Thru the eyes of a child

It is good to be writing again after a short break. Winter is upon us with a chilling bite, I want to remind you to keep your eyes focused on Jesus. The world around us is surrounded by gnashing teeth and it will get worse. All we need to keep our heads held up high is Jesus. We can not do it on our own. So like a child we need to put our hand in His and let Him lead us. Here is a story I found by an unknown author that would help us not to forget what Jesus went through for us. It is the story of Jesus, Saviour, through a child's eyes.

God recently allowed me to see Jesus through the eyes of someone seeing Him for the first time. Having the advantage of knowing how the story ends, we can easily forget the cost of our redemption and the love of our Saviour.

Every year we attend a local church pageant at Christmas time, which tells the story of Jesus from His birth through His resurrection. It is a spectacular event, with live animals and hundreds of cast members in realistic costumes. The magi enter the huge auditorium on llamas from the rear, descending the steps in pomp and majesty. Roman soldiers look huge and menacing in their costumes and makeup.

Of all the years we have attended, one stands out indelibly in my heart. It was the year we took our then three-year-old granddaughter, Bailey, who loves Jesus. She was mesmerized throughout the entire play, not just watching, but involved as if she were a player. She watched as Joseph and Mary travelled to the Inn and was thrilled when she saw the baby Jesus in His mother's arms.

When Jesus, on a young donkey, descends the steps from the back of the auditorium, depicting His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Bailey was ecstatic. As he neared our aisle, Bailey began jumping up and down, screaming, "Jesus, Jesus! There's Jesus!" Not just saying the words but exclaiming them with every fibre of her being. She alternated between screaming his name and hugging us. "It's Jesus. Look!" How like the blind beggar screaming out in reckless abandon, "Jesus, Jesus!" afraid he might miss Him, not caring what others thought. (Mark 10:46-52)

This was so much fun. Then came the arrest scene. On stage, the soldiers shoved and slapped Jesus as they moved Him from the Garden of Gethsemane to Pilate. Bailey responded as if she were in the crowd of women, with terror and anger. "Stop it!" she screamed, "Bad soldiers, stop it!" As I watched her reaction, I wished we had talked to her before the play. "Bailey it's OK. They are just pretending."

"They are hurting Jesus! Stop it!" She stood in her seat reacting to each and every move. People around us at first smiled at her reaction, thinking "How cute!" Then they quit smiling and began watching her watch Him. In a most powerful scene, the soldiers lead Jesus carrying the cross down the steps of the auditorium from the back. They were yelling, whipping, and cursing at Jesus, who was bloodied and beaten.

Bailey was now hysterical. "Stop it! Soldiers! Stop it," she screamed. She must have been wondering why all these people did nothing. She then began to cry instead of scream. "Jesus, Oh, Jesus!" People all around us began to weep as we all watched this devoted little disciple see her Jesus beaten and killed as those first century disciples had. Going back and forth between her mother's lap and mine for comfort, she was distraught. I kept saying, "Bailey, it's OK. Jesus is going to be OK. These are just people pretending to be soldiers." She looked at me like I was crazy. In my lap, we talked through the cross and burial. "Watch, Bailey, watch for Jesus!"

The tomb began to tremble and lightening flashed as the stone rolled away. A Super Bowl touchdown cheer couldn't come close to matching this little one's reaction to the resurrection. "Jesus! He's OK. Mommy, it's Jesus!"

I prayed that she wasn't going to be traumatized by this event, but that she would remember it. I shall never forget it. I shall never forget seeing Jesus' suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection through the eyes of an innocent child.

I think God in heaven stopped whatever was going on that day and made all the angels watch Bailey. "Now, look there! You see what I meant when I said, 'Of such is the kingdom of heaven?'"

Bailey's reaction should be our reaction every day. When we think of Him, who He is, what He did for us, and what He offers us, how can we do anything less than worship Him?

Consistently Consistent

Standing at the open grave and listening to the close friends and family speak of Jimmy Jardine, the times I had with him flash before my eyes as the words "consistently consistent" washed over me. Coming from a broken and hard family it was refreshing to have had a father-in-law like him. He was consistent in all his ways and as a father he would even go out his way for his children. Don't get me wrong, he was not perfect but he was consistent. I would get him into these doctrinal discussions that made Carol cringe in fear of what would happen to me. He was the father I never had. It was a whole family. And unchanging as he was, he was all that God had made him to be. Beryl from cell mentioned a that there were some God fearing people who grew up not understanding the full potential of the power of the Holy Spirit. They are also filled with the Spirit of God but to them a measure that they would understand. Jimmy was one of those God fearing men and in his consistent nature reminded me of the certainty of God's promises to us. Our God has a just and unchanging nature and in God's consistency we can stand firm and secure.

Spirit of Prophecy

Due to all the happenings in my family, I am a little behind in my posts. In the meanwhile Natalie from my cell group wants to share the prophetic word she received the other day via the Spirit of Prophecy bulletin ...

The Trumpet by Bill Burns -- April 23, 2007:
You are entering a corporate time that will be like the feast days of old. This will be an appointed time of My visitation and presence to open the door of blessing to My people, says the Lord. When you come together with hungry hearts -- where the brethren dwell together in unity -- there the blessing is commanded. There shall be a feasting upon My Word. Not only will the power of My glory be upon you, but in that glory you shall be transformed, you shall receive the blessing. You shall receive deliverance, and you shall receive new revelation of your gifting. I will begin to draw these gifts out of your innermost being like a river of life. As you turn your hearts toward heaven, lifting Me up, there shall come a glorious transformation in this season, says the Lord of Hosts.

Did you hear it? I spoke to you in the beginning of this year, says the Lord, and did I not say to you that in this year you would hear the sound of heaven? What then would you believe would happen when you heard the sound of heaven? I am walking among you to touch you (listen for the sound of my footsteps) and only one touch is all it takes for the dead to arise and for the lame to walk and for the blind to see and for the sick to be made whole. One touch, My people, is all you need from Me. Listen, then for the sound of heaven, whether it be a mighty, rushing wind or the sound of worship among My people or the sound of the crackling of the fire that purifies or the sound of the flow of the living water. If you can hear the sound you can expect My touch to follow, which will bring health to your bones, strength to your body, victory to your circumstances, and then My glory shall rest upon you. Arise, you who have been down-trodden. Arise with hope in your hearts. Stand before Me. Come in faith and boldness, knowing that all that is required is that you believe.

Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns - - April 23, 2007:
I have caused you to rise up and let your light shine. I have stirred your heart. And, you have responded. You have risen up in your heart. You were sitting down, and now you are standing up in your inner man. You will open your mouth, and I will fill it as you pray My will. I am well pleased, beloved, says the Lord! Psalms 81:10 I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Small Straws In A Soft Wind -- April 25, 2007:
Have I not said that you were entering a season of growth and increase? Growth and expansion do not come without the stretching. Yet, when you are being stretched, My people, I hear groaning and complaining. Do not look on this stretching as something to avoid unless you want to stay on the other side of the river where you have become established in a place of comfort. If you want to enter the season of progression and expansion then you must rejoice in the stretch, which is actually the outer manifestation of what is happening inwardly, says the Lord. Joshua 24:14 "Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!

A storm is brewing

A lot has happened in the last 3 weeks with the biggest being BBC getting together on a Wednesday night to seek God's face in the light of 4 prophesies that were
spoken over BBC. That Wednesday felt like to me like the quiet before the storm. A coming together to ask forgiveness from God and each other. We are so busy wrapped up in our own worlds, that we fail to hear God when he talks to us. Isaiah could not find God, so he fled into this cave on the same mountain that Moses had found God. While he was in the cave there was a mighty earthquake. The quake was noisy and powerful, surly God is to be found in it. Isaiah seeked but did not find God. Later a might wind blew and Isaiah once again sought God in it but it was only when it was all still and quiet that Isaiah found God. It is when we stop talking to God and let God get a word in edge ways we will be able to hear what He is saying. And that is what we did, in that quiet place we found God. In this time of refection we can feel something big is brewing. The quiet before the storm. And now the storm. At home cell this week, we started watching the visual Bible's version of Acts. This showed us how the early church had no fear and lots of faith. Not only were they living like Jesus they were breathing God. Even just their shadows falling on a sick person would heal. After waiting quietly for God, the church rose up a storm. The question was raised where is that church today? In China with Brother Yun, in Zimbabwe with Stephen Lungu or in South Africa with BBC? Do we have to be persecuted just to have faith like the early church? What about Angus Buchan and his faith like potatoes? Are we ready for the storm? Ye of little faith. As in the words of Emmy from cell group " the Spirit is bubbling inside"

I have this feeling that God is about to do something different from what has gone before.

The early church met in homes as family, just like we at Home Cell experience. But they had no fear and lots of faith. What God did then, why couldn't he do it now?

Some more on the Gospel of John

Once again the Gospel of John came alive on the screen for us at our last cell group meeting. While watching I became aware of things that were in the gospel but did not notice before. This DVD is a powerful medium. What caught me was it took Jesus 4 days to walk a days walk.

I did this colours scorecard thingy the other day, and my personality was Mary. This got me thinking of Mary's response "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Lord if only you were here, you could have prevented it? That sounds too close to home. How many times have I cried out to God from the bottom of the pit only to hear no response from God?
Four days late. Now if someone you love is dieing, how quickly would you walk or even drive the few kilometres to see him/her? Four days? I am not being fair, Jesus did not wait for Lazarus to die, he was already dead so why rush. The messenger was sent to fetch Jesus on the first day. Jesus waits for two days before arriving in Bethany on the forth day. So if Lazarus had been dead for four days, he had died on the very day the messenger left and was already dead when the message reached Jesus. Jesus knew this when he said " This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it" There you have in a nut shell. For the glory of God.

Lazarus was already dead why wait four days, couldn't Jesus go and comfort Mary and Martha. He could have raised Lazarus up on the second day, but he waited two more days. Sandy answered this by telling us about a Jewish belief that a soul of a deceased person hovers around a tomb for four days, looking for an opportunity to re-enter the body. After four days the body was truly dead and decomposition has long started. So Lazarus had been dead for four days, it was too late even for Jesus to do something or so they thought. "It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it"

Have you ever felt like Mary or Martha must have felt? Have you ever felt like questioning God, yet at the same time having faith that God can still do something? Even though Martha knew that it was too late she still said to Jesus " But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."

It is these words of Martha, I hold onto when things are not going according to my plan. When my world seems to be crumbling around me and God is not answering my prayers. I know that God, my God loves me and knows exactly where I am. I used to have this nightmare as a child of having to pick up these all these balls or else I would get punished. Now there were so many balls that the more I picked up, the more fell out of my hands. With tears and hopelessness I would cry out and I wake up. How many times have I weep at Jesus' feet? Yes I know that no matter where I am on this path, I know that Jesus is my Lord and Master. I will serve Him knowing that whatever I ask in His name, will be given to me not in my timing but His.

That's enough of what struck me about about the Gospel of John movie. Something else which also came through strongly was how Mary Magdalena was depicted many scenes that we didn't expect. It was very thought provoking.

Psalm 118
Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, his love is everlasting!
Let the House of Israel say it, 'His love is everlasting!'
Let the House of Aaron say it, 'His love is everlasting!'
Let those who fear Yahweh say it, 'His love is everlasting!'

Let us in South Africa say it, 'His love is everlasting!'

Lazarus been raised from the dead must have had a great effect on the local people of Bethany because today the town is known as El-Azariya, meaning "Place of Lazarus" (Lazarium) in Arabic

More on the Gospel of John

More on the "Gospel of John" film. What struck me was that Jesus was claiming over and over again who he was.

Who is this man, the one they call Jesus? You could see the confusion on the faces of the high priests. Who is this man? Is he the Messiah that was coming as promised? He does not act like the Messiah but he says that God is his father and sent him! The signs were there but their eyes remained blind.

Who is he? Even today this question is asked and as then the answer still alludes many. Some claim that he was a great teacher, others a prophet and some dismiss him as a liar or even a madman. He claimed to be the " I Am", God, Creator of heaven and earth.

"I am he, the one who is speaking to you." John 4:26 speaking to the Samaritan woman about the messiah.

"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35 after feeding the people

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." John 8:12 after healing the blind man

"You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he." John 8:23-24

"When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me." John 8:28

"Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am." John 8:58

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:5

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:11

"The Father and I are one." John 10:30

"Father is in me and I am in the Father." John 10:38

Who do you say he is?

C.S. Lewis who was once an agnostic, states in his book Mere Christianity "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg--or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."

It is a choice we all have to make. Do we accept Jesus or reject him?

Most of us know Jesus in a personal way as the Son of God, the Messiah, Savior and Lord but there are many who still reject him and know him not. They are the lost. Jesus explained his purpose in Luke 19:10 " for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

The question remains now that we know who he is, what are you going to do about it?

The Gospel of John film

At our cell meetings every Tuesday, we have started watching the "Gospel of John" film. At first I had some reservation watching the DVD because I have seen other renditions of stories from the Bible and they where nothing to write home about. We only watched the first three chapters but once it got under way, I was pleasantly surprised. It was fresh, intimate and accurate. A must see. Things were just made so much clearer watching John's unique perspective into the life of Jesus Christ. It establishes from the beginning the sovereignty of God and that Jesus is the Messiah that was prophesied in the Old Testament. God loves us so much that he sent us his Son, the Lamb of God. Yes, the group enjoyed the first part and can't wait to see the rest of it, but if John said in chapter 1 verse 10 that "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." How does the world receive this message today? Here are a few reviews I found on the Internet on the "Gospel of John" film...

• "The greatest story ever told? I don't know about that, but it remains a real humdinger."
• "A faithful, reverential version of what remains to this day to be the greatest story ever told."
• "This is so beautifully done. If you love Jesus you will love this movie." "A sluggishly painful, uninteresting film that might be of value to New Testament students who don't like to read words unless they come with pictures."
• "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly."
• "I found this Gospel long, dull and, for the most part, acted without apparent inspiration."
• "Though I approached The Gospel of John with some trepidation, I've now seen the film twice and consider it to be an extraordinary achievement."
• "Feels like the longest Sunday school class ever." "I believe this is one of the greatest evangelical tools present before us. I recommend it to everyone, and especially to those who are trying to discover the Good News about the life of Jesus."
• "A hero, especially a tragic hero, becomes empathetic when his own actions collide with the hand of Fate. But when the crucified hero is an all-powerful God, when his free will is the only determinism, Fate goes out the window and with it, our sympathies."
• "A word-for-word adaptation of the New Testament book ... Nothing was added and nothing was omitted."
• " I loved this film; it is word for word of the Gospel of John. My whole family was clued to the film. My husband has loaned it out to new and non believers and they were changed. It's something to see; you will be inspired!"
• "If you can come out of a 3-hour movie and say, 'Wow', then it must be divine."