What do you want?

The question that Jesus asked Andrew and John immediately cut to the heart of the matter. Jesus certainly puts them in a spot, but it is a question that echoes throughout the ages. What do we really want?

 "Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them." - John 1:38

It is a question that invites self-examination, and I don’t believe that Jesus asked it in a condescending tone at all. Some translations have put the question as “what are you looking for?” or "what are you seeking?"

Let us try and picture the scene for a moment – the two disciples have moved away from John the Baptist (their teacher) and for a moment they are caught in no-man's land. Should they follow the 'Lamb of God' or should they stay with John?

Jesus senses they are edging closer to him, and he gets to the heart of the matter: 

What do you guys really want? What is going on in your heart? What are you searching for?

In truth, many disciples followed their teachers or leaders for any number of reasons: Were these two guys looking for a new career. Or a military Saviour? A security blanket? A person to debate with and do a little theological sparring?

Or was there a deeper desire that drove them to seek Jesus out?

And what about us? How do you answer that question today? 

What are we wanting from Jesus?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

P.S. If you missed out on listening to the sermon based on this Question, you are welcome to click on this link. 

A crucial link between the Transfiguration and Lent

It is something that most people assume, but it is well worth highlighting, that Jesus' purpose in climbing the mountain (Transfiguration) was to pray. Read Luke's account below and take note of the words I have placed in BOLD type. 

²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. ²⁹ As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. (Luke 9)

Luke invites us into a unique moment in the spiritual apprenticeship of Peter, James and John. They see first-hand the transforming power of prayer. This is not the first time they have been aware of Jesus' commitment to prayer, but it seems to be the moment that they witness the most radical change in their Rabbi. Prayer has changed the appearance of Jesus, and they are left gob smacked at what they see. 

I would like to point out the remarkable value in prayer and how when we are committed to this practice, our lives can be changed. We may not walk around with the afterglow like Jesus did, but other people may soon wonder what has changed in our lives. This is one of the reasons why I like Lent so much - it calls out to my wandering spirit: "Come near for a while. Rest in the presence of Jesus."

As we enter into the sacred season of Lent and begin our pilgrimage to Calvary, may we take the lessons of the Transfiguration with us - and may we stay close to Jesus.

William Loader wrote: "...making time and space for prayer and reflection is crucial if we are to know who he is and where we are going with him."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

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

D3LM3

Preparing for future trials

As I have been reflecting recently on the reasons why we encounter trials and times of testing, I was struck by how Jesus' temptation in the wilderness prepared him for his future ministry.

Matthew 4:1- Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (the Greek word tempted can also be translated as Tested.)

James points out that we can profit from our trials and struggle when he says: " My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4)

So, I guess I have been challenged to try and consider my trials from a different perspective. Is it possible that God allows us to endure times of testing, in order to prepare us for something else in the future? What could that be? 

How do you feel about that?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

I am not ready for Easter!

I was shocked to walk into a supermarket today and find that they had already put out Easter Eggs. I may have said something under my breath, but that would be inappropriate to repeat on this blogpost :) 

I am still trying to figure the whole thing out, to be honest. Easter is in the middle of April this year - that makes it 3 months away. And so there can be no other reason for the display of chocolate eggs than commercial greed, unless I am missing something. Couldn't the store owners wait a week or two? 

As you are well aware, I am huge fan of spending time in preparation for our Holy days - Lent for Easter time and Advent for Christmas, are two of my personal favourites. There are also many significant Holy days in between Easter and Christmas, and I feel we should be observing these too. Perhaps this is why I over reacted to the sight of the eggs - I feel we rush through these seasons without truly digesting their great significance for our lives.  

It is only 4 days into 2022 and I am still wanting to dwell on the miracle of the 'Word made flesh', as well as the Epiphany of the Magi. I need time to process my own surrender to our King and what gifts I want to offer God this year. I am definitely no were near ready to start my journey towards Easter. 

John 1:14 - "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

How do you feel? Any thoughts are welcome.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

P.S. No chocolate Easter Eggs were harmed in the writing of this post, although a few Christmas chocolates may now be consumed to calm my shattered nerves :) 

Words fit for a King

Sometimes we find ourselves lost for words and it is not for a lack of words to use, but rather a moment where we just can't seem to place them in the right order - we struggle to express how we are feeling. 

In this season of Advent I would like to explore a theme entitled: Words fit for a King. My motivation for this is that we should seek appropriate words to express our praise and worship of King Jesus. Thankfully there are many people who have already gone before us and they have given us a great head-start. This week we explore the words of the ancient prophets who conveyed their longing for the Messiah in very eloquent and expressive language. 

Jeremiah wrote of a desire for a King who would rule with wisdom, righteousness and compassion.

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness." - Jeremiah 23:5-6 (KJV)

Eugene Peterson puts the last part of these verses like this: This is the name they’ll give him: ‘God-Who-Puts-Everything-Right.’ (The Message)

Thought: As you express your heart to God today, what does it mean to trust in a God who is able to put everything right? 

If you would like to listen to the sermon from Sunday you can click onto this link.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Slowing down

 

A line from author Brennan Manning has been sitting with me this week. It goes like this:

"In prayer we slow down to a human tempo and make time to listen."

I agree with this sentiment in some ways, but I would disagree on this key point. I don't feel that we should slow down to 'human' tempo, but rather to God's tempo. The tempo of us as humans seems to be way too frantic, and God's time always seems to be unrushed. 

The season of Lent urges us to slow down and to make time to listen for the voice of God.

2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think."

What tempo are you finding yourself in at this stage in your life?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Keep your heart

The word lent comes from the Dutch or German word for lente mean spring and in Europe that is so, while here in the Cape we will be experiencing autumn.  Each season is important for the health of the earth which includes us humans.

Lent is a time of anticipation, of new growth, shoots coming out of the ground.  The church uses Lent as a time of renewal of our spiritual lives. 

I have been reading a book by Arnold Mol, ‘Think New, Live New.’  Well worth a read and challenging in a gentle way.  Arnold quotes Proverbs 4:23, ‘Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.’

Throughout scripture we have examples of men who ignored God’s Word and chose to do things their own way.  We need to pray for our leaders here in South Africa as well as world leaders that they may follow God’s direction and love the people they serve.

Lockdown has meant different things to people, some have found it difficult to work from home, others have found it easy and enjoy working at their own pace instead of at the office.   Children have struggled to keep focused and learn via the internet, others have done well, and the Matric result will reflect this trend.

As a retiree I have found it quite pleasant but as a people’s person I have found it difficult as I thrive on being with people.  Not being able to visit has been hard, not meeting with the people from the Bible study has been strange, but I keep in touch through phone calls and social media (not so much).

I would encourage myself and all who read this that we continue to proclaim that God is still on the throne, not far away but as near as the breath we take, that His love is enduring, and that Jesus knows what we are experiencing as He came to earth and walked the road to Gethsemane.  Let Him who loves us walk with you.

May this Lent be a renewal of our spiritual lives. 

Louise Hazell

Making preparations

We prepare for all the big events and functions in our lives without even giving it much thought. 

We prepare for the big Christmas dinners;
We prepare for the family weddings;
We prepare the children to write their school exams;
We prepare for sporting events.

The list goes on...

In a real way, preparation is part of our lives, so it leaves me wondering why we struggle to make room in our lives for Spiritual preparation? 

This is one of the reasons why I love LENT - it keeps pulling me back to the question: "Does the Cross and Resurrection make a difference in my life? And if the answer is 'YES', then what will assist me in preparing my heart for this incredible gift?"

Even Jesus made preparations ...

Luke 22: 8 - Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

"He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” - Luke 22:12


As Benjamin Franklin once said: "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail!"

Living in Grace
D3LM3

It came upon the midnight clear

When Edmund Sears wrote the words of It came upon the midnight clear I am sure he had no clue that we would still be singing this song 200 years later. Rev. Sears, along with many other people, was dealing with great social strife in America as the Civil loomed in their future. His words in the poem, which became a hymn, sought to offer a solace to people and to point them back to the comforting words of God.  

It came upon a midnight clear was first printed in a Boston publication, Christian Register, which was published on 29 December 1849. I think verse three (3) gives us a clear insight in his concerns about the social situation in the U.S.A and likewise speaking into our own times:

“Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song, which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing!”

The gift of this song is that it speaks directly into our context, as much as it did in Edmund’s time. How sad that we are still at war with each other and with God (man, at war with man, hears not), so the challenge to hear the voices of Angels is just as relevant.

Advent gives us the opportunity to listen to the call of God and to respond to God’s overtures of love. The glorious song of old is there to remind us that God can still bring Peace on Earth to all people.

Luke 2:14 - At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises: Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

25 - Smart or Silly

Some of Jesus's teachings are simple to understand, while there are a few that leave us scratching our heads. If you read through Matthew 25, you will notice three classic parables - The first one is about the 10 Young Women (virgins), then Jesus shares about the 3 servants and their bags of gold, followed by a teaching on the final judgement, where there will be a separating of sheep and goats.

In the light of our Lent period coming to an end and the Easter weekend upon us, read these words from Matthew 25:1-13 and see if there is a message for you in this. Ask yourself these questions as you go through it:

1. What does it mean for us to "have extra oil on stand-by?"
2. What makes us "tired" as Christ-followers?
3. Does this parable make God seem unfair to you?

^1-5 “God’s kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn’t show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep.
⁶ “In the middle of the night someone yelled out, ‘He’s here! The bride-groom’s here! Go out and greet him!’
^7-8 “The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, ‘Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.’
⁹ “They answered, ‘There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.’
¹⁰ “They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.
¹¹ “Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, ‘Master, we’re here. Let us in.’
¹² “He answered, ‘Do I know you? I don’t think I know you.’
¹³ “So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

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
D3LM3

A fresh look at Lent

On Wednesday, the 26th February, we begin our journey towards the Cross and Resurrection. This special season of Lent begins with a service known as Ash Wednesday and includes a time of personal reflection, challenge to 'give up' some things and a reminder of our need to Confess our sins to Jesus.

I recently wrote an article for Scripture Union Magazine on Lent and so if you would like to check it out, please click onto this link. For those of you who would like the shorter version, I used an acronym for LENT, which includes the following 4 thoughts on what this season means for me.

L - Life (Despite the gore of the cross and Jesus' torture there is a strong thread of LIFE running through the Passion of Jesus)

E - Endings (Even though we fear endings, they are necessary for new things to be birthed in our lives)

N - New (Jesus takes the old ways and improves on them - He offers us a New Covenant and a New relationship with the Father)

T - Transformation (Lent challenges us to be transformed and to look at how we can allow God to change us).

If you want the full story you will have to click onto the link to read the whole article - it is not long, I promise :)

Living in Grace
D3LM3

New Year Pose

As you embark upon another New Year what pose are you taking? It make seem like a weird question, but if you think about it, the word Pose can mean "to stand or sit in preparation for something". 

We take on a pose for most things in our lives - even if the pose over the festive season is one of sitting on the couch, eating or spending time with family - that's still a pose.

How about this as a Godly pose for 2020?
 
"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
    I wait for God my Savior;    my God will hear me." - Micah 7:7

Let's get ourselves ready for what the Lord has in store for us this year.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

I have often wondered

I have often wondered why James would be so crazy to write these words?: 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers (sisters), whenever you face trials of many kinds …” – James 1:2-4

Initially I thought James must be a little crazy, but then I began to understand the meaning of the word 'trials.' In the Greek language, the word for trial is ‘peirasmos’, which suggests a difficult situation or a ‘painful pressure.’

And so the implication is not that we are broken by the trials, but rather that they prepare us for something better. In a similar way, when Matric students write their 'Trial' exams, it is not meant to dishearten those students, but rather to prepare them for the real Final exams that are approaching fast.

So, may we find the strength we need to endure the trials that lie in wait, because these occasions are preparing us from something bigger down the line.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Preparations

We are too easily distracted! We are busy doing one thing and then someone comes along and interrupts us - we lose our concentration and the distraction is complete.
In all the final preparations for Christmas Day let us not lose our focus of the real reason for our Celebrations. Let us resolve not to be distracted by the all extra trappings of "Christmas."

"But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made." - Luke 10:40

Martha was in the presence of Jesus and she still got distracted by the peripheral things. It is hard to remain focused on Jesus, but I pray that we will do all we can to keep our gaze on him. 

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Advent Word #1

As we journey through this season of Advent, I would like to offer us a 'daily word' to reflect on. The word for us today is the word 'Preparation.'

None of the greatest achievements of humanity would have happened if it weren't for adequate preparation. Take the following as simple examples:

- South Africa's world cup Rugby victories in 1995 and 2007. Both took loads of preparation.
- The D-Day invasions.
- Caesar crossing the Rubicon in 46 B.C.
- Luther's Reformation.
- The Incarnation of Jesus Christ.

 There are thousands more examples like these, but the key point is that nothing happens unless there is a great deal of PREPARATION.

I am of the opinion that we need to PREPARE ourselves for the gift of Christmas. This is such a monumental occasion in our faith journey and we should prepare ourselves for all that comes with the birth of Jesus.

John 19:42 - "And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there."

Colin Powell -  "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."

Living in Grace
D3LM3

No short cuts

Recently we noticed that our palisade fence was showing signs of rust. It was tempting to ignore the rust and pretend that it wasn't there, but we knew that something had to be done about it. So, we set about sanding the fence and getting as much of the rust off as we could. Then we had to wash the fence, before we began to paint it with some anti-rust.

Obviously, this all takes time and we aren't even finished yet! Yesterday as we were painting over each spot of rust I was reflecting on whether there was a quicker way of doing the job. And I realised there isn't. The only way to do the job correctly is to do it one pole at a time. It is laborious, but there is no short cut!

In our faith, we are sometimes painfully away that there is some rust developing. We can ignore it and pretend that it doesn't exist, but in the long run it will 'eat' away at us and we will be broken. The only way to remain strong and 'rust free' is to do things step by step, day by day, pole by pole. There can be no quick short cuts when it comes to living out our faith. Sometimes developing a sturdy faith takes years of doing the small things properly.

So, next time you are tempted to ignore the problems in your faith, don't! They won't go away on their one. Be honest about them and get to work on them, one 'spot' at a time. Ask a friend to help you and be accountable to each other, as you seek to remain strong.

May God bless you today.
Living in Grace
D3LM3

It's all about Preparation

We use the phrase "It's all about preparation" in the context of sport or business, but I believe that it's equally compelling to use it in this season of Lent. Today marks Ash Wednesday, which is the starting point in our journey towards Easter. Like I have mentioned before, we are not required by God to observe Lent, and no one is going to rate you a second class Christian if you choose to ignore this season, but let me share why it has become a meaningful time for me (and many others).

I find that life is so rushed at the moment and my spiritual life feels the squeeze of thousands of other demands. Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday are watershed moments in our Faith and I feel it is a shame to allow them to creep up on me without any warning. In truth, I could easily allow the rush of life to accelerate me into the Easter Weekend, without pausing long enough to reflect on the cross and the empty tomb.

But, if this happens then I feel like something is missing. My spirit needs time to wrestle deeply with the suffering of Jesus, the stories of 'Holy Week', the mystery of the Resurrection and the miracle of grace. So, this is why I value "preparing for Easter" (Lent) and reflecting on the Good News of the Cross/Resurrection in bite sizes - over 40 days or so. Lent becomes a discipline for me - a helpful spiritual practise choosing to push pause on a few of my other demands and distractions.

I don't observe lent to be seen as a Saint, I observe lent to be more in tune with my Saviour. But it is most effective for me, when I spend the time preparing!

Joshua 7:13 - ‘Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, “Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: there are devoted things among you, Israel. 

Let me know your thoughts?

Living in Grace
D3LM3