Newcomers

Can you remember being a 'newcomer' at something? Perhaps a first day at school, or at a new job, or even joining a church community or a sports team? It feels strange at first, but after a while, one slowly starts to ease into the newness. 

Coming from another angle, I want to ask us this question: 

Do you ever feel that you are not a 'newcomer' to the Christian faith? Do we get to a point in our spiritual lives where we feel that we are mature enough? It seems to me that I keep learning new things along the pathway and although I have been a Christ-follower decades, I still get the feeling that I am an infant. 

Listen to these words from the book of Job. See how he eloquently describes this feeling:

Job 8:8-19 - For we’re newcomers at this, with a lot to learn, and not too long to learn it. So why not let the ancients teach you, tell you what’s what, instruct you in what they knew from experience? Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil? Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water? Blossoming flowers look great before they’re cut or picked, but without soil or water they wither more quickly than grass. That’s what happens to all who forget God— all their hopes come to nothing. (The Message)

Thought: Don't despise being a student of the Gospel. We are all learning along the way.

Living in Grace

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How I pray

I am not sure what went through your mind when you saw the title of today's post? Sadly, I am not going to give you a special prayer formula or even tell you how I pray. Instead, I am going to pass on these words from Thomas Merton, as I found them very helpful. In his work, Day of a Stranger, he wrote:

"What I wear is pants. What I do is live. How I pray is breathe."

His insight is almost so simple, that I nearly missed his point. Prayer doesn't need to be complicated at all. We simply need to acknowledge that every breath we take is an act of prayer - it is an offering to our Creator; it is a submission to our Saviour. 

Job 33:4 - For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Living in Grace

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Just like a star

Just like most people, I am not a fan of adversity. I don't deliberately seek out conflict or trials, and when I encounter tough times, I am probably the first to ask: "Why, Lord?!" However, the older I get, the more I can see God's hand at work, despite what may look like a mess. 

Perhaps it is true that Hope is indeed like a star:

“Hope itself is like a star – not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity.” - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Job 11:18 - You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.

What do you think?

Living in Grace

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Which person are we?

Elizabeth Browning wrote these words:

“Earth is crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God.

But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.

The rest sit round it and pluck berries.”

One may have to read these 4 lines a few times before they truly begin to sink in. Elizabeth Browning suggests there are two common responses to the beauty of Creation. Some people just want to consume what they see, without much thought for the Creator, while others are moved to awe and wonder. Their response is Moses-like, they take off their shoes and realise they are witnessing a marvel from God.

Which person are we?

"Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven." - Job 25:2

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My Redeemer lives

Even when all seemed dark and depressing around him, Job was able to proclaim:

I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. (Job 19:25)

There is so much depth in this single sentence and it reminds us of God's promise to come to us in our times of need. It is one thing to be able to say these words when all is going well, but it is something entirely different when we are staring at the cliff face.

In the Complete Jewish Bible, it comes across in a slightly different way, but still holds the good news:

“But I know that my Redeemer lives, that in the end he will rise on the dust."

May these words offer you the hope you need today.

Living in Grace

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Suffering does not discriminate.

The first verse of the book of Job tells us much about the character of the man: “He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.” (Job 1:1). 

This is important for us to understand as we read the rest of the book, as it addresses a common misunderstanding amongst modern Christians, especially regarding suffering. We are sometimes led to believe that if we are holy and super-spiritual (close to God), that we can bypass suffering. 

However, this is not what the Bible actually teaches at all. Suffering is part of the experience for all believers and in fact, suffering doesn't discriminate at all. Every person can and will experience some degree of suffering: rich or poor, black or white, Christian or non-believer, young or old. 

The challenge for me will always lie in how we handle the suffering we encounter and how we view God in the midst of our trials. That is the hard part.

Matthew 16:24-26 (Eugene Peterson) - 

Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

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Suffering is not optional

“Dear Child of God, I am sorry to say that suffering is not optional.” - Desmond Tutu

We started our preaching series on the book of Job this weekend and the quote from Desmond Tutu (above) has lived with me throughout this week. For a long time, I believed that when I experienced some kind of suffering, that it was because of something I had done wrong, and that God was punishing me. 

Thankfully, I see God in a different light now, but there are still many people who think (mistakenly) that their suffering is caused by some defect in their spiritual lives. I feel this is not what God wants from us - this is dangerous theology. Suffering is universal and it is God who helps us get through these moments of pain and trial. 

Paul says something interesting in Philippians. He states: "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." (3:10-11)

What would this mean for us? Let me know what you are thinking, please. 

As we continue through this preaching series, I am sure I will share a few more thoughts on Job and suffering. Remember, that if you would like to listen to the sermon, you can click on this link.

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Where did the time go?

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote: "Art is long and Time is fleeting."

As we celebrate our son, Nathan's 18th birthday today, we have been looking at a whole lot of photos of when he was younger. We have been left with the great impression of how quickly time has gone. It seems 'just the other' day that he was celebrating his 5th or 10th birthday's. 

I suppose the biggest lesson for us all is that life is short, and we should enjoy every moment of it.

Job 9:25 (The Message) - “My time is short—what’s left of my life races off too fast for me to even glimpse the good. My life is going fast, like a ship under full sail..."

As we all have to face up to this reality, may we do so with the grace and love of God in our hearts.

May the Lord be with you today.

Living in Grace

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Struggling with discontentment?

There are so many of us struggling with discontentment at the moment. I joked with a friend the other day, suggesting that if I could manufacture a pill that could offer people 'contentment' I would be a very rich man. 

The reality is that there is no such quick fix solution. I am discovering that contentment is a life-long process in which we have to actively decide to become more content. It sounds a little strange, but the more we wrestle with our discontent, the closer we can move towards peaceful content. 

So, what robs us of deep contentment? What stumbling blocks trip us up on the journey towards becoming content?

Here are some helpful words from the Bible, which I pray will guide us towards this illusive gift.

Job 36:11 - If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.

Proverbs 19:23 - The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Philippians 4:11 - I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Hebrews 13:5 - Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Once you have learnt the secret of contentment please share it with others.

Living in Grace

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Hope in the future

“Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present.” – Anon

It is hard to shake the feeling that the world is in a huge mess. Everywhere you look, all we seem to see is crisis, trouble, pain, suffering and despair. As Christians, we need to keep our focus on Jesus Christ in order to look beyond the limits of our world. If we are only looking for signs of hope in the man-made world, we will come up disappointed. 

Let us hold onto hope, so that we can live with purpose and power in the present.

Job 6:11 - “What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?

Job 11:18 - You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.

Living in Grace

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God is a friend of silence

"God is a friend of silence.
See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grow in silence.
See the stars, the moon, the sun,
how they move in silence." - Mother Teresa of Calcutta

I find it interesting that our world is obsessed with noise and when we seek to be liberated from all the sounds of life, we face plenty of opposition. More often than not, the resistance comes from within our own hearts. We may feel a pull towards silence, but we struggle to let go of the noise. We keep the TV on, we keep the notifications pinging on our phones, we turn the radio on when we drive - we are afraid of the silence.

But, why is this? 

Are we afraid of God may say to us?

If silence is Golden, why do we resist it so much?

Job 33:31 - "“Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak."

Revelation 8:1 - "When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour."

Challenge: Try and spend some time in silence today and just 'be' in the presence of God. 

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End or beginning?

"What the caterpillar calls the end of life, the master calls a butterfly." - Richard Bach

This lovely quote reminds me of the different view on life that God gives to us. The resurrection may have seemed the end to all the disciples, but to the Father it was just the beginning of the greatest miracle ever! I am challenged to view my life from the stand point of the Master and not from the world. What the world may call the end, God could be shouting 'let us begin!'

Job 8:7 - Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.

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Showed kindness

Job 10:12 - "You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit." 

In what way has God showed you kindness over the last week?

Do you have a story of how you have seen God's providence at work in your life? If you have a gap please let me know your reflections - I am interested in your story.

Ephesians 2:7 - "...in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

As we respond to God's kindness may we, in turn, show kindness to those around us.

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I will do something

I came across this insightful thought from Francis De Sales last week:

·     "The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not, “What a lovely sermon!” but, “I will do something!

      As I think about this quote it reminds me that all the "life-changing" sermons I have heard have called me to make a decision and then to act on it. If the truth be told 'lovely sermons' don't change lives - decisions that are inspired by the Holy Spirit change lives. 

      Is there a decision that you made that still needs to be acted on?

      Job 22:28 - What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways. 

     Living in Grace 

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Just like Job

"And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living,  who are still alive. But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil  that is done under the sun." - Ecclesiastes 4:2-3

Solomon's woes continue in today's reading and his words sound a lot like the words of Job, who also lamented that the day he was born. "After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth" (Job 3:1)

If we dissect Solomon's thoughts in these 2 verses, we can see that he is highlighting three groups of people. Firstly, those who have died. Secondly, those who are still alive and then, thirdly, those people who are still to be born. This is all done with the background of his observation of oppression. His response to those who have no comforter (both the oppressed and oppressors) is this:

1. The dead are better off, because they are now free from the pain and trials of this oppressive world.

2. Those of us who are alive are worst off, because we still need to witness the agony of oppression and 'heart-break' in our world.

3. Those who are best off are the unborn children, as they are still innocent and haven't yet had their hearts broken by the sins of humanity.

Shew, this is all a little too depressing for me to be honest. Thankfully, we know the Good News that comes from Jesus Christ and that our Saviour offers us hope in the midst of all our struggles. Jesus offers us 'the abundant life' even though there is still pain all around us. For me, Jesus Christ gives me a reason to push through all the heart-break I see around me.

What do you think?

Living in Grace

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Freezing cold

                                        

The last few days have been freezing cold in the Western Cape. What struck me today was that although our modern weather apps give us warning of rain, cold fronts and bad weather, we still experience the extremes of our climate. We can prepare for it, but we still struggle through it!

In a spiritual sense, we don't have 'Apps' to tell us that we are going to be facing storms or inclement weather, but we do have warning signs that things may be strained. It is in these moments that we need to do some introspection and to be honest where we stand with God. I have found that these are moments where we can experience profound transformation.

Related to the theme of cold and freezing are these 2 verses:

Revelation 3:15 - I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!

Job 37:10 - God’s breath sends the ice, freezing wide expanses of water.

Thought: When we are physically cold, we do something to make ourselves warmer. When we are spiritually lukewarm what do we do in order to change that?

Living in Grace

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Because there is Hope

 

There are no guarantees in this life, but JOB does offer us a word of Hope when he mentions that our 'rest' is in the presence of God. Despite what happens in the New Year we must look around us and see God at work in our lives. This Hope should bring us a renewed confidence and draw us back into the peace of Christ.

 

• Job 11:18 - You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.

Eugene Peterson adds a slightly different take on this verse when he adds these words:
 
"Full of hope, you’ll relax, confident again; you’ll look around, sit back, and take it easy."

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Work not done

Have you ever had a sleepless night worrying about the things that you HAVEN'T done yet? Or even spent a sleepless night stressing about the long "To Do" list? It can be quite exhausting.
Eric Hoffer speaks about this problem when he says, "Our great weariness comes from work not done."
On some level I find this to be totally true. The work that has come and gone may have tired us out, but it is the 'left over work' that hangs over our heads like the sword of Damocles. One of my frustrations in ministry is to accept that 'the work' will never be done - there will always be someone else to call, to visit, to see, to email etc.

For this reason, I feel that we all need to decide which are the KEY relationships, things we need to spend our time on. When those are our focal point, and receive enough of our time, then we can be at peace that the 'work not done' can be tackled tomorrow.

What are your thoughts?

Job 7:6 - "My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles, and then the yarn runs out—an unfinished life!" (MSG)

Living in Grace
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The Clouds in our lives

The clouds were spectacular on my morning run today. They were unique, dark and full of promise. In the distance I saw the sun trying to shine through the clouds and leaving wonderful colours on the horizon. 

 

Then it struck me - so often we assume that Cloudless days are the best days and that they somehow speak of a perfect day. However, the best sunrises and sunsets are when there are clouds in the sky. The clouds change the colours of the light and make these moments into glorious events. Of course, clouds also hold the promise of rain and of new life. And who can forget how God guided the Israelites by using a clouds in the desert.

Job 35:5 -Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you.

Job 36:28 - the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind.
 

Ezekiel 1:28 - Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. 

 

Prayer: Thank God for the clouds in our lives.

 

Living in Grace

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Take a Guess...

Take a guess at the answer to this question.
"Which books in the Bible speak the most about Hope?"
Have you thought of an answer yet?
The answer is: Psalms and Job

Job is a book that records the most suffering and pain of anyone in biblical history, yet there is still a message of Hope that comes through the pages of the book. Don't you find that interesting? We could easily assume that it would be the opposite, but it is not! Job still wants us to understand that there is HOPE in the midst of severe trials and heartache.

Job 13:15 -Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.

Job 4:6 - Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?

Psalm 39:7 - “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.

Living in Grace
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