Rugged Pilgrimage of Discipleship

There are some folks who seem to find their faith-journey to be relatively easy-going. In some ways, I am a little envious of them, because mine doesn't always seem to be that smooth. Of course, there are days of wonder and deep connection with the Father, but there are other days, where discipleship seems to be a grind. I am not sure if you can relate to this at all, but I pray that some of you can.

It is for this reason, that I exclaimed a loud 'Yes', when I read these words in a devotion the other day.

"Pain penetrates through despair and stimulates a new beginning - a journey to God - the transition from a dreamy nostalgia for a better life to a rugged pilgrimage of discipleship...we are invited to find our way by continually listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that his Spirit will lead us to truth." - Eugene Peterson

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth." - John 16:13

Thought: Let us continue on the pilgrimage of rugged discipleship, because the views from the top of the mountain are extraordinary. 

Living in Grace

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Going from strength to strength

"They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion." - Psalm 84:7

What would it mean for us to go from strength to strength? The implication is that we are moving from one success to another, like a sports team that is showing great signs of improvement. Turning a losing streak into one victory at a time.

However, in our spiritual lives, would this have the same meaning? We don't always feel as if we are moving from success to success, but perhaps this is where we understand that the strength we spring from is not our own. We can move from 'strength to strength', when we acknowledge that the foundation of all our movement comes from Jesus Christ.

Thought: As we come to rest in Christ's love for us, may this move us from strength to strength.

Living in Grace

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The companion

“We may not know exactly where the journey will lead, but we can be sure of who travels with us.” – Shane Stafford.

It is deeply reassuring to be reminded that we have a close companion on the journey of life. No matter how alone you may be feeling at the moment, please remember that Christ is with you.

Mark 1:21 - Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum.

John 13:1-2 - Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end.

Living in Grace

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Pilgrims on the journey

Followers of Jesus are often called 'Pilgrims.' There is a wonderful sense of coming together for one purpose, and that is to journey to the heart of God. In the Old Testament, it was about making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and as you did this, you meet with others, sang songs of praise and began to experience profound joy.

"I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem." - Psalm 122:1

Isaiah 30:29 - You will be filled with joy, as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrims to Jerusalem, the mountain of the Lord— to the Rock of Israel.

"Pilgrims are persons in motion -
passing through territories not their own -
seeking something we might call completion,
or perhaps the word clarity would do as well,
a goal to which only the spirit's compass
points the way." - Richard R. Niebuhr

Thought: May you know the peace and joy of Christ as you continue to journey towards the heart of God.

Living in Grace

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More than a theory

"Christianity is more than a theory about the universe, more than teachings written down on paper; it is a path along which we journey - in the deepest and richest sense, the way of life. There is only one means of discovering the true nature of Christianity. We must step out upon this path, commit ourselves, to this way of life, and then we shall begin to see for ourselves." - Kallistos Ware

These words speak to us of being willing to step outside of the norm and to walk in the path of Jesus. This is the easiest, and equally, the most difficult thing to do. 

It is easy in that it takes one moment to make that decision; it is the hard, because it involves a deep commitment to follow the path wherever Christ takes us. For this reason, we need to depend on the fullness of God's Spirit. Without the infilling of the Holy Spirit, I don't believe we have a hope of finishing the journey.

Exodus 31:3 - "and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills."

Living in Grace

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Stumbling along the path

"You suffered throughout your life, O Lord Jesus Christ, that I might be saved. And yet, even now, you continue to bear with me, as I stumble upon the path and constantly go astray. As often as I become impatient and wish to abandon your way, you encourage me and stretch forth your helping hand. Each day I increase your burden; yet while I am impatient, your patience is infinite." - Soren Kierkegaard

As I was reading through these words from Kierkegaard, I was arrested by the words 'as I stumble upon the path.' It reminded me of how I often long for my faith journey to be a strong powerful sprint, but in the end if seems to be more of a slow, stumble along the way. 

However, I am reminded that it is God's infinite patience that keeps me heading towards him. In his mercy he carries me home.

Psalm 37:24 - "Though we stumble we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand."

Living in Grace

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Hard questions

Author and speak, Dr. Larry Crabb writes as if Jesus is speaking to each one of us:

“Face the hard questions that life requires you to ask. Gather with other travellers on the narrow road, pilgrims who acknowledge their confusion and feel their fears. Then, together, live those questions in My Presence.”

This is what it means to be in a church. To gather with fellow believers; to share our joys and sorrows; to help each other find Jesus in the midst of the brokenness. Remember that Jesus is never afraid of our hard questions. In fact, he joins us on the road, for the very purpose of listening to our deepest longings.

"Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” - Luke 24:13-17

Living in Grace

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The plot against Jesus

Lent is a progression leading from the teachings and miracles of Jesus, through the animosity of the religious leaders and their plots to kill him, to the events immediately preceding the crucifixion. The culmination is, of course, the triumph of Jesus over death which changed the whole world!

I enjoy reading the Gospel of John. The first part gives valuable insight into the life of the Lord, his ministry and the teachings about God which he revealed to the Israelites at that time. But getting nearer to the Passover and his death, it shows how dramatic the plots were against him; his radical statements; the claims he made of being God’s son; the risks he and the disciples took ...

Reading this, I am amazed by the sub-plot behind the story. It is interesting to see how early in the ministry of Jesus the plots to get rid of him were discussed by the religious leaders. He was hated! Real cloak and dagger stuff in some places!

As we follow these events, we progress towards the tragic, violent death of Jesus, which must have shaken his followers to the core! Their lives must have been in danger. Their hopes of Jesus being the longed-for Messiah of Israel must have been shattered. Their future must have been in fragments! They must have questioned what had happened in the past 3 years as they followed Jesus… just think of Thomas!

However, miraculously, all this is dramatically followed by Jesus’ mind-blowing resurrection and then his ascension! Glory be to God for a most unexpected turn of events which altered the course of believers for the rest of time.

What an incredible event we consider each year at Easter! Praise God!

HALLELUJAH!

I am thankful to Joan Moore for her wonderful devotion today and for her insightful thoughts on our journey towards the Cross.

Living in Grace

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The work of grace

We are blessed to read the words of Xavier Moran today as he reflects on his experience of the Cross and Easter. Thanks again Xavier. If you are keen to read a little more about Xavier's journey please visit his personal web-page. It is well worth your time. 

“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12b-13).

If you cast your eye across a wall filled with photographic snapshots of my spiritual journey you would come across an Autumn scene of seventeen-year-old me kneeling on a hillside committing my life to Jesus. At the time, I was attending the annual Youth Easter Camp led by a combined team from the Methodist Circuit in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Because of this moment, Easter assumed the role of a spiritual ‘gauge’ of sorts, whereby I consider each year how I’m doing with the ‘working out of my salvation’.

In the early years I was often given to guilt when reflecting on the cross, feeling that I wasn’t doing enough for Jesus. Although I knew I was saved by grace, I measured my life by works and it gave my walk with Jesus an Achilles heel of condemnation.

In more recent years I have come to understand that ‘the work’ I need to do is simply to remember that I will always be that seventeen-year-old on the hillside. That even though I may grow in knowledge and experience, it’s always ‘God who works in me to will and to act.’ That my first work is to accept that I’ve nothing to offer and then to find my peace in the knowledge that what is given through me is from Him and will be made complete by Him, ‘in order to fulfil his good purpose.’

Lord Jesus, help us to accept your work on the cross and to receive the power of your Holy Spirit as we live out the resurrected life for the advancement of your Kingdom.

Living in Grace

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Three

Lent is all about preparation – it is a time of spiritual preparation and discipline, which leads us into the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection. In fact, it is not unlike the call of John the Baptist to prepare the way for the Lord.

 Matthew 3:1-3 - In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:  “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”

Just as John tried to 'make straight paths' for people to encounter Christ, so we take it upon ourselves to get rid of the distractions in our own spiritual paths. By fasting, reading the scriptures, praying, giving (and so on) we try to clear the obstacles that prevent us from meeting with Jesus. 

It is good to remind ourselves that we don’t do this to win favour with God or try and brag about some spiritual ‘brownie points’ – we do this because God loves us deeply and we want to honour that Grace by giving God the attention and praise that is due His name. Jesus himself was loved by the Father long before he did anything miraculous – His father loved him because he was his child. 

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” - (v.16-17)

Our Lenten experience and commitment is to appreciate how much we ARE ALREADY loved and to draw nearer to the One who gave His all for us.

Living in Grace
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A Sense of Humour

I wonder if God inspired these words for my three sons?

Genesis 45:24 - "Then he sent his brothers off. As they left he told them, “Take it easy on the journey; try to get along with each other.”

 

I sure hope that my three boys will get along on the journey to Cape Town, but anyone who has been on a long road trip knows that this is not always the case. I am sure there will be lots of arguing along the way....

.... and yes, I am sure we will be asked a few times .... "Are we there yet!?"

 

If you are on the journey towards the birth of Jesus, then 'take it easy and try to get along with each other."

 

Living in Grace

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Expect the bump in the road!

So yesterday I blogged about the new speed hump outside our church. I can sit in my office and hear the people hit the bump at a ferocious speed - that is despite us putting bright orange cones on the road, as we wait for the municipality to paint the bump.

Anyway, it has got me thinking about the many 'bumps' that appear on the roads of life. More often than not they surprise us - they come with no warning what so ever and we have to deal with the after effects of the shock. As Christ-followers we need to be prepared for these bumps in the road - they are there and we need to keep our eyes open. And even if we are caught unawares then I urge us to hold on and ride out the impact.

1 Thessalonians 3:4 - Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know.

 2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

Living in Grace
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No easy road

If we are looking for an easy ride in our Faith, then we may as well give up on following the 'Christian Way.' Following Jesus was never meant to be easy and if it is getting too comfortable for us, then we need to assess whether we are still on the right path.

David Livingstone once received a letter from the London Missionary Society asking him:
"Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you." 

Livingstone wrote back, "If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all."  

Don't follow Jesus because it's the comfortable choice - Follow Him because there is no other option!

Living in Grace

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Paths

In a surge of adrenaline it is great to blaze new trails and to set new trends. It is exhilarating to go where others haven't gone before and I encourage you to dream outrageous dreams.

However, there are times when it is prudent to walk on ancient paths, to step where others have walked safely for generations. God has laid out guidelines and 'paths' for us to follow - and these will lead us in a Godly direction. Never be too proud to walk these roads. There will still be plenty of action, excitement and new opportunities along God's Paths, but we need to trust Him along the journey.

Psalm 25:4 - "Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths."

Jeremiah 6:16 - "This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

Walking in His Grace,
D3LM3