Liturgical Prayers for Sunday 14 July 2013.

Liturgical Prayers for Sunday (14 July 2013).

Call to worship:  Matthew 11:28-30

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take the yoke I give you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy to bear and my burden is light.”

Christ calls us to come and find rest in worship,

to find the wisdom that Christ Jesus can teach of life,

to become selfless and generous and

to return to the world and carry his burden, to serve!

Let us worship God.

Prayer of the Confession of sins

Lord God, almighty Creator of heaven and earth.

In your mercy and by your grace, listen to our prayers and grant us your peace!

Lord, we know that we are weaker and more flawed than we want to admit, but in Christ we know that we are more loved and accepted than we ever dared to hope.

Even as we have not loved you or our neighbor with all our heart, you have shown your love for us, in that while we were sinners, Christ, your Son, died for us and took upon himself the condemnation that we deserve.

Enable us to turn away from trusting in our own efforts to increase your love and find forgiveness, and to trust in the perfectly righteous work of our Lord, Jesus, on our behalf, that we may be accepted by you and enter into your beloved family.

As you, Father, raised Christ from the dead by the work of your Spirit, so we ask that you would give us a new life in Christ too, one that will eventually lead to heaven itself.

And as you, Lord, have called us to follow you in a life of committed discipleship in your church, grant that we may do whatever it takes to be one with your people, and to live in the wealth of your Spirit.

Amen.

Prayer of Intercession.

Almighty and ever-living God, who taught us in your Word to pray for, and to give thanks for all people: now we humbly ask that you would, in your mercy, receive our prayers.

Father, always inspire your universal Church with the courage to stand by the truth and inspire us of unity and friendship; and grant that everything we do will glorify your Name and may agree with your holy Word.  Give us through sharing in the faith that your Word is the truth, a life of unity with all your children, where we may share in the love you desire all of us to enjoy.

Righteous God, bring to a fall everyone that causes discord and disharmony in your church and in your mercy and by your grace, save them through repentance and through faith in your Son from your judgment, which you ordained for all who rip your Body apart through pride, selfishness and insubordination of your will and your Word.. 

Dear Lord, lead the nations of our world in the way of righteousness and peace and direct all governments that under them all people, and your holy Church, may be able to live holy and quiet lives.

Bless the president of the Republic and all in authority under him, that they may truly and impartially administer justice, sustain the weak and vulnerable, promote growth and prosperity and punish wickedness, for the sake of your people and for the sake of the peace and safety of our nation. 

Give grace, O heavenly Father, to all who serve your church as office bearers, as elders and stewards, as leaders and servants of the Word, that they may both by their life and their doctrine be an example of the truth of your Word and of the life of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Guide and prosper all who spread your true gospel and enlighten with your Spirit every place of education and learning that our country may be filled with skilled people that can grow to become independent, contributing adults. Above all, grant us teachers that promote the knowledge of your truth that enables fruitful and happy lives.

Dear God and Lord of love, give to this, your Church and our faith community, humble hearts, true révérence and devout obedience when we receive your holy Word today that we may serve you in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives.

Gracious Father, keep and comfort all of your people who are in trouble, who are mourning, in need, who are sick or experience any other difficulties.

Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, who is our only mediator and redeemer, through the work of your Holy Spirit in us and in the world.

Amen.

The Sacraments!

Christ ordained two sacraments namely Baptism and Holy Communion. They respectively succeed the two sacraments in the Old Testament, namely Circumcision and the Passover feast.   

The same Word of God that addresses us verbally through reading the Bible and through preaching and the personal witness of our fellow believers, also comes to us visibly and perceptibly through the sacraments.

The sacraments are much more than just symbols of the Word and even less so, only visual aids to understand the Word better, but visible, material forms of the Word of God itself that in a most personal way apply, confirm and seal the promises of the gospel to the individual Christian. In both baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the Lord comes to speak to us by name to both comfort and challenge us personally to receive his Word and promises and he renews his covenant with us individually to save us and to sustain us as his children.

To all who are willing, no keen, to receive the holy Sacraments with open hearts and minds, Christ comes personally with saving grace in the power of his Spirit.

As the Holy Spirit awakens faith by means of preaching and personal witness to Christ, so by means of the Sacraments the same Spirit confirms our faith, binds us to Christ and through creating a faith relationship with our Lord, establishes the assurance of our faith and our experience that we are God’s children.

The sacraments convey and effect God’s promises to sinners which we accept in faith and through the experience of the grace of God.

Through remembrance the Lord every time “recreates” the moment that faith entered our lives!  As we at the Table stand next to the cross and see his love and come in awe to the open grave to be renewed by his resurrection, his light shines brightly in the reality of our daily lives and encourages us to fully live for our Lord in future.

Lord Jesus, I will remember you!

Like most psalms of lament, the “Hebrew Blues”, Psalm 42 also displays that curious combination of lamenting God's absence in a prayer that is nevertheless addressed to that same God. There is no doubt that this poet feels distant from God. But it's not as though he has concluded that there is no God. No matter how desperate the Bible's hymns of lament get, you never find a psalmist who arrives at some form of agnosticism, much less atheism.

In Psalm 42 the poet is panting in the same way that a deer pants for shade and water as it flees from the hunter on a hot summer day in the semi-deserts of Palestine. But like the deer in flight, so this psalmist cannot rest next to the cool stream of water he needs to save his life.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?     Psalms42:1-2

We have all been there: Prayers with no answers, the loss of enthusiasm in worship, the experience that the Bible seems to be as dry as wood and being offended by people who seem to find it easy to experience God’s closeness and mercy. 

But it is just here where the role of memory is given an unusually high profile. At the lowest point of the believer’s pain, he says something totally unexpected:  "Therefore, I will remember You."

Hope sneaks back into the hymn. There is some confidence that he will again in the future be able to sing to God. The memory of God's past actions of help in his life prompts the poet to declare that there can be no other resting place than God alone. Because of who God is, he will eventually again sing a fitting song of praise.

Remembrance enables him to see God. It brings hope for the present challenges too. A simple act of remembering the grace and mercy of God in his past changes a verse of despair into a statement of faith.  Perhaps the revival of our hope doesn't depend on making sense of the present.  Maybe in life's darkest hours it is our memories of who God is and what he did in our lives sometime ago that will give us a glimpse of his love, again.

Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, at the Passover, instituted a new feast with bread and wine, commanding his people to do this, in remembrance of him.  It is not just our individual memories, not just what God did for you somewhere in the past that will enlighten your faith-vision and in spite of dark depression, will open the eyes of the soul in order to see God again in faith. It is the corporate memory of the Church that reminds of God’s saving grace even in times of depression.

Christians had shared the body and blood of Jesus not only while organs played awe inspiring music, but also while frightening warnings of life threatening tragedies left them afraid, helpless and dying of hunger.

They recalled that cruel event, once and for all accomplished on the cross. And as they did so, they again and again discovered that Jesus is no mere memory of a dead hero.

They saw that he is here and that he is alive! He has mercy on us!

You too are called to remember and, through remembrance, to believe.

Because when we remember Jesus, we are reminded that we will praise him again when his light breaks through our darkness again as it so often did in the past. 

Hope in God restores our joy!

Without hope our lives turn into despair.  But knowing Christ Jesus gives us hope.

We start to hope again when we in faith know Jesus Christ and we receive his peace through the knowledge of his salvation.  When we trust God we become able to experience acceptance, even in the face of disappointment.

This is how we come to know who Christ Jesus really is. And in Jesus we get to know God’s nature and character. In Christ and his work we discover that God is faithful, even from generation to generation.

And in his faithfulness we discover that God loves us. By looking at the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we begin to understand the depth of God's love for us. We also come to an understanding of the Lord’s purpose with our lives – to enjoy his love and to love him too. 

God’s purpose for our lives gives us hope. Knowing God in Christ brings hope to our hearts.  It brings a certainty that my future is secure in Christ. Whatever happens, nothing can change my God given redemption, restoration and destination.

This hope brings joy back into my life. This is why Paul could say in Rom 5:2b that we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Joy and celebration in God are simply part of believing in God through Jesus Christ the Saviour.  The Lord’s restoration of our joy is one of the ways in which we learn a little bit more about how glorious our God is.

We need peace and acceptance that restores our joy.

God's salvation brings peace. God's grace brings faith and acceptance. God's hope brings gladness.

Our God knows us intimately!

Our God knows us intimately!

We know for certain from the Scriptures that God is everywhere and knows everyone.

Ps 139:7-10 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? (8) If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. (9) If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, (10) even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

We never escape the presence of God!  He sees us everywhere and hears us wherever we are.  Whether we sit, stand, or lie down, God knows our actions, appearance, words and ways, our motives, our attitudes and our plans.

As a human, I can give full and perfect attention to only one person at a time. But the infinite mind of God is able to grasp the thoughts of millions, of billions, at once and yet at the same time focus on every one person as if there was no one else but that one person only. His attention given to us is personal and intimate!  God has a window into every person's heart through which he looks.

God knows what mistakes you might make before you decide to do what you plan.

And more importantly, he knows what you need, even before you discerned what it is. 

We can put our trust in God’s presence because we know of his love for us through Jesus our Saviour. We do not flee from the holy presence of God, as his ever present Spirit has been given to us to lead us on his everlasting way of redemption and care.

God’s omnipresence inspired a wise and helpful prayer that the poet of this psalm teaches us to pray every day:  (Psalm 139: 23 and 24)

Search me, o God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Hope in God that finds me, when life is hard.

Lamentations 3: 25   The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him..

This verse in Lamentations 3 is about faith in a God that finds me, when life is hard.  God will reach out to you in the midst of a hard time, because he is a God who seeks and finds. We believe in a finding God. There is no question that when we struggle, we look for God, a God who sometimes feels to be painfully absent.

But not only are we in the business of finding God when life is hard, but also, in the midst of life's pain, we meet a finding God; a God who seeks out and finds the one who is lost, or in need. He is the God  who gave his Son, because he cares. He is our God that triumphed over all our enemies, because he loves us.

God’s message is not so much about our efforts to deal with hardship and the depression that goes with it!  We need to amidst our depression and anxiety be open to be met by the finding, seeking God, revealed in Jesus Christ:

• the God who hears the cries of his people when they hurt;

• the God who is with us in our suffering;

• the God who knows our sorrows;

• the God who entered into this hard life, in Jesus of Nazareth;

• the God who took our suffering on himself and redeemed us from it;

• the God who ensures that we are never alone;

• the God of all comfort;

• the God who gives us strength;

• the God who sustains us when life is hard;

• the God who gives us hope, a hope that will not disappoint.

3: 25   The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

Life is hard. We know this from experience and we know it from Scripture. Yet in this hard life God seeks us and finds us, because he is a finding God.

In Jesus Christ, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning.

Great is your faithfulness, O Lord.

Great is your faithfulness!

Is our church music and singing still biblical and spiritual?

It looks as if the “quality of the performance” of musicians and the worship group in church became more important than anything else in many congregations. 

To me the most worshipful experience still is where you can only see the words to be sung on a screen, (the worship group and band, or organist or pianist, not central, perhaps even behind the congregation). I find it much easier to focus on God, than in those congregations where the musician or the band and singers is the central focus point of the service (taking up a central position liturgically speaking that exceeds the Lord’s Table, the pulpit and the baptismal font in importance.)

Where the worship groups are less prominent, and liturgical symbolism remains in place, you are not distracted by what the members of the team are wearing, how they play the instruments and how they express their own worship through their body language. Where you see less of the performance of the worship leaders, it is easier to see more of Christ.

Our heart's desire must be to lead God’s people to truly worship the Lord with the expectation that as we do this, as we engage in the search for authenticity in worship, we will also become more motivated to surrender our lives to the Lord.

To worship while you engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth (reinforcing biblical teaching through lyrics); to worship out of our very being, our true selves, in adoration (focussing on God, rather on an entertaining performance of the worship group), we should seek God’s presence, also when we sing, through the Word and the Spirit, rather than through the emphasis on style, fashionable trends and performance.

Here are some guidelines to consider:

Through the work of the Holy Spirit, express love for the Father in Jesus Christ;

Pray to be delivered from the distraction of “how well we perform musically” as first priority;

Seek to be humble and sincere in desiring to come into the presence of God and first of all express humility through the choice of music and style;

Test each song in terms of its content with the question: “Is the teaching biblical and Christ centred;

Do not be distracted from the main purpose to worship God by passion for my own preferred music  style, beat, sound, instruments or hymn book;

Mainly try to understand how through practice, style and choice of hymns and songs, we can remain authentic and inspire adoration, and only as an afterthought ask how we can produce the best possible music too.

Pray that God will bless our musicians and those who lead our worshipful singing with a desire for his anointing and to be inspired with true adoration of God in Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Creation groans - and so do us!

In Romans 8: 18 – 27 we learn about three different groans that are characteristic of the current age in which we live. We read that the creation groans to be delivered, that we, Christians, groan too as a result of living in this imperfect world with its pains and death. But then we also hear that the Holy Spirit groans for our sake, in compassion with us, before God.

Rom 8: 18 – 22 tell about the groaning creation.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

All three groans we read about in Romans 8 remind us that we are not home with God, yet!   While we wait for the glory of the new world to come, we are aware of the suffering of creation as a result of a greedy, selfish human race with too little love and respect for the works of the hand of our Creator.

It is as if Creation is sighing and crying before its Maker, to be delivered from man’s heavy hand and selfishness. Creation waits for God’s children to be revealed as caring, respectful and responsible representatives of the Creator, to speak for it and resist its destruction in word and deed.

While our world and all of creation groan and sigh, there is still great beauty left in this world. Call to mind the many wonders of plant and animal life and all the scenic views that take our breath away.

Now, try to imagine how glorious that same sight will be when the curse and consequence of sin is forever removed from our world! Jesus died on the cross for the redemption of sinners and he also redeemed this sin cursed world. On the Day of the Lord the shackles will fall off and all creation will rejoice! One day, we will not only inherit a new heaven, but also a new, delivered and perfect earth!

If we believe this we will, as God’s children, serve, protect and save as many wonders of God’s creation as we can. We will be passionate about God’s great work of art. And as we endeavor to leave the smallest possible footprint of our sinful existence - we will testify that what God will do on the Day of the Lord, will exceed our greatest expectations. We will then also be delivered from our groans as a result of sin, suffering, illness, sadness and death and live in wonderful harmony with everything God has made.

What a perfect and complete salvation we receive! What a glorious inheritance!

What a magnificent Saviour we serve!

The power of the Word of God

The prophet Elijah knew the power of the word that counted – the Word of God. 

Elijah appeared in Israel one day with a message from the Lord for king Ahab and the people of Israel:

(1 Kings 17) "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." 

The power of this Word was clear from the destruction it caused. The Word of the Lord spoken by Elijah in the presence of the king made the crops in the field to die, dried out the earth and caused the streams and springs of Israel to go dry. Poverty and hunger threatened the nation.   Even creation suffered under the drought caused by the Word.  

Israel experienced the power of God's Word, a Word spoken by a prophet of God.  That Word could not be removed from Israel's life. It was more powerful than the words of the king and certainly also more powerful than the prayers of the priests of the false god, Baal.

The dominion of the Word of the Lord had to be impressed upon the minds of God’s people.   God used the drought to show the power of the Word spoken through the servant of his Word, the prophet Elijah.

By announcing the judgment in advance, God showed both the power and the truth of his Word.  As long as the drought continued and the life giving dew did not fall on the land, it reminded the people of the power of the Word of God.

God's Word is powerful.  It shuts the heavens. And at God’s time, it grants life giving rain and dew, through its power, again.  

The drought came because Israel ignored God's Word.  The Word that has the power to redeem, forgive and give life back to the land again, also is the Word of God.

God's Word is a powerful Word. It cannot be resisted.   It must be listened to and it must be obeyed. 

We live in the age when the Word has become flesh, in Jesus Christ, our Lord.  He is the one Word that must be listened to by all who seek life – even eternal life.

If we reject this Word, the Son of God, who came to call us to repentance and to life, it leads to eternal condemnation.

If we listen, obey, love and follow this Word of God, Christ Jesus his Son, his Word has the power to save, to forgive and to bless.  

The Word continues to triumph in our lives and our nations.  The Word cannot be destroyed.  It calls all people to repentance, faith, and obedience.    Let us be guided, moulded, and directed by the Word of God – a Word that has power, a Word that triumphs, a Word that cannot be resisted, a Word that destroys those who reject Christ Jesus and gives life to all who listen and obey. 

You do not have to fall away! The grace of God will preserve you!

You do not have to fall away! 

God's grace of preserving the believers becomes visible in and through the perseverance (continued determination?) of the faithful.  The perseverance of the believers is also called the preservation of the believers.

What is a true Christian? They are those who were called by God, have fellowship / a relationship with Christ, are renewed by the Spirit, and are set free from the reign of sin.

But why does a Christian then needs preservation? Here is an insightful truth that you should not miss:

In this life the believers are not entirely set free from the burden of sin.   We are not perfect yet. We sometimes / often - still do sinful, stupid things!

It is about this struggle that Paul speaks in Romans 7. (Read the chapter!) Paul tells us from the heart about his own difficulties with sin - as a Christian. You have heard these words before:

(Rom 7:15,19) I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (19) For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

It was the custom of ancient conquerors to prevent the escape of their prisoners by tying a dead body to their backs. With such gruesome burdens, these poor captives could not run away. Imagine that: carrying around a dead body, a body of death. 

Paul compares his struggle with sin as a Christian with carrying around a body of death: "Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Paul knows the answer: "Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Rom 7:25).

Believers can be deeply divided persons. Genuine faith and genuine sinful weakness can live side-by-side in us.  It explains why even prominent church members sometimes embarrass themselves, the church and most of all, their Lord!

Christians need the preserving grace of God in their hearts and lives, because in their own strength they would fall away from salvation. The body of death we carry will certainly become too much for us to bear! But God preserves his children. They are not perfect yet. This is why God needs to preserve them in the faith and in salvation or all will be lost and none would be saved. But, by the grace of God we are preserved, therefore we can persevere, in spite of even shameful things that happened!

Can you not carry the body of death anymore?

You are a believer, right? Well, having faith is good. It helps. But it’s not enough.

You need God’s Word and God’s mercy and grace. Someone must help you! And there is help available, thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom 7:25).

Never neglect your relationship with God! Never put Christ on the back-burner!  Never think – I will pray again tomorrow or go to church next week...

You and I desperately need the preserving grace of God.

We need Jesus to help us.  And only Jesus can!

Are we conquering the world for Christ, or are we conquered by ungodly society?

Elijah means "My God is Yahweh" meaning “I serve the LORD, the God of Israel”

In chapters 16 and 17 of the Book of 1 Kings we see the universal scope of the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, the kingdom of God and Christ and the dominion of wickedness. We see this already by looking at what the names of the main human characters in the story stand for throughout Scripture.   

In the Bible the name "Jezebel” is a symbol for what is evil, wicked, and opposed to God. The name "Jezebel" is reserved for those who try to destroy the church and the people of God through idolatry and godless living.

The name "Elijah," by contrast, is a symbol for those who wholeheartedly serve and worship the Lord.   The name "Elijah" means "My God is Yahweh."

Before the reign of King Ahab, Israel was already turning away from their LORD.  But Ahab and Jezebel made matters much worse.  Ahab's reign led Israel to worship Baal and abandon God, the LORD, the God of Israel, of Moses, of David, Solomon and all the other godly leaders of God’s people.

Israel's being radically different than the other nations who did not serve the LORD came to an end under Ahab.  His reign erased the boundaries which the Lord Himself established between his people and the pagan world.

God's election of Israel as heirs of his kingdom made Israel different. To prove this difference Israel was given the Old Testament sacrament of circumcision as the mark of God’s covenant with them. They were given the Ten Commandments as the law of this relationship with God. They were given the Sabbath to create a rhythm of work, rest and worship which no other nation knew or celebrated. These, and everything that was their way of life, clearly and visibly established Israel as being God's holy people: the people he loved, cared for, protected, defended and blessed.

King Ahab's sin of replacing the LORD with idols as Israel’s state religion finally broke down the wall of separation between Israel and the nations.  The walls were broken down because the world entered and conquered Israel with its wicked ways. As a consequence, Israel was no longer as a nation God's people that are radically different from the pagan world.

Like Israel, the church is called to be God's holy and different people. In baptism we have received the mark of God and in Christ and are called to be radically unlike unbelieving society.

But are we? Are the walls between the Church and non-Christian society broken down because we triumphantly enter the world with the message of the Gospel of Christ? Or, are they broken down because the world has entered the church and conquered us with its evil ways?

Are we conquering the world or is the world conquering us, when Christians make a habit of living in no different way than the unbelieving world? Are we conquering the world for Christ, or is the world conquering the Church?

As Christians we believe that Sunday is to be a day set aside, a day of worship. It is a sign of being part of the faith community rooted in the resurrection of Jesus our Lord. But these days any excuse is good enough to, like the world, claim the day of the Lord for our own plans, agenda’s and pleasure. 

Are we conquering the world or is the world conquering us?

Do our marriages, our families, the way we run our finances, the way we work and play and live still show clearly that we are of the Household of God, and of the people of the Lord, or do we look exactly the same as everyone else?

Are we of the Kingdom of Ahab, or of the Kingdom of the Messiah of the God of Israel, even Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

Are the walls between us and the world broken down because we triumphantly enter the world with the message of the Gospel of Christ? Or, are they broken down because the world has entered us, trying to conquer the Church with its evil, ungodly ways?

The dangers of being ungrateful.

The dangers of being ungrateful.

Paul and Barnabas were preaching the Good News of Christ in the city of Lystra. In their audience was "a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked" (Acts 14: 8). Paul was used by our Lord to heal this man.

The crowds were excited and surprised by this miracle. They proclaimed Paul and Barnabas to be the Greek gods Hermes and Zeus – for who but the gods could do such a wondrous thing as heal a man lame since birth, they thought!

How many times do we, like the people of Lystra, thank the wrong person? We do that every time we give any man, including ourselves, credit instead of thanking God for his blessings.

Paul then states that the healing of the lame man points to the only living God. He tells the crowd that the healing of the lame man is only one testimony among many to the one and only true God. The healing of the lame man, just as the making of the vast Creation (Act 14:15) – as well as the revelation of Jesus Christ, point to God only. When the people of Lystra heard the Gospel and saw the healing of the lame man and saw God’s works in the vast Creation, they should have "turned to the living God" with gratefulness and in faith. (vs 15 - 18).

God is good. He does only good. We never have to fear that God will forget to provide in the smallest detail of our lives. What we must fear is that our pride and selfishness might get in God’s way. What we must fear is that we do not give ourselves back to God in gratefulness and love, when we see his mercies and wonders.

The result of this always is ungrateful thanklessness and not giving glory and sacrificial love to the Lord who provides, leading to turning away from the only God who provides. 

And leading to missing out on God’s abundant provision. 

Do not be afraid, says the Lord!

1 Kings 17:  13  -  “Do not be afraid."

So more than one angel in Scripture said when they encountered people, because the presence of an angel must be a terrifying experience for mere humans like us.

“Do not be afraid.” So also said Elijah, a messenger of God, well known for his doom announcements. Indeed, Elijah’s message to the sinful leaders of Israel was usually the opposite of what he said that day to a poor widow. He was known to say to these leaders: “Be afraid! Be very afraid!”  Ahab the King, in the next chapter, did not call him, “you troubler of Israel” for nothing.

So it is surprising that when Elijah said, “Do not be afraid,”  it was not to the Israelites  suffering from a drought that he prophesied, but to an unnamed widow of Zarephath who was not from the people of God!

Easy for you to say, she might have thought. You are not the one preparing to cook one last meal for yourself and your son before you die. You are not the one who has watched your beloved little boy slowly grow thinner.  Drought and famine have no mercy.

The widow of Zarephath spoke of the fear that is the result of scarcity.  Yet the prophet of God spoke of abundance.   And he did this because he took the Word of God seriously -

“Do not be afraid … For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth” (17:13, 14).

Elijah spoke a word of promise, a word of abundance, because God promised that abundance to him, to the widow and to her little boy:  “There is enough, more than enough.”

The word of God freed the widow from her fear and enabled her to step out in faith, trusting the God of Israel who sent his Word to her.

Out of faith the widow submitted. And God did not let her down. She was miraculously fed. Every day the widow saw the power of God at work in her home.  The miracle was a sign that the Almighty God was present in the widow's home with his protecting hand. Every day that she was fed was proof of a divine protection that went beyond all human power.  The widow was secure in the shadow of the Almighty and in the Word of his promise.

Given to us in the power of the risen Christ – receive the Word of God today:

Do not be afraid. God has enough, more than enough, to free you from your fears and provide for all your needs.

He has more than enough love, grace and power!

Take him on his Word today:  Do not be afraid! 

Meeting Christ at his Supper: a celebration of love.

The Lord’s Supper has been instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ.

He is our host and nobody should deliberately and knowingly stay away, nor choose other things before the Table where our Lord Jesus Christ expects us, according to his holy will, example, and command.

But God will certainly receive in grace at his table, all who also believe the sure promise of God, that all our sins are forgiven, only for the sake of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ and that the perfect righteousness of Christ is freely given to us as our own, as if we, ourselves, had fulfilled all righteousness.

We do not have perfect faith and we do not serve God with such zeal as he requires and we daily have to challenge the weakness of our faith and the evil desires which is part of being a human being. And yet, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, we are heartily sorry for these shortcomings and desire to fight against our unbelief and to live according to the will of God. Therefore we may be fully assured that no sin or weakness which still remains in us against our will can prevent us from being received by God in grace and from being made worthy partakers of his heavenly food and drink.

By his precious sufferings and his victorious resurrection he saved us and gave us the right to be called children of God. And as such, made us worthy partakers of his Supper.

May we fulfil Christ’s expectation to Supper with him with honour and with love.

What happens is this: God's wonderful, tremendous, awesome love flows into us and out of us. This love that God gives to us, we utterly want to give to others. It is a love that is willing to sacrifice for the good of others. Lets celebrate, then, God's love for us at his Table. And, in doing so, let us also celebrate our love for one another.

What love. What tremendous, awesome love!

The healing power of God the Holy Spirit!

On the Day of Pentecost the power of God turned despairing pessimists into dynamic disciples. They received the Holy Spirit to be equipped with healing power – the power of the risen Christ.

Did they receive power for their own sake and benefit only? No! They received the power of God the Spirit to strengthen them to be powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ in a society that is spiritually broken and to minister to people caught up in tragedy, sharing the transforming power of the risen Christ with them.

The power of the Holy Spirit is given to heal the world after we have been healed. It’s about caring for people in order to transform their lives and heal their hurt.

Things are not always what they seem. The down-and-out and the up-and-coming have two things in common:  They are both human and they both have experienced needs throughout their lives that still hurt deeply in some or other way.  In both our homes and our faith communities are people who hurt, because they have unmet needs. Many of us could share our own story of human tragedy, and every one of us needs a touch from God.

In Acts 3: 2 – 10 we clearly see the powerful Word of the healing power of the Holy Spirit:

Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.... Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.  When all the people saw him... they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

This passage is an inspiring example of the power of God given to heal through Christian ministry. This man was healed physically, and it turned his life’s tragedy into experiencing great joy. The message of this passage is clearly not limited to physical healing only. It deals with human healing on every level. This man was now walking and jumping and praising God!

I pray that this story will inspire us to touch hurting people with God’s power to heal!

And that it will touch you that you too may receive God’s perfect joy today!

For Trinity Sunday, a prayer of John Knox

For Trinity Sunday, a prayer of John Knox in contemporary English.

We give honour and praise to you, LORD God Almighty, most dear Father in heaven, for all your mercies and loving-kindness showed to us, in that it has pleased you in your gracious goodness to choose us to be saved before the beginning of the world.

We thank you LORD for creating us, for redeeming us with the precious blood of your Son, when we were lost; and making us holy through the work of your Holy Spirit as we grow in the knowledge of your Word. We thank you for helping and strengthening us in all our needs,  for saving us from all dangers of body and soul; for comforting us in all our tribulations and for sparing us so long, and granting us so much time of repentance.

And now we pray, for the sake of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to grant us always your Holy Spirit. May we through your Spirit continually grow in gratefulness towards you, be led into all truth, and be comforted in all our hardships.

Holy Trinity, today we pray for….

O LORD, strengthen our faith; that it will grow in passion and love towards you, our LORD, and our neighbours.  Let us not, heavenly Father,  receive your Word in vain; but grant us always the assistance of your grace and of the Holy Spirit, that in heart, word, and deed, we may bless your Name and worship you, the one and only true God.

Help us to increase and enhance your kingdom; that wherever you send, we may be content with your will. Let us not lack the ability— O Father! — without which we cannot serve you; but bless all the works of our hands, that we may be able to honour you and be helpful to others.

Let your mighty hand and outstretched arm, O LORD, be our defence; let your mercy and kindness in Jesus Christ, your Son, be our salvation. Let your grace and Holy Spirit be our comfort and consolation, unto the end and in the end.

O LORD, grow our faith, teach us your Word and grant us your peace.  

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The mystery of the Holy Trinity: God-in-relationship.

The mystery of the Holy Trinity: God-in-relationship.

Trinity Sunday is observed on 26 May 2013.

Our confession of the Holy Trinity is not about asking a mathematical question about how 3 can be one and one can be 3. Because it is a divine mystery.

No, the Holy Trinity has been revealed to show us the essence of the character of God!  Once we are aware of this mystery, it should bring us to worship, to being in awe of our God and to heartfelt reverence!

At the centre of God’s character is that he is a relational God. The essence of God is that he, from all eternity, exists as God in the relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God – the one and only true God.

The Holy Trinity, meaning in essence God-in-relationship, desires us to share in the Lord’s inner peace, harmony and fellowship.

The Father created us for this purpose

 and the Son came to recreate for us this harmony, by giving his life to take away the sin that stands between us and God.

The Holy Spirit was sent to live in us to grant us faith and power in order to have a relationship with the Father through our relationship with the Son.

Amazing love! We are invited into the holiest place, into the peace, harmony and love of God-in-relationship and as such share in the glory of his joy and gladness.

Does Pentecost 2013 matter?

What difference does it make today that the first Christians were baptized by the Holy Spirit with tongues  of fire, 2000 years ago, on the Jewish festival of Pentecost? Should we spend a Sunday celebrating the outpouring of the Spirit on the Church on 19 May 2013?

Pentecost matters, because a complete ministry of the Church was guaranteed by the indwelling Spirit, on Pentecost.

On that Jewish festival of Pentecost, 10 days after the Ascension of Jesus, the Holy Spirit empowered the first disciples and formed them into the Church of Christ, and God’s Church is still central to God’s work in the world. They proclaimed God’s Good News in many languages on Pentecost day to demonstrate that there would be no doubt in anybody’s mind that the Church, which is an instrument in God’s hand, in its purest form is culturally inclusive. The Church includes people from every language and people.  

Pentecost guarantees a complete ministry by all God’s children – by men and women alike.

On Pentecost Peter preached a sermon to also help the people understand that the Holy Spirit was given to all who turned from their sin and turned to God through Jesus (Acts 2:38). The “text” of his sermon was Joel 2: 28 – 29: ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream  dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants –men and women alike– and they will prophesy.”

The first Christian Pentecost Sunday was a turning point in God’s work on earth. God began to do what he had promised through many centuries and generations, that all God’s children will be equally involved in his complete, comprehensive ministry in this world.

I am therefore challenged with the question whether I am exercising the gifts of the Spirit in my life. Do I serve God wholeheartedly according to his purpose for my life and according to the gifts the Lord gave me through his Spirit? Is this Pentecost Sunday celebrations perhaps the time to renew my commitment to fulfilling my unique role in the ministry of God’s people in the world? 

Ascension Day 2013

Ascension Day 2013. 

People in authority must have thought that this Christian celebration is not important to Christians in South Africa and the result is that it is not a public holiday anymore! 

May this political decision not keep us from fellowship and worship on this glorious day!

Because without the Ascension of Christ, the Gospel is incomplete.

And we do not need the state’s permission to glorify our exalted Lord.

On Ascension Day, 9 May 2013, we remember the enthronement of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God and Christ our Saviour - enthroned in heaven as the King of kings and the Lord of lords  -  and that to him has been given all authority in heaven and earth.  He is worthy to open the scroll, the plan of salvation, and make it happen all over the world.  He is worthy of our love and praise.

So, it is a very important day to all Christians.  The future of God‘s work and his Church is at stake  -  for only by the power of Christ that rose from the dead, and rose to heaven, do we have a future, do we have hope and can we have faith.

The church meets on this day first of all for the sake of God - for his glory, his honour and the wellbeing of his work and Kingdom. That we may worship him who gave his Son the power to rule and reign for our benefit and salvation, to lead his Church amidst danger, temptation and challenge, to intercede for us and prepare for us an eternal home with his Father.

Yet we also meet for each other’s sake.

The least we can do is to encourage one another to serve the living Lord.  The least we can do for each other is to show our love by being one in worship, in obedience and in labouring for our Lord.

For there is no King without a people. There is no people without all that follow Christ worshiping, praising and exalting him in fellowship with each other, seeking to glorify his Name as we work for the coming of his Kingdom in the lives of people, of communities, of nations – to the ends of he earth.

Let’s pray that all God’s people will on Ascensions Day, and always, testify of the enthroned, almighty, exalted Christ that the world may know he is alive and he is Lord of all and that we found redemption and unity in him!

Lord Jesus, only you are worthy!

We celebrate you, because we love you.

The Bible

The Bible

The Bible is God’s Holy Spirit inspired message to us.

The Bible reveals to us who God is, what his character is, what he expects from us.

The Bible reveals to us who we are - sinners in dire need of redemption.

The Bible reveals to us God’s unique salvation plan in Christ, through his cross and resurrection.

The Bible reveals God’s will for our lives and our worship and the Holy Spirit speaks through the Bible to change us, to grant us faith and to inspire us to serve the Lord.

Without the Bible we would have had no knowledge of God and of his redemption offer in Christ.

Without the Bible we cannot preach the Gospel and cannot have a personal testimony of salvation.

Without the Bible there would be no preaching, teaching or pastoring in the Church of Christ in the world.

The Bible is God’s final, highest and complete authority on all matters of life and faith.

Let’s celebrate God’s Word in the Bible with joy and thanksgiving!

Let’s make sure that everyone owns a Bible and pray for the Spirit’s work through God’s Word in the Holy Scriptures.

Changed by God’s goodness and grace to make a difference for Him. .

Remember the words of Jesus when he used financial investment as an example of our calling to make the most of what God invested in our lives, in the parable about the 10 servants who each received a mina, an amount of money, to invest for their master. Some earned 10 and 5 minas more. One man kept it laid away in a cloth. The master’s investment did not earn any interest in his case.

About this man, Jesus said: (Luke 19: 26) "'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away”.

In this parable a servant is punished, because he did nothing with the treasure he was given.

This servant represents the people who have received the gospel message and God’s blessings and it has not changed them even one little bit!

And they have not shared God’s investment in their lives with others and did not use their blessings to expand the Kingdom of God.  Their shareholding in God’s work remains small and vulnerable and when the day of judgement comes, they will not hear the Master’s word of welcome and approval. For those who earned Christ no interest on his investment in their lives, the judgement day is a daunting prospect.

But to those who made the most of God’s investment in their lives, will also be given the share of the unfaithful servants – a multiplied share of joy and even eternal glory.  Those who truly work with the Big Entrepreneur of the Kingdom of God, those who use their given salvation, spiritual gifts, church membership, Bible knowledge, access to God’s throne in prayer and ability to give, to advance the Kingdom of Christ, will certainly hear the Master say:  Well done good and faithful servant.  They have been changed into godly entrepreneurs by God’s work of grace.

Christ has invested his life, his death, his blood, his power and his Spirit in you!

What interest has he received through your life, your service and your witness?

Be blessed when you are changed by God’s goodness and grace into someone who is making the most of every opportunity given to you in Christ’s cause on earth.  When the last day comes, you will remain standing, be given Christ’s glory and even be given the eternal blessings of those who did nothing with their invitation to serve the King of all!

Easter-tide: We must obey God rather than human beings

We must obey God rather than human beings:  Acts 5: 29 – 31.

After refusing to obey the orders of the Jerusalem authorities to keep quiet about Christ and his resurrection, Peter and the apostles found themselves on the defence in a courtroom.   Peter was reminded:  “Did we not tell you to keep quiet about Jesus?

Peter’s response is:  “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Act 5:  29).  What he was saying was that they were doing ministry given to them by God.  On the other hand the religion of the high priest was in fact fighting against God and was illegitimate! 

Peter’s statement in Acts 5 verses 30-31 brings the Kingship of Jesus and his crucifixion together, highlighting the calling to submit to Jesus as “Lord”:

³⁰The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.

³¹God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. ³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The death of Jesus is overturned by God’s rising of Jesus. Jesus’ death is not the final word, but the pathway into a new life of repentance and renewal. The resurrection gives permission and licence to the Apostles to preach the gospel.

The cross leads to the absolute Lordship of Jesus that came as a result of his resurrection and it defines the character of his kingdom.

The rhetoric of obeying God rather than humans highlights that ceasing from the proclamation of Jesus would be submitting to the selfish power hungry and greedy lifestyles of the unbelieving world.

Jesus’ resurrection says there is something better than self-indulgence.

It only is the Risen Christ that leads to repentance and to forgiveness.

We either live by the rules and values of the world - or by faith in the resurrected Christ!

Obeying the rules and values of the unbelieving society results in sharing in their judgment as offenders against God.  It is to obey God that gives ultimate victory. That gives daily victory!

New portal for protestant ministers / pastors who value the reformation heritage!

Have look at this new portal for protestant ministers / pastors who value the reformation heritage!

You are welcome to list your congregation's, or a mission's or project's website!

Want to publish your article, sermon outline or devotion on this site:  Let us know!

On the website go to the "Contact" facility and send your request or contribution!

God bless you in his service!

http://www.pastoral.co.za/

Easter lasts more than a day.

Easter lasts more than a day.

We celebrated Easter on Easter Sunday on 31 March 2013.

But all Christian worship testifies to the resurrection of Christ. Jesus rose on the first day of the week. And we worship on the first day of every week, Sundays, to say to the world that we serve a risen Saviour. Sunday worship speaks on every Sunday of the significance of the resurrection to every Christian and all of humanity.

But because the resurrection of Jesus is the pinnacle of our faith, we also have 50 days, until Ascension Day and Pentecost Sunday that we call Eastertide – a Season of focused learning about the impact and implications on our lives when we say that we serve a risen Saviour. Not to mention the eternal impact!

Fifty days of Easter? What would we do for 50 days? Surely we so not suggest fifty consecutive Easter egg hunts, or duplicating Easter Sunday fifty times over in Church. No, it’s taking time to reflect upon and delight in the truth of serving a living Lord.

The basic truth of Easter is simple: Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Therefore the implications of the resurrection are more than we can learn about during a 20 minute sermon on Easter Sunday! So we need the 50 days of Eastertide to reflect deeply on the many-sided meaning of our Lord’s resurrection.

Here are some themes to think, learn and pray about during Eastertide:

•You can meditate upon what the resurrection says about who Jesus Christ really is – the all powerful and righteous Son of God - (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:25-28).

• You may try to find the meaning of the truth that “our death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54-56).

• You should ask what does it mean that the power and might of the risen Jesus is available to Christians today (Ephesians 1:15-23).

• You will have to think of how the resurrection of Jesus assures of our own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15).

Eastertide allows us to think deeply and to pray diligently about what the resurrection of Jesus means to me personally, to us as God’s people, and to the whole world.

Let’s celebrate and learn with energy and focus!

And learn to live the resurrection life.