43 THE WISDOM OF SEEKING JESUS Matthew 2;1-2.

Wise men… came to Jerusalem saying “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?’ Why would someone leave the comfort of their home, travel thousands of kilometres by camel, brave blistering deserts fraught with robbers and hazards to follow a star to an unfamiliar destination? There’s only one explanation. Wise men and women have always hungered for God. It is said that the three most sough-out words on the internet today are Work, Sex and God. Work address our need for security, Sex addresses our need for relationships and God our need of forgiveness, so that we can legitimately experience peace and joy, and understand our life’s purpose on earth. It’s why primitive tribes who don’t know God, make gods out of mountains, trees, rocks etc. Deep down we all have a need to experience something bigger than ourselves; Someone capable of loving us, protecting and directing us. When his life fell apart Job cried, “Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come to his seat.”(Job 23;3). The ancient Greeks had an altar on Mars Hill with the inscription, ‘To the unknown God.’ Then Paul told them (Acts 17;23) ‘What you proclaim as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you’. The Good News for Christians is, You can Seek God and Find Him, by coming to know Jesus as your own personal Saviour. Hosea called Israel back to God with these words; “Oh! That we might know The Lord! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of the dawn...(Hosea 6;3) And Jeremiah (29;13) says, “You will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.” It’s interesting to note that, the Wise men didn’t find Christ in the business area of Bethlehem. Every Motel had a “No Vacancy” sign on it, Not much has changed has it? I was reading the other day that thirty percent of annual retail sales of department stores take place over the Christmas period, fifty percent of parties are held over the Christmas and New Year period. One out of every ten litres of Alcohol is sold at that time too. Clearly Jesus is good for business. The trouble is, we prefer the Myth to the Master. We want the Santa, but not the Saviour. We want the fairy tale, but not the fact that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. (1Timothy, 1;15). (Acts 17;27) puts it this way That they should seek The Lord, in the hope that they might find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. When Jesus was born the biggest issue of the day was wanting lower taxes and a different government. Doesn’t that sound familiar!! However, We read in Jerusalem at that time King Herod became troubled (about Jesus) and all Jerusalem with him (Matthew 2;3) As a result he committed one of history’s greatest atrocities the world has ever known, by ki8lling every Jewish baby boy under the age of two years old, in order to get rid of Jesus the Christ child. Today, that same Jesus still forces a reaction from the hearts of men and women! That’s why some people want to take Him out of the classroom, the courtroom and the government. The forces of darkness are set on a course of trying to remove His name, His influence and His authority from all public life. Why? Because when you do away with God, there’s no higher power than yourself, so you get to play God. Lenin, the father of Russian Communism, is reputedly said of Christ, “His Kingdom is invisible, His Rule is in the hearts of man, so He can’t be tolerated.” As a result over 20 million people died during the Russian Revolution in an attempt to build an Atheistic state. But, fighting God is futile, it’s a battle you can’t hope to win, because (Philippians 2;10-11) tells us ultimately every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Every prophecy concerning Christ’s first coming was fulfilled to the letter, and every prophecy concerning His second coming will be as well. So if you want to meet Him in peace, surrender your life to Him today and accept Him as your Saviour. The Gospel of John tells us in (5;39)/. Jesus speaking)“Search the Scriptures,… foe these are they which testify of me.” The berth of Jesus divides history in to two parts; The laten translated means -- (B.C.) Before Christ and (A.D.) After Christ, even the word “History is regarded as “His Story” Let’s look at where else the Wise men didn’t find Christ; In the church; Amazing isn’t it? Teachers and Theologians poured over their dusty parchments as they had done for generations. They taught their Congregations the Messiah was coming, but they failed to recognise or acknowledge Him when He arrived. Yet, the Old Testament Scriptures they read were filled with it. They described His Ancestry; God told Abraham, in ( Genesis 28;14)‘...All people on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. They identified the Tribe from which He would be born; The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between His feet until Shiloh (The Prince of peace come) and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.”(Genesis 49;10). And in (Isaiah 11:1-2) They described His family of origin ; A shoot will come up from the stump of Jessie (Father of David); From his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of The Lord will rest on Him. Again in (Isaiah 7;14) we can read the virgin berth foretold “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel (God is with us) And the Prophet Daniel in (Daniel 9;25) actually declared the time of His birth. It is this God of precision and forethought who has a plan for your life too –the only plan that can satisfy bring you happiness. And the Good News is; He comes by invitation. So invite Him in to your life today. The Hymnist wrote, “Room for pleasure, room for business, but for Christ the crucified, not a place that He can enter, in the heart for which He died.” So before we enter another “Commercially driven Christmas Season” I would like to remind people to think about the true meaning of Christmas. “Who it was that came into this world and WHY? Then instead of ending this Christmas exhausted, disappointed and in debt, Invite Jesus in to your life. You may be looking back with regret on some bad decisions you’ve made this year, but making Jesus your Lord and Saviour this Christmas will be the best decision you will ever make. Thank you for reading my take on “The Wisdom Of Seeking Jesus.” He is The only Truth Life and Way to eternal happiness. Blessings, Phaline

42 DO NOT FEAR. Luke 12;6

In teaching us how to live, Jesus used birds and particularly sparrows to illustrate His points. A worthless sparrow.!! “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?” He asked. You might think that’s a weird thing to say, but not in that society. There were people who sat on the side of the road with a little burner and sold food, much the same as McDonald’s, K.F.C, etc. do today (We’ve just improved the technique) They would catch sparrows, wring their necks and remove the feathers, put the birds on a stick, cover them in spicy herbs and roast them over a flame then sell them to the passers-by 2 for 1 copper coin, but if you bought 4 he would throw in an extra one free. Hence 5 for 2 copper coins .The vendor threw in the fifth sparrow free, that meant it was worthless Interesting isn’t it? !! So when Jesus said “Are not 2 sparrows sold for a copper coin, He was saying something very important. His next words were “And not one of them is forgotten before God.” He was saying, If God doesn’t forget one worthless sparrow, how could He possibly forget you. Not one of you is worthless before God. (Nobody is a nobody in God’s eyes) This was one of the earliest recorded words in the ministry of Jesus and it was to express the value and love of the Father for His children. In a subjected and class-driven society as it was in Judea at that time, women, the poor and destitute were all of no value at all in earthly terms, just like the fifth sparrow. So what was the point Christ was making, You are valuable in God’s eyes.!! Now, do you feel like... if you weren’t around no one would miss you... or do you feel like your life means nothing?... You’d be surprised how many people, even high-profile people, struggle with a sense of inferiority, inadequacy and worthlessness, When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, he explained to God that he was afraid of people, So God said in (Jeremiah 1;8) “Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you”. When you feel worthless, you conclude that others feel the same way about you as you do about yourself, so you begin to approach them fearfully or aggressively or even resentfully. What’s the answer?... Remembering what you are worth in God’s eyes! In His eyes there is no rejection, class system, or ethnicity. In His love there is complete acceptance. You are connected, you have a friend in high places. In (John 15:15) Jesus Himself said “I have called you friends”. Will everyone accept you? No,! But when you base your worth on God’s love and acceptance, you are free to enjoy life to the fullest. The psalmist wrote “ I am like a sparrow alone on a housetop.” Has your nest been torn apart by a storm? Have you lost your mate? Jesus can relate to such things, His disciples didn’t understand His needs, they were too busy arguing as to which one of them would be the greatest in the Kingdom, they failed to pray with Him in His most difficult moments. On the Cross He cried out, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me.” (Matthew 27;46) Loneliness can be devastating to your self worth. Don’t allow yourself to wallow in that sort of negativity, Turn to Jesus, He loves you so much that He believes you were worth dying for. Regardless of what anyone says to you or about you. That’s what you are worth “The death of the Son of God”. No one could do more for you than He did. Think about it.!!! Young people often wonder if they will ever find the right person to marry. Others fear ending life all alone. Hear this, the same God who knew that Adam was incomplete, not only created Eve for him, but He also introduced them to each other and brought them together and He can do the same for you. So if you are widowed divorced or never married and want to find someone to share your life with, don’t be anxious, God says in (Revelation 2;13) “I know where you dwell” God knows your name, address, phone number and every detail about you, and He cares much more than you can ever imagine. There’s another thought here which needs consideration, Sometimes, loneliness is not the absence of affection, but the absence of direction, it’s not always the absence of people, but the absence of purpose. So begin to reach out to others. Find a need that no one is meeting, pour your life into it and watch how things begin to improve for you. I remember the TV series “Lost” It was about a plane crash-landing on a remote island and the survivors rebuilding their lives amidst the wreckage. The secret of the success of the show was that we could all relate to it. We have all lost marriages, businesses, homes, self-worth, security and a lot of other things. But Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19;10) Unlike us Jesus didn’t see people as “good “ or “bad” but as “Lost” He knew they had lost their way, lost their values, lost their relationships, lost their ability to cope, lost their faith and in some cases lost their reason to live. And He sought them out; Like the woman at the well with five divorces and a live-in boyfriend, Like the man who lay at the pool of Bethesda, chronically ill, noticed by no one, like Mary, who wept at the tomb of the one she loved most. If you are lost today you can go to Jesus and have a personal audience with the Son of God. He is waiting for you and me to come and empty ourselves before Him, He alone can be our Saviour.“The sparrow has found a home where she may lay her young –even your altars, Oh Lord of Hosts...Blessed are those who dwell in Your house they will still be praising You”. (Psalm 84;3-4 ) ‘Today you can come home to God’ You can build your nest and raise your family in the shelter of His protection. You can feel safe with Him. As you bow in worship, He will lift you up and make you feel valuable again. He will deliver you from the fear of rejection and loneliness. You see, we can’t hide from God, but we can hide IN Him. Thank you for reading my thoughts on “How not to fear”, It’s all a matter of keeping God on the throne of our Hearts, it’s from there he will direct the paths of our lives…..Praise the name of Jesus Christ. Phaline.

41. “STIR UP YOUR GIFT” 2 Timothy 1:6

God gave each of us our Talents, but it’s our job to develop them And it’s not that complicated. Because your gift usually relates to something that excites you. Think about it; God made you; He hardwired the desires of your heart. Knowing that, helps you to understand why the things you find rewarding involve your inner talents and abilities. One Author put it this way, “It’s natural for a Hunting dog to hunt, Coop him up and he’ll lie around with no enthusiasm. But when he realises he’s going hunting he comes alive. That’s because God designed Hunting dogs that way, (That’s their talent, and what they were created for) they have that passion inside them; they don’t have to get themselves worked up or listen to a motivational message so that they can work up some kind of zest and zeal.” No, when those dogs know they are going hunting; they are naturally excited. Ever seen those old movies with people and their dogs getting ready to go on a fox-hunt?!! When we know we’re doing what we are called to do, enthusiasm and excitement exude from us naturally, we may not jump around like the dogs, but deep within we know, “This is what I was called to do, This is why I was born” On the other hand, if you’re doing something that’s not natural to you and quite a struggle, or If you try, train, practise and push and you still can’t master a skill; recognise that it may not be in your nature. Of course, we must persevere, push through and learn hard things, but generally speaking life shouldn’t be a constant struggle. When you’re fulfilling your purpose in God, one of the most noticeable results is how rewarding it feels to “stir up the gift of God in you”.When you are utilising your natural abilities, enjoying them and doing them for God, life takes a turn, you know what your doing is bringing Him glory and that brings you peace and contentment. And that also answers the question, so many Christians ask, “I don’t know what my gift is?’ Proverbs (17;8) Tells us “ A gift is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; wherever he turns, he will prosper.” And Paul speaks of this gift of God in you when he says in (2Timothy 1;6) For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands.” It isn’t something you learn, It’s something God gives you, and nobody else can activate it for you. You have to “Stir it up” by using it and developing it. It was Solomon with his gift of wisdom who wrote most of the book of proverbs and it was him who said “A gift is a precious stone in the eyes of the possessor: wherever he turns, he prospers.” Your gift will enrich many different areas in your life, not all of which will be financial. While money is the wrong reason to devote your life to something, developing your God-given gift is rewarding on multiple levels. Unfortunately, many people are envious of other people’s gifts. Don’t waste time on jealousy, it’s a gift-robber and an energy-drainer, and besides, you should be so busy stirring up your own gift that you don’t have the time for envy. Those of us who can remember Louis Armstrong and his achievements in the jazz world will be interested to know; When he was auditioned for music school, he was asked to sing the scale, but he couldn’t, he could only sing two notes properly, so they wrote him off. Armstrong cried when he was rejected, but later told his friends, “There is music in me and these people can’t keep it out.” Later, he went on to become one of the world’s most beloved and successful Jazz musicians of all time, selling more records than many others who were more talented than himself. We are all born originals, but many of us settle for becoming carbon copies. Think; if you become like everybody else and join the Rat race, even if you do win, that just makes you a big Rat!!! Proverbs (18-16) says A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.” Your gift will make room for you so go ahead and fill the slot God has designed for only you to fill. The church needs gifted people, It matters not what it is, if it “turns your wheels,” excites you and it’s something you love doing doesn’t matter what it is, God can and will use it for His Glory and His Kingdom. My sister always had a neat and tidy home, she also had six children. An elderly lady from our Parish went to visit her one day and said “What can I do for You?” Colleen, not wanting to impose said ”There’s nothing much to do,” so the older lady went over to the cutlery draw and emptied it on to the table and proceeded to polish all Colleen’s cutlery, saying this was her thing, she loved to polish cutlery and silver. The next day when I remarked on her shiny cutlery Colleen told me the story, and said that lady has brought a lift to so many lives, just by using her gift to bless someone else. Not a big deal I agree, but she brought what she had and The Lord has blessed it, and many people including my sister. When you use your gift for God, watch Him bless it. Who knows what God can do with a willing heart. Thank you for reading my thoughts on stirring up god’s gifts to us. I hope it encourages you to do so. And may God truly bless us all. Phaline. ---------------------------------

40. Reach Outside Your Comfort Zone.

On a winters Sunday afternoon we went to a Tekapo Cafe for lunch. with our Grandson There were no spare tables at the”Hungry Cow” Cafe, so we sat at one outside. Soon a window opened above us and a couple of ladies called out inviting us to come and share their table inside the cafe, It was so cold, and although the scenery was beautiful, we gratefully accepted and joined them, as we chatted away we found one of them came from the same town as we did, she had come to spend the weekend with her sister here in Tekapo. Admitting we were late for lunch because we didn’t leave Waimate till after church our conversation turned to spiritual things and while our meal was being prepared we talked about Jesus and the difference He had made in our lives. They appeared quite interested and were not attending any church at this stage so we we invited them to our church and offered to pick them up the next Sunday, and to take them home for lunch afterwards. These two ladies have become good friends and regular members of our church. You may think by doing this you are taking a bit of a chance, or it may feel a little awkward but what can they say? One of two things “ I don’t discus Religion” or “Tell me more.” Your answer to the first statement, should be. Why? There may be a soul to save here. and that ought to be our first priority, so put them at ease, tell them you don’t want an argument, you just want to talk to them about Jesus and what He’s done for you in your life. In my experience, one rarely gets this kind of reaction, I think most Christians spend virtually all their time with other Christians, and that’s not what Jesus asked us to do. He said “Go and teach all nations… Feed the hungry and thirsty (With His word)... Heal the sick… and Mend the broken hearted. I believe when it comes to important issues people listen to people they can trust. Especially about Spiritual matters. Paul says in Romans 10;14 “How can they have faith In The Lord if they have never heard about Him?.”.. If people are going to be reached for Christ, for the most part, it will happen through friends, not strangers. So cultivate a friendship or relationship with somebody who... works at a Restaurant or Hairdresser that you frequent, or perhaps the gym you attend, invite the neighbours over for dinner. Follow Christ’s example and befriend people who don’t know God. John Ortberg says (1) Never rule anybody out. Jesus reached out to Tax Collectors, Lepers, Sinners, and Gentiles and they shocked the religious establishment by saying yes...maybe there’s someone in your world who’s so far from God, that you’ve written them off, A relative who ridicules you and makes fun of your faith, an acquaintance who has resisted for years, Somebody whose so steeped in sin that you think there’s no hope for them. Never say No! for another person...You never know when their heart will soften or how God’s Spirit will work.” (2) Put yourself in the other person”s shoes Ortberg continues: “A few blocks from my parents’ home is the largest Buddhist temple in America I checked it out and received some amazing insights of how intimidating it is to go into a place of worship as a stranger not knowing their customs and procedures.” When you invite someone to church they are much more likely to go if you go with them, and later to have a coffee together and talk about what took place.” (3) Be the hands and feet of Jesus. Jewish law prohibited Lepers from having contact with Non-Lepers. But when a Leper approached Jesus, He reached out and touched a man who hadn’t been touched in years (mark 1;40-45) Was Jesus infected by his Leprosy? No, He infected the Leper with the Gospel, because Jesus was more contagious than the leper with his disease. Be a contagious Christian who infects others with God’s love. Look at your hands, When is the last time you extended them to someone who you thought was too far away for God to love. His Kingdom has been spread the same way for over two thousand years by believers who reach out and bring people to Christ. This is not always easy or convenient, in fact it can be downright difficult and the last the thing you want to do, but say a short prayer, and dive right in. The Lord wont let you down, even if you don’t see it straight away, something you say will stick and the result will be added to your account in the book of life and you will have a surprise waiting for you when it’s opened. So praise God, and try again when the opportunity arises. And each time you do this it gets a little easier until it becomes second nature to you. And you will find everywhere you go the conversation turns to Jesus, that has been my experience and that’s when you and everyone else knows where your priorities lie. Because it’s through your speech, your demeanor, your actions and faith, that The Holy Spirit works to bring people to God through Jesus. This is a tremendous privilege God has given us to show us how much He trusts us with His gifts. We have a job to do to bring this country of New Zealand to Christ and with God’s help we can do it. Thank you for reading my thoughts on “Reaching Outside Your Comfort Zone” God will certainly do His part if we do ours. So lets do it together“All things are possible for those who love God” So ask yourself, Do I love God enough to do as He asks?….Do You? Phaline