All Talk But….

I am sure that at some point you have been in a conversation with someone and all you hear is the sound of the thoughts in your mind. In the environment I have been in for the past months, I have been a witness to a lot of talk but very little action.  I must say this is utterly discouraging. Some citizens of our country do not even expect the government to act any more that they even forget the power of their vote. Worse, the government becomes offended when its citizens expect and require more than just talk from its public servants.

I have observed this same notion even in the Body of Christ. Have we become all talk but no action? How many times have you heard leaders say that the church is here to be the light of the world? Salt of the earth? Helping the community? No, you probably heard that when you give your money, it is to make the building look good so that the world sees the light of its beauty. But is that what Jesus said? Jesus stated clearly how the world would know we are his: by loving one another as He has loved us and being of one heart and mind. How often do you see this demonstrated in “churches” across South Africa and the world?

How many times have you seen someone in abject poverty and vowed that you would help them? Have you put some action to that talk? Do you realise that a promise made but not kept eats away at our society? It is beyond just the immediate sphere around you. You need to understanding the impact of your non-action.

6 So for the sake of your tradition (the rules handed down by your forefathers), you have set aside the Word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect].

7 You pretenders (hypocrites)! Admirably and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said:

8 These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me.

9 Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men.

Matthew 15:6-9 AMP

All strategic plans are great on paper but are really air if not implemented. Is your walk with Christ just air or is it backed up by your actions? You cannot claim to imitate Christ only in word but refuse to do it in action. In essence, you are not following Christ. A classic example is what the US President said this week. He personally endorsed same-sex marriage but claimed to be a practising Christian. I like what my friend said yesterday in response to this. He said that “Obama is still practising. Perhaps the real thing is still coming.”

The truth is that God can see everything we do or do not do when we are supposed to do it. We cannot continue numbing our consciences by not being people of our word. Take note of every word you utter and make sure that your actions testify the same.  Most critically, when you claim to be a Christian, you cannot be standing in solidarity with the world. He who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God. Choose today where you stand. And show it.

Ntando(kaYi)se

The disciple whom Jesus loves

The Onus Is On You!

I wonder what some pastors will be preaching or teaching on Sunday. Will they be telling their gullible parishioners how to make a quick buck from the Lord? Will they be teaching them how to increase tens to thousands by quoting the right verse? Will they be feeding spiritually obese people who fail to think for themselves but put their trust in everything their ‘man of gawd’ says?

I wonder what some pastors will be preaching or teaching on Sunday. Will they ignore that a teenager was raped by 7 men, aged 14-20, who no longer have a sense of humanity? Will they purposely forget to mention that this is an indication of the sad and decaying moral state of the nation? It is amazing how some believers fold their arms and search the horizon for solutions to issues regarding the transformation of souls. But mention money, they know how to scrape through the sky to the heavenly ATM.

I wonder what some pastors will be preaching or teaching on Sunday. Will they be pushing political agendas using party slogans to gain membership in their ‘churches’? Will they model to their young men what it is to be a man or will they keep quiet about it since they are not the right role models themselves? Will they care more about their pockets and profit than the people’s purpose? Will they remind the flock that it is not about money and numbers but allowing the world to see Jesus through them?

But how can they preach about corruption when they run a scheme that expert money-launderers will never be able to mimic; protected by state laws but shunned by Jesus? How can they correct, rebuke, and discipline others when they are the chiefs of chaos and hypocrisy? How can they encourage you to read your Bible, when they know you will discover that we are all held to one standard, and report to one God? They are scared you will find out that no human being mediates between you and God. They are scared you will find out that they are NOT your Moses.

But I switch it back to you! What will you allow yourself to be fed? You are not a sponge. You have a brain. You have a mind, that has been made by God. It’s time to ask those tough questions, such as, if the ‘church’ is that powerful why is the moral state of South Africa getting worse? How about asking yourself what the Bible really says about what you have heard from your ‘man of gawd’? Come on, wake up! Flee laziness and work out your salvation with fear and trembling. In all that remember you are accountable to God about what you did on this side of eternity. When you know something, you cannot claim that you were not aware. That excuse should never come out of your mouth.

Wake up and see what is really going on! Wake up! Refuse to be sedated by hellish sermons designed to perplex with poetic prose. In the end they leave you broke. Wake up! Find out for yourself what God really says. Then resolve with all your being to do it. May God help you in that resolve.

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.

Zechariah 4:6b NKJV

In pursuit of Truth,

Ntando(kaYi)se

The disciple whom Jesus loves. 

Double Mind

In a culture dominated by opinion, the quest for absolute Truth is under attack. Truth is said to be relative while for the Christian, Truth is absolute and Truth is a Person, Jesus Christ. When you decide to take a resolution and firm standing on a matter, you get labelled as an extremist. When you do not seem to know where you stand and you are tossed to and fro, the excuse is that you are human.

Well, there is no excuse for double-mindedness. I said it. But before I could even say it, the Bible said it a long time ago.

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 1:8 KJV

[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].

James 1:8 AMP

Basically, if you are double-minded in something you cannot be trusted with anything because as the Bible says you are unstable, unreliable and uncertain about everything you think, feel or decide. It is better to admit that you do not know something, instead of speaking in support of a thing with one person and completely contradicting it when speaking to another person. It is quite sad that double-mindedness has become acceptable to a point of being unnoticed.

Double-mindedness is a deal breaker. Who can trust a double-minded person? At one point they will say the government is wrong for implementing a certain system. Then out of the same mouth and with a different audience, that person will say a completely different and contradictory view. We see this played out in our news almost daily. When a person has demonstrated who they really are believe them. If a person is double-minded in one thing, they are unstable.

Double-mindedness is a character flaw which is also fuelled by the desire to be liked by everyone. People are opposed to discomfort. So to them, anything that will threaten that comfort must be hidden or even discarded.

I see double-mindedness displayed in Facebook activity. Person A will agree with Friend A’s status update addressing a certain “controversial” issue. Then Person A will also agree with Friend B’s status update which contradicts Friend A’s update. To me that already tells me that Person A cannot be trusted.

What I am getting at is that daily you are showing people who you really are, whether you notice it or not. Well I hope you notice that even a status update or comment or “like” on Facebook reveals who you really are. Resolve to be a person who knows where he/she stands. Be aware of that. Judge yourself to see where you err so that the world won’t be forced to do it for you.

As I work out my own salvation, I have resolved to know where I stand. I refuse to be a double-minded person. If I do not know something then I will plainly declare that.

Ntando(kaYi)se

The disciple whom Jesus loves

 

How The World Will Know We Are His

Ever since I heard about the S.O.A.P. (Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer) journaling process in January 2011, I have realised the importance of reading the Bible myself. This process has helped me to,

Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 AMP

As you read the Bible yourself, you will see the whole story that God has told and continues to tell through it. You will be able to, as the verse above says, correctly analyse and rightly handle the Word of Truth. You will also learn to let go of the notion that what is spoken at the pulpit is cast in stone. You will learn to prove for yourself what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight for you (Romans 12:2 AMP). This all happens by and with Holy Spirit.

When I read the book of John which outlines the life and work of Jesus, I could not skim through a very important truth. There is a tendency to place a sermon above what Jesus said Himself. This brings me to one of the ideas I used to profess. This idea is pumped into the unguarded minds of the sheep by the prosperity message. It is the idea that the world will know we have a powerful God by the material prosperity that is demonstrated in our lives. In essence, the world will know we belong to the Kingdom of God by the material success they see in our lives. The prosperity messengers use (and I used to myself) verses from the Old Testament, from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon and the list goes on, to support this idea. However, when I read the words of the Master, Jesus, I could not ignore that this idea is not scriptural, which then means, should not be pushed as the Gospel.

The Master spoke to the disciples, preparing them for what was about to happen: crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. He said,

34 I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. 35 By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].

John 13:34-35 AMP

When the Master prayed to God, the Father, He said,

That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.

John 17:21 AMP

The world will believe and be convinced that Jesus is Who He says He is when they see us in unity and showing love for one another. Please read that again. In fact, I repeat it. The world will believe and be convinced that Jesus is Who He says He is when they see us in unity and showing love for one another. I am fully persuaded by what the Master said. This is it. There is no other indicator for the world. The words of the Master in John 13 are what kept the first-century church going. They lived and breathed the essence of these words. As they demonstrated this, the world around them noticed.

Loving one another is not singing, “I need you. You need me” in false piety and fake smiles. Loving one another is not when the pastor says, “Tell your neighbour, ‘I love you.’” Loving one another is not just “hoping” God helps the other person. Loving one another does not mean expecting fellow believers to keep quiet when you do wrong by lifting the “do-not-judge” card. Loving one another is action and demonstration.

This is how the first-century church loved one another;

32 Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all. 33 And with great strength and ability and power the apostles delivered their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace (loving-kindness and favor and goodwill) rested richly upon them all. 34 Nor was there a destitute or needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses proceeded to sell them, and one by one they brought (gave back) the amount received from the sales 35 And laid it at the feet of the apostles (special messengers). Then distribution was made according as anyone had need.

Acts 4:32-35 AMP

This was not a one-time thing as we see in Acts 2.

40 And [Peter] solemnly and earnestly witnessed (testified) and admonished (exhorted) with much more continuous speaking and warned (reproved, advised, encouraged) them, saying, Be saved from this crooked (perverse, wicked, unjust) generation. 41 Therefore those who accepted and welcomed his message were baptized, and there were added that day about 3,000 souls. 42 And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread [including the Lord's Supper] and prayers. 43 And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special messengers). 44 And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common; 45 And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need. 46 And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord's Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts, 47 Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the people; and the Lord kept adding [to their number] daily those who were being saved [from spiritual death].

Acts 2:40-47 AMP

The people were added to the church by the Lord. They were not added by marketing strategies and gimmicks. They responded to the message and were added not because they saw the equivalent of Bentleys, designer clothes, watches, and the biggest mansions. It was because they saw the unity of the church and the love that was spontaneously flowing among them. They saw believers selling goods to help one another. THAT unity and love for each other demonstrated the Kingdom of God.

The Master has spoken. The early church has demonstrated. What does the 21^st century church say of this?

Ntando(kaYi)se

The disciple whom Jesus loves

Getting Your Own in His Name?

While you are getting your own in the name of the Lord, the following is happening:

Goodwill Ramothata, from Alexandra, a 21 year old boy is suffering from a disease that is eating away his skin even exposing his skull. The disease is called Xeroderma Pigmentosum. Sunday after Sunday, we hear of the powerful name of Jesus that heals. Yet, this boy is now sitting at home in excruciating pain, having had to leave school in 2010 (in Grade 9) and having no hope to fulfil his dream of being a recording artist. He feels that it is better if he could pass on than to deal with the pain. But he also still wishes to one day enjoy a normal life. For more on his story, click here.

While you are getting your own in the name of the Lord,

Mr Gay World was hosted for the first time in Africa on Sunday, 08 April 2012. South Africa was the host. If this is not shocking to you, then you have been too busy “sowing your seed to get a magical harvest” instead of reading your Bible about the kind of curses pronounced upon a land that has men sleeping with men, women with women, and man with animals (bestiality). Read Leviticus 18 for some direction.

Need I mention that the venue, The Lyric Theatre, is the same one that has hosted ‘gospel’ artists?  It seems like a mixing of the sacred and the profane. Or could they both be profane?

While you are getting your own in the name of the Lord,

You are blind to false indoctrination. You are being brainwashed into thinking that God is a party-pack distributor who will dish the packs out when you “sow your seed” or quote the right verse. You are giving out of greed expecting a return, which already opposes the giving stipulated in the New Testament.  You are brainwashed into making enemies of those who stand for the Truth. Your appetite for Truth is being numbed. This all happens while you expand, enlarge, and stretch out your tent. Your sensitivity to the needs of others is being numbed while you are fruitful and multiplying.

You pay a person to do something they are “anointed” for. Oh well, you will continue to do it because you did not read your Bible where Jesus said,

Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely (without pay) you have received, freely (without charge) give.

Matthew 10:8 AMP

While you are getting your own in the name of the Lord,

Publisher Protea Boekhuis has announced its intentions to submit a blasphemous book for consideration as prescribed reading in the basic education level. The name of the book is
“In the Shadow of the Ark” by Anne Provoost. This book has already been translated into Afrikaans.

The work of fiction tells how a young girl, Re Jana, faces a choice of becoming Noah’s son Ham’s concubine or “sex slave” to secure her place on the ark and survive the flood. The book also touches on subjects like rape, murder, violence, idol worship and homosexual acts during and after the flood.

Family Policy Institute director Errol Naidoo described the book as a “perversion” of the biblical story of Noah and his family. “Christians view publications of this nature as an attempt to undermine and blaspheme the sacred texts of the faith. Children of school-going age must never be exposed to such sexual depravity especially when it manipulates the sacred scriptures of a major faith group,” said Naidoo, adding school curriculums had no authority to undermine and pervert religion, he said.

http://theweekendpost.com/tag/errol-naidoo/

While you are getting your own in the name of the Lord,

The world believes it is justified to make a mockery of Christianity. Red Bull released an advert that makes a mockery of Jesus walking on the water. The sad thing is that you probably did not even notice the uproar about it. Or you simply did not understand why some people can be so “sensitive” and not have a sense of humour. Or worse, you thought that the world has done it before, so what?

I must admit though that the “hot-cross bun” one did not make sense to me at all. I do not know of any record stating that a bun is a Christian symbol and should be observed with fear as it is “sacred.” Anyway, you might have missed that one too.

While you are getting your own in the name of the Lord,

The world is losing the value of the power of the resurrection of Jesus. The world is not seeing the testimony of God Who does what He says. Instead they see hypocrisy reigning supreme as more and more “Christians” sound like lunatics: claiming cars, houses and spouses, hating their neighbours, failing to solve the problems they claim Jesus solves, ignoring the plight of the poor but resembling what is at the core of the world’s problems; the “me-myself-and-I” mentality. “Your God” and “My God” are heard from various mouths who have not the foggiest idea what Christianity is about. Instead they seek to control the God they claim controls them.

As I read the news and see these events happening, I cannot help but ask myself, “Where I am missing it?” But the reality is that there is no way I can solve all these problems myself. The advancement of the Kingdom of God in this earth was never meant to be and will never be a one-man effort. It requires the unity of the various members of the Body. This is why I will not keep quiet when I can see that the members of the Body are being pulled away by the “get-your-own-in-the-name-of-the-Lord” doctrine. They are being led astray by men from within. I cannot keep quiet and I will not.

My prayer is that we, who claim to be followers of Christ, will start demonstrating it sooner than later. That we will forsake sin and allow Christ to love, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers through us, His body, without any hindrance. That the world will recognise that truly our citizenship is in Heaven.

Ntando(kaYi)se

The disciple whom Jesus loves

Touch Not Who?

I once had a conversation with a colleague where we were discussing the wave of heresies that is affecting the body of Christ. We discussed the issue of corrupt pastors that are there to push their own agendas driven by mammon (Matthew  6:24) and not exalting Christ. My colleague made the following statement, “At the end of the day, don’t speak against the ‘man of God’ because God has called Him and anointed him to be where he is.”

That statement was met with utter shock at the naiveté that believers display when it comes to matters that are clearly antichrist. Believers will choose to misquote verses than to deal with the fact and hurt that they have been fooled by others. The truth is that Christ, the Anointed One, is the Head of the Church, His body. There is no other head. There is no human mediator between Christ and man. There is ONE Head of the Church and Sunday after Sunday, in pulpits across the world, He is prevented from heading His own Church. The truth of the matter is that He has to be heading His Church daily. But because of dangerous and false indoctrination, the people have been fed that He needs to be allowed that headship only on a Sunday, when it suits them. Sadly, the concept of Jesus as Lord is foreign to believers.

The other big problem with some believers is a failure to read their Bibles. They suffer from a syndrome of quoting the one verse they know without finding out the context of the verse. This, of course, will be too much work for the lazy ones who expect to be spoon-fed by their “man-of-gawd” instead of working out their own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

What accompanies the failure to read their Bibles, is the wrong interpretation of Old Testament accounts. One of the most famous and misused verses is “Touch not my anointed…” (1 Chronicles 16:22 and Psalm 105:15). Now this verse has been misquoted to prevent bringing a pastor to account for heresies that he promotes from the pulpit. The ones who love misquoting this verse have most probably never read the whole of 1 Chronicles 16, at least, to determine

• who this was addressed to,
• who was  speaking, and
• why was this spoken.

In 1 Samuel 26 we read about David who had a chance to settle a long overdue score with Saul. David chose to spare Saul’s life when he could have finished him off. He had made a decision not to lay his hands against Saul, whom God had written off already. David makes a statement that has confused many when he states that he would not stretch his hand against God’s anointed (verse 23). This one statement has been turned into a false doctrine of not holding people accountable due to positions they occupy. Now my questions are:

• Wasn’t David anointed when he spoke this?
• What did David mean by the words he said?

I will leave this to the individual to study.

In addressing the other parts of Scripture where we find this often misquoted verse, I will quote some verses before that one to help us gather some context. In this text, David (yes the same David from 1 Samuel 26) wrote a psalm:

15 Be mindful of His covenant forever, the promise which He commanded and established to a thousand generations, 16 The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His sworn promise to Isaac. 17 He confirmed it as a statute to Jacob, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, 18 Saying, To you I will give the land of Canaan, the measured portion of your possession and inheritance. 19 When they were but few, even a very few, and only temporary residents and strangers in it, 20 When they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people, 21 He allowed no man to do them wrong; yes, He reproved kings for their sakes, 22 Saying, Touch not My anointed, and do My prophets no harm.

1 Chronicles 16:15-22 AMP

Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”

1 Chronicles 16:22 NKJV

By the time we get to verse 22, it is clear that God is the one talking in verse 22. Now,

• Who is God talking to? Verse 21 gives that answer in “He reproved kings for their sakes.” Oh! So God was talking to the kings of the other kingdoms. The Israelites were moving from one nation to another navigating to Canaan.
• So God reproved the kings of those nations not to harm who? The plural forms explain it all.
• He allowed no man to do them wrong. Who’s them?
• He reproved kings for their sakes. Whose sake?
• So who is the ‘anointed?’
• Was it one person? No. Clearly, from the plural form, it was the nation of Israel.

Fast track to the New Testament,

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

I believe every believer who misquotes “touch not my anointed” agrees that Peter was not just referring to specific people in specific positions. Peter was referring to those that believe in Christ Jesus.

What I am addressing today is that people should stop excusing their sins, refusing to repent, thinking they can threaten other believers using Jesus’ name. No! This should stop! We should make a habit of ensuring that we live our lives in a godly manner. When you do continue to do wrong willfully, you will be exposed.  But now misquoting Scripture to instil fear in others is utterly wrong and unacceptable.

I envision a body of believers who will not be naive but stand up for the Truth. I envision a body of believers who exalt Christ, who allow God to reveal His Son to them and through them (Galatians 1:16). I envision a body of believers who will not manipulate the Scriptures to defend their unrepentant motives. I envision a body of believers who will be a true testimony of the royal priesthood, of being God’s own special people. I envision a body of believers who will not give the world an impression that sin is excusable and goes unpunished or unresolved, using the wondrous grace of God as a cover. I envision a body of believers who will live beyond the confession to a conviction and to a total life transformation fully submitted to Christ.

Let Christ be exalted forever and ever. Amen. It IS all about HIM.

Ntando(kaYi)se

The disciple whom Jesus loves.

Stand for the Truth

As I read a preview of a book by Frank Viola yesterday (thanks to amazon.com’s Look Inside) I had a conviction in my spirit to decide which direction I want to take in my life. The book titled, Pagan Christianity, asks and answers the tough questions that few believers will ever ask themselves. The book begins by telling a story of a man who started questioning the origin of things that are done in his church. From the fake piety they put on as a family when they walk into the church, to the choir, to the sermon, to the fact that they contribute towards maintaining a building they come to twice a week; the man allowed himself the liberty to ask these questions having overcome the voice of condemnation.

An important clause that Viola added in the preface is that the book does not aim to support the rebellious ones. He mentions that if you are not happy with where you are fellowshipping then leave quietly than start a rebellion. What he aims to address in the book is to have the church functioning organically, that is by the Spirit of God as the first-century church did, not according to customs and traditions of man. He also aims to stand for the church when the lines have been blurred. As I was reading the preview, I came to a realisation that the motive for standing for the truth should always be seeing the body of Christ functioning as God intends it to be, not as man has made it to be.

The recent debates that I contributed to, and some I started, on Facebook were not driven to start a rebellion.  I believe people need to choose for themselves the path they want to pursue. The core of what this was about is that I honestly am opposed to the continuation of lies in pulpits across the world. I am profusely opposed to the continuing exploitation of people’s lives in the name of “religion.” I know exactly that some have interpreted the debates as an effort to start a coup, but that is far from the truth. I do not have a desire to overthrow anyone’s governance. My desire and my fuel is to stand for the Truth by any godly means necessary.

God spoke to the house of Judah through Jeremiah concerning the issue of justice.

O house of David, thus says the Lord: Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest My wrath go forth like fire and burn so that none can quench it–because of the evil of your doings.

Jeremiah 21:12 AMP

House of David, listen–GOD’s Message to you: “Start each day by dealing with justice. Rescue victims from their exploiters. Prevent fire–the fire of my anger–for once it starts, it can’t be put out. Your evil regime is fuel for my anger.

Jeremiah 21:12 MSG

We can see how important justice is to God. He is passionate about justice, just looking at the warning He gave the house of David. He commands that it be a priority in our lives daily. In essence, justice is God’s way of doing things. In the above verse, we see it annotated as delivering the oppressed (AMP) or rescuing victims from their exploiters (MSG). Justice and righteousness are used interchangeably in some of the Bible verses. We see, in the AMP translation in Matthew 6:33, the annotation for righteousness is God’s way of doing and being right.

But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

Matthew 6:33 AMP

Jesus came in a quest to implement justice. In His mission statement He announced,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Luke 4:18-19, 21 KJV

Jesus came to do what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19). God is a God of justice. Since we ought to imitate and follow Him (Ephesians 5:1), we need to be implementing justice as the core of our mission on this earth. And that begins in the house of God, the  body of Christ (1 Peter 4:17).

Justice cannot happen without truth. Let me rephrase that. True justice cannot happen in the absence of Truth.  There needs to be rules of law that govern the administration of justice. For us, it is the Word of God. Every other claim should bow to the Word of God. Every other notion, idea, interpretation should bow to the Word of God. Every feeling, thought, impression should bow to the Word of God. Believers cannot continue seeing the signs of the last days being exhibited and continue to subject themselves to them and plead that they don’t know. Or they simply hope the Bible says, “Don’t do anything about these signs.” Read your Bible to know. Seek God and not man if you want to know. Standing up for the Truth in these days means going against the current. To the exploiters, it is interpreted as attempting to overthrow them. To the blind followers, it warrants attacking the ones who stand for the truth and defending their leader/s.

Yet I still choose to stand for the Truth. When you have been blind and now you see, you want those that remain blind to have a fighting chance. When you have climbed to the top to realise, in the end, that you were climbing the wrong wall, you want others not to follow the same path but to see it early enough to make a change. When you envision a church of power as depicted in the scriptures, you want to have its priorities realigned to the Spirit of God so that it can start functioning organically as it was designed by God.

I am convicted to stand for the Truth. This will be controversial. I will be mistaken for being rebellious. I will be attacked. Yet I rest in what my Saviour and Lord, Jesus the Messiah, said to me,

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:19-20 KJV

He is with me. He is with you. Choose ye this day whom you will serve.

You are deeply loved by God, greatly blessed, and highly favoured by Him.

Ntando(kaYi)se

The disciple whom Jesus loves.

The Danger of a Passive Church

The epidemic paralysis and passivity of the church has become extremely dangerous. There is a group of people who would rather destroy your reputation and defend their “leader” than open the Bible to find out what it truly says. You have got people who are so dependent on their “man of God” to the extent that he is “God” to them and yet they still claim to represent Jesus. You find people more eager to market their “church” or pastor in “evangelistic” outreaches than spread the Gospel to the world.

Before you pull out your don’t-judge-card I would like you to consider if you have taken the time to:

Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 AMP

Or do you just simply scan through the Bible during the week for the verses that make you feel warm? Do you quickly skip through the ones that require action from you such as,

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:19-20 KJV

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

1 John 4:1 KJV

Are you quick to pull out the “touch-not-my-anointed-placard” when someone flags a false prophet in your midst, without even considering that the Bible judges false prophets? Do you expect God to come down from His throne or send fire to consume the false prophet? Are we not so quick to say God cannot do anything in this earth unless He finds a man to do it through? We can admit that for scriptures on “favour” but when we start testing doctrines and the fruits, then you quickly hear the “do-not-judge-sirens” going off.

The reality is this passivity and paralysis of the church keeps being fuel for the enemy to continue his mission to see millions in hell. Jesus has already declared that the harvest is plentiful (Matthew 9:37). The sad thing is the workers still remain few even when He said this thousands of years ago. The workers are being brainwashed by false doctrines spoken by false prophets, apostles, pastors, evangelists, and teachers. The workers would rather protect a man whose fruits indicate that he is not in the Kingdom of God, than pump the Gospel into the veins of a dying world.

As I’m typing this, thousands of people are in hospital waiting for a cure to their sicknesses. But Jesus has already said,

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark 16:17-18 KJV

As I am typing this, something happened today.

The liberal media are so committed to exposing teens to sexually explicit content that they challenged and won a victory against the Films & Publication Act that pre-classifies magazines.

In October last year, the section of the Film and Publications Amendment Act (2009) regarding the classification of magazines was struck down in the High Court by Judge Mathopo.

It appears that the judge misdirected himself in many regards and did not understand the practical implications of his ruling. The judge fully sided with Print Media South Africa and the South African National Editors Forum in declaring the pre-classification of magazines “censorship.”

Without pre-classification pornographic magazines can and will be sold at your local supermarket.

The appeal will be heard in the Constitutional Court on 13 March. If this judgement is upheld, it will have major ramifications for citizens. It effectively removes all     classifications for magazines.

Errol Naidoo, Family Policy Institute

As I am typing this, Red Bull has released an ad that mocks Jesus. A mockery of Buddha, Allah, Shembe and the others will be met with such raw anger by their followers. The media sees it fit to mock Jesus. This all happens while believers also cheapen the name of Jesus using it in casual jokes. When one raises this, the response would be, “You’re being too serious.”

As I am typing this, the education sector is experiencing changes that will affect how your child views the world and family. Homosexuals are sitting in School Governing Bodies making decisions to teach your children to tolerate what God calls an abomination. Where are the believers?

The harvest remains plentiful. I pray that the workers of God, myself included, shall rise up and add action to their words. The workers of God will trust in the power of Holy Spirit and occupy until Jesus returns.

For more information about the cases I have mentioned visit the Family Policy Institute at http://www.familypolicyinstitute.com/. Concerning Red Bull’s blasphemous ad, please read the following from Errol Naidoo:

Red Bull flighted a highly offensive and blasphemous TV advert on 12 March that mocks the Biblical story of Jesus walking on the water. The advert is meant to offend as it depicts the Jesus character in the cartoon using the name of Jesus as a curse word.

 Red Bull wouldn’t dream of mocking religious figures of other religions. Christianity and Jesus in particular are singled out for mockery by secular humanists and other anti-Christian bigots.

 FPI is launching a nationwide boycott of Red Bull products in response to this blasphemous attack on the Lord Jesus Christ. Please pass this message to all Christians and Churches.

 Please write to Red Bull General Manager, Arun Hozack at arun.hozack@za.redbull.com and inform him about the hurt it causes Christians when Jesus is mocked for commercial purposes.

 Please also lodge a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority at complaint@asasa.org.za

Please include your name, ID &address & indicate the ad was offensive on religious grounds.

You are deeply loved God, greatly blessed, and highly favoured by Him; not to just bask in the blessing but to obey and serve Him.

Ntando(kaYi)se

The disciple whom Jesus loves

“Gospel” Song? Hao Mathata

Every spiritually sound believer in Christ would agree that a “gospel” song should be aligned to the Gospel. The previous blog I posted questioning a song by one of South Africa’s well-known artists was met with some opposition to the extent that my status update was deleted from a Facebook page.  The saddest thing is when people respond out of emotions first before assessing things in accordance with Scripture. I harbour no resentment about this but I will not be silenced.

The next song I would like to assess is “Hao Mathata.” The gist of this song is when you have God in your life, there are no more problems. Huh? Not according to Scripture. The problem with a message that is half-cooked is that it misleads people and eventually has them so weak that at the first sign of trouble they question God’s power and promises. The problem with a message that tells you to “decide what you want from God and then locate the Scripture for it” is that you end up knowing the sugary stuff and not the whole Word. That results in a disability to fully mature in the things of God.

A friend of mine says, “Unfortunately when people get born again and all they are exposed to is “sugar” (prosperity teaching), as a result (we) end up with lots of Christians who can quote lots of nice verses but have no character.” This is sadly true. Physically, when a person consumes a lot of sugar, there will be serious repercussions in the body which include diabetes and other conditions. Without fibre, carbohydrates, and proteins your body will show the symptoms of deficiency. Spiritually, that is exactly what happens when a believer consumes the sugary stuff only. Soon we see the fruit. At the slightest pressure, that person starts doubting God and thinking that it is over for them.

For the believer, the Word of God is and should be the only reference and final authority. The Bible is not one of those books that you can refer to; it is the only reference. Every other book or viewpoint should pass the Word-test before it can be accepted. Now the gist of “Hao Mathata” does not pass the Word-test. Before I delve deeper, I should mention that I used to love the sugary stuff. But when I got to the verses that seem to contrast my “ideal” walk, I would think that it must not be referring to me. Or the verses are relevant to a certain dispensation. I was wrong.

It is also important that I indicate that the words “troubles,” “persecution,” “problems,” “difficulties,” “trials,” “hardship” are synonymous. Please do not just skim through the following verses. Read them slowly and clearly and ask Holy Spirit to help you take them in.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10 KJV

Now, Jesus said that. Jesus calls me blessed when I am persecuted for righteousness’ sake. This is not the only verse where Jesus addresses this issue of hardship. In the Parable of the Sower, He again touches on this.

20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

Matthew 13:20-21 NKJV 

Jesus established that tribulation or persecution will come because of the Word. Also note that He said when not if it arises. So persecution will come in a believer’s life.

18 “If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. 19 If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you. 20 “When that happens, remember this: Servants don’t get better treatment than their masters. If they beat on me, they will certainly beat on you. If they did what I told them, they will do what you tell them.

John 15:18-20 MSG

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

John 16:33 AMP

In the Message Bible this last verse says, “In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” It is very clear where Jesus stood with regard to hardship. Now why do preachers across the world continue to present a message that depicts the Christian walk as “trouble-less”? What you have to understand is that when you get saved you are transferred, by God, from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of His beloved Son. Just on that basis, you should expect opposition from the kingdom of darkness for the step you have taken.

Yesterday, as I read through the second letter to Timothy, I came across the following:

10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

2 Timothy 3:10-12 KJV

Apostle Paul clearly lists the things that he went through for the sake of the Gospel. These include persecutions and afflictions. He then triumphantly declares that God delivered him out of them all. Sounds familiar? He then makes an unwavering declaration that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

So clearly, as a true believer, you will face persecution, trials, tribulations, troubles, problems, but there’s hope. From the Old Testament, I quote from the Psalms:

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34:19 NKJV

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

Psalm 91:14-16 NKJV

Many people have been misled to accept a “saviour” who leads them into lala-land where everything is easy. When they realise that we are wrestling and fighting to stand (Ephesians 6), they cannot cope. The whole Gospel needs to be preached. Artists who claim to sing “gospel” music should be mature and understand that whatever they sing should be aligned with the Gospel they claim to believe.

Once again your Word-based views are welcome.

You are deeply loved by God, greatly blessed, and highly favoured by Him.

Ntando(kaYi)se

The disciple whom Jesus loves.

Know Your Bible!

I am an avid reader of books. These range from fiction to non-fiction. Then over the years I have branched out to a genre of literature called Christian Life/Christianity or sometimes referred to simply as Religion. Although some of these resources have been helpful, I have however reached one conclusion… KNOW YOUR BIBLE.

As much as I love reading and obtaining perspectives, I must say that it is not good to base your walk in Christ on the latest book by the most famous author. The problem with depending on books and devotionals is you have a subjective account of a topic. And if you are not grounded yourself, this can add a lot of noise that you will reach a point where you are not sure what to believe or what you believe. As an avid reader, I know exactly what I am talking about. I have experienced the negative and the positive impact of such an exercise. I am still de-toxing some of the junk I accumulated. Honestly, some of it is simply junk.

What has recently helped me is when I decided to embark on reading the Bible for a whole year. Some of the portions I have read can only be described by one statement, “I did not know that was in the Bible! Where did that come from?” This has fuelled my passion in continuing with this adventure. It has been met with a lot of resistance but I can proudly say that Holy Spirit is my Helper. I have already read just over 40% of the Bible since starting in January 2011. I have only come this far by Holy Spirit’s help. Sadly, but gratefully, I picked up inconsistencies to what I would hear in the pulpit and also read from books compared to what Scripture mentions.

I cannot overemphasise the importance of knowing your Bible. Your walk depends on it. We are living in an era that the Bible describes as follows,

1 BUT THE [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach, 2 Through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized), 3 Who forbid people to marry and [teach them] to abstain from [certain kinds of] foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and have [an increasingly clear] knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 4:1-3 AMP

This Scripture is referring to believers not unbelievers. The Word tells us that in these latter days some will turn away from the faith. This means that they were in the faith at some point but then decided to turn away and give attention to deluding spirits and embrace the doctrines of demons. We are in that era. We are living in it. The simplest way to ensure that you are not the one this Scripture refers to, is to know your Bible and get closer to God, by the power of Holy Spirit. This is the time to be glued to the Word of God. Everything else should then be examined based on the Word of God that you know.

1 BELOVED, DO not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world.

1 John 4:1 AMP

The Word tells us not to trust every spirit but to test the spirits. We are living in the era where false prophets are dictating the doctrines of demons, right under our noses. They almost sound legitimate but as you dig deeper you unravel the real motivation behind their speech, their visions, and their whole purpose for “preaching” or “teaching.”

If you subscribe to “goose-bump Christianity”, then your life is in danger. You could be continuing to make spiritual decisions based on your emotions and this is the quickest route to the wide gate which leads to hell. You could be holding on to things or a person because they are familiar and they sound like they are true, but you know deep in your heart that something is wrong. You can sometimes be hoping the Bible should be saying, “Support the false prophets since they have been good at a point,” but that’s not what the Word says. The only way to know what the Word says is to know the Word yourself.

I remain an avid reader of books, but one thing I know is that I am not gullible to accept everything as true because it is written by a well-known author. The scope of this matter also extends to sermon tapes and everything else that comes through my ear and eye gates.

KNOW YOUR BIBLE!

You are deeply loved by God, greatly blessed, and highly favoured by Him.

Ntando(kaYi)se

The disciple whom Jesus loves