Monday, December 3, 2007

Prodigal Gospel Tracts



New prodigal gospel tracts available here

Sunday, September 30, 2007

YOU’RE ALWAYS WELCOME HERE!

“And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey…” (Lk.15: 13)


His son has left! In the two preceding parables, a shepherd loses a lamb, a woman her week’s salary and both stopped what they were doing and began a diligent search for the same until they had found it. Though the Father definitely lost a son, he just could not drop everything and search for him as the others had. The son doesn’t want to be found, the Father can’t physically go out, find him and drag him back against his will. What a dilemma! Love can be unmercifully painful!

A young girl asks her mother…”What’s it like to give birth to a baby?” “You’ll know when the time comes.” Came the reply. A young mother states to her mother… “Mum, I had no idea what you went through for me, until I’ve had my own child. Thank you, I love you Mum!”

Value in relationship carries a huge personal experience price tag. Some things can be taught, some things caught but the truly valuable things of life have to be experienced and sometimes lost to find. What can the Father do? How can he deal with his own emotion?

What can he do? Determine to highly value his son’s relationship non-judgmentally and prioritize it. How can he deal with his own emotions? Put everything he has into making his home a Welcome Place, a place that makes time and listens, a place worth visiting.
Pride is a poor substitute for a loving embrace.
“But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion …” !

Son, you’re always welcome here!

God Bless,
Pastor Paul

Sunday, September 23, 2007

The Power of Association!

“And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger!” (Lk 15:17)


Too often, all of us have experienced the realization that somebody’s or something’s association we took for granted and lost or left behind was essential to our happiness and progress. I wish I knew then what I know now!

“I perish with hunger!” Hunger for right association, hunger for a line of genuine communication, hunger for an honest appraisal of personal growth, hunger for amends, hunger to start again!

It’s astounding to see, the radical change demonstrated in a person who has discovered true value in relationship and life in general through loss.

Life is to be lived! Association brings to it … color, texture and substance. What we personally do with association will always impact upon our lives in ways unscripted.

Damaged relationships or broken treasured possessions can’t always be revisited, salvaged or restored. However the loss of their intrinsic value should prepare us all to give thanks to God for each and every day we live and set ourselves with His help to get it right next time.

Real change has to begin in the individual first, it can never be … “If you change, I’ll see if I like it; and then maybe I’ll change too!” We all need to develop an appreciation for everything life embraces and mature amiably and wisely giving a hand up to those around about us.

Make the necessary change … It can be a wonderful world if you will allow it. The Prodigal Son did, you can too.

God Bless,

Pastor Paul

Sunday, September 16, 2007

LET’S HAVE A PARTY!

“Because this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found! And they began to revel and feast and make merry.” Lk.15: 24.


Ecstatic joy … impossible to contain! My son is home! We have to celebrate … Let’s party! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! My son was lost, but now he’s found, let everybody know and invite them to share my joy at the Celebration Party tonight. Make the preparations, spare nothing … the occasion demands the best. Yes, by all means take the fattened prime yearling, how befitting. My son is home … Thank you God, thank you!

A total uninhibited release of joyous love after all the previous years of forlorn emptiness. How the father celebrated, danced and sang with his whole being in thanks to God. My son, my son … my son is home! Thank you God! His face glistened in the firelight from the ecstatic tears of joy; his smile was from ear to ear … My son is home!

If the devil can’t complete his devastation, theft and murder in one direction against you, he simply circles and tries another. One of his favorites; if he can’t beat you; he’ll join you! Samson, Delilah, Jesus, Judas. (Judges 16:4-6,18; Lk.22: 3-6)

The fresh attack will come from within your closest friends and family. Fact; when God wants to bless you, He’ll often put a person in your life to implement it through (Lk.6: 38). On the other hand if the devil is trying to shake you to your foundations, he’ll send a person into your life. (Esther, Mordecai, Haman. –Esther 3:5,6).

The son has returned home where he is celebrated. Surrounded in love and joy fully restored to his position, all his defenses down and feeling secure. Then, out of nowhere, his elder brother furiously lashes out with contemptible disdain, without any consideration or respect whatsoever for his father. Just his selfish, driven hatred of his brother and his return and restoration … “it would be better if he was dead. He should never have come back, the loser!!”

Will the Prodigal take the offense to heart and lose all he has just gained, by running again or will he be patient and forgiving with his brother. You never know what’s behind you … You’ve lived your past.

To have a better tomorrow demands the right decisions today.

I pray God strengthens you against taking offense and setting yourself back years in Jesus’ Name! Father, grant your discerning ability to direct and establish good relationships in Jesus’ Name! Amen.

Blessed are those who overcome!

Pastor Paul

Sunday, September 9, 2007

I LOVE YOU SON WITH ALL MY HEART!

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
(Lk 15:20)

Unless you’ve experienced estrangement from a loved one, you’d never fully realize the magnitude of the reunion. Never knowing if they’re alive or dead, safe, well or cared for. Never knowing if they could find it in their heart to forgive you for allowing such a situation to arise in the home that drove the Prodigal out in the first place. The depth of the heart, straining wildly with love and emotion; the whole internal workings of your body in contortion through compassion and remorse.
The daily dealing with the taunting reality, that in your lifetime you may never see them again and wishing things had been very different. Then to see that loved one; your son, coming home!

In hope, against all hope, you’d hoped in God that one day, some day, somehow your loved one will come home and be reunited with the family.
And you see him afar off, it is he coming down the road. You can’t wait, dignified and proper, there’s no point to prove, there’s nothing to lose… your son is coming home.

Running to meet him, words fail because they all come at once and nothing is said but you embrace your son with everything of love you have and kiss him on the neck. Oh thank you God! Thank you!

You’re not expecting him to be the same cause you’re not the same… My son was lost but now he is found! Praise the Lord! When he left he was young and impetuous, I was proud and uncompromising but now we have met on the roadside and on middle ground.
And at that moment I witnessed my son become a man and face squarely the issues in his heart. I was so proud I could burst! And then he said
“Dad I just want to you to tell me … that you love me!”

Be Encouraged!
Pastor Paul

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Dead to Me!

(Luke 15:24) “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”


The prodigal’s father declared his son was lost and dead! Every adolescent wars within emotionally and without intellectually and physically in a harrowing attempt to find themselves and their place in the world but unfortunately it has its initial manifestation in the family home; often leaving casualties strewn all over the place … mostly loved ones! The ones who don’t want the devastation the world can exact upon the unsuspecting youth to happen. So in the name of protection … “It’s for your own good”; they unknowingly add to the overall frustration levels of the adolescent creating an inevitable, explosive, confrontation and with it rebellion. In turn the loved ones feel unappreciated and offended at the youth’s insolence and accordingly stand up for their point of view of what’s right in the circumstance.

The father under threat in his position, states to his son emotionally “Whilst you are under my roof and eat my food you’ll obey my rules and contribute your share to the running of the household or you can get out! Now, if you leave, as far as I’m concerned, you’d be lost … lost to all good reason, lost to all the dreams I’ve had for you and thus you’d stop being my son as your disobedience to my authority would be intolerable. Therefore, if you choose to rebel against me … you’d be as dead to me.”

Well the scenario is set for a major heated argument; it has become really personal and in your face with nowhere to hide. The father is heaving and turning red, the son is exasperated whilst paling to a drained expression … neither wanted nor expected it to turn out this way but there was no stopping it now. The prodigal is hearing his father’s ultimatum through sensitized ears … “So he thinks I have no potential in my own right, useless and lost am I? Dead to you am I? Well maybe you’re dead to me too and yes, I’ll be glad to get lost! Anywhere else but here with you!” The prodigal leaves.

The father testy and still shaking declares … “He’s no son of mine, good riddance! … the time finally arrives when the boy is old enough and capable enough to contribute something worthwhile and then, he just up and takes off … he’s mad, lost the plot!” Both the father and the son have had violent damage rendered to their self-esteem and relevant value systems through the heated demeaning exchange. Leaving both trying to justify their actions to themselves and those closest to them whilst licking their wounds from rejection, betrayal and abandonment.

What tragedy … you can’t live with them, you can’t live without them … loving them and hating them at the same time … woe is me!

Oh God please deliver us from the, I’m right, you’re wrong mindset in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Blessed are those who overcome

Pastor Paul

Sunday, August 26, 2007

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO BE PRAYING

“For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found, and they began to be merry.” (Luke 15:24)



Whilst his sons matured in his household the prodigal’s father taught them the word and intention of God toward life, deed and business, how to lead men; handle setbacks, personal goals and relationships. His very lifestyle of faith in God demonstrated his dependency on God and His vast favour through prayer into life and business, his deep gratitude to God was transparent for all to see. The prodigal’s father loved God and His presence in his life and with all of his heart prayed and pleaded with God that his sons would develop and enjoy a similar relationship. Thus he presumed his sons would robotically become adherents of his faith but, as time clearly demonstrated, he was sadly mistaken, as he had not allowed for the freewill of his sons to choose or decline a relationship with God.


It wasn’t until he watched the silhouette of his youngest son disappear over the horizon and heard the nasty quip from his elder son about his worthless; non-descript brother that the father realized his sons had no relationship with God at all. Perplexed, he questioned himself mercilessly … how could it be? “God I honestly believed they’d catch your spirit from me but it seems their hearts are full of rebellion and resentment towards you and me both. God I have trained my sons’ intellect in your wisdom and taught them to be tough-minded leaders and harness the drives of their flesh and blood bodies but it’s only you who can bring life to their spirit and faith if they are willing. Please forgive me for my impertinent presumption.


His thoughts wandered back to when his own heart was awakened to the spirit of God, his time of training and reaction to it let alone his father’s authoritative expectations. He had to admit, his youthful response to God and the demands of his household to conform to numerous rules had to be driven into his heart by physical punishment. He simply hadn’t dared to audibly voice his protest against it all until it overflowed in the simple action of leaving home and family with its bunch of rules called … “God said!”


What a kill-joy I thought at the time … any and everything worthwhile doing you weren’t allowed to and the family’s fear of repercussions on the business for the slightest divergence, literally sucked all the air out of the room. You know, the typical emotional guilt trip they lay on you? … “It’s your lousy attitude that’s ruining the business this month.” I just couldn’t handle it any more … no that’s not right, I didn’t want to handle it any more, so I left. My family loved me nevertheless and continued to pray for me; in hindsight I’m so thankful for their vigil of prayer as it built the atmosphere around me for receptivity for God’s spirit to move in my life


Personally I’d only ever known the austere nature of God, the letter of the law … “Thou shalt not …, “ never the goodness King David talked about. Until that day when the spirit of God and the word of God agreed in my heart and I saw it, I mean, I saw literally God’s intention in his word, it was for my own good … God actually loved me! God wasn’t trying to put me down at all or deprive me of anything good. He was actually trying to rescue me from my own heart’s intent for self destruction. I was able to see my sin against God and truly sought forgiveness for my rebellion and set myself to put my whole heart into the spirit of His word, it is life to all those who find it. Peace and joy flooded my being and I’ve thankfully enjoyed His presence in my life ever since.


Encouraged by his short reflection on his own spiritual awakening, he set himself to continue to pray with renewed vigour and faith for both of his prodigal sons’ awakening to the spirit of God’s love and forgiveness. A tear came to his eye as once again he thought of his own father’s vigil of prayer for him. “No good thing will God withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11b)


Let’s pray. Father grant me the renewing of my spirit daily, open my spiritual eyes that I may comprehend the magnitude of your love for me and for the assurance of my future in your powerful hands. Let me be charged with faith in the effectiveness of believing prayer as you deliver me from the bondage of dead letter believing. Please take all my worries and cares as I give them to you now and I ask you to undertake them for a satisfactory conclusion in Jesus’ name. Amen


God bless you and keep you in his unfailing love,


Pastor Paul

Sunday, August 19, 2007

LOVE CAN BE SO BLIND

(Lk 15:20)

Many a parent, upon seeing their prodigal’s return, have been so elated with joy that they forego commonsense but who could really blame them … their loved one has returned. Forgotten are the vast differences in mindset and character, the very things that caused the rift between them in the first place. Love is blind! There’s no denying that the prodigal reached the end of himself and in that state determined to amend his ways and return home. But has he dealt with his driving wanderlust … has he really changed?

Perhaps the father is premature in reinstating his son to a position of influence and authority without a demonstration of mature commitment to the family and business over at lease a two-year period? How would it be when after three to six months, the prodigal is confronted with his old demons and succumbs to their influence and begins to scheme again to manipulate his father? What if the pull of riotess living is too strong in him to resist, as we know … where the treasure is there the heart is also?

It’s after the midnight hour that aloneness strikes … tearing away at what little resolve to suck-it-up and make good the changes you might have had. After all, why can’t you sleep … isn’t it due to the restlessness in your heart, … the unresolved issues in your head, going round and around? Unless the prodigal is riveted by the memory of his previous humiliation and deprivation at the hands of bad decisions and company, he’ll be swept up in it all again and plummet to even greater depths of isolation … only failure to self brings!

How many other issues are involved in the restlessness of the prodigal? Self- expression and realization are vital in one’s maintaining the sanity process when dealing with the mundane … “You have to work to live routine”. Thus was birthed the statement … “If you hate your work, you’ll hate your life!” The prodigal is not alone here, so many people wander aimlessly dead through work-to-exist routines. There’s no correlation between what they do and self esteem, no vision of participation in purpose greater than themselves. Take housework for instance, in itself will never allow you to see what you’ve accomplished, unless you’re aware of the intrinsic, irrefutable value it is to one’s health and the atmosphere in a home, how be it ever so small. If it’s clean and neat with an inspiring picture on the wall it becomes home sweet home!

The greatest decision the prodigal, like all of us generally, will have to make is to take the responsibility for the gift we have and apply the discipline required to have it produce. We can all skip around the issues of life almost indefinitely looking for the elusive something that will give the pure satisfaction … the real imagined reason for living. In qualifying a desire you wish to achieve, the test will always be … are you going all out to obtain it, can you maintain personal discipline to stay focused till completion? To finish what you start requires more than desire it demands steadfast endurance. So don’t start what you know deep down in your heart you won’t finish and in so doing save yourself the dismal drowning experience of devalued self- esteem.

The prodigal has a gift … LEADERSHIP … believe it or not, leadership is a gift. What a shame too few who have it are so broken or totally distracted in the pursuit of selfish pleasures to administrate it accurately and find the answers to their inner cravings they wrestle with almost every waking hour. WHY CAN’T I FIT? … YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LEAD AND SET NEW TRENDS, STANDARDS AND PATHWAYS FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW!

Leadership is inspirational, creative, motivational, assertive, intuitive and founded in realism but whilst ever the prodigal avoids the acceptance, thus the responsibility for leadership, he will continue aimlessly wandering in his mind and life. A sheep in the midst of wolves or worse a wolf in the midst of sheep. Listen an eagle can’t be a chicken. A swan isn’t a duck. Both the chicken and the duck make for good eating but the eagle is magnificent for inspiration, the swan’s stunning beauty makes you stop in awe. You know it’s funny, neither the eagle, the chicken, swan or duck needs to have certification, degree or an attainment diploma to qualify who they are or what their gifts are to this world. They just are who they are with the gift they exude and what a blessing they are to their world regardless of what anybody else thinks. The gift always makes room for the individual. Believe it and act on the knowledge that you’re one of a kind, invaluable to your family and society in general. Be the best you, you can possibly be and the world will definitely be a better place because you’re in it!

Let’s pray.

Father, deliver me from the inability to perceive and value my specific gifts and talents that have come from you. Grant me the courage to give you charge over my gifts, to liberate and launch your purpose for my life. I further need your wisdom and understanding to accurately live my life to the full and thus be a blessing to others. And lastly father, I’ve personally been shattered in so many areas that I struggle to believe that I have a gift or that I am a gift from you to my world’s sphere, please deliver and heal me now in Jesus’ name. Thank you Father. Amen

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Succession – Father to Son

“…and he divided the estate between them.” (Luke 15:12)


Circumstantial life can be a spiteful task master but even that pales in comparison to a father’s expectation for his children gone awry. Parents in business often mistakenly assume their children will follow in their footsteps. You can be sure that dividing his beloved estate between his two sons for dispersion wasn’t what he had envisioned or imagined as the culmination of his life’s work and labour at this stage of his life.

The father was unaware just how great a gap existed between himself and his sons and in fact between his sons themselves, he had assumed his sons understood his sacrifice. Why he worked so tirelessly to provide in the earlier years the means for both of them to go on to greatness surpassing everything he had ever achieved.

Neither of these sons though had asked to be born, neither wanted to follow in their father’s footsteps, each resented the obligatory expectation for succession in the family business. In fact the only thing they hated more than each other was the comparisons made about their attitude to privilege and opportunity... “the success never comes cheaply…it demands commitment and sacrifice story.”

When faced with the reality, his sons didn’t share his vision for the future, his own motivation and drive for it came to a standstill. There was no comparison in his heart, his love for his sons far outstripped any desire for materialism but his inability to express himself to them was exacting a fearsome price now. So proud of them both, he couldn’t see or didn’t want to see their shortcomings…thinking they’d grow out of it, just like he did when facing internal struggles with hormones and self identity at their respective ages.

The difficulty still remains for siblings to realise their parent is a person also and isn’t only on the scene to serve the best interests of the child but have their own personalities and needs too. When I was a child, I thought as a child, when an adolescent as an adolescent but as a mature person one can appreciate each season of growth and development in those younger and their impatience.

I was young once too you know, just as you’ll be old one day yourself and when you are, you’ll better understand the deep experience life brings to one’s personality and expectations from it. Above all though the longer you live on this planet the inescapable truth that everybody needs somebody to love and to be loved and appreciated for who they are is essential.

Every afternoon the Prodigal Father sat on his veranda in the shade watching for a glimmer of his son’s certain return…for like him also there was a time when he had been the prodigal. This gave him the greatest assurance of all…that love never fails and will lead to reconciliation and full restoration every time if given a chance.
Your Heavenly Father is waiting…

Let’s Pray:

I pray God will somehow soften your heart to enable your embracing of reconciliation – you’ve been judged unfairly it’s true but it’s time to make things right. God will always love and make time for you – make a start now and take the first step – you will be welcomed before you take the second. In Jesus’ Name! Amen.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Just Can’t Live Here Any Longer!

“the younger son gathered all he had and journeyed into a distant country.” (Luke 15:13)


Most people have never been taught how to love in a meaningful relationship, let alone parenting. Children initially find their examples of love and parenting in their respective homes. Perhaps I should say in their respective environments, for children today there can be such diversification in experiencing love and parenting. You have single parents, multiple parents, divorced parents and estranged parents and each case has the undeniable traceable blueprint of their specific scenario embedded into their children. Some good – some bad. Numerous children upon adolescence declare… “I don’t ever want to have children and if I am unfortunate enough to have any…I certainly won’t bring them up like my parents did me!”
Where have we heard that before?

Over the years history has revealed that the climate in the home has major influence on children. Whether the home environment though is rich or poor, happy and loving, drunken and physically abusing, religious or atheist, virtuous or molesting, educated or illiterate, encouraging or demeaning, each child can still choose. Choose to rise above it or sink into depravity. Good homes produce as many murderers and criminals as poor homes or bad underprivileged homes. And surprisingly enough, some of the world’s most influential leaders have come from the poorest of the poor homes.

An individual’s starting point in life is not a determining factor in who they’ll become or what they’ll achieve. Poverty has been the driving motivator behind some of today’s wealthiest people, greatest sports stars and theatrical celebrities.

In the case of the prodigal, his father was an entrepreneur and expected his son to follow in the same goal setting lifestyle as himself…The father implemented his training for his son in a very unforgiving field – namely cereal cropping and animal husbandry. Everything regimented on account of the various seasons for planting the crops and the cycles of the livestock and the young man’s heart just wasn’t in it at all.

The father would dream about developing his property into greater measures of productivity even while he slept and the first thing in the morning he experienced such joy and excitement in living his dream. The prodigal however had nightmares at night about his father’s expectations and in the morning was drowning in despair and on top of all this he had to deal with the rivalry of his elder brother.

“Father, I just can’t live here any longer, I can’t breathe… let alone express myself. I’m going to find my own expression and dream.”

The father totally taken aback…
“I can’t understand why you can’t understand what a great opportunity I’m giving you and that everything that’s produced here is for the family’s posterity long after I’m gone.”

Pain now rips the father’s heart as he watches helplessly his youngest son disappearing out of sight in pursuit of his own place in life whilst his mind is left to wrestle with the question…

“…How have I failed my son?”


Let’s Pray:
Your child no more, an abhorrence has filled the void…unable to express the pain the thought provokes – I pray God will enable you to let all your emotional pain go to Him and receive this very moment the release of this massive burden and receive God’s healing restoration and love in Jesus’ Name! Amen.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

When You Know What To Do … Don’t Procrastinate!

“I will get up and go to my father.” (Luke 15:18)


The Prodigal now isolated, friendless and afraid he was going to die. His better world with its greener pastures now totally failed, his resources exhausted. Not surprising then…his desperation to live began to break through the numb drunken party state he’d known for so long and he was so, so hungry. So hungry he couldn’t hide behind his drunken indifferent bravado towards food … he had no alcohol now but he did have the Grim Reaper’s feathery fingers sending ominous dread down his spine, as they seemed to tighten around his neck. Memory flashes of his contemptible behaviour threatened and grotesque images leaped out at him, leering and teasing adding to his already terrified state.

“I’ve got to have something decent to eat.”
He went into the city, forgetting the whole country was stricken with drought, its streets were teaming with beggars like him pleading for food, his cries for mercy never heard. He went to his previous haunts for help only to have his humiliation compounded as he was driven away by the very people he had been so generous to for so long.

“Get out of here, you stinking beggar…drunkard! And don’t you come back!”
Multiple voices in his head now took up the taunting…
“You’re going to die anyway, why not now?”
“You’ve had your chances and wasted them all!”
“You’re good for nothing, a loser!”
“No one will give you another chance!”
“Just give up…Give up now!”

Soberness though brought with it an undeniable desire to live and a hope for a better tomorrow. His thoughts drifted back to his father’s love for him as a child and the reassurance it produced in him; broke the pride that had prevented his contemplating going home. Facing the consequences of his past in the light of his father’s love wasn’t nearly as bad as he had first imagined. In assessing his situation further he realised that even the servants in his father’s house received three good meals a day. And although he had sold his sonship out to stupidity, he felt confident his father would engage him as a hired servant.

“I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son, just make me like one of your hired servants.’” So he got up and went to his father. (Luke 15:17-20).

Determined to set things right…”I will arise and go” and he did! He didn’t wait for things to get better before he’d show his face back home. There was no procrastination, no double mindedness, just action. He was on his way with a one way ticket, there was no turning back to where he’d come from, he’d made his decision to go home and it was final. Now he positioned himself to build a new life…right with God and right with his father.

The Prodigal humble enough to accept the lowest position with all its menial tasks demonstrated the value and integrity he placed on a restored relationship with God and his father. He didn’t stop halfway and quit, he finished what he started, repented fully and thus was fully restored. (1 John 1:9).

“… I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one especially wicked person who repents (changes his mind, abhorring his errors and misdeeds, and determines to enter upon a better course of life) than over ninety-nine righteous persons who have no need of repentance.” (Luke 15:7)

May God keep you from procrastination in seeking forgiveness and restoration throughout your life time and may your confidence always be founded in the Mercy of God’s love and kindness in Jesus’ Name.

Humility before God is to agree with Him and obey!

God Bless and Keep You!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

The Great Escape

(Luke 15:13)
“…He journeyed into a distant country.”

Exasperated… “I can’t seem to please anybody, least of all myself.”
So he decided to get out of the family business, as far and as fast as he could arrange it. Disillusioned with who he was and taunted by relentless self questioning…
“Is this all there is to life for me? I’ll never find out if I stay here!”

He resented the expectations placed on him, the 24 hour, seven days a week obligation…a boring, lifeless, imprisoning drudgery, day in and day out accountability…“I can’t stand it anymore! There’s got to be more!”

The younger of two sons, he was born to his father’s second wife and although not entitled to the first-born son’s inheritance he was due one-third of the estate. (Duet.21:15-17) He was determined to have his day in the sun. “Father, give me my share.” After the reckoning was completed, he took the cash equivalent to his share of the property and left. “Free at last…I’m free at last!”

Thus the Great Escape had begun. Running from family expectations into, to him, a vastly astounding and exciting world. Initially he felt justified drowning his memories in drunken binges and comforting his emotional pain in the arms of available women. He never seemed short of people who’d have a drink with him and listen to his woeful tale of parental neglect and usury. In fact, so long as he kept buying the drinks, they’d agree passionately with anything he devised to say.

He was amazed at how many young people from his district he’d seen from time to time…they’d run off, just like him.
“They’re lost and don’t even know it.” He’d say to some of his drinking buddies. “Definitely too young to be running with this crowd.” They responded, “Did you notice how dead looking and cynical they’ve become? Hard to believe it’s the same people.” “It’s been six months since we’d seen them last and they’ve been in the game now for the last three months since their money gave out.”
“Some of the guys are saying they’d do anything at all now for a feed. Pathetic really…considering where they’ve come from.”
“They can’t all be as smart as you now can they? Get another drink will you!”

----

God bless you and keep you in the centre of His will, encouraged and fortified in your faith and desire to be available and obedient to the leading of His Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name, Amen. Every day somebody is crying out for a savior. The Lord enquiring , “who will respond for us?”

If you’ve been running and now have exhausted your resources … if you release your whole situation and life back into the hands of God He’ll undertake immediately, on your behalf, to lift your burden and connect you with the appropriate resource and favor with men to reverse your current situation. Trust God, He won’t let your down if you trust Him and let Him act on your behalf, in Jesus’ name.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Blind To Privilege

Son, you are always with me, all that is mine is yours. (Luke 15:31)

All that is mine is yours … that’s my frustration, it’s yours Dad; not mine. I want the control and benefit personally without accountability to you or anyone for it.

Blind to Privilege
1. Son, you are always with me … this privilege of association needs to be respected as it will grant you insight and wisdom in conducting successful day to day operations which in turn will positively impact your quality of life in an ongoing way.
2. Learning how to make things happen and maintain momentum doesn’t come automatically to anyone – it must be learnt from those who know how. What a privilege when you are invited to learn.
3. Potential and opportunity are both existing yet definitely hidden resources to everyone. Discerning either requires a quiet confidence they exist and a commitment to find them, with encouragement along the way from those who have gone before and been successful.
4. Because of the association you’ll be positioned, equipped and trained to have as much as your mentor or far more, why not? i.e. The Rockefeller family – the association with the name Rockefeller alone would open multiple opportunities. There is however one who is greater in power, influence and resource than Rockefeller yet demands association and relationship to benefit from his availability and Kingdom resource.
5. Cultivating the spirit to achieve demands humility and the hunger to stay connected to the teacher until a working understanding is produced in the pupil.

The attitude demonstrated by the son is appalling as no wealth gained will last or function without prudent management and business savvy. The Father’s resource was already accessible by his son to enjoy and benefit from and was never an issue with the father. He was concerned that even though his son was physically with him, his heart wasn’t and thus wouldn’t be capable of maintaining or multiplying the privilege he had been afforded.

Bitterness and resentment will always blind you to privilege and with it opportunity … be warned!

Every day, somebody, somewhere is crying for a savior! “Who will we send? …Here I am Lord send me.” (Isa 6:8) The Father already knows what you have need of, before you even ask … Ask in Jesus’ Name

God bless you and keep you in His unfolding love in Jesus’ name. Amen

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Starting Over

Father, I no longer deserve to be recognized as a son of yours! (Luke 15:21)

There are not too many who realize a genuine second chance in life and make good without major attitude changes. Even with all the support, opportunity and resource in the world, a person still isn’t guaranteed success in liberty! The emotional baggage people willingly continue to carry is self-destructive and impacts, impedes or, in fact, contaminates opportunities and relationships without any effort on the individual’s part; they only need the right trigger to implode on the spot.

The well-worn term … "They will have to hit the bottom of their barrel before they’ll start to recover" is such a waste of all that is good in life, yet appears to be sadly true in so many people’s experience.

"Father, I no longer deserve to be recognized as a son of yours!" is a statement from a young man who hit the bottom of his particular barrel and discovered relational relative value … his own, others, opportunity, ability, even provision and security. Thus we find from his heart, humility escaping his lips, gone is the disdain and the self-opiniated arrogance.

What is demonstrated clearly is his hunger to start over at the level of his actual productive ability, not an inflated concept of himself, and align himself in agreement to where he is assigned – his starting point. It’s reaffirmed in life over and over again as you hear of people and companies finally identifying their specific niche area, they go all out to invest their lives and talents into it and the prosperity and well being that follows their concerted effort. Yes, you have to start right to finish right and being at the right place at the right time is essential.

The actions of this young prodigal – going back to his starting point in life … HOME, with a servant’s attitude, opened the door for his reinstatement into his actual personal life journey and development. He started by saying "… if you’ll have me, I’ll work as your servant for three good meals a day and a roof over my head". His father repositioned his starting point by declaring him his son with full privilege, with it though, the responsibility to feed his servants three good meals a day and keep a roof over their heads by learning to run a profitable business.

One can never run from their true station in life, inevitably it will confront them, creating the necessity to rise to the occasion or vanish in dismal, sullen, waste of life. Starting over requires the active participation of one’s own free will, the humility to make the necessary changes and the patience to learn the basics for life’s progression. We, all of us, need help to reach the best us we can be and maintain liberty, peace, love and joy in all our lives. It will never change. Employers need employees, employees need employers; governments need tax, people need good government but until we all realize we really do need each other to give their best in their appropriate station in life we’ll be all looking to Start Over! "What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you". (Eph 6:8)

Every day, somebody, somewhere is crying for a saviour! "Who will we send? … Here I am Lord send me. (Isa 6:8

God bless you and keep you in His unfailing love in Jesus’ name. Amen