Jesus told the parable of the prodigal or the lost son. He was one of two sons for his father, who asked his father to give him his portion of his estate. The father divided the estate in two and gave the son his portion. He took his inheritance, went into a far country and wasted all of it on reckless living. After he spent everything, there was a famine in the country and he became destitute. The son decided to look for work and was hired by one of the citizens. They sent him into the field to feed pigs and he was so hungry, that he would have eaten the pods used to feed the pigs. It was at this time when the son came to his senses. He reflected on the fact that even the servants in his father’s house had enough food to spare. Why then was he living in hunger and desperation?

“I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you” (Luke 15:18). He decided that even if he was no longer accepted as a son to his father, that he was willing to be his servant. While the son was on his way to his father’s home, his father saw him from a far away distance. He ran towards his son, embraced him and kissed him. The son repented and confessed to his father that he was no longer worthy to be called his son. His father gave instructions for him to be dressed in the finest clothing and planned a celebration to mark his return. “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:24).

Jesus told this parable in conjunction with the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. The point of these parables was to speak of the unconditional love of God. A God who never despises us or turns his back on us, no matter our faults of failures. The parable of the lost sheep illustrated a shepherd with one hundred sheep, who lost one. This shepherd left the ninety nine and went in search of the one, until he was found. After he found the sheep, he celebrated for the one that returned. Similarly, the women who had coins and lost one, swept her house until she found it. Once she found the coin, she called her friends to celebrate with her for finding it. Jesus’s point was that no life was insignificant and the father is not happy unless all his children who are lost, are found.

Of significance was the lost son coming to his senses. Perhaps pride, stubbornness or fear kept him from returning home, once his money was spent. He may have feared rejection, ridicule or being scolded for his sin. He eventually came to his senses or came back in right thinking. Faulty thinking can cause us to stay away from love and safety. What would make the son of a wealthy father want to take a job feeding pigs? He was not in his right mind and for a brief period he was outside of his senses. Once his senses returned, he made a sensible decision and returned to his father. You are never too far gone for God to reach you and he is patiently awaiting your return. God created us, he loves us and no sin or wrongdoing can cause him to stop loving us.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

A.P.-Y.

In John 7, the Jews celebrated the festival of Booths and Jesus’s brothers encouraged him to go into Judea, so that his followers could see the works that he did. “For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world” (John 7:4). The next verse said that his own brothers did not believe in him. Jesus told them to go ahead as he did not plan to go into Judea, knowing that the Jews wanted to kill him and his time had not yet come. He went up to the feast privately, while the Jews watched out for him and wondered where he was. The people were divided about Jesus and some people said that he was a good man while others accused him of leading people astray. “About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching” (John 7:14).

The Jews were shocked that he was so knowledgeable of the scriptures, although they did not know of him being educated. Jesus told them that his teachings were not his own, but of him who sent him. He also said that if anyone was doing God’s will, then they would know whether or not his teachings were from God, or if he spoke of his own authority. He said that they did not keep the law of Moses, because they wanted to kill him. He asked how comes they could circumcise someone on the sabbath, yet they wanted him dead for healing a lame man on the sabbath. The people were again puzzled that the Jews wanted to kill Jesus, yet he was teaching publicly. They argued that they knew of Jesus’s birth and origin and felt that the Christ would not be known to them in this way.

“So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know” (John 7:28). After Jesus spoke, they tried to arrest him, but could not lay a hand on him because his time to be arrested had not come. Many of the people still believed that Jesus was the Christ, because of the signs that he did. The Pharisees sent officers to arrest Jesus when they heard the crowds talking about him. Jesus told them that he would be with them a little while longer and then he would return to him who sent him. “You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come” (John 7:34). The Jews were once again confused about where Jesus was going and wondered what he meant.

There are many times when Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables and would later explain to his disciples. “And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matthew 13:11). Jesus said that the people often heard and did not understand to fulfil Isaiah’s prophecy. “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive” (Matthew 13:14). The god of this world has blinded the eyes of its people and so they do not understand the mysteries of God. They have an earthly wisdom which is satanic and diabolical at times. The wisdom of God is foolishness to the carnal man who cannot understand because they are of the flesh. God gives supernatural wisdom and insight to his children who seek him and listen to his voice.

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In the Old Testament, God gave Moses instructions about building the tabernacle, the arc of the covenant and the Aaronic priesthood. Aaron and his sons were to serve in the tabernacle and offer sacrifices unto the Lord. When Moses worked with the builders and completed the tabernacle, the glory and presence of the Lord descended. “And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:35). Later in Leviticus, God gave further instructions to the people regarding laws for different offerings. Aaron and his sons would collect the offering from the people and offer it on the altar to the Lord. They had to be consecrated in order to serve in the temple.

The Priests had to ensure that they were clean, as they entered the presence of the Lord and offer sacrifices pleasing to him. On one occasion, two of Aaron’s sons were consumed by fire and died when they offered unauthorised fire before the Lord. They were instructed to live a pure and clean life and could not enter the presence of the Lord if they had any sins. No one except the Priests could enter the tabernacle. Later when the temple of Jerusalem was built, a rope was tied around the feet of the Priests. The bells on their garments served to confirm that they were alive, as it was customary for Priests to die in the holy place. If there was no movement or sound from the bell for a while, the rope would be used to pull the Priest’s body from the temple.

We are grateful to God that Jesus came to earth, lived and died for the sins of mankind. We no longer need Priests to go into a temple and offer animals as sacrifices for our sins. Our sins were paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ and we are forgiven and set free. “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:51). This verse and Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross symbolised the remission of sins. We have access to the presence of God and can approach him boldly with our sacrifices of praise. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). It was John in Revelation, who had a vision of the four hundred and twenty elders who were sat around the throne of God.

They cried, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Revelation 4:11). The angels also day and night never cease to give glory to God saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” (Revelation 4:8). We have access into the most holy presence of God, where we can enter with our sacrifices of praise unto him. As we meet with him, we worship and tell him the requests that are on our hearts. I believe that prayer and worship are two of the ways to communicate with God. There is nothing that can be compared with the presence of God and the weight of his glory. Burdens are lifted, yokes are destroyed and we are healed, delivered and set free in his presence.

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Jesus spoke to the Jews about freedom and abiding in his words. His words would reveal the truth, which would give them freedom. They needed to break free from the entrapment of sin. This freedom would convert them from slaves to children of God (sons and daughters). “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Since the Jews often emphasised being children of Abraham, Jesus pointed out the irony of this and their hatred towards him. “They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did” (John 8:39). He rightly pointed out to them that they were not doing what Abraham would have done. In fact, their works confirmed that their real father was the devil.

He told them that they would love him if truly God was their father, instead they wanted to kill him in order to fulfil the desires of satan. “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Jesus said that they would hear the words of God, if truly they belonged to God. The Jews then accused him of being a Samaritan and a demon. He told them that his works were to honour the father and anyone who keeps his words, would not taste death. When Jesus told them that he existed before Abraham, they picked up stones to hit him.

Each time Jesus spoke the truth to the Jews, they grew indignant. Their fruits betrayed their standing with God and confirmed that they were being used by the devil. Some of the Jews may have been ignorant to their standing with God and may not have been aware that they were being used by satan. It was also possible that they were willing to surrender themselves, to be used as demonic host hotels for the enemy. Why else would the truth that Jesus spoke be so grievous to them? There were Jews who heard his message, saw his works and believed. Yet many refused to believe and hardened their hearts to his message. It is possible that their lives of sin opened a door for the devil to use them as slaves. If they were willing to be truthful about their sin and shortcomings, then they could be set free.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). Confessing or sharing our story with others brings healing and deliverance. The devil loves secrets and many people who were in the occult, testify of being sworn to secrecy. These secrets were guarded by oaths of death if secrets were revealed. This is why the devil is the father of lies, because Jesus can set people free if they confess, renounce the works of darkness and accept him as Lord and saviour. The devil also uses shame, guilt and fear to keep people trapped. No one has to remain a slave to the devil and you have nothing to be ashamed of, as a child of God. Jesus nailed your sins to the cross and took shame, guilt and fear with him.

“blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:14).

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A story is told regarding David, Nabal and Abigail in 1 Samuel 25. Nabal was very rich and had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. His wife was beautiful and of good understanding, while he was harsh and evil. When Nabal’s shepherds were in the wilderness, David and his men looked after them and ensured that no harm came to them. Nabal was in Carmel shearing his sheep and David sent his men to ask him for food to support his company, considering what he had done to support his men. “Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master” (I Samuel 25:10). He refused to support David’s request, but insulted the men and sent them back.

David was furious at his response and told four hundred of his men to arm themselves and follow him. One of Nabal’s servants spoke to Abigail and told her what happened between her husband and David’s men. He told her how they supported them while they were in the wilderness. “They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep” (I Samuel 25:16). He cautioned her to take action as he knew that David would retaliate against them. He called her husband a scoundrel who was unlikely to listen to anyone. Abigail’s response was quick, decisive and wise. “Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys” (I Samuel 25:18).

She sent her servants ahead of her, but did not tell her husband what she planned to do. When Abigail met David, he vowed that he would kill every male in her house. Abigail got off her donkey, fell on her face and begged him for mercy. She asked him not to consider Nabal who was a scoundrel and begged him not to shed any blood to avenge himself. She presented him with the gifts that she brought, begged his forgiveness and asked him to trust God to fight his battles. “Then David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me” (I Samuel 25:32)! He heeded her advice, thanked her for stopping him from taking vengeance, accepted her gift and returned to his camp.

When she returned home, Nabal was drunk from holding a large feast, fit for a king. She waited until the next day, when he was sober and told him all that happened. He had a stroke and lay helpless and after ten days, God struck him and he died. When David heard, he proposed to Abigail and she became his wife. This is an extreme example of the consequences of ingratitude, which led to death. I believe that God hates ingratitude and wants us to remain thankful. It is not superfluous to expect a person to repay kindness with kindness, or to honour those who have been good to them. Paul said that we should not ‘muzzle the ox that treads’ or ‘bite the hands that feed.’ Look for ways to show gratitude to those who have given their time and resources to help you. Even if you cannot repay in kind, be gracious and show honour, respect and gratitude.

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In Isaiah 14, the Prophet wrote about the fall of Babylon, the fall of the king of Babylon and the fall of Lucifer who is called satan. He spoke of Lucifer falling from heaven and being cut down to the ground. He was the son of the morning, who weakened nations. Satan’s fall was due to pride and self aggrandisement. “For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north” (Isaiah 14:13). Satan’s aim was to make himself equal or of more significance to God. The result of this self exaltation was humiliation and being brought low. “Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit” (Isaiah 14:15). When satan was brought down, people marvelled as he once caused nations to shake.

Peter said in chapter 5:6, that we should humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt us in due season. Jesus also said in Matthew 23:12, that anyone who exalted themselves will be humbled and anyone who humbled themselves will be exalted. Another bible character who exalted himself and was humbled was King Nebuchadnezzar. “The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty”” (Daniel 4:30)? Before the words had even left the King’s mouth, a voice from heaven spoke to him saying, the kingdom had been taken from him. He would be driven from men and his dwelling would be with the beast of the field. He would eat grass like oxen and seven periods of time would pass until he knew that the Most High God, rules the kingdoms of men and gives (power) to whoever he chooses.

In that same hour, the word was fulfilled and Nebuchadnezzar went out and ate grass with the animals and his hair and nails grew like wild birds. After the set time passed, his senses returned to him and he acknowledged and praised God and was restored to his kingdom. “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down” (Daniel 4:37). This last verse shows that he acknowledged that his sin was one of pride. This can be defined as a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit or superiority, whether cherished in the mind or displayed in conduct (www.dictionary.com). Pride also places an exaggerated emphasis on one’s self, over and above others.

Selfishness, arrogance, being self centred and self seeking are all symptoms of pride. While it is important to have confidence and a healthy sense of self, this has to be balanced against the spirit of pride. Satan was a chief archangel who was radiant and glorious in his appearance. His title of ‘son of the morning,’ inflated his ego so that he felt that he was equal to God. The opposite of this pride was Jesus’s humility, where although he was God, did not count himself as equal to God. “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). Therefore God has highly exalted Jesus and given him a name above every other name. Pride leads to destruction and humiliation while humility leads to exaltation. We have to examine ourselves and ask God to expose any areas where there is pride and vain glory and ask God to take it from us.

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In Exodus 35, Moses asked the people to bring offerings for the tabernacle which God asked him to build. “Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze” (Exodus 35:5). They were also asked to bring fine linen, goat’s hair, ram skin, wood, oils, spices for anointing and precious stones for the breastplate. The skilled artisans were called to come and build the tabernacle and the other items that the Lord commanded Moses. The people went away and everyone whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were willing, brought their offering to support the work. All the women who were gifted spun yarn and brought them and everyone brought their freewill offering.

When the artisans started the work, they were given the items which the people brother as an offering for the work. As the men started working, the people continued to bring items for building. The artisans went to Moses and told him that the people were bringing more items than was necessary. Moses sent word throughout the camp that the people had given enough for the building. He commanded that the people did not need to give any more. “for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much” (Exodus 36:7). As the men worked, Moses did an inventory of all the materials and offering brought in. The people worked with Moses and completed all the building and the work which God commanded.

Of importance in these scriptures was Moses leadership and willingness to exercise restraint towards the people. He did not see the necessity in collecting more offering from the people, than was necessary for completing the work. It is possible that the people would have continued to give and Moses could have stored the offering in his tent. He was not willing to burden the people over and above that which was necessary. He collected only what was needed and told them to stop once he had enough. Many leaders today would not be willing to exercise that level of restraint. After all, the justification would be that the church or ministry need’s resources and collecting the offering to store it, will ensure that there is enough to offset the expenses.

Paul spoke about giving in Corinthians and encouraged people to give abundantly. “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). He also said that God would provide for those who have a desire to give. By their giving, people will be enriched as those who are blessed will have a reason to thank God. It is important for churches and leaders to exercise restraint and not burden people over and above what is reasonable. Collect what is necessary for the work of God and avoid hoarding wealth and resources for selfish reasons. “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being Lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (I Peter 5:2-3).

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