21 May 2020
John demonstrates love by checking on his friends. 1st, 2nd and 3rd John are written to churches and friends that were dear to him. He doesn’t mention names maybe apart from Gaius in 3 John verse 1 and Demetrius in verse 12. He blesses them and wishes them well – verse 2 and 2 John verse 1-3. He longs to visit them too – 2 John 12 and 3 John 13. May we exemplify some of these positive traits and build lasting relationships that bring is such joy.
20 May 2020
In 1 John 4:7-21, John teaches a little more about love. He portrays it as a choice and an action, something that proves that one is a believer. It should reveal the God we serve. A believer should love as God does: one should care, show respect, sacrifice and seek to help others, starting with those around us. The Holy Spirit will help us show love. We can bank on Him.
19 May 2020
John had spent time with Jesus and it shows in all he wrote: the gospel of John and the 3 short letters of 1st, 2nd and 3rd John. The reoccurring themes in his writing are truth and love, two things that Christ stood for. Having walked with Christ, he picked on things that resonated with him and that were key to the Saviour. The first of these is love 1 John 2:28-3:2 and 1 John 3:11-24.
18 May 2020
There is a command that keeps recurring in the bible that I have been reminded of. 2 John 1:5-6. May we ask the Lord to reveal to us what it means for us. What should it prompt us to do? How should we perceive it, understand it?
15 May 2020
So, if the Lord did not give up on Jacob, why should He give up on you? Perfection is not His highest priority, it is willingness. He is looking for those who are willing to trust Him and yield to Him, so He can work with them to impact others. He provides what is required. Acknowledge Him, accept His invitation and walk with Him. Allow Him to have His way and you will be amazed at what He accomplishes through you.
14 May 2020
Throughout Jacob’s life we see evidence of God’s hand at work, but we may not see where all this is leading to. After he was reconciled with Esau, Jacob bought a plot in Shechem. Schechem was later declared a city of refuge – 1Chronicles 6:67 and Joshua 21:21. It was an important place for the children of Israel – Joshua 24:1, 25. The remains of Joseph, Jacob’s son, were buried on that plot according to Joshua 23:32. Abraham had also bought land there – Acts 7:16. God sees the bigger picture. Let us trust Him and allow Him to do His will in our lives.
13 May 2020
Jacob’s encounter with God in Genesis 32:22ff was not the only time he experienced God. He didn’t have enough, he kept going. The healing of his relationship with Esau, his going back to Bethel in chapter 35, the loss of his children, the famine, the deliverance of his family through Joseph, all these were seasons where he must have experienced God. These experiences must have impacted those around him and still impact millions who hear these testimonies today. Jacob desired a relationship with God and God revealed Himself to him throughout his life.
12 May 2020
Jacob, who had messed up big time came to a place where his priorities changed. He desired to know God and this act of surrender caused a big difference in his life and in the lives of others. His encounter with God in Genesis 32:22ff helps him change his focus and happens just before he meets Esau, whom he hadn’t seen for many years. Would you desire to know God more and surrender to Him again? He is trying to get our attention. Are we listening? Are we willing to yield to Him?
11 May 2020
What is the Lord looking for in the midst of all the chaos going on? A people who have purposed to pursue a surrendered lifestyle for His glory. People who are willing to lay aside their achievements, pride, failures and personal goals to pursue His goals. When Jacob met Esau in Genesis 33:1-20, you can imagine how much his past actions haunted him. God forgave him and still blessed him. Esau had been deceived and had every reason to be bitter, but he moved on and was blessed. The two men put their failures and achievements aside and agreed to live in peace because there was a greater purpose. A surrendered lifestyle will make that possible.
08 May 2020
Psalm 11:3 poses a relevant question for the time we are in. People feel helpless and are fearful. I suggest that we turn our eyes to God, even as many other things are being done to try and sort things out. This should be done with a genuineness of heart and not pretence as described in Jeremiah 3:11-14. My prayer is that the Lord will relent and the plague will pass, that we shall experience a deeper walk with Him, and that in His mercy He would fulfill His promises to us as He did for Israel (verse 15 to chapter 4:2).