Jesus used financial investment as an example of making the most of what God invested in our lives. In the parable about the 10 servants, each received one 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”.
The servant who did nothing with the investment he was a steward of, represents people who have received the gospel message and God’s blessings, yet it has not changed them even one little bit! Therefore 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 insignificant.
But to those who made the most of God’s investment in their lives, who truly work with the Great Entrepreneur of the Kingdom of God, who use their given salvation, spiritual gifts, church membership, increasing Bible knowledge, access to God’s throne in prayer and ability to give, to advance the Kingdom of Christ, will hear the Master say: “Well done good and faithful servant.” By God’s grace, they have been changed into the godly entrepreneurs Christ needs for his work to be done!
Jesus Christ has invested his life, his death, his blood, his power, his Word and his Spirit in you!
What interest has he received through your life, your service and your witness?
Monday, August 15, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Seeking God Part 2
Psalm 27: 4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
“This is what I seek!” David says in Psalm 27. And we all are in pursuit of happiness in the Lord.
But what should be the focus of our search? It should be the same thing David was seeking: fellowship with God. Above all else, David knew that he could find strength and fullness of joy in God’s presence.
From the context of Psalm 27 we understand that David had been facing difficult challenges. There were enemies who were against him, made war against him and fought him constantly. You might say that David was under a lot of stress. Yet in the midst of this, he knew where to turn. He knew that in God’s presence, he would find the spiritual resilience to face every possible test.
It is only in God’s presence where we find refreshing water for our spiritual and emotional thirst and nourishment for our souls. We cannot fulfil this desire in any other way, even if we try! We need to seek God, because it is only fellowship with him that we will have our need for rest and spiritual fulfilment met. As we wait upon the Lord, enjoying fellowship with him, he promises us that he will renew our strength.
There is nothing as satisfying as true and earnest fellowship with Jesus Christ. As we seek him in prayer, through his Word, and through our living by faith every day, we receive an authentic inner strength through the assurance that he loves us and that he is there for us. Through fellowship we come to an understanding that his promises are real, and that he will never leave or forsake us. We come to know him as our Friend.
Never stall your seeking of Christ, that is your fellowship with him. If you lack power, peace and joy: pause to consider your fellowship with Jesus. Are you passionate about being with him? Do you desire to know him better every day? The focus of our search for God is fellowship with Jesus Christ.
And as fellowship with God in Christ is the focus of our search, so fellowship with God in Christ also will be the fruit of our search.
“This is what I seek!” David says in Psalm 27. And we all are in pursuit of happiness in the Lord.
But what should be the focus of our search? It should be the same thing David was seeking: fellowship with God. Above all else, David knew that he could find strength and fullness of joy in God’s presence.
From the context of Psalm 27 we understand that David had been facing difficult challenges. There were enemies who were against him, made war against him and fought him constantly. You might say that David was under a lot of stress. Yet in the midst of this, he knew where to turn. He knew that in God’s presence, he would find the spiritual resilience to face every possible test.
It is only in God’s presence where we find refreshing water for our spiritual and emotional thirst and nourishment for our souls. We cannot fulfil this desire in any other way, even if we try! We need to seek God, because it is only fellowship with him that we will have our need for rest and spiritual fulfilment met. As we wait upon the Lord, enjoying fellowship with him, he promises us that he will renew our strength.
There is nothing as satisfying as true and earnest fellowship with Jesus Christ. As we seek him in prayer, through his Word, and through our living by faith every day, we receive an authentic inner strength through the assurance that he loves us and that he is there for us. Through fellowship we come to an understanding that his promises are real, and that he will never leave or forsake us. We come to know him as our Friend.
Never stall your seeking of Christ, that is your fellowship with him. If you lack power, peace and joy: pause to consider your fellowship with Jesus. Are you passionate about being with him? Do you desire to know him better every day? The focus of our search for God is fellowship with Jesus Christ.
And as fellowship with God in Christ is the focus of our search, so fellowship with God in Christ also will be the fruit of our search.
Monday, August 8, 2011
God delights in godly sorrow.
2 Corinthians 7: 10: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
What is "godly sorrow"? Firstly, it is sorrow that glorifies God. (2 Cor 7:9). It is sorrow that God delights in. It is sorrow that is good for the soul.
The opposite of "godly sorrow" is not the absence of sorrow, but what Paul calls "worldly sorrow." The powers of darkness in this world are crafty and sly and try to imitate the real thing. Worldly sorrow often imitates godly sorrow, but when it is scrutinized, you realize it is not the same.
Worldly sorrow is when you feel sorry for something you did, because it backfires on you and leads to humiliation or punishment. It is the reflex of a proud and arrogant heart and the reaction of a fearful, uncertain ego. Fear regrets actions that jeopardize comfort, safety and popularity. The focus of worldly sorrow is oneself! Feeling sorry for something we have done is therefore not in itself a sign of virtue.
Godly sorrow, on the other hand, is the reflex of a soul that has wounded God's heart, a sorrow that grieves that God's Name has come into disrepute. The focus of "godly sorrow", is God.
Worldly sorrow is the result of an attitude that despairs when it loses the praise of people. Worldly sorrow often leads to deep and dark depression, to distrust, anger, dissension, conflict and even war. This is why Paul says that worldly sorrow brings death.
Godly sorrow, on the other hand, is the result of God's Word touching our lives.
Godly sorrow is the guilt you feel when the Word of God shows you that you are a sinner and you have dishonoured the Name of God. Godly sorrow is the sorrow of a God-directed heart, not a world-directed heart. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, new beginnings and salvation.
It leaves no regret. It brings life and rejoices in Truth.
What is "godly sorrow"? Firstly, it is sorrow that glorifies God. (2 Cor 7:9). It is sorrow that God delights in. It is sorrow that is good for the soul.
The opposite of "godly sorrow" is not the absence of sorrow, but what Paul calls "worldly sorrow." The powers of darkness in this world are crafty and sly and try to imitate the real thing. Worldly sorrow often imitates godly sorrow, but when it is scrutinized, you realize it is not the same.
Worldly sorrow is when you feel sorry for something you did, because it backfires on you and leads to humiliation or punishment. It is the reflex of a proud and arrogant heart and the reaction of a fearful, uncertain ego. Fear regrets actions that jeopardize comfort, safety and popularity. The focus of worldly sorrow is oneself! Feeling sorry for something we have done is therefore not in itself a sign of virtue.
Godly sorrow, on the other hand, is the reflex of a soul that has wounded God's heart, a sorrow that grieves that God's Name has come into disrepute. The focus of "godly sorrow", is God.
Worldly sorrow is the result of an attitude that despairs when it loses the praise of people. Worldly sorrow often leads to deep and dark depression, to distrust, anger, dissension, conflict and even war. This is why Paul says that worldly sorrow brings death.
Godly sorrow, on the other hand, is the result of God's Word touching our lives.
Godly sorrow is the guilt you feel when the Word of God shows you that you are a sinner and you have dishonoured the Name of God. Godly sorrow is the sorrow of a God-directed heart, not a world-directed heart. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, new beginnings and salvation.
It leaves no regret. It brings life and rejoices in Truth.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Seeking God Part 1
Psalm 27: 4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
“This is what I seek!” David says in Psalm 27.
We all have desires. We are all seekers. We have goals. We are in pursuit of happiness.
At work we have strategies, milestones, targets, assessments.
In the church we are told that we have to be purpose driven. And we are all hopeful that those dreams may one day come true.
But are the things which we seek, worth looking for? Some of them may not be according to God’s wisdom. Some of the things we seek with so much energy, may even hurt us, were we to successfully obtain them.
So we must carefully evaluate what we seek and why we have such a strong desire to own something or accomplish our goal. Part of the evaluation is the important question: “Why do I seek these things?’
All of us are involved in the living of life. All of us “want a life!” But in seeking what we believe will give us a life to enjoy, everything does not always work out the way we wished or desired. The road of seeking a life is not always smooth – it often has potholes, risks and dangers. As we grow wiser and learn a few lessons in life, we find that some things which we thought were essential, no longer seem significant anymore. We experienced that not all that glitters, is gold and that something that looked exciting and promising at first, became a source of sadness, disappointment and hurt later on.
Everywhere people are hurting and are seeking for solutions. They are seeking “a life”. Yet, what the world promise will make us at ease and will guarantee fulfilment, are often only substitutes of the real thing. And we need to find the real thing! We need to find what satisfies. We need to pursue true life and real happiness.
David was a man weighed down by his life’s challenges. Yes, he enjoyed a lot of success. Yes, he became the mightiest king in the world! But still his life was not without problems. David had personal problems, he had marriage problems, he had children problems, and he had to deal with issues of state.
More than once there were enemies seeking an opportunity to kill him – and one of these enemies was his beloved son. David struggled with serious concerns.
But David knew what was important to seek. And in Psalm 27 the poet in King David reveals what we need to seek when challenged with issues and riddles. David found a desire that would wisely direct his search and prioritise his priorities: “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”
What should be the focal point of our search? It should be the same thing David was seeking: communion with God. Above all else, David desired to be in the presence of God. He knew that he could find strength in his presence. He knew that "in God’s presence there is fullness of joy."
(Next week – a more practical Part 2).
all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
“This is what I seek!” David says in Psalm 27.
We all have desires. We are all seekers. We have goals. We are in pursuit of happiness.
At work we have strategies, milestones, targets, assessments.
In the church we are told that we have to be purpose driven. And we are all hopeful that those dreams may one day come true.
But are the things which we seek, worth looking for? Some of them may not be according to God’s wisdom. Some of the things we seek with so much energy, may even hurt us, were we to successfully obtain them.
So we must carefully evaluate what we seek and why we have such a strong desire to own something or accomplish our goal. Part of the evaluation is the important question: “Why do I seek these things?’
All of us are involved in the living of life. All of us “want a life!” But in seeking what we believe will give us a life to enjoy, everything does not always work out the way we wished or desired. The road of seeking a life is not always smooth – it often has potholes, risks and dangers. As we grow wiser and learn a few lessons in life, we find that some things which we thought were essential, no longer seem significant anymore. We experienced that not all that glitters, is gold and that something that looked exciting and promising at first, became a source of sadness, disappointment and hurt later on.
Everywhere people are hurting and are seeking for solutions. They are seeking “a life”. Yet, what the world promise will make us at ease and will guarantee fulfilment, are often only substitutes of the real thing. And we need to find the real thing! We need to find what satisfies. We need to pursue true life and real happiness.
David was a man weighed down by his life’s challenges. Yes, he enjoyed a lot of success. Yes, he became the mightiest king in the world! But still his life was not without problems. David had personal problems, he had marriage problems, he had children problems, and he had to deal with issues of state.
More than once there were enemies seeking an opportunity to kill him – and one of these enemies was his beloved son. David struggled with serious concerns.
But David knew what was important to seek. And in Psalm 27 the poet in King David reveals what we need to seek when challenged with issues and riddles. David found a desire that would wisely direct his search and prioritise his priorities: “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”
What should be the focal point of our search? It should be the same thing David was seeking: communion with God. Above all else, David desired to be in the presence of God. He knew that he could find strength in his presence. He knew that "in God’s presence there is fullness of joy."
(Next week – a more practical Part 2).
Friday, July 29, 2011
Soften my heart Lord
Soften my heart Lord,
Soften my heart,
From all indifference,
Set me apart.
Feel Your compassion,
Weep with Your tears,
Soften my heart, Lord,
Soften my heart.
Grace and compassion,
You have for me,
Goodness and mercy,
Always will be.
To have Your mercy,
Forgiveness and love,
Value my brother,
Soften my heart.
(Music: Have your own way, Lord)
Soften my heart,
From all indifference,
Set me apart.
Feel Your compassion,
Weep with Your tears,
Soften my heart, Lord,
Soften my heart.
Grace and compassion,
You have for me,
Goodness and mercy,
Always will be.
To have Your mercy,
Forgiveness and love,
Value my brother,
Soften my heart.
(Music: Have your own way, Lord)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The importance of true worship (3) final
God is spirit; and those who worship him must worship through the Spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
God created us to worship him. We therefore thirst to worship the Lord, even when we do not acknowledge the need. We will remain unfulfilled if we don’t. We already mentioned that our worship of God is not so much for God’s benefit, than ours. So what do we seek when worshipping God?
1) God desires people who will praise and worship him. So, one reason for true worship is that we want to be obedient to God.
2) And we want to worship because we know and believe that God is worthy of it. Consider Revelation 5:11-12, "And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’"
We want to worship God, because our God is worthy of our praise.
3) But praise and worship is also the way that leads us into the presence of God. Psalm 100:4 says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise." When we go to worship God, we shift our focus from ourselves to him. We become aware of his presence and open our hearts and minds to have fellowship with him. We become aware of his awesome holiness, divine love and majestic power. Worship brings us into the presence of the living God, where we can hear him speaking to us and we receive his blessing and are sent into the world in his service.
4) We worship God to receive his perspective on our lives. We become aware of his will and ability to deal with our questions and concerns, when we enter his presence.
When we focus on our situation or issues, they may be threateningly large. But when we focus on the almighty God, we become beware of God’s perspective, and as we look at the situation in the light of the power and authority of God, we find that through his divine ability the issue can be worked out. Our worship of God helps us to see that nothing is impossible with God – and we need to see that all the time.
5) But most importantly, when we worship God, we seek to be changed. Worship changes our attitudes and approach to life. It takes away our cynicism and gives us hope and faith. It takes away our anger and gives us love and a heart that forgives. It takes away our fear and gives us courage. When we worship God, we learn to trust him and surrender to him and it changes our whole lives!
Make regular time of worship your priority. During your private quiet time and during family time. And never forget that worship happens in the Body of Christ. Make it your priority never to miss worship time with the Body. Never exclude you and your family when God is busy equipping, inspiring and rejuvenating his Church. Be there!
Make it your priority.
God created us to worship him. We therefore thirst to worship the Lord, even when we do not acknowledge the need. We will remain unfulfilled if we don’t. We already mentioned that our worship of God is not so much for God’s benefit, than ours. So what do we seek when worshipping God?
1) God desires people who will praise and worship him. So, one reason for true worship is that we want to be obedient to God.
2) And we want to worship because we know and believe that God is worthy of it. Consider Revelation 5:11-12, "And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’"
We want to worship God, because our God is worthy of our praise.
3) But praise and worship is also the way that leads us into the presence of God. Psalm 100:4 says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise." When we go to worship God, we shift our focus from ourselves to him. We become aware of his presence and open our hearts and minds to have fellowship with him. We become aware of his awesome holiness, divine love and majestic power. Worship brings us into the presence of the living God, where we can hear him speaking to us and we receive his blessing and are sent into the world in his service.
4) We worship God to receive his perspective on our lives. We become aware of his will and ability to deal with our questions and concerns, when we enter his presence.
When we focus on our situation or issues, they may be threateningly large. But when we focus on the almighty God, we become beware of God’s perspective, and as we look at the situation in the light of the power and authority of God, we find that through his divine ability the issue can be worked out. Our worship of God helps us to see that nothing is impossible with God – and we need to see that all the time.
5) But most importantly, when we worship God, we seek to be changed. Worship changes our attitudes and approach to life. It takes away our cynicism and gives us hope and faith. It takes away our anger and gives us love and a heart that forgives. It takes away our fear and gives us courage. When we worship God, we learn to trust him and surrender to him and it changes our whole lives!
Make regular time of worship your priority. During your private quiet time and during family time. And never forget that worship happens in the Body of Christ. Make it your priority never to miss worship time with the Body. Never exclude you and your family when God is busy equipping, inspiring and rejuvenating his Church. Be there!
Make it your priority.
Monday, July 25, 2011
When the youth is slaughtered and sacrificed to our idols
Ezekiel 16: 19 – 21 And the food I provided for you—the fine flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before your idols. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign LORD. And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.
Nowhere else the story of God’s people as the unfaithful wife of a gracious God who loved them more than anything else, is told more graphically than in Ezekiel 16.
The people of Israel became a whore when she used God’s blessings and affectionate gifts of gold, fine clothes and the best food, to adorn the false gods of their neighboring nations.
When the gifts that God gives in love, become the reason why we embrace a way of live where not our Lord, but the prosperous lifestyle he grants us is the most important love of our lives, our unfaithfulness becomes an unbearable shame and the reason for both God’s broken heart and his wrath.
The worst moment in the life of God’s people though, is when our unfaithfulness to the Lord impacts on the lives of the children that we bore to God! When the reality of abusing the blessings, the tokens of his love, lead to not only our shame and judgment, but to life choices and life styles where our children are “slaughtered and sacrificed to our idols.”
When the children of those who are called God’s people become the victims of their materialism, selfishness, greed, self-indulgence and unfaithfulness to God, it results in a youth whose lives are ruined by godless greed, immorality, addictions and profane high risk pleasure-seeking, we are to be blamed and shamed. And more importantly, when we in this way sacrifice our children to our idols, God comes to the end of his patience with our infidelity.
When children, God’s greatest gift, become the victims of our choices and preferences, we arrive at the place where we have to finally choose between loving or leaving our Saviour.
Ezekiel phrases it as follows in Ezekiel 18: 30 – 32:
Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Repent!
Turn away from all your offense, then sin will not be your downfall.
Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, o people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Repent and live!
Nowhere else the story of God’s people as the unfaithful wife of a gracious God who loved them more than anything else, is told more graphically than in Ezekiel 16.
The people of Israel became a whore when she used God’s blessings and affectionate gifts of gold, fine clothes and the best food, to adorn the false gods of their neighboring nations.
When the gifts that God gives in love, become the reason why we embrace a way of live where not our Lord, but the prosperous lifestyle he grants us is the most important love of our lives, our unfaithfulness becomes an unbearable shame and the reason for both God’s broken heart and his wrath.
The worst moment in the life of God’s people though, is when our unfaithfulness to the Lord impacts on the lives of the children that we bore to God! When the reality of abusing the blessings, the tokens of his love, lead to not only our shame and judgment, but to life choices and life styles where our children are “slaughtered and sacrificed to our idols.”
When the children of those who are called God’s people become the victims of their materialism, selfishness, greed, self-indulgence and unfaithfulness to God, it results in a youth whose lives are ruined by godless greed, immorality, addictions and profane high risk pleasure-seeking, we are to be blamed and shamed. And more importantly, when we in this way sacrifice our children to our idols, God comes to the end of his patience with our infidelity.
When children, God’s greatest gift, become the victims of our choices and preferences, we arrive at the place where we have to finally choose between loving or leaving our Saviour.
Ezekiel phrases it as follows in Ezekiel 18: 30 – 32:
Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Repent!
Turn away from all your offense, then sin will not be your downfall.
Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, o people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Repent and live!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Church of God, elect and glorious
Church of God, elect and glorious,
holy nation, holy race;
called as God’s own special people,
royal priests and heirs of grace:
know the purpose of your calling,
show to all his mighty deeds;
tell of love which knows no limits,
grace which meets all human needs,
God has called you out of darkness
into his most marvellous light;
brought his truth to life within you,
turned your blindness into sight.
Let your light so shine around you
that God’s Name is glorified;
and all find fresh hope and purpose
in Christ Jesus crucified.
(Music: Ode to Joy)
holy nation, holy race;
called as God’s own special people,
royal priests and heirs of grace:
know the purpose of your calling,
show to all his mighty deeds;
tell of love which knows no limits,
grace which meets all human needs,
God has called you out of darkness
into his most marvellous light;
brought his truth to life within you,
turned your blindness into sight.
Let your light so shine around you
that God’s Name is glorified;
and all find fresh hope and purpose
in Christ Jesus crucified.
(Music: Ode to Joy)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The importance of true worship? (2)
God is spirit; and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
God expects us to worship and praise him. God created us to worship him. We therefore will thirst to worship the Lord, even when we do not understand or acknowledge the need. We will remain unfulfilled if we don’t. To worship God is the purpose of our existence.
But what is true worship? If you research this you will find that believers seem to answer this question in many ways. There seem to be so many churches with different customs, styles and traditions. Who is right?
If you would visit a different service every Sunday, you would find that some churches have a lot of formality, ceremony and ritual. Things are done in the same way and order every Sunday.
There are on the other hand also a variety of less formal churches with an unwritten order that may differ from Sunday to Sunday and that could feel disorderly if you are not used to their style and traditions. And you will also find a lot of “in-between” services as you look around.
Are some wrong and others right? Are some better churches than others? The truth is that they could all be right or all be wrong, and whether they are, has little to do with their style, but has everything to do with the heart of the worshipper and his/her relationship with God in Jesus Christ.
All churches from all styles and traditions should pray that God will constantly move the Church to restore true praise and worship, which is worship that is lead by the Spirit, while seeking God’s truth without compromise. We ought to understand what is important to God; truth, earnesty, honesty, authenticity, hope, faith and more than anything else, love for him.
After all, praise and worship are God’s ideas, not ours. Yes, we have a desperate need to have fellowship with God, whether we believe it or not! But God is not interested in our choice of style or customs, but that we worship him with love, in truth and under guidance of his Spirit.
Over and over in Psalm 150 we hear the command to "praise the Lord!"
Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
God expects us to praise him. And God is saying to his church today, as he has said many times in the past, "Praise Me!"
God expects us to worship and praise him. God created us to worship him. We therefore will thirst to worship the Lord, even when we do not understand or acknowledge the need. We will remain unfulfilled if we don’t. To worship God is the purpose of our existence.
But what is true worship? If you research this you will find that believers seem to answer this question in many ways. There seem to be so many churches with different customs, styles and traditions. Who is right?
If you would visit a different service every Sunday, you would find that some churches have a lot of formality, ceremony and ritual. Things are done in the same way and order every Sunday.
There are on the other hand also a variety of less formal churches with an unwritten order that may differ from Sunday to Sunday and that could feel disorderly if you are not used to their style and traditions. And you will also find a lot of “in-between” services as you look around.
Are some wrong and others right? Are some better churches than others? The truth is that they could all be right or all be wrong, and whether they are, has little to do with their style, but has everything to do with the heart of the worshipper and his/her relationship with God in Jesus Christ.
All churches from all styles and traditions should pray that God will constantly move the Church to restore true praise and worship, which is worship that is lead by the Spirit, while seeking God’s truth without compromise. We ought to understand what is important to God; truth, earnesty, honesty, authenticity, hope, faith and more than anything else, love for him.
After all, praise and worship are God’s ideas, not ours. Yes, we have a desperate need to have fellowship with God, whether we believe it or not! But God is not interested in our choice of style or customs, but that we worship him with love, in truth and under guidance of his Spirit.
Over and over in Psalm 150 we hear the command to "praise the Lord!"
Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
God expects us to praise him. And God is saying to his church today, as he has said many times in the past, "Praise Me!"
Monday, July 18, 2011
Beware of false security.
"Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!" (Amos 6:1)
There were many in the day of Amos, as there are in ours, who were content to trust in outward prosperity and in the glamour of their places of worship. Amos said they were "complacent in Zion." He said they felt “secure on Mount Samaria”. Amos was preaching to the notable leaders of God’s people concerning the security they felt in the trappings of outwardly signs of piety. And this made them complacent.
But it was false security. They were effectively trusting in their own sufficiency and not in God.
And then the real issue is brought clearly into focus by this phrase "you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.” (Amos 6:6) In Amos’ day this charge meant that the leaders of Israel were unconcerned about the fate of the majority who did not share in their prosperity.
God was concerned about the plight of the poor. His heart was broken by their sad circumstances. But the hearts of the leaders were unmoved. They were out of "sync" with the heart of God.
Our complacency may mean that we are simply not shaken by what we believe.
We all have to answer these questions: Are our hearts in "sync" with the heart of God? Are we moved by the things that move him? Are we, his Church, a people who care about the things God cares about? Is his passion, our passion?
There were many in the day of Amos, as there are in ours, who were content to trust in outward prosperity and in the glamour of their places of worship. Amos said they were "complacent in Zion." He said they felt “secure on Mount Samaria”. Amos was preaching to the notable leaders of God’s people concerning the security they felt in the trappings of outwardly signs of piety. And this made them complacent.
But it was false security. They were effectively trusting in their own sufficiency and not in God.
And then the real issue is brought clearly into focus by this phrase "you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.” (Amos 6:6) In Amos’ day this charge meant that the leaders of Israel were unconcerned about the fate of the majority who did not share in their prosperity.
God was concerned about the plight of the poor. His heart was broken by their sad circumstances. But the hearts of the leaders were unmoved. They were out of "sync" with the heart of God.
Our complacency may mean that we are simply not shaken by what we believe.
We all have to answer these questions: Are our hearts in "sync" with the heart of God? Are we moved by the things that move him? Are we, his Church, a people who care about the things God cares about? Is his passion, our passion?
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Pray with the Church in China.
Pray with the Church in China.
Church leaders fear a crackdown.
Read the CNN article about this and look at a rare video clip of one of the biggest "house churches" worshipping, if you click on the link below.
When one part of the Body suffers, so does the rest of the Body.
"Dear Lord, keep all your children in China safe! Protect them! Grant them the privilege of complete freedom to serve you and share your Word with everyone! For Jesus Christ sake. Amen."
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/13/china-christian-crackdown/
Church leaders fear a crackdown.
Read the CNN article about this and look at a rare video clip of one of the biggest "house churches" worshipping, if you click on the link below.
When one part of the Body suffers, so does the rest of the Body.
"Dear Lord, keep all your children in China safe! Protect them! Grant them the privilege of complete freedom to serve you and share your Word with everyone! For Jesus Christ sake. Amen."
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/13/china-christian-crackdown/
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The importance of true worship? (1)
God is spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24)
God has commanded us to worship and praise him. It is essential for us to make praise and worship part of our lives, simply because God created us to praise Him. It is the purpose of our existence.
We have a deep felt need to worship God, even when we do not realise that we have this need – or even sometimes deny that we have it!
Wherever you find humans, you will find that they worship a god or gods. It may look a lot different from what we know as Christian worship, but humans are generally worshipping as part of the way they live. People have a need to reach out beyond their daily existence and declare their dependence of something higher and more powerful than themselves. People will always have a god - even if it is not the one true God revealed in Jesus Christ and the Bible.
But God commands us to become true worshipers who are worshiping the true God in spirit and in truth. John says in chapter 4:23-24: "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be his worshipers. God is spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
God seeks true worshipers. They are people who come to him honestly, sincerely and reverently. To worship in spirit and truth is to engage the whole person in bringing honour, glory, praise and thanks to God through physical prayer and praise as well as emotional commitment, love and passion. We are also to be inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit to worship in truth.
To worship God with his people is our highest calling in life. Nothing compares to it, nothing can take its place in our lives and we do not have a higher priority!
Entering into true praise and worship is not optional. It is a command of God. It is crucial that we come to understand and practice true biblical praise and worship if we consider ourselves to part of Christ’s Body on earth.
We bring the sacrifice of praise
into the house of the Lord.
And we offer up to You
the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and we offer up to You
the sacrifices of joy.
God has commanded us to worship and praise him. It is essential for us to make praise and worship part of our lives, simply because God created us to praise Him. It is the purpose of our existence.
We have a deep felt need to worship God, even when we do not realise that we have this need – or even sometimes deny that we have it!
Wherever you find humans, you will find that they worship a god or gods. It may look a lot different from what we know as Christian worship, but humans are generally worshipping as part of the way they live. People have a need to reach out beyond their daily existence and declare their dependence of something higher and more powerful than themselves. People will always have a god - even if it is not the one true God revealed in Jesus Christ and the Bible.
But God commands us to become true worshipers who are worshiping the true God in spirit and in truth. John says in chapter 4:23-24: "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be his worshipers. God is spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
God seeks true worshipers. They are people who come to him honestly, sincerely and reverently. To worship in spirit and truth is to engage the whole person in bringing honour, glory, praise and thanks to God through physical prayer and praise as well as emotional commitment, love and passion. We are also to be inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit to worship in truth.
To worship God with his people is our highest calling in life. Nothing compares to it, nothing can take its place in our lives and we do not have a higher priority!
Entering into true praise and worship is not optional. It is a command of God. It is crucial that we come to understand and practice true biblical praise and worship if we consider ourselves to part of Christ’s Body on earth.
We bring the sacrifice of praise
into the house of the Lord.
And we offer up to You
the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and we offer up to You
the sacrifices of joy.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Bruised reeds
"A bruised reed He will not break." (Isaiah 42:3)
Bruised reeds are symbols of people. The word "bruised" is used by Isaiah to refer to discouragement in life. We have all been bruised reeds from time to time. We all have experienced times when we were depressed, beaten and almost broken.
God says that he will not break the bruised reed. When you think about this illustration in terms of people, you realize what God is saying. Bruised people don't have their lives together. They are the people who do not live up to their own, or other's expectations. Society is quick to write off sad, struggling people, but Jesus does not.
When we are like bruised reeds, we need to understand that God hasn't given up on us. He is the reed-repairer. He is the One who can take a bruised reed and work with it until it becomes useful and make a difference once again.
Sometimes God even takes those bruised places in our lives and uses these experiences of hurt to enable us to understand pain better and are therefore able to help others who feel crushed by life’s experiences. And through helping others we too may be healed.
Bruised reeds are symbols of people. The word "bruised" is used by Isaiah to refer to discouragement in life. We have all been bruised reeds from time to time. We all have experienced times when we were depressed, beaten and almost broken.
God says that he will not break the bruised reed. When you think about this illustration in terms of people, you realize what God is saying. Bruised people don't have their lives together. They are the people who do not live up to their own, or other's expectations. Society is quick to write off sad, struggling people, but Jesus does not.
When we are like bruised reeds, we need to understand that God hasn't given up on us. He is the reed-repairer. He is the One who can take a bruised reed and work with it until it becomes useful and make a difference once again.
Sometimes God even takes those bruised places in our lives and uses these experiences of hurt to enable us to understand pain better and are therefore able to help others who feel crushed by life’s experiences. And through helping others we too may be healed.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, for He is glorious!
Never shall His promise fail.
Christ has made His saints victorious,
sin and death shall not prevail.
Praise the God of our salvation!
Hosts on high, His power proclaim;
Heaven and earth and all creation,
laud and magnify His Name.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Why does Pentecost matter? (4) - Final
Pentecost matters, because the complete ministry of the Church was guaranteed on Pentecost.
On Pentecost the Holy Spirit empowered the first disciples and formed them into the Church of Christ, which still is 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 multicultural and therefore linguistically, culturally and racially inclusive.
Pentecost guarantees a complete ministry…
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.”
This 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. Every category of people would now be called to be God’s servants in his work.
In the Old Covenant the Holy Spirit was poured out on prophets, priests, and kings. In the New Covenant, as was promised through the Old Testament prophets, the Holy Spirit dwells in “all people.” Everyone who shared the experience of receiving God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, is empowered to serve in the Church, irrespective of class, culture, gender or age. In the new covenant, in the Church of our Lord, all believers would be priests of God, doing his work on earth.
The church of Jesus Christ is God’s strategy to involve every believer, and every member of the Body to contribute to the work and mission of the Church (Eph 4:11-16).
The ministry of God’s Church is being accomplished when each Christian understands God’s purpose for him/her in his work. Everyone receives gifts according to God’s grace and all the gifts used as a body, completes God’s work in the world. Pentecost guarantees this complete ministry through the power of the Holy Spirit that works through every believer.
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 a time to renew my commitment to fulfilling my unique role in the ministry of God’s people in the world?
Pentecost gives us a season to recommit ourselves to be prepared and encouraged for our service to God. When we desire this and open up our hearts, souls and minds, the Holy Spirit will use the church of Jesus Christ for God’s complete mission and purpose in the world.
On Pentecost the Holy Spirit empowered the first disciples and formed them into the Church of Christ, which still is 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 multicultural and therefore linguistically, culturally and racially inclusive.
Pentecost guarantees a complete ministry…
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.”
This 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. Every category of people would now be called to be God’s servants in his work.
In the Old Covenant the Holy Spirit was poured out on prophets, priests, and kings. In the New Covenant, as was promised through the Old Testament prophets, the Holy Spirit dwells in “all people.” Everyone who shared the experience of receiving God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, is empowered to serve in the Church, irrespective of class, culture, gender or age. In the new covenant, in the Church of our Lord, all believers would be priests of God, doing his work on earth.
The church of Jesus Christ is God’s strategy to involve every believer, and every member of the Body to contribute to the work and mission of the Church (Eph 4:11-16).
The ministry of God’s Church is being accomplished when each Christian understands God’s purpose for him/her in his work. Everyone receives gifts according to God’s grace and all the gifts used as a body, completes God’s work in the world. Pentecost guarantees this complete ministry through the power of the Holy Spirit that works through every believer.
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 a time to renew my commitment to fulfilling my unique role in the ministry of God’s people in the world?
Pentecost gives us a season to recommit ourselves to be prepared and encouraged for our service to God. When we desire this and open up our hearts, souls and minds, the Holy Spirit will use the church of Jesus Christ for God’s complete mission and purpose in the world.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Why does Pentecost matter? (3)
Pentecost matters, because it demonstrates the multi-cultural character and mission of the Church of God.
On Pentecost the Holy Spirit empowered the first disciples to speak of the wonders of the Gospel, and particularly of the resurrected Messiah, in many languages. These languages they did not learn in the way we do. It was a miracle that they could (Act 2: 5 – 13) and this wonder was given to the Church that there never will be any doubt in anyone’s mind that the Church that is an instrument in God’s hand, in its purest form is multicultural. This implies that it is linguistically, culturally and racially inclusive.
We are to make a difference in God’s work by amongst other things being a community that draws all people together that share the grace experience of the salvation of God in Jesus Christ. This shared experience of redemption constitutes a community where no other qualification than being saved by grace, can ever be so important that it divides God’s people.
Love that comes about as a gift of the Spirit amongst those who share the grace experience, is described in 1 Cor 13: 4 – 8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
All people from all cultures are drawn together by God’s love in Christ. Paul writes in Galatians 3:28: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
There are, by the mercy of God, exceptions, but the Church has in general not done particularly well in living out its multicultural mission in the world.
When we as a congregation worded our first “mission statement” we did say that we wish to set an example in our city and our country of how Christians of a variety of cultural backgrounds can be one church or congregation that demonstrates God’s reconciliation in no uncertain terms in our world and society.
On any Sunday you may find people from 3 or 4 races, speaking up to 8 different languages at home feeling at home at Centurion West Presbyterian Church. Friendships abound, love flourishes and working together seems to rather get easier than harder as time goes by. We need to hold onto this as a precious gift and in prayer maintain our calling to be living examples of the definition of love found in 1 Cor 13. This love is after all, according to Paul, the greatest of all the gifts of the Spirit given to the Church.
Looking at the general church experience around us we do see that to be divided according to language, race, and ethnicity seem to have become the norm to many. But we need to prayerfully protect our multicultural testimony of the unity of the Church of Christ, as demonstrated at Pentecost. It remains God’s standard, even in a racialist society that often breeds the most unkind of nationalisms.
Pentecost matters as it challenges all of us to continuously examine our own attitudes, to reject and repent of any prejudice that prowls within us, and to continue to open our hearts to all people, even when they do not share our language and culture.
Pentecost demonstrates that multiculturalism in the Church is something that the Spirit of God will help us to make work, if we are available to him.
On Pentecost the Holy Spirit empowered the first disciples to speak of the wonders of the Gospel, and particularly of the resurrected Messiah, in many languages. These languages they did not learn in the way we do. It was a miracle that they could (Act 2: 5 – 13) and this wonder was given to the Church that there never will be any doubt in anyone’s mind that the Church that is an instrument in God’s hand, in its purest form is multicultural. This implies that it is linguistically, culturally and racially inclusive.
We are to make a difference in God’s work by amongst other things being a community that draws all people together that share the grace experience of the salvation of God in Jesus Christ. This shared experience of redemption constitutes a community where no other qualification than being saved by grace, can ever be so important that it divides God’s people.
Love that comes about as a gift of the Spirit amongst those who share the grace experience, is described in 1 Cor 13: 4 – 8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
All people from all cultures are drawn together by God’s love in Christ. Paul writes in Galatians 3:28: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
There are, by the mercy of God, exceptions, but the Church has in general not done particularly well in living out its multicultural mission in the world.
When we as a congregation worded our first “mission statement” we did say that we wish to set an example in our city and our country of how Christians of a variety of cultural backgrounds can be one church or congregation that demonstrates God’s reconciliation in no uncertain terms in our world and society.
On any Sunday you may find people from 3 or 4 races, speaking up to 8 different languages at home feeling at home at Centurion West Presbyterian Church. Friendships abound, love flourishes and working together seems to rather get easier than harder as time goes by. We need to hold onto this as a precious gift and in prayer maintain our calling to be living examples of the definition of love found in 1 Cor 13. This love is after all, according to Paul, the greatest of all the gifts of the Spirit given to the Church.
Looking at the general church experience around us we do see that to be divided according to language, race, and ethnicity seem to have become the norm to many. But we need to prayerfully protect our multicultural testimony of the unity of the Church of Christ, as demonstrated at Pentecost. It remains God’s standard, even in a racialist society that often breeds the most unkind of nationalisms.
Pentecost matters as it challenges all of us to continuously examine our own attitudes, to reject and repent of any prejudice that prowls within us, and to continue to open our hearts to all people, even when they do not share our language and culture.
Pentecost demonstrates that multiculturalism in the Church is something that the Spirit of God will help us to make work, if we are available to him.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Preach to the spiritually dead...
Yesterday was such a special Sunday for both preacher and congregation. God showed us the way from living in emotional and spiritual graves to living in the joy of his presence!
We heard about a vision in Ezekiel 37, where the prophet is put in the middle of a valley full of human bones baked white and dry on the desert floor. The people in despondency because they are in exile in Babylon, identify themselves with dry, white bones. They say to one another: "Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off" (Ezek 37:11).
As Ezekiel investigates this scene, God asks him: "Son of man, can these bones live?" (vs 3) And Ezekiel says, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know" (vs 3). Ezekiel knows that God can do what seems impossible to us. And in the vision God dramatically shows Ezekiel his power over life and death.
Firstly, God tells Ezekiel to preach to the bones. Ezekiel listens to God and the results are amazing. The scattered bones started to clank and rattle. They move toward each other and are joined together, and muscles and flesh and skin are fitted to each skeleton, but they are still dead.
Secondly, God commands Ezekiel to speak to the wind. And the prophet calls for the "breath of God" to blow over the bodies and give them life. As he speaks, it happens. The bodies stand up alive, an army ready for battle, where moments before had been dry, bleached bones of the dead.
Notice how God brings life: by the Holy Spirit and through the preaching of the Word. The prophet preaches and the Spirit blows and enters - and the dry, white bones come to life.
Ezekiel is describing how we are renewed, how we come to faith and to repentance and true life.
No person has come to faith by any other way than this strategy of God: it was and always is the Spirit creating faith by means of the preaching and proclamation of the Word. Something divine happens when we come under the Word: the Spirit produces and strengthens faith and makes us new people who are alive for God.
God's people must always and under all circumstances place themselves under the Word. They must come to worship. They must be Bible students. They must set aside a regular time for private devotions.
This is God’s strategy to renew us and to give us true life again.
This is how God calls us from living in graves to living in the light and joy of his Kingdom and Church.
May God fill every empty pew, claiming every heart as his temple and instil his life and will in all of us.
We heard about a vision in Ezekiel 37, where the prophet is put in the middle of a valley full of human bones baked white and dry on the desert floor. The people in despondency because they are in exile in Babylon, identify themselves with dry, white bones. They say to one another: "Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off" (Ezek 37:11).
As Ezekiel investigates this scene, God asks him: "Son of man, can these bones live?" (vs 3) And Ezekiel says, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know" (vs 3). Ezekiel knows that God can do what seems impossible to us. And in the vision God dramatically shows Ezekiel his power over life and death.
Firstly, God tells Ezekiel to preach to the bones. Ezekiel listens to God and the results are amazing. The scattered bones started to clank and rattle. They move toward each other and are joined together, and muscles and flesh and skin are fitted to each skeleton, but they are still dead.
Secondly, God commands Ezekiel to speak to the wind. And the prophet calls for the "breath of God" to blow over the bodies and give them life. As he speaks, it happens. The bodies stand up alive, an army ready for battle, where moments before had been dry, bleached bones of the dead.
Notice how God brings life: by the Holy Spirit and through the preaching of the Word. The prophet preaches and the Spirit blows and enters - and the dry, white bones come to life.
Ezekiel is describing how we are renewed, how we come to faith and to repentance and true life.
No person has come to faith by any other way than this strategy of God: it was and always is the Spirit creating faith by means of the preaching and proclamation of the Word. Something divine happens when we come under the Word: the Spirit produces and strengthens faith and makes us new people who are alive for God.
God's people must always and under all circumstances place themselves under the Word. They must come to worship. They must be Bible students. They must set aside a regular time for private devotions.
This is God’s strategy to renew us and to give us true life again.
This is how God calls us from living in graves to living in the light and joy of his Kingdom and Church.
May God fill every empty pew, claiming every heart as his temple and instil his life and will in all of us.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Come and claim your temple, gracious Holy Spirit!
Come and claim your temple,
gracious Holy Spirit!
In our hearts Your home inherit:
make in us Your dwelling,
Your high work fulfilling,
into ours Your will instilling,
till we raise
hymns of praise
beyond mortal telling,
in God’s holy temple!
gracious Holy Spirit!
In our hearts Your home inherit:
make in us Your dwelling,
Your high work fulfilling,
into ours Your will instilling,
till we raise
hymns of praise
beyond mortal telling,
in God’s holy temple!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Why does Pentecost matter? (2)
The Church is central in God’s work in this world – through the power of the indwelling Spirit.
We are busy thinking about what difference it makes to us today that the first Christians were filled with the Holy Spirit 2000 years ago on the Jewish festival of Pentecost. The first difference was that we all received “the indwelling and power of the Spirit”.
The second reason why Pentecost matters, is that we now know that the Church is central in God’s work in our world.
We know that the Holy Spirit was poured out on individual disciples of Jesus, including his biological brothers and his mother, as they were patiently waiting upon the fulfillment of the promise Jesus made to them about the coming of the Spirit. They were praying continuously as they together waited upon the Lord to fill them and share the power of the resurrected Christ with them by baptizing them with the Spirit of God.
And then we see clearly how this gathering on the Pentecost day is turned into the first congregation of the Christian Church as they all received the power of the Holy Spirit. On the very first Sunday, new believers were baptized as they were initiated into the Church. Along with the first disciples they also shared in becoming a Christian community or family.
They taught, broke bread, prayed and enjoyed such a special fellowship that more and more came to join in their faith and in celebrating the resurrected Jesus. They cheerfully gave of their belongings to feed the hungry and maintain the ministry of Word and Sacrament. And “the Lord daily added to their number those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Pentecost matters, because it tells us about the birthday and role of the church.
The Spirit could have been given to individuals praying on their own, in their homes during their quiet times. But this was not God’s plan and strategy for his work.
It was no coincidence that the congregation was praying together when the Spirit was poured out. This first mother church would be the root from which the Church of our Lord would grow. Their experience on the first Pentecost teaches that the Church is central to God’s work and plan through the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in the Church. Paul therefore calls the Church the Temple of God in which the Spirit dwells. (1 Cor 3.)
Pentecost matters because it clearly shows us what place the Church of the Lord has in our personal relationship with God and for our worship. The truth found throughout Scripture is, that the Church in which the Spirit dwells, is central to the Father’s work in the world and is central to our worship, growth and service too.
Pentecost insists that we reflect on our own participation in the work, mission and life of the Church of God. We need to continuously renew our covenant with the God of grace, received at baptism and confirmed by our public confession of faith, to live as a contributing member of the body of Christ.
Pentecost calls us to build the Church of our Lord by preaching the Word, sharing in her holy sacraments and spreading the love, power and justice of Jesus Christ across the world.
Monday, June 20, 2011
RECLAIM THE HOLY TRINITY!
The Trinity is not an optional "extra" to God. it is the nature of God as revealed to us in Scripture.
The biblical truth about the Trinity has become a pressing issue for contemporary Christians, simply because we are losing the biblical account of God, apparently without controversy or debate.
We are in danger of shifting the Holy Trinity aside in our practices and worship language, without announcing that we have changed our minds about the nature of the God we profess to follow. Often the Trinity is taught in confirmation class or in Sunday school more as a mathematical problem to be solved, than the living reality of the God we serve, worship and love.
Here are examples:
The Apostle Paul said: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who consoles us in all our affliction, for just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so our consolation is abundant through Christ, sealed in our hearts through the power and constant presence of the Holy Spirit" (2 Corinthians 1:3–5, 21–22).
John Calvin said: "Christ is not only the pledge of our adoption, but God also gives us the Holy Spirit as a witness to this adoption, through whom we may freely cry aloud, 'Abba, Father.' Whenever we are distressed, remember to ask for the presence of the Spirit who will enable us to pray boldly" (Calvin’s Institutes, III.20.37).
But today we often do not say more than: "Be blessed, for God is always with you."
This contemporary version is true, but why are we hesitant to name our triune God in biblical language? Why do we not speak, pray and testify with confidence about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit? It became rare to hear references to all three Persons of the Trinity in an integrated way except at the baptismal font or during the benediction.
We must be careful that we are not becoming practicing Unitarians. Our language about God should be as diverse and varied as is the idiom of the Bible and of our universal Christian tradition. Why do we so often hear folk repetitively referring to “God” in prayers, discussions and devotions? Or someone may address a topic referring only to Jesus. Did Jesus not come to us to show us the Father, and did he not send the Spirit to teach us about his saving grace? Consideration of God as Holy Trinity and replicating the words of Scripture about God, provide us with a more faithful vocabulary that is also richer and more varied than the current practice of many Protestants.
Father, Son, Holy Spirit – essential Evangelical testimony
The language of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, engraved in Scripture and creed, is essential for our efforts to speak faithfully about God. Our reverence and service of the One- in-Three and Three-in-One bind us together with ancient believers and ancient denominations. Can there be a unity outside of worshipping the Holy Trinity as the only God, Saviour and Comforter we know? And can we claim to speak about God as Bible believing Christians in any other way?
"Father, Son and Holy Spirit" is a root out of which grows the wealth of our vocabulary of praise. We must rather magnify and expand upon the ways of naming the Triune God, rather than simply repeating the word "God" in prayer and liturgy repetitively. Why not refer to God in the language of Scripture to enrich the ways we speak of God and to God.
The language of our prayers, hymns, songs and sermons shapes our faith as surely as it reflects our faith. We must pray and sing to the "one Triune God, the Holy One of Israel, the eternal God of the covenant, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom alone we worship and serve through the graceful work of the Holy Spirit." This is bible language and therefore should be church language. Our God is also worthy of such worship and praise in our private prayers.
If the ways I address God and speak of him, could just as well have been the words of a Jew, who does not believe in Jesus as God the Son, or a Muslim, who rejects the Trinity too, I am doing something terribly wrong!
Lets learn from the New Testament speakers how to honour our God, and teach one another anew the Trinitarian language of Scripture.
Lets remember to adore our Father with all our heart, soul and strength.
Lets ask from our Father which art in heaven, everything we need.
Lets always pray in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lets beg for the guidance and inspiration of the Spirit to be able to follow and love Jesus who always will show us the Father, bringing us home to his throne of grace.Lets worship and serve the only true, triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The biblical truth about the Trinity has become a pressing issue for contemporary Christians, simply because we are losing the biblical account of God, apparently without controversy or debate.
We are in danger of shifting the Holy Trinity aside in our practices and worship language, without announcing that we have changed our minds about the nature of the God we profess to follow. Often the Trinity is taught in confirmation class or in Sunday school more as a mathematical problem to be solved, than the living reality of the God we serve, worship and love.
Here are examples:
The Apostle Paul said: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who consoles us in all our affliction, for just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so our consolation is abundant through Christ, sealed in our hearts through the power and constant presence of the Holy Spirit" (2 Corinthians 1:3–5, 21–22).
John Calvin said: "Christ is not only the pledge of our adoption, but God also gives us the Holy Spirit as a witness to this adoption, through whom we may freely cry aloud, 'Abba, Father.' Whenever we are distressed, remember to ask for the presence of the Spirit who will enable us to pray boldly" (Calvin’s Institutes, III.20.37).
But today we often do not say more than: "Be blessed, for God is always with you."
This contemporary version is true, but why are we hesitant to name our triune God in biblical language? Why do we not speak, pray and testify with confidence about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit? It became rare to hear references to all three Persons of the Trinity in an integrated way except at the baptismal font or during the benediction.
We must be careful that we are not becoming practicing Unitarians. Our language about God should be as diverse and varied as is the idiom of the Bible and of our universal Christian tradition. Why do we so often hear folk repetitively referring to “God” in prayers, discussions and devotions? Or someone may address a topic referring only to Jesus. Did Jesus not come to us to show us the Father, and did he not send the Spirit to teach us about his saving grace? Consideration of God as Holy Trinity and replicating the words of Scripture about God, provide us with a more faithful vocabulary that is also richer and more varied than the current practice of many Protestants.
Father, Son, Holy Spirit – essential Evangelical testimony
The language of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, engraved in Scripture and creed, is essential for our efforts to speak faithfully about God. Our reverence and service of the One- in-Three and Three-in-One bind us together with ancient believers and ancient denominations. Can there be a unity outside of worshipping the Holy Trinity as the only God, Saviour and Comforter we know? And can we claim to speak about God as Bible believing Christians in any other way?
"Father, Son and Holy Spirit" is a root out of which grows the wealth of our vocabulary of praise. We must rather magnify and expand upon the ways of naming the Triune God, rather than simply repeating the word "God" in prayer and liturgy repetitively. Why not refer to God in the language of Scripture to enrich the ways we speak of God and to God.
The language of our prayers, hymns, songs and sermons shapes our faith as surely as it reflects our faith. We must pray and sing to the "one Triune God, the Holy One of Israel, the eternal God of the covenant, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom alone we worship and serve through the graceful work of the Holy Spirit." This is bible language and therefore should be church language. Our God is also worthy of such worship and praise in our private prayers.
If the ways I address God and speak of him, could just as well have been the words of a Jew, who does not believe in Jesus as God the Son, or a Muslim, who rejects the Trinity too, I am doing something terribly wrong!
Lets learn from the New Testament speakers how to honour our God, and teach one another anew the Trinitarian language of Scripture.
Lets remember to adore our Father with all our heart, soul and strength.
Lets ask from our Father which art in heaven, everything we need.
Lets always pray in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lets beg for the guidance and inspiration of the Spirit to be able to follow and love Jesus who always will show us the Father, bringing us home to his throne of grace.Lets worship and serve the only true, triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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