“ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE”?

For those of us privileged to live in a lovely secure area, life is often a joy to experience. It is wonderful to appreciate and be thankful for our bounty. Remember “Attitude determines Altitude” so let’s have an “Attitude of Gratitude”.

Yet, even in a lovely setting, we are still not exempt from the woes and suffering of this mortal life on planet earth. Even with the wonderful buffer zone that great food, home, environment and family and friends bring, we are still reminded regularly of life’s trials and struggles.

Someone once said that “wealth cannot bring happiness but it can make being miserable comfortable” There is a certain degree of truth to this statement, but the concept that wealth brings peace and happiness is really a myth.

Phil Collins, the well known musician had a popular song called “Another day in Paradise:” In this song he brings attention to the fact of poverty, hunger, homelessness, addiction, and life on the streets for millions around the world. In the song he likens his own life and those of many of his listeners and contemporaries to daily paradise. This is a powerful song and it always touches my heart whenever I hear it. It is so important to be deeply grateful, if we have provision to live comfortably. Millions worldwide live in famine, war zones, and homelessness, or other deep crisis.

Yet, we only have to look at the media reports about many of the movie and musical stars to see that problems affect the “up and outs” as well as the “down and outs.”

Of course, those of us in the socio economic temperate zone, i.e. the middle class between the extremes of wealth and poverty are also not exempt from life’s difficulties.

Oftentimes, as I have conversed with residents of lovely areas, the catch cry of, “another day in paradise” is voiced, with a mixture of residential pride and gratefulness for such a lifestyle. I agree, the opportunity to enjoy this lifestyle sure beats living in third world poverty, or some other trouble spot. Yet, we must be on guard about placing our faith in externals to provide true peace, love and fulfillment,

The fact is, many wealthy folks live lives of quiet desperation and pain. Many go through the motions of having it all together, but inwardly are aching for inner relief and more meaning and fulfillment. Many, (even the world’s richest man) have started finding joy in using their wealth to help eradicate poverty and solve the world’s problems. This is awesome, and deserves admiration. I once heard a person of mega wealth say, “helping others is the greatest joy I have ever discovered”. He was sincere too.

Often the less economically endowed idolize the more wealthy amongst us and aspire to achieve similar positions, believing it will be their answer to life’s problems. They too, will find inner emptiness, unless, they use their position to be “part of the answer”

Man is a spiritual being, this spiritual side is the eternal being, the intellectual and physical being of man is of lesser importance to the spiritual being (though still extremely important) We all need to discover how this spirit man or woman on our inside can be made alive and nourished and then we can be “TRULY A PART OF THE ANSWER, INSTEAD OF PART OF THE PROBLEM” (regardless of our current socio economic status)
Paul Sames—

ONE WORLD ---dream or impending nightmare?

We live in an ever increasing era of combined world globalism and polytheistic/interfaithist worldviews. It seems the era of nations, religions and cultures living within separate and defined geographical boundaries has come to and end.

On the surface this may appear to be a positive development, it may give the impression that it is all One World, One Love, One God and all separates melt into the other like different vegetables and fruits put into blender and whisked into a smoothie of one consistency.

Religion has long been criticized as one of the great instigators of the world’s wars and conflicts and in many ways this is true. Also racial supremacists, be they white, black, brown, red or yellow have long claimed superiority because of their racial lineage. This has resulted in many horrific genocides, apartheids, slavery and hatred on all sides.

Of course it is wonderful that God has blessed the wonderful interracial marriage and multicultural church with love in Jesus in the Body of Christ worldwide, there are really only 2 racial groups in Gods eyes ie Adamic and Christian, the colour of our skin or nationality and language is irrelevant. Its knowing him that makes the difference.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:21-28 There is a nice symmetry in this: Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a man. Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ.

Politics also have been a huge source of friction, antagonism and war. Polar opposites create the potential for conflict.

So as previously noted, this One World Government Interfaithism, Spiritual, Political, unity seems like a good thing for everbody.

What must be always remembered though, is that the Creator God of the Universe actually created the nations and confused the tongues of humanity at the Tower of Babel.
He realized that man in his fallen condition if achieving unity of faith, politics and internationalism could create a false Union that no longer needs God as its foundation.

The problem with an international unity without God is that it invokes a default deity called satan, or the prince of the power of the air, beelzebub, belial, or lucifer. It is interesting to note that Lucifer means “shining one”. Lucifer was originally the most powerful angel and chief worship leader before the Throne of God. After God Himself he held the most powerful position in Heaven. After his banishment and fall to the earth because he tried to exalt himself above God, he was renamed satan or accuser.

The New Testament teaches that satan can still transform himself into a beautiful angel and deceive people into believing he is God.
1. 2 Corinthians 11:14
But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
2. 2 Corinthians 4:4
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
Satan is called the god of this world because Adam gave him legal authority to operate here as ruler when he abdicated his God given authority in the garden of Eden by eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.

When Adam and Eve sinned or fell and surrendered their authority, the whole world was overtaken by a dark lord of evil power, because of this death, sickness, war, crime and suffering overtook the entire human race. The death of Jesus on the Cross paid the price for Adams sin and all mankind’s subsequent sin. This was where satan had the keys of hell and death taken from him and all men who believe are given Christ’s Righteousness as a free gift.

One day we will have a genuine One World Government under God and Jesus will be the King of the whole Earth and universe ruling from His Throne in the Heavenly Jerusalem.
Any attempt at world government prior to that time will be a counterfeit One World Unity that is destined to fail and usher in the greatest war in world history, Armageddon. This war will culminate in the second coming of Jesus Christ to destroy satans rule and establish True Peace and Heaven on Earth.

ISAIAH 9:2-7 MESSAGE VERSION
For a child has been born—for us!
the gift of a son—for us!
He’ll take over
the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
Strong God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Wholeness.
His ruling authority will grow,
and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He’ll rule from the historic David throne
over that promised kingdom.
He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing
and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies
will do all this.
Isaiah 9:6
21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace

So if we receive Gods Word we can see that all of mans attempt to bring One World Govt, One World Interfaithism etc as a foundation of peace will fail.
Only God Himself can establish a government without war and death and lack and pain.

Tranquility from Heaven

Today I wish to talk about the reality of having joy and tranquility in the midst of pain and suffering. Of course, no one in their right mind would pray for an additional load of suffering in this life.

We would all rather float downstream on flowery beds of ease if given a choice of lifestyles.

We would all prefer to be at a 5 star spa resort having aromatherapy and massages than have to labor on a hot roof in the tropical sun. Of course, the easy way is not always the fruitful way that brings development.

There is a lot of truth to the saying "No pain no gain" or the more Biblical admonition of "No crowns without crosses" We live in a world and culture that idolizes the painless path of the "quick fix”, easy way out, shortcut to Nirvana.

This is one of the reasons that most modern cultures today are experiencing an epidemic of overprescibed narcotic painkillers. (Not to mention the old boatloads of the illicit drugs)

Many doctors think nothing (to be fair though, some are changing now) of dispensing powerful narcotic analgesics lest, God forbid, their patients might have to endure a few twinges of pain.

In the United States last year overdoses of prescribed narcotic painkillers, usually washed down with alcoholic beverages, which contraindicated and caused death, tallied up to approx 39,000.

Former Pres Clinton speaking about this issue, said that this was the first time that the death rate of prescribed narcotics, had exceeded the deaths of the national road toll. Another alarming statistic he mentioned was that these prescribed pills had caused more overdoses than all the illegal drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine combined.
This is a total outrage that these drugs—which are very similar to heroin when abused, are so widely and massively prescribed.

I am not just picking on America here either; many of the other western countries have equally horrific stats.

There is a mass of addiction to drugs and alcohol because people are afraid of pain or boredom and demand an instant feel good lifestyle. Of course there is an equal dependence on other sensual pleasures such as dangerous promiscuous sex and also dysfunctional, gluttonous eating habits etc. There are many other less spectacular examples of this syndrome also which I won’t list now.

When we yield our life to Christ we experience a tangible means of invisible Support, Peace, Pleasure, Fulfillment and Comfort. This comfort comes directly through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:35

Also God says that at His Right Hand there are Pleasures forevermore (He is speaking of Eternal spiritual fulfillment –not sensual pleasures
Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11


Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Collosians1:11 KJV

Being a believer doesn’t mean we don’t experience the pains of life anymore but now we have something that enables us to “Mount up on Wings of Eagles.” We find we have a supernatural ability and patience to endure and be steadfast and immoveable, even though we are encountering powerful and even adverse headwinds.

I read in an encyclopedia that the big eagles get their best rides in a storm; they set their wings and let the windstorm push them to even greater heights where they sing cries of joy and victory in the mist of the mayhem. One book said they have been clocked at altitudes of over 20,000 feet where they circled far above the same storms that were wreaking havoc on the chook sheds (chicken coops) below them.

The old chicken gets blown and flaps all over the coop in a storm and does not have the capacity of an eagle to set his wings and not even flap to reach mega altitude.
God gives each one of us the ability to become a spiritual eagle if we allow Him. We may feel like the biggest chickens and even flap and cluck all over and be nervous wrecks but the Good News God will show us how to have Peace and even Joy in the Hurricanes of Life if we Yield to Him and Cast our cares on Him---Let GO and Let God!

ISAIAH 40:29 He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound].
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted;
31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

Glory in Suffering

The Dash (1901---2012?)

When we visit a cemetery or memorial site, we often read the inscriptions on the headstones.

 I find it amazing and very interesting to see the huge variation in lifespans that are evident. Most of us like to imagine that the majority of people, would at least get to live 70 or 80 years on the earth, hopefully even into the 90s age bracket.

A few years back I was visiting a beautiful little country burial ground set in the Australian bushland. In fact, this lovely little memorial grove is where some of my family members are interred.
One of the first things that impressed me was the variation in age of the beloved ones who had passed.
Yes some were older (80 plus) others were middle aged (40 or 50) others were young in their 20s. Others were teenagers, Quite a number were small babies.

I have heard it said that on a memorial stone, that we all have a birth year and a death year and in the middle is the dash. For someone it may be 1916--2001, for instance. Consider the fact that this small dash represents ones entire life on this planet. This dash is of paramount importance, Especially to those who are doing their dash, as it were. (which of course is all of us who read this)
This tiny dash is the only thing that matters in the final analysis. Lets value our dash above all else. Someone said---we can make more money but not more time, so time is far more valuable than money.

Are you doing your dash to eternity, if not you have already done your dash or have not started yet and will not be reading this.
Lets do our dash with all our might, lets give it our utmost, lets go for it, because once we have done it we wont be coming this way again. The most important thing anyone will ever do on their dash, is to get to know the One who gave us a dash to begin with.

He is known as Alpha and Omega, The First and the Last, The Beginning and The End. He is also named the Ancient of Days, The Father of Lights, The Eternal Immortal Only Wise God, The King of Kings, The Lord of Lords, The Omnipotent Omniscient Omnipresent Potentate

Of course His Most important Name to us here on earth, is the most misused by men of all, Jesus Christ.
Yes getting to know Life Himself is the ultimate value we can ever have, it guarantees us not just a great time (or dash) but much more importantly a magnificent eternity

Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:


 I am constantly amazed at how short and risky life on planet Earth is. Many people act as if they will have a long problem free span in this world.

The reality is, that we will all have a short stay here. (even living 100 years is a short blink, by eternal standards)

We would all love to live free of sorrow, worry, lack, illness and difficulty. The only problem with this expectation though, is that it is impossible. Someone once said "Problems are normal". How true.

From the moment we are born (sometimes even before we are born, while still in our mothers womb) we all experience problems. We usually cry at our first breath, somehow knowing we will soon have a problem on the horizon.

Its usually more of a problem if we dont cry at birth because it probably means we are not breathing. Get the idea? "Problems are normal".

The Good News is that the Creator didnt leave us here without a problem solving Helper. In fact, The Helper is one of the names given in Scripture to the Holy Spirit. He comes along side us and within us to offer "Unlimited Means of Invisible Support"

Jesus Himself said " Ask and it shall be given, Seek and you shall find"

The primary solution to our problems, is to ask the Primary Problem Solver into our lives to give us solutions to lifes insoluble problems.

Wow! What a thought. Is God even interested in helping us? Yes indeed! So interested that He sent His Son as a Man to die a cruel death on a tree at Golgotha 2000 years ago. Why?

Because in dying this death he gave His Life, to all who believe that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from death.

"He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him" 2 Corinthains 5:21 KJV

What a deal, nothing in the universe comes close to this, this means we dont have to go through endless reincarnations doing Karma Yoga to reach God. All we have to do is believe in the work of His Death and Resurrection and receive Him as Lord and we are guaranteed a great eternity.

In the meantime while here on earth we have the Power of the Holy Spirit to help us solve or overcome lifes sufferings and problems. Awesome Stuff!
 

Revelation 1:9 New Living translation

I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. 10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.[f] Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. 11 It said, “Write in a book[g] everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man.[h] He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.[i]

The Accuser of the believers

The devils job is to discredit and smear the Gospel and its messengers as much as possible. If he cant make it appear downright corrupt, he is content for it to appear, irrelevant and foolish and only interesting to losers, dorks and wowsers.
Today the media trumpets forth the improprieties, scandals and sins of clergymen. To be sure, there are some corrupt and bad ambassadors for Jesus in ministry positions. This in no way denotes that the Message itself or Jesus Himself is wrong or foolish.
One way to analogize it is: If the pipes are rusty and clogged it doesnt mean that the water itself is polluted, it just means that the plumbing carrying the water has issues.
One man prayed, "Lord, help me survive your servants"
We serve a perfect Father in Heaven, who has a perfect Son named Jesus Christ. We are also Helped and empowered by a perfect and awesome Holy Spirit.
The church are Gods ambassadors on the earth, the catch is that God has decided to use imperfect and sometimes very foolish vessels to carry His Living Water to a dying and thirsty world.
It would be great if God had perfect ministers to do His work, the only problem is that the whole human race is fallen and broken and imperfect.
One man once said" If you ever find the perfect church dont join it because it would then be imperfect".
So we must realize that God often uses wounded healers and also sometimes bound liberators. Of course, if a minister acts on the Word he preaches it will work for him as surely as it has Supernatural impact to others he ministers to.
The Word always works for those who will work with it.

Great Joy and some Suffering

Life is full of Great Joy and sufferings and trials. This is normal. Jesus Christ never promised his disciples a bed of roses. On the other hand you may receive the metaphoric equivalent of a bed of roses from time to time on your sojourn through life, but not continually. There will be storms, as Jesus said.
One should always be aware that wherever there are roses there are nearly always thorns that come with the package.
We love the beauty of the rose and the fragrance too. The rose is a depiction of the life we are offered in Christ. It is a life full of beauty and aromatic joy, but oftentimes we overlook that it is also a life of suffering and pain.
There is joy and life that results from allowing the old adamic life of sin and selfishness to be crucified with Christ. This means though that we will experience the pain of allowing our old desires from the natural adamic man to be mortified. The Amplied version of the Bible expands the meaning of the word mortify as "to deaden and deprive the fleshly nature of its lusts that lurk within"

Colossians 3:5

Amplified Bible (AMP)
5 So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]:

Many today, when they read a Scripture like the above, will limit its application strictly to the sexual realm. In fact this is far from the truth, evil desires and animal impulses etc have a far wider spectrum than unbiblical sexual practices. Sex, in its context in a loving marriage, is the greatest gift given to a couple to exhilarate and enjoy. Sex is beautiful, healing, satisfying and inspiring--a magnificent gift when used according to the Givers instructions.
Of course when used recklessly it becomes a destructive force, in much the same way that any power can be misused (such as electricity, petroleum, water pressure, money etc)
The deadening and depriving spoken of in the above Scripture is the work of The Spirit in the believers life. It means yes, we must use our will to obey God and his guidance but it does not mean he leaves us to our own limited strength or power. Rather it means he will supply the Power of His Resurrection Life to set us free from the forces at work to bring us into bondage.
It is our Will (submitted to His Will) and His Power to accomplish what we cant (in our own strength or natural willpower)
Th e word lust loosely translated means "strong desire". There are many strong desires that can get us into trouble. Look at a list of the so called 7 deadly sins ( sexual lust is but one)
Pride, envy, gluttony, lust, greed, wrath, sloth.
All of these are desires that get out of hand and choke the Life of God from developing, much like weeds choke the good plants or fruits in a garden.
It is interesting to note that pride heads up the list of sins. Pride is the root of all other sin and can be the hardest to discern in ourselves. Lucifer didnt get kicked out of Heaven for running off with one of the angels, His unparelled pride resulted in a terrible destiny for him. ( see Isaiah 14:12-14)
So let us go on to spiritual maturity in Christ, with Gods help we can root out the weeds of destructive desires and grow the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our life instead.
These fruits are:

Galatians 5:22

King James Version (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gods promise is that we will have life and health and peace for ever, so its worth paying the price in the short term for such a wonderful blessing that never runs out.