Update at the Gold Coast

Albury Update with Col Stringer

Distractions are Distracting

Recently I  got off my P’s and got my full License, and in studying for the test they talked a lot about distractions, and how things distract you from what you’re meant to be doing -which is driving.  It really got me thinking.

I mean we’ve all seen the grandma driver: We know that whatever has her focus is where her car will eventually start heading. I believe our life is like this. Whatever has our focus and attention is where we are headed.  If it’s not God, we will slowly run off course and end up off track. I don’t know about you, but I want to reach my destination, and the only way to do that is to give our attention to God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 talks about the race of faith. It tells us to lay aside every weight which so easily ensnares us and run the race, looking to Jesus. Notice that it says ‘so easily’ ensnares us? Which means it’s sneaky. We don’t drift off at this big sign saying - Wrong Way. But it’s things that seem like they’re the right way that can get us so far off course before we know it. 

I was listening to Brian Houston preach about not letting what God has called you to do, distract you from what God has called you to do!  People, is what God has called you to, but, don’t let people distract you from the call He has put on your life, which is helping people! 

A distraction in essence is a hinderance. It takes us off track, away from what we are called to. God has a good plan for your life, and a distraction is whatever takes you away from the main issue, and stops you from completing the main goal.

Distractions come in all shapes and sizes. It could be anything. The thing that is causing the distraction may not be a bad thing at all, but rather used wrongly.  An over application of anything is not good; anything that alters your course away from God. But before you go and start throwing everything out like the tv and deleting your Facebook account for the 10th time, remember that anything can be a distraction - so you actually can’t get rid of them, but you can lay them aside.  Let’s find out how the Bible says to get rid of distractions. It’s written right there in Hebrews, it tells you how to lay aside every weight - By looking to Jesus. Yes it’s that simple. Don’t allow anything to get your eyes off Him. I’m not talking about time wasters, I’m talking about focus breakers, things that break your focus from looking to Jesus.

Matthew 14 gives the account of when Jesus came walking on the water to His disciples and Peter said, “Lord if it’s you get me to come”, and He said “come.” Peter actually started walking on the water! So far so good! Until he got his eyes off Jesus and onto his surroundings. Looking at the distractions got him to doubt Jesus. You see it’s not the wind that made him sink, but it’s when the wind became bigger to Him than Jesus. He should have been able to look into the face of the wind (distraction) and not even let it faze him. Why? Because he was with Jesus.

Peter couldn’t see the forest for the trees. Or you could say he couldn’t see his Saviour, because his eyes weren’t on Him, but on the wind. How many times have we done that? Not being able to see our Saviour for the sin. If we focus on our sin, how can He help us? Jesus died on the cross for our sin, but many won’t let it go and acknowledge the one who traded Himself for our sin.. Distracted! It’s thinking like that, that will keep you from the one who did it all!

Worry: it’s a form of distraction, it means those things have a greater influence in your life than God. If you are worried about a thing, then you’re not looking to God for the answer, and He is no longer the main influence in your life. Worry then influences you to make bad decisions; worry never accomplishes anything in life other than more worry.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. - Matthew 6:34 (Message)

The best way to combat distractions is to give your attention over to God. There are so many things that can distract us from following His path. Well actually everything that gets your eyes off Jesus is a distraction. You can’t worry about getting rid of the distractions, what you can do is keep your eyes on Jesus. That’s the only way to stay on track.

Along with my Brother and my Dad, I enjoy riding motorbikes. If you’ve ever ridden before, you know that when you’re going around a corner you can’t be looking at where you are or what is around you, but rather you need to stay focused on where you want to go.

"Distractions are Distracting"

There are going to be times where staying focussed on God (while everything is getting turned upside-down) is not going to be the most fun thing you ever do. But God will bring you out victorious; we just have to discipline ourselves to look to Him, to keep our eyes on God not on ourselves, “What are we going to do?”

I don’t know about you but I have been the Distracted Student at one time or another. Now the distracted Student will be distracted by absolutely anything. He will allow a leaf falling from a tree distract him. Why? Because he doesn't like what he is doing. I remember staring out the window for hours, (instead of doing my school work) - There are going to be times on our path where we don't like what we are doing, and that's where discipline comes in.  Doing something you don't want to do at a time you don't want to do it, in order to do something you want to do at a time you want to do it. - Major League Baseball  

Jesus didn’t allow Himself to get distracted by the things going on around Him. How? We see in John 8:28 Jesus says, I of myself can do nothing, but as the Father taught Me, I speak these things. He focused on the Father, and didn’t allow Himself to do what He wanted to do, or what He thought was right, but rather followed the Fathers leading.

What an example to us! Look to the Father today, get direction and don’t allow anything to cause you to look away from God, no matter how bad it may be, your answer is only found in Him.

I’ve Been Standing Here the Whole Time

Have you ever heard these stories about how someone has an encounter with the God? How its changed there life. Or have you ever thought to your self, If only God was here right now, everything will be ok. I think we can be really ignorant sometimes, well most of the time, ok all the time! About how God is with us. He is right here in room as I am writing this. No matter where you are. You might be in the most horrible place in the World, but If you asked Jesus into your heart He said in His Word that He would never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

I just went on a motorbike trip with my Dad and Brother, riding around the Alpine country, with some of the most beautiful breath taking scenery, it really gave me an awareness that God is right here. But why should we only think about that with breath taking views, what about when the view isn't so good in our life. We we can still have confidence that He is still here.

I just feel like the Lord is saying to us today that I was here all along. No matter what we have been going through. We can encounter God daily. He is and alway will be right here; look around you right now, maybe your in a room with four walls, well let me tell you, once you leave those four walls He doesn’t stay and wait for you to come back to Him. He’s not confine within the four walls, He goes with you.

I hear Testimonies about how people say walk away from God, and then they come back to Him. I don’t know how accurate that statement is, because we might think we are walking away but He is walking right there with us. At most we can pled ignorance that He is with us, but at our worse He is there to make us the best.

We live and move and have our being in Him. (Acts 17:28) God wants us to conduct our life around His life. Not the other way around, our life should move and have its being in Him.

No reason to fear:

A revelation of the fact that God is with you through any situation gives you no reason to fear. Have you heard the story in Matthew 14 when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, and he said to Jesus if its you get me to come on the water. And Peter started to look at the wind and the waves and was afraid. - Now we can look at this and think there is a reason from him to fear, but not according to Jesus, for with Jesus there is no reason to fear. Jesus asks him why did you doubt? In other words why are you doubting I’m standing right here but Peter got his eyes of Jesus and onto the wind and and as soon as he did that Jesus was no longer there to him.

Just like the famous Psalm says, ‘Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For you are with me: Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.’ (Psalms 23:5)

Have you ever felt alone in a time of need? We ought not to feel this way because we know we have a God not only on our side but right there with us. A Psalmist describe God as being an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalms 46:1) He is always there but are we always aware of Him?

You see distractions can get your eyes off Jesus, and thats how we miss our daily encounters with God. Because we have our eyes on everything around us the we even forget the God is right here. We forget that we have access to Him 24/7 there is not a minute that you can’t call on the name of Jesus and He not hear you.

I find it funny that we ask the man with all the answers last. Jesus not only has all the answers but He is the answer. The answer to every question is Jesus. whether we realise it or not. He is there for us, for us to go to and receive from. If we would realise that how much would that change our lives. Knowing that we have an ever present help in a time of need. Knowing the we have the answers for we know the answer.

I want you to look and see who is really with you, not with your eyes but with your heart. Encounter God today!

Josh