Practice what you preach

There are countless examples of people who have preached a good life but have not actually followed through with their words. Putting faith into practice, is a sure way of showing others the authenticity of being a follower of Christ. 

In his final charge to Timothy, Paul reveals how his life is a testimony to his words. 

"Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, and my suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them." - 2 Timothy 3:10-11

Thought: How closely do we live up to the words we preach?

Living in Grace

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Having a purpose

Philippians 2:13 - for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

The Austrian psychiatrist, Victor Frankl, has written on the relation of the meaning of life as related to the whole structure of our personality. 

It is his thinking "that the need to find meaning in our life is more basic to a human being than pleasure and power or anything else." The thing he keeps repeating is that if a person has a "why" to live, they can endure any "how." However, if "why" is lacking, then the persons whole life eventually collapses.

2 Corinthians 5:5 - Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

What do you think of this?

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True joy in life

George Bernard Shaw wrote about what he describes as True Joy. 

“This is the true joy of life; .... being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, being a force of nature rather than a feverish selfish little cloud of ailments complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”

I find it interesting that he speaks of this, especially as we consider God's calling for us to serve him in our communities and in whatever way we can. Perhaps we know someone who seems to be a 'feverish selfish little cloud of ailments' and who is always complaining about something. They don't fill is with motivation or excitement, do they? However, we also know of people who seem to have found their purpose in life, and they are filled with joy. They radiate the love of Jesus. 

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” – 1 Corinthians 12: 7

“If I do it by myself, for myself, it’s death. If I do it with God for others, its life, because whatever I do with God for others outlives my life.” – John Ortberg

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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. 

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The secret of success is ....

Benjamin Disraeli once remarked: "The secret of success is constancy of purpose." 

I believe he has a point in many aspects of life, and we saw part of this in the Springboks recent World Cup Rugby victory. When a team (or individual) pushes forward with one purpose in mind, there is greater chance of success. The more the purpose is thwarted or watered-down, the less likely that the result will be successful.

I would argue that this can also apply to faith, although I wary of the word 'success' when it comes to ministry and Christianity. Jesus certainly had a consistency and singlemindedness, that motivated him to change the lives of his disciples and all that met him. He poured his life into the lives of others and drew them into the heart of the Father.

What purpose is motivating you at the moment? Are you able to keep your eye on the main focus?

Joshua 1:7 - “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

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Looking for direction

As we contemplate Jesus' appearance to the 7 disciples, at the Sea of Galilee (John 21), there is an interesting connection between night and day - darkness and light. 

“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So, they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. - John 21:3-4

The disciples were feeling lost and so they went back to the work that they knew. However, even that didn't seem to be working out for them. So, into this situation Jesus appears and starts to renew their purpose and direction. He shares breakfast with them and reinstates Peter, giving him his new mission. 

Eddie Askew – “It was a dark night for them, out on the water, and the enveloping mist must have emphasised their sense of isolation. Yet at their lowest point, their empty nets a metaphor for their empty lives, Jesus is there on the shore. They can’t see him, but he is there, sharing the dark hours, waiting to welcome, warm and feed them round the fire, ready to point them in a new direction.” 

God is always willing to point us in a new direction, especially if we are willing to be used for his glory.

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Living a meaning life

John Maxwell wrote - "To live a worthwhile, meaningful life, a person must be part of something greater than himself." 

Knowing a little about John Maxwell, I would guess that he is speaking about being part of a business that is making a difference in the world and which feeds into our desire to contribute towards something greater. 

However, he could also be referring to the Christian faith, as he is a former Pastor and Christian leader. John could be reminding us that living a meaningful life must include community. It is always tempting to 'go it alone', but this can leave us feeling empty and frustrated at time.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 - We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.

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God's purpose fulfilled

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. The LORD will fulfil his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. (Psalm 138:6-8)

When the Psalmist remembers the favour of God, he is adamant that the Lord will fulfil his purpose in his life. He even goes on to plead with the Lord not to forsake the 'work of his hands.' 

Do you still believe that the Lord has a purpose for your life? What is that purpose and how are you allowing God to work in your life?

How does the last line of the reading make you feel?

“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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Why even bother with confession?

In reading Nehemiah 9 I noticed how the Israelites took their act of confession seriously. This got me thinking about how we treat the spiritual act of confessing our sins to God. Is there a point? Should we even bother? Then I stumbled upon these insightful words which offer us some guidance.

"TO CONFESS YOUR SINS TO GOD is not to tell God anything God doesn't already know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you. When you confess them, they become the Golden Gate Bridge." - Frederick Buechner

When we live separate from the Lord we feel the great distance between us and it impacts upon our very being. Confessing our sins creates the bridge over which we can cross to encounter Grace.

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Replacing the battery

I have a clock in my office that has been stuck at 12pm for the last year. It has been entirely my fault though, because I simply decided that I didn't actually need the clock to tell the time - I have my own watch and my phone also tells the correct time, so I thought it was unnecessary. However, today I decided it was TIME to put a new battery into the old clock and I admit that it is nice to hear the tick, tick, tick when all else is quiet around me. So this got me thinking:

Do we sometimes feel we are stuck in one place?

When last did we recharge our batteries?

What will it take for us to fulfil our God-given potential? (If a clock is made to tell the time and it is not fulfilling that function, then surely it must feel frustrated - assuming clocks have feelings :)

What parts of our spiritual lives need a little jump-start?

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."

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What must we do?

The last two years has seen a greater number of people really questioning their sense of purpose in life. It is interesting how a global "shake-up" can cause so many people to rethink their present circumstances and to ask the BIG questions: Why am I here? What is my purpose on earth?

In our reading from Esther 4 we note how she was challenged about acknowledging her purpose and thankfully she was able to do this. The scriptures speak a lot about this topic too:

·       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.

Psalm 33:11 - But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

As you wrestle with this question what do you sense the Lord is saying to you?

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Purpose of prayer?

Have you ever considered this question? "What is the purpose of Prayer?"

There are many different answers to the question and I think a lot of them would be correct:

Communicating with God
Handing over our problems to God
Waiting on the Lord
Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

Here is another response that I stumbled across in my sermon prep. It is from George Knight - "Prayer for Jesus was not an end in itself. Rather, it involved preparation for the task ahead. After he prayed Jesus arose to preach and heal throughout Galilee..."

William Barclay seems to agree - he says that "prayer will strengthen us for the tasks that must be done."

What do you think and feel? Please let me know if you have time.

Colossians 4:12 - "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured."

Living in Grace

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Work and worry

There are millions of people who would agree that their work includes a huge amount of worry. We worry about pleasing people at work. We worry about whether we will still have a job if the economy changes. We worry if our job is not satisfying us. We worry that we may not have enough money to pay the bills and should we look for a new job? Work and Worry go hand in hand it seems. And Solomon would agree:

"You work for something with all your wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then you have to leave it all to someone who hasn't had to work for it. It is useless, and it isn't right!  You work and worry your way through life, and what do you have to show for it? As long as you live, everything you do brings nothing but worry and heartache. Even at night your mind can't rest. It is all useless." - Ecclesiastes 2:21-23 (Good News)

Do you feel that you are also 'working and worrying' your way through life at the moment? If this is the case, then I offer you the wonderful words of Jesus as a help. 

Luke 12: 22 - "Then Jesus said to the disciples, “And so I tell you not to worry about the food you need to stay alive or about the clothes you need for your body.

"Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?" (v.25)

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Rejection

“Rejection is just an opinion, remember? It reflects them more than me, right?”- Jia Jang

In his outrageous experiment called "100 days of Rejection", Jia Jang set out to conqueror his fear of rejection by doing a hundred "off the wall" things to face rejection from others. What he learnt was that people are actually a lot kinder than we think and that rejection is not as bad as we imagine it to be.

His quote (above) is interesting as it reminds us that 'rejection' can be more about the other person's tastes and opinion than our identity. It doesn't need to define us.

And of course, looking at the life of Jesus we see that he was also rejected many times over, but his purpose still prevailed. It is God's opinion of us that truly matters!

Psalm 118:22 - The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone

Luke 9:22 - And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

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Nothing without cause - Ezekiel 14

^{Today's scripture passage is another 'heavy' one, so I warn you to have a cup of good coffee before you start reading. If you aren't awake after the coffee, then you will certainly be FULLY awake when you have read Ezekiel's prophecy. I encourage you to read through the chapter when you have time, but the part I was interested in today comes at the end of the chapter. It reads as follows:
 
22} Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. ²³ You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

I found it interesting that in two places, Ezekiel mentions that we will be consoled by what we see. I guess it is not because we will take delight in what we see, but rather we will understand why it happened. It will seem justifiable and therefore, I guess we will be okay with the course of action God needed to take. Some consolation in the midst of the pain?!

The other phrase that strikes me is found in v.23 - "you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause" - we need to remember that there is always a 'cause' or 'purpose' behind God's actions. God doesn't do anything for the sake of getting attention or just to be otherwise - there is always a cause.

Voltaire - "nothing can exist without a cause." 

Reflection: Everything God does, or allows to happen, is with a definite cause - even the Cross! 

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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

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Stephen King on Life, Hope and Writing

Just to change things up a little, I want to reflect on a few thoughts from the author Stephen King. I have been reading his wonderful book "On Writing", which is not only brilliant, but also incredibly candid. In his book, he shares how he got started writing and the 'lucky' breaks he had in his career. One of the things that struck me most was how persistent he was and how he continued to write, even though he hadn't "made it" as yet.  

Here are a few of his quotes (not all from the same book):

• Remember, Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.
• Either get busy living or get busy dying.
• The scariest moment is always just before you start.

These all speak to me on some level, but as a Christian they remind us to always use the GIFTS God has given to us and to keep PERSEVERING no matter the obstacles that lie before us.

Hebrews 10:36 - You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

 

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So, that is the purpose!

I understand that the Bible can be confusing at times. I get that it doesn't always make sense. And even as a minister I truly need to wrestle with a number of passages in the Scriptures. However, one of the purposes of the Scriptures is to be life-giving and not the opposite. Sadly, it is often used in a negative way, but when you read verses like Psalm 19, you will see what it truly intended.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.

Did you notice some of those thoughts?

REFRESHING.

TRUSTWORTHY

WISDOM

JOY

RADIANT

GIVING LIGHT

ENDURING

FIRM

These are such incredible gifts for all of us. It is my prayer that you would begin to find the pages of the Bible offering you some of these gifts.

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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.

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Nothing to fight for?

There is always something worth living for - to fight for! In fact, there are numerous things that people are also willing to die for! The tragedy is when we have neither. We then find ourselves floating along in a state of uncertainty and hopelessness.

Jesus had something to live for - that was to reveal the FATHER'S LOVE to all people.
And of course, Jesus had something to die for - it was to make the Father's Love available to all who would believe.

Romans 5:6-8 - "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

And so what about you and I? Do we have something to live for? Or to die for?


“When I go up there, which is my intention, the Big Judge will say to me, Where are your wounds? and if I say I haven’t any, he will say, Was there nothing to fight for? I couldn’t face that question." - Alan Paton in (Ah, But Your Land Is Beautiful)

Living in Grace
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