We experienced God working marvellously overseas more than ever before. And we also saw the children of God being sanctified and purified. It humbled us to see God at work.
They brought TVs, cds and dvds to be destroyed as God convicted them. Nobody spoke about these things but God convicted them. We pray that God will continue the work overseas and also here in SA. May we not get used to things but may the Word of God be new every day.
Matthew 5
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.”
We are to inherit the earth. The earth belongs to us, and we are to influence the world in stead of the world influencing us.
We are taught in the world to fight for our rights. But it is exactly the opposite to what the Bible teaches.
The world emphasises performance and that one must strive to be the greatest. But the Bible teaches us to be the least, humble and poor in spirit. We should be the lowest.
Have you inherited the earth? Is your husband or wife an inheritance given to you by God?
Pride is a terrible sin against God. We so easily condone pride in ourselves while condemning it in others. But we must be poor in spirit.
If we are poor in spirit we will accept the Word of God without questioning it. But we easily take the Word of God and interpret it our way. When God convicts us on a point we quickly think of another verse to counter the conviction and justify ourselves.
For example when we read “blessed are the meek “, the one that is meek will immediately understand that that is exactly what God means. We must be meek and humble, the lowest, not seek after high things, be low at Jesus’ feet.
Forgiveness – Jesus said that if you bring your offering to the altar and remember a brother who has something against you, leave the offering and first be reconciled to your brother. It is easy to forgive when someone comes to you and ask for forgiveness. But to go and ask for forgiveness is difficult.
Example:
Roseland Goforth writes about her anger towards a specific man. That person accused and insulted her and her husband regarding something they hadn’t done. Her husband forgave the man freely, but she couldn’t forgive him. For more than a year she couldn’t face or even speak to him. Eventually four years passed without the matter being sorted out and grass grew over it. One day as she and her husband were on their way to a meeting she noticed that her spiritual life was ebbing away. So while they were on the train she went on her knees and prayed that the Holy Spirit would speak to her. Then she heard a voice, “write a letter to that man who insulted you and ask for forgiveness because your attitude towards him was not right.” And she said “never – I can never do that. He spoke the lies – he should ask for forgiveness.” Then the voice reasoned with her, “but your attitude was not right towards him and he noticed it.” After a few days she prayed again and the Holy Spirit asked her whether she had written the letter. She still refused bitterly. But the Holy Spirit would not let her go. One day she read in Pilgrim’s Progress about a man in a cage groaning and bound. Suddenly she realised she had done that to God. And God’s wrath had come over her and the Holy Spirit had forsaken her. God convicted her of her sin and she went for counseling. After telling her whole story the other lady asked her “are you now prepared to write that letter?” Finally she agreed and wrote the letter. And the Holy Spirit returned to her. And she pledged from that day that she would never again hold a grudge against someone no matter what wrong was done to her.
Remember that whatever the next person do to you, if your attitude does not stay right you must confess your sin.
Another missionary also noticed that his prayer did not reach further than the cealing. He asked God about it. As he opened the Bible he read “if you call yourself a Jew … And say you’re a guide to the blind … You then who teach others will you not teach others? You who boast in the law do you dishonour the law by breaking the law?” Rom 2:17 God spoke to him and convicted him of his pride and lukewarmness. He shared it with his co-workers and the Lord started working and they also confessed their sin. Missionaries went one to another and confessed their sins and their wrong attitudes and feelings one against the other. Others confessed their jealousy and hatred towards their fellow labourers. God also convicted one of his close friends and showed him the face of a man, with the question, “what is your relationship like with this man?” For years he had hated that man. Every time he prayed he saw him in front of him. He wrestled but couldn’t forgive him. Eventually he went to his friend and they prayed together. God gave him the victory and he could exclaim “that old root of bitterness is all gone”. From that time God could use him as a missionary in China to lead hundreds to Christ.
How about you? Has somebody done something amiss to you and now you have a root of bitterness against that person? What is your attitude against the one who told lies about you and slandered you? May God’s spirit work and reconsile you with those who have transgressed against you.
God wants to use you and me. But are the streams of living water flowing? Or are you still bearing a grudge? Maybe God cannot use you because there is some grudge you hold on to. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Have you inherited the earth and the people on earth for Christ? Blessed are those who can forgive.