Archives for June 2020

A hidden agenda is something we have in mind that we don’t let on to others. For example, someone can be perfectly sweet to a dying relative with the hidden agenda of making sure they are remembered in the will. An employee can report the faults of others to the boss, to bolster their chances of promotion. Children can be sent to a holiday camp, so the parents get a few days of peace and quiet.

We do all sorts of things for reasons we don’t want to let on, such as to save money, make a good impression, bolster our ego, pass a problem off to someone else, avoid conflict, get someone out of our hair, and so on.

King Solomon warned his son of the evil and deceit that can be in people’s hearts.

“Like a shiny glaze on an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart. A hateful man disguises himself by his words, but he stores up deceit in his heart. When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.” Proverbs 26:23-25

In history and in modern times we have abundant examples of insincere people, fake friends, traitors and spies who win the confidence of others only to use them or do them harm.

Modern marketing and modern politics employ ‘spin’, misrepresentation, empty promises, and similar techniques to take advantage of the unwary. Scams and rip-offs abound.

These things come from an evil heart. They reveal selfishness and pride in those who carry these hidden ambitions and plans.

The problem with a hidden agenda is that it is linked to false and insincere things that are unworthy of a child of God. Each hidden agenda is likely linked to some area of selfishness, pride, self-interest, avoiding responsibility and other unworthy or worldly attitudes.

The best thing that can happen is for your ‘hidden’ agendas to be exposed. Of course that might make you blush and feel deeply ashamed, but it might also cause you to repent of the selfish or prideful attitudes that make you scheme to get your way or to serve yourself.

The Apostle Paul was aware of this insincerity in people and he called those who worked with him to be ready to call people up on their failings.

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching.” 2Timothy 4:2

“One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sternly, so that they will be sound in the faith.” Titus 1:12,13

I am not here to rebuke you, but I do want to challenge you. Those secret little schemes in your heart are evil and must be repented of. You need to abandon them and have a clean and pure heart, not given to deception or using others to get your way.

Your ‘hidden’ agendas may end up being exposed, as was the case with Ananias and Sapphira in the early church. They sold land and kept some of the money for themselves, which they were perfectly entitled to do. But they lied about it, so they would seem more generous. They wanted to look good. The Holy Spirit, however, revealed that to Peter and he challenged them, separately, and they both dropped dead on the spot.

“Ananias, how is it Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the money? Wasn’t it yours before it was sold? After it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God! On hearing this, Ananias collapsed and died.” Acts 5:3-5

That’s a terrible way to be found out. And a terrible cost for a secret agenda. May you never face such judgement. However, it points to the fact that deceit in your heart is a deadly thing. All those hidden agendas and deceitful ways, trying to look like something you are not, secretly hoping for an advantage, taking advantage of others or doing them harm they don’t realise, and all such things, are an evil in your heart and life.

My prayer for you, for your good, even if you don’t like it, is that all your agendas get exposed. Exposed agendas will stop you from pursuing them. Exposing your agendas will humble you and prompt you to repent. Exposing your agendas will reveal the true state of your heart, and make you face the evil within you that you need to repent of and be set free from.

I call you to test your own heart and repent of the evil you find.

“Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the Lord.” Lamentations 3:40

King David knew he not only had his own hidden agendas, but even evil motives he wasn’t aware of. He prayed to God to expose those things.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23,24

“Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.” Psalm 19:12

“Test me, O Lord, and try me; examine my heart and mind.” Psalm 26:2

By your own repentance and by God’s searching of your heart may your hidden evils become Exposed Agendas and may you be set free from them all.

An infant clings to their parent, finding security, provision, comfort and meaning in that relationship. In a perfect world the relationship should never be spoiled. However we live in an imperfect world and we are imperfect people.

Along the way, as the child grows, they discover that the parent has different moods, makes demands of the child, is not always reliable, puts other relationships ahead of the child and doesn’t always provide what the child wants. And as a child grows they begin to see the human flaws in the parents who they once relied on totally.

As those things happen the child has to look inside to find consolation and meaning and a means of navigating a world that is not ideal. Each of us has made that journey in some way, whether we remember doing so or not. And each of us has been drawn to our own coping techniques. We may well have adapted our life management program over time, as we have grown, copied others and faced increasing challenges along the way.

Some people withdraw from reality into their own fantasy thoughts, while others become experts at observing the world and trying to control it. Some become self-sufficient, aiming not to need people, while others become addicted to friendships. Some aim to be popular and loved, while others withdraw and avoid social contact. Each one tends to play toward their strengths, such as mind, emotion, physical capabilities, relationship skills, manipulation skills and so on.

By the time we are hearing the gospel and discovering our need for Christ we have likely already developed our own grip on life and our own way of engaging with society. We will have our own navigation process in hand, even if it’s not a very good one. We will look inside ourself and draw out from within us the principles that keep us going.

Most of the things we have developed are not consistent with abandoning ourselves on one who loves us completely and is absolutely faithful and trustworthy. Whatever we developed of our own style was built because we didn’t feel we had that kind of relationship.

So now we find ourselves being invited by God to enter into the most wonderful intimate relationship with a loving Heavenly Father, while we have developed strong, self-determined ways of navigating life. We have to let go of the things we have relied on for our ‘grown up’ existence in order to fully enjoy the wonders of the relationship God offers.

Sadly, I think most Christians don’t do well at letting go.

The objective is to Let Go of our own home-made survival skills and Let God be God and let God take the wonderful place He can and will take if only we will let Him.

So we meet intellectual Christians, wanting everything to be explainable, with its proof text Bible verses and so on. And we meet manipulative Christians, and falsely fake “I want to be your friend” Christians, as well as “Pity poor me” Christians. We meet loner Christians, and insecure Christians, and shallow ‘I want to be in the Spotlight’ Christians.

There are all kinds of Christians, just as there are all kinds of people in the wider community. Just because Christians have found Christ as their Saviour does not mean they have learned to let God have His way in their life and rebuild them to the person they were created to be.

God loves you, just the way you are, and He wants to transform you from the inside out. He has wonderful plans for you. Your challenge is to Let Go and Let God do wonderful things inside you.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you toward me” Jeremiah 31:3

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Romans 12:2

“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for your good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

We are to walk with the Lord, not according to our own life navigation. In the Book of Revelation those who kept themselves from evil were described as walking with the Lord.

“Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.” Revelation 3:4

We also see Jesus as our Good Shepherd, which means we, His sheep, walk along with Him, constantly led by Him.

“The Lord is my shepherd” Psalm 23:3

“I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” John 10:14

“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27

You can’t follow the Lord and go your own way at the same time. You can’t learn Christ’s humility and walk in pride. You can’t learn spiritual warfare and cower in your timidity. You can’t learn to bless others while walking in your selfishness. You can’t learn truth that sets you free while you cling to your own ideas. You can’t become new while you refuse to change or you cling to your old ways.

Your new life in Christ calls you to Let Go of your own self-preservation techniques, and your personally preferred way of encountering life. God wants you transformed, not informed. He wants you new, not just freshly painted. God wants to give you a new heart, not just a new addition to your old life.

God wants you to be a new creation, not a renovation.

“Neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” Galatians 6:15

God doesn’t ask you to Let Go of your old life and have no foundation. He is your foundation and His love is your new security. As you allow God to embrace you and to assure You of His wonderful care for you, you can safely Let Go of all you have made yourself into and Let God transform you.

Imagine being free from the charade you have to put on every day. Imagine being free from your fears and insecurities. Imagine being free from having to be your own security guard and your own navigator in uncertain waters. Imagine being free from your self-made solutions and having some really wonderful new things built into your life.

My friends, I urge you, for your sake and the sake of the Kingdom of God, Let Go, and Let God transform you.

The psalms tell how sweet it is to be in God’s house, declaring that places where God is are lovely places.

“How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:1,2

“How blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You.” Psalm 84:4

There are many places to enjoy the sheer delight of being there. There are beautiful mountain trails, gorgeous beaches, wonderful lakeside places, magnificent well known landmarks and so on. And we can just as much enjoy sitting in our favourite chair in the familiar comfort of home, or visiting loved ones.

Yet there are even more special places to be. These are the places where God has put His presence. When we are where God is that is the loveliest of all.

King David expressed how wonderful it is to be in God’s presence, saying there is nowhere else he would rather be.

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that I seek; to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and behold the beauty of the Lord and inquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4

You are invited into God’s presence and can go there any time of day or night, when ever you choose. As God’s child, having been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, you are welcome to go to God at any time.

I recall waking in the middle of the night as a young child, wanting the comfort of my parents. I would toddle into their room and wake my mother who would let me into bed. I was comforted by being close to my parents. Similarly we can come to God at any time and He is always there for us.

“Let us draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

“Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.” Psalm 71:3

“In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.” Ephesians 3:12

“Brothers we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” Hebrews 10:19

We see in the Bible times when people of God enjoyed time in God’s special places. Isaiah tells of a wonderful vision he had while in the Temple.

“I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.” Isaiah 6:1

Joshua, as assistant to Moses, would linger in the tent set up to worship God. No wonder he was God’s choice to replace Moses.

“The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.” Exodus 33:11

King David talked of the delight of going to God’s house and he cried to the Lord never to lock him out of God’s presence.

“I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1

“Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” Psalm 51:11

Note too that the conclusion to the best loved of all the psalms, the Good Shepherd psalm, talks of the blessedness of being in God’s House forever.

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

There is no lovelier place than God’s presence. The best place for you to be is where God is. Before planning your escape to some delightful place of natural beauty, be sure you are regularly entering God’s presence, and being where He is.

Of course, that doesn’t mean going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It means coming into the courts of the Lord, coming boldly to the throne of Grace, bringing yourself into the place where your Heavenly Father waits to meet you.

You do that by prayer and by stilling your heart and waiting on God. You do that by worshipping God and putting aside all the distracting things that draw your heart and mind back to your earthly troubles.

You can do it in church and among fellow believers, but you can do it in a prison cell, as Paul and Silas did in Macedonia.

“About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25

As you prioritise being in God’s presence, joining with fellow believers who enter God’s presence, learning to worship God will all your heart, learning to find personal time to come before God’s throne with prayer and praise, you will quickly discover there is no lovelier place than being where God is.

And since God is with you and the Holy Spirit lives inside you, you will discover you can be in God’s presence all the time, and that the world is full of Lovely Places.

I have had to deal in recent times with various young people with varying degrees of maturity. It has been interesting to see them dealing with issues without the maturity that will come in time. That prompted me to think about what makes for maturity and how people get there.

The Bible speaks about such things, so I’d like to share some thoughts with you from what I’ve observed.

The word ‘maturity’ was not used in the original English translations of the Bible, but various aspects of maturity are clearly evident. More recent translations refer to being mature.

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4

That verse speaks of steadfastness or endurance working in us so we become fully developed, perfect and entire.

James leads into his reference about maturity with …

“Testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:3

So he saw that trials, having to hold on in faith, teach us to persevere, or to hold our position despite the pressure, and that leads to maturity and completeness within us.

That links to a statement by Jesus about how enduring difficulties brings great personal benefit.

“By your patient endurance, you will gain your souls.” Luke 21:19

So there is something significant about going through difficulties and not getting it easy. As we learn to hold on and push through such situations our inner life (soul) is built up, as we become mature and complete.

Apostle Paul explained that key ministers in the church will equip Christians for effective Christian living, leading to maturity.

“until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” Ephesians 4:13

We are to come to a place of maturity that is beyond that of ordinary mature people. We are to become like Christ, who stands far above the standards others measure by.

Paul then goes on to explain what we might be like if we are not mature.

“So we will no longer be infants, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” Ephesians 4:14

This lines up with what I have observed in young people. Many don’t understand the significance of self-restraint and are unaware of themselves and their situation. This likely comes out of their childhood upbringing, where they are comfortable and not challenged. When they venture outside their home, away from the familiar and away from parents and siblings who understand them, they confront challenges with people that usually come from their ignorance and lack of self-restraint.

Along with that is the problem of children who can get their way at home, and who expect to be able to get their way in the wider community as well.

A child is distracted by anything that seems interesting or exciting. They are also impressionable and will believe what they are told. A child will also be lured to things they think will make them happy. So children are unreliable. They set off on a task for their parents, but can be distracted by what they see and hear, and by what others are doing and saying.

This is being ‘tossed to and fro’ and being blown around by the latest wind of teaching or popular ideas. This makes them vulnerable to cunning people who can spin a story and deceive them.

I am happy to report that some of the youth I mentioned earlier have begun to ‘grow up’ due to having to clip their own wings and fit in with others. They have begun to have their eyes opened to the fact that they don’t own the world and are not heroes, as they might have felt they were back at home.

They are learning to endure constraints they don’t want. They have to negotiate how to work along with people who are very different to them. They have to miss out on things they want to enjoy. They are beginning to see what they look like from someone else’s point of view.

It has long been observed by older people that marriage and having children helps people grow up. Spouse and family make demands of us that force us out of our happy hopes for doing what we want and being who we think we are.

The end result is the kind of maturity the Bible speaks of, where we stop wanting things our way and we become who God wants us to be and we do what God wants us to do, despite difficulties that come our way. We are not lured away by the latest hot theme, or disturbed by the latest attack on Christianity. We are not chasing our favourite topic, or buying into distracting arguments. We resist the lure of deceptive teachings and we know that all the fads and winds will pass, but God and Christ will remain unchanged. We too stand strong and remain unchanged, through all the pressures and distractions of our world over time.

Friends, choose to put your faith in God’s Word and to walk humbly with God. Allow God to challenge your selfishness and your childish ideas, and determine to be who God wants you to be, without regard for what is happening around you. Realise that fresh winds and fresh temptations and fresh attacks against Christ will come from time to time. We don’t need to be distracted by them or drawn into them, unless God tells us to confront them. We get on with the work of God’s Kingdom and we do it faithfully. And as we do we know we are Coming to Maturity.

In today’s world many people and institutions are unreliable. Marketers and politicians make whatever promise they want, not caring that they can’t deliver. It is said that America’s unofficial business code is ‘buyer beware’. Customers are not to trust what they are told.

We also see increase in people unfaithful in marriage, along with abundant scams and people who take advantage of situations for their own ends. 

In a world full of unfaithfulness and unreliability God remains absolutely faithful.

The prophet Jeremiah and King David both declared that God’s faithfulness is huge.

“Great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:23

“Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” Psalm 36:5

The New Testament confirms that God is faithful.

“Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will surely do it.” 1Thessalonians 5:24

What then is faithfulness? The original Bible languages use words that mean ‘firmness, steadfastness, fidelity and being reliable’. The idea of immovability is reflected here.

Faithfulness also carries the idea of not changing over time. Life and circumstances may toss us about, but one who is faithful keeps on the same track and keeps to the same purpose over time and despite all the changes that occur. We see that God is exactly like that.

“Know that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.” Deuteronomy 7:9

How do you measure up on the faithfulness scale? You are older now than when you made various promises and plans in your past. Your spouse is older and possibly more difficult to live with now. Your family has grown and your work situation changed. Your health will have changed. Society and friends have changed as well. So have you simply changed along the way, or remained faithful to what you promised years ago?

If you make a promise to someone, do you keep it? Would those around you consider you to be a reliable and consistent person or consistently inconsistent?

Years ago someone told me about their problems and asked if I would pray. I was happy to make the promise, but later I realised I had forgotten all about them and their needs. On the spur of the moment I made a promise the other person expected me to keep. They never knew that I broke my promise, but I realised I probably made such shallow promises all the time. What did that say about who I am? It is not a good reflection on my faithfulness.

Christians are required to be faithful, especially in our commitment to God and Christ. We are to be immovable from our resolve to love and serve God.

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.” 1Corinthians 15:58

“Be on the alert. Stand firm in faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.” 1Corinthians 16:13

We are encouraged to keep doing the right things, even when we feel like giving up, so we can reap the fruit of our actions in due time.

“Do not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

Being faithful requires a faithful heart, or faithful spirit. Many people have been tempted by a quick fix, something-for-nothing, take the easy road mentality, and have taught themselves to lie and cheat. They slack off when they can, and will say whatever they think will give them advantage, never even keeping their promises in mind.

If you have become that kind of person you need to repent and break that evil, unfaithful attitude from your life. Stop lying. Stop cheating others by your unreliability. Stop being false and fake.

One of the key reasons we are to be faithful is that God Himself is faithful. When we hold firm to our word and our trust in God we are working in line with God. God will allow our faith and our resolve to be tested, but if we endure that and have a faithful spirit then we will see the breakthrough in the end.

“Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

We can do that too, through faith. We can trust that God is faithful and He will reward those who put their faith in God and hold onto that faith no matter what happens.

“Those who come to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

Be encouraged. And determine to be a person who is faithful and reliable. Because above all else God is Faithful.