Aptiva

The Carpenter's words are recorded in John 4:13-14 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” Sometimes's we expect the life of the follower of Christ to be all excitement, action, and adventure, and then often we meet those who claim to follow the Christ, who live a life dull and flat, without any sign of zeal or love. The truth maybe somewhere in between. Jesus describes this life as "bubbling." Always something going on, always something new on the horizon, yet periods of stillness as new things take the time to emerge. This life of the Spirit becomes self-sustaining.How many people have strived to find a perpetual energy source, yet miss that these words are the biggest claim in history! We have the opportunity to live a life, and to live it to the full, take it today.

The Carpenter has "the Spirit without limit." What must a human be like to have the power to do anything, yet the obedience not to do so until asked. We often think of the Holy Spirit as a force of power, and forget he is a person of relationship. To know another without limit, to know another entirely, this is what we were created for. To be sure, Satan's interference has corrupted this objective, but Christ has re-established its direction and achievability. When we follow the carpenter, and allow his life to be ours, we understand that he is offering us not just a philosophy, but an actual life practically demonstrated. To do this, however, we need to know what brings us closer to God, and what drives us further away, these are the guidelines of Christ. His life and words demonstrate and teach who we must be to allow this end of "being known and to know" to come to pass.

The Carpenter once told a crowd that someone he was talking to was "not far from the Kingdom of God," the context is important, the person in question displayed the heart of God. In a culture which had become immersed in ritual and rules, this listener saw to the heart of God, that is the relationship he desires. The Kingdom of God is not a set place or time but is, in fact, an acknowledgement of the change in the relationship that the sacrifice of Christ brings. This man was "not far" as his heart was ready to have God's Saviour revealed to him. We are erroneous today in believing the lie that the world has fostered. Namely, that relationship equates to uncritical acceptance of others actions. Relationship with Christ involves the desire to have a pure heart. A person doesn't need to start with a pure heart, that is the role of the Holy Spirit, but one needs to be willing to work with Him in establishing it. This speaker, this inquirer, desired to have

We choose to celebrate December the 25th as the day Jesus physically was born. His incarnation started of course 9 months earlier. We don't know the actual date of his birth, but the celebration is important. Tozer writes about the desire among people to celebrate this day  " While men are able to rise even temporarily to such heights, there is hope that they have not yet sinned away their day of grace. A heart capable of admiring and being touched by the story of the manger birth is not yet abandoned, however sinful it may be. There is yet hope in repentance." The birth of the carpenter is important. It is a new start and fresh hope for all. One that can still be grasped despite two thousand odd years since it's happening. If we so desire, the hope it represents is freely available to us. Many will make "New Years" resolutions, without realizing that the true way to peace lies a week prior in the manger. This year Dear Reader, seek the truth of who the car

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.