Saturday, 28 September 2013

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.

Wednesday, 25 September 2013

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

Tuesday, 24 September 2013

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



Sunday, 15 September 2013

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:


 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. 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.’ 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. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measure of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 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.’ 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. 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

Wednesday, 4 September 2013

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

Sunday, 1 September 2013

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