God’s Greatest Enemy (Part Three)

Good morning

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

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money,” [Mammon KJV] (Matthew 6:24).

Nobody should bow to Mammon. If you do, you have no part in Christ, for you will hate and despise Him (Matthew 6:24). We are to do nothing from rivalry (selfish ambition) or vain conceit, but instead consider others more significant than ourselves. We should look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:3, 4).

This is contrary to Mammon’s demands. It tells you always to buy bigger, better, and faster than anyone else. It tells you to gather as much as you can, play the stock market, and watch your earnings carefully. This motivates us toward selfish ambition. It is as if a man crawls on his knees and scrapes together as many gold coins as possible. Next to him, another man does the same. At their boundaries, a greedy, bloody battle ensues as they steal coins from each another.

This is lust for money. If we let it control us, we bow the knee to Mammon. We may cover or justify our actions with the excuse that God blessed us with it, that we deserve it or worked for it, or that business is business. But with that, we tell Mammon that we’ll do whatever he wants as long as he gives us more of himself. He will gladly do so. He delights in seeing Christians reject God’s principles.

God’s strategy is for us to become interdependent on one another through giving and serving. He wants us to stop competing with one another, trying to be the best and the greatest (as often occurs in the church). Instead, we should regard others as higher than ourselves.

When I was a student years ago, I wondered what a casino looked like. I was saved at the time but a bit reckless. So some friends and I visited a casino, and what amazed me was the glamour. Everything was overdone, luxurious, and shiny. It actually gave my born-again spirit an uncomfortable feeling like something crawling down my spine. If we look at success in Mammon’s terms, we look at luxury in offices, stores, and hotels. Mammon must show off; he must be seen; his light must shine.

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven,” (Matthew 5:16).

When people see your light, do they praise Father God, money, or you? Do you spend most of your money on home decor, clothing, or the newest car? Do these purchases make a difference in your life, or could you have used the money to bless God’s Kingdom?

Does your power come from money or God? Even if you are not rich, do you panic if you run out of funds, if the month becomes too long for your budget? Does a shortage of cash terrify you and tempt you to rely on lenders or the lottery? Do you envy your more wealthy neighbours and constantly wait to win the lottery, for your ship to come in? If so, you serve Mammon. If you quietly rely on the Lord to provide your every need while seeking His Kingdom and righteousness, you serve and love God.

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.

God’s Greatest Enemy (Part Two)

Good morning

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

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money,” [Mammon KJV] (Matthew 6:24).

Mammon uses subtle strategies. If the devil would approach someone and say, “I’m the devil, follow me,” how would that person react? She would run as fast as she could. Instead, he operates the same way as someone who wants to boil a frog. If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, what does it do? It jumps out. However, if you drop it into cold water and gradually turn up the heat, the frog will not notice it is being cooked.

Satan uses our desires, subtle suggestions, and circumstances to lure us into disobedience to God and servitude to other gods. Mammon obtains power over us in the same way.

For example, ambition can lead to disobedience. Suppose a little girl decided to become a doctor. She had the ambition of meeting the health needs of the community and dreamed of helping people. She studied hard to become a good doctor. As she started her career, she submitted to her colleagues’ influence and began to focus on money. This could change her ambition from becoming a good doctor to becoming a wealthy one. She now must decide whether to care for the community’s needs or her own. Should she charge a fair price that the poor of the community can afford, or should she raise her fees and give care only to those who can afford it?

If she chooses to serve the needs of the whole community, she will live a comfortable, average life. If she cares for only the elite, she will become wealthy. Who will command her life: God, with principles based on love and giving, or Mammon, who emphasizes the material? The choice between God and Mammon is simple: serve God and obtain treasure in heaven, or serve Mammon and have treasure only on earth.

We can’t have both. We can’t please Mammon without following his rules. In the process, we bend or break God’s rules of love, giving, and righteousness. I often have to choose between recommending an expensive item or a cheaper one that is just as effective. I also have the option of pricing items from bulk or individual packaging. Whom do I want to love, the customer or myself? Which is the right choice in God’s eyes—and in Mammon’s? Whom do I love most, my neighbour or myself? Mammon or God?

In contrast with Mammon’s strategies, we can see a perfect example of God’s methods when we observe Jesus working. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8).

Jesus became a servant. He was offered the option of serving Mammon, but He chose instead to live a simple life, totally dependent on and devoted to Father. He did nothing on His own behalf. He didn’t arrange for any gain or power, although He could have done so (Matthew 26:53). Every action He took was for the benefit of those He served and loved, that is, us and the Father. As His reward, God exalted Him above all else (Philippians 2:9-11).

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.

God’s Greatest Enemy (Part One)

Good morning

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

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money,” [Mammon KJV] (Matthew 6:24).

This passage points out one of our Lord’s greatest enemies and one of our biggest hindrances in serving the Lord wholeheartedly.

A master makes decisions and creates the circumstances that influence his servant’s life. In New Testament times, a slave belonged to his master and obeyed his master’s every bidding. Today, those of us who work for someone else have some understanding of what a master is. We understand the principle of doing what the employer expects. We have little choice or input into the system outside the established policies.

Jesus specifically used the term “master” in this context. We belong to the master we choose to serve. The master makes demands and manipulates the circumstances that cause us to be dependent on or controlled by him. In New Testament days, the master controlled his slave’s circumstances to the point that the slave could not survive on his own. He depended on the master for both lodging and food.

According to our passage, the Christian can serve or belong to only one of two masters: God or Mammon. Mammon is the god of money. A god is a spiritual being with power. A god cannot be controlled by people but always controls and enslaves them.

There is only one living God, and all false gods or idols are dead, but we find power behind them. Only two spiritual powers inhabit the universe: the power of light and the power of darkness. Satan, God’s enemy, controls the power of darkness. In all his activities, he attempts to deceive people and draw them away from the Lord. Jesus described him to his children, the important people of the day, as follows: “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies,” (John 8:44).

Satan’s strategy of deception is the creation of rulers, authorities, and powers, (Ephesians 6:12) whose lies control people and keep them from the love and truth of God that could set them free. Examples of such gods are Mammon, lust, and power. Satan is the actual god of darkness who controls lives, and the so-called gods are his demons—the fallen angels, including Mammon.

The motivation and methods of control that God and Mammon use are also somewhat different. Whenever the Lord emphasizes something in the Bible, the devil uses every opportunity within his power to influence people to oppose God in that area.

For example, using the Lord’s name in vain in the movies opposes Exodus 20:7. God’s command prohibiting the serving of two masters is Mammon’s motivation behind the action. Mammon saw this as a challenge to compete with God for our love. He uses every opportunity to influence people to rely on money rather than the Lord. Satan even saw an opportunity to try to deceive God himself, in the person of Jesus, to bow to Mammon and therefore to himself. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me,’” (Matthew 4:8, 9).

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.

Seeing is Desiring (Part Two)

Good morning


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

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22, 23)

What do your eyes cause your heart to desire? Do you set your eyes on temporary pleasures or on eternal rewards? We require no more than our daily needs. Anything more, in God’s mind, is darkness that will lead us to neglect His cause.

God is light. A body full of light is one that has absorbed God’s presence. In a body full of darkness, more attention has been given to ungodly activity; that is why we find less light.


What evidence can we find of God’s presence or His light in our lives? As when we switch on the light in a dark room, revealing its contents, the light of God reveals the contents of the heart. The evidence of the Lord’s light or presence in our lives is revelation of His character, of His Word, and about our lives.


“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you,” (Matthew 7:7). The more you ask the Lord about Himself, His Word and His Kingdom, the more He will reveal to you. He will reveal solutions to your problems as you seek them with all your heart.


Knocking at these doors takes time, though. The Lord takes His time to reveal, since He first wants to see a sincere and trustworthy heart. He wants to find out who will constantly seek Him and who reveals a genuine interest in that which is important to Him. He is not interested in a heart divided between His enemy, Mammon, and Himself.


If we are so concerned about meeting our material needs that we have little or no time to think about the Lord and His Kingdom, then money has replaced God’s presence. We should no longer expect revelation. Even if someone gives a revelation, we don’t grasp it, because the light of God is not there to reveal it.


The body in this context can be either an individual or a body of believers. Remember the city on a hill with its lights? Imagine to what extent the Lord can use a body of believers with a corporate heart after God, living in revelation, constantly seeking more of it.


To get to this point, though, a body of believers has a major stumbling block to overcome: tradition. Although tradition provides security, it prevents people from receiving and acting on fresh revelation. Religion is dead and the body is in darkness when people follow set rules and procedures instead of the living God.


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.

Seeing is Desiring (Part One)

Good morning


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

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22, 23)

Considering the context, we can conclude that in this verse, Jesus was talking about money. It follows the verse about our treasure. The verse about the masters, God and Mammon (money) follows it, and after that, we read about material goods for another eight verses. Therefore, the passage must be about money.

The eye introduces us to our surroundings, and the heart follows the eye. When a child notices a toy he likes in a toy store, he desires it, although he has never thought of buying that particular toy before. This applies to all people. The best way to keep a thief from stealing something is to hide it, and the best way to entice a customer to buy your product is to display it. What the eye does not see, the heart does not desire.


The passage above refers to the attitude of the eye. How are our eyes programmed? What will our hearts follow? We can’t help but see what is before us, but how we see it is what counts. We have a choice. A man can see a beautiful woman and either ignore her or let his heart follow his eyes and desire her.


In the case of money, we expose our eyes and hearts to cars, houses, desirable lifestyles, and vacations. When we program our eyes to focus on material goods, status, and position, our hearts will desire and obtain them.


We also see ourselves in our mind’s eye, and that determines what we desire. Do we see ourselves as rich, powerful, and influential, living in a mansion? Do we envision ourselves in a political or managerial position? If so, that is what the heart desires.


However, if we program our eyes to see the Lord, His works, and the needs of others, those eyes will ignore material things it sees and focus on what the Lord is doing. The heart will then follow, desiring to get involved with His activities. We see these with both the physical and the spiritual eye.


“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth,” (1 John 1:5b, 6). The Lord and Mammon, the god of money, are enemies. If God is light, then anything outside God must be darkness. If God and money are enemies, then money must be darkness.


A good eye, whether physical, spiritual, or the mind’s eye, focuses on the things of the Lord and will therefore bring light to the body. A bad eye focuses on things not of God, but of Mammon and other gods. They will darken the heart, since the God of light is absent. “If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness?” (Matthew 6:23b). If you use money or another dark entity as your guide, your life is destined for darkness.


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.

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.