Christians are also called to fight a Holy War. Only for us it is a war of love and not one of earthly terror. It is a war to save people from wrong beliefs inspired by evil spiritual influences that inspire wrong behaviour and evil actions that cause harm to people:
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Bible: Ephesians 5:10-12)
3We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 6And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient. (Bible: 2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
Jesus (Bible: Matthew 5:14)
"Love your enemies..."
(Bible: Luke 6:27)
In contrast:
"If then anyone transgresses
the prohibition against you,
Transgress ye likewise against him"
(Qur'an 2:194)
"Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye
dislike it. But it is possible that ye
dislike a thing which is good for you, and
that ye love a thing which is bad for you.
But Allah knoweth, and ye know not."
(Qur'an 2:216)
"I will cast terror into the hearts of those who
disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads
and strike off every fingertip of them."
"Allah" (Qur'an 8:12)
"O you who believe! Fight those of the
unbelievers who are near to you
and let them find in you hardness."
(Qur'an 9:123)
So how do we respond to this as followers of Christ?
We do as He told us in Matthew 5:42-45
43"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' 44"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous
donderdag 19 november 2015
woensdag 28 oktober 2015
Victory over demons
Christ is Victor
In much of contemporary charismatic demonology we often come across a learned helplessness which results from focusing so much on the power of the demons who may be trying to influence us that people feel they are unable to resist them. Instead of feeling part of the victorious procession of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14) they feel victimized by the devil and anything he may have done to them in the past or still may be doing in their lives, Whether this is a case of trying to shift responsibility for past and present sins to the devil 'who made them do it' since they were 'helpless victims' or whether it is confusion caused by false teachers who put themselves forward as deliverance experts, this approach is not in agreement with the word of God. We are exhorted by the true apostles in the New Testament to focus on the far superior power of Christ who has already defeated and disarmed all of the demons. Christ is the truth by which we ought to live. Not just any Christ as he may be presented by some, but Christ as revealed in Holy Scripture in the writings of the apostles and prophets. Our faith should be build on Christ and His teachings as a strong foundation as laid by the apostles and prophets. We should not allow anyone, no matter how impressive his or her credentials, to lead us astray from simple trust in our victorious Lord. Christ is victorious over the powers and He has disarmed them (Colossians 2:15). The well-known church father St. Augustine understood this well when he described the demons as dangerous but limited in power: They are like fierce barking dogs already put on a chain. As long as we do not deliberately go to them they cannot bite. So why be intimidated by their barking? Lets trust in the One who lives within us and who has all power in Heaven and Earth. He should be our focus for in Him we find all the strength we need to resist even the prince of demons, the devil himself (Matthew 28:18, Eph. 6:10, James 4:17-18).
In much of contemporary charismatic demonology we often come across a learned helplessness which results from focusing so much on the power of the demons who may be trying to influence us that people feel they are unable to resist them. Instead of feeling part of the victorious procession of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14) they feel victimized by the devil and anything he may have done to them in the past or still may be doing in their lives, Whether this is a case of trying to shift responsibility for past and present sins to the devil 'who made them do it' since they were 'helpless victims' or whether it is confusion caused by false teachers who put themselves forward as deliverance experts, this approach is not in agreement with the word of God. We are exhorted by the true apostles in the New Testament to focus on the far superior power of Christ who has already defeated and disarmed all of the demons. Christ is the truth by which we ought to live. Not just any Christ as he may be presented by some, but Christ as revealed in Holy Scripture in the writings of the apostles and prophets. Our faith should be build on Christ and His teachings as a strong foundation as laid by the apostles and prophets. We should not allow anyone, no matter how impressive his or her credentials, to lead us astray from simple trust in our victorious Lord. Christ is victorious over the powers and He has disarmed them (Colossians 2:15). The well-known church father St. Augustine understood this well when he described the demons as dangerous but limited in power: They are like fierce barking dogs already put on a chain. As long as we do not deliberately go to them they cannot bite. So why be intimidated by their barking? Lets trust in the One who lives within us and who has all power in Heaven and Earth. He should be our focus for in Him we find all the strength we need to resist even the prince of demons, the devil himself (Matthew 28:18, Eph. 6:10, James 4:17-18).
donderdag 8 oktober 2015
To follow Christ means to seek global justice
To follow Christ means to seek global justice
In 2014, Oxfam reported that the 85 wealthiest individuals in the world have a combined wealth equal to that of the bottom 50% of the world's population, or about 3.5 billion people. More recently, in January 2015, Oxfam reported that the wealthiest 1 percent will own more than half of the global wealth by 2016. What is our response as followers of Christ to such an injustice in the world where billions suffer because some hoard an immorally big amount for themselves? Through His prophet Isaiah God tells us that when such things happened in Israel that He hates injustice and He hates it when no-one does anything about it (Isaiah 59:15-16). He will bring judgement on both evil doers and those who collectively condone it (vs 17-19). But for those who repent and change their way and led by His Spirit stand for what is right there is salvation (vs 20-21). Those will follow God the way He has instructed in Isaiah 58:
6 I'll tell you
what it really means
to worship the Lord.
Remove the chains of prisoners
who are chained unjustly.
Free those who are abused!
7 Share your food with everyone
who is hungry;
share your home
with the poor and homeless.
Give clothes to those in need;
don't turn away your relatives.
8 Then your light will shine
like the dawning sun,
and you
will quickly be healed.
Your honesty will protect you
as you advance,
and the glory of the Lord
will defend you from behind.
9 When you beg the Lord for help,
he will answer, “Here I am!”
As James repeats in the New Testament:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:27).
So let us cleanse ourselves from the pollution of this world and its selfish desires, its never satisfied lust for more and more, and its boasting of earthly achievements, possessions and popularity in the eyes of humanity:
15Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:15-17).
In 2014, Oxfam reported that the 85 wealthiest individuals in the world have a combined wealth equal to that of the bottom 50% of the world's population, or about 3.5 billion people. More recently, in January 2015, Oxfam reported that the wealthiest 1 percent will own more than half of the global wealth by 2016. What is our response as followers of Christ to such an injustice in the world where billions suffer because some hoard an immorally big amount for themselves? Through His prophet Isaiah God tells us that when such things happened in Israel that He hates injustice and He hates it when no-one does anything about it (Isaiah 59:15-16). He will bring judgement on both evil doers and those who collectively condone it (vs 17-19). But for those who repent and change their way and led by His Spirit stand for what is right there is salvation (vs 20-21). Those will follow God the way He has instructed in Isaiah 58:
6 I'll tell you
what it really means
to worship the Lord.
Remove the chains of prisoners
who are chained unjustly.
Free those who are abused!
7 Share your food with everyone
who is hungry;
share your home
with the poor and homeless.
Give clothes to those in need;
don't turn away your relatives.
8 Then your light will shine
like the dawning sun,
and you
will quickly be healed.
Your honesty will protect you
as you advance,
and the glory of the Lord
will defend you from behind.
9 When you beg the Lord for help,
he will answer, “Here I am!”
As James repeats in the New Testament:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:27).
So let us cleanse ourselves from the pollution of this world and its selfish desires, its never satisfied lust for more and more, and its boasting of earthly achievements, possessions and popularity in the eyes of humanity:
15Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:15-17).
donderdag 24 september 2015
True friendship
A true friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17).
Many are the good weather friends and plenty are the other consumers who happily use your time, energy and resources when you are popular, successful and prosperous. But it is in times of hardship, loss, suffering, weakness and failure that false friends will turn away from you and true friends remain. The process is painful but the relationships that remain are like the gold that remains after the fire has burned away all that was not gold.
Many are the good weather friends and plenty are the other consumers who happily use your time, energy and resources when you are popular, successful and prosperous. But it is in times of hardship, loss, suffering, weakness and failure that false friends will turn away from you and true friends remain. The process is painful but the relationships that remain are like the gold that remains after the fire has burned away all that was not gold.
maandag 14 september 2015
Stewardship
Christian stewardship is a biblical theological concept that influences our lifestyle, our choices, and our contribution and involvement in Gods Mission of Salvation to the World. It poses the question to us: "To whom does it belong?" The answer in Scripture is clear: "Whether He entrusts us with man or with few 'talents', It all belongs to God." All we enjoy on earth is a gift from God.
Christian stewardship is Theocentric: God Himself is our example: In love He gave us everything we needed, even His own Son for our salvation. It is also Christocentric as we look upon Christ who invested everything, even His very life in obedience to God and for our salvation. It is Holy Spirit centred too, for the Spirit encourages us to live a life of love in accordance with the law of Christ and pours out Gods love into the hearts of those who belong to God (Rom. 5:5). The Holy Spirit points us at Christ and His teachings concerning faith and money and encourages us to apply it in our daily living: "How much money, time and energy am I able to give faithfully as a spiritual response to God and all He has done for me?"
Our stewardship of all that God entrusted to us is a litmus test of our spiritual growth. It helps us to see to what extend are we living selfishly to please our flesh or selflessly to please our Lord. It is part of life-long spiritual growth. As stewards of all that God put at our disposal we are called to use every opportunity to do good for all people and so doing make Christ and the love of God visible in a needy world.
Christian stewardship is Theocentric: God Himself is our example: In love He gave us everything we needed, even His own Son for our salvation. It is also Christocentric as we look upon Christ who invested everything, even His very life in obedience to God and for our salvation. It is Holy Spirit centred too, for the Spirit encourages us to live a life of love in accordance with the law of Christ and pours out Gods love into the hearts of those who belong to God (Rom. 5:5). The Holy Spirit points us at Christ and His teachings concerning faith and money and encourages us to apply it in our daily living: "How much money, time and energy am I able to give faithfully as a spiritual response to God and all He has done for me?"
Our stewardship of all that God entrusted to us is a litmus test of our spiritual growth. It helps us to see to what extend are we living selfishly to please our flesh or selflessly to please our Lord. It is part of life-long spiritual growth. As stewards of all that God put at our disposal we are called to use every opportunity to do good for all people and so doing make Christ and the love of God visible in a needy world.
maandag 7 september 2015
Satan's ways are not unknown to us
Genesis 3:1-8
1 The snake was sneakier than any of the other wild animals that the Lord God had made. One day it came to the woman and asked, “Did God tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?”
2 The woman answered, “God said we could eat fruit from any tree in the garden, 3 except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die.”
4 “No, you won't!” the snake replied. 5 “God understands what will happen on the day you eat fruit from that tree. You will see what you have done, and you will know the difference between right and wrong, just as God does.”
6 The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. 7 Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.
8 Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the Lord God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.
The Word of God reminds us that Satan's ways are not unknown to us. In Holy Scripture we see how Satan deceives and destroys starting here in Genesis 3 when he misled humankind into sin and into opening the door for all the horrors we have suffered ever since.
Genesis 3 shows how Satan gets a hold on our minds by making us doubt the Word of God. He sows distrust in our hearts and minds so that we start questioning whether God is truly all good and perfect. All sin starts with doubting God and His good intentions for is. Satan loves it when we no longer fully trust God for it affects our relationship with the Lord. Once a sheep starts distrusting the Good Shepherd he/she will start to wander away and ultimately become an easy prey for Satan who seeks to destroy.
However, the righteous will live by faith. Once we learn to fully trust God and His love and good intentions then change will occur. We will be made righteous by Him. Let us therefore resist every lie from Satan which makes us doubt Gods love, goodness, justice, fairness and good intentions for us. Let us believe Him who is the way, the truth and the life:
11 I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. 12 You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. 13 You will worship me with all your heart, and I will bless you (Jeremiah 29).
1 The snake was sneakier than any of the other wild animals that the Lord God had made. One day it came to the woman and asked, “Did God tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?”
2 The woman answered, “God said we could eat fruit from any tree in the garden, 3 except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die.”
4 “No, you won't!” the snake replied. 5 “God understands what will happen on the day you eat fruit from that tree. You will see what you have done, and you will know the difference between right and wrong, just as God does.”
6 The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. 7 Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.
8 Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the Lord God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.
The Word of God reminds us that Satan's ways are not unknown to us. In Holy Scripture we see how Satan deceives and destroys starting here in Genesis 3 when he misled humankind into sin and into opening the door for all the horrors we have suffered ever since.
Genesis 3 shows how Satan gets a hold on our minds by making us doubt the Word of God. He sows distrust in our hearts and minds so that we start questioning whether God is truly all good and perfect. All sin starts with doubting God and His good intentions for is. Satan loves it when we no longer fully trust God for it affects our relationship with the Lord. Once a sheep starts distrusting the Good Shepherd he/she will start to wander away and ultimately become an easy prey for Satan who seeks to destroy.
However, the righteous will live by faith. Once we learn to fully trust God and His love and good intentions then change will occur. We will be made righteous by Him. Let us therefore resist every lie from Satan which makes us doubt Gods love, goodness, justice, fairness and good intentions for us. Let us believe Him who is the way, the truth and the life:
11 I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. 12 You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. 13 You will worship me with all your heart, and I will bless you (Jeremiah 29).
vrijdag 14 augustus 2015
Selfindulgement
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 you have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter (James 5:1-5).
The rich 25% of the world enjoy their lifestyle at the expense of the poor. Their life of wasteful affluence and arrogant selfindulgement can only be sustained by structurally underpaying the global poor. Surely many servants of Mammon fatten themselves up for slaughter at the day of judgement. May the One who knows our deepest thoughts and aspirations, intentions and motivations judge us to be different.
The rich 25% of the world enjoy their lifestyle at the expense of the poor. Their life of wasteful affluence and arrogant selfindulgement can only be sustained by structurally underpaying the global poor. Surely many servants of Mammon fatten themselves up for slaughter at the day of judgement. May the One who knows our deepest thoughts and aspirations, intentions and motivations judge us to be different.
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