Leave

We will be away on leave from tomorrow, so your 'inbox' will be empty for a while. Enjoy the World Cup and may God bless you.

Until we chat again!

Proverbs 4:25 - "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you."

Live in His Grace,
D3LM3

Lessons from the World Cup - part 2

Have you noticed that there are a number of arrogant coaches and players at the World Cup? I always feel it is stupid to speak out before a game, as this leaves you open for all kinds of comments, if you fail to win. This has happened a few times already. Perhaps this is why humility is such an endearing character trait, but which we see so seldom.

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. - 1 Peter 5:5-7

PROVERBS 11:2 (NKJ)- "When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom."

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Lessons from the World Cup - Part 1

Their are a number of countries playing at the 2010 World Cup who have brilliant individual talent, but who clearly can't play as a team. Take the whole Nicolas Anelka saga as an example. One player doesn't make up a team.

Didn't Paul say something similar about the Church? Of course he did...

1 Corinthians 12:12 - "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body."

Playing as a team gives you greater chance of victory. Working alongside one another in the Body of Christ makes us much more effective and powerful. Are you part of the team or are you trying to go it alone?

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Wisdom at it's best

Some people have a gift of putting deep thoughts into few words. Saint Augustine was one of these gifted people. Digest these words:

"In essentials, unity.
In non-essentials, liberty.
In all things, charity." - Augustine

2 John 1:3 - "Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love."

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

P.S. I gave you a riddle last week, which a few of you got right. Well done! The quote was from Jeremiah (Jeremiah 17:11).

When the chips are down...

You may have heard this saying before - "when the chips are down!" By the way, it has nothing to do with your waiter putting the hot chips (french fries) onto your table either. The idiom originates from a game of poker but now has the connection with things being serious, desperate or urgent.

As much as we hope that Bafana Bafana will beat France in their next game, it looks as if the 'chips are down.' The true test of our Nations fanatical support will be tested when we are knocked out of the tournament. I believe that South Africans will still support the World Cup with as much passion and fervour - we will just choose another team to support (and hopefully one that has no 'divers' in it!)

What happens in your relationship with God when the 'chips are down?' Do you give up? Do you blame God? Do you turn to another god? What do we do? Here is some solid advice.

James 1:12 - "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

James 5:11 - "As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

Hang in there.
Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Invasion

The other day my twitter account (@delmelinscott) was hacked into. I had a secure password, or so I thought - anyway, I now have a new password! So, some random person hacks into my account and posts a whole lot of things under my name - that's not cool! How do I protect my name and account in future? Well, the easiest way is to change my password - so, I am safe from 'hackers' for now.

When people invade your personal space, what do you do? When people are demanding a lot from you and you are feeling overwhelmed, how do you cope? When you are feeling empty and drained, how do you recharge your spiritual batteries?

We can't simply change our 'password' to protect ourselves. We can't always change address or telephone number. We can't always hide under the blankets. We can't pretend that it will all go away. We need to do something.

Here's what I sometimes do:
1. I draw aside for a while - I find a secluded place to literally get away for a few hours.
2. I pray. I ask God for strength and direction.
3. I read the Scriptures to see how others have handled this situation before.
4. I allow myself to put things back into proper perspective and then I come back into the fray.

That's how Jesus did it!
Mark 1:35 - "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

You are no accident

Increasingly I am coming across people who are battling with their self image. While I understand our struggle in this area, it is one of the things that the Bible speaks a lot about. God believes in us. God loves us. God created us.

When Jeremiah was wrestling with his identity, God spoke these words to him:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." - Jeremiah 1:4-5

My friend, you are not an accident - God knew what He was doing when you were created.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

P.S. Awesome Baby scan photo taken from here

Is it wrong to be proud?

Is it wrong to be proud?
Well, in a biblical sense, we know that pride is sinful. Just read this verse and one gets the message...Proverbs 18:12 - "Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor."

But I am speaking about a different form of pride and I have no other word to express how I felt last night - Proud, honoured, humbled, impressed, amazed - they all fall short of how my heart was overwhelmed! Watching the World Cup Soccer at the new Moses Mabhida stadium made me proud to be a South African. The stadium is amazing - it is 'world class' and it is right here in Kwazulu Natal.

As a football fan, I have watched games at Old Trafford, Anfield and even done the tour of Wembley stadium, but last night all I was thinking was 'WOW, this is an amazing place!' It may have been the effect of the lights, the friendly atmosphere of the fans, the vuvuzela's or even the smell of the sea air, but last night I FELT PROUD!

I just wanted to let you know:)

Oh yes, and I also felt something I have never felt before...
... By the end of the match, when Germany were winning 4-0, I felt a twinge of sadness for the Aussies. Strange, but true! (To my Aussie friends, we still love you).

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Welcome

Many of the foreign visitors to South Africa are commenting on how they are feeling 'Welcomed' into our beautiful country. On the whole, we are a welcoming nation and that's brilliant, but we can never compete with the welcoming nature of God.

"But you'll welcome us with open arms when we run for cover to you. Let the party last all night! Stand guard over our celebration. You are famous, God for welcoming God-seekers, for decking us out in delight." - Psalm 5:11-12

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

What do you see when you pray?

“A child of God can see more on their knees than a philosopher can on their tiptoes.” - Anonymous

When you are in prayer (on your knees, sitting or standing) what do you see? I see this...

Psalm 136:2 - "His love endures forever."

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

We lived in the days of ...

The Soccer World Cup is here! I am so excited and blessed to be living "at such a time as this!" (Esther 4) We often focus on all the negative things that are going on in our country, but there are also many awesome things happening. I look forward to the day when my grand kids ask me what it was like to live 'in my time?' I will be able to tell them that I lived in the days of...

...no Internet and cell-phones,
...Nelson Mandela was released from prison,
...long hair was fashionable (hahaha),
...I stood in a queue to vote in South Africa's first democratic election,
...I ran into the streets to celebrate winning the Rugby World Cup in 1995,
...digital photography was a novelty,
...we used to be able to go through security check points (in airports) without taking our belts (etc) off,
...I watched us win the Rugby again in 2007 (on T.V.),
...I got to attend some games in the FIFA 2010 World Cup in the newly built Moses Mabida stadium,
...the Vuvuzela was invented,
...Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Skype and the like, were en vogue!

Enjoy the World Cup!
Be Blessed.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

P.S. My friend John wrote a cool post on the dynamics of Competition and collaboration

Who said this? - part 2

A number of people have asked for another riddle. Everyone got the last one right which is impressive. So, here is another thought from the Bible. Who said these words?

"Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay, is the man who gains riches by unjust means."

You are not allowed to use Google or any other Bible software to help you - for at least the 1st hour:)

When you have found it, have a look at the 5 verses before it - they are very powerful! Don't forget to let me know if you think you have found it.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Generous God

Sometimes people think they have been short-changed by God. We feel as if God owes us something or that perhaps He has been blessing others and not us. Read this verse and see if it changes your thoughts a little...

John 3:34 - "...for God gives the Spirit without limit."

And this one...

"He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

Have a wonderful day!
Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Deadlines

I subscribe to Seth Godin's blog posts and he had some challenging things to say about deadlines yesterday. He suggests we should rather change the name 'deadlines' to LIVE LINES, because when we set ourselves a target date to complete a task it usually springs us into life. Just ask any student who has an assignment/thesis 'deadline' looming ahead!

"A goal is a dream with a deadline." - Napoleon Hill

Sometimes I wish Jesus had given us a more focused 'live line' and had told the world that he would be returning on a particular date. Perhaps this would spur a whole bunch of people into action. I am getting increasingly frustrated with people who are blase about faith, life and Christ's return. How do you feel?

Jesus' live line was a little more cryptic (than most deadlines), but we would do well to heed his command.

Revelation 22:12 - "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done."

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Be warned John Cena!

Nathan paid me the ultimate compliment today.
He said (and these are his words, not mine):

"Dad, you have got such big muscles. You could easily beat John Cena!"

Needless to say, I felt like a million bucks, but humbly realised that, despite the compliment, John Cena wouldn't be losing any sleep tonight (the attached photo is of John Cena and not me, just in case you were wondering!)

If you a chance to encourage and compliment someone today, do it sincerely. You may just make their day.

Blessings and Grace,
D3LM3

By what criteria?

We often judge people using the wrong criteria. We usually start by looking at the outward things, the things that are most visible. I know that this is how the world operates, but this is not biblical. Read what 1 Samuel 16:7 says:

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Be Blessed! Be Challenged! Be Encouraged!

Live in Grace,
D3LM3

Which part of the Newspaper?

For those of us who still read the Newspaper in the paper format (i.e. not online), which part of the paper do you turn to first? I always turn to the Sports section first - always! And here is why:

"The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures." ~ Earl Warren

How true is that?

When you read the Scriptures this week remember that despite the 'bad' stuff recorded in the Bible (i.e. the sins of humanity), Jesus WINS in the end! Jesus has won the victory over sin and death. Jesus' accomplishment overturns our failures!

Psalm 60:12 - "With God we will gain the victory..."

Live in the victory of His grace,
D3LM3

What do you do?

Most of us have been in this situation before. We are at a function (wedding, birthday, Reunion etc) and we meet some new people. Usually within the first minute the conversation ends up with someone asking, "So, what do you do?"
In my case, this is normally a conversation 'crasher' or 'starter!' The people that are clearly not interested in God, suddenly develop a need to run to the toilet or find their car keys and the conversation crashes. I am left standing thinking to myself, "I am sure I said I am a Pastor, not a leper!"

Anyway, on the other hand, some people are genuinely interested in what happens in the 'ministry' and we end up speaking at length about life and faith.

Here is a tip. Next time someone asks you what you do, tell them, "I help other human beings!" They will look at you with a confused stare and then share the next quote with them...

"There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being - to help someone succeed." - Alan McGinnus

We can all do this. This should be one of our primary occupation's, without neglecting our imperative to tell people of the Gospel of Jesus.

Luke 10:37 - The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

So, what do you do?

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Transform your work life!

How many hours of our lives will we spend working? Well, I am not sure the exact number of hours, but it could be as much as 60-70% of our lives. That is a huge chunk of time. What is tragic is that many, many people are not even motivated to get out of bed in the morning and to start doing their work - this very work that we will spend over half of our lives doing!! That can't be right, surely? Is that what God created us for - I think not!

My friend Dr Dion Forster has written a book that will change the way you view your work-life. It is an amazing book! I can't put it down and I believe it is a must read for anyone who is currently working or thinking about careers. It is a Christian based book, that calls all of us to see our 'work' as ministry and to get the most out of the time we will spend at work. I urge you to get this book today. You can order it online, from Christian Republic, and it will get to you in just over a week. This is what I did and I have not regretted spending the money one bit.

Here is a thought on work:

"While the days are long, the years are short!" - Gretchen Rubin

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Be Blessed,
Living in Grace,
D3LM3

In God's hands

I have heard and used this phrase a few times in the last 2 days - "In God's hands!" But, what I am wrestling with is this:

"Is this phrase In God's Hands an act of faith or an act of complete helplessness?"

If I have a decision to make and I conclude, "Well, it's in God's hands!" What am I really saying? Am I relying on God to make the decision for me or am I agreeing to make my decision based on His relationship with me and if I am wrong, then God will nudge me back on track?

Perhaps what it does mean, is that regardless of what happens around us, we are always in God's Hands (when we have surrendered our lives to Him). This I can live with - it makes me feel a little more at peace.

Ecclesiastes 9:1 - "So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands..."

I want my prayer "It's in your hands Lord" to be one of Faith, not one of helplessness. What about you?

Living in Grace,
D3LM3