The Eyewitness

A witness is someone who has seen an event and is able to describe it to others. Yes, we know that witnesses may see the same event and yet describe it in two different ways, but this does not deny that the event took place. In trying to understand the dynamics of this event, or identify the people involved, we must engage with their version of the story. When John claims that he saw Jesus, this should make an impression on us - let us read what he says:

1 John 1:1-4 - "We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. ² This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴ We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy."

Is it not remarkable that we have the words of someone who claims to have 'seen' Jesus and 'touched' him? John was so close to the Messiah, that he was truly able proclaim that He was the Christ.

“I would have preferred someone else to have been in charge of rescuing this story, but once again life has taught me that my role is to be a witness, not the leading actor.”
― Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Midnight Palace

Living in Grace

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World Book Day

Today is World Book Day (23 April), which I didn't really know existed, but it sounds like a good day to celebrate the advent of books, writing and literature. The first World Book Day was celebrated on April 23, 1995, coinciding with the anniversary of the deaths of notable authors such as William Shakespeare. 

I am very grateful for the gifts of books, but obviously I am most grateful for the fact that Bible was translated into my mother-tongue, and that it was compiled into a book form. Although many of us may take this for granted, it was not always the case. For many generations, believers had to rely on a Priest to read from the scrolls of the Scriptures for us, and even when the Bible was first produced in book format, it was so heavy that it couldn't be carried around so easily.

John 21:25 - " But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written."

Revelation 22:7 - ‘See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.’

Thought: What about the Bible (the Good Book) do you appreciate the most?

Living in Grace

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Surprise recipient of the message

Luke 3:1-2 – “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

God's word could have been given to the Roman Emperor, Tiberius Caesar, who was the most powerful person in the Roman world at that time. But it was not!

God's message could have been given to one of the 4 Tetrarchs: Herod, Pontius Pilate, Philip or Lysanias - the second most powerful men in the political realm at that time. But it was not!

God could have decided to pass on the Good News via the established religious leaders in the Synagogue- The current high priest Caiaphas, or his predecessor, Annas. But it was not!

In the end, God's word came to the eccentric John the Baptist. John didn't live in a palace, or worship in a grand temple. He didn't wear fancy clothes or even eat the finest cuisine, yet God chose him to be the person to prepare the way for Jesus. God takes delight in turning the world's standards upside down!

Thought: Never think that you are unworthy for God's plan or purpose to be revealed through your life. Remember the young woman, Mary? No one would have chosen her to be the mother of Jesus, yet God saw things from a totally different perspective. 

Living in grace

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Why fixing the potholes was not what John was implying.

Avoiding potholes, while driving in some South African towns, is par for the course. You become very good at dodging them or driving around them. If you notice municipal workers starting to fix these potholes, then usually one assumes that an important politician is about to make a visit. 

In Luke's gospel he quotes from the book of Isaiah, speaking about preparing for the coming of the Messiah: 

"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" – Luke 3:4-6

Before an earthly emperor or King would come and visit his subjects, a courier (messenger) would head out with an advance party to get people to be ready. One of the things they would do is prepare the roads for the king so his journey would be more pleasant. In other words, they would fill in the potholes, fix the roads, clean the curbs and so on. 

I do not think that John was going to be literally fixing potholes for Jesus, but rather that he would be calling people to: “prepare your hearts and lives for the coming of the king. Forget about the roads, rather mend and repair your hearts.”

Thought: Next time you swerve to avoid a pothole ask yourself: "Am I doing all I can to prepare my heart for the coming of the Christ?"

Living in Grace

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Courage doesn't always Roar!

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow." - Mary Ann Radmacher

As I came across this quote this morning, I was reminded of how the disciples must have been feeling in the days after the Resurrection. They were feeling afraid and uncertain, yet Jesus was making them feel more and more at peace with the new 'normal.'  He was not going to leave them alone or unequipped for the task that lay ahead. 

"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” - John 20:19-21

Thought: As we go into the post Easter season, let us remember that our strength and courage comes from the Spirit of Jesus. 

Living in Grace

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Invisible Light

“Light,

Light,
The visible reminder of Invisible Light.” - T.S. Eliot

“I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.” - John 8:12 (The Message)

This is such a beautiful promise for us all to digest again. Jesus is the Invisible Light, that T.S. Eliot speaks of and Light of World, that John mentions. May the light of Jesus fill your heart and soul this year. 

Karoline Lewis - "John understands that God’s promise to be with God’s people wherever they go has now taken on a different representation in Jesus."

Living in Grace

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Unfailing Love

We have all come to experience the limitations of human love and commitment. Even the best of relationships contain moments of hurt, mis-understanding and fragility. So when the Bible speaks of God's love that is UNFAILING, this should immediately get our attention. 

This is an image of God, who despite our reactions, will continue to love us and 'be for us.' 

When you think of God's unfailing love, is there something that resonates with you? 

Exodus 15:13 - “With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home."

Nehemiah 1:5 - Then I said, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands,

·       John 1:17 - For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 

In the words of Chris Tomlin -

"And You never change God,
You remain The Holy One.
My unfailing love
Unfailing love."

      Living in Grace

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A most unique gift

When we receive gifts from loved ones and friends, it is usually an indication of a deeper relationship between us. I mean, how often do you give gifts to someone you don't really appreciate and enjoy? I can't recall ever doing that.

We are reminded that at Pentecost God gave us the greatest gift of all - Himself. Jesus had been explaining to his followers that they should expect this GIFT, but in true fashion, no one knew what this gift would be. 

Acts 1:4 - On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about."

"Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”  - John 4:10

The challenge for us all is what we will do with this most unique and indispensable gift. Sadly, too many of us have left the gift unopened and unused.

Living in Grace

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What will it take? - a brief reflection on our own Aldersgate experience.

Today is marked as Wesley Day - the day that John Wesley had his heart 'strangely warmed' at a church service in Aldersgate street. A lot has been written about his experience and I am sure that you have even heard a sermon on this topic before. However, today I want to make 3 brief observations on Wesley's Aldersgate experience and why I think it's important for us to chew on his watershed moment.

1. Apparently John Wesley went 'unwillingly' to the service that evening. In other words, he was not keen to go - he probably could have come up with many reasons why he couldn't attend, but he still went! It was his personal commitment to worship that put him into a place where God's spirit changed his life. How does this challenge us? What blessings could we be missing out on if we only go to worship when we feel like it?

2. John Wesley was already an Ordained priest by the time he went to the service on the 24 May 1738 - in fact, he had been a priest for 10 years already. This shows me that he was open to the work of the Spirit in his life - he didn't have an arrogance that assumed he knew everything. God is always willing to work in the lives of people who surrender to him.

3. Wesley's experienced energised him to serve God in new ways. He continued to serve within the Anglican Church, but he was passionate about preaching the Gospel in ways that hadn't been done before. When we encounter God, the Spirit moves us out of our comfort zone, for the sake of God's kingdom. We need to pray for the courage to be obedient.

May your heart be strangely warmed today.

Living in Grace

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The road to freedom

We all want to experience Freedom. 

Being 'free' can be expressed in a variety of ways - from having the freedom of speech, freedom to vote, freedom to live and work where we want, freedom to practise our faith and so on. However, what many people forget is that freedom always comes at cost. It is ironic that Freedom is never Free!

"...the road to freedom is via the cross." - Albert Luthuli 

When Jesus died on the cross, God invited humanity to receive his forgiveness and to be set from from the bondage of sin. Our freedom comes at the cost of Jesus' life. 

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

"Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin." - Acts 13:39

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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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All forms of Grace

In these slower paced days between Christmas and New Year, we get to contemplate many things. These would include:

• The gift of God's grace
• Family and friends
• Health and wellness
• Purpose and priority

As we spend the time contemplating these things I want to add something into the mix. John Blanchard offers us these wise words concerning how God meets our deepest needs. He writes:

"For daily need there is daily grace;

for sudden need, sudden grace,

and for overwhelming need, overwhelming grace."

John 1:16 - Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 

Living in Grace

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Silence is golden

Silence is Golden!

Why is it that we can often hear God more clearly when we actively seek silence? Is it perhaps that the noise of our own agenda's fade into the distance, or that our daily distractions slowly drown out the voice of God? 

As we move into the last week before Christmas, let us reflect on the 9 months of silence that Zechariah was forced into, and ask how this changed his heart and soul. Remember it was a moment of doubt that caused Gabriel to mute Zechariah's lips and how might those 270 days have shaped his spiritual life forever?

"Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God." - Luke 1:62-64

Even though God had chosen John the Baptist for his unique role as the fore-runner for Jesus, John still needed a wise earthly father to guide and walk alongside him. Is it possible that Zechariahs time of golden silence was crucial in preparing John too?

How might silence help you prepare for Christmas?

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Better than Jesus?

Why would Jesus tell his disciples that it was 'better' for them that he returned to the Father? At first glance I struggled with this statement. If I had been with Jesus for those 3 years, there is no way I could imagine anything or anyone better. However, Jesus insists that this is the case and we need to know why. Hall Harris gives us this lovely insight:

"But why is it better for the disciples to have the presence of the Paraclete than the presence of Jesus himself as they do now? Because the Paraclete will not only be with them as Jesus has been, but in them as well (John 17:23, 26)."

This is the key difference. When Jesus was physically present with his disciples he was limited to time and space - he could only be in one place at a time. However, when the Holy Spirit came this changed the playing field. Now everyone had access to the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.

So, if there is an answer to the question: "Is there anything better than Jesus?" The answer would have to be: Yes, it is the Spirit living within us.

What do you think?

Living in Grace

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Transformed to help others

"Transformation in the world happens when people are healed and start investing in other people." - Michael W. Smith

I couldn't help but think of the early disciples when I read this quote. The Resurrection was the ultimate healing moment in their lives. As they came to terms with Jesus' Resurrection they allowed their healing to transform the people around them. Wouldn't it be incredible if we allowed the Risen Lord to heal us and then to equip us to transform our communities? 

John 20:17-18 - "Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her."

In my opinion, true transformation will involve a natural desire to tell others of what has changed in your own life.

Living in Grace

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I am thirsty

 

"Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” - John 19:28.

Have you ever wondered which Scripture Jesus was fulfilling in speaking these 3 words? Well, today is your lucky today. If we go back to Psalm 69:19-21, we will find an interesting reference. This is what it says:

"You know of my shame, scorn, and disgrace.
    You see all that my enemies are doing.
20 Their insults have broken my heart,
    and I am in despair.
If only one person would show some pity;
    if only one would turn and comfort me.
21 But instead, they give me poison (gall) for food;
    they offer me sour wine for my thirst." - Psalm 69

I find this amazing. Not only is this a fulfillment of an ancient Psalm, but it also draws our attention to out own spiritual thirst. Jesus is the one who can satisfy this thirst in our hearts.

Living in Grace

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Love drives out fear

How much of our relationship with God is fueled by FEAR? 

I know what you are thinking - and your first reaction wants to be to answer ..."none", but is that really true? A large number of Christians have come to faith through the 'fire and brimstone' preaching of certain Pastors, but a measure of that fear still lies deep inside us. Of course, I am not implying that we move to the other extreme of having no reverence for God at all - that would be arrogant and foolish. However, if our relationship with Jesus is based on Fear, then I don't believe we can fully enter into the freedom we are given.

"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." - 1 John 4:14-18

What do you think?

Living in Grace

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Unexpected times

"Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:

As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times
that fall unexpectedly upon them." - Ecclesiastes 9:11

Perhaps we could all agree that this year has been a very tough year for most of us and in some ways 2020 could be the 'evil times' that Solomon refers to in today's scripture. If I stop and take note of the fallout and the stress of this year, it certainly seems as if many people have been tripped up by the unexpected nature of Covid. These 'evil' and 'weird' times have trapped many good and godly people - we have become ensnared in issues we never dreamed would occur. 

In order to offer us hope, despite these circumstances, I want to remind us of the words of Jesus. He lived with the poise and balance that we all seek to have in our inner worlds. Jesus knew what his destiny and purpose was and he trusted his Father to guide him through the uncertainty of our world.

John 1:5 - The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Matthew 6:13 - And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

C.S.Lewis wrote - We must stop regarding unpleasant or unexpected things as interruptions of real life. The truth is that interruptions are real life.

Living in Grace

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The more the words, the less the meaning

"The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?" - Ecclesiastes 6:11

How can one not be challenged by these words today?

Perhaps it is best I take his advice...

...enough said!

John 6:63 - "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life."

Living in Grace

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer prayer

                                                
                                                            

"In me there is darkness,

But with thee there is light,

I am lonely, but thou leavest me not.

I am feeble in heart, but thou leavest me not.

I am restless, but with thee there is peace.

In me there is bitterness, but with thee there is patience;

Thy ways are past understanding, but

Thou knowest the way for me." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This prayer reminded me of a few scriptures. I am not sure which passages came to mind for you, but these are the ones I thought of. God bless you.

Matthew 28:20 - "Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

John 14:27 - “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Living in Grace

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