June 2021

05/06/2021

Announcement of the next reading plan
Worship in Spirit and in Truth

What do you understand regarding the scripture that says we should “worship in spirit and in truth“?

Please join me tomorrow for a 7-day reading plan to explore this further. Let us pray for guidance in this matter, trusting that the Lord will open our spiritual eyes and ears to the meaning and understanding of His word.

There is so much truth in the bible pertaining to our daily lives and yet it seems that many overlook these treasures, looking for truth elsewhere, ending up not being satisfied, their soul longing and thirsting after truth, yet never coming to the knowledge of the truth.

I believe true worship can only begin, when our lives are aligned with the will of God. When was the last time you sought the will of our Heavenly Father? Surrendering to Him in every aspect of our Christian life will allow us to find peace, even in our darkest hour.

Let’s see what the Scriptures have to say when we dive in tomorrow.

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

15/06/2021

Mat 27 v 57 -66; Rom 15 v 1-13
The hope of the gentiles

“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom 15 v 4)

The Word of God is timeless and has therefore stood the test of time.

For centuries many have been pre-occupied with the dreadful task of deconstructing the bible in an attempt to expose its apparent flaws, writing chapter upon chapter arguing about the minor variations, while completely missing the message and in spite of this, thousands upon thousands are still coming to faith in the risen Christ.

Even the chief priests and pharisees were afraid of the impact Jesus’ life and message had on the people and therefore requested that the grave be secured. Even though they did not want to believe that Jesus would physically rise from the dead after three days, they were scared of the length His disciples might go to, in order to “fulfill” Jesus’ prediction. Sadly, many still believe to this day, that Jesus’ body was indeed stolen by His disciples or even eaten by dogs…

Our hope lies in the fact that the gospel of Jesus Christ that was rejected by the religious and “lay” people of His time, was preached to the gentiles, of whom many believed the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection. This message was consistently communicated, both verbally and in written form and although the authenticity is continually questioned by those refusing to accept it, we as children of God know that the written word can be trusted.

It is not just a matter of an intellectual understanding, but also a surrendering of the heart, something the natural man cannot understand, for he fights against the convictions continuously, to such an extent that his heart becomes so hardened, not even the Almighty God will force His way into such a person’s life, allowing each one to exercise his or her free will. This is the God of the bible. Who is a righteous and just God, while also loving and fair.

We are called to carry each others’ burdens and to be in service of each other, building up one another for the other person’s good. We should therefore also share this hope with others. A hope that will give purpose to so many who seem hopelessly lost.

You and I have been grafted into this covenant relationship, adopted as sons and daughters of the King, through a circumcision of the heart, “so that we will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15 v 13).

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

30/06/2021

Ps 69 v 19-36; Deut 29 v 1-31 v 30
The nearness of God

“Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none” (Ps 69 v 20)

Where do you turn to in times of need? Have you put your trust and hope in people who are just as sinful and in need of salvation as you are?

I don’t have to tell you how hard people have become in this day and age and just how tough life is, but in the midst of all that is happening around the world, I believe that many are seeking God more than ever before, for man has realised that one’s life is meaningless if you do not have something to live for that goes beyond this fragile existence.

f you have not found sympathy and comfort in your darkest of hours, then do not be dismayed. The Lord is much nearer to you, than you might think.

“But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it” (Deut 30 v 14)

The written word of God has proven to be timeless, no matter the scrutiny it had to withstand, and people are still being saved today by simply reading the bible, regardless of the translation, which just proves the authenticity of the Scriptures.

For children of God this is just the beginning, for we know that the Living Word is within us through the work of the Holy Spirit that manifests in our hearts. We should continue to proclaim this word to those who are hopeless and those who are lost, but also to those who have once been enlightened and have wandered off…

“…is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?” (Deut 31 v 17)

Majority of the world have done a good job of removing God from their midst and have done exactly what God’s people have done, falling away and serving other gods, to such an extent that they are no longer able to discern which god they are following.

The moment things start to go well for us in this life, we tend to trust in our own intellect and decision making. We believe we can conquer because God has given us the means to be independent, forgetting very quickly that we can easily fall when we rely on our own strength.

Quite often, when it is almost too late, we realise just how far we have strayed from the Lord and more often than not, He has to discipline us in order that we may return to Him. This, of course, is not something He would forcefully do, especially if we have no desire to have our relationship with Him restored through fellowship.

“For the Lord hears the needy….” (ps 69 v 33)

If you are among the needy, who requires God’s grace and compassion, do not postpone your meeting with Him. Call on Him today… now… immediately. Ask that He would search your heart and reveal to you that which is keeping you from seeking His will.

The Lord is near those who long to fellowship with Him and is also willing to meet with you today, if you sincerely and truly seek His face. Remember that Jesus died ONCE for ALL and even if it seems that the majority have rejected His grace, you can rest assured that His blood was not shed in vain.

Consider this… even if you were God’s single created being, He would still have become a man to sacrifice His life for your transgressions, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but His death and resurrection was the start of the mitigation process to reconcile us with our heavenly Father.

The question you need to ask yourself is this; Do you believe with your heart and confess with your mouth that Christ died and rose again and that His death and resurrection is still the only atonement available to save you from certain death and separation from the Lord?

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