The Eyewitness

A witness is someone who has seen an event and is able to describe it to others. Yes, we know that witnesses may see the same event and yet describe it in two different ways, but this does not deny that the event took place. In trying to understand the dynamics of this event, or identify the people involved, we must engage with their version of the story. When John claims that he saw Jesus, this should make an impression on us - let us read what he says:

1 John 1:1-4 - "We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. ² This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴ We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy."

Is it not remarkable that we have the words of someone who claims to have 'seen' Jesus and 'touched' him? John was so close to the Messiah, that he was truly able proclaim that He was the Christ.

“I would have preferred someone else to have been in charge of rescuing this story, but once again life has taught me that my role is to be a witness, not the leading actor.”
― Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Midnight Palace

Living in Grace

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It is good for us to be here!

As Peter was taking in the grandeur of the Transfiguration, he blurted out: 

“Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.) - Luke 9:33

Even though Peter couldn't fully comprehend what he was witnessing, the one thing he got right was that it was truly amazing to witness the gathering of Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Perhaps his words 'it is good for us to be here' are even a little understated. In modern language he could have been excused for shouting out: This is Epic! This is Awesome!

His heart was probably pumping and his adrenaline following so strongly, that all he could think of was 'let me hold onto this moment for as long as possible.' 

Can you relate to this at all? When was the last time you experienced something so profound and beautiful that your heart sang: 'it is good to be here!'

Living in Grace

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I am grateful - how about you?

"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." - Hebrews 13:7

I am very grateful for those amazing people who modelled Christianity for me over the years. This verse urges us to remember them and then to 'consider' (think on) their lives and finally, to imitate their faith. 

Someone once suggested that the definition of a Saint is "a person in whom Christ lives again." 

In some respects, our Christian role-models have been saints - Christ has lived on in their lives and through their example we have been taught about the ways of Jesus. And for their lives, I am extremely grateful!  

Exercise: Think about one person who has shaped your spiritual life. Give thanks to God for them today.

Philippians 1:3 - Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

Living in Grace

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Trying to flatter the King?

Francois Fenelon was the court preacher for King Louis XIV of France in the 17th century. One Sunday when the king and his attendants arrived at the chapel for the regular service, no one else was there but the preacher.

King Louis demanded, “What does this mean?”

 

Fenelon replied, “I had published that you would not come to church today, in order that your Majesty might see who serves God in truth and who flatters the king.” - (Submitted by Chris Stroup, Source Unknown)

Thought: The obvious challenge for us all is this - do we attend Sunday worship to gain the respect of others, or do we worship to honour the King? 

Revelation 17:14 - They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

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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Behaving Badly

 

"When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world." - C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity -1952)

There are a few insightful things that emerge from this quote for me:

1. Do you note how C.S. Lewis uses the word 'We'?
In making his challenge to the Christian community he is not pointing fingers at 'others', but recognising that in himself lies the danger of failing to represent Christ.

2. Our actions have consequences beyond our church context. We can make Christianity believable (or unbelievable) for those seeking God. Sadly, there are many of 'us Christians' who make our Faith hard to believe in.

3. People are looking for spiritual 'hope' and we can effectively point them to Jesus. This is a fine line for many of us, because we like people to notice 'us', when in actual fact, we should be deflecting all the attention onto Jesus. If people only see 'us', then our failures will be a stumbling block to others experiencing Christ.

What do you think?

Acts 5:32 - We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.

Living in Grace
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Jesus eats his way through the Gospels

Mark Glanville writes an interesting article where he reflects on how it seems that Jesus "eats his way through the Gospels." If you take a careful look at Luke's Gospel you will note the many times that Jesus is either heading to a meal, attending a meal or leaving from a dinner party.

It is Jesus' modis operandi in terms of sharing the Good News. He meets in the homes of all kinds of people, but food is not the main reason. The real reason is to get into their homes, so that he can speak into their hearts. Remember that Jesus was the one religious leader who didn't judge people for who they were - he saw what they could be and so he loved them all into the Kingdom.

Luke 7:34 - The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’

Jesus was accused of eating and drinking with all the 'wrong' people, yet he changed the lives of these people and they, in turn, became witnesses to his great leave.

Perhaps we need to recapture the art of being in the company of the broken, lost, unchurched and 'tax collectors.' What do you think?

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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

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Focused with reason

When Paul went out to share the Gospel he was incredibly focused. He knew what he wanted, more than anything, was to tell people about the LOVE of Jesus. This moved him to enter into all kinds of places and to mix with a range of non-religious people - his sole purpose in doing this was to bring Jesus to them. However, he never compromised his commitment to Christ and always remain loyal to the Cross.

"I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!" - 1 Corinthians 9 (Message)

God is calling us to enter into the world of "the other", in order that we might bring HOPE to them. It is no longer good enough to sit in church and to invite people into our space, we need to GO into the world and to take Jesus to others.

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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

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No voice

As the health of the great Methodist Preacher, William Sangster, deteriorated, he lost the use of his legs and voice. He was still able to write, although barely. On the Easter morning, just a few days before his death, he wrote a letter to his daughter. In the letter, he said,

"It is terrible to wake up on Easter morning and have no voice to shout, "He is risen!" 
But it would be still more terrible to have a voice and not want to shout."

These words are so profound! I still feel a pain in my heart when people choose not to follow Jesus. I don't look upon them with pity, but rather with a genuine sadness. It is not that I feel superior and 'pity' these people, but rather that I am sad that they have not seen in Jesus what has changed my life! God's love and grace once collided with my life and got my attention - and I knew that I had to sing out "Jesus is Risen!"  

I don't want this to only be for me and you - I want this to be the experience of everyone. It burdens me that people will wake up on Easter Sunday and not be able to honour the risen Christ.

May we do what we can to help others find their voice, so they may also shout, "Jesus is Alive!"

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Great God-incidence

I was filling up with Diesel yesterday when the attendant asked me where I worked. I told him that I was a minister and that I worked at Wesley Methodist. My answer sparked off a great conversation - all around the issue of faith and the Bible. He was talking in half Zulu/English and me in half English/Zulu.

He told me that his dad was a leader in his church and then he said that I should read Psalm 1 sometime. As it happens I had my Bible in the car, so I pulled it out and we started reading it together. As this was happening another inquisitive attendant joined us and asked me to explain what the passage meant - it was awesome! The 3 of us talking about God and faith, all while my car was being filled with diesel.

Did I plan to do that - no ways. I was just planning on filling up and then carrying on with my day. But, God decided to bless me and hopefully the two attendants. I certainly left the garage in high spirits and thanked God for "arranging" our little impromptu gathering.

I am reminded that God is always looking for opportunities to use us, even if we don't feel prepared or good enough. It doesn't have to be an event that would make national news, but it DOES matter to God and those involved.

Look out for a "God incidence" today.

Living in Grace
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Crusades

Every year I teach a few classes on the Crusades, at the Seminary. And every time I share about that dark period in the history of Christianity, I feel more bleak and horrified. That 200 year period reveals the dark-side of our human nature and how easy it is for people to call themselves 'Christians', yet live such godless lives. It kind of forces me to take a deep look at myself and to see if there is anything 'dark' or 'hidden' in my own motives and life. For we all fall short of the glory of God...

Of course, not all of the crusaders were barbaric and ungodly - there were many who sincerely wanted to see Jerusalem won for the Christian community, and they weren't prepared to kill for that ideal. Sadly, they seemed to be a minority voice, calling out among numerous princes, knights, popes and lords, all seeking their own agenda.

I am not sure whether I am comfortable with the first part of this next quote. The second part is good and true, but the first part is contentious. What do you think?

"The triumphs of the Crusades were the triumphs of faith. But faith without wisdom is a dangerous thing." - Sir Steven Runciman

Let me know what's on your mind. God bless.

Living in Grace

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Calling...

What's your calling?

Is it to help others or to serve people in your profession? 
Is it perhaps to use your gifts to bless others or to help the needy?
Do you see your calling to be the best you can be, no matter who or what stands in your way?
Do you think that your calling is still unfolding for you at this moment?
Could you calling be to love your family in the best way possible?

I strongly feel that each one of us has a calling and that we need to be fulfilling that calling in order to sense that we are in the will of God. Otherwise we will keep feeling frustrated and empty.

Oswald Chambers wrote these words on what he felt was a calling:
"Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the Gospel of God."

This calling would then include all of us. If we aimed to proclaim the Gospel of  God (which is about being redeemed by a loving Saviour) then we would want to move towards the Holiness of God.

"A calling is something you feel - you look out and see the need - maybe it's the need for the poor, to help poor people. Maybe it's the need to get involved in the race problem, as Martin Luther King was - he felt called." - Billy Graham

So, let me ask you again - what is your calling? Are you living it out in your life now?

Living in Grace
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Do you want it badly enough?

If you want something badly enough, you will make every effort to get it - that is how most people work! Often the things we 'want' are good and godly, but sometimes they are not. Many people have sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of that one thing (relationship, career, money, car, house) and have ended up devastated.

The Sherwood Baptist Church has a large banner in their Church that says: "Whoever wants the next generation the most will get them." This refers to the next generation of people and in case you didn't know, there is a war raging for them. The world desperately wants the next generation, while the Church seems content to sit idly by.

This challenges me greatly. We need to do something about this. How badly do we want people to experience the love and mercy of Jesus? How badly do we want people to know Jesus and the abundant life He offers us?

So what are we willing to do about it?

Just asking...

Living in Grace
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