Today

 

Luke 23:43

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

So many of our questions about life after death are answered just in this one sentence of Jesus.

We know the narrative: Jesus was dying on the cross, amidst two other men who were also being crucified. They were justly convicted of crimes committed and being punished according to Roman law of the time, whereas Jesus was innocent of all wrongdoing and had to endure unjust punishment. One criminal ridiculed Jesus, saying that if He was the Christ, He should rescue them all from this death they were facing. But the other man pointed out the truth that they had got what they deserved, but Jesus had done nothing wrong. He then asked Jesus to remember Him when He came into His Kingdom. Upon which Jesus answered in the words quoted above.

This man must have heard about Jesus before speaking to Him here or even heard Jesus Himself explaining that the Kingdom of God was now near, and that one had to have faith in Jesus as Son of God to be able to enter it, because he spoke without having anything explained to him at the cross. Jesus’ teachings were so widespread by that time, that I would think the other man had also heard of Him.

And Jesus responds to a heart-felt plea from an unredeemed sinner by instantly accepting him and promising him a place in heaven with Him, that very same day. With these words Jesus affirmed His many teachings that indeed, there is a life after death (today you will be with Me in paradise); that one cannot earn your way there by doing religious things here on earth (he was hours away from death, and had no time left to do things for Jesus); and that one can also not enter without believing in Him (the offer of paradise was not made to the other man who only scoffed Jesus).

We can only wonder at the love Jesus has for us. You and I should have hung on crosses on that hill, rightly condemned for the sin in our lives. But God! Jesus took all our sin on Him and died in our place – Hallelujah!

Pearls to ponder:

 Think about this: He extends the same mercy and grace to a man who had lived a lifetime of crime and committed who knows how many sins before turning to Him, as to someone who has always tried to live a pure and holy life!

Are we prepared to treat all people in our lives with Christ’s mercy and grace? What are our true feelings when we encounter that person trying to sell us something at the robot. Or the car guard at the sixth parking lot we had to stop in this morning. Or the person who keeps borrowing money without ever paying back? What about that neighbour who daily arrives at our door minutes after we arrive home, seeking attention?

Your mercy

Heavenly assessment

 

Matthew 25:21

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

The end of the first school term of the year is approaching, and teachers are sending the assessment reports of their students out to their parents/guardians. A time of great joy to some who have earned top grades in most subjects, and a time of great sorrow to others who did not make the grade.

I wonder what our assessment report from Jesus would look like. Would He give top grades to world-renowned evangelists and fail others who did not do likewise? Would He commend the Mother Theresa’s of the world and reprimand those who do not fit the mould that she modelled for us?

There is, of course, only one way of finding out what He uses as a measuring standard, and that is by searching the Bible!

We very quickly find out that it is faith that pleases God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him.”  None of our very well-intentioned actions can earn us the favour of God, no amount of good works and religious performances will secure a place in heaven for us. Only our unshakable faith in what Jesus earned for us on the cross will count in our favour when God’s day of assessment arrives. His atonement (making us at-one-with-God) covers us like a canopy, and when God looks at us, this canopy is what He sees – not our sin. Thank You Jesus!

But our quoted verse talks about rewards for works done, does it not? We will definitely be rewarded for our actions done here on earth in heaven one day, as the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 reveals, because that is the nature of our loving Father. But some will arrive in heaven without anything to show (think about the man on the cross next to Jesus, who was saved within hours of his death, no time for him to do anything for Jesus before that).

Does this grace exempt us from living a holy life? Oh no, my friend, you see your actions influence your heart towards God. Unholiness hardens your heart and will eventually pull you away from Him and into deeper sin. Your faith is necessary to help you get through these times – think about Peter, who denied Jesus no less than three times (very unholy behaviour!). And what did Jesus pray for him? Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail…  

Pearls to ponder:

All through Revelation, we read that God rewards and saves the overcomers. Who are they? The ones that did not give up their faith, who kept believing in Jesus to the very end of their lives, even though they faced immeasurable hardships and rejection from loved ones, and torture and death. Are you going to be one of those? Even if they point a gun at your children, and you could “save” them by denying Jesus? Decide this issue in your hearts now already, so that you can act in obedience to Him when such a time comes!

Even if

I am my Beloved's

 Song of Songs 7:10

 I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.

Before the Bride can come to the place where she utters the above quote, she has quite a journey of getting to know her Bridegroom still ahead of her.

This journey starts in Song of Songs Chapter 1, where He sweeps her off her feet, revealing Himself as King and Shepherd to the shepherdess who sees herself as dark and unworthy of such attention. He assures her that to Him, she is fair and lovely, and she falls head over heels in love with Him.

In Chapter 2 she is starting to see herself as the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley, and she wants to remain in this cosy intimate place where she remembers His kind words and loving attention. He leaves her there but then comes to awaken her so that she can follow Him into the nations. She, however, is not ready, and wants Him to first catch the little foxes (all her fears and uncertainties) spoiling their vineyard. This is where she makes the first of three similar declarations: Song of Songs 2:16 My beloved is mine and I am his; … we can see her spiritual immaturity here, as the accent is on mine, my King, my Beloved.

Chapter 3 shows that He, always the Gentleman Who will never force His Bride to do anything that she does not want to, leaves her there and withdraws Himself. She eventually gets up from her bed and searches desperately for Him, and when she does find Him, she starts sharing all her experiences with her friends and family. He then comes to her as the triumphant King, arriving with her dowry to marry her (Ps 45).

We then read in Chapter 4 how she at last agrees to accompany Him into the high mountains of testing and trials. There are lions and leopards there, spiritual warfare will be necessary. This experience makes her spiritually more mature, and He sings her praises because she had come through all the hardships with her eyes fixed only on Him. He can invite friends (other believers) to eat the fruit that He had been growing inside her – she is now a garden with streams of Living Waters rushing from out of her.

Chapter 5 is where she fails the test. Again. He comes to call her, but she is already in bed and does not want to get up for Him. As soon as she finally decides to get up, He had already left – He had come to bring her the anointing she would need for what would lie ahead. She finds myrrh on the door latch, He had left some there for her, but this time He concealed Himself from her (so that she could learn perseverance) and gave no answer when she went searching for Him. Searching in the wrong places, she went all over town, asking everyone she met where He is, and this intrigues her friends – they ask her why He is different from all others? She responds by describing how lovely He is from the top of His head to His feet! And that she is lovesick!

Her second declaration is found in Chapter 6:3 I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;.. and there is progression here, the accent now falls on beloved. She finally realizes that she should have searched inside of her, where He dwelt in the intimate confines of her garden. He receives her joyously and tells her again and again how lovely she is. She is a dancing warrior Bride, awesome as an army with banners! This is because she feeds on purity and holiness, lives to praise and worship her Bridegroom and spends many intimate hours alone with Him, a terrible threat to the enemy!

Her friends recognize her beauty in Chapter 7. They have seen her grow from an immature young girl with no confidence, into a lovely princess – someone who spreads the Good News everywhere she goes, full of new wine and milk with which to feed her flock, strong in faith and with great discernment and authority. Her Bridegroom agrees and describes her as a carrier of fruit and milk, His words in her mouth through the Holy Spirit spreading the fragrance of apples all around. And her third declaration in verse 10 shows her maturity: I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me. At last she realizes that it is much more important to know that I am His, than to know that He is mine!

The journey reaches a full cycle in Chapter 8, where the Bride comes out of the wilderness, leaning on her Bridegroom. She is walking with a limp, but triumphantly! She has overcome the enemy and the flesh, she has received healings and deliverance, she relies on Him for provision and direction. He assures her that water cannot quench His love for her. She tends her vineyard diligently, teaching, admonishing, and discipling others. He has only one final request of her: Let Me hear your voice! Meaning, do not get so focussed on your vineyard, My dove, My fair one, that you neglect your own times of intimate connection with Me!

Pearls to ponder: 

In Song of Songs, see yourself as the shepherdess, and Jesus as the Bridegroom. Where in these eight chapters do you find yourself? Be encouraged to know that the Bride follows these footpaths repeatedly, you are not the only one experiencing these things. Learn your lessons from her – do not neglect your own intimacy with Jesus and remember that His desire is always towards you!

I am Your Beloved

Vengeance

 

Gen 34:25

Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male.

This infamous incident happened at the town called Shechem, the very place where God appeared to Abram and promised him that this land would one day belong to his generations to come (Gen 12:6-7). Abram built an altar there to the Lord, and this meant that that piece of land was dedicated to Yahweh, the only living God.

The dedication of the land is re-enforced by Jacob, who arrived at Shechem, bought a piece of land from the people of Hamor, and also built an altar there which he named El Elohe Israel, meaning ‘God, God of Israel’ (Gen 33:1 – 34:31).

Then the unthinkable happened – Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, went out with the daughters of the land (from a pagan nation) and Shechem the Hivite, Hamor’s eldest son and therefore next in line to rule, captured her and raped her. In Gen 34:3 we read that he fell in love with her and asked his father to arrange for him to marry her. He made very generous offers to Jacob, promising to pay any dowry that they asked for; giving them the freedom of the land to live and trade in; and to live with them as family and in peace.

Jacob’s sons were grieved and angry when they heard what had happened to Dinah, and rightfully so. However, their bitterness and unforgiveness drove them to commit a terrible sin. They convinced Hamor and his people to get circumcised, and on the third day, when all the men were in pain, they attacked - killing all the males and taking the women, children, livestock and material possessions for themselves.

We may think that Shechem got what he deserved, and that Simeon and Levi defended their sister’s honour. But there is a spiritual dimension here that came into play when the men were circumcised under the authority and directive of the sons of Abraham – they were brought into the covenant of God! They became blood-brothers, and the Israelites thus deceived and killed their own family, a family that was prepared to do the honourable thing and make restitution for the wrong they had committed.

Jacob seriously disapproved of this conduct of Simeon and Levi, as we read in Gen 49:5, and his last words to them were “… cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.”  The women they had conquered brought idols into the camp with them, which Jacob buried there, starting the defilement of the land which would have serious consequences later in Israel’s history.

(Credit to Gerda Venter)

Pearls to ponder:

 One sin does not justify another. All vengeance belongs to God (Rom12:19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.) Are you secretly harbouring vengeance in your heart?

Forgive

Jesus in symbolism

 

Luke 22:19

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

The Feast of Pesach is fast approaching, where Jews all over the world will be celebrating the onset of the exile journey which their ancestors undertook through the Sinai desert all those years ago. It began when they had to paint their doorframes with the blood of a lamb in order that the angel of death would pass over their home and not kill their firstborn sons. They roasted and ate this lamb, dressed in travelling clothes, and then left on their journey out of Egypt that very same night.

 This feast is celebrated with deeply embedded customs, some given by God in the Torah, some evolving from the culture in which they found themselves.

One of the rituals involve having three pieces of unleavened bread (called Matzah) on the table. Nobody in Judaism remembers why it is specifically three. But in hindsight, we can see the beautiful symbolism of their and our Messiah Jesus Christ in this Pesach practice. Three pieces of unleavened bread points to the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The middle of these three pieces (therefore referring to the Son) is removed, and then broken in two. So too Jesus’s body was broken on the cross – which is what Jesus alluded to when He took bread, broke it, and gave it to His disciples to eat in remembrance of Him.

This broken piece of bread is called the afikomen, meaning that which comes after. It is wrapped in a cloth and hidden away, to be eaten after the main meal. Similarly, Jesus’s body was wrapped in burial cloths and hidden away in a tomb. The missing bread is searched for, and when found, unwrapped, and eaten. We know that Israel is still searching for her Messiah, but He has come and will come again after great tribulation befalls His people, and then their eyes will finally be opened – they will have unwrapped senses to recognize Him!

We know from Rom 11: 25 (I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in) that the veil preventing Israelites from recognizing Jesus in their feasts was put there so that we as Gentiles might also participate in the salvation He brings. And for this we are eternally grateful!

But at the same time, let us fervently pray that our Jewish friends will have the eyes of their hearts enlightened by Holy Spirit, to fully comprehend the meaning of the feasts they so faithfully and meticulously keep celebrating!

Pearls to ponder:

Let our hearts be filled with wonder and amazement when we come to realize that our God has created His feasts with an incredible amount of detail which all point to Jesus our Saviour – no earthly being could have orchestrated this!

Passover song

Before and after

 

Eph 2:1

And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins,

We are all familiar with adverts which use ‘before’ and ‘after’ images, usually associated with some diet or other, purportedly showing how the person has changed from being overweight to a very slim and trim version of themselves. Or to show how dramatically their beauty product changes ordinary normal features into super-model likenesses!

Here in Ephesians 2 the Bible paints a picture for us of a before and after state of being that we all get to experience as we choose Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.

The before picture looks grim – verse 1 show us that we were spiritually dead, separated from God by our sin. Verse 2 speaks of the fact that we were walking according to the world, living like worldly people, and that we were under control of the devil (You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil). In verse 3 we understand that we were indulging our flesh, obeying our physical desires, and we were subject to the wrath of God (All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath).

We would not have thought of ourselves as being like this if the Word had not shown us this very clear picture of the reality of our situation before we chose Jesus. I mean, if we lived relatively ‘normal’ lives, following the trends of the culture around us, thinking that we were pretty normal decent human beings – we would not for a second think that we were under control of the devil, would we? Indulging our flesh would simply be the way of life for us, doing what we thought best for our own well-being as our priority would be natural. Certainly, we would not have thought that we were destined for wrath of any kind.

But God – verse 5 starts painting the after picture for us. We are spiritually alive in Jesus Christ (made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions). In verse 6 we read that we are seated together with Christ in heavenly places (And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus), and verse 7 tells us that we are a living display of God’s grace and kindness toward us in Jesus (So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us).

What a transformation! And all because of the grace of God, receiving our salvation from Him through our faith in Jesus alone. A free gift. No wonder it is called the Good News!

Pearls to ponder:

If we compare the before and after pictures painted above – let thankfulness and gratitude rise up in our hearts toward our gracious Heavenly Father for His boundless love and mercy for us! Thank Him that we are not destined for wrath, but for eternal life with Him!

Thank You

Our heavenly home

 John 14:2-3

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

It is a sad truth that some people often evaluate who we are based on our earthly homes. They are impressed when the house we live in looks like a mansion, with all the trimmings money can buy. They then perceive us as influential, powerful, and successful in life, even if they do not know whether this is true or not. Whereas a low-key abode in a poorly kept neighbourhood gives them the opposite impression – we are seen as unsuccessful, powerless and without influence in the world around us, again without any known facts by which to form this impression.

But with Jesus, things get turned upside down. He Himself referred to the fact that during His ministry, He did not even own a home to live in (Matthew 8:20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”) As a homeless roaming Rabbi, He drew all manner of people to His side – from the extremely rich to the extremely poor. And the emerging first church after His ascension, still so pure in their intention to emulate Him, did not strive to outdo one another with the quality and quantity of their possessions - in fact the rich sold their assets and distributed the money among the poor (Acts 4:34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales). Following Jesus suddenly made sharing with one another more important than owning more than everyone else around.

How would we live if we knew that the most beautiful home in all of creation awaits us? If we understood that the place that Jesus had promised that He is preparing for us, is beyond our wildest imaginations, beyond what every eye has seen, or ear has heard of, beyond what has ever entered man’s heart (1 Cor 2:9)? And it is available to all of us who love Him, it has nothing to do with our wealth status here on earth!

Knowing this will give us hope in our circumstances, whatever it may be. The mansion-dweller, who knows that he cannot take anything with him beyond the grave, might stop striving to create an even more luxurious home, realizing that he cannot here on earth achieve what awaits him in Heaven. The homeless person will be comforted in knowing that he will one day be living in unimaginable splendour!

Pearls to ponder:

Read Rev 4; and also, Rev 21:10-27 and start meditating on the great blessings that await us there. Know that in Jesus you are meant to be there, it is your rightful inheritance – and live accordingly.

Heaven is my home

Being with Jesus

 

Acts 4:13

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

Our society is obsessed with formal education. To be the successful candidate when you apply for a position practically anywhere, you need to produce the papers that prove that you have had formal training and passed the relevant exams in the area in which you wish to work.

This is also true about positions in religious organizations. Having a Doctorate in Divinity will normally give you a head start in applying for these positions, and the minimum requirement for any teaching position in religious colleges would certainly be a post-graduate degree.

In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees and Sadducees were exclusive educational groupings that thrived on the fact that they were the best educated men in their society. Their knowledge about religious matters was drilled into them from since they were children, and their whole adult life was spent in studying to master even more complicated religious concepts - they were walking encyclopaedias on all matters pertaining to their particular branch of religion.

But where did all this education lead them? For all their impressive head knowledge about their coming Messiah, they still did not recognize Him when He stood right in front of them. Whereas two uneducated, common men were boldly and with unfettered eloquence proclaiming the truth about Jesus Messiah, healing a cripple man in their midst!

The answer to this stunning contradiction lies in the words of our quoted verse above: “And they recognised that they had been with Jesus”. Having an intimate relationship with the living Messiah Jesus is way more important than studying theology and gaining only book knowledge about Him!

Pearls to ponder:

There is nothing wrong in attending Bible school or enrolling in a religious degree or diploma at university or college. In fact, it is unfortunately a reality that some church groups will not even listen to you if you cannot prove your academic qualifications in theology. It would be necessary to further your education to be able to reach those people.

But before you do, examine your motives in doing so. Are you seeking recognition because your educational level is higher than those around you? Do you wish to have the ‘prestige’ of people addressing you by using an academic title?

Let our motive for all further religious education be to equip us to advance the Kingdom, by getting to know the truth that sets us free. And let our intimacy with Jesus be the driving force and outcome behind all our studies!

Knowing You Jesus

Witness to His resurrection

 

Acts 1:21-22

“So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus— from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.”

We can easily prove the existence of Jesus through historical records. Apart from the Bible itself, there are also non-biblical evidence given through the writings of historians like Josephus, Tacitus, and Pliny. The latter two were Roman politicians, neither of whom liked Christians and therefore would not record anything with the motive of promoting the Christian faith. Even Gnostic writers mention Jesus. Satirist Lucian and philosopher Celsus denounce Jesus as a scoundrel. Archaeological findings, corroborating details given in the Bible about the time Jesus lived in, are numerous. In fact, there was never any debate in the ancient world about whether Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure.

The apostles were looking for a replacement for Judas, and though they specified that this person had had to be present with them during Jesus’ lifetime, it was not so that he could witness to the fact that Jesus did walk this earth that he would be chosen. It was so that he could witness to Jesus’ resurrection!

And this is the pivotal point of our belief. If we only believed that Jesus existed here on earth, even if we believed that He died a cruel death on our behalf, it would count for nothing if we did not also believe that He was resurrected and lives forevermore, interceding on our behalf. This is where the line is drawn separating true believers in Jesus and non-believers. It is easy to gather people from all belief systems together under the auspices of a One World Church if your requirement to belong to such an organization is only to believe that there was a historical prophet called Jesus, who lived and died somewhere around 33 AD.

The belief in the resurrection of Jesus is what the first Christians were persecuted for, what they were prepared to die for. If you consider the horrible ways in which the apostles of Jesus were murdered, ask yourself the question: Would any of them have been prepared to endure that agony for something that was not true, something that was simply a fabricated story?

Pearls to ponder:

Let us reconsider the basics of our belief. Am I believing the full Gospel - the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Son of God, Who then sent us the Holy Spirit to dwell in us until He returns again? Also consider the fact that you are saved because someone witnessed to you about the resurrected Christ. Are you prepared to witness to others also? Think about the different ways you can do that and start today!

Send me

Fretting

 

Ps 37:1-2

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

“Fret” is a somewhat archaic expression meaning that you worry so much about something that it eats away at you - this issue consumes your thoughts, you are visibly and constantly anxious about it.

We live in times where, unfortunately, many circumstances lead us into this state of fretting. As South Africans, we face bribery and corruption in politics from the highest office down to the least important official on street level; rampant thievery of huge sums of money meant for public expenditure; violence and murder that have become a very real threat in our society.

And to top it all, the number of leaders of national and international ministries now being exposed for sexual abuse of all kinds.

We might think that things have never been as bad as it is now. But Ps 37 gives us a glimpse of a civilization where we read about evildoers plotting against the people of God (corruption), casting down the poor and needy (thievery), slaying those who walk uprightly (murder). 

And our Lord, understanding us so well, repeats His instruction to us in Ps 37 three times – fret not! In verse one He tells us that the evildoers will wither and die away, leaving no trace of their existence behind. In verse seven and verse eight He says to be still and rest in Him; not to fret because of him who got rich based on wicked practices; and to not let our fretting lead us to anger and wrath. The Lord even laughs at the wicked, for He sees that their own day of defeat is coming! Whereas the meek and blessed of God will inherit the earth. Even if these promises come to pass when we have already gone to be with Jesus, they shall be fulfilled becaue the Word of the Lord has established it.

Pearls to ponder:

Study Ps 37 to see how to navigate your path from fretting about external things, to finding your resting place in God. Master the art of these instructions given there - trusting in God; delighting yourself in Him; committing your way to the Lord; being still and resting in the Lord; waiting on Him patiently. Being merciful and dealing graciously; expecting the Lord.

And then do not forget to take note as you read along of the destruction decreed on all the wicked people, whilst the righteous have a Refuge and secure Stronghold in the time of trouble, who will help them, deliver them and save them – because they trust and take refuge in Him!

Anxious heart