82. GOD STILL SENDS ANGELS. Hebrews 1:14

God can come to you in varied forms. When Jesus appeared to His disciples and stilled the storm, they thought He was a Ghost. In the book of Hebrews (1:14) The Bible says Angles are “ministering Spirits sent to those who will inherit salvation” Have you ever seen an angel? They are not always dressed in white with dramatically arched wings; sometimes they are so ordinary that they are overlooked. Hebrews 13:2) says ‘Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained Angels without knowing it. Perhaps you think God doesn’t send angels these days, because He has given His Holy Spirit to help, protect and guide us. Not so. Sometimes your intellect can undermine your faith. Remember, God sent an Angel to deliver Peter from prison on the eve of his execution. On his way to Roam, Paul was on a ship destined to be destroyed by a ferocious storm. But God sent an Angel to assure him that he would survive it. So Paul announced to the crew and passengers; ‘Take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, Saying ‘Do not be afraid Paul’...’Therefore take heart, men, for I believe it will be just as it was told me’ Acts (27:22-25) You may not be able to see angels, but you can be certain they can see you, Indeed they never take their eyes off you. Just read Matthew (18:10). In what situation will God send an Angel to help you? 1. When those you love and trust disappoint you. Genesis (21:18) We can only imagine how Hagar felt when in a joint decision Abraham and Sarah got her pregnant in order to try and fulfil God’s promise. Then when Isaac was born a year later she and her baby were sent away weeping and crying with no child support, she believed they would both die. Hagar left baby Ishmael under a tree and walked away because she couldn’t bear to see her baby die of hunger and thirst. But God sent an Angel to tell her that her son was a child of destiny from whom would come a great people. 2. When you are facing embarrassment and can’t defend yourself, Mary intended to get married first then have a baby, but God had different plans for her. Not only was she facing public humiliation, but according to the Law she should have been put to death. But in Luke (1:34-38) we read that God sent an Angel to vindicate her and tell her that she was in the centre of His Will 3. When you are grieving over the death of someone you love and fear for your future. Read Matthew (28:6) Mary Magdalene loved Jesus more than life itself. So when He died and was buried. She was distraught and heartbroken. That’s when God sent an Angel to announce. ‘He is not here. He is risen’. If you allow it to, the cynical world will tell you that God doesn’t send Angels these days, but believe God’s Word, and believe me I’ve experienced the work of Angels in my life very often and still do quite regularly. God is very good at sending His messengers to and for us when the situation demands it. What are some other situations when God may send His Angels to help you? 1. To get you out of trouble. Lot was living in Sodom, a city about to be destroyed because of its sin. That’s when God sent angels to rescue him and his family from impending doom. Lot listened, obeyed and survived, but sadly, his wife didn’t and she perished. (See Genesis 19) 2. To change your life’s direction. ‘Moses was tending Jethro’s flock. Right there the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush’ (Exodus 3:1-2). Moses thought his life was over. He started out in a palace, and ended up in a pasture. But every experience both good and bad, equipped him to lead the greatest migration of people in history. 3. When your facing your biggest challenge. In order to enter the promised land, Israel first had to conquer its largest city. Jericho. And Joshua hadn’t a clue how to do it. That is when God sent an Angel with a plan that would literally bring down the walls (Joshua 5:14). 4. When you have given it your best shot and are ready to give up. After his spectacular victory over the prophets of Baal on mount Carmel, Jezebel put out a death threat on the prophet Elijah. How did it effect him? ‘I have had enough, Lord,” he said “Take my life” Then he lay down under a bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said ‘Get up’ (Read the rest of the story in 1 Kings 9. very interesting) Today God still sends angels to help us in and out of the battles in our lives. When you go through something you can’t explain, look for God’s Angel in the experience. Thank you for reading about God’s (Angels) Messengers, I hope you get something out of it. Although Angels are not given much space in the Bible, or surrounded with Doctrine or Dogma, their timely arrivals are certainly worth praying, thinking and reading about. There are many more instances in Scripture where the arrival of Angles come into their own to change situations. God bless, Phaline. ------------------------

81. LEARNING FROM MOSES Hebrews 11”24.

When reading through the life of Moses we find there are four issues we need to come to grips with in order to succeed in life. First; Know who you are. (Hebrews 11:24) tells us ‘ Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter’ Moses was born a Hebrew, but was raised an Egyptian. Even though he was groomed to be second-in-command in Pharaoh’s Kingdom, Moses knew God had called him to free His people and lead them out of Egypt. So, He had to make a choice; ‘What am I going to do with my life? I am not who these people think I am.’ Moses had every comfort he could wish for in the palace, and he could have stayed there. What would you have done? Moses made the right decision, but it meant spending the next eighty years of his life in the desert. Every one of us must come to grips with our identity. All of us have a deep need and desire to accept who we are. Trying to be who we are not is a quick way to get an ulcer, because it puts us under so much pressure. Moses recognised this tension and decided to stop pretending. It’s liberating when we stop trying to be somebody we are not and accept God’s plan for our life. How would we have remembered Moses today if he had stayed in Pharaoh’s court? Maybe as an Egyptian mummy in some museum or maybe not at all! But he made the hard decision and, in the light of eternity, it was the best one. Learn from him. Secondly; Take responsibility for your life. In the second part of the above scripture we read’ Moses chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.’ He chose to go God’s way, and refused to be anyone but himself. The principal here is ‘You can always replace a negative with a positive’ You don’t just stop doing something, you start doing something else. The Christian life isn’t a matter of negative rules and regulations. It’s a matter of relationships – With God, with other people and with yourself. Notice, Moses made his decision ‘when he had grown up’ It’s a mark of maturity when you can settle the issue of personal responsibility. When Moses was a baby it was okay to postpone the decision about who he was. But when he became an adult he had to make a choice; to assume responsibility for his own life and move ahead. It’s always easy to blame others; ‘I’d go God’s way if my boyfriend or girl friend or, mother or father, husband or wife would do it too.’ or ‘I’d be a better person today if I had better parents.’ You can’t choose all the circumstances that come into your life, but you can choose whether those things will make you a bitter person or a better person. Ultimately no one can ruin your life except you! The devil can’t because he doesn’t have enough power – and God won’t because he loves you too much. So choose to go God’s way. Thirdly; Determine your problem. The book of Hebrews tells us in (Hebrews 11;26) Moses regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ; of greater value than the treasures of Egypt. Because he was looking ahead to his reward. Much of the world’s wealth at that time was stored in Egypt, so Moses already had what most people spend much of their lives trying to get; popularity, pleasure and possessions. Yet God asked him to do something that was more important. - and he did it . It was a matter of priorities. Moses could easily have rationalised, “The slave situation is bad, so I’ll stay in the system and work for reform’ Most of us want to be liked, but there is one big problem with popularity. It never lasts.. You can be a big name in your city or town for a while, but in just a few years, most people don’t even remember you. Then there’s pleasure; Is pleasure wrong? No, not unless it’s sinful. Then comes possessions; And there’s nothing wrong with material success either. Some of the greatest people in the Bible were extremely wealthy including Abraham and Solomon/ But Jesus said in (Luke;12–15) ‘Life does not consist of an abundance of possessions’ Ultimately, wealth doesn’t bring happiness. Ask the people who have it this one question, how much money would it take to make you happy? The answer is always ‘just a bit more’ Money is to be used, - not loved! God wants us to use things and love people. But if we love things, we will end up using people. Moses had his priorities right; he devalued material things because there was something more important in his life. - namely, God’s Will. Fourthly; Persevere when life gets difficult...In (Hebrews:11:27 we read “By faith… he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.” We can sum up the life of Moses with these two words “He persevered.” It’s a fact of life that there’s no gain without pain, no advancement without adversity and no progress without problems. Moses understood that difficulties come into every life and he knew how to respond to them correctly and move on. And we must learn to do the same. As followers of Christ, we should never let problems defeat us; Instead, we should use them as an opportunity to draw closer to God. Someone once said the only time problems should get us down is when they get us down on our knees to pray! God allows specific situations into our lives to bring growth. And without perseverance we just wont grow. Notice the words”By Faith... he persevered.” Faith in what? Faith in whom? Faith in God! We are not talking here about some white-knuckled, flesh-based form of self-help. No we are talking about the fact that when God calls us to do a job, He equips and empowers us. He goes ahead of us, providing everything we need When you say yes to God’s plan for your life, you can stand on this promise; Found in (Romans 8:28) We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes.” So you must—a.) Know who you are: (b.) Take responsibility for your life (c.) Determine your priorities. And (d) Persevere when life gets difficult. If you live by these four Bible truths, you will live a life that is truly blessed by God. Thank you for reading these observations of this great man of God. In the end I believe it’s a life of submission and dependence on God that determines our destiny. The more we read His Word, the more we get to know Him, the more we know Him, the more we get to love Him and the more we love Him, the more we get to trust Him in life. So Daily, read, learn and trust God’s Word, (your Bible). That’s the only trustworthy way to know the truth about Life, Death and Eternity. it’s God’s ultimate Word for you and me. In the world today. God Bless. Phaline.

80 NOT QUALIFIED TO JUDGE Matthew 7;1-2

Judging is like breathing - it comes naturally and sometimes the worst critics are Christians who use Scripture as their weapon of choice. So if you are the one being judged, try to remember these four things; (1) Show humility. If you’re guilty, admit it to God, yourself and the appropriate other person or people you have judged. Confession brings honesty and spiritual growth see (1John 1-9) (2) Know your Bible. Satan took Scripture out of context to try to trap Jesus. But Jesus knew the context and didn’t fall for it (Luke 4:1-13) When the Bible is taken out of context, remember God isn’t aiming at you. And when you are rightly judged by God’s word, don’t despair: It doesn’t mean He’s mad at you. He loves you – just as you love your children even when they disobey you, then use their actions as “teaching moments” to develop them. “The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son” (Hebrews 12:6) (3) Don’t be goaded into trying to defend yourself. Judgemental people aren't interested in facts - They just want to feel good, while making you feel bad. Pick your battles wisely and don’t waste time on the unimportant. Here is how Paul responded to His critics; ‘I care very little if I am judged by you or.. any human court’ (1 Corinthians 4;3) (4) Don’t volunteer for the jury. If God doesn’t find you guilty, don’t judge yourself. Follow Paul’s example; “Indeed, I don’t even judge myself” (1Corinthians 4;3) If you are wrong, confess it and, by God’s Grace correct it. Then make up your mind to live your life free from condemnation. If you are the one doing the judging, remember this timeless principal: What goes round comes around. Jesus said in (Matthew 7:1-2) “Do not judge…For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the same measure you use it will be measured to you. It’s called the law of reciprocity and it guarantees you will get back what you give. It’s not a threat; it’s an immutable law, just like the law of gravity. But, you say, “I am honest; I just tell it like it is, and besides, that person’s sin needs to be exposed.” This is not about your honesty or their sin, it’s about God’s Word. That forbids judging. You may be right and they may be wrong, but judging puts you in violation of Scripture. And that is what sets you up to be judged.. Question; What if the other person has already repented and received God’s forgiveness? Think about it; The worst kind of sin is judging sin God has already forgiven and forgotten, see (Isaiah 43:25) When we judge others, we are looking in the wrong direction, and avoiding what we don’t want to see – our own shortcomings. In (Matthew 7:3 Jesus also said “Why do you look at the speck in your brothers eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Whatever their speck is, it’s God’s business - not yours, or mine, Your plank is your business! And in ( Matthew 5:7) Jesus also said “They are blessed who show mercy to others, for God will show mercy to them. So start investing in your own :Mercy account” You will need it soon enough. We are all sinners, and the sooner we realise that the better off this world will be. Some of us have sins that are out there for everyone to see, others of us have our sins hidden, but only from other people, however, you need to know, God sees them all and deals with each of us accordingly; sometimes publicly and sometimes privately, but one thing is certain, they are all dealt with. So, as with all sin, the best thing we can do after understanding our guilt is to… Turn immediately to God and the one we’ve judged and express our sincere sorrow for judging them, that’s the only way we can stop judgement on ourselves before it hits us. It’s also the easiest and quickest way of getting rid of the guilt of judging others. Thank you for reading about how to deal with “Judgement” you are not the first, and you wont be the last Christian to have to deal with this problem. It’s just another stumbling-block along the rough road which we have to recognise, climb over, get around and deal with; along the narrow road to our final destiny where the open arms of a loving Savour is waiting for us. God Bless. Phaline. --------------------------------

79. The Grace Of “Living Water” (John: 4 10)

When the Samaritan woman at the well offered Jesus a drink of water, He replied, “You don’t know what God wants to give you and you don’t know who is asking you for a drink, If you did, you would ask me for the water that gives life.” (John 4:10) Jesus routinely showed mercy to people who least deserved it, and this woman was one such a person. (In the opinion of most.) Today I am asking this question of us all, How do you and I measure up when extending God’s Grace to others, are we gracious, or do we take it upon ourselves to dole it out sparingly? Jon Walker says: Grace allows people to make choices...it’s free...flowing.. Unencumbered by guilt or shame. it says, ‘I know all about you, and I still love you’...most of us, if we are honest, function as if God were stingy with His Grace We fear His punishment.. We fear He, like the school Head master is walking the corridors of life, taking down names, but God already knows who did what and who’s to blame, and He loves us anyway. His interest is in redeeming us, not in keeping us on the hook for our sins. Unfortunately, many of us Christians live our lives as if we were still on the hook.. therefore we have to keep everyone else on the hook as well, we use weapons of the flesh – the sarcastic comment, the angry stare the raised eyebrow – to get people to wise-up and live right. By contrast, The Woman at the well went back to her village and said, “Come see the man who told me everything I ever did (John 4:29) Nothing was hidden from Jesus, Yet, He communicated in such a fashion that she left feeling loved and accepted. That’s God’s Grace!. Recently reading Chuck Swindal I had to agree, “Many of us believers are intolerant of those who don’t fit our mould - an attitude that reveals it’s self in the stoic stare or caustic comment. Such reactions will thin the church ranks faster than a fire in the basement or flu in the pew.” Paul rebuked the Galatians for “Deserting Christ” (Gal 1:6) “nullifying the Word of God” (Gal 2:21) and becoming “bewitched by legalism” (Gal 3:1) Sure there are limits to freedom. Grace does not condone licence … The opposite of legalism isn’t ‘do as you please’ But the limitations are broader than most of us realise. I can’t believe for example the only music God smiles on are High brow or hymns, nor do I believe the necessary garment for entering the veil is a suit and tie...Let’s remember who gets wound up over outward appearances It’s not God, “He looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Jesus reserved His longest and strongest sermon for the legalists – present day Pharisees. When it came to self righteous showing off, Jesus pulled no punches. He found it was the only way to deal with those who hung around places of worship destaining and despising others. No less than seven times He pronounced “ Woe to you” Because that’s the only language the Pharisees understood.. while we can’t and don’t need to accept inappropriate behaviour, dress, language or uncleanness in or outside church, we need to remember, grace is a gift from God which not only identifies us as good people of God, but helps us to show Jesus for the loving, understanding and accepting God that He is. Grace also tells us that gentle guidance and allowances should be made for the mentally and or physically handicapped, such people God loves more than He loves us (if that were possible) They have a special place in the heart of God. So love them and don’t disparage them, or you may find yourself with a large stone around your neck in the middle of the sea.!! And for those of us who think we have it all together ...and can get away with crossing the borders in the above categories, remember, that due diligence plus soap and water are easily procured.. I still remember an elderly teacher always ending our weekly “Health and Hygiene” class with these words “Never allow a few sprays of perfume to taker the place of a good shower.” Good advice.!!! Thank you for reading these words of “Living Water Grace” Water is a wonderful commodity, It can clean both the inside and the outside of our bodies, it’s no wonder Jesus used it in so many of His miracles and dealings with the people., He changed water into wine, He walked on it in the sea, He multiplied the catch of fish, He spoke to Nicodemus of the importance of being Baptised with water and the Holy Spirit, and what a cup of water given in His name would do for us. Yes, Jesus took something as ordinary as water to teach some of His greatest lessons. Also in the old Testament we can see God doing the same thing, The flood, the crossing of the red sea, and the water from the Rock. There are many more references to water in Scripture, well worth doing a study on. God bless us all as we look to His Word for “The Living Water Of God’s Grace.” Phaline