Revival and reformation P4-Positioning yourself for Revival

In the last few weeks, we have learned about the steps to take to start a true revival in your heart. To recap, they are as follows:

1.        The Church is ALWAYS to be in a state of revival.

2.        Be thirsty for revival. Revival will only come to hearts that are open to the Spirit of God.  Confess your sins so that your prayers are heard. Then, ask God for His Holy Spirit to revive your walk with Him. Fast and pray earnestly.

3.        Be ready to move! Revival comes to those who are ready to work for God for that is the purpose of revival. God doesn’t give you His Spirit and power to selfishly sit within the walls of your local church and do nothing. He told the Apostles to wait for His Spirit, for without Him they would not be able to boldly witness and proclaim the Gospel like they did. (Acts 1:1-8, Matt 28:18-20, John 15:5)

You have confessed your sins and prayed. You are ready to do God’s Will and work for Him. What next? It is important to position yourself for revival. You have asked God in faith. Now, you must position yourself in faith, ready to receive what you have asked for. As mentioned in last week’s message, God will never withhold revival from those who ask Him for He does not withhold any good thing from His children that they ask according to His Will. If you are ready to receive and work for Him, He is ready to pour out revival like you’ve never experienced before! So, believe it and get ready and excited to receive it! (Ps 84:11, Lk 11:9-13)

Many people’s expectations of revival are different to what revival actually is and that’s why when God is pouring out revival upon the hearts of His people, they fail to recognize it and position themselves to receive it. Revival is not always accompanied by loud bangs, speaking in tongues or a mighty rushing wind. Mostly it’s just a change of heart, an attraction to God’s ways and His precepts, a revitalizing of the earnest desire to serve Him, obey Him and love Him. Revival is God calling you back home when you have strayed far from the path He has chosen you to walk. It’s as simple as that! Revival is experiencing what it means to be a true Christian, revitalizing that first love for God you had at your conversion when you wanted to climb the highest mountain you could find and let the whole world know that you had found God, or rather that He had found you a long time ago!

When the rain comes in a desert place, people position containers to capture it. If they’re positioned in the wrong place, no water is captured. God is waiting to pour out His latter rain. Get ready. Position yourself strategically to receive it. The concept of revival is so simple. Jesus said that to enter into His Kingdom, you must be like a little child. Why do we complicate things so much? The steps I share, I have followed myself and it has led to a reformation in my life. Revival is the tree that produces the fruit of reformation. Without revival, there can be no reformation. Next week, we will focus on what it means to be reformed. (Mk 10:15, Ps 1:1-3)

Scriptures on the purpose of revival: To proclaim God's message to the world, to be a witness

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."- Acts 1: 4-8

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."- Matt 28:18-20

Scriptures refs are within the text of the message. Please read them.

The Secret to Contentment Part 2-Born to Serve

Last week’s message focused on the secret to true contentment being trust in Jesus Christ who saves us, obedience to His commands because we love Him, and making His Kingdom the overriding passion in our lives.

However, the question may arise: How exactly does one make Jesus’ Kingdom your passion? This week’s message seeks to explore this question. (Matt 6:19-34)

Making Jesus’ Kingdom your passion involves making His mission the priority and central focus of your existence. We are to seek the lost and erring in the same way that the Saviour sought them i.e. with a heart of compassion. The fulfillment of the Great Commission should override your desire for wealth, prestige or status in this world. Let God take care of you, as you focus on serving Him  by taking care of those He loves and gave His life for. (Matt 28:19-20)

There is no career more rewarding than that of being a minister of Christ. It is indeed the highest privilege and calling. Most of us spend at least eight hours at our places of work, but this is no excuse to leave God’s calling on your life unfulfilled. Your place of work is your mission field – don’t wait until you retire to labour for the Master; rather do it now in the days of your youth and vigour when you can offer Him the best years of your life in humble service for His Kingdom. In ministering to the needs of others by tending to their spiritual, emotional and physical needs, you will gain an audience for your promotion of the Gospel of our Lord. The days spent at your work place where you used to complain and experience monotony will be revitalized as you gain new purpose in working for the Master. In His employ, you will find peace and contentment as never before! (1 Tim 4:12; 6:6-12, Lam 3:27, Jer 22:21)

God created us in His image and likeness. When Jesus walked this earth, He revealed His character to be that of a servant leader. Therefore this means that we were created for service! When Simon Peter’s mother-in-law was healed by Jesus, the first thing she did was to arise and wait on the Lord. In the same manner, Christ has brought us into His Kingdom to serve others and to worship Him. In doing so, we will find rest for our souls, for we will then have exchanged our burdens for His yoke of service which is “easy and light”. (Matt 8:14-15; 11:28-30, John 13)

This quiet contentment is evidenced in the life of Paul the Apostle, when as he languished in a damp prison cell, all he asked for was his coat, books and parchments.The degree of contentment you experience is directly proportional to the amount of “dying to self” that you do. Contentment stems from having a meaningful purpose –Jesus is our reason for living. He is our purpose, His mission and passion, ours too!

The Secret to Contentment Part 3-Sabbath Rest

In the fast paced modern era we live in, many struggle to find some quiet time for rest and repose. However, God has always emphasized the need for His people to come away from worldly concerns for a time of reflection and communion with Him. (Gen 3:8-9, Gen2:2-3, Mk 6:31)

We were not designed to operate in a 24/7 working environment. As the Creator and Master Designer of the Universe, God alone knows the optimal conditions in which we should live. Just as you would not subject your car or a piece of expensive machinery to undue stress by using it contrary to the operating instructions (abuse), so you should also take care to heed God’s operating instructions for your own well-being, be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.

It is the same Lord who decreed the boundaries of the oceans who also has decreed the boundaries of time and space, giving us six days in which to labour and commanding us to rest on the seventh day to commemorate the great work of Creation that He had accomplished. It is also a time to contemplate the restoration of all things which He has already set in motion by His redeeming death, victorious Resurrection and atoning priestly ministry.

Jesus, when He was on this earth, showed us in what spirit we ought to keep the Sabbath. The Sabbath is God’s gift to man. This is what Jesus meant when He said that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. (Mk 2:27) No gift is a burden; hence the Sabbath ought not to be kept in legalistic tradition, but in joyous freedom and should be our delight. (Is 58:13-14) Also notice, He did not say: “The Sabbath was made for Jews…” He said “man”, meaning ALL of mankind, non-Jews included.

Many have neglected the Sabbath or have chosen to replace God’s Holy (sanctified*) Day with a day of their own choosing. At Creation, God rested on the Sabbath (seventh day), setting a pattern for us that was to last for all eternity. If the Sabbath had been changed to Sunday (first day of the week), surely something as important as this would have been an explicit command of Jesus Himself! Yet we see no such command in the entire Canon of Scripture. We see the price of neglect of God’s Sabbath all around us, in the maladies of the depressed and anxious. People are suffering from stress, overwork and depression from their youth. God has given us a command to rest – if He has decreed it, why should we fight it? In God’s Kingdom made new, ALL peoples will celebrate the Sabbath. (Is 66:22-23) Why not embrace and enjoy it now!

* to sanctify = to set apart for holy use

"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD."-Is 66:22-23

True Worship P4-Walking in the Dust of the Rabbi

One day, I saw a bumper sticker which read: “Exercise daily-walk with the Lord…” This seems like an apt topic to finish off our series on true worship. What does it mean to “walk with the Lord”? Your walk with the Lord is your relationship with Him. The way you worship will largely determine the way you walk with Him. Are you running ahead of Him, or are you so far behind that you can’t seem Him anymore?

An ancient Jewish Rabbinical blessing goes something like this: “May you walk in the dust of your Rabbi!” To walk in someone’s dust means you have to be walking just behind that person i.e. following close on his heels. Jesus explained this to His disciples in John 13:16 when He said that no servant is greater than his Lord. You cannot walk next to the Rabbi for you will never be His equal. You cannot run ahead of Him because He alone can lead the way as you journey through life’s uncharted territory. True worship comes in taking the posture of discipleship by following close on the Rabbi’s heels; He is the light and without Him you will be walking in darkness. Let Him light up the road that lies ahead so that you can pass safely. (John 8:12, John 1:9, 2Pet 1:17-19, Ps 119:105)

We know all about reverence in the sanctuary and bringing gifts to the altar. These are important aspects of true worship. However, true worship is not situational-it does not occur only in the sanctuary. The Psalmist echoes it perfectly in Ps 63 when he says that his longing to worship God grows because of his personal encounter with Him in the sanctuary (Ps 63:1-2). His sanctuary experience translates into a longing to shadow the Lord, “following hard after Him” (v8). Sadly, in many churches there is a lack of emphasis on this crucial aspect of true worship. If our worship is not revolutionizing and transforming our lives and making us more like Christ, then it is not true worship!

There is an old saying: “By beholding, you are changed.” I believe the Bible echoed this sentiment long before the secular author of this saying. In 2 Cor 3:18 it states that by beholding the glory of God, we are transformed by His Spirit into His image and likeness. How is the glory of God revealed to us? It is through the life of Christ, the visible representation of the invisible God, that the glory is revealed! Therefore, we must behold the life of Christ and meditate upon its scenes. Only then can we be changed. Only then can our worship be true, faithful and meaningful not just to us, but to the watching world as well! We can no longer pay lip service and pretend to be “holy” in church yet live our lives any way we please as soon as we leave the sanctuary. Those who desire to truly worship God and attain a place of honour in His Kingdom must be closest to the Rabbi. His yoke must become their yoke, His passion their passion and His work their work! (Matt 11:29)

Being close to the Rabbi means being totally covered by the dust from His sandals. Our lives must be modeled on the life of Christ. Let us take our worship to the streets-let us walk in the dust of our Rabbi, Jesus Christ!

1Jn 2:6  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

The Yoke of Service-About my Father's Business

Jesus was only 12 years of age when, on a yearly temple visit, He went missing. His parents anxiously sought after Him and eventually found Him in the temple, talking earnestly with the learned men. The doctors and elders marveled at his understanding for a youth of such tender age. When His parents asked why He had stayed behind and caused them so much anxiety, He replied: “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” [Luke 2:42-52]

Jesus’ entire life was spent doing the Will of His Father [John 4:34]. He went about doing good, healing and setting at liberty all who were oppressed by the evil one. His meat was to do His Father’s Will and to finish the work.

Jesus has bid all who are weary and heavy laden to come to Him and rest. However, the rest He offers is not a passive rest of inactive lethargy. Instead He offers to exchange your yoke of sin, bondage and the cares of this world for a yoke of service which is “easy and light.”[Matt 11:28-30]

God sent Jesus into the world for a purpose-to redeem us from our sins and to show us the way to the Father. Just as the Father sent Jesus into the world, so He sends us out to finish the work [John 17:18].  He has left nothing undone for our salvation. Now He bids us to go and tell the world of His marvelous grace and redeeming love. Jesus’ heart beats for the lost children of this world. His passion should be our passion. His mission should be ours.

He has left each of us a special work to do in the Great Commission [Matt 28:18-20]. He has given gifts to be used earnestly in this service. It is time to stop playing church and start working for God. The church has been asleep for long enough. It is now time to cast off the cloak of slumber and get moving for God! Time is fast running out, and the harvest is ready yet workers are still few.

It is encouraging to have attended the last Church Business meeting and to know that there are plans to get everyone actively involved in the mission of promoting the Good News of the Gospel beyond the walls of our church. We must pray that the Lord of the Harvest would send us forth as His workers to complete the Mission that He saw fit to entrust us with.

Let us get enthusiastic as we go about our Father’s business with zeal.

Scripture refs:Luk 2:42-52, Jn 4:34, Jn 17:18, Matt 11:28-30, Matt 28:18-20, Hab 2:2)

"In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."- John 4:31-34


"As thou [Father] hast sent me [Jesus] into the world, even so have I also sent them [ my disciples] into the world."-John 17:18


"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."-Matt 11:28-30

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."-Matt 28:18-20

Things I will NOT miss in Heaven!

Last week, we were reminded that the many trials and hardships we face on earth are not to be taken personally. They’re only reminders that our home is not in this world. Those who have surrendered to Christ don’t have a kingdom in this world. We are only pilgrims passing through. This got me thinking about the many things I most definitely will not miss in Heaven. I have listed them here as an inspiration to us all so that we may desire that day even more. When you feel downcast, write your own list. It certainly helps get things in perspective again!

-No more alarm clocks at 3AM/ traffic jams!

-Work will no longer be tiresome, but a joy.

-No more Eskom/load shedding! (Rev 22:5, 21:23)

-No more death, sorrow, crying/pain (Rev 21:4)

-No more separation (Rev 21:1)

-No more travelling to Church! (Rev 21:22)

-No more sun/moon worship-everyone will worship the Lord, our Creator & Redeemer (Rev 21:23)

-No more fear of the dark or terrors of the night. There is no night there! (Rev 21:25)

-No more sin and we will no longer be sinners! (Rev 21:27)

-No more arrogance, stubbornness or pride; man will freely submit to God’s authority without resistance. (Rev 21:24)

-No more orphaned, suffering children. All who enter will be the sons of God. (Rev 21:7)

-No more trying to convince people that God exists, only to be regarded as a fool. There will be no unbelievers in His Kingdom. (Rev 21:8)

-I may not have a mansion here, but He has promised me one there! And better still, nobody will envy/hate me for it because everyone will have one (John 14:2)

-No more gravel roads. The streets in God’s City are paved with gold so pure that it’s like transparent glass! That also means no potholes or begging municipalities to fix them! (Rev 21:21)

-No more war, murder or destruction (Mic 4:3)

-No more worrying about security and fear of burglars and thieves. Our treasure will be Heaven which moth and rust can’t corrupt, nor thieves steal away. (Matt 6:19-20)

-All the material things people value on earth will be like the playthings of a child when compared to Heaven! No one will judge your character based on expensive cars/houses or a six figure salary there!) (Rev 3:4-the Lamb will make us worthy)

-No more economy, because there’s no scarcity!

-Bonus of all bonuses…wait for it…no more satan!

Please note: This is not an exhaustive list. There are so many more things I can think of, but I thought I would give you readers a chance to think up some of your own before stealing ALL the ideas! This is a wonderful way to vent your frustration about this present world but also dwell on the promises of God. And to think that God used my annoying alarm clock this morning to inspire these thoughts just when I thought I wouldn't have anything to write about this morning! God can use the annoying things (and in some cases, annoying people) in your life to inspire you if you will allow Him:)

Heaven is a forever place with my forever God:)

The Jesus Touch Part 2 -Redeem the Time

God has blessed each of us with varied talents according to our ability (Matt 25:15). However, to every one of us He has given time. Each day that we are alive, He fills our lives with the same amount of minutes as the next person. It’s how we choose to use the time He has blessed us with that makes all the difference.

Jesus was a master manager of His time. He didn’t waste any of it, but rather spent long hours investing into the lives of those closest to Him – these would be the ones who would be tasked with taking the message of the Gospel to the entire world. Jesus was never idle. When He was not walking miles between towns as an itinerant teacher, preacher and healer He could often be found in places of solitude communing earnestly with His Father. He often put aside His own desire for rest to meet the needs of those who followed Him, earnestly seeking the gracious words of truth from His lips. Jesus was a very busy man, yet He seemed to have time for everyone! (Matt 14:14-36, Matt 15:32, Mk 3:20)

Are you busy today? Many of us use our “busyness” as an excuse not to get involved in the work of God. Jesus often did not even have time to eat or drink. While the disciples went into the neighbouring towns to gather provisions, Jesus sat at the well and invested in the life of a woman who would become a great missionary for Him. His meat was to do the will of His Father and to finish the work. Jesus was not selfish with His time. He set out to save the lost and He set his face like a flint and stayed the course until the door of salvation was open to everyone. (John chapter 4, Is 50:4-7)

How much time do we spend in idleness and yet complain that there are not enough hours in the day to finish all that we have to do?  Christ’s Object Lessons pg 118-119: “Satan uses the listless, sleepy indolence of professed Christians to strengthen his forces and win souls to his side. Many who think that though they are doing no actual work for Christ, they are yet on His side, are enabling the enemy to pre-occupy ground and gain advantages. By their failure to be diligent workers for the Master, by leaving duties undone and words unspoken, they have allowed satan to gain control of souls who might have been won for Christ. We can never be saved in indolence and inactivity. There is no such thing as a truly converted person living a helpless, useless life.” Will you answer Jesus’ call to work in His vineyard today?

The Finished Work of the Cross

Just before his death on the cross, Jesus uttered three significant words. These are recorded for us in John’s gospel (Jn 19:30) as: “It is finished.” The work of redemption had been completed, and the penalty had been paid. Salvation was freely available from that moment to anyone who would believe in the righteous Son of God.

However, the process was not an easy one. Jesus did not HAVE to leave the glories of Heaven to come to earth to be rejected and reviled by humankind, who He sought only to save. He could have left us to perish in paying the due penalty for our sins, through eternal death. However, He had made up His mind voluntarily that He would save us. He had the power to lay down His life and to take it up again; He chose of His accord to assert this power for our benefit (Jn 10:17-18).

 He could have decided to leave the work of atonement undone at any point in time prior to His crucifixion. At his arrest, He could have summoned ten thousand angels to rescue Him (Matt 26:63). However, our Saviour decided to go all the way for us. Even when His physical strength was all but exhausted, He hung on because He knew that it meant the difference between life and death for us.

In the same manner, we are called to be soldiers of the cross. Our mission is to spread the gospel to all nations preparatory to the return of our Lord in the clouds of glory. Sometimes, we feel that no one notices the work we do and conversions are few. However, we are not to give up in well-doing though we may be weary, for in due time we will receive the reward of a good and faithful servant if we do not lose heart (Gal 6:9).

Those who are involved in the work of teaching and church leadership are called to a higher responsibility and standard

(Jer 23:1-2). They must answer for leading astray those under their care, or for leaving the work concerning them unfinished. We should endeavour to leave no stone unturned in seeking the salvation of the lost, and in helping those privileged to be in His presence to remain there. We should work even harder, considering that there are many false teachers, who like ravenous wolves, disguise themselves as shepherds of the flock of God (Matt 7:15, Acts 20:29). Let not the blood of the uninformed be on our heads, but rather let us be faithful watchmen in warning others of the soon return of our Lord (Ezek 33:6, Ezek 3:20).

Let us finish the work we have been called to do, just as the Saviour’s meat and drink was to do His Father’s will and to finish His work (Jn 4:34). He finished the work He was called to accomplish on our behalf. Let us with like passion, finish the work that we have started! He has promised to be faithful to us in bringing the good work He has started in our lives to a grand completion. It is time for the great church of God to awake from our slumber and to work the works of Him who has commissioned us, for night will soon fall when no man may work (Jn 9:4).