Where Is Your Faith Based?

People have faith in many things, whether its faith in your motorcar, your motorcycle, your spouse, friends, relatives, etc. Faith is always somewhere, or in something. But what is faith actually? Faith is believing in something. Whether you hear about it or read about it, faith comes alive in our lives. No matter where you are in life, faith is a part of it all. But where should your faith be based? Let me put the question this way. In whom should your faith be based? Let’s read Romans 10:17.

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Yes, we need to base our faith in Jesus Christ. The Word is our Lord Jesus, our Saviour and Redeemer. Our faith should be based upon our following of our saving and loving God. Without hearing about Jesus, we really have no faith. Faith comes by hearing. This means we should be reading the bible and “hearing” what it’s telling us. Only then will we understand the true message of faith; that Jesus came to save us from the sin we live by.

Therefore as Christians we should not do things not found in the bible. It is our guideline in which we should be living our lives. Real faith is believing in what we are hearing. Without this we are not living by faith. Most people just “have” faith in everything around or involved in their lives – this is dead faith, nothing to write home about. Real faith comes when we believe in Jesus Christ and live out our lives as He teaches us what is written in the bible. Therefore, I now ask you, where is your faith based, or in whom is your faith based? Mine is in our living Saviour God; for He is where my faith remains anchored. And your faith? Enjoy and be blessed!

Be The Man You Must Be

Building community in the social context, in the context of our friendships and relationships, means reworking ‘existing’ friendships and relationships and making them authentic. As men we try doing things which suit us, friendships or relationships placed in “levels” and “statures” and making that work for us. It’s mostly never about others but always about ourselves. We should rather dismantle or destroy the false images we have built up around our lives and look for the authentic stuff which really works. It means humbling ourselves in front of our friends and family by showing them our undisguised, unguarded brokenness.

That’s how true friendships and relationships are birthed – where the real you is present, strong or weak. Most times it means we must lead the pack when authenticity is required. Authenticity is counterculture. Men don’t like being turned around or made to change; it’s the way we are moulded, our characters, and our livelihoods. But this is real! 1 Peter 5:6 offers us some insight to this; “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” God wants to lift us up. He wants the world to see what He is capable of doing through you. He wants to make you “famous” for His glory!

Look around. Very few people live in an authentic relationship. Most is make believe so that the truth can be hidden from others. This is the same as carrying burdens of pain daily. Why? It’s only through authenticity that a transformation to-Christ-likeness happens. Be real and become the man you should be; authentic. Someone must go first. Someone must take that first step! Let it be you and start today, then go and change the world, starting with your own friendship circles and relationships. You are the man! Enjoy the blessed authentic life.

Let The Lord Bless You

Many of us seek our blessings through the ways of the world. Whether it be a bonus for great work done or an achievement reached within your company, or whether it is promotion and higher salaries, the list goes on. We think that when we achieve greatness here we are blessed. Wrong! These all end up being “dead works” and anything not blessed by God will fail or end. We need to do it with God’s blessings, which is the best way forward. Yes, it’s great to achieve good things here, but it must still be blessed by our Lord God so that it actually honours Him for what you have reached in life. Without Him to withers and dies without a trace.

Numbers 6:24-27 offers us this: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” This is powerful! Whenever the people of Israel came to make various offerings for the atonement of their sin, the priest would dismiss them by declaring these words over them. Today we are also priests to God because of Jesus Christ. He paid for our sins in full on the cross on Calvary; He atoned for our sins with His body and blood. As His priests we declare the blessing with our mouths.

So whatever it is that you are achieving, or maybe trials you are experiencing, bless everything or declare it ‘dead’ using His name. In His name we will receive true blessings and our future will not be bleak. We can receive from the world and enjoy it too, but remember to declare in His name the blessing upon that which we are enjoying with our mouths; using His name – Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our Saviour and Redeemer. Start today! Today declare the blessing of the Lord over your life and allow Him to change you for His glory. Blessings upon you. Amen.

Be Joyful

The world doesn’t truly understand the meaning of joy or being joyful. Even under tremendous pressure, stress or whatever is making your life difficult, joy must remain in the front row of living out your daily walk. Joy is not something we use to masquerade around with, a mask to hide our true feelings so that others don’t see it. No, being joyful must come deep from within, from your heart. Most people don’t understand that if you allow your mind, heart and body to live under the conditions that “attack” you daily, then your health starts to fail and you may just be shortening your life span. With God all things are possible

What does Job 20:4-5 tell us? It says the following; “Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?” Wow! Do you get it? Acting and living with a ‘false’ joy or false pretence that everyone sees you ‘looking’ good each day is not worth it. It will all come to an end. Many people live with such “masks” on a daily basis. It’s not worth it! Rather seek the Lord our God, Jesus Christ our Saviour and live a truly joyful life no matter what. Proverbs 10:28 further explains joy to us as follows – “The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.” This confirms it. Those who walk with God and true joy within that is led by His Spirit will bear future fruit. Those who live a lie will suffer.

John 2:24 says do not entrust yourself to man. Jesus didn’t either because He knew them well, and their natures and characters. He entrusted Himself to the Father during His ministry on earth. Our joy is only dependant on holy living, that which we receive and grow in our daily walks when Jesus is in the centre of our lives. Sin separates us from God. Therefore there is only one way forward. Turn your life around today and walk with Jesus Christ beside you, in you, and with you. Discover this new joyful life that will last forever. Amen.

 

Building Using Rock or Sand

We get many builders in this world. They build for clients on the clients’ empty stands or they build for themselves; complexes or homes that they resell. During the years I have been working, and traveling around often in various cities and suburbs, one finds all types of buildings on all types of lands. The surfaces of the lands are either rocky, or muddy, or clay, or just soft sand; at least for a few meters deep. Usually the builders have to compensate when building homes or offices, especially when it comes to the foundations and how the building will eventually look like. It takes lots of hard work and extra materials to build on sandy surfaces or muddy areas. To me the best is to build on a solid surface like a rocky area, or stony area where the land is more stable. Other areas tend to move with the years and one sees the cracks appearing along the walls – bad building?

Jesus, after the Sermon on the Mount, decided to leave the people who were there to hear the sermon, with some advice. It was to obey His commands and to live according to His teachings. Matthew 7:24 is where it all begins, His advice to the followers present, including His disciples. Let’s see what it says – “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” What does this mean to us today, and from that time onwards? This is the story about two different people, both calling themselves followers of the Lord. Both heard the gospel. They now understand and know the gospel. They both know what Jesus expects from them, what He wants from them. He offered them, and us as Christians today, with an option. Are we wise builders or not?

Or are you the foolish builder? We today are in that same boat. Which one are you? Both received the word and what they do with it will determine the outcome of their lives. We too have received this word, but what are we going to do about it. We are all going to be tested with storms of adversity, with trials that will test our decisions in the “building” of our lives. The one who builds his life upon the ‘sand’ heard the Word of God but did nothing about it; he actually disobeyed it. The one who heard the Word and put it into practice in his life, he is the wise one and his life “building” is planted solid and will not collapse due to trials and tests. He built his life upon the Rock called Jesus.

Everyone will face times where the “storms of life” will descend upon us. But those who have heard His Word and have put it into practice will remain standing, because their faith is solid and steadfast. They have built their faith foundation upon Jesus Christ. Those whose faith is weak and are not living out their lives upon the foundation of the Rock called Jesus Christ, they are going to fall hard. Pain and hardships will destroy them because their faith was never solid. Now, I ask you. Which one are you? I’m definitely the builder who has his life planted upon the Rock. I’m the one who has built his life on a solid foundation of strong faith. Don’t you want to do the same? Amen.

An Everlasting Refuge

Looking back at all the wars that took place, men dived for cover from enemy bullets. Others dug deep trenches to escape bullets. Others hid behind rocks in the hills or inside old buildings left empty when citizens ran from the war zones. But these hiding places did not always protect the soldiers during the wars. Many were killed by missiles, mortars and other similar weapons that could cause great destruction on impact. The strongest country usually won. Many good men died during the wars. But so did bad men, evil men who lived for one thing only – to destroy countries, people and even animals. When trouble came their way the end was near. The good would win.

But there is another refuge which cannot be destroyed. It is far stronger and out of the reach for men in this world to even try and destroy this refuge. It is an everlasting refuge. Reading Proverbs 14:32 one sees what this refuge is. It’s God and His heavenly home. Although you may be killed on earth, and being a righteous and true believer in Jesus Christ, your place is waiting for you. Here is what it says; “When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge.” That’s right! We as believers may die on earth but it doesn’t mean the end for us. God is waiting for us and He has promised us an everlasting refuge – with Him and in those mansions He is preparing for us, with many rooms. As long as we are not sinners and live righteous lives pleasing to God, we have a refuge already awaiting us.

Sin will bring you down, yes, down to hell! When trouble comes our way, we who are believers and called children of the Almighty God, we are going to be ok. He has a permanent refuge for us. Those who get trouble during their life walk, but don’t believe in God and the free gift of salvation, these have real trouble coming their way. They have no refuge awaiting them. Only the burning sulphur fires of Hades that is their destination. No escape, no refuge. Which one are you? God’s beloved or the one living according to the father of lies, the devil? If I were you I would make sure that I’m with Jesus and living a sinless life. As it has been said in the Scriptures before, only those who are born again and true believers will enter His kingdom in heaven. Be blessed and seek Jesus. Amen.