Monthly Archives: August 2024

WHAT IS A PEACEMAKER?

Christian Life, ,

Matthew 5:9 NIV
[9] “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Who are the peacemakers? Why are they called “children of God”? Who are the children of God? How can they be peacemakers?

Jesus’ simple statement raises questions. It’s no use reading that God is happy with peacemakers if we don’t know who they are and why and how they are to be pacemakers.

There is only one true “peacemaker” in all of Scripture and, outside of His work to make peace, any affort to bring peace between alienated humans is futile. Without a change of heart, reconciliation between people at war is temporary and only skin deep.

Humanity is at war with God and has been since the moment Adam chose himself over his Creator. This alienation from God is the root of all the forms enmity between humans. Until our rebellion against God is removed out of our hearts, we will always be in conflict with one another. Why…because our hearts are tainted with self-centredess which clashes with everyone else’s self-centredness.

God stepped into time with a risky plan to reconcile Adam’s alienated race with Himself. Through Jesus, He dealt with the root of sin that robbed humans of peace with God, and brought together not only humans and Himself but the two alienated religious groups that split the world, Jews and Gentiles.

Ephesians 2:11-13 NIV
[11] “Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— [12] remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

“Done and dusted!” God and mankind reconciled forever through the death of His Son! Mission one accomplished!

Ephesians 2:14-18 NIV
[14] “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, [15] by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, [16] and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. [17] He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

“Done and dusted!” Jew and Gentile reconciled! Not only that, but all religious distinctions obliterated by lifting the two groups onto a new level…a new species called “children of God”. Jew and Gentile labels no longer apply.

Mission two complete!

However, with God’s intervention comes a new distinction… believers in Jesus versus unbelievers. The separation between these two groups is far greater and more sinister than the rift between two religious factions because it stretches beyond the grave, two different and eternal destinies depending on one fact. Did you avail yourself of the reconciliation God made possible through faith in Jesus? God’s intervention is a matter of life and death.

Since Jesus is the only true “peacemaker”, His children are under obligation to intervene between God and His alienated humans through His message of peace. Then, and then only, can the “children of God” be real peacemakers.

So, peacemakers are those who, through Jesus, are, at peace with God and with all fellow believers around the world regardless of colour, clan, or country. They are now a new species, called “children of God”. Their role is to spread the message of peace through Jesus, to bring about reconciliation with God and with fellow believers.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called, “children of God”.

AUGUST – WOMEN’S MONTH

Bible Study, ,

Women all over South Africa are the subject of praise and celebration in this month. “Women’s Month“ is a big deal on TV, for example, to highlight their importance in the eyes of the public.

Why should an entire month be dedicated to women? Does it mean that society finally recognises the worth and role of wives and mothers in our world. It’s an anomaly since there is a phenomenon called GBV that is eating away at the female population in our country. So why have a women’s month when there is little real evidence that many husbands and boyfriends honour and respect their women? Why is it necessary for women to dangle their importance under the noses of men, and push for quotas in government and business? Does it mean that they must highlight something that doesn’t really exist to make it happen?

I know I speak in generalisations. However, the evidence is there that society’s treatment of their women needs attention.

Religion can be a powerful indicator of some of the world’s attitude. There are nations controlled by a single religious system that treat women as nothing more than possessions to be used and abused at will.

Despite what men think of their women by the way they treat them, there is one man who showed the world their worth by setting them free from the shackles of their own culture.

Jesus rises above all other men who ever lived by elevating the women He encountered and all women since, to the position and role God intended at creation. Helper, taken, not from man’s foot or his head, but from man’s side! Partner, not possession! Honoured, not abused! Treated with compassion and respect, not with cruelty or contempt! Every story of His encounter with women peels another layer off the burden their culture and religion placed on them.

In the gospel record, Jesus gave three Mary’s the “thumbs up” by deliberately removing from them their cultural taboos.

The name, Mary, has deep meaning and significance for three Mary’s in the gospel record. Written into their lives is some part of the meaning of their name.

“Meaning:Star of the sea; Bitterness; Beloved; Wished for a child. The quintessential girl’s name, Mary, is of Latin and Greek origins and means “drop of the sea,” “bitterness,” “beloved,” and “wished for a child.” The old-world name is the anglicized version of Maria, originating from the Hebrew Miriam or Mariam.”

The first Mary is Jesus’ own mother. Although Jesus had to untie the mother-bond in His public ministry He, nevertheless, never failed to honour the woman who brought Him into the world. At her request, for example, He stepped in to help a family out of an embarrassing situation when the wine ran out at a wedding in Cana in Galilee. Again, moments before He died, He gave her into the care of a beloved disciple, John.

Jesus, by His example, elevated motherhood to the level of a divine calling. He honoured Mary as His mother. He endorsed the Father’s choice of Mary to be the mother of His Son in His earthly role as a man.

The second Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary of Magadala, that Mary, was the object of Jesus’ compassion. She was enslaved, probably through a sinful lifestyle, by seven demons who tormented her day and night. We are not told her details but, somehow, somewhere, she encountered Jesus. He saw her plight and drove the devils out of her, setting her free to become a faithful follower and the first witness to His resurrection.

It was Luke, the Gentile, who often records stories that reveal Jesus’ attitude to women.

Luke 8:1-2 NLT
[1] “Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, [2] along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons… “

Why did Jesus chose to reveal Himself to this Mary first after He rose from the dead? Was it because women, in Jewish culture, were not trusted to give evidence in court? What a slap in the face for that idea!

Luke 24:1, 3, 9-11 NLT
[1] “But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared….
[3] So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus….
[9] So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. [10] It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. [11] But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it.”

The third Mary, Mary of Bethany, was part of a trio of siblings who lived together in a small village outside Jerusalem. How did this Mary manage to break another cultural taboo with Jesus’ approval?

Jesus often visited this home, perhaps as a refuge from the clamouring public and the incessantly hostile religious leaders. Here He was welcome and His times of teaching valued.

On one occasion, the familiar group of Jesus and the Twelve turned up for a respite. Martha, the busy one, set about preparing a meal for their guests. Mary settled down at Jesus’ feet, among the disciples, to listen to Jesus, an unheard of and unacceptable action in Jewish culture. When Martha tried to call her away to help in the kitchen, Jesus rebuked her and affirmed Mary’s break with protocol.

Once again, Luke tells the story…

Luke 10:40-42 NLT
[40] “But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” [41] But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! [42] There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

This same Mary, distraught by her brother’s death and disillusioned by Jesus’ failure to arrive in time to save him, had to learn to let Jesus finish what He started before she mistrusted and judged Him. The outcome…

John 12:1-8 NLT
[1] “Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. [2] A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. [3] Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. [4] But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, [5] “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” [6] Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. [7] Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. [8] You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Where was Mary of Bethany in this event? At Jesus feet in worship and adoration acceptable to Him! Her story is forever recorded in God’s Word!

Three Mary’s, living proof of what
Jesus thought and how He treated women.

We don’t need a “Women’s Month“ to remind us of God’s intention for women in His scheme of things. If humans would only read and heed God’s Word, women would receive the respect and honour He gave us at creation.

Women need to step down from their “high horse” of feminism and step up to their place of partnership with men God gave us to share in the role of managing the earth in all its departments, for His glory.

When men and women step outside of God’s order, chaos reigns. When men and women honour God’s order, harmony prevails.

MARY, MOTHER OF JESUS

Bible Study, ,

Luke 1:26-30 NLT
[26] “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, [27] to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. [28] Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” [29]
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. [30] “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!”

The Bible tells us very little about Mary’s credentials. We know only that she was a young village girl, probably a teenager, no details given about her parents or her life,
that she was engaged to Joseph, whose genealogy is provided, that she was a chaste young girl, and that God had a special purpose for her.

God had singled her out from among all the young virgins in Israel to be the earthly mother of
Jesus, the second person of the Trinity. This child she would bear was to take the role of the Son of God for a special purpose.

To be truly man, God’s Son would need to begin His life on earth inside the womb of an earthly mother. He would be supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit but He would develop and grow as a normal foetus and come into the world through the normal process of birth.

Did Mary understand the enormity of the task ahead of her? Her young body must take the strain of pregnancy and childbirth. She must also carry the stigma of “unmarried mother” despite her innocence. In a small village community, she would be ridiculed and ostracised except for her loyal husband’s protection.

Did all these considerations race through her mind at Gabriel’s announcement? Only one question, “How will this happen?” Gabriel’s explanation was mind-boggling. Overshadowed by the Holy Spirit! Would she know how and when this would happen? What does it feel like to be pregnant, and that without human involvement?

Satisfied with the angel’s unembellshed intervention, no if’s or but’s, Mary bowed in submission to her Lord.

What was it in Mary’s life and character that earned God’s favour? Since Scripture does not expand on this, we can only speculate from the evidence we have in the Word.

Luke 1:38 NLT
[38] “Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.”

Trust, submission, worship! Great qualities that find favour with God! Peter expands on the attitude of a woman that gives Him pleasure.

1 Peter 3:3-5 NLT
[3]”Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. [4] You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. [5] This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands.”

Mary must surely have displayed these qualities in her young life to have found favour with God.

As we trace Mary’s story through the gospel record, she emerges as a normal Jewish mother with an unusual son who baffled her at times, who caused her great delight in His growing up years for love, submission, and His obedience to His parents. He not only honed her trust in Israel’s God, but also frustrated her with His insights and understanding of the things of God way beyond her own. Young as Jesus was, He was often her mentor and model.

Mary had to face a challenge far greater than any other mother on earth. She knew who Jesus was, the Son of God, born of her own body. She could never doubt that truth but, Jesus was also her earthly son. How was she to relate to Him, and how was she to transition in her relationship to Him from her son to her Lord?

His earthly ministry confused her. Although they grew up with Him, His brothers rejected His claims. She and her offspring thought He was crazy. They tried to intervene to save Him from His own madness, but He cut all ties with them and their responsibility to Him by identifying His true family as all those who believed in Him.

Matthew 12:46-50 NLT
[46] “As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. [47] Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.” [48] Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” [49] Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. [50] Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

Mary trusted Jesus. At the wedding in Cana, when they ran out of wine, she encouraged the servants to do what He said, regardless of how strange His instruction might be. They did just that and water became wine at His word!

Mary was warned that her unique role would bring her great heartache! Simeon prophesied this part of her maternal role soon after His birth. She would process more emotional pain than many other mothers.

Our pain as mothers is often connected to the waywardness of our children. Mary suffered the terrible anguish of losing her Son because of His obedience to His heavenly Father.

John 19:25-27 NLT
[25] “Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” [27] And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.”

Comforted by Jesus’ care for her with His final breaths, she carried forever in her heart the thoughtfulness of a perfect son.

The crowning moment came when Mary finally transitioned from mother of her son, Jesus, to worshipper of Jesus, Son of God and Lord.

Mary’s memories were indelible. They would be with her until the end of her days. Mary’s place in history can never erased. She will forever be remembered as the mother of the earthly Man but, she will never be anything else…not the mother of God, not our intercessor, not immaculately conceived, not divinely protected from sin…just Mary, the village maid who was favoured to bear a son who would be the Saviour of sinners.

COMPARISON AND CONTEMPT

Christian Life, ,

Philippians 2:3-4 NLT
[3] “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. [4] Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

Have you ever considered how often we either compare ourselves to other believers or we treat others with contempt because they are not like us? These are two subtle attitudes that belong strictly to our old self and have no place in the way we think of one another in God’s kingdom.

What happens to the fellowship if we, as believers in Jesus, allow the remnants of our old self to creep back into our thinking? We begin to erode our unity by allowing barriers of mistrust, pride, or insecurity, to separate our hearts.

Competition is very much a part of some congregations. Positions, office, titles, are big on their agenda. Some even invent an office that does not exist in Scripture, God’s “generals“ i.e., intercessors. Intercession is an integral part of all prayer, not a specific title given to some.

1 Timothy 2:1 NIV
[1]” I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—”

What is the root of comparison or contempt? Once again, it’s the idol of self that imperceptibly replaces our pure worship of Jesus. Comparing ourselves with others means that we either see ourselves as better or worse than our fellow believers. We focus on our/their performance, gifts, or even the notion that we/they are superior in understanding God’s Word or receiving revelation or new insight into some truth of Scripture.

We think that seeing ourselves as less than another is humility. It isn’t! It’s an inverted form of pride. Whether we see ourselves as more or less than another, the focus is still on us! We keep looking at ourselves and want others to look at us too. When we put ourselves down in front of another, we are crying for approval and accolades.

We treat others with contempt to boost our own insecure morale. The more secure we are in God’s love for us, the less we need to elevate ourselves above others. Whether by comparison or contempt, we are constantly parading our need for the affirmation only God can give us. His approval, freely given to us because of Jesus, lays to rest all our need to put ourselves on display.

Ephesians 1:5-8 NLT
[5] “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. [6] So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. [7] He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. [8] He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.”

According to Paul’s adamant assertion, we have left these old attitudes behind and become brand new inside.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NLT
[16] “So, we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! [17] This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

How can we overcome this subtle tendency to slide back into the self-awareness that parades itself in front of others? By comparison with the world’s ways, which is to nurture self with all its demands, our obligation in this new life is to put self to death through the Spirit’s power, by focusing our attention, first, on Jesus, and then on the interests and needs of others.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NLT
[14] “Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. [15] He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”

God has given us a powerful motivation for putting ourselves to death, not literally but in our attitude towards others. Jesus gave His life for us. He calls us, by His grace, to give our lives for others. We show our love for Him by responding to the needs of others.

No one needs comparison. We are all unique and equally loved. God has no favourites. His love, mercy, and grace are freely available for all people. No one needs contempt. Contempt only degrades us at another’s expense.

Everyone needs to know God’s love by experiencing it through us who represent Him by the way we treat them.

Paul’s solution is twofold…put off and put on. Like the used garments we take off at the end of the day, we deliberately and purposefully “put off” the soiled attitudes of self-awareness and self-absorption.

Putting off means replacing old attitudes with new attitudes, like Jesus’s attitude to us, with loving thoughts and actions towards others.

It’s a slow process. The old nature’s automatic reaction is to think badly of others. We are programmed towards alienation and hostility. The first step is to acknowledge the source of our thoughts. This thought is not of God.

Step two is to choose to think new thoughts of understanding and love. Put Jesus in the mix. What does He think of us, and of the person we downgrade? Do I need to put someone else down to elevate myself?

No, we are both unique and precious to God. We can rest comfortably in who we are in union with Jesus, holy and beloved, and we can allow others to be who they are without judging them, their words, or behaviour. That prerogative belongs to Jesus alone.

What a big step towards the answer to Jesus prayer! We are already one in Him. Let’s live it out for His glory.

THE BRIDAL GOWN

Christian Life, ,

Revelation 19:7-8 NLT
[7] “Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. [8] She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.”

Her wedding day has finally arrived. After many months of planning and preparation, she is ready to don her wedding gown, the centre and focal point of her adornment for that day.

Her hair has been washed and styled, her jewellery in place but, without her wedding gown, she is not yet the perfect bride.

Imagine the anticipation as the bridegroom awaits her arrival! He strains for a glimpse of his beloved, walking slowly, steadily up the aisle towards Him on the arm of her Father.

His first glimpse is a vision of snowy white, signifying her purity as she has guarded her body for Him alone. Slowly, she moves up the aisle towards Him; the vision of her beauty takes shape and form.

On the day of their betrothal, He gave her the bridal gown, a perfect fit, unblemished, a replica of His vision for her. “Adorn it,” He said,
“with the jewels and embroidery that speak of who you are.”

The interval between their betrothal and their wedding day was not to be wasted. It was to be a time of perparation. She was to set herself apart from all other men. She was to close her door to those who once sort her as a prospective bride. She was betrothed to one lover and all her love and attention was to be on Him.

She was to spend the interim preparing her bridal gown. She was to work tirelessly on her garment ofcl righteousness, embroidering her life with the adornments of good works and righteous living in obedience to her Beloved.

“For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.”

Her gown was breathtakingly beautiful. Gold and silver flowers with glittering centres, fruit of a myiad hues, and creatures alight with jewelled eyes, danced around the billowing skirt. Her semi-translucent veil only faintly hid the gleam of passionate love in her eyes. The train of her garment, littered with gems of every colour and hue, flowed out behind her like a gentle stream.

Every stitch of gold and silver spoke of her chaste and purposeful life as she awaited her wedding day. She longed to be worthy of the love her Beloved poured upon her day after day as they prepared for their union.

She spent many hours stitching into her wedding gown the story of her love for to Him. She crafted in gold and silver the fruit of His spiritual gifts she freely gave to others, the evidences of loving service and generosity to the needy, the hours she spent building into others the treasures of His Word.

Her gown was a library of tales of faith, hope, and love. Her heart pounded inside her with anticipation of His joy when He was finally satisfied with the fruit of His love for her.

The many attempts to embroider the perfect flower, to depict the vigour and energy of the creatures replicated in every stitch, the time spent in setting every scene alight with colourful gems, was worth the pain and toil to see His face.

The wedding gown had done its work well. It had told her story of commitment, perseverance, and faithful service. Its beauty had mirrored the beauty of her heart as He read all the details in its adornment. She was truly His and His alone. He knew that, what she had written of her preparation for that day in her wedding gown, would continue forever in her eternal union with Him.

As I have worked on my bridal gown for many years, there have been spots and wrinkles to deal with if I am to be to Him the perfect bride He has made me to be. How can I present myself to Him with the fabric of my gown smudged and blottted by sin and disobedience? How can I cleanse away the dirty spots that spoil the pure unblemished white of the His righteousness He gave me?

No soap or detergent can restore the purity of His gown. My sin needs the only cleansing agent that can restore my gown to perfection.

1 John 1:7, 9 NLT
[7] “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin….
[9] But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

There is only one way to stay pure and to wash away all unrighteousness…the powerful cleansing blood my Bridegroom Himself, shed for me. His own blood has washed me clean of all the spots and blemishes I inflicted on my gown. It is possible, then by His grace alone, to meet His expectations on that glorious day. We shall come face to face and He will carry me over the threshold into the bridal chamber to become one with Him forever.