Huddy is two.  A very typical two year old, he gets into everything and he is a sponge soaking up every word and action of the adults around him.  He is a bundle of laughs most of the time, but as a healthy and inquisitive boy, he gets himself into trouble too.  Our little man loves to explore the boundaries, something that he is supposed to do.  He tests the strength of the shelves on the book case as much as he tests my patience by drawing on the furniture with a wax crayon.  Both things are healthy and if he did not do these things, we would be worried.  Two years olds are suppose to be adventurous and they are suppose to say “mine” and “no” a lot.  He is learning autonomy and how to use free will.  Often he will say no to something he really want to say yes to, just because that is what two year olds do.

Often times the consequence of his  actions brings him pain.  Bumps and scrapes and especially stubbed toes are the norm right about now, as it is with most toddlers.  It is as it is supposed to be.  The sometimes painful consequence of his actions is not punishment, but opportunity for growth and learning.  The hardest part of being ouma (Afrikaans word for grandmother) is to allow him the luxury of learning by experience.  I want to protect him from harm as best I can.

Something that he does that causes my heart to skip a beat more often than not, is his tendency to run off when we are outside.  He considers it great fun having me run after him, yelling “stop!”.  Instead of stopping, he goes as fast as his little legs can carry him, oblivious to danger.  Our job is to keep him safe until such a time as he is mature enough to recognise danger for himself, without breaking his adventurous spirit in the process.

Because I understand the psyche of a two year old, I have come up with another strategy that I am going to put into practice when we are out and about.  Instead of yelling for him to stop, we are turning it into a game.  Ouma yells “freeze” and no-one is allowed to move until I say so.  It probably won’t work every time, but I am upping the ante with a few little prizes.  You freeze every time, you get to pick from a small selection of toys.  It’s going to be a work in progress.

It reminds me of the Father.  How often do we read the Word and see a scripture that seems just too restrictive?  How often do we hear Holy Spirit say “freeze” but we ignore the command and pay the price?  Often time we want to be delivered from the enemy, when the enemy has nothing to do with it.  Our pain is caused by the consequence of our actions.  We engage our free will, which is good and right.  It’s a God-given blessing to have a choice, but until we are mature enough to make healthy and safe choices for ourselves, we need the boundaries that the Lord sets for us.  The more we mature to walk in obedience, the less restrictive those boundaries will seem.  Instead we begin to realise that every “no”, “ not now” or “ take care” from the Father is an act of immense love.  He wants to protect us from dangers that He can see, even when we resent what we see as an infringement upon our free will.  His intention is not to break our spirit, but to lead us into a deeper walk, into maturity and into a place where we walk in wisdom, lead by Holy Spirit, by choice.

Sadly though, often times as the children of God, we react like two year olds.  We say no when we know we should be saying yes, and vice versa, or we see something in the distance and we run after it headlong when Abba wants us to wait for Him.  Skinned knees and stubbed toes often result, as does egg on our faces.  We resent the Lord’s discipline and we regard the consequence of our action as punishment, rather than thank Him for the opportunity to learn and to grow in grace.

I once heard it said that a smart person learns from his own mistakes, but a wise person learns from other people’s mistakes.  Yet we tend to think that we will be the exception to the rule…we will get away with the thing that caused so many others to fall.  In this season, as in every other season, we need to grow up and earnestly seek after wisdom.  We are walking a road we have not traveled before.  We need to heed the voice of the Lord, saying “freeze” or “this is the way, walk in it” (Is. 30:21).  When Holy Spirit says freeze, it’s to keep us safe, but also to give us an opportunity to comply.  We get to choose to do the right thing, we get to choose obedience rather than defying Him and with making the right choice, we get a reward.

The other day, Oupa (you guessed it, Afrikaans for grandpa) asked Huddy what his name was.  His answer?  Good boy!  Because that’s what he hears every time he chooses obedience.  That’s what we are striving for, isn’t it.  To hear Abba Father say “You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you were faithful to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Come celebrate with me!”  (Matt. 25:23 TPT), just as the wealthy man said to his faithful servant in the parable.

Our obedience is an act of worship.  It is ascribing the highest honour to One Who is worthy to receive it.  So whether Abba is asking you to do something or whether He is asking you to stop and wait, heed Him.  There is a great reward waiting for those that overcome…especially when we overcome our natural inclination for rebellion.

It is said of Jesus, in the book of Hebrews…”But even though He was a wonderful Son, He learned to listen and obey through all His sufferings.  And after being proven perfect in this way He has now become the source of eternal salvation to all those who listen to Him and obey.” (Heb. 5: 8,9) 

Jesus goes on to say: 

“What good does it do for you to say I am your Lord and Master if what I teach you is not put into practice? Let me describe the one who truly follows me and does what I say. He is like a man who chooses the right place to build a house and then lays a deep and secure foundation. When the storms and floods rage against that house, it continues to stand strong and unshaken through the tempest, for it has been wisely built on the right foundation.    Luke 6:46-48 (TPT)

Let’s encourage one another in this season of uncertainty, where storms rage in us and around us, to choose obedience above all.  Let Jesus be Lord and Master, as well as Saviour and Friend.  Selah.

I love the novel “The Screwtape Letters”, by C. S. Lewis.  For those of you who haven’t read it, it’s the tale of Uncle Screwtape, a senior demon who instructs his nephew Wormwood in the art of beguiling his assigned human, or “patient”.  The aim is to get the “patient” away from the “Enemy” and steer him towards “Our Father Below”.  The letters they pass back and forth contain detailed instructions from uncle to nephew, who in turn responds with feedback on how his assignment is progressing.

The reason I mention this book, is because as I was out walking with my husband this morning, my mind started to wander.  We were praying as we walked, as is our custom and one of the topics was giving thanks for the gift of time.  We consider it a blessing to be able to spend time at home.  We don’t feel trapped or stuck, in fact we see this as a gift from the Lord.  My husband has an hour to walk with me, rather than commute to work.  I cook “takeaway” meals to bless my children with.  I bake treats for my son to take with him when he’s working away from home.  I am able to take care of my grandson while his mum is working.  I consider all of this a privilege and right now that is how I worship.  My ministry has shrunk to my family and the few close friends I connect with via technology.

This sounds good and right, doesn’t it?  If it wasn’t for two pesky voices, that is.  You might not have considered this, but bear with me, because I bet you are very familiar with these twin demons and as I continue you will recognize their voices. They are twins…two scrawny little demons with squeaky voices, not highly valued and honored amongst the demon ranks.  They don’t have any ambition to become principalities and nobody writes books about them either.  In fact, they are so obscure that Christians seldom recognize their evil plots and often collude with them, totally unaware of the damage they are causing.  Remember the little foxes of Song of Solomon 2 v 15?  

You must catch the troubling foxes,
those sly little foxes that hinder our relationship.
For they raid our budding vineyard of love
to ruin what I’ve planted within you.
Will you catch them and remove them for me?
We will do it together.

These two are foxes indeed…sly, conniving and fast.  Their names?  Should and Should-not.  To get back to my walk.  I started to hear this conversation in my head.  Should and Should-not were talking strategy and in the style of C.S. Lewis, I would love to share some of that with you.

                                                ***

“So how can we torment those Christians today?”, Should asked Should-not.  It was obvious that he was enjoying the thought of causing some havoc.  No surprises there.  “Not sure”, Should-not said.  Every demon in hell knew he wasn’t the smart twin, and he was a little bit scared of being clipped around the ear, as often happened when he gave Should an answer he didn’t like.

“Well, we know they’re all holed up in their homes at the moment.  It should be easy to mess with their heads.”  Should sounded very confident, but Should-not wasn’t convinced.  “You do remember they have not a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind?  That hasn’t changed, has it?”  “Should-not, do you always have to be so negative?  Glass half full!  I keep telling you, you lack ambition.  One of these days…so help me!”  Should-not ducked, just in case.

“Now pay attention, Should-not.  I am going to spell it out for you.  This is the plan…we are going to get them to do it to one another.”  “Should, you are brilliant!” Should-not said.  “How are we going to do it?”  

“To start, we are going to inspire them to put guilt and condemnation on each other.  If they start telling each other what should and should not happen while they are having their time out, they will turn on each other before you can say ‘hell and damnation’, that much is sure.”  “Secondly, if we can get them to focus on everything they are missing out on, they will start to grumble and moan and forget all about the blessings they have.  Remember the Israelites?  When we got them to see desert and manna and manna and desert, they soon forgot about God’s provision and complained.  It still gives me goosebumps to think of all those quail!  Man, how funny was that?!  Our greatest accomplishment so far.  Boy, they were in such trouble.”  Should was now laughing so hard, he almost folded double.

“Yes, Should, yes, but they have become much smarter now.  I hope you have a better plan.”  

“Oh, you of little faith!  Should-not, I have a brilliant plan.  We are going to use this social isolation thing against them.  What do Christians like more than to correct each other online?  Or in person, for that matter.  Everyone thinks he or she is an authority on the Bible and they don’t think twice about correcting people they don’t know.  We are just going to set them loose.  If we can get someone to post something a little controversial, sooner or later a cat fight will break out.  All we have to do is sit back and enjoy the show.”  Should looked very smug.  He continued: “we will get someone to post an opinion on what everyone else should or should not be doing. It always works.  These people are so easily offended, it’s hilarious.”

“What do you mean Should?”  Should-not was obviously a little slow on the uptake.  Should was getting a little bit frustrated, but decided to humor Should-not.  “You know how they are not supposed to meet on Sundays?  Well, if some do and word gets out there will be a stir, wouldn’t there.  Some will defend them; others will condemn them and the whole world will be watching.  It’s a flawless plan.”  

“And if we can get someone to tell everyone else they should be doing more to evangelize, or worship or read the Word instead of watching Netflix or take the dog for a walk, they will feel guilt and condemnation when they rest or enjoy themselves” Should-not said.

“Should-not, now you’re getting the picture!  Once they feel guilty, they will do more and more, or beat themselves up when they enjoy a walk, some quiet time or an activity with their children.  The busier they get, the harder they will work, the more stressed they feel and the easier our job is. They will turn on those who are at rest, who get off their hamster wheels and they will do our job for us. They will tell everyone else what they should and should not do.  No-one will even think to speak to the Spirit before doing anything.  We have to stop them from entering rest.”  Should leaned back, confident that his plan was fool proof.”

                                         ***

I was thinking on these things as I too heard Should and Should-not whisper in my ear.  Yesterday, as I was reading a novel while watching my grandson nap, I heard the voice “you should be doing Bible study, instead of reading a novel.”  I heard Should-not when I turned off the worship music to enjoy the absolute quiet house when my work-from-home, always-talking-on-the-phone husband went into the office.  I heard Should loud and clear through social media, trying to put guilt and condemnation on me because we haven’t done a Facebook live session, haven’t emailed the missionaries I won’t be visiting this year to check up on their welfare and I haven’t done anything to bless my neighbors in this time, amongst a myriad of other things.  So much I should be doing, according to people I have never met.

So…Should, Should-not…get thee behind me, devils.  I am going to take a break and put my feet up.  I am going to enjoy every moment of this God-given opportunity to recharge my batteries, reconnect with my loved ones, I am going to enter the rest of the Lord and take naps.  Regardless of what you two have to say, I know I am loved for who I am, not for what I do, and for now, I intend to do nothing unless Holy Spirit directs me to do it.  

But those who wait for Yahweh’s grace will experience divine strength.They will rise up on soaring wings and fly like eagles, run their race without growing weary, and walk through life without giving up.  Isaiah 40:31 TPT

I am sitting here recovering from a mild meltdown on the inside…as I have been the proverbial graceful swan above the surface, but paddling like mad underneath. Like so many of us, I am having trouble adjusting to my new normal.  In a few short months I have gone from a long season of peace and quiet, with lots of empty hours to fill with studying the Word, reading inspiring books, worshipping to my hearts content and generally just hanging out with the Lord and my own thoughts to being busy and occupied with many things.

I feel like I have fallen headlong into chaos and to be honest, I have trouble adjusting.  I am feeling overwhelmed by chores, to-do lists and my guilty conscience.  Often times we feel out of control when our circumstances change, whether it’s the arrival of a new baby, the challenge of a new job or city or a myriad of things that vie for our attention.  There are so many voices crying out for attention and the loudest of all is the voice of the accuser, telling us we are not enough…not doing enough, not giving enough, not serving enough, not Christian enough…just not enough.

Another thing that’s bothering me is the fear that if I am not vigilant, soon I will become accustomed to life as it is now and not having or spending the time in worship, or reading the Word or even praying wouldn’t matter much anymore.  

Therefor I find myself in need of preaching to my own soul.  Like David said to his soul, I say to mine “Take courage. Remember when you used to be right out front leading the procession of praise when the great crowd of worshipers gathered to go into the presence of the Lord? You shouted with joy as the sound of passionate celebration filled the air and the joyous multitude of lovers honored the festival of the Lord!” “So then, my soul, why would you be depressed? Why would you sink into despair? Just keep hoping and waiting on God, your Savior. For no matter what, I will still sing with praise, living before his face is my saving grace!  (Psalm 42:4, 5 TP)

I love the mystical element of our faith.  There is so much of God, and of the way He works and moves, that is incomprehensible and I am very happy not to know everything. I am comfortable to put some things in my “God knows” box but I also realise that sometimes we need to get practical…so I am formulating a plan.  I hope by sharing mine, this will be helpful to someone who is also feeling totally overwhelmed right now.

Step 1:  Give up control.  

This seems so elementary but I realise feeling overwhelmed is the manifestation of my need to control the situation I find myself in.  I can’t control when people return my phone calls, do their bit on the projects we are collaborating on or even when the letting agent is going to call regarding the house we applied for.  I have to practice patience.  When my emotions boil over, I acknowledge them, I use them as a barometer of how much I am doing in my own strength and then I turn them over to the Lord. 

Step 2:  Wait well.

While I am waiting on people, I can wait well by turning my attention away from the emotions I feel and focus on the Lord for a few minutes.  Something as simple as sitting down, closing my eyes and just turning my attention inward, to where Holy Spirit dwells, can return peace and calm to my soul, therefor I give myself permission to just be for a while.

Step 3:  Worship

Often times, when I feel emotionally frayed, I find sound disturbing and I tend not to fill the atmosphere around me with music, which is a mistake.  When gentle worship music fills the atmosphere, my inner atmosphere changes too.  Remember Saul and David?  David’s soothing music calmed Saul’s disturbed soul.  We can also tap into soothing, healing music to help us focus our attention on the goodness of the Lord.

Step 4:  Ask for more grace

The Lord promised that when we ask for bread, He won’t give us stones.  When we are stretched beyond what we think we can endure, crying out for grace is the best thing we can do.  Understanding that grace is the power given by God to help us overcome obstacles, deal with temptation and the divine energy we need to sustain our life of prayer and worship, why would He not give it when we ask? 

Let’s take a moment…Abba Father, I ask for grace upon grace.  Give me the strength to endure, empower me to overcome my frayed emotions and help my spirit to stay sweet, kind and gentle in the midst of frustration.  Stir up in me the desire to pray, worship and enjoy fellowship with You.  Let Your deep call to the deep in me.

Step 5:  Find community

I am sure I am not the only person to self-isolate when I feel overwhelmed and stretched but the Lord puts us in families for a reason.  There’s an old proverb “sorrow shared, is sorrow halved” and it’s especially true for us as Christians.  We are to be our brother’s keeper and I feel that it is particularly unkind to people who love us when we deny them the opportunity to show us love and care.  I know I feel terrible when I hear that someone has been going through a situation where I could have been of help, had I only known.  I for one, am going to lay down my pride (let’s call it what it is) and ask for help when I need it.

Friends always show their love. What are relatives for if not to share trouble?        Proverbs 17:17 GNT

I’ll sign off with one last greeting…shalom shalom. May the peace of the Lord be with you, and also with me.

When you succeed, we will celebrate and shout for joy. Flags will fly when victory is yours!
Yes, God will answer your prayers and we will praise him! Psalm 20:5 TPT

So here we are, Amanda and I, tucked up in bed, in a very cold and wet Tel Aviv, Israel. We have been reminiscing and reflecting on the past ten days, walking the streets of Tel Aviv, Jaffa and Old Jerusalem. We have dipped our fingers in the Dead Sea, we have climbed mountains and what feels like a million steps. We ate enough bread, hummus and pastries to feed a small village and we have laughed and cried, sometimes at the same time. We made new friends, and truth be told, as (sometimes) less than sociable gals, we have had to grow in grace as part of a large group.

This morning, over coffee, we talked about the highlights of our trip…how many there were! Dancing on the Sea of Galilee set the tone for our trip. We were determined to worship Jesus, to raise flags to declare His victory everywhere we went and on a boat, in the middle of the Sea where Jesus calmed the storm, we worshipped until He calmed the storms in us.

Gazing at the steps leading up to Caiaphas’s house, where Jesus was dragged along, knowing He was about to take on the sin of all mankind, the tears that stared to flow in the pit where He was kept continued. I can recount many profound places, tell many stories, but what I want to share is the impressions left by the women who journeyed with us for a while.

At Caiaphas’s house, standing in the pit where Jesus was repeatedly hoisted up to be questioned, just to be dropped down again both Amanda and I were overcome by tears. He suffered much, in silence, and yet we complain so easily. Then two more ladies joined us in a group hug, weeping with us. Jesus did this by Himself, yet He made a way for us to be family…we don’t have to weep alone.

There were a few moments laying face down on a small part of the original Via Dolorosa, feeling the bitter cold seeping into our bones, knowing we were laying on a place where His blood was spilled, we were utterly undone by the magnitude of His suffering. I could hear weeping all around me, but what will stay with me is the older lady, walking with two clutches and a knee brace, rushing up wet, slippery steps to keep up with the group answering my question whether she was okay with “after what Jesus did for me, I will not complain”. She was a rock star! Amanda and I vowed to remind each other of the cold, cold floor any time we are tempted to complain and remember a lady giving Jesus her best shot.

Then there was a thermos of hot chocolate after a wet and cold visit to the garden tomb and Golgotha, carried far and lovingly passed around from one cold hand to another, treats being shared, warm items of clothing exchanged that spoke more to my heart than the empty grave we just visited. I saw a glimpse of what the early church must have been like…having all things in common, sharing what they had and doing it with joyful hearts. Jesus wasn’t in that grave, He is alive in hearts and His presence manifests when we love on each other.

Going back in time was an awesome experience, visiting places where Jesus walked and raising flags in His honour on the walls of Jerusalem, in front of the Menorah earmarked for the new temple, on the Sea of Galilee, at the pool of Siloam, at the Garden of Gethsemane and during baptisms at the river Jordan, even praying and worshipping in a building 20 storeys high, overlooking Jerusalem was unforgettable and profound but what made my heart sing more than anything else was seeing women get free in worship, seeing the impact Holy Spirit was making on hearts and again realising Jesus is alive, actively working in us and through us and that death had been overcome once and for all, right here in this place.

I will finish with the Aaronic blessing…God bless you and keep you, God smile on you and gift you, God look you full in the face and make you prosper. (Numbers 6:24 – 26 MSG)

From Israel, our heartfelt greeting…Shalom Shalom

If you have been anywhere near a church, listened to a sermon online or followed Christians on social media you would surely have heard someone prophesying about 2020 being the year where the Lord will grant us perfect sight.  I am excited…I for one often pray for my spiritual eyes to be enlightened.  I don’t want to be stumbling along in darkness but the reality is that often times we don’t see the next step, let alone the long term plan.

I believe that as human beings we are always looking for road markers, signs and confirmation that we are on the right track.  This is noble indeed, but it’s also the reason we get sidetracked, redirected or often waylaid altogether.  The opinions and revelation of others might replace the Word of God more often than we care to admit.  Our emotions might be speaking louder than our faith and many times we are able to quote with great accuracy what someone preached, but we have no idea what the Lord’s opinion is on the topic.  When “my pastor says…” becomes more important than “the Lord says…” we are getting into dangerous territory.

For a number of years now, in order to have 20/20 vision, I have had to wear corrective lenses.  I am no longer able to legally drive without my prescription glasses.  This is the reality for many people and we accept it as part of maturing.  I have come to appreciate my glasses, as they enable me to safely navigate my way, I am able to see details I will surely miss without them and I am able to read without effort, expanding my knowledge and understanding.

The Lord, in His infinite wisdom, has given us His Word and if we are smart enough we will use and appreciate it in the same way.  The Lord has always wanted us to have 20/20 vision, to see clearly through the lenses of love, mercy and grace.  The Lord’s heart for us is to see what He sees and we can have our spiritual eyes opened, but my suspicion is that we are hoping that it will be by divine intervention, a godly snap of fingers, instead of a thorough study of His Word.

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law (Ps 119:18) should be the cry of our hearts.  Who would like to hear the rebuke
Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? (Mark 8:17-18).  

My prayer for us all is that this year we will develop a deeper love for the Word of God, that Holy Spirit will stir in us a deep longing to see the world around us through the lens of God’s Word and that we would become intimately acquainted with Jesus as the Word made flesh.  I pray that our first thought, when we need guidance, direction or confirmation, would be to search out the scriptures, instead of another prophetic word.  The Lord has already spoken on every topic we could possibly need direction for.  May this be the year that we become more and more acquainted with the heart of the Father, as it is expressed in the Bible.  May the Lord give us eyes that see…

A child has been born for us; a son has been given to us.  The responsibility of complete dominion will rest on his shoulders, and his name will be: The Wonderful One!  The Extraordinary Strategist!  The Mighty God!  The Father of Eternity!  The Prince of Peace!

Great and vast is his dominion.  He will bring immeasurable peace and prosperity.  He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom to establish and uphold it by promoting justice and righteousness from this time forward and forevermore.  The marvellous passion that is the Lord Yahweh, Commander of the Angel Armies, has for his people will ensure that it is finished!         Isaiah 9: 6, 7 TPT

What a year it’s been!  Amanda and I traveled to nations we have not been to before and experienced breakthroughs and victories that left us speechless.  We have learned, we have lived, we have learned to love more. We were challenged and at times, even mystified. There were obstacles to overcome and tests to pass. Aren’t there always? Regardless, there is a steadfast promise we have in Christ…as Isaiah prophesied long ago in chapter 9, verse 7…of the increase of his government and its peace there will be no end (NIV).

In the midst of turmoil and uncertainty we are firmly anchored in the peace that Jesus left us as the ultimate gift.  Remember John 14:27?  “I leave the gift of peace with you – my peace.  Not the paragliding peace given by the world, but my perfect peace.  Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts – but instead be courageous.” 

Right now my world is in turmoil, just like many other people.  Like many others, my husband lost his job three months ago, and for the first time since we were married we are experiencing what so many people face…financial crises and the uncertainty it brings.  A week ago we took a leap of faith, used a large chunk of our savings and moved interstate, driving 3 500 km.  We are exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally and the temptation to give in to despair, to fear and to self pity is ever present.  My family members are dealing with the loss of a son, brother, father and husband, I have friends who are also in mourning or going through the same crises as we are.

Yet, in the midst of all of this we are at peace.  How is that even possible?  Only when you are intimately acquainted with the Prince of Peace.  I believe that many people wait until crises strikes before they seek Jesus as Peace.  We know him as Saviour and as Redeemer.  Many have met him as Healer and Deliverer, but peace they seek in antidepressants and counseling, or in extravagant holidays, weekend breakaways or for some, in the desperate measure of the bottle or a needle.

Don’t misunderstand me…there is a place for medication and talking things through with a professional.  Holidays and time-outs are healthy and necessary and even the odd retail therapy or coffee date with a friend can do wonders for the soul BUT deep, lasting peace, the kind that carries us through trauma, uncertainty, loss and crises is only found in Jesus Christ.

We have this wonderful promise that Jesus will bring immeasurable peace and prosperity…he will cause our soul to prosper in the midst of turmoil! Dear friends, I don’t know your stories.  I don’t know what you have lost, what you fear, who or what you carry as a burden, especially in this season that’s all about family celebrations.  I don’t know how lonely you feel, even though you may be surrounded by hordes of people and I don’t know how close you are to giving up hope.  But this I do know…Abba Father knows and he has prepared a way for us to be at peace…with him, with ourselves and with the world.

As we are getting ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus, may you (re)discover the gift of peace.  The One who came in peace, who is Peace, who left us his peace and who will expand peace in us until all our fear, all our worry, all our pain and all our suffering has been overcome, just like he overcame the world for us.

How often do we hear Christians say “test the fruit” or “you will know them by the fruit”, quoting the words of Jesus as found in Matthew 7. 

Let’s look at the portion of scripture in context.  It starts with the heading – False prophets – and carries on from there.  Let’s pick it up from verse 5… ⁵ “Constantly be on your guard against phony prophets. They come disguised as lambs, appearing to be genuine, but on the inside they are like wild, ravenous wolves! ¹⁶ You can spot them by their actions, for the fruits of their character will be obvious. You won’t find sweet grapes hanging on a thorn bush, and you’ll never pick good fruit from a tumbleweed. ^17–19 So if the tree is good, it will produce good fruit; but if the tree is bad, it will bear only rotten fruit and it deserves to be cut down and burned. ²⁰ Look at the obvious fruit of their lives and ministries, and then you’ll know whether they are true or false.” (TPT)

It seems to me though, that “testing the fruit” has come to mean “look at the accomplishment, the fame, the profile, the gifts, the manifestations or the following and decide whether someone is of God”.

What really strikes me from the quoted passage is that the fruit of someone’s character is what distinguishes them as a true prophet of God, not the level of anointing, the proliferation of signs and wonders or the gifts operating in their lives. Romans 11:29 teaches us that the gifts and calling of the Lord are ours, regardless of our actions. 

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable [for He does not withdraw what He has given, nor does He change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call]. (AMP)

This can lead us down a path of destruction if we judge a minister according to the gifts and anointing manifesting through them, or if we look at ourselves and decide that the Lord is okay with our flawed character because He is using us to perform signs, wonders and miracles.  How often are we devastated when we learn of a minister of the gospel who are exposed and grievous sin is brought to the light.  Have they not been demonstrating good fruit by the signs, miracles and wonders that they performed?  Have they not been praying for the sick and see them healed?  Raised the dead even?

Further on in Matthew 7 are some troubling verses… ²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the realm of heaven’s kingdom. It is only those who persist in doing the will of my heavenly Father. ²² On the day of judgment many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, don’t you remember us? Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we cast out demons and do many miracles for the sake of your name?’ ²³ But I will have to say to them, ‘Go away from me, you lawless rebels! I’ve never been joined to you!’ (TPT)  These verses should put the fear of God in us!

What fruit do we judge then?  I believe the answer lies in Galatians 5: 22 to 26.

^22–23 But the fruit^[ produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:

joy that overflows,

peace that subdues,

patience that endures,

kindness in action,

a life full of virtue,

faith that prevails,

gentleness of heart, and

strength of spirit.

Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.

²⁴ Keep in mind that we who belong to Jesus, the Anointed One, have already experienced crucifixion. For everything connected with our self – life was put to death on the cross and crucified with Messiah. ²⁵ We must live in the Holy Spirit and follow after him. ²⁶ So may we never be arrogant, or look down on another, for each of us is an original. We must forsake all jealousy that diminishes the value of others.  (TPT)

Therefor, by the grace of God, let us examine ourselves and allow Holy Spirit to have free access to our hearts and minds, so that He can produce and cultivate in us the fruit of a godly and Christlike character, so that we will be known for our sweet fruit. 

I pray with great faith for you, because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this glorious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you and will put his finishing touches to it until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Philippians 1:6  (TPT)

In the book of John, chapter 11 we read the dramatic story of a man dying, a man dead and a man raised to life again.  The story isn’t just about a man either.  There are more characters involved in the drama…his sister Mary, who anointed Jesus’ feet with costly oil, another sister Martha, famously rebuked for being too distracted by the mundane and of course, Jesus and His disciples all feature in the tale of woe and ultimately, victory.

The story, in a nutshell, goes like this…Lazarus got sick, very sick and it was obvious he was dying, so Jesus was sent for.  Jesus declares that the sickness wouldn’t end in death, but will bring glory and praise to God (v 4) and goes about His business, in fact waiting two more days before setting off to visit Lazarus.  The disciples aren’t too trilled with the plan, given the fact that not long before the people of Judea wanted to stone Jesus and adding fuel to their fire was Jesus’ own words that “Lazarus, our friend, has fallen asleep.  It’s time that I go and awaken him” (V 11).  It seemed foolish to travel into danger to wake a guy up from his nap.  Only then does Jesus plainly state that Lazarus was in fact dead and says something that I find a little baffling, to be honest.  He says, in verse 15 “And for your sake, I’m glad I wasn’t there, because now you have another opportunity to see who I am so that you will learn to trust in me. Come, let’s go and see him.”  I will wrap the story up, and come back to this verse in a minute.

Jesus arriving at the village, finds that Lazarus has been in the grave four days, many of Mary and Martha’s friends are there, mourning and weeping with the sisters and Jesus, full of compassion, weeps with them…right before He marches over to Lazarus’ tomb, lifts His eyes to heaven, prays a prayer for the benefit of those assembled there and shouts with authority “Lazarus! Come out of the tomb!” (V 43).  Famously, Lazarus comes out, wrapped up like a mummy and Jesus instructs the disciples to unwrap Lazarus.

Which brings me back to verse 15.  If I am reading this correctly, Jesus is glad Lazarus gets to die so that disciples have another opportunity to see Who He is and so that they get another learning opportunity!  For the disciples’ benefit of learning to trust Jesus more, Lazarus dies?  Nowhere do I read of anyone consulting Lazarus on this.  The Lord didn’t ask Lazarus to volunteer for the role of dead guy, or for his sisters to play the part of the grieving family.  God just acted sovereignly and Lazarus dies, not knowing that he would be resurrected a few days later…all for the benefit of the disciples who needed yet another lesson in unconditional trust in Jesus. 

This got me thinking of all the times I felt like I was dying or where I had to go through grief and suffering, not understanding why it was happening and sometimes even slightly confused as to whether this was God or the enemy.  Could it be that God allowed suffering and trauma in my life for the benefit of someone else?  Can it be that somewhere, someone is watching me go through tough situations, trials and deep grief, learning, through what they are witnessing, to trust Jesus more? 

It seems a little unfair, until I am reminded of the testimonies of other people’s grief and shame, their trauma and pain that encouraged me to keep going when I was faced with hardship and uncertainty.  ‘If they could do it, so can I’ was what I thought when faced with my own stuff.

Sometimes the lesson we learn and teach is about how to stay strong, unwavering in our faith and trust in Him.  Sometimes it’s how to grieve well and not give in to the temptation to throw in the towel altogether.  Sometimes our stories speak of redemption…of God turning what the enemy planned for evil into good and it brings hope to the spectator because deep down we know that our turn will come in some way, so we learn and we hide the lessons deep in our heart until the times come when we need to draw on the hope that is hiding in there.  Sometimes, watching another going through the hard things, we sigh a sigh of relief, knowing we are not alone, not singled out for hardship and we remind each other of Jesus’ words “And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!”  (John 16:33 TPT)

So, even when we aren’t consulted or given the opportunity to volunteer to be the object lesson, let’s trust in the Lord with all our hearts, lean not on our own understanding, trust Him implicitly, for He Who has promised will never let us down.  There will be a day, when Jesus stands in front of whatever needs resurrecting and He will cry out with a loud, authoritative voice and command what is dead to live again.  Until then, we are held in the Father’s everlasting arms…no safer place to be!

Our recent move is a gift (of topics to write about) that keeps on giving. One month after having moved into our new home a few issues have not been resolved. There are keys missing, which means valuable items, and us of course, are not as secure as it/we should be. There are loose pavers which poses a falling risk, windows that needs cleaning and a few other issues that need fixing. Numerous emails and phone calls later our frustration levels were at its peak and yet another phone call was made to the property manager. Long story short, we weren’t going anywhere until I started quoting the Tenancy Act, reminding her of the landlord’s responsibilities and obligations under the law. As a result, half an hour later we started receiving phone calls from contractors…results at last.

It got me thinking how we are here, walking the earth and frankly, we are only tenants here. Our home is in another realm…we are merely passing through this world. Remember Philippians 3:20? For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and John 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.”

There is a landlord here who hates us and he will go out of his way to be as devious, as controlling and as sneaky as we let him. He will draw a line in the sand and promise us to stay on his side, if we will toe the line. Of course, every time you blink he moves the lines, or blurs it to the point where you end up with no territory while he has taken ground all along.

He is a landlord that over promises and under delivers every time. Sin looks so appealing, until it becomes time to pay up, and the price is steep, usually far more than you bargained for. Remember how he tried to trick Jesus?

In Matthew 4:8 -10 we see that Satan tries to tempt Jesus a third time:

“Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory [splendour, magnificence, and excellence] of them;  and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’

Jesus does not dispute that he has authority over all the kingdoms of the world, He comments on Who is worthy of our worship.

Over and over the Word warns us against the trickery of the enemy. See Ephesians 6:12 NIV “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” and 1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” and James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Whether your doctrine and theology allow for it or not, the Word is very clear that we have an enemy that’s out for our blood and that those who serve him and his kingdom’s purpose are heading for destruction. That’s the truth and the reality is that many people are walking around, believing that they are powerless or that Jesus is coming back to fight the battle that he has authorised us to fight.

We have a landlord that has no agenda other than to rob, kill and destroy us, we have squatters in our land that need to be evicted and we have the angel armies of God ready to do battle with us. We need to know, understand and apply the eternal law of God. We need to know, not only our rights and privileges as sons of God but also our obligations and responsibilities. We need to understand that our responsibility as sons of God is to be an ekklesia, a law-making, governmental body of mature believers who understand our identity and authority in Christ Jesus. Our role is to enforce everything that Jesus dearly paid for on the cross, whether it’s healing, deliverance or provision.

The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters! Romans 8:19 (TPT)

All of creation is holding its breath…broken people are longing for someone or something they can’t even name, a broken world is yearning for the children of God to shine because of the glory of Jesus Christ all over them…children who will stand in the face of a natural disaster, a flood, a fire and speak to that thing and say “you will not pass by here” and be obeyed, like the storm obeyed Jesus, or sons who will say to a demon, a sickness or a disease “go, in Jesus’ name” and see deliverance 100% of the time. That is who we were created to be. That is the authority we are supposed to carry. All that being said, I want to say one more thing…RISE UP THE WARRIORS! Deal to the squatters. Quote the law to the landlord. Stand on your rights. Take up your responsibilities. Be who you were created to be!

And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).   John 1:14 AMP

The Lord has a way with me, when He want to bring something to my attention.  Usually it starts with a little irritation, then it turns into a bit of frustration and more often than not ends with me being very bothered.  Right now I am bothered.

I am bothered by our (the Bride of Christ, the Church) infatuation with men and women of God who have received a specific grace, for a specific task. Don’t get me wrong.  I love to listen to sermons and podcasts, I too read the books, I buy study material and I appreciate the anointing and gifts the Father released to the body through anointed teachers and preachers.  What I cannot agree and partner with is the sad reality that too many Christians are more able to quote prominent Christian leaders than the Word of God.

What would it look like if we were more able to quote Jesus than the voice of another human, who, gifted as they may be, are still merely human and fallible?  What would it look like if we invested more resources in our local church, the place where we go to meet with Him in fellowship with others, rather than buying the latest book or paying for yet another seminar?  What would it look like if Jesus Christ is not only the Head of the church, but also the Hero?  What would it look like if we made more sacrifices and pulled more strings to get into the presence of the Lord, than into the presence of a faith hero?

I am not advocating for reading just the Word, and nothing else. The Lord spoke through prophets and teachers then and He does it now. What I am saying is that we should be more infatuated (love-sick, obsessed) with the person of Jesus than the personality on the stage.  The same person, professing to love Jesus would travel for hours to attend a meeting held by a faith hero, but will not travel 30 minutes to a prayer meeting.  We don’t think twice about buying the latest resources but all over the place pastors are struggling to keep local churches afloat. 

Often times, when I am feeling a little bored with idle chatter, I will ask Christians what Jesus has been speaking to them about.  More often than not, they will respond by telling me of a sermon they recently heard, a book they are reading or what pastor So-and-So said on Sunday.  I will reiterate that I have nothing but awe for the revelation that the Lord gives to His servants, but I don’t want to be fed on a steady diet of hearsay…it is bound to make me fat and lazy.  How I long for fresh bread…manna for me alone.  What is more exciting than having a rhema word straight from the Lord’s mouth to our own ears?  What is more healing and refreshing than hearing Him speak to you directly?  

In John 6:63 Jesus says “The words I speak to you are Spirit and life.”  This is true and they are wonderful when spoken through a consecrated, tested-in-fire vessel but they are priceless when spoken directly to my heart by the Lord Himself.

If this sounds critical and condescending, I beg forgiveness.  I am not  trying to bring judgment and condemnation, but to stir up a hunger in your heart for more of Jesus…His presence, His touch, His voice, His wisdom, His revelation, His healing…just Jesus Himself.

After Father God had a little one-on-one with Job he looks at himself and says: “I admit I once lived by rumours of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumour.”  Job 42: 6 MSG

May our walk with the Lord be so much more and so much deeper than a vicarious walk, lived out of someone else’s revelation and insight.  May the gifted ministers of the Word put language around our own experiences and confirm what the Lord is already speaking to our own hearts, may their revelation stir up a desire in us to also hear and see like that and may every person and personality pale in comparison with the sheer and utter beauty of our Lord.