Perfection (Part Two)

Good morning

Until Monday morning, 6^th August, we are going to look at some extracts from my book.
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” (Matthew 5:48).

Why did Jesus say we must be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect? Maturity and perfection are not natural for us. We naturally focus inward. Therefore, perfection and maturity are conscious, daily choices—resistance to introversion on a momentary basis.

Since Jesus included the word “therefore,” we know he meant for us to refer back to the previous paragraph. This means that without being perfect, we can’t do what Jesus commanded in the previous verses of Matthew 5 as well as in the remainder of the Sermon on the Mount: turn the other cheek, walk the second mile, lend without expecting back, etc.

The focus is on caring for the extreme, those who are rejected by society. To forgive and care for those around you is easy. It takes no sacrifice, no humiliation, and no embarrassment; in fact, it gives you a good name in your community. But consider the consequences if you get intimately involved with “scoundrels”: street children, prostitutes, thieves—society’s “enemies.” Your friends will ridicule you, the scoundrels will take advantage of you, and your life might be endangered. You might even have to be uncomfortable at times and embarrass your family.

Wasn’t this what the King of Glory experienced on earth, having left eternal glory for an ordinary existence among the common people? Isn’t this what the glorious Holy Spirit experiences every moment He gets involved in our filthy lifestyle (compared to God’s glory) to help us out of trouble time and time again? In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul tells us that we will be persecuted, but how will this happen if we never leave our comfort zones and live radically differently in a sick world?

The Holy Spirit showed me that the majority of Christians have a wrong idea of what church is all about, and then they wonder why God is not prospering their church. Church seems to be a place where God must meet my needs—the same needs time and again as I go up for prayer over and over. Often, the message’s main focus is how we can overcome our personal troubles. Furthermore, the tendency of the church is only to wait on the Lord, to experience His presence in their services and be blessed for that hour and enjoy supernatural sensations.

In some churches, the pastor preaches about what we are supposed to do and what the Lord wants, but the congregation doesn’t follow up with obedience. Only a handful of Christians become actively involved while the majority warms the seats. Many churches support missionaries, focus on prayer for the world, and are involved in some small-scale action, but occasionally, one finds a spiritually prosperous church like the following.

In this church, members organize action teams for street outreach, missions, and caring for the elderly. These teams do their work during the week, and at the Sunday morning service, they give their reports. Upon hearing how wonderful the Lord has moved during the week, more Christians are challenged to get involved in ministry.

Lord, please let the church, as you intended it to be, become reality.

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.

Perfection (Part One)

Good morning

Until Monday morning, 6^th August, we are going to look at some extracts from my book.

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” (Matthew 5:48).

This passage has intrigued me for a long time. Who can be perfect? What did Jesus mean when He said it? Did He mean it literally?

The Greek meaning of “perfect” is a man of full age - mature.

Do we understand maturity? The average, balanced person starts off young, full of energy and ambition. While he is young and immature, life revolves around him. He enjoys achieving one accomplishment after the other. Even after marriage and having children, this is still his nature, but now he includes his spouse’s and children’s successes as part of his own. As he grows older, however, material things and performance become less and less important, and his spouse, children, and other people take higher priority. When the grandchildren appear, everything revolves around them. In old age, nothing but his interdependence on other people has any value.

A mature person demonstrates self-control—control over the tongue, actions, and emotions. Such a person is not influenced by what is said of him or to him. He is not controlled by circumstances or outside forces but only by the Holy Spirit. He allows the Holy Spirit’s control to be superior to his circumstances. If a friend tells a child she looks like a pig, she cries. A mature person just laughs at an insult, because he knows who he is in Christ.

Age does not always play a role in maturity. A person can be “of age” or mature at any age beyond the teenage years. Even a teenager can be mature within his group or in comparison with his peers. Someone can be in her fifties or even older and be completely immature. The point is that in this passage, the word “perfect” seems to mean “mature.” This perfection God looks for is all about His character, one of mercy and forgiveness.

Maturity consists of forgetting about oneself and focusing instead on the needs of others. A mature person has no personal or self-centred desires left to fulfil or bring to completeness. She is content with who she is and can focus her attention on others, displaying integrity and virtue.

God the Father is perfect, and so are Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God has nothing to prove. He is the perfect example of unselfishness in that He gave his only son to die for our iniquities. Ever since then, he has proved his maturity in taking personal responsibility for each of His millions of children twenty-four hours a day. Have you ever thought about the Lord’s personal interest in your life? If you are sensitive, you will hear the Holy Spirit’s continual guidance and warnings. My wife and I can give countless testimonies of times when we knew somehow that another driver was going to run a stop sign or traffic light, so we waited, avoiding an accident. Once I took some change from a wall safe. Because of the size of the safe, the moneybox had to stand on its side. I got the warning that it was open, but I didn’t think that was possible. Guess what, the next moment all the money was on the floor. Who warned me? The Holy Spirit.

If God, who holds the universe in the palm of His hand, takes such personal interest in the smallest aspect of each of His millions of children, and if Jesus could take such intense interest in His peers of the day, how much more should we take interest in the few people we see every day?

To be continued.

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.

Sunday Special

Good morning.

Today I give you 1 John 5. I love the apostle John. He seemed to have had such a close relationship with Jesus. But have you noticed the similarities between his gospel and his letters. He had a specific message the Lord wanted him to bring over and he focussed on it. So does each of us have a specific message the Lord wants us to bring to those around us, one that links in with our personality and interests. We need to make sure we bring it over as efficiently as we can.

As you read the passage below, take your time and ponder about it, make it your own and then apply it.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

This is the one who came by water and blood —Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

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.

Apply the Law and Prophets Today (Part 3)

Good morning

During the past four mornings I’ve been camping away from Internet access. In fact for four days I have not touched a computer, but had a good rest. Today’s message, also from my book, follows on from the last two messages.

“I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commandments will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 5:18-20).

Do these commandments refer to the Law and the Old Testament prophets? According to Galatians 3, we know that the Law has no value for faith.

“I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you’ve heard?” (Galatians 3:2)

Paul continues in verse five: “Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” Finally he shows us that the time of the law’s power is history: “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law,’”(Galatians 3:10).

The Law of Faith is any law or command in the Old Testament that was not fulfilled or revised by Jesus. It also includes all the New Testament commands. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “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.”

The key word in this passage is “faith.” In the Old Testament, ordinary people did not need faith. They had the Law and the Prophets, who heard from God and informed the people of God’s will. All the people needed to do were to obey. To be forgiven of disobedience or sin, all they had to do was to present a prescribed sacrifice.

But living with the new Laws and the new Prophet is not so easy. Everyone needs to act in faith through hearing from the Prophet Himself. For example: “‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you,’” (Luke 6:37, 38). Like most Old Testament commands, these come with promises. The difference is that the prophets are not now present. Neither is the Prophet. All we have left is faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

The Law, as presented by the Prophet Jesus Christ, is to be obeyed and taught to the letter. Those who do it will be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.

Jesus said that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. This is because they pretended to obey the law and the prophets for their own benefit, and in the process, they burdened the people (Matthew 23). Jesus, however, came to live for others. He expects us to do the same. We need to examine Jesus’ life. We must teach and obey all of His commands—the “new law”—with the intent of permanent change. Church must be more than a social club, repeating the same traditions week after week, or a show with the purpose of generating power and wealth.

Satan often uses our carnal desire for comfort, wealth, and power in order to corrupt the purity of the church. To observe Jesus’ commands, we must stay in close touch with the Holy Spirit all the time, just as Jesus did. His main concern was to reach His local area with the truth. Rather than numbers of converts, His interest lay in bringing change that would glorify the Father and expand the Kingdom.

Why is it important to understand the Sermon on the Mount properly? Because those who understand the commands of Jesus and obey them to the letter will be more effective in ministry and will have a better eternity. “‘But whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven,’” (Matthew 5:19b).

A great man or woman is someone who accomplishes great things for the benefit of society. This could be a great statesman, a great businessman, or a great preacher. They may have become great by acting according to the rules set by society, business, ethics, or God.

On the other hand, a criminal ignores society’s rules, destroying others with his notorious acts.

Lord, I would like to obey.

If a Christian who obeys the law of Christ is called great in the Kingdom of God, what would Jesus call a Christian who does not obey?

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.

Apply the Law and Prophets Today (Part 2)

Good morning.

Until Friday morning, 27 July, we are going to look at some extracts from my book.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them,” (Matthew 5:17).

Jesus said in this passage that He came to fulfil the law and prophets. Instead of separating the law and the prophets, he causes them to complement each other, to make their unity complete. He has come to put in the last pieces of the puzzle, to fill up what lacked—to make them complete.

Jesus brought this fulfilment by establishing both His new and modified laws. He also became the Prophet, unifying the Law and the Prophets. The law now demands faith and the moral instruction given by Christ, especially concerning love.

This love is the law written on our hearts (Romans 2:15). Christ declared it the greatest law.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

Jesus became the love on whom hangs all the Law and Prophets. Since He lives in us through His Holy Spirit, we can obey His law by the Spirit. Jesus’ commands in the New Testament, whether spoken by Him or His apostles, are the fulfilled versions of the Old Testament law. They either completed an Old Testament law, no longer requiring us to obey it, or they refreshed the law, making it more personal and strict. When Jesus told us to keep His commandments, He referred to the commandments that fulfilled the law and prophets.

Consider John 14:21, 24: “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. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” If we do not keep His commandments, we do not love Him. If we do not love Him, He will not reveal Himself to us. Jesus reveals Himself to us to the degree that we prove our love to Him by doing what He tells us to do

He reveals Himself to us by anointing us with a revelation of His own character within the scope of our gifting. He gives us more knowledge of Himself and the Word (for He is the Word) in order to enhance our faith and love for Him.

Lord, thank you for the change you brought.

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.

Apply the Law and Prophets Today (Part 1)

Good morning.

Until Friday morning, 27 July, we are going to look at some extracts from my book.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them,” (Matthew 5:17).

Why would Jesus have preached something like this? Did the disciples hint in that direction? Did they ask Him about it openly? I don’t see any evidence of Jesus’ motivation to take up the topic. But if we consider our natural tendency to regard anything new with suspicion, we can understand Jesus’ need to explain this issue to His followers.

Imagine a typical day in a Jewish town or city in Jesus’ time. The peasants sold their wares in the markets, the wealthy attended to their business, and the religious leaders stalked the area to determine whether their rules and laws were being obeyed. Then an ordinary, middle-class man appears and starts to throw his weight around. If He had been nothing more than a lot of noise, it would have been okay, but He had a lot of power and authority. He preached and did the unheard of, heresy in the eyes of some. How would you react if this happened today?

The Bible shows us that the religious men were the first to become concerned. Their first reaction was probably to question loyalty. Would a mere carpenter attempt to abolish the law in order to gain power? What motivates His powerful teachings? Would He start a new political movement, luring the people away from the law and prophets? Jesus, by the Spirit, knew their minds.

Jesus said He has not come to abolish the law. The word “abolish” in the Greek means to dissolve or break up unity. Jesus meant that He didn’t come to break the unity between the Law and the Prophets. The Law was the rules and customs presented by God through Moses. According to the old covenant, obeying it was the only way to salvation. The prophets, on the other hand, are God’s voice to the people, telling what they have received by inspiration. This includes future events, especially those involving the kingdom of God and salvation

The prophets pointed the way from the Law to the Messiah. The religious people of the time read the Law in order to see what God expected them to do. They studied the Prophets to determine God’s plans for the salvation of the disobedient and His promises for the future.

In this passage, Jesus tells that He didn’t intend to separate the Law and the Prophets, because He wants them to move in unity. The written Law of instruction is meant never to be changed, but could be fulfilled in that it is not needed anymore, for it has been replaced by a better way. The Prophets, on the other hand, bring life to the law, revealing the unfolding of God’s plan with man.

Similarly, the written Word kills while the revealed Word brings life, according to 2 Corinthians 3:6: “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

To be continued.

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.

What Does God See? (Part Two)

What Does God See? (Part Two)

Good morning

Until Friday morning, 27 July, we are going to look at some extracts from my book.

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you,” (Matthew 6:1-4).

If we look at some big ministries, especially those linked to or named after one person, we see that it is easy to be caught up with the ministry’s demands. Everything appears to be about the ministry and the person to whom it is linked. Why did the ministry reach such heights? God made it grow; there’s nothing wrong with that.

But why is the ministry linked to and dependent on one person? Why is one person the lord of the ministry? We so often hear of so-and-so ministries. So-and-so built up this mighty church. Did he do it alone? Did he do the miracles? Was it he who brought in the people? Was it he who thought up all the lovely things to say? Was it by his authority that the devils fled?

This person runs the risk of doing righteousness for the praise of others if he does not constantly pass glory on to God. In fact, it would have been better to name the ministry something else that would refer to the Kingdom instead of a person.

Some argue that the leader doesn’t lift himself up; the people do it. True, but why then does he accept it? Even in the smallest of churches, the pastor may become lord. Some people tend to build a relationship with the church and not with God and worship the pastor rather than the Lord. The other day I stood by as a man told the pastor he had given a lovely message. By saying, “Thank you,” the pastor fell right into the trap. He did not pass the glory on to God.

Once I chatted with the sound technician of a church when a lady ordered a CD of the day’s message. With awe in her voice, she said she adored the way the minister preaches. A lady once told John Wesley that his sermon was good. He answered that the devil tried to tell him the same thing.

I encourage you to give God the glory, lest we follow the way of Herod—physically or spiritually. “On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died,” (Acts 12:21-23).

On the other hand, being too timid, too secretive, or too private makes us ineffective. We are often so scared that we might focus on ourselves that we do nothing. The secret is to do what you must do but pass the glory on to God.

I was blessed by a pastor recently. He had every opportunity to become proud. He is a highly qualified man who stood before a large congregation in a new 1800-seat auditorium built for over six million dollars. That Sunday morning, he told of the media coverage of the church’s first service in their new building. His joy visibly stemmed from the exposure the media had given the Kingdom of God, not necessarily that particular church.

He said he would like to put something right that the newspapers had gotten wrong. They had said the church was the pastor’s brainchild, and that he was the one who had built it up.

“Please understand,” the pastor said, “it was God’s vision. He, together with all the faithful people, built it up. Not me.” He also rejoiced that some of the newspapers gave God the glory. That is how the Lord likes 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.

What Does God See? (Part One)

Good morning

Until Friday morning, 27 July, we are going to look at some extracts from my book.

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you,” (Matthew 6:1-4).

Does this passage mean we are never to talk or testify about the things the Lord has done through us? Does giving to the needy always have to be secretive, resulting in guilt feelings if someone finds out? Is the “submarine” Christian lifestyle—“Christianity is a private thing”—what God intended faith to be?

In establishing our Christian lifestyle, we must look at the message from the Bible as a whole, a unit. If we look at our passage, we see that what Jesus is most concerned about is, once again, attitude. What is the motivation behind our righteousness and our giving? Is it to impress those around us, to draw attention to us, make us the focal point? Or is it to give glory to the Lord? Be careful not to do your “acts of righteousness” in front of others in order to be seen by them. Don’t announce your good works with a trumpet.

The key in this passage is who gets the glory. If someone is helped, he has to thank somebody. He has to praise someone’s goodness. The way you go about doing righteousness and giving determines who is going to get that thanks and praise.

If people see or hear about your deeds (whether from you or others) would they praise you or God? What is your motivation for helping others? Do you hope they will see God behind it and therefore come closer to Him, or do you hope people will like you because of it and maybe give you a better position in the church culture? If people praise you, do you accept the praise, or do you pass it on to God?

I have often been tempted to this. The Lord often uses me to initiate and start something new in the church or Christian organization by encouraging the pastor and taking the first steps. It usually takes off with great glory and success, but nobody knows I was involved. Often people praise the pastor for it, and God is glorified. Sometimes I am tempted to sulk about it, but by the Lord’s grace I know I have done my duty. Then I quietly slip into the background. God has seen it and He will reward me one day.

Everything belongs to the Lord. We have nothing. Why would we steal a tiny bit of glory or praise that does not belong to us when the Lord promises an amazing reward in heaven one day? We must become more heavenly minded. This short life on earth is only a rehearsal for heaven. When we set our minds on results and rewards in this life, working for accomplishments and rewards, we are very short-sighted. What we then receive is of temporary nature and not eternal value. In the words of our Lord: “. . . to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full,” (Matthew 6:2).

Instead, we must forget about the present and see whether our deeds are pleasing to God so that we can receive our eternal rewards from Him. Whatever we do, we must expect nothing now. One day the accounts will be settled.

To be continued.

Lord, help me to give for your glory.

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.

Are You Farming?

Good morning.

Before we start the message I would like you to know that I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to place this link on Facebook during the next four mornings, but you know where to find us.

When we sow any form of crops, such as wheat, we know that each one seed will end up as multiple seeds. That is obviously how farmers make their money and how we get enough food to feed our people.

This is a principle the Lord uses at various occasions in the Bible. According to the Bible we can sow in many ways.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life,” (Galatians 6:7-8).

“Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness,” (James 3:18).

Then Jesus told the parable of the sower where he compared the sowing of seed to the spreading of His word, the Bible (Matthew 13:1-23 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:1-23&version=NIV1984).  

We can therefore sow anything, whether positive or negative, and will reap abundantly. Many of us ask why we have so much trouble. What did you sow? If we sow gossip, it will be gossiped about us and we will even get trouble because we gossip, if we sow criticism, criticism is what we reap, if we sow hatred, hatred towards us is what we will reap. Have you noticed how little peace such people have? If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword, inclusive of the sword of the tongue, which could kill relationships, emotions, joy and so on.  “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you,” (Matthew 7:1-2).

In whichever way we give, the following will apply to us: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.’

“Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God,” (2 Corinthians 9:6-11).

The more we give, the more we will have in order to give. We need to be careful not to be caught up in the wrong spiral. Those positive skills can also be used negatively, for example the prophets who are able to hear from God are equally able to hear from the devil, and if they are not careful to discern they can easily be deceived to subtly destroy rather than building up.

Sowing is also linked to our gifts as per Romans 12:6-8. The more we teach, the more revelation we will receive from the Lord to teach and will we learn ourselves. The more we encourage, the more we will be encouraged, the more we show mercy, the more mercy will be shown to us, the more we give financially, the more we will receive to give again and the more unselfishly we lead, the better the Holy Spirit will lead us to lead. In the end we will receive a harvest of righteousness and our generosity will result in thanksgiving to the Lord.

We therefore have a choice. Do we want to live for ourselves and reap a little carnal fulfilment, but much sorrow in this world and little in eternity, or do we want to sow generously into the Kingdom of God from whatever we have to give, and harvest abundant righteousness.

Lord, help me to sow generously, even if it is only love and encouragement.

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.

When Are We Too Old?

Good morning.

Most of the Lord’s great servants didn’t retire, but continued actively in His service until the day they died, even at an age of over ninety years old, such as George Muller. For our Sunday Special I have stumbled onto this story, and even though it is not essentially Biblical, it has a great message.

“When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.

“Later, when the nurses were going through his meagre possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

“One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and in magazines for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.”

Cranky Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . .What do you see?

What are you thinking . . . when you're looking at me?

A cranky old man, . . . not very wise,

Uncertain of habit . . . with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . . and makes no reply.

When you say in a loud voice . . . 'I do wish you'd try!'

Who seems not to notice . . . the things that you do.

And forever is losing . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . lets you do as you will,

With bathing and feeding . . . The long day to fill?

Is that what you're thinking?. . . Is that what you see?

Then open your eyes, nurse . . . you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am . . . As I sit here so still,

As I do at your bidding, . . . as I eat at your will.

I'm a small child of Ten . . . with a father and mother,

Brothers and sisters . . . who love one another

A young boy of Sixteen . . . with wings on his feet

Dreaming that soon now . . . a lover he'll meet.

A groom soon at Twenty . . . my heart gives a leap.

Remembering, the vows . . . that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . I have young of my own.

Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.

A man of Thirty . . . My young now grown fast,

Bound to each other . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons . . . have grown and are gone,

But my woman is beside me . . . to see I don't mourn.

At Fifty, once more, . . . Babies play 'round my knee,

Again, we know children . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . My wife is now dead.

I look at the future . . . I shudder with dread.

For my young are all rearing . . . young of their own.

And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . . and nature is cruel.

It's jest to make old age . . . look like a fool.

The body, it crumbles . . . grace and vigour, depart.

There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass  a young man still dwells,

And now and again . . . my battered heart swells

I remember the joys . . . I remember the pain.

And I'm loving and living . . . life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . gone too fast.

And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.

So open your eyes, people . . . open and see.

Not a cranky old man .

Look closer . . . see . . . ME!!

“Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within. We will all, one day, be there, too!”

Lord, help me to see.

Who Knows The Best?

Good morning.

The Proverbs of Solomon is loaded with wisdom for everyday application. It really is a handbook to realistic Christian living. One of the significant passages we find in Proverbs 3:5-8: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

This is easier said than done for we have received our own minds and we proudly consider ourselves capable of figuring things out for ourselves. The more educated we are and the more power we have in terms of money and position, the more we think we can do it ourselves. This is why Jesus said that we need to become like little children to inherit the Kingdom of heaven. “He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,’” (Matthew 18:2-4). Little children have nothing to fall back on and are completely dependent on adults.

In Proverbs 3 the Lord said we must trust in Him, acknowledge Him and fear Him, and as a result we will be healthy. To be self-sufficient is very demanding and takes its toll from the body. Stress, anxiety and worry cause diseases such as heart disease and cancers.

Trusting in the Lord with all our heart means with all our heart, trusting that He knows what He is doing with our lives in spite of circumstances that may appear to prove the contrary. This is where the difficulty comes in. We want to give the Lord His share of control of our lives and we want to keep our share and just run to the Lord when we consider it necessary. Trusting the Lord requires a relationship with the Lord, for He is keen to explain to us why He has put us through a test and what He wanted us to learn from it, providing we are prepared to listen. Understanding what He tries to accomplish in our lives, makes it easier for us to trust in Him the next time.

I, for instance, went through a hard time of persecution a while ago in an organisation that I’m involved with. I managed to allow the Lord to fight the fight for me and automatically forgave the people by His grace, but it did hurt. Afterwards I clearly heard the Lord telling me in my spirit that I have passed the test by allowing Him to fight for me and that I will have peace from then on. Things have been superb so far and I am tuned into the Holy Spirit’s voice to guide me in His ways.

If we lean on our own understanding, we will act from a base of knowledge that we have gathered through learning and listening to other people, which is why the Lord moves so much more powerfully through those who are simple at heart and why He made the statement of us being like children.

When the Lord said we need to acknowledge Him is all our ways He actually meant all. It sounds like hard work, for we need to ask the Lord’s advice in everything we do, which is why Paul advised the Thessalonian church to pray continually or without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). I stay in prayer all day long and check with the Lord in many things whether He thinks it is okay. When I run into a difficult situation or decision I ask His advice and without fail I get it immediately when the solution is straightforward. When my attitude or the attitudes of people with whom I interact need to change or they need a change of mind, it usually works to bring it to the Lord and it is not long before I see the results.

Lord, you will not expect or promise something which you will not fulfil. I trust 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.

Be As Shrewd As The Snakes

Good morning.

In the last message we wrote about putting the Lord in a box. The way we think and believe limits Him. At the one end of the scale we listen to how other churches have done a new thing and then copy them, or at the other end we say we have done it this way for ages and it works, so why change?

The Lord is only as powerful as we allow Him to be. If we do not make room for miracles when we come together, there is not much chance that we would experience it. Jacob, son of Isaac, was ever so crafty for he really desired what the Lord had in stall for him and, contrary to what we would think should have happened, the Lord actually honoured his desires in spite of the seemingly dishonest nature of it. The Lord honoured Jacob’s heart because Jacob really, really wanted the Lord’s blessing, and He despised Esau’s heart because Esau, who was entitled to the blessing, didn’t care about it and was more concerned about earthly things. “‘Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ the Lord says. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals,’” (Malachi 1:2-3).

When Laban tried to cheat Jacob, the Lord miraculously helped Jacob to get back at Laban. Jacob told his wives afterwards: “You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young. So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me,” (Genesis 39:6-9).

If we look at the wise or crafty way the Lord went about to get Joseph to be second in charge of Egypt in order for him to care for Israel during the famine, we realise that we need to ask the Lord how He wants to run our church and our individual daily schedules. We do not know the Lord’s plan and if we just go along every day following tradition and the ways of other men, our actions are mere human.

The Lord said in Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” This indicates that the Lord wants to lead us into His vision and His plans. This means we have to listen intently for His guidance and work along with Him as He prepares the way for miraculous change, rather than following other people’s ideas and constantly expecting the Lord to pour a miracle out on us. We wait for miracles, we wait for revival and while we wait we keep on being busy with our own agendas, schedules and plans.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:16: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Jesus commands us to be shrewd. Our enemies, the wolves, will have no mercy and will try to get at us with every crafty skill they can master and therefore we need to be equally shrewd. As fishers of men we need to prepare the ‘bait’ cleverly for the fish to bite. This is why the Holy Spirit made the word of knowledge and wisdom available, since He wants to show us clever ways to win souls, information about people that will astound them when they find out we know it about them, and radical ways to make a difference in this world.

Working with the Holy Spirit shrewdly and radically is what is going to win this world for Jesus, not just exercising religion every Sunday.

Lord, help me to follow you radically.

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.