Exploitation

28 September  2012       

    

Proverbs 20:7 A righteous man who walks in his integrity--blessed are his sons after him!

Very often we get caught out because we do not have the correct information about something, simply like reducing the number of tissues from 220 to 180 and keeping the size and price of the box the same. We are never to old to learn and similarly I learnt something about watermelons, firstly many watermelon farmers do not own the land but rent it for a single crop. They do not fence the land properly with all the investment being in getting water to the crop, they then get a permit to kill any game that comes on the land and so protect the crop. When the crop is harvested they move on and the field takes six years to recover and the wild life never does.

Now when we look at what we do and the consequences are we being fair to those around us and do we care what happens next year after we move on and have made a profit. Wisdom is a gift that is something beyond compare, and we need to use it wisely. Always be conscious that we leave a legacy to others, even the unborn generations, what are we leaving them?

Be encouraged today to be aware that what we do becomes who we are.

 

David

Point to ponder: We are called to care about tomorrow.

Question to consider: What legacy are you leaving behind?

Be careful

 

27 September  2012     

      

Proverbs 3:29 Do not plan evil against your neighbor who dwells trustingly beside you.

Every now and again one gets an email that warns of danger, and how some people will do things that will just harm some on a random basis. Now I found out that this story has merit and we need to be careful when we work with chemicals, even dishwashing soap. I tried to hide having to use a bleach when we were caring for a person with TB and AIDS so I took the dishwashing soap and poured some bleach into the soap to make one solution. Well this started to heat up and expand at such a rapid rate that it spewed out with pressure spraying the ceiling of the kitchen. Now it is even worse if you use drain cleaner. So if you see a plastic bottle with closed with a bit of tinfoil and water be very suspicious, if you shake it, it may explode.

When we see and understand that certain things do not mix, and if we try to mix them, a dangerous result is likely to occur. In the same way we have sin and good intentions, when we mix them somebody is going to be hurt. We need to be conscious of the danger of the elements that we bring together, even some of our good intentions have the tendency to explode on us. The result is that we have to do a lot of cleaning up, just as I had to do when washing the kitchen ceiling.

Be encouraged today to be aware that not all things appear as they seem.

David

Point to ponder: Be aware some people wish you harm.

Question to consider: Are you careful?

Problem people

26 September  2012   

       

Acts 15:37-40 And Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphyl'ia, and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp contention, so that they separated from each other; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

There are just some people that get under your skin, they seem to know just what to say to get you upset and their timing is superb. Now it isn’t that you are wrong, but that they want what they want and when you do not give them what they want, you are the guilty party. There are even the occasion where they do not know what they want and you are still the guilty party. Then to add insult to injury because you are a Christian you have to be the one to say sorry. Then because you don’t you are accused of being un-Christian and so you just accept the blame, but find it so hard in your heart to say sorry.

So what does a good Christian do, well you simply walk away, just as Paul did when he had words with Silas, when Mark went back home. We also are told in the Bible that when we have people that are not keeping to the expectations, we simply keep away from them. We examine our actions, and we ask what could we have done differently, and maybe we could have, and we ask Jesus to forgive us first and then with His help we do things differently. Time needs to pass, others need to mature, and when Jesus moves us, we are then able to accept that we too have changed.

Be encouraged today to not beat yourself up over the actions of others.

 

David

Point to ponder: We need to move on in the grace of the Lord.

Question to consider: How do you handle contention?

Remember

 25 September  2012  

         

Mark 8:17-18 And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?

There are many people who do not believe in the supernatural and extraordinary events, and they are the ones who struggle most to have faith. When you experience the supernatural intervention in someone’s life and you see with your own eyes the change in another person, how can you not believe. Yet with time and being exposed to others prejudice these memories often fade and then you wonder did it really happen?

In our experience with Christianity we are called to remember, to remember as often as we can of God’s intervention and grace in our lives. It is in remembering and sharing our memories that we grow in faith and deepen our thoughts in what we believe. So when we experience the extraordinary, for those that truly believe it becomes ordinary an expected event through which we bring praise and glory to God.

Be encouraged today to remember  those extraordinary moments that God changed your life.

David

Point to ponder: Remember God’s grace.

Question to consider: When last did you recall how God has touched your life?

Authority

 

21 September  2012     

      

3 John 1:9-10 I have written something to the church; but Diot'rephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge my authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, prating against me with evil words. And not content with that, he refuses himself to welcome the brethren, and also stops those who want to welcome them and puts them out of the church.

This is a text that is seldom preached on, and one wonders why. This speaks to the lack of servant hood in the leadership and of those who refuse to respect the authority of others. A person like Diot’rephes had the opinion that he alone would control who preaches, and who would be acceptable in a congregation and if people did not like his opinion it did not bother him if they left to go somewhere else. When people disagreed with him he used his power to force the issue.

Now we sometimes do not realise that when we close the doors to others and deny others through that to come to church, that we too are considered to be problematic, and we may well find our names in future scripture of what we have done. The only person with authority in a church is Jesus Christ, the pulpit belongs to Him, and we enter that place in fear and trepidation. When Jesus gives authority to preach, He also gifts with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, when man gives authority we seldom find that same wisdom.

Be encouraged today to recognise the authority that Jesus has given to others.

  

David

Point to ponder: Jesus gives authority not men.

Question to consider: Do you respect the authority of another’s calling?

Jesus needs you

20 September  2012     

      

Matthew 22:21 They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

When some one helps us, we often say, ‘I owe you one’ with the intention of helping them when they may need it later. In the same way we also try to support those that support us and in that way we help them with what they are doing. The sad part though is so often when a person really needs our help and support we wait for someone else to do it and when they crumble under the pressure. We come and share our condolences with them saying, ‘all you had to do was ask’.

The reality is that Jesus is the One that is asking for help, your help, not your neighbour, not your church but you to help Him. Will you? He needs you to be active and mobilised as a Christian for Him, not thinking of your own selfish needs, but to think of the needs of others. He has helped you, yet you remain selfish and will not share His help with others. Now there are many of you who will say that this is not true of themselves, and this may be the case, but there are still many who this is true of. They pray for harvest but never give of it to others with less than they, the pray for more money yet never tithe. They want to be blessed but never think of just blessing another. Without your help how do you think His ministries to others will continue?

Be encouraged today to be willing and available to help Jesus, He needs you.

 

David

Point to ponder: Jesus needs you.

Question to consider: Do you make your resources available for Jesus?

Take a chance on love

19 September 2012

Romans 8:28 We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.

How do you know when the right thing to do is the right thing to do? When decisions are to be made we may have all the right information and the training to make decisions, yet we so often make them on past experience, even though the information may be different. This may result in repetitive experience rather than experience based on risk. The more we risk the more faith we need to have when making a decision. There comes a time in all our lives when we need to have and the ability to trust our decisions.

Even when we know it is the right thing to do, is it the right time and are we doing it the right way, and is this what God wants us to do, are all the thoughts that enters a persons mind when making a life changing decision. When our decision is love based, with others interest at heart, then surely we take a chance on love. Love in itself is a risky business, it is always putting others first, and this is sometimes hard to do. When we do things in love for love, it is usually the right thing to do.

Be encouraged today to decide to put love first.

David

Point to ponder: Take a chance on love.

Question to consider: Do you make your decisions based on love?

Your name is written

18 September  2012  

         

1 Chronicles 1:38-40 The sons of Se'ir: Lotan, Shobal, Zib'eon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam; and Lotan's sister was Timna. The sons of Shobal: Al'ian, Man'ahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zib'eon: Ai'ah and Anah.

How often in our lives that we think that we do not count and that nobody ever takes any serious notice of who we are. When we read this portion of the Bible we often just glance over it because of the repetitive lineage displayed in it. On may also suppose that in the day to day lives of each person while they were living it they never knew that their names were being recorded somewhere. They worked the land, loved, celebrated, had children, got sick, got better, lived with all of life’s problems and then died. That’s life.

In the same way each of us follow the same pattern, each day cluttering into the next until we are filled with days, and then our days are done. How we fill these days is not as important as living them to the full, treating each as precious. We know that as we live them so our names are also recorded in the Book of Life that is kept in heaven. We are not unknown to God, we are not unwanted, and we are certainly without hope for our hope rests in the Lord. So even if you may feel differently, the fact is that God knows who you are, live accordingly.

Be encouraged today to know that your name is recorded in the Book of Life.

 

David

Point to ponder: God knows your name.

Question to consider: Do you live a precious day?

Be healed

17 September  2012  

         

Acts 5:14-15 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

In this report we find people being healed as the shadow of Peter fell on them as interesting, we may well ask was it the shadow that healed them. Was it Peter that healed them or was it the Holy Spirit that was so present in Peter that healed them, or was it that they believed that all they needed, was to be near a person filled with the Holy Spirit to be healed? All we know from this account is that people were healed when the shadow of Peter fell on them.

What this raises is the question about healing and the fact that most of the people wanting to be healed were just normal people who had at that stage almost no knowledge of Jesus Christ other than what they heard from others. They did not go to church as we know it, they were not baptised nor confirmed, they were just simply believing that God was moving through Peter.

Today are there not many people who are filled with the same Holy Spirit? Are there not many people who are in desperate need of healing? The reality is that if you do not believe and you have no faith in what you believe you are no better than any other heathen or unbeliever. Every person that is a true believer is gifted to bring healing to others through the name of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. By the way that’s you.

Be encouraged today to start believing God has gifted you with His Spirit.

 

David

Point to ponder: God wants others to be healed through you.

Question to consider: Are you God’s healer through His Holy Spirit?

Strongholds

14 September  2012     

      

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

There are many times that we come against strongholds that are found in people, now there is no problem with a stronghold, but rather whose and what kind of stronghold is it? So within each of us I presume we have spiritual strongholds where the ownership and control is that of Jesus Christ, then there are others where the stronghold is ourselves, and the third where the stronghold is demonic.

To understand this we need to recognise the difference, Jesus is about love, peace and joy and about putting others first, but at the same time recognising that we please, worship and love God first. The second is when we put ourselves first and our own interests above others, and we go into our stronghold of fear, yet we are still in control. The third stronghold is where the control is given over to the demonic, where Jesus and self are second which hurts others and ourselves, you are no longer in control. These are like addictions, where we rather fight than make peace, where nothing is more important than the stronghold at any cost, this is a stronghold often seen as power and having power over you. Many times we find these negative strongholds break down the unity and peace in a church or community. Sometimes we think a person has a strong personality, but it may just be a stronghold that is manifesting.

Be encouraged today to examine the strongholds in you life and is Jesus in control of them?

David

Point to ponder: Surrender your strongholds to Jesus.

Question to consider: What is your strongholds?

What truth?

13 September  2012       

    

James 5:19-20 My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Pontius Pilate asked Jesus the question, ‘what is the truth?’, this question is still true today, what is the truth about what is happening in the mining industry, the trade unions, in the politics of South Africa. What is the truth that is being taught as the truth and may not be? Each of us form our own opinion of what we believe to be the truth.

Now from a Christian perspective how do you know when a person wonders from the truth, and how do you bring the sinner back to the truth? In order to do this we should have a clear understanding of what the truth is that we live by and believe to be the absolute truth. Often how ever we make the truth abstract, or ethereal, rather than the truth we live by. For me the truth is that even though I may sin and not please Jesus, He still loves me, He still opens His heart for me, and in my sinful way I love Him and He lives in my heart. Nothing I do will change His love for me, nothing He does will change my love for Him. For I know the truth of who He is and I believe Him and His word to me. For me truth is being in relationship with the ‘Truth’, Jesus Christ.

Be encouraged today to define your truth about what you believe.

  

David

 

Point to ponder: Rather be a forgiven sinner than an un-forgiven saint.

Question to consider: What is your truth?

Wait

12 September  2012    

       

Isaiah 40:30-31 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Have you ever found yourself to be impatient, that you just cannot wait for something to happen, or some indication of what you should do so that you can just do it. It is a fallacy that only the youth are impatient, as I have met many ‘older’ people who are more impatient than one can bear. To do nothing but wait for the Lord is not as easy as it seems, waiting is not doing nothing, but an activity that takes a lot of discipline and obedience to the wishes of another.

Everything comes to fruit in it’s season, and we often expect things to happen out of season, the result: disappointment. While one waits, you carry on where you are, you carry on doing what you are doing while you are waiting. So we all need to learn how to wait, to look forward in hope to that which we are waiting for, or simply just trusting God to be our hope and not that which we want. It is also while we wait that the LORD renews our strength, and it is He that provides us with the wings to fly like eagles. Wait on the LORD.

Be encouraged today to wait on the LORD.

  

David

 

Point to ponder: Learn to wait on the LORD.

Question to consider: Are you impatient and you do not like to wait?

Faith like Potatoes

 Dear all,

The Cornerstone will screen the movie “Faith like potatoes” at St Mark’s, 50 Kenmere Road, Yeoville at 7.00pm on Friday night, 14 September.

Movie will finish at approximately 9.15pm.

Ta,

Liz

Faithful

11 September  2012  

         

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

When we do things, do we do them well, or do we just do it to get it over and done with? the key to do something well is to be faithful in what you are doing, this means that you do it not only in faith, with faith, irrespective of what it is that you are doing. The question we need to ask ourselves is this, ‘is this in the will of the Father?’. Now this may seem a silly question when we do the ironing or washing the dishes, yet do we do this as if we were doing it for the Father?

When we start to do all in ways that pleases the Father, and we do it faithfully, then we find after a awhile that our will and the Father’s will becomes the same. We make sure that this is so by always comparing what we do to what the Bible tell us. In this way we do things so as to please our Father in heaven.

Be encouraged today to be faithful and to be in the will of the Father.

 

David

 

Point to ponder: Live to please God.

Question to consider: Are you in the Father’s will?

New Presbyterian link

Greetings! 

Please find attached an electronic copy of the Presbyterian Link. We would like to encourage you to make it electronically available to your congregants and to print copies for those who do not have access to the internet or e-mail. If you do not have the facilities to make this available through your church office or Presbytery, the Central Office would be willing to provide you with black and white copies provided that you inform us of the number of copies you require. A copy is also posted on the UPCSA website:  

www.upcsa.org.za
 

 It is extremely costly to produce this Presbyterian Link; therefore we are forced to resort to such measures in production and distribution. Members in the pews are really interested to know about the UPCSA and its work. We rely on you to distribute this information to them and sincerely hope that you would.

Thank you so much for your kind assistance in this endeavour. Keep spreading the news!

Blessings!

The Rev Prof Jerry Pillay
General Secretary

  

The link is:

http://www.upcsa.org.za/docs-archive/presbylink_sept_2012.pdf

Loyalty

10 September  2012    

       

1 Timothy 6:11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

If you want the job then you should be able to do the job, and with time and training be able to do the job better. Many people want the job, and often get the job and when they do they just cannot do the job, the result is that those that employed them have to keep them on, and after much time, training etc. they still cannot do the job properly. In fact many of them move from one job to the other just in time before they get fired and each time their pay improves until they are the ones selecting others for the job they could never do themselves.

The real sad part is that those who can do the job, do it and are happy to stay and do it, and they are the back bone of the company, society and tax base of the country. In the same way we find these same loyal people in congregations that stay, pray regularly, are part of the Bible studies and fellowship. Crisis’s come and go, leadership comes and goes and they stay faithful. They do what they know best, and because of this they grow in faith.

Be encouraged not to loose faith by looking at others, do your best.

 

David

Point to ponder: God honours the faithful.

Question to consider: Are you loyal?

Siyapi Simango is back in Zimbabwe

 Siyapi is safe, but back in Zimbabwe .... please uphold the Simango family in prayer

 Dear Friends,

The Lord  has answered our prayers. Solomon has just phoned to confirm that Siyapi Simango is back in Zimbabwe after a horrific experience. 

He was robbed at gun point by four robbers at an ATM last Friday. The Police, using ATM footage, tracked down and arrested two of the four perpitrators. They in turned identified Siyapi's car and subsequently abducted him and and dropped him in the Kruger Park. Miraculously he was able to make it home to Zimbabwe from there and is now understandably fearful of returning to South Africa.

Details are still sketchy, but Solomon is tracing his number in Zimbabwe and will have more news after that. Sharai and the family are in need of our prays as they come to terms with the situation.

The Lord be praised. 

The St Mark's Editorial Team

Some facts about Siyapi's abduction

Dear friends,

It does not look at all good – apparently he experienced ATM fraud a week or so before this happened, and had reported it to the Yeoville police who got some info off the ATM video, and then it seems went round to Siyapi and Sharai’s flat, and Sharai fears that this alerted the criminals ,who were then able to identify Siyapi and his car. (I’m not sure of the ins and outs, but this does seem possible, and just makes it all even worse.)

Thanks for prayers to date. Please don’t stop.

Love and blessings,

Liz

It's raining

7 September  2012

 

Ephesians 1:9-10 For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

God really has a sense of humour, yesterday in the encouragement that we had not got a drop of rain, last evening the rain started and has not stopped! Last night I also had an expectation of deep fried fish with chips, I made the chips and the electricity went off, so after a cold supper and a candle light experience the warmest place was bed. This morning I have a meeting at the conservancy dam to discuss the winter flow into the dam as it has been very dry, and the Lord gives us 40mm of rain. I can just imagine the meeting to discuss the inflow to the dam from the spring in the rain.

This just makes us realise how little we are able to control things, we cannot control the weather, we cannot control power failures, so sometimes we just need to accept and live with what we have. It is these that we begin to understand how blessed we are, and when we tense up it’s like shouting at the thunder. God has His plan and nothing is going to change it, so we need to stick to His plan and we will be OK. His plan is that we live life and enjoy it without hurting others.

Be encouraged today to enjoy what the day brings.

David

Point to ponder: Be in God’s plan.

Question to consider: Are you part of God’s plan?

Praise God

6 September  2012

 

Psalms 34:2-3 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

There are some days where one’s spirit within oneself does not feel right, like there is something wrong but you just do not know what. The sky is heavy with clouds and much needed rain has fallen on many parts of the land, yet your land is dry. It seems that so many things have to happen, decisions made and the day appears to be cluttered with so many issues, yet what about me in all of this?

It is at such times that we need to realise that our feelings are dependant on our mood and responses to others around us including exposure to the media. How we feel varies, but the facts of who we are and who we believe in does not, and it is in times like these that no matter our affliction, our poverty, or how we feel, we are able to praise and give thanks to God. The moment we start to sing, the moment we realise that our God is bigger than our feelings, our spirits lift with the joy of praise.

Be encouraged today to praise God no matter how we feel.

 

David

 

Point to ponder: Praise turns sadness into joy.

Question to consider: Do you sing when you are sad?

 

No more sweets

5 September  2012

 

Proverbs 12:9 Better is a man of humble standing who works for himself than one who plays the great man but lacks bread.

There are certain things that one learns in life, one of these is the need to be able to share with others and the other that what we have to share is limited.  So when you only have ten sweets and eleven children it is necessary for either one child not to have, or to split the ten sweets in such away that each has a similar portion, or keep the sweets for yourself and do not give the children any sweets.  The other problem is that these are the last sweets and there are no more to be had, because the factory that made these sweets has closed down.

Now for you and I this is simple, if we do not plant we cannot reap, if you do not care for what you have, it will not last, and if it is yours then it is yours to do with as you want. So when a person demands money from you, like a child demanding a sweet it is your decision to give the sweet or not. And if the child petulantly keeps demanding, the value is dependant on the negotiation for the value of the sweet, what is the child supposed to do to earn the sweet. So when there are no sweets  there is no demand.

In the same way whether it is a mine strike or whatever, there comes a time that the value demanded is beyond the capacity to give in, so it’s better to just close shop and move on. In the same way many of us expect God to just give us the blessings with us never adding value to what He has blessed us with.

Be encouraged today to stop demanding and to nurture the blessings.

 

David

 

Point to ponder: God does not respond well to demands.

Question to consider: Do you demand or beg?

Judge not

4 September  2012

 

Matthew 7:1:2 "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

In the world today I believe the greatest sin is selfishness, what I want and need is more important than others needs, and I will get what I want no matter the cost. I am a winner not a loser and as a result we all loose. When we look at others and judge their behaviour we must always be alert that someone else is judging us. So it is far better not to judge what others do, leave that to the Judge, but rather give them the space to receive your forgiveness, and in this way it gives the Judge the space to bring justice into the situation.

So as a follower of Jesus, which is different to a church attendee, the focus should never be on self, or on what church you attend, or who is important in that church, or what ritual takes place when, but rather on following Jesus. The example Jesus gives us is that He selflessly gave of Himself; totally for you and I, and when we follow Jesus we follow this example. So when I am more important than others, or my status makes me above others, then I am in serious trouble. Rather let the Judge, judge and Jesus be that Judge rather than I.

Be encouraged today to forgive rather than judge.

 

David

 

Point to ponder: Be careful who you judge.

Question to consider: Do you judge or forgive?

Fires

3 September  2012

 

Proverbs 16:27-28 A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. A perverse man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.

In the area where we live there are many camps and game farms that are open to the public for game drives and holiday chalets, one of these is Sondela. On Saturday a tragedy struck when a grass fire out of control swept through Sondela destroying chalets and taking the lives of two of the guests with many of the animals badly burnt. When a fire is out of control there is very little one can do in thick dry bush. The fire comes suddenly and with the speed of the wind driving the flames even faster. The wind on Saturday was at about 28kph.

When we think of this tragedy and the suddenness of it, we must turn our minds to the Bible and be reminded that life is precious and what we do each day has the ability to set things ablaze. The fires we light are able to keep us warm, cook our food, but that same fire is also able to hurt, maim and kill. It is not only matches that are able to set fires, but also the words of our mouths and what we do. So when we do light fires with whatever do we have the correct regard for the consequences our actions may have?

Be encouraged today to be careful how you light fires.

 

David

 

Point to ponder: The fires we light may either bless or harm.

Question to consider: Have you ever lit a fire that went out of control?