{Insert teacher name here}

"Oh by the way, did you hear about Rob Bell's controversial book?", I heard someone say to me a couple of weeks back. At first I wasn't sure what it was about, and I didn't think that it would have sparked the flame within the Christian community because I've been a listener to Rob's DVDs for a couple of years and he seemed ok to me.

After finally going on YouTube to look for some interviews over his new book "Love wins", I was shocked over the way Rob responded to the interviewers and each time he would either give a rehearsed response to the problem in Japan or he would back-pedal over certain issues such as with the questions over God's wrath answering something a little different than written in the book or when asked about whether the crucifixion is the chief and main relevance to Christianity, he would side-step the question.

I would agree that this is a hard thing for me to take in. Like I said, I knew Rob from his Nooma series and it was very thought provoking and helpful, especially within small groups, etc. I read his book "Sex God" and watched his hour lecture on "Everything is spiritual" and based on what I heard, everything seemed clear and fine (based on what I understood ofcourse). To even think that Rob is a heretic was unthinkable. I thought it was just a misunderstanding of some sort (and in a way I think it can be) but I think the gap is too big to look past it.

The more I listened to his interviews the more he sounds different. It's as if he cannot find his own feet with those questions. Now, just to make something very clear, I haven't read his book.
I admit and I will try not to comment on his book but rather on the media around his book and the interviews that are freely available on the web.

Now I may sound like another blog writer giving my two cents worth on the web about a man who seems to have "lost his way" but what I want to get out of this post is not to discredit, tear down or bad mouth him, but rather create the awareness of how easy it can be for any preacher to preach a message that is just alongside the truth. No matter who the person is, no matter how wonderful his/her message seems like, we need to validate their message. Also, just because they've helped a lot of people and stand for worthy causes, doesn't make their wrong preaching right. I know that not everyone is perfect, I mean we might get something wrong during a preaching/teaching and we need to take the responsibility of admitting that we've been wrong when we discover that it is true and to correct it but I'm not talking about slight misunderstandings in scripture I'm talking about something that's a fundamental belief that could alter the way we live as Christians in our lives.
Take for instance the idea of the crucifixion. If I believe that Jesus died on the cross but didn't rise from death, then I won't be able to believe that my sins are forgiven and I would be having a lot of other false beliefs entering my idea of Jesus. That's what I'm talking about.

I can go on and on about Rob's statements but that's not the point of this article, I could have written about someone else entirely who also is close to my heart. For all I know Chip Ingram can also loose his way (and I sincerely hope he doesn't and that God protects him). The point is, this is how crafty the devil is and how vulnerable we are. Any one of us can fall victim to these shifts into wrong fundamental beliefs. Its just that the case with Rob (whether he is guilty or not of heresy) has opened my eyes to the reality that even the best or wonderful of teachers (except Jesus ofcourse) can fall victim to these headlines which we see in the case with Rob. I'm not saying that everyone of them will be victim of it, its just that its a warning to us all to be on the lookout in case it does happen.

So what I would propose is that we pray for people like Rob Bell, also our very own pastors and preachers that they wouldn't fall victim of Satan's attacks and that they (and we) would gain discernment from the Holy Spirit to interpret the scriptures correctly.

God Bless.

How am I now?

To those who've felt that God looks at you in a certain way and all you can think is "How am I now?"

Ever since we could remember from the first time we could talk, we've been involved in a thought tug-o-war where we can just look at ourselves and wonder if we're good enough. I could remember it when I was young, how I would think what others would think of me and I would wonder if I am good enough for them.
Isn't it weird how we humans can think such thoughts? I mean, we see our parents and friends around us and yet we wonder "am I good enough for them?" Some may think that they don't have that problem but I think all of us had this encounter in our relationship with God. "Am I good enough now, God?", "How about now?"

I mean you keep on thinking that God would look at you with angry or disappointed eyes and no matter how hard you try, you just can't get close to God. Even as a child of God knowing that His Son payed for your sins, you still wonder if you're good enough.

I was out with my aunt and her husband one night to buy pizza and I just couldn't help but think that God is angry with me for some reason, and if He was, He had every right to be because I am still sinning and doing things that He doesn't like. So I stood outside the pizza place looking up into the night sky, with the chilly wind blowing over my body and thinking "How do I always manage to end up in this situation?" For years, this constant nagging of how God is disappointed or angry with me had driven me to total and complete outbursts of anger and head-banging frustration where I would yell at myself saying "You fool, you idiot! You can't do anything right!" (etc.) and time would go by when I would feel so close and loved by God that I can just say "Wow, You're amazing God! I want to be with You!".

I've read books, listened to MP3s, praying to God and crying over this issue many times and for many months and still I sometimes wonder "why?"

So WHY do I feel this way? Am I the only one who feels like God isn't proud of me or that He will only allow me close to Him if I do well enough? (no matter how hard I try)

I had to look at a few things to answer that question and it came to me not as a quick and straight answer. It took months before I finally realized that it's a simple and important issue. The questions ultimately is "Who am I?" or rather it should be rephrased (for those who're born again) "Who am I in Christ?"

As I am writing this post, I still feel like what I'm writing and I think that as my fingers stroke over the keyboard, some old thoughts begin to wake up to remind me of what I learned and experienced. Yeah, it has been a dramatic beginning of this post but I feel that sometimes you need to go the extra mile to demonstrate your point.

You see, the people who think so lowly (or even highly) of themselves, are either reading the Bible on a casual basis where its just "Oh! That's interesting to know" or on a duty basis "OK, I read it, lets go on". I do both at times and its basically as good as not doing it at all. But there are so many good things in the Bible that we're missing and we just don't know how to take it in or we don't realize the importance of it or we just don't bother.

A few months ago, I started to read Colossians 3 where Paul said "Since you've been raised to new life with Christ..." I din't realize the importance of it. You know, it's all "blah-blah, yeah I know this stuff since I was born again, so what?" but allowing the Holy Spirit to lead me I read it again, and again, and again... I even followed some of the advice given to me from some authors of a META-YES article that I would say out loud "I have been raised to new life with Christ! YES! AMEN!" and after a while something in my mind would CLICK! All the books I've read, sermons I've listened too, etc. finally made 1 connection point in my mind! Colossians 2:20 talks about "You have died with Christ" and then Colossians 3 "you've been raised to new life with Christ". See the picture? You died and you got raised. I had to realize this.

So then I questioned the way I thought about myself before, how I would condemn myself over every stupid small little thing. Why do I do it? That's how we were before Christ. Now we died (when we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior) and got raised to new life with Him. We're new! Brand spanking NEW! The old messages don't hold anymore! I don't have to feel so condemned and sad anymore. Did this message sink in the first time? NO! I am still (months later) going through this concept because I still feel like God can get angry and disappointed at me. I also struggle to go through this every day. But this has changed my perspective about the Gospel and this is a basic thing that needs to be known by all Christians, otherwise you will continue to condemn yourself.

Our reverent once preached a message about "Praise be to God! How great am I". He said that if he was one of the people listening to this message even he would leave the church but this is something that God revealed to him in Psalm 139. The Psalm writer starts with God knowing everything including everything about us. Then he writes about wanting to run away that you can't escape God. Then he talks about how God created him. Then he says "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made". Then he talks about how great God's thoughts are.
He said that the reason why we can't accept the fact that we can be seen by God (in our whole being) as great is because we don't understand the baptism. And that was just a confirmation on what I was going through myself. We don't realize the importance of the death and resurrection power of Christ.

I write this not because I wish to preach to anyone but I had the need to write it down for myself and maybe even for someone else. God really, really loves (and even likes) us all! May God lead you into realizing the power of the death and resurrection of Christ!

Hope of what is yet to come

I am too excited to hold this for myself. I have to share what God showed me this morning!

I was driving on our South African roads from Johannesburg to Centurion on my way to work when I read about our Scorpion unit (our Anti-Corruption Unit) which is going to be downgraded to our South African Police Services. I do not mean to speak ill of my country but hear me out.

I spoke to God on how I felt about it: the crime, the injustice, the corruption... I wasn't whining, I asked God that it should stop, you know, it was more of a plea for change. I mentioned to God that if the Scorpion unit was to split, then all those high officials (charged with so many cases of corruption) would be automatically discharged and not prosecuted by the law (since they would now have power over the Scorpions). Then one of them might become our future president, and then you can just imagine what would happen.

I just said to God (paraphrased): "When will all this stop? Our country is sick and destroyed by all of this. Please raise us up again, Lord! Bring us all back in line with what you had in mind from the beginning of time, let our government and our people be in your line of Grace and Blessing again, Lord! Deliver us!"

I thought for a moment about it and then a thought occurred telling me: what if God wants to show that we are not supposed to rely on the Scorpion unit for deliverance?

When I climbed on the highway, a black BMW went passed me, and I saw something weird written on its numberplate (because it was like one of those custom number plates where you can put anything on) it said "PSALM75 GP".
I then immediately knew what God wanted to tell me. I didn't know what it said but I sort of had an idea. It wasn't coincidence that this happened. This morning I had to fill up my car with gas, if I had not, I might have missed it. It was all orchestrated by God!

I got to the office this morning, raced to my PC and Googled Psalm 75.
Read and see for yourself. I wish I could have taken a photo of that car, but I believe that it was God that brought that car passed me!

GLORY TO HIS WONDERFUL NAME!!!!

A mixed-up matter

Some people just rest and relax on vacation but I was too bored to do that :D

I like vacations, you have weeks on your hands to do what you have to but you always find it too short to spend. You also sleep after midnight and wake up later in the day. Instead of just relaxing, you work on things at home that you didn't have time to do during the working week-days.

The problem with vacations (for me) is of a fleshly nature, as in you do what you feel like doing. Now being a Christian who wants to be with God, this holds a problem. So far half of my vacation was spent on my PC. Now I wasn't like programming or playing games or unnecessarily surfing the web (although each element was present) I was mostly focusing on reformatting my PC and getting the right Linux distro to work on my Gateway and Personal PC.

I had a working router/gateway working months ago until we got a new wireless modem (old one got busted) which is USB based and not Ethernet and/or USB based. Not knowing what I know now, I didn't play on a little longer, I formatted and installed Ubuntu. Now don't get me wrong, I think Ubuntu is great but...
I was working and so doing, didn't have much time to work on the router, was mostly not in the mood or just tired. So it was out of action for months. Now I got the internet working but some pages just didn't want to be forwarded to the client PCs on the network. I can surf the web no problem, until I had to update AVG or visit a web page with the HTTPS protocol. It turned out Ubuntu had a bug. I tried the fix with no avail.
I formatted again with good 'ol Open SuSE (10.0; Love that Distro!) and tried again with roaring success (well I was roaring ;-) ).
It was quick and actually pretty painless. I have my little German app on my windows pc to connect and disconnect from the internet, the firewall is up and ready, samba is waiting for shares and I am smiling.
I also installed Open SuSE 10.2 on my personal PC again, and now since I don't have to be the internet master anymore, I can freely explore my new SuSE distro that I got months ago! ;-)

Now you are all wondering what the problem is right? Time! It took over a freekin week! A week less of my precious vacation and I don't have a very long one indeed! I have just 1 week left and it is back to the working house.

I also value the time spent with God but my old nature must have gotten the better of me during my holiday season. I am happy and sad at the same time. Happy that my PC is working with my router but sad that time is almost up and that God was lower on my list. Trust me, the flesh is a bastard! Well I can't give it all the credit since I am the one who make decisions myself, so all I can do is hope and pray that I will be able to force myself to be with God. I love being with God but sometimes things just get weird and it becomes hard to just sit and be still before Him. I am not trying to make excuses but unfortunately I am still weak because the flesh is weak.

Anyway, I also tried out Gentoo linux and I was dissapointed in it that it didn't want to work when I installed it. It looked promising, being efficient and all but it was hassle after hassle, I downloaded the latest version a day or two ago and it didn't want to install, couldn't even get hold of the log files to find out why. I turned to the 2006.1 version, installed it but Gnome didn't want to start, plus it didn't pick up my sound card (NForce built in sound). It was after Gentoo that I decided to go back to SuSE. SuSE never gave me problems with hardware, in fact I once had a PC that could ONLY run SuSE, I tried just about every other distro on it, and the mouse jumps and the SATA drive just couldn't be found, even with Ubuntu.
I don't care what anyone has to say about SuSE, it rocks! The only thing missing is something like apt-get!

This is my sad and happy story ;-)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! And may you all have a wonderful new year!

Hath Hell No Fury?

I have stumbled yet again but I landed on a site very interesting and intriguing. This site challenges some beliefs we have about death and hell.

Read it for yourself, and be the judge.
It certainly provided a new view point of Hell and those who're going to visit it.
One thing inside which I do want to highlight is, that it claims the Bible to say that people die in Hell for ever but they don't burn there forever (or they won't be dying forever).

http://www.helltruth.com/

Living for Jesus

I have discovered and experienced the Lord working in my life. I can tell you this, the way He reached in my life recently made me want to live more for Him. I can say this though, don't try to become like Jesus, if you do, you live under the law...

[Please read comments below too]
The whole idea is not for you to put in your effort to reach Jesus Christ, because it's almost like trying to get to the Father with our own strength (and we know we cannot, thats what living under the law was about). Jesus said that we should, instead, live under His Grace (and not abuse it) by being obedient to His laws and word (not trying to obtain your salvation from/through it) and to surrender to Him or to die from yourself.

Those who don't know what "dying from yourself mean", it's obviously not to kill yourself but to depart from every sin, giving up everything you own, even the people you know and love, to God! You won't be able to do it instantly (as the Apostle Paul mentioned) it takes time, even years.

How do I know this? Well the word of God says so of course!

It all started 2 Sundays ago when our preacher's wife had a teaching on the wedding feast featured in Matthews 22:1-14. We all know this passage, the king having a wedding feast and the invited didn't want to come, so he invites the people from the streets and one of them was kicked out because s/he didn't have the right clothes on.
We know that those who've accepted Jesus Christ are amongst those who accepted the invitation, right? But what about the one guy who got kicked out, even accepting the invitation? Now that was startling. The one L10T site talks about this too, you can find it here.
But Jesus said that those who believe in Him are saved?! How can anyone be kicked out, having Christ. One may argue that the person didn't really accept Christ, which might be a possibility. But those who accepted the invitation are the ones who are coming to Christ's wedding feast! And the fact that one accepts Christ as Lord and Saviour seems to be only the 1 half. We need to dress accordingly as well but one cannot do that beforehand. We see that there was some time that past between those who accepted the invitation and when the king came down and noticed the guy without the right clothes. Since they were people from the streets, they didn't have the right clothes, so the king must have supplied some to them to dress themselves with. If this is the case, it makes more sense. The guy refused to dress accordingly, thinking he is better than the rest and we notice that he got kicked out into the darkness.

Well from the Bible we learn a few things about dressing for something. In Romans 13:14 we find Paul telling his crowd to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the other crowd in Ephesians 4:22-24 telling them to put off the old man, and put on the new man. We also find him telling us the weaponry that we should put on in Ephesians 6:13-18. What does this all mean? It means, get rid of your old sinful nature (which is supposed to be drowning in the baptist water) and put on the new nature God wants you to have. The nature of Jesus Christ with the protective inventory to protect your new Holy life. In other words be obedient to God and His commandments!

The way we dress everyday is the way we shape our identity. Sometimes I woke up and just in some sort of way there is almost a switch inside of me that flips to live for or against Jesus. If the switch is set for Jesus, I would go off and try to be holy (before I have learned this new way of living) and when switched off, I would easily give in to my sinful desires sometimes without resisting even.
The more I lived like that, the more my identity started shifting. One moment the sins that you really hate to do, suddenly becomes something you really want to do and then you do it without even thinking, you become in bondage to it. What shift had to take place for one to start liking the rebellious actions against the one s/he wanted to serve? Immediately you can see the kind of clothes that person has on. Obviously Christ called everyone, "good and bad" (described in the Matthews passage) to come just as they are, but He didn't call everyone to stay like that (like we've seen).

After hearing that teaching I wanted to read more but then stumbled on Matthew 19:16-30.
Reading it I came across all the elements found in Matthew 22. We find that the man acknowledges that he lacks something to get into heaven and Jesus said "If you wish to be complete..." meaning, if you want to get into heaven, you need to be complete and you would do the following...
This shows something we all know, only the perfect ones can go to heaven. Hearing that His disciples said "Then who can be saved?". Jesus replied "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." This shows that only God can make us perfect enough to enter into heaven. But why was there mentioning of the rich man having it hard to enter? He was rich, he had many things. Read Matthew 19:21-24. The rich man didn't want to give up all he had. And there lies the key. To become complete, you need to surrender some things in life. Jesus's disciples did and Jesus assured them that they would get a hundred fold in heaven, all except for Judas obviously (who was going to betray Jesus).
We also can see in the different version of the wedding feast found in Luke 14:16-24, that a man was also inviting people to his feast but they were all too busy to come. Everyone made excuses and then it occurred to me, people who have many things who do not offer it to Christ will be too busy for Him, or maybe even putting those things above Him. For Jesus said that if we do not leave everything for His sake, then we are not fit for His kingdom. That started to make sense to me.

Now you see that being obedient and surrendering yourself to God is essential, not only for hereafter but for a blessed Christian life on earth. It is all about Jesus! He gives the Grace, He washes away your sins, and He should be the first love in your life! Bring your thoughts to Him to be placed under His obedience, bring your life to Him to be shaped to be complete! Jesus knows what is best for you and He'll lead you all the way. Look what the disciples had! They were with Him and they weren't asked to do extravagant things which He was not able to teach to them personally and patiently.

This was only a tip of what I discovered and learned and to write everything down would take forever (well figuratively speaking ;-) ) but I have written down that which I wanted to say. I do remember Jesus saying "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory" and I sure hope I didn't do that! ;-)

May the Lord Jesus Bless all of you and may He bring you to him like He is starting to do with me.

A transformation

Hello there everyone. Long time no see, I know. ;)
A lot has happened but probably not to your interest but there are a few things I would like to highlight.

Mostly it is spiritual happenings. I have to admit, it has been a very long time since I did the nightly meditation thing but through God's power and grace I did manage to ask someone in our company to not use God's name idly.

It was a Wednesday morning after our training session and one of our members drove me to work (they volunteered, since I don't have a car yet) and many times before, I would hear her say God's name a lot.
I prayed and asked if God would give me the courage to act upon it and just as we stopped before the place that I work, I asked her a favor and continued by saying that I would really appreciate it if she wouldn't use God's name in vain. Even behind her sun glasses I could see her eyes open wide, and she said: "Oh I didn't know that it offended you, but I won't say it again".
I am very thankful that she reacted like that and I have to say that many people don't even know (yeah even Christians) that it is wrong to use God's name like that. Last year I also managed (with Jesus's help) to confront a fellow colleague about using God's name and she said that she used it because everyone else did. I then told her that God punishes those who do that.

For those who haven't read this post, you wouldn't know huge thing it was for me when I did manage to confront people like that. I don't want to do it for confront-sake, but for God's name's sake.

What also happened at church is we are doing a "course" (not actually a course but I can't think of the appropriate name for it) called L10T (Luke 10 Transformation) which is all about whats happening in Luke 10. Read it and you'll notice it's about the 72 disciples that Jesus sent out. Currently we are going through the "blessing" stage where we are to speak the blessing and peace into our work, visitor's home, etc.
The reason why we are doing this is, we as a church want to reach out (rather learn how to apply) to people beyond our borders and at work.
There is so much that I've learned and want to write but it would take hours and many pages to do that.
Maybe later I'll write something that summarizes what I've learnt as I don't want to say something which I've gotten confused about or that doesn't factually get represented.

May all of you have a Blessed week and see you when I can write again ;)

Last few weeks of growth

I have to testify to something amazing, not so radical to some but to me a big happening.
Remember when last year when I kept complaining that I didn't pray/read Bible, etc? Well it changed dramatically for the most part.

After discovering this wonderful PDF resource at: http://www.gfa.org/pray
I have seen prayer in a whole new light. Also at church our reverent's wife told us that when we pray, try not to pray in your head, pray with your mouth (not that there is anything wrong with it, it is more personal and focussed that way). I followed both people's advice (including the writer of the PDF doc) and so far I only missed like 2 or so days (maybe more, I wasn't counting) of prayer and meeting time with God in weeks, which is still a patch in comparison to the time I have missed with God!
I also started following a routine to meditate on the word of God that helps a bit. Instead of just reading the verses over and over, I tried reenacting it which helped me to remember it faster and longer. Proverbs 10:12,13,14,19 and Corinthians 6:19,20 was my nightly verses for meditation for 3 weeks now. Now I want to move over to new ones for nightly review.

The bad news also is that while I had experienced this break through, Satan wasn't too happy so he started tempting me with old temptations more than ever and more frequently, unfortunately I fell quite a few times as in more than I can afford to. As disappointed as I am, I haven't lost the will to stop going for God. I realize it's because I still have the tendency to leave Christ at home while I go to work. Not a very "Christian professional" thing to do but I won't make any excuses. It's in the programming, that needs some trimming ;) It sounds rather humorous but actually this is quite serious! :(

Despite me falling for the same temptations I hope you also have discovered something that might help you out in your Spiritual growth. Also, with that comes the price tag of temptation because Satan grows threatened about your progress and seeks ways to attack you. I hope you can succeed where I have failed. I still go on and believe that Christ can help me, I just want to stop removing Him from my mind.

The thing is, one is so sad when you come looking for forgiveness from Christ, but truth be told, He wants us to enter to His thrown of Grace with boldness. (KJVR Heb 4:16) "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." The problem with feeling bad is that you think that God doesn't want to talk to you or want anything to do with you. According to that verse, the opposite applies!

Well, good day to all and have a Blessed week!

God's name in vain

Oh I am so tired of hearing people using God's name in vain!

Ever since I started working at a new company, I heard A LOT of people saying phrases like (and it pains me to say it :( ): "Oh my God!", "Jesus Christ!", etc. Obviously they're not talking to or even thinking about God but they keep on saying it!

But I don't know what is worse, saying it or just standing there in silence. :(
Yeah, I really want to walk up to a guy and say "Hey! Please stop using God's name in vain!" I know I should and some of them doesn't even know it is wrong because they hear it on TV and then assumes that it is OK to say it. The worst part of all is they aren't "bad" people, they are not rude (except with God's name) and ok they do swear but thats it. They don't try to make enemies or try to be nasty or anything like that. They are nice people its just the problem with God's name that I'm having trouble with.

To tell you the truth, I am mostly afraid to tell them not to say it. I rather sit with pain in my heart than confronting people (been doing it for years too). I did once confront someone with Jesus's help (somewhere last year), but I don't know why I cannot do the same now.
So I ask for help, if you sit in this situation and know how to deal with it (especially if a group of people are present) please tell me too! I too want to defend God's Glory! I also humbly ask for people's prayers in this time as this is a big deal to me and I believe it should be a big deal to everyone! God said in Exodus 20:7 (NIV translation) which is "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."
And James4:17 says (also NIV) "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." So by not telling them that they are doing wrong, I am sinning!
I pray about this almost every night before I go to bed, I just really cannot stand this anymore. I just want to act out of love, etc. before I act out of rage/hate.

So before telling me how bad I am for not confronting them about it, you should consider whether you are confronting them. If you do, then you may tell me that I'm this or that. But in the end, what will it help?! I've been doing it to myself for years and it just didn't make things better but worse. Look, I'm not expecting you to talk good about me either!

Thanks for taking the time to read this, I hope you would consider the situation with me to see how serious this actually is.

Amen.

A Christian Viewpoint on Satanism

Hey guys! I received this e-mail just now and I feel that I need to place it on this site, just incase you or someone you know is involved with something like this.
I know some people who would just laugh at this matter saying that it is nonsence because they don't believe in a spiritual realm, etc. but I can testify that there is one and that occultic activities is not a laughing matter. It ensnares and destroys lives.
Lets just say that I love everyone as a brother to tell them about this. You may know about this already but it won't hurt to read through this. It really showed me some things I didn't know.
Even if you're not in South-Africa, this is of major concern world-wide!
Here is the message I got:

More and more youth in our schools are exposed to the destructive practices of Satanism. Schools and parents are uninformed and mostly unaware of satanic activities that their children engage in. Satanism has become an issue of great concern in our society. It is a phenomena that crosses the city limits into the rural areas of our nation. The primary goal of Satanism is to alter people's values and turn them against themselves, their beliefs, family, God, and society. The news wires carry story after story about young children being kidnapped, only to be found later as victims of some bizarre ritualistic crime. It is the responsibility of the church of Jesus Christ to warn and educate people in our communities. Col 1:28 GNB says “So we preach Christ to everyone, with all possible wisdom we warn and teach them in order to bring each one in to God’s presence as a mature individual in union with Christ”.

There are two equal and opposite errors into which we can fall about devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe and to feel an unhealthy interest in them. It does affect us, it is staring us in the face. We can either choose to run away out of fear, or face the agents of Satanism head-on through Christ.

Defining the Occult

Cult

A “cult” is a group of people polarized around an individual with a magnetic personality, who deviates from orthodox Christianity by distorting the central message of the Bible by additional revelation or by introducing their personal understanding of primary biblical doctrines such as the person of Jesus Christ, heaven, hell, salvation, atonement, the virgin birth, etc.

Occult

Secret or hidden knowledge. This knowledge is not discerned by the five senses and is therefore, supernaturally received through the practice of divination.

Witchcraft

The use of scripturally forbidden supernatural powers to manipulate people and events. Commonly known as the "craft of the wise" or "Wicca", the worship of nature and feminine energies mother nature. Witchcraft is manifested in two opposing views: white magic, and black magic or witchcraft (see Deut. 18:10)

Wicca practitioners believe in a balanced polarities, especially that of the feminine and masculine. These two aspects of nature are embodied in two deities, known as the Goddess and God. Traditionally most Pagan gods such as Diana, Hecate, Pan and Zeus are considered to represent the different aspects of the Goddess and God. Most traditions worship the two deities as equals where none deserves more importance than the other. This usually translates into a balance between the feminine and masculine forces in a coven, although men tend to be a minority in the Wicca religion (Adler, 108; Matthews, 344). However a few branches, such as Dianic, give more (or sole) importance to the feminine aspect (Lewis, 280).

Many regard the gods as real, not simply as aspects of a male or female deity. Hence, the gods are worshipped as themselves. According to Wicca tradition, the Goddess is the immanent existing force and the origin of all creation as in the Earth, nature and life itself. Evidence of Goddess worship since the pre-Christian era exists in the form of small statues and carvings of voluptuous female figures that have been found throughout Europe (Cabot, 21-22). The Goddess has three faces: the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone (Lewis, 19-20). These faces correspond to the many different cycles in nature: the waxing, full and waning phases of the moon; the menstrual cycle and the cycle of life in birth, life and death.

Three main beliefs guide practitioners through their actions and beliefs. The first law is known as the Wicca Rede, which states: "An ye harm none, do what ye will." The basic meaning is that members are allowed to follow whatever path they choose so long as no harm befalls others, including themselves. The Wicca rede also serves as an ethical guideline for magical practices in everyday life and ritual. The Wicca Rede is closely related to the writing of Aleister Crowley who said, "Do what you will is the whole of the law." The second law that Wiccans follow is the Threefold Law, which simply states that a person's deeds return to him/her three times over. The Threefold Law has large implications in governing one's behavior because due to its meaning, the repercussions of both good and evil behavior return to their originator three times over (Matthews, 341). The final belief is that of Reincarnation. Wicca’s do not believe in heaven or hell since death is considered to be another form of existence.

The main tools utilized by members during rituals are the wand, cup, pentacle and athame, which is a type of black-handled dagger. These objects represent fire, water, earth and air, respectively. There are three types of Wicca gatherings: Sabbats, Esbats and special purpose. In a special purpose gathering, a coven meets to deal with a common goal or issue that needs immediate attention, such as casting a health spell to aid a sickly friend. Most magical rites are performed at Esbats, which are small gatherings that correspond to the phases of the moon. Covens usually celebrate the Esbats alone, a practice which helps to reaffirm the bonds within a coven (Adler, 110). Larger and more tribal festivals also take place during the year.

White Magic

The use of supernatural power to manipulate a person or an event to bring about good. The practice of divination is used to bring about "positive" results such as knowledge, healing, etc.

Black Magic

The use of supernatural power to manipulate a person or an event to bring about evil or destruction. Manipulation is achieved by use of rituals and the casting of spells.

Satanism

Unlike Witchcraft, Satanism is the worship of Satan, formerly known as Lucifer, and the practice of Black Magic. Satanism is a reaction against the Christian church and the Word of God in particular. Satanism promotes a do-what-you-want attitude and is ultimately the worship of oneself.

Categories of Involvement

1. Multi-generational international organization
2. National organizations
3. Independent self-styled groups
4. Individual dabblers

The greatest increase in involvement is among the latter group; the dabbler. The dabbler is, in most cases, from a middle to upper-middle class Caucasian home and is a user of drugs and other substances and are sexually promiscuous. In most cases they are bright and do well in school; however, they are often bored and are not challenged to meet their full potential. They tend to have a low self-worth and are unable to distinguish between right and wrong because of their relative ethical system. They often have problems in the home and in relating to other people around them. Abuse, both physically and emotionally, is another aspect of this mix. Young Satanists are often abused children who know no other way to relate to people. Some are a part of a multi-generational family involved in worshiping Satan as savior. The larger concern is not in the number of young people involved in satanic activity but what they are capable of doing when they become absorbed in the worship of Satan. Satanism centers around involvement in animal sacrifice, blood ritual, sex, the use of drugs and sometimes murder. According to "The Addiction Letter" (1/89), Most Satanism revolves around a drug and alcohol dependent lifestyle which glorifies violence, hate, lying, stealing, and vandalism. The involved youngster craves a higher power to validate . . . chemical dependence and Satan fills the spiritual void.

Satan's Goal

According to scripture (Matt. 4:9, 2 Cor. 4:4, Rev. 12:9), Satan's goal is to deceive man by blinding him to the truth of the gospel and to receive worship for himself (Isa. 14:12-14). On a more practical level Satan desires to alter an individual's values and turn them against themselves, their beliefs, family, God and society.

Secret things

Another common denominator in satanic groups is secrecy. Individuals keep a journal of activity, rituals, charms, or messages in a notebook, blank book and sometimes even a floppy disc. This information is often written in an alphabet that is not widely known. Alphabets commonly used by occultists are: the Witches' alphabet, the Celtic alphabet used by the Druids, the Enochian alphabet, the Egyptian and others.

Personal Initiation

Initiation plays a major role in group activity. Through initiation an individual is given a chance to declare total allegiance to Satan by participation. Often one will sever a portion of a finger or a toe to indicate their commitment to the unholy one. Other acts include being a participant in a ritual where mutilation of an animal or human is a part of the activity. These acts are usually videotaped to be used at a later time to keep the individual in line if need be. In some cases a criminal act is perpetrated where the initiate is involved in a key role. An unholy communion of sorts is taken during initiatory rituals where a cup or chalice (usually stolen from a church) is used containing a mixture of wine, blood (human or animal) and urine. Satanism is not for the faint-hearted. Other methods of initiation include body markings. An inverted cross may be burned into one's forearm or chest, etc.

Body Markings

It is important to note that body markings can be used for the preparation of a sacrifice, as well as initiation into a group.

Satanic Murders

Satanism requires blood and murder. As Aleister Crowley wrote in the Book of the Law: "The best blood is of the moon, monthly: then the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from the host of heaven: then of enemies; then of the priest or of the worshippers: last of some beast, no matter what." This is one philosophy carried over directly into Satanism.

It is not strange, as the Word of God also clearly condemn these practices: Deut. 18:10 says: “There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that practiseth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,”

Anton LaVey of the First Church of Satan in San Francisco, California, says that Satanism is a blatantly selfish, brutal religion. It is based on the belief that man is inherently a selfish, violent creature... that the earth will be ruled by those who fight to win. Satanism challenges the biblical teaching regarding man's relationship to others. We are to esteem others better than ourselves, and we are to be team players. In 1 Corinthians we read about being a part of the body of Christ, whereas, Satanism esteems the "self" over others. Young Satanists believe that the strong will rule with Satan. Once they are sufficiently involved, they often make a pact with Satan. They commit themselves to a future date when they will take their own lives by suicide. They believe that if they submit themselves to Satan in death, they will come back in another life as a stronger being and rule with him forever. According to recent statistics, fourteen young people a day take their own lives.

The Power that Entices

Power has become an obsession with young Satanists. It is sought after on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels. According to one former occultist, the greatest lure into the occult is "power" and "knowledge." Not just corporate power but personal power. Likewise, Satanism offers its lure to the youth in our society. Drugs and sex have become the bait that so often ensnare the unsuspecting. With the increase of satanic activity, a profile of those involved in Satanism has emerged.

Music

Music has always been at the center of the youth culture. The problem arises when the lyrics promote barbaric behavior. The Night Stalker, Richard Ramirez of Los Angeles, believed that Satan made him invincible. Police say the style of the brutal rapes and 16 murders Ramirez committed resembled the lyrics of the song "Night Prowler" on AC/DC's LP "Highway to Hell." Along with Ramirez' fascination with AC/DC, he used cocaine and PCP in conjunction with a deep interest in Satan worship.

Rock and roll is turning too often to sex, Satanism, drugs and violence for its major themes and corrupting the values and views of unwary young people. The music that causes the greatest concern is the various types of "metal" music. Metal has been classified into three types. First, is party metal, and it represents the most popular style of music. Groups like Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, and Def Leppard are representative of party metal. They tend to glorify sexuality and the party spirit. The second type is "trash metal" represented by groups like Metallica, Anthrax, and Megadeth. The primary focus of "trash metal" is violence and death. The third type is known as "black metal" and is overtly satanic. The lyrics encourage such activities as incest, necrophilia, rape, torture, and human sacrifice. Black metal is represented by groups like Venom and Slayer. King Diamond is perhaps the most satanic of all "black metal" groups. He openly professes Satan and incorporates a large amount of satanic activity into his performances.

As Christians we should be especially concerned about the lyrics in the music of the youth culture. We cannot afford to allow another generation to become polluted with the immoral themes found in today's music. As parents it is imperative that we maintain open communication lines with our young people. Without open communication it becomes improbable that we can affect the listening habits of our children. Second, we cannot be hypocritical in our personal listening habits. Third, we need to become familiar with the type of music our children listen to and be willing to acknowledge the good and be prepared to positively criticize that which is not appropriate within our household. Last, we as parents need to recognize that if our child is involved in rebellious music, we must attempt to understand what unmet need in his life is being met by his musical diet. Galatians 5:19-21 says that the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery . . . those who practice such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Therefore, it is imperative for us as adults and youth to only listen to and think upon those lyrics that would honor God and His principles.

The Games of Destruction

Satan has used a number of tools over the centuries to ensnare the naive. The Ouija Board has proven to be particularly useful. According to the Dictionary of Mysticism the Ouija Board is "an instrument for communication with the spirits of the dead." The Ouija Board is an open door into the world of the occult and demonic activity. Disembodied spirits speak to the living through the medium of the Ouija Board. The greatest danger of the Ouija Board is that individuals begin to place their trust and future hope in the message the board brings. Other dangerous games or movies include: DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS (fantasy/magic/dangerous quests), Pokemon (short for POCKEt MONster) (magic/violence/murder), Harry Potter (fantasy/witchcraft/wizards), Hellraiser & Hellboy, DIABLO – Playing with the Devil (Computer game with Occult spells, magic and blatant satanic symbols and Game "Magic" that is similar to that of Dungeons and Dragons and Rune Quest. It is a card game, but with strong occult practices embedded in the game. Magic spells, encounters with demons and satanic forces forms the core elements of the game.

As a Christian our only source of revelation regarding future things is to be God's Word. We are to look to Jesus Christ and His teachings to properly understand our problems and seek a solution. Deuteronomy 18 tells us to beware of mediums and those who practice divination. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, . . . and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)

Characteristics that may indicate satanic involvement

• Avoiding family members
• A change in friends
• Becoming secretive about activities
• Loss of interest in extra-curricular activities
• Personality changes
• An unusual interest in books, movies, videos, etc. with an occult theme
• Use of drugs and alcohol
• Lack of attendance of worship with family
• Supernatural powers
• Music interest into heavy metal
• Extraordinary Rebelliousness
• Extreme aggressive outbursts
• Cutting and bruising of self
• Experiencing sleeplessness and nightmares

Individuals are recruited into satanic groups by any number or combination of the following:

• Free drugs and/or sex
• Companionship
• Power
• Money
• Pornography
• Personal choice

It is sometimes very clear when children are involved in the way they live and talk. Many a parent has been completely ignorant of the signs mentioned above and have not realized that their children were actually involved in the occult. What does happen is that most children simply start off by dabbling with the occult. This includes the playing of the well-known "Glasie-glasie". What sometimes starts off as an innocent game ends in complete involvement in Satanism.

Conclusion

Let us not be ignorant any longer. The Word of God is very clear, people that engage in Satanism and related practices will be cut off from God and face eternal torture in hell. The answer to combat Satanism and its effects is through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Only He can set people free (“If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.") John 8:36. God does promise protection for His children according to 2 Thess. 3:3, Ps 91:10-11, Ps 121:7, Luke 10:19, Ps 18:1-2. The time has come to unite as one and fight our enemy as one. Schools and Organizations that need more information or want to arrange a workshop relating to Satanism, the occult, substance abuse or child abuse can contact Famcare Ministries on 011-955 6795/97 or send an e-mail to info@famcareministries.co.za

Research and article content prepared by Pastor Pierre Eksteen

Soldiers of Anarchy

This is an old poem I found of mine which I have written about 3-4 years ago. I'm not much of a poem writer, especially today, but there were a few poems I wrote that were exceptional, IMHO.
I can't entirely remember why I wrote this but I think I saw some things in life that resembles a war between people who care for others and people who only care for themselves.


Soldiers of Anarchy

Soldiers of Anarchy,
how do you expect to claim victory without a leader?
In large groups you gather
to become a chaos feeder.
Believing not in rules, is believing not in gravity
but the earth kept our feet on the ground since the beginning of time.
Interested in your own will
your fellowship in others decline.

Soldier! Who would help you if you're wounded or lost?
Your fellow soldiers are too busy fulfilling their will!
You fight for nothing other than yourself,
so you must spare the cost, still!
Have you not heard that a fellow soldier leaves no man behind,
fighting for a cause other than their own?
But they place themselves above each other,
why would they leave someone wounded, alone?

Wake up there you soldiers!
You fight each other even if you're on the same side!
Total freedom will be your downfall,
you'll drown in your own tide!
But guess who's cheering you on
none other than the dark lord himself!
So I ask you,
will you fight for others, or live for yourself?

777

No don't worry, I am not going to talk about omens, etc. but over something I read in Genesis that really made me astounded. Go to Genesis 4:17-24.
We see that they're talking about Cain giving birth to Enoch, who gave birth to Irad, etc. untill we see Methushael giving birth to Lamech.

Then Lamech had 2 wives and 4 children. Now Lamech made a statement to his wives regarding death and curses where he mentioned that a man who injures him, he will kill and children who hurt him also gets killed and since Cain has the 7x curse for those who kill him over his head, the one who kills Lamech will receive a 77x times curse.
Then in Genesis 5:30 we see Lamech living 777 years!

Hmm... Lamech is the 7th generation from Adam and Eve, he has a family of 7 (in Genesis 4 when it was spoken of), he spoke of a 77x curse and he lived 777 years!
I just need 3 more facts to make him carry a 7 fact of 7s! He he!

I just thoaght it was interresting to share this with you guys but it does somehow make me want to think of when Jesus spoke of forgiving your neighbour 77x7 times! I mean, Lamech did speak of killing those who hurt or wound him!

Treasures in life

I don't know about you but I didn't always think why it was so important for us to gather treasures in Heaven (Mat 6:19-20 Do not lay up treasures on earth for yourselves, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up treasures in Heaven for yourselves, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal).
Sure, Jesus said that it would be worth it but I didn't think that there would be more to it than Heavenly luxuries.

Well, that was before I started exploring the concept of what we should filter out when seeing, hearing and talking. God is going to judge us by every idle word we speak, every act we do, etc. So reading through Matthew 12:35-37, I noticed two words that helped explain a lot... treasure and heart.
Mat 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings out good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings out evil things.
Also, I remembered the verse in Mat 6:21 (For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also) and that just came very clear to me. Jesus doesn't want us to gather treasures solely for Heaven, but sothat our hearts will lie with the treasures that we collect sothat further good actions can spring forth from them. We all know that gathering treasure for Heaven is all about doing good deeds that God the Father approves of.
So Jesus actually wants us to become like treasure hunters so that we would start lining up to God's point of view and become better Christians than before. I mean, Jesus did command us to gather treasure (read top scripture).

I once was part of an conversation that lead to why people find it so "wrong" to gather up treasures for themselves. I started asking them about it and they said that just being in Heaven with Jesus is reward enough for them. Then I realised that they thoaght that gathering up treasures was almost like buying their way into Heaven. I explained to them that Jesus wants us to gather treasure because He wants to give us gifts in Heaven that will promote our lifestyle there and to give Him more praise and worship and that He already gave us the gift of everlasting life, which cannot be baught at any price.
I continued with the explanation Paul gave in 1Co 3:15 (If anyone's work shall be burned up, he shall suffer loss. But he shall be saved, yet so as by fire) that those who accepted Christ as their saviour but never sought to gather treasures for themselves in Heaven (by not building on the foundation of Christ as mentioned in I Corinthians 3:12 with gold, silver, precious stones) will be like poor people in Heaven, who was pulled from the fire with only a few burnt marks after God's judgement. The rest will be rewarded by their works that remained after the fire burnt it.
So it is imperitive that we start gathering treasure for ourselves in Heaven by building on the foundation of Christ with gold, silver, precious stones which cannot be destroyed by the fire of God's judgement. One might ask how we do that. I was taught in Church that doing that which Christ instructed us to do, is the foundation of gathering such treasure. Things such as, forgiving your neighbour 77 x 7 times (in other words infinite!), helping the needy and weak, giving food to the hungry, blessing those who curse you, etc. Its not easy and it would be starteling if it was.

So I hope that you have found my discovery usefull/inspiring/etc and I hope that all of you who read this will gather many treasures for yourselves in Heaven!

Good day and God Bless!

A Prayerfull matter

Hi guys. Any of you subscribed to the Gospel for Asia newsletter?
I got one from them where K.P. Yohannan (Founder & President) updated us in the situation in India regarding the religious prosecution there.


You can read the story here : http://www.gfa.org/gfa/newsupdate080906

I thoaght to bring this up because I believe that we need to pray for those people at least. I mean, they live in areas with very little and they are being prevented of accepting Christ as their saviour! They need our prayer and support. Can you just image that! We just don't know how thankfull we should be at this time.

I sometimes just wonder why I wasn't like brought up in such circumstances. Ok, I'm not saying that I'm living a life of luxury either. I had my share of bad deals in life too but I just wondered why some people have it so much worse than others? Well, all I can conclude right now is sothat I can be thankfull for what I have now and to pray and try to give for those who have less or worse.

Thanks! May God Bless you!

Talking with God...

I dunno about other people but sometimes I wonder what its like having a conversation with God. I mean, there were times when I could hear His voice (not audible) but as a thoaght rushing through my mind but it was merely commands, not conversation.


How did I know it was God telling me what to do through my thoaghts? Don't worry, He made sure I knew it was Him. How about a serious grip on my throaght that made me gasp for breath? Untill I did what He wanted me to do, it remained. After doing what He wanted, the "pain" left. Now, some of you might think that it's not God who would do something like that. Maybe you're right. What if it was some other kind of spiritual thing going on and God was trying to help me pull off those grips around my neck by telling me what to do. I know the Bible tells us that God wouldn't force His will on anyone. But what happened that morning in my church, I don't know.

Mostly when I try to have one with Him, its usually me who's doing all the talking. Sure its good for relieving certain things bound up in me and talking helps release it but so little do I hear God talk to me. I don't know what He is thinking about me right now, or anything like that. It might be that I am just too busy for Him. Yeah, so much projects in so little time. No time to hear God speak. Bad, eh? Yeah I know. But what can one do? I admit that I'm not so disciplined in reading my Bible and praying and that might be the greatest problem I'm facing. That might also be the reason why there isn't a hunger inside of me for Him. I keep feeding my spirit with junk food rather than with words from God's mouth.

Before I get too emotional/depressed ;), I want to say that there were times when God did talk to me. He taught me good lessons through scripture but alas I was too busy and blind to incorporate those lessons in my life. Like the story of when Jesus visited Martha but she was too busy to listen to Him. God talked directly to me there but I was still like a Martha running around worrying about the things I still had to do. But the other lesson God taught me was that I shouldn't be afraid of losing something. What can I loose that He cannot give as new? I realised that as I was reading Malachi 3:8-12. When God was talking to His people He made the promise: "'Bring one-tenth of your income into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,' says the LORD of Armies. 'See if I won't open the windows of heaven for you and flood you with blessings. '"
Thats when I somehow clicked that I don't have to be afraid. I read a passage before (couldn't remember) about why not to fear but that verse above just somehow summed it up for me. Why fear to loose something if God can replace it. If He can open up Heaven when you give a tenth of your life to Him and He says that we shouldn't worry that He will provide, then surely God can provide for me in a way that I don't have to fear loosing something. Sometimes, I'm afraid of loosing my family, my friends, my possetions, etc. But God just showed me that I don't have to worry at all.

I wish I could just drop everything and sit an entire day trying to listen to Him but I believe that through trusting Him and disciplining myself in the basics of Godlyness, I will reap those rewards.

Book of Acts

I was busy rounding up some verses featuring the Holy Spirit, but then the book of Acts caught my attention. I was using e-Sword (http://www.e-sword.net). The whole book was like a novel. I'm sorry to disturb others who already read this many times but with the God's Word translation, I just couldn't put it down. It was an amazing story!

Also the way Jesus spoke to Paul was just amazing than what I've found in the rest of the Bible. "Paul why are you prosecuting me?", "Go to Damascus, I have plans for you there.", "Paul if you don't leave this place, you're going to get killed!" (not direct quotes!).
Some parts reminded me of modern day living. Especially where the people in one village who were members of the occult just suddenly gave up all their books on magic, etc. when Paul visited them and they just opened up spontaneously to what have happened. They even mentioned the price of the amount of books burnt.
When Paul was prosecuted by the Jews for something he didn't do, he was sent to Rome. I could just see the Roman buildings and town squares, even though it wasn't fully described in the Bible.

I don't want to spoil the end of the story but it was exciting and yet disappointing. Read to find out why I say it was exciting, but it was disappointing because I never got to find out his ruling. The book just ended on Acts 28 (I dunno, maybe it was just end of story, or maybe it continued somewhere else in the New Testament, but its provably then in one of the books he wrote to the different tribes).

It showed me something different about Paul, Jesus and Christianity. Christianity can be very exciting and Paul can testify to that, but I know that it can also be very tough and bad, again reference Paul.
One would have thought that Jesus would bite off Paul's head in the beginning of Acts but did the complete opposite. It just shows how Christ has confidence in us and is willing to try and unlock the good things in us to make us better than to throw all the truthful accusations against us and judge us till doomsday comes.

This has brought a greater Love for Christ in me.

Anyone found another book in the Bible that was a hard-to-put-down book? If so, please also specify your Bible translation for the "best effect" ;)

What are we waiting for?

Today I was also whatching the fifth DVD of Dr Kent Hovind's Creation, Evolution and Dinasaur seminar series. I have to say that I like him. He talks to the point and raises a lot of questions, not just directed against evolution but towards making us Christians think.

He tries to encourage us to spread the Gospel and do something with our lives because there is a war going on. If you're not going to be the soldier on the battlefield, you could atleast carry ammunition or attend the sick, as he would say.
I agree. Why are only a handfull of Christians fighting a battle against Satan's entire army? Why are we so content with our little, busy lives that's going to fade away in a few decades at most?
I'm not saying that I'm any better! I am just as guilty but today's seminar series just really opened up something inside me. The end of the world is so near! People want to establish a new world order, just like the Bible said they would and they don't want any Christians or any opposers of evolution in it. People who believe IN evolution don't wanna believe in God because they want to believe that they are their own god.
Those who are interrested, go to www.drdino.com to find out more about this DVD series and about lies that are taught about evolution. You can also mail him with evolution questions or get some resources on his site regarding it. It would really be great to listen to his stuff, even if you think evolution is bolony! You only have something to gain and something to give! Thank God for Dr Hovind.

If you are studying at the university of Johannesburg in South Africa, please drop me a mail and I can arrange a copy of the 7 DVD seminar series. Its not copyrighted so you can also distribute with delight. I want to start to make an investment, and I wanna start with these DVDs, I think that it might help a lot of Christians and non-Christians.

Had to be some kind of miracle

Its a day after I wrote my Forensics exam. Its just amazing! I only had like 3 days to study 16 chapters (well, ok 12 approximately since I had already studied 3 that Monday)! I'm sorta used to cram in a lot of info in a short amount of time but this is just rediculous. But, again... I thank God. You know ... Thursday when I was done with my projects, I decided to rest. Friday, I didn't even finish a chapter and everything was left for Saturday and Sunday.

The bad thing was that everytime I tried to study, my mind would just float off. You know what I mean? Almost the same as though I was praying... Then I realised something. What if I praised God before each study session? I sang a few songs, to get my mind off things and just afterwards I would study verbally. Taking my lecture notes, I would walk accross my room saying stuff aloud to memorise the stuff optimally. My teacher said in Highschool that if you talk, read and listen, you would achieve that optimal state... but none of that would help if your mind isn't there! But it looked like praising God before studying directed my thoughts off everything and helped me to study. I believe thats one way of studying to God's glory!
When I went to write yesterday, I saw the questions and I was so amazed. All the questions but 1 was familiar. They actually asked all the stuff I studied for, and I just about studied all the chapters they said I had to (there was a few not mentioned which were self study chapters but I didn't bother with them). I was like... THANKS GOD!!!
Hope it might help someone else.
But please don't think that I'm going to praise God for my own benefit. I know that praising God is for Him, not for me. But if one can pray for God, can't you study for Him?
Any thoughts, comments?

Praise for Pray

Today I rediscovered the value of praise before praying.
Usually we tend to separate the two. Tradisionally we pray in the mornings when we wake up and at night when we go to sleep and we sing praises at church. Well I'm not saying that everyone does it but it is adopted umongst many Christians.

The problem with prayer sometimes is that one cannot truly focus on God because everytime we do, we have a TODO item popping up in our minds and then we dwell on it only to remember that we are actually praing now but keep getting frustrated because we can't help it.
A few months ago, I remembered our reverent's wife talking on that subject. Satan just loves to steal our time from God and tries to distract us. The only way to get rid of such thoaghts is not to pray it away, think it away or anything like that...
You PRAISE it away. How? By singing and praising God with your mouth litterally.
When you do that, your brain starts to focus on what you say and the thoaghts start to change. The reason why you have to praise God is because He comes in and your brain finds a place to focus at.

I sang songs of praises this morning and it took my mind off my projects, etc. and made me think about God. I could actually pray for almost an hour. Wouldn't you want to be able to speak with God without any distractions?