37. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - The Fruit of Disobedience

We are busy discussing God's perspective on adultery based on Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:31-32: It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.” But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Maybe you'd like to refresh the context in your mind by reading posts 35 and 36 again.

Jesus always meant what He said. It is we who do not always take Him seriously, but He is the one who will one day do the judging. In this section, we will focus on the disasters of marrying a divorced person.

God always has a reason for what He says. When Israel was about to destroy Jericho as recorded in Joshua 6:18, He said, “But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise, you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.” 

We then read that Achan had taken some of the goods that the Lord had forbidden. Next, we read that Israel had lost against the little city of Ai, and when Joshua sulked about it, the Lord told him to call on Israel to consecrate themselves. We then read in Joshua 7:15, “He who is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel!” Achan was discovered and he and his family destroyed.

Why did God forbid them to take of the devoted things, and why was His punishment so severe? (It was not only of Achan, but also of the whole of Israel through the withdrawal of His support during their battles.) The devoted things were given to other gods. The spirits of the other gods (effectively God’s enemy Satan) were attached to these things and would have claimed their worship in due time, which is why they should have been destroyed as per God’s command.

The same principle applied throughout the Old Testament in Israel’s relationship with ungodly nations. God’s basic command to His people was, “Stay away from the heathen nations, don’t mix with them, and when you go to war against them, destroy them completely.”

They did not destroy the people, as the Lord had commanded them, but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they became unclean by their acts and played the whore in their deeds (Psalm 106:34-39). The reason Israel had to destroy the heathens completely, which they didn’t do, was that failure to do so would cause them to be corrupted by the heathens, which often happened as we read above. When Israel was obedient to this command, it went well with them. When they committed adultery with the heathen, it went disastrous with them.

What does this principle have to do with our study? Jesus Christ (also the God of the Old Testament) is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The heathen nations of the Old Testament were a type of the evil forces of today, and Israel was a type of the church of today. Remember Nathan’s words to David in 2 Samuel 12:14: “Only, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to blaspheme.” Every time Israel committed adultery with heathen nations, they caused these nations to laugh at God. Every time the church commits adultery with evil forces, she causes the evil forces to ridicule God.

The result is that God has to deal with the adulterer. How does He do that? He may withdraw his support and protection, causing us to experience the devil’s attacks directly (Isaiah 59:1,2). He also disciplines through circumstances (Hebrews 12:4-11).

How do we commit adultery with the evil forces? Having a relationship with God means that we trust His commands and judgment concerning our lives. If He decided that a certain person would be a suitable spouse, then we need to trust His judgment. If we then use our own judgment and ignore His commandment, we are saying to God that we don’t trust a relationship with Him. We’d rather trust him who suggested the “better” idea, in other words, the evil forces or our carnal nature. We then enter into a relationship with God’s enemies and commit adultery. This affects our love for God and violates the first Great Commandment to love Him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind.

God said that we are not to divorce our spouse because it causes the spouse to commit adultery. We are not to marry a divorced person because then we also commit adultery. As we know, both practices occur every day. We also know that the result is often gross unhappiness for all parties, children included. This affects our love for our neighbour, which violates the second greatest commandment. May this be because God withdrew His blessing due to disobedience and ridicule? Deception is very subtle and we often content with a second-grade life, having chosen to harbour disobedience, instead of enjoying the fulness Jesus promised in John 10:10 by living in complete obedience. To be continued with a real-life example.

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36. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - God's Power made Perfect in Weakness

We are busy discussing divorce in the light of Jesus' words in Matthew 5:31-32: It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.” But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Let’s talk a bit about the practicalities of divorce and marrying divorced people. Apart from Him being humiliated, God had another reason why He forbids adultery through divorce: He loves us and doesn’t want to see us hurt.

In Matthew 19:6, Jesus said that married people are no longer two, but one. In order to separate them, you have to tear them apart, causing terrible wounds. I want you to picture this spiritual process as if it were physical. Imagine you take Siamese twins and tear them apart. Can you picture the violence, the agony, and the cries? Divorce is not much different, except it is emotional instead of physical. The pain, however, is the same; the wounds are the same: large and agonizing.

But what if your spouse has been hurting you all your life? Jesus stated that divorce is not allowed “except for marital unfaithfulness.” If the spouse has been unfaithful, divorce usually is a release, but the hurt and effect on children and other family members will still be there. However, if it is a case of just having difficulty living together, misunderstandings, or weak communication, there is no reason to divorce. God can solve the problem. It will take time, effort, and assistance from able servants of God, but He will do it if we are willing and if we call on Him. To divorce and run from our problems says to God, “You are not able to help us make it work. We would rather make our own decision.” Jude 24: “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.” The Lord can do anything if we trust Him, wait on Him, and rely on him.

A lady we know lived a godly life, but her husband did not care much for the Lord. She served and loved her husband until and even after he divorced her. Although he was unfaithful to her, she stayed faithful to him and to the Lord as an example of obedience to Jesus’ commands.

A couple I know, Mark and Cindy, had a difficult relationship. Even though they were very much alike in their interests, they always clashed. But they both loved the Lord and had decided long ago that divorce was not an option. Apparently, a lot of prayer and intense and open communication went into their marriage. During a time of weakness, Mark was even tempted to get involved with other women, an issue which the Lord dealt with, but Cindy was true to her commitment before the Lord and fought for her man. Mark repented and came clean before the Lord and Cindy.
They knew the Lord had put them together and had a purpose with them as a couple. Satan. however, wanted to destroy the power of their unity and worked on their weaknesses to urge them on to break their unity. But the power of the Lord was made perfect in their weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9) and they came through as conquerors; still married after several years and as happy and fruitful as never before.
In a study like this, we don’t attempt writing a handbook on marriage, but rather just try to see things from God’s perspective. Next time I want to spend some time considering the consequences of divorce and marrying a divorced person.

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

35. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Have you Humiliated God?

It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.” But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:31, 32) 

This is a challenging command. How could Jesus have been so radical? People do make mistakes in their choice of marriage partners, don't they? When you're young you do not always have wisdom in your choice of marriage partner, have you? 
I've been thinking and praying about Jesus'words "except for marital unfaithfulness" and will first give some of my impressions. We tend to see marital unfaithfulness as having an affair with a third party. However, an abusive partner or one neglecting you physically and emotionally and who refuses to change is also unfaithful to their marriage vows. Therefore, if after you've done everything in your power to make the marriage work and having prayed much for help, the partner continues to make life unbearable for you, I guess divorce can be seen an acceptable option in God's eyes based upon the passage above.
If, however, you want to opt out for selfish reasons, or are too unconcerned to work out solvable problems through communication and changing of yourselves with the help of God and other professionals, divorce is not an option and it is to you that Jesus is talking.

How does God regard divorce?

If anything is a serious issue to God, the devil makes serious effort to cause us to sin in that area. Have you ever wondered why divorce is so widespread?

            How could Jesus, in His infinite love, put two people who seemingly made a mistake in a position like that? Why call a divorced woman an adulteress? Shouldn’t such people be forgiven and allowed to remarry? Many Christians believe this is the human thing to do, even if it is directly against Jesus’ commands. 

We hear and read much about divorce. Many teachers talk about the feelings of the parties and practical aspects around them, about forgiveness and restoration after the divorce. Very few, however, seem to notice or consider important the second part of our passage, or maybe for the sake of convenience, they ignore it. “Whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Based on this instruction of Jesus divorce should be discouraged. 
Why is marrying a divorced woman considered adultery? Jesus called such a woman an adulteress simply because sleeping with another man while her husband is alive is adultery in God's eyes. Anybody sleeping with another person outside of marriage is an adulterer/ess. She was chosen by God for another man. Why don’t people notice or obey it? Why do ministers marry divorced people left, right, and centre without blinking an eye?

It is because most Christians have a humanistic worldview. As long as it does not damage the human body or another’s rights, it is okay. 
However, the Great Commandment Jesus gave in Mark 12:30-31 has two legs on which it stands: (1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,’” and (2) “and ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”

Too few Christians are God-minded (considering His rights so to speak), loving the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength and with all their mind. Nathan challenged King David with an eye-opening statement. He confronted David concerning his adultery with Bathsheba and said the following in 2 Samuel 12:14: “But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.”

God forgave David and even blessed him. We know this because the heir to the throne was born from Bathsheba, an expression of God’s amazing love. But God got humiliated through his behaviour. Both God's human enemies and the evil spirits in the heavenly realms mocked God because of the behaviour of "the man after God's own heart".  In Mark 12:30-31, much more emphasis is placed upon love for God than upon love for neighbours, like the song says: “It’s all about Jesus.”

Many Christians are too man-oriented and too little God-minded, doing what is acceptable to people rather than fearing God and obeying His commands. We tend to see things from a physical or carnal perspective instead of a spiritual perspective. When we disobey God’s commands, even though nobody sees us, there are still beings that see us: the evil spirits. We give them great occasion to blaspheme God, to laugh at Him. We cause God to be humiliated in the eyes of His enemies.

         Whenever Jesus gave a command, He kept both God and man in mind, but especially the honour and glory of God. He is gracious and loving, but in order for us to live a life of blessing, it is better to obey (1 Samuel 15:22) and to believe and trust (Hebrews 11:6), because that pleases God. He is more than able to save a marriage if we trust Him. If a couple, therefore, divorces, the woman becomes an adulteress and if a man marries a divorced woman, he commits adultery according to Scripture. Disobeying this New Testament command brings dishonour to God before his enemies, even though it is acceptable to man, just like with any other act of disobedience. So what are we to do? To be continued.

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34. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Why did Jesus only Mention the Right Eye and Hand?

If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. (Matthew 5:29, 30)

Jesus did not preach mutilation of one’s body but wanted to stress the seriousness with which we need to deal with sin. One need not literally remove his eye if it causes him to stumble, because a blind man can also lust after a woman. Jesus tried to impress on the reader’s heart that the eternal health of the soul is much more valuable than the temporary health of the body. He wanted us to realize the serious consequences of sin.

If we look carefully at this passage though, we see that there is more to it than meets the eye. It intrigues me that Jesus mentioned both the right eye and the right hand. He literally referred to the right side of the body. Metaphorically, that is a place of honour or authority. The eye is often a metaphor for the mind, and the hand can be a symbol of help, as in a helping hand.

Since the body can also denote a number of people closely united or a family, we can conclude that this passage can refer not only to an individual stumbling because of sin, but also to the body of Christ. Jesus seems to say that if a person teaches or helps from a position of authority and causes the body of believers to stumble, he should be cut off from the body and cast away before he causes them to lose direction and end up in hell. The Lord specifically mentioned the right eye and hand because people will listen to and believe only those who speak with authority.

Without unity, an organization, whether secular of Christian, is weak. We see it many times in politics. If a group of people manages to work together, they have a strong system. It does not matter whether the system is effective or not, they will stay in power as long as they work together. Therefore Jesus and the Epistles stress at several occasions the importance of working together.

However, people, in our selfish nature, have often partnered with the enemy in his strategy to divide the Church. For example, the Bible is interpreted in many different ways concerning such issues as baptism, pre-destination and the working of the Holy Spirit. Often, different churches spend too much time protecting their precious viewpoints, being too proud to compromise on their differences, instead of working together to accomplish the Great Commission. Selfish ambition, pride, and love of money and power often cause people to follow their own agenda rather than God’s. As a result, the Body of Christ consists of hundreds of small bodies, each with its own head.

Jesus spoke to the apostles in this passage. He gave them part of the blueprint of a perfect church. Had they and their disciples stayed with the blueprint, the Body would have remained in unity and would have been a power to be reckoned with. But the strength of carnal desires combined with the enemy’s energetic temptations caused the church to divide. The enemy used our selfishness to create doctrines and powers that divided the church. Roman Catholicism, for example, had been used to pollute the pure gospel that was preached and practiced up to that point. Even after the Reformation, parts of the church have not returned to that same purity, maintaining some of the doctrines introduced by Roman Catholicism. 

Apart from this, there have always been and will always be agents planted in the church who will cause the church to stumble and divide. These men and women influence fellow church members to believe false doctrines and often tear away part of the church to follow them. These agents don’t always realize that they are playing into the enemy’s hands. They think they are right and even that they are doing well. They are properly deceived.

It is the church’s responsibility to discern the deception and handle it according to Matthew 18:15-17: “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two brothers along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

These are the ”eyes” and “hands” that need to be gouged out and cut off in order to protect the body of Christ from decay. It is important that the discerners of these actions have the courage to alert the leadership in order to have the person dealt with.

We are not talking only about wrong doctrines, but also the causing of the members to be passive, introspective, or lukewarm. These are often greater dangers. If the church doctrine causes its members to be content with their spiritual condition (in other words a belief that everybody who is ”good” is okay and will go to heaven) people are deceived and are often on their way to hell without knowing it. Such people become introspective, looking after only one another, not concerned about a lost world. They believe that as long as we adopt the church’s doctrines, we are okay, and it doesn’t matter whether you know Jesus or not. Such deception usually does not preach salvation and the need to make a decision to follow Jesus, to be born again. In such a case, we find that the deception is vast and is not caused by an individual in the local church anymore. This is a purposeful satanic attempt to blind people and church organizations to God’s only plan of salvation: to become a new creation in Christ Jesus through rebirth.

Some of these “eyes” and “hands” within the international church are so vast, with whole church organizations taking people to hell, that it would be impossible to gouge them out of the body. In such cases, it would be better to “gouge” lost souls from them. Intensive prayer for those church leaders to change and for the souls in the church to find salvation would make a difference. The Holy Spirit wants the church always to be alive and progressive and will always alert somebody to do something about dangers in the church.

Just as we, who obey Jesus, should be the salt that deals with the degradation of this earth, so we need to deal with deception within the church. Many innocent people are being misdirected and miss the fullness they could have in Jesus. Some even miss out on salvation. These are our responsibility.

            Jesus wants each of us to consider His Kingdom as important and to be more involved in taking care of it. Ex Unitate Vires – Unity brings Might.

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33. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - What is the issue about Pornography?

You have heard that it was said, Do shall not commit adultery.” But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27, 28)

Why has pornography become such an issue? Not only do sales soar, but the offer of free pornography on the Internet is vast as well. Since the world’s main motivation is money, why do so many people give away as much pornography as possible?

Why are a few pornographic pictures such an issue? Why does pornography enslave men as drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes do? Men who are enslaved by it can’t live without it. They have to see more and more, worse and worse and more perverse. The temptation can be continual, especially for Christian men who had been enslaved before they were saved. A married man may experience more excitement and stimulation from it than when he looks at his wife. Why would this be?

The devil always entices people to sin in areas that are serious to God, because God hates sin. The most severe issues of sin and crime in this world are direct disobedience to the Ten Commandments: murder, theft, adultery, using God’s name in vain, and so on. Not all of them are classified as crime, but society considers all as sin or moral crime. Every rule God gave us is for our benefit. Satan opposes God by enticing us to sin in order to displease his enemy, God. Therefore, evil forces work hard to enslave men in pornography because Jesus has uttered the words in the passage under discussion, which is a serious issue to God.

Some of the Old Testament commandments were made even stricter by Jesus’ teachings and commands. Up to the moment of the Sermon on the Mount, adultery occurred only if a man slept with a woman other than his wife or a woman slept with a man other than her husband. With Jesus’ new law, looking lustfully at another also became adultery, a rule for Satan to break.

What is lusting after a woman? When does looking at a woman become adultery? Are we as Christian men not allowed to have some joy from the beauty of life? The Afrikaans translation says that if you look at a woman and desire her, you commit adultery. Yes, a man can look at a beautiful woman and appreciate her, but the danger lies in the thought life and the way we look at her. Naturally, it is impossible to look at a naked woman and not have a desire after her physically, but looking at beautiful, clothed women also holds its dangers.

What does one think when one looks at a woman lustfully? In the case of an unmarried man, he wonders what it would be like to sleep with her. In the Lord’s mind, this man has already slept with her. A married man might compare the woman with his wife and desires certain aspects of the other woman’s beauty which he doesn’t find in his wife. Pornography controls a man’s mind.

God made His laws and rules not to control or manipulate people, but to protect them. The health laws in the Old Testament, such as not eating pork, were made to protect people against illness.

Adultery pollutes the relationship between spouses and future spouses, because a man does not forget what he saw and experienced. What would a woman do if she found out her husband slept with another woman? How would she feel? How would a woman feel if she knew her husband constantly thinks of other women while with her?

Adultery is sin and brings division between people and God. If we are separated from God, Satan has an open door to influence our relationships and emotions, and unhappiness is the result. Torturous guilt feelings and controlling temptations make that man’s life unbearable. To relieve this pressure, that man often yields to temptation, and in the end, this sin becomes an idol controlling his life.

Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. (John 14:23,24a)

Therefore, my dear brothers, let’s consider our wives if we are tempted to desire other women. And sisters in Christ, please consider your brothers when you (and your daughters) dress for church activities and wherever you go. Not all Christian men are tempted equally with adultery of the thoughts, but those who have the problem have enough suffering resisting this sin in the world, let alone having it in church. Please pray for our brothers in this suffering. Pray that He will not let them be tempted beyond their ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that they may be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Pray that the Lord's power will be made perfect in their weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). And be careful to judge them, lest you yourself may be judged (Matthew 7:1-2) for all of us have some sort of plank in our own eyes (Matthew 7:3-5).

This weakness is not easy to admit for fear of judgment and rejection, therefore the other servants should have open hearts, allowing such brothers to receive help and healing. Their burden is none different than that of a drug addict; it’s just less visible.  

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32. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Should I Prosecute?

Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. (Matthew 5:25, 26) 
Jesus used the scenario of going to court here, but the principle applies to any disputes you may have with people.

God’s Kingdom functions on a completely different system than that of the world. The world believes in the survival of the strongest and that the greater you become, the more acceptable you are. It believes that the richer you are, the more popular and influential you are, and that you will be remembered according to the amount of power you have.

God’s Kingdom says that whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:12). If your enemy takes you to court, you have two options: act according to the world’s principles or God’s principles. You either play tough and proud, exalting yourself, or you humble yourself. If you choose the world’s principles, you submit yourself to the world’s judgment and ruthlessness. If you choose to live by the Spirit, by God’s principles, He will overrule the world on your behalf. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In other words, there is nothing in this world that Jesus can’t handle; therefore, if you rely on Him to deal with the trouble the world gives you, you will have peace.

I have had occasions in which I stood before the choice: should I prosecute or should I forgive? I chose to forgive. A number of times it involved a lot of money, which I lost. On the other hand, I have had occasions where I have wronged people, but then I called on the Lord, praying this word He gave me: “Because I love you, You said, Lord, that You will rescue me. You will protect me, for I acknowledge Your name. I call upon You, and You will answer me; You will be with me in trouble; You will deliver me and honour me. With long life will You satisfy me and show me Your salvation. Please rescue and protect me Lord, (Psalm 91:14-16).

 Every time, the Lord came through for me, rescuing me from the unthinkable. I have sown humility and forgiveness. Because it pleased the Lord, and since it is according to His Word and will, I have reaped forgiveness. This has given me some stunning testimonies.

          That is why Jesus said to come to terms quickly with your accuser. In other words, you must be the least. Humble yourself and adopt a give-and-take attitude. Pride often causes stubbornness. Then our decisions are dictated by our pride. These decisions are usually unwise and lead to mistakes. Humility, on the other hand, pleases the Lord and prompts Him to exalt you and judge in your favour. If we act in pride and arrogance, the Lord steps out of the way. Then our adversary may hand us over to the judgement of the worldly system.

Christians are pilgrims in a foreign world, sent from a different Kingdom. As with any tourist or immigrant, we have to interact with the locals. In this case, however, the Christian acts according to the behaviour principles of his King and not that of the foreign world, because the King supports His principles.

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

31. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Are you Right?

We are busy talking about how our lives affect others. The passage we were looking at is You have heard that it was said to people long ago, “Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And again, anyone who says to his brother, “Raca,” is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21 and 22). This is the last post on this section.

Galatians 5 says that the carnal nature opposes the Spirit. Paul says in Philippians that we work out the salvation of our souls with fear and trembling because the carnal nature, together with external temptations, does not easily yield to the Spirit.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 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. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law. (Romans 7:15-22)

Therefore, we fight this battle: we keep on sinning by committing murder with our mouths. Our sinful nature keeps on resisting the Spirit. We (our sinful nature) keep on doing what we (our renewed spirit) do not want to do. What is the solution? The key is in the word “forgiveness.”

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

By confessing these sins of the tongue, we are forgiven and once again in right standing with God, but what about our neighbor? “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift,” (Matthew 5:23, 24). Jesus is saying that since you have called your brother an idiot, don’t come and worship Me until you have sorted things out with him.

Picture the following: Church is about to begin. You and your son just had a good fight, ending with words bordering on “raca” or “you fool.” Or perhaps you and your spouse had words in the past week. “Raca” was probably part of it. Neither of you, however, has yet apologized. Or maybe another Christian differed with you on a certain point and “raca” was either mentioned or implied.

As you are about to bring your sacrifice of praise to the heavenly altar, you remember this murder you have committed. Do you think the one you have slandered with your tongue, whether you were right or wrong, has something against you after what you’ve said? Maybe she is mad, but maybe she is so used to it that she has already forgiven you before you asked. Maybe she has forgotten about it, but inside, it still hurts. Whether she forgave you or not, no one can receive murderous words and not get hurt.

What does Jesus command? It is the same principle as His command in Matthew 6:14, 15: “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” In this case, you are also the one in need of forgiveness, both from your neighbor and from God. What Jesus said here indirectly is mentioned clearly in 1 John 4:20: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”

Jesus says here that if you refuse to make right with your brother, or if you make light of the offense by ignoring it, you actually hate your brother because you don’t care how he feels. In such a case, you actually hate God. Of what worth is your sacrifice of praise then?

We may think that bringing a sacrifice to God means asking forgiveness of sins. However, according to our passage, we cannot expect forgiveness unless we are reconciled with our brother. God’s standards are much higher than we think. We think we can keep on sinning, accomplishing our own purposes, leaving wrecked souls behind us. We are often so ambitious, valuing only people who can help us to reach our goals, that we leave hurting people behind. We can even be too insensitive to realize they need reconciliation. But God sees this. He knows about it when we bring our sacrifices. When we do not hear His voice or He does not answer our prayers, we complain that our prayers hit the ceiling.

Why did Jesus consider it important to speak to His disciples about anger and insults? He wants us to be different from the world. He wants us to love and forgive like His father does. It’s natural for us to get angry, but the Word says in Psalm 4:4: “In your anger, do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.”

Do you want to be more like Jesus? Then obey the Father like Jesus did.

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

30, Sermon on the Mount Secrets - How Close are you to the Lord?

We are busy talking about how our lives affect others. The passage we were looking at in the previous two posts was You have heard that it was said to people long ago, “Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And again, anyone who says to his brother, “Raca,” is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21 and 22).

The writer to the Hebrews said, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord,” (Hebrews 12:14). To be holy means to be separated from everything that is not of God, to be put aside for God, altogether focused on Him. Many want to be Christians and have the privilege of going to heaven one day, but at the same time, they want to have a good life on earth. They want to live comfortably, pleasing the carnal nature. 

If we do not specifically separate ourselves from sin, self, and everything carnal, living a holy life in peace with our neighbours, we will not see God. We will not have close fellowship with Him, receiving revelation from Him in the present life; neither do I believe will such a person see Him physically one day. One might go to heaven through his faith in Jesus, but he would probably not see God.

For what it’s worth, I would like to explain a revelation. I don’t make a doctrine of it, although it does make sense and answer some questions. I once said to the Lord that I don’t think it is fair that all Christians go to the same heaven. Some live only a mediocre Christian life, being more concerned about their comfort than Kingdom issues, while others sacrifice their whole lives for the sake of the Kingdom, keeping nothing for themselves. The Lord then showed me three passages in the Bible.

1.      If you confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). This passage and many similar ones in the New Testament indicate that to be saved, we need only to believe in Jesus.

2.       “Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit,’” (John 3:5). This passage indicates that the only way to see or enter the Kingdom of God is by being born again, in other words the miraculous renewal of the spirit when one accepts Jesus as his Saviour.

3.       Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

In light of these passages, I believe I received a picture of Israel as an illustration of heaven. Farms and villages surrounded the city of Jerusalem. The king’s palace was inside the city with its buildings and gardens. In the center of the palace were the king’s courts and throne room.

God revealed to me that some will simply believe, but will not show much interest in knowing the King. These will live in the villages or in the country. They will not see the King. Those who are born again will see and enter the palace, but only those who pursued holiness will live in the courts of the King and see Him face to face.

The degree of intimacy you have with God on earth will determine how close you will be to Him in heaven. Only when we are born again and living in holy harmony with the Lord will we be free from the carnal nature and all that go with it. Then we will be fruitful (Galatians 5:16-24). Only through renewal and holiness (Romans 12:1-2)will we see more miracles, more salvation of souls, less sin, and freedom from the sins of the tongue.

Please take note; we are not talking about living a sinless life. We all sin daily. We also know that all our sins are forgiven and forgotten the moment we confess them. We are talking about attitude. We are talking about the choice between satisfying our carnal desire for comfort as well as our carnal freedom of speech and the restriction of the commands in God’s Word. We must choose between the narrow path and wide road. Matthew 7:13, 14 tells us to “enter by the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

So what are we to do? Paul’s letter to the Philippians has an answer:

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:12, 13)

What salvation is he talking about here? We cannot save ourselves from eternal damnation through our works, can we? We are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast”). Jesus did it all on the cross at Calvary, but our souls still need transformation. This change doesn’t take place in an instant. It is under our control and subject to our decision. It is God who works this change in us with our cooperation and permission. We choose to be saved from being critical. We choose to be saved from filthy language. We choose to live according to the Spirit and in the process be saved from the results of sin caused by the carnal nature. It is our choice to be set aside for God. It is our responsibility to bring the soul in line with the Spirit. This is called sanctification or holiness. In Matthew 19:16-25 we read about the occasion when the rich young man approached Jesus. From this passage and a number of others, it is clear that the Lord wants our undivided attention. Time and energy spent on distractions such as material things could have been spent on time with the Lord, winning souls, teaching the Word, doing good works, or exercising any other gift to the glory of God. 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.

29. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - How you Affect Others - A Must Read

We are busy discussing the following passage: You have heard that it was said to people long ago, “Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And again, anyone who says to his brother, “Raca,” is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21 and 22).

Why would Jesus have compared anger, insults, and criticism with murder? Isn't it a little radical? Let's look at what happens if you kill someone physically. You take away someone who brought value to the world and to other people, even if they did not appear valuable in the eyes of some. 

But we know that people don't really fall dead under an anger attack, so what do you kill when you act in anger? Before we can answer this question, we first need to look at what happens when one acts in anger. You would have experienced it a few times yourself - violent actions, accusations, insults, humiliation, sarcasm, silent stupors, ignoring others, criticism, etc. All of us have been on the giving side, haven't we? 

But we have been on the receiving side as well. How does that feel? We have feelings of rejection, anxiety, distrust, fear, heartache and sadness, despondency, and the like, don't we? What happens when this kind of anger is vented on you for a prolonged period? Certain things inside you die. When you are constantly criticised or not trusted your confidence dies, leaving you feeling insecure. Violent actions kill your feelings of security, and fear and anxiety is the result. Sarcasm, humiliation, accusations, and insults are verbal forms of violence, which cause the same death in you than the abovementioned does.

Slowly your confidence, creativity, and initiative die and you become as a living dead, having lost most of the value the Lord intended for you to have to a world around you for His name's sake.

When you are on the giving side of anger outbursts, insults, and criticism, I have just described your victim. You have killed a valuable instrument in God's hands and will answer to the Lord for doing it.

The Lord instructed us to build one another up in love (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and in our anger not to sin (Ephesians 4:26). In other words, we should use the self-control the Holy Spirit makes available to us (Galatians 5:22-23) to control our feelings of anger. When anger stirs up in you, why don't you excuse yourself and ask the Lord to make His power perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and to give you a way out of that temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).

If you're hotheaded, prone to anger, insults, or being critical in any way, why not start your day preparing prayerfully to have self-control during the day? This you do by calling on the abovementioned promises of the Lord ahead of time, so when the attack comes, you'll be ready. 

Naturally, there is no reviving power like apologising immediately and making right lovingly. 

Furthermore, victims should be careful of assisting the murder to their souls by sulking and pondering about it, giving Satan occasion to play havoc with their thoughts and emotions and worsening the whole situation. God is your helper and people are God's instruments in the process. There is no need for you to stay dead, in other words down in the dumps, willingly. The Lord invited you: "Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honour me," (Psalm 50:15). Proclaim God's Word and get out of it! Jesus does raise people from the 'dead' all the time. 

When the person who vented the anger (the killer) repented and attempted to make right what s/he has caused through angry behaviour, you should especially receive the apology and forgive. However, I know it's often a repeated offence because the culprit actually struggles with controlling anger. As long as s/he is upright in the attempt to change, being graceful and forgiving to them and praying for them will help them along their way to having peace and towards change. Remember you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13) and you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)!

Then there is the issue of calling curses. How often do we call people stupid, or a fool, or sometimes even something less appropriate, especially towards other races and in traffic? When we proclaim anything over a person, we either bless them or curse them depending on whether it's uplifting or degrading. When we proclaim something positive, i.e. a blessing, God has the mandate to activate the blessing and when we proclaim something negative, i.e. a curse, we give Satan the mandate to activate the curse over them, i.e. make it happen or increase. 

Many people do this daily in their cars, during social gatherings, and in their homes, and then we ask why there is such an increase in inappropriate behaviour in for example certain drivers in traffic and in violence. Every time we call the curses, i.e. tell the spirit world how bad we would like these people to be, Satan uses the opportunity to instigate them to worse behaviour.  To be frank I believe these curses from the supposedly good people contribute to the increase in wickedness (Matthew 24:12). We have more power than we think and need to learn to manage it in a godly way. This is why James was so adamant about the control we should exercise over the tongue (James 3:1-12) and why Jesus addressed the issue so sternly here.

Dear friends, let's be careful in controlling anger and watching the tongue. It has lots of power. If all Christians decide to only proclaim blessings and to never curse, we will see a different world. 

Let's pray like David did in Psalm 141:3: "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." 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.

28. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Do you Kill? Part 1

You have heard that it was said to people long ago, “Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. (Matthew 5:21,22a)

The words “but I tell you” indicate Jesus’ renewal or fulfillment of the old law. In fact, He made it even stricter. We judge murderers and look down on them as being criminals—the filth of society. Jesus knew of this tendency. Remember that He was not speaking to Pharisees here. He was speaking to the disciples, His chosen ones.

What does he say? “You who look down on thieves and murderers, judging them for their deeds, hear what I have to say: when you get angry with your brother (fellow man or countryman, including other races) without a cause, you will be subject to the same judgment as these thieves and murderers.” Many Bible translations add the words “without a cause.” Anger is a natural, built-in emotion. Ephesians 4:26, 27 tells us to be angry but not to sin while we are angry or stay angry. Anger can be a way to stir oneself to action. Sometimes we need to experience more holy anger toward injustices. Anger has a function, but we must not stay angry just because we are too proud to repent and restore relationships. This could lead to sin and judgment. 

Momentary anger won’t make us subject to judgment unless our pride and selfishness lead to bitterness and unforgiveness. Godly anger can bring feelings to the surface so we can deal with them and improve our relationships. If we are saved and Spirit-filled, we have the fruit of the Spirit, which according to Galatians 5:22, 23 is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Therefore, we do not need violent venting of anger. We have within us the ability to handle anger with the help of the Holy Spirit. However, if we choose to ignore Him and allow anger to control us, our outbursts will damage our relationships, and we will be subject to judgment.  

***

Again, anyone who says to his brother, “Raca,” is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:22b)

“Raca” was a term of reproach used by the Jews in the time of Christ. It means a senseless, empty-headed man. How often have you called someone an idiot or a fool? Don’t we often do it while driving, or when criticizing a colleague, pastor, or politician? What did Jesus say would be the fate of such a “murderer?” Read the above passage again. Was Jesus serious about this?

This is a serious sin, and we all are guilty. It hinders our walk with God, just like any other sin.  “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things,” (Isaiah 59:1-3).

Are we guilty of having blood on our hands? Can we murder without getting blood on our hands? Even in this Old Testament passage, Isaiah mentions murder and sins of the tongue in the same breath. Then we ask ourselves why we don’t prosper, why don’t we see God moving as he has moved in the times of the Bible. Why is there so much evil in the world? God is moving mightily everywhere, and many souls are being saved, but if everyone who called himself a Christian had a closer relationship with God, would the moves of God not have been even more powerful? Would there not have been more miracles, more salvation of souls, less sin? 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.