Mercy And Grace....

To be Born Again does not negate the consequences of one's behavior. We often encounter individuals that have a case against God because He did not bring the expected result in their lives or in a loved one's situation. Yet, the choice of man and the will of the individual are never included in the equation.



It is one thing to believe God for healing and actively participate in the healing and health of one's body but a total different story to do everything possible to destroy one's earthly temple and then blame God when the goal is finally realised. The same can be said for relationships, finances. spiritual health, child rearing, education and occupations. We cannot sabotage our own well being and then put the blame on God for not rescuing us from ourselves. This is as insane as it sounds..



God in His rich mercy does not give us what we deserve but then we start to presume on His goodness. We do not see that the grace of God is to lead us to repentance which in turn will change our behavior. We somehow deduct that the grace of God will leave us in the mess that we are in and it is acceptable. Grace is unmerited, undeserved favor. It is the favor of God, undeserved, unearned that provides us the opportunity and ability to change.

It is because we now have the Divine en-ablement to change, that we can reflect Him, just as the moon reflects the sun, that we have a greater responsibility to live dedicated to Him. We are no longer slaves, no longer like brute beasts chased by our passions, instincts and desires. We have the ability, through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit who works in and through us, to say "no" to temptations and use our bodies. our minds, our lives to the glory of God.

We are no longer aimless wanderers, tossed around like garbage in a flood. We have purpose. We have direction. We have a design. And we have a sonship to live out while we are in this life. We are now to affect life, and those around us, instead of letting it have an effect on us. We are now called upon to change the circumstances instead of lying down under it. We are the people of God. We are to act like it.

Mercy, Grace, Ability (dunamis), Might, Wisdom and Understanding is indeed ours. If we have truly received Jesus Christ and exchange our sorry lives for His glorious everlasting life, we are new creations.

(Scripture references: The Epistles: Romans through Jude)

His Yoke is Easy, His Burden Light.  Marietjie Chase

If you are tired and weary, if life has smacked you around more than usual... when your back is in the corner and you are facing a giant... when you are trying hard to walk up straight and find yourself mostly wobbling... there is hope for you. We all go through life's ups and downs. We all face things that we really could have done without. We all carry burdens, loads and heaviness.

There is an answer for all this and it is often quoted: Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

This rest is not given indiscriminately like snow and rain. This rest, this comfort is available to all, but only applies to those who comes to Jesus. We have to come to Him and not to all kinds of other places. We will find rest with Him. He has rest for us. This is a great comfort and true, but not the truth. The coming is not all there is to it. We need to read the rest of the story that makes this "truth".


verse 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus does not say leave your heavy load here. He does not offer to take your burden. He does the illogical thing. He does the Kingdom of God/Heaven thing. He says: "Take my yoke upon you" In the taking of His yoke, our weary load looses its weight and we find rest for our souls.

What is a yoke? It is a thing that you place on the draft animal's neck in order to make him obey the driver. A yoke takes the freedom of the animal and limit it to the will of the driver. It focuses the animals on the purpose in the heart of the driver. A yoke is not a piece of jewelry, it is not for show. It is for the sole purpose of getting the job done.

What is Jesus' yoke? He says to the disciples in John 5:19 "I only do what I see the Father do" and in John 8:28 and 12 :49 He says: " I only say what the Father says." [paraphrased. Also see Matt 26:39, John 6:38 and 14:10, Hebrews 10:7] This is His yoke, His burden. This is what He offers us. Take this yoke, take this limitation. Take this discipline. You will have to learn from Jesus, gentleness and humility for this yoke to fit.

God never gives us something to do without also giving us the "how-to". The "how-to" may not be a quick fix, it may not be what we want to hear but if we follow Him, we can obey ourselves out of the mess. The "how-to" is where most of us bulk and that is why Jesus said that we need to learn humility and gentleness, meekness.

This yoke of Jesus is the heart posture to have a relationship of obedience with God, through Jesus Christ by the ability/power of the Holy Spirit. It is giving up our right to our own will, opinion and agenda. It is even giving up our right to be vindicated and justified. This yoke is the yoke that led to a bloody cross. This yoke is the yoke that have one simple goal: the will of the Father.

What did Jesus say about this, simple yoke: verse 30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Another Jesus, Another Gospel or Another Spirit???  by Marietjie

We were in South Africa at a ministry that trained many young people to be missionaries. I was pregnant and had a toddler running around. I heard the young speaker over the the loud speaker say something that made me pick up my kid, wobble into the meeting tent, taking the diaper-bag and telling my husband that we can leave; I've heard enough. What did she say? She said: " We don't need Jesus any longer."

There have since been so many strange, odd and weird things coming through the church (global) that I am starting to loose feeling in my face from the centriphical force. If it isn't some plastic Jesus that cannot ever offend anyone or a Jesus that is some mystical force instead of a person, then we are fed an image of God that have little to no base in scripture at all. The portrait of God is distorted about as much as if Picasso, Van Gogh and some abstract artist all shared the same canvas. No wonder the church is empty and the New Age orgies are turning crowds away at the gate. We can't even agree on our God. At least in places like India, they openly say that it is many gods. Christians pretend that they all worship the same God but all you have to do is listen, really listen and you will find a cacophony of different gods.

The gospel that seemed rather simple and straight forward to me at the beginning of my journey, now seemed to have sprouted, secrets, mysteries and implications that boggles the mind. You need more than faith to believe some of the theories and fallacies that is sold as doctrine; and I mean sold. You actually have to loose your mind and crucify common sense. It seems like every Dick, Tom and Jane sucks a new teaching out of their thumbs and it almost always ridicule and/or contradict something that has been historically believed. Have we really become so brainwashed and hypnotized that we can't see that the Emperor is REALLY naked?

There is also a new sort of spirit in Christians or I dare say, supposed Christian circles. It used to be that the believers were recognised by a sweet spirit of gentleness and humility. It used to be that they would have an atmosphere of goodness, kindness and honesty around them. The value nowadays is on who can be the sharpest tongue and the best at making money or who can have the greatest attitude of slander, sarcasm and ridicule. Arrogance, pride and boasting is rewarded with lots of money and the people keep giving even when it is openly known that the leaders are sinning. Not only do we not humble ourselves, we see it as our right to swarm down like vultures on every one and anyone that we can tear to pieces. The atmosphere of suspicion and distrust is billowing like black factory smoke from the internet.

How far have we fallen?
Is the gift of God in Jesus Christ not good enough, wonderful enough, precious enough that we have to add, twist and re-interpret it. How long has it been since you have heard a simple Gospel message? The Bible that has been miraculously preserved all of these years, has become outdated to some and replaced with their own ideas and words. Why is it not good enough anymore? What is this spirit that is masquerading as the Holy Spirit? I do not know it, do you?

Simple devotion to God through Jesus Christ by the enablement of the Holy Spirit is to un-exciting for some, but it is the only thing that will last. This pool has been muddied enough.

I overheard a mail clerk at the post office while sorting the mail, when the Christian Book Distributors catalogs came out: "I don't get this" she said " how many different ways can you tell that story?"
I am starting to wonder if she was right or maybe the story that is being told is not the real thing.