A short Christmas blessing for you all

As we welcome the gift of Jesus, I know that everyone responds to this miracle in different ways. Regardless of how you celebrate Christmas, please receive this short blessing as my prayer for you. Thank you once again for your support in taking the time to read these reflections.

"May you be filled with the indescribable JOY of Christ,
The unshakeable HOPE that comes from knowing Jesus,
The PEACE that passes all understanding,
and the unconditional LOVE of God, that shakes the whole world. Amen."

Luke 2:9 - "Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Living in Grace

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We can't always figure Christmas out - we just need to enter into the gift that it is.

If you are entering the final few days of Advent, trying to figure out the mystery of the birth of the Messiah, then I invite you to give up trying to figure it out and rather to enjoy the gift of Jesus' birth. There are some things that we can intellectually comprehend, while there are others that we only come to 'understand' in the depths of our being. 

1 Corinthians 1:27-28 – “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are…”

God still chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong. Humility and availability are more important to God than our pride or even our talents. Of course, God, we still use these for his glory, but he would prefer us to approach the manger on our knees in worship. 

Luke 1:37 – “For nothing is impossible with God.”

Living in grace

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When you feel paralyzed

"At that time, I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles." - Zephaniah 3:19

The central idea of this verse, for me, is that God promises to rescue those who are lame. Of course this could relate to a physical disability, but in the context of Israel, it was a nation who had lost the ability to "run" at full strength. Their lives had been completely changed through their oppression, and they had become lame, wounded and even spiritually paralyzed.

At this time of the year, there are many people who feel that their ability to function has been hampered and even crippled. Circumstances can leave us feeling very downcast and our fears can paralyze us.

If this is you, then please re-read the words of Zephaniah 3. Remember God's promise to rescue you and that Jesus is God's Divine rescue plan. 

May the coming of Jesus change your life today.

Living in grace

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How can we sing?

Singing is often connected to a state of joy - although not always, but it is a lot easier to raise your voice when you are feeling joyful. Zephaniah urges God's people to sing and shout aloud, despite their present circumstances. He says: 

"Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm." - Zephaniah 3:14-15

As if Zephaniah hears the question from the people, "why should we sing", he gives them a few reasons why they must lift their voices:

1. The Lord has taken away your punishment
2. God has turned back our enemy.
3. God is with us.
4. We don't need to fear anything anymore.

As you contemplate the words of Zephaniah, may you know the peace of Christ upon you.

Living in Grace

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Refiner's Fire and Launderer's Soap

"See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight - indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like washers' soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness." - Malachi 3:1-3

The two prominent images which spring from this passage are, of a refiner's fire and of launderer's soap. Both are used to clean impurities - one from precious metals and the other from clothing. This striking illustration reminds me that the arrival of the Messiah is not just to make us 'feel' good, but it is also to purify our hearts and to present us 'spotless' before the Father.

As Advent invites us to do some intentional soul-searching, what could these 2 images highlight in our lives? What needs to be cleansed in my soul and life at the moment?

Job 23:10 - "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." 

Living in grace

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Surprise recipient of the message

Luke 3:1-2 – “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

God's word could have been given to the Roman Emperor, Tiberius Caesar, who was the most powerful person in the Roman world at that time. But it was not!

God's message could have been given to one of the 4 Tetrarchs: Herod, Pontius Pilate, Philip or Lysanias - the second most powerful men in the political realm at that time. But it was not!

God could have decided to pass on the Good News via the established religious leaders in the Synagogue- The current high priest Caiaphas, or his predecessor, Annas. But it was not!

In the end, God's word came to the eccentric John the Baptist. John didn't live in a palace, or worship in a grand temple. He didn't wear fancy clothes or even eat the finest cuisine, yet God chose him to be the person to prepare the way for Jesus. God takes delight in turning the world's standards upside down!

Thought: Never think that you are unworthy for God's plan or purpose to be revealed through your life. Remember the young woman, Mary? No one would have chosen her to be the mother of Jesus, yet God saw things from a totally different perspective. 

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Why fixing the potholes was not what John was implying.

Avoiding potholes, while driving in some South African towns, is par for the course. You become very good at dodging them or driving around them. If you notice municipal workers starting to fix these potholes, then usually one assumes that an important politician is about to make a visit. 

In Luke's gospel he quotes from the book of Isaiah, speaking about preparing for the coming of the Messiah: 

"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" – Luke 3:4-6

Before an earthly emperor or King would come and visit his subjects, a courier (messenger) would head out with an advance party to get people to be ready. One of the things they would do is prepare the roads for the king so his journey would be more pleasant. In other words, they would fill in the potholes, fix the roads, clean the curbs and so on. 

I do not think that John was going to be literally fixing potholes for Jesus, but rather that he would be calling people to: “prepare your hearts and lives for the coming of the king. Forget about the roads, rather mend and repair your hearts.”

Thought: Next time you swerve to avoid a pothole ask yourself: "Am I doing all I can to prepare my heart for the coming of the Christ?"

Living in Grace

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Holding you in my heart

"It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me." - Philippians 1:7

Paul certainly had a way with words. I can picture the early Christian community gathering together in a small room to worship, excitedly waiting for the elders to read the letter from Paul. And what a joy it must have been to hear these words: "...I have you in my heart!"

These words transcend boundaries, geography and perhaps even logic. They speak to us of having a connection with someone special, even though we are not physically in the same space as that person. 

For Paul, it was knowing that he still loved and prayed for the Christians in Philippi despite him being captive in prison. For you and me it could be holding a loved one in our hearts, even though we don't see them any longer or may not see them for years to come. The unique bond we have with these people is kept sacred in our hearts.

Mary's response to the prophecy of Jesus' birth was similar in some ways. She pondered the words of the angel in her heart, keeping them safe until Jesus had been born (Luke 2:19).

Thought: Who do you hold in your heart at the moment?

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Under the hand of the Shepherd

"Once again shepherds will count their flocks in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah, the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the Lord, have spoken!" - Jeremiah 33:13

In the midst of a bleak prophecy concerning their future, Jeremiah shares a delightful reminder of God's love for the people. He speaks of how the flocks of sheep will return to the hills and the shepherds will care for them and count them. From being a place of desolation to a place teeming with life!

One commentator suggests that the process that the shepherds may adopt is to allow the sheep to come into the fold, one at a time, passing underneath his hand. This helps him to count them in a controlled way, but also to see if there is anything wrong with them.

As we continue on our journey towards Christmas, may the image of the caring hand of God comfort you and to help us rest in his mighty presence.

Living in Grace

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When will the time come?

"Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns. I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion." - Jeremiah 33:6-8

Jeremiah's prophecy is fulfilled in the birth of Jesus, but it took a long time to come to pass. So, the question that lives with me, is: "how do we remain patient in the midst of our trials? How can we trust that the 'right' time will come and what will that look like?"

Although I don't have neat and simple answers to these profound questions, I have learnt to look back at what God has already done in our lives, and this helps me to remain 'hopeful' and 'resilient' in looking to the future. I need to build my future faith on God's faithfulness and on his covenant promises. 

In short, I won't know when that time will be, but I can trust that it will come. I have also learnt that God's timing is always on his own terms, and it is always in our best interests. 

"But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children." - Galatians 4:4-5

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Life is more pleasant when you have something to look forward to!

In a Peanut’s cartoon Lucy and Linus were sitting in front of the television set when Lucy said to Linus, “Go get me a glass of water.”

Linus looked surprised, “Why should I do anything for you? You never do anything for me.”

 
“On your 75th birthday,” Lucy promised, “I’ll bake you a cake.”

Linus got up, headed to the kitchen and said, “Life is more pleasant when you have something to look forward to.”

Advent is the season of the year that should heighten our awareness of the gift of Jesus. Not only does the expectation of Christ's birth (and second coming) make life more pleasant, but it should also give us a deep Hope and a Peace that passes all understanding.

Are you able to look forward to Christmas with the joy of the Lord in your heart? Remember, that we are not looking forward to the gift of a cake (When we turn 75), but we are peering into the future, waiting for the miracle of the Messiah.

“This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place.
It will not be delayed.” – Habakkuk 2:3

Living in Grace

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Please Call Me

Nkosana Kenneth Makate created the famous 'please call me' service through one of South Africa's cellphone providers. The simple tool means that we can send a free message to someone, asking them to give us a call when they can. 

We are reminded of a similar thing in Jeremiah 33, but obviously on a grander scale. The Lord sends each of us an invitation to 'please call him' when we need. And this invitation is not because God has run out of money :) 

·    "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ – Jeremiah 33:3.

      God invited Jeremiah and all who heard this message to come to Him in faith-filled prayer, confident of His answer. This promise is what we need to reflect on in this season of Advent. We are invited to trust in the grace of Christ and to call on the name of the Lord. 

·     Psalm 4:3 - You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him.

Acts 2:21 - But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Living in Grace

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A message even in a dark place

“While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name” (Jeremiah 33: 1-2)

These words from the prophet Jeremiah, are part of our lectionary reflections for the first Sunday in Advent. The one thing that struck me in this verse is that God speaks to Jeremiah in the midst of his confinement. Even though he was in prison, the Lord still communicates with him. 

How often do we feel as if we are in a dark place? A prison of sorts? We can be excused for thinking that God may have forgotten us, but it is precisely in these moments that Christ wants to speak to us.

Genesis 39:21 - "But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love."

"God speaks in the silence of the heart." - Mother Teresa

Living in Grace

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