sneak into doubtful places to have “fun” which only brings shame in the end. Whenever a member of the national team gets into trouble when on tour, it makes the headlines at home in the papers. Let’s make sure we hold God’s standard high above reproach.

Fifthly,  members of the team need daily training, there can be no slacking off. In the same way we need to keep up our daily training in God’s Word. It is only as we do this that we can keep our spiritual strength up.

Lastly, team members depend on each other to get the ball to winning goal. We are told to pray for one another, and to bear each other’s burdens when things go wrong for them. It doesn’t take much effort to make a phone call to encourage those who are part of your fellowship. We must remember the owner of the team and keep our eyes on Him….

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

Morning Musings

Looking Ahead

2015-09-20 23.49.47How this year has flown! As you get older, so the time seems to go quicker. What once seemed endless, now seems to have the end come too quickly. At the beginning of holidays, they seem to have no end, then suddenly the end has come. This is just like one’s life.

When we are growing up, the years stretch ahead of us endlessly.

When we are middle aged, they are still there…we think ten, twenty years, even thirty years still to go to do things in.

When we get older at retirement, now is the time to get things done, plenty of time and leisure.

When we reach our eighties, what is left? Looks have gone, health has gone, strength is not there, can’t be bothered, how much has been left unaccomplished? What remains?

Without the assurance of a life to come, nothing is left, there is no hope. But for someone who knows the Lord Jesus Christ, there is everything to look forwards to. Not only will we see Him face to face, but there will be so much more to discover. The Bible tells us that “eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

    Did you notice that phrase….”for those who love Him”? If we don’t love Him enough to get to know Him while here on earth, how are we going to love Him in a time to come? It is never too late to come to Him…He is calling to all….”Come until Me all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  What a wonderful invitation!

Morning Musings

Birds Scrapping!

Bird FeederWe have put a bird feeder outside our dining-room window, and it gives us a lot of pleasure watching the little birds feeding there. But you know, even among the birds there is continual scrapping going on. The small silver-eyes stand on a branch nearest the feeder and fluff their little wings angrily at each other. The bold mynah struts around at the base of the tree and even jumps up on the branch to take a few pecks before he gets chased off. The sparrows take no notice of the others and greedily grab as many beakfuls as they can while the others are scrapping among themselves.

It reminded me of how we as people often scrap among ourselves, sometimes vying for the better places or positions. This is not how we are meant to behave, especially in church situations. The Lord Jesus told us to be prepared to take the humble place and wait for others to give us a higher position rather than angrily (or sneakily)  try to take it from others.

It is not smart to behave like this anywhere, and only causes hurtful situations that often can never be remedied. People can forgive, but they very seldom completely forget!

Morning Musings

What Are You Building With?

2015-06-08 18.21.20Richard, who was a wealthy man once put an order in for a new house. He told Bill the builder what he wanted and gave him the plans and necessary consents to get the job done.

“There’s just one snag though”, he said as he gave Bill the order, “I’ll have to be away for most of the time it will take to get this house built, so I won’t be able to keep a check on what is going on”.

“Oh that will be fine, we’ll manage OK”, said Bill as Richard left.

Richard left on his big trip away, and Bill made a start on the new house. He began to think about this building, and a mean thought came to him. Seeing Richard wouldn’t be around to keep a check on him, he wouldn’t know what went on inside this new house. If he made a few cuts here and there, Richard would never know and he (Bill) could pocket the extra money for himself!

So second grade timber was bought for the framing, and cheaper pipes put in. Other shortcuts went into the building of it as well, and Bill smiled as he put the savings into his own money account.

The day came for Richard to come home, and he couldn’t wait to see the job that Bill had made on this new house for him. It was very impressive and looked just as Richard imagined it would. He called in to see Bill in his office. “Well, Bill”, he said, “You’ve made a good job of that house, and I’ve got a proposition to make to you. You’ve always  worked well for me, and I’d like to make this house over to you for you to live in”.

Bill squirmed as he thought of all the shortcuts he’d made beneath the fancy exterior. He knew the inside of that house didn’t match up with the outside, and that it would be causing some trouble further in the future. But he couldn’t refuse Richard’s generous offer without owning up to what he had done.

This story reminds us that one day we are going to have to face the results of what we have built our lives with. Have we used the materials for God’s service that will survive the fire of His examination, or has it just been wood, hay and stubble of our own selfish pleasures that will burn up?

God doesn’t listen to our WORDS, He listens to what our hearts have to say to Him.

Morning Musings

What Are You Reflecting?

2015-06-01 09.38.09 The other morning while taking my early walk just as the sun was peeping over the hill, I could see a distant house that we never normally noticed. But just at that time of the day, the rising sun caught the windows facing it, and the reflected light was almost blinding. A bit further on, a closer house also caught the sun’s rays on its front windows. The thing that impressed me was the fact that there was no light in these windows of themselves at all, they were merely reflecting the sun at that time.

It brought to mind the story of Moses in the Bible how that after he had been in the mountain top with God receiving the ten commandments for the people, his face was lit up with the light of heaven  on it. It was too bright for the people to look at it and he had to wear a veil over it until the brightness had faded somewhat. Then there is the account of how a man called Stephen was arrested for preaching about Jesus. As he spoke in his defence, members of the council saw that his face was shining like that of an angel.

You might think that this was just in Bible times, but we heard of an elderly Christian gentleman who we knew, who was in hospital recovering from some heart trouble. One day, one of his friends went to visit him and asked the nurse where they could find him. She said, “Oh in the room just along there….look for the man with the face like an angel”.

I wonder if people could say that about us? Or do we have a hard expression on our face when in repose? I often find myself so busy thinking about my own affairs that I hardly see other people and just march past them! It takes effort to think of others and give a smile to lighten their day. If we practiced that more often then perhaps people would see Jesus in us too. This is how we should be….little reflectors of His great light.

 

Morning Musings

Technology, a Gift from God.

01God Has a Purpose for Your Phone…..
    Technology is a gift from God. When we read the Bible, we find that at the beginning of time, God created two people, naked and alone in a beautiful garden, and gave them a worldwide task: to spread out across this world and exercise dominion over it. In order to do that, they would need to invent technologies.
If they were going to plant and harvest crops to feed their family, they would first need to invent a plough. If they were going to spread out across the earth to settle countries and build cities, they would need to invent bridges and boats. In that way, technology is good. Technology is a means through which we can carry out the very purpose for which God created us.
Then, when Jesus was on this earth, he gave his people a new job description that is meant to go along with the first. He told us to take the gospel, the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, into all the world. And again, one of the ways we do so is through inventing and using technologies. No wonder, then, that Christians are always paying attention when a new technology shakes the world. Every technology is an opportunity.
When you understand the orders God has given you, you see that God has great purposes in mind for your technologies, and even your smartphone. That phone can be used to organize your life better so you can accomplish more of the things that matter most; it can be used to communicate with others so you can speak good news into their lives; it can be used to read the Bible and list your prayers; it can be used in hundreds of ways that serve the purposes God has given you. Thank God for our smartphones!
Satan Has a Purpose for Your Phone….
Unfortunately, there is far more to the story. No sooner did God create man and give him this worldwide mission than man fell into sin. Adam and Eve determined they would disobey God, and when they did that, they brought sin into this world. Technology did not escape unscathed. It, too, exists in this fallen world. This reality means that every technology, including your new phone, can be used to do things that are evil. God has purposes for your phone, but so does Satan.
Because this is a world caught up in a great cosmic battle between good and evil, every new technology enters into the fight. Every technology brings some benefits and some risks. For every good thing your phone can do, there are other evil things it can do.
You will have the choice before you every day and every moment — will you use it for good or for evil? Will you use it to carry out the tasks God has given you, or will you use it to hinder those tasks? Will you use your phone to serve God or to serve Satan? Thank God for your smartphone, but plead with him for wisdom to use it well.
***       ***    ***

Morning Musings

God’s Book

BIBLE2“That was a good deed that you did the other day”, Tim said as Bob met him down by the beach.

“Oh, I don’t know about that”, Bob said, “Anyone would have done it”.

“Yes, but it was pretty rough when you went in after that boy who was in trouble out in the sea”, Tim carried on.

“Oh well, that’s what the Good Book says…. to do to others as you would want them to do for you”, Bob said.

He was both right and wrong when he said that. Certainly it is what the Bible says. We should do to others as we would want them to do to us; the world would be a lot happier place if everyone looked out for everyone else instead of trying to beat them.

But the Bible is more than a just a “good book”; it is the Living Word of God. When you read it, it reads you. It tells you your needs and what to do about them. It is sharper than any double sided sword, and it cuts away all our excuses. It is like the hound of heaven that keeps on at us until we finally make the decision that each person must make….are we going to do as it says, or are we just going to push it to one side and forget about it? Let’s make sure that we at least look into it instead of just passing it off as a “good book”!