THE SEEMINGLY RANDOM NATURE OF OUR LIVES

A times, and in seeming contradiction to God's sovereignty, his orderly nature and set purposes, this life seems extremely random. It is full of movement and change, and different phases of activity and places of settlement - things which can cause great perplexity. It sometimes seems as though we are just living and going about our business, and that somehow God has forgotten His Word or His promises to us, but, as we see in the life of Abraham, this is far from the case.

From Genesis Chapter 11, Abraham is called to go to Canaan, but from that time onwards, he moves more than 8 times (even in the short space between Chp11 and Chp13!), even moving much while in Canaan (the land of Promise). He goes back and forth, and even back to Bethel where he once pitched his tent. He spends a little time living in an idolatrous Haran, then amongst Canaanites (a heathen people, even in the land of Promise!), without a fixed temple to worship in (instead living in the open air, pitching tents and building altars in most places he resides in), and in between Bethel (in between times of great revelation or very little of it). He experiences the straits of famine (even after having moved to the Promised Land) and the necessity of movement (having to go to Egypt because of famine), dangers from men that would destroy his family life (the Egyptian King), and separation from a family member and friend (Lot). This all revolved around a time when any kind of ministry seemed to be completely absent from his life, and when many of God's people would've probably judged him for the way in which he worshipped the Lord (yet his life is used by the Lord to teach and encourage us today!). All this seems extremely random, but God was sovereign over all Abraham's movements, settling, journeying, living and worship. The Word reveals that Abraham came out with many different things as a result of all this movement and seeming randomness, including a wife, family, riches, and friends. Even when alone, the Lord appeared and spoke to Abraham, giving him a promise to look forward to, and even a covenant.

Abraham did not have all his ducks lined up throughout his life. In fact, a natural observer of his life would've been hard pressed to find any ducks at all. Yes, Abraham had a call on his life, listened to the voice of the Lord, worshipped with wisdom and from the heart (even while in the midst of, and surrounded by heathen Canaanites. This was a worship without walls, structure and the leadership of men, and yet he did it in Spirit and Truth, and we know that, due to His appearances and speaking to Abraham, God was well pleased with this worship), and served the Lord, and yet for all this, his life had all the natural appearances of randomness, instability and even seeming useless and pointlessness. Many would've thought that Abraham - due to his many and seemingly erratic movements and odd choices (think: giving Lot the choice of land/ and telling Pharaoh his wife was his sister) - was befuddled and spiritually deceived (no doubt judgments and disapproval would've abounded) but quite the opposite was true; Abraham was simply living his life according to the Word of God (the Lord's word to him), and according to what was natural in light of that. Abraham worshipped, lived, worked, did what was necessary for his family (went to Egypt because of a famine etc.), and what the gift of God's good common sense and reasonableness made obvious and clear to him. God never rebuked him for this or ever told him that he hadn't lived or worshipped well, but only encouraged Abraham and reminded him of His presence with him.

Abraham didn't try and make sense of everything, because much of WHERE and WHAT he lived probably wouldn't have made much of any kind of sense in the natural. Even when he made it to Canaan (the land of Promise) according to the call of the Lord, things didn't just line up in a neat and straight line, in fact, things seemed more random than ever (even in the partial fulfilment of the promise). Despite this, he just kept living and worshipping, and God reminded him every now and then that He was completely sovereign over his whole life, and that his promises and goodness towards him were assured and unchanging. Abraham didn't complain or start to lose faith, he just continued living and worshipping, and trusted that God would fulfil for his life exactly what His Word and His promises had made clear. The big directions came when needed, as did the big blessings of promise, fuller relationship (covenant), revelation (Genesis 18) and family. However, all these things did not fit into a pattern that made human sense or required Abraham to feel like he had a handle on everything. Abraham allowed God to paint and make his life what it would be, and was thankful for it all, and rested with it all. That doesn't mean it was easy and without trial or testing, but it does mean that, in everything, Abraham relinquished the need to understand all of life and its goings on (never complaining, becoming frustrated or disbelieving the Lord), and in its place, simply believed and worshipped the Lord, and he was given faith for all things to do with life and Godliness because of it:

Romans 4v

20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

So, in light of Abraham's example, let us allow God to make our life APPEAR as random and unstable as He sees fit. Let us also allow trouble and hardship, testing, movement, settlement, displacement, perplexity in our journeying, scarcity, dangers or vulnerability from circumstances and other men, fluidity in the place and circumstance of our worship and service (and whether with many men, with few or by ourselves), and even randomness and hardships in the land of promise (i.e Canaan/ or PARTIAL fulfilment of promise), for our Lord is sovereign over it all, and all things work together for good. All things of circumstance (and even our weakness, failings and perplexity) and the fluidity of our journey are not only orchestrated, used and allowed by God, but also triumphed by Him and His grace, person and promises. God will keep all His Word and all His promises to us and will fulfil our purpose upon this Earth, with trial, blessing, and through everything that changes or appears random. 

DREAM: SAY GOODBYE TO THE GAME OF THRONES

In light of the coming US elections..

..Years ago I began praying and asking the Lord to reveal something to me about the coming Antichrist. There is a big part of me that, for whatever reason, has always had a feeling that the Church of God will see him in this generation (50+ years), and if not, that we will at least see the LEAD UP to his arrival. What this will look like exactly is anyone's guess (although certain aspects of this are partly revealed in the Word), although it appears likely that he will be put into place through much shaking and upheaval on the world scene, because when there is much shaking, there is usually much that changes. But there will likely be other things that will pave the way for his arrival as well. Along with WORLDWIDE events that bring much shaking and upheaval, expect to also see a GLOBAL acceleration of the corruption of what is good and moral, in every sphere of life, for this will break down barriers that would've otherwise stopped the Antichrist from arriving, and it will also pave the way for people to accept the lie and deception he will bring.

Thirdly, it is likely that we will begin to see the world unite together in its agreement that there is no such thing as God, and to actually become hateful both to believers and also to what they stand for. They will begin to blame believers for the ills of the world, and also seek to eradicate belief because of their own love of evil. These kind of alliances (which will likely lead to one great alliance) will also be accelerated because of great turmoil that comes upon the Earth, as nations and peoples begin to look (once and for all) for an overwhelming and comprehensive solution for all the pain, chaos and divisions, and results/fruit of their own wickedness that will be occurring.

So back to point of why I'm writing this article:

I don't know whether we'll (my generation and the older one) see the Antichrist in this life, or whether, Biblically speaking, the people of God will even be here to see him (I hope not, though my personal view from what is revealed in the Bible is that we will see him ARRIVE on the world scene before we are taken up in the Rapture. Although I don't believe that His Church will be here when the WRATH of God is poured out, for we are not appointed to wrath.). However I do believe, at the very least, that it is VERY LIKELY that we'll see the lead-up to the Antichrist's arrival (why else would the writer of the book of 2 Thessalonians tell his readers to be aware of the fact that the arrival of the Antichrist would be a sign and precursor to the coming Day of Christ? 2 Thess 2v1-3). So, like I mentioned at the start of this article, years ago I began praying about this truth of scripture and I asked the Lord to reveal to me something to do with the Antichrist. Not long after, I had a dream in which I saw the number '666' and I heard the words, "Say goodbye to your favourite TV show; say goodbye to the GAME OF THRONES". I haven't followed the TV show, but apparently it's premise centres around men who continually vie (through any and all means necessary) for the power to control 7 Kingdoms of Westeros through competition to gain the all-powerful 'Iron Throne'. Obviously this is what has taken place on Earth in the kingdoms of men nearly since the beginning of time itself, and what America and other nations (including Australia) have made a massive GAME out of in recent times. In the last few years Australian politicians have mercilessly backstabbed each other and played the game and each other to their hearts content, and this has resulted in a handful of Prime Ministers in a few short years. America has done much more nobly than Australia in recent years, however this year has seen the gloves come off, and the game PLAYED to a degree that I've personally never witnessed the likes of before.

In light of all this, what can we expect this year? Most likely more of the same; more of the game! And yet an important question is this, "How long can this game go on for?" In light of the acceleration of worldwide corruption, how long until the enemy will be ABLE and ALLOWED (albeit for a short time) to PLAY his greatest hand? Don't allow yourself to be coddled into the notion that the enemy is idle (or that he doesn't have an END GAME), for he too is playing the Game of Thrones behind the scenes, whether we see his hand or not (and already having a great amount of influence on the world i.e the whole world lies under the sway of the evil one- 1 John 5v19), and the enemy won't suffer others to SHARE his power for much longer. Corruption will lead to the breaking down of barriers (and also the hedge of God's protection), and also acts of God's judgment which will lead to great upheaval, change and fear in the hearts of men (unbelievers). This will lead to men becoming desperate and open to accepting whatever they need to accept in order to continue to live a peaceful and enjoyable life. They will look for DELIVERANCE in a place (or should we say 'man') that they shouldn't look for it. Even now the American people are looking for deliverance in a man (Trump- an obviously Godless and immoral man) that they shouldn't be looking to, for reasons they shouldn't be. How long will it be before a 'man' arrives on the scene who promises SALVATION from much greater ills that are on their way? How long before the GAME ends, and ONE person wins out to take control of the IRON throne? (a throne to rule all kingdoms upon the Earth). The Lord has said, "SAY GOODBYE TO THE GAME OF THRONES". Will we see a PRECURSOR or SIGN of all these things in this year's American election? It's likely that we have already begun to see the CRACKING of this human game of thrones in recent years, so anything is possible this year. Personally, I expect to see turmoil and instability surround the upcoming election this year, and an obvious sign that the once mighty throne and its domination (of the American political system and it's powers) may be starting to become underdone, especially since the same-sex ruling in America last year. The corruption which has begun to contaminate the nation is a clear sign that this has already begun to take place, and that a further destabilisation of power will be on its way.    

As for the Antichrist, if he does make an appearance in our lifetimes, I personally don't expect to see him in the near future. I think that it is highly likely that there will still be many years ahead of great CRACKINGS of world powers and their SYSTEMS in the future, and great upheaval, change, events of judgment and further moral corruption. However, in my personal opinion, I believe it is HIGHLY LIKELY that even now we are seeing THE PATH FOR HIS ARRIVAL being cleared. This past year the world has witnessed the greatest moral corruption, and the greatest acceleration of that corruption that I've ever seen in all my years on this planet. We have also seen the beginning acts or precursors to acts of great judgement. The Lord has revealed that a GREAT storm is on it’s way, and that we may already be seeing the SIGNS of its arrival. So I may be wrong; 'many years' may in fact be only a 'few years' until the seas of world change and the game finally ends. The game that for the history of the world has nearly always been about MANY thrones, may soon, for a time, become only one throne. Make no mistake about it, the Devil sees this world as his own, and his game is to make that a CLEAR, ABSOLUTE and WORLDWIDE reality. Watch the signs, and WATCH and PRAY, for a great night is coming, and it may arrive sooner than you expect.  

PRESUMPTION: THE MOTHER OF ALL MISTAKES

Esther 4v12:

When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

*Capitalisation for emphasis

Like Esther, we cannot presume that God will save us from the COMING STORM just because we are in the KING'S HOUSE. SAVING FAITH (the kind for salvation AND for being KEPT in this present life) must have substance, and it must be of the highest quality (that is why it's tested by fire), just as Noah's working out of faith evidenced itself in just how well he built the Ark.

In the years leading up to the flood, if Noah's faith wasn't strong or he didn't really believe what the Lord had said was coming, he could've cut many corners in building the Ark: made shoddy tools to build it with, left out costly materials (or some materials altogether), and taken long working breaks. The boat he would've ended up with may have withstood a strong rain storm and a gentle stream of a flood, but not the real deal- not the one that actually came. So we see that Noah's faith WAS TESTED IN ALL THE YEARS LEADING UP TO THE FLOOD. It was also matured grown and proven by the physical evidence (the boat) of what was unseen (his faith). In the same way the Lord does this in our lives, and this is now what is going on in PREPARATION for the coming storm.

In a similar vein, in regards to the story of Esther, her life of faith (her Ark so to speak/ her life of faith before the great trail) was PROVEN and EVIDENCED when it mattered the most. This was an issue of BOTH salvation and present deliverance. The Bible tells us that our faith is TESTED AS BY FIRE, so that it may be to the praise of God's glory. If we do not work this faith out as we should, then when this fire is TURNED UP (as God does so at times in our lives) we risk our faith being revealed for what it really is. If our faith is not as it should be, the TESTING fire might also might become a DESTROYING FIRE (if we succumb to unbelief and offence towards Christ and let that drive us away from him) :

Hebrews 12-

27The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our “God is a consuming fire.”f

Make no mistake about it, the FIERY TRIAL to come will test our belief in Christ and so by extension our faith unto salvation.

Hebrews 12-

16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.[e]

17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now

“If the righteous one is scarcely saved,

Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”[f]

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

The storm will test the VERY SUBTANCE AND QUALITY of our faith (by extension our practical lives in Christ). If these are not as they should be, then the Bible shows us that we cannot count on PRESENT DELIVERANCE. It is likely that the storm will take us or put us through much present suffering, and it could even result in death (which is what happened to Ananias and Saphira). We will either experience the FIERY TRIAL IN FULL in order to make our faith and lives as they should be (to remove what can be shaken), or, if God chooses or if it is necessary to ensure that which cannot be shaken (our salvation), remains, then God will allow or directly end our lives to bring us to Heaven. Above all, God will make sure that our lives, and the work of faith, glorifies him (cutting it short if it is danger of eternally NOT glorifying him). He will FINISH that which he began- preserving our salvation no matter what.

Faith must have an Ark, it must have fruit. It must also be WORKED OUT. Faith's substance and it's very existence must be EVIDENT and EFFECTUAL for it to really be a true faith from him, and to stand the tests that come. This is made all the more true and all the more important considering the storm that's coming, for it has implications not only for this PRESENT life, but also the FUTURE one.

INSPIRED TO PRAY

Oftentimes as Christians we feel obligated to pray rather than inspired. I felt to write what's below to explain how I personally get inspired to pray. You may get inspired in a different way, and that’s all good, but maybe they’ll be something here that will be helpful!

CLAY VESSEL

I’ll be brutally honest here (and maybe this is just me?) and reveal that rarely do I FEEL like praying. More often than not, I feel like I’d rather not pray. This can be for various reasons but most are not very noble at all. Most days I feel tired and I wake up feeling right out of it. Then, to my embarrassment and shortcoming, there are days when I feel frustrated or life in general just seems to get me down. Finally, there is the reality of life which seems to always scream out to me that other things need to be done or take priority, or there are better things to occupy myself with. Sometimes I even feel like I’m not worthy to do it (forgetting the blood of Christ!). Some of these things come down to the reality of life, some to my own shortcoming, and some to just being a human being. Contrary to what I’ve often heard from well-meaning Christians, men in the Bible were like this too:

James 5v17:

Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

OBLIGATION PLUS INSPIRATION = MOTIVATION

Since we will always (till eternity) experience the reality of this clay vessel and it’s shortcomings, OBLIGATION (the Lord tells us we must pray), must always be coupled with INSPIRATION in order to bring us to the actual act of prayer. I get inspired to pray by thinking about one or a combination of the following BIBLICAL encouragements. All of the following I’ve personally and practically experienced the reality of over many years. Furthermore, most of them relate to each other and so a few usually come up even when I only begin with one of them (it’s obviously impractical to try and remember all of them when coming to pray):

      1)    By reminding myself of the REWARD for prayer:

a)    Being rewarded for what I’m actually praying for

b)   With the Holy Spirit and things to do with the Spirit

c)     With a FULLER & CLEARER REVELATION and EXPERIENCE of the will of God (because prayer is a massive conduit of his will and purposes, and the basis of them- there are countless scriptures and Biblical examples which prove this)

d)    Being empowered to do his will and anointed in a particular way for either a needful or beneficial spiritual purpose (i.e for an act prompted by our faith)

e)    Reminding myself that the Lord will answer what I pray (I check that the prayer has a Biblical basis/ whatever the answer may be, which may be “No”, but he will still answer)

f)      Reminding myself that, no matter what I pray, the Lord will deposit a BLESSING of his Spirit in my life, and often in ways that I need (and don’t realize it) or that will benefit or help me in some way

g)    Reminding myself that the Lord LEADS through prayer both by depositing his will in our hearts and minds, and also by actually leading us to situations (including the opening and closing of doors) and giving us wisdom about how to act and what do in them

h)    Reminding myself of what I call ‘The X-Factor’: I’ve found that there’s always an X factor to do with what is received by prayer. This is a reward that is noticeable (manifests in various ways), but when you try and articulate what you experience to others, it’s difficult to describe:

Ephesians 3-

20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,       according to the power that works within us,

I) We are transformed more into the image of Christ and reflect more of his grace and goodness.

MOTIVATED BY SINCERITY

The promise of reward for our prayers is as encouraging as the fact that the Lord just wants us to be ourselves when we come to him-- clay-ee and human. The Lord prizes SINCERITY above everything else and it is because of our humanness that the power of God CAN and WILL come upon us, not only to give the desire to pray and the knowhow to go about it, but also to work out all his purposes for us and his kingdom:

2 Corinthians 12-

9And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

PERSONAL PREFERENCES

Besides everything else, I’m most motivated to pray when I just start half-blurting out to the Lord what I’m thinking or feeling (respectfully). I see this as a kind of rolling my burdens on him, and from there I often think much clearer and find the goal of WHY I’m praying a lot easier (it becomes evident what to focus on).

I know from personal experience that I’m not a heroic prayer, by which I mean that prayer comes most easily to me when I do it during a time when I’m alone or between other things in my day. Usually this means I’ll pray when I’m in the car or even cleaning around the house. I’m at my freshest in the morning, so usually I’ll try and pray then, as I’ve often found that leaving it till later in the day means I won’t do it because I usually feel tired. I still make times to pray, but I don’t try and set rigid schedules (personal preference).

I also don’t pray for a long time (in terms of time each day), as Biblically speaking, the power of God doesn’t NECESSARILY come from length (the Bible tells us that when words are many, sin is not absent), but from sincerity, a scriptural basis (I use scriptures in my prayers) and diligence (coming to God on a regular basis and continuing to do so, believing that He IS and WILL answer). The Lord’s prayer (from the Bible) is very short, and yet it is direct, gets straight to the point and its spiritual elements/goals are timeless (a good model/basis for our prayers).

I’m most effective in prayer when I see it as speaking and having a conversation to BOTH a friend and Lord/Saviour (the Lord wants us to do this). We relate most effectively with others in this way, and the disciples did the same thing when they spoke with the Lord while He was on the Earth. By the grace of God, I do this respectfully (remembering who He is, God- and who I am; human), with admiration and also always make it my aim to end my prayer in faith – believing in his care and goodness, and also that He has heard me and will answer (David’s prayers were always characterized by faith and ended that way, even after having expressed fears and doubts). The Lord doesn’t want our prayers to be convoluted, burdensome, or for us to think that we need to be more intelligent than we are, or to use words we wouldn’t otherwise use in our lives. The power of prayer lies in its passion and sincerity, and sincerity requires that we be who we really are in Christ (Christ made us uniquely the way we are!)—a humble and human clay vessel. Yes, the context for all this is that HE IS GOD ALMIGHTY, and we always need to keep this in mind, but He is also THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN, and the High Priest that sympathizes with us and all our weaknesses.

I also usually always remind myself that it is because of the WORTHINESS OF JESUS that I’m heard and my prayers accepted, and for NO OTHER REASON. It is the blood of Christ which has broken down the wall of separation and made us acceptable to God, and that is the confidence we have before the throne. When God looks at us, he essentially looks at us through THE LORD JESUS because our salvation (and all its blessings) is a trust in him (and even the faith is a gift of God and not of ourselves).

Perhaps you pray a different way, and if so, God bless you! I only share how I do it in the hope that it may, even in part, be helpful to some out there. Yes, we are instructed to pray, but the Bible also (as motivation) INSPIRES us to do it! If we are doing it right, we will WANT to pray/talk to the Lord and seek to do it, and more and more as we enjoy the blessing of it and of knowing Him. If it has only been a struggle to pray till now, seek out the promises of God and remember that there will ALWAYS BE A REWARD AND ANSWER to prayer!