Do Good

In trying to encourage believers to be witnesses of God's grace, John Wesley challenged people to 'Do good' to others. This was not an attempt to persuade a 'salvation by works' mentality, but rather to echo the approach of James - 'faith, without action is dead!'

Galatians 6:9-10 - Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

2 Thessalonians 3:13 - And as for you, … never tire of doing what is good.

Question: How can we do good to others (for the sake of God's kingdom)?

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

Living in grace

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Father's Day 2023

Hi everyone - I just wanted to let you know that we are alive and well after our Camino adventures. I am busy trying to sort through thousands of photos (and that's not an exaggeration) and process all that we experienced. Once I have done that, I will share some posts about our fantastic pilgrimage and try and put our thoughts into something coherent and meaningful. 

In the meantime, I also just wanted to make mention of Father's Day and especially to offer thanks to our Lord, who treats us all as a perfect Father would. Of course, we can't limit God to our human understanding of fatherhood (or parenthood, if you prefer), but there are many striking characteristics of God that speak to our hearts today. 

In a world that lacks many 'father-figures', perhaps we should remind ourselves of the true gift that God is to every person. 

Paul wrote to the Galatians reminding them of this:

"And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, so now we can rightly speak of God as our dear Father" - Galatians 4:6

Living in Grace

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Dusting ourselves off and starting over

"Failure is just part of the process, and it's not just okay; it's better than okay. God doesn't want failure to shut us down. God didn't make it a three-strikes-and-you're-out sort of thing. It's more about how God helps us dust ourselves off so we can swing for the fences again. And all of this without keeping a meticulous record of our screw-ups." - Bob Goff

The Grace of Jesus reminds me that no matter how many times I fall, Christ invites me to stand up again, to dust myself off and follow him. Each time this happens, I pray that I am more in tune with the wisdom and ways of God, in order that I don't make the same mistakes again.

How do you feel when you make a mistake? Or when you have 3 strikes and achieve nothing but embarrassment?

Galatians 5:1 - Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Living in Grace

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Inspired by Tiro

Marcus Tullius Tiro was born a slave around 104 B.C., and lived in the household of Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero for nearly 50 years. Tiro become more than a slave to Cicero - they became close friends and Tiro accompanied him where ever he went. Tiro's role was mainly as a scribe and without his gifted writing skills, we wouldn't have valuable resources concerning the events surrounding Cicero's life. 

Tiro was given the family name of Cicero and thus held the same first names as his owner, even after he was granted his freedom - Marcus Tullius Tiro. One of the greatest legacy's of Tiro was his incredible version of short-hand (Tironian Notes), which lasted for over 1000 years. Some traces of his remarkable skill still lived on into the 17th Century. 

I share these thoughts today, as we celebrate Freedom Day in South Africa on the 27th April. This day is a milestone in our country, as we remember our past and the first democratic elections held in 1994. 

“To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child.” - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Galatians 5:1 - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Living in Grace

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Glue or Solvent?

“Fear is the glue that keeps you stuck.

Faith is the solvent that sets you free.” - Shannon L. Alder

John 8:36 - So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Romans 8:2 - "...because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death."

Galatians 5:1 - "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."

I think it is clear which one the Bible is pointing us to! It is now up to us whether we want to choose to be 'glue' or 'solvent.'

Living in Grace

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Freedom?

Is there a difference between these two kinds of Freedom?

2 Corinthians - 3:17 - "For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom."

"Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your FREEDOM to choose how you will respond to the situation." - Victor Frankl

What do these 2 thoughts mean for you today? 

Can the 'freedom' that Christ offers us impact the way we respond to the situations that happen all around us? 

Living in Grace

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Galatians 5:13 - For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

Pulling us forward

Our encounters with God are never meant to be kept private, but rather to inspire us to share the good news with others. Each moment with Jesus is a further reassurance that God is with us and that he has given us all we need for the future. God's spirit lead us continually forward - and sometimes it is almost as if he is pulling us into the next stage of this adventure.

§       Melissa Bane Sevier - "We leave our place of worship, the reminder of our baptism, the ringing in our ears of the voice of God heard in the scriptures and the voices of our friends who encourage us, and we walk back into our everyday life, with a sure sense that God is pulling us forward."

Galatians 5:25 - Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

Living in Grace

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Pessimist? Optimist?

Are you more of an Optimist or a Pessimist?

Before you answer my question, read these words from Helen Keller and see if her words make a difference to your answer.

"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars,
or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit."

I believe that when our optimism is coupled with Faith in Jesus Christ it becomes an incredible force for good. Optimism can get us so far, but trust in the power of God is the real difference.

Galatians 1:10-12 - Do you think I speak this strongly in order to manipulate crowds? Or court favor with God? Or get popular applause? If my goal was popularity, I wouldn’t bother being Christ’s slave. Know this—I am most emphatic here, friends—this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. I didn’t receive it through the traditions, and I wasn’t taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ. (the Message)

Living in Grace

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Use your freedom wisely

"Nothing that is God's is obtainable by money."

"He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies."

"You cannot parcel out freedom in pieces because freedom is all or nothing."

All of these quotes are attributed to the early Christian author, teacher and Church Father, Tertullian. What I find remarkable is that some truths are timeless. His words are just as relevant in our modern era, as they were in the 2nd Century.

Surely, the same can be said of the sacred Scriptures. They may have been written in a different time, location and generation from our own, but they always speak into our current lives. 

Galatians 5:13 - For, dear brothers, you have been given freedom: not freedom to do wrong, but freedom to love and serve each other.

Living in grace

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Lying awake at night

 

"How terrible it will be for you to lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans." - Micah 2:1

I am sure there are many of us who can relate to lying awake at night not able to sleep. It is funny how all our problems seem a whole lot worse when we think of them in the dark!

In Micah's day there were many evil people who used their sleepless nights to do harm instead of planning to do good. I believe his challenge to us is rather use those bleak times, in the middle of the night, to make Godly plans and not selfish plans that will harm others.

Galatians 5:4-6 (Message)
"I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love."

God's plan was always to bring hope and peace to our broken world, although I am sure there were moments when God could have chosen to forget us as the world was such a mess.


Living in Grace
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Be Kind!

Every few months I get the privilege of writing an article for the online Scripture Union magazine. It really is a wonderful magazine (not just cause I write for it), because it includes many different voices on a range of relevant issues. If you want to check it out, please follow the link below - the awesome thing is that it is TOTALLY FREE!

This last week I wrote an article on 'Kindness', as I believe we can change our communities by doing the small simple things. Kindness is something that we can all do - and it has the power to make a huge difference.

The other thing about Kindness is that it is a FRUIT of God's Spirit working in us. So, if we want to know how much we are growing in our walk with Christ, we should monitor the levels of our kindness. Paul wrote:

Galatians 5:22 - But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness...

Allow God's Spirit to control your actions today - shower the world with small acts of Great Kindness.

Living in Grace
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Asijiki - no turning back!

The theme for Comrades 2018 is ASIJIKI, which means 'No turning back.' I think that this not only a good motto for running the Comrades marathon but also for life in general. Turning back can be seen as a sign of defeat and losing ground. Whatever you are tackling at the moment keep looking forward and don't turn back!

As we follow Jesus, let us not turn around and long for our previous lives, but let us look forward to what God has in store for us all.

Galatians 4:9 -So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? 

Please also say a prayer for us as we run the Comrades today. We need all the prayers we can get.

Living in Grace
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What is Joy?

We often misunderstand 'Joy' as being 'happy'. However it runs a lot deeper than simply being happy. Being happy is an emotional state of being, but Joy is a fruit of God's Spirit living within us. So, in a simplistic way - we can be filled with Joy, but not feel happy. It does seem strange, but I wonder how you feel about that?

Here are a few other thoughts on Joy:

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." - Galatians 5:22-23



“Joy is the by-product of obedience.” - Traditional. 

"Joy is prayer; 
joy is strength: 
joy is love; 
joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls." - Mother Teresa

May you experience God's JOY in your heart today
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The Hill of Ice

Have you ever felt like you are getting somewhere in your life/faith/relationships and then suddenly you slide all the way back to square One? It is almost as if we are climbing a Hill of ice, only to see all our efforts count for zero. If you can relate to this, then you will enjoy this quote from Charles Spurgeon:

"The Christian life is very much like climbing a hill of ice. You cannot slide up. You have to cut every step with an ice axe. Only with incessant labor in cutting and chipping can you make any progress. If you want to know how to backslide, leave off going forward. Cease going upward and you will go downward of necessity. You can never stand still."

Did you notice the part about cutting into the ice and chipping away? That is what our Spiritual journey often entails. In order to consistently move forward we need to make sure that our footholds are strong and dependable. It may not seem like you are gaining much ground, but if you made sure that you are on solid ground, then your direction will always be forward.

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." - Galatians 5:25

Living in Grace
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One call away

Okay, I admit that my mind is a strange place at times! When I heard this song on the radio the other day, I immediately thought it would make a great message for a blog. The song is - "One call away" by Charlie Puth. It has no religious connection at all, but I love these lyrics:

"I'm only one call away
I'll be there to save the day
Superman got nothing on me
I'm only one call away." - Charlie Puth


Isn't this the truth of the Gospel?
Jesus is simply one call away.
All it takes is for us to cry out to him and he will answer our hearts cry.
So the next time you are tempted to try and 'go it alone', why don't you call out to your loving Saviour.


Jesus is only one call away.

Galatians 4:6 - "And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”


Living in Grace
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Unlucky 13?

Flying back from the Methodist Church conference we noticed that the plane had no seats that were numbered 13. There was a number 12 and a number14, but no seat marked 13. That is quite interesting don't you think? It was not as if there was a gap in the seats, it just simply skipped out '13'. What would you make of this?
Do you believe in 'good luck' and 'bad luck?'
Do you think the airline was a little worried about having some seats marked with a 13 on them?

This is what Paul as to say about this...

Galatians 4:8-11 - "Earlier, before you knew God personally, you were enslaved to so-called gods that had nothing of the divine about them. But now that you know the real God—or rather since God knows you—how can you possibly subject yourselves again to those paper tigers? For that is exactly what you do when you are intimidated into scrupulously observing all the traditions, taboos, and superstitions associated with special days and seasons and years."

What do you think?

Living in Grace
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Liberation is not deliverance

It was Victor Hugo who once said, "Liberation is not deliverance."

And he was spot on!

If you look at the human race, you will see how this has played out in almost every instance. People rightly fight for liberation and the ideals we strive for are usually just and fair, however somehow we lose our way when we taste our liberation.

Take the Israelites as a case in point. They longed for Liberation and when Moses led them towards the Promised land they realised that they were still enslaved to their sins and selfishness. Liberation from the Egyptians had not brought deliverance from the sin in their hearts.

Take our own beloved country, South Africa, as another case in point. We fought against the evil of Apartheid and pursued freedom for all people in our nation. This was a JUST cause and liberation was deserved for millions of disadvantaged South Africans. However, in celebrating our liberation we forgot that we had not experienced deliverance from the evil in our hearts. In a sense, Freedom does not deliver us from our own 'demons'. In fact, all it does is lull us into a false sense of victory and soon our 'demons' eat us from the inside out. 

In my opinion there is only one person who can LIBERATE us and also DELIVER us - His name is Jesus Christ.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1

Here are another few quotes to chew on as we reflect on our Freedom. Have a blessed FREEDOM DAY.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." -Ronald Reagan

"There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires." - Nelson Mandela

Living in Freedom

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Locked up

You have heard the illustration before, but perhaps we need to hear it again. The Law gives us boundaries for faith and life, but when we break the Law, it is almost as if sin keeps us captive. We are held in bondage, with no help in sight. However, that is where Jesus steps in. It is his love and life that break the combination to the 'locks' that sin uses to control us. He sets us free and that is Good News indeed.

²² But the scripture says that the whole world is under the power of sin; and so the gift which is promised on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ is given to those who believe.
²³ But before the time for faith came, the Law kept us all locked up as prisoners until this coming faith should be revealed. ²⁴ And so the Law was in charge of us until Christ came, in order that we might then be put right with God through faith.- Galatians 3:22-24

If you are feeling trapped by sin, remember that Jesus has already given us the key to unlock the chains that bind us.

Living in Grace
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Child of the King

It is a tragedy that we have become so blase to this fact: 
When we surrender to the love of Jesus, we become children of the King. 
This is huge - it is not to be scoffed at or simply noted! .... No ways, when you become a child of God, your whole life should feel the change.


“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” – Galatians 3:26

     

    William Barclay – “To bear the name of the family of God is something to keep a man’s feet on the right way, and to set him climbing.”

    

    Have you forgotten that you are child of God? Don't let today pass without basking in the knowledge that God calls us his children.

   Living in Grace

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