Unique blessing

“Jesus Christ is the head of the home

The silent listener to every conversation,

The unseen guest at every meal.”

This well known blessing has been present in many homes over the years. It speaks of a number of important things in our faith experience. The first is that it acknowledges Christ as the leader of our lives and of our homes. Secondly, the blessing reminds us that Christ hears all of our conversations, even those that we wish he couldn't hear. Lastly, it implies that Jesus is present with us where ever we go - when we eat, when we sleep and when we work.

I invite you to pray this blessing today and to live as if it is true.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

What makes us God-followers?

I have been reflecting on this question over the last week or so - "What makes us followers of God?"
The answer is not as simple as one would like to think. In trying to answer the question, we sometimes get stuck on some of the external "things" that could indicate we may be God-followers.
For example:

Going to Church
Reading the Bible
Prayer
Fasting and giving

Yes, these are all disciplines we should be practising in our experience as Christians, but it all starts with a change in heart. Once our HEARTS have encountered the Living God, that is when the 'lights go on' for us and we decide to follow God. And this change in Heart doesn't come from a magic formula or a special medicine - it is through the work of the Spirit of God. We need to give God the grace to work in our lives and it is His work to change our hearts.



²⁸ For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. ²⁹ No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.” – Romans 2:28-29

How is your Heart today?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Flag Bearer

It was with sadness that we heard the news of the death of another sports star, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi. He was the first black South African to be ranked number one in the world and he won a silver medal at the Olympic games in Athens 2004. He was also our official flag bearer at that same Olympics. May he rest in peace.

In times of war soldiers took great pride in carrying the flag of their nation. Whenever a flag bearer was shot down, someone else would pick up the flag and carry it further into the battle. So now that a 'flag bearer' of our nation has gone down, we hope and pray that others will step forward and carry the pride of our nation into the future.

Psalm 60: 4 - "Then you planted a flag to rally your people, an unfurled flag to look to for courage. Now do something quickly, answer right now, so the one you love best is saved." (MSG)

The same thing should also apply in our Christian faith. When a flag bearer of faith goes down or passes away, we should be willing to pick up the flag of Jesus and to carry it into the future. There will come a time when we too will pass away, but then we trust that someone else will carry the name of Jesus into the next part of the battle.

2 Corinthians 5:20 -  "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us."

Living in Grace
D3LM3

A day to remember

We mark the 1st December as World Aids Day and I believe that it is extremely important that we do all we can to remove the stigma attached to HIV/Aids. Jesus cares for all people and we need to respond with love and dignity to all people.

However, today is also the day that we remember the life of Edmund Campion. I knew nothing of this godly man until I recently read about his life. At the age of 41 Edmund was hanged, drawn and quartered for leading an underground Catholic ministry in Protestant England of the Sixteenth Century.

The witness of this priest didn't go unnoticed and he impacted many lives, even in his cruel death. Eventually 300 years after his death, he was honoured as a saint. I truly marvel at the commitment of martyrs, especially when they are killed at the hands of other "Christians". It is sad that we find so much hatred in the place we should find the most grace and love - the church. May God forgive us!

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Chicken or Beef

Chicken or Beef? Well, actually none of those for today - I just wanted to get your attention! How about this option? Stone or Flesh?
Life can sometimes batter us into submission and cause our hearts to grow hard. God understands this, but He wants us to allow His Spirit to keep our hearts alive - pumping with life and love.

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them;
I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh." - Ezekiel 11:19

May the Spirit of Christ keep our hearts like 'flesh' and not like stones.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

On every little piece

Ignatius was a devout believer in Jesus. Sadly, in 111 A.D. he was sentenced to death for his faith. He was eaten alive by wild animals in the Colosseum. Just before he was condemned to death, he said these amazing words:

"My dear Jesus, my Saviour, is so deeply written in my heart, that I feel confident, that if my heart were to be cut open and chopped to pieces, the name of Jesus would be found written on every piece." - Ignatius

How awesome is that? I am sure that when they buried him, Jesus' name wasn't literally on every piece of Ignatius' heart, but his testimony has certainly echoed through nineteen hundred years of history. He lived out his faith with conviction!

How about us?

Living in Grace,
D3LM3