How good are you at waiting?

Two weeks ago I started with a wonderful on-line Bible study. Eager to learn and grow and curious to see what topic or aspect will be dealt with next, I can barely wait for that rare time of quiet and peace when I can indulge myself in the study. For those that really want to dig deep the study offers lots of extra exercises and, not wanting to miss anything, I enthusiastically do them all.


Well, this week there was this box on the side which read:


"What are your symptoms...there are recognizable (telltale) symptoms of 'waiting on God'"


Right here I got super excited because yes, I find myself in a place where I am eagerly waiting on God! I am waiting for Him to show me what next, what is He preparing me for or what great thing does He want me to do for Him now that my book is finished. This is so timely! I couldn't wait to read on and recognize the symptoms of one eagerly awaiting something big from God. I almost didn't read this introductory sentence to the end, but I did and it brought me down to earth real quick for the full sentence read:


"What are your symptoms...there are recognizable (telltale) symptoms of 'waiting on God' but not very patiently."


This definitely spoiled it for me a bit. This wasn't for me. I wanted the box with the symptoms of someone on her way to something great! Should I read on? I did. I will not tell you what the symptoms are. They are not things of beauty, honor and dignity and...it would be too embarrassing. They all fitted me. They fitted me so well that I was completely shocked, dismayed and shamed. I could not believe it. I was struck dumb. God certainly had my attention! I was shaken. All I could manage was "Lord, this is me...I am so sorry!"


God was not done yet. He never plans to harm us, to have us wriggling in the mud and mire. His plans are always to prosper us, to build us up in Him. The very next exercise told me to do a Bible search on 'waiting on God' and to record my findings. Quite reluctantly I decided to go about it by doing a word search for 'waiting'. I am so glad I did!


The different Hebrew and Greek words which are all translated in our English Bibles as 'waiting' opened up a whole new understanding of the concept for me and hopefully it will also change my bad attitude in this regard! Let me share with you some of the meanings of the different words translated as 'waiting' or 'wait', all in relation to waiting on God.


First of all, 'waiting' indicates to wait, to hope, to expect and to eagerly look for. This is waiting whilst being convinced and sure of the fact that the very thing you are waiting for will come to pass. It reminds me of Joseph who was so sure of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to bring their descendants into the Promised Land, that even on his death bed he gave instructions that when the time would come for this promise to be fulfilled, they would take his bones with them into the Promised Land. He never saw the promise fulfilled, but he fully expected it to happen...and it did! When we wait on God and time passes and it seems that God is tarrying regarding the thing we are waiting for, do we loose hope that He will ever fulfill His promise? How easily we loose our first, eager expectation.


A further meaning of the word is 'to collect, 'to bind together' and 'to be collected'. This is perhaps the one meaning that struck me the most and made me think hard about what happens to me in the waiting process. To be collected means that we keep it all together in a situation. My question was...what would I need to keep together in my waiting process? Almost immediately I was reminded of the meaning of the word 'abide'. It means 'not to depart'. Jesus told us to abide in Him. In our time of waiting we must stay with Christ. We must bind ourselves to Him so to speak. Looking at my own life I realize that often, when the waiting gets too long, I tend to depart from my position in Christ and run around trying to make things happen on my own. With the resulting distance between me and my Lord, Satan's darts of doubt, envy, bitterness, hopelessness, dismay, despair and the like start hitting me left, right and center. Instead of 'being collected', I start falling apart. Oh sweet the moment each time I realize my mistake, turn and fall right back into His loving arms.


Another application that spoke to my heart was 'to endure, to persist, to be steadfast, to hold one's ground, to remain standing, to be upright and to stand firm'. Does not Ephesians 6:11 say, "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes"? And verse 13, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." I think that we are especially vulnerable to Satan's schemes in our times of waiting, when God seems to be quiet. Without the armor of God, we will not be able to stay upright but rather we will be slain by the enemy. Only with our focus steadfastly set on Christ and His faithfulness and love, will we endure the enemy's onslaught while we wait on the Lord.


In contrast to the application of being upright and remain standing, the very next word I looked up carried the meaning of sitting down, to be set, to dwell, to have one's abode, to inhabit and to 'marry'. I was intrigued by the opposites within the word 'waiting' and yes, this one really got my attention because of the possible meaning of 'marry'. Did I not write a book about a bride? Pondering on this one, I had the picture of a bride inhabiting and making her abode so to speak in her new home. She settled into her new home...the home of her husband. It became her dwelling place too. The context in which this specific word was used, was when Naomi told Ruth to wait and see how things would turn out with Boas when he went to discuss the matter of marriage with their first kinsman-redeemer. While I wait on my Groom to work His plan in my life, I must remember that I am His beloved bride and my dwelling place is with Him. I am set at His feet while I wait.


Because of our tendency to wear ourselves out, to try and work and force our own results and make things happen when it seems that God is taking too long, the next meaning of the word 'waiting' was like balm to the weary soul - to sink down, to drop, relax, to let drop, to let go, to be quiet and to show oneself slack. When we have done everything to secure something we want without success, when we have worked ourselves into a frenzy without the desired results, when we don't know what else we can do, when we are tired...let us hear the tender but firm word of our Lord, "Relax, let it go and be quiet, it is in My hands."


Psalm 37:7 says, "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways..." But we can all testify to the fact that waiting is no easy task. Can you guess the possible meanings of the original Hebrew word for 'wait' used in Psalm 37? It means to twist, whirl, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained, suffering torture, wait longingly, bring forth, to be brought forth or to be born. This is how our waiting often feels doesn't it. This is certainly how I am feeling at the moment. I hate being in the place I am. I find waiting on the Lord for His guidance and direction extremely hard. I suffer torture from feelings of self-doubt whispered into my heart by my arch-enemy...yet, I know and can perceive that through this difficult time of waiting, God is bringing forth something - a constantly being renewed me.


Let me conclude with just one more possible meaning - to receive or to accept.


Dear friend, as we wait on the Lord for His promises to be fulfilled in our lives, let us remember that we have already received the greatest of all - Him. He is with us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. While we wait, He is there. He is here. Accept Him afresh into your heart and be strengthened to wait for Him in faith and trust.


Until next week
God bless


Lize

A new life, a new identity...

"...a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church."

(Ephesians 5:31-32)

In many countries, including South Africa where I live, it is the custom for a bride to take on the surname of her husband. Once you are legally married, you get a new name and you get a new ID document indicating your new name. I love this tradition. I think it shows something of God's intention with the union of two people in marriage.

"God created man as male and female with the capacity to know each other and to become one. The essence was and still is for a man and a wife to enjoy each other in love - they are companions, sharing their lives with each other and giving themselves to each other. Two individuals become united and interconnected in love. They become one. Two people from different families become one unit and start a new life together."
(from 'Bride Adorned')

I used to be Lize Barkhuizen, but upon marrying my husband, I became Lize Dumon. I was still the same Lize and yet I was also a different Lize! I did not as before my marriage, represent only myself or maybe my family of birth. I now represented a new family unit and this new family unit had its own way of doing things, it had its own rhythm. Though neither of us lost our individual identities, we now had a shared identity. In many cases, 'I' now made place for 'we' - in our house we liked to do things this or that way; we liked to go to Kruger Park for holidays; we attended a certain church; we handled conflict in specific way; we had a preferred way to spend our week-ends and so on. Our focus was less and less to forward our individual interests, but the interest of our new family unit, especially when children became part of that unit.

 

You see, though in many ways I was still the same and still acted the same and felt the same...these started to give way to a new way of acting and being. Lize Barkhuizen had to learn to be Lize Dumon. Lize Barkhuizen could be a bit selfish but Lize Dumon had to take into account the likings of her husband. Lize Barkhuizen had a home with her parents but Lize Dumon had to create a home for her husband and kids. Lize Barkhuizen could hide in a private relationship with God, but Lize Dumon had to become bold and share this relationship with her husband and very importantly her children. Lize Barkhuizen loved to be on her own immerged in a book, but Lize Dumon goes on fishing trips with her husband and three boys. Lize Barkhuizen stood for Lize Barkhuizen. The order in Lize Barkhuizen's life was - Lize and then parents and siblings. The order in Lize Dumon's life is - Jan, Lize, Francois, Dewald and Eben. You get my drift. I am still Lize...but I am now Dumon. In this new family unit that was formed, I could not stay Lize Barkhuizen. I had to fully embrace my new identity, my new life, my new future. And though my new identity came with my union in marriage to my husband...the change in me came with years of living within this unity. I had to learn so many things over the years...keeping house, handling conflict, raising kids...I am still learning after almost 21 years!

Dear friend, it is the same with us and Christ. Before we were united with Christ, we were sinners. We are all born in sin. We all start out as sinners...whether we are born into the Christian faith or outside of the Christian faith, we belong to the fallen race of the first Adam. We belong to the family unit of Adam who sinned and thus became a sinner. You and I could call ourselves Lize (use your own name) Sinner. It says perfectly who we were. People who lived according to our sinful nature, who determined right and wrong according to our sinful nature, who lived for self...sinful self.

Oh but there was such grace and love and mercy in God the Father! He offered Lize  and ......... (use your own name) Sinner a marriage proposal. He offered to marry us to His Son, Jesus Christ who Himself was willing to pay the highest bride price for us! We could leave behind our father's house (Satan) and start a new life with our Groom. We could put off the old self and leave behind the old identity ........ Sinner, and take on the identity of our Groom....Christ.

Lize Sinner cannot and will not be found in the Kingdom of Heaven. She cannot be united with Christ and continue to support the ways of her previous life...the ways of fallen Adam....the ways of Satan. No, she now identifies with her Groom...Jesus Christ and He offers her all He has...redemption, forgiveness, righteousness...holiness.

Is it even possible to take on such a new different identity? Yes, thanks to the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.

Is this instantaneous? Our new identity...yes, absolutely. From the moment that we accept His offer of love and give our hearts to Christ, He gives us His Spirit to show that we now belong to Him. Do we instantaneously know how to live our new lives? No. The Holy Spirit starts a process of sanctification in us and, as in our earthly marriages it asks a lifetime of learning and maturing into your role, this is a process that will continue until the day we pass on to eternal life.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:11-14)

Oh, the love of our Groom! The love of Christ! Will I, because a work is still being done in me, cling to my old identity and name and be in this unity as Lize Sinner, showing an alliance to my father's house, with the fallen Adam and with Satan, or will I joyfully and with praise and with thanks take on the Name of my Groom, of my new Husband? And by taking the name of  Saint, will I not rather acknowledge the truth of the actual meaning of the word - 'now consecrated and separated and belonging to God'? I became Mrs Dumon upon legally marrying my husband and I immediately took on his name. I did not wait until I was perfect in 'being' his wife and the mom of his children...why...I would still not be able to call myself Mrs Dumon if that was the criteria!! I became Christ's bride upon accepting His offer of love and receiving His Holy Spirit. You have been given the right to call yourself His, also called a saint - consecrated and separated unto God. John 1:12 says, "Yet, to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

You have a new identity, a new unity, a new family...acknowledge that with praise. In Christ you are a saintly bride. Don't hesitate any longer to accept His Name and your new identity. In His sight, you are blameless...not yet made perfect...but accepted as His beautiful and much loved bride.

Until next week

God bless

Lize

Bride of Christ: Sinner or Saint?

I am excited about today's post...it is a day late but it is a good one!


My sincere wish is that it will change they way you see yourself forever!


So often you will hear Christians say, "I am but a sinner." Well, I am happy to say to you today:


"YOU ARE WRONG...YOU ARE IN FACT A SAINT!"


Oh I can just see some reading this catching their breath and feeling very uneasy! A saved sinner...yes, but a SAINT...that's a bit arrogant, that's stretching it a bit far, is it not? Because what about my sin...for yes...no Christian can claim that they are without sin, can they? And right here is the dilemma that hinders so many to let go of the identity of a 'sinner' and claim the identity of a 'saint'.


I don't want to beat around the bush today. I want to jump right to Romans 5 because Romans 5:6-11 speaks of us...of Christians. It uses three mighty words to describe us and I want us to have a closer look at them. These words are 'ungodly', 'sinners' and 'enemies'. Let me point out that as described in Romans 5 you cannot be one of these without being the other. If you identify with being a sinner you are also identifying with being ungodly and being an enemy. So, without further ado, allow me to show you the meaning of the original Greek words translated as 'ungodly', 'sinners' and 'enemies' as explained by Strong's concordance with Greek and Hebrew lexicon:


Ungodly - 'asebes' - destitute of reverential awe towards God, condemning God, impious, wicked, bad and immoral.


Sinners - hamartolos - pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked, devoted to sin.


Enemies - echthros- hateful, hostile, hating and opposing.


Oh I hope you are beginning to see light!!! While you might have been thinking that you are showing humility by saying that "I am a mere sinner saved by grace" you were in fact contradicting yourself in the worst way. What you were in fact and at the very least saying was: "I am merely a person who is devoted to sin, especially wicked, pre-eminently sinful and saved by grace." And if you take the identity further as explained in Romans 5 you were in fact saying, "I am merely a person who have no respectful awe towards God but condemns Him. I am bad and immoral, devoted to sin, hateful and opposing of God...but saved by grace."


Is there any truth in the above? Yes, of course. Is this the whole truth? No, of course not. If we stop right here and adopt this sinner-identity we are living a half truth. Take another good look at Romans 5 verses 6,8 and 10 containing the above three words of darkness.


Do you see it?


IT IS WRITTEN IN THE PAST TENSE.


"When we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."
"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
"...when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled..."


Show me the bride who walks down the isle hating her husband-to-be, being devoted to all that he hates...why, that is no bride at all!


Dear friend, we all come from that place of hate and opposition regarding God and we are born in a state of wickedness and sinfulness. David said it in Psalm 51:5, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." Yet, if you are a Christian, something has changed. You have been reborn of the Spirit. You are a new creation. You are not that sinner anymore! You are not of the first fallen Adam any more. You are now reborn of the second Adam. Surely now you can no longer relate to descriptions such as we saw in the original meanings of the words 'ungodly', 'sinners' and 'enemies'? As I also quoted him in my book, "Bride Adorned", Matthew Henry said it such:


"...the man who formerly saw no beauty in the Saviour that he should desire him, now loves him above all things."


This certainly is a description we can relate to, isn't it? We dearly love our Lord Jesus, don't we? Yes! Can you see how this differ from the definition of a sinner? We simply can't love Jesus and call ourselves sinners!!


I know...we still struggle with sin. And because we struggle with sin and we don't know where to put this in the equation, we wrongly hang on to the definition of 'sinner'.


Look at what Peter wrote in his first letter: "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from the sinful desires, which war against your soul." (1 Peter 2:11) To whom did Peter write this letter? To the ungodly sinners and enemies of God living in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia? No, he wrote his letter to "God's elect..." And so also Paul and James wrote their letters, wherein they urge the readers thereof to let go of their sinful acts, to the 'churches' and the 'saints'.


So how can it be that the church, the saints, the Christians...the bride of Christ still struggle with sin??? Did Christ not redeem us? Yes! He gave us His Spirit and we were reborn. We were born of the Spirit who restores in us the image of God, teaches us God's ways and guides us on our journey. Where once we were enemies of God and happy in our sinful flesh, we now love God and are engaged in a war against our sinful flesh. For the truth is that the sinful self has not disappeared...he is living in my flesh...but I am not bound to him anymore...I can resist him and submit to the Spirit in me. If the sinful self has evaporated when I was reborn...why then did Paul find it necessary to tell us to "put to death...whatever belongs to your earthly nature..." and to take "off your old self with its practices" and to "put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator"?


Dear friend, you and I are not sinners any more. We love God. We agree with Him on what is righteous and good and holy. And we are on a journey where more and more we are being transformed into His likeness. We do no longer think that the sinful desires of our flesh are good and holy. On the contrary, we are now in a battle against the sinful desires of our flesh. Shortly put, we agree with God on what is sin and what is righteous according to His Word. We do not determine these things according to our own ideas and opinions anymore. We follow God and deny ourselves. We do not deliberately continue to sin. We submit to the will of God.


Jesus did not battle against a sinful nature, but He also had to deny Himself and submit to the will of the Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.


"If it was a battle for our  Lord, it is a battle for us. Yes, we are a new creation in Christ, but as long as we are alive in our earthly bodies, our choice to follow Him and submit our own will to that of God will have to be deliberate and it will be strongly opposed by our sinful nature. It is a fight until the end." (from 'Bride Adorned')


You and I are now saints. We are a saintly bride of Christ.


Do you know what the meaning of the word 'saint' is?
The original Greek word, 'hagios' means 'a most holy thing'
And we know what 'holy' means don't we...it means separated and consecrated unto God.


I don't know about you but, now knowing the full meaning of the word 'sinner', rather than saying I am but a mere sinner saved by grace, I would much rather embrace my new true identity:

"I am a saint, saved by grace, loving of God and Jesus Christ my Lord and ever striving to walk by His Spirit."

Lots of love to all the saints in Jesus Christ.
Lize

Prosperity a distorted yearning?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

(Jeremiah 29:11)

This week I have such a burden in my heart for something that is growing within the body of Christ and, as aggressive the growth thereof, as aggressive is the burning in my heart against it!

This is not an easy topic and I beg of you to distinguish clearly between what I am saying and what I am not saying.

The thing that I am talking about is the teaching of and the yearning for prosperity. What I am seeing and hearing is that more and more there is an attitude where hardship, struggles, sickness, poverty and the likes are shunned. I regularly hear proclamations such as "We will not take it," "We will bring this thing into obedience to the LORD," or "This is all a lie...it has already been conquered." The feeling is that in Christ we have the victory and in Him we can do all things...we only need to stand in faith. There is no need for a Christian to suffer any of these.

Hmmm, I cannot deny the truths within these words...but there is nothing as dangerous as half-truths!

If I should believe the above truths and the passion and tenacity with which they are preached, then at least those Christians with a true and strong faith in the Lord, should be the most successful, rich, healthy and relationship-hiccup-free people in the world. Then surely they should not even suffer death but be taken up into heaven as Enoch of old.

I wanted to see if this is indeed Biblical. My first stop in my search was Hebrews 11 also known as the Hall of Faith. Indeed Hebrews 11 discusses what we can call the 'faith giants' of the Bible. If any were to prosper according to the above truths, surely it was them. Allow me to list some of what I have discovered:

Starting from Abel to Abraham, verse 13 says, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance."

Verse 22 tells us that Joseph also did  not receive what was promised. "By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones." Note that the exodus had not yet taken place and Moses had not yet been born. Joseph would not receive the promise but he wanted his bones to go into the Promised Land.

Oops, they did not receive what was promised? Was it their faith? Did they not claim the victories as they should have? Yet...they are in the 'Hall of faith'? How is that possible? Let's continue.

Verse 32 says, "...I have no time to tell about Gideon, Barak...and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned into strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again."

Wow...now that sounds familiar. That is what is being preached today with loud voices and stamping of feet. This is the faith life we yearn for right? Once again, let's continue...I want to know more of this kind of faith!

Verse 35 goes on, "Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated...they wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground."

O my...they should not have taken this! They should just have stood firm in faith...they should have remembered who they are...children of the Most High God, the victory was already theirs so to speak! Did they show weak faith? Let's see...

Verse 39: "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised."

Now what to make of this? Faith giants...yet some of them saw the greatest victories and some of them seemingly the ultimate shame and defeat. I am determined to search a little further and page to Philippians 4:12. Paul is speaking: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret to be content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." So, here we have Paul...a Paul who had times of prosperity and times of poverty! Did he have faith fluctuations? What was he thinking...content in times of poverty? By no modern teaching! We are told to reprimand poverty...to put it under our feet...to expect God to lift us out and make us prosperous!!! Against the backdrop of modern teaching I am even more surprised at what Paul confesses in 2 Corinthians 12:7, "...there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." What??? Don't take any torment from Satan, Paul! You have the victory in Christ! Any sickness, disease is a lie, you are healed by the stripes of Christ!! Yet God would not take away this thorn! It seems that at least in this case, God did not agree with modern teaching.

What did Jesus say? The One who died on the cross, the One who was going to heal us by His stripes and give us victory and all authority over the enemy. Let's turn to Luke 21:12 and onwards where Jesus is talking to His disciples - "...they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons...You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death...but not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life."

You will be put to death...but not a hair will perish and you will gain life?? We could not have a clearer example of the dilemma of the prosperity teaching compared to real life!

Before I address this seeming contrast, let us look towards something of God's purpose in allowing this suffering and hardship in our lives. Though suffering and pain was not from Him...though it was the plan of Satan and the doing of man's disobedience, God will and can work good in it.

Hebrews 12:7-10 "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his Father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are...not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live...God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness."

PLEASE NOTE THAT DISCIPLINE DOES NOT EQUAL PUNISHMENT!!! This Scripture is not saying that we are being cruelly punished for our sins!! (I might write about this in another post later)

James 1:2-4 adds this understanding - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

And lastly for now, Romans 5:3-4 "...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

May I ask this one question to all those who want to pray and preach and speak away all trials: If God wants to work something good in us through them, should we be shunning them? Should we be telling people not to take it? Should we demand that they be taken away?

It is obvious from these Scriptures that we have been looking at, that in God's view, His children will not escape all horrible things, all sickness, all poverty and the likes. Some will perish from it! Yet, Jesus said that by standing firm, you will gain life. Jesus is clearly speaking not about the physical realm but of the spiritual realm. We might suffer all kinds of 'bad' in the physical earthly life we live in the body, but if we stand firm in our faith in Him through all our trials and suffering, we will gain eternal and spiritual life...and that is His ultimate goal in and through us.

That said, let me be very clear now - God does also care about the physical realm. He does also heal. He does change circumstances for the better. He is also glorified through our physical prosperity and so we CAN ask Him to practically and physically help us in whichever negative situation we find ourselves in and we can expect Him to hear and answer our prayers.

But here is the big BUT -

We cannot yearn for physical prosperity. We yearn for Christ. We yearn for His glorification, not our comfort. We yearn for His will to be done in and through us...not our will. Remember that Jesus Himself asked of the Father to let the cup of suffering pass him by...yet got a 'No' from God. 

"Faith is not a way of manipulating God for a specific outcome, it is trusting God regardless the immediate outcome. In faith we trust God to the point where we surrender all and completely yield to His plan and purpose in every circumstance." (from my book, 'Bride Adorned')

Dear friend, if we start yearning prosperity instead of yearning for Christ and to glorify Him in whichever circumstance, if we start demanding only the good from His hand and reject all suffering, we set ourselves up for true defeat for we will have fallen for a half-truth and we will eventually stumble on the Rock. The truth is that indeed God wants to prosper us, the lie added to it that turns it into a half-truth is that therefore, He will keep all suffering and long-suffering away from us.

Until next week, keep trusting whether the fig tree buds or not.

God bless
Lize

Stronger

We all have this idea that Christian speakers, authors, teachers, pastors and the like always have it all together. They seem so sure and steadfast in their Christian walk and with their strong faith we gather that overcoming struggles must be a breeze for them.  

Not so. I can now testify to this truth!   

Having had to travel to a neighbouring town this past week, I decided to dodge the radio and rather use the odd hour or so to spend some time with God. I decided to do a whole layout of my life and any issues that I have at the moment on a big imaginary white board with circles, lines and links all over the place. Having it all clearly set out and nicely explained to Him, I said, “Lord, this is my life at the moment, the current issues, the things I need clarity on and the things I need help with.” (God must have had a huge chuckle here...as if He didn’t already know)  

There was no immediate answer and so I listen to the radio a bit but then turned it off again. My mind drifted off to a Bible study by Angela Thomas called ‘Stronger’ that I am planning to do with some women in my home town.  Thinking of my own issues I was sure that they were not really that different from other people’s issues. Concerns for health, finances, the well-being of one’s family, work-stress... 

The question popped into my head, “What is it that we need God to be stronger than? Psalm 45 gives us a beautiful description of our Groom as a mighty warrior.  

“You are the most excellent of men...Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendour and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds. Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.” 

Oh yeah, my God is strong. 

In my book ‘Bride Adorned’ I mention the importance thereof: “Christ goes forth to conquer the enemies of the Kingdom of God. Is not this kingdom the bride’s new home? Are not His enemies also her enemies? Yes, and therefore His fight is for her, to bring her safely into His kingdom!” (Bride Adorned) 

Yet, as I was pondering this question in the quietness of my car, it wasn’t any images of physical or spiritual enemies that came to mind. No, the final plea of my heart was this:

“Lord, I need you to be stronger than my ability to live out the redemption and salvation that You have already worked on the cross for me.”

You see, my mind – well trained in godliness – could easily identify not only the different issues in my life, but also and even many of God’s truths surrounding them. I KNOW God’s truths and their applications in my life. At the very least I KNOW to Whom to go and where not to go with these issues.

But knowing and living is not always automatically linked.  Jesus told His disciples, ‘The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) And so my heart whispered a cry – “Lord, I am weak...” In the silence, the whisper came back, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

God I need you to be stronger than my weakness.

I am.

He heard. He answered. He was stronger than...

I gasped, and cried silent tears of awe and wonder and love...

We serve a living awesome God.

Now the verses I have read a couple of evenings ago came alive upon my soul:

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

I will praise the LORD all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

(Ps 146:1-2)

 

and

Praise the LORD.

How good it is to sing praises to our God,

How pleasant and fitting to praise him!

(Ps 147:1)

What are the issues in your life right now?

What do you need God to be stronger than?

 

Tell Him, ask Him and oh, may your heart rejoice and praise Him as He tells you...I am.

 

 

God bless

Lize

 

 

Bashing the bride

To my embarrassment, I have to admit that I have watched a programme called ‘Four Weddings’ on DSTV a couple of times. In this programme, four brides get the opportunity to judge each other’s weddings including the dress, venue, food and atmosphere. Needless to say, it results in some horrible ‘bride bashing’.

I could choose not to watch this programme again, but there is another type of ‘bride bashing’ going on that is becoming hard to bear and I for one have decided to speak out against it. This is the bashing of the bride of Christ. We can also call it ‘Christian-bashing’.

Christians are continuously bashed with descriptions and accusations such as the following: Being judgemental, offending people and/or human rights, being hypocritical, having double standards, being guilty of empty religious activities and having weak relationships with God.

These are somewhat to be expected from non-Christians, but the thing that concerns me most is that more and more Christians themselves seem to accept these accusations as true and the descriptions as part of their identities.

Today, I am standing up against it. I do not accept these accusations. Not from anyone. Actually, there is only one accuser working through many.

Before I continue, let me be absolutely clear that when I refer to Christians I am talking about those people who have truly accepted Christ as their Saviour and have received His Holy Spirit to show that they now belong to Him.

I am not talking about people who merely call themselves Christians. It is easy to call oneself a Christian. Calling oneself a Christian and speaking ‘Christianese” if I can make up such a word, does not equal being a Christian. Jesus said you would know people by their fruit. Close inspection of the fruit of a person’s life will reveal whether they truly love the Lord. To those who call themselves Christians without being earnest in their desire to follow Him, Jesus gave this warning:


“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will say to them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23)

With this understanding, let us turn or focus back to the bashing of the bride of Christ.

One of the favourite accusations against Christians is that they are judgemental. Whenever a Christian speaks out against sin in the life of a non-believer or even another believer, he or she is regarded as being judgemental. Although at times this might be true, I believe that in most instances, this is not the case or the real issue.  For when you tell someone that the acts of homosexuality, adultery, drunkenness and the likes are detestable to God, you have offended nobody – you have shown them the way of death and the way of life. The truth is that they are offended by Christ. They have stumbled over the Rock and often their own consciences condemn them. 1 Peter 2:8 describes Christ as a “stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall,” and the reason they fall is because “they disobey the message...”

When the bride of Christ start to accept and own this false accusation of offending people, going against human rights and being judgemental...she is effectively silenced by the accuser...she who according to Revelation 22:17 should, together with the Spirit, be inviting others to the free gift of life, now leaves them on the path of death for fear of offending them and being judgemental!

Another popular accusation against Christians is that they are hypocritical, having double standards. Did Jesus Himself not ask the people, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Yes, but His intention was not ‘see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil’.  

If having faults and struggles of our own disqualifies us from speaking out against sin, none of the disciples had any right to do what they did. Then certainly Paul and Peter should have kept their quiet instead of writing all those letters telling the saints what they should and should not be doing! Did Paul and Barnabas not part ways because of unresolved conflict? Did Peter not eat with Gentiles but when certain men came from Jerusalem he separated himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of what they would say and do if they saw him eating with Gentiles? Yes, but they were not disqualified from the task of going out into the world and preaching not only the love of Christ but also His principles to be obeyed.

Why did Jesus not call them hypocrites and send them off as well?

Because there is a huge difference between those who do not love God and happily follow their own agenda (whether it is living in ignorance of the One Holy God or being hypocritical), and those who truly love God and have received His Holy Spirit who is working in them to teach, guide and sanctify them.

For although, as Paul said in Philippians 3:12, we cannot claim that we have already been made perfect, WE KNOW AND HAVE FOUND THE TRUTH, THE WAY AND THE LIFE AND WE DARE NOT KEEP THAT TO OURSELVES. WE DARE NOT LET ANYONE FOLLOW THE WAY OF DEATH WITHOUT TELLING HIM THE TRUTH.

I think Gandhi has once said something like “I like your Christ but I don’t like you Christians. So many Christians feel bad and think that they are rightly accused when they hear this saying but it was not a word of wisdom!  Christ is the Head and we are the body. You cannot like the Head but dislike the body. We are one. If anything, this comment showed that he knew little of our Groom and what was already accomplished in the heavenly realms. Take a look at the following Scripture:

"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.”  (Zechariah 3:1-4)

I love this. Satan, the only accuser who is working through many even to this day, is rebuked by God because he dared to accuse His child. Satan saw the filthiness; God saw the new garment – the righteousness of His Son, paid for by the highest price possible.

To my fellow Christians, the bride of Christ, I want to say this: Walk and be led and live in the Spirit. Allow Him to sanctify you more and more. Search your hearts and bring any wrong doings in repentance before the Lord. But, also stand tall and do not give out your ears to Satan, standing there to falsely accuse you. Do not be quieted by any such accusations but continue to speak out the love and the truth of God as He guides you in your everyday dealings with your fellow man.

You are His bride adorned, inviting others to come to Him and receive of the same grace that saved you!

God bless

Lize 

To fear or not to fear

This week, I cannot help but to write about fear. Life is simply full of fear evoking things...


I live in a country often characterized by violence. This past week we booked ourselves into a beautiful reserve on the outskirts of Pretoria. Situated next to a lake, the resort was the perfect setting for a fishing trip for our boys. That is until we were alerted to the fact that there had been three cases of armed robbery in the past two weeks at the resort's camping site on the other side of the lake. Family and friends alike wanted us to leave the resort at once. What were we to do? Where would we be safe from life's dangers?


Someone once told me a story. There was a man who was on his way to city A when he overheard the angel of death telling someone that he too is on his way to city A. Filled with fear the man immediately changed his plans and went to city B instead. Great was his shock when, once in city B, he bumped into the angel of death. "What are you doing here? I heard that you were going to city A today?" he asked the angel. The angel answered, "Indeed I am going to city A later today, but first I had an appointment in city B...with you."


We could leave the resort but have an accident on our way home. We could arrive safely home but suffer ill health. Where will we be safe from death or sickness or any other calamity? Driven by fear, where will we run and when will we stop?


I want to be completely honest today. Bad things also happen to God's children. We are not exempt from the brokenness that characterizes life since the Fall. But we are not left on our own! God promises us in Isaiah 43:2 - "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." God will never leave us nor forsake us. In Matthew 10 Jesus told the disciples, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of you Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."


You and I matter to God. When we are allowed to go through the fire, the water, the trial or the calamity we can know that He will be there with us and we will receive from Him the protection or the strength or the comfort or the guidance we need in that moment. That is why Psalm 112 says, "He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD." It is not that we will never receive any bad news, it is that our God is greater than any bad news and He is able to keep us in the midst of the fire.


Struggling with fear since I could remember, I have learnt two things as God continues to deal with my fear:


1) Fear robs us of the abundant life to be found in the present. When the Israelites were confronted with the news of the giants living in the fortified cities in the Promised Land, they were overcome with fear...it took them to events that did not exist except in their fear filled imaginations: "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder." (Numbers 14:2-3) Sadly, because of fear, they turned away a land of milk and honey which God had specially prepared for them. How many times do we live in fear of something that in the end never materializes, but in the process we miss the joy of the present.


2) I have also learned to respond to the spirit of fear in this way: "No thank you, you can keep your package of fear evoking thoughts. I will not take these thoughts of fear from you. If something bad is to happen to me or my loved ones, I will only consider it, take it and deal with it when it actually happens and in the presence of my God...not before that and not without God."


I will for example not host images of us being attacked in an armed robbery each day and night of our stay at the resort...or of being diagnosed with cancer...or of financial ruin or of any other kind of calamity. IT HAS NOT HAPPENED! These are empty thoughts from Satan and they are meant to paralyze us with fear and steal our peace and joy. Should any calamity do take place, in that moment I will deal with it and God will be right there to protect or guide or strengthen or comfort me and my loved ones. And even if we have to meet death itself, my God - who Himself has overcome death - will be right there...


That does not mean that I live in an irresponsible way or that I am being arrogant in the strength of my faith and the absence of calamity - far from it. I have also had my share of calamity in life. Rather, I am convinced that God is faithful and sufficient in ALL circumstances. Therefore, I reject the fear from Satan and choose to take joy in the present blessings from my Father's hand.


God bless you when you come in and when you go out.


Should you want to learn more on how to overcome life's challenges, have a look at my book "Bride Adorned" by clicking on the link at the top of my blog.




Until next week
Lize