Manufacturer’s handbook

P 3169 Tests-4-me.

/ DVH

Hubby said this to me yesterday: “I don’t live for me anymore because I’m dead! I have no rights, because dead people have no rights.” That’s all news to me BTW – I distinctly saw him climb out of bed this morning. He was a bit creaky but still living! Yeah OK, he’s right, I get it. And that sentence is the actual pointy bit in Christianity – the bit nobody likes that was drowned when we were baptised. Today, we are the people who choose to live fulfilling Christ’s law of LOVE. We came up out of death into a new life.  And we live to bless each other. Since when did that become such a hardship?

The beauty of the scriptures, is that they say different things at different times, but those things always fit together to make a much bigger picture…“…don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:3&4. Baptism is our declaration of our intention to live a new life for His glory, from now on.

Our new life of living in love depends on us prayerfully acting on the fact that we are minute by minute, choosing to be dead!  There’s an oxymoron if ever there was one! Now we live a life of obedient faith that says: ‘when Jesus died – I died! That’s the essence of the Spirit-filled life. A life where we live to serve Him and others. Not a life filled with what we think or hope we need, but a life that is voluntarily laid down for His kingdom’s sake.

We may not feel any differently when we come up out of the water of baptism, but the bible says that baptism is our access into this new life in Christ. It may be symbolic, but it is designed to become a reality in each of our lives. That’s because baptism is the stated gateway into our new life of submission to His will, His way. That choice means we’ve deliberately decided to leave our old way of thinking, being and interacting with others behind us, and we have begun to live our lives relying upon His wisdom, power and strength.

As our life of faith continues to grow, we begin to see this world differently – now we do what He has told us to do, using our faith to obey Him. We have everything we need to grow, in His book, when we treat it like instructions. For example, we don’t need to be told how to interact with other people, it’s all in the book. And repentance is not just a great occasional idea – we do that all the time! God’s book, as my dear friend Harold Hill liked to say: is the manufacturer’s handbook! Just like you get a book to tell you how to operate your new stove or motor-mower, people also come with a book of instructions, lovingly crafted by their Maker.

And this book has no exceptions, or exemptions – you can be fat, short, a bit dim, a clever clogs, thin, talkative, silent, energetic or even worn out. So long as we read what He said carefully, prayerfully looking for things to do. Then we act on the things  we are reading. This means we are exercising our faith and dying daily and living for Him now. God’s ways are so incredible and intricately designed for each one of us, we can obey Him every day for a billion years and still come up with something new we haven’t seen or done before.  

I love to invite the book’s Author, the Holy Spirit, to watch over my shoulder, as I read. I read and I listen for Him to reveal to me something I need to do – I don’t argue with it, or excuse myself. If it says repent I say “what do I need to repent from, please Lord?” The Gospels are our example. They show us over and over again, how our faith works. In those five books we have a human example, right in front of our eyes. Jesus Himself shows us that nothing is impossible – including transformation. Plenty of testimonies in there!

BTW, I always include Acts with the Gospels, because I think we all need to be acquainted with the how, when, where, what and why of the power of God when it invaded other people’s lives. The Holy Spirit fell on people in seemingly random situations, but at the same time His power broke down religious strongholds that separated one group of people from another. Acts is a marvellous book to watch the Holy Spirit in action. It stirs our faith.

The bible always has a word in season about real people and real situations. We have details about our heavenly Father interacting with all kinds of men and women right throughout their lives – from lepers to Kings. Their tests included fighting “without number,” “fiery furnaces” and “being covered in boils!” And they ended in tremendous testimonies even though they weren’t any fun for the participant. The Old Testament has become a glorious table He has already prepared for us to eat from – even in the presence of our enemies. It shows us what the Lord likes, and what He doesn’t like. I love reading about these people who respected and admired the Lord so much – they took risks!  Our new life in Christ means so we will too.

On the other hand I also enjoy reading what Paul and the other disciples said in the Epistles. Those books have clear and great instructions about how our faith works and why. They teach us so much about how to die to self. What is written in the Epistles are not suggestions, they are a map of how our faith grows and what hinders it. The power of God dealt swiftly with Ananias and Sapphira — and interacted and discerned inner motivations in Simon the magician. Our faith is not for people who want to use Him for their own purposes.

Finally – looking for things to do will help anyone grow and have their own testimonies. Inactive, lukewarm people don’t do very well with their faith and they have bupkis when it comes to testimonies. That’s because we don’t really know anything about this NEW LIFE until we actually physically participate in it! Like the people in the Old and New Testaments! Our new life in Christ means that if we want a real testimony for His glory – we will need to participate in a test-4-me!  Bye. 👋

P 3128 We need a sure measuring tape.

/ DVH

Imagine that you want to measure out the parameters of a house. You could use a dressmaker’s measuring tape, but it has limitations – to start with it isn’t big enough! It would be an arduous task that required strict concentration and somebody to help you hold that waxed cloth tape tightly at the other end. A dressmaker’s tape does not have enough substance to it to be really useful. You need special equipment, and at the very least a builder’s stiff zippy metal measuring tape. 

Reading God’s word using only your mind, or emotions is a little like that inadequate measuring tool. You may arrive at some form of understanding, but it will lack pin point accuracy. I cannot successfully and accurately hit a nail in by bashing at with a fork! I will need a hammer to complete the task. (The truth is I can’t bash a nail in with a hammer either, but that’s another revelation for another day!) You will do so much better as you walk with Him, if you ask the Holy Spirit to help you to read His book – and then wait for Him to speak to you. 

Expect Him to answer. Not necessarily out loud! We have been taught to pray by the Lord’s prayer, “give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus is talking about the food that God provides for us every single morning. It’s like His mercy, that is also new every morning! I don’t care what bone-head thing you did yesterday, today, when you woke up – God’s mercy was brand new toward you. Mercy doesn’t just give us a fresh start, it also helps us to deal with yesterday’s junk today! I urge you to quit carrying a load that doesn’t belong to you anymore – repent, repair and move on!

I know, I have mentioned this topic before, but without God’s Word dividing what is good,  right and pure, from what is pizza, bad temper, and our imagination – we will go precisely nowhere.  Instead of skipping over the harder bits, I’ve learnt to dig my heels in and ask Him to explain it to me. It is FAR more important to hear from Him than it is to add to my own personal knowledge, or fill up my daily bible quota. I could care less if He highlights something ten pages later, or it happens on the first line – I’m looking for“every word that proceeds out of His mouth.” Not just clarification or human understanding. I covet His Word to ME … God’s Word has power in it. The Word that comes out of His mouth has the power in it to accomplish whatever HE wants.

We are told to live by that kind of daily bread. And every single day, we deliberately go to Him, and ask for fresh bread. Otherwise we can end up with excuses, logic, or digging up previous knowledge – or someone else’s findings – and that stuff really IS stale bread. It can get maggots in it just like it did for the Israelites when they were chasing butterflies around in a desert that should have taken them just a few days to cross! Pretty soon a whole lotta doubt will start banging on our door, because we just went off the reservation chasing tumbleweed! 

We need God’s measuring stick. His Word, in us and on us. Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” We can sing, shout and quote psalms fit to beat the band, but if it does not come inside us and do us good then we are just spouting HOT AIR. Did you get the very first word in verse 16: LET!  Allow God’s word to be a part of you. Don’t just jump head first into teaching or leading worship or quoting Psalms – let God’s Word do what only IT can do! His word will change us, and others as we obey it.

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.” James 1:21. Good old James, he let the word of God dwell richly within him! And he didn’t mince words either. If’n ya didn’t like what this disciple said – bad luck! WEEDING is part of soul and spirit care. Let’s do it. We need to stop and look at that nasty stuff growing in sneaky places in our hearts, and identify the bits that are choking out the good seed, and then pull those weeds out. After that we replace all of it with what God says.

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);..” Romans 10:8. The Word of God is not just meant to be inactive in the pages of an old book – it is meant to be alive and well, and inside us. No matter what version you or I read, the primary task and motivation of His book is for it to be written on our hearts, minds, and spirits – so that other people can see His Word in action. We can’t just proclaim it, we must live it out. The bible is full of verbs!! A very old friend of mine used to call it the Manufacturer’s hand book – the thing you use to keep your life on track and help walk with the Lord.

“And in keeping with what is written, “I believed, therefore I have spoken,” we who have the same spirit of faith also believe and therefore speak, …” 2 Corinthians 4:13.  The bible increases our faith and enables us to speak. What I think isn’t worth anything, sadly what I think often depends on what happens to me on the day! I need a secure, specific, tried and tested measuring tape, that will go to any length to give me an accurate report and measurement. Something that is strong, durable, and in my heart while I go about whatever I want to do. The bible meets that need. Bye. 👋

P 2784 They are not just stories.

/ DVH

The whole time the Lord Jesus was preaching, He was demonstrating, teaching, and living out a kingdom life in front of everyone around Him. Praise God that people wrote this stuff down! These things are illustrations of how God’s kingdom works. He preached about what the people in God’s kingdom look like. And He talked about what the kingdom looks like —  check out what I mean for yourself. There’s plenty of stuff to do in there! All of the Gospels show us what a life laid down for others looks like. It is an error to think that only Jesus was meant to live that way. He’s the Person we imitate with the Holy Spirit’s divine help.

Our Lord went out and did God’s will, every single day He was on this earth. Doesn’t that blow your mind? Think on this: our glorious Savior was forgiving, saving and inspiring someone while He was dying. He didn’t stop even when He was taking His last breath! He was still leading the people around Him into a greater knowledge of God’s ways from the place of His enormous pain. WOW! And we think talking to Mrs Kerfoops next door is hard! Jesus was struggling to breathe, and He still witnessed to His Father’s great love and passion for people. And if you are short on words for witnessing, that’s OK – Jesus didn’t use many ‘cos it was too hard for Him to speak! 

In the New Testament, the Gospels are a visual illustration, an aid, they show us HOW God’s kingdom functions. They are not just ‘stories’ about the things Jesus did and said, they are Jesus’ demonstrating and explaining to us how God’s kingdom WORKS. He taught, then He did, and sometimes He did, then He taught!  And at other times both things happened simultaneously. To be quite honest with you, I could get stuck on the Gospels for the rest of my life. There is just so much richness in there. 

You and I are adults, we aren’t little kids going off to Kid’s Church hearing stories about Jonah and the whale, or Jesus expanding some little boy’s lunch anymore. Everything the Lord Jesus says and does in the Gospels is a life lesson.  It is not just some fairy tale like Jack and the bean stalk! These things are instructions. Through Jonah, God is saying to us, no matter what big thing swallows you up, even if it is your own fault – He still has a plan for your life. And the boy with the his little lunch teaches us that even the little we have, can grow in His hands and feed others, if we will just give it to Him. 

There’s a way to read the book and it is not the same way you read a novel. It is too easy to read God’s book as simply words on a page. This book is God’s carefully preserved and chosen Manufacturer’s Handbook and it has been written down and kept safe for us. The Jewish people are trustworthy, they memorised their own history by word of mouth passing these stories down from generation to generation. We have what we have today because of those stories passed down. Even the New Testament, although written down, was also passed down by word of mouth. That’s what preaching is! The miracle is that it doesn’t matter which version of the bible you read personally, because the Holy Spirit kisses those things that are important to US, with His wonderful Presence. 

Then revelation comes. After that comes repentance – I guarantee that bit! You can’t read the book without finding places where you’ve fallen short of the mark. Don’t be condemned. Getting it wrong is not the end of the world. It’s a place where we can learn to trust in His faithfulness. We must do more than just sing: “Great is thy faithfulness … 🎶” – we need to live believing it! This life is not about our performance, good or bad, it is about His faithfulness to honour His word! People all over this world are living and dying without any knowledge of the One Who loves us all.

Take your little lunch, your little life, and give it to Jesus. Then go and do what He says to you. Read this scripture with that in your mind:

“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do. Philip answered Him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.” John 6:5-11.

This kid didn’t have anything worthwhile to feed so many people, yet he shows us that our spiritual poverty is not the end. In Christ’s hands that is always the beginning of something extraordinary. Anything that is given to Jesus will multiply. These are not just stories, they are a living history of how God can use ordinary lives and bring forth His kingdom. Bye. 👋

P 2651 The Western world is believing a lie.

/ DVH

I believe the lie is this: we think we are entitled to have a happy, prosperous care-free life. Who told us that? Where did that lie come from? And where does that leave the billions of poor people, those who are oppressed and tortured? Those people who constantly live in fear of their lives. They think they are lucky to have one meal a day, and their only shelter is a cardboard box or they sleep out in the open… victims of the elements. These people have no access to clean water, or facilities — all those things we take for granted in the Western World. Our thoughts of entitlement are terrifying … and unscriptural. (Read the book!) We are miserable because we are self-obsessed! Learn to be other centred.

Yet we can get irritated and out of sorts when our bus or train is late. Even our kids have learnt to live entitled lives – they feel deprived if they don’t have the latest iPhone!  Our society acts like the world we live in, is there to serve us. We lack GRATITUDE, big time. We need a much bigger attitude of gratitude and generosity. There are plenty of people in our own country who are doing it tough … who says we have to own a home at 25 years of age? The way to live this life as an overcomer is to not complain, or be jealous, angry or fretful – those things are a waste of the precious time we have been given. The way to overcome is to live like He did – Jesus used His faith all day every day – and He was thankful!

We must deliberately look for things we can be thankful for. Some days my attitude of gratitude is that I woke up!  There are millions of people across this planet who live on $2.15 a DAY. Let’s look at this life sensibly – ya can’t buy too many big Macs or chips and a coke for $2!  We don’t have to feel grateful to BE grateful, we simply need to be obedient.“In everything give thanks for this is the WILL of Christ Jesus concerning you!” I Thessalonians 5:18. Let’s use the time we have been given to be observant and interested in what is going on around us and help others. The feelings of gratitude often come later. Here are some scriptures that have impacted me:

“What do you have that was not given you?”  John 3:27, Romans 12:3. (That’s in the book twice!) “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21. Here’s another great diagnostic tool – people who are living in the flesh, are constantly reviewing and revising their current situation, looking for improvement, and feeling deprived if they think there is none. People of the Spirit know that: “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory.”  Philippians 4:19. Father God is rich in ways we can’t count!  So if we don’t got it – then we don’t need it! If we lack something, ask the Lord for it, and if it doesn’t happen – then praise and thank Him that we can live without it.

Here’s something that Paul said that has always grabbed my attention: Philippians 4:11-13: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”Paul rejoiced in his lack because his lack gave him an opportunity to rely upon God even more! That’s a sentence that’ll blow our minds! It is the WAY we look at this life that helps or hinders our day to day living.

At the same time, other people can’t hurt us by their nasty attitudes … unless we let them. So we need to make a quality decision that the peace we get from the Lord Himself is worth something. It is a waste of time to make up excuses for others, sin is sin – forgive them instead. It is not our place to judge, so let’s pray and then give it all to God and let go. We need to put our everyday effort into remaining attached to Him and His ways – and let the world do whatever it must. Lately I’ve had to stop watching the news because I want to yell at the people on the TV for their appalling behaviour toward each other. 😳

Lastly, listen to this exhortation – it’s IN the book:“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8. I’m the boss of my mind. If it keeps thinking things that are out of line with what the bible says, then I need to deliberately renew my mind. Let’s begin to weed out the lies we’ve embraced and give His truth priority! The Word of God is our reference point, it is the Manufacturer’s handbook. It tells us how to proceed in this life we lead.

As we learn what it says, then we become responsible to apply what it says into our lives. It is not enough to memorise it – we must become it, by changing the way we think, and act. Using our faith. Many people are living a lie. We’ve become obsessed with wanting more, things that are bigger, brighter and more expensive. I know someone who has a clapped out old car – that car somehow runs on God’s goodness, forgedabout petrol! Personally, I know I’m blessed. I have food and shelter and medicine for what ails me, praise God! Amen. 👋

P 2588 Can you tell me how I can hear God?

/ DVH

It’s like the telephone or the internet. First you need a connection! Jesus talked about that in John chapter 3 – He told Nicodemus …“you must be born again.”  This is not necessarily a feeling – it isa spiritual transaction. To hear God all the time, you need to give your life to Him. BTW, this is not a try now and buy later system. When you jump in, and surrender to Jesus Christ, you are all in – you can’t just dangle your feet in and hope that will do! This place is a place of decision and complete surrender. That means I have given away my life, my hopes, my dreams to Him.

It is a serious place. This decision is not just about whether you will spend your life in heaven one day or not. It is about here and NOW, because when we’ve made this decision, we want to become God’s kids. Now, we bring heaven with us wherever we go.  This process is described in Galatians 2:20. NIV. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” 

The minute I gave my life to Christ, for Him to use for His purposes, I died. However, I am not a zombie, nor am I subject to mind-control! Instead, I have been given power to control my own mind because of what Jesus Christ did for me. Sadly I can still choose to do and say dumb things, but now I live my life knowing Christ has already forgiven me – He will not give up on me.

Because of my decision to follow Him, His life has flooded my heart, soul, mind, and body, and I found the real reason I am here… Which is to serve Him, and you!  An eternal seed was planted within me when I made that decision. It is up to me to water, fertilise and care for that seed, otherwise I am just going to stay a teeny tiny fragile little plant who expects everyone else to look after them. However, I was born into God’s kingdom to grow and mature. I can’t blame my pastor if I don’t talk to Jesus, or read the bible or obey what God has told me to do in His book. Like the mustard seed Jesus talked about in Matthew 13:31-32. I’ve been designed to grow into a spiritual tree, that gives other people spiritual food, shade and shelter, in this life. 

From the moment I was born again, I was given spiritual ears to hear Him and spiritual eyes to see Him at work in my life, and in the lives of others. However, He does not necessarily talk to me through a booming voice, or angel visitation, He talks to me in the place where I have always talked to myself. Some people call that my conscience, or my thoughts – others might say: “He speaks into my heart.” Because this new kingdom we have entered is spiritual, we can be deceived if we don’t read the bible. The bible is the manufacturer’s handbook, so it tells us what spiritual people are, and what they do. Jesus’ life and death is our visual aid. He shows us what living a life of love toward Him and others looks like.

Because … the devil has been talking to you and I from the moment we first understood language– we know that satan also talks to us in the place where we think. he’s been lying to us and telling us God does not want us or care about us, because we are not special enough!  It is up to me to read the bible so I know for myself, what God says — then I can hear when satan tells me a lie. satan is pushy, loud, and mean. he twists things and tries to make us feel stupid, small and inadequate, because he uses the place where we self-talk, to play on our feelings and bring up old circumstances. satan will even use our rational thought processes against us.

We have been absorbing knowledge one way or another all of our lives, However, what we’ve absorbed from that knowledge does not have to be accurate. It can be influenced by who taught us, or our past experiences., and by the dumb things we’ve chosen to do or read, or the people we’ve hung around with. Not every thought that pops into my head is God speaking, and sometimes those thoughts that sound like me are my enemy. satan sounds like me because I am used to his whispering. Nevertheless, I must always take whatever I hear/think, and hold it up against what God says in His book.

The best thing anyone can do to prevent deception is to know, for themselves, what the Holy Spirit has said in the bible. We need to keep reminding ourselves that we are now God’s house:“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. 

We are meant to digest His book by reading it, and then we must obey — do what it says. That’s how the bible becomes part of us. It will change our minds and thinking. It will help us diagnose our own wrong thinking, as well revealing as satan’s whispers.We are in a war … we live in enemy territory.  Some of the worst wars often happen INSIDE our own heads! But sometimes we blame satan for stuff that is really us. Maybe we chose it, or we continued to participate in things that the bible says are not good for us. Everything we do in this life is about choices. As we start to mature, we will make better more informed choices. 

When you and I hear, whispered quietly inside our own thoughts, “I love you” ….that’s God speaking! satan doesn’t love anything. I urge you to pray for eyes to see the Lord at work in your own life, plus ears to hear Him, then check out what you hear with what it says in the bible. The bible is one of God’s ways of manifesting His steadfastness. 👋