April 2022

17/04/2022
Ps 71 v1-24; Deut 33 v 1-34 v 12

Blessings in old age

“For you are my hope;
O Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth. By you I have been sustained from my birth;
You are He who took me from my mother’s womb;
My praise is continually of You.” (Ps 71 v 5-6)

If you are my age, we can still consider ourselves fairly young and more or less halfway through this earthly journey. Looking back over the years, I can see how the Lord has sustained me from my birth till this very day. May we continue to depend on His provision in all aspects of our lives so that when we reach that golden era, Lord willing, we can still say that He has provided in all our needs.

A life lived for God

“O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.” (Ps71 v 17)

Let’s declare the works of the Lord today and every day to follow, so that we can truly say we lived for God. Whether you are a teenager, student, adult or elderly person, allow Him to teach you His ways, while you have today, for tomorrow might not come.

Do not wait, for we don’t know what the future holds. We might be blessed during our old age, should we reach seventy or even eighty years, or the Lord might come for you and me today or next week. The very reason that we have no idea when the line will be drawn, should urge us to seek God this very moment.

Blessing upon blessing

“Of Joseph he said,
‘Blessed of the Lord be his land, with the choice things of heaven, with the dew, and from the deep lying beneath, and with the choice yield of the sun, and with the choice produce of the months.
And with the best things of the ancient mountains, and with the choice things of the everlasting hills, and with the choice things of the earth and its fullness, and the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.‘” Deut 33 v 13-16)

I am of the opinion that there aren’t any bigger blessings in old age, than good health, but even more than that, nothing can come close to a healthy spirit and a soul longing to meet the Lord. Have you lived completely? Has you life been a constant struggle due to material shortcomings perhaps? Has your body’s aches and pains gotten the better of you?

Do not be dismayed for the Lord knows every need you have. Some might prosper in this life in their finances, but remain poor in their spiritual journey, while those who fully seek the Lord, will enjoy His blessings in many other forms…

Entering the promised land

“Then the Lord said to him, ‘This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying… I will give it to your descendants’;
I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there…‘” (Deur 34 v 4)

When we have reached that ripe age where it could be our time to depart this life and transition to the next, having enjoyed the blessings of our old age, surely we do not want the Lord to deny us entry into the promised land? Why wait until our eyes have dimmed and the hearing has declined and our brain is slowly starting to shrink, causing our minds to become disconnected from reality?

Choose the path leading to everlasting life while you are still young. Ask the Lord to open your spiritual eyes and ears and to give you the mind of Christ. Dedicate the latter part of your life to God and be prepared to work for His kingdom, which is not of this world.

May the Lord bless you and keep you and may this seed cause abundant growth in your life.

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

23/04/2022


Mark 1 v 1-8; 1 Cor 1 v 1-17

The true meaning of God’s message

“Behold I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way; The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” (Mark 1 v 2-3)

Do we really take the time to stand still and consider the true meaning of God’s message and the actual impact that Jesus had on the world during His time on earth? It was revolutionary!
He didn’t just come to simply die for our sins like some cartoon hero, but to overthrow the religious establishment of the time and with that empower people to accept His saving grace through His death on the cross.
John prepared the way and eventually paid a hefty price, but not before reaching many who accepted God’s grace and forgiveness for their sins.

Preaching a baptism of repentance

“John the baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark1 v 4)

It is clear that religion has taught us one thing, maybe two… we are not inherently good, simply making wrong choices. Can you explain how a 2 year old can understand when you ask her if it was she who ate the candy, and then she shakes her head wildly, abolutely denying it, while holding the candy behind her back? We are fine as long as our good deeds outweigh our bad actions. Ever thought who the judge of these good deeds and bad actions would be? Who sets the standard and who determines the penalty?

The true meaning of God’s message lies in the undesputed fact, that we are born in sin, from the fall of man, when they disobeyed God’s instruction.

Agree to disagree?

“Now I exhort you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Cor 1 v10)

There is only one way to reconcile with Him and this we can all agree upon, if you believe that you are a wretched, fallen man, deserving death and yet have been forgiven. All that is required, is to acknowledge this fact, repent of your wrongdoing, take up your cross and follow Him.

There are many other things we can agree to disagree about, but the above is not negotiable. The things spoken of that form the basis of our faith, cannot be reasoned away through fancy words and clever speech. We can then just as well believe that we have been forgiven and all that we have to do is live a good life and become a better person.

Christ and the cross

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.” (1 Cor 1 v 17)

The cross is the crux and the true meaning of God’s message is clear. We have sinned against the God of the universe, the Creator and sustainer of the living, who made us in His image, but because God is love, He gave us a mediator and paid the ultimate price, something we could never afford ourselves.

Good deeds cannot save us from the wrath of a loving God. Today you have an opportunity to make right with God. Will you use it and give up everything this life has to offer and choose Christ?

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

27/04/2022
Thought for the day

The cost of freedom

“So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. ³² And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].” (John 8 v 31-32) [AMP]

While celebrating freedom day (in South Africa), we should not forget the price Jesus has paid to set us free from the penalty of sin, under which we all stand guilty, for we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3 v 23).

The true cost of freedom

Freedom always comes at a cost, and in many cases the cost can simply not be afforded. We were so indebted due to our rebellion and disobedience that we would never be able to fellowship with God the way Adam and Eve did, way back in the beginning.

Unless God intervened the way He did, by taking on human form, and accepting the condemnation of the people, I wouldn’t be able to sit here and write this journal. Fully man, yet fully God, Jesus brought a message and taught a truth, unlike any other. His teachings, revolutionary at that time, taught us that everyone could be free, whether bondservant or master, teacher or student…

Knowing the truth regarding this freedom was atainable by all people who were willing to obey the Lord’s teachings and prepared to follow Him, whether literally during His 3 1/2 year tenour, or through obedience to His teachings in the midst of our hectic lifestyle of the 21st century.

Absolute freedom

The true cost of freedom is not something that can always be measured. Consider how Jesus was punished for proclaiming to be the Son of God, offering forgiveness of sins, to those who accepted His saving grace. Was it only the number of lashes that He received from the Roman guard, being traded for Barabas, or perhaps even the 30 pieces of silver Judas received for giving up Jesus?

Regardless how we look at it, Jesus offered His life willingly, so “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3 v 15) [KJV]
He (Jesus) was still free to choose and even asked the Father, that if it were possible, He would let the cup pass from Him. (Mat 26 v 39) [paraphrase]

True freedom can only be found in the notion that a personal God, stepped in, knowing that we couldn’t reconcile with Him, through our own devices, due to our fallen condition and paid a price that all the money this world can print, couldn’t afford.

Through this selfless act, we can be free from the bondage of sin and all we need to do is accept His atoning death and resurrection. Are you willing to be set free from your past today? Come to the cross for “for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3 v 16) [NKJ].

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