Lent, spiritual discipline and a closer walk with the Lord!

Spiritual discipline makes a difference during Lent:

• Learn the value of daily repentance and turning to Christ in prayer for forgiveness and sanctification.
• Deepening ones prayer life by adding more time to our quiet times for the sake of listening to God.
• Deepening our walk with the Lord through additional reading of the Word, for example adding a Psalm to our readings every day, and choosing a Gospel to read the history of the passion of Christ, passage by passage.
• Being diligent in worshipping with God’s people on Sundays and celebrating his Supper with his people.
• Giving sacrificially after prayerful contemplation of what God expects us to give and to which cause.
• Forgiving those who sinned against us, as God has forgiven us. Seeking peace with all the significant people in my life, including my fellow church members!

Why do Christians give up something for Lent?

Why do Christians give up things for Lent? Should I do it?

In the earliest church, Lent began as a period of preparation for baptism. People who converted to the Christian faith and received Jesus as Lord and Saviour, were welcomed into something like “an apprenticeship” during which they were mentored in Christian belief, worship, prayer, and practices. The final weeks led directly to baptism, which was celebrated on Easter Sunday.

Part of the preparation for baptism included the discipline of fasting — for example, doing without meat or abstaining from food for one or more meals every day. This is the origin of the custom of giving up something for Lent.
The point was to enter voluntarily into a spiritual exercise intended to
(a) deepen one’s prayer life and walk with the Lord
(b) and heighten anticipation of the great festival of the resurrection.

If “giving up something” raises spiritual consciousness and serves as an aid to a more intimate prayer life, an aid to reflect on the meaning of the dying and rising with Christ, and to claim one’s baptism as God’s solemn promise to be our God, do it!

Spiritual discipline should simply mean a focused time toward the end of deepening one’s relationship with Jesus.

But if it is nothing more than a topic for discussion, a way to any form of perception of spiritual superiority, or just a pain that makes one feel like a martyr, then, do not do it!!!

Lent, temptation and the power of the Word

Before Jesus started his ministry he was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit to spend 40 days of preparation. Spiritual discipline played a key role while Jesus fasted, prayed and learned about his messianic calling.
The Season of Lent can for us be such a time of learning to walk with God.

For forty days in the wilderness Jesus fasted. Because of this, Luke explains, "he was famished" (Luke 4:2). Being so hungry set Jesus up for the devil's temptations. He said: "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread" (Luke 4:3). At first glance, there seems to be nothing especially wrong with this challenge. Later in his ministry Jesus would produce food miraculously, so why not now make bread from a stone while he was so hungry?

There are at least two things wrong. Firstly, turning stones into bread was the sort of thing that pagan magicians did to impress the crowds. The devil really was saying, "Jesus, you have divine power, so show me your tricks!" and the purpose of God’s miracles is never to entertain anyone. Secondly, the devil's challenge to turn stones into bread must have come during a time when the Spirit still wanted Jesus to fast. This was the sort of temptation that makes our sin to look like not such a serious issue. One that said – do it, it is only human. You are hungry – will God really be offended if you feed yourself?

This is one of our classic arguments for going with worldly practices and ways: – it is natural; it does not matter that much, God will understand.

How did Jesus respond to the devil's temptations? He quoted Scripture. Jesus said: "One does not live by bread alone." This comes from Deuteronomy 8:3, where Moses reminded the Israelites of their experience in the wilderness: "[The Lord] humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” By citing this passage of Scripture, Jesus defied the devil's challenge. His hunger for bread did not matter as much as faithfulness to God. Submitting to God’s will really mattered

To overcome temptation, Jesus quoted Scripture.
There is divine power in God's Word. There is power in God’s Word that exceeds my willpower. When I am tempted, I need to hold onto God's Word, embracing its truth and using it as the sword of the Spirit to fight off the enemy. The more we are immersed in Scripture, the more we will be strengthened by the Spirit to defeat temptation.

If you find yourself being tempted, hold onto the Word of God. Read it. Say it. Sing it. Allow its power to help you defeat temptation.

LENT let us contemplate the imputed righteousness of Christ!

2 Cor 5: 21: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God made Jesus to be sin for us. God made us to become his righteousness.
In classical Christianity, this is called imputed righteousness.
But what does it mean?

To “impute” is a verb that attaches to a person responsibility (and therefore financial liability) for acts or injuries to another, because of a particular relationship, such as mother to child, guardian to ward, employer to employee, or amongst business associates.
For example: a 16-year-old boy drives his father's car without a license and runs someone down. The child's negligence may be imputed to the parent,
or, in the reverse, a mother drives her car and collides with a truck driven over the speed limit, and her baby in the front seat of the car is badly injured, in part due to not being put in a safety seat with a seat belt. The mother's negligence can be imputed to the child in any claim on behalf of the child against the truck driver.

Imputed liability is a legal term that assigns liability for an injury to a person who did not cause the injury, but who has a particular legal relationship to the person who did act negligently. It is also referred to as imputed negligence.

(Afrikaans: toegerekende aanspreeklikheid, soos in die sin: Die minister het toegerekende aanspreeklikheid vir die nalatigheid van beamptes in sy staatsdepartement.)

Imputed righteousness is a concept in Christian teaching which proposes that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers, that means, treated as if it were theirs, through faith. It is on the basis of this "alien" (i.e. from the outside, imputed) righteousness that God adopts sinners as his children and find them “not guilty” of their sins.

Imputed righteousness teaches that God looks at us, as if we are as perfect and without sin as Jesus is, and it means that God looked at Jesus as if he was as sinful and disobedient as we are, and punished him through his suffering, cross and death for all we have sinned against a holy God.

Our faith relationship with Jesus Christ - he the King, we the followers, he the Head and we the body, he the Groom and we the bride, attaches our sin to him and makes him liable, through imputed liability, for all our sins. This same relationship makes us righteous in the eyes of a holy God, on the ground of our justification, meaning our being found “not guilty”, by his imputed righteousness.

This is what Paul teaches in 2 Cor 5: 21: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Today is Ash Wednesday!

Today is Ash Wednesday.

Not all denominations observe Ash Wednesday. In the protestant world it is mainly Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists and Anglicans. But it is observed by Christians for probably more than 1600 years and it is observed across the globe. On this day we remember our mortality and we repent anew of all our sins. This contemplation drives us to Saviour Jesus and through considering his suffering over the next 40 days, we are assured of salvation and of eternal life!

Cleanse me from my sin.
After Advent and Christmas, until today, we considered the Gospel as it was revealed through the teaching, miracles and ministry of Jesus.
But today is Ash Wednesday. Today the Season changes to Lent. This Season, that lasts till Good Friday on 2 April, leads us into an even deeper understanding of the Good News of God. It should lead us from knowing about Jesus, to loving and following him wholeheartedly.

This is to a certain extent is a dark journey in which we confront the strongholds of evil in our lives, deeply ashamed of what we became without the discipline of being followers of Christ.
But it also is a journey in which the cross, the suffering and the grave of Christ grant us hope, forgiveness and a deep sense of joy about the love, grace and the mercy of God.
Ash Wednesday is the point which marks the change of seasons, leading us into the deepest possible personal knowledge of God’s love, revealed in giving his only Son, that we will not perish, but have eternal life. And on Ash Wednesday we confront the evil and sin in us, to prepare us for our journey with Christ on his way of suffering, while we all the time learn to love him more and become more devoted to him.

In Psalm 51 David begs God to cleanse him, after his adultery with Bathsheba is exposed by Nathan the prophet.
Psalm 51: 2 -4 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.

On Ash Wednesday we, like David, realise that sins that are not repented of and turned away from, carry within them the evil energy of self-destruction and often harm others. When the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, and we turn back to God on the grounds of his love, grace and mercy, repentance becomes a journey of receiving back life, and the freedom to choose to serve and worship God with all our heart, soul and mind.

The way God offers is neither easy nor comfortable and is one that calls for spiritual discipline. Even though Ash Wednesday is a day of solemn repentance when we recognise that we are sinners in need of a Saviour, it is also a day in which we rejoice that we are rescued from the slavery of sin and restored as children of God.

When we begin the symbolic journey of following Jesus through forty days of fasting, spiritual discipline and résistance to temptation, called the Season of Lent, we already know about his victory and exultation through his resurrection and ascension. Repentance therefore becomes the means towards a closer walk with God, looking forward to his gracious purpose with our lives and to be with Christ forever. But before we begin to create the Christian life and world we long for, we have to admit our sin: our greed, our carelessness, our ignorance, our self-centredness, our idolatry and our destructive consumption, amongst other things.

David only repented after he was confronted by the prophet Nathan. But should we not daily practice repentance, even before we are challenged by someone else, about what we have done?
Ash Wednesday offers us the opportunity to start to develop a spiritual discipline where repentance drives us to Christ, and as such influences all our relationships.
How rich in love, obedience, humility and faith we will become, if we take Ash Wednesday’s call to repent home, to stay with us always!

God loves the world!

John 3: 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

This is an amazing statement for John’s Gospel, which generally operates with a negative view of “the world”, because the world rejects Jesus. How could God love such a world?

The miracle is that God gives the Son "so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." God's motive was love and God's objective is salvation. Those who actually receive eternal life are those who believe in the Son.

It would have been far less costly for God to ignore the world's sins and to allow people to live in darkness, but that would not reflect love, but apathy.

Earthly parents provide an analogy. It is far more costly in time and energy for a parent to supervise a child rather than letting the child run wild. It is much less hard work to allow your child to be brought up and taught by its peers, than being educated and guided by parents.
Some parents see it differently, preferring not to constrain the child, but that which appears to be a gift of freedom instead jeopardizes the child's welfare.
It is not a "hands-off" policy that demonstrates love, but a willingness to make sacrifices to keep the child safe.

God makes the biggest possible sacrifice, his one and only Son, to save the world.
But God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.
To save you and me, and our children!

Make the most of each opportunity in Christ's cause!

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 of 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”.

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 – their share of 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!

The four GREAT things in a Christian’s life.

If you search for the four GREAT things of God, look no further than these 4 priorities in the Bible!

The GREAT commission:
Math. 28: 19 & 20: GO and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

The GREAT commandment:
Math 22: 37 & 38: LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment. And he second is like it: LOVE your neighbour as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.

The GREAT promise:
Acts. 1: 8: You will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.

The GREAT invitation:
John 7: 37: If anyone is THIRSTY, let him come to me and drink – streams of living water will flow from within him.

Thirsty Christians without purpose for their lives and service to God do not accomplish much in God’s Kingdom. What is the point of calling yourself a Christian and you remain spiritually deprived?

God provided the food and drink – through Jesus Christ!
God provided the great adventure to bring his Kingdom and his salvation to the lost!
And while we journey powerfully in the Holy Spirit towards our purpose and fulfilment in Christ, we use the compass that will guide us step by step - the commandment of love!

There is no need to remain in slavery, sin, disobedience and spiritual weakness and not bearing fruit for the Lord. There is deliverance, redemption and fulfilment in following and serving Christ Jesus through the power of his Holy Spirit.

Lent, now soon to come, is a season of prayer and reflection on the GREAT sacrifice of our Lord. May it be a season filled with heavenly blessings and inspiration for every day of our lives.
The Kingdom of God is near! The time has come!
Enter with gladness and thanksgiving!

Repent!

Many Christians never talk about sin and repentance. Many never talk about the need to fall on your knees and confess your sin to God. Many never talk about how we human creatures offend the majesty and holiness of God.

But if we don't talk about repentance, we miss the point of the cross. If we don't talk about repentance, we forget the main reason why Jesus came. If we don't talk about repentance, we don't understand the wonder of God accepting us. If we don't talk about repentance, we end up believing that Jesus only came to make us feel good. If we don't talk about repentance, we think what is wrong with us requires only a hug and friendship, instead of a bloody Cross.

Repentance means that we see our sins as God sees it. To repent means we see our sins as sins – without excuse, without a victim mentality, without making light of them. To repent means we see the depths of our sin.

And, to repent means we recognize the wonders of God's grace, mercy and love. There is a correlation between seeing our sin and God's love. The more we see the depths of our sin, the more we see the heights of God's love.

Mark 1: 15: Jesus said: “The time has come, the kingdom of God is near. Repent! – and believe the good news."

"The time has come." We must make a radical decision: either to continue in our sin and live without God, or repent and experience the joy of salvation.

ONLY JESUS CAN!

I cannot save myself o God,
- no one can, my Lord!
There is no one, to take away
all my guilt, unrighteousness!
Just Jesus can,
can achieve God’s gospel plan.
Yes, Jesus can,
o holy God,
only Jesus can!

A Saviour pure, I need, o God,
- sinless man and God,
to carry all my punishment,
satisfy your will, your wrath!
Pure Jesus can,
sinless Christ, the Son of man.
Lord Jesus can,
the Son of God,
only Jesus can!
only Jesus can!

Sung to the music of I WORSHIP YOU, ALMIGHTY GOD.

Only by grace I’m saved!

Washed with the blood of Christ,
cleansed with his Spirit’s flame,
only by grace was called to live,
and only by grace, I came!

Only by grace I live,
only by grace restored.
Only by grace my faith is real:
I’m only by grace adored!

Only by grace I love,
only by grace believe,
and by the Spirit’s gracious work,
a trusting heart receive!

Jesus has made me whole,
into God’s heart engraved.
Father who chose me – praise the Lord -
yes, only by grace I’m saved!


Sung to the music of “Breathe on me, Breath of God.

Saved!

The word "saved" is a remarkable word within Christianity. It is a descriptive word that says that although we were lost, now we are found. People, whom the Lord saved, are people that he found and brought back to his family. The Lord, in his mercy, searches for us until he finds us. This is the process by which he helps us understand and accept that we are lost without Christ, and if we surrender to Jesus Christ, he found us, and we are saved.

There are not many roads that lead to salvation. There is only one way to heaven. Tragically, many do not travel on that way.

Paul writes the following about being saved: If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Rom 10: 8-9)

To be saved means that you believe and that you confess. You believe that God raised Jesus from the dead – that he is victorious over anything and everything that made us into “lost people” and then you (sincerely) confess that he is your Lord. This is what saved people do.

There is something within us, part of our weak sinful hearts, which prefers to work for, and earn to be saved. We hope that if we could just be good enough, we will somehow be worthy to inherit God’s promise of eternal life with him.

Can someone who needs to be saved from drowning tell the life guard that he or she would rather try to swim to safety? Can someone beneath the rubble after an earth quake afford to say to the person who came to save him or her, that they would rather dig themselves out of that life threatening danger? Will anyone who became lost from Christ’s family and God’s church and who is in the dark, find the way home by themselves, without the Light, Jesus our Lord?

I completely owe my salvation to God. He saved me. Jesus Christ had to die for me, and I have to surrender to him in order to have eternal life, I have to give him my life. If I believe in my heart that God raised him form the dead and confess out loud that he is my Lord – I know that he saved me.

To quit trying to save yourself and start trusting the living Jesus, and surrendering to his Lordship, is what the Bible calls faith - faith through which we are saved.

Surrender now to him. Confess it today. Live it everyday!
There is only one way to heaven and it is not the way of human effort. It is the way of responding to God’s divine initiative. It is the way of having a personal relationship with the living Lord Jesus Christ. It is the way of surrender to the Saviour. Surrender to Lord Jesus, the Saviour, today, and you are saved.

Forgiven and Restored

When Jesus was asked to preach in his home town, Nazareth, he claimed these words form the Book of Isaiah to refer to him: (Luke 4: 19) "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour". It refers to what in the Old Testament was known as the Jubilee year.

A Jubilee year is a year to celebrate Israel's entry into the promised land, flowing with milk and honey. It is a year to celebrate Israel's liberation from slavery in Egypt, and above all, to celebrate God's goodness towards his people, Israel.

In a Jubilee year the land lies uncultivated. Both the land and the people rest and are restored. And it is in this year that debts are cleared: a time when mortgaged land is returned to its owners and Hebrew slaves are freed; it is a time of restitution and fulfilled hope. A Jubilee year had a theme of forgiveness and restoration.

These celebrative events continue to declare the will of God for his people. God's will is to forgive and restore us, no matter what we have done or who we were before we became a child of God.

Jesus came to proclaim that the time of God's favour has come for you and me.
It means -
In Christ, God restores what is impossible for us to do.
In Christ, God has cancelled our debt to him.
In Christ, God has forgiven us our sins.
In Christ, God has set us free to live as his children.
In Christ, God has set us free to enter the eternal promised land of his glory.
In Christ, God gives us renewed life through his presence with us.