I don't think there is a believer who is not acquainted with the words of 1 Cor. 13. Yet, the other morning, listening to the Word being preached from the pulpit, it struck me that we do not really pay enough attention to the contents of this, one of the most beautiful passages in the Word.
Love. I must have love. I must show love. The very foundation of my every thought, word and deed should be love.
The Lord Jesus said in answer to the question asked Him by a lawyer as to which is the greatest commandment in the law (can you just see that legal mind ticking away attempting to outsmart the Lord?):
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all
your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You
shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law
and the Prophets." Matt. 22: 37-40
Interesting last words: What do they mean? Simply that we cannot keep the Law or obey the prophets without love!
Read 1 Cor. 13 again, slowly...
Nothing I do is worth anything at all if it is not founded in love.
The biggest misconception we as human being suffer is that love is mere passion. Yes, of course, passion has its part in loving somebody, but true love asks a decision of your will. Augustinus says of God: "You love your creatures, but without passion." When you love as God does, unconditionally, viewing loved ones lovingly yet dispassionately, your judgment in critical situations will be more just, more lenient, more compassionate, more practical, more beneficial to them; selfless.
If we can convince ourselves to take this all-important decision before making our marriage vows, then, I believe, we will not have half the number of divorces taking place. Instead we will in critical situations be reminded that we had decided to love and keep loving this person, come what may...
Thank You, Lord, that your love is unending....everlasting, from generation to generation, forevermore.
Tuesday, 27 September 2016
A MAN/WOMAN AFTER GOD'S HEART
What could it possibly mean to be a man/woman after God's own heart?
We often hear that King David of Old Testament times was a man after God's own heart. Yet, when we look at his life, it appears that he was as human as any one of us. He even planned another man's murder to be able to marry his widow! Shocking! Not something that many of us would do, or even contemplate!
What then is the secret of David's life?
When we research his life, we find that he feared no one. Just think about the Goliath incident! Or the time when he came so close to king Saul's person (knowing that Saul sought to kill him) that he could have cut off a piece of Saul's garment!
We also begin to understand that he revered and respected God. In this regard we only have to remember the time when the Israelites brought the ark back to Israel when Ussa died next to the ark because He stumbled and touched the ark, and when David refused to take the ark to his dwelling place as a result of his fear of God. We read about this in 2 Samuel chapter 6.
David sought God's will for his life. We often read how he first consulted God before going to war against other nations.
He loved praising and exalting God's name! We find lots of proof thereof in the Psalms and songs that he composed. He was not mindful of the opinions of others regarding his love and devotion to God.
We read in 2 Samuel 6:14:
"And David danced before the Lord with all his might, clad in a linen
ephod".
He encouraged others to praise and exalt God.
Ps. 117:
"O praise the Lord, all you nations! Praise Him, all you people! For
His mercy and loving-kindness are great toward us, and the truth and
faithfulness of the Lord endure forever."
He was not without sin, no, but, he was willing and ready to immediately confess his sin and to ask for God's forgiveness; to subject himself to whatever punishment, if any, the Lord would deem fair to meet out to him.
In other words, God took the number one place in David's life and God's honour was of paramount importance to him.
1 Samuel 17: 45-47:
"Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear,
and a javelin, but I come to you in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God
of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied. This day the Lord will
deliver you into my hand and I will smite you and cut off your head. And
I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds
of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know there
is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not
with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into
our hands."
I am sure that David and his sling would have won a Gold Medal if he were to participate in the Olympic Games at any time!
David knew God, the Almighty.
He did not rely on his own strength, but on the Lord God.
He did not put his trust in people but his faith and trust was in the Lord God
He was prepared to act in the Name of the Lord God on behalf of his people.
He desired to build a house for the Lord God, where the nation could worship the Lord.
Would you therefore agree that when we look at the relationship between David and the Lord God, it is indeed possible for each one of us, man or woman, to also be close to the heart of God?
No, God certainly does not expect any one of us to go out and physically kill a giant, but we must also not limit what God can do in and through each of us.
One of the great men of God of the previous century once said: "The world, and God, is anxiously waiting to see what God can do in and through a man, or woman, who is totally devoted to Him."
By living in such a close relationship to God as David did, by continuously seeking His will for our lives, praising and exalting Him in what we think, say and do, we too will be enabled to do great things for God in our homes, our families, amongst our friends, in our neighbourhoods, our communities, and our countries.
It took one man, Noah, to build the ark. It took one man, Moses, and his brother, Aaron, to lead God's people out of Egypt. It took one man, Isaiah, to pray for a drought and three years later to pray for it to rain - our prayers are powerful instruments in the sight and hand of God.
It also does not matter what age we are. It was a young Samuel, not yet of school going age, to whom God gave a message to deliver to Eli. It was a teenager, Jeremiah, whom God annointed as prophet to His people, Israel. John, the baptist, was in his thirties when he was preaching repentance and baptism and preparing the way of our Lord. Paul, Peter and John, preached the Gospel, and wrote the books of the New Testament, when they were already old, infirm and even imprisoned.
2 Cor. 4:16 says:
"Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted,
and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is (progressively)
decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being (progressively)
renewed day after day." (Amplified Bible)
Also remember that God's mercies are new every morning and that He has promised that He will be ever present until the end of the age.
Rom 12:2 reminds us to "not be conformed to the world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you]." (Amplified Bible)
The most wonderful words ever uttered about any person is this : "He/she was a man after God's own heart".
Let's live it!
Thank You, Lord, that I also can be a woman after Your own heart. Please help me to reach this goal.
We often hear that King David of Old Testament times was a man after God's own heart. Yet, when we look at his life, it appears that he was as human as any one of us. He even planned another man's murder to be able to marry his widow! Shocking! Not something that many of us would do, or even contemplate!
What then is the secret of David's life?
When we research his life, we find that he feared no one. Just think about the Goliath incident! Or the time when he came so close to king Saul's person (knowing that Saul sought to kill him) that he could have cut off a piece of Saul's garment!
We also begin to understand that he revered and respected God. In this regard we only have to remember the time when the Israelites brought the ark back to Israel when Ussa died next to the ark because He stumbled and touched the ark, and when David refused to take the ark to his dwelling place as a result of his fear of God. We read about this in 2 Samuel chapter 6.
David sought God's will for his life. We often read how he first consulted God before going to war against other nations.
He loved praising and exalting God's name! We find lots of proof thereof in the Psalms and songs that he composed. He was not mindful of the opinions of others regarding his love and devotion to God.
We read in 2 Samuel 6:14:
"And David danced before the Lord with all his might, clad in a linen
ephod".
He encouraged others to praise and exalt God.
Ps. 117:
"O praise the Lord, all you nations! Praise Him, all you people! For
His mercy and loving-kindness are great toward us, and the truth and
faithfulness of the Lord endure forever."
He was not without sin, no, but, he was willing and ready to immediately confess his sin and to ask for God's forgiveness; to subject himself to whatever punishment, if any, the Lord would deem fair to meet out to him.
In other words, God took the number one place in David's life and God's honour was of paramount importance to him.
1 Samuel 17: 45-47:
"Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear,
and a javelin, but I come to you in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God
of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied. This day the Lord will
deliver you into my hand and I will smite you and cut off your head. And
I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds
of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know there
is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not
with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into
our hands."
I am sure that David and his sling would have won a Gold Medal if he were to participate in the Olympic Games at any time!
David knew God, the Almighty.
He did not rely on his own strength, but on the Lord God.
He did not put his trust in people but his faith and trust was in the Lord God
He was prepared to act in the Name of the Lord God on behalf of his people.
He desired to build a house for the Lord God, where the nation could worship the Lord.
Would you therefore agree that when we look at the relationship between David and the Lord God, it is indeed possible for each one of us, man or woman, to also be close to the heart of God?
No, God certainly does not expect any one of us to go out and physically kill a giant, but we must also not limit what God can do in and through each of us.
One of the great men of God of the previous century once said: "The world, and God, is anxiously waiting to see what God can do in and through a man, or woman, who is totally devoted to Him."
By living in such a close relationship to God as David did, by continuously seeking His will for our lives, praising and exalting Him in what we think, say and do, we too will be enabled to do great things for God in our homes, our families, amongst our friends, in our neighbourhoods, our communities, and our countries.
It took one man, Noah, to build the ark. It took one man, Moses, and his brother, Aaron, to lead God's people out of Egypt. It took one man, Isaiah, to pray for a drought and three years later to pray for it to rain - our prayers are powerful instruments in the sight and hand of God.
It also does not matter what age we are. It was a young Samuel, not yet of school going age, to whom God gave a message to deliver to Eli. It was a teenager, Jeremiah, whom God annointed as prophet to His people, Israel. John, the baptist, was in his thirties when he was preaching repentance and baptism and preparing the way of our Lord. Paul, Peter and John, preached the Gospel, and wrote the books of the New Testament, when they were already old, infirm and even imprisoned.
2 Cor. 4:16 says:
"Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted,
and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is (progressively)
decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being (progressively)
renewed day after day." (Amplified Bible)
Also remember that God's mercies are new every morning and that He has promised that He will be ever present until the end of the age.
Rom 12:2 reminds us to "not be conformed to the world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you]." (Amplified Bible)
The most wonderful words ever uttered about any person is this : "He/she was a man after God's own heart".
Let's live it!
Thank You, Lord, that I also can be a woman after Your own heart. Please help me to reach this goal.
Friday, 20 May 2016
I AM BLESSED BEYOND ALL EXPECTATIONS
I recently experienced something that very few people get to enjoy.
We celebrated five generations of women alive and well in our family.
WOW! What a blessing! That is quite something, don't you agree?
And best of all, we had no say or part in the achievement at all...it was all by the grace of God.
My mom who will be 93 in July; my eldest daughter, second eldest granddaughter who lives in Hillcrest, Durban, and her daughter, my only biological greatgranddaughter, aged only 8 months, all visited me at the same time.
Another visitor, my granddaughter's friend, who also hails from Durban, just happens to be a photographer! So we were able to make memories and capture the moments for future generations.
One particular photo is quite a treasure. The photographer captured all of our left hands on one photograph. Imagine, 92 years between the ages of the five hands displayed in one photo.
Over and above the blessing of this shared moment between five generations, I am also blessed to have not one but three children, 5 biological grandchildren - one grandson and 4 granddaughters - and one biological greatgranddaughter. Over and above that there is my son-in-law's daughter from a previous marriage and her little daughter and although we do not all live on one continent, we are all blessed to have a roof over our heads, food to eat every day and clothes to wear; we have people who love us and care for each other, who has each other's wellbeing at heart - what more can one ask for?
So, as you can see, I am abundantly blessed by the mercy and grace of God.
What is the difference between mercy and grace?
Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve; and grace is God giving us what we do not deserve....
There are wonderful blessings declared in the Word of God.
God promises Abraham that he will be blessed and that his children will be like the sand of the seas and the stars in the heavens. Obviously Abraham does not see all of these, but I am sure he also saw his children to at least the fifth generation, as he lived for a hundred years or more after the birth of his first son. If we look back in the Word, however, we see that God's promises were fulfilled and that Abraham's seed was indeed blessed to the utmost.
We may believe that all God's promises in our lives will also be fulfilled. There are, of course, conditions to the promises of God:
Deut. 28: 1-14:
"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord
your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command
you today that the Lord your God will set you on high above all nations
of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you,
because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: "Blessed shall you be in
the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your
ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the
offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading
bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when
you go out. The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be
defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee
before you seven ways. the Lord will command the blessing on you in
your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless
you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will
establish you as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of
the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth
shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be
afraid of you and the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of
your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your
ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.
The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the
rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand.
You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow. and the Lord
will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not
be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which
I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So you shall not
turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the
right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them." "
As I am typing this, it has started to rain outside - a confirmation to me of God's goodness and mercy to us all. We may be unfaithful at times, but God's faithfullness will remain at all times.
How blessed can one person be?
Thank You Lord, for your kindness, Your mercy, grace and faithfulness; for Your blessings which we may experience every day of our lives.
Much more if we are but willing to live according to the Will and ways of Almighty God.
We celebrated five generations of women alive and well in our family.
WOW! What a blessing! That is quite something, don't you agree?
And best of all, we had no say or part in the achievement at all...it was all by the grace of God.
My mom who will be 93 in July; my eldest daughter, second eldest granddaughter who lives in Hillcrest, Durban, and her daughter, my only biological greatgranddaughter, aged only 8 months, all visited me at the same time.
Another visitor, my granddaughter's friend, who also hails from Durban, just happens to be a photographer! So we were able to make memories and capture the moments for future generations.
One particular photo is quite a treasure. The photographer captured all of our left hands on one photograph. Imagine, 92 years between the ages of the five hands displayed in one photo.
Over and above the blessing of this shared moment between five generations, I am also blessed to have not one but three children, 5 biological grandchildren - one grandson and 4 granddaughters - and one biological greatgranddaughter. Over and above that there is my son-in-law's daughter from a previous marriage and her little daughter and although we do not all live on one continent, we are all blessed to have a roof over our heads, food to eat every day and clothes to wear; we have people who love us and care for each other, who has each other's wellbeing at heart - what more can one ask for?
So, as you can see, I am abundantly blessed by the mercy and grace of God.
What is the difference between mercy and grace?
Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve; and grace is God giving us what we do not deserve....
There are wonderful blessings declared in the Word of God.
God promises Abraham that he will be blessed and that his children will be like the sand of the seas and the stars in the heavens. Obviously Abraham does not see all of these, but I am sure he also saw his children to at least the fifth generation, as he lived for a hundred years or more after the birth of his first son. If we look back in the Word, however, we see that God's promises were fulfilled and that Abraham's seed was indeed blessed to the utmost.
We may believe that all God's promises in our lives will also be fulfilled. There are, of course, conditions to the promises of God:
Deut. 28: 1-14:
"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord
your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command
you today that the Lord your God will set you on high above all nations
of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you,
because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: "Blessed shall you be in
the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your
ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the
offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading
bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when
you go out. The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be
defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee
before you seven ways. the Lord will command the blessing on you in
your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless
you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will
establish you as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of
the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth
shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be
afraid of you and the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of
your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your
ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.
The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the
rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand.
You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow. and the Lord
will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not
be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which
I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So you shall not
turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the
right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them." "
As I am typing this, it has started to rain outside - a confirmation to me of God's goodness and mercy to us all. We may be unfaithful at times, but God's faithfullness will remain at all times.
How blessed can one person be?
Thank You Lord, for your kindness, Your mercy, grace and faithfulness; for Your blessings which we may experience every day of our lives.
Much more if we are but willing to live according to the Will and ways of Almighty God.
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
REACHING THE GOAL
Last week Friday, an ex-colleague of mine passed away.
That was upsetting.
She was alone when she died.
That is upsetting.
We were unable to find out the exact cause of death, although she went home early on Thursday because she felt very sick.
That is upsetting.
There will be no funeral, or remembrance service, or celebration of her life.
That is even more upsetting.
She held temporary jobs at different places. We tried to organise a small get-together to remember her and pray together at the company where she worked the longest, but was refused on the grounds that it would be inconvenient to accommodate staff members of competing companies - that was upsetting to the extreme.
Jeanine* was a about my age.
Sometimes she appeared to be larger than life. She was loud, and did not mind expressing her opinions or her emotions to one and all. In her younger years, she lived hard, played hard, smoked heavily, drank abundantly, and was financially comfortable, owning her own company, home and car, but she never had any children of her own.
Playing the game too hard, she lost everything she had.
From that point forward, life became a battle in more ways than one.
Then about 5-6 years ago, give or take a year or two, she went into a coma and landed in hospital. Nobody, including Jeanine, was able to tell us exactly what had gone wrong in her body. She was in a coma for quite a while, about two weeks, if my memory serves me correctly.
Once she was back at work, I took time to get closer to Jeanine. We would sit in the office in the evenings, tele-marketing together. At this time, her vehicle was in a state of disrepair, so I would offer her a lift home and on the way we would stop off at a nearby Spur restaurant and have a meal, especially on the evenings when they had specials, when we each enjoyed a meal and paid only for one! What a bargain!
We got talking about life, it's difficulties, challenges, disappointments, heartaches, victories, laughs, joys, and eventually about God and His purpose for our lives. Jeanine had lost her faith in God after having lost everything. She decided that He either did not care or did not exist.
I pointed out to her that God was so gracious and merciful to her, that although she had lost everything through her own wrong and misguided decisions, she had never gone to bed without food, always had a roof over her head, was employed, had colleagues who cared, and above all else God gave her a second chance in life when she awoke from the coma.
She was very thankful for that second chance and came to admit that she could thank nobody for that except the Almighty!
Jeanine was like every other person on earth. Romans 3:23 says:
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
We all make mistakes; we all take risks; we all make poor decisions - we all try to live life 'my way' until we come to the realisation that our track leads to a dead-end : a cul-de-sac.
She had reached hers in a coma in hospital BUT she was given a second chance at life, at making the right choices and decisions; at choosing to believe once again that God is alive and well and very much aware of what we are doing with our lives.
Romans 3: 24 - 26 became truth in her life:
"being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation, by His blood, through faith, to
demonstrate His righteousness because in His forbearance God had passed
over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present
time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who
has faith in Jesus".
What a blessing to witness the return of joy in her life.
After I retired, we seldom saw one another again, but kept in touch by E-mail from time to time.
I met her in a shopping centre per chance a couple of months ago and although she was still her positive, joyful self, she complained about her health not being good and I saw that her legs and feet were very swollen.
That was the last time I saw her.
Now she is gone.
The words of 2 Tim. 4:7 comes to mind:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith".
.... that she did! That indeed, was her ultimate achievement! Notwithstanding the terrible hurdles and obstacles in her way, she finished the race keeping the faith! Although for a little while she stumbled, and lay on the track not believing that she could carry on, she got up and notwithstanding the circumstances, she prevailed - she completed the race!
Heb. 12:1-2:
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let
us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before Him endured
the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God."
On Sunday morning, sitting in church, I watched a severely handicapped man, his left arm drawn up againt his body, his left hand deformed, his right hand clutching a walking stick with the help of which he was slowly, painfully, making his way to his pew to participate in the praise singing and to listen to the Word, and I could not help thinking "This man is a witness to all of us who are physically whole, who so easily take going to church and participating in the service for granted."
Jeanine's life, and that of this man are testimony to the power of God to keep us in the race - to activate our faith - to testify to the greatness of God Almighty.
Their battle was as real as any battle fought in the boxing ring, but it was not a battle against other human beings.
Ephesians 6:12 says:
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Let us therefore not be discouraged at what this world and life may throw at us. Let us look at the cloud of witnesses around us who show us how to live and how not to live, let us live as set out in Phillipians 3: 14:
"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18:
"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have
fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who
sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are
alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those
who are asleep. For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in
Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we
shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these
words."
Thank You, Lord, that your Word is a comfort in all circumstances. Thank You, for all the witnesses around us showing us the way not to live, and the right way to live to Your glory.
That was upsetting.
She was alone when she died.
That is upsetting.
We were unable to find out the exact cause of death, although she went home early on Thursday because she felt very sick.
That is upsetting.
There will be no funeral, or remembrance service, or celebration of her life.
That is even more upsetting.
She held temporary jobs at different places. We tried to organise a small get-together to remember her and pray together at the company where she worked the longest, but was refused on the grounds that it would be inconvenient to accommodate staff members of competing companies - that was upsetting to the extreme.
Jeanine* was a about my age.
Sometimes she appeared to be larger than life. She was loud, and did not mind expressing her opinions or her emotions to one and all. In her younger years, she lived hard, played hard, smoked heavily, drank abundantly, and was financially comfortable, owning her own company, home and car, but she never had any children of her own.
Playing the game too hard, she lost everything she had.
From that point forward, life became a battle in more ways than one.
Then about 5-6 years ago, give or take a year or two, she went into a coma and landed in hospital. Nobody, including Jeanine, was able to tell us exactly what had gone wrong in her body. She was in a coma for quite a while, about two weeks, if my memory serves me correctly.
Once she was back at work, I took time to get closer to Jeanine. We would sit in the office in the evenings, tele-marketing together. At this time, her vehicle was in a state of disrepair, so I would offer her a lift home and on the way we would stop off at a nearby Spur restaurant and have a meal, especially on the evenings when they had specials, when we each enjoyed a meal and paid only for one! What a bargain!
We got talking about life, it's difficulties, challenges, disappointments, heartaches, victories, laughs, joys, and eventually about God and His purpose for our lives. Jeanine had lost her faith in God after having lost everything. She decided that He either did not care or did not exist.
I pointed out to her that God was so gracious and merciful to her, that although she had lost everything through her own wrong and misguided decisions, she had never gone to bed without food, always had a roof over her head, was employed, had colleagues who cared, and above all else God gave her a second chance in life when she awoke from the coma.
She was very thankful for that second chance and came to admit that she could thank nobody for that except the Almighty!
Jeanine was like every other person on earth. Romans 3:23 says:
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
We all make mistakes; we all take risks; we all make poor decisions - we all try to live life 'my way' until we come to the realisation that our track leads to a dead-end : a cul-de-sac.
She had reached hers in a coma in hospital BUT she was given a second chance at life, at making the right choices and decisions; at choosing to believe once again that God is alive and well and very much aware of what we are doing with our lives.
Romans 3: 24 - 26 became truth in her life:
"being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation, by His blood, through faith, to
demonstrate His righteousness because in His forbearance God had passed
over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present
time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who
has faith in Jesus".
What a blessing to witness the return of joy in her life.
After I retired, we seldom saw one another again, but kept in touch by E-mail from time to time.
I met her in a shopping centre per chance a couple of months ago and although she was still her positive, joyful self, she complained about her health not being good and I saw that her legs and feet were very swollen.
That was the last time I saw her.
Now she is gone.
The words of 2 Tim. 4:7 comes to mind:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith".
.... that she did! That indeed, was her ultimate achievement! Notwithstanding the terrible hurdles and obstacles in her way, she finished the race keeping the faith! Although for a little while she stumbled, and lay on the track not believing that she could carry on, she got up and notwithstanding the circumstances, she prevailed - she completed the race!
Heb. 12:1-2:
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let
us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before Him endured
the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God."
On Sunday morning, sitting in church, I watched a severely handicapped man, his left arm drawn up againt his body, his left hand deformed, his right hand clutching a walking stick with the help of which he was slowly, painfully, making his way to his pew to participate in the praise singing and to listen to the Word, and I could not help thinking "This man is a witness to all of us who are physically whole, who so easily take going to church and participating in the service for granted."
Jeanine's life, and that of this man are testimony to the power of God to keep us in the race - to activate our faith - to testify to the greatness of God Almighty.
Their battle was as real as any battle fought in the boxing ring, but it was not a battle against other human beings.
Ephesians 6:12 says:
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Let us therefore not be discouraged at what this world and life may throw at us. Let us look at the cloud of witnesses around us who show us how to live and how not to live, let us live as set out in Phillipians 3: 14:
"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18:
"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have
fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who
sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are
alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those
who are asleep. For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in
Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we
shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these
words."
Thank You, Lord, that your Word is a comfort in all circumstances. Thank You, for all the witnesses around us showing us the way not to live, and the right way to live to Your glory.
Wednesday, 17 February 2016
WARFARE
Have you seen the movie entitled "War room"?
If you haven't, well, do yourself a favour...
WOW!
In war, or any battle, especially spiritual warfare, you need a few things:
You need to know your enemy;
you need to know what the battle is all about;
you need to know your strength;
you need to wear your armour;
you need to know your weapons and how to use them;
you need to know and trust your Commander;
you need to fight in unity.
Eph. 6:12 says :
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
The enemy identified.
1 Peter 5: 8:
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like
a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
His aim and purpose exposed.
Hab: 3:19:
"The Lord God is my strength, He will make my feet like deer's feet,
and He will make me walk on my high hills."
Your strength is declared.
Eph. 6:13:
"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you my be able to withstand
in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
Your protection and strategy.
Eph. 6:14-18:
"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breast-
plate of of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the
gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always
with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all
perseverence and supplication for all the saints-"
Your armour and weapons are explained and always available.
Col. 1:18:
"And He (Christ) is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."
He is your Commander.
John 17:20-21:
"I (Christ) do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in
Me through their word; that they all may be one as You, Father, are in Me,
and I in You; that that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe
that You sent Me."
Unity.
Matt. 20: 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."
Your mission.
When you watch the movie "War room" you will observe all the above principles taking place in so many easy steps for you to follow. Go and triumph. The battle is God's; the victory yours!
Thank You, Lord God, that Your word is explicit in its explanations and orders; trustworthy and easy to obey!
If you haven't, well, do yourself a favour...
WOW!
In war, or any battle, especially spiritual warfare, you need a few things:
You need to know your enemy;
you need to know what the battle is all about;
you need to know your strength;
you need to wear your armour;
you need to know your weapons and how to use them;
you need to know and trust your Commander;
you need to fight in unity.
Eph. 6:12 says :
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
The enemy identified.
1 Peter 5: 8:
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like
a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
His aim and purpose exposed.
Hab: 3:19:
"The Lord God is my strength, He will make my feet like deer's feet,
and He will make me walk on my high hills."
Your strength is declared.
Eph. 6:13:
"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you my be able to withstand
in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
Your protection and strategy.
Eph. 6:14-18:
"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breast-
plate of of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the
gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always
with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all
perseverence and supplication for all the saints-"
Your armour and weapons are explained and always available.
Col. 1:18:
"And He (Christ) is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."
He is your Commander.
John 17:20-21:
"I (Christ) do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in
Me through their word; that they all may be one as You, Father, are in Me,
and I in You; that that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe
that You sent Me."
Unity.
Matt. 20: 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."
Your mission.
When you watch the movie "War room" you will observe all the above principles taking place in so many easy steps for you to follow. Go and triumph. The battle is God's; the victory yours!
Thank You, Lord God, that Your word is explicit in its explanations and orders; trustworthy and easy to obey!
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
TO BELIEVE AND CONFESS
Under the heading "Jesus forgives and heals a paralytic" we read in Matthew 9 from verse 4:
"But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your
hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you.' or to say,
'Arise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power
on earth to forgive sins' " - then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up
your bed, and go to your house".
We learn a number of things from this passage of Scripture:
One: Jesus, the Son of God, knows our thoughts - the thoughts of all people.
Two: He is capable of healing the sick.
Three: He has the power to forgive sins.
Four: He desires to do both.
Five: He uttered to words : "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house" to the paralytic - and he was healed.
Jesus Himself believed and knew that He was able to and had the power to heal and forgive.
In the same chapter, from verse 18 we read of two more miracles. In verse 20 we read:
"And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years
came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to
herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."
Again we learn a few things from this woman:
One: She believed that Jesus could heal her.
Two: She said so to herself. She spoke the words; she confessed her faith.
Three: She extended her faith, her words, into action - she touched His garment.
Many of us believe....
We believe that we are sinners;
we believe that Jesus is Lord;
we believe that He can and wants to forgive us;
we believe that He can heal us;
we ask for His forgiveness;
we ask for healing;
we may even believe that He has forgiven us, healed us, but we fail to confess it and so we hinder our faith from going into action.
Believe it, say it, see it - act upon it!
Thank You, Lord, that You and You alone are able and willing to forgive our multiple sins and heal us and create in us a new man/woman to Your glory.
"But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your
hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you.' or to say,
'Arise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power
on earth to forgive sins' " - then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up
your bed, and go to your house".
We learn a number of things from this passage of Scripture:
One: Jesus, the Son of God, knows our thoughts - the thoughts of all people.
Two: He is capable of healing the sick.
Three: He has the power to forgive sins.
Four: He desires to do both.
Five: He uttered to words : "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house" to the paralytic - and he was healed.
Jesus Himself believed and knew that He was able to and had the power to heal and forgive.
In the same chapter, from verse 18 we read of two more miracles. In verse 20 we read:
"And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years
came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to
herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."
Again we learn a few things from this woman:
One: She believed that Jesus could heal her.
Two: She said so to herself. She spoke the words; she confessed her faith.
Three: She extended her faith, her words, into action - she touched His garment.
Many of us believe....
We believe that we are sinners;
we believe that Jesus is Lord;
we believe that He can and wants to forgive us;
we believe that He can heal us;
we ask for His forgiveness;
we ask for healing;
we may even believe that He has forgiven us, healed us, but we fail to confess it and so we hinder our faith from going into action.
Believe it, say it, see it - act upon it!
Thank You, Lord, that You and You alone are able and willing to forgive our multiple sins and heal us and create in us a new man/woman to Your glory.
Monday, 25 January 2016
GLORY OR SERVITUDE?
I have been earnestly seeking God's face wanting to see more of His glory in my life.
During the night, the question arose in my heart, "What exactly do you want from God?"
This morning, I decided to find out the meaning of the word glory:
The Strong's New Exhaustive Bible Dictionary I consulted, has a number of meanings for this word: weight, splendour, copiousness, honour, magnificence, beauty, comeliness, excellency, majesty, to be clear, also of sound, but usually of colour, hence to make a show, and in a bad sense it could therefor mean also to boast, and thus to be (clamorously) foolish, to rave, to be exalted above others.....
That is as far as I got determining the meaning of the word, when suddenly the small still voice that we all know, said to me:
"but that is not at all what I have in mind for you, my child. I specifically sent My Son, Jesus, to the earth to set the perfect example for you: even when He rode into Jerusalem and was hailed King by the crowds, He did so on a donkey. His whole life on earth was dedicated to service to others, to washing the feet of His disciples, to a life of dedication to My will; to obedience unto death. That is what I have in mind for you."
And that is and will be enough for me.
"Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into
His hands, and that He had come from God and was
going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His
garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that,
He poured water into a basin and began to wash the
disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with
which He was girded." John 13:3-5
God's glory belongs to Him to distribute as He thinks fit.
Thank You, Lord, that You are always there to answer our questions, and to indicate the correct path that you wish us to follow; that You have provided the only true example we will ever need.
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