What will be remembered

Somewhere in March I blogged with a heading "The Epitaph".  Two days ago I blogged about the funeral I attended.  My mind is still stuck there.

When I think of Miet (the woman that was buried), I see her dancing in worship.  That is the first thing that comes to my mind every time I think of her.  And all the people I spoke to about her agree.  That is what we will remember.

It scared me.  What will people remember about me?  I am honest if I say I am to afraid to ask, so don't answer.  Have you thought about that?  What memory will you leave behind?  Will it be a good one?

This is serious food for thought.

Funerals

I was at a funeral today.  Not because I wanted to go, but because I had to go.  Not because it was somebody close to me being buried, but because I was the pianist.

It's hard sitting up there looking down on these people who are weeping so bitterly.  Every time I can't help myself, I weep with them.  Not because of my loss, but because of their loss.

The pastor who did the memorial service is my brother.  Years ago he promised God that he would never let an opportunity to evangelize people slip through his fingers.  And he doesn't.  He keeps his promise.  On every funeral I have attended with him, he preached the gospel on a funeral.  And today again he told the people straight - "if you want to see this woman again, sort your life out and walk a road with Jesus".  You see, the woman who died is surely now dancing in front of God's throne.  My strongest memory I have of her, is her dancing in church in worship to God.  It must be amazing.

If I should die before my brother does, he must do my memorial service and preach the gospel, exactly like he did today.  Two thirds of the church got up to give their hearts to Jesus.  I think it would be very cool if people would get born again on my funeral.  Not that I want to die soon!  Don't get me wrong.

I want to get old with my husband if Jesus doesn't come before then.  But we can't plan so far ahead, now can we?  So are you ready to die?  Do you know where you are going if you should die tonight?  Will your loved ones have hope of seeing you again?

The sky is the limit...

Do you know where that saying comes from?  It comes from the Bible.  Genesis 11 to be exact.  Read this passage.

Genesis 11
The Tower of Babel
 1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

These people wanted to build a tower to get into the heavens - with other words they were elevating themselves against God.  But that is not the most important in this passage.  The most important is the piece in red.


God made us in His image.  Nothing you plan to do will be impossible for you to reach.  Nothing you plan to achieve will be impossible for you.  God didn't change the genetic make-up of people at the tower of Babel - He merely confused them with different languages.  You and I can still achieve anything we wish.  As long as you are not elevating yourself against God in the process.  As long as you don't forget about God in the process.  As long as God is part of your planning - the sky is the limit!


What goals do you have?  If you don't have goals, I dare to say you are not living anymore, you are merely existing.  What do you want to achieve?  Think about it.  Make a list.  Start getting yourself motivated and fired up to reach whatever your goals is.  Put a picture of your goal somewhere where you will see it every day.  Whenever you get a bit discouraged, look at the picture and hear God whisper in your ear: "whatever your mind can conceive and belief, you can achieve".

We Glorify the Lamb

I am having one of those days again.  The type of day where I want to spread my wings and fly away.  You know the feeling, I know you do.

So I decided the put my earphones on and listen to some music.  Terry MacAlmon seemed like a good choice.  Worship music is the best medicine ever.  One of the songs he sings is "We glorify the Lamb".  While I was working, the words drilled through my concentration on something else and struck my heart.  I just closed my eyes and listened to the song again.  If you have the song, go and listen to it.  If you don't have it, meditate on these lyrics for a while.  I guarantee you, once you have read through these lyrics and thought about each line just for a few seconds, you are bound to have hope again.  It's all we need.  Just a little bit of hope that will get us to keep pushing forward, no matter the odds against us.

WE GLORIFY THE LAMB

Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God our Father
Prince of Peace

Great I Am
We glorify the Lamb

Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God

Our Father
Prince of Peace

Great I Am
We glorify the Lamb

Jesus Savior
Jesus Messiah
King of Kings 
We glorify the Lamb

Jesus Warrior
Jesus Deliverer
Jesus Great I Am
We glorify the Lamb

© Terry MacAlmon

Opportunity Cost

I am studying Economics.  I can't say I love it but I certainly find it interesting.  Saying that, I wouldn't mind to get it over and done with now.  I am now getting sick and tired of all the formulas, calculations, graphs and weird concepts.

One thing I learned about in Economics is opportunity cost. It works like this: we have unlimited wants and needs, but limited resources to fulfill our needs and wants.  So we have to make choices.  Every choice implies that there is an opportunity cost.

For instance.  I have R10.  I want to buy a cold drink which would cost me R6 but I also want a pie that would cost me R8.  I don't have enough money - limited resources.  So I have to choose between the cold drink and the pie.  If I choose to buy the cold drink, the pie is the opportunity cost.  If I buy the pie, the cold drink is the opportunity cost.

Opportunity cost is the cost of the best forgone option.

Now look at this principle in a spiritual way.

The opportunity cost for time in front of the TV is time with God.  The opportunity cost of that relationship could be eternal life in heaven.  The opportunity cost of your unforgiveness and pride could be restored relationships.  We can make a long list of things here.

I think we should take serious stock of what we do and what we spend our time on.  Is it really worth it?  Is the opportunity cost worth it?

End of Economic lecture.

Guilt - the devil loves it

We all feel guilty at times.  For things we did.  For things we didn't do.  For things we said.  For things we didn't say.  And oh, satan loves our guilt.  He will heap it on whenever he gets the chance.  And he will make you feel so unworthy to even try and pray.  Sounds familiar?

We were raised up that you had to go to church twice every Sunday, attend prayer meeting on Wednesday evening, band practice on Thursday evening and youth meeting on Friday Evening.  I can tell you from experience that it gets rough at times.  With demanding careers, busy children and dinners that won't appear by magic, it just isn't always possible to be involved with everything and attend every church gathering.  For me this has been a long and hard road to walk.  I felt so guilty when I didn't go to the evening service as well.  I felt so guilty when I couldn't make the cell meeting on Wednesday evenings.  I felt to guilty when I decided not to join the band in the new church where we are now, simply because I don't have enough time.

Satan loves our guilty feelings.  And he will try to make it worse.  He will try to get you so guilty and downhearted that you don't even want to pray anymore.  Belief me, I have been there.

But God, not letting me go, reminded me gently with a scripture:
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Yes the Bible says we should not give up meeting together.  You have to be involved somewhere so that you have a support team to carry you through when times get tough.  You have to contribute with the talents and gifts God has given you.  But you can also be human.  I only have so much time and I cannot get to everything that everybody demands of me.  I have learned to say no.  Without feeling guilty.  Why?


^{Psalm 36:5-6 (The Message)}
   God's love is meteoric,
      his loyalty astronomic,
   His purpose titanic,
      his verdicts oceanic.
   Yet in his largeness
      nothing gets lost;
   Not a man, not a mouse,
      slips through the cracks. 


I will not get lost.  He will never let me slip through the cracks.  My personal, intimate relationship with him is the important issue - not how many times I have attended what this past week.

Don't judge

I have a friend with an interesting email signature - you know the little quotes that automatically gets added to each email.

"Don't compare your life to others: you have no idea what their journey is all about".

For a while now I have been contemplating this little line each time I see it.  Only today it struck me.  Don't judge.

Don't judge the one whose performance have not been so good in the office this month - you have no idea what is happening in his / her home.

Don't judge the one who appears a bit abrupt and distant - you have no idea how much hurt he / she is carrying inside.

Don't judge the one you know has a gambling problem - be thankful you don't have it and bring him / her before the Lord in prayer daily.

Don't judge the one whose perceptions and beliefs are so much different from yours - he / she was created in the image of God too.

Don't judge your leaders - in the corporate world, in the church, the country, where ever - you have no idea of the stress they have to cope with.

Don't judge your parents for the mistakes they made - they didn't have a trial run and experience before raising you.

Don't judge the one next to you in church, singing false or playing the wrong chords - he / she is worshiping with the talent they have - rather worship with the talent you have.

And so the list can go on and on and on.

Don't judge others - you have no idea what their journey is all about.

Our Scars

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole that was behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out through the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.

He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

In the house, his mother was looking out through the window. She saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could.

Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed, and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him.  From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms, just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began a very incredible tug-of-war between the two.

The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim, and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy SURVIVED. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. On his arms, there were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh; in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked the boy if he would show him his scars.

The boy lifted his pant legs. Then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy.

We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly, and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been right there, holding on to you.

The Scripture teaches that God loves you.

You are a child of God. He wants to protect you, and provide for you in every way. But, sometimes, we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That is when the tug-of-war begins.

If you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He will not ever let you go.


Author Unknown.

Potholes

I had a flat tyre last night on the way home.  Again.  Due to a pothole.  Again.  Worst part is this - I drive to the left of this pothole every day.  I know exactly where it is.  Last night however, I got distracted and went right through it.  Tyre scrapped - can't even be repaired for a spare wheel.

Life is like that too you know.  We see these potholes in our life and we try to steer away from them.  Potholes like a place you shouldn't visit.  Potholes that people you know you should rather not social with.  A person you know you should rather not have a relationship with.  Things you are tempted to do but know you should rather not.

And then one day, the devil distracts you just enough to hit the pothole.  The Bible says he comes to us as the angel of light - with other words, what you were avoiding before now suddenly doesn't look so bad anymore.  You may be tempted to just investigate a little.  Just have one or two visits.  Just go to see what it is like.  Just see what the person is really like.  Just try and see if the relationship will work.  Etc, etc, etc.

Flat tyre.  That is what you are going to end up with.  A flat tyre in your spiritual life and you will need help to get going again.  You will need someone to help you up and walk a road with you to recovery.

Now tell me, is it really worth it?

If you feel the slightest discomfort about something or someone - Holy Spirit is warning you.

Focus.  Look where you are driving.  Avoid the potholes.

A Mary moment in a Martha world...

It's women's day tomorrow.  A day we all celebrate our worth as women.

Unfortunately, there are so many women who don't see themselves as worth much.  Many women feel unappreciated.  Unappreciated by their husbands and unappreciated by their children.  Many women look in the mirror and they don't like what they see.  Many women compare themselves to others and feel so inferior.  If this is you, you need A Mary moment in your Martha world.

Luke 10:38-42
As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."

The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her."

You see, we get so busy and so obsessed with everything in life, that we neglect spending time with the One who created us as unique and beautiful beings.  Make time somewhere in your Women's Day tomorrow, to sit at the feet of your Creator.

Psalm 139:13-16
For you created my inmost being; 
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be. 

Corinthians 13 for Wives - Women's Day!

If I exercise my freedom to speak my mind and say what I think, but do not have love, I am just a squeaky wheel or a dripping faucet.
If I know the mysteries of how to please a man and the guidelines of a Proverbs 31 wife, but do not have love, I am just going through the motions.
If I submit myself to my husband in total availability, and do not give myself in love, I am but a pitiful marital martyr.

A wife's love is patient with all her husband's "big ideas," adaptable to his preferences, and supportive of his leadership.

The love of a Christian wife does not nag; does not keep a running list of all the times he has hurt her feelings.
It is not provoked when he does not pick up his own things, does not come home when he says he will, or wants to do something at inconvenient times.

In love for her husband a wife will keep herself attractive, join him in his recreational pursuits, and express her admiration for him often.

A wife's love bears all the insensitivities, believes that God will mold the marriage and the man as He desires,
hopes that God will be glorified in what they do, and endures the inevitable marital conflicts (OK - fights!).

All the feminist propaganda will disappear.
All the latest fashion styles will soon be old-fashioned.
All the material things will break down and deteriorate.

Now abides faith in God's sufficiency, Hope for a marriage that glorifies God, but the greatest of these is Love
that puts the other first so as to enjoy God's intent for marriage.

By Jim Fowler

The question that changed a life

By David Ryser

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of teaching at a school of ministry. My students were hungry for God, and I was constantly searching for ways to challenge them to fall more in love with Jesus and to become voices for revival in the Church. I came across a quote attributed most often to Rev. Sam Pascoe. It is a short version of the history of Christianity, and it goes like this:

Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise. 

Some of the students were only 18 or 19 years old--barely out of diapers--and I wanted them to understand and appreciate the import of the last line, so I clarified it by adding, "An enterprise. That's a business." After a few moments Martha, the youngest student in the class, raised her hand. I could not imagine what her question might be. I thought the little vignette was self-explanatory, and that I had performed it brilliantly. Nevertheless, I acknowledged Martha's raised hand, "Yes, Martha." She asked such a simple question, "A business? But isn't it supposed to be a body?" I could not envision where this line of questioning was going, and the only response I could think of was, "Yes." She continued, "But when a body becomes a business, isn't that a prostitute?"

The room went dead silent. For several seconds no one moved or spoke. We were stunned, afraid to make a sound because the presence of God had flooded into the room, and we knew we were on holy ground. All I could think in those sacred moments was, "Wow, I wish I'd thought of that." I didn't dare express that thought aloud. God had taken over the class.

Martha's question changed my life. For six months, I thought about her question at least once every day. "When a body becomes a business, isn't that a prostitute?" There is only one answer to her question. The answer is "Yes." The Church, tragically, is heavily populated by people who do not love God. How can we love Him? We don't even know Him; and I mean really know Him.

... I stand by my statement that most Christians do not know God--much less love Him. The root of this condition originates in how we came to God. Most of us came to Him because of what we were told He would do for us. We were promised that He would bless us in life and take us to heaven after death. We married Him for His money, and we don't care if He lives or dies as long as we can get His stuff. We have made the Kingdom of God into a business, merchandising His anointing. This should not be. We are commanded to love God, and are called to be the Bride of Christ--that's pretty intimate stuff. We are supposed to be His lovers. How can we love someone we don't even know? And even if we do know someone, is that a guarantee that we truly love them? Are we lovers or prostitutes?

I was pondering Martha's question again one day, and considered the question, "What's the difference between a lover and a prostitute?" 

I realized that both do many of the same things, but a lover does what she does because she loves. A prostitute pretends to love, but only as long as you pay. Then I asked the question, "What would happen if God stopped paying me?"

For the next several months, I allowed God to search me to uncover my motives for loving and serving Him. Was I really a true lover of God? What would happen if He stopped blessing me? What if He never did another thing for me? Would I still love Him? Please understand, I believe in the promises and blessings of God. The issue here is not whether God blesses His children; the issue is the condition of my heart. Why do I serve Him? Are His blessings in my life the gifts of a loving Father, or are they a wage that I have earned or a bribe/payment to love Him? Do I love God without any conditions? It took several months to work through these questions.

Even now I wonder if my desire to love God is always matched by my attitude and behavior. I still catch myself being disappointed with God and angry that He has not met some perceived need in my life. I suspect this is something which is never fully resolved, but I want more than anything else to be a true lover of God.

So what is it going to be? Which are we, lover or prostitute?

There are no prostitutes in heaven, or in the Kingdom of God for that matter, but there are plenty of former prostitutes in both places. Take it from a recovering prostitute when I say there is no substitute or unconditional, intimate relationship with God. And I mean there is no palatable substitute available to us (take another look at Matthew 7:21-23 sometime). We must choose.

The people around us...

I have recently gone through a time where I had to have a lot of self control.  Many a time I felt like throwing somebody with a cup of coffee or whatever was in reach at that moment.  Obviously I couldn't and this resulted in stress.  Do you know the definition of stress?

Stress is when the mind overrules the body's desire to choke the life out of somebody who desperately needs it.

There.  Short and sweet.  I though the person deserves to be thrown over the balcony but my mind tells me no.  So I experienced stress.  Real stress, tension and anxiety for the first time in my life.

That aside, God reminded me this morning of a scripture I haven't read or thought about for a long time:

Ezekiel 22:30 (NIV)
“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.


What does it mean to stand in the gap for somebody?  Have you ever meditated on that scripture?  Read it again slowly from The Message version:

Ezekiel 22:30-31

"I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn't have to destroy it. I couldn't find anyone. Not one. So I'll empty out my wrath on them, burn them to a crisp with my hot anger, serve them with the consequences of all they've done. Decree of God, the Master."

God was angry at the people and He was hoping that one person, just one, would start interceding for the people so that He won't have to destroy them.


That person in my life is busy destroying his life.  If he dies today, he will not see heaven.  I am not judging him - what he is doing is plain for all to see.  He is going downhill all the time.  This morning when God reminded me of that scripture, I knew I had to stand in the gap for him.  Not because I like him but because God loves him.  


What does it mean to stand in the gap?  Simply to pray.  To pray that God will protect him now, because if he dies he is lost forever.  To pray that God will put Godly people in his life that can draw him into the Kingdom - I can't do that for him, but I can pray for someone else to come.  I can pray that God will keep him awake at night so that Holy Spirit can convict him in the time where he can't sleep and can't understand why.  I have done that before in my life with people who really needed to be still so that God could work in their hearts.  I will do it again now.  I can pray that the car with which he drive in excess of 200km/h can break just for his protection.  I have prayed before that the superbike of another person very dear to me breaks.  God demolished it with a truck - it was just pieces left.


You see, if we are obedient to stand in the gap and start praying, God can start working.  I don't have to talk to him - he won't listen to me anyway.  I don't have to do anything else but pray.  God will answer the prayers because He is faithful and just.


Is there is a person like this in your life?  Stand in the gap for him or her.