The First Thing

" Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

This is the simple formula for making every day work - no matter the circumstances: make connecting with God the first thing, and everything else will fall into place. That doesn't mean life will get easy - it means that when life gets hard, you'll get through - one step at a time.

By "first thing" I don't necessarily mean first in the day - I mean the most important. For a long time my Bible study habits were very hit and miss. The result was that my life was hit and miss. Now that I've made the point of putting God truly first each and every day (although there are certainly days when I drop the ball), I see His hand working in my life through the good and the bad. Like Romans 8:28 says:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

For me, "first thing" means I pray and study before I do household chores, or other reading, or the things that seem important to me. And so often that time with God leads me to rearrange my priorities for the day. Above all, it leads to a better day. A fuller, richer, more purposeful day.

If you haven't already - I challenge you to try it for yourself - put God first in your day and discover how much better life can be.

At Least She's Reading Something?

"At least she's reading something." I hear a lot of mums say, with a roll of their eyes when they talk about the books their kids are reading.

Then follows an awkward silence. I don't quite know what to say. I'm not familiar with the books they're talking about, but it gets me thinking. Does it matter what my kids read, as long as they're reading something? Are there books that I shouldn't let them read - even if it's the only thing they want to read?

The world of the mind is just as real and powerful as the world of the body. I have visited friends in hospital who were having serious hallucinations. Among the many lessons I learned from this, one that stood out was that the imaginary world has a lasting impact on us.

What do sick people have to do with what my eight-year-old is reading?

Just that the world of the mind that children (and adults) enter when they read is part of who they are. Scientists have recently discovered what God told us thousands of years ago in Proverbs 23:7 "as he thinks in his heart, so is he". (NKJV*) This is why early Christians were instructed in Phillipians 4:8, "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right ... think about such things". (NIV) Elsewhere, the Bible says in Ephesians 6:3 that certain things should "not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints".

Reading isn't valuable of and by itself but is a great tool for learning and growth. Like any tool, though, it can be mishandled, leading to destruction. If you gave a child a hammer and he used it to construct a nuclear weapon, you probably wouldn't say "at least he's building something."

Our children's minds are a defining aspect of who they are - more so than their bodies. A loving parent wouldn't let a child eat only junk food, so is it wise to let them constantly read "junk" books? No loving parent would knowingly let their child eat poison, so should we let our children poison their minds with something that makes (for example) hurting others (in any way - including lying, stealing, cheating, teasing...) seem OK?

I believe it's more important for me to keep track of what my kids are reading than it is to make sure they brush their hair and clean their teeth. Better to prevent a rotten mind than to try to cure it.

*All Bible references are from the New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted.

When God Lets Go

There have been a whole bunch of natural disasters happening around the world lately. Floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanoes - you name it. Even the most ardent climate enthusiast would be hard-pressed to blame earthquakes and volcanoes on man-made climate change. So what is behind all the natural disasters?

It's at times like these that many people will ask "why is God doing this?" The suggestion is that only a very cruel God causes the innocent to die in earthquakes, floods, fires and storms.

But what if we tried looking at the universe in a different way? The Bible tells us that God's eternal power is clearly visible in His creation (Romans 1:19-20). One of the basic laws of science is the law of entropy - the law that states that the universe tends towards disorder. Not surprisingly, scientists have recently expanded on this law in order to explain the order that we see around us. How is it that we live in incredibly ordered bodies on an incredibly ordered planet in the midst of a universe apparently ruled by chaos?

Bear with me, I'm going somewhere with this! What if God is the reason for Order in a universe that tends towards chaos? What if God literally holds our world together? If you read the Bible carefully - especially the Psalms, then it all points toward God - not just putting things in place - but keeping things in place.

What might happen then, if we collectively told God to "go away"? What if we told God that we don't need Him and we don't want Him, we're just fine on our own, thank you very much. What if God took us at our word and let go - even just a little bit?

I can't prove it scientifically, but that's OK because science can't even explain to me how a series of complex molecules that apparently assembled all by themselves can give me the ability to reason and question my own existence. So I don't feel a need to justify the mind of God (as if I could anyway!) to Science.

I truly believe that what we see happening to our world is God letting go, just a little bit. The great Creator is letting us experience a tiny hint of "doing it on our own, thank you very much."

Personally, I won't be telling God to go away anytime soon. Considering that collective humanity hasn't even been able to control a puny little nuclear reactor in Japan, I don't fancy our chances with the whole universe. I'm happy to keep God squarely at the centre of my life.

If you'd like to know more about the God holding the universe together, try reading Does God Exist?

The Stuff of Dreams | United Church of God

A message about the true source of contentment...

The Stuff of Dreams | United Church of God

Why Me??

A common question in times of pain is: "Why me?"

Even devoted Christians often struggle with the great question "Why does God allow suffering?"

The answer is not really long and complicated. It doesn't take a university degree to understand, but few people are willing to accept the simplicity of the truth. As the Bible says: "the wisdom of God is foolishness to man." And yet, the 'foolishness' of God is far beyond the wisdom of man. What it does take is the Spirit of God to understand the things of God.

Suffering comes down to a result of choice. God gave man freedom of choice. When we make bad choices, suffering and pain is the result. Not always directly, and not always immediately, but eventually there is no escape from the consequences of our decisions. God allows the pain, not to be cruel, but to convince us that His Way is The Right Way.

Right now, it seems senseless that children, especially, suffer horribly, but it can all be traced back to the choices of humanity. Most especially our choice to tell God we don't need Him and we don't want Him.

God won't force us to do things His way, but nor will He rescue us from our failed paradise.

We can be excited and encouraged to know that God's plan is for everyone, and that He has ordained a second resurrection (raising the dead) to ensure that every man, woman and child has the opportunity to know Him and choose the Life He has to offer.

Beyond that time, God's promise for eternity is that there will be "...no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain..." (Revelation 21:4)

For now, pain is a by-product of human choice - we must suffer because we (humanity) choose our way. We can look forward to Christ's return, when we will learn to do things God's way and suffering will come to an end.

For a more detailed explanation of human suffering, you can read Why Does God Allow Suffering, or to learn more about God's plan for all of humanity (God has not forgotten or abandoned the millions of dead who never heard the name of Jesus Christ), try reading What Happens After Death.

What Really Matters?

Life. It's so short. So how do we live every bit of it? What really matters in life? Does how we live reflect what we say really matters?

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, how would you spend today? Would you tell your loved ones that you love them? ... Now think ahead a few months or years on - how would your loved ones look back on your last words to them. Would they be a reminder of your lifelong concern for them? Would your words of love bring to mind how well you had treated them and how you had looked out for the best interests of others? Or would they be a bitter disappointment - a memory of words that were never turned into action?

There are lots of warm and fuzzy emails out there that encourage us to say "I love you" to the people that matter to us. Those words by themselves have very little value. In fact, the words "I love you" can be painful - even traumatic - when they give the lie to the actions of those who say them.

Jesus told His followers: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Even the most ardent atheist would be hard-pressed to argue with the truth of that statement. Whether your treasure is time, money or other physical, mental or emotional resources, wherever you put that treasure is where your "heart" truly lies.

So what really matters to you? It's a question I have to keep asking myself. When I look truthfully at the answer it helps bring me back to the rocky and difficult path that leads to Eternal Life.

Where are you putting your treasure? Are your time and money being spent on the things that you say really matter? Are your relationships getting the attention they deserve from you? Are you willing to do the hard things for the people you say that you love?

A workmate once told me that she didn't really respect her Dad. "He let me get away with anything," she said. Sadly, his failure to put in the hard work of being a real father had broken their relationship.

Before you launch into your next project or passion, take a moment to think about whether it is really part of the legacy you want to leave behind - are you investing your treasure into some that really matters?

Putting God into the centre of your life is the only way to truly understand what really matters. As a starting point, try watching How Big Is Your God? on Beyond Today TV.

The End of Terror?

Osama Bin Laden is dead. What does that mean? Is it the end of terrorism? The beginning of peace? Hardly.

I'm no political expert, but I know a bit about the Bible. In the Bible, it warns of a time when "a thousand will flee at the threat of one". This has been true for a while in many Western countries. This has been true because these same countries are loudly rejecting God. While the US is meant to be a mostly "Christian" nation, it is Christian in name only. God doesn't think much of people who say they follow Him... but don't.

"Christians" continue to get divorced left, right and centre - God hates divorce. People who are already struggling with money get tricked and manipulated into overspending "to keep the economy healthy". God hates it when the poor are abused. Children are neglected and mistreated by the very people who should be caring for them. God hates children being mistreated. Lying is accepted as a part of everyday life. A "lying tongue" is an abomination to God.

The formula for the end of terror is very simple and guaranteed to work, given enough time: turn to God. No surveillance, no espionage, no delicate international negotiations. It doesn't even cost any money.

If you're interested in the role of the Middle East in Bible prophecy, you may like to read the free booklet The Middle East In Bible Prophecy.