Today we continue looking at question 3 of the DIMES Framework:

M – What MOTIVATES me most?

Yesterday we began to examine what motivates us and drives us through life, overcoming obstacles and difficulties. We saw the first two avenues of motivation – our calling, what we see as the ultimate purpose of our lives, and our compulsion, the priorities of our life that we must achieve over everything else. Now let’s look at the next …

Companions

When we’ve identified our calling in life and the motivating factor that compels us, we must carefully consider the company we choose to keep. This is such an important issue that it appears as the very first issue dealt with in the Psalms:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psalm 1:1

Our relationships help connect our inner compulsions to how they’re expressed in the real world. The company we keep shapes how our calling and motivations play out in daily life. Those we choose to surround ourselves with will inevitably influence our thinking, our attitudes, and our actions. The age-old problem of peer pressure is not something limited to young people. Generally speaking, we like to be liked, and we tend to assume that differences in thinking prevent people from liking us. Sadly, there is likely an element of truth in this.

We cannot keep close to us those who have unbiblical opinions and ideas and not expect to be influenced in some way. Even if it’s “just” watering down something that used to be a soul-deep, spirit-led conviction and is now a personal opinion or preference – that is damaging enough to make our witness and values less sure, less impactful.

The issue of choosing companions who will influence us for the better is illustrated throughout the Scriptures in relationships such as Naomi and Ruth, Moses and Joshua, and Barnabas and John Mark. The mentoring John Mark received from Barnabas was so impactful that it transformed John Mark from an unreliable missionary companion into someone whom Paul himself admitted was “profitable … for the ministry” – a wonderful example of a helpful relationship.

Ultimately, we need to move beyond the initial reasons why a relationship was formed to a point where we can evaluate which relationships we should prioritise. Only then can we begin to recognise the one relationship we value above all others. That relationship is our motivation. It is the one relationship we’d sacrifice all others to preserve, and for the believer, that should be our relationship with the Lord. Any other connection that helps us maintain that priority is worth keeping, but those who become an impediment to our relationship with Christ need to be reconsidered, and even, in the worst case, abandoned.

Conversations

In all relationships, we are only known by what we choose to reveal to others What we reveal is partially behavioural – our actions and body language portray a particular character that has been moulded by our central motivation. But in order to understand what is within our heart, our mind and soul, we need to express it in words. That’s the principle Paul taught in 1^st Corinthians:

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:11

Just as the Spirit of God reveals the truth about God to us through the written Word of God, so we reveal the truth about our innermost thoughts only through the words we use, whether written or spoken. At this moment you are reading my thoughts, given form through words, first typed onto a screen and now printed on a page.

How do people see what motivates us? How can they find out what our calling is, what it is that compels us in life? How can they discern the reasons why we keep certain people close to us but keep others at a distance? It will be through our words

On at least two occasions, Jesus spoke of the heart being revealed by use of the mouth. On both occasions, it is presented in a negative light:

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Matthew 12:34

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Matthew 15:18

However, it is also true in a positive sense. Take, for example, Paul’s description of how we receive salvation:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9-10

Whether they are used in praise, in testimony, or in sharing God’s Word, when the Lord is our prime motivation in life, our words will be filled with references to Him. He will become the main subject of our conversations, and His Word will fill our speech.

So what motivates you most?

What inspires your calling, drives your compulsions, shapes your choice of companions, and fills your conversations?

Whatever, or whoever, that is , it is either God or a god to us.

If God really is God of our lives, our ultimate motivation will be His glory. Everything else will be relegated as secondary in comparison.

The post No other gods? – Pt 3.2 appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

DIMES Framework question 3:

M – What MOTIVATES me most?

From the time the Endurance got trapped in pack ice until the crew of Shackleton’s ill-fated Trans-Antarctic Expedition were rescued, nine months had passed. Surviving on seals, penguins, and even their dogs, the men endured the ice, uninhabited islands, and weeks on the open water on two lifeboats. Against all odds, every crew member made it back home alive as Shackleton’s sense of duty and responsibility toward his men motivated him to do everything possible to make sure every one of them survived.

Few of us are ever going to experience this kind of intense survival situation, and yet we all have a motivation for life. Beyond the temporary motivations required for passing exams or completing a DIY job at home, we have something in our lives that drives us. It’s our “raison d’être”, our life’s purpose.

Whatever “it” is, it moulds our actions, reactions, and interactions. It is our dominant motivating factor, in that it governs our core being. Our personality, belief system, worldview, and ethical morality is assembled and shaped according to this driving force.

Heart start

The primary motivators of our life begin within our spiritual heart. Where that spiritual heart is spiritually alive and governed by the Lord and His Word, our thoughts and desires will be most strongly influenced along a godly path. That doesn’t mean the godly path will always be chosen, but that is where the most satisfying and fulfilling path lies.

On the other hand, when that heart is spiritually dead, its primary motivators are more carnal, earthly, and natural. Our natural state is sinful and selfish. Even generosity and kindness, though outwardly noble, arise from self-centred motives: a desire to feel good about ourselves, to feel that our lives have meaning and purpose, without reference to God. Yet that meaning and purpose, disconnected from honouring the Lord, is not of faith, and whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

Therefore this role of the heart, as understood from a biblical perspective, gives us a scriptural “handle” that helps us grasp the importance of the things that motivate us, since it is from that heart that all the “issues” of life flow.

Human beings are complex and full of contradictions, as seen in James’ teaching concerning the tongue:

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. …
James 3:8-10

Double-mindedness is at the root of this problem. It requires us to accept at least two conflicting value systems, but this always leads to spiritual instability. Back to James:

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
James 1:8

Yet it is possible to overcome this kind of thinking and reverse the contradictions, restoring harmony and stability:

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
James 4:8

This suggests that double-mindedness is sinful – but why?

Practical polytheism

Double-mindedness does not treat the Lord as the only God of our lives. We may still treat the Lord as more important than anything else, but if there are other things that we feel obligated to, our allegiance to the Lord is being split.

God does not want to be the first of many. He desires, and deserves, to be the first and only. Our relationships with everything else must be viewed through the lens of His sovereignty over every aspect of our lives.

This is why it can be so hard to identify those things that intrude into God’s place in our lives. Doing so may reveal a faith that, practically speaking, is polytheistic – acceptance of multiple gods.

To most Christians that might be a horrific thing to say. We would never in a million years consciously worship false gods, yet allowing anything else into God’s rightful place, functionally speaking makes them into gods. It’s idolatry in practice even if not in belief.

Practical polytheism is subtle and identifying it requires serious and detailed self-examination. Our motivations are a strong indicator of what we truly treat as God in our lives. That’s why we ask this question – “What motivates you most?” – and it occupies the central position in the DIMES framework. Although that was not necessarily by design, it is appropriate. The question associated with this aspect of the framework is this: “What is the central purpose or driving force of your life, shaping your decisions and interactions?”

Consider four avenues of examination:

Calling

What do you hope to achieve by your life? This goes beyond having a career or personal accomplishments.

The word “ambition” suggests something more than goals or dreams or completing a “bucket list”. It speaks of the contribution our existence on earth has made, the feature that gives meaning to our lives. The greatest motivating factor of your life will determine that principal ambition.

If your greatest motivator is wealth, your ambition may be to accumulate wealth to become the richest person in the world. If your motivator is fame, your ambition may be to make yourself a household name that everyone in the world recognises.

Most of us will never reach that level of excess, so our ambitions need to be more realistic. Perhaps it’s to live a comfortable life with enough to leave a legacy for your children. Perhaps it’s to be seen as the person everyone can rely on – a confidant and stalwart support that others turn to. Perhaps your ambition is to do all in your power to help your children succeed in achieving their dreams.

But what if the Lord is your primary motivator? Well, there are a number of ambitions that are godly and biblical. There’s even one desire we should have that is named as our calling:

Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

According to Paul, our calling is to glorify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That should be the ultimate calling of every Christian – to live in a way that glorifies and exalts the Lord.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

True worship in all its forms will in some way lift up (exalt) the Lord or enlarge our view (magnify) of the Lord.

Compulsion

What pushes us to act a certain way? What is it that motivates us to overcome obstacles?

The answer depends very much on our calling. Whatever our highest calling is, we will be driven to overcome any disruption to it.

One popular ice-breaker activity is “Would you rather …?”, in which each person is offered a choice of two outcomes and asked which they’d rather have.

• “Would you rather lose your sight or your memories?”
• “Would you rather communicate only in emoji or never be able to text at all ever again?”
• “Would you rather have a pause or a rewind button on your life?”
• “Would you rather get trapped in the middle of a food fight or a water balloon fight?”

What if we were to do a “Would you rather” test on all of your plans and intentions? Then get all the winners and pit them against one another again. Then keep whittling down the list until we’re left with just one goal? Whatever you’re left with is your primary motivator. That’s the thing in your life you’d sacrifice everything else for.

But in doing such an exercise, it’s very easy to choose those answers we know we should choose. Perhaps it would be better to look back at what we have already sacrificed or prioritised.

• When faced with either reading the Bible or scrolling through social media, what have you chosen?
• What about attending a church meeting or having family time at home?
• An extra few minutes in bed or a time of prayer to start the day?
• Talking about the match watched on Saturday or about the message preached on Sunday?
• Joining the outreach team knocking doors or adding another episode to your binge-watch?
• Filling every moment with work or activities and falling asleep in church the next day, or preparing yourself the night before so you’re fresh to hear God speak?

Being honest about these will help discover what compels us in life. And it’s not a “would you rather” hypothetical, but an honest examination of what we have done that will reveal what we really value as our major motivating factor.

Tomorrow we’ll look at the other two avenues that determine our motivation.

The post No other gods? – Pt 3.1 appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

Question 2 in the DIMES framework:

I – What INFORMS me most?

We’re living in the Information Age. International travel has never been easier (or for many, more affordable) and knowledge is at our fingertips, fulfilling Daniel 12:4: “… many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased”. As of February 2025, almost 68% of the world’s population use the internet – that’s more than 5.5 billion people!

Yet with the monumental advancements in information technology over the past 150 years, truth is harder to find than ever. The advancement of AI puts a huge question mark over much social media content. News organisations no longer report – they promote their political bias. Education systems are manipulated by pressure groups, most of whom have an antibiblical agenda. Even religious content (broadly speaking) has never been as accessible, not all of it good (from a biblical perspective).

A whole heap of teachers

The years since COVID in 2020 have seen an explosion in the volume of online religious content, including “Christian” content. I believe this is the time Paul spoke of in writing to Timothy:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.
2 Timothy 4:3

Even believers have itching ears, devouring online sermon from many varied, often contradictory, sources. With an astonishing lack of discernment, they are drawn to the charismatic personalities, the eloquent and humorous preachers, the exciting life stories, the large congregations. Meanwhile those churches seeking to remain true to the Word of God often suffer because they don’t have the profile or ‘pizzazz’ of the big-name celebrity preachers.

People want comfort, not conviction. They want something soothing, not spiritual; funny, not faithful; exciting, not exhorting; emotional, not expository; devotional, but at the expense of the doctrinal. And to get it, they gather up their online teachers: a church that denies the godhead in the morning, a charismatic prosperity gospel preacher in the afternoon, a music concert in the evening that has as much spiritual depth as a children’s Bible colouring book, and a devotional at night that tends to take verses out of context. But that’s all okay because it’s nice, easy, soothing!

On top of that, we have an epidemic of butterfly Christians who flit around from church to church, never settling, never serving, attending only if it suits, moving to another congregation on a whim. That whim may be driven by the sermons: it’s too hard to understand, it’s too confrontational, it’s not giving what the people want (even if it’s what they need). There are those who rarely make a contribution, arriving late, leaving early, not mingling, not getting involved, and then they accuse the church of being unfriendly, and that’s their excuse to move on. Or maybe they just feel like a change.

All of this has led to a society of believers who have few convictions about what they believe, flitting between denominations because they’ve used up whatever else was available, and switching doctrines as easily as changing wallpaper.

But along with a lack of conviction comes a lowering of standards. It starts small. First there’s discomfort, but they just decide to say nothing. Then it’s resignation – this is just the way it is, I’m a lone voice so there’s no point. Then there’s acceptance – it becomes a secondary issue, and sure we agree on the gospel and that’s all that’s important. Then eventually there’s agreement – after all, we’re still believers, and we’re friends now, so don’t you dare say anything bad about my friends.

Our 21^st century environment does not help the situation. The media almost feels omnipresent. If the TV isn’t on, it’s the radio. If not the radio, it’s YouTube or TikTok. If not that, it’s social media and instant messaging. It’s overwhelming! One of the hardest things for a Christian to practice today is “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

The Monkey Principle

One of my GCSE subjects at school was Computer Studies, back in the days before Windows 95. My teacher constantly reminded us that computers are thick, quick machines that only do what you tell them to do, or as he put it “Monkey see, monkey do”, or “Garbage in, garbage out”.

That’ll preach! What we put into our minds will come out, one way or another. That’s why we need to be on our guard.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Colossians 2:8

This is no new thing. John Bunyan understood this. In The Holy War, first published in 1682, the city of Mansoul has five gates, corresponding to the five senses: Ear-gate, Eye-gate, Mouth-gate, Nose-gate, and Feel-gate. The gates can never be breached from the outside – they can only be opened from within, and so the enemy, Diabolus, assaults Ear-gate and Eye-gate with flattery and deception. When these tactics work, the gates open and Diabolus enters the city.

David wrote about the importance of guarding what we set our eyes on:

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes …
Psalm 101:3

And regarding the hearing, we read:

Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
Proverbs 19:27

On the contrary, our eyes and ears ought to be tuned into the Word of God and the teaching of the Holy Spirit:

Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.
Psalm 119:148
I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
Psalm 119:15
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches …
Revelation 2:7

Our whole environment will feed into our worldview and moral understanding. So it’s very important to ask the question, “What INFORMS you most?” What has the biggest impact on our beliefs and standards?

Whatever that is, it will set the context for the information we consume. It will become the filter by which we choose whether to accept or reject the views we see and hear. We need therefore to set a guard over what we allow in to influence us:

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23

If, for example, personal emotional satisfaction is the focus of your life, your morality will be shaped by what makes you feel good. If your focus is humanistic, that man is the author of his own destiny, then your morality will be determined by the general consensus of society.

If the Lord is our focus, then morality is determined not by opinion, but by His unchanging Word. His character and attributes will inform our actions and beliefs on these issues. If He is immutable (unchanging), then what He has declared to be sinful 2-, 3-, or 4000 years ago will still be sinful today.

The God who is revealed

Our understanding of who the Lord is, His attributes and morality, and what He has revealed to us through His Word, work together to give us a foundation upon which to view the world.

How we perceive the Lord determines how we perceive His creation. It will determine whether we consider morality to be fixed and unchanging or dynamic and flexible.

There is an interesting parallel to this tension in the form of the US Constitution.

There are those who say that the Constitution needs to be reinterpreted with each new generation so that it remains current and relevant. Others disagree and say that it should be understood as read, that the text is clear and unambiguous, and if it needs to be adjusted or amended, then there is a mechanism in place to do that, as seen in the 26 amendments already ratified.

Similar arguments are made concerning the moral law as revealed in Scripture. The so-called “Progressive” Christians reinterpret the Bible according to modern societal standards of morality, not taking the face-value meaning as correct, but re-imagining and reapplying Scripture according to a societal context. More conservative Christians are opposed to this contextualisation of morality. They say that this is God’s moral law and God never changes, therefore His moral law never changes, and so it is society that must conform to Scripture, and not Scripture to society.

The Word of God is our first, final, and only authority for truth. It is our standard measurement for truth, and unlike the standard for the length of a metre, it is unchanging and eternal.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Matthew 24:35

That answers the question about the relevance of the moral law of God. Everything else must be measured up against these Scriptures. Where the “facts” and Scripture are not in agreement, the Scriptures must always be assumed as truth, and the “facts” must be re-examined.

What INFORMS you most? Is it really the one true and living God revealed through the Scriptures? Or have you let other things cast doubt on the Word of God? If so, your morality and worldview is being gradually moulded and formed by something other than the Lord.

It is time to silence the world’s voices and return to the first, final, and only authority – the Scriptures – so that God, not the world, INFORMS us.

The post No other gods? – Pt 2 appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

I want to introduce you to the DIMES framework. This is a tool you can use to identify any hidden gods in your life, those things we treat as only God Himself should be treated. Each letter corresponds to a question. Today’s question is:

D – What do I DEPEND on most?

It took 15 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. The tightness in my jaw was getting worse. My arms felt like lead. The “heartburn” wouldn’t stop. For 20 minutes they stabilised me and got me prepared to be taken to the hospital for an emergency angiogram. Less than two hours from the initial 999 call, I was already on my way up to the ward after receiving a stent in one of arteries on my heart.

Although there was concern, and rightly so, neither Heather nor I had any sense of panic. There was an unnatural but welcome peace in that moment that could only have come from God.

Any born-again child of God who is walking with Him and has encountered a crisis can testify to the strength they discovered in that moment – not a natural strength from themselves, but the strength that God gives as and when it’s needed.

Thankfully, these kinds of crises are few and far between. The only way to be prepared for them is by making sure we’re walking as close to the Lord as possible.

But far more common is the daily worry concerning the future and what it holds. There are the concerns over the direction of the country we call home. Especially in light of the migration crisis the West is encountering and our governments’ reactions to it, we may fear what lies ahead for the nation.

On a more personal level, there may be an uneasiness over health, knowing there’s something not quite right and a fear that it could be something serious. Perhaps it is a financial worry, or stress over the behaviour of a son or daughter. It could be a bombshell at work that has put the company’s future in peril.

The question in all these circumstances is “Who are you depending on?”, and the answer reveals who or what has our faith.

If you’re a believer, you know what the answer should be: prayer to our Father on His throne, trust in the character of God, remembering the promises of God, and holding onto the glorious future God has prepared for us, a future that will far eclipse all suffering in this world.

But when blindsided by a crisis or burdened over the future, what’s the real and honest answer?

For some it means a phone-call to the doctor. For others it will mean putting money into a solution. Others will seek the counsel of someone they trust, bottle it all up inside, or start blaming God, lashing out in anger and frustration, and woe betide anyone who is unfortunate enough to be within their radius at that time. What our instinct is in those moments reveals where our faith is truly placed.

Don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing inherently wrong with ringing the doctor or seeking advice, but at what point do we turn to the Lord? If He is the One we trust and depend on above all others, should He not be our very first port of call? And then take all the sensible and reasonable steps we should take. The difference is that by calling on the Lord first we are given the wisdom to make the most appropriate moves to handle our crises.

There is a confidence and strength that can only be learned through bitter experiences. David understood that when he wrote out of his own circumstances:

And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
2 Samuel 22:2-4

This great declaration by David had to be learned. As David saw God’s love for him at work in his circumstances, it grew into confidence in God’s faithfulness.

Circumstances overtake us. Emotions overwhelm us. Pain and sorrow can make us feel overpowered, like drowning in the suffering. But why does God allow the suffering?

The answer is often limited to, “God has a plan and purpose for your life, so just keep trusting that He knows best”. There’s truth in that, but when you’re about use up the last of your resources just to trudge forward another step, it’s small comfort. Surely there’s a better answer.

Allow to suggest three responses to this question of why God allows suffering.

1. To enable growth in faith and character.

Our trials are like spiritual resistance bands, just strong enough to give us something to struggle against, but not so strong as to overwhelm us. Paul wrote:

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

If this is true, and it is because it’s God’s Word, while at times we are pushed to our absolute limit, we will never be asked to endure the impossible, no matter how much it feels like it. We need to take that as a promise from God.

• To be an object lesson to others

People will watch to see how we respond to suffering. What a testimony to the lost to see a believer cling onto God and endure a major crisis with dignity and strength only found in Him. Parents caring for their sick child in hospital or a church gathering round a brother or sister in Christ who has just experienced the greatest tragedy of their lives bear witness to the power of the Spirit in the everyday life of a child of God.

• To learn more about who God is

If we were never afraid, how would we know the power of the peace of God that passes all understanding (Php 4:7)?

If we never got sick or injured, how would we know God’s power to heal?

Living in a sinful world means being surrounded by triggers for temptation. If God shielded us from all of these, how would we know His forgiveness or the strength to resist that comes from a closeness to Him?

All of these reveal through experience something of God’s character. That becomes a comfort to us that we can then give to others in similar circumstances:

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Speaking of comfort, we are reminded in 1 Thessalonians that the rapture of the Church is a truth we should use to provide comfort to one another. The day is coming very near when Christ will return for His own people, and all of us who are believers will disappear from this world and be caught up into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we have these truths in our heart, we have tremendous resources for facing life with all of its trials and uncertainties. While many rely on other gods, fate, wealth, political connections, “meditation”, or many other things to get them through life’s challenges, our goal and privilege as believers is to place all our dependence upon the Lord.

If our first instinct isn’t to turn to the Lord, to depend on Him with hope and confidence, then perhaps He is being denied the role of God. It is His rightful place to be our first thought. While it is difficult to make this an instinctive response, it is worth our time to develop such an instinct. Making this our practice honours Him and exalts Him in our lives.

Whatever trial, suffering, or crisis you are experiencing, He is always sufficient to give the strength to see it through.

Will you start DEPENDING on Him first?

Keep looking up!

The post No other gods? – Pt 1 appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

Last week, we discussed a little about Donald Trump abandoning Israel with his Memorandum of Understanding with Iran. Ironically, Trump’s tweet “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” (in capital letters, as per his style on occasion), meant to refer to Iran, is viewed by many as being an admission of his own capitulation to Iran, giving them everything they wanted.

At the beginning of this week, there were initial cheers by people throughout the UK when Keir Starmer resigned from his premiership. Those cheers were quickly muted when it emerged that Andy Burnham, a political clone of Starmer, was likely to run unchallenged for the leadership of the Labour Party to become our next Prime Minister. For those who have never heard of him before, Burnham is a former mayor of Greater Manchester and was not even an MP until sworn in on Monday after his recent by-election victory. Given his past record, there is not much optimism in the UK about the road ahead.

A little closer to home (for me) and Northern Ireland politics again revealed its ugly side. Jeffrey Donaldson, former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was convicted on all counts, having been charged with one count of rape, four of gross indecency towards a child and thirteen of indecent assault with a child. The sense of betrayal of trust was felt, not only within the DUP and the unionist community at large, but also with evangelical Christian circles, among whom Donaldson has been a prominent name. With his prosecution, the once golden boy of Unionism was shown to be just wood, hay, and stubble.

In all, it has been a fortnight of great disappointment in our leaders. It feels like it has been a lifetime since we had any kind of optimistic expectation from those in power. But then, isn’t that why we’re not to look to our politicians for solutions? We can’t afford to get our moral bearings by examining or mimicking our earthly leaders.

An pagan king’s praise of God

One of my favourite kings in the Bible is Nebuchadnezzar. While being portrayed almost like a benefactor toward the Jews in the early chapters of Daniel, like a reasonable and kindly dictator, we can’t forget that this is the man who brought king Zedekiah into captivity in Babylon, killed his sons in front of him, then put out his eyes so their deaths was the last thing he saw. He was also the king who sacked the temple and brought out all the equipment and utensils of silver and gold and put them in the temple of his own gods. And yet, by the time we get to the end of Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar is giving one of the greatest and most eloquent expressions of praise and worship of God.

In this great confession, he makes it clear that the God of heaven is eternal and unchanging, continuing from generation to generation, and outlasting all human governments. He describes Him as the One whose works are true (Dan 4:37), not just His words. Everything He does is consistent with His character and attributes – there is no deceit or guile in His deeds. What a difference from earthly rulers!

Nebuchadnezzar continues by declaring God’s ways as just, that is, correct and appropriate – “and His ways judgment” (v37). That’s something we need to accept by faith. God knows all things, while we know nothing in comparison. Somewhere within His omniscience He sees the necessity of acting as He does, and that is always right. It may not make sense to us, but this is what living by faith looks like.

But listen to what Nebuchadnezzar says in Daniel 4:35:

“And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?”

But if God allowed it … why?

This reminds me of Romans 13:1, where Paul writes, “For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Why would God allow Trump to turn his back on Israel?

Why would he let the rot of left-wing liberalism continue in the highest public office in the United Kingdom?

Why would he let a professing Christian rise to a position of prominence as both a politician and a believer, only to have him torn down through his own actions?

Simple answer – I don’t know! But then, I don’t know a fraction of the things God knows.

Perhaps God knows that Trumps irrational behaviour toward Israel over the past two weeks will set the stage for America’s absence from the prophetic platform that is about to be fulfilled, just as prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Perhaps the UK is receiving the leaders it deserves for abandoning Israel and opposing the Christian heritage that made the UK a mighty world power for so long. Perhaps this is part of the judgment God is bringing on the UK for ignoring and despising God, a judgment that will reduce the country to global irrelevance.

And perhaps the Donaldson case will be used by God to waken up the true Church and to get our eyes off the politics and cultural Protestantism and back on the God of the Bible.

If these disappointments only do one thing, if they get us to stop trusting man and expecting man to sort things out in the world, and instead cause us to place our faith in all God has actually promised to do, then the disappointments are worth it.

God has a plan and purpose that will be done. He sees the ripple effects multiplied countless times over that reach far into the future. He sees where all the pieces need to be in order for His prophetic programme to be accomplished, and He knows what needs to happen today for that programme to be completed in the fulness of time.

Our responsibility is simply to trust that God knows what He’s doing. Our earthly leaders will always fall short. That’s the inevitability of sinful man, even saved sinners. But our God will never fail, falter, nor fall.

When you feel disappointed or frustrated with our leaders, remember that God has placed those leaders where they are for His purposes to be fulfilled. Praise Him that He is able to take ungodly men and women, place them where He wants them to be, and cause His will to be done. He excels at taking the broken and making them useful in His purposes.

And isn’t that a great encouragement for us too. After all, we’re just as broken and imperfect as our leaders, to varying degrees, and yet can take even us and use us to bring glory to Him and to bring sinners to Christ.

So take heart. Don’t get discouraged, and instead sing from your heart:

God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own
Though trials may press us and burdens distress us,
He never will leave us alone.
God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own;
His promise is true – He will not forget you!
God is still on the throne!

Amen, and hallelujah.

Keep looking up.

DC

The post When our leaders disappoint appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.

What if I told you that Christians are breaking the first commandment every day? Not necessarily every Christian, but many.

You might respond with, “Well, I know I don’t break it, but okay – maybe it’s true, though I don’t know how.”

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me” is probably the most fundamental of standards as far as the Christian faith is concerned, and the idea of a true Christian violating that standard is unthinkable to most.

In the West, the predominant thinking for many years, centuries even, only accepted the existence of one God. He may have been misunderstood, misrepresented, or misused, yet there has been a general acceptance that there is only that one God, the God of the Bible – uncreated, unchanging, eternal, holy, just, merciful, gracious, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.

When we think of the first commandment, we usually frame it in terms of definition, that is, the description of what God is. The technical term for this kind of definition is ontological. It defines the nature and attributes of God.

But what if we reframe the commandment using a functional definition, and rather than describing what God is we describe the role He plays in our lives. Then we could find that there are many things that we unconsciously treat as only God should be treated. The fact that the commandments use the singular “Thou” (ata [אָתּה] or at [אָתְּ] in Hebrew) rather than the plural tells us they are directed to the individual, and so it is the individual’s personal practice and duty that is being addressed.

We can see how the unsaved could easily replace God in their lives with a myriad of other alternatives, but could the believer really break the first commandment? Surely it can’t apply to them – could it?

The word “before” is more important than it seems at first read. It means “in front of”, so literally the commandment reads, “Thou shalt have no other gods in front of Me”, that is, in His presence. Nothing else can be given equal place with God. No other thing should be competing for our attention when we have God as our God.

The most obvious violation of this commandment is when people worship or serve a different “deity” figure than the one true God, but that is just the simplest and most basic approach. Anything can take God’s place in our lives, whether material or immaterial, visible or abstract. It could be sport, career, family, or money. It could also be popularity, status, comfort, success, or tradition. These could be called “secular gods” – objects, ideas, or experiences we give attention to in ways only God deserves. Yet even ministry can become a god to us when we make the ministry the focus of our efforts rather than as a means of focusing glory upon the Lord. So this functional definition of a god/God includes so many more possibilities and provides an opportunity to address this issue practically, not merely theoretically.

So how can we find out if we have treating anything else as God?

We need to examine our lives, and that isn’t an easy thing to do. It’s hard to examine ourselves, especially from a “cold start”. It would be helpful to have some tool that can guide us through the process as simply as possible. And that’s exactly what I hope to provide you with in this series of articles.

God made man in His own image, not in the sense of physical appearance, since God is spirit, but in the faculties that He has designed us to possess. I’ll deal with these faculties in detail in future articles, but in summary I would identify five faculties that represent the essence of the image of God in man:

• Individuality – the authority to choose
• Morality – the acknowledgement of values
• Creativity – the appreciation of beauty
• Spirituality – the awareness of God
• Community – the ability to love

These five faculties most fulfil their divinely ordained purpose when their focus is upon God alone. But we have to recognise that they can be expressed less fully and less correctly when directed toward other things.

With these faculties in mind, there are five aspects of life, five functions, that we can focus on to help identify the false gods in our lives. These five functions form a framework for self-examination using the word DIMES as a memory aid. This framework asks five questions:

• D – What do I DEPEND on most?
• I – What INFORMS me most?
• M – What MOTIVATES me most?
• E – What do I ESTEEM most?
• S – What do I SHARE most?

Throughout this series of articles we will examine each function and seek to apply them practically and personally. If you are serious about deepening your relationship with the Lord, this framework may help. It will require us to be brutally honest with ourselves. It will likely get uncomfortable, but the benefit of seeking to honour the Lord above all else is immeasurable.

So please join me in this journey. We’ll start next time with looking at the D of DIMES – “What do I DEPEND on most?” – considering our instinctive response to difficulties.

God bless. DC

The post The Gods We Treat as God appeared first on Now Nearer Ministries.