Jesus used financial investment as an example of making the most of what God invested in our lives. In the parable about the 10 servants, each received one mina, an amount of money, to invest for their master. Some earned 10 and 5 minas more. One man kept it laid away in a cloth. The master’s investment did not earn any interest in his case.
About this man, Jesus said: (Luke 19: 26) "'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away”.
The servant who did nothing with the investment he was a steward of, represents people who have received the gospel message and God’s blessings, yet it has not changed them even one little bit! Therefore they have not shared God’s investment in their lives with others and did not use their blessings to expand the Kingdom of God. Their shareholding in God’s work remains small and vulnerable and insignificant.
But to those who made the most of God’s investment in their lives, who truly work with the Great Entrepreneur of the Kingdom of God, who use their given salvation, spiritual gifts, church membership, (increasing) Bible knowledge, access to God’s throne in prayer and ability to give, to advance the Kingdom of Christ, will hear the Master say: “Well done good and faithful servant.” By God’s grace, they have been changed into the godly entrepreneurs Christ needs for his work to be done!
Jesus Christ has invested his life, his death, his blood, his power, his Word and his Spirit in you!
What interest has he received through your life, your service and your witness?
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Emotions. 4 (final)
It takes great effort and faith to understand our emotions
We must accept that we often struggle to understand the way we feel about stuff. We may battle to deal with our emotions and be confused about our reactions to our circumstances.
It is not a sin to be confused. It also is not a sin to feel rejected, anxious, lonely or angry. It is not a sin to have to put great effort into understanding why we feel the way we do and how to deal with it.
In fact, the sin may be in refusing to struggle with how we feel. The sin may be when we refuse to confront those feelings and to seek to deal with them. Because when we choose to simply accept to continue negative feelings, we accept defeat. And we do not have to, because in Jesus we know that God is on our side.
Paul could say that he was perplexed, but not despairing. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10). He refused to let his feelings turn him away from his hope in God. He might not have understood what God was doing, but he refused to anguish and he kept looking for answers.
As we hang in there, insisting to deal positively with our emotions, we remain open to God. Wrestling with God about it, we will find what God is doing in our lives. There are times when the only way we will be able to see God’s purpose, are when our hearts are breaking and we have nowhere else to go, but to God!
Knowing that God has a purpose with my life and that he is working it out in my life, will help me to make sense of the circumstance that caused my painful feelings. Paul was saying that God is at work in our lives to reveal his power, in spite of our weakness. Even when we do not understand all that God is doing, we trust that he loves us and is seeking our best interest.
We trust that all things work towards his good purpose. God is our help and our salvation and in him we will find rest and peace amidst every circumstance.
Trust God to bless and keep you, whatever way you feel.
We must accept that we often struggle to understand the way we feel about stuff. We may battle to deal with our emotions and be confused about our reactions to our circumstances.
It is not a sin to be confused. It also is not a sin to feel rejected, anxious, lonely or angry. It is not a sin to have to put great effort into understanding why we feel the way we do and how to deal with it.
In fact, the sin may be in refusing to struggle with how we feel. The sin may be when we refuse to confront those feelings and to seek to deal with them. Because when we choose to simply accept to continue negative feelings, we accept defeat. And we do not have to, because in Jesus we know that God is on our side.
Paul could say that he was perplexed, but not despairing. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10). He refused to let his feelings turn him away from his hope in God. He might not have understood what God was doing, but he refused to anguish and he kept looking for answers.
As we hang in there, insisting to deal positively with our emotions, we remain open to God. Wrestling with God about it, we will find what God is doing in our lives. There are times when the only way we will be able to see God’s purpose, are when our hearts are breaking and we have nowhere else to go, but to God!
Knowing that God has a purpose with my life and that he is working it out in my life, will help me to make sense of the circumstance that caused my painful feelings. Paul was saying that God is at work in our lives to reveal his power, in spite of our weakness. Even when we do not understand all that God is doing, we trust that he loves us and is seeking our best interest.
We trust that all things work towards his good purpose. God is our help and our salvation and in him we will find rest and peace amidst every circumstance.
Trust God to bless and keep you, whatever way you feel.
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Church is not perfect.
Christianity is not perfect.
The Church is not perfect.
Jesus says the Kingdom may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field, but while everyone was asleep, someone else sowed weeds among the wheat. When the wheat and the weeds began to grow, the workers asked the owner where the weeds came from. He answered, "An enemy did this" (Mt 13:28). And when they ask the owner if they should destroy the weeds, the owner says
(Mt 13:29-30) "No ... because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. (30) Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn."
Wheat and weed grow together in the Kingdom and therefore also in the church. This parable is told because the church has to realise that she has evil within her. Jesus offers a word of hope, and a word of caution. The word of hope is that God will certainly and decisively deal with evil and sin.
The word of caution warns against accepting Jesus as Saviour without accepting him as Lord. Some believe that Jesus died on the cross for them. But, they don't want him as their Master, Lord and King. They are the weeds in the Kingdom fields and at the end of the age they must be pulled out. "You are not your own," says Paul, "you were bought at a price" (1 Cor 6:19-20). We cannot say Jesus saves us, and yet act as if he doesn't own us.
You can't take the "Saviour" part of Jesus and reject the "Lord" part of Jesus. You cannot separate the saving work of Jesus from the ruling and lordship of Jesus. You cannot expect Jesus to buy you with his blood, but not allow him to move in and take control of your life, any more than you could sell a home and expect the new owner not to move in.
But the parable does not end with the wicked who deny Christ to rule in their lives. It ends with the righteous who welcome Christ as their King and Head and therefore bear fruit for his Kingdom. We are told that they eternally "will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matt 13:43).
The Church is not perfect.
Jesus says the Kingdom may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field, but while everyone was asleep, someone else sowed weeds among the wheat. When the wheat and the weeds began to grow, the workers asked the owner where the weeds came from. He answered, "An enemy did this" (Mt 13:28). And when they ask the owner if they should destroy the weeds, the owner says
(Mt 13:29-30) "No ... because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. (30) Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn."
Wheat and weed grow together in the Kingdom and therefore also in the church. This parable is told because the church has to realise that she has evil within her. Jesus offers a word of hope, and a word of caution. The word of hope is that God will certainly and decisively deal with evil and sin.
The word of caution warns against accepting Jesus as Saviour without accepting him as Lord. Some believe that Jesus died on the cross for them. But, they don't want him as their Master, Lord and King. They are the weeds in the Kingdom fields and at the end of the age they must be pulled out. "You are not your own," says Paul, "you were bought at a price" (1 Cor 6:19-20). We cannot say Jesus saves us, and yet act as if he doesn't own us.
You can't take the "Saviour" part of Jesus and reject the "Lord" part of Jesus. You cannot separate the saving work of Jesus from the ruling and lordship of Jesus. You cannot expect Jesus to buy you with his blood, but not allow him to move in and take control of your life, any more than you could sell a home and expect the new owner not to move in.
But the parable does not end with the wicked who deny Christ to rule in their lives. It ends with the righteous who welcome Christ as their King and Head and therefore bear fruit for his Kingdom. We are told that they eternally "will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matt 13:43).
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Agni Dei Bible School, Centurion, South Africa
Click on the Agni Dei Bible School link at the Favourite Links on this blog for all the details.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Emotions (3)
Dealing with painful feelings.
In order to deal with our feelings in a responsible way, we have to learn that feelings are only feelings. What do we mean? It means that feelings are not necessarily reality.
We are not saying that feelings are not real. Everyone struggling to keep emotions at bay, know that they indeed are real! But our feelings do not reflect how things really are. To deal with them in a way that is helpful to you and others and not to act on them insensibly, we must realise that what we feel do not always reflect reality. Therefore, we must recognize them for what they are and what they are not.
Yes, we need to acknowledge what we feel and that we do feel this way. Denial of our feelings will simply suppress them and not allow us to deal with them in a healthy way. Even if we try to suppress our emotions, they will eventually surface again and then they could return in destructive ways. .
To acknowledge your emotions does not mean we must tell everyone about them. It is most of the time unwise. When we need advice as to how to deal with what we feel, we need to only speak to someone we trust, who is equipped to guide and help us in dealing with them. Our minister is a good choice to share our emotions with, knowing it will be handled with complete confidentiality. He will not only listen, but he is able to guide us from the Word of God in dealing with them.
And we must always tell God about our emotions. God knows how we feel. God understands what we feel. God loves us even when we are angry or frustrated. We must not only acknowledge our emotions to ourselves, we can and should talk to God about what we feel.
In the Psalms we see how believers share their emotions with the Lord. We read words of praise for when we are rejoicing and we read sad, even despondent prayers, for when we are feeling abandoned, angry or in pain.
In Psalm 31:9-10 we read: "Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my body has wasted away."
It is clear that the Psalms poet did not hesitate to tell God exactly how he really felt.
Our emotions are certainly real to us. But we cannot just blabber about them to everyone. But we can and should deal with them, verbalising them to someone equipped to help us deal with them.
More importantly, we need to speak to God about what we feel. We need to share all our emotions with our God. It is an essential step in healing and dealing with them well.
In order to deal with our feelings in a responsible way, we have to learn that feelings are only feelings. What do we mean? It means that feelings are not necessarily reality.
We are not saying that feelings are not real. Everyone struggling to keep emotions at bay, know that they indeed are real! But our feelings do not reflect how things really are. To deal with them in a way that is helpful to you and others and not to act on them insensibly, we must realise that what we feel do not always reflect reality. Therefore, we must recognize them for what they are and what they are not.
Yes, we need to acknowledge what we feel and that we do feel this way. Denial of our feelings will simply suppress them and not allow us to deal with them in a healthy way. Even if we try to suppress our emotions, they will eventually surface again and then they could return in destructive ways. .
To acknowledge your emotions does not mean we must tell everyone about them. It is most of the time unwise. When we need advice as to how to deal with what we feel, we need to only speak to someone we trust, who is equipped to guide and help us in dealing with them. Our minister is a good choice to share our emotions with, knowing it will be handled with complete confidentiality. He will not only listen, but he is able to guide us from the Word of God in dealing with them.
And we must always tell God about our emotions. God knows how we feel. God understands what we feel. God loves us even when we are angry or frustrated. We must not only acknowledge our emotions to ourselves, we can and should talk to God about what we feel.
In the Psalms we see how believers share their emotions with the Lord. We read words of praise for when we are rejoicing and we read sad, even despondent prayers, for when we are feeling abandoned, angry or in pain.
In Psalm 31:9-10 we read: "Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my body has wasted away."
It is clear that the Psalms poet did not hesitate to tell God exactly how he really felt.
Our emotions are certainly real to us. But we cannot just blabber about them to everyone. But we can and should deal with them, verbalising them to someone equipped to help us deal with them.
More importantly, we need to speak to God about what we feel. We need to share all our emotions with our God. It is an essential step in healing and dealing with them well.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Family does not come before Christ Jesus in our lives.
Matt. 10: 37 – 39 - Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
These words about family are hard to hear. And it was even more difficult for Jesus' original audience to accept. In his day economic survival depended upon the extended family and their support.
In Jesus' eyes, however important family is, it never comes before knowing and serving God and his Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus is telling us that none of us are truly free to be Christ's disciples until we break with everything that hinders our commitment to the Lord. Whether they be family or things, if they come before Jesus they must be abandoned. Christ taught that we as his followers must break all ties that weaken our commitment to him. Jesus didn’t say we should not love our families or neglect taking responsibility for them. But he was making it clear that no person or thing should be considered worthy competition for the Son of God in our lives and our priorities!
Jesus forces us to ask ourselves if he comes first in our lives. Do we love him more than anything else?
These words about family are hard to hear. And it was even more difficult for Jesus' original audience to accept. In his day economic survival depended upon the extended family and their support.
In Jesus' eyes, however important family is, it never comes before knowing and serving God and his Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus is telling us that none of us are truly free to be Christ's disciples until we break with everything that hinders our commitment to the Lord. Whether they be family or things, if they come before Jesus they must be abandoned. Christ taught that we as his followers must break all ties that weaken our commitment to him. Jesus didn’t say we should not love our families or neglect taking responsibility for them. But he was making it clear that no person or thing should be considered worthy competition for the Son of God in our lives and our priorities!
Jesus forces us to ask ourselves if he comes first in our lives. Do we love him more than anything else?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
WITH WHAT EXPECTATION SHOULD WE COME TO THE LORD’S TABLE?
Firstly that God will in grace receive all who repent of their sins, to partake of the Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ. And even when we realise that we are still weak and that it is hard to live according to God’s will, we accept in faith that our human nature cannot prevent us to receive the food that Jesus, our Host at the Table, wishes to share with us.
Secondly we can expect to be reminded by the Holy Spirit of everything Jesus did for us to save us and make us his own. The Holy Spirit speaks God’s Word to us and communicates with us through bread and wine. Through bread and wine we receive the Word of God that reminds us that Jesus was innocently condemned to death that we might be found not guilty at the judgment seat of God. We are reminded that he let his body be nailed to the cross to cancel the debt we have because of our sins. He took our curse upon himself, in order to fill us with his blessings. We are reminded that Jesus was forsaken by God, that we may be accepted by the Father and never be forsaken by him.
We expect to hear the Lord proclaiming his death and resurrection to us as he speaks to us through bread and wine, giving us faith through which we are saved.
Thirdly we expect to have communion, or fellowship, with our Lord at his Table. Jesus invites us to feast with him to assure us of his love and salvation, that we will know that as surely as the bread is broken and the cup is given to us, he is present at his Table to assure us that we belong to him. He meets with us at his Table to direct our faith to his perfect sacrifice on our behalf, teaching us that it is the only ground for our salvation.
By the Holy Spirit, who dwells in Christ as our Head and in us as his members, we have true communion with him and share in all his gifts, his eternal life and his glory.
Fourthly we expect that the same Spirit also unites us as brothers and sisters in true Christian love as members of the one Body of Christ. For the sake of Christ, who loved us first, we love one another at the holy Table and show this love not just in words but also in deeds.
Finally, we expect to receive a foretaste of the amazing joy Jesus promised to his own, that we one day will share at the wedding feast of the Lamb of God when we will drink God’s new wine in the Kingdom of God our Father.
In order to be nourished with Christ at his Supper, we must not only see and taste the outward symbols of bread and wine.
We should not doubt that at his Supper we shall be nourished and refreshed in our souls with Christ himself, as certainly as we receive the bread and wine in remembrance of him.
Secondly we can expect to be reminded by the Holy Spirit of everything Jesus did for us to save us and make us his own. The Holy Spirit speaks God’s Word to us and communicates with us through bread and wine. Through bread and wine we receive the Word of God that reminds us that Jesus was innocently condemned to death that we might be found not guilty at the judgment seat of God. We are reminded that he let his body be nailed to the cross to cancel the debt we have because of our sins. He took our curse upon himself, in order to fill us with his blessings. We are reminded that Jesus was forsaken by God, that we may be accepted by the Father and never be forsaken by him.
We expect to hear the Lord proclaiming his death and resurrection to us as he speaks to us through bread and wine, giving us faith through which we are saved.
Thirdly we expect to have communion, or fellowship, with our Lord at his Table. Jesus invites us to feast with him to assure us of his love and salvation, that we will know that as surely as the bread is broken and the cup is given to us, he is present at his Table to assure us that we belong to him. He meets with us at his Table to direct our faith to his perfect sacrifice on our behalf, teaching us that it is the only ground for our salvation.
By the Holy Spirit, who dwells in Christ as our Head and in us as his members, we have true communion with him and share in all his gifts, his eternal life and his glory.
Fourthly we expect that the same Spirit also unites us as brothers and sisters in true Christian love as members of the one Body of Christ. For the sake of Christ, who loved us first, we love one another at the holy Table and show this love not just in words but also in deeds.
Finally, we expect to receive a foretaste of the amazing joy Jesus promised to his own, that we one day will share at the wedding feast of the Lamb of God when we will drink God’s new wine in the Kingdom of God our Father.
In order to be nourished with Christ at his Supper, we must not only see and taste the outward symbols of bread and wine.
We should not doubt that at his Supper we shall be nourished and refreshed in our souls with Christ himself, as certainly as we receive the bread and wine in remembrance of him.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Acknowledge Jesus before others.
Matt. 10: 32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.”
The image this verse wants to raise in our mind is that of an earthly courtroom. You are summoned to appear before a judge. You are accused of being a Christ believer. How would you answer to that indictment? Would you affirm or deny your faith? Will you acknowledge or disown Jesus?
To acknowledge Jesus before others, is to openly declare that he is indeed the Son of God, to profess him openly as your Saviour and proclaim him as the Lord of your life. All of these not only in words, but also in attitude, values, thoughts, choices, life style, world view, justice, peace and worship. To acknowledge Jesus is to declare before others that you live for him who died for you and that you trust him, who gave his life, his blood for you.
Jesus says that if I acknowledge him before others, he “will also acknowledge me before his Father in heaven.” It means that Jesus is saying to God:
“I died for this person. With my blood I have redeemed him / her from evil, judgment and from sin-slavery. He / she is forgiven, because I (Jesus) was judged and condemned in his/her place.
Does your love for the Lord lead to a relationship where you always acknowledge Christ before others and he acknowledges you before God, our Father?
May the sacrificial love of Jesus makes it impossible for me not to be his witness, his worker and his friend!
The image this verse wants to raise in our mind is that of an earthly courtroom. You are summoned to appear before a judge. You are accused of being a Christ believer. How would you answer to that indictment? Would you affirm or deny your faith? Will you acknowledge or disown Jesus?
To acknowledge Jesus before others, is to openly declare that he is indeed the Son of God, to profess him openly as your Saviour and proclaim him as the Lord of your life. All of these not only in words, but also in attitude, values, thoughts, choices, life style, world view, justice, peace and worship. To acknowledge Jesus is to declare before others that you live for him who died for you and that you trust him, who gave his life, his blood for you.
Jesus says that if I acknowledge him before others, he “will also acknowledge me before his Father in heaven.” It means that Jesus is saying to God:
“I died for this person. With my blood I have redeemed him / her from evil, judgment and from sin-slavery. He / she is forgiven, because I (Jesus) was judged and condemned in his/her place.
Does your love for the Lord lead to a relationship where you always acknowledge Christ before others and he acknowledges you before God, our Father?
May the sacrificial love of Jesus makes it impossible for me not to be his witness, his worker and his friend!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Lord Jesus, is it really true?
Lord Jesus, is it really true,
that I could be ashamed of you?
Ashamed of you, whom angels praise,
whose glories shine through endless days?
Ashamed of Jesus! my dear Friend,
on whom my hopes of heaven depend?
No; when I blush, be this my shame,
that I do not revere your Name.
O holy Christ, o Son of God,
I will confess in one accord
with all your children, praise your Name,
acclaim your cross - no fear, no shame!
You died dear Lord, a sinners death,
for me you gave the last throbbing breath.
O Holy One, o God’s true Son,
I’ll count your glories, one by one.
that I could be ashamed of you?
Ashamed of you, whom angels praise,
whose glories shine through endless days?
Ashamed of Jesus! my dear Friend,
on whom my hopes of heaven depend?
No; when I blush, be this my shame,
that I do not revere your Name.
O holy Christ, o Son of God,
I will confess in one accord
with all your children, praise your Name,
acclaim your cross - no fear, no shame!
You died dear Lord, a sinners death,
for me you gave the last throbbing breath.
O Holy One, o God’s true Son,
I’ll count your glories, one by one.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Emotions (2)
Our emotions surface all the time. Some of us suppress what we feel and do not share it with friends, family or even God. Do we feel it is a sign of weakness to be excited or sad? Why are we uncomfortable about being passionate about Christ, our salvation and our worship? Why do we think tears of joy and thanksgiving are embarrassing? Why do we apologise for them? We need to understand that God created us as emotional beings, and he has a divine purpose with what we feel.
We have feelings because God created us that way. He created us in his image. And God also has feelings. In Deuteronomy 32:21, God is speaking of his emotions in terms of his relationship with Israel:
"They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities."
There are times when God is angry, because his people serve other gods, are disobedient and irreverent.
The Bible also speaks at length about the love, mercy and compassion of God. It is the Lord’s feelings of love that moved him to give his only Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life. God is love. God is defined by his love for us, and his grace and mercy that save us, are the fruit of his divine love.
When you read the Gospels, you see the love of the Saviour at work. All his miracles and all his teachings testify of his glorious love for us and his desire to have a relationship with us. God has emotions. Jesus has emotions. We can also sadden the Holy Spirit. Thus we, created in God’s image, therefore also have emotions.
We too can experience love for God, our fellow-man, our earthly family and our church family. We too can make a difference because we have compassion and mercy and we also know what anger is.
The only problem with our human emotions is that we sometimes allow them to take charge of our lives, leading to insensible and unwise actions that left common sense, our faith knowledge and wisdom out of the equation. Then we may hurt not only ourselves, but also those most precious to us - and we do not act in a God honouring way. We are then left with regret, because emotional damage is hard to repair.
Dealing with our emotions is harder than we think. We need Jesus to help us. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us. We need the Word of truth to educate us.
We need the love and compassion of our Lord, to console us.
(Next time more about God’s purpose with our emotions.)
We have feelings because God created us that way. He created us in his image. And God also has feelings. In Deuteronomy 32:21, God is speaking of his emotions in terms of his relationship with Israel:
"They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities."
There are times when God is angry, because his people serve other gods, are disobedient and irreverent.
The Bible also speaks at length about the love, mercy and compassion of God. It is the Lord’s feelings of love that moved him to give his only Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life. God is love. God is defined by his love for us, and his grace and mercy that save us, are the fruit of his divine love.
When you read the Gospels, you see the love of the Saviour at work. All his miracles and all his teachings testify of his glorious love for us and his desire to have a relationship with us. God has emotions. Jesus has emotions. We can also sadden the Holy Spirit. Thus we, created in God’s image, therefore also have emotions.
We too can experience love for God, our fellow-man, our earthly family and our church family. We too can make a difference because we have compassion and mercy and we also know what anger is.
The only problem with our human emotions is that we sometimes allow them to take charge of our lives, leading to insensible and unwise actions that left common sense, our faith knowledge and wisdom out of the equation. Then we may hurt not only ourselves, but also those most precious to us - and we do not act in a God honouring way. We are then left with regret, because emotional damage is hard to repair.
Dealing with our emotions is harder than we think. We need Jesus to help us. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us. We need the Word of truth to educate us.
We need the love and compassion of our Lord, to console us.
(Next time more about God’s purpose with our emotions.)
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