Psalm 83

verse 2 – 8:
V 2 Gods enemies make an uproar – trying to distract and deceive from the truth.
They raise their heads – they put their plans into action.

V 3 Crafty plans against Gods people – to distract and deceive them.
It is a planned move, not a random set of spur of the moment things.

V 4 They want to wipe out the Church! For that will cause God the most pain.

V 5 It is not against us that they direct thier hatred, we are just their pawns, it is against God who loves us so much that He was prepared to sacrifice His Son for us.
God the Father can not die or the entire creation would collapse and cease to exist.
God the Holy Spirit can not die for the same reasons.
God the Son created everything therefore He must come and recreate it – His physical manifestation in space and time did it by His life, suffering, death and resurrection.
On the other side, what has lucifer ever done for humanity? NOTHING!
Humanity is what lucifer is sacrificing to achieve his goal.

V 9 – 18 but it is not against flesh and blood that we battle as they did. Paul tells us of our true battle, which is against lucifer.

God alone is able to do this fight, but somehow we are involved – for God could just wipe out lucifer, but does not. Somehow we fit into this whole thing and are a key to destroying arguements, imaginations and opinions raised against the knowledge of God.

God the Son, His physical manifestation in space and time, enters me by faith and becomes my life in space and time and continues His work of destroying those arguements, imaginations and opinions that are against and drawing humans away from a relationship with the Father!

By somehow trying to adopt our ‘religion’ to better get along with these arguements, imaginations and opinions, we are missing the plot of these arguements, imaginations and opinions , which display a false desire of wanting to make us ‘better people’ and falsely say “This is pleasing to God”.

BUT!!!!! the truth behind it all is to dethrone God and detract from the glory of the cross of Jesus, the Christ!

I realise more every day that the battle is for the mind, the strong view points, arguements, imaginations and opinions that people have.

As I focus on Christ and what He wants, then daily I am crucified as more and more earthly things are brought to the cross; repented of; forgiven and a new course of action is decided on – Jesus course of action.
Thus as I trust Christ to sort things out in my life, by the faith that God gives me, these are the things I boast of, that Jesus has accomplished in me.

Romans 15: 18, out of context as such but it does hold true; therefore I no longer boast in worldly things but rather in what Christ has done in me!

Colossians 1

Verse 9 – 14 – actually poses some good questions.

V9 – Do I pray enough for others?

This boils down to – Do I care enough for others that I bring them to God?

Do I trust and believe in God that I know I can bring others to Him?

Do I trust and believe in God that I know He is their only hope, their sole solution?

Am I applying myself to acquiring by effort – knowledge/ginosko – God’s desire (not resolve), His will for my life?

Spiritual understanding = supernatural as opposed to natural/ capacity to apprehend; to generate reflective thought.

Knowing God’s will for me comes about as I apply myself to acquire knowledge of supernatural things and as I reflect upon them.

How would I do this? Bible study and prayer.

V10 – Having instituted the prayer and study of God’s Word, do I then apply these things in my daily living?

If God has opened my eyes to a spiritual truth, am I honuring that gracious gift to me by reflecting upon it and applying it?

To do so would surely be pleasing to Him?

God’s working in my life is only for good – if applied it should change me and my lifestyle and that in turn will result in good works which are from Him and in Him, which is fruit.

Should this not inspire and motivate me to further study and research of the things of God and more prayer?

v11 – and in order to pray, study and research more I can not rely on my own strength – I need His power and His might to do so.

Am I seeking Him for His power and might?

For it is only with His power and might that I will endure in these issues of prayer and study and application – that I will have the patience to do so.

v12 – Am I trying to find out about He who has rescued me from the domain of darkness? – the place where darkness dominates: this world and it’s systems are darkness – pain, suffering and sorrow, and that is all it has to offer!

Am I not curious about the one who has rescued me?

Why has He rescued me?

Where has He rescued me too? The kingdom of the Son He loves!

Am I not curious about that kingdom?

How much does He love His Son?

Am I to be part of that?

Do I not want to find out more about that kingdom; about His Son?

v14 – for it is in that Son of His that I have redemption – I am redeemed from domineering darkness!

Do I not want to know more about that redemption?

and my sins are forgiven – I want to know more about that!

Missing link still missing!

2010 – 1859 = 151 year since the launch of his book, and I insist that we use the full title:

“On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life”

because this book is the foundation for racism, but is conveniently shortened so as to not upset the ‘unfavoured’ races!

In 151 years they have still not found the ‘missing link’ – how much more time do they need?

Is encouragement really that?

1 Samuel 3 – Wow, Samuels first message and he has to tell Eli that!
Rough stuff!

No, “Hey Eli, Gods gonna bless you outta yer socks” or “Gods got great plans for you Eli”!
Nope! “You blew it Eli. You have been warned over and over and you didn’t take notice. Sorry for you Eli but this is now it!”

Wouldn’t go down well today, that sort of prophetic word!

So, as I consider: God is holy and sin can not be allowed or tolerated in His presence. Yet, God wants a relationship with us – so much so that He sent His Son to die for us.

So, if there are things that are hindering that relationship and the progress of that relationship, what would I prefer to hear:
God giving me ‘encouraging’ messages – “I am gonna bless you all”
or
“Hey, this is a hindrance to our relationship and I, God, am not the one that is about to change here – can we talk?”

Read Psalm 67. How is His face gonna shine upon me if there is sin in my life? God can not look upon sin, so if I want His face to shine upon me then I must bring my sin to the cross, as soon as possible!
It is His saving power in my life that saves me from sin (v2) and when people see the change in me, it has an impact on them.

As God saves me from my sin, what praise shall flow from my mouth as our relationship deepens.
A deeper and more intimate relationship with Almighty God – what a blessing! No matter what happens to this earthly body, to know God, to be intimately acquainted with Him – what a blessing!

Thank You for the cross of Calvary Lord, where all my sins have been atoned for through Your shed blood and death on the cross! If there are things in my life that are displeasing to You, please point them out and then let us deal with them for I want to know You more!

I must rethink my life!

I sat this morning before the Lord and as I thought and read Scriptures this came to me:

3000 were saved on the day of Pentecost. And more were added daily. Let us say 30 000 in total – better still, let’s say 60 000! These 60 000 people turned the world upside down.

Today we have millions of ‘Christians’ and yet the world gets worse.

Could it be that we do not need a ‘New type of Christianity’ but rather a New type of Christian?
Christians who would take Gods transcendant Word and follow where He leads?

It has never been about us trying to live the ‘Christian’ life, but Him, the Christ, living His life through us!
No matter how much or how little we may know, if we allow Jesus to live His life through us, once again this world could be turned upside down.

The context of the Bible is simple – Our sins, flowing from our nature of sin which we inherit from Adam, seperate us from God. Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our sins by His suffering and death on the cross of Calvary. That is the context by which ALL of Scripture is to be read and understood!
That is the Good News – there is a way to be restored to relationship with God, Maker of Heaven and Earth: Jesus Christ; The Way; The Truth; The Life!

He is the only way our sinful nature can die and we can be reborn with a new nature that is acceptable to God because it is His nature that is then birthed within us.

And if we allow His nature to guide and lead us – all the peripheral issues of Social injustice; Moral injustice; Economic injustice; Racial injustice; Environmental injustice etc. etc. – that all exist because of the sinful nature of man, who needs to get saved from that nature – all of these issues can be resolved!

We gotta be careful!

A good friend posted this excerpt from a book she has just read.

“it is in the contemplation of the mysteries of the faith, the deep-down wrestling match of conflicting ideas, that resides the motivating power it takes to become what we see in Jesus. the world around us tells us that life is about money, security, power, and success. but the Gospels tell us that life is about something completely other. real life, the Gospels tell us, is about doing the will of God, speaking for the poor, changing the lives of widows and orphans, exalting the status of women, refusing to make war, laying down our lives for the other, the invisible, and the enemy. it is about taking everyone in instead of leaving everyone out.”

We have got to be more careful of what we read and what we take in:
The subtlety of what is said is clear in the comments that followed and people talking of imitating Christ.

Here in is the danger!

Take this sentance: the motivating power it takes to become what we see in Jesus.
Sounds good but it is riddled with danger!

We ar not to become like Jesus! No effort on our part can achieve this!

Our task as such, is to let Jesus live His life through us! Only when we surrender and allow Him to do so will we be changed to conform to His image – when He is actually living out through us!

There is only one thing of the life of Jesus that we are to imitate and that is to refer every situation in our live back to the Father and ask what He wants us to do about it, or how we are to respond etc. Just like Jesus, we are to ony speak what He wants us to, only do what He wants us to do and so on.

I notice that in John 16: 13 and 14 that even the Spirit refers back to the Father and does not speak or act on His own authority.

How much more so should we be like this?!

This is the danger of just reading books that are written by people who have not actualy understood the Gospel themselves.

Take care folk of what you read and what you allow to teach or train you!

Whew, been a long time, been a long time

So long since I been here and so much has happened.

Church in da Pub is going along – thanks God!

So much has happened, some good, some bad.

Yet at the end of it all, there has been learning and experience gained, which is god.

Amazing how a situation can confront you and you think it is bad, but after it has passed and time has gone, I look back and suddenly see how much good came out of it – so now it is a good experience.

So why was I so ready to judge it as bad in the first place?

lack of trust? or lack of faith?

Mmmmm, how often do I do that in situations?

Time to wake up I reckon!

Come on Christians!

Come on “Christians”!

This is not one of those placebo clicky things you get on FaceBook – this is a real place with real people who need real help and support!

With the economic downturn, folk tend to cut of their ‘charity’ giving – these folk suffer, especialy the workers.

If you can help financially, please do so!

If you can post this to all your friends on FaceBook – that will help too!

http://lilyofthevalley.org.za/

http://lilyvalleyusa.org/

Come on “Christians”!

This is not one of those placebo clicky things you get on FaceBook – this is a real place with real people who need real help and support!

With the economic downturn, folk tend to cut of their ‘charity’ giving – these folk suffer, especialy the workers.

If you can help financially, please do so!

If you can post this to all your friends on FaceBook – that will help too!

http://lilyofthevalley.org.za/

http://lilyvalleyusa.org/

1 Timothy Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Lord, may I never strike at leaders, but may I rather encourage & exhort them, as a father, & also do this to younger men as my brothers.

Female leaders are to be treated as mothers & I must treat younger women as sisters, with my thoughts, speech & actions being pure.

Remind me to honour true widows.

If I have parents or grand parents in need, enable me to provide for them as is acceptable in Your sight God.

As a real widow, left alone, I place my hope on God, telling You Lord what I need, devoting myself to You & entrusting myself to Your power, every night & every day.
I do not want to be engrossed in my own pleasure, for that is a dead end street.
I accept these commands Lord, help me to be without blame.
Help me Lord to provide for my own family, those in my house.
May I never deny the divinely implanted principles of faith; that would make me worse than an unbeliever.

As a widow under sixty I will not seek assistance.
If I am a widow, I ask for Your help & strength so that I can do good works, bring up children, be hospitable to strangers, wash the saints feet, give aid to the troubled & apply myself to follow every good work.
As a young widow, guide me on whether I should follow Christ totally or should I remarry?
Guard me & guide me so that I do not do the wrong thing; I put my trust in You Lord.
May I never become negative, wandering from house to house, babbling & meddling in other peoples business, speaking for the sake of speaking, not paying attention to what I say.

As a young woman, I ask You Lord to help me find the right husband, to get married, have & raise children, run my household, not giving any starting point to the adversary to abuse me.
May I never turn aside & follow after satan.

Lord, if I have any widows in my family, help me to aid them, may I not let the church be burdened by my family. May I also help the church to aid true widows.

As an elder or a leader may I stand before those I lead with care & diligence. To those leaders who do lead in this manner, let me give them double honour, especially those who labour in preaching & teaching the word of God.

Deuteronomy 25: 4 says “You must not muzzle or hinder the ox that is working on the corn, to get the best out of it.” Jesus said in Matthew 10: 10 “The labourer is worthy of his pay.”
Let me never accept or even listen to any charge or accusation of any elder, except if there are at least two or three witnesses to the charge.
If I have missed the mark, hep me to accept my correction, even in front of other leaders, so they too may learn from my experience.

I want to obey & guard these principles earnestly in Your sight God & my Lord Jesus Christ, as well as in the sight of the angels.

Help me to observe these without prejudging & apart from prejudice, to not be inclined toward prejudice or prejudgement.
Remind me not to lay hands on any one without sufficient testing.
Remind me & protect me from other peoples moral sins, in thought, word or deed.
Help me to never send unfit men into the ministry.
Help me to take care of my physical health.
Help me to live correctly at all times Lord, especially when under pressure or testing.
May Your life be evident in me always, may people see & know by all I do, say or think, that Jesus is Lord of my life; my entire life.