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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Pentecost - what a gift!

On this day of Pentecost, it is a moment to thank God for his indescribable gift of the Holy Spirit. The outpouring of the Paracletos (comforter, advocate, counsellor) was for the equipping and blessing of the believers. This gift was to give us the dynamic power we needed to share the Good News with a world longing for Hope and Love. 

I don't believe that anything has changed, in terms of our reliance of the Spirit, and God's call for us to share the Gospel. It is my prayer that we could be filled with God's Spirit, in order to move into our troubled world with a clear message of grace.

“That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: “Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight.” – Acts 2:14 (The Message)

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, Come! 

Living in Grace

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A different way

“Endeavour to be inclined always:

Not to the easiest, but to the most difficult;
Not to the most delightful, but to the most distasteful;
Not to the most gratifying, but to the less pleasant;
Not to what means rest for you, but to hard work;
Not to the consoling, but to the unconsoling;
Not to the most, but to the least;
Not to the highest and most precious, but to the lowest and most despised;
Not to wanting something, but to wanting nothing;"

Sixteenth Century Mystic, St.John of the Cross, wrote these words as a way of expressing the different path we take when following Jesus. They are tough words and very challenging for all of us to contemplate. What stands out for you from his thoughts? 

Acts 2:28 - "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

Living in Grace

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The Watershed Moment

John told his followers about the gift of the Spirit long before Pentecost. Of course, most people couldn't fully grasp what he was saying, until the actual moment took place. God chose the annual feast of Pentecost to pour out the Spirit upon the entire Church - what perfect timing. From this point on (the Watershed Moment) the people of God were mobilised to share the Good News without fear.

 

Matthew 3:11 - “I baptise with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

 

As always Eugene Peterson puts these words into language we can all relate too.

 

“I’m baptising you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”

 

The real action of our faith comes from the inspiration of the Spirit.

The Spirit ignites the Kingdom of God in us.

The Spirit changes us from the inside out.

We serve in the drama of the faith, but the main character is always JESUS.

 

Living in Grace

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