Saturday, August 27, 2011

The 1 abt ...... lukewarm


Hi guys

“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Rev 3:16

Recently my heart has been so troubled by this term “Lukewarm” , and I have been doing an introspection to test if I am lukewarm or not. As you read this scripture Lukewarm is when you neither hot or cold… This has been a popular trend in our churches people become lukewarm. In one extreme end typically people become lukewarm because they are scared of Hell and scared of being “too much” of a Christian

Lukewarm Christians are those who take Jesus as the “get-out-of-Hell” free card, just need to believe in this guy and I will be safe then I can do anything, on the other hand people become lukewarm due to the lack of discipleship and the lack on feeding on Gods word, just doing your Sunday ritual and will see the bible next Sunday and occasionally when you meet up with other Christian brothers & Sisters who will share a verse or two , or better yet when things go terrible , you can’t wait to be at Christian meeting. Another case of lukewarm would be those Christians who serve God and forget to even build a great relationship with him, I am guilty of that, having been serving in the church for number of years, I often get so focuses on doing the work of the ministry rather than experiencing God through serving him.

Then yet again I read this scripture:

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.  "'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Revelations 3:1

This shook me off my boots, especially the last part "'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” One question that came to mind here is am I concerned about having a reputation of being alive rather than being alive, and I try to balance out the idea of being alive and not being lukewarm.

Here is my heart I believe this is Gods way of say that we need to be either Hot or cold not in between. I think being Hot mean with Jesus and cold is being on the other team (my view). Let’s not trade through life, rather let’s experience the fullness of God. I pray that Rev3:1 is not speaking about you , I pray your faith is allot more than a good reputation but being alive.

Looking forward to hearing your views and comments

Keep well and Stay Blessed
The1abt Team

Saturday, July 23, 2011

When life hurt the most


Hi guys

It’s been a long time coming but, i think God had other plans for this blog. I am going to be talking about something really sensitive topic on allot of people.
Let’s all be honest, life happens and things break our heart and hurt us and we feel like there is no point in moving on.  There are events you look at and wonder if God really cares, it also bring questions like why do bad things happen to good people.
By getting saved allot of people make this assumption that everything will go perfectly, because we are Christians. We need to admit it that life will hurt.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
NIV

1)      Trouble will come

A harsh reality that we need to face is that trouble will come and that is a fact. Jesus does not take away the troubles but he has OVERCOMED them by at CROSS.  Staff will hit the fan. I am not saying we need to be ignorant about troubling staff but we need to know the Christ overcome them all.

I look at Jesus; He was facing the Cross, probably the worst punishment anyone can ever face. He knew that The Cross had to happen, He didn’t blame God for the Cross, He didn’t ask God why Him, But He simply honored the will of God as we read in Luke 22:42(the Message)  "Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?”

2)      Trouble time should not shake our faith

As painful as something’s are, we need to never lose sight of Jesus, recently was told of a story of a Husband and wife; they loved and served God very much. Tragedy happened when one of the children drowned in swimming pool. One of the greatest pain is losing a loved one especially you r child. The husband faithfully on a daily basis worshiped and gave praise to God, the wife soon followed after a couple of months.  When things happen in our live we need to stay close to Jesus as he said in

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Mathew 11:28 (NIV)

Only Jesus can heal our wounded souls. He will comfort those who need comfort (Psalm 147:1, John14:15-17)
3)      God is control of everything
Let’s look at Job, just a brief background; Satan talks God about how Job would curse God if he would remove His hand away from Him

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.tThe Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."
Job1:20-21

As much as Job lost everything he had, he was not shaken because he knew that God is in control of everything. When life hurts the most we need to always remember that God is in control of the situation in the midst of it all. Just remain in the faith, for God is in control. Take Heart

4)       God be Glorified

When life hurts the most, I believe Christ need to be glorified the most. Take the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel 3:8-30, they were in trouble, and but they said showed how God can be Glorified. They told King Nebuchadnezzar that they will not bow down to his statue , and they can be thrown to into the furnace and said that God will save them , even if He does  not save them they will not bow down to the statue. Even if God does not come through in when you are hurting, you will not bow down to any God.

When life hurts the most, I urge you to take heart and let God be glorified. Recently some said to me this “Nothing happens on this earth without God knowing about it”; I strongly believe that God is there when life hurts the most and He said He will comfort you.

Kind Blessings
The 1 abt Team

Saturday, March 12, 2011

The Grape Box Theory

What the hack are you waiting for? Do you really think the concept of 'The One' really exists?  Come on, you guys look good together anyway, besides she's a church girl.Would'nt be wrong, infact nothing could be so right.


Truth indeed, How could I refuse the love of a 'good' girl so freely given, expecting the bear minimum from me, To love back. How could I say no to the kiss of lips so plump and well glossed glowing with a shine that seemed to radiate from something that lay deep beneath the perfect bosom?

Why?It wouldnt be so bad...Really it wouldn't, It would be good, Yes, But would it be necesarily be the best? Whenever the questions rise, Deep in my sleep, I open my eyes,

Take the questions, the scenario and always measure it all up to The Grape Box Theory. The Grape Box Theory is not really a theory but is a story of two men who were sent to find a single box of grapes,Each tailor made for each man.The doors opened..."Come inside.", the loud echoing voice said. Both men walked in on opposite sides of the collosal white room. "As you can see before you, are stacks and stacks of grape boxes. Infact there are over 2 billion boxes." The eyes of both man from oposite ends open wide at the fact.
The voice chuckles, " Don't be shocked, however you two are quite fortunate for the number of boxes, are directly linked to the size of your social pool. Now without wasting any further time.
I want each of you to find the box with your name, specific barcode and special seal made only for you.
Well you do not have to go through all the boxes to find your one.But listen carefully at the advice I am going to give you and listen carefully.

In this very room you will have the opportunity to read through a 10 000 page book, which will take you as long as it takes you to fully mature to finish.In this book you will find all the information you need to find out about your specific barcode, your name and the seal that will mark your specific box.
The sad thing is that your barcode, your seal and name are not in this book, but it will teach you all the names, seals and barcodes that are not for you.What does this mean? It means that you will have to read it from start to finish and only then will you know how your seal, barcode and name will look on the box.
This is the advice, but you can choose to do otherwise." Both men ponder at the information that they have just received and both wrestle with the ideal way of completing the task at hand.
The first guy (Guy A) thinks to himself, "There is absolutulely no way that I can finish a 10 000 page book,
No way that I am going to waste my time doing nothing but read a book. Grapes are all the same, I can open each box, taste the grapes and move on to the next if the grapes do not have that taste tailor made for me."
He sets on his journey and opens the first box...On the other end, Guy B thinks to himself,
"This room is massive, clean and pure. There are too many boxes and all of them look the same, have the same shape, make and colour. Finding my box in this room will be a mission, I might as well,
He touches the first box, and as soon as he had forgotten, He remembers, The Book. Afraid that he had nearly destroyed the order of the well stacked boxes. He quickly grabs the book, opens it and reads.

Page 1...
Guy A opens box 132,
Tired he seems, as his beat up taste buds again try to taste if whether this box could be his.He chews, he swallows and halfway through the box, like all the others, he spits out the grapes in disgust as he realises yet again that this box aint his...As he masters up his resolve and advances further, he looks back and all he can see is a trail of boxes. Some gently opened, missing one or two grapes.Some that look like they where torn apart with little room for patience, with only a few grapes left inside.The white boxes no longer look so white, the grape juice has spilled over on the floor and even to neighbouring boxes that atleast evaded the hands of monster as it passed through the others.

Guy A's side of the room is a mess!

Page 9 999, Guy B reads for the last time as years of publically rediculed labour come to an end.
Page 10 000.
He makes his way swiftly through the room, careful not to mess up with the ordered stacks.He eventually arrives a the other end of the room, to his box.He wipes away the little dust he sees on this little tiny box,

He cleans it of the prints left by another man, who had changed his mind just before he had taken the box, ravaged it and stole its contents.He walks away with that kind of smile in his face, Of a man who gave room to patience, to growth and now has found all the toil worth his while.

Box 200...
With his belly filled with grapes from different boxes and he, always making room for more.Guy A finds himself tiring, he finds himself wishing he could go on longer but his members cannot master any more strength.The voice shouts, "TIME UP!"
He collapses and is carried out in a strecther, stuffed in a coffin, buried and forgotten.Nothing to show for his hard or simple strategy of opening the boxes one at a time to find his.

"NEXT!"
The voice calls...
Two man lie in wait outside the room.The doors open at entrance A,A man stands in shock at the state of the room.The voice responds,"A man just like you came in with the same desire you have, The same goal and wish. But he never listened. This is the result.Now you have to find your box amongst these. If its still intact with all the grapes inside, Favoured you. If ravaged, torn and with grapes missing,You will have to take it,
Tape it together, With care, replace the missing grapes And only then, enjoy it."

Entrance B, the doors open...

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the Grape Box Theory. If there is anything to learn let us learn. If there is anything to see, let us see it. If anything to remember, let us remember that one way or the other we are linked or affected by its truth.
Be Blessed dear friends and let us see the responsibility that has been given unto us to bear and let us be living examples with our own lives, but with Christ ultimately receiving the glory for having lived them in us.

Bulela Vava