Using the Armour (Part One)

Lecteurs francophones, veuillez commencer à lire sous le texte anglais.

Good morning.

I don’t know your circumstances, but I do know that the Lord knew we would be under attack and that we would need protection. Maybe you have suffered much condemnation, circumstantial persecution or all kinds of fears and doubts and don’t know how to deal with them. Let’s look at Ephesians 6.

“Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm (V13).”

Here two actions are stressed – ‘having done all’ and ‘stand firm’. Both imply faith. In the previous message we mentioned that we need to be in a relationship with the Lord for this armour to be effective, for it is He that does the protecting. What is meant by "having done all", in other words, what is it we ought to do? If we don’t action each of these items of the armour, they won’t protect us. It’s not automatic. And if we don't stand firm and run away from the responsibility to action our protection... well, then we’re on the run and the devil in pursuit and problems will just continue – therefore we need to stand.

“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (V14).”

These two are mentioned in one breath. A belt in those times kept the clothes, which were the gowns they wore, together. We need to decide whether we’re prepared to believe the Bible as the only truth and then base all our beliefs on it. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and will continuously try and undo your belt to expose you to deception, just like you would be naked and exposed when the gowns are not kept together. We need to daily fasten this belt through filling our minds with truth as we read and apply the Word of God.

A breastplate protects the heart, which is our communication centre with the Lord and the habitation of the Holy Spirit. We, therefore, need to protect our relationship with the Lord by living righteously – in right standing with God. If a friendship is precious to you, you’ll live carefully as to not estrange the friend. Righteousness comes simply – do what God says in His Word and specifically to you. If we don’t, we sin and our relationship with God is therefore hampered. He then has to discipline us and, because we’ve sinned, it opens the door for the enemy to attack. 

“As shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace (V15).”

Attack, is the best way of defence. Feet are meant to advance and so is the gospel. Remember we’re at war. If we advance, the evil forces retreat. If we are passive, evil advances. The church has been too passive for too long, which is why evil has gained so much ground. If the church has been more aggressive in preaching the gospel, the Bible would still have been in the schools, false religions would not have been so prevalent, etc. We tend to do church as we would a social club. Church services should actually be a celebration of the successful outreaches of every single believer during the previous week, as well as a motivational activity to get Christian soldiers to preach the gospel, pray for the sick, and drive out demons (Mark 16:15-18) during the week.

We’ll continue next time.

Lord, I am your soldier. Please train me.

If you benefited from this, why don’t you share it? Please feel free to ask questions or discuss your thoughts.

Pour nos lecteurs francophones.

Bonjour.

Je ne connais pas votre situation, mais je sais que le Seigneur savait que nous serions attaqués et que nous aurions besoin de protection. Peut-être avez-vous subi beaucoup de condamnations, de persécutions circonstancielles ou toutes sortes de peurs et de doutes et ne savez-vous pas comment les gérer. Regardons Éphésiens 6.

"Prenez donc toute l'armure de Dieu, afin que vous puissiez résister au mauvais jour, et après avoir tout fait, tenez ferme (V13)."

Ici, deux actions sont soulignées - « avoir tout fait » et « rester ferme ». Les deux impliquent la foi. Dans le message précédent, nous avons mentionné que nous devons être en relation avec le Seigneur pour que cette armure soit efficace, car c'est Lui qui protège. Qu'entend-on par « avoir tout fait », autrement dit, que devons-nous faire ? Si nous n'agissons pas sur chacun de ces éléments de l'armure, ils ne nous protégeront pas. Ce n'est pas automatique. Et si nous ne restons pas fermes et ne fuyons pas la responsabilité d'agir pour notre protection... eh bien, alors nous sommes en fuite et le diable nous poursuit et les problèmes continueront - nous devons donc rester debout.

"Tenez donc debout, ayant attaché la ceinture de la vérité, et ayant revêtu la cuirasse de la justice (V14)."

Ces deux sont mentionnés dans un souffle. Une ceinture à cette époque maintenait les vêtements, qui étaient les robes qu'ils portaient, ensemble. Nous devons décider si nous sommes prêts à croire que la Bible est la seule vérité, puis fonder toutes nos croyances sur elle. Satan est le père du mensonge (Jean 8:44) et essaiera continuellement de défaire votre ceinture pour vous exposer à la tromperie, tout comme vous seriez nu et exposé si les robes ne sont pas maintenues ensemble. Nous devons quotidiennement attacher cette ceinture en remplissant nos esprits de vérité lorsque nous lisons et appliquons la Parole de Dieu.

Une cuirasse protège le cœur, qui est notre centre de communication avec le Seigneur et la demeure du Saint-Esprit. Nous devons donc protéger notre relation avec le Seigneur en vivant dans la justice - en bonne position avec Dieu. Si une amitié est précieuse pour vous, vous vivrez avec soin pour ne pas vous éloigner de l'ami. La justice vient simplement - faites ce que Dieu dit dans Sa Parole et spécifiquement pour vous. Si nous ne le faisons pas, nous péchons et notre relation avec Dieu est donc entravée. Il doit alors nous discipliner et, parce que nous avons péché, cela ouvre la porte à l'attaque de l'ennemi.

"Comme des souliers à vos pieds, ayant revêtu la préparation donnée par l'évangile de paix (V15)."

L'attaque est le meilleur moyen de défense. Les pieds sont destinés à avancer et l'évangile aussi. Rappelez-vous que nous sommes en guerre. Si nous avançons, les forces du mal reculent. Si nous sommes passifs, le mal progresse. L'église a été trop passive pendant trop longtemps, c'est pourquoi le mal a gagné tant de terrain. Si l'église avait été plus agressive dans la prédication de l'évangile, la Bible aurait toujours été dans les écoles, les fausses religions n'auraient pas été aussi répandues, etc. Nous avons tendance à faire l'église comme nous le ferions dans un club social. Les services religieux devraient en fait être une célébration des actions réussies de chaque croyant au cours de la semaine précédente, ainsi qu'une activité motivante pour amener les soldats chrétiens à prêcher l'évangile, à prier pour les malades et à chasser les démons (Marc 16:15- 18) en semaine.

Nous continuerons la prochaine fois.

Seigneur, je suis ton soldat. S'il vous plaît, formez-moi.

Si vous en avez bénéficié, pourquoi ne le partagez-vous pas ? N'hésitez pas à poser des questions ou à discuter de vos réflexions.

Wars and Sports (Part Two – The Armour for Battle)

Lecteurs francophones, veuillez commencer à lire sous le texte anglais.

Good morning.

You may have heard many teachings about the armour of God. We’re taught to put it on physically every morning etc. Unless we understand the spiritual realm and are able to picture how these spiritual battles work, we won’t use the armour correctly. Satan is very real and unless we can see him coming, how can we defend ourselves? If we walk by the Holy Spirit though, He will open our eyes to the spiritual realm.

“Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:13-18).”

Looking at this armour, you’ll see it refers to a relationship with God. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23, 24)” – This is the belt. “And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation (Mark 16:15)” – This represents the shoes. Without faith, it is impossible to please the Lord (Hebrews 11:6) – This is the shield. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8)” –  This is the helmet. “So shall My word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11)” – This is the Sword.

The armour of God demands dependence on the Lord and therefore a relationship with Him. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).” The devil will only submit to the authority of the Lord and therefore only if we are in submission to the authority of the Lord. Submitting demands laying down our own will and obeying His will, it demands humbling yourself and “dwelling in the shelter of the Most High (Psalm 91:1)”. If we walk with the Lord, we’ll see into the spiritual realm and the Holy Spirit will show us what’s happening there. We must therefore rather live the armour of God than just imagine putting it on physically. This is why this description of the armour is concluded with an urge to pray in the Spirit, for it is only by prayerfully staying in touch with the Lord that we’ll overcome these forces.

Righteousness (right standing) with God protects our heart against e.g. fear and condemnation, truth protects us against lies and deception, having a purpose to preach the gospel advances us against the evil forces for they fear the gospel, salvation gives us that assurance that we are safe in God’s hands, and faith helps us to know that His hands are there for us to jump into. Proclaiming the Word of God in every situation advances Him against these forces on our behalf and believe me, these forces fear God.

In the next teaching, we’ll look at using these weapons practically and skilfully.

Lord, open my eyes to see the spiritual realm.

If you benefited from this, why don’t forward it? 

Pour nos lecteurs francophones.

Bonjour.

Vous avez peut-être entendu de nombreux enseignements sur l'armure de Dieu. On nous apprend à le mettre physiquement tous les matins, etc. À moins que nous ne comprenions le domaine spirituel et que nous soyons capables d'imaginer le fonctionnement de ces batailles spirituelles, nous n'utiliserons pas l'armure correctement. Satan est bien réel et à moins que nous ne le voyions venir, comment pouvons-nous nous défendre ? Si nous marchons par le Saint-Esprit, il ouvrira nos yeux sur le domaine spirituel.

« Prenez donc toute l'armure de Dieu, afin que vous puissiez résister au mauvais jour et, après avoir tout fait, tenir bon. Tenez donc debout, ayant attaché la ceinture de la vérité, et ayant revêtu la cuirasse de la justice, et, comme des souliers à vos pieds, ayant revêtu la promptitude donnée par l'évangile de paix. En toutes circonstances, prenez le bouclier de la foi, avec lequel vous pouvez éteindre tous les traits enflammés du malin ; et prenez le casque du salut, et l'épée de l'Esprit, qui est la parole de Dieu, priant en tout temps dans l'Esprit, avec toute prière et supplication. À cette fin, veillez avec persévérance, suppliant pour tous les saints (Éphésiens 6 : 13-18). »

En regardant cette armure, vous verrez qu'elle fait référence à une relation avec Dieu. "Dieu est esprit, et ceux qui l'adorent doivent l'adorer en esprit et en vérité (Jean 4:23, 24)" - C'est la ceinture. "Et il leur dit: "Allez par tout le monde et proclamez l'Evangile à toute la création (Marc 16:15)" - Cela représente les chaussures. Sans la foi, il est impossible de plaire au Seigneur (Hébreux 11:6) - Ceci est le bouclier. "Car c'est par la grâce que vous avez été sauvés par la foi. Et cela ne vient pas de vous, c'est le don de Dieu (Ephésiens 2:8)" - Ceci est le casque. "Ainsi sera ma parole qui sort de ma bouche ; elle ne reviendra pas à moi sans effet, mais elle accomplira ce que je me propose, et réussira dans la chose pour laquelle je l'ai envoyée (Esaïe 55 :11) » - C'est l'épée.

L'armure de Dieu exige une dépendance vis-à-vis du Seigneur et donc une relation avec Lui. « Soumettez-vous donc à Dieu. Résistez au diable, et il fuira loin de vous (Jacques 4:7). » Le diable ne se soumettra à l'autorité du Seigneur et donc seulement si nous sommes soumis à l'autorité du Seigneur. Soumettre des demandes imposant notre propre volonté et obéir à sa volonté, cela demande de s'humilier et de "demeurer sous l'abri du Très-Haut (Psaume 91: 1)". Si nous marchons avec le Seigneur, nous verrons dans le domaine spirituel et le Saint-Esprit nous montrera ce qui s'y passe. Il faut donc plutôt vivre l'armure de Dieu que simplement s'imaginer la revêtir physiquement. C'est pourquoi cette description de l'armure se termine par une envie de prier dans l'Esprit, car ce n'est qu'en restant dans la prière en contact avec le Seigneur que nous surmonterons ces forces.

La justice (se tenir debout) avec Dieu protège notre cœur contre, par ex. la peur et la condamnation, la vérité nous protège contre les mensonges et la tromperie, avoir pour but de prêcher l'évangile nous avance contre les forces du mal car elles craignent l'évangile, le salut nous donne l'assurance que nous sommes en sécurité entre les mains de Dieu, et la foi nous aide à savoir que Ses mains sont là pour que nous sautions. Proclamer la Parole de Dieu dans chaque situation l'avance contre ces forces en notre nom et croyez-moi, ces forces craignent Dieu.

Dans le prochain enseignement, nous verrons comment utiliser ces armes de manière pratique et habile.

Seigneur, ouvre mes yeux pour voir le royaume spirituel.

Si vous en avez bénéficié, pourquoi ne pas le transmettre ?

Wars and Sports (Part One)

Lecteurs francophones, veuillez commencer à lire sous le texte anglais.

Good morning.

Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).”

He mentioned two types of events here – fighting and sport. Man loves to battle things out. In the past, there were many wars due to the nature of man. Before firearms were developed, battles used to be face-to-face combat where technique and skill played a major role. The army or individual with the greatest skill would drive the other back and overpower them.

Skill and technique are also essential in modern-day sports, which by grace replaced war in developed countries as an outlet for man’s desire to battle. Instead of killing one another to determine which individual or country is the strongest, these battles are these days fought in sports in most countries. In for instance rugby, each team has a goal line to defend. Through sheer power mixed with clever technique and refined skill, the primary goal of each of these forces is to reach their goal, while the opponents use every skill and strength they have to stop the other from reaching their goal.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).”

The primary goal of sin and the evil forces mentioned above is to stop us from reaching our goal and destiny, which is to please the Lord through obedience and faith and accomplish what He planned for us. They’ll put temptations in our way to distract us and offer us all kinds of pleasurable activities and thoughts to replace those that are beneficial to the Kingdom of God.

For us to stay focused and accomplish what the Lord put before us, we have to stop these forces from reaching their goal, which is why it’s called wrestling. We're actively in a battle by using all the weapons and armour made available to us. If we’re determined to accomplish what the Lord planned for us, the evil forces will make every effort to hinder and stop us. If we’re scared to fight or are unaware of this battle, we’ll give up and become unproductive to God.

In my life, I’ve often had relational battles or major temptations to sin just before a major spiritual victory. If we sin deliberately, God can’t use us. So when I’ve built up a work of God with Him for a while and start seeing fruit, the devil will suddenly lay an attractive temptation to sin before me, which I’ll obviously resist. He’s headed towards his goal line though and I’m defending. Just as in rugby he won’t stop. He’ll come again and again, so I’ll have to stay in active defence. Sometimes we’re getting tired and just want to rest a bit, which may lead to a victory for the enemy. Another technique of his is to stir up e.g. a family fight just before you have to minister or serve. You then feel unworthy, although ministry after such an event usually has much power, which is why the devil tried to stop it.

This is not easy, which is why Paul told Timothy to “share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3).” We’re not to have a comfortable life. “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him (2 Timothy 2:4).”

We’ll continue tomorrow, focusing on skill and technique.

Lord, I desire to suffer and be obedient rather than comfortable.

If you benefited from this, why don’t you pass it on?

Pour nos lecteurs francophones.

Bonjour.

Paul a dit: "J'ai combattu le bon combat, j'ai achevé la course, j'ai gardé la foi (2 Timothée 4: 7)."

Il a mentionné ici deux types d'événements – le combat et le sport. L'homme aime se battre. Dans le passé, il y avait beaucoup de guerres dues à la nature de l'homme. Avant que les armes à feu ne soient développées, les batailles étaient des combats face à face où la technique et l'habileté jouaient un rôle majeur. L'armée ou l'individu le plus doué repousserait l'autre et le maîtriserait.

L'habileté et la technique sont également essentielles dans les sports modernes, qui ont remplacé par la grâce la guerre dans les pays développés comme exutoire du désir de l'homme de se battre. Au lieu de s'entre-tuer pour déterminer quel individu ou quel pays est le plus fort, ces batailles se déroulent aujourd'hui dans le sport dans la plupart des pays. Au rugby par exemple, chaque équipe a une ligne de but à défendre. Grâce à une puissance pure mélangée à une technique intelligente et à des compétences raffinées, l'objectif principal de chacune de ces forces est d'atteindre leur objectif, tandis que les adversaires utilisent toutes les compétences et la force dont ils disposent pour empêcher l'autre d'atteindre son objectif.

« Car nous ne luttons pas contre la chair et le sang, mais contre les dirigeants, contre les autorités, contre les puissances cosmiques sur les ténèbres présentes, contre les forces spirituelles du mal dans les lieux célestes (Éphésiens 6 : 12). »

Le but principal du péché et des forces du mal mentionnés ci-dessus est de nous empêcher d'atteindre notre but et notre destinée, qui est de plaire au Seigneur par l'obéissance et la foi et d'accomplir ce qu'Il a prévu pour nous. Ils mettront des tentations sur notre chemin pour nous distraire et nous offriront toutes sortes d'activités et de pensées agréables pour remplacer celles qui sont bénéfiques pour le Royaume de Dieu.

Pour que nous restions concentrés et accomplissions ce que le Seigneur a mis devant nous, nous devons empêcher ces forces d'atteindre leur objectif, c'est pourquoi cela s'appelle la lutte. Nous sommes activement dans une bataille en utilisant toutes les armes et armures mises à notre disposition. Si nous sommes déterminés à accomplir ce que le Seigneur a prévu pour nous, les forces du mal feront tout leur possible pour nous en empêcher et nous arrêter. Si nous avons peur de nous battre ou si nous ne sommes pas conscients de cette bataille, nous abandonnerons et deviendrons improductifs pour Dieu.

Dans ma vie, j'ai souvent eu des batailles relationnelles ou des tentations majeures de pécher juste avant une grande victoire spirituelle. Si nous péchons délibérément, Dieu ne peut pas nous utiliser. Ainsi, lorsque j'aurai construit une œuvre de Dieu avec lui pendant un certain temps et que je commencerai à voir des fruits, le diable mettra soudainement devant moi une tentation attrayante de pécher, à laquelle je résisterai évidemment. Il se dirige cependant vers sa ligne de but et je défends. Tout comme au rugby, il ne s'arrêtera pas. Il reviendra encore et encore, donc je devrai rester en défense active. Parfois, nous sommes fatigués et voulons juste nous reposer un peu, ce qui peut mener à une victoire pour l'ennemi. Une autre de ses techniques consiste à remuer par ex. une querelle familiale juste avant de devoir exercer un ministère ou servir. Vous vous sentez alors indigne, bien que le ministère après un tel événement ait généralement beaucoup de pouvoir, c'est pourquoi le diable a essayé de l'arrêter.

Ce n'est pas facile, c'est pourquoi Paul a dit à Timothée de "participer à la souffrance comme un bon soldat de Christ Jésus (2 Timothée 2:3)." Nous ne devons pas avoir une vie confortable. "Aucun soldat ne s'empêtre dans des poursuites civiles puisque son but est de plaire à celui qui l'a enrôlé (2 Timothée 2:4)."

Nous continuerons demain, en nous concentrant sur les compétences et la technique.

Seigneur, je désire souffrir et être obéissant plutôt que confortable.

Si vous en avez bénéficié, pourquoi ne pas le transmettre?

The Influence of Thoughts

Good morning.

Keeping in mind what we’ve learnt about Moses during the past few days, we’re going to look at the thought life, which is the battlefield where the enemy attacks us and is also the foundation of our behaviour. Everything we do is born from a thought and thoughts determine whether we are successful or failing.

Proverbs 23:7 says “as a man thinks, so is he”. Our thoughts determine our actions. We’ve seen with Moses that at first he had a low opinion of himself, but as the Lord developed him, he obtained enough confidence to chat face to face with the Lord Almighty and to lead the great but stubborn nation. What is it that changed? It was his way of thinking. His thoughts at first were based on his blunders, circumstances and fears of the past, which caused him to think lowly of himself and made him feel unworthy. But when he based his thoughts on faith in the Lord, his whole approach changed. Because he spent time in the presence of the Lord, hearing how He thought and seeing what He did, Moses’ way of thinking started to change. He started to think the way the Lord thought and started to do Romans 12:2: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.” If we start to think godly we’ll become godly.

Faith also starts with thoughts. If for instance somebody prays for healing, what is the first thought that tries to enter your mind? ‘What if it doesn’t work?’ This is the first thought that smashes your faith? But if we discipline our mind and control our thoughts to maintain faith, we’ll believe. Renewing the mind is a conscious process. We need to chuck out everything that is negative and unbelieving and we need to fill the mind with the Word of God. The devil attacks our thought life for he knows that is where faith is born. He manipulated Eve’s thoughts, tried his luck with Jesus and, believe me, is continuously busy with yours. Be very careful of pondering on thoughts – rather demolish them. “The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4, 5).” These are also arguments and opinions the devil speaks into our thoughts.

The devil constantly plants thoughts of distraction and doubt in our minds and we need to constantly reject them to maintain our faith and renew our minds. This is one reason why Mammon is God’s greatest enemy (Matthew 6:24), for he keeps our minds filled with materialistic desires and concerns, which is why Jesus offered to look after those issues so we can focus on His righteousness and Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).

Only when we set our minds on things above and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2) and fend off and take captive thoughts that attempt to distract (2 Corinthians 10:5), we’ll think of ourselves as holy and godly and will become like that (Proverbs 23:7). Then we’ll be able to discern God’s good, acceptable and perfect will (Romans 12:2).

Lord, I want to think the way you do.

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Get to Know the Lord through Moses’ Life (Part Five - Intimacy)

Good morning.

While reading this, please identify with Moses?

When Moses met the Lord at the burning bush, he had a royal upbringing, but at the time was just an ordinary farmer. As the Lord had higher goals for Moses, Moses desired to know the Lord better. They became friends like no one before or after Moses ever were. “Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11).”

During a chat Moses had with the Lord regarding himself and Israel “the LORD said to Moses, ‘This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name (Exodus 33:17).’” By this time Moses had the confidence to ask, “Please show me your glory (Exodus 33:18).” Can you picture what was happening here? I can almost see Moses holding his breath. From being a man with inferiority problems to this point was huge growth in confidence and the main reason was because he’d spent so much time in the Lord’s presence.

Amazingly the Lord offered to show Himself to Moses, but said, “‘you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.’ And the LORD said, ‘Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen (Exodus 33:20-23).’” Do you sense the intimacy?

 
Can you imagine how special this was for Moses? How would you have liked it? Moses did a few key things that qualified him.

·        He was prepared to change. When God disciplined him he listened.

·        In spite of his own weakness he took up this humungous task, trusting the Lord. He believed God for great things.

·        Whenever the Lord said something, he obeyed in the midst of great resistance from the Israelites.

·        He sought the Lord. He wanted more of the Lord and he wanted to know Him. He desired to be the Lord’s friend.

When Israel had sacrificed to the golden calf, the Lord’s anger burned against them. During one of Moses’ chats with Him, the Lord said in Exodus 32:10: “‘Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.’” If it were one of us we probably would have kept quiet, thinking ‘yeah Lord, that sounds quite nice, go ahead’ or we might have just walked away obediently. “But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, ‘O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? (Exodus 32: 11)’” and then he went on counselling the Lord not to do it, focusing on the disgrace it would bring to the Lord. “And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people (Exodus 32:14).” The Lord allowed Moses to counsel and convince Him to change His mind.

In Jesus we have even more access to the Lord. He promised to reveal Himself to us if we obey His commandments (John 14:21). Obeying His commandments include such things as loving Him with everything we have (Mark 12:30) and considering righteousness with Him as well as His desires and plans as first priority (Matthew 6:33). Do you see something of Moses’ attitude in this approach? The Lord desires for us to have a similar relationship with Him than Moses had. He would also allow you to counsel Him if you are that close to Him. His greatest desire is for you to become so close a friend to Him than you would be to your best human friend.

Lord, I’d love to come as close to you as Moses was.

Get to Know the Lord through Moses’ Life (Part Four)

Good morning!

Moses had to learn through spending time with the Lord, through making mistakes and bearing the consequences. He also had his carnal nature to deal with as he got frustrated and angry.

Most of us are aware of what Moses did that caused him to lose the privilege to enter the Promised Land. In Numbers 20:8-12 we read: “’Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.’ And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, ‘Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?’ And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.’”

Why didn’t Moses speak to the rock? Why was his disobedience such a great issue to the Lord when it seemed so insignificant? When Moses struck the rock, instead of speaking to it, the Lord did the miracle in any case. Why did the Lord make the miracle happen in spite of Moses’ disobedience?

Since Moses got water from a rock previously by striking it as God had told him, it’s possible that he could have disobeyed the Lord due to a misunderstanding, but his words to Israel preceding the action indicated that it was more likely done in anger. He was fed-up with the Israelites and acted in the flesh. The Lord maintained the miracle because He is faithful. He will keep His word in spite of our weaknesses, but if we misbehave He’ll discipline us, as He did with Moses. So why was the Lord so relentless?

Doing things in the Spirit exactly the way the Lord wants it done glorifies His name. Acting carnally dishonours Him. If we don’t enter our ‘Promised Land’, i.e. if we don’t seem to get where we hope to be, we need to find out what it is in our life that displeases the Lord that prompts Him to discipline us or to delay His plans with us. I’m reminded of Nathan’s words to King David after David had sinned with Bathsheba and repented: “And Nathan said to David, Jehovah also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Only, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to blaspheme, this child born to you shall surely die (2 Samuel 12:13, 14).” David was forgiven, but he had to bear the consequences of His deed.

We need to be aware that our deliberate disobedience gives God’s enemies reason to ridicule Him, in which case He has to discipline us.

How would you like to enter your ‘Promised Land’, i.e. reach your destiny through being obedient?

Lord, please make me aware of how my disobedience affects you.

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Jesus’ Christmas Gift List

It’s Christmas day. Some of us have already received our gifts last night, others emptied the stockings this morning and the rest will receive it later today.

The reason why we receive gifts is because we share Jesus’ birthday with Him. Some people make Christmas a big occasion with many and expensive gifts and most people look forward to receiving their gifts. Have we ever considered what gifts Jesus would like to receive on His birthday? He is one of our loved ones, isn’t He? Many of us have a ‘give-me’ attitude towards the Lord. When we pray it’s give me this and that. But what are we prepared to give Him. All over the Bible He has listed the gifts He desires from us. Shall we have a look at a few of the gifts He’d want from us?

John 14:15:  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Matthew 25:20, 21: “And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” 

Mark 12:30, 31: “’And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Matthew 6:33:  “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...”

Luke 18:22:  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Isaiah 58:6, 7:  “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” 

John 14:12:  “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”

Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you.”

Hebrews 11:6:  And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek Him.

This list is only a few examples though and definitely not complete. I’d love to expound on each of these gifts, but lack the space. Each one, however, speaks for itself and if you’re open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, He’ll make known to you what the Lord desires from you.

In summary – we need to put Him first and obey Him. Shall we give Him all His heart’s desires this Christmas and in the years to come?

I pray that you have an anointed Festive time and experience anew the Lord’s presence. May He reveal Himself to you as you love Him by obeying His written and daily instructions (John 14:21).

Lord, please show yourself to me.

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Get to Know the Lord through Moses’ Life (Part Three)

Good morning!

In the Old Testament Jesus acted as the Angel of the Lord, who in Exodus three met with Moses. Some people see Him as Jesus meek and mild, full of love, which is true, but this is not His only characteristic. If a person has to deal with people, you need to be clever. When people need to be persuaded to do or buy something, man displays much ingenuity, since we take after God. We are created in the image of a clever God.

“And they (the elders of Israel) will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God (Exodus 3:18).’”

The Lord worked here with a plan. He knew Pharaoh’s heart and therefore first had to cleverly prepare him for what was coming. As you read further in this chapter, you’ll see that the Lord knew Pharaoh wouldn’t comply and that He already had the next few steps in place.

In your ministry to the Lord, the Lord also knows the difficulties. He has a strategy in place for you. If people changed easily, the whole world would have been saved and delivered by now. We also have a very cunning enemy to outsmart. Therefore, in order to get people to follow the Lord we have to be very clever along with the Lord. Many examples in the Bible prove God’s ingenuity e.g. the way He got Joseph into Pharaoh’s confidence so the Israelites could be looked after. Every Christian is called into their sphere of influence to work with the Holy Spirit to accomplish His purposes. The Holy Spirit only needs an open-minded instrument through whom He can work His clever skills. As an instrument of the Holy Spirit we need to realise that the Lord is sovereign. He employs tactics that we would sometimes doubt and even consider ungodly, due to our frame of reference of the Lord being only meek and mild.

A certain man was very much against his wife serving the Lord. One Sunday, while she went to church, he decided to prove from the Bible that what she believed in was fantasy. When she got home, he had the Bible on his lap, weeping. He had gotten saved. Wasn’t the Holy Spirit clever?

A pastor we know used to be a boxer before he got saved. As a pastor he once encountered continuous domestic abuse in one of his flock’s families. When he got a call for help from this woman one night whilst her husband was beating her, he got in the car and drove over to her house. A holy anger filled his heart and he floored the man with one whack, sat on top of him and shared the gospel with him. The man got saved.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD (Isaiah 55:8).”

Now, don’t go hitting everybody (smile), but be open for how the Lord wants to work, comply with His ways and you’ll be successful.

Lord, help me to be receptive to your methods.

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Get to Know the Lord through Moses’ Life (Part Two)

The Lord called Moses to deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh. “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10).” I can imagine Moses’ feelings. ‘What... me?’ His heart probably started to throb out of control, a thousand thoughts swirling through his mind. He saw more than a million Israelites on one hand and Pharaoh, whom he knew all too well, on the other.

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ (Exodus 3:11)”

Moses didn’t have the most brilliant of self-images. If you read on in this passage you’ll see that he made every attempt to get out of it, but God knew what He wanted. At the end of Exodus two I noticed the following: “And God heard their (Israel’s) groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel - and God knew (Exodus 2:24, 25).” The chapter ended abruptly with these words and I asked myself; what did God know? Then I paged over to chapter three where Moses’ encounter with God was recorded. The Lord simply knew whom He was going to use to deliver Israel. He looked at the situation and at the man Moses and then merged them successfully. Moses was the man for that situation. Through Moses the Lord would do what He planned, so He arranged a meeting with His chosen vessel.

When you were born, the Lord had already assessed the world you were born into and He knew what you would be best for. He knew your personality, what would become of you, who your friends and colleagues would be, what your gifts and talents are and He knew! He knew where and how you could make a difference.

Note how the Lord responded to Moses’ reaction, which depicted inferiority: “He said, ‘But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain (Exodus 3:12).’” I can sense the Lord’s fatherly expression and tone of voice. “But... what do you mean by ‘who am I’? Obviously I will be with you. Did you think I will send you on your own?”

What do you do when the Lord expects something of you? Do you also think you’re not worthy? Have you discerned your gift and taken the necessary measures to develop it. Once somebody prophesied to me that the Lord wanted to use me in Biblical teaching and that I had to get to know the Bible. I made every effort to know the Word – reading it and attending Bible Schools. Now I’m loaded with Word and the Holy Spirit has something to use when He wants to teach via me. Writing these teachings is effortless, for I just follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Are you ready and have you taken the necessary steps to be used in your gift? Are you busy with your gift? Remember, God is not pleased with excuses. He is there for you!

Lord, help me to discover my gift.

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Get to Know the Lord through Moses’ Life (Part One)

The Lord is faithful, hallelujah!

Low self-image is not pleasing to the Lord. In the midst of Paul’s horrible circumstances he said “I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)” and “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37).”

We are all gifted in some way. The Lord once needed to reprimand me that He gave me the intelligence I have to be used to the benefit of His Kingdom, for I used to stand back for others and then the Lord wasn’t able to accomplish through me what He wanted to. From the moment we’re born the devil steps in and make use of people to break us down. Thoughtless people say and do things that crush us. Parents handle their kids wrongly and through all these experiences that happen regularly in our lives, we feel inferior about ourselves. These feelings cause us to feel unworthy when the Lord calls on us to do something. From the previous few postings we’ve learned that we’re all gifted and that the Lord will press on our button when He needs us.

He did press on Moses’ button. He prepared Moses long before He called him though. When the Egyptians killed all the Hebrew boys (Exodus 1:22), He arranged for Moses to be adopted by the Egyptian princess, who raised him in the palace (Exodus 2:1-10). There he learned the ways of Pharaoh, knowledge which he would have needed in the future when he was to be the instrument to fulfil God’s plan. For many years he went though life’s training and learned his lessons the hard way, just as all of us do and, when the Lord considered him ready, He called him.

The Lord saw something in Moses, even before he was born, which He knew would work perfect for this purpose to which Moses was called. The Lord also saw something in you, which would be perfect for a purpose He’d like to use you in. Each of His called ones has a purpose for which they were called; a purpose only you can accomplish. For example a simple thing that I have to accomplish is to show people, who cross my way, to live in forgiveness, something I’ve learned the hard way. I’ve noticed that at work and elsewhere people tend to look for a culprit when something goes wrong, i.e. a scapegoat. I try to make them understand that it doesn’t matter who wronged, as long as the matter is resolved. The guilty one will learn from it. This in itself shows love – a godly principle. Maybe the Lord wants to use you in similar ways.

Once the Lord has prepared Moses, He called him. In Exodus 3:2-9 the Lord spelled out His concern. His people suffered under Pharaoh and the Lord needed someone to help solve the situation, to deliver His people from the Egyptians. Then He dropped the bombshell. “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10).”

I can imagine Moses gasping, staring incomprehensibly at the Angel of the Lord who manifested His glory in this bush, giving it an appearance of being alight.

So, how did Moses respond?  Shall I tell you tomorrow?

Lord, thank you for calling me. Please lead me to my purpose?

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Why Fast?

I’m on holiday and this is one of the days I would not be near an Internet connection to upload the daily written Word Byte. I felt the Lord wanted me to preload this section from my book, Sermon on the Mount Secrets, as an appetiser. In itself it would give you something to chew on, but the whole picture can obviously be found in the book, which is available as an e-book at: http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/challenging-revelations---sermon-on-the-mount-secrets/18323577

“When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:16-18).”

All of these commands, which pull our focus away from self and toward God, promise a reward. We all need motivation, a purpose to work for, and a goal to reach. Our reward is either on earth or in heaven. Therefore, just as salespersons treat their customers in a special way in order to increase sales, so we must have a specific reason for our spiritual activities.

Why do you read the Bible? Is it to fulfil a religious duty? Do you read it mindlessly, not understanding what you read, or do you have a purpose of trying to understand God’s ways and to learn what He has in mind for you? Do you think of the Father when you read His Word? When you pray, what do you want to accomplish? Do you want God to see that you are religious and are obeying His command to pray? Do you want to be able to tell your friends that you pray because they do it too? What is the purpose of prayer?

Do you pray to get results or a reaction from the living God? What are you living for? Do you live to satisfy your desires and to see how much you can get from this present life? Do you live for the joy of having your family around you and for fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ, or are you concerned about eternity?

What does the Lord think of you? What rewards has He set aside for you to receive one day at the judgment seat? What preparations are you making for the next billion-plus years?

Many Christians believe we must only do our duty because of God’s love for us and because we need to please Him. I think this belief causes passivity and apathy in the church. This mindset says once you have done your love-duty, you’re okay.

The Lord created us and knows exactly what motivates us. Most of us are motivated by incentives. Why would the Kingdom of God be different? Each condition or expectation from God is linked with a promise of a reward. Many religious people will say that Christians should not do good works in exchange for rewards, but if the Lord promised the reward, then what is wrong with that?

The greatest motivation for doing things God’s way is the thrill of experiencing His co-operation in the form of anointing. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” When we act in faith expecting the Lord to work with us, He is pleased by our faith and eagerly co-operates with us. Then we are thrilled by the experience of His anointing. This thrill is sufficient reward but will be followed by an eternal reward as well...

Lord, I want to do life your way.

Relying on the Lord

I’m on holiday and this is one of the days I would not be near an Internet connection to upload the daily written Word Byte. I felt the Lord wanted me to preload this section from my book, Sermon on the Mount Secrets, as an appetiser. In itself it would give you something to chew on, but the whole picture can obviously be found in the book, which is available as an e-book at: http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/challenging-revelations---sermon-on-the-mount-secrets/18323577

Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. (Matthew 5:25, 26)

God’s Kingdom functions on a completely different system than that of the world. The world believes in the survival of the strongest and that the greater you become, the more acceptable you are. It believes that the richer you are, the more popular and influential you are, and that you will be remembered according to the amount of power you have.

God’s Kingdom says that whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:12). If your enemy takes you to court, you have two options: act according to the world’s principles or God’s principles. You either play tough and proud, exalting yourself, or you humble yourself. If you choose the world’s principles, you submit yourself to the world’s judgment and ruthlessness. If you choose to live by the Spirit, by God’s principles, He will overrule the world on your behalf. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In other words, there is nothing in this world that Jesus can’t handle; therefore, if you rely on Him to deal with the trouble the world gives you, you will have peace.

I have had many occasions in which I stood before the choice: should I prosecute or should I forgive? I chose to forgive. A number of times it involved a lot of money, which I lost. On the other hand, I have had many occasions where I should have been prosecuted, but then I called on the Lord, praying this word He gave me: “Because I love you, You said, Lord, that You will rescue me. You will protect me, for I acknowledge Your name. I call upon You, and You will answer me; You will be with me in trouble; You will deliver me and honour me. With long life will You satisfy me and show me Your salvation. Please rescue and protect me Lord, (Psalm 91:14-16).

Every time, the Lord came through for me, rescuing me from the unthinkable. I have sown humility and forgiveness. Because it pleased the Lord, and since it is according to His Word and will, I have reaped forgiveness. This has given me some stunning testimonies.

That is why Jesus said to come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court. In other words, you must be the least. Humble yourself and adapt a give-and-take attitude. Pride often causes stubbornness. Then our decisions are dictated by our pride. These decisions are usually unwise and lead to mistakes. Humility, on the other hand, pleases the Lord and prompts Him to exalt you and judge in your favour. If we act in pride and arrogance, the Lord steps out of the way. Then our adversary may hand us over to the judge, and the judge may hand us over to the officer, and we may be thrown into prison according to the style of the world...

 
Lord, I desire to do things your way and look forward to your guidance.