50. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Prayer Secrets

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew. 6:5-8)

Once again, we must ask ourselves why we pray. If we look at verse 5 above, we could liken it to a person (we’ll name him John) who has a room full of friends with him when he calls another friend, Mike.

            John glances at his friends. “Hi Mike, what a joy it is to talk to you again. I remember the day that you needed me and I was there for you. The last time you helped me was great too. I can’t do without your friendship.”

John looks to see whether his friends are still listening. “You impressed me when we solved that problem with our project, but I did pretty well too.”

            John called Mike in order to impress his friends. Do we ever do this when we pray, especially in public? What goes through our minds when we pray? Do we wonder what people think of our prayer? Are we concerned whether our prayer sounds all right? Do we feel fulfilled after we’ve prayed? Has our prayer brought religious satisfaction to us? Have we completed the duty or project well?

            When you talk with someone you care about, you focus on her. You look

her in the eyes, concentrate to understand what she tells you, and ask questions to make sure you got it right. You repeat what she says as a sign that you get the message. When you speak, you make sure that she listens and understands by asking relevant questions and by checking on her attention. You are not aware of your surroundings. That is why two couples can converse simultaneously at the same table on two subjects without affecting each other’s discussion. It involves intimacy.

            So when you talk with Dad, concentrate on Him and converse with Him. There is no need to use big words and a “holy” tone of voice. Just talk.

Also, allow your emotions into your prayer. If something is important or urgent, it will show in the intensity of your prayer. You don’t need to go into a physical inner room, either. You can switch to your inner being whenever you wish and wherever you are. Everybody knows what it means to be deep in thought. You are not aware of your surroundings, yet you automatically continue to mow the lawn, fold the laundry, or whatever you need to do while maintaining fellowship with our Father.

Some people’s jobs allow them to work and fellowship with the Lord at the same time because their work is very mechanical. Others have the opportunity while driving, walking, etc. I have been in such deep prayer while walking the dog that I travel significant distances with my eyes closed. In the car or at work I have had to be careful not to close my eyes. The Lord is living in our spirits, and we can have fellowship with Him during prayer. It is easier to do this when we are alone in our physical inner room. This can be any place where we are out of earshot and close observation of others. When we give Him our full attention, unaware of our surroundings, we will hear His voice and receive His guidance.

A physical inner room is a good thing, but our real inner room is our spirit. When we tune in to our spirit, turning our attention away from our thoughts, we enter our inner room, making true contact with Father and hearing His voice. We can be in a physical inner room and still not make contact with Him. On the other hand, we can walk or drive down the street, intensely aware of the Lord’s presence, hearing what He wants from us.

“Pray continually,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Nobody needs to know you are praying, and because praying shows faith and is therefore pleasing to Dad, He will reward you.

            The Lord knows what we want before we ask. Therefore, my family has learned the “Thank-You prayer”: thank You, Lord, that You will protect us today. Thank You Lord that You care for the thousands who have lost loved ones, and so on. May the Lord teach you to pray effectively.

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way. For more information see http://t-a-c.co.za.

49. What Does God See? Part 2 AND healing testimonies!!

In the previous post, we began to discuss the issue of doing our righteous acts with the aim to be seen by people. Today we continue with this subject.

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.

Testimonies

In previous posts, I have referred to the website http://tlrmovie.com. It

contains videos about the Lord's great power in miracles. Inspired by it I have attended a three-week Pioneer school and started to pray for this sick at a clinic where I've worked last week. I have seen many healings such as people arriving at the desk unable to walk without support, walking away rejoicing, a man whose hand was seriously hurt and in a bandage declaring with a big smile: "I actually don't need this medicine now for I'm healed", a man arriving at the desk unable to even lift his arm, which was limp with pain, but after prayer showing me how he can use his arm and hand, and a man with a hurt neck repeatedly exclaiming his surprise since his neck was healed, and many more. I also had a man, whom I prayed for a month ago for his AIDS to heal, thanking me for the prayer, proclaiming it has worked.

Dear reader, please realize that the Lord Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit wants to be the head of the body, which we call the church. He wants to use all people as His disciples to make a difference in our world through His power, not only the church leaders. "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power" (1 Corinthians 4:20). Anyone filled with the Holy Spirit can do anything under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. "I can do all things

through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12).

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way. For more information see http://t-a-c.co.za.

48. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - What Does God See? Part 1

“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)

           

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 from our passage above: “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...

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way. For more information see http://t-a-c.co.za.

47. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - What's Church like for you?

In post number 45; Sermon on the Mount Secrets - How to be Perfecthttps://bibbytes.blogspot.com/2019/11/45-sermon-on-mount-secrets-how-to-be.html, we started to discuss what an exciting, co-operating church would be like. What we usually see in churches today is some form of singing that is called praise and worship. One or more musical instruments lead the people who, often passively (forgive me, but everyone knows his own heart) sing along. In some cases, a worship leader directs the congregation in singing the various choruses. Songs of praise, which are considered of jubilant nature, are sung first, followed by worship. Worship songs are usually considered slower songs that would incline worshippers to a prayerful attitude and atmosphere.

In some churches, time is then allowed for individuals to bring a word, a

prophecy, or a testimony. This has fallen away in many churches or has become only a formality without real enthusiasm or power behind it.

Then comes the preaching of the Word of God, and in some churches it is followed by ministry on a personal level, because needs are often brought to the surface through the revelation of God’s Word. This is because God is always faithful even though we are unfaithful. He will always take any Christian church service seriously and will always be there. “For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them,” (Matthew 18:20). He will always receive any form of praise and will always minister to those who love Him.

The question, however, is what is in the hearts of the church attendees? A pastor once illustrated the way God experiences praise. He said that the Lord sees our heart, and therefore, while we sing, “How great thou art,” He probably hears, “Look at Laura, wearing the same dress again today,” or, “Why does the pastor wear that shiny suit?”

            We laugh, but often our thoughts are not with the Lord. We allow our carnal minds to reign. What do we have to praise God for? What fills our minds—excitement about God? Aren’t most people self-centered, seeing only their own needs and therefore focusing on them during worship?

“What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church,” (1 Corinthians 14:26).

To my joy, our pastors once decided that every home cell should have a weekly project of serving one another and the community. If we do, and every Sunday, we testify about the greatness of God who worked with and through us, would we not enter worship with a totally different attitude? Would we not have reason to praise God, and would our minds not be filled constantly with those good works we saw the Lord doing? Would others, who may be young Christians or who have grown cold and passive, not be motivated to follow suit? If a prophecy or interpretation of tongues was brought, would we not listen to it with the intention of acting on it? Is this not the way to start a revival instead of waiting endlessly for the Lord to do something? A child waits on his dad to do something about the problem, but a mature person applies what his dad taught him and does something about it himself.

 What does revival mean? If you want to revive a neglected business, you want to restore it back to its former glory. Waiting for the manager to do something wouldn’t accomplish your goal. His task would be guiding the revival process, but the revival would take hard work from each employee. For the church to revive to its former Book-of-Acts glory will take hard, consistent work from every disciple, under the Holy Spirit’s direction.

Be perfect (mature), therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (mature).

Once again; I have written the above years ago and are posting it here now. I have always believed and promoted that believers should make revival happen. We shouldn't wait for revival to happen and thus for God to do something. We should simply obey Jesus'command in Matthew 28:18-20: And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen, and in Mark 16:15-18: And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover,” and we'll see revival.

In the meantime, the Lord has raised up a movement that do church as the disciples in the book of Acts have done it - that make revival happen. The past two weeks we've seen enough healings, rebirths, and people filled with the Holy Spirit, for us to overflow with joy, and as a result, worship the Lord from the depth of our hearts - not only with empty songs.

What do you think? Would you like to become a disciple serving the Lord in total obedience to His abovementioned Great Commission?

Have a look at these links: 

• Examples of active obedience to the Great Commission.
• An explanation of how small-group churches can function.
• Exciting teachings about the true church.

If you have any questions, please contact me at cwhl@live.co.uk.

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way. For more information see http://t-a-c.co.za.

46. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Entertaining an angel

While driving home from Stellenbosch to Strand, South Africa, after work some years ago, I picked up a hitchhiker with a backpack. His name was Johan, and he was a fifty-four-year-old bushman from the Kuruman district. He was one of those people I enjoy having in my company, because he liked to talk and

therefore I didn’t have to; I could just listen.

He was on his way to Mosselbaai, looking for his sister, whose children he had been raising for the past eight years. She hadn’t been able to afford to keep them, and unless she signed them over to him, welfare would not help him.

Johan was a family man working for a farmer. He had never before been so far from home and had taken a wrong route. He had been on the road for fourteen days already and had covered about 1520 km (950 miles). Some of the drivers had charged him for his ride and, being quite poor, he had to sacrifice two of his blankets. The advantage of the detour for him, though, was that he had the privilege of seeing the beautiful Cape and the sea for the first time.

As we covered the 26 km (16 miles) between my work and home, I felt the urge to give him a place to stay for the night. However, it became a battle of the mind. Being a South African, I heard about race problems and crime all day long. Part of me didn’t like the thought of having a stranger in my house overnight. Dusk was falling, but it was still light enough for him to get a ride. Then Hebrews 13:2 crossed my mind: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”

We lived near the N2 Motorway, which would have been the best place for Johan to get a ride, since the same road passes right by Mosselbaai, his destination. I decided to give him both opportunities. I dropped him off on the N2 with some money for food as well as my telephone number and money for the public telephone. I told him to call if it got dark before he got a ride. As I drove on, my thoughts about crime and strangers still nagged at my mind, but I secretly hoped he would call. And he did.

The time I spent with Johan was a good time. The more we got to know him, the more we desired to bless him. At first, he felt uncomfortable walking into our house and sitting in the lounge because he lived in a clay house back on the farm and was treated most of his life as a farmworker. He ate with us and took a long, hot bath before he went to bed. I presume it was his first proper bath ever, because he had to carry water over a long distance to his house and wash in a basin.

He had picked up a cough on his long trip, so we gave him some cough syrup and vitamin C. The Lord knew Johan was His child and that he had suffered hunger and hardship, so He prompted us to meet Johan’s needs. We did not know then whether he was a Christian.

            Johan’s contribution, however, was much greater. We had a superb time during supper and thereafter. He treated us with stories of his world, a world unfamiliar to city-dwellers such as us. He told about his tame porcupines, his horses’ different temperaments, how they farm and that they eat certain parts of the cotton plant. He told us about his vegetables, which he raises inside the outer room of his house because it is too hot to grow a garden outside. We laughed at his stories about how baboons sleep and steal honey and corn, and his tales were all the more hilarious with his bushman-like illustrations and body movements.

All the time we talked, he gave glory to God. My first carnal thought was that he was trying to please us or that he was a typical religious South African.

The next morning, we were both very emotional when I dropped him off on the N2, as if in one night we had become lifelong friends. At work, I had a hard time concentrating because I kept re-living our previous night with Johan. I missed him and longed for his company. The worst thing was that I had forgotten to get his address.

A few days later, the telephone rang. The “angel” needed a place to stay again. With great joy we picked him up. He had a prosperous trip to Mosselbaai, only to discover that his sister was now living in another town.

This time he devoted his time to Isak, our nine-year-old boy. I watched while he sketched the prettiest flowers on a piece of paper, and all the time he was teaching Isak to draw pictures.

We were all tired and went to bed early. As I walked past his closed door, I stood for a moment and listened (maybe not so appropriate, but his prayer touched my heart). With utmost compassion, he praised Father God for His care thus far and pleadingly trusted Him to take care of him for the rest of his journey. 

Why did I share this with you? Was it so that you could think well of us? Is the right hand supposed to know what the left hand is doing? Should we not do good works in secret so that our Father can reward us (Matthew 6:1-4)? No, there is nothing good about me. I am much too wretched.

That first night I couldn’t sleep because I was worried that Johan would leave with some of our possessions during the night. When he came the second time, I was tired and not in the mood for another late night. You see, my carnal nature, the flesh, resisted my spirit. My spirit, being renewed by God and occupied by the Holy Spirit, was glad about this visitor, but my sinful nature resisted it. Galatians 5:17 agrees with this: “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” Paul proclaimed in Romans 7:18, 19: “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” Being good, for most Christians, is a sacrifice. Usually, all the glory belongs to the Lord. 

That opportunity was significant in my life. In years past, Julia and I had been hospitable and kind-hearted, but gradually, materialism and the cares of life had caused us to become self-centered—quite wretched, I must admit. After Johan came, we felt a strong desire to be as close to Jesus as possible. I needed to serve and love again. One of the more tangible ways to accomplish that was to start picking up hitchhikers. I always used to do it, naturally with the wisdom and protection of the Holy Spirit. It also used to create an opportunity to meet a new friend, let my light shine, and share the gospel.

Through the years, however, I had become always in a hurry, never had time to stop, and always found an excuse such as the fear of crime. Therefore, I didn’t have that opportunity to let my light shine anymore. Now I started once again to make a conscious decision to pick up hitchhikers, and that is how I met Johan.

            In the light of our neglect of the Lord’s command on hospitality and my desire to revive, hosting Johan was a major breakthrough. It was good for our spiritual lives and was a great step toward our ideal of being like Jesus.

This kind of testimony should be making the rounds all the time, because it encourages others to use opportunities the Lord gives us in order for God’s Kingdom to prevail. How about you? What has the Holy Spirit used to change your life, and how has He used you to change the lives of others? Colossians 4:5: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” 

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way. For more information see http://t-a-c.co.za.

45. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - How to be Perfect!

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.
         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.

A mature believer 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, for instance, one insults a child, she might cry. A mature person just laughs at an insult, because he knows who he is in Christ.

Maturity consists of forgetting about oneself and focusing instead on the needs of others. A mature person has no personal or self-centered desires left to fulfill 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 (mature), and so are Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God has nothing to prove. He is not fazed by our emotional outbursts, anger tantrums, and insults through our disobedience. He remains calm and continue to accomplish His purposes with our lives. 
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, for example, were warned and thus prevented a traffic 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 did. Many of us know how the Holy Spirit has helped us to find lost items.

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?

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 (mature), we can’t do what Jesus commanded in the previous verses: 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 different 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 sermon’s main focus is on 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 what is it the Lord Jesus wanted? How about a church where members organise action teams for street outreach, missions, caring for the elderly, etc. Everybody is invited. 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. Don't we then have reason to celebrate, to worship this powerful God who changes people through us?

I have written this article some years ago, but recently discovered a movement that does exactly what I just promoted in this article. Have a look at the video below, visit their website www.thelastreformation.com, and watch the Pioneer School videos.

44. Please read this, it's Important! Pete's Story - How to Love your Enemies Part 2

In the previous post we have started to discuss Matthew 5:43-48: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

For those living in South Africa, the extent of racial prejudice is no secret. We all know of the invisible wall that still exists between the majority of different races. We know how races avoid each other and call each other insulting names. One still sees and hears of extremist and hate-filled interracial behaviour. We do, however, find minorities that have excellent relationships across racial borders.

If it is like that years after apartheid was abandoned, how must it have been during the peak of racism—the time when Pete committed his crimes? He stole because the only impression he had of white people was one of oppressors who lived in luxury while he and his family had to live in poverty. Only in jail did Christians reach his heart.

Imagine that all people calling themselves Christians, especially the white people of that day, had obeyed the Lord’s teaching and loved their enemies. The Lord did not ask us to like our enemies. He wanted us to be patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not rude, not self-seeking, not easily angered, not keeping record of wrongs with our enemies. He wanted us not to delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. He wanted us always to protect and trust our enemies, always to hope the best for and persevere with our enemies.

How can you trust your enemies? You trust the Lord to deal with them.

If Pete’s enemies, white people, loved him as above, do you think that he would still have wanted to break in and steal from them? Would he have wasted seven of the best years of his life in prison? How many Petes are there in prison - tens, hundreds, thousands? If their enemies loved them, would they have wasted their lives in prison?

We are not talking only about the Petes who were hurt by racism. There are many Petes all over the world who are embittered by many other things. Most of those in prison are embittered by their parents, society, or even religion. It can be anything. In the process they have made many enemies, and as a result, they act as enemies to society and not only to individuals.

When a rebellious young person acts violently against an individual or vandalizes private property, it does not necessarily mean that person has anything against that individual. He might not even know the person. If such a rebel has a grudge against society, and if society shows him nothing but love instead of dumping him in jail, won’t he eventually change his attitude?

Most good and ordinary people have families who give them lots of love and attention. But consider the street children, drug addicts, gang members, etc. Would they have become like that if they had caring and praying families? I say no; they would have been with their families instead of on the streets.

What happens to those youngsters once they’ve grown up? They become criminals. What would then be the best way to prevent crime? Love those unloved ones! If each Christian would go out once or twice a week and love the unloved, crime and vandalism would decrease in most countries. The enemies of society do not need policing, they need love. Even lonely adults need only to be loved and listened to now and then.

Jesus said to pray for those who persecute you. Why must we do that? It is simply because they do not know what they are doing. Jesus prayed on the cross: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).” Persecutors are hurting and vulnerable to instigation from the devil. The murderers, thieves, vandals, and so on are hurting because they compare their terrible circumstances with the seemingly glittering conditions of the “fortunate” as they see them. The hurt of embittered people is the ideal breeding ground for the sin of persecution, and the Lord can bring light to their darkened minds only if somebody prays for them.

Jesus spelled out the sacrifice of love. We are to love those who do not love us. Godly love is not a business deal. We are not to give while looking for what we can get.

Jesus mentioned tax collectors. They were businessmen. They had found out that if they “love” their customers, they get results in the form of money. The friendly person in the modern shop has the same intentions, and so do most businesspersons or professionals in today’s world. But if you owe them money, see how their “love” changes?

Jesus also mentioned greeting only our brothers. Have you ever walked past somebody you knew, but she completely ignored you? The next moment she heartily greeted somebody else, maybe a client or friend. How did you feel? Rejected? Like scum?

How many people have you made to feel like scum, an outcast, by not even greeting them, let alone loving them? Love is a sacrifice; it is doing something you don’t really want to do, greeting and loving the unacceptable for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

The youth outreach team of our church often worked with street kids. We gave them as much clean fun as possible and linked that to the name of Jesus. (I’m not talking about religious Children’s Church stuff, but about playing, chatting, and so forth.) I hope one day they will look back, saying, “The greatest times in my miserable street life were when Jesus played with me.”

As a pharmacist in the United Kingdom, part of my job was to issue a heroin-replacement medicine to addicts to help them break the power of that drug. Since I love these people so much, I spent a lot of time chatting with and loving them while handing them the drug. I asked about their families, played with their kids when they accompany their parents, and congratulated them when their dose had been reduced. 

When I hand medicine out, I regularly ask people whether they want to be healed and when they want it, I pray a short authoritative prayer for their healing, trusting the Lord to be true to His Word in Mark 16:17-18: "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”  These are not necessarily people I like, and some often don't treat me well, but this type of love would draw attention, and people would ask why I do it. When the time is right, somebody will ask me, and I will answer that Jesus loves them. Even if they don't ask me, the Holy Spirit will reveal it to them, leading to them searching for Jesus.

The world is used to competing with their enemies, having to fight their own battles, and overcoming their own hardships. If their enemies then show them gentleness, kindness, and forgiveness, it will be impossible for them not to notice a difference. Guess who will benefit by it: the Kingdom of God.

Love, however, does not come naturally. Love comes only from God. We are way too selfish by nature to love unconditionally. For us to obey this commandment, we need to be filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit’s presence and then simply make the decision to obey.

Jesus ended these words with "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Don't miss the revelation in the next message on what He meant by 'be perfect'!

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way. For more information see http://t-a-c.co.za.