Aptiva

The Carpenter claimed to be God. This basis of self-description by Jesus can never be ignored.It becomes the sole defining position for us as his followers to focus our understanding of how our lives are framed within his. Jesus declaration is what resulted in his crucifixion. No one crucifies someone for being nice! Jesus caused offence, challenged perceptions, and threatened the status quo. These factors caused those who were threatened to rise against him, and to hatch a plot to seek his demise. We can never lose sight, nor water down the claim of Jesus by acceptance of the world's position that he was a "good man", or a "great teacher". These descriptions are meaningless unless his deity is acknowledged. Without such acknowledgement, they become insults and seek only to blunt the message of the saviour of the world. Dear Reader, seek the scriptures, and see how Jesus understood himself, only with this revelation can the truth of his actions be unders...

Trust, Dear Reader, is a key component of followership. We all are told we ought to be leaders, but few want to be followers. Demonstration of followership only takes place when two people disagree. It is at this point that person A chooses to trust the decision of person B and to follow their lead. Trust, placing your future in the hands of something or someone outside your direct control. It's an easier concept to discuss than to put into practice. When it comes to the carpenter, we his followers need to learn to trust Him. This is where study and understanding of God's word helps. First, we see that Jesus demonstrated trust in his Fathers leading. This should be an encouragement for us, that when Jesus hometown rejected Him, He trusted the Father. When His supposed disciples deserted Him, He trusted the Father. Second, we come to realise that all that Jesus asks of us, is something that has been asked, and completed by Him. We can see that situations we are in are enc...

The carpenter is recorded as calling a person back from the dead. Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus has died. When Lazarus was sick, Jesus was called when by Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, to come and heal him. He choose not to leave where he was at the time. This choice meant Lazarus died. Jesus then chooses to go and visit Mary and Martha. He gathered them at the tomb of Lazarus, instructed them to roll the stone away, and then utters the following John 11:41ff "So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”  When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go" Lazarus come out! T...

The bible records that Esau sold his birth right for a bowl of stew! (Gen 25:29ff) How cheaply did this man hold what was technically his.  He took the short term view.  Over the long term blessing of the firstborn son, Esau gave this in favour of a short meal. In today's culture we can miss the significance of this act.   He is dismissing who he is, his place in the family and the responsibilities that come with the position. Everything about what should "define him" is given up. He gains nothing in exchange except temporary removal of hunger. We may read and look on in wonder, why a person can make such a poor exchange. Yet we have a birthright. The right to be children of God. It was severed by sin, but it's echo remains. The right needs to be claimed.  We cannot do it alone, no amount of our own statements will make it ours, for the sin on our life prevents it's restoration. Yet one exists who has provided a way. Jesus tells us that thr...

Dear Reader, sailing is a great metaphor for following the Carpenter. We are like a captain of the boat, reliant upon the Holy Spirit to "fill our sails", but as another once pointed out, "unless the hand is upon the tiller" the boat does not go in a chosen direction. We need to take an active part in combining with the power of God in our life. This is how God always intended the peak of his creation, humanity, to interact with Him. Often people cry out for the Spirit to blow, but refuse to take the most basic action in regard to putting the hands on the tiller, and then wonder why their life seems blown hither and thither, with no real forward movement. Do both. Call on the Lord, but follow His word!  Stop "waiting on the miraculous" as an excuse to "act upon the obvious". God is not silent, He speaks, but most of what He says is obvious, because it is so basic, so simple. We say, God bless me with finances, as we run up another credit ca...

In this world of busyness, creating a space for reflection faces two main issues. The first is the practicality of the action. "How you achieve this", what needs to be "not done" to allow you to reflect, where you can go, how do you remove your responsibilities for this allotted moment The Second is the "why" of the action, and this is a battle we are losing. Before we even consider the need to reflect, we have filled this space with some entertainment or other. We have no time to reflect on why we need to reflect! The world has deemed reflection as wasteful, and silence as frightening. It is neither. To seek the mind and will of the eternal God in reflection through prayer. To hear His word through His Spirit is the greatest achievement bar completing the action once informed. To be in God's will is the greatest use of time we can have. It does however mean we need to sacrifice, we need to lower the level of entertainment we have in this world. ...

The Bible is made up of 66 different books, 17 of which from what followers of the carpenter call "The Old Testament" are classified as prophetic. It is undoubtedly the most difficult job to be called to, that of the prophet of God. While many today can misunderstand, thinking that the role is about foretelling the future, the truth is more hard-hitting. God's prophets were his voice to the people, calling them to return to the first love of the Father. These obedient servants were rarely thanked, most often ignored, and in many cases persecuted sometimes to death. When they did speak of a future, unfailingly it was to show dire consequences unless repentance was forthcoming. Some listeners responded with temporary adherence to the warnings, others altered their entire lives, but most kept on going to their ultimate doom. Rather than be honoured these prophets were persecuted. It is no easy thing to tell a person that their actions are not in accordance with the will of...