The church in ruins

31 March 2011

Haggai 1:9 You have looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while you busy yourselves each with his own house.

So often one comes across people who are struggling in life, even though they seem on the outside to be so successful, they live in nice homes, drive nice cars, yet they are like hamsters on a tread mill, all they seem to do is never enough. They never have enough money, enough time, enough love, enough of anything, that which they have seems to be blown away at the first wind of crisis. When the churches roof is leaking, and the walls are cracked and need of paint, when the garden is uncared for and the pew cushions stained, who cares? When we give our hand-me downs to the church with old curtains, and the things we do not have use for any more, we seem to think this is charity and we are pleasing God.

We drive past neglected churches, dying landmarks to our parents generation, without a care for what we see and then we wander why we never have enough and to spare. Yet when we want a funeral or a church baptism, or ego boosting experience, we will use it, look at its shabbiness, and just carry on regardless.  So many people reject the church and have weddings in commercial venues to avoid being in the House of God, the go to funeral parlours because they have no relationship with a church and possibly God, and baptism is ignored because they need to keep an open mind. In all of this they have the mentality of a hamster which seems to be content on the tread mill of life, knowing no better.

This is so sad, a tragedy really that so many people choose to live life that way, who believe that the life they choose with no time for anything is their only choice. They believe the lie that they can ignore God and prosper. This may work for a little while until the hamster wheel breaks and they realise that all they have done was to chase the wind.

Be encouraged to care for God’s house more than you care for your own.

David

Point to ponder: God’s house lies in ruins.

Question to consider: When last did you fix  or clean something in the church you attend?

True worship

30 March 2011

Zechariah 4:6 Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerub'babel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

We worship the Living God in spirit, when we understand that we come to meet with God, we meet with and through the Spirit of God. This does not mean that God is not One, but that in and through His Spirit, the Holy Spirit is the way through which we experience God. In the Old Testament this was limited to those who were of the bloodline of Israel and who were called by God for a specific purpose. Because of what Jesus Christ has done this is now an unlimited blessing to all who believe.

So often we find people wanting to experience the power of God, our the strength of God in their situations, rather than through the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit is conditional on belief, those who believe that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Saviour, those who live by His teachings, to them is the gift freely given. Yet there is a purpose in that gift, the purpose is to do the will of God, and most often this is revealed to us when we worship God in spirit.

To worship God in spirit is to not allow the barriers of self-doubt, fear of people, fear of the past to separate us from the love of God, but to be free in one’s self before God. Music, prayer, meditation, sermons, rituals are only a means to the end, the end in itself is to worship God with all our heart, mind, body and soul, a complete meeting with God in the spirit.

Be encouraged today to be reminded that we worship God with every breath.

David

Point to ponder: True worship is worship in the spirit.

Question to consider:  Do you worship in the spirit?

Let's have another meeting

29 March 2011

Proverbs 23:9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

A meeting for a meeting sake is a drag on everyone involved except for those people who enjoy the meetings and those who love to moan about the meetings. Yet when a meeting is necessary it is beneficial for all who attend, selecting those that should be at the meeting is also important so that the right people are there to make the decisions needed and inform others of what is taking place. All meetings should have an agenda and the process should be transparent with no hidden motives for the meeting. If a meeting does not make a positive difference to solving the problem it has wasted every bodies time.

Some people are anti meetings because it for them is a waste of time, because they are not really included in the decisions and are there just to bolster the ego of a manager, managers just instruct anyway, even though they have no clue how to actually do the work. Very often this is true to them because experience has proved this.

Yet when meetings are properly set out, clear agendas and the right to change decisions, and the dignity of being heard by all, the become constructive ways of achieving goals. The purpose and goals must be clear, and each person should know how they will help in the process. These principles apply in business, in our homes and in our churches, as it through meetings that we record decisions and develop understanding of what is the issue and how to solve them. It is meetings that the wisdom and knowledge of others is tapped into and developed.

Be encouraged to use wisdom and knowledge correctly.

David

Point to ponder: Wisdom adds value.

Question to consider: Do you dislike meetings?

The sermon that moved us all on M4M Sunday

READINGS:

1^st LESSON: 1st KINGS 19:9-18

2^nd LESSON: 1^st SAMUEL 16: 1-12

TEXT: LUKE 4: 14-19

PRAYER

Lord anoint us this morning as we listen to your word; use us as instruments and vessels in your vine yard and may your will be done today within this service. Use me, oh Lord as your boat of transmission of the gospel and the anointing of your children. May we find favour in your presence, empowerment by the Holy Spirit, healing and comfort and edification in your word. This, we pray in the name of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.

 

THEME: THE ANONTING POWER OF GOD.

It is and will always be remembered that man is faced with very daunting challenges to cross over and when the bells of heaven will ring the wake up call for us to approach the kingdom throne shall be announced by the return of the king who has constantly 

anointed His Church.

Grace to you and peace from Him who is, who was, and who is come. Amen

When told to present this meditation, I felt it was another challenge but after prayers the Lord told what to expose today. I prayed and was asked to talk on anointing. 

There are two types of anointing;             

Anointing with oil,                  

Anointing by the Holy Spirit.

·       Anointing with oil is an old tradition dating back to the olden Davidic days. It is the applying of oil to the human body (Ruth 3:3 Psalms 104:15; Luke 7:46) at death (Mk 14:8; 16:1). 

·       There was also sacred anointing to dedicate a person or thing to the Lord e.g. the tabernacle and its furniture and (Ex 20: 22), prophets (1 kings 19:16), priests like the Aaronic priests (Ex

28:41) and kings like David was anointed in 1^st Samuel 16: 12-13.  

·       In the New Testament we see Christ anointed by the Holy Spirit in Jn 1:32-33; and Luke 4:18-21. “The spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

·   

    We see Jesus anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit when he is baptized and w hear Christ in many biblical quotations talking about the anointing power of the Holy Spirit on all who believe and have faith I Him. In John 14 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit and in vs 18 He promises “l will not leave you as Orphans; I will come to you; and in vs 25-26 he adds that “All this l have spoken while still with you but the counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything l have said to you”

·     

  Like the Holy Spirit came down and anointed Jesus as testifies John the Baptist in John 1:32-33 “I saw the Holy Spirit come down from Heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me. ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit’.”    

·       

TTTwo icons JOHN HUSS and MARTIN LUTHER ignited by JOHN WYCLIFFE”S writings were all anointed by the Holy Spirit to become great reformists of the Church and expose the religious charlatans of the church and proclaim the truth of scripture. Listen to this paragraph about JOHN HUSS’ anointment as reported by STUART GARVER

“Confronted by representatives of the Pope sent to silence Huss, the outspoken reformer declared: “Let it be understood that I call apostolic orders the teachings of the Apostles of Christ. When the pope’s orders are in agreement with these l am ready to listen to them: when they are contrary I refuse to obey them even if you were to kindle before my very eyes the fire in which my body was to be burned.”

Tragically, the last statement would prove to be prophetic says Stuart and when HUSS was summoned and accused of “wycliffism” he refused to recant, on the basis that there was no scriptural prove to show that he his teachings were wrong. His enemies sentenced him to be burned at the stake. 

On the afternoon of July 6^th, 1415, he was led and lashed to the stake and smeared with pitch and oil, and according to Stuart Garver, before the executioner lit the embers piled at his feet he cried out this cryptic prophecy:

“Today………. You will roast a lean goose (meant HUSS goose) but hundred of years from now you will hear a swan sing. Him you will leave unroasted. No trap or net will catch him for you!” which became Luther’s anointing.

As men for the Master celebrate this day we also take a look at the anointing power of the Spirit that inspired them to initiate such an idea. Today we celebrate another moment in the life of the M4M who have been greatly involved in one way or the other in the life of the congregation.

As we celebrate this day we look forward to enhancing the goals such as:

           - To cultivate the fields and take care of the sheep

           - Enhance the Spiritual growth of the members

Concluding, as we approach Easter, may we all seek God’s anointing power to us as individuals and as a Church at large, so that we can together seek to see and know God’s direction for Men for the Master and St Mark’s as a whole.

Summarily, we take the following

1.   That God can anoint us at any time whether as a means of healing or deliverance.

2.   Anointing is an old time means of empowerment used by God.

3.   Anointing was what empowered Martin Luther and John Huss.

May we come forward now if we feel moved by the Spirit for anointing with oil as a means of empowerment and readiness to approaching Easter.

Let’s pray ……Amen

Blessings,

Roger Tem

Nearer to God

8 March 2011

John 14:1 "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.

How often have we heard it said, “ I just wish I could feel nearer to God” and we hear this and just have no idea of how to answer the question. The question we should be asking is why does a person feel the need to be closer to God, what is it that is driving them to ask that question? Is it that they are insecure, do they feel inadequate, do they struggle with unbelief, are they wanting to come closer to God on their terms and not God’s? these questions need also to be asked in order for understanding to be revealed. Why can we not be content that God loves us and that we just need to accept this and believe this with all our hearts.

Our relationship with God should not be driven by our feelings, but by the facts revealed to us through His word to us, and then believing the Word, if we respond to our emotional need then our journey becomes a roller coaster ride of emotionalism. Very often people want to be close to God, but they cannot be close to their spouse or their children or their family, the Word tells us to first make your peace and then come to His altar of prayer.

The way to come close to God is to trust God and believe Him. God loves us, so trust in that. In this way we trust Him with everything, so we are able to give everything, when we have nothing but Him we are truly free.

Be encouraged today to trust God.

David

Point to ponder: God loves you.

Question to consider:  Do you rarely trust God?

Think before you speak

25 March 2011

Proverbs 13:16 In everything a prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.

It is important to make sure about the things we need to do and when the right time is to do it, it is always wise to check that what we do is correct before we act. Sometimes we respond on information that is invalid and we end up being embarrassed. We may find that this is true of many situations we are in and irrespective of how old we may be. It never does harm to check twice.

Having said that when we are in a hurry we are more inclined to make mistakes and also when are repeating stuff that we have done a thousand times. Somehow or other an error creeps in. It is like baking a cake and finding that we left an ingredient out or sending someone the wrong invoice. The problem is that we are not always able to fix something and the result is that we are just as hurt as the other person because of it.

Wisdom comes with experience, and experience is learnt through trial and error, wise people do not repeat mistakes, they learn from them.

Be encouraged today to think carefully before you act.

David

Point to ponder:  Wisdom is something you cherish.

Question to consider:  Do you double check the facts before you act?

Costs

24 March 2011

2 Corinthians 9:6 The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

In the Christian accommodation business one finds different attitudes displayed towards the costs of staying in a place like Linga Longa. Some people are so used to bargaining that they expect a special discount because they are Christian and are going to stay in a Christian Retreat Centre, even though the tariff this is based on the running costs. Others are amazed at the low cost and high value return of staying, they ask how they may bless the work being done. While sometimes people want to do good works and help others, expecting that because they are doing this they should stay free.

It is not God’s plan to extort money to be used for works of charity, in order to  fulfil some personal vision. As people of God, we pay what is due, give more than we can afford, yet at the same time always have place for those that are in greater need than ourselves. This is a fine balance of being blessed and blessing others, when we deny our own families to bless others, we insult God. We need to see the bigger picture and not only the needs of ourselves. This starts by seeing ourselves in God’s picture; realising that others see who we are in the way we do business.

Be encouraged today to be blessed and bless others by paying them what they are worth and when due.

 David

Point to ponder:  Give to God what belongs to God.

Question to consider: Do you always argue about the price?