What have you done today to tick Satan off?

The title of this blog post might sound like a weird question but I am going to describe my train of thoughts in getting to it, and it may not seem like such a strange question anymore.

Who knows the Robin Hood story? That is the one where Good King Richard left England to go on the crusades and in his absence the Evil Prince John took over the throne. He taxed the people heavily and ruled by fear. Along came Robin Hood who refused to be terrorised by Prince John and worked for justice by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. When King Richard returned Prince John got what was coming to him, and King Richard restored order to the kingdom. At least that is the basics of the legend.

There is a good Disney movie with a fox that will give you the basics of the story. It is a great watch an one of my favorite movies.

Robin Hood has always been one of my favourite legends. I was always fond of the love story involved in it. While stealing is still a sin even for a good cause, I loved the fearlessness of Robin Hood and his loyalty to the true king.

What does the Robin Hood story have to do with God and Satan?  Well, picture Jesus as Good King Richard and Satan as the Evil Prince John. Jesus has "gone away" to prepare a place for us, he left us with the Holy Spirit though (Robin Hood). However, Satan has temporarily taken over the throne and is trying all his tricks to rule by fear and hate.

If you were trying to overthrow a kingdom, how would you do it? I know I would try to convince the people that the real king isn't coming back, and as time progresses, that he didn't exist in the first place. Then I would tempt the key people, the ones who have the potential to make a difference in the world with fame, money, power and as a last resort fear.

Fear of "what will people think of me" and "I will look silly" and fear of failure and as a last resort fear of torture and death.

What is the key difference between Prince John and King Richard (in the legend) ? I see it as Prince John ruled by fear, King Richard ruled by love.

So if we (the Christian's) are the Merry Men (and women) of this time, because we are filled with the Holy Spirit (Robin Hood), what should be our goal? Reflect the Love of Jesus (King Richard) and strive to keep his kingdom intact, the way he intended it to be.

Remember how in the story, Robin Hood frustrated and infuriated Prince John by doing good, showing love and thwarting his every plan until King Richard returned to deliver justice? He really ticked Prince John off, and just by being a good man.

That makes me end with this question:

What have you done today to tick Satan off?

God’s Year in 2013

I woke up in the early hours of Sunday morning.  It was still dark outside with no sign of light for a few more hours.  In circumstances such as this I would have normally turned over and gone back to sleep, but not this morning.  On this particular Sunday morning I could feel God tugging on my heart. 

Have you ever noticed that when God is trying to get your attention he usually does it halfway through the night?  I like to believe that when I wake up in the night it is God calling me to spend some time with him, and that is what I did on this Sunday morning.

What did God tell me?  Nothing in particular.  What did I learn from God?  How important it is to spend time with him.

Mark and I get married this year on 9th March.  At that time we will really be starting our walk together.  Our lives are very close right now, but living together is bound to bring more challenges, and hopefully strengthen our spiritual lives, no longer as two, but as one.

This year is full of uncertainty.  Uncertainty regarding Mark’s work, my ability to step up to the role of helpmeet, our ability to serve each other, weather it will be sunny for our outdoor wedding, if my dress will be here in time, how to fit all his stuff into my house, but most of all, uncertainty on where God is going to lead us in our spiritual lives.

Amidst all this uncertainty, the best we can do is pray and say “Blessed be the name of the Lord” in all circumstances.

I can tell that this year is going to be God’s Year.  Already he is working wonders in both our lives.  It is not like he wasn’t before, but 2012 was a fairly relaxed year as far as spiritual turmoil, a refreshing rest after 2011.

This is the season for rejoicing in the Lord, for growing in Him and for prayer.

What are my New Years’ commitments?

1. To pray more regularly and spend more time in reading God’s word.
2. To listen to God more.
3. To get more involved in his Church.

This morning I read the following Psalm and it spoke to my soul.  I hope it blesses you too:

Psalm 33

¹ Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
² Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
³ Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.

⁴ For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
⁵ The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.

⁶ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars^[a];
he puts the deep into storehouses.
⁸ Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰ The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
¹¹ But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.

¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
¹³ From heaven the Lord looks down
and sees all mankind;
¹⁴ from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
¹⁵ he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.

¹⁶ No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
¹⁸ But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
¹⁹ to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰ We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
²² May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.

 

May God bless each person who reads this blog.  I pray that you experience God this year just like I have begun to.

Matthew 5:13–Saltiness

Last night I read Matthew 5:13-16.  I’ve read this part of the Bible many times before.  Have you ever noticed that when you read a verse or section it means something to you, then you leave it alone for a while, and come back to it after a few months it means something different, or you have gained more insight into the verse?  This proves that you are growing spiritually.

While reading the verses about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, I had an Ah-ha moment, slightly different from ones I’ve had in the past.

When you think about salt, it can be good or bad.  If a person uses salt on their food it enhances the flavour, if a person pours salt into a wound it hurts, a lot.  It will definitely bring attention to the wound.

In the same way, if you, as a Christian, fellowship with other Christians, you enhance each other.  You can be there for each other in times of trouble, in prayer, in joy, in sorrow and in spiritual growth.  Christians fellowshipping with other Christians improve themselves.

On the flip side, if you, as a Christian, spend time with non-Christians, it is like pouring salt into wounds.  Let’s say (theoretically) you spend a lot of time with people who drink heavily, but you don’t touch a drop, at some point they will notice.  What makes you different from them will cause them to examine themselves and their drinking habits.  Usually people don’t like to see faults within themselves and they will be hurt (like pouring salt onto a wound), but the hurt makes them acknowledge there is something wrong.

People who get hurt usually try to bring the person who hurt them down to their level, or they try to get away from the person who hurt them, or they try to heal the wound.

Maybe, by being the salt of the earth we shine a light into the darkness in other people’s hearts, and expose their darkness to themselves.  What they do with it once it has been exposed, is between themselves and God.

Light and darkness, good and evil

“Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” – John 3:20

While reading God’s word this week I came across the verse above.  This isn’t the first time I have heard this verse.  As I grow, I begin to see more in certain verses than I did in my youth.  Maybe I’ll never be a completely mature Christian, but each day I feel I am closer than I was previously.

So let me tell you my thoughts on the above verse this time when I read it.

Let’s paint a picture.  A person does a horrible deed, a terrible sin, what is the number one thing a person with a conscience is worried about? That person is worried that the horrible deed will be found out.  Even a person without a conscience won’t advertise a murder they committed to the police force, and if they do they usually don’t sign a name…

Let’s think about something a little closer to home.  Think about your reputation with those at your church, or around you.  I can guarantee that there is something you haven’t been completely open with regarding your past.  Something that maybe you have put behind you, that you have asked God to forgive in you, but still don’t want to advertise to the public at large.  I know I have a few things like that in my past and only the people closest to me know about those things.  I know that if I open up about those things nobody will think any less of me, they will know they were my past and won’t hold them against me, but I still won't bring those things up unless necessary to help somebody else through a similar circumstance, probably because they are my past.  Learn from the past, but put it behind you.

What I want to talk about though are the things you are hiding away right now.  The ones that you are still busy doing and don’t want to be exposed.  That is the easiest way to identify sin in your life.  Are you doing something right now that you wouldn’t want anybody outside your inner circle finding out about?  Are you doing something right now that you wouldn’t even want your inner circle finding out about?  Are you hiding something that you wouldn’t want to be brought to light?

That is almost definitely a sin.  It is something that you are doing under the cover of darkness.  It is the easiest way to identify a sin your life.  You need to be honest with yourself.  Ask God for forgiveness and turn away from your sin.

Remember Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11).

Once before I posted a quote from a TV show I enjoy, it goes:

There is only one thing in life you can truly control, and that is whether you are good or evil.

I still believe that quote holds true, only you can control your actions, nobody else.  Others can guide you, and make it seem like there is no other choice, and all choices will have consequences, but ultimately, you still choose.

If you want to read my first post with that quote in, you can find it here: Red pill or blue pill?

10,000 Reasons, by Matt Redman

Last week I bought the latest Matt Redman album called 10,000 Reasons.  All I can say is that the song that was taken for the title of the album is amazing!  We sing it in church regularly.  So here is the basics of the album:

Artist: Matt Redman

Album Title: 10,000 Reasons

Genre: Christian/Gospel

Track List:

1. We are the Free
2. Here for you
3. Holy
4. 10,000 Reasons (bless the Lord)
5. Fires
6. Never Once
7. Where Would We Be
8. We Could Change The World
9. Magnificent
10. O This God
11. Endless Hallelujah

My favourite 3 songs:

1. 10,000 Reasons
2. Endless Hallelujah
3. Fires

And here is a YouTube video of 10,000 Reasons (my favourite song and the reason I bought the album)

Luke 18:17 - Child-like Faith

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ~ Luke 18:17

Have you ever met somebody who has a child-like faith? A person who just seems to believe in God without questioning?

I remember a friend from grade 1 who firmly believed that raisins were made from dead flies because her brother told her so. She trusted her brother without questioning him at all.

Our faith in God should be of a similar kind. We should have a child-like faith that God exists, that God only wants the best for us and that God is in control of everything.

Naturally we should question everything that teachers of God's word say, and we should be weary of false teachers and prophets, but we need to be sure in God's word as we read it. Trust it and have faith in him.

Jesus himself said that if we do not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, full of child-like belief and faith, we shall not enter it.

Trust God unconditionally. Love God unconditionally. And receive him like a little child.

The Persistent Widow

This morning while reading Luke 18, I came across The parable of the persistent widow.  It brought my mind back to another blog post I made over a year ago.  since I have many more readers now than I did then, I would like to bring your attention to that blog post.

As an advanced note.  God did move the chess pieces into positions at exactly the correct time.  My prayer was answered in ways I could never have imagined at that time.  I wrote the blog post in May 2011.  He answered the first part of my prayer in June 2011 (work-related).  He answered the 2nd part of the prayer in November 2011 (heart-related).  He then answered the third part in April 2012 (home-related).  I am still waiting for him to answer the 4th and 5th parts.  I have no doubt in my mind God will answer all 5 parts of the prayer, but only when his timing is absolutely perfect.

Without further delay.  Here is the link to:

God's Will vs. Relentless Prayer

Luke 17:26-35 - What will you be doing?

²⁶ “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. ²⁷ People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

²⁸ “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. ²⁹ But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

³⁰ “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. ³¹ On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. ³² Remember Lot’s wife! ³³ Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. ³⁴ I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. ³⁵ Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”

Luke 17:26-35

This is a short post today.  But just ponder about this.  When Jesus comes back… where will you be and what will you be doing.  If he came right now, would you be ready?  Keep asking yourself this week.  If God came back now, would he find me glorifying his name?

Luke 12:15 – Greed

Then he said to them, “Watch out!  Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” ~ Luke 12:15

Greed (noun) - Intense and selfish desire for something, esp. wealth, power, or food.

The above verse is the one that stood out for me while reading my Bible this morning.  We live in a greedy society.  People are selfish and think only of themselves and their wealth and their power.

We live in a society where people are looking for a get rich quick scheme, where people won’t do anything out of the goodness of their hearts.  People are always looking for a way to make money from something.

Jesus warned against greed of all kinds, because there is more to life than your possessions.  For all you know you could die from an aeroplane crashing into your house at 2am in the morning, or in a car accident on the way to work.  We don’t know when God is going to call us home.  What is left?  Your children may benefit from your possessions, but because they didn’t have to work for them like you did, will they appreciate them?

I think about the problems in South Africa.  People in government positions drive around in brand new BMW’s and Mercedes Benz, but their neighbours, the people they grew up with, still sit in the rural villages without indoor plumbing or electric lights.  That is greed.  Greed for wealth and greed for power.

How am I better than these people though?  What do I give back?  People point fingers at government officials, but what are we doing to help the community we live in?  How many of us will go down to the park and start picking up the litter, then use our own fuel to take it to the garbage dump or recycling centre?  How many of us will volunteer at a disadvantaged school and teach the children to knit, sew or do woodwork?  How many of us cannot do these things to help because we are greedy about our time, the one thing we all have?

I am strongly against just giving something for nothing, because if a person get’s something for nothing then it won’t be looked after.  So offer to repaint the rural school, but get the children to help.  Remember the old saying “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Remember that when you give back.

This is a challenge to myself and those reading this… don’t be greedy with what you have, because you don’t know when God will call you home.

The Good Samaritan

This week, while doing my bible study, I read the story of the Good Samaritan.  If you are not familiar with the story, please read it in Luke 10:25-37.

After reading this I realised something interesting about the story for the first time.  No history was given of the man who had been robbed and left at the roadside.  This man could have been a robber himself, or a beggar, regular Joe, Nobleman, or king.  Nothing is said about this man.

The Good Samaritan helped this man without knowing anything about him.

So often we think people are beneath our help, or we find excuses not to help the person…

“The hitchhiker could be a murderer”

“That beggar could waste the money on alcohol and cigarettes”

“Somebody else will help”

“She should go home to her parents”

“He should be in school”

“It’s none of my business”

True, it is dangerous to pick up hitchhikers, especially in certain countries, so this is something, for safety sake I wouldn’t recommend.  But what is stopping you from giving money/food to the beggar?  You don’t have to invite him into your home, you can hand him a home cooked meal through the window of your car.  You can buy him a pie from the corner cafe.  You can help in more ways than just giving money.

Then the question is, how many people in your immediate area, are in need of a good meal?  What about your children’s friends?  Do you assume that they go home to a delicious meal cooked by their mom every night?  What if they don’t?  What if their mom works all day and buys them MacDonald’s every evening?

What about the student living in the next door neighbour’s basement?  Or the widow at church?  Or the newly married couple with 2 young children and a third on the way?  When did that lady last have a meal she didn’t cook herself?

What about the couple going through marriage problems?  When last did they have an evening to themselves without needing to worry about the children?  Couldn’t you offer to babysit for an evening so they can have dinner together?

Being a good Samaritan doesn’t mean you need to pick people up off the street, take them to the hospital and then pay their medical bills too.  It can also be done in small ways.  Cooking a meal.  Babysitting.  Providing company to the elderly.

Ask yourself:

How can I be a good Samaritan today?

Readers, I want to hear from you.  In what small ways has somebody be a good Samaritan to you?  In what small ways can you be a good Samaritan to others?  Feel free to leave a comment with your good Samaritan idea's and stories.

The Comfort of the Rich (Giving Back)

But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. ~ Luke 6:24 (New International Version)

I take a look at the world around me and I see rich Godly people, or rather people who think they are Godly.  They have pretty houses.  They have nice cars.  They live a life that appears to be filled with luxury.  They have every comfort their heart desires.

I then take a look at the poorer Godly people.  What they have they tend to share because they are constantly aware that there is someone less fortunate than themselves.  There are poor people who give all they can to further the church of God, believing that God will reward them when they get to heaven.  These people may not have running water in their homes.  They may not have electricity.  They may not have more than 2 rooms (and by 2 rooms I mean living area and sleeping area).  Their homes may be made out of course materials, but these people make the most of it and they are, for the most part, happier than the wealthy rich people, because these people know that God is their salvation and if they follow God’s commands then they will be blessed, if not in this life then in the next.

Then I take a look more in depth at the lives of these rich people.  Some of them are working 12 hours a day to maintain this lifestyle.  Others have no true friends at all.  And yet others hardly have any family to speak of.  A lot of these rich people are selfish.  They care only for the wealth of this world.

I take a look more closely at the lives of the poorer Godly people.  Some of them are working 12 hours a day to survive, but they have friends and they have family.  They are unselfish and share the little they have.  They care only about surviving, serving God and serving others.

How different the world once was.  I remember hearing a story about a fairly wealthy man who was born in 1890.  He very rarely gave money to a church.  He also very rarely gave money to charity.  But he did something far greater than either of these things.  He gave 3 people employment and provided a loving home for a wife who was not an intelligent women in the modern sense, but had a good heart (you can read her story at the end of my What are you living for? post).  What I want to focus on about his life was that he gave 3 people employment.  That was how he gave back to the community.  He employed a poor person to work his garden and help as a handyman in his home.  He employed another poor person to be a full-time cook.  And he employed another poor person to be a full-time maid in his house. 

This man was fairly wealthy, but he was giving.  When the fruit trees in his garden overflowed with their fruit, he didn’t store it up and let it go off.  He would pick out the best and take it to his poorer neighbours.  He would send some home with his servants.  When there were roses blooming in the garden, he would pick one and put it in a vase on his daughter’s dressing table for her to find when she got home from school.

My point is, in this, that he shared his comforts with the people around him, unlike in the modern world where people store up their comforts here on earth.  They have their happiness in their selfish richness, and Jesus said that will not end well for them.

What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now ~ Luke 6:24 (New Living Translation)

But we can overcome this problem.  We can God’s commands.  We can “Do good and share with others” as said in Hebrews 13:16 and we can:

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ~ Matthew 6:20 (New International Version)

Do good to others.  You don’t have to employ a cook, a gardener or a maid, but when you buy things, buy from poor people who are doing everything they can to provide for their family.  People who are just trying to break even at the end of the month and are not trying to build up their riches here on earth.

Buy homemade products instead of products made by big corporations.  Visit the farmers market instead of the grocery store.  Go to the corner cafe instead of the MacDonald’s.  Give back in your community rather than to the corporate world.  And what is more, write letters of thanks to people who have blessed you.  Follow up and build relationships with the people here on earth.  Be a witness to your family, friends and community!

God whisper

It’s 6:12am here in South Africa, as I start typing my blog post.  My alarm clock played a horrible trick on me and I am just thankful that it didn’t result in me being late for work.

You see, what happened is I left my cell-phone in the study to charge last night.  I only have one technological device in my bedroom and that is my alarm clock.  During the night (I’m guessing around 4am) I reached over to look at the time.  I bumped the clock onto the floor.  When I picked it up it said 2:01am.  I went back to sleep.  I woke up a second time, looked at the clock and it said 3:55am, so I was about to go back to sleep, but I kept getting the little voice to check my cell-phone.
At first I thought, well it can wait until my alarm goes off at 4:30am.  Then something made me check my alarms time.  I believe it was a God whisper that made me check it.  I saw that the alarm was set to go off at 2am!  Now that wasn’t right!
I got out of bed.  It was still dark outside so I at least knew I couldn’t be late for work.  The sun is just coming up when I leave for work in the morning.
Looking at my cell-phone I saw the time was 6:05am.  Perfect amount of time to have a cup of coffee and dress for work before I leave at 7am.
So where am I going with this story?  Well, I want to talk about God whispers.  I’m sure that everyone gets a gut feeling from time to time…
Don’t go down that road, take the next one.  Check your cell-phone.  Phone your daughter and tell her you love her.  Have you remembered to turn off the stove?
Have you also noticed that when it happens you are usually in a quite place?  Your soul is a little calmer than normal even if you are not having actual quite time.
Well, I believe that is God telling you those things, and it is worth listening.
It reminds me of Psalm 55:22 which reads:

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Last night I handed my cares over to God.  I got a great nights sleep and this morning God woke me up on time.  I won’t overstep the boundary and expect him to wake me up every morning without an alarm clock, but to do it on the one day my alarm failed me is noteworthy.

Listen out for the God whispers coming to you.

Readers:  How has God whispered to you in the past?  I want to hear your stories!  Post them in a comment below!