We don't just have bigger weapons

Sometimes I think we look out our authority in Jesus like we just have the bigger weapon. Like the demons have little guns, but we have a bigger one.

Or in the words of Crocodile Dundee we say
"You call that a knife?" and think we've pulled out our big Jesus sized knife to the enemies switch blade.

But I don't think that's good enough. That still leaves room for someone to have a bigger weapon. Even if we had a bazooka to their water pistol, it leaves room for someone to come along with a tank.

Or someone to use the weapon better than us. We might have the giant knife, but we're still afraid they slip in there and get us in the ribs.

In Mark 3:11 it says Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”

They fell down before him and cried out. They recognised him instantly. They didn't wait for him to say anything to them, to pull the God card. They saw him and recognised him as the son of God. As the ultimate authority under which they have no power. None. It doesn't matter what weapons they thought they had, what they thought they could get away with, as soon as they saw Jesus they knew they had already lost.

And you know what, Jesus is in us. We now have the authority too. And that's not just a bigger weapon than the enemy, that's the absolute assurance that God has already won and the devil has no power. And he knows it.

He just doesn't want you to.

What are you waiting for?

We're taught to want things immediately, faster, sooner...now, now, now. We're impatient when things don't happen quickly, and if we have to wait for something we'll often take a different option rather than wait.

I get impatient if a webpage takes more than 10 seconds to load. And if it takes more than 30...well, you may as well forget it.

So when God says

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come." Mark 13:32-33

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:43-44

And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Romans 13:11-12

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

this has been interpreted as soon. Our definition of soon. As in, "Ok, I'm ready, where are you?"

But we've been interpreting it as our definition of soon for 2000 years or so.

And I'm sure most of us can think of other times in our lives where we've felt like God was saying he was going to do something, something we needed to be ready for. So we got ready. And then waited. A day, a week, a couple of months. Then when nothing happened, we either got angry at God for not keeping his word, or angry at ourselves for thinking it was God when it wasn't.

Only to discover, maybe even years later, that God's timing wasn't ours. We waited a few months, he was working over a few years. Even a lifetime.

The world teaches us to be impatient, to want things fast and now. The eternal God's definition of now, of soon, is vastly different to ours.

God keeps reminding me of this. He keeps saying to me "What is one year compared to eternity? What is one lifetime compared to Forever?"

That's a frustrating thought when we're in the midst of something we want to change. But it's actually a comforting thought when we really think about it. We know God always keeps his word, so when we know he's not acting immediately on our terms, we can be assured he's got the bigger picture in mind. If God was like the ancient Greek and Roman gods acting on fallible human whims and impulses we'd be in a whole lot of trouble.

We can be thankful God is eternal and knows a bigger picture than we can ever comprehend. Sometimes we just need to be patient.

So why does he use words like 'Now is the time', 'Be alert. Be on guard', 'You must be ready' when he wants us to be patient?

Because patience is not necessarily passive. Patience shouldn't go hand in hand with idleness or complacency. He wants us to wait with expectancy.

So if you are waiting for something, wait with patience, but with hope and expectancy. Expect that God will do great things. For he will, and he already is, even though you may not know it. And it may not come in the form you imagine or want, but we can always be assured of God's perfect Love and Goodness. He will be everything you need.

Wait! Good things are coming! Wait! Never before has the word wait seemed so exciting and promising!

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14

When People Drive You Crazy

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Mark 12:30-31

The two greatest commandments are Love God. And Love your neighbour as yourself.

That doesn't just mean the people you like, or the ones that are nice to you.

The people in our lives aren't always going to lift us up, encourage us or even like us. But that doesn't mean they weren't put there for a reason. It could be a family member, someone you work with, even friends aren't always what we want them to be.

But before you get angry or frustrated again, before you try to cut them out of your life thinking how much easier it would be if they weren't in it - think about what purpose they might be serving.

I always love the thought, 'be careful what you ask God for' - if you ask him to make you more patient, he probably won't go, 'zap' you're more patient - he'll probably let you go through a challenging situation that teaches you to be patient through experience!

We are like uncut diamonds, still caked in dirt and rough. The people we come across, especially those who grate against us, can often do us the most benefit. Sometimes that person who we can't stand is there to teach us tolerance, or patience, or compassion. And we are in their lives to show God's love.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13: 34-35

Before you come across this person again, pray for them - but not "God, please make this person stop being so annoying!" - Bless them. Find something about them to thank God for. Or at least ask God to show you what you can learn from the situation.

There's a quote I read that said 'Have you ever asked God to change someone else, only to have him say "Well, you're here now. Why don't we start with you." There are a lot of things in life that we put on other people, when really it lays within ourselves. We don't have control over how anyone else acts or behaves. We only have control over ourselves. When you forgive someone, it's not really for them. It's so that you aren't eaten up and destroyed by harbouring those negative feelings. When you bless others, God blesses us in return.

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Matthew 5: 44-48

But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Luke 6:27-28

It's one of the hardest things in life, to love the people who you don't even like! But God loved us first, even when we were unworthy.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

And it's not all off our own backs - the love we have for others comes from God. Ask him every day to help you see other's through his eyes! It's a daily challenge, I know!! But he'll help you.