It is not always, "Like father, Like son!"

Another one of Jesus' ancestors was King Asa, the son of the wicked Abijah (Matthew 1:7). Thankfully, Asa was nothing like his father, and he remained faithful to the Lord for most of his life. This is how he is described in 1 Kings 15:

"Asa did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, as his ancestor David had done."- v.11

"Although the pagan shrines were not removed, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful to the Lord throughout his life." - v.14

As much as each of us is shaped and influenced by our families and peers, we all need to take responsibility for our own faith. Asa could have also ended up as the "bad apple", but he chose a different path from his father, and he ended up leaving a fairly positive legacy. 

Asa was not perfect and sadly towards the end of his 41-year reign, he began to make some foolish mistakes. On the whole, he is still considered to be a good and godly King, thus putting pay to the old saying: "like father, like son!" In the end, Asa was nothing like his dad.

As we think about the life of Jesus, especially during the season of Advent, it is wonderful to reflect on how much Jesus reflects the nature of his Father. The bible reminds us that we actually get a glimpse of God, through the person and life of Jesus.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

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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When character is lost, all is lost

Billy Graham was born on the 7th November 1918 and has arguably impacted the lives of more people than almost any other Christian leader. On this day I would like to remember the incredible legacy he left our faith and the many words of wisdom he offered to all believers. 

"When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost."

"I am not going to Heaven because I have preached to great crowds or read the Bible many times. I'm going to Heaven just like the thief on the cross who said in that last moment: 'Lord, remember me.'

"Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion - it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ."

Today, the quote that speaks to me the most is the first one. Which one stands out for you?

Acts 17:11 - "Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

Living in Grace

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Succession

Making any plans for succession can be tricky. This can apply in all spheres of industry, business, church or family. As Solomon comes to the end of his reign he muses over what will become of his legacy and those who will succeed him.

"It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison. But then everyone rushes to the side of yet another youth who replaces him. Endless crowds stand around him, but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind." - Ecclesiastes 4:13-16

Remember that Solomon uses a technique of comparisons in his reflections. He suggests that if you had two people standing alongside one another - a poor youth and an old king - the younger person is better off because he still has time to learn and become a better person. Even young people who start off with many disadvantages have more hope than an older person who doesn't want to change.

However, the reign of the young person will also come to an end at some point. People will then rush to the new 'flavour of the month' and forget the first youngster. This is confusing and meaningless to Solomon, because we so often chase after fame and recognition believing it will answer all our desires. He says IT WON'T!

It serves as a humbling reminder that our personal legacy will never outlive the lasting legacy of Jesus. 

"Humble beginnings can make the best teachers!" 

Living in Grace

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Why do you work so hard?

Today's reading leaves me with a huge dilemma and it involves how hard we work. Let's see what it says first:

"Nothing that I had worked for and earned meant a thing to me, because I knew that I would have to leave it to my successor, and he might be wise, or he might be foolish—who knows? Yet he will own everything I have worked for, everything my wisdom has earned for me in this world. It is all useless. So I came to regret that I had worked so hard." - Ecclesiastes 2:18-20

At a glance we see that Solomon is concerned that his years of hard labour, grinding effort and sacrifices are going to be handed over to his children and he is not sure if they will appreciate those gifts. In the end, he has no control over how they will react when he has passed on, but I guess he does have another option. That option is to instruct his kids in the best way possible and to trust that they will appreciate his inheritance and the legacy he leaves. 

Of course there is no guarantee of this and history tells us that his son (and successor) Rehoboam wasn't well received by the people of Israel. In fact, 10 out of the 12 tribes refused to accept him as their king and so he only ruled over the Kingdom of Judah (or the Southern King). 

I am a little uncomfortable with the last part of today's reading where he says: "I came to regret that I had worked so hard." The reason I am uncomfortable is more along the lines of finding a balance. It is TRUE that we should never make work our Idol and pursue our careers at the cost of family and other important values. However, there is also merit in working our best/hardest, as if we are working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). 

What do you think? Or am I perhaps just over-analysing Solomon's point?

Living in Grace

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Man on the moon - Experiment

I experimented the other day with doing a video blog (which is now called a vlog) just to see how it turned out. If you haven't seen it then please follow this link and have a look at it. The theme was around Legacy, asking the question "what legacy are we leaving behind?"

The day I filmed it was the anniversary of Neil Armstrongs moon landing, which will forever be associated with these words:

"One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind!"

Jesus has also left us an incredible legacy - the legacy of his love and mercy. The challenge is for us to follow in his footsteps and to leave a legacy of grace.

What do you think about legacy?

Living in Grace

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P.S. - If you have 2 minutes to give me some feedback on the vlog please let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

Leaving an imprint - Dr. Neil Oosthuizen

I have just returned from sharing in the Sessions on the Youth Pastors Gathering in the Eastern Free State. It was a wonderful time of connecting with young leaders from around South Africa, who are passionate about sharing Jesus in their communities.

What was significant for me was that it marked 20 years since I went along on my first Youth Pastors gathering. That year we were lead by the inspiring Rev. Dr. Neil Oosthuizen, who tragically died 3 weeks ago. In fact, Neil was asked to lead the sessions at this years gathering, but he died before he was able to share with us.

I remember that gathering in 1995 as if it were yesterday. I was a young man entering into the world of ministry. I was overwhelmed by many changes in my life, wrestling with God's calling and trying to find my feet in other areas of life. Neil provided solid teaching and incredible GRACE in pouring out his heart to us. He gave us hope for the Church and for sharing Jesus with the next generation. It was through his love and care that many of us continued in our ministries.

As I tried to emulate Neil's heart this last week, I was taken aback at the huge responsibility we all have. We are like runners in a relay race - we are given the baton and asked to run our leg of the race, but we also need to pass on the baton to someone else soon. I count it a privilege to have shared the baton with Neil (and now with my colleague Rev. Andrew Evans), as we seek to inspire the next generation of leaders.

Neil, we want you to know, that your labour was not in vain and we will do all we can to hold the torch for the next wave of pastors and leaders. May we be as faithful as you were. May we serve Christ as passionately as you served him.

Psalm 127:1 - "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain."

1 Corinthians 15:58 - "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain."

Living in Grace
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Rome wasn't built in a day!

Following on from my thoughts yesterday I was reminded of the saying,

Rome wasn’t built in a day!” 

It’s actually quite strange that this saying has survived into our modern times, because it refers to the glory days of the Roman Empire and especially the 'eternal city' of Rome. The great irony is that the Holy Roman Empire actually started to fade around the beginning of the 5th century when it was conquered by the Visigoths in 410. This was the first time in 800 years that Rome had been conquered!

I guess it takes centuries to erase history from our collective memory and Rome is still seen as the epitome of brilliance, power and wealth. It is said that it took over 1 000 000 days to build the city of Rome - wow, that is certainly a lot longer than 24 hours! 

If WE want to create anything of importance and desire to leave a legacy, we need to realise that it won’t happen overnight – it will take a long time to come right. We need to have patience to build for eternity.Let us build on the right foundation of Christ, trusting that what we build will last beyond our time and generation. 

Jesus took 3 years (over 1000 days) to train and equip his disciples – it was not an overnight training course – it took hours of patience, guidance and leadership.Yet, in the end, it was the best investment Jesus could make.

So, I urge you to keep reaching for that dream of a completed project or goal, but don’t lose sight of who you are doing it for and that there is no such thing as an ‘over-night’ success. Rome was NOT built in a day!

Ecclesiastes 7:8 - "The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."

1 Timothy 1:16 - And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever. Deep honor and bright glory to the King of All Time— One God, Immortal, Invisible, ever and always.

Living in Grace

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You don't want to miss this!!!

We are so fortunate to be hosting an Epic Talk this Saturday (4th July) by Angelo-Wilke Page. He is a young man, who has decided to circumnavigate the Globe N-S and E-W (720 degrees) on human power. This feat is taking Angelo 8 years and we have managed to get him to PMB on one of his refuelling stops.

If you are interested in coming along to the talk at Wesley this Saturday please call our office (033-3861386) to book. The cost is only R40, which includes a wors roll, pancake and tea/coffee.

If you have a moment please check out his website- it's AWESOME. He has some amazing video's and photo's of what he has achieved so far. I find this so inspiring.

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - Francis of Assisi

See you there.
Living in Grace
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What legacy?

Alfred Nobel is synonymous with the Nobel Peace Prize, but his life could have been remembered for something very different. He is credited for inventing dynamite and he built up a massive fortune from this business. When his brother died, the newspaper posted an obituary for Alfred, instead of for his brother. One of the remarks in the mistaken obituary shook him to his core - it stated that he would be known as the person who created the most destructive force known to humanity - dynamite.

Alfred decided that he didn't want to be remembered for something 'destructive', so he set about making things right. He began to make plans to give his fortune away, as a way of recognizing those that had made significant contributions in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace.  

Just before his death, he confided in a friend, "I want to be remembered for peace, not destruction."

And that is what he is remembered for.... the Nobel Peace Prize.

I am challenged by his story and I ask myself what my Legacy will be? How will others sum up your life? If we think that it will be more 'destructive' than 'peaceful' then perhaps we need to make some changes while we can. What do you think?

Psalm 112:6 - "Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever."

Living in Grace

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Dallas Willard

I was saddened to the news of Dallas Willard's death. He passed away at the age of 77, after a long battle with cancer. He was such an inspiring man and I had the privilege of listening to him at a workshop a few years ago. These are a few words I would use to sum up the impression he left with me:

...Brilliant mind, yet totally humble. Inspiring and deep, yet simple enough to understand. Passionate about Jesus and the Gospel, yet not arrogant or too 'religious'. Hard working, yet Spirit led.

Here are a few of his quotes, in case you don't Dallas.

“We live in a culture that has, for centuries now, cultivated the idea that the skeptical person is always smarter than one who believes. You can almost be as stupid as a cabbage as long as you doubt.” 

 “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action. Grace, you know, does not just have to do with forgiveness of sins alone.” 

"... this is an age for spiritual heroes- a time for men and women to be heroic in their faith and in spiritual character and power. The greatest danger to the Christian church today is that of pitching its message too low.”

If you want to read more of his life then please read these thoughts.

Rest in Peace, Dallas.

Living in Grace
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The Titanic, Legacy and Perspective

One Hundred years ago the "unsinkable" Titanic sank. However, the legacy of this ship lives on and we are still intrigued about the events that surrounded the final moments of the passengers and the ship. What is it about the Titanic that it still captures our imaginations and how long will it's Legacy live on for? In truth, I don't know how long it's Legacy will continue for, but I guess it will fade over the centuries.

But here is an interesting perspective - isn't it amazing that Jesus lived 2000 years ago and His Legacy continues to live on? There seems to be no end to the 'gospel story', that has captured the hearts and spirits of billions of people. This reinforces for me, that Jesus was no ordinary person - he had to be the Son of God. No ordinary person can leave a mark on the world, 2000 years after they last walked on the earth.

Any thoughts?

Living in Grace
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Vuvuzela Legacy

The vuvuzela has been exported to every continent on the globe and now it can be heard all over the place (whether we like it or not!) My little boy, Joshua, who is 2 years old, can blow the vuvuzela better than I can and he knows all about the 'famous' instrument. The vuvuzela legacy was evident at lunch today, when he rolled up his piece of ham and put it to his mouth, saying 'vuzela' (his word for the vuvuzela). I chuckled to myself and thought 'an instrument that makes a dreadful noise has made an impact on my son!"

How much more precious is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and yet many people feel that kids are to young to understand it - how wrong can we be! Sure, they don't get things like the Trinity, Incarnation, Ascension, Trans-substantiation, the Rapture and so on, but neither do we! The truth is, all they need to know is that Jesus loves them and that they can love Him back. That's enough of a start!

May the legacy of Christ continue to be felt all over the world and especially in those places where his name has not been heard yet and in those places where Jesus' name hasn't been heard for a long time.

Psalm 112:6 - "Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever."

Living in Grace,
D3LM3