Life and how we respond to it is part of God's unique plan for our lives

An  FB friend, Gail Hansmeyer, shared the following, poignant ideas:

---

"I was driving to an important appointment, but had a physio appointment that went on till after 08h00. Knowing it would take two hours to get to my next appointment at 10h00, I prayed that God would open the road ahead and give me favour to get there on time. The road I had to use had one lane in each direction, which opened up to two lanes at times. Heavy vehicles reduced traffic to a crawl, but every time I came up behind a truck the road split into two. I did not even have to slow down, and I arrived at my destination on time. It was just like the Red Sea crossing miracle!"

"My colleague had to do the same trip on the same road a few days later. She prayed the same prayer I had prayed, sayng, "Lord you did for Gail; please do so for me too. Unfortunately, her experience was quite different. Every time she got behind a truck, the road was in the single-lane phase, offering no double-lane relief. Needless to say she was upset - it seemed so unfair!"

Read more ...

Win the battle in the air and you will experience victory on the ground

The battlefields of the heart and mind need a strategic perspective just as human battlefields do.

US military doctrine largely hinges on airpower. Ground wars are dangerous and technology can be countered by sheer numbers, as Napoleon and Hitler learnt in their wars against Russia. Technology can also breed over-dependence on a vulnerable resource.

So, as happened in most post World War II US theatres of war, airpower has become the key to tilting the balance in favor of US ground forces. The plan has been well honed. During Desert Storm, General Norman Schwarzkopf used air-cover in the first waves, to neutralize missiles and other fixed artillery points.

Most military forces have focused on building significant strike capabilities using manned and, more recently, unmanned aircraft. Stealth bombers like the B2 have enabled previously dangerous aerial targets to be engaged with relative impunity, whilst longer-range standoff weapons have enabled remote engagement from ships or aircraft operating outside the radius of fire.

Read more ...

To the victor, the victory spoils

It weighs almost 7kg (13.6lb), is made of 18 carat, hollowed gold and is 26.5 centimeters (14.4 inches) tall. Although its real value is probably less than $100,000 its intrinsic value far exceeds that. It may be regarded as priceless.

The former Jules Rimet trophy was stolen in 1983 and never recovered, although it had already passed into the perpetual possession of Brazil after they won the world cup three times. In 1997, a Jules Rimet trophy was auctioned and bought by FIFA for about $250,000, almost ten times the reserve price, but it was later found to be a replica of the original, which remains lost.

In 2038 it may be due for replacement when all the available name plates provided on the current trophy will have been used up.

Read more ...

Waving Flag

K'naan's iconic hit, which fully eclipsed Shakiras confusing, unmelodic attempt at a world cup song, not only captured the spirit of the FIFA world cup, it also pulled the rug from under the organisers feet. Its not the only such case either. Dutch fans were coopted by a Dutch firm in a very cheeky ambush marketing campaign.

The upstaging of the official world cup song, goes to the essence of Waving Flags lyrics. It is a song about great struggles against injustice and poverty, which yields to a freedom just like a waving flag. The great image of Liberty leading the people, by Delacroix, conveys the same theme. So did Verdi's slave chorus, which captured the yearnings of the Hebrews when they were exiled to Babylon. There are so many similar themes all speaking of the greatest cries of humanity.

Read more ...

Its more than life and death

With four more matches to play, the world cup is all but over. Nations came and went. Some just came to play, some came for much more. Someone once said of cricket, “It’s not a matter of life and death, its more than that”. The same could be said of some of the teams and nations represented in this competition.

The Dutch team somehow managed to assemble an entourage of 100,000 people who joined their cavalcade through the streets of Cape Town. The Argentineans played their drums. The South Africans trumpeted their Vuvuzelas. Others sported their national colors on their faces and in their waved banners.

The picture of a Mohican warrior supporting his own team, captures the spirit of the occasion well enough. Not far below the smile, joy and innocence of the moment is a warrior mentality. Maybe the advancement of the human race has tamed much of that feistiness that set nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom in past eras.

Read more ...

Times and seasons

The beach vendor caught in a news lens, somewhat tells his own story. With only 4 games remaining in the FIFA world cup, the bonanza for vendors is fading, as is this season of football. Soon life for all will plod along again as we return to the grind of real life.

As I write, the sun is lighting the sky and the tinging the heavens with hope for a new day. However, the inexorable course of the sun across our skies dictates that for me to have a sunrise, others must be heading towards a sunset or some other phase in their life cycles.

The sunrise is just a subset of the greater dawns that herald the start of seasons. We all have our seasons. It starts with our birth: that most wonderful of all moments when life starts. Beyond that we face other seasons, some exciting, some not so. The start of school is a big milestone for many children, but later they enter the season of puberty or high school or college or marriage or parenting.

Read more ...

Independence day

In 1776, the Second Continental Congress, chaired by Thomas Jefferson, issued the declaration of independence, by which the US was formally separated from Great Britain. The exact date is disputed, but not the fact. The day earlier, John Adams claimed the day as the most memorable epoch in US history.

The original document is now archived in the Smithsonian Institute, but it is sealed from exposure to light and air, so precious is the document to the people of America. Indeed, the birthing of that nation has resulted in arguably the most patriotic culture of earth. On this day, all Americans hold their heads high and strut their stuff in proud display of their priceless independence. Its a time of festivities, family meals and fireworks.

Read more ...

Unfurl your colors

The idea of wearing battle colours or war paint extends far back into history. The red Indians dubbed stripes on their faces when they went into battle, to embolden each other, intimidate the enemy and display their commitment to victory. The Vikings also wore battle paint, as did the Normans. Both of those invasive forces influenced warriors like the Scots, whom Mel Gibson so ably depicted in Braveheart. Mediaeval battlefields also used war paint until the idea of uniformed forces was popularised.

Uniforms and flags enabled fighting forces to carry their colours and allegiances in a more formal way. Discipline and pride rejected the relatively untidy look of face paint, but time would expose such visible uniforms to real disadvantages. Perhaps it was the Anglo-Boer war at the turn of the last century that convinced England to move towards mufti, the kind of battle dress that now dominates all battlefields.

Read more ...

And the trumpets shall sound ...

That annoying instrument is still on my mind. How do I get it off my mind? How can anyone ignore such a persistent and loud noise?

The picture attached shows a Vuvuzela trumpet being blown by light of moon. It is reminiscent of the howling of wolves or dogs, but if there's is an instinctive cry, a mating call or some other instrument of survival, what would we say of the Vuvuzela? It is not likely to attach a mate, unless she is deaf. It is not instinctive, its downright dangerous to one's health and if God wanted us to make such a noise He would have tuned our noses to B-Flat, made them larger and enhanced our lung capacity to support the kind of noise a cow makes when its giving birth. As for our ears, well maybe by now they would have evolved into muffs.  

Past civilisations have certainly regarded the trumpet as an instrument of survival - it warned of impending danger, sounded alarms or heralded the coming of an important event.

Read more ...

The sound of trumpets

The FIFA world cup has had its highs - the opening ceremony, the arrival of teams, the national spirit of a land that has opened its heart to all, the celebrations and the general atmosphere of the occasion. The lowest moments have been where teams have been forced to leave the stage and head back home. It is already almost over, yet has scarcely begun. Oh and of course every team has criticised the Jabulani ball, which loves to curve and do its own thing at altitude, thanks to its superb aero-efficiency.

Then of course, there is that unbelievably annoying trumpet that has absolutely drowned out all noise at matches, the motorious vuvuzela. It plays a monotonous B-flat at such volumes that it is damaging to one's health. I have mentioned before that the name is drawn from its "Vu-Vu" sound.

Read more ...

The longest day

This week two men brought the world to a standstill, as they grunted and sweated and aced their way to one of the greatest tennis matches of the modern era.

Here are the stats:

Longest match at Wimbledon

Duration: 11 hours, 5 minutes

Longest final set - 138 games

Greatest number of games: 183

The crowd was concerned that the players would collapse, but daylight had the last say and forced the game to extend to a new day. It was one of the greatest games ever and now Isner and Mahut will be linked forever. At the end, Isner collapsed and rolled on the court and then embraced his opponent.

Read more ...

Show your colors

The news picture of a man lost inside his outrageous hat, is about as evocative of the world cup as one could ever hope to find. Apparently it weighs 25kg, over 50 pounds, so what it does to his head, neck and shoulders is anyone's guess.

There is no doubt that a world class event like the FIFA world cup, bring out the party in all kinds of souls. It is highly festive and guaranteed to bring ordinary souls to the wildest and most exaggerated forms of expression imaginable. That's great - we all need some respite from a tough life.

The wearing of headdress and garments to represent a team, is as old as the hills. The priests of old carried a mitre on their heads and a mantle over their chests, into which was pressed the 12 semi-precious stones that represented the tribes of Israel.

The priests carried their representation before God, offering up sacrifices and intercessions for the needs of their people. It was not just a garment, an external show. According to Hebrews 2, the priests had to be able to identify fully with the needs of the people - so they carried, if not individual names, then certainly the corporate identities of the tribes, before God.

However, Hebrews 2 is not directed at the general priesthood, but the greatest of all priests, one drawn from the order of Melchizidek, who was made subject to temptation and weakness, just as we are, so He could fully identify with our needs and offer a sacrifice worthy of our atonement. Now that same priest, Jesus, actually does have our individual names written on His heart and He knows the hairs on our heads. He faithfully intercedes for us before the mercy throne of God, to give us grace and help in time of need.

Jesus may not wear priestly garments, nor the outrageous garb of rabid fans, but He most certainly shouts for us and the trumpets do indeed sound as He leads us through life's trials, until we raise the trophies of grace.

(c) Peter Eleazar @ www.4u2live.net

Waka, Waka

I once stated that sport is close to the heart of God. I am not sure I would say that now, especially given the professionalisation of sport codes plus the politics, power and money involved.

I think my original idea was that sport is such a useful social integrator and nation builder. It is also team and character building. I certainly encourage my boys to participate, regardless of how well they do. I also perceive that people drawn from a sporting past, are generally more effective in leadership and teamwork. Who knows?

Read more ...

Peace in the storm

"It takes much building and rebuilding to establish a kingdom", said my youngest son. I had just lost months and months of work on my blog site, all accidently overritten in a moment of madness. My initial reaction was a mixture of sadness and anger. Even the postings had gone and that really saddened me, for each post represented a priceless moment of reflection. It was also just another brick in the wall, another setback amongst so many in a long journey with God.

I did not understand Daniel's counsel at first, but then my 12 year old added, "Dad, Israel was given to the Jews, yet it rose and fell, sometimes to the level of a smouldering ruin. It was attacked again and again and again, especially Jerusalem. But they carried on building it anyway."

Read more ...

Across the line

The day before, the day after. Movie and song titles, which suggest life-changing moments of wonder.

In 1982, Abba released the song, “Before you came”. Though relatively unsuccessful in the US, with only one chart-topper, Abba became a world-wide phenomenon through the seventies and eighties.

“Before you came”, traces the recollections of a woman to the day before a lover entered her life. It reminds me of the day John F Kennedy died. I was a kid then, but I remember lying on the lounge floor reading about his assassination and marveling about it all. I also remember hearing the first news of 911 on my car radio. Initially the reports indicated a light plane had crashed into the World Trade Centre, but by the time I got home it was apparent that the US was under attack – so I grabbed my family and we rushed to the television to watch the unthinkable – before it had yet become an oft-replayed recording, we watched live feed of the towers collapsing into Manhattan dust. In both cases I know of many tales from many people that recount “the day before …”.

Well the singer in “Before you came” also recalled a hum-drum, predictable life of “bed by a quarter after ten (she likes to be in bed by then) with a book by Marilyn French” and a whole lot of other things that she could recall because of the predictability of her life. Then “he” came along and her life was never the same again.

She could have been singing about Jesus, for, although I cannot recount how my life was, “before He came”, I can say that my life changed forever after I met Him. It was a watershed moment that gripped my imagination, harnessed my passions and captivated my senses for the rest of my life. He is so real, so relevant, so faithfully accessible, that I could never live without Him. That was as true during the darkest years of my life when He was the last man standing: He never left me in my shame, but faithfully accompanied me through the vale of sorrow, to a new day.

In the game of cricket, the line or crease that defines the limits of a bowler’s run-up, can result in a penalty for the bowler: called a no-ball. He is not allowed to step over it, but he can even be penalized for standing on the line. The penalty call is reserved by the umpire. In cricket terms: “the line belongs to the umpire”.

In recent articles, I have referred to the law of precedence, that line crossed by Adam and many others, which brought misery on their descendants. I compared that line with the line that Jesus crossed to restore life and hope. Well that line also belongs to the umpire, the Father, the sole arbiter of His laws and the blessings or curses that derive from them.

The day before Jesus came, sin ruled and remained unchecked. The whole of humanity was in the relentless grip of Satan’s oppression, due to the precedence of Adam’s transgression. At Calvary, a new precedent was set and that line defined a past, present and future. Satan could only rely on the past, for the future was out of his hands: notwithstanding his ongoing influence over this world. The key to what I am saying relates to rights: Satan may still cause trouble, but he has no precedence, no legal standing. At best, Satan is only a liar, for the substance of his claims against us was revoked by Christ and the line belongs to the judge of all hearts.

In the next article I will show how Calvary implies a general victory and the foundation for all breakthroughs in our lives. But I will also show that the principle also applies to specific breakthroughs, where trouble in our lives will meet its Waterloo and become a thing of the past so that we can go on into an unhindered, liberated future.

(>(c) Peter Eleazar at www.bethelstone.com<>

Death by one, life by one

Death came on all of us by one man, even so shall not life and that abundantly come through one man?

When Jesus went to the cross, Revelations 1:18 tells us that He took away the keys of death and hell. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that, through death, Jesus slew him who had power over death, that is the Devil (Hebrews 2:14).

These scriptures are generally interpreted from an eternal perspective and assure us of ultimate victory over death.

However, death, as used, in the scriptures has two tenses, namely an eternal tense and a present continuous tense.

The eternal tense is well appreciated. We will rise again and experience the power of an endless life.

However, the present continuous tense of death, as used by the scriptures, refers to separation, rejection, nakedness and torment of the soul. Adam and Eve were beguiled by Satan, who knew God’s meaning but nonetheless misled those two souls into believing that they would not die if they ate of the tree. In the eternal sense, death would yet come to them, but their disobedience introduced human mortality and ended their eternal bliss.

The other aspect of the lie, namely “the day you eat of the tree you will not surely die”, obscured the present continuous or ongoing experience of death. Indeed, by way of confirmation, God immediately separated them from Himself and banished them from the garden. That was also a death: separation death as opposed to physical death.

The good news is that, just as sin introduced both deaths, so it is reasonable to conclude that Calvary resolved both deaths. Romans 5 says that if sin entered into the world by one man, and death by sin, how much more shall eternal life and mercy redound to one man, that man Paul referred to as the second Adam.

So the keys taken from Satan are keys to your eternal destiny and your ongoing life. The key to abundant life now and eternal life then, is no longer in Satan’s grasp. He has no power to impose death or hell on you.

You may well go through hell, to which Winston Churchill said, “If you are going through hell keep going”. But of importance is that the key to such “hells” or “deaths”, does not vest with your enemy. Does that mean that Jesus casts you into such pains? No it doesn’t. It just means that the key to deliverance vests with Jesus and your future is no longer a fait accompli. Satan may well attack and bring all kinds of troubles into our lives, but He has no legitimate power to sustain such darkness, for the keys were lost to Jesus.

Certainly God often leaves us in our difficulties so that we can grow and discover His power, but the initiative still rests with Jesus and He, at the Father’s behest, will deliver us in due course. Do not be beguiled again by Satan.

He succeeded in convincing Adam and Eve that they would not die if they ate of the tree of knowledge, yet they did, but let him not now convince you that you shall not live if you eat of the tree of life, Jesus. It is not for Satan to determine your times and seasons, that is the sole purview of the Father and it is not for Satan to keep you from the life that Christ bequeathed you through His death – that, I am sorry to say, is only possible if you allow it, for His life is your life and your irreversible inheritance.

Don’t give your enemy undue credit in times of difficulty. Rather cast your cares on Jesus. The bible says, “His name is a strong tower, the righteous run in and are safe”. Jesus lifts us above our struggles when we flee to Him and He will give you a right perspective, high above the melee, where you will gaze out from the tower to see the right perspective: a fallen enemy cowering at the feet of a conquering redeemer.

© Peter Eleazar at www.bethelstone.com

The carnal mind

Self-centeredness is the playground of the devil, where Godliness is eroded and souls are enslaved.

In the past few articles, I have touched on issues of: personal power versus Godly authority; doing things our way; and the yoke of learning.

All of these point to the crux of human disempowerment, yet they also highlight a great contradiction. Humanism places our locus of power within us. It argues that we are gods: the so-called “little gods” philosophy that underpins the new-age movement.

My youngest son, who loves mediaeval warfare and adores the Lord of the Rings, once observed that the real power of the rings given to men, lay not in the power acquired by people, but in the power that wearing the rings ceded to Sauron, a picture of Satan.

As we see in the great temptations, Jesus was offered all the kingdoms of the world, but the price was His soul. In return for bowing to Satan, Satan offered a cease-fire and power to rule the world. It had some appeal, surely, for Jesus had a heart for a suffering world and Satan’s deal offered some peace or release from suffering. It also offered Him a chance to do what He could to help the world, but the price was too high.

Had Jesus conceded, death would not have been conquered. You may recall that death came through Adam after Satan had deluded him into believing he would not die from the fruit. But he did die. He was immediately cut off from the garden and from that moment he became subject to corruption, which ultimately brought him down to the grave where he was subject to the power of Satan. Satan had no power to defeat or prevent death, yet he had the power to enforce death (Hebrews 2:14) by obliging God to do to men what had been done to him because of sin – this is what the bible calls, “The keys of death and hell” (Revelation 1:18).

So if Jesus had conceded to Satan, death would never have been destroyed and salvation for humankind would never have materialized.

Thus, humanism, whilst conceding power to the human soul, is no more able to offer solutions to the greatest dilemma we face – it cannot circumvent death, yet it involves a ring that gives some power in return for power over our souls. It argues that “we will surely not die” if we take such rings, but that only alludes to physical death. Thus it suggests a better, more prosperous life whilst we are alive, whilst obscuring both the inevitable consequences of our choices and the shorter-term implications for lives that trade their souls for a taste of power.

The gateway of Satan is “Self”. Our self-centeredness is the ring of power and humanism will provide all kinds of ways to empower the soul, including relatively safe philosophies such as religion, status and politics, plus darker metaphysical and occultic offerings. Such powers and the demand for them are real, hence the popular appeal of Harry Potter and the increasing availability of witchcraft or occultic publications.

But at the heart of all this darkness is really just a simple factor – “Self”. Self awareness alienates us from God and exposes us to the darkness of Satan. Good people are as vulnerable to this as bad people are and many innocent lives have been ruined by it. Teens have a huge surge of self-awareness that makes them vulnerable to all kinds of social and commercial exploitation, as Satan targets them during their most susceptible years. Advertisers have been able to push impressionable minds into buying things that have done little to help but lots to damage such young hearts, often permanently.

Our biggest cry relates to “Self” and our sense of power relates to “Self” but the lie behind all this is that “Self” is the key to disempowering and disarming us, as it makes us captive to the other team. It is a problem for the un-regenerated soul but it is also the key to the spiritual battles raging around all believers.

The way out is to allow the Life of Jesus to rule in our hearts. God’s provisions for our needs include: His Word, revealed truth, the indwelling Christ and the provision of the Holy Spirit. These provisions are not an endorsement of self nor do they lead us down other oppressive roads, but they will liberate us so we could live life abundantly.

Our carnal minds (self-centeredness) alienate us from God (Romans 8:7), but they that walk in the Spirit (follow Jesus in the way that He leads us out of the ways of the world back to His Father), they will be the Sons of God.

© Peter Eleazar at http://www.bethelstone.com

My yoke is easy

It was Jesus who said: Take my yoke on you. Learn of me for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

In Isaiah 10:27, we read that “the anointing breaks the yoke”. This scripture has been misused, so I will just stick to the principle. Wherever the bible refers to a yoke, it speaks of a casting off of restraints, things that hold us down.

The restraint that Jesus applies to us is a restraint or yolk of learning, thus He says “learn of me”. Clearly God is not at odds with Himself in anointing us to break the restraint He imposes on us. Nor would it be correct to interpret the yoke as coming from Jesus, even though He said, “take my yoke on you”. Rather He is referring to a yoke that was also on Him throughout His long seasons of preparation for ministry.

The concept relates to growth and maturity, a process that parallels the growth cycle of children, who are subject to a yoke of learning until they mature into adults. When we were young, the yoke subjected us to the instructions of parents and other adults in our culture. It was not a heavy burden and Jesus confirms that saying, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”. It involved real learning and growth, combined with fair doses of frustration, to equip us for life.

However, Jesus refers to spiritual life and the burden of discipleship. It is frustrating because we understand so little of God’s heart and keep on running into His unmovable, unyielding ways. We bash around as we compensate and over-compensate in our desire to understand and outgrow spiritual childhood.

Jesus never offers to relieve us of the yoke of learning. It is not His to impose or remove. In many ways He is also limited, for our times and seasons are appointed by the Father alone (Acts 1:7). Thus Jesus does not have a special right to intervene on our behalf and have the yoke removed.

However, we know that He prays for us, thus petitioning the Father on our behalf for grace and mercy. He also invites us to come to the throne of mercy (Hebrews 4) to obtain just that: Mercy and grace to help in our times of need.

Romans 8, is a reference often used to describe the Holy Spirit even though the entire context of Romans (or Romans 1 to 8 at least) is about Jesus and His indwelling life (Romans 8: 9-10). Paul defines that the mark of sonship. In Romans 8: 26-27, we read about the Lord interceding on our behalf with groanings that cannot be uttered, because He really does know the heart of God and what is at work in our fragile hearts.

Jesus is the sustaining life within us, the well from which we may drink and never thirst again, the rock that follows us through the wilderness and the good shepherd of the sheep. His life in us is a powerful and real interpretation of what He said when suggesting that He would share our yoke of learning.

The implication is that He makes our burden His burden. He does not cast it off but shares it. He walks with us to lead us to maturity and the ultimate approval of His Father: the only significant man who can validate our maturity.

In essence He walks next to us and says, “I cannot take away your burden of learning, for you must go through deep experiences in order to grow up and reach maturity. There is no short cut, no easy way. You must go through it, but I love you so much that I will share your burden, pray for you and sustain you through my indwelling Spirit”.

The Father is aloof of the process: how else could He validate us except by remaining neutral and objective. But, as God said to Joshua, “the way you go you have not been before, so follow the ark (a picture of Jesus)”.

When the process does reach its climax, the anointing or life within us will strain against the yoke until it breaks to assert our claims to sonship. That is a real process and must become the quest of every believer. The seed of God is Jesus, who is sown into our mortal frames and then germinates until it breaks through its restraining shell to become a tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord.

Fortunately God has covenanted in Hebrews 9 to write His principles in our hearts so we can expect to grow in understanding, but it is useful to confirm that your present struggles are not mindless and goalless. God has allowed us to struggle out of our cocoons so that we can learn to fly and thereby surmount the restraints of life to be free-spirited sons of the Most High God.

So take His yoke willingly – and learn of Him.

© Peter Eleazar at http://www.bethelstone.com/

I did it my way?

Humanism challenges our theology right where we first stumbled with God - in our self-centeredness.

The first consequence of the fall and arguably the only real consequence thereof, was knowledge of self. The tree of knowledge did not imbue intellectual awareness, for knowledge of life and its workings, is a virtue of God, celebrated by many biblical writers. Knowledge of sin was also not given by the tree, in fact knowledge of sin really only came through the law, as we read in Romans 5:20.

The text of Genesis ascribes the knowledge of good and evil to the tree, but as that knowledge did not do the work of the law, in giving us the knowledge of sin, we must look into the context and examine the implications of eating the tree. There were two implications: death, which implies separation from God, and awareness of nakedness.

These two ideas are linked, for self-awareness begets alienation from God. Thus Paul teaches in Romans 8, that the carnal mind is enmity from God. God may have thrust us from His presence, but we actually alienate ourselves from God through our carnality (self-centeredness).

Humanism looks at our weaknesses and regards them as purely circumstantial: a function of learning, upbringing, context or social predispositions. God does not see it that way. He blames sin and when Jesus hung on the cross He set aside all human solutions to world problems by pointing back to sin and its consequence, a consequence that was supremely borne by Christ on His cross.

Humanism also proposes all kinds of solutions to our innate vulnerabilities, which Paul refers to in Romans 8, as vanity. We need to cover our nakedness, because of our self-awareness, but fig-leaves are hopelessly inadequate. Modern proxies for fig leaves include: status symbols, careers, wealth, material possessions, cosmetics, self-improvement philosophies, etc. But they never address our underlying vanity, rather they fuel it.

Marketers have learnt that giving some sense of wellbeing through commercially available fig-leaves, provides a broader incentive for the masses to part with their hard-earned billions in desperate search of a better fig-leaf. I must ask, do you really think the marketers of such products want you to feel fundamentally whole and fulfilled – never, that would destroy very valuable markets? Do you really think modern medicine want you to get better – never, that would wipe out the wealth or the wealthiest segment of our population. But as long as you have some perception that wellness is possible, you will spend, spend, spend and then suffer the resulting stress or debt-induced disorders that will recycle your spending into another round of fruitless waste.

Hey, the Pharisees sent Jesus to the cross because he threatened their well-developed trade in human vanity. Jesus is the single greatest threat to materialism and capitalism, because He offers real freedom and fundamental wholeness.

I have been deeply challenged about my current circumstances and have had a lot of input relating to my own sense of self-confidence. I accept, in part, that lack of self-confidence is not helpful and there is a form of self-deprecation that is as carnal as pride and as alienating as any other sin. It can sometimes do more harm than pride, for it not only excludes God, it excludes people from our inner worlds. To this end, we at least need to redress the ways we respond to God, for negativity is a cancer to the soul.

But, Paul said in Philippians 3 that he would put no confidence in the flesh. He had more than enough personal credence to put confidence in his own flesh: his impressive resume included an outstanding education, noble birth and Roman citizenship. But Paul said, “I count these things but dung (there are modern substitutes for dung that might convey how strongly Paul felt when he wrote this). He cast it all aside, not for self-knowledge, but for the surpassing knowledge of Christ.

He conceded to an ambition, a shrewdly-worded counter-trend to human ambition, which is fuelled by self-awareness. Paul’s ambition was to know Christ and the power of His resurrection - that quest consumed his soul. He accepted that he had not yet achieved his goal or attained to the fullness of his faith, but he was committed to fighting for supremacy, just as a runner might do in a race.

The secret to his power lay not in his human presence, powerful words, learning, intellect or a forceful nature. Paul’s power and authority lay exclusively in His knowledge of God. He mastered a sense of God-confidence that far exceeded the best of human confidence.

Human confidence is fragile and based on passing fancies. What works for a season, rarely works throughout life and what bolsters us in our youth, rarely sustains us in old age. Human confidence is a life-sapping, tiring, wearisome effort that brings limited fulfillment, but God-confidence is peaceful and joyous, because its departure point is the clothing of our nakedness by a great, heavenly Father.

Satan will exploit and weaken us as long as our centre-of-gravity is self, for self-awareness is the gateway of sin and the principle lever of Satan. But the devil stumbles in the dark or clutches at straws, when Jesus becomes our centre-of-gravity and the foundation for a divine sense of personal wholeness.

(c) Peter Eleazar at www.bethelstone.com

Personal power vs Godly authority

We stumble in spiritual warfare when we rely on personal power. But we prevail in divine authority.

How often we confuse personal power and charisma, with divine authority. How predictably we advance leaders who would probably have made it anyway. It is a cause of great resentment in many that they are like Cinderella’s, left at home, whilst the same notables get their pickings in the team and in places of favor.

Saul is a great example of someone with the external attributes, which those who confer power love to affirm. But Saul, in relying on his personal power, forsook legitimate power: for all authority comes from God. If Saul had humbled himself under God’s hand and submitted to the mandate of His God, to do what God had commissioned him to do, his legacy would have been perpetual. But he chose to go his own way and therein is no power, certainly not the power of God.

Real power and authority comes from the Word, the revealed heart of God. It defines who we are, our rights of way or prerogatives, and our divine mandate.

Who we are. Thhe first vital pretext of our authority is our position and identity in Christ. Christ triumphed over sin, hell and the grave and extended that victory to us. If we appropriate what is ours we will prevail, but if we concede legitimacy to Satan’s words, we will succumb to the weakness and inadequacy he speaks over us. Those with apparent personal power, have no power at all except it comes from God, but those without apparent power can be powerful indeed if they live within God’s Word.

Our rights of way or prerogatives. God has commissioned us to live out our lives within His purpose. We are called to do His will. Jesus conceded that to be His life mission. He only came to do His Father’s will. He was challenged, but the real challenge of Satan related to His reference point (It is written: The Lord is one and Him alone will we serve), His boundaries (It is written: we shall not tempt the Lord our God) and His principles or ethos (It is written: man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word of God). Those three pillars were inviolate and became the foundation of His authority. He asserted His place in the Father, through obedience to the truth. Satan could not resist or fault Him on that and thus He did not walk in personal power, but divine power.

Our mandate. All are mandated to be priests and kings of God. You have a place in His household and no one can deny that. Many are called to be husbands and fathers or mothers, and with that comes authority to fulfill God’s mandate. Satan seeks to undermine your role and if you concede ground to him or renege on your mandate, you will be progressively disempowered. You will also disempower the next generation. Satan lost all legitimate pretexts against us, at the cross. You, however, have abundant pretexts for victory, conceded through the cross.

We are also empowered to fulfill God’s specific mandate for our lives within His household, to actively share in the life and thought of the Kingdom. Such invovement will rely on personal power to the extent that you either miss His calling or sin, but if you know His calling, then your authority vests in His authority, notwithstanding any other disadvantages.

We need to determine who rules our hearts.

Israel asserted her national identity as long as the King, the Priesthood and the Prophetic pillars of the kingdom were sustained at the centre: in Jerusalem. Battles at the borders of the kingdom were determined by what happened at the centre, in the heart of Israel. That is no less true for our lives. If Jesus, our Prophet, Priest and King leads us, restores us to God and rules through His Word, we will prevail in other area of our lives.

Stop limiting yourself to your personality, stature or charisma, or lack thereof. Those considerations are not, nor ever shall be, the basis of authority. Those who depend on such things will be found wanting, but those who allow His authority to define their lives, will prevail and become history makers, for all authority comes from God, not men (John 19:11).

(c) Peter Eleazar at http://www.bethelstone.com/