WET PANTS

Come with me to a third grade classroom..... There is a nine-year-old
kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between
his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is
going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has
happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys
find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out,
they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and
prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now!
Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.'

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in
her eyes that says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is
carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in
front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the
boy's lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself,
'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy
is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives
him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other
children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The
sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that
should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.

She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!'

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the
boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't
you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'

May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good...

FACING YOUR GETHSEMANE

One of the most rewarding things is to sit with people of vision, to share vision, to inspire vision and to encourage vision in others. I believe that for far too long the enemy, circumstances and even policies, have robbed the youth (particularly, but not solely) of their God-given vision.

After preaching a sermon based on Kris Allen's "No Boundaries" a few weeks back, I recently preached a follow-on message at Quigney Baptist on the aspect of 'FACING YOUR GETHSEMANE'. The message focussed on a theme that I have noticed being established in the last few months with regard to vision being rebirthed and the Spirit of God reminding His people why He created them.

The night before the most significant moment in history, the Messiah enters the Garden of Gethsemane in preparation. He was about to enter into his moment of significance, but before He could do that, Gethsemane was necessary. This is so true of where so many of us are today:

We want to step into our moment of significance, we want to make a difference, we want to step into our dream, vision and goal - but we haven't been made aware of 'the night before'.

(Before reading on, it would benefit you to read Luke 22:39-36)

Photo: Mark Odendaal - Gethsemane, May 2008

Every Christian who is preparing for a moment of significance in the Kingdom; every Christian hwo is ready to step into God's plan for their lives; every Christian who is going to move into the revaltion of God in their lives WILL face a Gethsemane experience.

This begs the question: What happens at Gethsemane?

1. SPIRITUAL BATTLES OCCUR

We will move into our destiny and start living out our vision with far less frustation if we can learn to undersatnd and recognize that there are two spiritual entities involved in our journey to significance.

On the one side is the Creator, God - originator of our vision and creator of our passion, equipping and strengthening us. On the other side as our adversary, who knows that a Christian with vision is dangerous to the kingdom of darkness. He will do what he can to ensure that we take our eye off the giver of the vision, and focus on the struggles we encounter. Herein lie the spiritual battles.

2. LONELINESS IS EXPERIENCED

People with vision talk - they share that vision. Sadly, however, there are more dream takers (people who will speak against your vision) than dream makers (people who support your vision) in this world, and often the journey to accomplishing your vision has a lonely part to it. The exciting part, however, is that the loneliness is temporal. "He gives and takes away" is true even in the journey of our vision, and a true God-given vision will always be accompanied by true Dream Makers.

3. HONESTY MUST BE EXPRESSED

In Gethsemane, things are exposed. Things of the heart, sinful things, personality flaws - all these things come out. And in the time of spirit filled Worship (John 4:23, 24) we need to be open and honest about these things before God. Jesus was real with his father: "Is there no other way?" In the same way, you and I are to be real with our Father! Hiding things, will only keep us in Gethsemane longer.

4. SUBMISSION IS REQUIRED

One of the most important parts not only of Gethsemane, but of life as a whole, is the aspect of submission. Submission firstly to God and His will (Matt 6:33) but also submission to God's delegated authority.

Jesus died for the church, he works through the church, and He will return to take the Church with Him. In the meantime - He has placed a delegated authority (the Senior Pastor, the head elder, the priest - whatever applies to your situation) as an extension of His authority. Any vision and dream needs to fall in submission to the vision of your spiritual head and delegated authority before it can come to fulfillment.

5. STRENGTH IS RECEIVED

Once we've 'passed' the four stages as it were, the most incredible thing happens. Scripture tells us the Jesus was strengthened. What really struck me about this, is that the strength He was given at Gethsemane was sufficient for the rest of His journey on earth. That same strength is made available to us.

God has given you vision - He has a plan for you. Start moving in the right direction and you are bound to face some battles. You're bound to have some friends or family not entirely support that vision. But be truthful before the Lord, share that vision with your pastor so he can counsel you, and you will soon find that what started off as a dream, idea and though, has become an incredible reality in your life.

See the Gethsemane experience as a blessing, not a curse.