this is today

2 Timothy 4:10

Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica

There a fine line between enjoying the pleasures of the world God gave to us, and forsaking the higher calling of God BECAUSE of the pleasures of the world he gave us.

One of the great things about living where I do, near the expanses of Indian Ocean, is the awesome lifestyle and options we are blessed with. For many this present world in which we live can be very attractive. Weekends away, afternoons at the beach, the good times with friends and food, enjoying your favourite TV show, supporting your favourite team; none of it is bad, so long as it doesn’t seduce you.

Demas was a young leader in the church, travelling with the apostle Paul. In all likelihood he did many great things for the kingdom of God alongside Paul. But at some point the pleasures of life became greater than the pleasure of God. And it ended up costing him his call.

We are citizens of heaven, this present world is just a temporary posting along the way. We should enjoy the life God has blessed us with, but never at the expense of our calling and the higher purposes of God.

I love twitter. It is fast, quick and instant (fast is good in my book!)

Twitter is not only instant it is an excellent way to connect and, I think most importantly, cuts through a lot of the noise and clutter of the net, allowing you to get access to the information you want, when you want. This is me on twitter here.

Anyway, I can’t help but notice twitter’s brand is looking a bit old, a bit stale and to be honest, a bit awkward.

Here’s some incredible alternatives that I think are a massive upgrade on the current look.

Whaddya reckon tweets?

I love the word ‘radical’. In my life I don’t want to live a conventional or standard life. I want to be radical in faith and radical in life for Jesus.

To understand what it is to be radical we need to understand the essence of the word, which is to be “related to or proceeding from the root” (*). A person of radical faith is one who understands and lives by the root of their faith.

At this time of year we celebrate Christmas – the birth of Jesus. I love this time of year for many reasons; the celebrations, the holidays, the family time, the summer and all its sights and sounds. But above all of that Christmas brings to mind the undeniable fact that Jesus came to us, born as a child but with the incredible purpose of redeeming humanity through his death, burial and resurrection.

To be a ‘radical’ may have some different connotations for some, but I believe its actually to recall and re-embrace the foundation of Christmas – the root of the season which is Jesus.

If nothing else Christmas reminds us about Christ. To be radical in our faith and in our life is to live in relationship with the Jesus of Christmas; to believe in Him and His word and to live in the power of His Spirit. Go radical!

Note: Image Courtesy of Camberley FAS

The Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay put on a clinic with some monster through downs against the Miami Heat. Check it out!

Jude 1:19-21

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

Have you felt like you were out of your depth? Have you felt overwhelmed by what is before you? Don’t stress, it is actually a part of faith and growing in God. I believe we come to seasons in our life where it IS too hard for us, but it is never too hard for Him. And that is the point. We are compelled to draw near to Him to build our faith.

So, how do you build yourself up in the faith?

1. Pray in the Spirit – God has given us the baptism of the Holy Spirit to enable us to pray the powerful and timely prayers of the Spirit. Praying in tongues builds your faith and inner man enabling you to walk in the Spirit and not fulfil the lusts of the flesh (Gal 5:16-17).

2. Keep yourselves in the love of God – God is love (1 John 4) and if we are in relationship with Him we too can and should walk in love. Check yourself, your attitudes, motivations and thoughts – are they grounded in the love of God? If not repent and return to Him and His love for you.

3. Wait on the mercies of God – make time to unplug from the rush of life to be still in the presence of Almighty God (Ps 46:10). Allow His grace to flood your heart and mind before getting back into it.

I love that the camera is all over Derek Fisher and no where near the victorious Brewer, because Fish that was nasty!