Praise and worship

Praise and worship on Friday was all about Jesus. Our projector was out and we had to praise Jesus without relying on the words. I enjoyed every moment as I submitted to him. I gave him all the glory and praise he is worthy of. He made me realise that He is Sovereign. He is good. He is love. At all times He worthy of all my praise.

During worship I realised that I was angry with God. Something I had earnestly prayed for had not materialised and I was unhappy. His word says when we pray he listens and answers our prayers. Why had he not answered my prayer? I noticed that I had put God in a box. I was expecting him to work like a vending machine, I ask and he gives. I learnt that I also expect God to work for me and in my time. Jesus made me realise that he is worthy of praise at all the times. It was during worship that I knew he was worthy of all my praise regardless of my circumstances. I have so much to be thankful for, you see I was dead and now through Jesus Christ I am alive! I am blessed beyond all measure. The God who created the universe calls me his daughter! I have so much to be thankful for even when my answer is delayed, I know that God's timing will be perfect. 

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all 

circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

God is actively good

If you have been praying to God for the impossible, here are some verses that are keeping me hopeful.

What is faith?

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 

Hebrews 11:1. Hebrews 11 is a great chapter for seeing the history of men and women who walked by faith. 

God is good:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 

Matthew 7: 7-11

Do no doubt

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1: 2-8

God is in control

And we know that those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

But he ( Jesus) said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Praise God always. Believe God's word, not your feelings. 

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1

Remember this always:

Jesus said "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10

If you have additional verses to share... please do!

God bless

Skydiving Baby!!!

On the 5 October I decided to go Skydiving. It was exhilarating! I think it was less scary than bungee jumping because when you bungee you actually feel that rope tug at you. With a tandem jump you get the comfort of having someone with experience plunge with you! I had to sign a waiver which reinforced the danger I was putting myself in. That made me realise that as with any risk there is a chance things may not go according to plan. That was scary. The guy sitting next to me told me that he has his entire will re-written before coming and had timed it to send to his parents in case he didn't live to tell the tale! Ya, that was the last thing I needed to hear.

There is something freeing about listening to an expert. Someone who knows what they are doing. So I chose to drown this man's voice and listen to Nas, my instructor, who has done 10 jumps per day for 7 years! He gave me the routine "banana" position that I need to adopt during the jump. Then he made me laugh. His advise was to enjoy it because it's over so quickly and to remember to SMILE!

Looks like I listened check out my photos below:

Nas was quite a character ! Made me enjoy the experience even more.

Before we got off the plane he said Look at the camera and before I knew it we were off the plane. I have to smile for photos!

And we are off!

Looking at this makes me realise that I actually jumped off a plane. I DID IT!

Beautiful

A dive with a purpose

I told you that I love cameras check out the smile!

I'm flying

Breath-taking view: God-given talent meets God's beauty - the Palm 

Roar 

Look at how tiny the Burj Al Arab looks in this picture

Dubai and it's skyscrapers

Let's do it again: Nas and I after my jump!

Things worth noting:

1. It really goes by very quickly - the drop from the plane was only 45seconds and we dropped 2500m in that time
2. Enjoy the view! When the parachute was open it was just stunning looking at the water and the Palm 
3. Do something this exhilarating with a purpose it makes it that much more fulfilling - I did my jump to inspire my cousin who was going through a difficult time at the time
4. Try something new! You've be surprised how many people you inspire along the way:)

God bless

Dream Big

I marvel at my brother, Vukani, who at 16 years old knows and has known from a young age what he wants to be when he grows up. I remember my neighbour from eMadadeni, a township near Newcastle (SA) telling me that he wants to be an astronaut. I remember thinking this boy is so unrealistic how does he think he will ever get to NASA? It never occurred that his dream might steer him to be the founding member of South Africa's space exploration program. That was me in a nutshell - the realist. I can easily tell you why your dream is impossible. I once remarked that I loved school because each year was clearly marked for you. Pass and moved to the next grade. The subjects I chose at Grade 10 were not aligned to any dreams. I chose a subjects that would give me the greatest freedom of choice. I even did those Q&A at life skills where your responses point to a career path that's most suited to your personality. I didn't take it seriously because I never once researched those careers to see what I could actively pursue. 

My boyfriend is a dreamer. That's one of the things that attracted me to him. When I saw his vision board I was overwhelmed. I couldn't believe someone could stretch their imagination so much and want such big things for themselves. His dreams were all crystalised on that board and I especially like that he wanted to be a good husband and father. I didn't expect that from a young guy. I think his vision board was one of the reasons I decided to date him! hahaha

In my mind's eye I had I figured that I would get married one day and support my husband's dreams (poor husband!!!). I had placed my ability to dream on-hold hoping that his dreams will become our dreams. The more I spend time with God, the more I get the feeling that he wants more from me than that. God wants me to have my own dreams. I saw a beautiful clip communicating the lie of realism. In the clip the speaker mentions that the lie of realism is that we have named things where there is no soul, no spirit, no supernatural as realistic. He then takes us through the history of the bible where he points out it's far from what we would call realistic: Moses and his magic stick or Samson's strength or David killing a giant with a stone. He says we are living in a fantasy world and you can watch more of it here. It just made me laugh at how serious I am at times so I have to chose to be more child like! And dream big:)

My pastor's wife had a dream of encouraging women of all ages to pursue their purpose in life. Glow is a birth of that dream. The word Glow literally means to be exuberant and radiant to burn brightly and intensely, the mission is to Glow in the environment that God has placed us in. The annual conference took place on the 26 October 2013 and the theme was "I have a dream". I listened in awe to three women who were driven each day by their dream. They knew, like my brother, what they wanted to be. And today they were living, no, thriving in their dreams. I couldn't draw from any past dreams that were unfulfilled or any present dreams that I am striving for. I was filled with hope for the blank canvas before me I cannot wait to see what good deeds God has prepared for me to walk into (Ephesians 2:10).

Our three speakers for the day! They are godly women who are an inspiration

These are some of the key learnings I got from the conference. 

1. Write it down your dream. My boyfriend has pictures of what he dreams of so you can also do the same. Take note of this - if the dreams you write down are achievable without God they are not big enough! 
2. Spend time with God to ensure that your dreams are aligned to his heart. When your heart and God's heart are aligned, nothing can stop those dreams.
3. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Ask loved ones what your strengths are. Make sure you dreams are aligned to your strengths. John C Maxwell says "Stop working on your weaknesses!" 
4. Having the dream written down is important because storms will come. And when they come you need to remember that you have a dream worth pursing in-spite of the challenges
5. God is faithful even during the difficult times. It's through the testing that we get to know and discover who God really is
6. Go where God sends you. Trust him even when you don't understand. God is good. Our view is limited so we don't see that God has given us dreams what will give us the greatest fulfillment, joy, blessings and abundant life.
7. God is most glorifies in us when we are most satisfies in him. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says so whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. We must bring Glory to God in whatever situation we find ourselves - working mom, stay at home mom, single, career woman. In that very situation you can bring glory to God. 
8. God is kind enough to frustrate us when we try to build a name for ourselves Genesis 11:1-9. He is merely guiding us on a path that will bring the most glory to him. I love this.
9. There are two main reasons for not achieving your dreams - fear of man and fear of failure. Do not fear. God says I will never leave you or forsake you Deuteronomy 31:6
10. Know your identity in Jesus Christ. When what you do is not linked to who you are then you have the freedom to try new things. When you succeed you give the glory to God. If you fail, you know that your identity is linked  to who God says you are and not what you do. And you can try again. 

Have fun along the way...Loved our praise and worship. God was glorified:)

Hope this inspires you to dream and to have a conviction that you an live your God-given dreams. I hope you would allow yourself the freedom pursuit your dreams. 

Immense gratitude

I am currently reading the book of Leviticus. I find it boring and trying to find relevance is not easy. I did not see how learning about Aaron and his priestly garments and the many offerings that the Israelites could be beneficial. I then Googled to find a how to guide and found this very helpful article. It has changed my mindset in how I study the book of Leviticus. Firstly it reminded me that every word in the bible is God-breathed, so even the words in Leviticus are the very words of God. Then it reminded me of how I have been conformed to this world of entertainment - I can even fast forward things to get to the good parts. It may appear boring but it's the law of God. He compared it to reading the fine print in a contract, important but not entertaining. He showed me how I can appreciate some of the terminology used in the New testament because I understand the Old testament. For instance, I have to understand the role of the chief priest in the old testament to understand why Jesus is the chief priest. How his death on the cross paid in full for all my sins so I don't have to bring any offerings to God. Jesus is the ultimate offering.  He is the sacrificial lamb with an aroma that is pleasing to the Lord. With my tail between my legs I prayed and started reading again.

I read a story that made me see the contrast between the Law and Grace. In Leviticus 6: 1-5, God says  “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbor, or if they find lost property and lie about it, or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit— when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering." Here God says if someone has stolen or deceived they neighbour in any way, they must repay what they have stolen and add a fifth of that value to it and offer a guilt offering. 

This made me think of the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus in Luke 19: 1-10, see the story below:

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

In this story Zacchaeus has an encounter with Jesus. Zacchaeus is a the Chief Tax Collector. Tax collectors were hated by the Jews because they over-charged on taxes and then they kept the extra money. This was the way they got paid (so it was legal, my own comment). Most tax collectors got very rich by over-charging taxes. Taxes were too high. Some people had to sell their children into slavery to pay their taxes. High taxes made the Jews poor and kept them poor. Tax collectors worked for the Romans. The taxes went to pay Roman soldiers and Roman governors. The Jews hated the Romans in their land, and they hated paying taxes for them***. Zacchaeus was one of these Tax collectors and the Jewish people regarded  him a sinner.  This sinner had an encounter with Jesus and he is not only does what the law commanded but cheerfully gives more than what was required even by the law. Zacchaeus gives half of his money to the poor. He then promises to pay back fourfold all those has had defrauded. He reveals to me that being saved by God's grace is results in immense gratitude! Zacchaeus found the treasure in Jesus. He was willing to let go of most of his wealth for him. For Zacchaeus - Jesus was enough. 

How has your encounter with Jesus transformed you?

*** source http://www.easyenglish.info/aee/drama/zacc-aw.htm

The refiner's fire

The story is told of a group of women that met for Bible study. While studying in the book of Malachi, chapter three, they came across verse three which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled the women and they wondered how this statement applied to the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out more about the process of refining silver, and to get back to the group at their next Bible study.

The following week, the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him while at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith work, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were the hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot, then she thought again about the verse, that "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver was being refined. The man answered yes, that not only did he have to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "But how do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that’s easy--when I see my image in it."


"The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, but the LORD tests hearts."  (Proverbs 17:3)

"I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction."  (Isaiah 48:10)

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So you think you are Christian?

This post was inspired by my atheist friend's post on FB, she shared an image that showed that the country with majority Atheists had a better quality of life than the country with majority Christians. I thought of how many people claim to be Christian yet there is no evidence of that in their lives John 15:8. 

It's crucial that we as Christians examine ourselves to see whether we are true Christians 2 Corinthians 13:5. Mathew 7:21-23 is the scariest scripture I've ever read, it's Jesus telling his disciples that there will be people who claim to know him as their Lord and Saviour yet he will say to them - I never knew you. These are Jesus' words “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

When you become a true Christian the encounter with Jesus transforms you. Saul the person who received a legal document from the government allowing him to kill Christians had an encounter with Christ Acts 9. His eyes were open and he became Paul who through the Holy Spirit wrote majority of the New Testament. An encounter with Jesus transforms you. And if you show not fruits it means that you may not be a true Christian. David Platt describes being saved by grace is like being hit by a bus. If someone has been hit by a bus and arrives looking as if nothing has happened that person is either deceived or lying. Just like being hit by a bus, when you become a Christian you do not stay the same.

This got me thinking about South Africa a country I love! Almost 80% of people residing in South Africa claim to be Christians. Are there fruits of this in South Africa?

• We have a major problem with crime. You have to drive around the country - signs that show  "Hijack hotspots", read the headlines on the lamposts, talk to a South African - you will know about our problem with crime. 
• Rape, we are a nation that has power-hungry men who attack the most vulnerable people in our society, women and children 
• Lawlessness is rampant. Sometimes when there is a strike in South Africa, the demonstration leads to violence, property is destroyed and people are hurt. We pay our way out of a speeding fines. Criminals pay our police so that important case documents go missing. 
• Corruption. Open a newspaper you will read about a government official who bought himself something luxurious with tax payers' money.  
• The poor suffer the most. Lack of service delivery impacts the poor who are very vulnerable.
• Sexual immorality. I listened on a famous radio station as mistresses were calling in and explaining why it's better to be a mistress than to be married and you can tell their deception is deeply rooted. One of the TV stations shows porn late at night with no way of ensuring children are not exposed.

So how do we change this? We need more people to encounter Jesus Christ. We need more people to know and believe that they are sinners who can only be saved by grace through Jesus Christ. We need more people to obey the will of God because they really appreciate the free gift of grace. In a world where truth is relative, we need more churches that base their teachings on biblical truth.

Practically, what would this look like? It would be the true sign of where people love God and love others as they love themselves Mark 12:28-31. This list is by no means exhaustive..

• There will be more cheerful givers. People helping those who are less fortunate than they are - wealth distribution. Then the burden of alleviating poverty will not lie solely on the government. The church would full of cheerful givers whose money doesn't just benefit the church but serves the community where the church is planted.
• The fear of God will be greater than the fear of man.  Imagine families reporting to the police about a family members that is breaking the law. Mothers taking sons to jail for terrorising the community. Husbands being locked up for abusing their wives and children. Mother's discouraging their daughters from dating men old enough to be their fathers. Fathers telling their sons to marry and not commit adultery.
• People in jail getting visitors. Survivors of crime forgiving their perpetrators because Christ has forgiven them so they are able to forgive.
• Hard criminals will hear the word, believe and be saved. They will share their stories and more people will believe.
• Many security companies will go out of business as South Africa becomes a safe place for all
• Skilled business people will used any free time to dedicate it to mentoring young and aspiring entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs will create businesses that create employment.
• South Africa will spend more time speaking about the good of the country as the bad will not be the major highlight in selling newspapers
• Corrupt officials will face the might of the law. And the law will work for all - rich and poor.

Doing your job...well

I read a story in the Mail and Guardian, it's about an investigation by the South Africa authorities on how one of the suspected terrorist in the Kenya shooting could have been using a forged South African passport. You can read the article here. It made me think of the quote by Martin Luther King Jr "If a man is called to to be a street sweeper, he should sweep the streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'here lived a great sweeper who did his job well'." If it's true that she got a SA passport, I imagine the person who helped in acquiring the forged passport probably thought nothing much in aiding and issuing the passport. He was happy to get a few rands in his pocket but didn't realise that this little illegal action will result in the senseless killing of 67 people and injury to over 170 people (article). This guy had no idea that issuing a little thing like a passport illegally will have such dire consequences. I think of the guys who inspected and cleared the clothing factory in Bangladesh when they knew it was not okay to operate. This resulted in the death of over 1,100 people and 2,500 people being injured. You can read about the aftermath here. They would never imaged such a wrongful quality pass could lead to such a horrific accident. 

This made me think of myself and the days when I don't feel like giving my best at work. When work feels like a burden. And payday becomes my favourite thing about working. Yet as a child of God I am called to work not for my employer but for the glory of God (Colossians 3:23). When I know that I am working for God not man then I realise that nothing is in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 puts it like this, "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.". John piper says" Christ puts us into a yoke of labour and he lifts the burden from us Matthew 11:28-30. Now we serve in the strength that he supplies 1 Peter 4:11, and we work hard in reliance on his grace...This is an amazing life."

That's why it's so important to spend time with Jesus often so that he may lift the burden of work and give you the grace you need to do even your small part well! Making your contribution meaningful. 

Putting the spark back into work

God bless

Additional:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fw17R6FuTrY

Image is from google images

Playing god

God the loving Father wanted to free his people from slavery. To God freedom is the ability to worship and glorify him as the one true God (Exodus 5:1). He told Moses to ask Pharaoh to let his children go. Moses went time and time again to Pharaoh asking him to release the Israelites from slavery.  I was thinking of how Pharaoh did not want to listen to God because noone tells the Pharaoh what to do. He lords over everyone and he tell them what to do. So he refused the children of God from going to worship him, choosing to oppress them even more (Exodus 5-12). It made me think of how by delivering on all his promises, God showed Pharaoh that he is all powerful and that his word is true. Yet even though the evidence was there, Pharaoh trusted in his own wisdom was blinded to the truth. This hardening of his heart culminated in the biggest weeping ever in Egypt as all the first born sons were killed. As I was reading the story I was it was frightening to me that a king who is appointed to have his people's best interest at heart, will let his people suffer through 10 horrific plagues before he could submit to the will of God. It showed me how blinding pride can be. 

Then I thought of what is happening in war ridden countries today. How both sides harden their hearts to finding peaceful resolution of the problem. They both refuse to compromise and their pride gets in the way. Their attitude is "It's my way or the highway". Although their own people are suffering and dying. Although women and children are displaced, raped, killed or turned into soldiers. They are blinded to this evidence. Their hearts are hardened, making it difficult for them to let go of their pride and find a peaceful resolution to the problem.

It made me very sad the people are given such power and because their hearts are evil they unleash evil into their world. Yet if their hearts were good, they could use their influence to unleash love into their world. Only God can remove a hardened heart and replace it with a heart of flesh. 

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh Ezekiel 36:26

Money

I read a parable from Luke 16:1-13 (see it below). The parable speaks of a dishonest manager who was commended by his master for his shrewdness. I did not understand it. I even had to look up words like "commend" and "shrewd" in the dictionary because it sounded like the rich man was commending dishonesty. I then asked Google for help and the interpretation differed drastically from pastor to pastor. I have shared two interpretations from pastors I enjoying learning from:

http://marshill.com/media/luke/the-parable-of-the-dishonest-manager

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/jesus-commends-shrewd-money-managers

 Please share any interpretations you've heard and your thoughts on this parable.

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

16 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ 5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He said, ‘A hundred measure of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

God bless

You're not easy to love...

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." Luke 6:27-28.

I recently read these words and I was challenged. I had to really think about how I have applied them in my life. The truth is that I hardly have. How do you love someone who hates you? How do you pray for someone who disrespects you? How do you love someone who disregards you? How do you bless someone who curses you? And how do you pray for someone who abuses your kindness or generosity? 

Advice that we usually hear about enemies is to avoid them. If you cannot avoid them completely, say it's a work colleague or a friend in a bigger circle of friends, then you reduce the time spent with them. I've also heard people say keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Jesus comes with something that is contradictory to our human nature. He asks us to love our enemies. Jesus commands us to be good to those who hate us. I know what I want to do to my enemies, loving them is not one of those things. I want to expose them, let the whole wide world know how horrible they are. I want them to fall so that I can laugh at their misery. Not out loud so that people can hear but in my heart where only I can hear as I mutter the socially acceptable "Sorry to hear that". I get it when I'm asked to avoid such people because it's a much easier than having to go through the pain of love them. 

I am still learning how to practically love my enemies because I have to undo behaviours that come naturally to me such as gossiping about them; talking badly about them; canvasing other people behind my dislike of them and enjoying it when others speak badly about them.

I have learnt that as a Christians we are plugged in to the very source of love - God. And because Jesus' love is all-satisfying, not getting love back from an enemy is not a big deal. Sure it hurts, but you are building upon a firm foundation Luke 6:47-48. You are learning that joy comes from being obedient to God.  

God puts people around you for a reason. It's by grace that you have the enemy in your mist 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Do not be so keen to get rid of the pain that you miss the lesson God has for you in this situation.  

It allows you to add a prayer item in your prayer list. What a privilege, you get to spend time with God in prayer. It's better to pray about something that matters to them than you. For example, if a work colleague is treating you badly because they are stressed about a family situation, then pray that God may give them a solution to their family problem. Pray for a solution that will bring glory to God. 

You will be blessed for your obedience. Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice Luke 11:28.

God bless

Images from google images

You are right, the world is not okay

I was listening to Matt Chandler over the weekend. He speaks about how in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and said it was good Genesis 1:31. God made the perfect world. He speaks about how Adam and Eve were given one command - do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil Genesis 2:16-17. Matt says that he thinks God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden, so that we may know from the beginning that joy comes from obeying Him. He talks about how the fall described in Genesis 3 is the reason we exist in the world as we know it now. A world full of hurt, anger, bitterness, disease, hatred, violence, rape, injustice and misery. 

He speaks about 4 wells that people turn to when they try to make the world better:

1. The well of Self

Self improvement. Trying to be a better version of you. He says no one lies to you more than you lie to yourself. Your thoughts are you own worst enemy. A "you" with a bigger house and car is still you. If you are unsatisfied with yourself, a bigger car or house is not the cure. 

2. The well of others

Turning to your husband/wife, friends, boy/girlfriends, children and making them your everything. They will disappoint you. He says women make terrible gods. And men even worse gods (Okay I added the worse but you get the point). Parents should not live vicariously through their children as it puts too much pressure on them. 

3. The well of the world

He starts with something I can identify with, you know that great feeling you get when you buy something new. For me it's a new pair of shoes, I cannot wait to put on an outfit to show off my new shoes! He says that God has given us gifts that are to be enjoyed within his boundaries. He names 3 things but there are plenty of others. Food, is a gift from God. The way you can throw different flavours and make them so tasty is an amazing gift from God. But if you abuse this gift, it leads to illness (eg. obesity). He speaks about wine, and how it's a gift to be enjoyed from God. And yet if you get drunk it may lead to violence, abuse and wreckless behaviour. He speaks about sex. Sex is a beautiful gift from God. He gives an example of how our nation is so sex crazed - sex sells everything. We are having lots of sex but it's not satisfying. So we look to the media for various ways to satisfy our partners. The world is a classic example of turning from the Creator to created things Romans 1:21-23.

4. The well of religion.

Trying to clean yourself up so that you are good enough for God. He says this is essentially another form of self but under the banner of God. It's you thinking that your righteous acts can bring you closer to God. It's nullifying the free gift of grace through Jesus Christ as the only way to God.

It's a brilliant sermon...Check it out here

Then he talks about the well that satisfies - Jesus Christ. In John 10:10 Jesus says "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly". Abundant life comes from Christ. Matt expands on it beautifully when he talks about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

In his sermon, I love how he uses the world example; pointing out that an unbeliever can enjoy the gifts from God without believing in God. But a believer enjoys them whilst at the same time glorifying the Creator. An unbeliever will say "that is tasty steak and I have money to buy it - yum". A believer will say "that is some tasty steak - Thank you Lord for providing this steak. Thank you for giving me means to be able to buy this steak. Thank you Lord!". We are called to glorify God in everything that we do.  1 Corinthians 10:31 puts it like this "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Stay blessed

Additional material
A beautiful song by Casting Crowns called The well  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKioQPEW4do

Putting on the full armour of God

The truth about the ruler of the world, Satan.

1. He has come to steal and to kill and to destroy John 10:10. He steals love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, generosity, selflessness, godliness and humility. He destroys relationships, communities, careers and reputations. He kills every good thing. He brings diseases, strife and misery into the world. 1 Peter 5:8 warns that we need to be alert because our enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion looking for people to devour. 

2. He is deceptive. In Genesis 3, the devil tricked Eve into believing that by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she will become more like God. The truth is that God made Adam and Eve in his image, they were already like him. The devil made her feel that by giving her a rule, God was keeping something good from her. The truth is that God said you can enjoy everything in the garden of Eden. The truth is that God gave Adam and Eve life in abundance. He warned them against eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil for their benefit so that they would not die! The truth is that even today, God is not holding anything from us. He has put more in us that we realise. You and I have been given everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him 2 Peter 1:3. You have everything you need to become who God has called you to be! 

Deception is the Devil's favourite thing to do even today. He tricks people into believe that he does not exist Revelations 12:9. He has blinded the eyes of the lost so that they do not see the glory of God 2 Corinthians 4:4. He makes people believe that by living for themselves, they are not submitting to anyone by themselves. He makes them believe that they are living on their terms and by their own rules. It's a lie. There is a spiritual warfare and you are choosing sides. God created us for HIS glory (Psalm 23:3). We are all built to worship Luke 4:8. If we do not worship Jesus then you are worshiping something else - money, family, cars, friends, your talent, career etc - and these take our eyes away from the one true God. 

The devil tricks us into believing that living a holy life, a life pleasing to God, means you lack a life. Yet, when we seek the momentary happiness of this world we are never satisfied. I cannot believe how week after week I was constantly searching for the better party, planning for my next holiday, planning for my next car and constantly comparing myself to others - unsatisfied with my journey and life. Yet, Jesus says he is life and life in abundance! 

The result for me, is that have a joy rooted deep down in my soul! I am able take every moment and be grateful to God that he would make it possible! I enjoy and savour spending time with my family and friends more than I did before. I love dearly because I am drawing my love from Christ and it's overflowing to others. I am generous in the mist of what may be perceived as lack. I am believing and trusting God for healing when the doctors reports say it's impossible. I am learning to build child-like faith where I believe that through Christ I can do all things.

3. To use the words of Mark Driscoll, as a Christian, the devil is actively at war against you. We need to put on the full armour of God Ephesians 6:10-13. In Jesus, there is personal protection from and authority over the devil Luke 10:18-20. There is power in the name of Jesus. 

Additional resources:

1. How you may be opening doors to the demons http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgOfNI_QHsI
2. 2 ways to look at demons http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aYQ5UyADHM

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