Why Not?

"Don't ask 'why', ask instead, 'why not?' - John F. Kennedy

I never forget watching a documentary on Superman (Christopher Reeve) where he was asked if he ever questioned why he had to end up as a Quadraplegic. In other words, did he ever ask, "why me?"

In a profound response Reeve said something along the line of, "just cause I am a famous actor doesn't excuse me from pain. Perhaps I should ask the question "WHY NOT ME?"

We are all going to experience some kind of trial and tribulation in our lives. This applies to every human being. When we experience tough times it is not an indication that God has a personal vendetta against us. God still loves us and will be with us during our tough times.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Raising the standard

We have decided to challenge ourselves as a congregation in 2012. In a way, we are hoping to raise the 'spiritual bar' in our Christian lives by committing to a number of spiritual disciplines. One of these challenges is to try and read through the Bible during the course of the year. If you have always wanted to try and get through the Bible in a year why not join us. There are plenty of reading plans one can use, but here is a easy one to follow - http://bit.ly/xtfmP2

May God's Word transform your life this year.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

What will you speak about?

When something hits the headlines everyone speaks about it. Take for example the truck that ploughed into the Midlands Mall this last week - it has come up in conversations everywhere you go. It even made national news.

David wrote of how he would speak of God's greatness - he wanted the whole world to recognise God's glory. Everywhere he went David spoke about God's splendour and majesty.

"I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendour
and your wonderful miracles.
Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;
I will proclaim your greatness.
Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness..." - Psalm 145:5-7

Speak of God's greatness - the world is looking for Good News.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Spiritual gardening

Gardening takes a lot of commitment, work and care - those of you with 'green' fingers are already nodding your heads in agreement. However, when we neglect the garden for a week or so, weeds start to grow and the grass gets long and very soon things start to look ragged. We popped into the old house to get a few things today and I noticed that weeds are already starting to pop up all over the place. Just a few days of neglect is enough to allow the rot to set in.

Surely the same principle applies to our spiritual lives? If we leave aspects of our faith 'unattended' then weeds will grow and we will begin to notice the affect of our neglect. A week or two may not make a big difference, but constant spiritual neglect will only led to a messy life - well, that's what I feel anyway. Your thoughts??

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Get ready

Worship requires some preparation and a readiness to respond to the Glory of God. Just like we would not leave home for the Mall without getting a few things ready (wallet, keys, shopping list, cellphone etc), so we must also get ourselves ready before we come to worship. To worship without preparation is like buying a whole lot of stuff without actually taking our wallets to the shop. We should arrive at Worship ready to give glory to God and to offer our sacrifice of praise.


Ezekiel 38:7 - “‘Get ready; be prepared..."

What would "getting ready" for worship mean for you?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

What to pray?

Sometimes we don't know what to pray for - life gets the better of us and our prayers stutter and fail to take off. I found this beautiful prayer on this site

"Dear Lord, thank you for all you have done for me,
It is with a humble heart that I ask you to
Grant me the strength I need during this time.
Grant me the wisdom to make the right decisions.
Grant me the patience to do what must be done.


O Lord,
I know you will be with me through this time and will you shield me from things I cannot handle.
It is with the most humble heart I ask thee.
Amen."

May God inspire us to pray, even when we don't know where the words will come from.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

God's home

When King David wanted to build God a 'home', God spoke through the prophet Nathan and said:

"I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling." - 2 Samuel 7:6

This was how people understood that the Lord moved with them, wherever they went. The people took the 'tent of meeting' with them and thus God moved with them all the time. For my family, we don't need a 'tent' to know that God is with us, because we know that Christ dwells within us, but it is reassuring that God IS with us wherever we choose to live.

Thanks for the prayers for the move - still got boxes to sort out and trying to find a few things that are somewhere in the house:)

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Old Man Jesus

Have you ever thought of this?

Dan Allender – “If Christ had practised the kind of love we advocate nowadays, he would have lived to a ripe old age.”

Prayer: thank you Jesus that you loved me radically and that you were willing to suffer and die to show me the extent of your love. 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Does Prayer Help?

Does Prayer help?
It may seem like a strange question for a minister to be asking, but I am asking the question to get your response. Has prayer help you in the past?
Have you ever had a prayer answered?
Let me know your story please...

1 Kings 8:28 - "...give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day."

Speaking about prayer, please could I request your prayers for our family. We are moving home this weekend and we have been doing some renovations at the same time. We need your prayers for strength please:)
Thanks

Living in Grace
D3LM3

I can't speak Frog!

Can you speak Frog?
What I mean is, when a Frog 'croaks' outside your window, do you understand what they are saying? To be honest, I have no clue.
However, if I could speak a Frog-language I may have been able to save the frog that jumped into one of our outside containers and got stuck. As I was cleaning up yesterday I noticed that the frog had died inside the container - he only died because he couldn't jump out again (don't ask me how he got in there in the first place!)
I am sure that the frog tried to call out for help, but no one in my family understands "Frog" so we weren't able to rescue him.

I thank God that the Holy Spirit understands and interprets my sighing and groaning. God understands all there is to know about me and God comes to our rescue. I just need to trust that God is watching out for me.

Be encouraged that God understands our "Frog language" :)

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Consistency

Sometimes I feel that our society just needs a little consistency. Standards chop and change. People change. Politicians sing from a different hymn sheet. Sports teams rise and fall. Even the weather is hot one day and cold the next. So, is there something or someone who can give us hope?


Well I have looked around, but the only one who is consistent is Jesus...

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8

May God's faithfulness bless you today.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Love, Courage and Wisdom

A friend of mine, James, sent me this quote during the week and I think it's brilliant.

"Love without courage and wisdom is sentimentality, as with the ordinary church member.

Courage without love and wisdom is foolhardiness, as with the ordinary soldier.

Wisdom without love and courage is cowardice, as with the ordinary intellectual.

But the one who has love, courage, and wisdom moves the world."

 - Ammon Hennancy (Catholic Activist, 1893-1970)

What do you think? 

I'd love to hear some of your New Year's thoughts...

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Put our Hope in the right place

If we put our "Hope" in the right place and person we will not be disappointed.

"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." - Psalm 33:22 

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." - Jeremiah 17:7

May God bless you today,


Living in Grace
D3LM3

Rejoice and be glad

"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations,
"the Lord reigns!"
Let the sea resound,
and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant,
and everything in them." - 1 Chronicles 16:31-32

Does your gladness depend upon your circumstances? Or can you praise God in spite your circumstances?


Just asking....

It's hard, but I am trying to learn to praise God in all circumstances.

Living in grace
D3LM3

Alarms

Many of us have alarm systems installed into our homes, offices and even our schools and churches. The idea of an alarm is to warn us of any potential danger and hopefully to scare off any intruders. I think that we all need spiritual alarm-systems which we nurture in the Spirit of Christ. When we are in time with the Holy Spirit He will warn us of any potential danger or threats to our well-being.
Do you have this kind of alarm system in your life? If not, what are you able to do about it?

Living in grace
D3LM3

Adjusting sails

Jimmy Dean once remarked, "I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."

The Spirit of God is always moving - we just need to adjust our 'sails' so that we can move in tune with the Spirit. Of course we can choose not to, but then we will end up off course.

"For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit." - John 3:34

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Total Attention

I could think of no better way to start my 900th post with the following words of Jesus:

"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention" - Matthew 7:13-14 (The message)

None of us likes it when people ignore us when we speak - do we? Listening for the voice of God and then seeking to follow that voice requires our total attention.

A.W. Tozer - “Acquaint thyself with God.” 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Worship prepares us for heaven

Gathering for worship is an important part of any believers commitment and response to God's gift of Grace.
A.W. Tozer had a lot of inspiring thoughts on worship. Perhaps these can motivate us to deepen our personal worship.

“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.”  

“Faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God.”

“I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.” 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Roll up your sleeves

This year is going to include a fair share of "rolling up our sleeves". Our faith is not something that we can just expect to grow by itself - we need to do some pruning, watering and fertilising ourselves. Are you ready for that kind of work?


“[A Future in God]So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy.” - 1 Peter 1:13

Have a blessed week.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Plan for 2012

There can be no better plan for 2012 than the message from the following scripture verse:

"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." - Matthew 6:33

Any thoughts?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Eish

I have not had the best of starts to the New Year when it comes to my internet at home. It has been down for days and trying to get through to Telkom has been like trying to win the Lotto - zero luck!!! Anyway, I seem to have won the battle in the end and I have my internet 'sort of' fixed up for now.

Just when I think that things are tough for me, I am reminded that there are many other things in life more important and pressing than internet connections. Perspective is a sobering thing.

"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks him." - Lamentations 3:25

"I pray that a heart of thanksgiving will be your strength." - Karla Dornacher

Living in Grace
D3LM3