In this god we trust...

We had the opportunity this past Wednesday night to hear from Paul Tripp regarding proper parenting... i am however not going to talk bout that. he drew our attention to a passage in Matt 6: 19 - 20 which says "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." after reading the verse he pulled out a R100 note to which he asked " what makes this piece of paper worth R100? is it the paper? the ink that is printed on the paper? or is it a combination of both? " if the penny hasn't dropped yet (like it did the second those words came out of his mouth) let me explain...



the reserve bank of South Africa prints money with ink, paper and a printer and then assigns a value to it when they make it blue and put a big 100 onto it! that's it... maybe that didn't have the same profound affect on you as it does me?! this is, as Tripp puts it, a treasure. Now that simply blew my mind. We can make it a treasure to be what we want it to be... now here is the question that we need to be asking, were is your (my) treasure and all your (my) focus?




This should be our treasure... I have been really thinking about what we hold as our "idol god" over the last couple of weeks and it is so amazing how many things we put before the creator, and I hope whoever reeds this would think deeply on them and for those of our YP heads up... what we hold as our object of affection will be our controlling force!

blame it on the brain...

Wow so how often do we "blame it on the brain?" let's look at this in a practical way...

a story was shared about a woman who was pulled over by a cop after going through a red light. When she climbed out her car she started beating up the cop, eventually she was arrested and when she appeared in court she told the judge it was the P.M.S! He then realized that what she had done wasn't really her because she wasn't in the right frame of mind,

The real question I think is... " how often do we blame things on our emotions?" does a hetrosexual male have the same brain as a homosexual? I think they do. The difference is the SIN that has changed the way the homosexual thinks. Now thats an extreme example, lets get practical! When you wake up in the morning after having only 2 hours sleep and you spend the rest of the day craky with everybody because of lack of sleep?! Here's a big one..

What about depression? Can a Christian be in a clinical state of depression? This might be contravesial but here goes. a Christian has been forgiven of EVERYTHING, sins past, present and future. When Christ died on the cross the sins of all those predestined to call on his name. with that in the back of your mind ask the question again ... Can a Christian be in a clinical state of depression? Now the flip side, how can anyone have hope without Christ?

How deep are your roots?

so this weekend the question was asked... not only how deep do your roots go but " are your roots in the spring of life? "

Doug used an illustration from a sermon from Spurgeon about a palm tree... when its roots are below the ground taking all it needs from the water below and its leaves above in the blistering sun it is in its element... are we like that in this life? are we rooted in the waters of Christ and our heads out in the world taking the abuse that so often comes when you believe?

following this was a message that was shared the same night from James that i would like to share. here are seven points that Doug raised that are relevant and I think need to be shared with my loyal readers (if there are any????)

James 2:26

• Saving faith has a pulse...
  Jesus being Lord is esteeming him as our greatest treasure.

• Saving faith pants...
  Those who have experienced God thirst & hunger after him.
  Blessed are those who hunger after Him!
  As Martin Loyd Jones said... " if I have Christ I have it all"

• Saving faith is pliable...
  As we turn to Christ are we clay in the potters hands?
  If the Bible shows you something we need to change ... Saving faith is also submissive.
  Christ will have his way

• Saving faith is public...
  It is something that is shared with others.
  It should be noticeable by others.
  Matt 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

• Saving faith pursues purity ...
  It hates sin!
  Its not only intellectual ... "repent & believe" its very much a heart attitude!

• Saving faith perseveres...
  It grows, it never stops.
  It is the power of God unto salvation ... Always.

• Saving faith is not presumptuous...
  When q person sees how deep the sin is, we won't take anything for granted.
  It examines itself & then does the work of change.
  Do we have a fake or pirated version of faith?
  Because it is not presumptuous it isn't shattered when some don't follow.

• Saving faith comes from a process ...
  It comes from the word of God, it all starts somewhere...
  When you get saved you just keep coming ...
  Just because we don't know what God is doing under the surface, keep swinging the gospel axe!

so there you have it... what saving faith looks like. as I type this I realise that I fall short on some of these points. thank goodness there is a process...

The salt shaker of life...

so here is how the story goes as they say... I was listening to my buddy Ravi on the way to work this morning on a series called "Marching to a different drummer". he was talking about, in a nutshell, be different.

"so there we are all sitting pretty in our seats all close and snuggled up to each other looking out of our tall glass windows that surround us from bottom to top. above we look through our roof at the world outside. then suddenly one of us looks outside and sees the pot of soup on the stove top boiling away... someone shouts out loud, do you know how many of us have left and never been seen again, they have been gobbled up by the veggies inside! then someone else cries out... "what are we to do when our time comes?". then some lonely grain of salt says from the back..." I will go with pleasure, I will take the plunge into that pot of soup and get gobbled up by those veggies!" how could you say that said another... "because I promise one thing, that pot of soup will never taste the same again!"

post, what are we going to do... are we going to be just going to let this world pass us by as we sit in our salt shaker and watch the opportunities to pass us by? or are we going to be like the grain of salt that will "take the plunge" and be willing to make a difference in this world? that's the challenge that lays before us now... I like the way Mark Chanski puts it ... are you going to be the ball who gets pushed around the table? or are you going to be the cue?


be the Cue man, be the cue!!!

"Son of Man" the Movie

"The story of Jesus reclaimed as an African fable: a simple concept becomes a remarkable cinematic experience in Son of Man. This is the second installment from the collaboration of director Mark Dornford-May and the South African theatre company, Dimpho Di Kopane. The moniker means... The story of Jesus reclaimed as an African fable: a simple concept becomes a remarkable cinematic experience in Son of Man. This is the second installment from the collaboration of director Mark Dornford-May and the South African theatre company, Dimpho Di Kopane. The moniker means "combined talents," and it aptly describes the incredible creative energy on both sides of the camera. Shot against the backdrop of a violence-riddled township and with text updated to modern time, Son of Man delivers one indelible impression after another. Mary conceives the Christ child during a militia attack on a grade school, Jesus asks for the surrender of handguns from his apostles, and the angel Gabriel is a precocious child marked with simple white feathers. Equally intriguing is the melding of the crucifixion and resurrection–alluding to the fact that in today's Africa, political dissidents, as Jesus was, are conveniently made to disappear. In song and originality, the spirit of Son of Man is contagious, a life-enriching elixir for Christians and non-Christians alike who feel mired in the unyielding bigotry of fundamentalism. By modernizing one of the world's most famous stories, Son of Man creates lasting resonance and imparts a significance that is truly glorious." -- © Sundance Film Festival



This is a review from a site called www.rottentomatoes.com, before I say anything about this movie I would like to make one thing clear... I am by no means offended by the fact the movie is African. I have a serious problem with the fact that the movie has portrayed Christ as a political deliverer! the fact that people are rating this movie as good is shocking, the fact is that Christ was the saviour of those who chose to follow him, and those that do will inevitable be persecuted for their Faith.

We had a discussion with our young people the other night regarding this movie to get their feeling... a few thoughts had been passed about the room. I stand firm on the following issue... I believe that Christians have lost the impact they caould have due to the fact that we are "slack" on issues like this one that faces us now. for example when a muslim who worships and prays to a small "g" god gets upset when his god is portrayed in the wrong light how much more should we be enraged when somebody portrays the LIVING & TRUE God of this world in a dishonoring way? hence the reason for the post! how saddened are you (as a Christian) that the Gospel message has been portrayed as "an African fable". what are we doing to take a stand on what we believe to be true???? we are so easily pushed over when we are called to do the "hard things", it is so easy to just let them slide and as one of our your people pointed out... "we need to choose our fights carefully", i couldn't agree more.... this is a issue that we need to take a stand on! the question is are you, again as a Bible believing Christian, going to do or say anything about it? there is only one way this message should be shown and that is the way it is in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. there is only one Son of man, and he was also the son of GOD! I feel that this is an outright mockery of the Christian faith and Christian shouldnt accept this "lying down"?



one last comment from the official site: www.sonofmanmovie.com
"In the state of Judea in southern Africa, violence, poverty and sectarianism are endemic. The neighbouring Alliance has invaded to restore ‘peace’ at gunpoint. Bloody street battles accompany the neighbouring dictatorship’s incursion into its weaker satellite. Promises of a transition to open democratic rule accompany summary executions and brutal massacres. As the civil war reaches a new level, a divine child is born to a lowly couple. As he grows and witnesses the inhumanity of the world he lives in, his angelic guardians offer him an escape to the heavens. He refuses. This is his world and he must try to save it from the work of evil men and from the darkness working through them. As an adult, he travels to the capital, gathering followers from the armed factions of rebels that crisscross the land. He demands that his followers give up their guns and confront their corrupt rulers with a vision of non-violent protest and solidarity. Inevitably, he attracts the attention of the Judean tribal leaders who have struck a power-sharing deal with the aloof Governor Pilate. The Son of Man must be brought down and destroyed. It should be another simple ‘disappearance’ like any other…"

The question you really need to be asking is..." who is more important to YOU a nobody god, or the living & true God?"

more of Mozams `08 to come...

Mozams `08

wow just to start i thought this blogging thing was pretty easy, well as i am finding out... its not!i will make up for it this post i promise... Anyway back to the subject....

Mozams 2008

wow we really had an awesome time, i took a week off work and the hectic fast passed lifestyle my wife and I have to go and visit Folks up in Mozambique. we left this past Tuesday and took a slow drive up to Nelspruit for a nights stop over in a really cold (Brrrrrrrrrrr) log cabin,

We hit the border at around 10am the next morning after leaving in the freezing cold at 7am... when we arrived we got a warm welcome from the HOT HOT sun. the weather was great, much better than that of Jozi... very welcome. we stayed with the Rogers the first 2 nights that we were there, we had such a blast with the family they found the fastest rout to my heart through my stomach ; ) we by no mean would go hungry at that house. we had a really good time while with them so hospitable. it was a really loaf week, no plans but to chill!!! even the book that was taken to read was a real "no brainer" i met the Schwaders for the first time the day that we arrived, Deb had met them when she was up in November 2007. one of the highlights of the trip was going to have a picnic on the beach... I think this picture would best describe the Beach... absolutely beautiful!!!

we had a real blast collecting shells, eating, kicking a ball and watching the fisherman coming in with the catch of the day... and of course one of the big reasons for going on holiday... RELAX! I also had the chance to go with Nathan to go and see a piece of land he want to buy to build a place on instead of renting the one he is in now. we really had a good time together. its so amazing to me that two people can come from a different country and because of a common bond can "speak the same language". one of the greatest things for me was the people... i mean the people of the country. it is so amazing that two family's would give up so much to be with them. We had a great time just seeing them and trying to spend time with them in the best way we knew how. the problem is the Language... they all speak Portuguese! anyway we really had fun... it was sad to leave but we had smiles all round even from the locals... hopefully not smiles of joy because we left...

Mozams we will be back!!!

we did it!!!!

so we did it! with all the public holidays that we have had we decided to go and hit a couple of balls on the golf course... Matt I dont think has ever touched a golf club! Lex who i thought was pretty good, and Dean who well let me put it this way he has some Scottish blood in him,and for myself, I have not played a round in almost two years! well it took some time to get off the first tee but we did. we only managed to get 9 holes in... yes it took that long ; ) antway we ended with a score card looking something like this...

Team one
Matt 1 point
Lex 1 point

Team two
Dean 3 points
Gareth 10 points

yes team two did it they won! Lex was really not doing so well when Dean sayed that lunch smelled really good seeing that it was going to be on the loosing team!!!!

so now the next day has been set and we will keep you updated on how the teams did... next game set for Saturday 17th May

T.G.I.F

Well thank goodness its Friday (T.G.I.F). I have learned one very important thing. . . Everything happens for a reason. I have indeed spent a lot of time consumed by the things that have gone wrong lately that God didn't feature much in my thoughts. It is only when i truly decided to leave it in hands that everything fell into place. Now i am not promoting the whole "let go and let God" idea. We still have our bit to do, in this case it was getting focused back on the things of God. I am so grate full that I am a receiver of Grace!

What a day!

So what makes today any different from yesterday? Day are so full of hustle bustle, in my life especially. I was on the phone with Debbie (my wife) talking about the morning and it struck of that i actually complain a HUGE amount about the fact that i have a job! We forget so quickly about the showers of blessing that we get everyday. How can i complain when i get to get up every morning and enjoy the world God has put us in. I have always said that God has a "sense of humor", hope there will be no confusion about that statement. . . Anyway, as i was in my moment of downward spiral i was reminded of something. . . "the Grace of God will not lead you where the Grace of God wont keep you", and that got me thinking. . . I was where i was supposed to be, because God wants me there!

Well hello,

welcome... this is the space where i hope thought will become words! you know you have those days when you have a thought, a rather profound one, and you completely forget to tell somebody about it... well i tend to get those a lot! i am hoping that if nobody ever reads this then at least i have a history...


hope you enjoy.