Leave

We will be away on leave from tomorrow, so your 'inbox' will be empty for a while. Enjoy the World Cup and may God bless you.

Until we chat again!

Proverbs 4:25 - "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you."

Live in His Grace,
D3LM3

Lessons from the World Cup - part 2

Have you noticed that there are a number of arrogant coaches and players at the World Cup? I always feel it is stupid to speak out before a game, as this leaves you open for all kinds of comments, if you fail to win. This has happened a few times already. Perhaps this is why humility is such an endearing character trait, but which we see so seldom.

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. - 1 Peter 5:5-7

PROVERBS 11:2 (NKJ)- "When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom."

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Lessons from the World Cup - Part 1

Their are a number of countries playing at the 2010 World Cup who have brilliant individual talent, but who clearly can't play as a team. Take the whole Nicolas Anelka saga as an example. One player doesn't make up a team.

Didn't Paul say something similar about the Church? Of course he did...

1 Corinthians 12:12 - "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body."

Playing as a team gives you greater chance of victory. Working alongside one another in the Body of Christ makes us much more effective and powerful. Are you part of the team or are you trying to go it alone?

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Wisdom at it's best

Some people have a gift of putting deep thoughts into few words. Saint Augustine was one of these gifted people. Digest these words:

"In essentials, unity.
In non-essentials, liberty.
In all things, charity." - Augustine

2 John 1:3 - "Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love."

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

P.S. I gave you a riddle last week, which a few of you got right. Well done! The quote was from Jeremiah (Jeremiah 17:11).

When the chips are down...

You may have heard this saying before - "when the chips are down!" By the way, it has nothing to do with your waiter putting the hot chips (french fries) onto your table either. The idiom originates from a game of poker but now has the connection with things being serious, desperate or urgent.

As much as we hope that Bafana Bafana will beat France in their next game, it looks as if the 'chips are down.' The true test of our Nations fanatical support will be tested when we are knocked out of the tournament. I believe that South Africans will still support the World Cup with as much passion and fervour - we will just choose another team to support (and hopefully one that has no 'divers' in it!)

What happens in your relationship with God when the 'chips are down?' Do you give up? Do you blame God? Do you turn to another god? What do we do? Here is some solid advice.

James 1:12 - "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

James 5:11 - "As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

Hang in there.
Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Invasion

The other day my twitter account (@delmelinscott) was hacked into. I had a secure password, or so I thought - anyway, I now have a new password! So, some random person hacks into my account and posts a whole lot of things under my name - that's not cool! How do I protect my name and account in future? Well, the easiest way is to change my password - so, I am safe from 'hackers' for now.

When people invade your personal space, what do you do? When people are demanding a lot from you and you are feeling overwhelmed, how do you cope? When you are feeling empty and drained, how do you recharge your spiritual batteries?

We can't simply change our 'password' to protect ourselves. We can't always change address or telephone number. We can't always hide under the blankets. We can't pretend that it will all go away. We need to do something.

Here's what I sometimes do:
1. I draw aside for a while - I find a secluded place to literally get away for a few hours.
2. I pray. I ask God for strength and direction.
3. I read the Scriptures to see how others have handled this situation before.
4. I allow myself to put things back into proper perspective and then I come back into the fray.

That's how Jesus did it!
Mark 1:35 - "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

You are no accident

Increasingly I am coming across people who are battling with their self image. While I understand our struggle in this area, it is one of the things that the Bible speaks a lot about. God believes in us. God loves us. God created us.

When Jeremiah was wrestling with his identity, God spoke these words to him:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." - Jeremiah 1:4-5

My friend, you are not an accident - God knew what He was doing when you were created.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

P.S. Awesome Baby scan photo taken from here