What a hectic week so far, but definitely a good week! Last Saturday my wife and I went for a 60 kilometre bicycle ride, and we enjoyed it thoroughly. There was no sign of physical difficulty, except for my backside that is not yet used to doing more than two hours on that (oh so) very small seat anymore! We rode with our friends’ son, who is only eleven and I must say; we know what potential looks like, and this is it! It is such a pleasure to see the passion and commitment in such a young kid like him. I am looking forward to seeing Wessel in the professional arena one day.
Sunday most certainly was the highlight of our week. It’s always wonderful to see God’s Spirit moving; healing and freeing people. I am truly blessed to be in a position where I can see how the Truth sets people free and completely transforms them.
We also had a breakthrough as far as our building project is concerned, but more on this at a later stage.
Also, earlier in the week my father went for an angiogram and the doctor was satisfied with how his veins were looking, but suggested my father get a pacemaker (his heart isn’t beating fast enough). We are confident that all will go well with the surgery and that my dad will be back on his feet and back to his old self in no time at all.
When things around us are going at 120 kilometres per second (as things tend to do), we often lose heart and become discouraged and end up becoming passive people. During these times we lose sight of our original goals and can easily become side tracked. I’d like to share with you something that may prove useful during these times:
Isaiah 40:28-31 "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding. (29) He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. (30) Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted; (31) But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired."
We’ve all read this portion and have heard numerous sermons on it, but we need to see it from a brand new perspective – a ‘new creation’ perspective (2Cor 5:17). In this pericope (or portion), the key word is wait. When we go back to the Hebrew text, the word used here (that we translate as wait) is the word Kawva, meaning to ‘bind together by twisting’. Doesn’t this remind you of a piece of rope or string that is wound together? When pieces of rope or string is bound together with a twisting motion, it multiplies the strength of the rope – and in the case of a musical instrument’s string; it brings forth a beautiful sound.
What does this have to do with the portion in Isaiah 40? This portion suggests that one is tempted to falter when things around us are chaotic. We feel overwhelmed and we lose faith in God’s ability to be our Father. Isaiah is saying that when our thoughts are intertwined with God’s, we cannot view our world (or circumstances) in the same way as everyone else does. We will see things from God’s perspective and therefore we will have renewed strength and power, therefore we will mount up as eagles and soar above our state of affairs. Therefore we will run and not grow weary, or walk without reaching the end of our strengths – for we do not walk or run without Him who is in us… Him who is our strength (namely Christ).
There is nothing like the binding together of God’s and my thoughts. But what, you may ask, are God’s thoughts? 1Corinthians 2:16 “ For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.”
We have the mind of Christ who is ONE with the Father, therefore we may know the thoughts of the Father! The Father’s aim was always that we should be one with Christ and live and move in Him. Father changed our identity through the crucifixion and resurrection to that of sons and daughters – because He has placed us in His Son (1 Cor 1:30). When Isaiah tells us to wait upon the Lord, he is saying: see yourselves as Father sees you, by the twisting together of your thoughts with that of God’s thoughts (concerning who you are).
In Matthew 6 Jesus teaches the crowd on the mount, and we read something interesting: Matthew 6:22-23 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. (23) But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”
The word single entails the thought of being (yet again) “bound together”. What should be bound together? The way we look at things (seeing that we’re speaking about one’s eye). At what things? Our circumstances and our own identity! Is it not that we approach things according to who we are? When we are shy, we will not do things in an extravagant way and when we love attention we tend to do things in a big way… We do things and handle situations according to our identity (or what we understand it to be). Jesus is trying to say that; when confronted with the things of this world, view things from My perspective (your view bound together with My view) and also see yourself from My perspective (we are conquerors and co-heirs in Christ).
“…therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light…” It will be well with our bodies when we live from His perspective; let’s all say goodbye to stress! Life will start to make much more sense when we see our world through God’s eyes and when we live according to what He said concerning who we are.
Take the time to sit at Father’s feet… He won’t let you down.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Testing times and joy
This past weekend we presented yet another wonderful and blessed ‘Married Couples’ Weekend’ on a Game Farm not too far from Witbank. During the drive back home, the only thing on my mind was that NOTHING is impossible for God! I stand amazed at how uniquely God works with each of us; loving each and every one of us in a very special and individual way. I truly believe that no marriage is destined for failure; God intended marriage to be a wonderful thing – something that strengthens us and adds joy to our lives. When we experience difficulty in our marriages, I know that God will show us the way to work through these trying times and come out on the other side healthy and happy. On the Cross Christ made it possible for us to see things from His perspective and to live through His wisdom and allow Him to guide our steps (and words and actions).
The past two weeks have been fantastic in terms of my physical situation, I'm training a little bit more, and I have had no balance problems at all! Everything is on track for the 94.7 km Cycle race in November, and I have decided to do this one with my wife, something which she desired for a while now. I am really grateful for her and the boys and, and, and........, and it must be said, we all have so many reasons to be grateful, grateful to the highest extent! The Lord is also leading us in new ways in church as well, new ways in terms of ministry and serving people, and all I can say is that I am very excited about what He is doing! Our fervent prayer is to hear Him, see Him and experience Him, for it is written, that from Him, through Him, and to Him, are all things!
In the last two posts, I’ve been sharing on trying times, times that are difficult for us and all round tough times. These are special times of growth and strengthening of faith, these are times we all have to face from time to time. And the verses we looked at is James 1:2-4:
"Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. (3) Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. (4) But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing."
Just have a look at the following translation of verse 2: ““Count it all joy when you encounter various tests, contradicting your true identity, knowing that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
James says, that instead of wishing that the situation would go away, grab hold of it with joy and happiness. You see, we cannot simulate faith, it cannot be faked and we cannot generate it through certain thinking processes or through certain emotions. Rather, faith is a spiritual thing – it’s a gift from God. This spiritual gift is the answer to all out prayers – faith speaks of knowing and understanding exactly what it is that was completed in Christ – what was dealt with on the Cross and the result thereof for us. Actually, everything is about faith, real faith – Christ’s faith.
James goes on to say that this steadfastness of faith produces a few other characteristics which, by the way, should first be seen in terms of life in the Spirit and not material possessions. The word 'perfect', in the original language, indicates that every grace present in Christ should be manifested in the believer, also to be in complete possession of one's awarded portion. This is what God desires for you and me, to be in complete possession of what He has given us by the Death, Burial, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ – to walk in the Life of His choosing!
Read what Peter wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: 2Peter 1:3 "For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue)."
“Therefore, count it all joy” → which is the word, ‘hēgeomai’, which acording to the Vines Greek dictionary means shepherd, which in turn indicates: to lead, that is – command (with official authority); figuratively to deem, that is – consider: account, (be) chief, count, esteem, governor, judge, have the rule over, suppose, think.
In other words, to lead as a shepherd leads his sheep (as a figure of authority), protecting his sheep against predators and thieves and bring them to a place of peacefulness. What is the point? The Bible is saying that we should let "joy" take authority over our circumstances in the same way as a shepherd has authority over his sheep! This joy is not a forced smile, or pretending to be joyful because of what you heard someone once said (where you are in actual fact feeling sorry for yourself), it is because of an inner realization of Truth. This Truth is the greatest force in the face of difficult and contradicting circumstances!
Read what Jesus said in John 15:11 "I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing."
Joy then in simple terms, is the fruit of Him whom I know; of Jesus who lives in me. So when trouble comes, we look to Him and let joy take the lead and expect God to reveal more of Himself to us and in us; so that we can be transformed more and more into what He made us to be! Again a case of Him giving what He requires from us- He is so Good!
My prayer for you is that God may enlighten the eyes of your heart to see Him more clearly and to be, in reality, what He Handcrafted you to be, in this life, where you are, and with who you are, all the while making you more aware of His love for you!
The past two weeks have been fantastic in terms of my physical situation, I'm training a little bit more, and I have had no balance problems at all! Everything is on track for the 94.7 km Cycle race in November, and I have decided to do this one with my wife, something which she desired for a while now. I am really grateful for her and the boys and, and, and........, and it must be said, we all have so many reasons to be grateful, grateful to the highest extent! The Lord is also leading us in new ways in church as well, new ways in terms of ministry and serving people, and all I can say is that I am very excited about what He is doing! Our fervent prayer is to hear Him, see Him and experience Him, for it is written, that from Him, through Him, and to Him, are all things!
In the last two posts, I’ve been sharing on trying times, times that are difficult for us and all round tough times. These are special times of growth and strengthening of faith, these are times we all have to face from time to time. And the verses we looked at is James 1:2-4:
"Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. (3) Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. (4) But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing."
Just have a look at the following translation of verse 2: ““Count it all joy when you encounter various tests, contradicting your true identity, knowing that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
James says, that instead of wishing that the situation would go away, grab hold of it with joy and happiness. You see, we cannot simulate faith, it cannot be faked and we cannot generate it through certain thinking processes or through certain emotions. Rather, faith is a spiritual thing – it’s a gift from God. This spiritual gift is the answer to all out prayers – faith speaks of knowing and understanding exactly what it is that was completed in Christ – what was dealt with on the Cross and the result thereof for us. Actually, everything is about faith, real faith – Christ’s faith.
James goes on to say that this steadfastness of faith produces a few other characteristics which, by the way, should first be seen in terms of life in the Spirit and not material possessions. The word 'perfect', in the original language, indicates that every grace present in Christ should be manifested in the believer, also to be in complete possession of one's awarded portion. This is what God desires for you and me, to be in complete possession of what He has given us by the Death, Burial, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ – to walk in the Life of His choosing!
Read what Peter wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: 2Peter 1:3 "For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue)."
“Therefore, count it all joy” → which is the word, ‘hēgeomai’, which acording to the Vines Greek dictionary means shepherd, which in turn indicates: to lead, that is – command (with official authority); figuratively to deem, that is – consider: account, (be) chief, count, esteem, governor, judge, have the rule over, suppose, think.
In other words, to lead as a shepherd leads his sheep (as a figure of authority), protecting his sheep against predators and thieves and bring them to a place of peacefulness. What is the point? The Bible is saying that we should let "joy" take authority over our circumstances in the same way as a shepherd has authority over his sheep! This joy is not a forced smile, or pretending to be joyful because of what you heard someone once said (where you are in actual fact feeling sorry for yourself), it is because of an inner realization of Truth. This Truth is the greatest force in the face of difficult and contradicting circumstances!
Read what Jesus said in John 15:11 "I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing."
Joy then in simple terms, is the fruit of Him whom I know; of Jesus who lives in me. So when trouble comes, we look to Him and let joy take the lead and expect God to reveal more of Himself to us and in us; so that we can be transformed more and more into what He made us to be! Again a case of Him giving what He requires from us- He is so Good!
My prayer for you is that God may enlighten the eyes of your heart to see Him more clearly and to be, in reality, what He Handcrafted you to be, in this life, where you are, and with who you are, all the while making you more aware of His love for you!
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