March 31, 2010

The Power of the Cross

Filed under: Godfrey Moabi — Godfrey @ 5:07 pm

Last week I talked about The Lordship of Jesus Christ and God willing I will continue to look at some points that I believe the body of Christ needs to know. Today I want to talk about His Lordship as we are celebrating His death and His resurrection. I believe He did not get that title of being called Lord for free, He paid with His life. (Phil 2:8-11) He humbled Himself, having become obedient until death, even the death of a cross.  Because of this also God highly exalted Him and gave Him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus “every knee should bow,” of heavenly ones, and earthly ones, and ones under the earth, and “every tongue should confess” that Jesus Christ is “Lord,” to the glory of God the Father. Isa 45:23

May we remember that He was crucified so that every tongue should declare that He is Lord as we celebrate Easter? I want to share with you some other verses which can help us a lot. I believe that we really need to check the scriptures and find out for ourselves in terms of why was Christ born, crucified and the like. He did, many of us will be shocked to realize that His aim was not for people to remember Him, follow Him or teach about Him. No friend, His purpose is deeper than that. He wants all human beings to surrender their lives to Him. Yes, you heard me well. CHRIST WANTS YOUR LIFE. Not just your time when you have it, for you to just remember going to Church during Easter. Or your money, He wants you to give Him your life. May those who have accepted Him remember that they were being bought during His Crucifixion?

1Cor 6:20 You were bought with a price; then glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are of God.

1Pet 1:18-19 Inasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. So you have Christ name on you, you are His property.

Another point I would like us to consider is He has reconciled us with God; He reconciled our souls with our spirits bringing about unity and peace. He again made us one in Him.

Eph 2:13 -16 You were far from God. But Christ offered his life’s blood as a sacrifice and brought you near God. Christ has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us. Christ gave his own body to destroy the Law of Moses with all its rules and commands. He even brought Jews and Gentiles together as though we were only one person, when he united us in peace.   On the cross Christ did away with our hatred for each other. He also made peace between us and God by uniting Jews and Gentiles in one body. Christ came and preached peace to you Gentiles, who were far from God, and peace to us Jews, who were near God. My friend the only thing that can bring reconciliation and get rid of hatred among us is the Cross.

Shalom

Godfrey Moabi

LOVE your enemies

Filed under: Sipho Kaleni — Sipho @ 4:55 pm

“But I say to you who are listening now to Me: love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred,” Luke 6:27 (Amp)

WOW!!! What a challenge.

  • How do you begin to love those who hate you?
  • How do speak life and blessings with love to those who despise and detest you?
  • How do you love the one who inflicts pain on you with a clear intent of destroying you and everything about you?
  • How do you love a colleague at work or school who wants you demoted at all cost?

There are many questions we can ask about our enemies, however we may not get desirable answers for all of them, especially if we seek to understand spiritual things with a physical approach. NB! Jesus was not negotiating on this matter, THIS IS A COMMAND: LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.

Well, did Jesus practice what He preached? Oh YES, He did! Let’s look at two encounters in the bible which provide proof of this:

  • JUDAS ISCARIOT – proved the following saying to be true “…keep your enemies even closer.” During the Lord’s Supper Christ announced that He was going to be betrayed by one of His disciples. Despite that Judas denied it and pretended not to know, and he went on to sell Jesus out. At the point of no return, Jesus says to Judas “Friend, for what are you here?” (Matt. 26:50) How do you call your betrayer “friend”?
  • JESUS’ DISCIPLES – Having travelled a mile with Jesus, (and worse even after Peter had vowed that he won’t deny or disown Christ,) when the chief priest, captain of the temple, elders, and the troops came to arrest Jesus, none of the disciples could stand by Jesus. “Then all the disciples deserted Him and, fleeing, escaped.” (Matt. 26:56) Yet Christ didn’t disown them. After His resurrection He went back to them and gave them the final commands before He left earth. WOW!

I can go on and on and even link the things we do to hurt Christ Jesus everyday, things which will easily disqualify us as heavenly heirs yet He still calls us His friends (John 15:14).

I do not have a ten point presentation of how to love your enemies, but as a fellow brother in the Lord I wish to remind you that it is a command to love your enemies and not just that, Jesus continues to say: “Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God’s blessings (favour) upon those who abuse you (who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you)”. (Luke 6:28)

“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6

You may be asking a question why should I love my enemies? Well, the answer simply is: because Christ did it for you too. “For while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Rom. 5:6

Now, begin to think about ALL your enemies and start speaking a blessing over their lives, pray for them without ceasing.

Sipho Kaleni

March 30, 2010

Dooie Bene

Filed under: Johann Els — Johann @ 11:43 am

Hierdie Spesiale Paasboodskap is SPESIFIEK vir jou wat sê, ek voel stukkend, seer, gebroke, afgetakel, staan eenkant en wonder of God ook vir my wat net hooploosheid en doodsheid belewe.

(ESEGIëL 37:1-14)

Esegiël 37 – praat van `n krisistyd in Israel se geskiedenis. Die profeet Esegiël, wat saam met die inwoners van Jerusalem in ballingskap weggevoer is (597 vC), skryf vir sy landgenote daar waar hy saam met hulle langs die Chebarrivier woon. Hy het self die trauma van die ballingskap beleef. Hy het gesien hoe die magtige Babiloniërs sy stad vernietig, en daarna saam met sy landgenote meer as duisend kilometer gestap na `n vreemde land.

Vir mense wat alle hoop verloor het, preek Esegiël `n kragtige boodskap van hoop en herstel. Hulle ervaar dood en hopeloosheid met die treffende beeld van `n vallei met uitgedroogde beendere. Dan blaas God sy asem wat lewe bring in die beendere. Die effek hiervan is dat die bene stukkie vir stukkie aanmekaar heg en weer begin lewe. `n Kragtige simbool van `n nuwe skepping –

Esegiël 37 :

  • God is in staat om die onmoontlike te doen.
  • Wat is meer onmoontlik as om `n hoop droë bene weer te laat leef?
  • Israel se geloof dat God in staat is om nuwe lewe voort te bring uit `n situasie

van totale verwoesting en wanhoop.

  • God begin weer `n radikale transformasie om lewe te gee vir diegene wat in ’n situasie van dood is.

Almal vier PAASFEES – en wat van jou wat stukkend, seer, gebroke, afgetakel, eenkant staan en wonder of God ook vir jou wat net hooploosheid en doodsheid belewe WEER DIE LEWE NUUT KAN MAAK hierdie Paasfeestyd???

Dit lyk SO ONMOONTLIK!!!! SO TOTAAL ONMOONTLIK – vir jou!!!

As daar `n woord is wat in staat is om ons hoop te kelder, om ons drome te vernietig, dan is dit hierdie woord: “Onmoontlik.”

God sê vir jou in hierdie Paasfeestyd : Die onmoontlike kan moontlik word. Hoor die woord van die Here. God se Woord kan die “on” van “onmoontlik” uitvee.

Dooie bene wat weer leef? Onmoontlik! Maar God hou aan om Sy asem in hierdie droë bene te blaas EN hulle LEWE WEER!!!

Hierdie Paasboodskap is SPESIFIEK vir jou wat sê, ek voel stukkend, seer, gebroke, afgetakel, staan eenkant  en wonder of God ook vir my wat net hooploosheid en doodsheid belewe WEER DIE LEWE NUUT KAN MAAK hierdie Paasfeestyd???

Dit lyk SO ONMOONTLIK!!!! SO TOTAAL ONMOONTLIK – vir my!!!

JA, GOD KAN EN GOD WIL JOU LEWE NUUT MAAK!!!

Johann Els

God Will Provide

Filed under: Ray Legodi — Ray @ 8:31 am

Gen 22:14 So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide. And it is said to this day, On the mount of the Lord it will be provided.

Do we as believers really know that in Christ we are always at a place called “God will provide”? Do we believe that honestly? Then what’s the reason for our “alternative” prosperity provisions? Do we acknowledge that God will provide in a place where nothing works out, we’re stressed out, poor, there is disease etc? That is where GOD PROVIDES!

(Isa 43:20) In our deserts, God will provide WATER! Isa 61:3 relates also to our deserts – God will provide comforts! Ps 111:5 says God provides food for those who fear Him. God has also provided redemption for all mankind if they choose to have it (Ps 111:9). We should trust in God through our Lord Jesus Christ who can provide us with everything we need (1Tim 6:17). Let us also stand in the strength that the Lord provides (1 Peter 4:11).

Yet in all these things, do we really trust God to do all these things for us? Are our pressures as hard, tribulations severe, unhappiness, losses, persecutions way over our heads? Do we end up trusting alternatives to God’s provision? How do we come to a stage where we think God has become slow to provide? How far do we trust God? Why do we sell materials with “formulas” as guidelines for prosperity in Christ? Are we “sick and tired” of waiting on the Lord? Have we degenerated into disobedient, self-seeking believers? Do we still know that God will provide? Do we still trust in the Lord and not on our own understanding? What does the world see in us? Do they see people who have lost confidence in their God? Have we gone on to adopt “worldly systems” for provision?

If so, we should pray and return to the Lord! Ask for forgiveness and tell the truth of God’s Provision for all believers!

Ray Legodi

March 29, 2010

Consider it What?

Filed under: Linda Ritchie — Linda @ 10:04 am

I can’t believe this is happening to me, Lord.

Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds.

But I did nothing to cause this, Lord, it’s not my fault.

Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds.

But I’m Your child, Lord. Surely You can prevent these things from happening?

My child, you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

But Lord, I’ve been faithful to You, even in the midst of these trials. Can’t You make it stop now, please?

Perseverance must finish its work.

But why, Lord? I still don’t understand.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

Okay Lord, I submit to Your Sovereign will and divine plan for my life, but I am scared of making a mess of things as I struggle through this difficult time. Please help me.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Your ways are not my ways, Lord, but You are sovereign and I submit completely to You.

(Taken from James 1:2-5, New International Version)

Linda Ritchie

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