Where does bravery start?

When do you start to feel brave? Is it at the moment you are confronted with an obstacle or is it something you are born with - a "brave" gene?

Max Lucado makes an interesting point in his book, Fear Not. He says, "Biographies of bold disciples begin with chapters of honest terror."

Just read that sentence again... 

Today, when we read the biographies of brave disciples, we forget that many of them began their steps of faith by stumbling and being afraid. Take any number of the brave disciples as your litmus test and you will see what I mean.

Simon Peter - did he start out brave? No ways.

Thomas - how brave did he feel after Jesus died? He didn't even want to hang around with the disciples anymore.

Thaddeus?

Bartholomew?

Philip?

Even Old Testament characters weren't always brave.

Gideon - was he keen for a Godly challenge? No on your life!

Moses - he wanted Aaron to go instead of him.

Our biographies may not start with much fanfare, but as we bravely hang onto the Gospel, let us pray that God equips us for his great Kingdom work.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

We are not as Invincible as we think

Today marks the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The 15th April 1912 will go down as the day 1500 passengers aboard the "unsinkable" Titanic died in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean. If you would like to read some interesting facts about the Titanic go to this link and enjoy the article.

The reason I am reminding us of this fateful day in Nautical history is because the Titanic will always confirm that "people are not as invincible as we think we are!" This ship was lauded as being "practically unsinkable" and no one believed it would end in the way it did. As humans, we got arrogant and with this pride, we fell into the age-old trap of self-reliance. We thought we had it all covered, but there were a few things that the owners, engineers and builders had neglected to check out. The most obvious one being the number of life boats on board the Titanic - there were only enough boats for 1 out of 3 passengers!

Although I believe we can  'do all things through Christ who strengthens us' (Philippians 4:13), I do feel that we need to maintain proper perspective. As a human being, I am deeply loved by Jesus, but I am not Invincible. In fact, the sooner we realise that "we are not God" the better for us all. It will be the pride of humanity that we lead to our ultimate demise.

What do you think?

Proverbs 16:18 - "First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall" (Message)

Living in Grace
D3LM3

The Hill of Ice

Have you ever felt like you are getting somewhere in your life/faith/relationships and then suddenly you slide all the way back to square One? It is almost as if we are climbing a Hill of ice, only to see all our efforts count for zero. If you can relate to this, then you will enjoy this quote from Charles Spurgeon:

"The Christian life is very much like climbing a hill of ice. You cannot slide up. You have to cut every step with an ice axe. Only with incessant labor in cutting and chipping can you make any progress. If you want to know how to backslide, leave off going forward. Cease going upward and you will go downward of necessity. You can never stand still."

Did you notice the part about cutting into the ice and chipping away? That is what our Spiritual journey often entails. In order to consistently move forward we need to make sure that our footholds are strong and dependable. It may not seem like you are gaining much ground, but if you made sure that you are on solid ground, then your direction will always be forward.

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." - Galatians 5:25

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Gather up courage

We can gather up eggs...

We can gather up rocks...

We can gather up wheat ...

We can gather up broken glass...

We can gather up a whole lot of things, but have you ever heard of 'Gathering up COURAGE'?

“Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, and he GATHERED UP COURAGE and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.” – Mark 15:43 (NASB)

You may be facing a situation at the moment where you feel a little uneasy or afraid - so perhaps you need to 'gather up your courage.' I believe that we can ask Jesus to help us in these situations and that He can give us the courage we need. Why don't you try - what have you got to lose?

Ezekiel 22:14 -Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

You can be Danny Willett

Let me start this blog post by admitting that I am not the biggest Golf fan, but I do know many of the international golfers, mainly from flicking through the sports channels. On Monday morning I wanted to know who won the US Masters and when I saw his name as the winner, my first reaction was: "Who is Danny Willett?!"

As I say, please forgive my golfing knowledge, but I had never heard of him before. As this news filtered through my Monday morning brain, I thought "That's actually quite nice! It is good when an unknown/underdog wins a major sporting event."

So, I feel that we can all be like Danny Willett in a way. Even though we may not feel like "regular" champions, God can grant us Victory in the most important event of our lives. When we join God's team, God will grant us the ultimate prize.

Revelation 2:7 - To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

1 Chronicles 11:14 - But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

 Psalm 149:4 - For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.

Have you decided to join God's team yet? What is stopping you?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Just make the invitation

“God is so willing to enter your world.

The hospital room? He goes there.

Late-night deadlines? He will stay up with you.

Just invite him in.” – Max Lucado (Come Thirsty)

 I find it interesting that on some level we believe that God is 'everywhere' and that we can't run away from God's presence. However, when we face all kinds of trials and difficulties, God is often the last person to be "invited" into those situations. Maybe we are afraid that God won't show up or that God doesn't want to go there - that God is preoccupied with other things. On the contrary I think that Jesus is wanting to enter into every aspect of our lives - not to spoil the moment, but rather to accompany us through these times.

So, just INVITE Jesus into the situation you are facing today.

•  œ Psalm 138:7 – “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me …. And your right hand will save me.”

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Fear drives me to ...

John 20: 19 – “On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews."

Fear can do all kinds of things to us. It can make us run away, it can paralyse us and it can make us hide away from others, just like the early disciples. In the end, it is our fears that can rob us of the peace that God offers all of us. 

What are you afraid of today? 
What are your fears doing to you? Are they making you feel helpless, lonely or so anxious that you feel sick?
Will you invite Jesus to come into your life situation and bring his peace?

If you read the rest of John 20:19, you will see that is says the following:

"...Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!”

May God grant you his SHALOM today.

Living in Grace
D3LM3