November 2020

01/11/2020

Mat 7 v 1-14; Acts 10 v 1-23; Ps 17 v 1-15; Gen 37 v 1 - 38 v 30
Judge not?

“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.” (Mat 7 v 1)

Is this a commandment not to judge, or a commandment on how to judge righteously? Why would the Lord say that you first have to take the log out of your own eye, in order to see clearly and then be able to take the speck out of your brother’s eye?

Are we called to judge people or their actions? Who is our brother? So many questions regarding this much debated topic. I believe we are to judge the actions of our fellow believers in Christ, should their behaviour clearly contradict the Scriptures, but we have to be absolutely sure that our affairs are in order, for we will be judged by the same standard we judge others.

“Let my judgment come forth from your presence…” (Ps 17 v 2)

The only way we can judge righteously is to look at our brothers through the eyes of Jesus. God is clear that in everything we do and say, we should treat people the same way, we expect to be treated.

Joseph’s brothers treated him harshly, after judging him poorly based on the dreams he had, saying that surely he wouldn’t rule over them. He had done nothing wrong and yet they plotted to kill him, because they were offended by his dreams and their hearts will filled with hatred towards him.

Peter, who was summoned by Cornelius, who obeyed the instruction to have him brought to him, was shown that he should not call any man unholy or unclean and that God does not show partiality (Acts 10 v 28, 34)

Their is a fine line between judging the actions and behavior of a brother and judging a person. Often we cannot make the distinction and therefore we have to seek the Lord’s guidance on this matter.

Allow Him to try your heart and test you, so that you can see if you are in the faith, before being outspoken about others.

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

02/11/2020

Thought for today
Fear the Lord and do what is right

How can we fear the Lord and do what is right in His sight? A good start would be to acknowledge Him as King of kings and Lord of lords, God of all creation, of water, earth and sky…

Pause for a moment and consider the works of His hands. Through intelligent design, the universe and every living creature came into existence. The evidence is overwhelming, unless you choose not to believe that we were created in the image of the only One, true God.

Those who fear the Lord and do His will, are welcomed into His courts. He longs for fellowship with us, but is not dependent on us to commit our lives to Him, although he wants everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth and does not wish for anyone to perish.

To serve the Lord in humility and with reverence brings true peace and fulfillment, knowing that we are set free from the bondage of sin, for we are all enslaved to this world before coming to faith in Jesus. Don’t give up and lose hope during your trials and tribulations. Don’t allow your flesh to dictate, while your soul longs for Egypt.

The Lord has called us to come out of this world. The time has come to return to the Lord. If you are wandering, fix your eyes on Christ. Take up your cross and follow Him. In doing so, you will receive an everlasting reward. An eternity with the One who made you and saved you.

03/11/2020

Mat 7 v 15-29; Acts 10 v 24-48; Ps 18 v 1-24; Gen 39 v 1 – 40 v 23
The Rock

Can you say that your foundation is built on the rock? Are you able to withstand the floods and stormy winds?

The only way to be sure that your “house” will continue to stand through the rainstorms of life is to pay attention to the words of the Lord and adhere to them.

Peter acted on the word of the Lord, went to Cornelius and brought many to Christ. Joseph also stayed faithful to the Lord and although he was thrown into prison, he prospered in everything he did.

It is foolishness to ignore the words of the Lord, thinking we will be able to weather the storms of life, while building our “house” on the sand. Unfortunately there is only one outcome when the floods come and winds start to blow.

The Lord is our rock, strength, fortress and deliverer. He is our refuge, shield and stronghold (Ps 18 v 1 – 2)
When you are faced with death and your enemies have overtaken you, cry out to the Lord for He will deliver you, whether in this life or the next.

Keep His commandments and obey His statutes. Refrain from doing evil and continue in His ways of righteousness and your reward will be great.

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

07/11/2020

Mat 8 v 1-13; Acts 11 v 1-18; Ps 18 v 25-50; Gen 41 v 1-57
Salvation for all men

There has been a popular teaching since the beginning of church history, that the elect will inherit eternal life and the only way you can know you are part of the elect is based on the church you attend accompanied by some rituals that have to be performed.

On the contrary, the bible is very clear that salvation is for ALL mankind, although it’s up to us as individuals to accept this free gift of salvation, resulting in repentance. The Centurion showed faith by acknowledging Jesus as Lord, while Peter brought many to faith in the Lord Jesus as “God has granted to the gentiles (non-Jews) also the repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11 v 18).

Think about this. If there is only one true and living God (and the evidence is clear about this much debated topic), then God is the God of everyone He made in His image, right? Will everyone acknowledge Him as Lord and King, Creator of the Universe…?

No, many will reject Him, but everyone has the opportunity to submit to Him, as God does not show partiality (Acts 10 v 34) and says that we “should not call any man unholy or unclean” (Acts 10 v 28) for what “God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (Acts 11 v 9).

Jesus says that “many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mat 8 v 11-12). Let us ensure our affairs are in order and that we are not counted among those who are not fit for the kingdom and thrown out into the darkness.

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

11/11/2020

Mat 8 v 14-22; Acts 11 v 19-30; Ps 19 v 1-14; Gen 42 v 1 - 43 v 34
The Christian faith

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” (PS 19 v 14)

What is our duty as a child of God? Is it not to know Him and make Him known? It can also be summed up in the greatest commandment… “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and your neighbour as yourself.“

Can it be said about us, that we are “full of the Holy Spirt and of faith“? (Acts 11 v 24). Take a moment today. Pause everything and check yourself to see whether you are in the faith or in the world…

If you were to stand in front of the Lord today, to give account of your life, have your actions reflected His love, compassion and grace? Was your heart set on serving and obeying His commandment(s)? Have you lived a life, dedicated to serving others, for Jesus said that whatever you have done to someone else, you have, in effect, done it to Him…

My biggest concern, and so it should be, is that I might be lukewarm. I do not want to be deceived thinking I am living for God, just to find out that I have actually lived for (my)self. God’s ways are not our ways and our standards fall short of His.

The sooner we start living according to His standards, the sooner we will see that we are in desperate need of repentance, every day! Yes, you were saved when you accepted God’s salvation. You are being saved, everyday, in your walk with Christ. You will be saved (and redeemed), when Jesus returns and finds you among the faithful few.

Do not believe for one moment that you are “once saved, always saved“, for this is simply not true. Run this race until the end, for he who endures, will be saved!

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

14/11/2020

Mat 8 v 23-34; Acts 12 v 1-25; Ps 20 v 1-9; Gen 44 v 1 - 45 v 28
In Whom shall we boast?

“Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.” (Ps 20 v 7)

Our Lord and Savior calmed the seas and cast out demons, healed the sick and even used someone like Joseph to provide for the people of Egypt in preparing for the famine that would come.

He sent an angel to assist Peter, after he (Peter) was imprisoned. God also struck down Herod for he was proud and arrogant, while blessing the land of Egypt, through his servant Joseph.

Our God uses people and situations for His good purpose and glory. Even if people do not acknowledge Him as Lord, they play an integral part in fulfilling God’s will, which ultimately calls everyone to salvation, although it remains their prerogative whether they will accept Him as Lord and Saviour.

His Name is glorious and wonderful, exalted above every other name in heaven and on the earth. The only Name through which we can be saved – Jesus, Lord of lords and King of kings – our Creator and Sustainer.

“God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Eph 2 v 8-9) [NLT]

I thank the Lord that He called our spirit out of this world to live for His future kingdom, although we still have lots of work to do in this life and while residing in our earthly vessel, our soul should long to be with Him. Let us boast in the glory of God, for what He has done throughout history, knowing that a future in His presence is our eternal destination.

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

21/11/2020

Mat 9 v 1-13; Acts 13 v 1-25; Ps 21 v 1-13; Gen 46 v 1 - 47 v 31
Sinners seek healing

“It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” (Mat 9 v 12)

Whether you are physically or spiritually ill, you need a physician. God may use men to heal us physically, but only Jesus can restore our spirit.

The scribes and pharisees did not feel that they needed healing of any kind, for they considered themselves righteous, chosen by God and were very annoyed with this man who claimed to have authority over sin.

You might deal with many people on a daily basis, especially if you are a missionary or even if you work with various clients, you will know that majority of the people are convinced they are “fine”, regardless if they are unsaved or caught up in religion.

Just look at Elymas for example. He attempted to turn the proconsul away from the truth, when there was an opportunity for him to accept the faith after he (the proconsul) wanted to hear the truth from Paul and Barnabas.

Many of us are simply content with the manner in which we either serve the Lord through religious ceremonies and rituals or even worse, living our lives without the knowledge of the truth, supressing the conviction that we need to be healed spiritually and saved from our sinful nature.

Sometimes it may be frustrating to deal with people who see no wrong in the way the conduct their lives and that will give us an indication of how we often deal with the Lord, thinking we are righteous, not realising our best efforts are like filthy rags before Him.

May the Lord open our spiritual eyes and ears so that we may see our shortcomings and hear His voice of truth.

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

28/11/2020

Mat 9 v 14-26; Acts 13 v 26-52; Ps 22 v 1-11; Gen 48 v 1-22
The good news

“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you...” (Acts 13 v 38)

The good news was preached to a people who were not willing to be changed from the inside, for it would mean they had to die to self in order to be freed from the bondage of sin and were therefore content with a religious visage.

Although they refused to change, they also prohibited those wanting to accept this truth. They condemned the One who came and preached repentance as well as His followers who continued His good work, until such point that the disciples spread the word to the gentiles, who in turn accepted the good news.

We are so privileged and blessed to have God’s written word and His Spirit to teach us and yet we still often prefer to hide behind our own religion where we have molded God into something or someone that is content with our form of worship.

When will we realise that God is not dependent on us nor does He have to please us. Although He longs for fellowship with us, He cannot compromise, for He is perfect in every possible way. Do not allow your heart to be hardened like the people of those times when you come to the knowledge of the truth.

May the Lord open our spiritual eyes and ears so that we may see the work of His hands and hear the good news of His grace through forgiveness of sins. Believe with your heart, and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and that He was indeed raised from the grave as it was prophesied.

I thank the Lord for His kindness, patience and love as well as His underserved mercy. Make a commitment today. Abide in His word and He will abide in you. Continue in His grace and He will accomplish His good work through you.

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

29/11/2020

Mat 9 v 27-38; Acts 14 v 1-28; Ps 22 v 12-31; Gen 49 v 1-33
The harvest is plentiful

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” (Mat 9 v 38)

There are so many souls to win for Christ, yet so little time! Just look at Paul and Barnabas and how they persisted in spreading the gospel to the gentiles.

They were persecuted by the religious and even stoned, for preaching the cross and repentance. Today, it’s exactly the same. We are rejected for proclaiming Jesus’ forgiveness of sins. The world does not want to hear they are sinners, for then they would have to acknowledge God and submit to His authority.

How many people do we deal with on a daily basis that need the Lord’s salvation? Sometimes it seems that we are simply content with allowing others to continue in their false belief that either, there is no God or that religion is not for everyone, or even that God knows the hearts of those who are caught up in false religions.

It feels that we are comfortable with the idea that going to church is just enough and if we attend a mid-week bible study, we have given much of ourselves to the Lord… What happened to living a Christ-filled and Christ-centered life? A life revolving around God and His word. Not just talking about our faith, but living it!

We have become lukewarm and it is because of this that there are very little workers of the faith left to sow, not even to mention harvest! It is our calling to make God known to the world in this “cancel culture” where everything that is acceptable to God is replaced with the evil this world has produced.

Let’s make it our mission, first and foremost, to stand up for our faith and “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” (1 Pet 3 v 15) [NIV]

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