Unsinkable Faith

A faithful Christian is like an unsinkable boat with a buoyancy tank, an emergency radio, and a rescue team ready to respond to a call.

For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. Pr 24:16 NIV

God has good plans for your life. Have you failed time and time again? Have your colleagues looked down on you? Or perhaps even your family?

At the age of 40, Moses was a failure. He tried on his own to liberate his Hebrew people. His attempt was a disaster. He killed an Egyptian and had to flee. He then spent 40 years as a shepherd in the desert, a nobody in a foreign land.

Are you considered a problem person? Perhaps you see yourself as a problem?
 
Mary Magdalene was not a successful person when she met Jesus. But Jesus saw great potential in her. Jesus saw her as a holy woman. She was chosen by God to be the first witness of the risen Son of God. When even the apostles despaired, she was chosen to testify to the men about the resurrection.

What do we know about Mary?

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 

She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 
When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. Mk 16:9–11 NIV

In religious tradition, Mary is regarded as an evil woman before her conversion, probably a prostitute, but this is pure fiction.

Perhaps she was mentally ill, perhaps somehow disabled or deeply depressed. We don't know. In any case, she was probably not a successful person.

Perhaps you are in a tight spot right now, and not for the first time. If Jesus is your Lord, then he is also your Saviour. He always has a way out for you.

The disciples were in a small boat in a terrible storm. They were experienced fishermen, but this storm was quite extraordinary.

Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 
The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Mt 8:24–25 NIV

Jesus was in the boat. They could not sink when the Son of God was in the boat. When the Creator of the universe dwells in you, you are also like an unsinkable boat. Even if you capsize, you remain in God's hand.

We know the story of how Jesus exercised authority over the weather.

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Mt 8:26 NIV

The boat was filled with water, but it could not sink because God Himself was in the boat. 

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 
What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. Jn 10:27–29 NRSV

If you have entrusted your life to Jesus, you can trust God to provide for you in the worst situations and rescue you from many predicaments.

You can pray like David and believe too.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. 

I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. Ps 57:1–2 NKJV 

We Need God in our Lives

 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. Gal 5:16 NLT

What are the works of the sinful nature? The original Greek New Testament calls these the works of the flesh. 

There is nothing wrong with your natural flesh and blood, the organs of your body. God created your body and he does not make bad things. But when we let our flesh and blood direct our lives, things go wrong.

If you are a good driver, your car is a blessing, but if your car engine runs without direction from a driver, it can do untold damage.

God has given you a soul and a spirit, designed to direct your mind and body. If your soul and spirit are closely connected to God’s Spirit, and you are guided by the love and goodness of God, your mind and body will be a blessing.

I have recently listened to sermons about repenting of sin. We need that from time to time, but I had the feeling that something was missing. 

Repenting is not just about not doing bad things. It is not enough to avoid rage, hate and malice. God wants us to love, care and help, not just with outward deeds but moved by genuine concern for others. 

It is not enough to avoid revenge. God wants us to forgive people who hurt or threaten us. It is not enough to avoid bearing grudges. God wants us to love and bless our enemies.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, suffering unspeakable agony, tormented by vile verbal abuse, he cried out to the Father to forgive his tormentors. 

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” … Lk 23:34 NRSV

God wants us to stop doing bad things, but He also wants us to be perfectly pure, kind and loving like Jesus. If we think we can do all of this, we are sadly mistaken. Jesus was the perfect Son of God, God in human form. We are very faulty, flawed human beings. We learned what we know from faulty parents, faulty friends and faulty teachers. 

We can change some of our behaviour with human will power but we need fixing and rebuilding from the inside. 

Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. If we confess our sins, He will forgive us, but we do not have the power to be like Jesus on the inside.

When Jesus was executed, his natural body died, but his spirit lived on. Three days later her returned to this world with a supernatural immortal body. He appeared to his friends and disciples and spent 40 days with them before he returned to heaven. 

A week later the Spirit of God came upon 120 of His followers and changed them from the inside.

Now you and I can have the same blessing, the Spirit of God living inside us and rebuilding our human nature, so we can be more like God on the inside.
If you really want to put your life in God’s hands, just ask Him. He will not turn you away.

Jesus invites us today to come to him to be changed and to have a new life with himself.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Mt 11:28 NRSV

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 
For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 
Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Lk 11:9–13 NIV

Active and Passive Christians

 

Christian Life

Active	Passive
Open to new insights from the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit.	Believes what Christian leaders and authority figures say and refuses to think for himself or seriously ask God for deeper understanding.
Willing to learn new ways of understanding and applying eternal truth.	Holds fast to traditional thinking.
Personally seeks to learn more through personal reading and prayer, listening to other Christians and not only the leaders of his or her church.	Passively accepts what is preached and taught in his own church.
Able to read good Christian writing and learn from it, while not necessarily agreeing with everything.	Some passive Christians are not readers but others read the doctrine they are taught and accept everything without question.
Eager to discover and his or her unique calling and gifts and to use them for God with God’s help and guidance.	Tries to be a good Christian.
Expects and receives great blessings in private prayer, meditation and study.	Heavily dependent on meetings, services and conferences for blessings from God.
NKJ John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Active Christians learn to know and recognise the communication of God to their own hearts.	Cannot distinguish between what preachers or leaders are saying and what God is saying.
Has a close personal relationship with God. Follow Jesus personally, knows Jesus as his or her personal pastor.	Follows Jesus mostly indirectly by following the example and teaching of other Christians, especially teachers and pastors.
Expects guidance from God to know how to pray and expects God to answer his or her own prayers.	Passively depends on the prayers of others for God to help. When a passive Christian prays, he copies the way others pray.

Faith and Love belong together

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Cor 13:2 NKJV

If we share bible truth, God can use the power of His own words to turn some people from confusion to faith, but that is only the first step. Many believe at first, but they fall away.

People in this broken world are desperate for love. Faith without a deep ongoing experience of love leads many converts down a blind alley.

Either they become fanatically religious without love, or they become disillusioned with false promises of love and walk away from church, or even from God.

Prophetic gifts can be powerful in helping people to believe in God. A Christian may receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit and tell a person something about him or herself which no one else knows.

On the other hand, Christians can prophesy over people to control them and keep them in bondage to manipulative religion. A preacher can tell a person, supposedly from God, that God has planted him or her in this church and he or she should not leave.

Spiritual gifts and bible teaching can help people grow in love, but they must never be a substitute for love and respect for each person.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 Jn 4:7–8 NIV

We must not think we are spiritual because of our bible knowledge or spiritual gifts. The mark of a true Christian is a character motivated by the love of God.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 Jn 4:9–11 NIV

• Love means we must not blame or judge people if they are not healed when we pray for them.

• Love means we must not try to manipulate people to grow our church or our ministry.

• Love means we must respect Christians with different doctrines or in different traditions.

If we genuinely and patiently continue to love people, we will see more people attracted to Jesus and more people continuing in faith after conversion.

In Paul’s letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, he sums up the essence of Christian faith, in which believing is essential, but faith is more than just believing.

We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Th 1:3 NIV

In his letter to the Galatians, he also teaches the true nature of faith.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Gal 5:6 NIV

What is Faith and Repentance?

 Muslims believe that they can avoid the flames of hell if their virtues outweigh their sins. They endeavour to live a virtuous and religious life in order to earn their eternal reward with Allah.

Jesus taught quite differently.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NASB95

Then we are confronted with a question that will determine our eternal destiny.

What is faith?

After the war, the top leaders of the Nazi government in Germany were arrested. They had to stand trial for war crimes before a court in Nuremberg. Some were then executed.

Before the trial, the Americans appointed chaplains to provide pastoral care for the prisoners.

Some of the leading Nazis were Catholic, others Protestant. They were baptised as children and belonged to this or that denomination. Do you think these criminals would go to God's heaven?

Göring was supposedly Protestant. He wanted nothing to do with Jesus and he didn't want to be humiliated before the court. He committed suicide.

Hitler's foreign minister reacted differently. Von Ribbentrop repented.

Then we have to ask what real repentance is. Many attend a church service, but God does not play an important role in their everyday lives. They confess a sin now and then, but they do not change.

Was Joachim von Ribbentrop really converted? Before his execution, he begged his wife to bring up their children as Christians.

When Jesus began to preach, he told the Jews that they had to believe. What was that supposed to mean? Most Jews already believed in God.

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mk 1:14–15 NIV

What is true repentance? What does repentance mean? The Greek word is METANOIA. It means a significant change of mindset. Whoever repents in the Christian sense changes his thinking and his attitude, just like von Ribbentrop before his execution.

Anyone who genuinely believes in Jesus believes in the risen Son of God. He opens his heart to the love of God. He believes in God's word and the message of Jesus himself.

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. Jn 10:27–28 NRSV

There is a religious faith found in some churches, but so many people in church don't have a personal relationship with Jesus.

What role does Jesus play in your everyday life?

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Mt 11:28 NRSV

Jesus is still with us. He has sent his Holy Spirit into this world. He wants to help you today.

‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Jer 33:3 NKJV

Gratitude Activates Faith

 In the Bible, Jesus healed countless sick, suffering and disabled people. This is one of the most prominent themes in the New Testament.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read how Jesus healed all those who sought healing from him.

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. Mt 8:16 NIV

When Peter first proclaimed the good news to non-Jews, he summarised Jesus' ministry in the following words.

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Acts 10:38 NLT

We read the same words in both Bible texts. Jesus healed everyone.

Was this a special offer when Jesus was on earth in the flesh before the cross?

Clearly not.

Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.

The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Jas 5:14–15 NRSV

Here we see the word SAVE. This is a translation of the Greek word SOZO:

This word in the Greek NT sometimes means SAVE and sometimes HEAL

It has always been God's will that the eternal salvation of the soul and salvation from illness should belong together.

We already see both together in the Psalms.

... who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, Ps 103:3 NIV

What is the basis for this confident faith in God’s healing?

Firstly, holding on to God's promises and testimonies, no matter what other Christians or even theologians say.

The second is found in the same psalm.

Gratitude.

Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, Ps 103:2–3 NIV 

Today, countless Muslims are experiencing miraculous healings in the name of Jesus. Millions of Muslims are converting to Jesus. Gratitude for miraculous healings is very often decisive.

In Europe we often see a completely different attitude. So many Christians do not react to miracles with gratitude, but with doubt.

The humanistic culture in Europe has taught us to question everything. Tragically, this way of thinking is not only found in  traditional churches, but also in some free churches.

One of the most important concepts in the Bible is PEACE:

Paul repeatedly greeted the churches in the New Testament with GRACE and PEACE:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Eph 1:2 NRSV

Paul wants to explain to Christians that they have peace through God's grace, that they are reconciled with God and should no longer fear God's judgement and punishment.

But Paul was also Jewish. The Hebrew word for peace is SHALOM:

Peace: shalo̱m also means (external as well as internal) well-being; welfare; well-being;

• God wants to restore us holistically, to reconcile us to himself.

• God wants to heal our wounded souls and broken hearts.

• God wants to free us from illness and all kinds of disabilities.

Not only in heaven, but here and now.

Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Mt 6:10 NRSV

If you have problems with this teaching, you cannot eliminate your doubts with your logical mind alone.

Try a new approach. Start with gratitude.
Reflect on all the help you have received in life.

There is nothing good in this world that does not come from God.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ Explained

 The Lord Jesus was with the heavenly Father in infinite eternity before the creation of the universe. Jesus, God the Son, no less divine than the Father, looked down the centuries and saw that you need forgiveness and restoration.

He knew that his Father was righteous.

He knew you would go wrong in your life.

He knew you deserved judgement, but he wanted to save you.

Before the first angel saw the face of God, before the first star shone in the sky, Jesus decided to be born as a baby, just like us. He decided that he would submit to a cruel execution on the cross.  

And why? So that He would be punished in your place. So you could be forgiven and fully reconciled with God.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23 NIV

We cannot earn God's favour.

We have all ruined our lives in different ways.

None of us can claim to be as good as Jesus.

Our sin has separated us from the presence of God, but God gave his only Son to give us back our lives.

This is a free gift, and you must accept God's loving favour as a free gift or not at all.

Jesus paid the full price to redeem us from death, hell and eternal despair. We cannot add an extra payment. He has done everything.

But you must do something to gain his favour.

Suppose you were to inherit a fortune from your rich father. He gave you a mansion and a huge bank balance.

How can you claim your inheritance?

You need to see a lawyer and take possession of the title deeds.
Jesus is your lawyer who speaks for you before the throne of the heavenly Father.
You can find in God's promises in the Bible that speak of your inheritance.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NIV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Jn 11:25–26 NIV

You must enter the house.

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. Jn 10:9 NASB95

You invest your inherited money to be a blessing. You invest your life in the kingdom of God.

Jesus taught the parable of the talents.

The master gave his servants wealth to invest and went away. Two servants invested wisely and doubled their money, but a third servant buried his money and gave it back to the master when he returned.

He was like the passive believer who tried to use his faith as a ticket to heaven but could do nothing with the gifts of God.

Jesus sternly warned people who passively use salvation as fire insurance.

‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.

“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Mt 25:28–30 NASB95

Jesus and Paul also taught:

Turn around and just believe ....

You can totally rely on Jesus. If you hand your life over into His hands, you can experience His love in an amazing way. You can then pass on this love.

He died for you, but also for all those around you.

Ready for His Coming

 In the Bible you see how God loves you.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 NKJV

If you believe in Jesus, this promise applies to you personally.

We read here that God loves all people.

There are idealists who want to save humanity, but they don't really love people.

But God is not like these idealists. God is love.
And you are not a mere specimen of humanity. You are you, and God loves you.

In the New Testament we see that Jesus will come back to take his church from this world, just as a Jewish bridegroom came to take his bride.

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7 NKJV

Jesus is the Lamb of God who sacrificed his life on the cross to suffer the penalty for our sins, to remove all guilt from us, to set us free from sin.

Jesus said to his disciples that after his death and resurrection he would return to heaven to prepare our eternal home for each of us.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1–3 NKJV

Jesus will come again as the bridegroom to his loving and beautiful bride. We see in Acts a wonderful church where all were filled with the Holy Spirit, where Christians helped one another practically, where supernatural gifts of the Spirit manifested daily.

Jesus will come back for such a church. Is the church ready? Obviously not.
We need an unprecedented worldwide revival to bring this about.

We must expect it and pray for it. But the crucial question is whether you and I are ready.

Who can help us? Who can prepare you? Your church may be able to help. Some churches help and some don't. But only the Holy Spirit can transform you so that you are ready for Jesus.

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37–39 NKJV

DON'T LIMIT GOD. HIS BEST IS FOR YOU

Psalm 103:2-4 (NIV) A Psalm of DAVID

• Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
• who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 
• who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 

Here David is encouraging himself my meditating on the promises of God for himself. We all need to do this when we are down or in need. 

• If you tell me you are never down or you don’t have any unmet needs I don’t believe you.

Clearly David believes God’s promises are comprehensive. 

• He is saved from the pit of despair and damnation. 

• God forgives all his sins and also heals all his diseases. 

ALL is a bold word. 

• If you believe for ALL these things, you have a very bold faith, and rather controversial because many people want to believe for forgiven sins but not too much more.

You might say David was a specially chosen prophet and king, a special favourite of God. Maybe he is just talking about his own special privileges with God.

• So is David just talking about himself and a few specially chosen ones?

The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. Psalm 103:6 (NIV) 

Here is this word ALL again but this time it is not only ALL sins forgiven and ALL diseases healed but God’s miraculous power and favour available to ALL who need help.

Who is included in God’s favour?

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: Psalm 103:7 (NIV) 

In the Old Testament, God worked mighty miracles for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and many other heroes of faith but God also forgave, healed, protected and saved ALL the people of Israel when they escaped from Egypt and crossed the Red Sea.

He also brought them out with silver and gold, And there was none feeble among His tribes. Psalm 105:37 (NKJV) 

But is God’s mercy and power only for the sons and daughters of Jacob, the people of Israel. David gives the rest of us words of hope.

For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; Psalm 103:11 (NKJV)

A Syrian general was suffering from incurable leprosy. He had a captured Hebrew slave girl who told her about the prophet Elisha in Israel. When General Naaman found Elisha, the prophet sent him a message.

Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." 2 Kings 5:10 (NIV) 

The general was angry but he reconsidered and did what he was told. When he came up out of the dirty river for the seventh time, he was healed. 

God wants to forgive all your sins and heal all your diseases but are you willing to honour God with your simple trust and humble obedience?

If you respect and trust God, if you revere and love Jesus, God’s promises are also for you.

But there are always some people who want to believe in a theology that limits God. God healed the Jews and some other people in the Old Testament but what about today?

Matthew 8:16-17 (ESV) 

• That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 
• This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” 

When did Jesus take our illnesses and bear our diseases? On the cross. 

This is a quote from Isaiah 53, which is a prophecy of Jesus suffering on the cross for our salvation.

Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, And our pains--he hath carried them, And we--we have esteemed him plagued, Smitten of God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:4 (YLT)

Here Young’s Literal Translation accurately translates Isaiah and agrees with the Greek translation in Matthew 8:17.

Jesus died to pay the price for your complete salvation, to take away your sin, guilt and condemnation and also to deliver you from the consequences of sin, which include sickness.

THE NEW WORLD IS COMING. ARE YOU READY?

Mark 1:14-15 (NIV)  After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.

• "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

The time had come. The Kingdom of God was really near. 

• The King of the Universe had arrived on earth. 

• He had started to proclaim His mission, to win back the earth from the power of darkness and to restore the rule of heavenly goodness.

This was Good News and it still is today.

• When Jesus died on the cross, He defeated the power of evil and opened the door of Heaven for all to come in, all who would receive Him as the Son of God and the King and Master of their whole life.

• All who are willing to be adopted as Sons and Daughters of the Heavenly Father can come into the Royal Family of Heaven with amazing eternal privileges.

When Jesus died on the cross, He suffered the full penalty due to you and me for our faulty and selfish lives. 

• When He rose from the dead, He did not return immediately to heaven but spent 40 days with His disciples, teaching them to lead as pioneers of the New Heavenly Order.

The two qualifications for entry into the Kingdom of God were these:

• REPENT and BELIEVE.

• REPENT is a translation of the Greek word METANOEITE, which means to change your mind, let your whole way of thinking be transformed, so that your attitudes and your way of living cannot help but be changed.

• REPENT means to enter into a relationship of FAITH in God which transforms your heart, you mind and your life.

Once more we are at a strategic turning point in history. 

Many events around us indicate the time prophesied in the Bible is very near, the time when Jesus will come again. 

This time He will not come as a humble servant but as the Lord and King from Heaven.

• To be ready for His return, we need to be transformed in our thinking and believe with a deep, God given trust in His love. 

• We need to go deeper in our faith and be open to change our entire way of thinking because these are increasingly troubled times.

  • We are coming into times where old traditional ways of thinking will not work for us, where good Christian living will not be possible without living in very close communication with our heavenly King and His Spirit living in us.

• Jesus told a parable referring to exactly the time we are living in.

• Matthew 25:1-13 (NIV)  "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

• The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.

• The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

• "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

• The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

• "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'

• "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

For hundreds of years, many Christians have lived with second hand faith.

However, we are living in dangerous times. So many preachers have failed. Not only the world but the church is shaking.

Each one of us needs to have a personal love relationship with Jesus.

• What was wrong with the foolish virgins? They depended on blessing from other Christians, from ministry.

The wise virgins were personally and individually filled with the Holy Spirit.

CAN YOUR HEART THINK?

Supposing it were technically possible, would you want a brain transplant to save your life? 

But who would you be? 

• Would you be the person died and gave the brain or would you be the person who received a new brain?

We believe the brain is where you think and which therefore defines who you are. But the Bible never says that. In the Bible it is the heart which defines who you are.

• Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)   FOR AS HE THINKS IN HIS HEART, SO IS HE. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, But his HEART is not with you.    

• Proverbs 14:10 (NKJV)  The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.

• Luke 6:45 (NKJV)   A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Over 40 years ago a South African heart surgeon named Christian Barnard transplanted a heart and saved a life. Now it is almost a routine operation. 

The Bible says we think with our heart, meditate in our heart, love and hate with our heart and we believe or doubt with our heart but we know better. 

• That is just symbolic language. A heart transplant is just a technical operation involving a muscular organ that pumps blood. OR IS IT?

•  We have become accustomed to seeing science exposing and correcting naive literal interpretations of the Bible. 

Of course we all know that the brain in our head is full of nerve cells which enable us to think. When we read in the Bible that our heart thinks, we assume this is an old fashioned and symbolic use of language. The best Bible dictionaries and commentaries agree with this view. We have come to think that heart is a powerful muscle that pumps blood and nothing more. 

But then something very strange happened.

In 1988, Claire Sylvia, a 47 year old American woman had a successful heart and lung transplant. After her recovery, she unexpectedly remarked to an interviewer: “I’m dying for a beer right now.” This astonished her because she had never liked beer but the 18 year old boy whose heart she received was definitely a beer drinker. 

  She also discovered she had acquired a taste for Snickers Bars, green peppers and Kentucky Fried Chicken, which she never liked before. It turned out the dead boy also loved these foods. Then her daughter observed she walked like a man and she was more assertive than before.

• Claire traced the family of the boy who gave her his heart and wrote a book about her personality changes. This opened a new field of research which is still in its early stages. Other amazing stories emerged.

A little girl received a new heart from another girl who had been murdered. She had vivid nightmares about the murder of the other girl. A psychiatrist took her stories seriously and the police were called in. The detailed account of the murder led the police to find and arrest the killer.

You can find a number of similar stories on the following web pages.

• DOES THE HEART REMEMBER? PEARSALL

• STORIES OF HEART AND PERSONALITY TRANSPLANTS

Relatively new research is telling us that there are many that the heart has a huge number of nerve cells and the heart includes a second brain, possibly over half the size of the brain in your head.

Now read these Bible texts and see what they say to you.

• Romans 10:9-10 (ESV)  ... if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your HEART that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the HEART one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 

  • Psalm 51:10 (KJV)  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

  • Ezekiel 11:19 (NKJV) Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,

  
  

The Promises of Jesus

You can always trust Jesus.

• You can trust Jesus when you are sick.

That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 

This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”  Matthew 8:16-17 (ESV)       

  

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. 

Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Acts 10:38 (NLT)   

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Heb13:8 (NKJV)   

• You can trust Jesus when you are guilty.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn 1:8-9 (ESV)  

• You can trust Jesus when you feel rejected.

However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT)   

 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. John 6:37 (NKJV)  

• You can trust Jesus when you don’t know if God accepts you.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)   

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. 

He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.  2 Peter 3:9 (NLT)   

...for he longs for all to be saved and to understand this truth: 1 Tim 2:4 (TLB)

• You can trust Jesus when you feel pressurised, tired and overwhelmed.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NLT)   

• You can trust Jesus when you feel empty and unsatisfied.

And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35 (NKJV)   

 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. 

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (NKJV)  

 

• You can trust Jesus when you feel alone.

    "But I will send you the Comforter—the Holy Spirit, the source of all truth. 

He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me. John 15:26 (TLB)

  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. 

And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (NLT)  

• You can trust Jesus to speak to you. 

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27 (NKJV)   

• You can trust Jesus when you are grieving over the loss of what was precious to you.

 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10 (NKJV)  

• You can trust Jesus to care for your children.

 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; 

He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young. Isaiah 40:11 (NKJV)  

• You can trust Jesus when you are afraid to die. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, 

for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (NIV)   

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 

Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. John 11:25-26 (NLT)