Monday 20 July 2009

And the Seal leaped!

After a long session on the paddle ski, he ditched it on the beach and took to the surf board. Within a jiffy he was behind the waves and waited for the perfect one – ala Kelly Slater! The waves broke right for him. All he had to do was to paddle hard enough to catch it!
Then it happened…the perfect wave came and his little arms flashed like windmills to get into the wave! He took it and rode and rode and rode almost for 40 seconds – like those magical rides at Jay Bay’s Point or Super Tubes!
When he bailed out of the wave he threw both his hands up in the air and let out an elated scream of utter joy! I could almost hear him say (like he normally does): ‘this was the best wave of my life! (Like Wing Nut and his friend in Endless Summer normal do).
Without hesitation he turned the nose of the board around and paddled back in. To our amazement the next wave was just as perfect and he caught it again and rode it all the way to the beach. Then another and another one!
The ocean then offered a time for him to catch his breath and a lull in the set of waves came for a while. He sat out there on his board – not a care in this world.
Then the moment came that I will never forget as long as I live: a seal took the next wave and surfed past Hilton, turned and stuck his head out of the water and looked at him on his board. He was close to him. And then the seal leaped! High into the air it went and dived back in, like Dolphins do, all around Hilton in a 270 degree circle!
The absolute joy of creation seemed tangible at that moment. The seal smiled and wiggled his moustache! The sheer exuberance of being alive in God’s creation exploded in our sight!
Nola and I were close to tears sitting under the umbrella in the shade, watching this spectacle of joy.
‘You can see God’s hand in creation!’ Nola quipped.

Two Days in Boston

Boston, Massachusetts
The Bostonians refer to Boston as the cradle of liberty and the hub of the universe. It is in fact the birthplace of a nation. You can take a walk down Freedom Trial and visit the house of Paul Revere; you can smell the familiar fragrances of Bean Town and spot the designs of Newbury Street and eat roast duck in Back Bay; or slurp clam chowder in North End – yes this is the place of the great Boston Tea Party!
Harvard University has set the pace for education since its inception and great scholars have become great men in this great nation of America.
The public parks are neatly and exquisitely manicured and nothing is out of place: even the color schemes of the flowers are grouped in such a way to soothe the eye of the beholder.
But the park that stands out among them all is definitely Fenwick Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox baseball team.
The whole world listens to the Boston Pops orchestra and every art lover visits the Gallerie D’Orsay. It is not too far from the JF Kennedy library.
For the adventurers there is ample opportunity to go and ski in the mountains of Vermont or climb the Appalachian Mountains.
The theatre district has much to offer to theatre buffs and tourists and the latest shows and bands are on a list of what’s available at night time.
The great malls and tall buildings are impressive and yet not as intimidating as New York Central, and the people in Boston are friendly and have time to chat to a stranger when they are approached.
Mary Baker Eddy’s Christian Science Museum is in the heart of the city. This is where she wrote all her books.
There are many cathedrals and church in the city as well and they have exciting programs on offer each Sunday.
The flow of traffic is slow and orderly and you will never see so many expensive cars together in one place as you would in Boston.
The obvious opulence of the city is part of its attraction: yet there is no arrogance among the people.

Respect breeds respect

Something else that was most noticable in America was the upsurge of respect. People greet you and treat you with respect. When I asked an attendant at Atlanta International Airport at midnight where the public transport exit was, the old man pointed me in the right direction and added: 'You're welcome, Sir!'
Street vendors, restauranteurs, hotel receptionists, shop owners, taxi drivers and people that you meet everywhere seem to have a new sense of dignity and regard for other human beings that shows itself in respect.
Someone once said that respect is the best form of self defence. When you speak respectfully to someone who reviles you, it disarms them completely.
Because of my army training, I understood the respectful salutes very well and quickly fell into the rhythm of calling other men 'Sir' when addressing them. It gives you a sudden rush of well-being!
All of a sudden it is a pleasure to be alive. For a moment you feel like royalty, like someone who deserves a certain respect and it takes nothing from you to reciprocate.
Come to think of it, it takes the same breath and the same energy to speak respectfull to others as it does to be disrespectful. It is a matter of choice. Or perhaps it is a matter of breeding.
America has a way of infiltrating society with its own values whenever they want to. It seems that there is a new upsurgence of respect wherever I travelled in America. It was obvious. When you buy a train ticket at a railway station or on the tubes they thank you and add, 'Sir'. It is a pleasure to do business with Americans on the phone. The respect makes you want to do the deal!
Sarah in the bible had a way with Abraham, the father of our faith. She respected him and even called him, 'lord'. This is going a further step, climbing even higher on the step ladder of respect!
When women respect their husbands they inspire them to do great things and to accomplish great feets. When children respect their parents it brings great joy to the hearts of the paretns who give their best to raise them.
All of us can do with a bit of respect these days - the times are hard and nothing comes easy, but respect costs nothing at all. We can all give and receive a bit more respect that will enhance our society as a whole.
Finally, respect towards God and God's Word, the Bible, and the institutio of a church will cause a revival of a new nature: the fear of God brings wisdom and perhaps we all need more wisdom than we realise.
Well, perhaps it starts with a bit of respect towards ourselves. But that is another chapter.

Tuesday 14 July 2009

OMG in USA

What struck me on my recent visit to the United States of America is the abbreviation of the use of the Name of the Lord in vain in the local newspapers! OMG represents the most commonly used phrase on American TV and in daily conversations instilled by Hollywood and the media: Oh My God!
The Bible clearly states that you shall not use the name of the Lord your God in vain. There are clear indications of punishment awaiting those who use the name of the Lord in vain.
The old Jewish holy men did not even dare to mention the word 'GOD' nor would they dare to write it, but preferred the respectful version, 'G-D', in their manuscripts to honor the commnandment not to use the name of the Lord in vain.
But Hollywood and the American TV moguls have succeeded in teaching this generation to liberally use the word of the Lord in vain and they glamorized it as fashionable and common. They took something sacared and made it as common as a dirty rag.
The other thing they succeeded in was to use the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as the most common swear word in movies and TV. The actors never use the name of Buddha or Mohammed in vain. Nor do they swear by using the names of Darwin, Voltaire or Rousseau, or Karl Marx or Freud. It is always ' Jesus Christ - this' and ' Jesus Christ - that'.
Now the latest fad is to abbreviate it in the age of technological slogans based on abbreviations - the underlying implication being that if you do not know what the abbreviation stands for you are obviously not enlightened.
OMG appears in newspaper articles, magazines and soon the TV commentators will start using it and then it will be part and parcel of the movie and TV scripts and then in daily use by teenagers...
America, America, America when will you realise that God has blessed you and preserverd you until this day? When will you admit that it is His goodness and mercy that has made you what you are? When will you remember the warning that using his name in vain is punishable for generations to come? When will you admit your part in influencing the world to curse and use the name of the Lord in vain?
Isn't it time to repent and change your ways?
You call it old fashioned to believe in the bible. You talk about the post-Christian world as if it is gone and as if true believers are no longer part of the world. Yes, you want them to leave and will be glad when they do, for they still prick your conscience and stab your hearts with the Word of God. But you prefert to turn your back on God and follow your own stubborn ways.
I pray for you, I pray for you that you will realise your error before it is too late. Every other kingdom and realm that rejected God were rejected by God. Think of the great Empires throughout history: the Medes and Persians, The Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, the British Empire, the Communistic Empire, and now the American Empire...
My voice might be a lonely voice in the wilderness, but I have to raise it for the sake of the ones in your midst that still keep the godly standard according to the Word of God as it is recorded in the Bible.
By shortening the phrase, Oh My God, to OMG, does not reduce the punishment awaiting those who use the name of the Lord in vain.
Turn, turn, turn before it is too late, my friends.
I literally thank God on my knees for all the good America has done for the rest of the world and when I go to preach in that great land I see it as a small part of the debt the rest of the world owes to America, just to say thank you.
My heart bleeds for you America: hear the message I am trying to convey - in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.

Monday 13 July 2009

We all need someon we can lean on

I felt I wanted to share this with you, I thought of putting it on the testimonies on the website, but couldnt find anything to select where I could write. Last week Sunday when you prayed for me, I cried, at first because of the emotions and the hurt, but afterwards it was something else, something I could not explain and didnt understand. God, being the loving God He is, later revealed it to me. For the very first time in my 38 years, I laid my head on my fathers shoulder, and sought refuge. Prophet Nola, and yourself, and my Godly parents. I have never had either a mother or a father figure in my life. God allowed me to lay my head on your shoulder, and know the love of a father, for the first time in my life. It is an experience I cannot describe. All I can say is that it was something I needed and will always be grateful for. We dont always realize what emptiness is in us, when we grow up without the love of a mother and father, and its sad that people who dont give their life to Jesus, will always unconsciously seek to fill that void with the wrong things. So I am glad that I am where I am, because here, in my church, my Harvester home, is where He fixes me bit by bit. And He fixed something in the picture I have of a father, in human form and in the form of God. Thank you Jesus for that experience.

Thank you for being a father.

This reminded me of the time in Australia when I was at my wits end as a missionary. I had no one to turn to and no one to ask for help. I was a stranger in a foreign land and I had a wife and two kids to take care of. I ddin't mind going without food or shelter, but I just couldn't bear the thought of not being able to provide for them. The offerings in Australia were so small wherever I preached that it hardly covered my petrol or hotel bill. Sometimes I drove 800 KM to a distant little town and then couldn't make it back on the offering. Sometimes I had no money left for food. It looked like the end of the road for me, a dead end.
I cried in frustration as I prayed to the Lord, telling him that missionary work was too hard and to unrewarding. In fact I took out all my frustrations in prayer. When I finished praying I thought God might desert me and never pay any attention to me ever again. Instead I clearly and distinctly heard a voice in me that said,'It's ok to cry on my shoulder. I have broad shoulders. The government of your life is on my shoulder. From now on many people will cry on your shoulder too.'

I never knew how many times this would repeat itself in my life. The above letter is simply an indication of many, many others that have said the same thing. I still need the Lord's shoulder to cry on sometimes...even after 27 years as a missionary. Nola and I have managed to raise three kids, one of them married with two kids of his own and also in the ministry with us. God is faithful. He is our Heavenly Father. But sometimes we all need someone we can lean on - down here!

Monday 6 July 2009

Go and express yourself

Bob Woolmer, that tragically died during the world cup in India, coached South Africa and Pakistan respectively in International cricket. He coached Boland Provincial side to success which made the selectors take note of him.
One of the players of Boland, John Commins, became captain of South African A side (which really is the 'B' side to the International Protea team)and also played a game for the Proteas. When he was asked about his rise to the top he had the following to say about the Bob Woolmer: 'He picked a side and then told us, do not worry about being dropped from the side. You are picked for the next 5 games. Go out there as a batsman and express yourself. I have confidence in you, that is why I picked you!'
That approach took away the pressure of fear of failure and suddenly the Boland team became a force to be reckoned with.
Fear of failure is self-talk that minimzes potential during performance. By reducing that inner resistance one can perform at higher levels to one's full potential.
An electric train can pull a greater load than a steam engine. It makes contact with the electric wires by the two pantographs located on top of the roof of the unit and then a small lever, about six inches long, is placed in the resistor and slowly drawn backwards to break the resistance which releases the power of the electric current to move the entire train forward.
That little lever is the most important piece of equipment the train driver possess. He carries it in his pocket and never leaves it lying around. Without it the train is stuck.
There is a little lever that all of us have, but do not always use. It is called faith. It is a gift from above. We tend to use our lever of doubt more often than the lever of faith. Faith overcomes the fear of failure.
Paul gives a piece of advice in Galatians where he tells us that faith works through love. John the beloved disciples gives us a further notice that perfect love casts out all fear. Those who fear are not made perfect in love, yet.
Paul advises us in Romans 10 that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So in a nutshell, if we hear what the word of God (the Bible) tells us and we believe it is God speaking to us, we will receive faith because we know our heavenly Father loves us, and we will overcome the stumbling blocks of fear that spoil our potential.
The gift of faith is a special edition that is given by the Holy Spirit at the right time. First Corinthians 12 tells us about the gifts of the spirit. As we desire these gifts the Holy Spirit distributes them to us.
Through the gift of faith the heroes of the bible have accomplished great deeds for the sake of the people of God. David slew Goliath, Moses led Israel through the Red Sea, Noah built and ark that saved his family from the flood, Samson slew 1000 Philistines. Some intellectuals propose that all these stories are mere allegories and that none ever happened...what a surprise they have waiting for them when they one day actually meet those characters who will tell them how it actually happened!
When I told the story about Bob Woolmer's advice at our annual Men's Camp in Hermanus, one of our younger brothers, a prize winning wedding photographer added the following insight which is worth sharing with others: Bob Woolmer's advice is captured in the writing of Paul when he says, we are positioned in Christ Jesus, by faith, and there is no fear of being dropped from the team, as long as we believe it him, so we can go out there today and express ourselves to the best of our ability, knowing our position is secure!

Thursday 2 July 2009

Sometimes a little bit of chaos is necessary


When galaxies collide new space is formed. It looks chaotic and it is termed a black hole but that is how creation of the universe continues.
The chaos in our lives is sometimes a necessity to open up new creativity within us or lead us onto another dimension of living. All artists require a bit of chaos to be creative. Just as need is the mother of invention, so chaos is the basis of creation.
In Genesis we read that the earth was dark and void and chaos was on the deep...and then God spoke the words of creation...let there be light! And light has continued ever since, frustrating the scientific minds of generations and baffling the intellect of atheists who want to explain creation without a creator!
Hebrews 11:3 tells us by faith we understand that the worlds were created...which worlds? The astronomers inform us that there are many worlds out there in outer space and last year the French astronomers discovered at least three new earths! Jesus made a strange prediction to his disciples before he left the earth supernaturally: I go to create a new heaven and a new earth...our minds cannot conceive it all. We have to simply believe that it is true.
But there is an angle that made sense to me some time ago: when the writer of Hebrews (whom many believe to be Apostle Paul)says by faith we understand the worlds were created by God, then in terms of our human existence we could interpret it that my world, your world, Wayne's world, all the worlds of each individual, the worlds of every family, the private and collective worlds we live in have all been created for us...
The chaos we sometimes experience in our 'world' is a necessary 'evil' to get us to see higher heights and to plunge into deeper depths of understanding. God's creative power requires a bit of chaos in order to rearrange our worlds...
Think about it: if all the chaos in the universe where stars burn out and galaxies collide is necessary to keep the centrifugal force working to make human existence possible on planet earth, then maybe the bit of chaos you and I experience from time to time is a vital ingredient to our own personal development.
It does not make much sense otherwise. The best we can do is to believe that we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works before the foundation of the world so that we might walk in it. It is after all God at work within us both to will and to work according to his good pleasure.
That is why we are all so entirely different, some want to scale mountain peaks, others plunge into the bottom of the ocean, some want to go to outer space and some discover lost tribes in dense jungles...some work in banks, some collect garbage, some want to sing and dance and others want to build skyscrapers...who put the collective genius in mankind? There must be a God who masterminded it all. Yet we are not mere puppets, but we choose to co-operate with our Creator in order to access his wisdom and his divine resources.
A little bit of chaos is sometimes a good sign that it is time to move on. When we keep our faith focussed on Christ Jesus, no matter how hard it may seem, a solution arises within our hearts, like the daystar announcing the morning light, and it grows brighter and brigher until the noon day when the sun is at its zenith.