Birds of a Feather

 

This Gymea Lilly flowering here has a very prominent place in the garden at the Mall and judging by what happened last year I will be surprised if someone doesn’t cut it off and steal it very soon. The stem is over two metres tall. It looks rather like what people refer to as “a Tall Poppy” and in the botanical field would be the equivalent of a U.S. President, or our Prime Minister, or one of the other World Leaders; Prominent, yes, and putting on a “good front” but I think very “tall poppies” seem lonely, and usually
don’t last very long.

If you were a flower and could choose which you could be, I think you would be more comfortable being one of those in this next photo. Oh yes, they also vary in height, but we need leaders in all walks of life. However, the majority of them there help to complete a lovely picture and providing that their roots go deep into “Good Soil” they will support each other and achieve the purpose the “Gardener” had in mind. We can of course, go to the other extreme like this little “loaner”, growing in very un-fertile soil on the foot path, where it may get trodden on and will have to rely on “Pot Luck” for water. Sure, it has its independence but it will never achieve its full potential by existing in a spot like that.

All these flowers are like a cross-section of our community. The difference between them and us being that they had no choice as to where they were planted and if they are not satisfied where they are, well then “bad luck” for them. However, we are in a different category and although we didn’t choose to be planted where we are either, we do not have to live under the circumstances we find ourselves in, (as they do), because God has given us the option of coming under His care and being “Transplanted” into His “Good Soil”.

How do we do this? Well firstly we need to accept His free offer of changing our Spiritual situation, because God sent Jesus that we “Might have life, and have it more abundantly” “For God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but inherit Eternal Life.” This is a “done deal” as far as God is concerned, because God (through Jesus) has already paid for all that to happen: All we have to do is Repent (change our attitude) and accept His forgiveness. Oh I know that our pride doesn’t want us to admit that we need help (believe me I have been there), but we are like that little lone daisy and are kidding ourselves if we say we don’t need to be transplanted into the “Good Soil” of His loving care and be looked after by Him and His Angels.

Some people say to me “I believe in God but I don’t go to church,” so in reality they only want to be “half transplanted”, or else they don’t understand what the New Testament means when it says “Church”. For example, Romans 16 verse 5 says “……. greet the church that is in their house”. 1 Corinthians 16 verse 19 says “Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house”. Whilst Colossians chapter 4 verse 15 says “Greet the brethren……and Nemphas and the church that is in his house.” So you see a “church” is a group of Christian people who come together to worship God.  Indeed, Jesus said that “Where two or three gather together to worship I will be there in the midst of them.” The building is of little relevance; it is the people that are the Church.  However, for convenience sake people have erected specific buildings, and groups of Christians, (who like to worship in slightly different ways), have identified their buildings with different names. There is no fear though that the roof of any of these buildings will fall in if a “newcomer” enters any of them. After all, the entire congregation is made up of people who are sinners saved by the grace of God through believing that Jesus died a sacrificial death, on their behalf. Or else are still sinners, coming in to claim that forgiveness. Christianity declares that “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” and “The wages of sin is death, but the Gift of God is Eternal Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord”.  Interestingly, Paul when writing to the Hebrews in chapter 10 and verse 25 directs them “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as some do.” You see, Satan is trying to lead us astray constantly and when we fellowship together we make friends with people of like mind, and as birds of a feather that flock together are less likely to be attacked by hawks so we are safer as we hear the Gospel preached and hymns sung, because that increase our faith. Furthermore, there are fellowship organisations there like Bible study groups, organisations for children to fellowship together and so on.   Also remember that If you take a hot coal out of the fire it will soon cool down but if you put it back with other hot coals it will not only become hot again itself, but will also strengthen the fire.      Some food for thought. Tom.

Peace

 

I read an article the other day about a king who wanted a painting that depicted “Peace”. The one he finally chose was a picture that had mountains that were rugged and bare. Above them was an angry sky with rain falling and lightning flashing and down the side of the mountains tumbled a waterfall. This picture didn’t look peaceful at all but the king chose it because he had noticed that behind the waterfall there was a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in spite of the rush of angry water, she sat on her nest—in perfect peace. You see, peace does not mean that we have to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the middle of all these things and still be calm in your heart.

To be at peace in difficult situations we really need outside help; Paul, although in prison, said that “in whatsoever state he found himself he had learned to be content”, of course he was relying on the fact that he was doing God’s will and that was his aim in life. In chapter 4 verse 7 of his letter to the Philippians he says: “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”. (New Living Translation)

Now I had been shown that bible verse some 60 years ago but I never realised that when it said “heart” it was referring to that lump of flesh in our chest, not some “feeling”. In other words, he is saying that not worrying, and therefore being in a state of peace, will actually keep your heart healthy and prevent your mind from having a nervous breakdown. I only realised the truth of this when I went into cardiac arrest some 13 years ago and after being revived was sent to St Vincent’s hospital in Sydney. The Cardiologist there said: “How come you have blocked arteries around your heart? Your weight is normal, you have never smoked or drank alcohol, you have lived an active healthy life on a farm, you just don’t fit the pattern! Therefore, for this to have happened to you there must have been a lot of stress in your life”. He was right, (I am ashamed to say). Because as a Christian I had been ignoring that instruction to “not worry” and paid the penalty by having 5 heart by-passes. After all, God who made us should know what is good or bad for us and we shouldn’t ignore his instructions in the New Testament. Because worry never achieved any worthwhile result, and we all know this, but it is hard to “Let go and let God take over” isn’t it? We are God’s children and I think we can learn from watching a little baby like Evie
Pratten here with her mum (Jackie). She may be crying in her cot, but when mum or dad come along and pick her up, the crying stops immediately. Why? She hasn’t yet been fed, her nappy hasn’t yet been changed. What makes the difference then? Why did she stop crying? The answer is that a baby Instinctively knows that its parents love it and have the ability to solve its problems. That’s why.

The person stranded on a ledge half way down a cliff face, has a different problem; but needs similar trust when a rescue Helicopter lowers a paramedic on a rope; the stranded person knows that he must let go of the rock face and cling tightly to the paramedic; trusting both him and the rope, complete faith is essential or he will just have to stay on that precarious ledge. The same type of thing applies to you and me; every day activities usually don’t worry us too much or cause us to stress out. No, it is only when we find ourselves out of our depth with problems that we cannot effectively handle that we become really worried. At that point we should implement the above bible text as it tells us not to worry, but to hand the problem over to God and experience the unexplainable peace from God, that will replace the stress and worry. I could say “Good luck with that” but it has nothing to do with luck – it is a matter of faith and trust in our Father God, (as that baby trusts its mum or dad). However, like the person on the rocky ledge (who must let go of the ledge completely, and trust the paramedic), we must hand our problems over to God completely and trust Him. The New Testament says that if we have faith in God the possibilities are limitless and “faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of God”.  So best wishes then, as we learn to stop worrying and start trusting. None of the above is theory to me, because I have “been there, and done all that.     Regards, Tom.  ( Read Phillippians 4:7 to confirm this.)