Feeding From Jesus

Good morning.

This morning I’d like to give you John 15:1-17. As we said in an earlier message, John was very close to Jesus and he understood the value of sitting at Jesus’ feet. Four chapters that really guide us into a close and intimate relationship with Jesus we find in John 14-17. If we want to live a godly life, these chapters give good guidance.

In the days to come we will look into it and see what we can learn from it. When you read the passage below, pray that the Lord will open your heart to see what was on His heart when He spoke these words, and then savour it, let it drench your spirit with its meaning.

The Lord said in Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart,” and in Isaiah 55:6: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”

Enjoy John 15:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit —fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

Lord, please open my eyes to see what you want from me.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Motivated to Suffer

Good morning.

It was wonderful to journey through Abraham’s life wasn’t it? In it we became aware that the Lord always has His greater plan in mind and we need to be available to be efficient within it. We don’t know what effect our simple obedience regarding one person’s life may have in the Kingdom of God. We used the example of Billy Graham. The person, who led Billy to the Lord, simply did his duty in obedience, but the result was many souls saved and he shared in Billy’s inheritance.

In the light of this ‘greater plan’ view, why did the Lord make the following statement? “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you,” (Matthew 5:10-12).

As we said before in various ways, we are not supposed to live for this life. Everything Jesus said was aimed at discouraging us to get comfortable with the World and its ways. We are foreigners, pilgrims, visitors, ambassadors – name it what you wish – to this planet, for heaven is our home. Our motivation should be heaven and our treasure should be in heaven. We should not look at having a legacy on earth. What we do should be remembered in heaven, written up in the book of life.

“Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honoured his name. ‘They will be mine,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not,’” (Malachi 3:16-18). Wouldn’t you like to be part of this group? Why not fear Him and honour His name through obedience?

So why did the Lord make the statement in Matthew 5 above? Those who live godly lives and expect to be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12) have their focus on heaven. Earth to them is just a hotel room whilst they are at their mission, and everything they do counts for them in heaven – their headquarters. To them it is not about what the neighbours think, how far they can progress in their career and what they can do to make life comfortable, but it is about people being their reward in heaven - souls that are saved, encouraged, equipped to serve the Lord efficiently, etc. Therefore when these warriors of Jesus get persecuted, they rejoice for they have stepped on the enemy’s toes and it hurt, so he snapped at them - they have managed to mess with his plans and to stir up his evil kingdom.

They also rejoice for they know Jesus promised them a reward directly related to persecution. This reward is meant to encourage us not to shy away from persecution, which is a definite for those who make a difference in this life for God’s sake – a godly life. If we are not living for heaven and persecution makes life difficult for us, we would avoid it for the sake of comfort. This leads to compromise, which means we are actually not as godly as we should be. However, if we realise that we are rewarded every time we are persecuted because of righteousness, we will be encouraged to persevere in godliness and be glad for persecution.

Are you one of these mentioned above, living a godly life and rejoicing in persecution? If not, try it for it is very rewarding.

Lord, please make me aware of heaven?

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Abraham Twelve – Living Sacrifice

Good morning.

For years Abraham waited for this promised son – Isaac. In the waiting time he made some mistakes by taking matters in his own hands and had his share of inner and family turmoil. He certainly enjoyed the first years of Isaac’s existence until one day “God said, ‘Take your son , your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about,’” (Genesis 22:2). Read the whole story at http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2022:1-19&version=NIV1984.

Can you put yourself in Abraham’s shoes? What was the point, Abraham might have thought, why have I waited all these years just to lose him again? Is that how we would have thought? But Abraham could have thought differently as well, knowing the Lord as he did. He could have figured that the Lord probably tested him. Nevertheless he didn’t know whether the Lord would save the day or not. All he knew was that he had to do what the Lord told him and he obeyed regardless.

Once again this was one of the actions of faith Abraham had to follow though, so God could have His mandate to fulfil His greater plan. As discussed in an earlier message; Abraham’s willingness within the covenant to sacrifice his only son, gave God the covenant right to sacrifice His son, Jesus Christ.

Under the New Covenant Jesus’ sacrifice as the Lamb of God ended our need to sacrifice animals as redemption from sin, but created the opportunity to sacrifice ourselves.

·         “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory,” (Colossians 3:2-4).

·         “If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin — because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him,” (Romans 6:5-8).

Being a Christian is not simply making a decision to believe Jesus. It is a death sentence of the sinful nature, of our own desires, plans and ideas. In order for God to accomplish what He wanted to do through Abraham regarding His greater plan concerning Israel, Abraham’s physical descendants, and the church, Abraham’s spiritual descendants, Abraham had to die to his own ideas and vision. He had to unconditionally believe and trust that the Lord knew what He was doing, even though it often brought discomfort to Abraham and sometimes messed up his life, because his flesh struggled against his spirit and faith.

If we are serious to be involved with God’s greater plan, we need to step back and let God do His thing. We need to put our plans for our life, our materialistic comfort, our dreams, yes everything that is important to us, but is not of God, on the altar. Jesus told the rich young man that if he wanted to be perfect, he needed to get rid of everything that is important to him and then follow Jesus, i.e. consider His plans priority (Matthew 19:16-22).

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will,” (Romans 12:1-2).

The only way we would be able to see- and be in God’s perfect will, i.e. His greater plan for His Kingdom, is to sell out and sacrifice ourselves by renewing our mind to think as God thinks.

Lord, I’d like to sacrifice myself. Show me your way.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Abraham Eleven – The Repercussions of Disobedience

Good morning.

Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was told to flee the city, but they were not to look back (Genesis 19:15-26 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2019:15-26&version=NIV1984).

Why were they told not to look back? In Sodom they were badly influenced by the sin of the city. Due to the way they interacted with the people of the city, it appeared that these people rubbed off on them and they were gradually becoming like them. When the men of the city wanted the angels to partake in their sinful actions, Lot for instance told them: “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them,” (Verses 7-8). Can you imagine the degradation that was busy taking place in their lives?

Therefore the Lord wanted them to repent, to get out of that sinful situation forever and not look back to what they could have had. As Lot’s wife ran, she probably thought of the wonderful time she had in the city among the markets and with the women in her community. The fact that Lot sat at the city gate when the angels arrived shows that he was one of the important citizens of the city (verse one), so his wife probably also had status. She was, however, not aware of the gradual degradation of her righteousness as sin was destroying her holiness before God little by little. As she ran she just had to look back once, thinking of what could have been... and she turned into a pillar of salt.

Are we aware of the subtle devastating effect sin has on our relationship with the Lord. I’m not necessarily referring to sin such as stealing, swearing, pornography, gossip, etc. We may be involved in such sins and it will have an obvious effect on our holiness. But any disobedience is sin and a materialistic lifestyle that keeps us focused on self and hinders what God wants to do through us will have equal repercussions. When we are set to impress people, even if it is with our spiritual status within the church, we will find it hard to obey the Lord when He expects of us to do something that will affect our status and popularity and probably lead to persecution and rejection.

Take for example a man of high status in the church who contributes a lot to the church’s finances, but lives in sin. Does the pastor and elders confront his sin and if they do, what would the consequences be should he leave and take half the congregation with him? How would the church be financed? Can you see how careful we must be of the influence of the sinful nature on our relationship with the Lord and our obedience to Him?

In Genesis 19:30-38 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2019:30-38&version=NIV1984 Lot’s daughters did an abominable act that was probably also because of the degradation of their holiness under the influence of sin. Lot started off with the righteous Abraham and must have been righteous as well to be of one kind. However, when Lot chose the best land for himself, it already was obvious that materialism had an influence on him, more that a desire to please God. His daughters ended up being pregnant with his children after effectively raping their father. The consequence of this was that their descendants, the Moabites and Ammonites, became the enemies of Abraham’s descendants Israel. Due to sin, what started off as a close family obedient to God who left Ur, ended in four nations in enmity – Moabites, Ammonites, Ishmaelites and Israel.

Are you feeling close to the Lord, living a life focused on doing what He daily expects of you, or have your life been taken over by all kinds of demands and responsibilities that gradually corrode your relationship with the Lord. These can include religion, for we can be very church oriented and not have a relationship with the Lord at all.

Lord, please protect my relationship with you. Show me how to return to you.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Abraham Ten – Crying Out!

Good morning.

As I read chapters 18 and 19 of Genesis something significant occurred to me. “Then the Lord said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know,’” (Genesis 18:20-21). This was when the Lord visited Abraham. When the angels visited Lot they told him in chapter 19:13: “The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.”

We said in a previous message that the Lord didn’t keep Abraham and Sarah’s sin against them, for He had no law by which He could judge it. Why then did He keep these horrible sins of the men of Sodom against them? Someone had cried out against it. Prayers went up to God to do something about the behaviour of those men. This gave the Lord the mandate to act against these sinners and destroy the sin.

How often do we cry out to the Lord against the sin of our fellow citizens – both of our respective countries and of the Kingdom of God? “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven,” (Matthew 5:44-45). If we love those who hate and persecute us we would not like any harm to come to them, would we? When we ignore the horrible sins that destroy relationships, such as abortion and pornography, do we love the people affected by it? Someone cried out to God against Sodom’s sin and the acceptable judgement then was death. However, Jesus died for everybody’s sin and therefore we should pray in love that the Lord would get rid of the sin, but spare the person. We therefore need to pray for their salvation.

Are those who bully and persecute you on your prayer list? It’s not easy, I know. A while ago I’ve been severely persecuted, after which I felt hurt and shaken, but I had a promise the Lord gave me recently, which gave me hope: “I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the LORD. I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless,” (Jeremiah 15:20-21).

Although I have prayed much for my persecuters' salvation in the past, it took me some time to start praying for them after this last incident. When I see them again I would have to love them as well, acting in the love of Christ that is in me, and not in the bitterness and hatred that the sinful nature gladly would bestow on me. Jesus prayed on the cross “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” (Luke 23:34). Satan is the force behind persecution and instigates people to make life difficult for us. E.g. when Judas had betrayed Jesus, he did it under Satan’s instigation and once it was done, Satan left him and only then Judas realised what he had done. At the time he was blinded.

Only the Lord can open the eyes of those blinded by the devil - though our outcries in prayer.

The same applies when another Christian sins. “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life,” (1 John 5:16). We are responsible for each other. When you are in the situation it is difficult to see or overcome your sin, unless the Lord reveals it to you when someone has prayed for you and talks to you about it (Matthew 18:15-17 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18:15-17&version=NIV1984).

Lord, help me to care for those who sin and do not realise it.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Abraham Nine – How Do We Relate With God?

Good morning.

Abraham had been visited by three men representing the Lord. According to the second half of Genesis 18 and chapter 19 it appears to be the Lord and two angels.

“When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him , so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him,’” (Genesis 18:16-19).

Because it was in Abraham’s heart to do what is right and just, the Lord considered him worthy to become the one who would impart into the Lord’s nation the foundation of righteousness and justice – the Lord’s way. For this reason the Lord was also prepared to trust Abraham with revelation of what He was about to do. Abraham had a good standing with the Lord because of his righteousness, i.e. because he simply did what he was called to do by faith. The Lord considered him reliable and worthy to handle His revelation responsibly.

The same would apply to us if we simply believe and obey; living in intimate anticipation that the Lord would show us Himself, His plans and His desires for our life, if we would show our love towards Him through obedience. “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him,” (John 14:21). He so much desires to have intimate, obedient children with whom He can discuss His greater plans, like He did with Abraham and Moses, rather than distant servants who just do His bidding mechanically. How would you like to be one of such children?

If we look at the remainder of chapter 18, we form an idea of Abraham’s relationship with the Lord. “Then Abraham approached Him and said: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing —to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?’” (Genesis 18:23-33 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%2018:23-33&version=NIV1984)  

Will you talk to the Lord like that? We think it’s cheeky, but if we are of the same mind as the Lord, having His concerns at heart, we could. The Lord is not a distant Master who demands reverent respect, worship and obedience at the snap of a finger. Jesus said in Luke 15:13-15: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Have you noticed how the Lord responded to Abraham’s pleas? He didn’t make an issue of it. Abraham showed the necessary respect, but pressed through, for he was determined to get what he wanted – mercy on the righteous. Note also that Abraham didn’t think of himself when he made his request. He could easily have thought; ‘yes Lord, zap them. They have been troublesome neighbours’.

How do we ask of God? Do we only ask for our own benefit or do we ask according to God’s will? How easily do we give up? Do we persevere until we get what we want? How close are we to the Lord? Do we have the confidence to respectfully challenge Him on His promises?

Lord, please teach me how to fellowship with you in fullness.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Abraham Eight – Sarah Lied... and Now?

Good morning.

In our previous message we saw that the Lord visited Abraham as three men. Jesus, as the Angel of the Lord (note it doesn’t say ‘an angel’), dealt mostly with the people of the Old Testament, so it appeared to be the Lord and two angels if we also look at chapter 19 (Genesis 18 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2018&version=NIV1984). This indicates that it had to be an important visit.

When the men had eaten, two important things happened. Firstly they gave the date of the promised child and secondly they announced the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the latter of which has an important message for our next article.

They promised that Sarah would have a child in a year’s time, but “Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, ‘After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?’

“Then the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.’

Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, ‘I did not laugh.’

But he said, ‘Yes, you did laugh,’” (Genesis 18:12-15).

So far Abraham has lied to the Egyptians and Sarah has lied to the Lord and on both occasions the Lord has done nothing about it. About the Egyptian incident I said in a previous message that God probably dealt with Abraham privately, which was not recorded, but as I prayed about this passage it occurred to me that there was no law yet. “To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law,” (Romans 5:13). The Lord couldn’t judge their sins against any law, so He simply reprimanded Sarah – pointing out her sin.

The same applies to us. Although we have the law and know what is right and wrong, we don’t live by the law anymore, but by grace. Jesus has died for our sins once and for all. “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace,” (Romans 6:13-14). When we sin the Holy Spirit simply convicts us and we confess our sins for “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and his word is not in us,” (1 John 1:9-10).

This seems to be common sense and not revelation, but how many of our sins do we confess the moment we do it? We tend to go through a whole day sinning without confessing and when we get on our knees at night we pray ‘Lord, please forgive me my sins’. Through the day we expect the Lord to be with us, to bless and support us, but we keep building a barrier of unconfessed sin between Him and us all day long (Isaiah 59:1-2 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2059:1-2&version=NIV1984). If we don’t acknowledge that we have sinned, the moment conviction comes, we effectively claim we have not sinned and make Him, who convicted us, a liar because we ignored the conviction. Maybe we are not tuned in to hear the conviction?

I try to realise every time I have sinned and then say ‘sorry Jesus’ or something similar, and when I continue sinning in an area of weakness I plead for grace every time I stumble and for a way out, praying 1 Corinthians 10:13 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2010:13&version=NIV1984.  

Do we then have to confess our sins? Is our sins not automatically forgiven when we are in Christ? Our sins are pardoned, so we don’t have to bring the sin offering anymore, but the Bible is very clear about continuous confession.

Lord, please make me sensitive for your conviction of my sins.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Abraham Seven – What Do We Serve Up?

Good morning.

In Genesis 18:1-15 the Lord visited Abraham in the form of three men. Whether Abraham recognised them as the Lord I don’t know, but Abraham’s reaction to their visit showed his heart.

“Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, ‘If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.  Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.’

‘Very well,’ they answered, ‘do as you say.’

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. ‘Quick,’ he said, ‘get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.’

Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree,” (Genesis 18:3-8).

Note that Abraham didn’t call his staff to serve them. He was a rich and influential man and could easily have done it, but he humbled himself and served them personally with effort and enthusiasm. He also used the finest flour to have the bread made of and a carefully selected choice, tender calf to be prepared. While they ate, he stood by as their personal servant.

Abraham was visited by the Lord! Wow, would that not be ecstatic to be visited by the Lord? Can you imagine your front door bell ringing and as you open it, there the Lord stands. The difference between us and Abraham, however, is that the Lord had to visit Abraham, but in our case He is with us all the time. Continually the Holy Spirit is our guest. How welcome does He feel in our presence? What does He have to sit through with us as we watch television, play on the computer, surf the Internet, talk with our family members and friends, etc? What does He have to tolerate in our thought life?

Abraham went to much trouble to prepare choice food for his guests. What do we offer the Lord? Is He walking with us to listen to gossip, complaining or judgement of other people, or does He hear us glorifying His name, speaking faith, witnessing the gospel and does He see us loving our neighbour. How does He see us react to trials? Do we panic and fear or do we react in faith and prayer?

Abraham had the food prepared carefully. Do we just enter the day without any spiritual preparation? When we do our jobs or hobbies, careful planning and preparation go into it, doesn’t it? How about our faith life? When we enter a new day, have we prayed about opportunities to share the gospel, comfort people and equip others with what we have – to make a difference? Have we tuned ourselves into hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit who wants to lead us in doing good works the Lord has prepared for us? “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” (Ephesians 2:10).

How pure are we before the Lord? We have another spirit that comes to visit regularly – Satan – and if he finds a foothold of sin and impurity he will use it to make life difficult for us. Ephesians 4:27: “and do not give the devil a foothold.”

So what do we offer the Lord? “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things,” (Philippians 4:8).

Lord, help me to be aware of your presence and to offer you my choicest life.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Abraham Six – The How-To about Descendants

Good morning.

Have you read the previous messages about knowing God through Abraham? This is a follow-up on the last one.

Having descendants within the covenant, as we saw in the previous message, is almost like leaving a legacy. Abraham just had to be there for the Lord so He could accomplish what He had planned. Abraham was the father of faith and he only needed to exercise faith to enable the Lord to achieve what He desired. Even though Abraham’s faith waivered at times, e.g. in Genesis 17:17 where Abraham laughed at God’s promise, it gave God the mandate to set the scene for His new nation and covenant with Abraham and his descendants, as well as for Jesus’ coming and our resulting faith.

We said in our previous message that we are Abraham’s descendants and because we are part of the covenant, we also have spiritual descendants as a direct result of our obedience in Christ. This gives us hope to live for. We are all gifted in one way or another (Romans 12:6-8: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012:6-8&version=NIV1984) and also have the Holy Spirit gifts available to make a difference to our world (1 Corinthians 12:1-11: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2012:1-11&version=NIV1984). Just as Abraham didn’t really have a clue where God was headed and simply believed, we neither have a clue what would become of our efforts in God’s greater plan. “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known,” (1 Corinthians 13:12). We mentioned in our previous message that if only the person, who led e.g. Billy Graham to the Lord, knew what his inheritance would look like.

As we work within our gifting, we do not always see the results we desire (Hebrews 11:39-40: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews%2011:39-40&version=NIV1984). I for instance write these teachings every single morning, since I believe the Lord has gifted and anointed me to do it, and if I stay obedient and faithful, the Lord is going to use these teachings to touch individuals significantly enough to make a difference in their immediate surroundings.

Can you see that you just need to be faithful in using your gifts and talents, for then God can use and multiply it to suit His greater plan? Maybe you’ve served faithfully in church as an usher and by that made it possible for the other gifts, such as teaching, evangelism and pastoral work, to function smoothly. The descendants from their work – souls saved and discipled – will be accredited to you as well. The same applies to giving wisely where money would be used for the proclamation of the gospel. Maybe you’ve looked after an ill relation for many years and feel at times your life is wasted. However, you don’t know how many people have found Christ because they’ve seen or heard of your sacrifice and praised the Lord through it. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven,” (Matthew 5:16). These descendants are accredited to your covenant with the Lord in Christ.

The Lord mentions rewards at various occasions in the Bible. I doubt if it would have anything to do with materialism, since the latter is a human concept. I am convinced that changed and saved people make out most, if not all of our reward. We will be so pleased to see all these souls in heaven and be told that it is due to our faithfulness that they are there. When we have contributed to their understanding of God and to their holiness, they will be even more pleased, since their rewards will be greater because of our faithfulness to show them the way.

Lord, help me to be faithful.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Abraham Five – All About Descendants

Good morning.

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers,’” (Genesis 17:1-2)

By this time Abram had been walking with the Lord for several years and should know have known Him by now. Just remember Abram didn’t have the Holy Spirit as we have. Jesus told His disciples in John 14:25-26: “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” As people our nature is to be self-centred, which is why the Holy Spirit has to remind us about the things of God. Since Abram was human, the Lord had to remind him every so often of their relationship and covenant. “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself,” (2 Timothy 2:13).

Note that the condition to God’s covenant with Abram in the passage above was that Abram had to be faithful and blameless. The wonderful thing about this is that the Lord put His conditions before us and as long as we bring our side, He is faithful with His, but if we are unfaithful He will make every effort to bring us in line with Him again, so He could continue with the covenant. The Holy Spirit then convicts us of our sin and unfaithfulness and He disciplines us through turning up the heat of our circumstances, first to get us to return and then for us to decide not to do it again because we fear the consequences. The closer we get to the Lord, the less ungodliness He tolerates. In the past I got away with much more than I get away with now. These days the reprimand is instantly and severe, should I dare to dishonour the Lord.

“Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you,’” (Genesis 17:3-7), and “God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her,’” (verses 15-16).

God said that this covenant is between Him, Abraham and all his descendants. All believers are descendants of Abraham. This covenant is therefore for everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and has been adopted into the family of God. If we walk blameless in Christ and be faithful, we are part of the covenant. The Lord promised Abraham and Sarah that nations and kings will come from them as part of the covenant.

Who are your descendants in this covenant? Have you ever thought of the heavenly rewards of the person who obediently led Billy Graham to the Lord? He also has spiritual nations as part of his descendants, doesn’t he? Lord has a great plan and He uses a variety of gifts, talents and personalities to accomplish His plan. Not all of us are public speakers, but we may just be in touch with the future great evangelist, Christian political leader, pastor of a fruitful church, etc. whom we should lead to the Lord. If we are faithful in being obedient in the small things, we might just be part of a future great thing.

Lord, teach me to be faithful and blameless.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Abraham Four – What If We Mess Up?

Good morning.

The Lord made quite a few promises to Abram and has all the time been in control of his life? He dictated the activities and promises and dealt with the crises and problems. All Abram needed to do was obey. It works the same with us.

In Genesis 15 Abram was ready for the Lord’s next step – the covenant.

“As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure,” (Genesis 15:12-16).

The Lord had the future of His nation planned out in the most intricate details and this He revealed to Abram so he could understand the purpose of his existence. Abram was to simply obey the Lord as He prepared the way for His new nation to be born. Abram was only an instrument in this greater vision, but he was an essential instrument, for if he messed up as he certainly did, the destinies of many people would be affected.

How did Abram mess up? He took matters in his own hands and produced a son for himself through Hagar, and when he and Sarai realised the blunder they’d make, they tried to get rid of it by getting Hagar to leave. Satisfied that they had swept the problem under the carpet, they went on with their lives. But they underestimated God.

“The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, ‘Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?’

‘I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,’ she answered.

Then the angel of the Lord told her, ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’ The angel added, ‘I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count,’” (Genesis 16:7-10).

God is faithful to His promises and abounding in love. Ishmael was also Abram’s descendent, but the repercussions of this sin of Abram has affected Christianity for centuries and still do. Ishmael’s descendants took up the faith of Islam.

The Lord also has a long term plan with each of our lives and many of us have probably also messed up, bearing the repercussions of our disobedience. The Lord has however not given up on Abram and proceeded with His plans in spite of Abram’s weaknesses. He was determined to have His own nation and went to much trouble to develop them. We know how much trouble Israel gave the Lord, but He still loves them as His own.

The Lord hasn’t given up on you, no matter how many mistakes you’ve made and how deep you’ve sunk. I’ve had a call on my life since I’ve been a child, but I also had these foolish tendencies to mess up due to character weaknesses. The battle is never ending, but I fight the good fight and as long as I feed my spirit with the Word and resist the flesh, the Lord is faithful in using my anointing to accomplish what He called me for. Fortunately Paul the Apostle had similar battles, so we are in good company.

The Lord would have revealed to you what His plans are with you, things only you are anointed for. He has done it with all Biblical people and if you don’t know it yet, you should start asking Him to show you. He needs you to make a difference in His Kingdom. You may also have messed up, but take heart, you can always press reset.

Lord, thank you that you are faithful in fulfilling your plan. Please help me to be faithful too.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Abraham Three – The Lord My Friend

Good morning.

Abram had quite a few adventures since we last visited him. “After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

‘Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.’

But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’ Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.’  He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars —if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness,” (Genesis 15:1-6).

This happened just after Abram defeated the kings and saved Lot from their hands. As a result the priest Mechizedek blessed him and Abram gave him a tenth of everything. It is interesting to note that the fight with the kings was about getting people and goods back and afterwards, when the Lord comforted Abram that He is Abram’s shield and reward, the first thing Abram was concerned about was the lack of an heir.

Abram desired to feel safe and surrounded by people and things and was even concerned about his wealth after his death – an heir - whilst the Lord only wanted Abram to desire Him; ‘I am your shield Abram and I am your reward.’ I sensed this almost passionate plea in the Lord’s words – ‘please choose me’. Don’t we do the same as Abram did?

Have you ever been rude to your father or mother and they just quietly stared at you, with hurt in their eyes, as you raged on. How have you felt when you came to your senses afterwards? Has the image of their hurt love flashed back to you repeatedly, causing you much regret? Maybe you’ve been in the parent’s position when one of your children did that and you silently stared at them, hurting inside. Do you think that is maybe how God feels when we choose idols above His love, especially Mammon (Matthew 6:24)?

But the Lord’s love is amazing and He understood that Abram was merely human and still had much to learn, so He gave him a promise to hold on to. When Abram believed Him, it was credited to him as righteousness. Was that all that was necessary to be in right standing with the Lord? He let Abram’s disregard of His offer, due to Abram’s concern about his own material wellbeing, pass by. He would learn in due time.

How do you feel when someone, to whom you’ve proved yourself, doesn’t trust you? Maybe hurt and rejected? What does the confidence and trust of another do for you? Does it draw you closer to that person and deepen the friendship? Faith and trust is everything to the Lord (Hebrews 11:6), which is why He became so angry when the Israelites in the desert still considered Him a stranger after He had repeatedly proven Himself to them.

How do you experience the Lord? Can you sense His presence and His love and do you sense when He is hurt by your unbelief and your idol worship? Is He real to you and does His feelings matter to you? He is a person with emotions and does honour our friendship with Him. An example of this we find in Exodus 32:9-14: “‘I have seen these people,’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.’” Even though He is sovereign, He allowed Moses to talk sense into Him: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2032:9-14&version=NIV.

This is what the Lord wants of us – a mutual love and understanding, which only comes if we show interest in- and spend time with Him.

Lord, please show me yourself?

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Abraham Two – The Lord’s Training

Good morning.

Abram walked a journey with the Lord. All the details of how the Lord led him are not written down, but since he was a godly man he would have daily sought the Lord’s will and direction. He came to a place where the Lord told him: “‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him,” (Genesis 12:7).

Abram’s immediate reaction to the Lord’s direction was worship. He treasured the Lord’s guidance and interest in him - the fact that he could be a chosen instrument in the Lord’s hands. Even though he probably would have liked the Lord to show him where he could settle, Abram had his sights set on God’s greater plan and not on his own needs, which is why the Lord chose him for the task. How about you?

How do you respond to the Lord’s working in your life, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose,” (Philippians 2:13b) and when He says “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you,” (Psalm 32:8)? Do we submit to Him, receiving what He brings across our path with grace, or do we rebel, choosing to follow our own way of serving Him? If we want to make a difference to our world as God’s hands and feet, we need to be useful hands and feet and therefore have to surrender to His pruning. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful,” (John 15:1, 2).

Since a journey with the Lord always includes development and training, Abram had to learn a few lessons as well. He therefore happened to end up in Egypt and, obviously knowing Egyptians’ reputation, he realised he would have to do something about his wife Sarai, since she was a beautiful women and Abram feared they might kill him to get her. He followed his human instinct, instead of relying on the Lord, and lied: “Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you,” (V13). The Lord’s reaction amazed me. One would think that the Lord would have disciplined Abram for being such a coward, but He disciplined the Egyptians: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2012:14-20&version=NIV1984. It’s probable that the Lord had a private talk with Abram, which was not recorded, since the Lord has always disciplined His people and we are clearly informed about discipline in Hebrews 12:4-13.

We tend to idolise people and this includes the men and women of the Bible, but if you look carefully, not a single one of them were without a flaw. Abraham was a coward and a liar, Jacob a deceiver, David an adulterer, Paul a murderer, Peter a liar, etc. What is your weakness? “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me,” (2 Corinthians 12:9). The Lord is not concerned about our ability, but is interested in our heart attitude.

If we are in God’s will, He will look after us. He does say in Psalm 91:14-16: “‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.’”

Do you love the Lord? Show it to Him through your faith and obedience and then rest in Him.

I’ll do just that, Lord.

Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.