Advent 2011 - part 5: LOVE

Fourth (last) Advent Sunday – 18 December.
Theme: Love

Advent considered hope, peace and joy. On the last Advent Sunday, 18 December, it contemplates love. Christ coming to us reveals Gods love for his people and for all of his creation.

1 John 4:9-10 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

The most important idea in these verses is that God showed his love. The Biblical understanding of love is that it is shown in actions. It is not so much what we feel, as what we do that is important when we try to understand this word “love” so often used in the Scriptures.

We know God loves us, because we know what he did for us. He created us to have fellowship with him, and when we strayed, he saved us and when we lost the battle against evil, he conquered for our sake.
We know we love God when we worship, serve, praise and want to obey God and when we live in awe of our Lord, because we know that he loved us first. Our actions in reaction to his love, show that we love him too.
We love our fellow Christians when we act as brothers and sisters towards one another and we know we love our neighbour when we act towards them in the way that we expect others to treat us as well.

Jesus is the demonstration of the love God has for us. He lived and ministered to reveal who God truly is. Jesus lived and acted in a way that showed us how God loves us: Jesus touched the “unclean”, he respected the rejected, he delivered the captives, he saved the lost and he healed the sick. Jesus showed the mercy, grace, love, compassion, patience and kindness of God.

This is the love we, as his children and witnesses, should show the world.
We hear a lot about the Christmas spirit and that this is a season for giving. We are more patient and show more compassion than we usually do. This is a good thing and it makes the season of Advent and the celebration of Christmas a most special time for many who are in ominous need to be loved.

But, as we await the complete and final coming of the Kingdom of Christ – we should prepare the way for the King by making practical, Christian love much more than a seasonal thing. It is supposed to be the Christian lifestyle displayed always and it shows God’s love all the time.

God loved us in sending his Son for our redemption. Now we should show his love that others may know his salvation and care. True Christian love is when we show through every aspect of our lives that God loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. In sacrificial living, we do!

Advent Hymn

Comfort, comfort ye my people,
speak ye peace, thus saith our God.
comfort those who sit in darkness,
mourning neath their sorrow’s load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
of the peace that waits for them;
tell het that her sins I cover,
and her warfare is now is over.

Hark, the voice of one that crieth
in the desert far and near.
calling us to new repentance
since the Kingdom now is here.
Oh, that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way;
let the valleys rise to meet him
and the hills bow down to greet him.

Make ye straight what long was crooked,
make the rougher places plain
let your hearts be true and humble,
as befits his holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
now o’er earth is shed abroad;
and all flesh shall see the token
that his Word is never broken!

Music: Harvard University Hymn Book 94, (Genevan 42) Olearius 1671. for Advent

Advent part 4: JOY

Third Advent Sunday: 11 December 2011.
The theme is Joy!
When we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we may expect to be happy during the festive season, all the time. But happiness is not joy. One can experience the joy of the Lord even when circumstances are not particularly “happy”.

We may rejoice in all situations. Even when we are under threat, we are concerned or we are dissatisfied. Because Joy comes from the knowledge that we are within the will of God and it comes from the certain faith knowledge that God cares about us and takes care of us.
During this season we remember that God gave his only Son – because he cares and that he will never leave or forsake us. We know that when Jesus returns, he will be with us for all eternity.

When Mary was told that she expected the Saviour, she feared. She was afraid of the holy angel that came to see her. And she was afraid of the message: To be pregnant and not married carried the death penalty for a girl in those days. She could at least lose her fiancé who knew he was not the dad of the Baby! She ran the risk of rejection by family and of the community.

This is not a particular happy picture.
And yet – there is all the indications that the young virgin Mary rejoiced and was filled with joy. She was to be within the will of God! She was to do the most important work one can do for God. She also believed that nothing is impossible with God!

This is why, in spite of everything risky and dangerous her calling to carry the Christ child entailed, she could break out in song and dance to express a deep felt joy!

According to Luke, this is what she sang as she rejoiced:
Luke 1: 46 - 55:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour
for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation....

May God grant you this joy. Whatever your circumstances! May you find God’s will for your life and assurance of his protection and love.

Advent – part 3: PEACE

The theme for the Second Sunday of Advent is Peace. The first Advent Sunday focused on hope and that we bear the responsibility to live as agents of hope in a world plagued by despondency. As we consider peace this Sunday, 4 December, we see that we can bring hope into the world by being peacemakers.

We sing a lot about peace in our Christmas carols. It was after all the core message of the angel choir on the night that Jesus was born: “Peace on earth and goodwill towards men on whom God’s favour rests.”

Yet, how often do we do everything within our power to bring peace where it is direly needed.
Are we peacemakers within our own families?
Do we work to heal our marriages and family bonds or do we let our prejudices or anger bring discord?
Do we work towards unity within our congregation or are we the instigators of divisive gossip and lead deconstructive cliques, sowing conflict with no desire to bring about the peace amongst his people Christ lived and died for?
Do we refer to people that look and act differently than ourselves with disrespect, contempt and ridicule and stereotype them?

Peace on earth starts with us and our attitudes towards others. If we hold people, and especially other Christians and fellow church members and family members, dear to our heart, our words and actions will mirror this love and respect. There really is no point in speaking about peace on national and global levels as long as we in our personal sphere of influence are agents of war, hurt and conflict.

Let’s remember the definition Jesus gave to love: “Do unto others as you want them to do unto you.” Let’s stop singing about peace until we made peace and became peacemakers.
“Peace” is no true and sincere Christmas card decoration or Christmas carol when it does not come from a changed heart and compassionate soul.

The Season of Advent teaches us to be peace makers as it will restore the hope on Christ, the King. As we expect the coming of the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace born to be our Redeemer and as we make straight the road for the Second Coming, let’s live as true ambassadors of the Peace Kingdom the Messiah came to establish.

Yes, we must be the peacemakers. We who are followers of Christ and we who love Jesus! But we will not be until peace conquered our hearts. This always means that we make peace with ourselves first, with whom we are and what our calling in God’s work is. It then also means making peace with those closest to us. It means that we do earnestly mean it when we call our fellow Christians “brothers and sisters”.

God’s children can bring about peace on earth if we are filled with the Holy Spirit and if we received the peace of God through the Spirit in prayer and reflection of God’s Word.

A good place to start may be to pray the popular prayer of the 13th century St Francis of Assisi and mean every word that we say:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

The Advent Wreath

The symbolism of the Advent wreath (on the Table) is beautiful.

The wreath is made of various evergreens, signifying continuous life.
It signifies victory over persecution and suffering. The prickly leaves remind us of the crown of thorns.
Any pine cones or seeds symbolize life and resurrection.
The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ.
All together, the wreath of evergreens depicts our immortality and the new, everlasting life promised to us through Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who entered our world becoming true man and who was victorious over sin and death through His own passion, death, and resurrection.

The four candles represent the four Sundays of Advent. The progressive lighting of the candles every Advent Sunday symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming into the world and the short time we have left to prepare for his second coming to judge the living and the dead.
The light of the candles signifies Christ, the Light of the world.

In family practice, the Advent wreath is most appropriately lit at dinner time on the four Sundays, after the blessing of the food.

Advent 2011 - part 2: HOPE

Mark 13: 26 27 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens"..

We live in the in-between times, between the first and second coming of Jesus. We are waiting upon the Lord in hope of his great power and glory that will completely change our existence. Christ will and can establish his Kingdom. We are the agents of change to bring about faith in the truth that Jesus reigns and will come to effect, in the smallest detail, the wonders of his merciful and loving reign.
This hope should transform our lives!

1. We have the privilege of Christ’s presence through the Holy Spirit living and working in us. He is Emmanuel, that is, God with us. As we prepare to remember the first coming of Jesus at his birth, advent brings us hope. Through the work of the Spirit this hope should transform our lives, even though we are often confronted by hopelessness.
2. We can look at life in a new way: We need to see the real world with its pain and shocking sadness, and choose to be messengers of hope for those in need. We can help them to expect more of Jesus and his love.
3. We wait upon the Lord, serving him.. While we wait for Jesus to return, we serve him as we worship him in all we do, and we serve in his Name in serving those who need the good news of his glorious coming into our lives, our church and our society.
The Lord is coming and it is a message of hope!

Advent 2011 – Part 1

The Season of Advent – the four Sundays before Christmas, starts on 27 November 2011. The word “advent” basically means “coming”.

o It is a time to be filled with joy, because God became a man and was born as a baby to become our Redeemer and King!
o During this season we also remember that Jesus wants to enter our lives today, here and now, and through his Spirit’s work in us become part of our reaching out to a lost world in pain.
o We also remember that Jesus Christ promised to physically come again, to create a new heaven and earth in which we will live for all eternity!

The 4 Advent candles in church represent a “countdown” of the Sundays before Christmas - but it also reminds us that we have but a short time to prepare, before Jesus returns!

Advent reminds us that God gave his Son
During this Advent Season we will once again remember that Christ took on our weak, human nature and became one of us. We prepare for a “Merry Christmas”. To believers this has nothing to do with a politically correct “Happy Holiday”. Our cheer comes from the “mass”, or celebration, of Christ who came to save his people and will come again to make their salvation complete! He wants to change our lives into Christ’s mass: Christmas!!

The Apostle Paul explains it 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.

This is what Christ came to do when taking on our “weak human flesh”. He showed his compassion with our dilemma which is the result of our imperfections, mistakes, disobedience and sin. He came to live the life that God requires and we cannot accomplish, and to live it perfectly, holy and without sin, in our place! The Son of God became our brother and he never leaves nor forsakes us.

During this Season of Advent we want to celebrate that when God gave the gift of salvation, he did not send a handbook with complicated instructions to figure out how to be saved. He did not send us laws and procedures that are beyond us and which will lead to even more failure to please our holy God. Instead, he sent his Son to save us.

Jesus came to show us how salvation works. Jesus came to become our salvation, our joy and our security. Jesus came to give us everlasting life. Jesus came to live a life that pleases God in our place. He came to pay the penalty for what we cannot and did not do.

Even today Jesus wants to come into your life through the work of his Spirit, to through faith in him, ensure that we work out his salvation in our day to day lives and challenges and in our work for the Lord.
And one day he will come again on the clouds to make our salvation complete.

The Advent message always remains that (John 3:16) God so much loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Let’s trust in the directions of the Son. Let’s rejoice because he did everything we could not do, to save us! Lets pray that he will come again soon to dry all our tears.

May you experience a blessed and a merry Advent Season.

There is no laity!

At the planning meeting of our congregation it was decided to develop our Sunday Worship services in order to more often include the participation of members, other than the minister or duty elder of the month.

The elements that the preaching minister of the day will sometimes ask members to do, will include:
o Call to worship
o Various prayers
o Receiving and blessing the offerings
o Readings

This decision was not taken lightly, but biblical principles were considered.
The purpose of this process is to ensure that Sunday Worship is not seen as “the minister’s territory only” but to adapt to the approach widely practiced, where both elders and other members lead some of the elements of the Order for Sunday Worship. It enforces the principle that in Sunday worship members are not mere bystanders and that not only the minister, but the congregation is filled with the Holy Spirit and may therefore lead the congregation in worship.

It reiterates the emancipation of members within the Reformed tradition as all belonging to the priesthood of the believers, instead of being spectators only. This is an age old principle within Protestant worship, that we lost when a popular view developed in the mid 20th century that Sunday Worship is the territory of the “professional prayers” and the members are “only laity” and therefore not worthy to take a leading role. This is not the view of most Protestants and it is particularly not a Reformed / Presbyterian view and we wish to correct it.

The resistance we see to implementing this principle, is the result of a misunderstanding that differentiates strictly between “ordained ministers” and “”laity”, a view which we do not find in the New Testament. In the Church in the New Testament believers are not only called priests, but even “royal priests” and “prophets”.

The Minister of Word and Sacrament is usually responsible for preaching and always for dispensing the sacraments, as this is what he has been set apart / ordained for.
But any other element could frequently be led by other members too.
Asking members to participate / lead liturgical elements is at the discretion of the preaching minister on the day, who probably will invite members on a week to week basis to do this most Sundays.

Christ the King separates the sheep and the goats!

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Matt. 25:31 - 32

People ask, if Jesus is the King on the glorious throne of God, why are so many things wrong, impure and painful in this world? If the promised Messianic Kingdom of the Prince of Peace came when Jesus went to heaven to be crowned King of all, how must we understand that so much of our experience in life is still about injustice, sadness, sin and death?

The answer simply is: Until Jesus comes again there are both goats and sheep in the world. He reigns and cares for his sheep amidst the reality that the sheep and goats have not yet been separated. Jesus tends his sheep and leads them to his new heaven and earth and glorious dominion, in spite of the fact that his sheep follow him while goats are all around, often being influential and seemingly winning most the time.

The truth about sheep and goats is that one day judgment will be handed down on the basis of whether we are sheep or goats. The King will say, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink.” And on the other hand he will say, “I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,” It will be our living or not living according to the standard of love and mercy of the Kingdom of Christ the King that will be the standard for judgment.

Yet everyone knows that it is faith that saves by grace. Following Christ the King and accepting him as Lord of our lives, turns our lives around and the evidence about our lives is that we have been turned around form being goats to being sheep. And this miracle of our metamorphosis from goats to sheep, is a free gift! It is pure grace!

And this all happens because your Judge is also your Saviour!

This is how we glorify Christ the King! We live for him. We live out his heart within the needs around us. Jesus said, whatever you did for the least of his brothers and sisters, you did for him! We make his will visible, we show his heart and we allow the light of his dominion to become visible in this dark world. Then more people can believe that Christ the King, the Messiah, indeed reigns and that they too may believe in him and be saved through faith in him. People will begin to believe in Christ the King, when we act out our status as the sheep in the flock of Jesus

Prayer on the Feast of Christ the King!

Almighty Christ, King of all!
Today, Lord, we celebrate your glorious victory. We gladly bring honour to you, Lord Jesus who has not only saved us from our sins by your cross and resurrection, but also ascended to the right hand of God. We rejoice that your Kingdom has come on earth, just as it is in heaven.

We bring honour to you, our Redeemer, whom we call Christ the King, who victoriously reigns now, and reigns forever. You, Lord, dealt with our every need, delivered us from every enemy, healed us from all sin, harm and injury and you are worshipped when heaven and earth bow down before you as Lord of all.

Yet, Lord everything promised has not happened on our earth yet! You are the King, and yet, your dominion is also still coming to us and to the world. We live in hope, and in faith that we truly heard the Word of God, that testifies that you will come again in glory to effect in the smallest detail, your glorious reign.

King Jesus, thank you that you not only bring salvation to us, but through your work through the ministry of your Church, also to the whole world, yes, to the ends of the earth. Your people accept the grace that you brings, and commit their lives to the power of the Holy Spirit who empowers your children and your Church to fulfil your commission to preach the gospel to everyone, now bring justice wherever we serve you and bring hope and light where darkness still hides your glorious reign and redemption.

Help us to live only for your honour, glory and reign. Help us to be obedient, by the power of your resurrection and of your Spirit. We know that nothing will separate us from the love of God that we received in Christ the King, our Lord and our Saviour!

We pray for all your servants, glorious Lord! For those who preach your word and for those who listen. Protect and guide all the missionaries sent to the ends of the earth to proclaim salvation in you. Guide them and bless their work for you. Call many more to do your work and make us obedient to your call.

In your mercy, heal the sick and comfort those who are weeping because they are sad. Set the captives free and grant relief to the poor. Sanctify those who are powerful and influential and humble those who are proud.
Bring to an end the kingdom of darkness and let your majesty shine as the light of the world. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us your peace.
And now, great King of kings and Lord of lords –
have mercy on us, and on all your people.
In your Name, Lord Jesus, we pray!
Amen.

Feast of Christ the King

Feast of Christ the King

On Sunday 20 November 2011 the universal Church once again celebrates the Feast of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday of the Christian calendar or Christian year, as Sunday, 27 November 2011, marks the first Sunday of the new Christian year, when we observe First Advent Sunday, when amongst other things, we start the countdown to Christmas, then only 4 weeks away.

The Christian year ends celebrating Christ the King, in victory. We gladly bring honour to Jesus who has not only saved us from our sins by his cross and resurrection, but also ascended to the right hand of God. Our celebration of the glorious work of Jesus culminates in the great finale of the Celebration of Christ the King. We rejoice that his Kingdom has come on earth, just as it is in heaven.

Yes, we know that everything promised about the Kingdom of the Messiah has not yet happened on our earth. Yes, his Kingdom has come and, yes, he is the King and Head of the Church and, yes, he reigns in glory.

And yet, his dominion is also still coming to us and to the world. We still live in hope, and in faith that we truly heard the Word of God that testifies that he will also come again in glory to effect in the smallest detail, his glorious reign. But until he comes again, we celebrate his heavenly rule, and the coming of his dominion over everything and everyone and everywhere with great expectation, in faith and in the certain knowledge that even now he is the King of our hearts, of his Church and of every aspect of our lives.

On Sunday, 20 November 2011, this coming Sunday, we celebrate that Jesus of Nazareth, the eternal Son of God, has taken his place as King of kings and Lord of lords in our lives, our faith and our certain knowledge that he will bring justice and righteousness to us, to his people and to the whole world.

Christ’s people accept the grace that he brings, and commit their lives to the power of the Holy Spirit who empowers his children, and his Church, to fulfil the commission of Christ the King to preach the gospel to everyone, bring justice wherever we serve him and bring hope and light where darkness still hides the glorious reign and redemption of our Lord.

Doxology Hymn

Doxology Hymn: Romans 11: 33 - 36

Oh depth of the riches - the wisdom of God;
How unsearchable is Gods judgments and paths.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, Amen.

Oh who has known the mind of our glorious God?
Or who has been his counsellor, yes, who is that wise?
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, Amen.

Does God owe anyone that it should be repaid?
For from Him and through Him, and to Him all things!
To Him be the glory for ever! Amen.

Celebrate Jesus – part 2 - final

We believe that the Lord Jesus, anointed as God’s Messiah, came to us to set up, proclaim and make us one with the Kingdom of God. He is the Son of God, born as a man and now exalted in heaven as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! Jesus is worth celebrating, simply because of who he is.

But we also celebrate Jesus for what he does for us and in our lives. What does he do?
1) Jesus loves us just as we are. “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his son, his one and only son. And this is why: So that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.” John 3:16(The Message) Jesus loved us even before we loved him. Paul writes in Rom 5: 8:“But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.” (CEV)

2) Jesus forgives the wickedness of our past.
We read about a woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ … When they kept on questioning him, he said to them, ‘If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ … Jesus asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.” While others condemned the guilty woman, Jesus restored her. What Jesus does is to restore condemned sinners and give them the right to be called children of God.

3) Jesus also makes our lives new.
We believe that Jesus Christ, being for our offences crucified, dead, and buried, his body never saw corruption, but he was raised again on the third day. In his risen life, we live anew, and receive the fruit of his resurrection. In heaven he continually intercedes for us as the Head of the Church, where he is honoured as Lord over all.

Paul writes: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) Jesus makes us new, even if we broke and destroyed ourselves.

It is time to celebrate Jesus for what he does for us! And the best way to celebrate him is to turn from our world conforming lives and embrace the new life he gives as a result of his cross and his victory.
Our transformation into his image celebrates Jesus for what he does and for who he is!

How can we honour one another?

Romans 12: 10: “Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.”

How to honour one another.
Firstly we must honour God. He is worthy of our highest praise and deserves all honour. Listen to what the angels of heaven say and sing:
(Rev 5:12) "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!"

When we honour God in the way we speak to him and about him, we will find it easier to honour one another, made in the image of God.

How can we honour one another? First of all by recognising and encouraging one another for efforts or achievements. This means we are to give personal compliments face-to-face. This means we are to go out of our way to thank and praise each other.

Secondly we also honour others by associating with them, by spending time with them. Paul writes:
(Rom 12:16) Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
It is important that the church stands in sharp contrast to the world's values that usually honour the rich, the successful, the famous, and the beautiful.

Jesus showed this kind of honour to those of low position, even outcasts. Whom did Jesus spend time with while on this earth? Yes, he did eat fancy dinners at the homes of the rich and the powerful. But he also associated with tax collectors and sinners. He wasn't ashamed to be seen talking with a Samaritan woman. He allowed a prostitute to anoint his feet with perfume and to dry them with her hair. He honoured these people with his presence and company.

At stake here is spiritual maturity. At stake here is the depth of our conformity to Christ. At stake here is whether or not we live as one of God's children.

What is true worship?

Worship in Truth and Spirit.
John 4:24: God is spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24)

What is true worship? The many churches around us do many different things, and they all are calling it worship.
Some churches observe a great deal of formality and ritual. Things are always done exactly the same way without any deviation.
Other churches have no printed order, although everyone has unwritten orders or practices. When informal and unexpected things happen, they are not considered disruptions in “informal” churches.

There are many styles and customs. Are some right and others wrong? The truth is that any style or tradition or custom or order can be done rightly or wrongly, because the customs we observe are but outwardly practices that either help us to worship God, or distract our minds from God. To worship God in truth and Sprit has nothing to do with style, yet it has everything to do with the worshipper.

Because praise, worship and the communion of believers are all God’s idea and should not in the first place be about our preferences. We need to seek what the Lord says about worship and seek to understand what God expects.

When reading the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments, we see that God commands praise and worship, created us to worship him and that praise and worship are not two separate acts, but one act that brings praise to the Lord as grateful believers who worship because we received God’s grace and mercy. For example, in Psalm 150 we hear over and over 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 the Lord!

As God did since the beginning of mankind, he still commands us to praise him. God is saying to us as his Church today: Honour and praise me, by worshipping me!

And Gods does not command this because of himself or any need he may have for our worship. He commands it, because we need to worship him. We cannot be changed, restored, equipped or empowered without worshipping our Maker, our Saviour, our Redeemer!

God commands us to worship, because our worship does something for us.
Without fellowship with God we are on our own – and we need God to have a life filled with meaning, purpose and joy.
Through worship we are healed and encouraged to live for the Lord.
Worship turns our hearts of stone into hearts filled with love and compassion for our neighbour.
Worship binds us with our Church family and turns a lonely journey into a life supported by love, empathy and recognition as someone who lives in God’s community.

Style, custom and tradition has very little to do with worshipping in truth and in Spirit. These may sometimes even distract us from focusing on God, if it becomes self-gratifying and people pleasing instead of focused on our God whom we worship. But if we come as needy people to be received by the King of all, and as we worship him, our broken relationships with the Lord, his community and our friends in Christ are reinstated. This glorifies God and testifies about our complete dependence on him. And it keeps us in the fold, and responds to our need for God and his church!

This we will get right when we remember that all the cultural, material actions we use to accomplish it, are mere aids to do the right thing. We will really only get it right when we worship in Spirit and truth, because God is Spirit! And we need God, who comes to us in Christ Jesus, to live and to die comforted and with true joy.

Celebrate Jesus – part 1

Celebrate Jesus simply for who he is.
During this short series of Midweek Devotions we will also learn to celebrate Jesus for what he does, for changing our lives, and for his exaltation at God’s right hand.

But, let’s start at the beginning. We first of all should celebrate Jesus just because of who he is. Do we really realise who Jesus is? And if we do, is it not enough reason to spend all of our days celebrating him? Jesus is God, and we should celebrate that.

1) He is an earthly picture of our heavenly Father.
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.”Colossians 1:15 (New Living Translation)
Jesus came to show us what God is like, to learn about the love, grace, mercy, kindness, holiness, justice and many other attributes of God. Jesus said “To see me is to see the Father.” John 14:9 (The Message). Jesus acted out, as a human being, who God truly is, that we may know, enjoy and glorify God always.

2)Jesus is the path to God.
Jesus is the only way for human beings to connect with God. “Jesus said, ‘I am the road, also the truth, also the life. No one gets to the Father apart from me.” John 14:6 (The Message) When we get lost, Jesus is the road to the Father, when we are confused, Jesus is the truth that shows us what really makes sense in life. He shows us how to get a life. The unbelieving world has a completely different way of understanding how to get a life.
Yet, when we come to Jesus we are set free from our wickedness and we can get a life, and one that never ends, not even after we died!

3) Jesus is the friend of those who follow him.
“Greater love has no one that this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves…… But I have called you friends.” John 15:13-15

We believe that the Lord, anointed as God’s Messiah because he is one with the Father and with the Holy Spirit, came to us to set up and proclaim the Kingdom of God amongst us. He did this by his perfect life, through words and deeds of grace, and ultimately by his death on the cross. He rose triumphantly in order to save us. He sacrificed himself, perfect and unblemished, to be our Saviour, Redeemer and Mediator!
Jesus is worth celebrating, simply because of who he is.

Doxology

Romans 11: 33- 36
Doxology
(or Song of Praise to glorify God)

33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

We need to change - part 3 - last part

We believe that we have to change to be happy. The Bible, specifically in Rom 12: 1 and 2, urges us to change our minds in order to become what God desires us to be.

There is a process by which we are changed to become more like Christ. It is the process of being transformed. What we are taught in Rom 12, is a change of our minds that changes our nature. It is much more than an outward change. It is so radical that people would not be able to tell that we actually are the same people we used to be.

As my mind is renewed, my inner self changes. It is the person inside me that becomes more like Christ, because our thinking is trained to think along the lines of God’s ideas. We are told in Philippians: 4 to think about such things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

These we can only do by studying and contemplating the Word of God. We must seek out every opportunity to read and hear God’s Word. As we read and hear it taught, we are to respond to the challenge of being changed to the ways God thinks about life and by being obedient to that Word.

Rom 12: 1 & 2 says that the test whether we are changed by God Word, is that we come to a place where we not only know the will of God, but begin to live according to it. Paul says: “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Rom12: 2c)

A renewed person delights in knowing and doing the Word of God. Only a transformed mind can test the will of God, to prove that it is good, pleasing, and perfect.

The will of God is good. God only asks us to do that which is good for us.
The will of God is pleasing. It pleases God and will in the end please us. This is because it will result in a relationship with God which secures his blessing of us.
The will of God is perfect. God wants the best for us. His will is completely what we need in order walk with the Lord, work for the Lord and make a difference in the world for the Lord.

If you are a Christian, are you completely his? Have you surrendered to his will and Word?
Someone wrote that we must be careful not to develop the kind of Church we are the home of the 1% tithe and the thirty minute service with sermonettes for Christianettes. Or where our commitment is that instead of "Standing on the Promises" we are merely “sitting on the premises”.
This is not what God has in mind for me and you.

God wants everything. He wants our lives, our time, our abilities and resources, our jobs, our leisure, our families and marriages, our homes and our hobbies! Because God wants to change our minds and transforms us till we think like him and live for him in imitation of him in every aspect of life.

Do not be conformed — be transformed.
Come to Christ for a change.

What if you were as small as an insect?

If you were as small as an insect, it would give you a different view of everything in the world. A field of grass would turn into an extraordinarily tall forest and a stone or brick would be a soaring steeple. It would certainly be your reality, but, and this is important, only a reality from your perspective as being one of the smallest creatures around. The lion would have a totally different view of the grass and the brick! Your reality is not always real – it is not always the true reality.

Our perception of reality changes, because it is based on our subjective perspective. Our reality often is nothing more than our personal view. But it may not be the whole truth. There is a difference between wat is true for me, and what is The Truth!

It is, for example, my perspective that I am a sinner. But The Truth is that I am a sinner saved by grace. I know that my best works are nothing but filthy rags before God. But The Truth is that I am clothed in Christ's righteousness. Christ is my righteousness, and I stand complete in Him.

It know that I am defeated from time to time and I know that I fall short of a victorious life. But, although this is true, The Truth is that I overcome in Christ and am able to do everything in and through Christ who gives me strength.

It is true that at times I do not feel saved. But The Truth is that my salvation is not dependent on my feelings. While it is true that I do not feel saved, The Truth is that I am saved in and through Christ Jesus.

A special Christian friend is a God-given treasure

Christian friends are closely supportive of one another on a spiritual, emotional and practical level. Both giving and receiving in a fair and balanced way, between genuine Christian friends, makes it a most special and even godly relationship.

Christian friendships between equals are quite different from friendships where one of the friends is a mentor of a brand new or young Christian. It is a mutually beneficent relationship within Christ’s community on earth.

Christian friendship between equals do not come about in an instant or happen overnight. They develop over a long period of time as trust grows, sensitive matters are shared and prayed about together. It develops while both friends progress in knowledge of Christ and in spiritual understanding. A strong Christian friendship flourishes of course when two friends grow together in faith, goodness, knowledge, and other saintly gifts and experiences.

A good Christian friend is a treasure to be grateful for, one could even say, it is a special gift from the Lord. Care for your Christian friend, pray for him/her, and most of all, in being a saintly friend, you cultivate and secure lifelong support and joy!

We need to change - part 2

We believe that we have to change to be happy. But then we are afraid of change, because it brings uncertainty. The Bible, specifically in Rom 12, urges us to change our minds in order to become what God desires us to be.

Rom 12: 1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy… We are sinners both by nature and choice. In spite of this God loves us and sent Jesus to die for us to set us free from sin and its consequences. By great mercy the Lord saved us through the gift of faith. So we cannot take God’s mercy and saving grace for granted. We must allow God’s work in us to change us according to God’s will. The awesome mercy we received in salvation should urge us to remember our real priorities in life.

Rom 12: 1 –“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” We are urged to present the lives lived in this body not to the desires within us, which wage war against the life of the Spirit. No, we need to offer our regular daily lives to God as sacrifices of thanksgiving for his mercy. In doing so, we commit our bodies to God and yield them into his control.

God wants our lives. He has said that it is pleasing to him if we live our lives in his honour. God calls it a holy sacrifice to him.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "When Christ calls someone, he bids him/her to come and die." You cannot experience resurrection life until you experienced the death of having your own mind about everything. We cannot cultivate the Christian life before we sanctified our thinking and living. This is called our spiritual act of worship. It is true worship. It implies radical change that impacts on everything we do! It changes our minds not only about the priorities in daily living, but also about the very things we choose to do.

According to our nature, you may not know or want to study the Bible. And knowing truth does not always change our minds to godly thinking and doing! Thoughts of Jesus and his sacrifice may bring tears to your eyes, or you may be brought to tears by Christian songs. Yet, tears do not change our minds or lives. God’s Word does! The Spirit does.

To sacrifice your life to God, you have to let go of control of your life to the Holy Spirit. And the only way we can tell if we do this, is to be examined in the light of the Word of God. Our challenge is to yield to God and allow him to live in and through us and to change our minds and in this manner, to change our lives to living sacrifices that brings glory and honour to God.

May God bless, protect and preserve us until his Kingdom comes in perfect glory.

True, lasting friendship

John 15: 13 "Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends”, Jesus said.
A true friend is someone with whom we enjoy mutual affection, interests and respect. The best friends are those who help when we are in trouble and who are our advocates when we need that someone gives more than expected and does not insist on receiving.

Jesus said: "Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” Christ’s friendship is based on his sacrificial love on the cross and giving holy direction through the complete revelation of his will for our lives.

All important love relationships find their model and standard from the friendship Jesus offers us. Joyful marriages, healthy families and successful congregations are founded on the love that friends share with each other. This love is expressed in noble sacrificial giving and helpfulness that overcomes adversary. Such a friendship leads to open communication, complete truthfulness and faithfulness, kind and unselfish counsel without a hidden agenda, and a great union of minds, ideas, dreams and goals of which brave men and women are capable.

Jesus knew that the best kind of friendships would evolve between friends who share the gift of friendship with him, as Jesus shares a divine friendship with his Father. Nothing is more exciting than when we share the satisfaction that I and my friend both are in close communication with the Lord Jesus. Friendship is enhanced when we share mutual activities that contribute to the expansion of the kingdom of God and the revelation of his holiness and love. Without Jesus at the centre of friendship, it either will fail, or cause us to put people above our devotion to God which both lead to hurt and emotional pain.

A friend is someone who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is sacred. It is one who understands our silences and gives lot of sympathy and empathy without giving judgment - and whose closeness provides true joy.

Your real friend is the one who comes to you, when the rest of the world leaves you.
Such a Friend Jesus is to those who love and follow him.

We need to change

We need to change.
The media put a message out that if we do not change, we will not be happy and will miss out on lots of fun and happiness. So we desire to change, because we are told that if we are slimmer, tanner, fashionably dressed, stylish, better looking, go to a different bank, have more debt, support another chain store or are better perfumed, we will be happier and more satisfied. The propaganda is put out, and we often believe it. To change our situation for the better is a desire we all have. So we desire change that will satisfy our needs.

But then we are also afraid of change. The uncertainties that change may bring, let us hold onto the status quo, not because it gives us what we desire, but because it makes us feel safe and secure. Perhaps we fear that change will make us even more unhappy than the status quo.

But we live in a dynamic world which requires us to change in order to survive and keep up with the demands made to us. We cannot keep making the same mistakes and we cannot continue with behaviour that causes us and others to suffer or be hurt.

The Gospel is all about our need to change. But the change God requires is much more than a miracle cream or perfect product or a new car or lifestyle. The Bible gives us a recipe for change that will surprise us, because it tells us that only if the very way we think and the way we are willing to sacrifice our own ideas and desires, will bring us to a place where we will be able to test what the will of God is, and that having our minds thus changed about life, and death, will bring us to a good and pleasing place.

Carefully read what Paul writes in Romans 12:1-2:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed (changed) by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Over the next 2 or three weeks we will consider this teaching in Romans 12.
But lets say it upfront: The most important change we need is to stop conforming to the ideas and propaganda of the world, to change our mind, and seek to have a mind that thinks like God thinks about our lives.

What’s in a name, Christian?

And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:26c).
So, what’s in a name?

We are Christians because we belong to Christ and therefore we are named after him. We are members of his party. We are his followers. We love the Lord Jesus Christ. So, we are called Christians. We are called Christians because we are called to take after Christ, to show his character and to make him known by the words we speak and the lives we live.

Who is Christ? He has many names in Scripture. And all these names reflect his character, his nature and his calling.

In Isaiah 9: 6 it says of the Messiah (Hebrew for Christ) that "His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." The names of our Lord, the Christ of God, abound in Scripture.
He is called the Second Adam, the Alpha and Omega, the Ancient of Days, the Amen, the Author and Finisher of our Faith, the Blessed and Only Emperor, the Captain of our Salvation, the Chief Shepherd, the Cornerstone. He is the Dayspring, the Desire of the Nations, the Faithful Witness, the First and the Last. He is our Great High Priest, the Holy One of God. He is the Great I Am, the Judge of Israel, the King of the Jews, the King of Saints, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the Lord of Glory and he is the Light of the World. He is the Messiah, the Mediator between God and Man, the Man of sorrows, yet, the Mighty God. He is the Prince of Peace, the Resurrection and the Life, the Rock of our Salvation, the Root of David, the Saviour of the World. He is the Great Shepherd, the Son of Righteousness, the Son of man, and the Son of God. He is the True Vine, the Truth, the Witness, and the Word of God. He is the Lamb of God, and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
This is who Christ is. What’s in a name? There is much in a name. These names in the Scriptures were symbolic. It spoke about the character, nature and calling of Christ.

And the name “Christian” speaks of the character and calling of his followers!

Might the Lord by revealing all of this, be saying to us, "Christian, change your life or change your name?"

TO FAST OR NOT TO FAST

TO FAST OR NOT TO FAST
or, do not decide to fast, too fast…

Do we or do we not have to fast? Jesus never commanded fasting, but he did speak of it as an existing custom. He approved of it, although his disciples did not fast during his stay on earth. But they fasted after he left them to go to heaven. Fasting usually is combined with prayer.

What is Fasting?
To put it simply, fasting is abstinence from anything legitimate for the sake of some special spiritual purpose. Normally, fasting is an abstinence from food, but it could be any other useful activity. Remember what young Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar? Daniel and his three friends abstained from the royal food and wine and limited themselves to vegetables and water (Dan 1:8-14).

Jesus never commanded fasting, but he did approve of it. Jesus fasted for 40 days before he entered his ministry. He found it important in order to prepare for God’s work he would do. Should we then not benefit from it as well?

But if we do it, we never do it out of a sense of duty or obligation. It is not something we do because someone tells us to do it. It is something we want to do, freely, of our own will. It should be spontaneous, something that arises from our heart.

An example of fasting.
I have to mention Nineveh. A reluctant Jonah announced that Nineveh had forty days to repent or it would be destroyed. Remember what happened? The result was nothing short of amazing:

(Jonah 3:5-9) The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. (6) When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. (7) Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. (8) But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. (9) Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."

I am having an awfully hard time trying to imagine this kind of response in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban. But we most probably need it as desperately as Nineveh did.

Purpose of Fasting
Fasting comes under the general heading of discipline. Are we able to discipline ourselves to the point where we can say "No" to bodily appetites and desires? Is our stomach our God? Or, is our God the Lord almighty? That's the question. Are we able to control our cravings or do they control us? Remember what Jesus said: (Mt 16:24) "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Fasting in the Bible was always combined with prayer. What it comes down to is that fasting aids or helps or assists our prayer life. It seems that when the stomach is full, the body and mind are less able to concentrate on spiritual things. Fasting actually expresses a hunger for God. We abstain from food and other things so we can better concentrate on God and the things of God.

Fasting is also an expression of sorrow for sin. That was certainly the case with Nineveh, David, and others. Those who sin want to fast as a sign of their repentance. They want to show outwardly the inner sorrow and grief that they feel.

Fasting is also a sign of our unworthiness. It is a sign that we deserve nothing, not even the food we eat, the water we drink, or the air we breathe. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to God that made us! It suits us then to humble ourselves before God to confess our national sins, and to pray for mercy and forgiveness.

Fasting may sometimes be the vehicle to express our emotional pain to God. (Think of Job – for example chapter 42) It is to wrestle with God, because we have unanswered questions about our life and the pain that is part of it.

The Manner of Fasting
The Pharisees boasted that they fasted twice a week. And, so that all would know they were fasting, they would wear old clothes and wouldn't wash their face or anoint themselves with oil or perfume. Jesus advised: Don't be like the Pharisees when you fast. Act natural. It is a very personal matter between you and God and should come from your heart, your soul, your spirit. It must be personal, sincere and authentic.

Fasting is about something between you and God. He who sees the heart will bless you and answer you!!

Living in the Body of Christ – part 5 - Our goal

Living in the Body of Christ – part 5 - Our goal
...causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephes. 4:16c)
The common goal in the Body of Christ is the growth of the body. As each one does his individual part, it causes the growth of the body as a whole. The Body is responsible for the building up of itself in love as it ministers to each member.

God has decided that this growth occurs as a result of living in community. He put us together in a spiritual body of believers where we learn to be more like him every day. He has given leaders, servants of the Head, to equip us for ministry. He has called us to be one in the faith and to mature to be like Christ. He has called us to work together in community in order to be his Body.

Do you understand the implication of being in the Body? We are a community of God's people who have been brought into a living union with God and with one another. We need one another in order to grow and to help the Body to grow.

Watchman Nee said, “Yet just what kind of a man is he who perceives the Body? He is a person who seeks for fellowship, who fears that he himself may be wrong, and who dare not work independently. Such is the person who has discerned the Body.”

We work together, to grow together, to love Jesus and bear the fruit of the Spirit for every one’s benefit. That is what Body Life is all about. Have you started to live the Body Life yet?

Prayer: O Lord, through your grace and mercy I see not only the Body – but that I am part of this glorious plan to do your work. Make me diligent, loving and serving as I experience the Body Life, depending only on you. Amen.

God be with you

God be with you till we meet again;
Neath his wings protecting hide you;
Daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we meet again.
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

Living in the Body of Christ – part 4 - Our work

...from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part... (Ephes. 4:16a-b)

Each part of a body has a function to perform. The Body of Christ is not a lot of loose parts in a pile. The Body of Christ is composed of parts that are being fitted and held together.

Just as in our human body where each bone is connected to another bone by a joint, so there are joints which connect the members of the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is held together by that which every joint supplies. And what is that? The “that” which every joint supplies is ministry. It is “the work of service” referred to in verse 12 of this chapter. The proper working of each individual part is the Christian work we do for one another. It is at this point of ministry or service where we are joined.

And it is the proper working of all of these unique parts which is essential. In the Body of Christ each part is employed, by first of all surrendering to Jesus. We must work together under the leadership of our risen Lord. And we must take our responsibility to be faithful in using our gifts with love and doing God’s work to the benefit of all, seriously. Otherwise the Body cannot be held together.

Each of us received a gift and a task from the Holy Spirit. There are lists of gifts in Scripture. There are for example gifts of service, teaching, praise, giving, leading, and showing mercy mentioned in Romans 12. There is another list in 1 Corinthians 12. And Eph 4 calls leaders, people such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers also gifts to the church.

Have you discovered your gift? Are you using it in the church to touch someone else's need. Remember, a gift is given to flow from God through you to someone's need. It is “that” service in love that holds us together in doing God’s work well.

Prayer: Take my gift Lord and glue me through service to you, my Head and to every part, every person, in your glorious work. Amen.

Two not so perfect sons!

Jesus once told the temple’s leadership a parable. (See Mat 21: 23 – 34) And the parable is this. There is a dad who has work that he needs done on his farm and he asks his two sons to go to the vineyard and do the work. One son is stubborn and disobedient and says no to his father, but then later he finds himself able to go and goes into the vineyard and does what his father asks. The other son tells his dad that he is going to do what he asks, but then he doesn’t go. He never did the work.

Jesus asked the leadership of the temple which one did what the dad asked them to do. The answer is obvious. Actions speak louder than words and what matters more than what you say you are going to do, is what you in fact do in the end.

The son who said no to his father changed his mind because of guilt. His conscience was working overtime until he decided to do the right thing. Perhaps he was being disobedient to his father, because he wanted to make a point, and in the end realised that his disobedience was wrong.

And then there is the son who said that he would do the work, and didn’t. Did he say yes without thinking whether he really could or wanted to do it? Did he forget? Did something come up that kept him from going? When looking at this son we realise that intentions don’t really matter as much as practically doing the right things.

Jesus identifies the one who said no with the tax collectors and the prostitutes; he identifies this son with the lost. These are the people who made bad decisions early in their lives and went in the wrong direction, but later repented. They realized they were heading in the wrong direction and turned around. They came back and followed Christ.

Jesus is looking at the leaders of the temple as people who started their lives in the right direction, but then were sidetracked and ended up not following where God had led.

Many of us said yes to God early in our lives. Are we going to follow through with what we promised to do? Are we going to remain faithful to God and go where he sends us or are we going to turn away from God’s call on our lives?

Or are we going to take a third way. The best way. This third way would be a son who says yes to his father and then follows through with it. I believe that if the Church was full of people following this third way, the Church would be able to do God’s work according to God’s way and desire.

Do we respond when Jesus calls? Do we follow through with our promises to him?
When we asked Jesus to be our Saviour and Lord, we have promised ourselves to him. Are we living the way we said we would?
Are we doing the work we promised to do?
We said yes to our God.
Are we now ready to follow through and align our lives with our promises and words?

When our minds are changed

Romans 8: 5- 7: Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

Paul speaks about the contrast between the natural, sinful mind of man and a mind that has been transformed by the Spirit of God.

One of the works of the Holy Spirit in our lives, is the work of “changing our minds” for us, for we would normally resist change, above all change that will require us to use more energy to create life and peace in God’s work.
The natural mind focuses on physical, material and selfish concerns. There may be thoughts about God, but even that will be thoughts about how to approach God on our own terms. Generally, however, the natural mind is filled with thoughts that centre on ways to gratify itself.

But, what a change we see in the lives of those who have their minds set on what the Spirit wants! While they still fail God, they focus on God and this focus gives them daily direction in all they do. They love God and all the things that relate to him. They love his Word, his people, his worship. The Spirit of God redirects the thinking of those redeemed by the blood of Jesus. The Spirit changes our minds about God and about ourselves. “We” are not the focus point anymore – but the focus is on the life and peace the Spirit desires for us.

The result is that the focus of Spirit filled minds are changed. They find themselves drawn away from the things which only please their desires. What we cannot produce by ourselves, the Holy Spirit does produce in us! The believer finds that he/she can live a life that is pleasing to the Lord and that he can do things that are useful and blessed within the faith community, in his/her family and all the other aspects of his/her life.

The flesh is strong, but the Spirit of God within us is stronger.
We may be hard headed, one track minded and confused, but the Sprit makes us soft hearted, God minded and focussed on the desires of the Spirit for our lives!
What a Saviour and what an amazing salvation we received!!

Living in the Body of Christ – part 3 Our uniqueness

...that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part... (Ephesians 4:16b)

Christ is the head of the Body, but the Body is composed of many unique parts. We are unique as members of the Body of Christ. The emphasis on every joint and each individual part is something we need to see and celebrate. The Body of Christ is compared to a human body composed of many unique parts. Each part is different, yet each works together with the other parts in a harmony of life. Some parts of the body are not more prominent than others. All are important. In fact, all the parts are needed.

The Lord makes us part of the Body just as we are. Our personality does not change. Our talents he wants to use, whatever they may be. He gives us gifts to work for him that suits our uniqueness. And we all are important in his work.

We read in 1 Corinthians 12:14-21, “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot should say, `Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body, it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body, it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, `I have no need of you; or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.“

There is individuality in the Body of Christ. God has made us different, not to be independent of others, but that we can work better together. God has given us all different gifts and ministries. He has not done this so that we are put on a pedestal above others, but that we all together could do his work better.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I need to determine what my unique position as part of the Body Life is and in doing so find my true identity in your work. Show me who I am in your Body, dear Lord. Amen.

The wide and the narrow roads

Mat 7: 13 – 14: 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Jesus tells us two things about the wide and broad gate and road. Firstly he said, "many enter through it." The wide gate and broad road is popular. The majority of people prefer it over the small gate and narrow road. Secondly, Jesus warns us that the broad road "leads to destruction." The road to hell, says Jesus, is broad, straight, smooth and trendy. It is really easy to go to hell. And people naturally choose this road for themselves – to follow the crowds, to take the easy way of least résistance that leads to hell.

Jesus also tells us two things about the small and narrow gate and road. Firstly he said that "only a few find it." The narrow road is not popular. Many people never find it. Secondly, Jesus tells us that the narrow road "leads to life." Everlasting life, that is. Life forever with God, he speaks about.

Jesus reminds us that the road to heaven is not the easy or the natural way for our lost mankind and society. To travel the narrow road requires sacrifice, commitment, a life of service, a constant struggle against sin, a constant evaluation of priorities.
The afterlife is very important to consider. We need to make sure we are walking on the right road.

Jesus also said “I am the way, the truth and the life”. Who travels on the narrow way called Jesus, travels a road where we carry our daily cross in sacrificial service of our Lord. And this way, the Jesus-way, leads to heaven!

in Afrikaans: Die risiko om weg te val uit die genade.

Jesus het ons gewaarsku dat soos die lewe al meer uitdagend, moeilik, besig, gevaarlik en teleurstellend raak, sal die opregtheid van die gelowiges se verhouding met God ook meer en meer getoets word. Baie val weg uit die genade, omdat dit vir hulle al hoe moeiliker word om die Here prakties en konsekwent met oorgawe te dien.

Jesus sê self Mat 24: 12 – 14: En omdat die ongeregtigheid vermeerder word, sal die liefde van die meeste verkoel. Maar wie volhard tot die einde toe, hy sal gered word. En hierdie evangelie van die koninkryk sal verkondig word in die hele wêreld tot 'n getuienis vir al die nasies; en dan sal die einde kom.

In hierdie eindtyd is daar gelukkig ook, volgens Christus se woorde, nie net diegene wat wegval uit die genade nie, maar ook baie wat gewen word vir ‘n volle toewyding aan die Here en sy werk.

Sommige probeer om elders ’n antwoord op lewens uitdagings te vind, en elkeen wat net ‘n oppervlakkige verhouding met Christus het, sal weggaan uit sy diens en aanbidding om op ’n ander plek ‘n “makliker” taak en makliker “evangelie” te probeer vind.

Maar daar is ook opregte gelowiges wat besef dat toegewyde oorgawe aan Christus die enigste pad vir ons is! Opposisie van die lewe in die Liggaam van Christus motiveer selfs sommige om met groter oorgawe deel te word van ‘n geloofsgemeenskap wat God onvoorwaardelik op sy Woord neem! So sal teenstand teen die Evangelie sommige se geloof opbou en ander se halfhartige oorgawe finaal tot niet maak.

As jy sedert vanjaar begin het, weggestap het van Christus se gemeente, omdat dit te moeilik en uitdagend vir jou geword het – en die persoonlike opoffering teveel geword het – kom maar liewer terug voordat jy alles verloor; veral jou roeping, jou liefdesdiens aan Christus en jou persoonlike groei as sy dissipel. Daar is nie meer baie tyd oor om die geestelike mislukkings van 2011 reg te stel nie. En die koms van die Here, is naby!

Mag jy geseënd wees wanneer jy terugkom om in die verloste Liggaam van Christus te leef en jy Hom dien met jou hele hart begin dien.

Stuur asb. biddend aan vriende en familie wat te moeg geword het vir die uitdagings om Jesus 100% te volg en makliker uitdagings en uitweë gekies het.!

Living in the Body of Christ – part 2: Our Source

Ephes. 4:15b: ...we are to grow up in all aspects into him, who is the head, even Christ.

The Body in which we live has a Head. Someone is in charge. Who is it? If someone who knows nothing about Christianity would ask us, “Take me to your leader,” where would you take them? I hope you wouldn't take him to your minister. The true head of the church is not the pastor, nor is it any other person or council. The head of the church is Jesus Christ. He is the one who should be in charge. The Body of Christ belongs to Christ!

And as the Head of the Body, he is the source of its life. It is because of Christ that we are in the Body. The Bible says “in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

The Bible reveals that Jesus Christ is to be everything for us. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 reads, “But by his doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” The focus is Christ!

Do you need wisdom? Christ has become your wisdom. Do you need righteousness? Christ has become your righteousness. Do you need sanctification? Christ has become your sanctification. Do you need redemption? Christ has become your redemption. Whatever you need, Christ is it! He is our source. He is our life. He is our focus. And he is the head of the Body.

The practical implication of this headship is that Christ is our Lord. He is the one in charge. In physical bodies where the head is not in charge, we have a physical problem. In churches where Christ is not in charge, we have a spiritual problem. It doesn't matter who or what we have replaced Christ with, whether a person, session, board, committee, or congregation; if the Head of the Church is not in charge, we are out of his will. The Body of Christ is to be led by Christ.

Prayer: Lord, if I ever thought that I could dictate to your Church what its focus or priority should be, I now submit in faith and gratefulness to my Head, the Lord Jesus. Amen.

Jesus said: Remember Me

Luke 22: 19 "Do this in remembrance of me."
This is a command. It is amazing that Jesus commands us to "remember" him as if it were even possible for us to forget him and his cross. How can we possibly forget him who died for us and rose for us? How can we possibly forget him who redeemed us and saved us? How can we possibly forget him who changed us and planted new life in us?

Yet, we do forget. We so easily forget the centrality of Jesus to our faith. We so easily forget that the message of the cross and the grave lies at the centre of our faith. We so easily forget that Christ is our only hope and our only comfort in life and in death. We so easily forget that Christ is the only way to the Father's throne. We so easily think other things are more important than his cross and resurrection. We so easily become distracted from the first things. We let issues and work and family problems and things push Jesus and the Gospel aside. It is so easy for our hearts to wander away from Jesus because our hearts are prone to wander.

"Do this in remembrance of me." Our Lord Jesus has given us a way to always remember him. He has made provision that we never will forget the cross. He has given us the Lord's Supper to celebrate.
So, yesterday we came to do what Jesus commanded. We came to remember. We came not to forget.
And the Lord blessed us graciously.

Holy Communion

My Lord, your Table now is spread,
your cup with love does overflow;
may all your children now be blessed,
and let them your sweet mercies know.
Drawn by the cross, your grace, dear Lord,
with grateful hearts before you bow.

Living in the Body of Christ - part 1

Ephesians 4:15b-16: ...we are to grow up in all aspects into him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

I think everyone knows that the Church of the Lord is not a building. But the church is not simply a couple of people either. Most rooms full of people may just be a crowd. And if the room is full of Christian people, it may simply be a Christian crowd, it may not be a church or The Church.

The most important thing about the Church is that it consists of people who choose to live in the Body of Christ. The Church is a living organism, composed of Christ and his people who are organised for the Lord’s work on earth. This image of us becoming part of a living body reflects how the church ought to function and that I ought to find my place in it.

This means that we do not go to Church - we go to be the Church, because we are the Church.
The Church we are, is the Body of Christ.
Being part of the Church, means that I live in the Body of Christ.
You therefore cannot claim to be part of the Body of Christ, if you choose to live outside the Body of Christ.

We are told in 1 Corinthians 11:29 that some people fail to “discern” the Lord's Body. This is found in a section concerning the Lord's Supper. There Paul is dealing with disharmony in the church when they celebrated the Lord's Supper. Some were “doing their own thing” when the congregation celebrated Communion, failing to recognize that they were part of the fellowship of believers under the Head, Jesus. So they did not take the time to get right with God and with one another, and as a result of this they failed to recognize the Body of Christ.
They failed to live by the principle of the Body of Christ.

The term “Body of Christ” is a picture. It is a graphic illustration of how the church is to work, and therefore how we are to live. It provides the principle for living our lives as God’s children. Consequently, it is of great importance that we learn to understand what Body Life is all about. In a five part series we are now embarking on a journey of learning how to live in the Body. How to truly be a member of the Church.

Prayer: Lord, I need to know how to live as part of your Body. I desire to find my place and function as part of this holy Body. Let your Spirit teach me who I am within your Church. Amen.

No working on the Lord’s Day

Deut 5: 12 – 15 No working on the Lord’s Day; keep it holy just as God, your God, commanded you. Work six days, doing everything you have to do, but the seventh day is a Day of Rest… Don't ever forget that you were slaves in Egypt and God, your God, got you out of there in a powerful show of strength. That's why God, your God, commands you to observe the Day of the Lord and rest. (The Message)

We too have been delivered from slavery. Sin and evil are cruel slave owners that cause hardship, addiction, pain and suffering. Yet, when Jesus died and rose, God said about his people, about you and me: “Let my people go!” We too have been set free to serve God by our Lord’s powerful show of strength. We too need to obey God’s command to enjoy our freedom in Christ that enables us to worship, praise and serve our God with joy and to find rest in his salvation.

This Commandment of God comes into conflict with our culture, but keeping God’s commandments is the one way we certainly can show our love for the Lord. The commandment about the Lord’ Day is no exception.

It instructs us that there is a time when we must avoid work.
It should be apparent from a reading of this Commandment that God makes a great deal about avoiding work on the Lord’s Day. Beginning at verse 9, it says: "Work six days, doing everything you have to do, but the seventh day is a Day of Rest". God emphasizes that we should do no work on this special day. Why does God make such a big deal out of this?

The truth God is communicating to us, is that there is more to life than labour. The reason is that “you were slaves in Egypt and God, your God, got you out of there in a powerful show of strength” We are no slaves anymore and our daily work should never equal slavery in any way.

It is interesting that people are only recently "discovering" what God said thousands of years ago. Production analysts have concluded only recently that reasonably spaced work breaks clearly increase productivity. The medical community gives statistics, which indicate that workaholics top the list in work related disorders such as high blood pressure and premature heart attack. God knew this before all the doctors and analysts. He knew that our bodies need a break.

Our emotions need a break as well. By the end of a long week we are emotionally exhausted. Our nerves are on edge, our stress level is way up, and we are in desperate need of a change of pace. If we continue working at that point, we will inevitably begin making mistakes. We will make bad decisions and do sloppy work. We need a break. Too many people and too many demands take their toll. And the price we pay often reflects in our faith-life and our peace with God! We need a break and that break is for more than just rest.

We need to Worship!
There is a flip side to this Commandment. God gave the Commandment for two very important reasons. The first is that rest from daily work will benefit us physically, emotionally and spiritually. The second is that we will be blessed by authentic, peaceful worship of God and to hear the voice of God’s assurance of his love. God not only wants us to stop working on the Lord’s Day, he wants us to start worshipping.

This Commandment begins by God saying, "No working on the Lord’s Day; keep it holy just as God, your God, commanded you" Throughout history, people have worshipped on the Lord’s day. God’s people, Israel, gathered together for worship on the Day of Rest.
Jesus too always worshipped on his Sabbath, "as was his custom" (Luke 4:16). The Early Church continued this pattern.

When we gather together in Jesus’ name, we must remember that God is there. Sometimes we lose sight of that. Jesus has promised us his special presence when we gather in his Name. This is something more than his indwelling presence in our daily lives. There is a special presence reserved for the corporate gathering of his people. When we come together for worship, God visits us in a special way. There is a certain anointing of the Holy Spirit that is reserved for God’s people when they gather as the Lord’ sacred assembly

How can we keep the Lord’s Day a special holy day? There are several things we can do. Set the Lord’s Day apart as a priority day. Treat the Lord’s Day as a special day. Block it out on your calendar and don’t let anything or anyone interfere with it. You have an appointment with God on that day.

Renew your commitment to obey God and find that special blessing his day brings. Remember the words of Jesus:
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. ––Matthew 11:28-29.

What should I do with my life?

“What should I do with my life?” Many of us ask this question when things do not make as much sense as during “better” times, or when we are exhausted, or worried. The Bible’s answer is that we have to begin with a bigger, more relevant question. If I am a Christian, if I am committed to follow Jesus and love him, my question should be: ”How do I fit into God’s plans?” And “What are God’s plans for me ?”

God is not standing idly by as the world we live in plummets from one debacle and failure into another. God certainly has not deserted our sad and corrupt world, leaving us to see whether we will be able to fix the problems we have created for ourselves and for each other.

God has already revealed his plan to bring an end to all evil. He made the preparations for a new world possible when Jesus once and for all died and rose to save sinners. He continues his preparation by using you and me, his church, to invite the whole world to accept his invitation to join him in overcoming evil by following him as Lord of our lives.

A picture of this future is given to us in the book of Revelation:
“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:3-4)

This perfect peace is what the world is destined for. It is a world where those who share God’s peace will no longer be self-centred, greedy, corrupt, malicious and insecure. Instead God will be with his people and he will be their God. He will rule over them perfectly and lovingly through his Son Jesus. It begins for us when we submit our lives to the perfect rule of King Jesus.

As Christians, we “show case” the new world, as God transforms us to follow Jesus, to love Jesus and be more like Jesus. You and I are called to “no longer live for ourselves but for Jesus who died for us” (2Cor 5:15). He calls us to live for his kingdom and to live for his future.

The better question to ask is: Am I part of God’s plans? How will what I do fit into his plans? And how can I best serve him with the means, gifts, opportunities and responsibilities he has given me today?

Our battles belong to the Lord...

Israel and the Philistines were at war - again! They arranged their forces on opposite sides of a valley. This made it risky for either army to begin an attack. By descending one slope, crossing the valley floor and its stream, and climbing up the other side, the attackers would make themselves vulnerable. The result was a stalemate; neither army dared to leave its position.

It was the giant, Goliath, who provided a solution. He boastfully challenged anyone in Israel to a one-on-one confrontation. This encounter would decide the battle and the war.

The most important detail that the Bible gives us about Goliath is not his size, his armour or his challenge to Gods people. The most important detail is that Goliath defied "the armies of the living God" (1 Sam 17:26). He treated God with contempt. He mocked the almighty God of Israel.

But the LORD had chosen David to be his servant. David represents the power of God and the glory of God. David is God's chosen instrument to overcome an enemy who defied him.

David accepted Goliath's challenge, because the LORD was with him. Victory and defeat was in the hands of the LORD. Not in the hands of David or his ridiculous “weapon” – a sling and a stone. It was God who defeated Goliath - not David or his sling. The battle belongs to the Lord (1 Sam 17: 47), and the Lord will give his enemy into our hands, however insufficient our defence may be.

To save us from the last and final enemy, God has a chosen instrument – it is Jesus Christ, his beloved Son. God defeats the enemy without sword or spear. Of all things, God uses a cross and a grave, a crucifixion and a resurrection to defend us once and for all.
He chose his Son, dying on the cross and arising from the grave, to defeat the powers of darkness.

As always, the battle still belongs to the Lord.
As always it is not our weapons that make the difference – but God.
Because the battle belongs to the LORD, and so does the victory.

Our God gives wisdom as much as he gives warning

God warns us way ahead of time of the dangers in our spiritual life as well as of the challenges for his church. It always was the case. In the days of Amos the prophet, God said through his servant:

Amos 3: 6 and 7: When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it? Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

But we have to listen when we hear and see that God reveals his plan, we must take the action God’s wisdom shows us and be prepared. God will provide in our every need, even when dangers prowl.

Always give your best and your all to God. When the day of the Lord comes, we will be prepared to heed his warning and triumph - in his Name and by his grace and mercy. Because our God gives wisdom as much as he gives warning.

May you be blessed when you serve God wholeheartedly, responding to his revelation and conquer through his omnipotent power! Be prepared to receive the Lord’s solution on the day of danger and attack, by giving him your best and giving him your all.

We see God's glory in the wonders of creation.

When you visit the coast, you see the most glorious sunsets. After the sun slides behind the sea, you go on your way, with this text on your lips: "O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Ps 8: 1 and 9)

God's glory shines above the heavens and below the sea. I am visiting South Africa’s second most popular international tourist destination, the Garden Route of the Southern Cape, also known as the Knysna region. (Kruger Park is the number one SA destination}

The fine arrangement and beauty of mountains, lagunes, wetlands, sea, rivers and the unique ecology shown in the abundance of vegetation and forests only found here, show the skill of the heavenly Artist. The immense grandeur of each one of these gardens designed by the eternal Gardener himself, demonstrates the incomprehensible greatness of God. It enthuses gratitude. It inspires thanksgiving.

God's name is not simply crowned in our hearts; it is majestic in all the earth. Many small and seemingly unimportant things reveal the greatness of God. Each little flower that opens is a witness of the Creator’s glory. The immense variety of birds tells of God’s divine creativity and each one sings its own song to proclaim the glorious majesty of God. Simply being in these quiet, natural gardens, reminds of the glory of the Lord.

David starts and ends Psalm 8 the same way, with words of praise to God:
(Ps 8:1 and 9) O LORD, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

God's name stands for God's person, God's being, and God's attributes; they are all majestic. In the Hebrew language, the word for Majestic tells us that God is the only one, unique, incomparable, omnipotent God.

We read this message on all the pages of the Scriptures, all the time:
(Ex 15:11) "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?"

(1 Sam 2:2) "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no rock like our God."

(Jer 10:6) "No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power."

God is majestic. He is majestic in power, in splendour, in glory, in works, in love and in holiness. He is incomparable. The Lord God almighty, the awesome Creator, is indeed the one and only God and need to be praised forever.

For King David, the majesty of God is especially evident in his vast and wondrous creation. David looks at the sun, moon, and stars, David looks at the birds, fish, and animals and David looks at man. He sees all that God has made and he says,
O LORD, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Our relationship with Jesus results in the fruit of love for each other

If we do not know Jesus, we can do nothing good!

As we look around our congregation, we see people whose lives reveal the glory of Jesus! Their witness strengthens our faith. We are strengthened by them and they by us, and together we reveal Jesus' glory, and as we reveal his grandeur, we help others to believe in him.

In the "true vine" context, Jesus says, "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch (of the vine) cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me, and I in them, bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).

The fruit that Jesus speaks about is revealing his love through our love for each other as his children, thus sharing his joy with a sad, lost world, because he is the answer, the Saviour, the true source of life and hope, of meaning and fruit. In John 15: 10 – 11 Jesus says: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Our relationship with Jesus results in the fruit of love for each other and complete joy in his service.

If we really want to honour Jesus, this is how we do it: by loving one another. When we do, people will look at us and see Jesus living in us and, understanding his message, believe, take heart and give him glory! Only then our discipleship will be complete.

Wait upon the Lord

Christians are infamous for their intolerance with God’s timing. They want to have perfect answers to instant prayers, immediately. They often blame God for having to wait. They time and again loose interest and focus when there is no wind driving their faith ships or when stormy weather interferes with their plans and desires.

Jesus, on the other hand, spent a lot of time waiting on his Father. He often went into retreat to find answers, strength, and patience. In order to be able to do this, Jesus made certain that he had time to pray. There are four important words about this in Matthew 14:22: "Jesus dismissed the crowd."

This was not just any crowd. This was about 10,000 people who had heard Jesus teach, had seen him heal the sick and had watched him produce enough food miraculously to feed them all. This was a crowd ready to make him a king. But Jesus dismissed them! Why? We read in verse 23: "After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray."

Jesus said no to a buzzing, excited crowd, an excellent opportunity, in order to say yes to an even better one. It was a deliberate choice to honour his priorities. Jesus' first responsibility and main concern was not to satisfy his scores of excited fans, but to wait faithfully on his heavenly Father until “his hour has come”, as he often said.

On another occasion Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek." This word "meek." used in the Bible is the same word used to describe a wild stallion that has been trained for the saddle. It means power under control, strength with direction, ready to get going, yet being disciplined, focussed – and waiting. This saying probably says something like: “Blessed are the focused, those who know their priorities and honour them and wait upon God for the wind to turn and the timing to be perfect.”

Jesus most of the time served the crowd diligently. But he did dismiss them when he had to do something of greater importance – like having fellowship time with his heavenly Father, while waiting on his divine timing.

Will we, in spite of waiting long, when God’s time comes, still be focussed, calm and determined enough to accomplish his will?
Are we patiently disciplined when it comes to waiting upon the Lord?

Father, Thy will be done… Amen.