April 2021

03/04/2021

Romans 8 v 1-4
Free from condemnation

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (vers 2)

The death that Jesus died, enabled us to walk free from eternal punishment for our disobedience. We broke God’s laws and were suppose to carry the consequences for our actions, but instead He interceded on our behalf in the form of His Son, Jesus, our Messiah.

Not only does His death serve as a symbol of atonement for our transgressions, but His resurrection – should we choose to believe therein – grants us everlasting life, for He has overcome death as the first fruit of the resurrection (1 Cor 15). Through His death, Jesus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us… (Rom 8 v 3-4).

This is the thing… We could never afford to pay for our sins, even if we had hung on that cross. Why is this? It is simple. Jesus who had no sin, became sin! He bore the full wrath of God so that we wouldn’t have to and even if we had, we couldn’t save ourselves because of our sinfulness.

The reward for accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins is greater than you might think. By acknowledging your shortcomings and sins, you are set free from the bondage that sin has over you. Only then would you understand the power of sin in your life, for until then, the veil covering your spiritual eyes, causes absolute blindness to your sinful nature.

In Christ Jesus, all your shame and wrongdoing is forgiven, for the price to free us from satan’s claws has been paid in FULL, once for ALL. Therefore, set your mind on the things of God and you will enjoy life in abundance, without losing out on the “riches” He has installed for you.

During this Easter, when the western world celebrates the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, let us not only consider the cost of the ultimate sacrifice, but also the miracle of His resurrection. Jesus is alive. The tomb is empty. He has overcome and busy preparing a place for us with the Father.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“

04/04/2021

1 Corinthians 15 v 1-15
An empty tomb

“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised…” (vers 13)

Why is it so hard to believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Surely if Jesus is who He said He was, then His prediction that He would die and be raised up, after three days, came to pass just as He had said it would.

It is one thing to believe in Jesus’ death as atonement for our sin, but the true test of our faith is to believe in His bodily resurrection, which is probably the greatest miracle – of all time – in my opinion. If resurrections took place every other day, then Christ’s resurrection wouldn’t be unique and there would be no reason to believe in anything extraordinary about the events, surrounding His resurrection…

The cross and the resurrection go hand in hand. To believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins is only the beginning of something far greater. The resurrection spurred the greatest evangelical period in the history of mankind, to such an extend that people would give their lives for the sake of this truth!

To believe that Jesus got of the cross and simply came into our hearts and only rose spiritually is the biggest lie since the serpent promised Eve that she wouldn’t die before she ate from the forbidden fruit and just look at how that turned out for us. We have proven to a great extend that the Word of God is true, reliable and infallible and therefore we can walk in assurance knowing our faith is not in vain.

The tomb is empty! Jesus is alive! Today, when you celebrate His resurrection, you can also celebrate His victory over sin. Our free will has been restored at the cross and through believing in His resurrection, we are reconciled in our relationship with our Creator.

To God all the GLORY, HONOUR and POWER. Forever and EVER. AMEN!

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“

10/04/2021

Mat 24 v 1-14; Rom 6 v 15-23; Ps 56 v 1-13; Num 21 v 1-22 v 41
The end of the age

“Tell us when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Mat 24 v 3).

You will hear many say we are living in the last days and this is true, while others will say that we have been living in the last days for the past 2000 years, and this is also true.

Perhaps we should rephrase this comment and say that we are in the end times, i.e. the time before the return of our Lord Jesus. It is evident that the things Jesus told His disciples in response to their 3 – part question is playing out before our eyes and the birth pangs are becoming more intense every day.

Can we really predict when all of this will culminate into the events leading up to Christ’s return? I would be very cautious to do that. What I will say is that if there was ever a time where the gospel of Christ and the evangelical church was under fire, it is now, and although the persecution of the church is nothing new, you can see that all the evil forces are at work trying to eliminate the body of Christ in this “cancel culture” that has emerged.

Lawlessness has indeed increased and people have become lovers of self to the extent that they would go to great extremes in order to have their voices heard, whether individually or in the form of various groups, proclaiming equal rights for everyone, which has nothing to do with God’s “equality act”.

Through many of these movements, people are actually drawn away from that which is lawful, good and just and dragged further down this wide road to (self) destruction. It then becomes clear how few people choose the narrow path that leads to salvation and eternal life.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6 v 23).

Sin has become a relative term. It is defined through the lens of your own personal belief system. What others see as sin, is not necessarily considered as sin by yourself and those who hold the same view.

The world is using the media as their propaganda tool to abuse the system and that which the Lord has clearly stated to be against His natural order is flaunted everywhere and our children are raised in a toxic environment without proper discernment.

The church is slowly but surely becoming lukewarm, chasing after money and being concerned with pleasing those who want their ears tickled rather than preaching the cross and repentance, and I commend those congregations who still base their beliefs on the Word of God, not allowing the enemy to undermine their faith in the One true God.

If you are convicted of your sins today, regardless of its nature, call on the Name of the Lord, repent and turn away from that which is continually coming between you and the free gift of eternal life when you transition from this life to the next.

Do not allow that which is evil and then called good, by the powers of this world, to drag you down. Instead, stand up for that which is right in the sight of God. He has spoken to us through His prophets and judges and majority chose not to listen. He then spoke through the disciples and although many came to faith, others rejected the good news.

Let us not make the same mistake. A famine of the Word of God will come and during this time many will seek after His Word and not find it.

Amos 8 v 11-12
“Look! The days are coming,”
    declares the Lord God,
“when I will send a famine throughout the land—
    not a famine of food or a thirst for water—
        but rather a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
 People will stagger from sea to sea,
    from north to east.
They will run back and forth,
    searching for a message from the Lord,
        but they won’t find it.”

Up until now, especially in the Western World”, we have had the opportunity to hear the Word freely, but a time will come when the bible will be banned and mankind will fully emerge in their sinfulness.

Therefore, be ALERT and stay SOBER so that no one will mislead you and as a result deceive you.
May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“

12/04/2021

Mat 24 v 15-35; Rom 7 v 1-12; Ps 57 v 1-11; Num 23 v 1-25 v 18
Dead to the law, alive through Christ

“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God” (Rom 7 v 4).

The purpose of the Mosaic law was completed in Christ. He was indeed the fulfillment of the Old Testament law, as it was prophesied, and only through His death and resurrection are we able to “serve in newness of the Spirit…” (Rom 7 v 6).

In the same way the law was fulfilled, the prophecies regarding the tribulation and end time events will be fulfilled in due course. Jesus describes a very difficult time ahead, such as “has not occurred since the beginning of the world until then, nor ever will (again)” (Mat 24 v 21).

This should not frighten us, but instead give us hope for the promise of a glorious return by Jesus, who died as a suffering servant, just as it was prophesied, but He will return “with power and great glory” to give final judgement over all the earth.

Through Christ, we are born into God’s family and freed, not only from the bondage of sin, but also from that which bound us to these earthly bodies. Let us therefore pray, like David did that the Lord; “Be gracious to each of us, for our souls take refuge in Him…” (Ps 57 v 1) [paraphrase].

These earthly vessels are only of a temporary nature. Do not allow the temptations of this world to take away the rich and beautiful promises of an eternity with God and the opportunity to come face to face with our Saviour, Christ Jesus.

I would not want to miss out on that, would you?

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“

15/04/2021

Mat 24 v 36-51; Rom 7 v 13-25; Ps 58 v 1-11; Num 26 v 1-27 v 33
As in the days of Noah

“…and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Mat 24 v 39)

The days of Noah are replayed in this “post-modern era” and we can see it in the attitude of the people who are bound to the things of this world, for they live their lives as if this time on earth is all that matters.

How would it be possible for us to be sober (in the spirit), alert and watchful for Christ’s return when we allow ourselves to be swept away with the drunkards and the immoral?

There should be a constant battle between our renewed minds and our flesh. This simply means that when temptation presents itself, we must flee from it. Paul acknowledges that their is nothing good in us and that even though we might have good intensions, we fail in doing so.

How then will we be able to stand blameless before the Lord Jesus, upon His return?

We need to seek the Lord, just like the men of old. They lived their lives dedicated to God, although not without mistakes, but in reverence, while obeying Him in everything they did, even when they disagreed and sometimes failed.

Many will not understand why the children of the Lord abstain from certain activities. They might feel that we discriminate, or simply think we are better than them. This is not true, but God has instructed us to live holy lives and we cannot serve God with one foot in the world.

Even though the flesh might get the better of us sometimes, we ought to take our thoughts captive when our minds start to wander, for we are stuck in this “body of death” until we pass on to the next life.

Do not allow the sinful pleasures that this world has to offer, distract you from the everlasting reward that awaits us when Jesus returns. Let us press on and run this race with one goal in mind – an eternity with out Creator and Saviour.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“

17/04/2021

Mat 25 v 1-13; Rom 8 v 1-17; Ps 59 v 1-17; Num 28 v 1-30 v 16
Almighty Fortress

“But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, for You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress” (Ps 59 v 16)

Do you wake up with a song in your heart in anticipation of what the Lord will do next or is every day just like the day before? Nothing to write home about… Not much to get exited about… Just another day at the office…

If this is the story of your life, then I strongly recommend that you start with some housekeeping. Not in the literal sense of course. I am referring to introspection. You can also call it self-examination. It basically means to analyze your current emotional and spiritual state.

Who is your go-to when you are happy and would like to share your experience and who do you consult in times of worry and distress?

If you proclaim to be a child of God, then surely He should be your first in everything. There isn’t anything wrong with calling your best friend when you have received good news or telling your parents about a terrible experience. The question is this. In whom do you trust for your salvation and deliverance?

Is the Lord truly your Alpha and Omega? Do you consider him your First Love and set aside a dedicated time in your busy schedule to meet with Him?

Is God your Shepherd, who provides as he sees fit, who restores our soul and guides us in the paths of righteousness, who comforts us in our darkest hour? Do we believe that His goodness and lovingkindness will follow us all the days of our lives? Well this is what David believed and we should take note of His dedication to the Lord.

“O my strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness” (vers 17)

How blessed are we! God loved us first. He didn’t expect us to meet any condition when He offered Himself as a sacrifice, but instead paid the hefty price to set us free should we decide to accept the gift of salvation, through repentance of our sinful nature.

For this reason we are called to know Him, serve Him and praise Him. He is our rock and fortress. His lovingkindness is never ending. The only reason why we struggle to see this is because we are short sighted for we only see in part.

The moment we give over and submit to the Lord, He can begin His good work in and through us. Trust in the Lord for He is faithful. Put your hope in Christ for He has set you free from the bondage of the flesh, which is bound to sin, but because you have set your mind on the things of the Spirit, you are alive to Christ and dead to sin (Rom 8 v 1-17).

Thanks be to God for all that He has done. He is righteous and just. Loving and kind. To Him all the glory, honour and power. Forever and ever. Amen.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“

21/04/2021

Mat 25 v 14-30; Rom 8 v 18-39; Ps 60 v 1-12; Num 31 v1-32 v 42
Waiting on the Lord's return

“But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them…” (Mat 25 18-19)

Are you waiting on the Lord to return, while eagerly doing what your hand finds to do, or are you simply waiting it out until you run out of time…?

Many Christians believe that the Lord will save us out of this world, through a pre-tribulation rapture and therefore they are just hanging around until such time, when this occurs.

I don’t believe this is what God wants from His children who should be the salt of the earth and a light to the world (Mat 5 v 13-16). We are called to do God’s work and He has enabled us by giving each of us specific talents.

Some of us are born to lead, while the rest simply follow, but whatever we do, we are called to serve God and others, regardless of our circumstances. Our focus should first and foremost be on Jesus, while running this race with perseverance.

Use your talents for the purpose of God’s kingdom. Do not allow the temptations of this world to distract you from the ultimate prize. The reward is much greater than we can imagine or even begin to comprehend.

“…but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” (Rom 8 v 23)

Is the suffering of this life becoming too much for you and do you wish that the Lord will return soon to salvage us from all the hardship we face each and every day?

Do not be dismayed. There is nothing in this life that can separate us from the love of God, “for in hope we have been saved” (Rom 8 v 24). Jesus promised that He would return and we can take His word to the bank.

Until that day, when He returns in power and great glory, we will wait eagerly with anticipation, knowing that He is faithful and will save us out of this world. In the same way “we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth until now, waiting eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God “(vers 19 & 22) [paraphrase].

We have so much to look forward to, while the Lord has blessed us with such a beautiful creation to enjoy. We should be grateful and appreciate every living creature, plant and tree and remember that God has appointed you in your current position.

Fix your eyes on Christ, instead of the world, its problems and challenges, for only Jesus has the answer. He has justified us through His death and will redeem us when He returns for His church.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“

24/04/2021

Mat 25 v 31-46; Rom 9 v 1-18; Ps 61 v 1-8; Num 33 v 1-36 v 13
The God of justice and mercy

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” (Rom 9 v 15)

It is often said that if there was a God, the world wouldn’t be in so much chaos or if God was a God of love why would He then allow all the heart ache and suffering and also instruct His people to kill others?

Surely, if God is the moral lawgiver, He can be the judge of that law and we need to investigate the reasons for the world falling into disarray and why a God of love can allow pain and suffering. In Matthew 25 Jesus is very clear on the outcome for those who didn’t live according to His law of grace.

Are we to judge Him for judging us? That would be like saying there is no such thing as absolute truth – to which we would respond – is that absolutely true?

There is a certain expectation if you claim to be a child of God and follower of Jesus and we continually fall short, because of our sinful nature. This shouldn’t stop us from doing God’s work in a fallen world. In Romans, chapter 9, Paul says that he wishes himself accursed for the sake of his brothers and we can clearly see the verdict for those who are accursed in Matthew 25.

“So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on the God who has mercy” (Rom 9 v 16)

There is a famous line in a 90’s blockbuster movie, “The future is not set. There is no fate, but what we make for ourselves.”

This is the view many people hold today, seeing that they are trying to avoid the inevitable judgement of our Lord, Jesus. We live in a time of ignorance and denial. The mainstream evangelical church is heading towards a great falling away and we can see this happening more and more, every day.

Amidst all this chaos, hurt, hatred and suffering, there is hope. The God of justice is also a God of mercy, slow to anger. Why do you think He has not yet wiped out the whole world, AGAIN? This is because He ade a promise and we can take God on His word.

Regardless of our shortcomings, God’s grace (undeserved mercy) is not based on how good we may think we are or the “good” works we have done, but because of what He has done on the cross. As mentioned before, we ought to help our brothers in Christ, but the only thing that can save us out of this fallen world is the grace of God.

I choose to serve a just and loving God, who is righteous in all that He does. We are here to learn the lessons needed to prepare us for eternity. Even though it seems that the unrighteous is leading the race, God’s justice will prevail in the end for their reward will be according to their deeds.

Trust in the Lord for our salvation, knowing that His love endures forever and His grace is abundant.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“

30/04/2021

Mat 26 v 1-16; Rom 9 v 19-33; Ps 62 v 1-12
Jesus, the corner stone

“The [very] Stone which the builders rejected and threw away, Has become the chief Cornerstone” (Mat 21 v 42) [AMP]

Jesus would be rejected, persecuted and then betrayed and finally delivered over to the authorities to be trialed and eventually sentenced to death, just as it was prophesied.

He was literally thrown to the wolves, for He was not what the people expected, nor wanted during that time. They were longing for a saviour who would rescue them from their oppressors, not a saviour who would apparently take away their sins, for they had the law of Moses.

Jesus would become the cornerstone of our faith, the rock of our salvation and by pursuing righteousness through this faith in Him, we ultimately arrive at the law of Christ, which is to love the Lord our God with our whole being and our neighbour as ourselves.

“Behold, I lay in Zion a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed” (Is 28 v 16)

Many have “stumbled (and still do) over the stumbling stone“, because they believe their “good works” will save them. Thankfully, this is not how God operates and it is only through faith alone, in Christ alone that we can be saved from our sinful nature.

God is a person whom you can take on His word. He is the only One that is consistent, trustworthy and unchanging. People have the tendency to disappoint, but the Lord is perfect in every way. For this reason David says this about God:

“My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my ROCK and my SALVATION, my STRONGHOLD; I shall not be greatly shaken. On God my SALVATION and my GLORY rest; The ROCK of my STRENGTH, my REFUGE is in God.” (Ps 62 v 1-2; v 7)

Trust in the Lord and put your hope in Him. You might not be healthy and wealthy as many would promise, but one thing is certain, you will live forever, for He will give you everlasting life!

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“