By Trevor Bradley

Winter is approaching.  Time for soup and Ciabatta bread, and maybe a log fire with coffee and rusks?  Time also for the ” flu” to raise its head.  Time for flu-shots which boosts and aids our  immune systems.

We also have ” SPIRITUAL IMMUNE SYSTEMS”(S.I.S.), and these need to be boasted daily – for the devil will surely send his “viruses”  to attack us.   The two injections needed daily are “time in His presence” (prayer) and “time in His word”.  The devil will do anything to keep us from that.  If he can keep us from having our ” injections”, he knows it will start to diminish our faith and that doubts will arise.  Our ” immune” systems will be depleted and very soon we will be sick, lethargic and not able to function properly which will render us as no threat to him and his earthly schemes.

I have been challenged anew by people who have done great things for God in their lives through the power of prayer and the power of God’s word (believing GOD’s promises).  The two men in particular are George Muller and Angus Buchan.  Reading of their lifestyles, I get to hear that they will not start a day without coming to the throne with His word in hand, and there laying hold of God and His promises( 4am each morning you will find Angus in his chapel there raging war).

Our little grandson got to hear of the of late and asked me if I had heard about it.  I obviously had, but wanted to know what he had heard.  He told me it was about a woman “who prays in a cupboard to Jesus, wins the war against the devil”.  Now that’s breakthrough prayer.  Then came the challenge : ” Pappi, do you have a war room??”  Oh to be like Jacob who screamed “I will not let you go until You bless me”.

Jeremiah 33 vs 3 says “Call unto me and I will answer you, and show great and might things, which you don’t yet know”  That’s the promise that I need to lay hold of daily. Romans 10 vs 17 which says that i must allow the word of GOD to saturate my heart, my mind, my spirit, and thus my faith is built up.  If I do this, I need never fear the ” winters”, and I will know that my S.I.S. will withstand the attacks of the evil one.  I will remain in “good health”.  Through my war room I will get to know the great and mighty things  that God wants to do in Jesus name, and experience a breakthrough in my life, and in the lives of others I am interceding for.

Can I ask as we enter winter, how is your immune system? Lay hold of God’s word and promises and you and I will not have to worry about what “virus” the devil will  throw at us.  Our faith will be strengthened as we stand on His promises, and this is pleasing to Him.  And when God is pleased, amazing things start to happen

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Written by Blogger & Author Tim Challies

We are quite the competitive bunch, we humans, and really, given the opportunity, there isn’t much that we won’t or can’t turn into some kind of a competition. I don’t know if this is innate in our humanity or something bequeathed to us in the Fall into sin, but what is certain is its certainty—we just plain love to compete with one another. Or maybe it’s better to say that we hate to compete, but we do it anyway.

One of the greatest, most common, and most bloodthirsty contemporary competitions is motherhood.   Yes, motherhood. It may be that motherhood has always been competitive, but the Internet in general, and social media in particular, have widened the field. You are no longer competing against only neighbours and sisters-in-law and fellow church members, but the professional moms, the ones who are reinventing motherhood. It’s always a losing battle.

Today you open up Facebook or blogs and you see daily updates from the moms who lead the way, who set the standards. They keep the house spotless every day, even while home schooling six kids. They never miss a day of devotions and love every minute of working their way through Jonathan Edwards and John Owen. They go thrifting and put together a magazine-worthy home on a budget of very nearly nothing. They dress beautifully or eclectically or whatever their style is, without spending any money. Their husbands are that perfect combination of handsome and harmless, good-looking but not demanding. Their children are mischievous but not rebellious, they make funny messes in the home, but nothing that can’t be fixed with a hug and a few homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Of course these moms also chart and photograph every one of their triumphs.  Julian says it well:

“And whatever you do, if you are a good mom, you must make sure you get it all on camera so you can post the pictures on Facebook and the ideas on Pinterest to let everyone know you’re keeping up. Plus, you should probably earn some income (at the very least, open an Etsy shop) to prove you’re not inferior to the women around you who hold down jobs.” 

Most moms consider themselves to be in the little leagues, just barely learning the rules of the game, but through the Internet they’re now directly comparing themselves to the big leaguers. Not surprisingly, they find themselves falling woefully short.   Read more…

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Frank Retief was pastor at St James Church Cape Town for 31 years, having planted the church in 1968 with his wife Beulah.  He became the Presiding Bishop of the Church of England in South Africa until he retired in 2010.  Frank remains active in ministry through preaching, teaching, pastoral work & writing, and has authored a number of books.

Luke 24 v 51. “While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.”

Jesus led his disciples to the eastern slope of Mount Olive. The last stage of the King’s journey is now complete, and he must now proceed to the goal that was always in view from the time his journey began. The King must now enter into his glory. On this day he must go alone and leave his servants to preach the gospel and spread his Kingdom here on earth. One day he will return and introduce them into his glory.

Jesus blessed them and in the very act of blessing them he is taken into Heaven. This is worth a thought. Jesus did not come to condemn us or judge us. He came to save us, invite us, welcome us, bless us. There will for sure be a day when he will come back as judge, but at this point his entire purpose was to bless. How fitting then that his last act on earth before he returned to Heaven was to bless his disciples.

This blessing was real, not just a token. His peace, power and assurance was given to them, hence they returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

Why this great joy? We would have thought they would rather mourn the loss of their great Friend. But rather they had gained much more. They had had Jesus with them for a while, but now in the Spirit, He would be with them forever. Moreover he told them he was one day coming to take them to be with him. So while the immediate future may have been a little uncertain, they knew they had a job to do and they would do it gladly and fearlessly.

Jesus now returned to Heaven, as our King and our high Priest. He would rule all the universe. Even though it would not seem to be so at times, His Church, His people and His message would be cared for and it would prosper. So it did. There are now millions of Christians all over the globe and have been for centuries. Hundreds of thousands have loved Him even to the death of martyrdom.

For the moment there is nothing new to be said. We will continue in due course with Luke’s other book – the book of Acts – to pick up the story and see how his great promises unfold.

Let us remember that this same Jesus is our King and our High Priest, that is, He is the one who represents us before God’s throne in Heaven. He intercedes for us. We are not alone. We can join the multitude of the redeemed in their joy, and in their worship of the King.

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