Don't waste your time

We all know that there are only 24 hours in the day and that we need to use our time wisely. However, sometimes we neglect to do the small, simple things in LIFE, because we are waiting to shine in the one BIG moment that we hope will come. Well F.B. Meyer has some challenging words for us to reflect on this day:

Don’t waste your time waiting and longing for large opportunities which may never come. But faithfully handle the little things that are always claiming your attention. - F.B. Meyer. 

Our calling is to be faithful in the small things, so that when the big things come, it will only be natural for us to step into those roles.

Luke 16:10 - “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."

Living in Grace

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If I cannot find .....

Oh my goodness - what a challenging, real, powerful piece of writing. Please don't "enjoy" it, but rather be moved by the words!

If I cannot find the face of Jesus in the face of those who are my enemies,

If I cannot find him in the unbeautiful, 

If I cannot find him in those who have the “wrong ideas,”

If I cannot find him in the poor and the defeated,

how will I find him in the bread and wine, or in the life after death? 

If I do not reach out in this world to those with whom he has identified himself, 

why do I imagine that I will want to be with him, and them, in heaven?

Why would I want to be for all eternity in the company of those I avoided every day of my life? - Jim Forest

Matthew 9:13 - "But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Living in Grace

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When the odds are stacked against you

Ever felt as if the odds are stacked against you?
Well, if you have, then you must remember that you are not alone in feeling like this. Listen to David's prayer to God in Psalm 3:

"Lord, how many are my foes!
    How many rise up against me!
² Many are saying of me,
    “God will not deliver him.”

Perhaps David felt that the numbers of people against him were too many to count. If it had been one or two, I am sure he wouldn't have felt so overwhelmed, but clearly he feels as if the odds are against him. The Good News for us today, is that God specialises in defeating the odds - even when they are stacked "One Million : One" God can come through for us. 

Hang in there and see what God can do.

Living in Grace
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No half measures

I had never really thought about the fact that PEACE could be PERFECT. Of course, it makes sense now that I think more clearly about it, but when God offers us 'peace', He offers us a Peace that is complete - perfect - full.
 
"You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal." - Isaiah 26:3-4

As you spend time in the presence of the Lord, may you taste of the gift of Perfect Peace. Remember that God doesn't offer us half measures of his Peace.

Living in Grace
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Heritage

From birth we don't get to choose our first names, surnames, place of birth or even if we will receive an inheritance or not. However, as we celebrate Heritage Day (24th September) in South Africa, let us remember that we do get to CHOOSE our new spiritual family and the future inheritance we receive in Jesus' name.

Deuteronomy 4:20 - But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.

 

"In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." - 1 Peter 1:3-5

Living in Grace

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What a question!

So, when Jesus asked his disciples 'Who do the people say I am?' (Mark 8) it was a real question, but not a truly personal one. It meant they had to give an answer to some of the rumours they had heard - sharing the 'word on the street' is a non-threatening response to Jesus' question. HOWEVER, in true Jesus style, he follows up with an even tougher question - this time it is one that is deeply personal.
Who do YOU say I am?
Oops. No ducking and diving this one. Now we have to give our own answer. Now we have to dig deep and come up with the goods.
So, what is your answer?

In a response to this passage Debbie Thomas writes some insightful words:

“Who do you say that I am?” he asks next, looking at each disciple in turn.  Meaning: forget about other people’s theologies and interpretations.  Put aside tradition and creed, valuable as they are, and consider the life we have lived together thus far.  
The bread we’ve broken, 
the miles we’ve walked, 
the burdens we’ve carried, 
the tears we’ve shed, 
the laughter we’ve shared. 
Who am I to you?" 

What a Question to spend today thinking about!

Living in Grace
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Power and weakness...

"Power corrupts the few, while weakness corrupts the many." - Eric Hoffer

You may need to read the quote again to fully grasp the value in the words.
It is interesting for me that I often believe that the world is full of "corrupt" people and there are too "few" good people out there. However, maybe Eric Hoffer is on to something - maybe we get to hear more about the corrupt leaders, because we like to see them fall and humbled. The rest of us feel like victims of these powerful people, yet there could be many 'weaknesses' in us that are equally crippling to others.

So, the challenging question I pose to myself is this:
"Is there a weakness in me that causes harm to others?"

Isaiah 53:4 -  Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!

Living in Grace
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So, that is the purpose!

I understand that the Bible can be confusing at times. I get that it doesn't always make sense. And even as a minister I truly need to wrestle with a number of passages in the Scriptures. However, one of the purposes of the Scriptures is to be life-giving and not the opposite. Sadly, it is often used in a negative way, but when you read verses like Psalm 19, you will see what it truly intended.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.

Did you notice some of those thoughts?

REFRESHING.

TRUSTWORTHY

WISDOM

JOY

RADIANT

GIVING LIGHT

ENDURING

FIRM

These are such incredible gifts for all of us. It is my prayer that you would begin to find the pages of the Bible offering you some of these gifts.

Living in Grace

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