Your metaphor

29 February 2012      

                                   

Matthew 13:34-35  Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable, so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."

If you look back on the day you had yesterday, what would the metaphor (story) of your day be? So what did you do? Who did you see, what did you say, how did you feel? The more we understand that we do many things, are part of many things and that all that we do have a purpose and a plan in God’s kingdom. Nothing happens outside of the Will of God for those who love Him.

It is within the metaphor that we see the parable of Jesus teaching us each day. Today I learnt that when you connect a flexi hose to the water pipe and the tap of a wash hand basin do tighten the connector until you switch the water on, and then slowly tighten until the water no longer leaks. If you do not you over tighten and the connector cracks and the flexi hose is useless. So there needs to be gentleness and patience even if it means drying the bathroom floor; better that than a broken connector.

In the same way we need to not tighten up people beyond what they can bear, because they may also crack, leak and we then have to dry up many tears.

Be encouraged today to understand your story in the day.

David

Point to ponder: We all have stories.

Question to consider: What was your story yesterday?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Hard work

28 February 2012  

                                      

Galatians 6:4-5  But let each one prove his own work, and then he alone will have a boast in himself, and not in another.   For each one will bear his own load.

Hard work is an essential part of success, many people want to be successful but they do not want to work hard. Then there are others that work hard, but work on the wrong things or in the wrong way and as a result is also not successful. To be successful requires forethought and planning and to what is required as efficiently as possible.

The same applies in our Christian walk and this takes hard work at the right things in the right way. The joy of this work is as a result of the loving relationship that we have with Jesus Christ; we do not earn this love through work, but accept this love in faith. We work hard because we love the work so no matter what work we do, we do it because it is an essential part of our success, no matter how mundane the work may be.

Be encouraged today to be successful through good hard work.

David

Point to ponder: Hard work brings its own joy.

Question to consider: Do you enjoy working hard?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Retirement

27 February 2012  

                                        

Psalm 71:9  Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength fails.

What are you going to do with the rest of your life? I received an email from a person who has just retired and moved from Natal to the Cape, saying that he wants to unsubscribe and is down scaling because of his retirement. Now for me this is sad, simply because retirement is not about stopping but rather an opportunity to be. If what you have been doing for most of your life is just a job, then retiring from the job is fine, but if what you were doing was because you enjoyed it and loved doing it, how can you ever retire?

There is no record of any person in the Bible who served God that then retired. You serve God because you love God, so ministers or priests that can simply stop serving God because they retire seems to be contradictory to God’s word. So when you retire you stop the job but then work harder at the things you love to do, so if you love to serve God, then when you retire you take on more work for God. This is not only true to those who retire, but also those caught up in a job they don’t like, just do more for God, and the job will take care of itself.

Be encouraged today to work more for God, let the job take care of the job.

 

David

Point to ponder: Work is a joy, a job is drudgery.

Question to consider: Do you look for things you can work at so that the job becomes what you enjoy?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Divorce

24 February 2012  

                                        

Malachi 2:14-15 Yet you say, Why? Because Jehovah has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion and your covenant wife.   And did He not make you one? Yet the vestige of the Spirit is in him. And what of the one? He was seeking a godly seed. Then guard your spirit, and do not act treacherously with the wife of your youth.

 Divorce results in a broken home and broken homes make broken people. The result of this is dysfunctional relationships that seem to perpetuate within the family. Little girls love their daddies; daddies are so busy that their little girls grow up missing the responding love of their father. The consequence is that these little girls are yearning for their fathers love. Very often girlfriends become stepmothers and they are seen as the thief that stole the little girl’s father’s love.

The sad part is that these little girls end up seeking love often in the wrong way and in the wrong places, becoming chronically depressed, never feeling adequate or loved. This equally applies to all the little boys, no matter how old they are. The only one that can truly heal a broken heart is Jesus Christ, and when we come to Him with our damaged heart, He binds it up so that it may heal.

So many go through life, hurting, dysfunctional, depressed, allowing the pain of the past to determine the situations of the future. Jesus is able to separate the past from the present, and the present from the future.

Be encouraged today to give your broken heart to Jesus, for Him to bind it up and make it whole and holy again.

 

David

Point to ponder: Your heart belongs to Jesus.

Question to consider: Do you struggle with depression and a broken heart?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Please if you need to send this to some one please do. If you want any help or advice I will be  happy to try and help. dhutt@mweb.co.za

Think before you thank

23 February 2012       

                                 

Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

It is funny how sometimes things work out, there are times when it seems that your prayers are answered and then suddenly everything seems to go wrong. You then end up with more questions than answers. In today’s Christianity any thing seems to go, you make promises you don’t keep, church is about nice music, a touching sermon, a good offering and a hope that nobody dies before they should. Nobody commits to more than they can afford, and ordinary mediocrity has become the bench mark of modern Christianity. No wonder these happen.

Where there is plenty and we have what we want, there is no urgency of prayer,   we say we give thanks to God, but we often do not think before we thank. Many are there who have taken their talent for granted, ability to walk or talk; families and friends. It is only when we realise that most of us are content and survive through the common grace of God that we also think of our need of salvation and especially salvation grace.

We have so much to be grateful for, that we should spend time just thinking about them when we come to God in prayer. We also need to be reminded that we keep our promises, and that when we attend church it is only about Jesus.

Be encouraged today to count your blessings.

  

David

Point to ponder: Think = Thank.

Question to consider: What have you to be thankful for?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Keep the faith

22 February 2012     

                                    

1Samuel 3:8  And Jehovah called Samuel again, the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I, for you called me. And Eli saw that Jehovah had called the child.

A question that has been asked many times is this, ‘how do you know when God is calling you?’ this question was obvious to Eli but not so obvious to the young boy Samuel. In the same way today how does one hear the voice of God, when is the Holy Spirit guiding us, and is that which we are doing really God’s will for us? Even so when we faithfully serve God, why then do we still fall sick, and still struggle?

Firstly we recognise God through the Word of God, God’s word is constant and unchanging, secondly we hear God through obedience to His word. Thirdly we respond in faith by doing what we are required to do, we love God, we love one another. Fourthly we worship God with all our hearts and with all our being; we cannot expect to be in God’s will when we do not do these four basic things.

We live in a fallen world amongst fallen situations that brings us into that place where we are exposed to sickness and sin within the community we live in. So we keep the faith in this fallen situation even when we fall sick, and when we struggle we struggle within in this brokenness.

Be encouraged today to serve God faithfully.

 

David

Point to ponder: Keep the basics.

Question to consider: Do you keep these four basics?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Government gripe

21 February 2012     

                                    

Romans 13:1  Let every soul be subject to the higher authorities. For there is no authority but of God; the authorities that exist are ordained by God.

It is always worth going to a government office, no matter which level of government, they all have a unique style of efficiency. Watching people wander from desk to desk, answering private mobile phone calls, then in that special voice, ‘next’ and the queue slowly grows. The length of the queue seems to perturb no one, as people mutter about inefficiency and lack of work ethic, so what should take a few minutes takes a two hour wait.

Corruption has many forms, the greatest being the tolerance of ineffective management, to ensure that corruption does not take place there must be effective management. The reality is that the majority who are affected the most, are unaware of how a service should be provided having never experienced anything near to the way it should be provided. In most cases, ‘who you know,’ is more important as through personal contacts you bypass the inefficiency. Sadly we all accept this, and we continue with our gripes, so sighing a breath of relief, thankfully this is only a yearly experience, maybe next year it will be better?

So how do we respond to this on a personal level? When we realise that we are all part of the same syndrome (sin drome), we often are in the queue and serving behind the counter. So when we see each other as people in need, rather than just another number, maybe just maybe next year will be better.

Be encouraged today to see people as people in need.

David

  

Point to ponder: We serve angels in disguise.

Question to consider: Do you pay your dues?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Obstacles

20 February 2012   

                                      

2Kings 2:8.  And Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the waters. And they were divided here and there, so that both of them crossed over on dry ground.

No matter how difficult the obstacle ahead of you, when you are empowered by God, and you have His cloak upon you, you simply need to use the cloak to go through any obstacle. To do this you need to have the faith that God has given you His cloak. The cloak that every Christian has is that of the Holy Spirit.

When Elijah wanted to cross the Jordan River, he used his cloak to strike the water, and the waters parted, when Elisha returned he used the cloak of Elijah to do the same and he crossed on dry land. Moses parted the Red Sea using what he had in his hand, a shepherds staff, so today what have you in your hand? There is no obstacle in our lives that God cannot pass through, when we use what God has empowered us with, we can do anything in His name.

Be encouraged today to go through the obstacles of life, empowered by the Living God.

Point to ponder: We have more than the cloak of Elijah.

Question to consider: Are your obstacles overcoming you?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Obstacles

20 February 2012          

                               

2Kings 2:8.  And Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the waters. And they were divided here and there, so that both of them crossed over on dry ground.

No matter how difficult the obstacle ahead of you, when you are empowered by God, and you have His cloak upon you, you simply need to use the cloak to go through any obstacle. To do this you need to have the faith that God has given you His cloak. The cloak that every Christian has is that of the Holy Spirit.

When Elijah wanted to cross the Jordan River, he used his cloak to strike the water, and the waters parted, when Elisha returned he used the cloak of Elijah to do the same and he crossed on dry land. Moses parted the Red Sea using what he had in his hand, a shepherds staff, so today what have you in your hand? There is no obstacle in our lives that God cannot pass through, when we use what God has empowered us with, we can do anything in His name.

Be encouraged today to go through the obstacles of life, empowered by the Living God.

Point to ponder: We have more than the cloak of Elijah.

Question to consider: Are your obstacles overcoming you?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

His Promise

17 February 2012       

                                  

Hebrews 13:5 Let your way of life be without the love of money, and be content with such things as you have, for He has said, "Not at all will I leave you, not at all will I forsake you, never!"

How often are we aware of the promises that Jesus Christ made to all those who believe Him and follow Him. One promise that I think we all forget is when He said, ‘I will be with you, always.’ So when we are in every and any situation we need to remind ourselves of this, as well as to remind others as well. We should be on our guard and not chase after the world, but rather be reminded of what pleases Jesus.

You know yourself that there has been times when you should rather have prayed than spoken out in anger, where you should have thought that Jesus is a witness to your emotions and heard what you said. In the same way we live in the shadow of grace, for no matter how we act or react Jesus will fulfil His promise. Therefore we should always be reminded that His promise is for us.

Be encouraged today to consider what Jesus has promised you.

David

Point to ponder: Jesus keeps His promise.

Question to consider: Do you keep your promises?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Silly wit

16 February 2012

Proverbs 15:23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and how good is a word in its season!

Sometimes things happen to us that we think are unfair or unwarranted and we just want to stop the bus. When we think about them, we find that our thoughts run in a circle, keeping on about how unfair or unwarranted it maybe, rather than dealing with the real issues. In the scheme of things we can either allow these to control our future decisions or we begin to control them, so whether if it’s unfair or unwarranted, it should not change who we are.

In my case I often say things in humour or pass a witty remark without much thought of consequences, simply because I do not want to be bogged down by negative people, caught up in their own insecurities and fears. I look on life with a joy and a hope, so I do not think of how others may take it. So I find that I need to apologise on many occasions, but sadly often what is said in humour has more truth than words carefully constructed so as not to offend.

So I have concluded that I am accountable for being who I am, just like you, I am not yet perfect, mistakes, failures, problems and setbacks are par for the course. Yet in all this I am able to love those who hate me, have compassion on those that reject me, not because I am perfect, but because Jesus loves me and have compassion on me. So we all have down days, and we also have great days, but irrespective Jesus is always with us.

Be encouraged today not to conform to the world but to be transformed by love, peace and joy.

David

Point to ponder: Many a true word is said in jest.

Question to consider: Do you also have to apologise for silly wit?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Describe God

15 February 2012

Isaiah 6:5 Then I said, Woe is me! For I am cut off; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live amongst a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of Hosts.

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How do you describe the indescribable, how would you describe God? This question is important for each of us, for the way we describe will indicate what understand and know. So if we describe God as loving, then we should be loving and worship God in that way, if we describe God as just then we should be just and so on. Yet when we do this we also are inclined to give attributes to God which may not be true, so we should always check these in the way that God is revealed to us through the Bible.

Often we find that we do not conform to the image that we have of God, yet expect others to do so. So we find that God is forgiving, but we may be unforgiving, yet expect to be forgiven. We see these images through the fruit of the Holy Spirit, yet do we produce the fruit? The more we study God, the more we realise how little we know, all we are able to do is to accept that without the Holy Spirit in our lives we will never transform nor conform into the likeness of Christ.

Be encouraged today to describe God and then worship accordingly

David

Point to ponder: We should reflect the God we describe.

Question to consider: How would you describe God?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Little maid

13 February 2012.

 

2Kings 5:2-3  And the Syrians had gone out in bands, and they seized from the land of Israel a little girl. And she was before Naaman's wife.  And she said to her mistress, Oh that my lord were before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would recover him from his leprosy.

It is amazing that this little girl was the start of a miracle in the life of someone else She was in a place where she did not want to be, she had been taken against her will and forced to work for a people that was at war with her people. Yet even despite all this she had empathy for the powerful family that kept her captive. She knew and trusted her God, even in a foreign land amongst foreign gods. Go to the prophet and you will be healed.

Have you the faith of this little child, to trust God with the healing of others? Do you know someone or even yourself that needs to be healed? Come to the house of the Living God and ask for prayer, have hands laid on, believe and see what God can do. So if God would heal the enemy of Israel, how much more will He do for those who love Him?

Be encouraged today to tell others that God still heals today

 

David

Point to ponder: God heals.

Question to consider: Do you know God heals?

One day at a time

10 February 2012

Romans 7:18-19 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.

When people are trying to change their life, from a life of alcohol and abuse, it is very difficult to return to a house where the people you left behind have not changed. For sobriety it is not necessary that others must change, but that the person wanting to stay sober must. The problem arises with those who actually trigger emotional responses which causes the person wanting to stay sober to struggle. In the same way when a person has found Christ and is wanting to live a life pleasing to God, to have family and friends who carry on and criticise all that persons efforts.

When Christians realise that sin has many forms, some obvious and some not so obvious, that each of us struggles with thoughts, desires and temptations on a daily basis. We then live one day at a time, each day a battle against self, against the enemy who uses every scheme to trap us.

Be encouraged today to live one day at a time for Jesus.

David

Point to ponder: It is a daily struggle. 

Question to consider Do you also struggle?

A challenged Christian

9 February 2012

Luke 18:7-8 And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

As  Christian who has faith, a Christian that believes God, it is very difficult to find the balance between tolerance and love. We love our enemy, yet we must still be tolerant of them when they continue in their sinful and hurtful ways against Jesus Christ. Being tolerant, does it mean that we must not confront them, or that we must seek consensus with them? God loves the sinner but hates the sin, In the same way we love those who despise us, and hate their sin against God, there can be no compromise when it comes to sin.

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that all who believe in Him shall have eternal life. All those who do not accept the Son reject the Father and so deny themselves eternal life. For many Christians the fact that so many reject Jesus is not a major issue for them, simply because they do not want to offend them or for the sake of peace they will simply ignore them. They do not bother us, so we will not bother them. Yet some religions plan to drive Christianity off the face of the earth, to destroy everything that Christianity stands for.

 Many Christians today including leaders are content to compromise their faith in order to maintain a dialogue with the enemy of Christ. In the end we stand or fall through that which we believe. In the end times Jesus said there would be very few left that had faith, may we be one of those.

Be encouraged today to realise that being Christian is not an armchair discussion, but a life changing challenge.

  

David

Point to ponder: Faith requires challenge. 

 

Question to consider Do you still have faith?

Dare to be Daniel

8 February 2012

Daniel 1:11-12 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hanani'ah, Mish'a-el, and Azari'ah; "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink..

When Daniel and his three friends refused to eat the food from the table of Nebuchadnezzar, it was not for dietary reasons but because the food that they would have been eating had been set aside and blessed by idolatry religions that denied the Supremacy of Jehovah the God of Israel and thus the God of Daniel. Daniel thus made a stand in regard to his beliefs even if it cost him his life in doing so as the food he would have had to eat would bear the mark or blessing of unbelievers.

In today’s world we allow our beliefs to be compromised through not making a stand for what we believe and we have become so tolerant of other religions that what we believe is less important as long as we do not offend their beliefs. This passive approach allows these religions to gain power and influence in the areas of political authority, financial influence and legalism that is anti-Christ.

Just as Daniel made a stand in Babylon, so we must make a stand for Jesus Christ by daring to be different and living holy lives and not compromising our faith to other religions.

Be encouraged today to be a Daniel for Jesus.

  

David

Point to ponder: you are either for Christ or against Him. 

 

Question to consider Will you be a Daniel for Jesus?

Time Stealers

7 February 2012.

Ecclesiastes 3:17 I for every purpose and for said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there every work.

Time has a way of changing things, sometimes we think that something is insurmountable, but when we stop and give ourselves time to think, it becomes achievable. When we seem to be rushed and we need to respond to others in a rush we often are unable to achieve what we should. On the other hand when we need to do something important, we should not waste our time until it becomes urgent.

When we use time to our advantage it is amazing what becomes achievable. To do this we need to plan the use of our time to get the best advantage of this limited resource. We spend much time on concerns that have little benefit other than intellectual entertainment, the what if’s and the if only of life. When we take offence about little things, allowing these to eat up our time, we end up with these eating us up as well as our time.

So be encouraged today to stop hassling about the little things, and focus on using your time better.

  

David

Point to ponder: Time is a gift from God, use it wisely.

Question to consider: Do you allow people to steal your time?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

A year well trod

3 February 2012.

Acts 20:35  I have shown you all things, that working in this way we ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

The deep need for people to meet Jesus and receive His healing is obvious when you start to meet with them both in and out of the church. Financial strain, family pressures, work commitments, security concerns is a driving force that is hurting, this hurt causes many to give up hope. In our struggle in life how well are we understood and we often feel nobody cares.

The role of the church is to a fellowship of caring people with compassion for others, ministered too by people are able and willing to love. Each of us should fit into this category, not because of extraordinary skill, but because we understand as we have experienced and even are still experiencing the struggle of life. So we reach out to other pilgrims on the road with us, helping when they stumble, waiting when they lag behind, but never leaving them on their own. We all need love and not condemnation and judgement.

Be encouraged today to give somebody hope who is on this road with you.

  

David

Point to ponder: Hope is putting your faith in God.

Question to consider: Do you instil hope in others?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

War on the Mind

2 February 2012.

Romans 7:23 But I see another law in my members having warred against the law of my mind, and taking me captive by the law of sin being in my members.

God has a plan for you and you are part of God’s plan, where you are today and who you are does not alter this fact. Sometimes we feel inadequate, unloved and even unwanted, and these feelings lead us to draw the incorrect conclusions. How we feel will not alter the facts. We all struggle with sin and temptation, lustful desires, thoughts that just pop up, a little lie here, and a little naughtiness there. Yet this does not change the fact that we are part God’s plan.

Our minds are the battle field were a bitter war rages between light and dark, right and wrong, God and Satan. Ours souls belong to God but our thoughts are our own. When we think sinful thoughts we lose our ground, when we bring these thoughts captive under the name of Jesus we gain our ground. When we realise that God has our soul in His hand, we must not give Satan any stronghold in our minds. So we battle against Satan, who distracts us with fleshly desires and sinful thoughts, to deceive us and cause us to take our eyes off Jesus.

Be encouraged today to be strong in the battle for your mind.

David

Point to ponder: Surrender your mind to God not to Satan.

Question to consider: Do you struggle with wrong thoughts?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za

Transforming Power

1 February 2012.

Romans 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

Ungodly people practise independent meaning in rebellion to God, while the Godly practise dependence in submission to God.  As a result of this rebellion the world is steeped in sin and moral decay and hate replaces love, war replaces peace, greed replaces charity, sadness replaces joy. When we deal with the ungodly nothing is as it seems and we have to constantly on our guard against deception, so we have signed contract for this, and a treaty for that simply because we are living in an ungodly world.

We have as Christians been transformed from ungodly to Godly through what Jesus Christ has done for this world that God loves so much. So we are His vanguard, we are His invasion force that is equipped with the Holy Spirit to go out and transform others from being ungodly to Godly in His Name. The name and power of Jesus Christ is an irresistible force before each knee will bow and each tongue confess that He is Lord!

The moral power of the preached Gospel and the transformed life defeats the foe as no other can. Every time we pray we advance the kingdom of God and every person coming to Christ is a victory in His name.

Be encouraged today to practise submission to God.

David

Point to ponder: When we pray the powers of darkness flee.

Question to consider: Are you part of the transforming power of Jesus Christ?

Our webpage: www.christhealing.co.za