Life as we know it

It was a sermon I heard when I was a third year student at university during 2003. This has stuck with me ever since and I often refer to it to others, but also internalise it. Something learned, I have to share. In the book of Joshua 11 God tells this Israelites that He will lead them in a battle. He will help them destroy the armies of all the kings that inhabit the land. Joshua and his army have to plunder the cities, hamstrung their horses and burn their chariots. He had to kill everyone, including the kings. And so Joshua did. Every battle was won since Joshua obeyed everything the Lord told him. Verse 23: So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war. This was, apart from verse 22: No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive. Was this part of the plan? If you read the entire book you

Hebrews 11:8 - By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.   By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.   And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.   By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be

Hebrews 11: 6 - By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. In Genesis 5 the Bible tells us about Noah. Verse 29 - And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. Genesis 6 verse 8 -  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord . Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.   God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.   So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make

In verse 5 of chapter 11 of the letter to the Hebrews we get reminded of someone who lived very close to God: By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.     When we have a look at the detail in the Bible regarding Enoch, there isn’t much, Genesis Chapter 5 from verse 18: When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died. When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away .     It raises a

As we saw in Hebrews chapter 11, the author refers to Abel as a father of the faith, verse 4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.   In Genesis chapter 4, verse 2, we see the story of Abel: Later she gave birth to his (Cain’s) brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord . And Abel also brought an offering - fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.   Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door

I have recently read the letter to the Hebrews a few times. It is quite an interesting letter, for a few reasons. One of them, which I enjoy a lot, is that the author knows the scripture, but does not quote the extract ones. He only refers to the fact that he knows it is written somewhere. It indicates to me that we are all human, all normal. Another interesting part of the Hebrews is the well-known chapter 11. It tells us what faith is, and also lists the fathers of faith:  - Abel,  - Enoch,  - Noah,  - Abraham,  - Isaac,  - Jacob,  - Joseph,  - Moses,  - Rahab, and then a whole list of others, including Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets. We will look at them over the next while or so. True legends of faith. For now, let us have a look at faith. It starts in verse one and catches my eye immediately: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. You see, it is about us. It is n

These days almost all animation movies are in 3D. We even went to watch a Soccer World Cup 2010 game in 3D. It seemed like we were at the game itself! With 3D it is as if you form part of the movies. Objects fly past you and people stand out from the background. For 3D to be effective, you need to wear one of these: How does it all work, though? For video to work, it requires 3 primary colours: red, blue and green. If all three are not present you won't find colour television. In a 3D movie the developers place two layers of video on to of each other. The one layer does not have red in it, while the other does not contain blue.  Our are eyes are used to see, but it is actually our brains that forms the picture. By virtue of the fact that we put these ridiculous glasses on our eyes, we are able to see the image in 3D. So, how is this relevant to us, apart from the fact that it is interesting? The same thing happens in our everyday life. Everyday there are thin

Many a time have I wondered what I would do if I had to win the lottery. Not that I play or take part... Would I spend it all, would I invest it, would I start a charity? I do not know yet, but then again, guess I won't have that problem until I play! The bigger question is if the money you have make you truely rich? Most people do not have enough money, even though in SA there is a great devide between rich and poor. How does it happen that we consider ourselves as 'not rich' when we form part of the top 10% income earners? Makes no sense... Money can't buy happiness is the old saying, but if money does not make me rich, what does? I've heard someone saying that the things that makes us rich are those that we cannot buy with money: friends, family, love, respect, a smile, etc. There is a song sung by Lukas Maree, an afrikaans artist that passed away not long ago. He sings about the widdow that had to fill the clay pots with oil. As she kept pouring, mo

Dear Lord   I know that you love me. I know that you only want the best for me. You think of me and about me the whole day, for eternity onwards. Long be for I came to this earth did you know me inside out. You are always there for me. You are always ready to help. You are always smiling over me, even if I am not at my best.   There is nothing that I can do to impress you. I can do my level best not to be a disappointment to you, but will not always succeed. Your decision to choose me was made years ago and you do not give up on your word. You do not change your mind. You are the only constant in my life.   There are so many questions that I need to ask you. The only thing is, I already know the answer, since your plans for me are all good. There are so many times that I doubt these plans, but I know that you will never let me get tested beyond my limits. There are times in my life when I think that you will give up on me, but I know that you can’t, since you live

The End Times 12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book —will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise [ a ] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things

11 1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.) The Kings of the South and the North 2 “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. 4 After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others. 5 “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. 6 After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she w

Daniel’s Vision of a Man 10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. [ a ] The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. 2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. 7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled

Obviously he prayed. Way more than us, I think... Daniel’s Prayer 9 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. 7 “Lord, you are righteous, but t