Category Archives: Spirituality

Articles, Bible, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Beyond Covid-19: Is There A Word from the Lord? Part 05

 

Prosperity During Crisis

Crisis: It is not a happy, ‘feel good’ word, and we would prefer not to even hear it. Yet, as the maxim goes: When you understand the nature of a problem, you are halfway towards a solution.

Yet there is more. While for some, crisis can mean the ‘end of the world,’ for others, it can be the womb of opportunity. Biblical greats faced serious crises, in some cases, insoluble by human means. When God was all they had, they wonderfully discovered that God was all they needed.

With bush fires, droughts, pandemic, lockdown, riots and recession, is it even possible to even contemplate surviving, even succeeding, where others struggle or fall?

The answer is ‘Yes.’ It is possible to prosper during crisis.

Here is a prime example. It comes from the Book of Genesis.

Genesis 26: If you think our challenges are great, spare a thought for the Biblical characters. The patriarch Isaac dwelt in the promised land, as God ordained, yet his faith was being put to a severe test. The ‘land of milk and honey’ was afflicted with drought and famine.

What do you do?

The normal response was to do what his father Abraham, and his son Jacob, ended up doing. When there is a famine in Canaan, they went to Egypt. In that great land the mighty Nile River provided the water and fertile soil to make it a breadbasket. As the holy family discovered in Matthew 2, Egypt was also a refuge from danger. However, if we are going to prosper in crisis, we have to go beyond the ‘good idea’ and embrace the ‘God-idea,’ even if we are the only ones doing it.

God-Idea: This comes by ‘waiting on the Lord’ and ‘hearing the Word of the Lord, since God speaks (Hebrews 1:1-2). In Isaac’s case, God told him to do the exact opposite that everyone else is doing. God said to ‘Dwell in the land.’ Isaac wisely chose to ‘follow the Cloud, not the crowd.’

Promise for obedience: God promised to bless, cause Isaac to inherit the land, see Abraham’s covenant fulfilled, plus give him many descendants and be a source of universal blessing. Remember, that New Testament believers have also been given many promises and they are all ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). However, God expects our full cooperation for this to come to pass.

Response: Jesus often said that ‘many are called, but few are chosen’ (Matthew 22:14). What makes the difference between ‘many called’ and ‘chosen few?’ The ‘chosen’ say, ‘Yes’ when God calls. While Isaac’s verbal response was not recorded, his actions spoke louder than words. (26:6): So Isaac dwelt in the land. He was truly chosen.

Reap: (26:12) Isaac chose to obey and dwell. This verse gives a remarkable point: Isaac sowed in the land and in the same year he reaped 100-fold – and the Lord blessed Him. He prospered with flocks, herds, and servants. Remember, this sowing and reaping was in a time of drought and famine. Yes, it is possible to to prosper in crisis, but one must do as Isaac did.

When a person comes to Christ, they are not just part of their earthly family – they join God’s family. At the new birth, they become dual-citizens of their native land but also of God’s kingdom. And, remember this, the person of faith is not just tied to the local, national, and global economy; if they obey Biblical principles of finance, they are stakeholders in God’s economy.

Next time, we will explore this topic more, as well as how to handle opposition.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Articles, Education, Faith, Prophecy, Teaching

From Meltdown to Mountaintop: Why Study the Book of Habakkuk Part 01?

INTRODUCTION TO HABAKKUK

 For students of history, and you can’t be future-ready until you understand it, the 20th Century was the most change-filled and crisis-riddled in history. There were two world wars that killed 10s of millions and completely altered the world order. In-between these two world wars was a Spanish flu pandemic that killed more people that the Great War. The Great Depression was possibly history’s greatest economic downturn to date. After World War II, the Cold War came on the scene, posed some ominous threats, and then quietly ended without a shot.

While the world heaved a sigh of relief, there were more shakings to come. The 21st Century began with the greatest terrorist attack on United States soil: September 11th. Hurricane Katrina was one of the greatest storms in history, virtually destroying the city of New Orleans. Then in 2008 came the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), where the world economy had a heart attack and there was no donor heart for the transplant.

In 2020, nations were reeling due to multiple challenges. Australia suffered from repeated drought, than widespread bush fires, then the Covid-19 lockdown. The United States was hit hard by Covid-19 and the lockdown, economic downturn with high unemployment, and followed by riots in various cities (partially related to the lock downs).

Many of these events can be described as a meltdown. And we need to ask the question why are these things happening? Is it the ‘judgement of God?’ ‘Is it merely a chastening? Is it an attack by Satan? Is it all or none of the above?

 In any case, we need a ‘word from the Lord.’ And in Habakkuk, we’ve got it!

This singular prophet lived through the tempestuous transition from the fierce, warlike Assyrian empire to ascendancy of the Babylonian Empire in the late 7th Century BC. His day was arguably more challenging than our own. In his own nation of Judah, there was a torrent of godlessness. This backslidden nation practiced immorality, corruption, and lowered standards. He was amazed that Almighty God, Whom he served, was so patient in the face of this brazen flaunting of His holy standards.

The prophet is so grieved and incensed at the spiritual laxness of his people that He sought the Lord for answers. While shocked and scandalised by God’s response, Habakkuk comes in for Round Two of questions. Why are you using that nation to punish Judah? God’s response, chronicled in Chapter 2, has changed history.

Habakkuk is the forerunner of the entire gospel of Jesus Christ: proud, unjust, unrighteous, condemned humanity can be made just and righteous through faith in the living God.

Yet there is more. During the 16th Century, a Catholic monk tried valiantly but in vain to drive out his sin. No matter what he did…be it prayers, fasting, asceticism, good works, religious ritual … nothing worked. Nothing. Then one day his eyes landed upon these seven words:

       …the just shall live by his faith (2:4)

Once he read this verse, the monk discovered the answer that eluded him for may months and years. No longer was the Christian life a matter of ‘trying’ but of ‘trusting.’ He was a free man. So central is this tenet that Habakkuk 2:4 is repeated three times in the New Testament (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; and Hebrews 10:38).

The monk’s name was Martin Luther. The gentle breeze of Habakkuk 2:4, which blew like a mighty wind in the New Testament era, now became a tsunami called ‘The Protestant Reformation.’ Habakkuk, a ‘minor prophet,’ turned out to have a ‘major effect’ on church and human history. 

Begin to walk by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7) and watch those mountains move!

This passage is truly the key regarding the needful transition from meltdown to mountaintop. If you can take hold and apply what is being offered here, you will never be glued to a valley bottom again.

 TO BE CONTINUED

Articles, Bible, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Issues Facing the Church: Road to Mental Health Part 02

One of the much neglected but pressing issues today in society, and the church, is in the area of mental health. In Part 01 we defined mental health as a fully operative cognitive skills, sense of understanding one’s gifting and limitations, an ability to cope with stress, living a productive and fruitful life that contributes to society. The opposite of mental health is mental illness.
Causes of mental illness are numerous, but they have to do with personal challenges and adverse circumstances. While some people may need medication, all who suffer can gain wholeness through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. At the end of this article we offer some Scriptures to meditate on.
Some Practical Solutions
On the practical side, we suggested a balanced diet as a help to mental wholeness. Here are some other helpful tips:
Sleep: Getting adequate sleep is important, though experts disagree on how much is enough. It is not just the quantity, but the quality that matters. A couple of points: try to unwind for 15-20 minutes during the day, and then again before bedtime. Smart phone, tablets, and PCs can stimulate the brain, so avoid using them before bedtime. If you wake up in the middle of the night, and cannot go back to sleep after 20 minutes, get up, do something relaxing (e.g. warm drink, reading, soothing music, etc.) for about 20-40 minutes, and then return to bed.
Managing your ‘body clock’ is very important, therefore go to bed around the same time, especially if you are sleepy, and get up the same time every day, including weekends. These proven suggestions will help you get a better night’s sleep.
As the old adage goes: Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Vitamin D, Sunshine, and Exercise: Vitamin D is very important and it comes from sunshine and supplementation. It even builds up a cold-and-flu resistant immune system. Have your doctor check your Vitamin D levels. A recent study suggests that 45 minutes a week of vigorous exercise may be all that is necessary for fitness, but if you have time, more activity is good.
Activity: Be involved in meaningful and fulfilling activity, be it your job, volunteer work, or ministry involvement.
Attitude: This is very important – believing for the best, being grateful and positive, and avoid negativity and cynicism. Trust God and let Him dominate all thoughts. Jettison all vestiges of bitterness and un-forgiveness. Bad attitudes have a nasty way of holding back or even shipwrecking the holder. As the late Bob Gass said: A bad attitude is like a flat tyre. Unless you change it … you aren’t going anywhere.
Devotion & Discipleship: We who have come to Christ are new creation: the old passes away and the new takes its place. However, the lack of discipleship is causing people to live far below the Biblical standard of a Christian life. Discipleship is to follow Jesus with all of your heart, all of the time. Only by discipleship can you gain the full benefits of Biblical, Spirit-filled Christian living.
Your devotional life is not optional: incorporate Bible reading, prayer, confession the Word, praise and worship in your time with God. Meditate on Scripture promises and confess them aloud can do wonders. Find a spiritually mature, trusted friend, and pray with them regularly until you have your breakthrough. Finally, Scripture meditation is very powerful; practice it regularly and you will succeed in all you do (Joshua 1:8-9; Psalm 1:2-3). All these things will bring you on the pathway to wholeness. If you’re having trouble disciplining yourself to do these things, again, get a trusted person to work with you.
Scriptures to Meditate On
Psalm 34:4
I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 42:11
Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the help (or health) of my countenance, and my God.
Isaiah 26:3-4
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts in You. 4 Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength: 
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Articles, Bible, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Issues Facing the Church: Road to Mental Health & Well-Being Part 01

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. — Psalm 42:11
One of the great challenges of our time is not external issues — the economy, geo-political challenges, or pandemics. It has to do with mental health. Whether one is young or old, male or female, Christian or non-Christian, mental health is one of the issues, even crises, of our day and it’s not going away soon. Today’s church needs to begin a conversation on this vital issue.
This author claims no expertise whatsoever on this important subject, but after years of Bible teaching and pastoral ministry experience has some thoughts to offer.
Mental health includes a fully operative cognitive skills, sense of understanding one’s gifting and limitations, an ability to cope with stress, living a productive and fruitful life that contributes to society. The opposite of mental health is mental illness. If one had to choose between a physical ailment or mental illness, often times the latter proves to be more challenging, even harrowing, than the former. What is even more concerning is that Christians are not exempt from mental illness, including those in the ministry.
Some of life’s events that can contribute to mental illness include, but by no means are limited to, sexuality, illness, rejection, divorce, death of a loved one, family history, abuse, betrayal, bullying, or even a chemical imbalance. If left unaddressed, mental illness can develop, which includes worry, a spirit of fear, anxiety, depression, despair, low-mood, and/or self-harming. In some instances, mental illness can lead to addiction in tobacco, alcohol, narcotics, pornography, or illicit sexual relations. These life-controlling items only help make the situation worse than ever.
In trying to understand, let alone overcome, mental illness, a few points need to be kept in mind:
1.        Mental illness is common, and in some cases, growing. Modern living can be compact, complicated, over-busy and highly pressurised. Ironically, in peaceful and prosperous country like Australia, there is an alarming amount of depression, often manifested and masked by apathy.
2.        Those who suffer from mental illness should not be stigmatised. It can happen to anyone, including those who seem to ‘have it together:’ The educated, successful, and prominent.
3.        While medication may be necessary in a few cases, balanced, practical, and Bible-based principles should be employed. A holistic approach to body, mind, soul, and spirit is what is needed.
On the practical side, some issue to consider include:
Diet: A healthy, balanced diet is strongly recommended. You are what you eat and you can’t go wrong having a menu including whole grains, 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, protein, and a measure of carbohydrates and fats (yes, our body needs fats – the right kind in the right amount);
TO BE CONTINUED

Articles, Bible, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Abortion Part 04: What Would You Tell Your Niece?

The Bible and the Foetus 

In the series about Issues Facing the Church, I have elaborated a blog sent to my progressivist American niece, who asked for my position on abortion. For a Christian the Bible should be the first place to look for answers to life’s questions. If the Bible is the Word of God – and it is – and if we will be held accountable for what it says – and we will – then these passages regarding life need to be taken at face value
Is the Bible really silent on the personhood of the foetus or on when the spirit enters the unborn, as one famous politician claimed?
My position: as a born-again Christian and ordained minister, I take an predictably pro-life position. I have no other choice: my understanding of Scripture compels me.
•  Jeremiah 1:5 – God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah: Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.’
•  Psalm 139:13-16: There are some incredible statements in this passage. Apparently, the detailed mapping of our very being (perhaps right down to the molecular level) was written in God’s book, even before we were conceived. 
•  Ephesians 2:10: God knew us from before the foundation of the world (eternity past) and ordained us for good works.
•  Matthew 10:30: The hairs of our head are numbered.
•  Matthew 19:14: Jesus commanded that the little children be brought to Him and no one was to forbid them. They are what constitute the kingdom of heaven.
•  Genesis 1:27: This affirms that humankind is made in the image of God.
•  Genesis 9:6 says simply: Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man. Ponder that verse.
•   
•  Luke 17:2: It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. If you ever saw a millstone, you’ll find that it is exceedingly heavy. Tied around your neck means you would hit the sea bottom in record time. Jesus says the millstone in the sea is a better outcome than offending the ‘little ones.’ What could be more offensive than denying them the right to life?
Could it be any clearer?
With such meticulous care, there is no question that in God’s mind the foetus is a person, even before they are in the womb. Therefore, deliberately terminating that pregnancy is destroying a life.
Don Feder says abortion is part of a larger culture of death. When it was legalised in 1973, prophetic voices warned that euthanasia would be next. People scoffed at them and said it would never happen – yet, it is happening before our eyes. The most vulnerable people – the very young and very old – are being targeted for destruction, often for economic or expedient reasons.
Simple, true justice means we should do our best to defend those who cannot defend themselves.
Is the United States a better country because of Roe versus Wade? Are the Australian states that legalised abortion better places to live in?
Does 50 million plus abortions in the United States since 1973 improve our quality of life, instil compassion for the needy, or improve our ability to care?
What does it say about our humanity and our future? After all, children are the future.
Does it help strengthen the family?
If a child cannot be safe in its mother’s womb, is there any safe place on this planet for any of us?
United
There are people who were pro-abortion, were directly involved in the industry, then had a change of heart and repented. They have become passionate defenders of the unborn.
Dear niece, thank you for allowing me to answer your question on abortion.
I conclude with a simple challenge given by God to all of us. It is found in Deuteronomy 30:19:
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;