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As
I look back over the 'big rocks' in my career there are two
outstanding conclusions I can clearly draw:
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a) everything God
has done in my life has been fantastic, and
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b) the hardest of
times were the best of times!
The 'mountain
tops' are great, but we learn more about our walk with
God in the valleys. It is here that we learn
transformation from self confidence to God confidence.
It is in the valleys that we learn humility and a deeper
draft of faith. Sometimes the valleys seem deeper, darker
and longer than we can cope with... and we cannot control
the time in our valley experience because it's in God's
hands. In the valley we learn to wait on God through our
extremities. Sometimes God my even seem absent... but as we
wait for him his goodness and higher purposes will surely
emerge.
In my 37 years as an
airline pilot I have had to navigate crises and storms
including two airline liquidations; the pilots dispute in
1989 when 1670 pilots lost their jobs en masse; moving to
three overseas countries to secure employment; rejection and
shunning from within the Christian community; and a triple
by-pass operation. Through these valleys I have learnt to
love God more and grow in faith. At times like these we find
our security in his faithfulness.
In
Genesis Ch.15 Abram went though a crises that
established the most important covenant in history, a
covenant promise that continues today through the Cross of
Christ. Abram's crisis birthed:
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the basis
of relationship with God by faith
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Judaism,
Christianity, Islam and Hinduism (Brahman emanates from
Abraham)
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the title
deeds to the land and the battle grounds of the middle
east.
What did Abraham's crisis look like?
"As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep and a
thick and dreadful darkness came over him" (Gen
15:12).
From this crisis God spoke to Abram and sent a smoking
firepot and a blazing torch to divide his
sacrifice. Accordingly what can we learn from Abraham in how
we should respond to our own crises?
-
Abraham
established his material wealth on the principle of
tithing (Gen 14:20)
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Abraham
believed God and this was credited to him as
righteousness (Gen 15:6)
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God's Word
and Spirit divided Abraham's sacrifice of obedience (Gen
15:17)
-
God gave
Abram the land (Gen 15:18)
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God
promised Abram a son to fulfill the covenant (Gen 16)
-
This
covenant was marked by the sign of circumcision (Gen
17:12)
-
God
changed Abram's name to Abraham with the "h" signifying
the Holy Spirit (Gen 17:5).
Through this crisis God processed in Abraham life the
promise that he had made to him many years before... that
he would bless him that he may bless others (Gen 12:2).
From Abraham we have the inestimable privilege of
participating in this amazing 4000 year promise: that God
would bless us so that we can bless others. This promise
is fulfilled in the new covenant in Christ through the
Cross. But like Abraham, its activation comes through
suffering, faith and obedience. For this is the only way
we can be transformed from Flesh to Spirit in order to walk
in God's ways and purposes.
So, if you have prayed for God to be first in your life
(dangerous prayer)... expect a baptism of both the Holy
Spirit and Fire (Matt 3:11). Just as with Abraham's
experience of the smoking firepot and the blazing torch, God
will divide the offering of your life to himself. It is this
dividing that establishes the New Covenant in your life
marked by the Cross (Matt 16:24).
How do you spell the serious travail in your life today?
C
R I S I S
Now is the time to respond to God with a whole heart
and transform your crisis in two steps:
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a) invite the Holy
Spirit to pervade your life and your situation, and
-
b) submit the "I"
in your life to the Cross.
Now your crisis is spelt:
C
H R I S T ' S
with the H representing the Holy Spirit and the "T" the
death of "I" at the Cross!
Now your problem becomes Christ's problem and you have all
the resources of creator God working out your issues for
good. This whole process is magnificently explained in sound
doctrine in Romans chapter 8. We shouldn't just glibly say:
"God works all things out for good". Deeper than that... we
need to appropriate the sound doctrine of Romans 8 from
decay and groans that words cannot express through to the
victory of becoming more than conquerors in the love of God.
If
you would like to learn more about working out the Abrahamic
promise in your daily occupation... of being blessed by
God so that you can bless others, then you are invited
to take a few minutes and listen to Peter Kentley's talk on
HistoryMakers radio...
Click here
to activate the MP3, or copy and paste the following link
into your browser:
http://www.historymakersradio.com/WEB%20EDIT_Peter%20Kentley.MP3
Every blessing to
you in your walk with God,
Pete
Peter Kentley
airborne778@gmail.com
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