In the silence

In the silence of the first night and the second day, Jesus body lay cold and still in the stone cold walls of a borrowed tomb. All evidence pointed to the fact that this was the end of hope for the disciples and mankind.

Yet in the stillness of what the disciples couldn't see, the spirit world, Jesus began His greatest mission. He descended into Hades and preached salvation to those in paradise awaiting His coming. He stole the keys of death and the grave and freed the captives and delivered them to the Father.

There are times in life when our dreams seem dead. They lie lifeless, seemingly broken and destroyed. It is at these times that we should rejoice in the fact that it is in this silence that God doing His greatest work and freeing the captive elements of our dreams that Satan holds in his hands and breaking our chains of bondage.

Rejoice in the stillness and laugh at the devil, because like Christ's triumphant resurrection our dreams too will be resurrected and when they are, they will encompass the resurrection power of Christ and fulfill their intended work.

Macros

Yesterday I wrote my first Excel Macro. I was so chuffed with myself for getting it right. The amazing thing with Macros is that a set of instructions, no matter how long, can be recorded and at the push of single command carried out in microseconds.

Isn't that what all computer language is really, a simple set of instructions given to a machine carried out ultra-fast. Wouldn't it be great if we could program our minds to carry out God's commands ultra-fast?

Well, I'm not sure if we can do it with the same speed, but we can program our minds to do the right thing. How do we do this? Romans 12:2 tells us that we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Renewing our minds requires getting to know the word of God well enough for it to imprint on our memory.

At this time of Easter, let us allow the words and life of Christ in the final hours before His death to make an imprint on our minds.

Will you declare it?

Those final days and hours must have felt like an eternity. I honestly still cannot wrap my brain around how He managed to do it, but Jesus did it anyway. He faced the jeering crowd, He didn't fight back when accused, He took the beating, whipping, thorns, nails and death and at no stage did He stop the process and declare His innocence or try to get out of a journey that would lead to His death.

But that third day He defied the natural, He declared his power! Early in the morning, still practically still as night, He rose triumphant over death and the grave! In His actions He did not deny His humanity, but embrace it. In His victory he remained humble, not boasting and shouting forth His will.

The declaration of His will, He has left for us to do. The instruction was clear, go forth, preach this gospel and bring a dying world to salvation. That call is no dimmer today than the day He first gave it. At no time has it been more clear that revival on this planet is not only necessary but more crucial than ever.

Will you declare God's greatness this Easter?

Boerie roll delima

On Saturday I went to do some more window shopping for coffee machines. I knew that outside the one store there was a Boerewors roll stand so thought I'd catch lunch there. I strolled up to the bar and asked the price and heard R20 and said go ahead. To my frustration when the gentlemen delivered the roll he said R29 please (daylight robbery for a boerie roll). I only had R20 plus some change in my wallet and had to rely on the kindness of strangers to sort out my issue. I was so embarrassed I just wanted to run and hide. I eventually shook it off and carried on with my day and forgot about it.

Today as I came out of a store, I was stopped by a man with a totally anguished look on his face. Normally I will do my best to run away from anyone I perceive may be wanting to beg from me, but the look on his face was the same look I had on Saturday. I knew God was testing me to see if I would be willing to return the favour, which I did.

I'm not sharing this story to boast, just talking about it brings back that horrid feeling of shame, but more to illustrate that this is how the law of giving and receiving works. We will virtually never receive blessing from the same place where we gave it. What is important is to listen to the Holy Spirit when He speaks to you and be a blessing wherever you can be.

Making popcorn

I always used to buy plastic pop corn makers, believing that somehow these were easier to use and saved time. Truth is though that they always used to end up looking very grubby, so after throwing out my last one I decided not to replace it.

A short while ago I decided to try and make some popcorn the 'old fashioned' way. You know, on the stove in a pot..... boring right? What I discovered was that it couldn't have been easier and believe it or not, the steel pot was far easier to clean than those horrid plastic ones.

You see we make the same mistake when it comes to Christianity too. We somehow think that faith and going to church and everything else that comes with it, are just too much of a hassle. Truth is nothing could be easier than believing in the love of a Father, the gift of His Son and the companionship of His precious Spirit.

This week why don't you try doing things the easier way.....believing in God!

Mad rush

Wednesday afternoon ended up being a mad rush. After posting a comment on Facebook on Monday that I was looking for coffee machine suppliers, a colleague suggested I go to the Hostex expo. I checked on their website on Tuesday I learned that the show was only open until Wednesday and the difficult part for me was that we had an office meeting from 12:00 to 14:00 and the expo closed at 16:00.

I managed to get there and raced around and managed to gather quite a few brochures but it will require me going to the show rooms as well to see the machines in action. One thing I am learning in life is that when we place our dreams and desires in God's hands, He will guide us and lead us to the right solution and the right time.

To achieve this I've learned a few simple steps that really work:

• Talk about your dreams to close friends and family that you trust.
• Be clear about what you want and how you want to achieve it.
• Pray about it and ask God to guide you.
• Have patience and believe that God will supply your needs.
• When the opportunity arises, act quickly and decisively.
• Believe that God will bring the right and best option across your path.

Thank God for his goodness and guidance in our lives!

What do you see?

I'm sure like me you slice your apple from top to bottom.  From that view the apple core seems oval in shape.  The other day, I sliced it side too side.  To my surprise the apple core was now star shaped.

To the world present the two men crucified alongside Jesus were nothing more than common criminals, however Jesus saw something different.

Yes, the one man was a hardened criminal but the other had insight not only to his own sin state but to the offer of eternal salvation that hung beside him.

What will you see this Easter as you contemplate the season, just a time for family, fun and Easter eggs?  Will you open your heart to fully see the price Christ paid on the cross for your eternal salvation and will you allow that truth to change your heart?

Depraved world

Listening to the news these days can leave one feeling very angry. Constant news of crime and violence make us wonder how much more depraved our world can become. But take a walk through the gospels and you'll be surprised at how little has changed.

The Jews were living under the tyranny of the Roman Empire. Massive class differentiation left millions in poverty with no health care and suffering financially. Yet despite the Jewish belief that the Messiah would bring relief from oppression, Jesus steps in and says, “pay to Caesar, what belongs to Caesar.”

The fact that His kingdom had nothing to do with earthly power struggles left the Jews bewildered and confused. But freedom from tyranny does not come with the change of political power on earth, it comes from the freedom we gain that this state is not eternal. For us there is the eternal hope of a city clad in gold, with a King who already does and will reign over all eternity.

And for this He died and gave up His life!

Baking together

Over the last year or so, each time I've spent time with my mom I've asked her if we can cook or bake something together that she's really good at and that I love. What's wonderful about that is that every time after that, when I bake the same item I think of her and if helps me to feel her spirit near me and gives me comfort.

I think that is what Jesus was trying to do at the last supper. Taking special care to make sure the moment of breaking bread and sharing the cup was done with purpose and meaning, followed by his words, “Do this in remembrance of me,” gave the disciples an act they could repeat after he was gone that would bring his memory closer.

As we start to approach the Holy week and get ready to remember the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, take time to ponder the events that lead up to His death. These events have each got special meaning and are intended to deepen our devotion to Christ.

Master of my craft

I thought I was bummed on Tuesday, but day 2 of the training yesterday really did a number on me. I was lights out so early I thought I was back in primary school, tee hee! Today I woke up with a renewed sense of optimism. I know it will require several months of work but I will eventually become a master of my craft, and be able to do myself really proud in my work again!

Applying the new intelligence is exciting and using the new skills will most likely require many failed attempts before I get it right. That part can be frustrating as like most people I don't like failure. Failure is however part of all learning processes.

In our walk with God it is no different. As we learn more about God through the word, we will acquire new knowledge. This knowledge however will not automatically filter through to changed behaviour. We will most likely fail in our attempts to live a Godly lifestyle quite frequently before we succeed.

What we must remember though is Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” We can take courage and strength from this scripture and know that God will fulfil His work in us.

Brain dead

Brain dead exhausted, that's how I feel today. I'm busy with an advanced Excel course at work and enjoying it thoroughly. The best part is seeing how capable the system is in computing complex numerical and text challenges.

In our daily faith challenge we sometimes need a little help to figure out how to best use our faith foundational system, our bible. Church services, bible study groups, bible colleges, bible study guides and other scripture reference materials are there for that purpose.

If you feel stuck with a challenge and finding it hard to navigate your way, maybe it is time to consult some expert resources. Time for a little studying.

Crystal or plastic?

I decided it was time to unpack all the crystal glasses.  This has meant that a lot of items needed to be shuffled around and I guess I'm not going to be done for a while, at least until I get the optimal placing sorted out.  This is part of my personal choice to use the ‘good stuff’ and not keep things packed away for use ‘one day’ or on special occasions. 

I am however concerned about my ability to break glasses at a rapid rate.  Thinking about this today, I had an epiphany.  Why do I have perfectly good tumblers sitting in my camping box not being used?  Surely these plastic tumblers would do the job and help reduce my breakage rate. 

The bible talks about us being vessels for use by God.  Some vessels made of porcelain or precious metals for use in only the most elegant of settings and of great monetary value and other vessels like clay jars which are for daily use and valuable for their functionality. 

Both vessels are valuable but in different ways.  Where do you see yourself in the body of Christ?  Have you bemoaned not being an Evangelist or Famous preacher?  If so, remember that you have great value to God right where you are.  Your efforts to help people in a practical way are just as valuable and seen by God.

Grass roots

I had rushed it a little.  Developing the side garden that is.  In the process I had left behind a lot of grass roots.  Normal grass is very stubborn and leave behind a small root and it will grow up again.  I therefore decided I needed to go back to the beginning and work slowly from the bottom up and remove any remaining grass. 

We tend to do that in life too.  We want to lose weight and look good but we moan about going to the gym.  More importantly we need to work through the hurts in our past but we are unwilling to do the work needed to resolve those issues in our lives. 

The thing is, just like dealing with stubborn grass we need to take a thorough approach with dealing with complex issues in our lives.  If we skim through them, on the surface they may appear gone but give it a little time and the grass will reappear. 

Unfortunately even when we are thorough, we may find that it will take a couple of times of repeating the process before we truly succeed.  Don't give up though, as some point success will come and we will have a great peace of garden to plant beautiful flowers in.

Food for thought

I just could not keep my eyes open last night, so I decided an early night was in order. Financial year end is a really tough time of year, but when your auditors are due to arrive in less than a month thereafter, the pressure is really on.

You can let the pressure break you or you can step up to the plate and take your swing with the bat. Ensuring a healthy body, soul and spirit goes along way to giving you the strength you need at these times.

I'll admit that getting to gym has slipped off the priority list but the energy spent gardening did help. That being said, getting back to gym at least a couple of times a month will definitely be a must. Building a strong spirit means your spirit needs the same kind of sustenance as your body does. So what does this spiritual diet consist of:

Air – Acknowledging the work of the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to touch your life.

Food – Healthy doses of the word of God.

Water – Fluidity – Connectedness to other Christians for comfort and soothing.

So how's your diet doing?

Honey and the Hadidah’s

This morning as I sat eating breakfast there were some Hadidah’s gleaning bugs from my lawn (thanks, good job!).  I could not help but remember back to the time when my Honey bear was only a small kitten of a few months old.

I was trying to coax him away from the glass doors (my curtains were still closed) towards his food bowl, when he pulled away.  I opened up to have a look at what had his attention and there, sure enough, was a Hadidah pecking away.

Cats make the cutest noise when they are spying on something they want to eat.  It’s a little Maa,aah,aah sound.  The little guy was licking his lips much better.  Was he biting off more than he could chew, absolutely, but in his mind I’m sure he was saying too himself, “I know I can take that birdie down.”

Our faith should be like that, daring and courageous.  When we step out for God and take well thought out risks we are sure to enjoy the sweet taste of success.

Right of passage

I have and always will be, a big fan of Survivor. The last episodes of this season are on tonight and undoubtedly my favourite part is the final right of passage walk to the last immunity challenge. As they stop to remember the other contestants, it gives you a snap shot view of the game.

This is where you get to remember at a glance what each player was like and see why they didn't survive in the game. This process has been one of the biggest character development points in my life over the last few years.

We see the show as a game but it really is a very big mirror on life. In work, in politics and sadly sometimes even in religion we see people jostling for position. Jesus had his own thoughts on position and he displayed this very openly when he knelt before his disciples and washed their feet.

In life if we really want to lead, we have to first be prepared to serve. It is only in service that we earn respect and grow personally.

Covered in mud

One of my favourite childhood photo's of me is one where I'm covered in mud. The town we were living in, Komatipoort, was extremely hot and I guess that playing with mud was kind of cooling.

When we are going through difficulty in life it can feel like we are facing a lot of heat and the one thing we will long for is the cooling effect of being ministered too by the Holy Spirit as we work through our tough times.

We need to be willing to be that soothing for our friends and relatives when they are struggling. If we put away judgement and open ourselves up to God's leading we will be able to speak life into these situations and be cooling therapy they need.