We pay the price!

Jonah willingly paid the price of his fare, so that he could sail to Tarshish. In a similar way, when we choose to run away from the Lord, we also pay a price.

"But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord." - Jonah 1:3

The price we pay for our disobedience to the Lord can range from, the consequence of our sin, becoming fearful, a lack of peace, dis-contentment, hardness of heart. 

In my opinion, all of our choices include some kind of cost - it is just that disobedience has a high cost than following the calling of God.

Thought: Can you think of a time when you deliberately ran away from God's plan for your life? What price did you pay?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Agitated and shaken - Who is this?

 "The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked." - Matthew 21:10

When Jesus entered Jerusalem in the final week of his life, the city was shaken to its core. Matthew says the city was in uproar (seio), with many people not sure of what was going on. Jesus' appearance in our world does shake things up a lot. He comes to confront our comfort, our priorities and our sense of control. 

And when Jesus brushes past us, we need to answer the same question posed by the crowds on that dramatic day: "Who is this?"

Who is Jesus to you? Who is he to me? 

Some people called him the 'prophet', while others referred to him as a 'Rabbi!' What about your response? Who do you say he is?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Two responses to Jesus

We are accustomed to the striking image of 3 crosses standing on Golgotha on the fateful day known as Good Friday. We picture the scene with Jesus hanging on his cross between the two criminals, one on his left and one on his right hand side. This moment presents a unique platform for us to contemplate our own response to Jesus. 

The two thieves share the spectrum of humanity's collective response to the Messiah. Some of us refuse to acknowledge Christ as our Saviour and even if Jesus did a whole bunch of miracles for us, we would still remain stubborn of heart. On the other hand, there will be a few people who will recognise Jesus' true nature and we will call out to him for mercy. His response to the penitent thief is also his invitation to all of us.

"One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” - Luke 23: 39-43

What is your response to Jesus?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The meaning of the Cross

 

Today's Lent reflection is from Mike Shaw - thank you so much Mike:

"As a child I remember we learnt about good and evil at Sunday School. The 'rules' that God gave us for living were very important for us and I recall that the Cross became like my badge - the side I was on.

As an adolescent I continued to attend church, did confirmation, learnt about the Apostles Creed, began to increase my knowledge of the Scriptures and the meaning of the Law. As the way ahead widened and challenges increased, my resolve to remain faithful was still evident. The Cross continued to represent the side I was on.

As an adult, pressure began to build up from all sides. I felt it on my heart, from work in the Engineering profession and greater responsibilities. I experienced the good and bad, as well as the 'grey' in-between. Life was full of choices and big decisions to make. I sometimes wondered if it was an intellectual decision to remain in the Christian fold and to keep faithful through these tough situations. However, I realised it was God who made the seed grow in my life.

As the years passed and my knowledge of the Scriptures increased, the New Covenant opened up a new relationship with God for me. I knew I could pray directly to the Father and this was liberating. I followed this way and have seen the eventual outcome many times and have known what Joy is. The Cross reminds me of God's spiritual presence and His supernatural presence.

As an old man (in my 90's), I fully understand that God's way of communicating with us is through the Bible. The love of God is on display for all humankind to see - we don't need any language to communicate this. This is what the Cross of Christ means to me."

Living in grace

D3LM3

Love is a tough decision to make

This time of the year brings a lot of reflection on love, romance and relationships. I was reminded again today that LOVE is a definite choice that we make. Sure, it can also be prompted by initial feelings or something along those lines, but we still need to choose to Love on a daily basis. This goes for all our relationships! 

Seth Adam Smith wrote: "Our society places a lot of emphasis on feelings. We are taught that we should always follow our feelings and do whatever makes us happy. But feelings are very fickle and fleeting. Real love, on the other hand, is like the north star in the storms of life; it is constant, sure, and true. Whenever we're lost and confused we can find strength in the love that we have chosen."

Almost every act of genuine love in the Scriptures involves someone making a sacrificial decision and then following through with committed dedication:

I think of Ruth choosing to go back with Naomi. 

Joseph's love for his family, even after they left him for dead. 

Jesus as he begins his lonely journey towards the cross.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." - John 15:13

Who do we need to love today?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Refuse to worry

"So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless." - Ecclesiastes 11:10

Here he goes again! Solomon comes to the staggering conclusion that even 'youth' is meaningless. I really feel sorry for him sometimes - it seems as if his depression was moving him deeper and deeper into a dark corner. 

When we read this last statement in the words of Eugene Peterson, it does make a lot more sense. The Message paraphrase states:

"You won’t be young forever.
Youth lasts about as long as smoke."

This now makes a lot more sense to me. All of us can remember our younger days as if they were just yesterday and we wonder where have the years gone. Solomon's message is very important for us to hold onto - life is short, so we should try not to WORRY and also to keep ourselves as HEALTHY as possible.

Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:27

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ...

What do you think?

Is it possible to quit worrying?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Taking stock

    

I really appreciate Solomon's willingness to take stock of his life and to be 100% honest about how he feels. One gets the impression that there may be time to make amends on some of the bad choices he had made. This is what he says in Ecclesiastes:

10 "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
    I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
    and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
    and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
    nothing was gained under the sun." - 2:10-11

As I was reading these words I was struck by the word 'surveyed' - it spoke to me of someone willing to take stock of a situation before proceeding. It also reminded me of that glorious hymn 'When I survey the wondrous cross' - when we look at our lives in light of Jesus hopefully all things come into proper perspective.

Question: When last did you take stock of your life?

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Where every realm of nature mine
My gift was still be far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

Living in Grace

D3LM3

First to speak

"In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines." - Proverbs 18:17

This proverb is so true. How often have you been involved in a challenging conversation with people and been convinced by the initial ideas put forward? The more you think about what is being said, the more you feel 'This is right!' 

However, as soon as you have let those ideas settle in your mind, then someone else comes along and presents an equally compelling argument. And then you are stumped! Mmm, what do you make of that argument now?

I guess, it is always good to hear both sides of any story, before you make a judgement. In trying to discern the truth, it goes deeper than just two good speeches - knowing something about the characters who are speaking also makes a difference.

Proverbs 18:21 - The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

"We are not living in a world where all roads are radii of a circle and where all, if followed long enough, will therefore draw gradually nearer and finally meet at the centre: rather in a world where every road, after a few miles, forks into two, and each of those into two again, and at each fork, you must make a decision." - C. S. Lewis

"Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come." -Robert H. Schuller

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Making a decision

John Maxwell once said: "Life is a matter of choices - and every choice you make makes you."

What do you do when you are invited to 2 parties on the same day? Tough call to decide which is going to be the best to attend? In the case of Solomon the Hosts are key in his decision-making process. When he understands what the Host has in store for him, that is what defines his choice.

Wisdom invites him a feast, but so does 'Folly.' They both make their parties sound amazing, but in the end, Solomon knows that one of them is going to be very bad for him - it is actually lead him to experience hell on earth, while Wisdom's celebration will bring him LIFE. 

The foolish woman is loud;
    she is ignorant and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house,
    on a seat at the high places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
    who are going straight on their way,
16 “You who are simple, turn in here!”
    And to those without sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
    and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But they do not know that the dead are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol." - Proverbs 9:13-18

Making tough choices can be a stressful exercise, but thankfully God gives us lots of direction.

"But until a person can say deeply and honestly, "I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday," that person cannot say, "I choose otherwise.” - Stephen R. Covey

Living in Grace
D3LM3

The bitter taste of Wormwood

When trying to teach a young person some pearls of wisdom it is always good to use 'word-pictures' that hopefully stick in their minds. Solomon is a master at this and in today's unique lesson, on the pit-falls of adultery, he uses two very clear, contrasting images to bring his point across.

"For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
⁴ But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
⁵ Her feet go down to death,Her steps lay hold of hell." - Proverbs 5:3-5

He tells the young men that chasing after pleasures (he uses women as an example in this passage as often it was just the men who were taught in religious schools) is going to end up being a bitter experience. 

In fact, if we look at these verses again we will see that the words he chooses bring this great contrast to light:

Honey (sweet to taste) versus Wormwood (which is a bitter herb)
Smooth versus Sharp 

These wise words are here to teach all of us that in pursuing things that 'look good', we may fall into a trap of disappointment and hurt in the long run.

"Educating the mind, without educating the heart is no wisdom at all." - Aristotle

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Chasing the wind

 

  
We are having a lot of strong South Easterly winds at the moment in the Western Cape. All this wind reminded me of the thoughts of Solomon who spoke about a 'chasing after the wind', which is obviously an impossible task.
 
"Fools fold their hands
    and ruin themselves.
Better one handful with tranquillity
    than two handfuls with toil    and chasing after the wind." - Ecclesiastes 4:5-6

As we head into the 3rd week of 2020 let us resolve to focus our hearts on things of value and not on things that are a 'chasing after the wind.'

Living in Grace
D3LM3

A monument to our stupidity

"They have stumbled off the ancient highways
    and walk in muddy paths.
Therefore, their land will become desolate,
    a monument to their stupidity.
All who pass by will be astonished    and will shake their heads in amazement." - Jeremiah 18:15-16

Reading these verses from Jeremiah 18 I couldn't help wondering how relevant they are to our society today. People have chosen their own paths and instead of walking in ancient paths, have chosen to walk along muddy pathways. 

And in the end, our choices will come back to haunt us and they will be left as monuments to our stupidity! Future generations will look at what has happened and will shake their heads in astonishment.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Living in Grace
D3LM3


 

Commit yourself to what?

 

Should I commit to this project or this great cause?
Should I put my energy and efforts into helping the needy or speaking to people about the Bible?
Should I commit myself to my family, to the church, to my chosen sport?
What should I commit myself too? There is so little time and so many good choices.

Ian Thomas, in his book The Saving Life of Christ gives us a little insight into the question.

"You are not called upon to commit yourself to a need, or to a task, or to a field; you are called upon to commit yourself to God!"

So the answer lies in the first step, and then the others flow from that one decision. If I choose to commit yourself first to God, then my priorities, desires, gifts and other tasks will flow from this first commitment. Does that make sense?

Matthew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Old habits die hard

There is a saying that says "old habits die hard", implying that it is often very difficult to change our old habits. This can be very true in certain circumstances and if we want to change these habits, we need to put measures in place to change our behaviour. What do I mean by this? Well let me give you an example from everyday life...

...living in the midst of a water crisis in the Western Cape has taught us to preserve water and to come up with creative ways of reducing consumption. The old habit of flushing the toilet after every visit has had to change and this took time to put into practise. It wasn't easy at first, because when you have flushed the loo for years and years, you take it for granted that you can simply do the same in a new home. In order to help us all remember, we ended up turning the water supply off at the wall, which immediately helped us 'remember' to get water from the shower instead.

So, here is the big question: When we have other habits that impact upon our relationship with Jesus, what measures are we willing to put into place in order to make things better? I feel that if we don't make conscious plans then our old habits will continue to distract us from true worship of Jesus.

Isaiah 65:17-19 - “Pay close attention now: I’m creating new heavens and a new earth. All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past, to be forgotten. Look ahead with joy. Anticipate what I’m creating: I’ll create Jerusalem as sheer joy, create my people as pure delight. I’ll take joy in Jerusalem, take delight in my people:

What do you think?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Uncover the Spring

I am so enjoying reading Trevor Hudson's book on the Holy Spirit. In the chapter, where he looks at how the Spirit helps us to pray, Trevor shares this story:

There was a certain monk who was revered as a man of prayer. One day he was asked how he did it – how he reached this stage of deep prayer. This is what he said: “Looking back, my impression is that for many years I was carrying prayer within my heart, but did not know it. It was like a spring, but one covered by a stone. Then at a certain moment Jesus took the stone away. At that the spring began to flow and it has been flowing ever since.”

I love this story, because it reminds me that we all have a 'spring' bubbling in our hearts, but often we choose to cover this up, suppressing the life giving water from the spring. It is not that God chooses to put a stone on top of the spring, but we do. Perhaps our prayer lives would become more significant if we took the stone away.

I know that God has removed a Big Stone once before - I am positive he can do it again.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Which one?

"Truth sees God, and wisdom contemplates God, and from these two comes a third, a holy and wonderful delight in God, who is love." - Julian of Norwich

So which one of the three do you think most relates to your relationship with God right now?
Are you someone who is focused on the TRUTH?
Do you find that you are drawn to contemplating God through WISDOM?
Or are you at a place where you are experiencing the 'wonderful DELIGHT' in God?

I find that I move between the three quite often. There are moments where I need to see the TRUTH of God or to contemplate God through WISDOM. However, I confess that the best moments are those that I share in the DELIGHT of God.

Psalm 37:4 - "Be delighted with the Lord." (Living Bible)

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Disturbing - Advent #3

The birth of Jesus caused quite a stir in nation of Israel, but it also impacted the Roman's too. Herod was ruler at that time and he was DISTURBED by the news he received.

"When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied..." - Matthew 2:3-5

It may seem a strange word to include on our Advent journey this year, but I firmly believe that the birth of Jesus doesn't leave us feeling ambivalent. It should stir something within us. Either it will move us to bow before him as our Lord, or it will disturb us so much that we will do all we can to ignore him or even destroy him.

Which response is yours this Advent season?

Please pray for those people who seem to have the spirit of Herod this Christmas time. Ask the Lord to reveal himself to them in a significant way.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Which road to take? - Lent #20

Proverbs 22:5-6 - "Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road;
    whoever values life will avoid it.

⁶ Direct your children onto the right path,
    and when they are older, they will not leave it."

As a father and pastor I have the great responsibility of directing my children and congregation onto the paths of God. It is not as easy as it may seem. We all have our own ideas and personalities (myself included) and so there comes a time when you have to show the WAY and then let people decide for themselves. 

Of course it is equally important to keep walking the right PATH so that others may see that you still believe you chose correctly. The treacherous road always seems to appeal in the beginning, but soon one comes to realise that it is the wrong road. The thorns cut deeply into our souls and we are left ruing our wrong choices.

As we journey towards the Cross and empty Tomb, can I urge us to evaluate which path we are on. Does your road lead to peace, hope and grace? If not, then perhaps you are on the wrong road.

"God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with him." - Jim Elliot

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Cargo

There are things & people that we "carry along" with us our whole lives and they will remain "precious cargo" for us. I am speaking of family, friendships, memories, defining moments and moments of grace.

However, there are too many of us who carry unwanted cargo our whole lives. These usually end up being broken relationships, hurtful conversations, shattered dreams, abuse from a loved one, rejection, fear, anxiety and trauma.

All of these things/people have added to the burden that we carry, but we don't have to carry any of these alone. In fact, carrying this kind of cargo will only wear us out and make us stumble along the road.

I invite us all to lay down our "unwanted cargo." I know that forgetting what happened may not be possible, but it is our choice whether we carry the burden alone.

Psalm 68:19 - "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens."

Matthew 11:28 -  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Share your burdens with Christ - He cares for you.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

3 Doors...

In doing my preparation last week, I came across a wonderful illustration that I have used a few times since then. I am so taken by this thought, that I wanted to share it with you. If you are looking for some kind of 'purpose' or 'motivation' for the New Year then why not let it be this illustration.

"The Cathedral of Milan took 600 years to build - it was indeed a labour of love. Amongst other things, there are three huge doors that lead into the Cathedral of Milan. Over one of the doors there is an inscription, under a beautifully designed flower bouquet, that reads, "The things that please us are temporary." 
Over another one of the doors, there is a striking cross with this inscription beneath: "The things that trouble us are temporary." 
However, over the central door, the following words are inscribed, "Eternal are the important ones." (The Important things are Eternal).

As we go further into 2015, let us remember this power thought: The material things that please us, last only a moment - as do the times of trouble and affliction. However, the important things in our lives (Love, Faith, Hope) - these last for Eternity. Let us pursue the things of God this year. They are truly worth it.

Matthew 6:19-20 - “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Living in Grace
D3LM3