Proverbs 17:22, "A happy heart is good medicine" (Amp).We all need to laugh more – we need to have a "happy heart." Throughout the Bible we are encouraged to "rejoice," to "be joyful," and to "be glad;" and you will find over 50 direct references to happiness. Being happy has great benefits. Not only does it strengthen you, it can completely change your attitude and outlook on life. Someone once said, "What everyone wants from life is continuous and genuine happiness." The truth is… If you're happy, you will know it. And if you know it you will show it! Research has shown that laughter actually releases tension, anxiety, anger, fear, shame and guilt. Laughter also increases antibodies and is believed to have a protective capacity against viruses, bacteria and other micro-organisms. Both science and the Bible agree that laughter is like a medicine. Studies have shown that laughter releases endorphins into the body. These substances help relieve pain and create a sense of well being within us. They also reduce stress, enhance circulation, boost the immune system, and strengthen the heart. Like a good massage, a hearty belly laugh can stimulate all the major organs in your body. Some say it's like an internal aerobic exercise!

Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know, recognize, and understand therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, Who keeps covenant and steadfast love and mercy with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations…"Acts 10:38 "How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him."

Last week Pastor Chris spoke on who God says He is and we saw the attributes of God. Following on from that, today I want to look at who God says we are, as revealed in His Word. "Who Am I?" Is a great question that we should ask ourselves? Even Jesus had to discover who he was. Virgin birth. In Luke 2 we read about his birth, how he was presented in the Temple. By v 39 he is 12 years old. Parents and family leave, Jesus stays behind and his parents come looking for him. V46-47 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. Church is a good place to listen and ask questions and find out who you are.

There are aspects of God that remain hidden from our eyes because we are finite beings. God is infinite and we cannot possibly understand everything about Him. However, God does reveal Himself in His own time and in His own way. And strangely enough, God does not reveal Himself to everyone. Probably, the number of people He does not reveal Himself to is far greater than to those He does.So why does God like to remain hidden? Why doesn't He do everything right out in the open for all to see? Someone may say, "I do not believe God is hidden. I believe He does reveal Himself to everyone." Therefore, the first thing to do is prove from the Scriptures that we are all dealing with a hidden God, and then to show that this God does not reveal Himself to everyone.

In order to understand what God reveals about Himself we must allow God to speak for Himself and be who He said He is! Let's stop misrepresenting Him by voicing our own opinions and politically correct views. I am always amazed at how many false statements people make about God - or about what God 'does' or 'thinks'. I can understand non-Christians having an unscriptural concept of the nature and character of the God, as they are ignorant of the Truth. However, there is no excuse for people who call themselves believers to be deluded about Him, or to misquote Him. Sadly many Christians are guilty of this very thing, and they make statements on His behalf that are totally opposite to what God as told us in His Word (in the Bible).

Malachi 3:6 – "I am the Lord God and I do not change!"In order to understand what God reveals about Himself we must allow God to speak for Himself and be who He said He is! Let's stop misrepresenting Him by voicing our own opinions and politically correct views. I am always amazed at how many false statements people make about God - or about what God 'does' or 'thinks'. I can understand non-Christians having an unscriptural concept of the nature and character of the God, as they are ignorant of the Truth. However, there is no excuse for people who call themselves believers to be deluded about Him, or to misquote Him. Sadly many Christians are guilty of this very thing, and they make statements on His behalf that are totally opposite to what God as told us in His Word (in the Bible). In Genesis chapter 1 the Bible clearly teaches us that man was made in God's image, but these days its seems that the God of the Bible is not politically correct enough for our society, so people re-create God to be how they, or others think He should be. We have turned God into a 21st Century icon! But He is the God of ages – the God of all generations! And He is the same yesterday, today and forever more!

Pastor Chris Lodewyk was part of the team that brought about the end of apartied and the forming of the peace process in South Africa and now speaks to government ministers worldwide.

Pastor Chris Lodewyk was part of the team that brought about the end of apartied and the forming of the peace process in South Africa and now speaks to government ministers worldwide.

In Mark 12:29-31 Jesus said that the most important commandment is this… "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." And the second is equally important: "Love your neighbour as yourself." No other commandment is greater than these. Note, the first and second commandments are a package deal. They are inseparable. Jesus calls them first and second but we can't experience one without the other. For years believers have tried to justify a separation. 1 John 4:20 says, "If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?" Our horizontal relationships are an indicator of our vertical relationship. Our vertical relationship with God affects our horizontal relationships with each other. The only way for us to fulfil the greatest command is to get very serious about not only our relationship with God, but also our relationships with each other.

How can you build a life of purpose? You can seek the answer to this question in many places - in self-help books, mentoring programmes, professional advice or even new-age philosophies. But have you ever considered how Jesus would answer this question for you? As the world's most significant person, He can do what no one else can. He can give you peace, purpose and power to change. Imagine for a moment that you're building a house. You hire a building contractor, but he never consults the blueprints drawn up by your architect (the designer). He casually builds without any detailed plan! An unwise move - I'm sure you will agree. Every good contractor needs to know exactly where to lay the foundation, erect the walls, and place the doors and windows. Only then will the home look the way it was intended. Only then will it comply to the planning consent given by the local authority.