Just an ordinary day

It was no great occasion. It was just an ordinary day. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were going about their daily routine when suddenly there was a knock on the front door. It was Jesus and His disciples! What a surprise! They did not invite Him. He came out of His own volition. He visited them again. It was six days before the great feast of Pascha or Easter as we know it. How would you and I receive the Master if He decided to visit us unexpectedly?

 

Mary took a vase full spikenard oil; a very rare and expensive perfume used to anoint highly honoured persons and poured half a litre onto Jesus’ feet and wiped it off with her long hair. Spikenard has anti-ageing qualities. The whole room was filled with the soothing fragrance. Judas, the one that would betray Jesus, was offended, and exclaimed, ‘why could she not rather sell the expensive perfume and give to the poor?’ He said this because he was a thief that stole from Jesus’ travelling fund.

 

Jesus defended Mary and said, ‘leave her alone. She did what she could and what she did was for the preparation of my death and burial.’ When we do what we can for the Lord, He’ll defend us and commend us.

 

Then Jesus added the following: ‘the poor you always have with you, but Me you do not always have.’ There are moments given to us when we can honour the Lord and give sacrificially to His cause. It is up to us to seize that moment or miss it. Giving sacrificially to the Gospel and to missions is often considered a waste of money. People reason that it could rather be used for something else, some other humanitarian cause, but they miss that special moment. They do not realize the time of their visitation. ‘Vous aurez toujours des pauvres avec vous mais moi vous ne m’aurez pas toujours.’

 

Jesus commended Mary for her act of great sacrifice and said her good deed would always be remembered and wherever the Gospel is preached it will be preached about. Her sacrificial act became a memorial in the spirit. Even right now as you read this message it is being remembered!

 

It was just an ordinary day, but Mary’s willingness to give her all to the Master turned it into a day that would be remembered forever! You might think your life is ordinary and that your good deeds go unnoticed, but the Master notices your sacrifice to serve Him and other people and He will defend and commend you openly! Nothing we do for the Lord is in vain.

 

 

 The hundred-fold reward

Who would not like to receive a hundred-fold return on an investment? Can you imagine? Hundred percent increase on your investment in a company or a product? How great would that be?

 

Well, Jesus offered it to those who would give up anything for His Name’s sake and follow Him. It’s hard to believe that it can happen because the best bank rates or share profits in the world cannot compete with His offer.

 

A rich young man approached Jesus and boasted that he kept the whole law. He did not kill people, he did not steal, he did not commit adultery, he honoured his father and mother, he brought no false witness against anyone, and he wanted to know what else he had to do to inherit eternal life.

 

The scripture tells us how Jesus loved that young man. But he told him that he lacked one thing: ‘sell what you have, give to the poor and come and follow Me.’ When the rich young man heard this, he turned away sadly because he possessed so many things.

 

This caused Jesus to comment: ‘it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’

 

Peter heard what Jesus said and immediately asked what about the twelve disciples that gave up everything to follow Him? Jesus told him: ‘you will sit on twelve thrones with me in the new world and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Whoever forsakes houses, lands, family for My sake shall receive hundred-fold in this life and in the life to come eternal life.’ He also said they would receive persecution.

 

Somehow people do not like it when God blesses someone else. They persecute the ones that receive blessings from God. They find fault with them as if God made a mistake to bless them. They spread rumours about them and slander them to hurt them. But the blessings of God make rich and add no sorrow to it. God will defend the ones He decides to bless.

 

My dad sold his lucrative steel and iron factory in Alrode and gave his 50% share of his estate agency to his partner when God called him into the full-time ministry. He used that money to support us as a family in the ministry. Two weeks before he passed away, he told me, ‘My son, I have no regrets. What I did was my decision and I do not regret it, because I did it for the Lord.’ Very few people can say they have no regrets at the end of their lives. 

 

Nola and I have followed in my parents’ footsteps by doing the same. God has been faithful to carry us through our lives as missionaries. Forsaking anything for the Gospel’s sake is the best investment you can make because it has repayments not only in this life but in the life to come! There is a new world coming. It pays to be rich towards God! He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Believe God exists and that He is a Rewarder – in this life and in the life to come: one hundred-fold rewards!

 

What a wonderful prospect! What an advantageous investment to give towards the spreading of the Gospel. God said, ‘I am the Lord your God who gives you the ability to create wealth so that you can establish My covenant in the earth.’ That is why God prospers people: to spread His eternal Gospel!

 

Solomon said, ‘there are those who scatter abroad and yet increase, but there are those who keep back more than is necessary and it tends to poverty.’ 

 

I met a businessman in Shenzhen, China, that gave a whole block of buildings for the training of preachers in the underground movement, and he told me how God blessed him afterwards. Another man from Ndola, Zambia told me how he built a church for his pastor and how God blessed his business to make him a billionaire! There are many testimonies of hundred-fold blessings that confirm the promise Jesus made to anyone who is willing to give towards the Gospel that we cannot deny the validity of His statement. He will make it come true for you as well if you are willing to do as He says.

 

Andre Pelser

drandrepelser@gmail.com

andre@harvesterchurch.net

 

 

 What God put together

Man should not separate what God joined together. Jesus spoke these words regarding marriage but it also refers to other areas of joint enterprise. The Pharisees always attempted to catch Jesus out and to prove that He was a false prophet and disobeyed the Mosaic Law. But Jesus came to fulfil the law not to abolish it. He quoted the law of Moses regarding marriage and explained why Moses allowed divorce.

From the beginning God made man and woman but because of the hardness of hearts Moses allowed a letter of divorce to be written.

A hard heart is like the rocky soil that cannot produce any fruit. When persecution comes the plant withers and dies. It cannot stand the heat of the situation because it has no root in itself. The soil is shallow because of the rocks underneath.

My sister Janine, once sang a chorus in our church in Mondeor,  Johannesburg, 'Jesus, your love has melted my heart.' I will never forget it. The Holy Spirit can soften a hard heart. Perhaps it is good to check our own hearts from time to time to find out if it has been hardened by troubles and sorrows. Only God can keep our hearts soft towards one another. 

When people do us wrong we tend to harden our hearts towards them. We want nothing to do with them. We avoid them. We don't even think about them. But Jesus taught in Luke 18 that we should go to a person that we think has something against us and sort it out. Very few people actually obey that instruction because we are afraid of confrontation and rejection. 

I have tried to do it on a few occasions and was amazed to find out that I was wrong in my thinking and that person really had nothing against me. It was all in my mind. It is humbling to admit you are wrong in your estimation of others. Our own hearts often deceive us.

Hard heartedness separates what God joined together whether it is in marriage, or business or enterprise.

Jesus said, 'where two or three gather in my Name there I am in the midst of them.' He also added, 'if two or three shall agree on earth it shall be done in heaven.' Unity is such a powerful force that the devil tries to break it up and separate.

A gossip or talebearer separates friends. It is the work of the devil. False rumours break up what God has been doing. Slander opposes God's work. But in the end Truth prevails. Truth is stronger than lies because Jesus is The Truth. (John 14:6)

' Ne séparez donc pas ce que Dieu a uni.' Don't separate what God has put together.

If you heart has become hardened towards someone, ask God to soften it again. Learn to forgive one another so that you do not separate what God has joined together.

Jesus prayed in His High Priestly prayer in John 17 that we be one as He and His Father are One. Unity is strength. Jesus gave gifts to men to bring us all into the unity of faith to become mature in Christ. Let us not give the devil any room to bring separation between us. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are One. This is a divine mystery, but it is true.

In our own lives we can learn to let our spirit, soul and mind be united and not be divided. Then we won't think one thing and say or do something totally different. Jesus did what He thought. His inner being was aligned with His Spirit. He said what He thought and did what was in His mind because He only did what His Father showed Him. (John 5:19) We can learn to bring our inner being into unity just like Jesus by taking thoughts captive and to obey His instructions daily.

 Vindication

 

Luke 18:1-8

The unjust judge refused to do justice to the widow that begged him to vindicate her. But she kept on asking him to do justice to her against her adversaries.

 

The judge did not fear God and he was known to be unkind to people but because of her importunity he eventually gave in to her plea. 

Jesus compared this story to the life of prayer. He explained it as follows: if the unjust judge eventually answered the widow and vindicated her, how much more will God do justice to his friends who cry out to him day and night.

 

The point of the story is that we should never stop praying and not be discouraged. God will vindicate us and show us justice. God will even speed up the process and judge in our favour because we are His friends.

Jesus called the disciples His friends and qualified it as those who listen to His word and do what He asks them to do.

 

I don’t know what you are facing, but today I want to encourage you that God is a just Judge and He hears you when you call on Him for justice.

‘Il faut toujours prier et ne pas se decourager.’ Men ought always to pray and not become discouraged.

 

I ask the Lord to do justice in your case and to vindicate you. He will deal with your adversaries. 

 The Two Masters

Luke 16:19-31

 

Rich man, poor man. The rich man had a feast every day, but the poor man longed to eat the crumbs that fell of the rich man’s table. The poor man was a beggar that laid outside the gate of the rich man’s mansion. He was covered in sores. Dogs licked his sores.

 

This is not a parable. Jesus said, ‘a certain rich man’ and the poor man had a name, ‘Lazarus’. It is a true story.

 

The poor man died, and angels carried him to the bosom of Father Abraham. When the rich man died, he opened his eyes in the flames of hell. He could see Abraham and Lazarus and cried out that Abraham would send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger into water and come and refresh his tongue for he was suffering in the flames. But Abraham said there is a great divide between them, and Lazarus could not cross it.

 

Then the rich man asked if Abraham would send Lazarus to warn his five brothers that they do not end up in the same place he did. But Abraham explained that they have the Law of Moses and the books of the Prophets, and they should adhere to them.

 

Jesus added: you cannot serve two Masters, you either hate the one and love the other or you are faithful to one and have contempt for the other. The French:

‘Vous ne pouvez pas server a la fois Dieu et l’argent.’ You cannot serve God and money.

 

The question arises: who do you and I love most? God or money? And the question that follows is: ‘where will you and I end up after this life?’

Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ are already condemned but those who believe in Him will have everlasting life. (Romans 6:36)

 God is preparing something good for you

Andre Pelser

 

In the story of the prodigal son there is something that I have noticed for the first time: his father prepared the fatted calf for his return! When he returned the calf was ready! They could celebrate his return with a feast!

 

In French Bible the title of the story is, ‘Un pere retrouve son fils perdu.’ A father retrieves his lost son.

 

Something else that struck me as I meditated on this passage in Luke 15:11-32 is the fact that the father divided his inheritance between his two sons. Both received their portion before the father died. And yet the oldest son blamed the father for not giving him a goat to celebrate with his friends. The father replied, ‘all I have is yours!’ ‘Tout ce qui est a moi est a toi.’ 

 

Many people blame God for their troubles, but do not realise how good God is for them. The one to blame is the devil, the enemy of our souls, who has come to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus came that we might have life and life abundantly. (John 10:10)

 

To all who believe in Jesus and accept Him God has given power to become sons of God. (John 4:12) This is an open invitation to everyone. Whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

 

My prayer today is, ‘faison un fete pour moi aussie, mon Pere!’ prepare a feast for me as well, my Father! And that is what I want to leave with you: God is preparing something good for you! It is already being prepared!

 

When the son returned and confessed that he sinned against God and against his father, the Father gave a feast to celebrate his return, for he said, ‘my son was dead, but he is alive; he was lost, but now he is found.’

 

Your heavenly Father also says to you: ‘All I have is yours!’ He has prepared something good for you! 

 

 

 Without Me you can do nothing

Jesus confirmed He is the TRUE VINE, and we are the branches. 

John 15:5-8

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

 

The Hebrew word for ‘vine’ is ‘Gephen’. It means ‘twining’. Look at the vine and you will see how the branches twine around each other. The branches and the stem intertwine. They need support so that they can grow up in a circular way and not be pulled down by the force of gravity. 

 

Waiting on God is a form of entwining your life with God. Your will entwined with His will; your purposes entwined with God’s purpose. They that wait or entwine their lives with God shall renew their strength!

 

 A branch that is truly entwined and connected to the vine cannot be removed. The life sap of the vine flows through the branches and brings forth fruit. The loose branches that appear to be part of the vine, are not part of it. The vine dresser will remove those branches and cast them into the fire because they use sap of the vine but do not produce any fruit.

 

Jesus spoke this parable about the vine on the night that He was betrayed. He washed the feet of the disciples after Judas left the room to betray Him. Jesus told the disciples you are part of Me. But Judas was not part of Him, and He knew that. He did not wash Judas’ feet.

 

John 15:3

³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.’

 

Those whom He washed were made clean because of the words they received from Him and because they were part of Him. Judas wasn’t. There are many people who appear to be part of a church body, but they are not. They bear no fruit that would bring glory to God the Father. God gives them grace for many years but eventually they get cut off and cast away.

 

The branch cannot bear any fruit by itself. It needs to stay attached to the vine. That is why Jesus claimed, ‘without Me you can do nothing.’ He encouraged them to abide in Him and let His words abide in them. It’s a simple strategy. You keep your eyes on Jesus and read the Word of God. He abides in you, and you abide in Him. the Word of God. He abides in you, and you abide in Him. You are part of His body, the church of which He is the Head.

 

By acknowledging that you are part of the vine you allow the Vine Dresser to prune you. Pruning is a form of purging that allows the branch to produce bigger and better fruit, yes to bear much more fruit. Without pruning a vine, it becomes useless, and the grapes dry out.

 

God is glorified if you bear much fruit. Jeremiah 5:7 says the Lord rejoices over His vineyard.

 

Factors that prevent fruit bearing and spiritual growth:

1.    Deception comes through false teaching and lies of the devil

2.    There is no denying of self or taking up the cross

3.    Jealousy, envy, competition

4.    No patience to wait causing frustration and irritation

5.    Ungratefulness for all that God has done

 

If we can do nothing without Him, we need to confess, ‘It’s no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live I live by faith in Him.’

 

God promised us that we would inherit vineyards that we never planted! There are so many churches relating to our network and there are more coming! But without Him we can do nothing.