A motivation to do your best

As some of you are aware, we have just come back from a working Mission trip to the Namaqualand circuit. We were asked to help with some repairs and maintenance at the old age home in Springbok, called Huis Harmonie. The experience involved a lot of hard work but was equally rewarding. 

One of the key scriptures we used to keep us motivated was from Colossians 3. When you read it from Eugene Peterson's paraphrase, it makes a lot of sense:

"And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work." - Colossians 3:23-25

Thought: How can we go about our daily tasks being motivated to serve the Lord?

Living in grace

D3LM3

Getting onto the streets

I am grateful for the challenge that comes to us from these words of Dallas Willard. In his work, The Spirit of the Disciplines, he says:

"Holiness and devotion must now come forth from the closet and the chapel to possess the street and the factory, the schoolroom and the boardroom, the scientific laboratory and the governmental office.

Instead of a select few making religion their life, with the power and inspiration realised through the spiritual disciplines, all of us can make our daily lives and vocations be 'the house of God and the gate of heaven,' 

I can - and must - happen."

I have had many conversations with Christ-followers wrestling with a sense of calling. Their initial thoughts are always drawn towards fulltime ministry, because this is what we have led people to believe "serving God" looks like. However, God needs his home to be set up in all places and all over the world. 

So, if you are feeling prompted to serve God in some way, my first comment would be: Love God and Love People, where you ARE at the moment. I bet that there are people in your community who need to experience the love of Christ today. 

Matthew 28:18-20 - "Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (The Message)

Living in grace

D3LM3

 

The Bigger YES

"You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically to say 'no' to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger 'yes' burning inside." - Stephen Covey

As I read today's quote I am struck by how Jesus applied this principle in his life and work. He knew what he had been called to do and what his father wanted from him. Nothing was going to take him away from the path that lay before him, even if some of his followers were well meaning in their suggestions and remarks.

Matthew 16:23 - Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

What is your bigger YES? 

How difficult is it for you to remain focused on your goals?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

For a reason

Here is a moving prayer. May it help you and encourage you. Think and meditate on the words in the prayer, but drink deeply from what the Spirit reveals to you through the prayer.

"God has created me to do him some definite service.
He has committed some work to me, 
which he has not committed to another.
I have my mission.
I am a bond of connection between persons.
He has not created me for naught.
I shall do good.
I shall do his work.
I shall be a preacher of truth in my own place,
while not intending it, 
if I but keep his commandments.
Therefore will I trust him.
Whatever I am, I can never be thrown away.
He has nothing in vain.
The Lord knows what he is about." - John Henry Newman

Exodus 9:16 - But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Love crosses the street

“What happens when love crosses the street?” – Rudy Rasmus (World Methodist Conference - 2016)

This question has such a strong challenge for us as a Christian community. When we love all people we should be willing to cross the 'street' to help them out or to draw alongside them. It reminds us of the story of the Good Samaritan, who was willing to cross the street (religious stigma, culture norms etc) in order to help someone out. If you haven't read that story for a while, then read it in Luke 10.

Are you willing to cross the street to help one of your neighbours if they are in need? 

Who could this imply in your life today?

Luke 10:33-34 - “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. ³⁴ Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them.

 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

What do you think?

I am leading a series of Bible Studies at our District Synod over the weekend and I have been given this theme - "Igniting Mission - Breaking Barriers." I would love to have some of your thoughts on this topic if you have a minute. Perhaps I could be so forward to ask you to reflect on these questions and if you can give me your opinion I would value your time.

1. What does Mission (being a Witness for Christ) mean to you?
2. How do you think we can 'Ignite' Mission in our local contexts?
3. What are you currently doing in your Church that you feel has "caught alight" and is being effective for the Gospel?
4. How can we break barriers in our communities through our Witness for Christ?

Thanks for helping out. Please reply to the email address (delmelinscott@hotmail.com) or on the actual blog itself. In the meantime think on this quote:

Michael Green – “God’s church exists not for itself but for the benefit of those who are not yet members …and the church which lives for itself will be sure to die by itself.”

Acts 20:24 (Message) - What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.

Living in Grace

D3LM3 

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
D3LM3

God has created me ....

"God has created me to do him some definite service.
He has committed some work to me
which he has not committed to another.
I have my mission.
I may never know it in this life
but I shall be told it in the next.

I am a link in a chain,
a bond of connection between persons.
He has not created me for naught
I shall do good -
I shall do his work -
I shall be an angel of peace
A preacher of truth in my own place
While not intending it.
If I do but keep his commandments." - John Henry Newman

Which of these lines strikes a chord with you today?
Perhaps God is trying to tell you something?
Stop.
Pause.
Listen.

Isaiah 48:15 - I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I will bring him, and he will succeed in his mission.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

You have to give it away!

Are you bored with your Christian journey at the moment? Do you feel that you have become "stuck" in the routine of your faith? Well, if you sometimes feel like this, then you had better read on.

In preparing to go on our Mission today, I have discovered a renewed excitement in my faith. The thought of moving out of our comfort zone is not only scary, but it is also exhilarating. I have witnessed the same effect in the Mission Team, who are all preparing to share something over the weekend. Our faith has moved from a passive experience into a 'Living faith.'

So, this is my conclusion on this matter:

If you want your faith to come alive, you have to share it with others. You have to "give it away!" When we share our faith, it moves from being a 'receiving' attitude into a "what can I offer."

I would ask for your prayers as we travel up to Mtunzini for the weekend. Please pray that God would use our testimonies to encourage people in their faith and to perhaps stir up their Christian experience.  Thank you.

Acts 22:15 - You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.

"The life of Christ was a life of humble simplicity, yet how infinitely exalted was his mission. Christ is our example in all things." -Ellen G. White

"Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times." -Martin Luther

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Serving others in our neighbourhood

There are so many people in our world in need. In Africa we can see the need all around us and sometimes various Churches heed the call and get involved in serving others. This can be by going on mission trips to other countries or even by serving the poor locally. This year our Church community desires to focus on the needs closer to home - the needs in our city. So, we have decided to narrow our focus a little and to get involved in a few projects closer to our doorstep. Sure, there is still merit in going abroad to do mission (and if this is your call, then do it), but sometimes we miss the needs near our own community.

Scot McKnight has an interesting take on this. Read what he says and let me know your comments:

“Why do so many today want to wander off to South Africa or Kenya or India or Russia or Honduras or Costa Rica or Peru to help with justice issues but not spend the same effort in their own neighborhood or community or state? Why do young suburbanites, say in Chicago, want to go to Kentucky or Tennessee to help people but not want to spend that same time to go to the inner city in their own area to help with justice issues? I asked this question to a mature student in my office one day, and he thought he had a partial explanation: 'Because my generation is searching for experiences, and the more exotic and extreme the better. Going down the street to help at a food shelter is good and it is just and some of us are doing that, but it's not an experience. We want experiences.”

Is our mission about an 'experience' or about serving Jesus and others?
Worth thinking about!

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Closer than you think

Most people still believe the mission field is far from where we live. In countries, like South Africa, we take for granted that everyone knows about Jesus and that it is only countries in Asia (or somewhere else) that need to discover who Jesus is. However, this is such a naive assumption to make.

 We had an interesting encounter this last weekend which challenges this mindset. A family that live just around the corner from our Church, decided to pop in to our Christmas Night Market and they started speaking to one of our members. It turns out that they knew nothing of the Christian faith, had not been a church before and did not know about Holy Communion. And this is a family living in walking distance from our Church. Wow, friends, we all have much work to do.

It is our responsibility to share the Good News with all people and it doesn't require us going to China to do this. Our Mission field is on our door-steps. Let's start to look out for opportunities to be God's ambassadors.

"Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you're alive, it isn't. " -
Richard Bach

Living in Grace
D3LM3

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

D3LM3

Timely Reminder

There are times in our lives when we all begin to feel sorry for ourselves. Often we may have just cause for feeling down or concerned. Sometimes the actions of others make us feel even more depressed. However, there are occasions where our emotions are a direct result of our own actions.

Whatever the reason for our state of 'lowliness' we may need a dose of perspective to get us refocused. Often this is called a 'Reality Check!' For me, this came today in the form of the latest statistics on World Hunger. Read the whole article here, but in essence it reminds us that every 3.6 seconds a person dies of hunger. That's 16 people every minute, of which 12 are kids. That is a solid dose of reality. My problems seem a little less severe now!

But, what can I do? How can I help? Perhaps Mother Teresa's comments are a helpful starting point:

"If you can't feed 100 people, then at least 1."

What do you feel?

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

67 and Water

Last Saturday we were all challenged (through Nelson Mandela's example) to do 67 minutes of community service or to do something remarkable for other people.

Whilst on the Mission Trip to Ubombo, we never focused on the '67 minutes' but we were serving others in many ways. One of the things that challenged me from our time away was our use of water. You may have read from previous posts that we had to contend with a water shortage whilst 'up the mountain.' So for many of us 'city people' things like brushing teeth, using the toilet, showering, drinking etc all took on new dimensions. We actually had to do some planning and thinking as to how we coped with these ordinary tasks.

On monday, whilst I was enjoying the freedom of brushing my teeth (with running water on tap), it struck me how much water is normally wasted through a simple task of brushing our teeth. Think about this...

There are many people that leave the water running whilst brushing their teeth (including me at times), but how much water is wasted like this? Maybe 300-500ml a time? So if in an average family of 4, almost 2 litres could be wasted in the morning and another 2 litres at night. Thats 4 l per day and 120 litres a month. Now do the maths - even amongst 1000 families linked up with a school (e.g. Maritzburg College), we would waste 120 000 litres of water in one month (and lots of money too!).

That good drinking water is wasted because I am too lazy to turn my tap on and off...boy, do I feel guilty.So here is to never brushing my teeth again, whilst letting the tap run!

When reading Genesis 1 & 2 we should not assume that ours is the right to abuse what God has given to us. We are given the privilege of being His stewards or caretakers. We will give an account of what we do with this gift.

Drink from God's pools of GRACE,
D3LM3

Why the kids?

When some folk have heard that we took our two older boys (6 and 4)on our recent Mission trip to Ubombo, I have noticed their surprised looks. No one has said the words, but we have noticed their facial expressions, which have all implied, "You took your kids where?"

So Yes, we took our kids on a Mission Trip and it has done them the world of good. We pray that in the end it will give them some greater perspective on life and how we should seek to help others. At least now when we give them the whole speech about 'finish your food cause there are starving kids in Africa' they will not be able to retort and ask us 'you are always talking about these kids, but we never see them!' Now, our little boys know that there are other kids (the same age as them) who don't have any parents, who struggle with megre resources and who are battling with HIV.

Life is not just a cocoon that we shape around our kids to protect them - it is good for them to slowly understand that life is difficult, but that with 'Love' we can conquer a lot of injustice.

The Bible says that if you train up a child in the way that he should go, that when he is older that he will not depart from the WAY (Proverbs 22:6). This is another reason why we wanted our boys to come on Mission with us. Jesus always had a heart for the poor, lost and marginalised. If we do the same, then we mirror the heart of our Saviour.

Grace upon Grace,
D3LM3

Ubombo 09

We have just come back from our 5 day Mission Trip to Ubombo (340 km's from Durban). There were so many things that we learnt from walking alongside these awesome people and as always we have come away richly blessed, despite our 'Mission' to them.

It was initially a struggle for us to come to terms with the 'water supply' issues, which meant that we never had hot showers when we wanted and we had to fetch water to fill our toilets with. We had to boil most of our water or use specially collected rain-water. All of these proved to be mere challenges that we managed to work around - It is a timely reminder of how we so often take these 'luxuries' for granted, when many millions of poor people are coping with these issues daily.

Our aim on this trip was to share with the God's people in a tangible way - not so much to preach to them (as they are already Christians), but to minister to them through the 'ministry of presence.' In other words, we worked alongside them, sang with them, interacted with the orphaned children, painted their rooms, fixed broken furniture and tried to impact their lives through significant 'small things.' We trust that our gift of time will be used by God to make a sustainable difference in their lives.

Soli Deo Gloria

Grace to you,
D3LM3
P.S. - I am going to take a long bath now.