Author Archives: Tony

The Lamp

1 Reply

 

How To Grow Your Faith

I read part of a book recently, about a couple who had lost a family member.
I am not sure whether the book was based on a true story,
I did not finish the book,
but I enjoyed the part I read.
This is the outline of the story.

After the loss of their family member, this couple met a man who told them about an old lamp he had found among his grandmother’s possessions.
Apparently his grandmother believed the lamp always bought good fortune for the person who had it in their home.
This man told this grieving couple that he would like for them to have it as a gift.

They did not want to embarrass him, so they accepted his offer.
They took the lamp home and put it in their garage.
A few months later, they began to notice a slight improvement in their circumstances.
They had been through such a dark time, any improvement was welcome.
Of course, they wondered whether there was any connection with the lamp.
Their curiosity was stirred.
They even got the lamp out of the garage and placed it in the house.
When they did this, they felt slightly happier.
Not long after, they were speaking to the man who gave them the lamp and told him what was happening.
He was surprised by what they told him, because he had found a second lamp among his grandmother’s belongings.
Therefore, he was not sure which lamp was the actual lamp that was supposed to bring good fortune.

I stopped reading the book at this point,
but I had read enough to see that it was a great story,
about our believing and its effect on us.
You and I know, we do not have to believe in an object.
The thing I most enjoyed about this story;
it is sometimes easier to believe in something else than it is to believe in ourselves.
I hope that your believing switch will be turned on by a better lamp.
We have a different lamp.

The Bible is our lamp.
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light for my path.

WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU.
TO GET A NEW HUNGER FOR THE BIBLE.
Get your Bible “lamp” out.
And put it in the centre of your life.

Are you struggling in your faith?
In 2011, I decided to do an experiment.
For 3 years from February 2011, until January 2014.
I read the New Testament out loud every week.
It took me more than 20 hours a week.
The reason I did this is.
I wanted to learn how to grow my faith.

2 Corinthians 4:13 links faith and speaking together.
“I believe;
therefore I speak.”

Everything in my life started to change for the better.
I had found the answer.
Reading the Bible out loud does build up your faith.
I did complete my three years and wrote a book about my experience.
Called “How To Be Rich in Faith”.
This book is about my experiment to read the 27 books of the New Testament out loud every week.
That was my plan for some self-improvement.
A plan to change my life.
It was not easy, but I did complete my course.
One of the interesting results,
was an improvement in my health that was measurable.

The second result was a burst of creativity that continues to this day.
The third result was a new sense of purpose.
The fourth result was becoming a better husband and father.
My wife and children will testify to that.
The fifth result was the most important one.
My faith grew and continues to grow.

The sixth result was exciting.
I discovered hidden gifts that surprised me.
The good news is.
The harvest of faith from sowing all that Word is still getting stronger.
About a year after my experiment, I got motivated again.
But I decided to do things a little differently.
I didn’t read the whole New Testament.
Instead I chose 4 books.

Here is a list of the books from the New Testament [Bible].
Galatians.
Ephesians.
Philippians.
Colossians.
I started to read them out loud every day.
And my faith started to grow again.
This was easier and faster.
I did this for 6 years:
2015-2021
My wife Lorna also did this experiment.
She was changed in a big way.

Now we are doing a new experiment.

May 2023

KEY FOR FAITH.
READ BIBLE OUT LOUD DAILY.

Do you want to go to a new level of faith?
Join us for our latest faith adventure.
Read the book of Hebrews out loud every day.

THE BOOK OF HEBREWS.
One book is easier.
Hebrews is a book that mentions faith a lot.

Let everyone know about your faith journey in the comments section.
Let us know who you are and tell us a little of your story.
Join us in this adventure for the next year and change your faith level.
In 12 months you will be a different person.
You will become a person of great faith.
We want to help you go to a new level of faith.

Thanks, from Tony and Lorna.
Brisbane, Australia.

www.tonyegar.com

 

He Could Run Fast

Leave a reply

Someone Out There, Believes in You.

I remember a famous person visiting our primary school in the 1960’s.
Herb Elliot won Gold in the 1500m event at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
From 1957 to 1961, Elliot never lost a 1500m or one-mile race.
This man took all the school kids to the oval and gave us tips on how to run.
I don’t remember anyone else who visited our school from that era.
He made an impression because he was famous.
And he was famous because he could run fast.
If we surround ourselves with motivated people the energy in the room energises us.
We can get drawn back into our gift.
Back into a state of believing and therefore achieving.
Even doing a little better in a small thing can influence us into taking on the bigger challenge.
And though you may be all alone, remember this.

Someone, somewhere out there believes in you.

Dreams are delicate things.
They can be formed in a minute by an unusual experience.
And last a life time.
I am writing this post, because I had a seed thought.
This is a seed thought for sure..!!

I feel challenged to put down my dreams on paper in a clear and concise way.
Here is my dream.

“To see God’s blessing come upon my life.
In a miraculous and obviously supernatural way.
So that outsiders will be able to acknowledge what has taken place.
And for this to continue into the future.”

“I also would like to see this blessing come into the lives of other Christians.
So they can experience God’s obvious touch, in an ongoing way.”

Please God… do not let me miss any opportunities that are coming my way.
Open my eyes to see what I need to see.
To hear what I need to hear.
To understand what I need to understand.
And to meet the people I need to meet.

From Tony and Lorna.
Brisbane, Australia.

Moths To A Flame

Leave a reply

World Record Holder.

One of my favourite movies is the popular Anthony Hopkins movie;
“The World’s Fastest Indian.”
This movie was based on the story of Burt Munro, a New Zealand-born motorcycle racer who became famous for setting a world record in 1967.
The true story of Burt’s life is just as captivating as the film.
Munro grew up in the early 1900′s on a farm in New Zealand.
He often rode horses around the farm at a very young age because he enjoyed the speed.
Burt stayed on the family farm until his father sold it near the end of World War I.
He spent some time working construction until joining his father to work on a new farm.

After this, he became a speedway racer for a short while, and eventually found work as a motorcycle salesman and mechanic.
Given his love for speed, Burt soon purchased an Indian Scout motorcycle.
The motorcycle was very early off the production line and topped out at a speed of just 55 miles per hour.
Burt was unhappy with the speed of the Indian Scout, so he began to modify the bike.
He spent years working on his bike, which he called the “Munro Special,” since it was made up of many parts that he made himself, being a man with little money.
Burt started racing his motorcycle and went on to set several world records with his Indian Scout in the 1960s.
He had to travel to America to break those world records.
Most people thought he was a loser.
But he proved them wrong.
His motorcycle became the fastest bike of its kind in the world.
The reason I like this story is because this man elevated himself to an international level of achievement by a very simple means, he made his motorcycle go faster, it’s that simple.
All you have to do to get a film made about your life story is do one thing, one activity better than anyone else has done it.
Everyone loves a world record holder.
Often it does not matter what the record is.
Simply running faster than anyone else will make you rich and famous.
Have you ever wondered why the world is designed to promote record holders?
Why people are drawn like moths to a flame.

From Tony and Lorna.
Brisbane, Australia.

Other People’s Help

Leave a reply

Share Your Vision

This is one of my favourite stories;
I have included it because it is a great example of the principle that;
” a small result is better than no result at all.”
When a team of scientists in London first used penicillin they failed, but in their failure they succeeded.
The patient died but that did not mean the drug did not work, it just did not work enough to save his life.
He did initially start to recover.
Our faith works the same way, we pray for someone and they improve, then they relapse.
This means that our faith worked, we had faith for recovery instead of faith for completion.
We have to be like these scientists and realise that we are on the right track even though we are not yet winning.
We know that our faith works; all we have to do is learn how to make it work on a higher level.
The story of penicillin – the first antibiotic to successfully treat people with serious infectious diseases – begins with a bit of luck.
Alexander Fleming, a British scientist, noticed in 1928 that mould had prevented the growth of bacteria in his lab.
But the main plot of the story involves the rediscovery of penicillin 10 years later by an Australian scientist:
Howard Florey and his team transformed penicillin from an interesting observation into a life saver.
Penicillin kills bacteria by blocking its cell wall growth.
In May, 1940 they performed one of the most important medical experiments in history on mice in the laboratory.
The results were so exciting: Florey knew that it was time to test the drug on humans.
But Florey’s team didn’t have enough of the drug to see the patient through to a full recovery and he unfortunately had a re-lapse and died.
Because of this experience, the team then concentrated their efforts on sick children, who did not require such large quantities.
I would like to quote part of the story…where they realise, they did not have enough of the substance.
“But Florey’s team didn’t have enough of the drug to see the patient through to a full recovery and he unfortunately had a re-lapse and died.”
They knew how to make the drug, but they did not have the ability to make it in large quantities.
So, they needed help.
And that is how sharing your vision with other like-minded people helps to grow your faith.
Here is what they did:
“But the team needed large drug companies to help produce the large amounts required.”
It can be dangerous to share your vision with other people because there is a war going on between belief and un-belief.
We have to surround ourselves with believing believers.
Sometimes we need other people’s help.

From Tony and Lorna.
Brisbane, Australia.

A Gift of Peace.

Leave a reply

A Devotional from Lorna.

We are told to think positive thoughts, so that God’s peace will be with us.
What we think about is a big deal.
Thoughts are like birds flying over our heads, we can’t stop them from coming but we can keep them from building a nest.
We can choose not to think about things that bring us down.
Negative thoughts are not the thoughts that God has for us.
We often talk ourselves out of peace.
By doubting in the dark what God has told us in the light.
The Holy Spirit is our teacher, guide, and mentor.
He is impartial and knowledgeable.

He is the umpire of our lives.
In a football game when the umpire blows his whistle, he does this to correct something and then he deals with the situation.
In the same way, our peace can be disturbed.
We may feel unsettled and troubled.
We need to draw aside and listen to the Holy Spirit.
Listen to the umpire (the Holy Spirit) who will tell us when it’s safe to proceed.
In this way we will make right decisions.

The enemy has come to rob us of our peace.
He has no peace.
Peace is a gift, it’s our inheritance.
We are to guard our hearts and live in peace no matter what the circumstances are saying to us.

When Jesus left to be with his Father, the departing gift that he left us was peace.
Jesus said;
“My peace I give to you my peace I leave with you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

We are encouraged to live at peace with each other.
Allow God to keep your heart and mind in perfect peace.

In John 20:19, Jesus appears to his disciples.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

Perhaps today you are struggling with fear and peace has eluded you.
Are you feeling frustrated and fearful?
These may be warning signs, that are telling us to trust in God’s plan.
Take heart!
Jesus is near.
He wants to speak peace into your situation.
Maybe you have locked the door of your room or heart, but locked doors won’t keep Jesus out.
You will be astonished how your life can be changed by one touch from Jesus.
Don’t harm yourself!
Flee from the darkness.
Run into his presence.
Jesus wants to move you from behind closed doors and into his purpose.
It’s your time, it’s your day, now let’s begin.

God is a planner.
He has a plan for you.
A plan to prosper you and not to harm you.
To give you a hope and a future.
Everything works in his plan.

Isaiah 14:27
When the Lord all powerful makes a plan no one can stop it.

The birth of Jesus changed everybody’s plans.
We know that God has a better plan than ours.
It will be bigger and brighter.
The Lord will work out his plan for your life, he is faithful and he loves you.

Philippians 4: 8 encourages us to think about things that are:
True and noble and right.
Also things that are pure, lovely and admirable.
Plus excellent or praiseworthy things.

We are told to think these positive thoughts, so that God’s peace will be with us.

Written by Lorna Egar.

Good Leadership

Leave a reply

Do You Need to make a Decision?

Today I felt to pray and support our leaders.
This is not always a popular suggestion or topic.
Hebrews 13:17 tells us to have confidence in our leaders.
Because they keep watch over us.
And 1 Thessalonians 5:13 says;
“Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.”

Today I felt that Gods heart is very much for his leader’s and for his people.
May I encourage you not to fret, or be fainthearted.
Our leaders need us to stand with them shoulder to shoulder, to rise up and to cheer them on.

Our leaders need our support, prayers and encouragement so their work will be a joy and not a burden.
We are to hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.

In some forests the trees are far apart.
But under the ground the roots are joined together.
These days some of us feel so far from our leaders.
We don’t think that what happens to them affects us in our normal daily life.
But underneath all that’s going on in our lives and around the world, we are still connected to our leaders.

Surprise, surprise!

Behind the scene we are all connected.

Together we can ask God to help us put our confidence in our leaders.
Let us acknowledge them, their position and their authority to lead.
In doing this there is a great reward.
Because we all benefit from good leadership.
It will be to our advantage and profit, if God blesses our leaders with the wisdom they need. And the moral strength to make right decisions.
We all agree that right decisions lead to a better life.

Let us make a straight and smooth path for our leaders by praying for them.
And speaking well of them so they can proceed with boldness and confidence.
Then they will be equipped to point us in the right direction moving forward.

Perhaps you are a leader who has experienced a lack of support.
And your journey has been a lonely one.
You may feel disappointed and your confidence appears to have vanished.

People are praying for you right now, they are depending on you and looking to you to lead them.
You are not alone.

Don’t throw away your confidence.
Put your cloak back on, it’s time to lead.
Confidence looks good on you!

When you make a heart decision to rise up and lead.
God will anoint you with fresh fire.
You will run into a new level of strong leadership.

Written by Lorna Egar.

I hope you have been encouraged by this word.
And that it has released a gift of grace into your situation.

God bless from Lorna.

 

 

 

Do You Want a Cure

Leave a reply

Do you want a cure for instability?
The cure is… don’t be double-minded.

Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
[James 1:8]

Allow me to explain my theory by using an Old Testament story.
This story is in 2 Kings chapter 13.
In this story Elisha the prophet is visited by the king of Israel.
Elisha is not feeling the best because he is suffering from an illness that proves to be terminal.
But that does not stop him from activating his prophetic gift.
This is what he tells the king to do.

Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so.
[2 Kings 13:15]

“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it.
[2 Kings 13:17a]

“Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot.
[2 Kings 13:17b]

Up to this point the king had followed Elisha’s instructions perfectly.
It was a simple thing for the king to complete.
Because the king had followed Elisha’s command….Elisha promised him a complete victory over his enemies.

Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”
[2 Kings 13:17c]

There is no uncertainty in Elisha’s statement.
He said the king would have complete victory.
He even called the arrow, an arrow of victory.

“The Lord’s arrow of victory!” Elisha declared.
[2 Kings 13:17]

You will notice this has all happened quickly and efficiently.
No-one is doubting.
No-one is double-minded.
The victory is certain and it will be complete.

Now the problems begin.
Elisha decides to add a little extra.
Isn’t it always tempting to add a bit more to the pot?
This is his new idea.
He tells the king to take the bow and arrows.
He tells the king to shoot the ground.
But Elisha does not give the king a vital bit of information.
Elisha does not explain how many times the king needs to shoot.
Now the king is uncertain.
He would have been sweating on the results of this new test.
He has just been assured of a great victory.
He doesn’t know that victory… is about to slip away.
Here is how the story goes.

Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them.
Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.”
[2 Kings 13:18a]

So far…so good.

He struck it three times and stopped.
[2 Kings 13:18b]

NOOOOO!
He stopped!
But how was he to know how many times to strike the ground?
He couldn’t have known.
[Elisha had not told him how many times].
Elisha was not happy.

The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times.”
[2 Kings 13:19]

One minute the king is having a big win and the next minute he is getting told off.
When someone asks you to do something, they need to give you very clear instructions.
If you have a boss who is always changing your job description… you will know what I mean.
This king went from hero to zero in a few minutes.
His promise of victory has now shrunk.
He was promised a complete victory and now he is only promised a partial victory.

“But now you will defeat it only three times.”
[2 Kings 13:19]

The context of this story is… this was Elisha’s last recorded prophetic word.

Elisha died and was buried.
[2 Kings 13:20]

But it was not his last miracle.
Yes, he had something up his sleeve.
This old prophet didn’t pass his anointing on.
He did not have a successor.
So the anointing was still in his bones…here is his final miracle.

When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.
[2 Kings 13:21]

Not bad, raising a man from the dead while you are dead.
Here is a scripture that encourages us to be men and women of faith.

And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
[Hebrews 11:4]

To leave a good legacy…it does matter how we live our Christian life.
It is essential that we live by faith.
But what do we mean by the statement, “Live by faith”.
Most people would understand that statement to mean the faith that they have right now…in the present.
But how would you know how much faith you have right now?
Some of us would feel that our faith is small and others would feel that their faith is large.
Most people…would not know how much faith they had at this moment in time.
So here is the problem…how much faith is enough faith?
We all want mountain moving faith.
I do not want to sound ungracious, but most of the Christians I know still have their mountain where it has always been…in their backyard.
It hasn’t moved at all.
They have huffed and puffed, but the mountain has not moved an inch.
It actually looks a bit bigger; I would not say that to their face.
It is supposed to be getting smaller.

The only time that most of us have had complete faith is when we had salvation faith.
God gave us the ability to believe and we used that ability to accept God’s generous offer of salvation.
These days the temptation to shoot arrows in all directions is strong.
We want to throw everything we have at the problem.
Paul the apostle had some good advice.

So, I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step.
[1 Corinthians 9:26]

Peter the apostle also had some good advice.
When he was at the end of his life, he kept writing about his experience on the Mount of Transfiguration.

Peter was so affected by that experience.
He was still talking about it years later.

I was there on the holy mountain when he shone out with honour given him by God his Father;
I heard that glorious, majestic voice calling down from heaven, saying,
“This is my much-loved Son; I am well pleased with him.”
[2 Peter 1:17,18]

Everyone had been hearing Peter tell this story time and time again.
But that did not worry Peter.
He was going to refresh their memories, whether they wanted them refreshed or not.

As long as I am still here, I intend to keep sending these reminders to you, hoping to impress them so clearly upon you that you will remember them long after I have gone.
[2 Peter 1:14,15]

This was an old man focusing on the past.
He knew something special had happened to him.
He was worried that the next generation would lose their focus.
That they would not value their salvation experience.
Peter was a voice of stability speaking to a generation rocked by the uncertainty of their times.
He wanted to pass the anointing on to the young people.
He didn’t want to take it with him.

Here is the final point of my theory.
When we are blown around and being double-minded we need an anchor for the soul.
An anchor of faith that is attached to Jesus.
Instead of huffing and puffing in many different directions.
We need to fix our eyes onto Jesus.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
[Hebrews 12:2]

We can learn from Peter.
He was not writing about a recent spiritual experience.
He was writing about his mountain experience, it was a highlight for him.
Peter did not have a salvation experience like Paul did.
Peter got to know Jesus in a progressive way.
Today most of us have the best of both worlds.
We met Jesus in a salvation moment and then we get to know him over a period of time.
But when the storm comes we need to hold on to the anchor with all our strength.
We may not feel the presence of God in the storm.
So we have to go back to our salvation decision.
That is when we shot one arrow once.
That is when our faith had a perfect result.
That was when the instruction was perfectly clear.

Believe in Jesus!
Make your decision.
YES OR NO.
It could not be clearer.
And you said yes!
From that day till now you have been a single-minded person, regards that decision.
You know you said “yes”.
It cannot be denied.
You may have been double-minded about a thousand other things.
But it is completely impossible for you to doubt what happened on that day.
Did you notice the words I used?

“COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE.”

Now that is a secure and certain place to find yourself in.
The cure for instability is to focus on the immovable fact of your salvation decision.
That is what people do in a storm.
They look for the safety and certainty that comes from standing on a rock.
When you refresh your memory about a fact:
[That you made a salvation decision], you have just given yourself a rock to hold onto.
You are also remembering your perfect score because it is the one thing you got perfectly right!
Therefore God promised you complete victory!

Everyone born of God overcomes the world.
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our[salvation] faith.
Who is it that overcomes the world?
Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
[1 John 5:4,5]

Complete victory is promised to the person who has believed in Jesus.
That means you.
YOU SHOT AN ARROW OF VICTORY.
Because you made your salvation decision!

How do you like my theory?

Written by Tony Egar

A Place of Grace

2 Replies

Their Desire to Grow

Matthew chapter 2

Right place, right time gets the right result.
The wise men found what they were looking for.
Herod did not find what he was looking for.
The wise men had been on a journey of discovery.
A famous song says, “I still have not found what I am looking for.”

These men did find what they were looking for.
They were looking for a king.
But they found a baby.
Yes, a baby king.
They were overjoyed but Herod was scared.
Why was a grown man afraid of a little baby?
Because he knew that little things grow.
So he tried to stop that growth by using death as a weapon so the future would not unfold.
He tried to adjust the future by killing something in the present.
God was too smart for him and Mary and Joseph left town in the middle of the night.
For most people this is happening in a more subtle way.
We may not be in physical danger; we may be subject to a more devious plot.

Weariness can cause desire to subside.
The death of a desire is invisible but it is still tragic.
A desire that grows to fruition becomes visible and can change our lives in a positive way.

The journey of the wise men went through three phases.
They saw a star…they saw a baby and then the eyes of their hearts were opened and they saw a king.

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
On coming to the house, they saw the child.
Matthew 2:10-11

A desire had been burning in their hearts for a long time.
Now their invisible desire manifested into a very visible moment.
Something they would remember for the rest of their lives.
They were glad they pushed through all the obstacles.

A fountain of refreshing opened up within them and within that house.
But danger was around the corner and they were warned in a dream to change their plans.
They were told to travel by a different route.
Their safety was important to God even after they had fulfilled God’s purpose.
God values all human life, he protects and provides.
He provided for Joseph and Mary by causing strangers to find them and financially favour them.
Then God provided an escape plan.

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.
“Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt”.
Matthew 2:13

God did not allow them to be tested beyond their capacity.

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear.
But when you are tested, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

After a while Mary and Joseph stopped hiding.
The people of Nazareth were ready to help them start their new life.
This was a safe place for Mary to raise her family.
A good place for Joseph to open his business.

Once again God had guided them out of danger and into a place of peace and provision.
Their desires did come to pass.
Perhaps not in the way they had expected.
They ended up in the right place at the right time surrounded by the right people.
People who would show them the favour they needed.
A season of growth was upon them.
The growth that only God can give.

This was the place they had been looking for.

Written by Tony Egar

 

Your Christmas Present

Leave a reply

If you knew the future you would not get upset when things don’t go your way.
The “all things work together for good” mantra that is dished up in various forms is not needed when the future is clear.
If you could see the future you would know for sure whether it was really working for your good!
The happy times when everything goes well, blind a person to what is waiting for them around the corner, but that is why we have insurance policies for as many things as possible.
The problem is you cannot insure your skills and if one of those skills is your golf swing, then nothing is guaranteed.

Slight changes in your relationships, finances, or sense of well-being can throw you out of your rhythm.
Your game goes the same way your confidence goes.
Out the door!
“Oh, I see.”
“You need a confidence boost.”
“Need a little food for your faith do you?”
Or is the real need not being addressed?
The answer my friend is…you guessed it.
The solution to most people’s situation is, wisdom.
You need wisdom.
“Come on you simple one’s,” she says.
“I’m calling out as you pass by.”

I like to get my wisdom in story form.
Preferably someone else’s story.
I love to hear tragedy turning into triumph stories.
Where their pain turns into their gain.
I love to be inspired and motivated by a book or a movie, or even a sermon.
It’s more interesting watching other people learning the lessons of life.

An evangelist friend of mine goes into Eastern European countries on ministry trips.
He always likes to invite the children to sit up near the stage so he can tell them a story.
What he noticed after doing this a few times was; the adults listened intently as he told the children their story, but when he dismissed the children and began his sermon, the adults lost interest.
Eventually he changed his strategy.
He would still invite the children to the front and then he would weave his sermon for the adults into the children’s story, all the while holding the adults attention.
Now that is wisdom!

Wouldn’t it be great to live in a world where everything is black and white?
Where there were no grey areas.
Confusion is not good for anyone who is in the middle of making a decision.
Today I was asked to give directions for a lady who had just stepped off the bus and was trying to find her way to her job interview.
I didn’t see her get off the bus so I presumed she was driving to her interview.
I proceeded to give her directions that were accurate but irrelevant for her particular situation. I could see from her expression that something was not adding up.
Wisdom does not rush in without having all the facts.
Wisdom would ask, “Are you walking or are you driving?”
Here are a few questions that wisdom may well ask you!

Do you want it now or do you want it later?
Do you want the best or the second best?
Which timetable, yours or God’s?

You can see where this is leading!
Real wisdom, the high quality wisdom, is only available from one source.
You have to listen, you have to be very still, you have to be like those children listening to the evangelist telling them a story.
The adults were drawn into the children’s story by the atmosphere of innocence.
For a few minutes they put away their cynicism and weary thought life.
They forgot who they were and where they were.

It’s like Christmas day when the adults watch the children opening their presents.
The adults get excited when the children get excited.
Well, it’s the same with God; he gets excited when you get excited.
And here’s the kicker!
You get excited when you open your present.
And what is your present?
Today folks, your present is…the gift of wisdom you have been asking for!
That’s right, all you had to do was ask!

Tony Egar.

THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.

Leave a reply

I bought my first kayak when I was living in the small town of Katherine which is 300 miles south of Darwin.
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory; it is closer to Indonesia than it is to Sydney.
When we kayaked on the Katherine River we would really enjoy doing it in the wet season because the river would have a lot of “white-water”.
The wildlife was also abundant and we saw a lot of freshwater crocodiles.
These crocodiles were fairly harmless…if you kept your distance.
They were not big enough to tip you out of a kayak if they did attack.

We had an opportunity to travel across the top of Australia to another small town called Kununurra which is situated on the Ord River.
This river is very wide and has no “white-water.”
But it does have big and dangerous saltwater crocodiles.
One of them surfaced in front of us as we kayaked down the river and my friend panicked.
He had a bad dream the night before and this had set him up BIG time!
I was amazed at my reaction.
Because we were out in the middle of a very wide section of the river we knew…if we were knocked out of our kayaks we had no way of getting back in.
When you are completely cornered with no escape you sometimes relax even though there is no reason to relax.
The struggle goes out and you are left with a feeling of the inevitable.
When there is nothing you can do about your situation.
What can you do?
NOTHING!!

An adrenaline junkie is accepted in society and looked up to by the younger ones.
Philippe Petit is a French high-wire artist who gained fame in 1974 for his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, on the morning of 7 August.

HE WAS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.

EVERYONE WAS LOOKING AT HIM.
Even though this man did the walk illegally the public admired him for his bravery and boldness.
While he was high above the ground, he would have been high on adrenaline.

This French high-wire artist who walked on a rope between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center is an interesting example.
When he was half-way across and in danger of falling.
What could he do?
Nothing.

He would have taken a deep breath and tried to relax.

Here is a more recent story:
We live just outside of Brisbane on 3.5 acres.
We have a lot of wildlife including koalas, wallabies, goannas and you guessed it.
Snakes!!
Most of them are carpet snakes which can be up to 6 feet long.
There are also tree snakes, they are very skinny and can get into your house.
We have been living here for 12 years and never had a snake inside.
But last year I was writing on the computer when my wife said:
“Don’t move a snake is behind you.”
Well I did move and scared the snake which had scared me.
It went into one of the kitchen cupboards.
The big problem was…we didn’t see which cupboard.
In the end, not knowing where it was, meant we may never find it.
The not knowing gets to you and plays on your mind.
You are constantly thinking, “where is that snake?”

I don’t like mysteries and I am always trying to solve them.
A lot of people are the same.
That’s why the scientists are going further into space.
They can’t stand not knowing.
Where did everything come from?
Were we created or was it an accident or incident?
If it was a big bang, what existed before the big bang?

As humans we have our own set of questions.

The biggest is, “Why does God allow suffering?”

I want to know why God created snakes..??

I visited New Zealand [which does not have any snakes] a couple of years ago.
When we drove out into the country I got out of the car and ran around the field at the side of the road.
I wanted to feel what it was like to walk through high grass and not have to worry about snakes.
A bit weird, I know!
Some people don’t know what it feels like to be free from pain.
Others don’t know what it feels like to be free from debt…the list goes on.

Let me repeat myself by remembering what happened when I was confronted by a large salt-water crocodile.
When you are completely cornered with no escape, you sometimes relax even though there is no reason to relax.
The struggle goes out and you are left with a feeling of the inevitable.
When there is nothing you can do about your situation.
What can you do?
NOTHING..!!

Tony Egar.