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.