Thoughts on decision making

    Our decisions define us. They set us apart from other people. The decisions we make don't just affect us, they affect everyone that has anything to do with our lives; therefore it is important to take responsibility for our decisions, whether good or bad.

    For example: You make a decision not to go to university, but rather to take that money and start your own business instead. People may see this decision as isolated, but no decision is isolated if you look at the bigger picture. At university you may have had the chance to meet people that could change the way you see the world and thus change the way you make decisions. You may have learnt something that could help you make better decisions and thus justify your time spent at an institution of learning. Had you decided to start your own business instead, the kinds of people you will meet would most likely be different. People with common interests in a common industry; maybe people who challenge you in a different way and thus changing the way you make decisions. You may learn from your mistakes and be wiser for it; a trademark of an entrepreneur. Both these scenarios will determine the kind of spouse you settle for and the differing types of expectation you have for life. In short, your definition of success will be different.

    The question then arises as to what is the wrong decision and what is the right decision? The answer doesn't lie in the philosophy of the post-modern relativity of happiness or contentment. It lies with God. The bible tells us that He has a plan for our lives (Jer 29:11) and a good and perfect will for our futures (Rom 12:2). By implication then, it means that you can be in God's will and you can be out of it. As the above example suggests, either  decision has it's merits, but which one is God's perfect will for your life; which one is God's best for you?

    Here is a guideline that I use to make decisions, it takes the pressure off of being right or wrong: If your heart and your will are sincerely submitted to God and His will for your life, then there is no such thing as making the wrong decision, only a better one. It is important to submit your decisions to God and trust that you are hearing Him speak to you when you make a decision. With this attitude God's grace allows us to do His will for our lives, even when we don't always make the best decisions.

    Our decisions have lasting consequences; what we sow we will inevitably reap (Gal 6:8). My hope is that as you sow into your future and into the futures of those around you, that you will sow good seed. Seed that will produce life and not death, seed that will help set people free instead of enslaving them to condemnation (John 8:36, Gal 5:1).

"Your decisions can change the world!"

Photo Update

An array of pictures captured over the past two months or so. They depict some of the projects I've been involved with and some of the places I have been. I've experimented with some photo-editing software, hopefully it makes for interesting browsing.

GraceLife Central, while still in it's construction phase. It is now the hub of ministry activity during the week, at GraceLife Ministries.

The first band workshop that I facilitated for GraceLife Music. We discussed how we should view praise and worship and where music, singing and dancing fits into a worship service.

More of the guys from the band: Muso's, techies and vocalists. An incredible team to work with, people who's hearts are after God.

CBC Heidelberg, WC, South Africa, second-year classroom. Shayne and Marna looking very excited for the next DVD session.

The sign says it all ...  Heidelberg, WC, South Africa

Newlands cricket ground, Cape Town. The world did not end at 11:11:11 AM on the 11/11/2011. It was a stunning day at the cricket though, under the watchful eye of table mountain.

Emotions: A catalyst for worship?

“Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, My lips will praise You” – Psalm 63:3

The question: What role do emotions play when we sing praises to God?

    We know that we are supposed to worship God in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). One of the best and most outwardly expressed forms of worship is singing songs together as believers, songs that edify the body of Christ and bring glory to Jesus. Worship is by no means confined to thirty minutes in a church service; we are supposed to have a lifestyle of worship. That is, everything that we do, should be from our hearts responding to the goodness of God and what He has done for us; not just singing and playing instruments. Spheres such as giving, helping, working, socializing and every other conceivable aspect of life, should be done with an attitude of worship.

    However, since the birth of the charismatic movement a good forty years ago, there has been a shift in the importance of music within a church context; music has become a major part of any form of charismatic ministry. It is not uncommon for churches to spend millions on sound equipment, instruments, training and professional consultants in order to have their music sounding good, or up to ‘standard’. Does this grossly disproportionate allocation of resources have any substance? Or is it just something that has taken on a life of its own and like many other aspects of modern Christianity, has no real biblical basis?

    The main reason for this focus on music and singing is the undeniable link between the emotions that music evokes and our ability to worship God in spirit and truth. Now, this has been abused in many spheres, where the focus has been all about getting as much emotional reaction out of the congregation as possible and when a big response is received it is seen as ‘successful worship’ (if there is such a thing). On the other hand, there are sections of the more traditional churches, who stay away from contemporary music as much as they can, because of what the conjuring up of emotions, through music, could produce in there congregants. They maintain it takes the focus of the congregant off God and onto music. Both views have their merits, but what does the word say?

    The bible is full of examples of people singing hymns unto God, where they are shouting, dancing and playing instruments unto the Lord. (Ps 66:1-2, 92:3, 100, 149:3 Acts 16:25) Thus, it can’t be wrong to sing, dance and make a joyful noise to God; the question must rather lie in our motives behind this. It is impossible to worship God in this manner and not get emotional about it. If we look at worship, specifically music and singing, from a perspective of spirit, soul and body (1 Thes 5:23) things become a little bit more clear.

    Humans are made up of three parts, spirit, soul and body. When we get born-again we have the spirit of Jesus inside of us, our spirit and Jesus’ spirit are one, the individual characteristics of either have vanished and a new creation is formed (2 Cor 5:17) However our soul (mind, will and emotions) and our body (five senses) still remain the same, they still need to be sanctified or changed according to the perfect will of God. Our soul is the easier of the remaining two aspects, that make-up a person, to change. This can be done by renewing your mind to the truths contained in God’s word (Romans 12:2).

    A focused time of praise and worship is thus a unique opportunity for our entire being; spirit, soul and body to come into line and worship God. It’s not a struggle for your born-again spirit to worship God; it’s getting your soul and your body to agree with your spirit. When we encounter God-focused music and singing, our emotions, or 'soulish' realm, start having positive responses towards God and His goodness. We get reminded about what He has done for us and how good it is to be in His presence where there is liberty (2 Cor 3:17) and fullness of joy (Ps 16:11).

    It is in this state where our spirits are worshiping, our soul is touched on all levels and all of a sudden we find our body reacting accordingly. We find ourselves lifting our hands, closing our eyes, kneeling down, bowing, clapping or dancing; all as a response in worship to our King. This my friends, is when we are worshiping Him with all that we have; spirit, soul and body; this is worshiping the Father in truth.

    Can this be achieved without music and singing? Yes, of course, you don’t need a keyboard player to help you experience God in His fullness. It is just one of the many vehicles available to us to help us experience a real and living God. Should we therefore try and avoid emotion when we worship God? Emotions are unavoidable; if we are going to worship Him with everything then emotions are included. However, we don’t focus on getting emotional, we focus on Jesus, we rest in His presence and everything flows from that. Keep the main thing, the main thing.

Pic by: Bohemianme

Eureka!

   Have you ever found out something about God, that you've never seen before? It may have been while you were reading the Word or in a time of worship or prayer and, suddenly, the Holy Spirit shows you something about God and His kingdom, in a fresh way. "Eureka, this changes everything!" This happens often to me, and it just keeps getting better. The more I find out about God, His character and His goodness, the more there is to find out; it's a snowball effect.

   With new-found knowledge, though, there comes a responsibility. Firstly, there is an onus on you to allow the new truth to work in your life, to become reality to you, to start walking it out and experiencing the freedom it brings. If truth doesn't lead to freedom, then it's not truth at all (John 8:32). Secondly, once we have made it a reality in our lives and see it's benefits, we need to extend the life to other people. It is only once you have broken through, that you can help others break through. We have a responsibility to help others share in the freedom we are experiencing ( Matt 28:18).

   However, herein lies the problem, not so much in the idea, but rather in the execution. We tend often to use new-found revelation knowledge to win arguments. We see it as our right to use something that God has shown us in order to show someone else that they are wrong in what they believe. This is the wrong attitude. Sometimes God shows us things, just so that we can benefit from it. But, more often than not, He shows us things so that the body can benefit, even if it is just one other person.

   When He does this we must realize that it wasn't us who came up with the idea, it was the Holy Spirit.Therefore if you feel God pressing it upon your heart to share the revelation with someone else, it is not up to you to convince them; it is only up to you to be obedient and present the truth that has been revealed to you. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to quicken the truth to them; helping it become a lasting revelation and not just the flavour of the week. (Rom 10:14)

   Taking this stance will cause a lot of conflict to be avoided, within the body of Christ. God knows how much you love that person and how much you want to make them see things your way; but do you think you love them more than God? No.  Our mandate is to help transition other people into the same freedom and fruitful life that we are experiencing, but at the end of the day every person is responsible for there own spiritual growth.

   What are you doing with your revelation, that which God is showing you? Are you using it to become spiritually proud and beat other Christians over the head with it? Or are you using it, in love, to try and help facilitate others to break through into what the Holy Spirit has shown you? (1 Cor 13:1)

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"

His Name

If you can put a name on it, the name of Jesus is higher than it; sickness, disease, poverty, danger or frustration - they all have names. Know your authority through His authority!

Grace

"Because of this sin no longer has dominion over me because I am no longer under law, but under grace" - Romans 6:14

Is God really all good?: # 3

                                             Adapted from unrealreality.org

    Before we take a look at Jesus, let’s see what the Old Testament prophets had to say about the New Covenant, that was to come: Jeremiah 32:40 "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good …" and Isaiah 54:10 " For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the LORD, who has mercy on you." (See also Is 55:3, Is 61:8, Jer 31:31-33, Ez 16:60). So we can see that the prophets predicted a new, everlasting covenant, of goodness, kindness and grace, which God had told them, was to come ... and it did. There are also over 300 direct prophecies of Jesus, spoken about in the Old Testament as well as many more types and shadows of the coming Messiah; He was prophesied as being the Christ, or the anointed one. He would be the one who would set the captives free, be the prince of peace, establish a new kingdom on earth and be the savior to the world. He came and He did all these things and more, He established a New Covenant.

    In Hebrews the writer says this 8:7 "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second" and later on he says in v13 “A new covenant, He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” The 'He' that is being spoken of is Jesus and the covenant that is being made obsolete in the old-covenant, the Mosaic covenant. Galatians 3:13-14 says, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith"

    So, if we are under the new covenant, how does God relate to us? He has made the covenant of the law of no effect, nullifying the curses and amplifying the blessings. See above versus for reference on God's inherent nature, but most obviously we must look at Jesus' life, to see how God relates to us. JESUS IS PURE THEOLOGY. If we look at Him we see love, we see kindness, gentleness, wisdom, righteousness, justice, patience, we see all the fruit of the spirit endowed in one person; a sinless person. When we put our faith in Jesus and the finished work of the cross, God sees us through Jesus, He sees our born-again spirits as being perfect and blameless, just like Jesus (Eph 1:4, 2:7, 2:13; Col 1:22). As the atoning sacrifice, Jesus, was the beginning of the New Covenant (Heb 9 -10), the beginning of God's best for all who choose to believe in His Son.

    When questioned on fasting, by the Pharisees, Jesus had this to say in Matthew 9:16-17, “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Jesus uses the metaphor of the new patch onto the old garment and the new wine into the old wineskin to illustrate the fact that He has come to bring a new covenant, one where the old ways of a works-based religion won’t work anymore, He has come to do the will of His father and nothing else.

    This point was made even clearer when Jesus’ disciples wanted to call fire down from heaven on those people who rejected Jesus, in Luke 9:55-56, as Elijah had done in 2 Kings 1,. But Jesus rebuked them saying, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” Showing a significant difference in how God relates to us now, under the new covenant, to how He related to us under the old covenant. (See also Eph 2:14-17)

    To conclude: God is not angry with us, He is not putting ridiculous trials on us to make us stronger, He is the giver of good gifts, always, all the time (James 1:17). Life is tough enough without God having to make it even tougher for us. The new covenant is a covenant of love and grace, by which we enter through faith (Eph 2:8), made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus (Col 1:21-22). It is a covenant by which we go from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18), where our sins are not held against us and GOD IS IN A GOOD MOOD!

Character

Pic by Annabelle Mintz

Is God really All Good? #2

A Covenant with Israel: Choose Life
 

    In Exodus 19 (see also Exodus 25:40) we read the account of Moses on Mount Sinai, where the Lord institutes the covenant of the law with Israel. This included the Ten Commandments and the other hundreds of commandments, which were linked to the ten. In Deuteronomy 5:2-5 it says, “The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb”, in reference to Exodus 19. This covenant is explained further in Deuteronomy 28, where God explains the blessings attached for obeying this law and the curses as a result of disobedience.

    The first thing we must realize that Israel had a choice, they could choose not to go under the law or not, God always gives us a choice. But, in their pride, they told Moses to go and speak to God for them, telling him they accepted the deal and that they understood the consequences (Deuteronomy 26:16-19). Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life" God always gives us a choice; He even gave us the correct answer, “choose life”. By saying this God was still true to His word, however, He gave the Israelites every opportunity to live in the blessing rather than the curse. He gave the Jewish nation 2000 years (from Adam to Moses) to run to Him and submit their lives to Him, out of their own free will, but they didn’t, the morality of the people went from bad to worse. Something had to be done if Jesus was ever going to come from this chosen people, even though the law had serious consequences, the alternative, a lifetime of separation from God due to our sin, was not an option. A temporary solution had to be made.

    What we see here is a covenant made with ISRAEL, not with us. One where they fully accepted the terms of the agreement, regarding obeying the laws, unto righteousness, and disobeying the laws, with consequences. GOD NEVER ACTS CONTRARY TO COVENANT, thus we see that when the Israelites contravened the terms of the covenant by sinning in some way, God was compelled to act in retribution, the way He promised He would, even if it meant torment on His chosen people. God is always righteous, just, merciful and true; (Ps 7:11, Ps 46:5, Ps 97:2, Ps 52:8, Ps 57:10, Ps 85:10) when He makes a promise He makes it and shows no shadow of turning, it's not in His nature to contravene His own nature. But, keep in mind, God His love (1 John 4:16), the covenant He made with Israel was out of love for all mankind.

“But their (Israel) minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” – 1 Corinthians 3:14-16

    So, does God still relate to us based on the covenant He made with Moses and Israel? Does He still punish us, today, as He did with the Israelites back then? Most people believe this, but the answer is an emphatic NO. In order to understand this, though, we must take a look at the new covenant. JESUS CHANGED THE EQUATION. Everything leading up to Jesus was inferior, a type and a shadow (Hebr 10:1); it was never God's best for the people He loved, Jews and Gentiles (Hebr 8:7). Paul spends most of his time in his epistles proving that the law of Moses has no relevance to the born-again believer and that we are under the new covenant: a covenant where God is not holding our sins against us, He does not bring sickness or disease on us to make us stronger and is not angry with us. Let's take a look at how this can be possible, is it possible that God is in a good mood? (Hebr 8:13, 2 Cor 3)

More in the next post ...

Is God really All Good? #1

   The question that I'm attempting to answer is a common one. Most people are taught and believe that God is good up to a point. That He is good in certain areas, but in other areas He does things, bad things. He does these things to us for us to learn some sort of lesson. So, why is it important that we have the correct perspective on God, that we understand His true nature? It is important because the way we see God determines the way we relate to Him and the way we relate to God will determine the strength and openness of our relationship with Him. The kind of relationship you have with God determines directly how you see the world and where you fit into it. If we have an incorrect, warped view of Him and His intrinsic nature, things that happen to us and to those around us won't make sense, we will blame God for things that He isn't responsible for, thereby putting huge strain on our relationship with Him. Herein lies the problem: The very thing we believe to be true about God can cause us to want nothing to do with Him. There is something wrong with this picture.

   Let's take a look at what the bible says about God's nature. We must look at scripture in context; context is a powerful weapon to the person making claims from it. We need to make sure our exegesis is spot on in our study of His word; this can help eliminate some elementary confusion. You must be prepared to draw conclusions from the Word and not from what someone tells you. As individuals, we are responsible for how we see God, no one else. Most people don't let the bible get in the way of what they believe; they let their own experiences determine what the bible must be saying. We can't afford to lower the truth contained in the word to the level of our experience, rather we should see and understand the truths contained in the bible, then believe that our experience of God lives up to that.

   Firstly, to understand why God does what He does, we must take a look at the different covenants He has had with man over the ages. God relates to us based on covenant, a covenant is a promise that is made between two parties, in the Old Testament times these covenants were made between God and Israel and now, through Jesus, the new covenant is made between God the born-again believer, you and me.

   His first covenant was with Adam in Genesis 2. Noah and his family, in Genesis 6, were the next to have a covenant with God. The bible says in Gen 6:8 “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” and later on in verse 18 God says, "But I will establish my covenant with you ..."As God’s plan for the redemption of the world started to unfold, He then made a covenant with Abraham, which is recorded in Genesis 17. The human race still continued to decay in the moral abyss and thus a covenant was made with Moses and the children of Israel in Exodus 34. The final, everlasting covenant between God and man was through Jesus. Prophesied of over 500 times in the Old Testament and looked upon as the defining factor in the New Testament, this is where our focus will end up.

   Let's take a look at two of the Old Testament covenants and see why they were made and how it affected God relating to us. We know that when God made the earth it was perfect, sinless (Gen 1 and 2) however, at the fall of man sin entered into the world. Did God know this was going to happen? Yes. Did He make provision for this eventuality? Yes. Revelation 13:8 says that Jesus was slain before the world was even created. God knew what was going to happen and He knew what needed to be done. I can just imagine Jesus saying, “Create them; I’ll pick up the tab” About 500 to 800 years after creation, God made a covenant with Abraham, this is the first indication that God wants to use a specific people group to bring forth the Messiah. God said this to Abraham in Genesis 17:7, "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you ... for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you" God goes on to describe the covenant with Abraham, one where He will bless him and all his descendants, bringing them unparalleled prosperity and only have good intent towards them.

   So what has God's promise with Abraham got to do with us? The whole reason God chose a person, Abraham, and a people, Israel, is so that He could bring forth a messiah, Jesus, the anointed one. Paul writes in the New Testament in Galatians 3:7-8 "Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, 'In you all the nations shall be blessed.'" and later on in the same chapter he says v29 "And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."

   It becomes quite clear then, that as born-again believers, we are the seed of Abraham and therefore heirs to all the promises that God made to Abraham all those thousands of years ago. However, the confusion for the modern day believer comes in when, around 600 years later, God instituted the covenant with Moses (Mosaic covenant), this covenant included a series of laws that the Israelites had to follow. There were blessings and curses which followed as a result of keeping or breaking these laws. Keep in mind that God doesn’t like sin at all, He abhors it, but we are/were sinners, so how do we harmonize this?

Read on in the next post to follow shortly.

Pic Courtesy of runawayjuno.com

Lately

     Over the past few weeks I've kept myself busy on various projects. However, I find that serving, is the best way to keep my mind focused on the bigger picture, and keep it off 'lil old me'. Conveniently, I  didn't have to look very far in order to find places in which to serve. As I transition into my next season, I am grateful that God allowed me to play a part, albeit a very small part, in the lives of these lovely people.

     School Leavers Opportunity Training (SLOT), is an NGO focused on giving young, disadvantaged people, the necessary skills in order to contribute to society as a whole. SLOT offers a holistic program addressing the pressing issues associated with the youth of South Africa, today. I was privileged to be a part of their spiritual side of things, where I gave a class on the Holy Spirit. I took the liberty of demonstrating the active power of the Holy Spirit and many were healed; from headaches to body aches! It was a great blessing and I know that for some of these young people, it was a life-changing experience. Yes people, God heals outside of church and even where there is no keyboard in the background!

The 60 young people I had the honour of ministering to at SLOT

   NCF church is expanding rapidly in the region and I happen to be related to the person in charge of all thirteen of the music bands, that make up this colossal effort. They have seven different sites (and counting) in one city, but due to the explosion of sites, there was a shortage of musicians. I put my hand up to help them out and had such a lot of fun. Seeing people encounter the living God during worship, is enough to inspire anyone to make the most of their life. It also made me realise more, that church is not about a building or a mission statement, it's not even about a band or a tattoo-bearing charismatic speaker (with a past), it's about Jesus; His love for us and our response to that love.

NCF Church - doing good stuff

How Should Christians Deal with Social Issues?

    We are surrounded by social issues every day. All around us there are people abusing substances, teenagers falling pregnant and crimes being committed, these are basic examples of negative social issues. The first question I want to pose is this: Are Christians responsible for solving social issues? The answer is an overwhelming, YES. We should be at the forefront of trying to put an end to upward suicide trends and increased gang-related violence, it is part of our mandate. The problem, however, does not lie in the if, it lies in the how.

    For decades now Christians have been trying to alleviate poverty by having fundraisers, buying food and clothes with the money raised and then handing it out to the needy, hoping it will solve the problem of having poor people on the streets. Albeit noble, this scenario and the many thousands like it are in vane, temporary at best. We constantly make the same mistake: WE ADDRESSS THE FRUIT AND NOT THE ROOT! The fruit of the issue is poverty, but the root is greed. The fruit of the issue is rape, but the root is evil lust. The fruit of the issue is gay marriage, but the root is deception. The fruit of the issue is wife abuse, but it is rooted in insecurity.

   There is an obvious trend to be found concerning the social issues we encounter everyday: They are all issues of the heart.  We are told that it is out of the heart that the issues of life flow (Prov 4:23). The apostle Paul does an interesting thing in Ephesians 6, when he addresses the issue of slavery, a major social issue at the time. He does not give his opinion on the merits of slavery, nor does he discredit the practice, instead, he immediatley addresses the heart issue, in the slave-master relationship. In verse 5 he says, "... in sincerity of heart as to Christ" , verse 6 "... doing the will of God from the heart" and verse 9 " ... your own Master is in heaven and there is no partiality with Him"

    What Paul has done here, is to successfully break down a highly controversial social issue of the day and make it simple. He didn't start a campaign against slavery, he didn't send out petitions and he didn't mobilize a prayer movement. He addressed the heart of the slave and the heart of the master, because from the heart flows all of life's issues.

    The fact is, that we don't put enough faith in the power of the gospel, the power of the good news of Jesus Christ, in order to let the gospel change people's lives. Instead we want to try and change people and their situations from the outside in, instead of from the inside out. The reality is that it is only the truth that will set people free (John 8:32) Only the good news of what Jesus has done for us has the power to break the cycle of poverty in our communities, it is the only force strong enough to forever bring people to their senses from a life-time of selfishness and greed. We must believe that the gospel is the answer, because it addresses the heart of the matter, the root, which will in turn bare good fruit.

    We must contend for the hearts of people, communities and nations. We must allow the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and understanding on how best to minister the gospel to people, who believe God has failed them. The people who are worst affected by negative social issues, need to know that God loves them, that He wants the best for them and that no matter what they've done, He still died for them.

    Paul sums up what happens to us when our hearts transition from being under satan's control (old man), to a full and vibrant life, living in the freedom of Christ (new man). This is what we should want society to look like.

"17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" - Ephesians 5:17-24

Recommended Reads

Some of the more inspiring reading I've read over the past few weeks:

 Lance Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike, was a more-than-inspiring read. It puts into perspective the extent to which some people go, to get where they are, even against the worst odds. If you want to start dreaming big, read this. StartLiving rating: 8/10

 The Story of the King James Bible is an intriguing look at the events leading up to and the context into which the King James Bible came into being. Recommended for language, historical and theological buffs alike. StartLiving rating: 7/10

Blink sets out the idea of why first impressions count, but also, how they are often misleading. A must-read if you regularly deal with people and want to get the most out of your interactions. We all interact with people, so give it a read. StartLiving rating: 7/10

"You think your truth is better than ours"

    "You think your truth is better than ours ..." the lyrics from a popular Indy-rock band. This line depicts an element of truth within the psyche of people who are sensitive and insecure around other people's beliefs. This got me thinking, in a previous post, Why is it important to hear from God?, I suggested that if we didn't hear from God regularly, we would be insecure believers. This is true and very important. But I want to put forth another view, how as believers, we can still be immature and insecure, even while having been a church for a long time and hearing from God ocassionaly.

    "How?", you may ask, let's take a look. Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than going to watch the Olympics makes you an elite athlete. However, most Christians don't see it this way, they don't seek God for themselves nor take responsibility for their own spiritual maturity, they expect the pastor to do all the hearing-from-God and all the reading-from-the word for them and so never end up growing, maturing and becoming effective believers.

    Ephesians 4:14 - 15  " ... that we should no longer be children ... but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ ..."

    Paul, writing to the Ephesians, makes a point of how important it is to be mature, to not be swung by any wind of doctrine, by the deception, trickery and deceit of people trying to lead you astray. He says this after he instructs those with the gifts of teaching, prophecy and apostleship to equip the saints for the works of ministry (v12). Why does Paul place so much emphasise on the teaching of anointed people?

   

     For the simple fact that we all need great, insightful teaching; apostolic impartation and prophetic guidance. Sometimes we need people to explain the bible to us. However, even with all of this in place, we still may not here the truth. For whatever reason the vast number of churches and ministries today, don't always teach and preach what the word actually says. There is a lot of speculation as to why this happens, reasons ranging from 'keeping the people happy', 'not wanting to create waves' and 'doing what's expected', are all thrown about as excuses for not teaching the pure gospel of Jesus Christ. These people are regularly grouped into a category we like to call seeker sensitive. It's impossible to preach Jesus and not be controversial, because Jesus was and still is controversial.

    The point that I am trying to make is this: We are sitting with immature Christians in churches for years, because they don't hear the truth. We can't lay the blame purely at the feet of the clergy though, because YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SPIRITUAL GROWTH. Speaking and seeking the truth in love, should be the responsibility of every believer, and every preacher. Holding back and pandering to expectation does more harm than good in the long-run, Christians will be (and have been) seen as the most gullible people on the face of the earth.

    We must hold our leaders responsible to teach the truth in love, to bring the people to a level of maturity. We must also take initiative and look for challenging and thought-provoking teaching for ourselves. Teaching that is based on the truth of the word, not post-modern philosophy. Teaching where the teacher has nothing to gain, financially or for fame, where they live what they preach. Teachers who are held accountable by others for what they preach.

    I know for me, that I had to make a deliberate attempt to find teaching that challenged me. I talk to many people who are frustrated with the teaching they receive and they repeatedly say the same thing, 'I am just not growing ... I'm getting over the milk I'm being fed' My answer to you is the same answer I give them, YOU NEED TO MAKE AN EFFORT. So, I am going to make the search a bit easier and give you links to the various teachings that have changed my life. People that have helped me transition to a gospel that has made me into a mature, world-changing believer. You may also like some of them, but there are others out there, you just need to make an effort because immaturity is not an option. The truth you find will be the the one that sets you free.

Andrew Wommack Ministries: http://www.awmi.net/

Bill Johnson (Bethel Church): http://www.ibethel.org/

Arthur Meintjes: http://www.kingdomlifeministries.com/

Rob Rufus (City Church International): http://www.ccihk.com/

Good Life

     I hope you enjoy this song as much as I have over the past weeks. I thought I'd share it with you because it really tells my story over the last three years and it's sung by one of my favourite bands. Check out the lyrics below incase you missed them in the video. 




Woke up in London yesterday
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly
Don't really know how I got here
I got some pictures on my phone

New names and numbers that I don't know
Address to places like Abbey Road
Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want
We're young enough to say

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Col-or-ado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bull* that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me-e-e-e
What there is to complain about ...?
...
...
...

Sixty-seven Minutes

     This week marked the ninety-third birthday of the great Nelson Mandela. The Nelson Mandela foundation has decided that since Mandela, himself, spent sixty-seven years of his life struggling for the freedom of an entire nation, that it would only be fitting if we, as that nation, commemorated his efforts in some gallant way. So, what better way to do this than to give a little bit of your own time, on this day, for other people. How about sixty-seven minutes of selflessness?
     When I started thinking about what I could do for 67 minutes for someone else, I started to panic. Thoughts like, "67 minutes is a long time" and "who on earth has 67 minutes to give away on a Monday" Suddenly I felt ashamed of myself, I talk a big talk, but when I am not on a ministry trip or involved with some organised event to bring the good news to others, am I in fact selfish? When left alone, with no-one watching, when the spotlight is elsewhere, are we in fact inherently selfish? The answer is an overwhelming, yes.
     If we had more people like Mandela, selfless people, dedicated to a cause, putting a noble ideal ahead of their own comfort and before their personal gain; wouldn't the world have such a different look about it? Imagine if we didn't just give up 67 minutes, once a year, but that everyone who physically could, gave 67 minutes a day to a cause, without expecting anything in return. This world would not be entirely void of poverty or sadness, but there would be a whole bunch of people less depressed with their situations, because they are finally starting to look beyond themselves. The intrinsic tendency of self-centerdness in humans is the root cause of most psychological and emotional disparity.
     So, how does one find a cause, where do you start giving, when, your whole life you've just been taking? It's not hard, you don't have to look far to find someone to bless with your time, money or a smile. Yes, it has to be deliberate, but once you start looking and finding people to bless and causes to forward, life becomes that much more rewarding. Living for something other than yourself, goes a long way in acknowledging that you are not God, that others are as important to Him as you are to yourself.
     Sixty-seven minutes a year can easily become 67 minutes a week and before you know it you've dedicated 67 years of your life to a cause that makes your time here in earth worth while. A sure way to limit regrets in life is to live selflessly. It starts with 67 minutes ... see also the post on An Ideal for Which I am Prepared to Die

Oprah: Power, Influence, Interesting ...

     I happened to catch the final episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show today. After 25 years of being on television everyday, Oprah has called it a day, moving on to greener pastures.

     There were a couple of things that struck me while watching this. The first one was her influence: the more successful she became, the more influence she had. The more influence she had the more power she wielded. The second thought that came to mind is the world-view that she was pushing, using her influence.We all have a world-view, unfortunately though, Oprah's world-view does not point to a Redeeming Saviour, but rather to an abstract energy from within. However, due to her influence, people listen.

     People are looking for answers and therefore look to someone they can trust to provide them with their answers. In a world that is searching, there are people ready and willing to provide answers, they may however not be the right answers.

     Where are you finding your answers? Too many of us find our answers in the media or in secular thinking, however God wants us to find our answers in Him and the Truth of His Word. He wants us to renew our minds and focus on things that produce life, outside of ourselves. Maybe you are asking questions like What should I do with my life? or Why do bad things happen to good people? The way you answer these types of questions will go a long way in determining your world view.

     Is Oprah wrong for pushing her world view? By no means, it's her opinion to peddle. However, we can take a leaf out of her book and not shy away from gaining influence, it's not wrong to be well known and respected, in fact all Christians should be respected in society (sadly this is not always the case) We need a Godly perspective on life though, our message should be one of a loving God who has given us all we have to accomplish His plan in our lives, by His grace. The power we wield should be to build His kingdom and not our own, so that every person on earth can reach their God-given potential.

Rest: It's a good thing





     "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" - Matthew 11:28

     When people hear the word rest, most would conjure up ideas of sleeping, sipping a cocktail on the beach or just relaxing with a book on your couch. In Christian circles rest is used to describe a day in the week which we are supposed to put aside our day jobs and take time to focus on family and God. Rest is an important part of living a productive life because, after all, we are not machines and need to take time out to gain perspective and re-charge our batteries, so to speak.

     But, I believe there is more to rest than just the physical and psychological advantages. God has instituted a state of rest for all believers to live in, not only on a certain day or at an allocated time, but rather as a permanent spiritual state.  When we are at rest in the spirit it affects every area of our lives, as everything we see in the physical is preceded in the spiritual.

"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His." - Hebrews 4:9-10 

     The state of rest is available to every believer. The writer of Hebrews compares the rest that we have access to, to the rest that God entered into after the six days of creation. That we have no right in relying on our works any longer, but rather on everything that God has done for us. A place of rest, for every believer, is in fact a place of faith. It takes the onus off us to perform our religious duties to please God, rather placing the emphasise of our walk on putting faith in what God has already done for us; redeeming us from our sins and giving us everything we need to live a victorious Christian life.

"Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience" - Hebrews 4:11

     Entering into His rest doesn't happen automatically after we get saved, it is a deliberate attempt to live a life of faith. Once we understand that there is nothing that we can do to make God love us more, then we realize that we need to have faith in what He has already done. This is the most productive place we can be in our spiritual lives, where we realize our efforts are futile and His provision is more than enough

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" - Matthew 11:29

     Jesus is our rest. It is not a day or an idea, it is a spiritual reality, one that is imperative for us as Christians to walk in if we are going to finish the race strong and make a difference along the way. For too long now, we have relied on our own efforts and have gotten worn out quickly, dropping from exhaustion along the way. Let's be diligent to enter His rest by His grace, let's take Jesus up on His offer to take up His yoke. Rest in Him and you will be surprised at how productive you'll become!

*All scripture quoted from the NKJV

A good year all round!

     A quick glimpse back at some of the highlights of my time at Charis Bible College, Colorado. A year where God opened up new avenues of goodness and glory to me and held nothing back. These photos recount some of the many adventures.




Checking out restored Tour de France bikes in Aspen, Colorado, September '10



Great Fashion: Annual CBC Christmas party with our special sweaters! December '10

    

CBC 2nd Year class; being instructed by Wendel Parr close to graduation. May '11

   


 Ignite the Fire conference at Joyland church, a fantastic experience! February '11

CBC Graduating Class of 2010/2011. One hundred and seventy seven students from more than 7 countries!

 


Born To Run

    This is a slight digression from the general theme of previous posts, but I thought a bit of a change would be good! And what better way to digress than onto another topic I am passionate about, endurance!

    The book 'Born To Run' by Christopher McDougall, gave me renewed hope of what can be achieved if you want it badly enough. Having some experience in pushing my body to the 'limit', the question I always ask myself is this, "Is my body actually made to do this?". Did God create us to run long distances repeatedly, or is it, as my physio says, 'just crazy'?

    That's where this book comes in. The author makes a compelling argument for why we were in fact born to run. His research looks at how the human body is made up and how we have everything necessary for running long distances, often. Of course, some may argue that the epidemic of running injuries makes a clear statement to the contrary. However, on closer inspection of the source of most of these injuries (which weren't around 50 years ago) it comes down to our over-reliance on compensation footwear (Thicker soles, arches, pronations etc.) 

    You will have to read the book to get the jist of it, but the reason I bring all of this up is because of this: The book's explanations rely heavily on evolutionary theory, which I think is absolutely rubbish. I put this down to the individual evolutionist bias of the researchers (and the author); but it highlights the most incredible truth. That God, our creator, made us to to be the pinnacle of His creation. Our bodies are made to out-live, out-think and out-run any other species on earth. He made us so far superior in our inner workings, that it is impossible to put it all down to evolution. It is purposeful, masterful design. We are His signature of true love!

    This book gave me the licence to dream further and bigger than before. Isn't that one of the primary tasks of literature, to take you to places you've never been? Anyway, here's to injury free miles ahead, whether it be on the your feet or on your bike. Free your mind through the sweat and the mud and pay attention to the details of your machine (or as some people call it, your body) you will look squarely into Him!

Great Minds Think Alike ... but, what about those that don't?

'Sai Kung fishing village, Hong Kong'              Pic by: AJ Holmes

   
    When we believe in something, we generally like to believe that what we believe is right. This is especially true when it comes to religion and the many aspects that make it up. However, there will invariably be someone that we come in contact with, that thinks differently to us. In fact, it is a guarantee. The question that must then be asked is, how do you react to people that think, believe and act differently to you? Do you ignore them and hope they will go away, do you get offended by them, thus burning your bridges or do you spend your time and energy trying to convince them of your conviction?


    All of the above courses of action, in my experience, have proven to be futile. So shouldn’t we just learn to get along with everyone and do our part in making the world a more peaceful place? Well, yes. But, before you label me a hippy, I do believe that if we believe in anything strongly enough, there always will be those that oppose you. The ensuing conflict can sometimes then be unavoidable. After all, there are reasons why we believe what we believe, sometimes overwhelming reasons, but often subjective ones.

    I am a firm believer in having convictions, living by them and not compromising on them. It is from this perspective that we have to learn how to relate to people who don’t hold to our convictions, by still acting in love and grace towards them, but still holding true to ourselves. Take the different flavors of Christianity that we have. There are people who are passionate about speaking in tongues, and people that don’t see biblical precedence for it; people who hold the Sabbath with fervency and others who see life as God’s day of rest. Still some who believe that when we partake in Holy Communion that it is literally Jesus’ body and others see it only as a representation. There are nearly as many different beliefs on the body of Christ as there are believers. But, believe we must.

    The inevitability of differing beliefs means we have to learn to deal with the people that hold them, without burning any bridges and dragging Jesus’ name through the mud. To do so objectively we have to look at what Jesus looks at, the heart:

“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking (physical actions), but righteousness and peace and joy (issues of the heart) in the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 14:17 (NKJV brackets own)

    Paul makes this statement while addressing the believers in Rome on differing traditions. The Jewish converts insisted on keeping certain holy days and only eating certain foods (See Romans 14 and 15). The gentile converts (from Paganism and Mythology), were insisting that they drop these traditions. But, Paul intervened by saying that if it was compromising on their convictions, then they should not drop these beliefs; as long as they did not trust in these traditions for salvation or for right-standing with God (righteousness). Paul pointed out that it was not the actions that counted, it was the state of the heart; the attitude and intent with which they did it.

    It is only by grace, through faith, that we are saved. No works or traditions can earn us salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9; Gal 2:16, 2:21)For some people, that’s where the grace ends and they then rely on their righteous deeds. I don’t believe that this is what the gospel teaches. But, what do I do with people that do believe in a works based Christianity?

    This is what I propose to you: Let’s stop judging people for doing things differently. Let’s love them and show grace towards them. Let’s live and demonstrate the heart of Jesus and celebrate the different flavors of Christianity, but not by compromising on what God is telling us as individuals. Let’s not get intimidated by differing beliefs. Let’s stop being insecure and instead of splitting over differing doctrine, let's unite around One Man, Jesus!

Why do we do what we do?



 "Sunset at the Grand Canyon"                                                     Pic by Jordan Wegele



"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" - Ephesians 2:10

   What makes us make the decisions we make and what makes us take the actions we take? It’s not a new question, Paul even asked it in Romans 7. Some things we do are necessary to sustain life on earth, like eating, sleeping and paying taxes. But, these functional issues are not what define us as individuals; everyone on earth has these things in common.

   When broken down, it is often a difficult question to answer. For example: Why do I go to work? To earn money. Why do I earn money? To pay my bills and put food on the table. Why do I have so many bills? To sustain a lifestyle. Do I really need to maintain such a lifestyle? Not really, it’s pretty empty when all is said and done. So why do you even go to work? Why do you even get up? There must be more.

   There is always more. The example above is void of other variables, such as social responsibilities, family, friends and spiritual convictions. So, let’s factor these things in. I do what I do to be able to provide for my family; very noble. I do what I do to impress my friends; weak, but quite common. I do what I do, because that’s what’s expected of me. Once again, weak, but even more common than most are willing to admit. I do what I do because God told me to do it. Ok, now we’re onto something here. Admitting that there is something bigger than what can be seen and quantified, the benefits of which may not be immediate; is a good start.

   If, our motivation for doing the things that we do lies solely on earthly warrant, the results will be disappointing. The bottomless hole that is; pleasing others, living up to expectations and material gain, can only lead to a life filled with decisions and ensuing actions that have very short-lived benefits. You can never fully please other people, and even if you do, you will still not be pleased with yourself. You can also never have enough possessions; when is enough really enough? It’s a crooked line of swaying moral conviction.

   However, if work is a means to an end; a way of connecting with people, making money and using your talents and skills according to what God has spoken to your heart. Then your decisions and actions have eternal consequences, because they have an eternal source. If the underlying current of your decisions are not based on what you see in front of you, but rather on hearing from God and building His kingdom, then the reason you do the things you do, will not leave you hanging. In fact, it will motivate you more and more as you start reaping the harvest of God-inspired decisions and the value of selfless actions.

 "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing" - 1 Corinthians 13:3

   Self-centeredness is the root of all grief. Just look at every unhappy person around you, look at yourself. Is the reason you do the things that you for your own (insecure) gain? Or is it for the benefit of others, the people God loves? The people He died for … Isn’t love, the reason we are here in the first place, a selfless love? So shouldn’t our decisions be based on this same God-kind-of-love? Why other people do the things they do, I can’t say; it's more than likely it's based on fear and blind ambition. But, I do know this, that love should be the reason why we do the things that we do. A love for God and a love for His people.

So, How do we hear from God?

Pic by Chloe Lewis

     "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." - John 16:13 (NKJV)

     Just because so many people don't hear, or aren't able to discern God's voice, doesn't mean He isn't speaking. We can't lower our level of expectation of God to what we experience, but rather we should push for our experiences to live up to the standard of His Word. As seen in the previous blog, it is imperative that we hear His voice. The truth is that as His 'sheep', we are capable of recognising the voice of the 'Shepherd', as Jesus taught in John 10, in the parable of the Shepherd and the Sheep. But, practically, how can we discern His voice? How do we know it is God and not just our flesh pushing it's agenda?

     The first step is being assured of the fact that God does speak and is speaking to us. Once we are aware of this truth,we start to look at situations differently, we start to expect God to speak to and through us. This expectation immediately starts making us more sensitive to the different ways He is able to speak to us and for what purposes.

     I want to stress at this point that the language used in many cases and contexts may be different; for example someone might say, "I heard the Lord say ..." and someone else might say, "I felt in my Spirit" and still someone else could say, "I just knew it was the right thing ..." All these things are filtered through our vocabulary and 'christianese' language, but come down to the same thing. God is talking and you heard!

     The most consistent and readily available way to hear from God is through His word. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that "All scripture is God-breathed ...", another translation says that it was "given by His inspiration" This means that whenever we read His word, the Holy Spirit is able to apply the Word to your life, as though it is God speaking right to you; because it is God speaking right to you! Our part is to believe what we are reading to be true, inspired and relevant. We must believe God can speak to us through His word, for it to actually happen.

     But, what about when we don't have our bibles open, or if God is not reminding us of a scripture? What about when we are ministering to people, or are having to make a quick decision, what should we rely on then? The story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19, where the Lord wants to speak to Elijah, is a good example of what we experience today. The Lord was not in the powerful wind that tore through the mountains, He was not in the earthquake and He was not to be found in the fire. Instead, God spoke to him in a 'gentle whisper'. This is a great picture of how we hear God speaking to our spirits today. So often we expect the fireworks, like God writing on the wall (Daniel), shouting in a booming voice (Samuel) or sending a sign down from the heavens (Elijah). He can do all these things, but more often than not, He speaks in a gentle whisper to our spirits.

     When He whispers in our spirits we must be able to discern His voice. Often we get confused with our own thoughts and imaginations, however, there are some ways to discern His voice from all the other voices in your head. Firstly, whatever you feel is being spoken to you, does it contradict the written word of God. If it doesn't, but instead it aligns with what the bible says, then it could be from God. But, just because it's biblical doesn't mean you've heard correctly. For example, you may have felt that it was God telling you to talk to someone about their salvation, that's bible. But, it may not be the right time to do so, they might not receive what you have to say at that moment, but at a later stage they may.

     Ask yourself these questions: Does, what you think you've heard, bring peace to a situation? Will it bring joy to a situation? Does it speak life into a situation? Does it go against your natural inclination or flesh? Does it get you out of your comfort zone, in a good way? If your answer is, yes, to all of the above, then it is probably God speaking to you.

     These aren't formulas, they are just guidelines. At the end of the day we must practise hearing His voice. The more we practise it, the better we are able to discern it. Start with the small things, then when the big, tricky situations arise, your confidence for hearing His voice will be high.  Expect Him to speak to you in every situation, He is always speaking, but are you listening?