John 16 (Two) Do You Need A Helper?

Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily word count limit.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you,” (John 16:4-7).

While Jesus was on earth the disciples simply followed His instruction and guidance. They did not seem to really consider the possibility of Him leaving them and were not altogether aware of His plans, since they seemed to have thought Him to be an earthly king. This we have discussed when we looked at John 14:1-7 in the blog post entitled ‘John 14 (three) Do You Know Him’. The fact that Jesus mentioned their failure to enquire where He was going, shows that they did not fully understand what He was talking about. This is an indication that they were completely dependent on His direction for their lives, as they have been for the last three years. One may now think that they were actually pathetic, for anybody should have some self drive, motivation and a purpose in life – the ability to make something of their lives.

But from this passage the contrary is actually clear. Jesus wanted them to be dependent on the Godhead. They had two options: Either Jesus stayed with them and be their guide or He sent the Holy Spirit to replace Him as their helper. This is exactly where the Lord wants us to be. He does not want us to be independent or to arrange our own lives, but wants us to follow His guidance and direction. “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him,” (Hebrews 11:6). He is pleased when we are dependent on Him.

Verses 8-11give clear indication what the Holy Spirit came to do: “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged,” (John 16:8-11). It is interesting that Jesus mentioned that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will convict the world. Why did He mention the world? It is because the disciples were already convicted regarding these. I found the way Jesus listed these convictions very interesting. Verse nine above equals sin to unbelief. Sins (plural) are disobedience to Jesus commands. These can be confessed and we can be cleansed of unrighteousness once we have confessed it (1 John 1:9). But sin which is unbelief can only be pardoned by believing, and conviction for both these types of sin comes from the Holy Spirit.

While Jesus was on earth He could set the example of righteousness and check on the people He dealt with whether they were acting righteously, which is why He reprimanded the Pharisees so vividly, and also others along the way as He went about. Now that Jesus is gone His disciples are dependent on the Bible, which the Holy Spirit arranged to be written under His inspiration as an example of how to live, and on His conviction when they want to be in right standing with Father God (righteousness).

In Matthew 25:31-46 we read about the final judgement: “Then He (the King) will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me,’” (verses 41-43). Those who do not obey the Lord, head for the same judgment Satan will get because of his rebellion, and it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict them to change.

So where do you stand? Are you just living life the way you like, or are you depending on the Holy Spirit to lead you? Yes Christian, I am actually talking to you. It is very easy to be religious and involved with a church and not obey the Holy Spirit. Have you ever checked yourself how you react when you are put before decisions – do you do as Jesus commanded or do you following human reasoning?

Where do you stand with regard to righteousness, judgment and the sin of unbelief? Do you really believe under all circumstances, are you in right standing with the Lord, and what will He one day say to you in the final judgment?

Help Lord, I need 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.

John 16 (One) Falling Away

Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily word count limit.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you,” (John 16:1-4).

That which we have studied in chapters fourteen and fifteen had a purpose – to keep the disciples from falling away. This that we have read and received from the Holy Spirit could be summarised in one word – obedience. What is it that many teachers tell us we should do to keep us from falling away? We are told to read the Bible daily, go to church regularly, say our prayers habitually (note I did not say ‘pray’), obey the pastor and elders and then we will not fall away. When we look at reality though, what do we see? Many Christians fall back into the world, play church as if the church is a social club and change church the moment the church takes a strange direction. Concerning the latter; to keep religion interesting to their members many churches follows every new and interesting wind of doctrine, often causing some members to get annoyed and look for other options.

Satan works very subtly and will present ideas to us with the aim to keep us from being obedient to the Holy Spirit. These usually look very attractive and easy to attain, not demanding much from us, but deceive us into a comfortable and/or people pleasing lifestyle. The focus of chapters fourteen and fifteen was on Christ centred obedience, but if we honestly look at Christian lifestyles these days, inclusive of messages brought in church, we have to ask ourselves whether it actually is so Christ centred. How many of us are prepared to let the Lord do in our lives that which we have discussed regarding the mentioned chapters.

Living a Christ focused and obedient life puts us safely in the arms of Jesus and will stop us from falling away. Declaring scripture passages and desperately praying when we get into trouble, whilst living selfish lives will not do this. Obeying the various conditions that Jesus had attached to His commands and promises makes these promises manifest for us and becomes our security in Christ.

Following chapter sixteen verse one, which was about falling away; Jesus continued to mention examples of what could cause the disciples to fall away. He pointed out rejection and murder for He knew that if His past and present disciples were not founded solidly on a rock of security in Jesus through obedience and relationship, they would easily give up when the going gets tough. The trouble makers doing the rejection and killing do it because they are blinded by religion, and neither know Jesus nor the Father. If we look at our own lives honestly we would note that when times get tough we actually run to our idols for reassurance. Some of us run to comfort, others to excitement, others to lust, some to material increase, and so on. How many of us have a relationship with Jesus that dictates that we become even more obedient when we get hardship due to our obedience, since we know that only a real close relationship with Jesus will keep us from falling away.

In verse four Jesus told the disciples that He had prepared them by giving them all this information, so they would be ready when persecution and hardship came. Knowing this as head knowledge would not have had any value, because when the flood of hardship came they would have fallen away. Applying what they knew would have honed into them a habit of obedience and would have formed in them a lifestyle Jesus desired from them. The same applies to us. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it,” (Matthew 7:24-27).

Lord, I desire to anchor me in you through obedience, so I could be secure.

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.

John 15 (Twenty-four) Who is the Holy Spirit?

Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily word count limit.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

Today we conclude chapter fifteen of the gospel of John.

“When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning,” (John 15:26, 27).

We all know that Jesus is talking here about the Holy Spirit. Many of us have heard of the Holy Spirit and many of us have even been filled or baptised by the Holy Spirit. To some of us the Holy Spirit is someone we only heard about because our churches do not put much emphasis on Him, whilst to some He is linked to a loud and emotional experience. But who is this Holy Spirit? Why is He so important? Why did the Lord say in Matthew 12:31: “And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven?” The name of Jesus gets blasphemed on a daily basis and so the name of God, but you hardly hear blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Let us look carefully at the passage above. He is called the Counsellor. Who was Jesus while He was on the earth? Was He not the Prophet and Teacher and in the end the Lamb to be slaughtered? The purpose of His existence in relation to humans is one of suffering for our sake, something which He still has to bear when you think of how much He gets blasphemed, mocked and persecuted. As the Son of God He had to and still has to be tough and strong to persevere in the destiny that was put upon Him. He is the King for we read: “Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,’” (Matthew 28:18) and “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God’” (Romans 14:11). As King He is the ruler - the strong one, able to handle the onslaughts He receives.

The Holy Spirit, however, is the Counsellor. What do you think is the character of a counsellor? Is a counsellor not supposed to be gentle and understanding? The Holy Spirit as Counsellor took over from Jesus, not as mediator, but as support, advisor, empowerment and buddy of those who love the Lord. He literally is the One who comes alongside to help. He therefore needs to be soft, vulnerable, tender, sympathetic and gentle in order to comfort those who are vulnerable.

The second important thing we see in our passage is that the Spirit of truth goes out from the Father, and the way I understand it is that He actually is representative of the Father's Spirit, in effect is the Father’s Spirit, which actually makes Him very special, a person of high respect. This is why anybody who blasphemes against Him will not be forgiven. God will not tolerate anybody who bullies someone so gentle and caring.

Lastly what is His job? He will testify about Jesus. We on our own cannot testify about Jesus, simply because we do not know Him. We have never seen Him nor experienced Him as a person. The disciples did, which is why Jesus encouraged them in our passage to testify about Him. However, the only way the disciples that came after them, which include us, can testify about Jesus is through revelation that we have received from the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit. Let us therefore see and experience the Holy Spirit for who He is - soft, gentle, vulnerable and easily grieved because for Him to sympathise (empathise) with us, He needs to be like that.

What a wonderful God we serve. Let us praise his name!

Lord, I submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

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.

John 15 (Twenty-three) Love or Hatred?

Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily word count limit.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

I would just like to apologise for the long time you had to wait for this post. We had difficulty with Internet and were moving about quite a lot on this mission to South Africa, which delayed getting it out.

“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.  But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause,’” (John 15:22-25).

When it comes to judgement day, those who have heard the gospel cannot say they did not know. We will also be judged by the measure of the revelation and Bible knowledge we had and applied. In other words, if we knew we had to do something and have not done it, our judgement will be according to how much we knew. For instance James 3:1 states: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Because teachers know more, they will be judged according to the measure by which they have applied their knowledge in obedience. Everybody will likewise be judged on their obedience to what they knew they had to do.

The moment Jesus had informed His listeners that He mentioned in John 15:22-25, they were accountable and the moment we have heard the gospel and teachings about the Lord’s will, we are accountable. We have one of two options: We can either accept the truth and obey, or we can reject the truth and hate the Lord. Throughout John chapter fourteen we learn that if we love the Lord we will obey His teaching and commands. I think it is fair to deduct that if we do not obey Him we do not love Him. Could it be equalled to the hatred Jesus mentioned above?

If we see someone walking in front of a car and we could have done something to help such a person, but do nothing, did we love that person? If we know someone does something displeasing to the Lord and we do not help them by warning them and guiding them in the right direction, do we love them? If we see someone headed for hell and we do not share the gospel with them, or at least pray fervently for their salvation, do we love that person?

We read in 1 John 4:20, 21: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” Where do we fit in? Jesus mentioned ‘them’ and ‘they’ in John 15:22-25 above, obviously not referring to His disciples. Who of us count amongst the ‘them’ Jesus was referring to and who count among His disciples? It is easy to have a form of godliness and to appear godly, but the proof of this pudding is in obedience. If we do not actively do love to our neighbour, but only pretend to love them, do we really love the Lord who so deeply care for them, or do we hate Him?

Lord, this is really something to consider. Help me to love both you and my neighbour in word and deed.

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.

John 15 (Twenty-two) Do you Know?

Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily word count limit.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

We continue from our last message.

“Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me,” (John 15:20, 21).

What did Jesus mean by saying: “They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me”? If somebody just does good and live in love, why would anybody want to harm him through persecution? It does not make sense. So why did it happen to Jesus and why does it happen constantly to fruitful Christians? Why is persecution the order of the day for them? Jesus said it is because of His name. What does He mean? We read in Philippians 2:9-11: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Who does that include? It includes all humans and all spirits, including the evil spirits. So what more reason would those, who actually want to be exalted themselves, have to hate the name of Jesus?

We must not feel people have it against us – it is all about Jesus. This is not where this passage ends though. Jesus continues by saying “for they do not know the One who sent me”. They hate his name because they do not know the Father. If they knew the love of Father God, they would love Him. We also read in our latest quoted passage that people will confess the name of Jesus ‘to the glory of God the Father’. If people would care to know God the Father they will fall prostrate before Him, just worshipping Him. Then they would not dare and would not want to exalt themselves because they would know a love and a power much higher than they could dream or perceive.

We must remember that to the disciples and the people of that time, and also to us due to pictures and descriptions we receive from the Bible, Jesus was just a man to whom they had to bow the knee even though He had no splendour. “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not,” (Isaiah 53:2, 3). Typically of mankind most people do not see beyond the obvious, the natural and what meets the eye, but if they could have seen God the Father they would definitely have changed their mind.

Dear believer, please do not make yourself guilty of just looking at what meets eye. Do not look at the persecution and the persecutor, but look beyond it into the spiritual realm and see God the Father and then you will worship with all that is within you in spite of all circumstances.

Father, please make us aware of who you are so nothing can stop us from worshiping 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.

John 15 (Twenty-one) Just Like He Had!

Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily word count limit.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

“Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me,” (John 15:20, 21).

Jesus said here: ‘If I suffered so much, why would you escape it?’ His analogy of master and servant is interesting though. We must admit that many of us do think that we are only destined for prosperity and a good life because of the work He has done on the cross, especially if we do ‘good deeds’. But Jesus stated it slightly differently. He basically said that a servant, who is worth his keep, will follow the master wherever he goes, through good and bad. Therefore since Jesus was persecuted, and still is, His worthy servants will follow in His footsteps. It is a definite with no exception. Many of us may be scared of it and feel to pray like Jesus in Gethsemane – ‘Lord please let this cup pass me’. Many possibly get scared off by actual persecution.

As I thought about this, the song; ‘Where He leads I will follow’ crossed my mind. Jesus knows what it is all about - He was there. He knows temptation and persecution more than any of us and therefore we can trust Him not to let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it,” (1 Corinthians 10:13). The same applies to persecution and when we are persecuted the angels of the Lord is watching over us (Psalm 91).

He did, however, follow this phrase in John 15 up by saying: “If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also,” (V20). It is therefore not all negative and hopeless. In fact history has taught us that often the bark of persecution is worse than its bite. Although many people have suffered and died because of persecution, their end usually was either a deeper walk with the Lord and an understanding of Him, or heaven with Him if they had died. The result for the cause that they have died for was the salvation of many souls. More people also obeyed the disciples than persecuted them.

I think it is imperative that we put emphasis on the words ‘My Teaching’. There are a lot of false preachers out there who preach their own ideas. However, if people obey the disciples’ teaching, which is Jesus’ teaching, the result will be godly fruit. In other words if the disciples stay tuned with Jesus and continually be one with Him, they will preach what He does. Something occurred to me: Why does the world in many materialistic countries have no desire to obey Jesus’ teaching anymore? Is it maybe because the disciples do not any longer preach His teaching? (To be continued)

Lord, I need to follow you all the way.

Have a look at this video link: http://skitguys.com/videos/item/gods-chisel 

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.

John 15 (Twenty) Loved by the World?

Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily word count limit.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

“This is my command: Love each other. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you,” (John 15:17-19).

Jesus also made an interesting statement in our passage. He said: “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own,” (V19). Does the world love you... or does it persecute you? Are you popular or rejected? Are you bearing godly fruit? No-one likes it to be unpopular, unwanted or rejected, but the question is who we want to accept us and what our motivation for living is. Do you want to be accepted by the world? If yes, then you would have to become like them. At times in my own life when feeling unpopular was not good for me anymore, I have tried to be accepted by the world, but guess what; it was not good at all – I just did not fit in and felt like betraying my Lord. I do not want to be loved by the world. They have nothing to offer you or me - no joy, no peace, no fulfilment and no everlasting happiness. They have excitement and fun, but is it really fun? Is it really exciting? At that moment it might be thrilling, exhilarating and so on, but have you noticed the emptiness afterwards?

We do not have to live in the world to be like the world. As church we need to be careful not to have a form of godliness as we read in 2 Timothy3:1-5. Have a read at it below and verify for yourself whether this is found only in the world. Look carefully at your own lifestyle and those of the Christians you know well. Think of what you hear being preached and ask yourself whether we as Christians are not very much like portrayed below:

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

On the other hand what is more exciting than to discover God - how He thinks, how He responds and how He cares? Living with the Lord and seeing Him move through my gifting and talents gives me a lot of kick. To see His loving care and daily provision makes my heart beat faster. Yes I do enjoy a good movie and there are some subjects in the world that interest me such as cars and classical music, but all of it is just entertainment secondary to my greatest joy - worshipping God with all my life. The more time I spend with the Lord, the more I lose interest in these other things in any case. I do not want to create the image of being super spiritual, because I have lots of times that I am not as close to the Lord as I wish to be, in fact at times I feel and act very carnal and get overcome by temptation, but my main goal is to become as close to Jesus as I can.

How far away from the world and how close to Jesus do you want to be?

Lord, help me stay away from the World and its influences and distractions.

Have a look at this video link: http://skitguys.com/videos/item/gods-chisel 

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.

John 15 (Nineteen) Looking for Trouble?

Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily word count limit.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

“This is my command: Love each other. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you,” (John 15:17-19).

Once the disciples understood the principle of love, Jesus went on in verse 18: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” Jesus used the word ‘if’. This indicates a great possibility but not necessarily a definite. We can, however, go and look for trouble if we want to. 2 Timothy 3:12: “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” What do we have to do to get persecuted? Just live godly lives. The Afrikaans translation puts it nicely. It calls it a life full of godly fruit. In terms of simple mathematics – if we do not live godly lives, what reason would the devil and the world have to persecute us – we are no danger to them? A conclusion we get to is that if we do not get persecuted, either by humans or by evil spirits (who attack our circumstances), we probably do not live as godly as we could.

But Jesus comforted His disciples by stating that He was hated first, so we are not alone - He understands. Was He not the ultimate bearer of godly fruit and therefore the ultimately persecuted? In fact, it is not really us that the world will hate, but actually Jesus in us. Why did the world hate Jesus and still do? The world hates Jesus because they actually desire to be what He could not allow them to be - exalted and proud for instance. Sinful man resents God’s holiness. Secondly we have the devil who is raging mad at Jesus for conquering him at the cross of Calvary and for constantly interfering with his evil plans when the saints pray. What will he therefore do? Will he not instigate his followers, the world, to hate the ones that Jesus loves?

In our passage under discussion Jesus also gave the reason why the world would hate His disciples: “I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you,”(V19). Satan, the ruler of this world, loves to drag souls with him into “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” (Matthew 25:41). He is actually a bad loser, which is why he gets boiling mad every time he loses a soul. Why do you think do the families and religious leaders so violently persecute new Christians that get saved out of foreign religions? Most of the reports we receive is of rejection by the family and violent pressure to give up their faith in Jesus. Why is Christianity so much resisted in countries dominated by foreign religions? The answer is simple. Whoever does not serve Jesus serves the devil, usually in some false religion, and Satan hates anything related to Jesus.

Have you ever observed people involved with sins such as drugs, drinking, sexual activities and so on and noticed that they never want to sin alone? At night clubs, sex clubs, with pornography on the web, gang activities and so on they always actively recruit people to share in their activities, even if it has no financial value to them. Why would that be? Essentially it is an act of hatred towards Jesus. ‘We hate you Jesus and therefore we will do our utmost to prevent people from finding out what they could have in you.’ They do not always realise that this is actually their motivation, but it is definitely the plan of the devil who motivates them.

The remedy for this is to actively preach the gospel, to love the lost and pray for them. If we are out to continuously influence the world, we will make all this persecution and hatred worth the while. We then give the devil a hard time!

Lord, give me grace to persevere under hardship for the sake of obedience.

Have a look at this video link: http://skitguys.com/videos/item/gods-chisel

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.

John 15 (Eighteen) Love's Difference

Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily word count limit.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

“This is my command: Love each other. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you,” (John 15:17-19).

Up to the previous verse Jesus spoke about bearing fruit and being obedient. For the next few verses He is going to speak about the consequences His disciples (including us) will experience in this world if they do what He expects. He starts this section by simply saying ‘Love each other.’ It is almost as if it comes out of the blue, an island in the middle of bearing fruit in obedience and being persecuted as a result. Why do you think He said this here? I believe it is because He knew that this ‘island’ of love was going to be the fortress that will be the salvation and support of all His disciples in times of obedience and resulting hardship. If anybody had to fight and overcome the resisting powers of their sinful nature and that of the evil forces (Ephesians 6:12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms) alone, they would soon be overpowered. That is why the Lord established the body of Christ.

So why did the Lord mention this activity of love first before he continued describing the gruesome consequences? I can imagine Him pausing after that sentence and challengingly looking at each of the disciples in turn. Until such love was established in deed and action, none of them would have been able to continue with what He commanded. This fortress was an essential component in the war that lay ahead of them. Can you imagine the hell life would be if the disciples of all times constantly have to fight among one another, or feel ignored and rejected, and at the same time receive severe persecution from a hostile world? We need one another.

What does this love look like? 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 puts it well: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” What a powerful fortress! But how do we fit into this fortress? Can we be a harbour to our brothers and sisters? The more a church loves genuinely, the more the Lord can use such a church and the more it can grow. If a troubled soul (and most of us get to such a point) feels safe in the unconditional love of a church, they will be able to heal, grow and do great exploits of obedience from such a fortress.

Also imagine the effect the world experiences when it repeatedly attacks the fortress and just keeps hitting love? Eventually it must start thinking about the love and receiving a desire to have what the church has. There is, however, among Christians such a thing as conditional love. ‘As long as you are like us and do things the way we do them, even though we do not measure up with the Word of God, we love you. If you, however, try to be different we might just ignore you and leave you on your own.’ My experience with true fortresses of love, based on the Word of God, in other words churches that really care and go to trouble to “leave the ninety-nine (sheep) in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it” (Luke 15:4), is that they grow significantly whilst others dwindle or stagnate (to be continued).

Lord, please teach us true love for one another. Help us to look out for the rejected and lonely people around us.

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.

John 15 (Seventeen) Chosen to Bear Fruit (Part Two)

Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily word count limit.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

We continue from our previous message.

Fruit… What kind of fruit? Fruit that will last, Jesus said. What does He mean? Let us first identify some fruit.

Matthew 10:42: And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." Matthew. 5:6, 7 & 9: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Acts 16:29–34: The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptised. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God - he and his whole family.

Acts 3:2-8: Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

Do you think that that which we mentioned above are fruit that would last? Do you think that caring for someone, giving an opportunity to be saved, acting in the power of God to heal a person, fighting for peace, mercy and righteousness, and all this in the name of Jesus, would make people aware of Jesus’ love and have an everlasting effect on such a person or people?

What would be fruit that do not last? I would say it is fruit that are not from Jesus or not aimed at glorifying Him. This we see a lot of in the world. Everywhere we become aware of good works or charity - some of it are really great good works - but do they give glory to the Lord? Do they change the eternal destiny of people affected by them, in other words do such people believe in the Lord Jesus as a result of the fruit or be encouraged in their faith? Can you see that it is all about Jesus?

Once those chosen by Jesus have born the fruit that will last, what will happen then according to our passage? “Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name,” Jesus said. What will we ask for? Will we focus on our own desires? If you work for a company and the boss asks you what you would need to do the work, what is it you will request – a nice house or a plasma screen television? No, you will focus on what you will need for the job - if it includes a company car and a laptop computer - by all means. If your job is to review films, then a proper television will do.

So what will we ask off Father God? It would be whatever we need to bear the fruit that will last. It is an integrated thing and not necessarily a question of first bearing fruit and then receiving from Father God what we need. Father God looks at the heart and when he sees a right attitude, with evidence of bearing fruit, He knows what we need. We will also automatically ask for that which we need in order to bear fruit and He will supply it, just like it is with any company we work for. Does this give you some understanding of what walking in the Spirit involves? When we know that the Lord will supply and we are prepared to give up our time and effort, we can expect and see the same kind of fruit that we have mentioned above.

It is however vitally important that we act within our gifting and calling. For instance, working of miracles has never been my forte, but a word of knowledge, teaching and an understanding of the Word of God are. God has organised His Kingdom so that everything is covered, in other words there should be somebody for every task and all we have to do is discover that which we have faith for and develop in that direction.

Lord, please help us understand our true position in relation to you so we can be as complete and as effective as you desire us to be.

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.

John 15 (Thirteen) Love’s Ultimate Sacrifice



Good day

For as long as it takes we are going to study the gospel of John chapters fourteen to seventeen. Some of it will be what I have already written and some will be new. Therefore it may sometimes appear that I leave off in the middle of a topic to be continued, since I have reached my daily word count limit.

To pick up the topic, you may need to read the one or two postings preceding this one.

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 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," (John 15:12-14).

How did Jesus love us? He answered the question in the next verse - "Greater love has no one than this; that he lay down his life for his friends." He is obviously talking about himself. He lay his life down for us – the perfect love. He says that there is no greater love than that. Then we also have the challenge in this passage: "Love each other as I have loved you." The standard is simple – if we want to obey this command, if we want to exercise such love and if we want to be Jesus’ friend, we will have to lay down our life for our friends.

Lay down my life? Do you mean I have to die like Jesus did? Jesus lay down his life, by dying, to bear the wages of sin in order for us to be delivered from the power of sin - "for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Romans 6:33). This was His ultimate demonstration of His love for us. He however lay down His life in another way as well. We read reports like: "Jesus replied, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head,'" (Matthew 8:20). Did Jesus care much about His own physical needs? "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them," (Matthew 4:23, 24). We read of many other occasions where for example Jesus wanted to be alone, but when the crowds discovered Him, He did not complain, but faithfully ministered to their every need.

Did Jesus care about the needs of His friends? Jesus did not have a life of His own. He did not allow himself to have fun, to relax in front of the telly, to worship his football or rugby team. He lay down His life for those who needed Him. He put love into practice every possible minute. "Love each other as I have loved you." How do we measure up to this command in comparison with Jesus? I’m sure He would love it if all of His followers could follow Him in doing the same than He did and to the same extent (John 14:12: "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father”), but since He is gracious and merciful He will be happy with whatever we lay down for His sake. If we manage to do all He has done, just think what a difference it will make to the world, but even if we just make the most of every opportunity, we already lay down our lives for our friends to a certain degree.

However, having said this, we once again see a very definite condition in John 15:14: "You are my friends if you do what I command." What is the implication? If we do not do what Jesus commands, we are not His friends. Once again can we agree that man is created in God’s image and therefore using an example out of ordinary life gives us an idea of the way the Lord thinks? If you are in a partnership relationship and you work together on a project, the partners involved usually become friends. If, however, one of these friends in partnership keeps on messing up by not abiding by the rules and not obeying the agreed instructions by which the team works, and after much counsel and many reprimands keeps on disobeying the agreed work ethics, how long do you think such a friendship will last? Soon everybody will turn sour and will want this guy out. His/her relationship with the others will be damaged and friendship will dwindle?  You may now probably think that God is not human. Quite right, but Jesus did say 'you are my friends if you do what I command.'

Would He then reject us if we do not obey His commands? Would He refuse fellowship with us if we do not obey? (To be continued)

Lord, please guide me into laying my life down for my friends.

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.