The Fallacy of Excellence

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men (Col 3:23) Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31) 

Fast-forward 2000 years  and we find a major section of the body of Christ using these, and other verses like them, to justify what they call excellence in serving within the body of Christ. This term excellence has become so entrenched in charismatic church movements that it is not even questioned anymore. Money is thrown at programs and equipment in the name of excellence, hours of practice and rehearsals are done in the name of excellence and people are exalted and marginalized, at the same time, in the name of excellence.

There is no biblical precedence for us, as Christians, to strive for excellence. In fact, the Apostle Paul says quite the opposite. Paul says, that it is by Gods grace that he is what he is, and by implication, that he does what he does (1 Corinthians 15:10). A striving for excellence is in fact a quest for perfection, something that we can't attain. Only One was perfect, only One was blameless and only One can make us perfect - Jesus.

My question to those who are striving for excellence is, WHY? Why focus on something that can't be attained no matter how much you try? Why try and change imperfect flesh into perfect divinity? At this point, I can hear the question that many people will be retorting with, "If we don't strive for excellence, then we portray the body of Christ as amateurish and cheap" Here is a wake-up call, we are amateurs! At this point you may want to read my post on Money In Sports, money is always the game-changer. Before I get too carried away let me make my point by quoting some irrefutable scripture:

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. - (I Corinthians 1:26-29)

With emphasis on verse 29, "that no flesh should glory in His presence". All glory belongs to God. The more we strive for excellence in the name of "excellence brings Him glory" the more we are in the flesh and make standards our idol, worshiping excellence, instead of God (Gal 3:3). So, what is the solution, what should we be focused on instead?

Jesus has made us perfect. Our very nature is perfect, there is nothing to strive for (2 Cor 5:21) We need to trust our new nature to be excellent, by His grace, through faith (Eph 2:9). By focusing on Jesus and understanding who we are in Him (Col 1:28), then operating out of that. We will become more excellent accidentally than we ever could have been on purpose. Unbelievable? Believe it, it works! Jesus has made you excellent, understand it, believe it and then live it - it's effortless!

Beyond the Veil!

"Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" - Romans 6:16

The question asked by the Apostle Paul, above, is one which I have been pondering. Why does he ask such a, seemingly, obvious and redundant question? This simplicity of it, makes me wonder if there isn't more to it, and I believe that there is!

I often think that we do things in life, expecting totally different results to that which we end up getting. For instance, if you invest your money in some sort of investment scheme that promises a certain return and when the investment finally pays out you get nowhere near the return promised, in fact you lose money. Naturally you will be disappointing.

One of two things could have happened here: Either you were deceived into thinking that there was be money to be made, or there really was money to be made and due to unforeseen circumstances (market related), your return was less than initially expected.

When Paul asks the question above, I think he is speaking to those people who fall into the first category; the one of, "I was taken for a ride". You see, it is human nature to measure and weigh things and then make decisions based on the outcome of your predictions; thus, making YOU god in your life. 

By submitting yourself to YOU, your logic and your intellect, you are in fact engaging in one of the most common forms of idolatry, known as pride. You thus become a slave to your limited knowledge, abilities and obvious frailties.

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey ..? When we obey our impulses and selfish desires we get deceived into thinking that the returns on this will be advantageous; we become slaves to this illusion. This is the veil that clouds carnal decision making. 

Our decisions must be made in the spirit, backed up by the word and covered by prayer. Without this we will be at the mercy of carnal mindedness, which can only lead one way ...

"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" - Romans 8:6

Extreme: Banff Film Festival

Continuing on our extreme theme this week. I attended the screening of the Banff Mountain Film Festival in Cape Town. I was blown away by how the creativity of the film makers and the daring of the sportsmen were combined to bring me to a place of an adrenaline-inspired awe! 

Below are some pictures of the various stories that were shown in the combined short-film version. All these stories had to have a few things in common: Mountains, danger and skill. One thing that struck me was the overwhelming sense of focus that each one of these people had. The task at hand was the single most important thing in their lives, at that time. This could be due to the fact that these were life and death situations, but I strongly believe that our ability to stay focused and accomplish the task at hand will eventually separate the success stories from the not-so successful stories.

Sketchy Andy slack-lining across canyons, without a safety harness. He tends to base-jump of this 'stable' base as well!

Crazy rock columns being climbed in the middle of the dessert in Chad! Sometimes without guidelines ...

Bombing 20 meter waterfalls in Mexico, in kayaks! Lot's of blood.

Coastal crew going downhill, fast, very fast! Great jumps, great bikes, big hearts!

Extremists: Your Strength Weakens You

This goes out to all those people who give everything, all the time, to anything they set their mind to. You know who you are, but if you don't, your thinking goes something along these lines: "While I'm at it, I may as well be the best at it. Why not do something others probably don't have the endurance (or brilliance) to do. Life is too short for anything less than 100%. You haven't done/seen/heard that, why not? (utter disbelief)"

Extremists live life as if the present is the most precious gift and cradle it like a new-born. When the present becomes the past they have no regrets, they then start thinking of ways to manipulate the future so that when it arrives it can be spent like no other day before it; uniquely and unforgettably. Extremists tend to plan, but if something better comes along they change their plans. There is nothing more extreme than spontaneity, a willingness to change the way you see the next few minutes, hours or days!

This all sounds like a fairy tale, like a person you read about in a book or watch in a movie. You may be able to relate to certain aspects of the above description, but have never really seen it fully lived out. The reason for this is simple: the very aspects that make so-called extremists so endearing and successful, are the very things that trip them up in the end.

Extremists have a tendency to alienate people that can't keep up with them. They tend to be seen as selfish, reckless and driven. They would argue that they are just being misunderstood, but what is often the case is that, that which drives them to the edge, drives them over the edge.

What is the solution then? Jesus was extreme, He was a revolutionary, He alienated, polarized and mobilized. So, what was the difference? The bible says that Jesus only did what He saw His Father do and said what He heard His Father say. It stands to reason then that what we think is extreme is in fact an everyday reality for God. When we think we're living on the edge and seizing the day we are actually just beginning to tap into the potential He has given us.

Jesus was a lot of things, but one thing He was not, was selfish. Consider others just as Jesus considered you when He went to the cross. It will put your extreme tendencies into perspective, it will focus your passions onto others, onto a world that is crying out for help - an extreme cry!

Taking the Limits Off

Limitations and restrictions have kept entire generations and cultures from reaching their potentials. Sometimes these limitations are self-imposed by ungodly thoughts or ideas inherent to our culture or environment. Other times these restrictions are enforced on us by others, who in their search for identity, find it in restricting those around them from reaching their potentials.

The most subtle, and therefore the most powerful of these ceilings are those that we restrict ourselves under. Have you ever found yourself saying or thinking along these lines?: If only I was prettier; If only I was richer; When the weather is better I'll do it or When I find some time. By abiding in this way of thinking, even slightly, you are limiting what you can achieve in your alotted time here on earth.

As soon as we look for reasons why we can't do something, we start cementing the roof tiles on the ceiling of possiblity. Instead look for reasons why you can do things! God has indeed restricted Himself to work wholy and souly through us, being His hands and feet on the earth. Thus, when we start limiting ourselves, we are in fact limiting God's ability to change peoples lives and hopeless situations through us. 

Understand this: You are pretty enough, you have enough resources, the weather will never be good enough and there will never be a right time. We are not qualified, in ourselves, to live out the dreams and visions that God has put in our heart, but He qualifies us. It is only because of His enabling grace and by the leading of the Holy Spirit that we can ever see and break through our supposed limitations.

To conclude: Challenge yourself in areas that were previously off-limits to you, according to what you or other people thought. Allow God to show Himself faithful and strong through you,so that He gets all the glory. Take the limits off Him and He will shatter the limits off of you.

Life Begins ...

If at all possible

If at all possible love your neighbour as yourself Mark 12:31
If at all possible don't lean on your own understanding Proverbs 3:5
If at all possible be still and know that He is God Psalm 46:10
If at all possible fight the good fight 1 Timothy 6:12
If at all possible finish the race 2 Timothy 4:7
If at all possible don't conform to the ways of this world Romans 12:2
If at all possible turn the world upside down Acts 17:6
If at all possible resist the devil and he will flee from you James 4:7
If at all possible make disciples of all people groups Matthew 28:19
If at all possible don't worry about anything Phillippians 4:6
If at all possible go and sin no more John 8:11
If at all possible be thankful in every circumstance Phillippians 4:11
If at all possible don't be ashamed of the gospel Romans 1:16
If at all possible mature to your full stature in Christ Ephesians 4:13
If at all possible let the Holy Spirit teach and guide you John 16:13
If at all possible gain wisdom and understanding Proverbs 13:3
If at all possible love the Lord your God with everything you have Matthew 22:37
If at all possible enter in His rest Hebrews 4:11
If at all possible don't be under condemnation Romans 8:1
If at all possible know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified 1 Corinthians 2:2
If at all possible be spiritualy minded Romans 8:6
If at all possible run from the Law Romans 6:15

Sounds Impossible? Grace makes it all possible!

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." - Matthew 6:33

" And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9

Grace Tension

Grace:    Unmerited favour or goodwill towards someone or something.

Work:     Exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something (labour, toil)

Tension:  Two balancing forces causing rigidness and stretching.

If grace is the one end of the tension balance, then what is the other end? Works, of course. Before you stone me, know this: Grace is the biggest part of my Christian walk and is infused into every area of my life (read other posts on this blog).

We are born again by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:9) and we are called to walk our Christian lives in the same way (Colossians 2:6). Grace is His favour extended to us and faith is us taking hold of this favour; believing it and receiving it.

It’s quite clear that there is God’s part and that there is our part. The problem comes in, as we walk out our Christian life, that our part gets reduced to a bunch of activities we perform, in order to try and earn God's favour. Anything that we do to try and earn God's favor is legalism, it's a works-based faith that has fueled religion (not in the good sense) for centuries. Bottom line, we cannot earn God's favour by what we do, it is all about what He has done, through Jesus, on the Cross. However there might still be some work involved, but it's not the kind we immediatly conjure up in our heads; let's take a look.

If grace is just receiving what God has done, how do I receive and understand fully, what God has done for me and apply it to my life? This is where the tension comes in: I like to call it positioning. We need to position ourselves to fully comprehend His grace in and through our lives. It doesn’t just happen, it takes intentionality and purpose. We have to intentionally and purposefully position ourselves in such a manner that we receive everything that God has for us, everything that Jesus made available through the atonement. How do we know if we have access to something if no-one has told us, or if we haven't read it or seen it? We will never know.

Sometimes grace takes work; we have to work at understanding it. This is the tension, the paradox if you will. Two, seemingly opposite, truths and passions, raging alongside one other, both being exceedingly necessary to make sense of what we believe. It is across this tension-bridge that revelation knowledge, relationship and trust can be delivered, flowing from the cross, flowing from Grace, flowing from Jesus to us.

Let’s not underestimate the work it takes to be fully submerged in grace. Organised religion tries to sell us a works based Christianity. But, instead of trying to earn His favour through good works, let’s strive to understand that His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9) and rest (Hebrews 4:11) in the knowledge that, we labour into Jesus and not for Him.

Sports: Passion or Proffession?

When I was growing up, winning was everything. However, it never came at the cost of losing relationships, belittling the opposition or even speaking badly of them. What happened on the field stayed on the field and after the final whistle everyone was friends again, if you wanted to be.

With the rise of professionalism, sport has taken on a new meaning in the world. What were once considered hobbies, are now seen as professions; what was once done happily for the love of it, is now done happily, for money, whether you love it or not. Money was the game-changer, and rightly so. After all, if someone is good at something, shouldn’t they be paid to do it? I believe so.

Big money comes with strings attached. Sport is driven by sponsors, sponsors have products they want sold and the success of the horse they are backing determines, to a large extent, the success of the we-are-helping-you-to-help-us scenario. Big money demands big results, but at what cost?

For many of us sport is synonymous with professionalism, but it wasn’t always like that. In the past it was about pride, friendship, team-spirit, personal endurance, seeing new places and making new friends. Some would argue that nothing has changed, but I beg to differ. As I look around at the plethora of professional sport around us, professionalism has created a monster and many monsters. Sportsmen and women would happily bad-mouth a team member if it meant gaining more publicity, they’d happily cheat if it means winning; they would do nearly anything to achieve their so-called ‘dream’.

Sportsmanship is a rarity. What was once the back-bone of every amateur sport, camaraderie and friendship; has evolved into a dog-eat-dog world, no different from any corporate, boardroom setting. I am not condemning money in sports, I am merely wondering if it has done more bad than good. The world-trend is always more; but at what cost? People are the most important part of life. If we step on them in order to achieve our dreams, due to our inflated egos, I think we have missed the point, I think it will be very lonely at the top, wherever that is.

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” – Mark 8:36-37 (NLT)

Some stories that made me think of this: Tiger Woods (Golf), Kevin Peterson (Cricket), Marion Jones (Athletics), Lance Armstrong (Cycling) and the list goes on.

A Tree Stump in the Path

My bike and my world!

I was heading full-speed down a single-track on my mountain bike yesterday, when suddenly there was a tree stump in my way. Normally I would have easily been able to avoid such an obstacle by choosing a new line and adjusting my focus and body weight accordingly. But, this time I wasn't as lucky, I went full-tilt into the tree stump and flew over my handle-bars! I came out of the situation relatively unscathed, but just a bit shaken. It did get me thinking though ...

Why did I not manage to avoid this relatively benign obstacle, when I've successfully avoided hundreds like it before and many still during that very same ride? After much pondering, and reliving the incident, I came to the realisation that it was a focus issue. I hit exactly what I was looking at! I was staring at the stump, and because it took up to all of my attention I didn't have the presence of mind to choose the correct line.

What happens in life when we lose focus? There are many things out there to distract us from the plans God has for us, sometimes even seemingly good things: relationships, work, entertainment, money, sport and random problems that pop up. The question is, what are you focussed on?

The writer of Hebrews admonishes us to keep our focus on one thing and one thing only, while we run this race of life:

 " ... let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV).

Our focus should be on Jesus, He is always the right line to choose through the lightning fast single-track we call life. If our focus is on little, insignificant problems and side-shows, then we will end up tripping over them and flying into the dust. Do that enough and at some point you wont be getting back up again, you'll stay down and you'll wonder where it all went wrong.

"Keep focused on Jesus and avoid the pitfalls."

The Unexpected

"Unexpected": Not expected or anticipated. Unforeseen, surprising, unpredictable, astonishing and out of the blue.

If you follow me on Twitter you'd know that  I've been on a bit of a soap-box about doing the unexpected. I realise that for most people it turns out to be a bit cliched, more like a self-help thing, but the principle remains a good one.

Too often we end up doing the same thing over and over again. Humans are creatures of habit and work best in routine, even creativity works best within a structured lifestyle; this is undeniable. However, the very routine that created the environment for creativity can also stunt it. As much as people are comfortable with the same thing, we need change in order to grow and reach our potentials.

This is where my argument for the unexpected develops from. We do the same things over and over, because we know which results to expect. But, what about doing things or thinking certain ways, where you have no idea what the outcome will be; how will people react to you or how you will react? Let's take a quick example (see Twitter challenge video below):  We all have songs that are on our hearts and in our heads. But why should these songs remain there, why not sing out LOUD and let the whole place be blessed by the song that God has put on your heart (even if it is a rap song!)?

This is a silly example, but it illustrates a point. How will we ever be able to realize all that God has for us, if we never try something different, in a different way, from a different angle; doing the unexpected? Doing the unexpected, has been separating the success stories from the average Joe's from the beginning of time. Who would have thought that by going on a hunting trip Georges deMostral would get the idea of making Velcro (get out the house!). What about Thomas Adams, popping a bit of the material he was, unsuccessfully, trying to make toys out of, into his mouth and opening the first chewing gum store not long after that (try new tastes!) These inventions have not only made the inventors successful and allowed them to pursue their passions, but they have also made the lives of millions of people around the world so much more joyful!

Isn't that what we are called to do? The reason we are blessed is to be a blessing to others. We shouldn't limit God's blessing in our lives by expecting Him to work in and through us exactly the same way, every time. We can learn a lot about God's nature in the diverse ways that we, and those around us, respond when we do the unexpected! Even if your singing isn't that great ...

G.K Chesterton Quotes

Some great quotes for you to ponder by a brilliant author, thinker, philosopher and apologist, G.K Chesterton.

"And when they had made a Holy Day for God, did they find they made a holiday for men" - Orthodoxy

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult and left untried" - What's Wrong With the World

"It (courage) means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die" - The Paradoxes of Christianity

"Whenever we feel there is something odd in Christian theology , we shall generally find there is something odd in the truth" - The Paradoxes of Christianity

"A man is not really convinced of a philosophic theory when he finds something that proves it. He is only really convinced when he finds that everything proves it" - The Paradoxes of Christianity

"Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief is superficial" - Orthodoxy, Authority and the Adventurer

"There are two main moral necessities for the work of a great man: the first is that he should believe in the truth of his message; the second is that he should believe in the acceptability of his message" - Twelve Types

"For if there is a wall between you and the world, it makes little difference whether you describe yourself as being locked in or locked out", on freedom within Christianity there is still separation - Paradoxes of Christianity

On passing trends and fashions, "It is always easy to let the age have its head; the difficult thing is to keep ones own" - The Paradoxes of Christianity

"Christianity is a superhuman paradox whereby two opposite passions may blaze beside each other" - Orthodoxy, The Authority and the Adventurer

A New Kind of Missionary : You

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ... teaching them ..." - Matthew 28:18-20

If this new perspective I have on missions could be summed up in one word, it would be, discipleship. Jesus did not commission us to make converts, but to make disciples. Disciples are people who are mature in the word of God, people who are bearing fruit and are able to replicate what has happened in their lives, in other people. Disciples are able to endure hardships and not lose faith, they are able to rejoice in suffering and be humble in victory. Disciples are able to help other people break through, just as they themselves have broken through. Disciples are people of character, integrity and hope. They are submitted to the word of God as the final authority in their lives and go from glory to glory as they mature in Christ.

The way missions have previously been done is old. Not only is it outdated, but it is very difficult. In the past, a well-funded (or not so well funded) missionary would be sent from a church or organisation in Europe or America and come and set up a work in a foreign country, which they felt God has called them to. In the coming years, they then learn the culture, the language and try to earn the trust of the locals they are wanting to reach, slowly starting to influence these people with the gospel.

This model has birthed many success stories, but there are just too many stories of missionaries being burnt out, disillusioned and giving up out on the mission field, after years of ploughing into a community.The amount of success stories for missions in this manner are way too few compared to the people who have tried, and come back with stories that will break your heart.

I believe the reason for this, is that the aim of a missionary should never be to "go and stay", the great commission said to "go". Go to a place God has called you to, disciple local people, raise up leaders and then go again, allowing the local people to create an environment of sustainability and stability for their context. It is an extremely rare occurrence for a foreigner to be fully accepted by a culture, adopted, taken in and respected; least of all them wanting to become like the foreigner in their faith. We must raise up locals, they are the ones who can take their people into the future.

Their are a few glaring problems with this suggested model though. The first is that in order to make disciples, you must be a disciple. In order to teach you must have been taught and in order to train you must have been trained. Thus, having a calling as a missionary is not good enough, you must be trained and equipped so that you can effectively train and equip others. Some of you may be thinking, but this is obvious. Not as obvious as it would seem. Many missions organisations are so overwhelmed by the need in the world, that they will accept anyone with a contactable reference.

The harvest is so great that it has lead to many churches speeding up the development process of would-be missionaries and sending them off without the necessary skills and experience to be effective. In our eagerness we have set up generations of missionaries for failure. Not laying any emphasise on the 'disciples' part, nor the 'teaching them' aspect of missions, only 'go' and adding the 'stay'.

So, is having a 'calling' to be a missionary enough? No, we need to be disciples in order to make disciples. Discipleship is but a vehicle for a message though.Think of it like this: If the process of discipleship is like a 4 x 4 truck going into a dry country, the message would be the fresh drinking water that is being carried on the back of the truck. The truck itself is not going to have any effect on the health or well being of the people in that dry place, but what it carries will. The problem comes in when we use the vehicle of discipleship to carry a diluted or poisonous message. What people need who are desperate for water, is water that brings life. What good is the water if you choke or die from drinking it? No good.

Thus, it is no good 'going' and 'teaching' if what we are going to tell them and teach them doesn't produce life in them. If our message is not the gospel, if it's not good news, then there is no use in even leaving your front door; unless the news you carry is too good to be kept to yourself. (The content of this site focuses on the good news of God's unconditional love and grace, read other posts to see more on this)

Thus our focus for missions is to ground people and disciple them in the good news of God's unconditional love and grace. Then sending them to places where they are called and have them reproduce what God has done in and through them to the people in that place, until the people in that place are ready to do the same thing, and on and on it goes ... isn't that what were all called to do, aren't we all missionaries? When the bible says 'go', it may mean to 'go' to your children, 'go' out your front door or 'go' to your friends. Where we 'go' changes, but why we go never does. We go because we have a message, the good news of God's unconditional love and grace for the world, and we go because we're on a mission, to make disciples!

Mozambique in Pictures



The children of Mozambique

Me playing soccer with the kids in one of the remote villages. Soccer is the international language of connection!



Our convoy into the isolated interior of Mozambique

 


Members of our team after ministering to an extended family in one of the villages. This village was initially against hearing the gospel, but we ended up having great success even in the face of opposition.

 

Attracting a crowd when arriving in a village to draw some water at their well - the only source of fresh water for miles around.

Setting up of the Jesus Film. The set-up consisted of a generator, an old-school film projector, four reels of film,  a white canvas screen and a pair of piercing loudspeakers - perfect!  

Team Mozam 2012 and some friends, in the middle of no-where, posing in front of a famous Baobab tree.

 

Our interpreter, Joao, and his family after returning from the bush. Two members of our team as well. Joao turned out to be one of the revelations of the trip - he is a man for the future.

Who said Mozam is ugly? Definitely not me!

 

Mozambique Mission 2012

We were invited by one of our ministry partners to take a team up to Mozambique to minister in the vacinity of the holiday town of Vilanculos. Our host is innitiating a missive scale farming project in the Mozambique interior, this project meant the involvement of many villages in the area that have otherwise been untouched by commercial development and economic opportunity of this magnitude. Our job was thus to come alongside the farmers, as they put together there arrangements with the villagers and bring the good news of God's unconditional love and grace to the people of the isolated Mozambique interior.

It was a great challenge just getting to the villages, it was a full days drive in sand and bush, with 4 x 4 vehicles, to get to the first village from Vilanculos. Afterwhich, our team of ten kicked on to a new village everyday. We were totaly self-sufficient, having enough food, water and fuel to last us for five days in the bush. There was no running water, no electricity and no mobile phone reception,  just us, the bush and the people God wanted us to minister to.

Our goal was clear and our approach simple: We wanted to start identifying potential leaders in the villages, who would fit the criteria to be trained further in the gospel and make a long-term impact in their own village. We did this by means of showing the Jesus Film in the local language of Tsonga, then preaching, praying and ministering to the villagers - crusade style. The Jesus Film was a hit and many people were healed, delivered and prospered through the ministering of God's love and grace.

We were also able to identify a few individuals who showed the potential of being willing to be trained and equipped. The most exciting of which turned out to be our interpreter, Joao, who bought whole-heartedly into the message that we shared and who's life was radically different by the time we left.

Litteraly hundreds of people commited their hearts to Jesus in the villages we ministerd at, they need to be discipled though. Our trip to Mozambique was never just going to be a once-off, we are going back to disciple these people and eventually raise up the local leaders to continue what God started there.

Praise God for His faithfulness, He is true to His word, that He wants no man to perish, but all to come to salvation. It is with this promise that we can continue making disciples of the nations and people-groups of this world, until there is no-one left to reach!

Zim in Pictures

Our entire team at Joel's house - he was able to stand by the time we left!



Team ministering at a village outside Marondera - Goggos church. Healing and deliverance were the order of the day as God demonstrated His power and love through the team.





One of the teams ministering to the family they met with everyday, in Borrowdale, Harare. Families like these formed the nucleus of the new church that was planted in the area.




A group of men listening to the preaching. The men sat seperately from the woman and children at this particular gathering.



Another team ministering to a family in Borrowdale. They visited this family everyday, discipling them into the word.




Children listening to every word of what was being said at Goggo's church



A child wrapped in traditional clothe against the cold winter afternoon - she wasn't going to miss out!



Bible are in short supply in the rural areas in Zim. Those that have them cherish them - we were able to bless people with a number of bibles in our time there!



Zim: A Good Report

I have just returned from ministry trips in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, both very different but both highly favoured and extremely effective.

Zimbabwe, a country full of the most friendly people in Africa. A country with a history of prosperity, but now only a remnant of what it once was. A country with beauty only matched by that of our own (South Africa). A country that soaks up spirituality like a parched Sponge Bob Square Pants. A country, still, with endless potential.

Having my roots in the country (my parents were born and raised there) and still having some family in the area, it felt more like a home-coming for me. I didn't come home empty handed though, instead we took up a team of fourteen world-changing missionaries, all equipped with the good news of God's unconditional love and grace and the ability to communicate it.

We immediately connected with our sister church, Charis Ministries, in the capital, Harare and travelled our first day to a rural farming village outside the town of Maronderas. Charis Ministries had recently planted a church there under the dynamic leadership of a former sangoma, turned pastor, Goggo.It was at this gathering that we saw some incredible healings and deliverance's on the back of the gospel being taught and testimonies being shared. The young church was extremely encouraged by us being there, as God proved faithful to His word by wielding His power through us, his willing hands!

After that, our week of ministry began in Harare. We worked mainly in Highfields, a township on the outskirts of the city and also in the neighbourhood close to where we were staying, in the greater Borrowdale area. Our strategy was a simple one: Find a house or houses who would be willing to be discipled for everyday in the week and disciple them. This worked wonderfully well as, by God's grace, all our teams were able to connect with several household in the area and work through the gospel with

them. By the end of the week every household was 1) Born-again 2) Baptized in the Holy Spirit (most spoke in tongues too) 3) Given their own bible (thanks to many of your generous donations) and 4) Connected to a local church where they will be taken care of and discipled further. On top of that, God showed His love to many of the people tangibly, by meeting their immediate needs of provision, healing and deliverance.

Joel's story: The one individual story I would like to tell is that of Joel. When we arrived in Harare Pastor Lameck told us that one of the church's ministry partners, Joel, had just been diagnosed with cancer and had undergone an operation to remove what they could. After visiting Joel initially, we decided it would be best to take a small team to his house everyday to pray for him, encourage him and take him through the word and show him that God wants him well. On our first few visits Joel was in a lot of pain, he would lie in bed, not moving and not speaking to us at all. After a day or two his countenance started to change as he started seeing himself as a healed man. By the Wednesday the doctors tests came back and reported that he was absolutely cancer free. Praise the Lord. By the time we had our last visit with Joel he was baptized in the Holy Spirit and was able to get out of bed and stand on his feet, with some help!

Joel's story is an incredible testimony of God's willingness to heal. There is no formula for healing, but there is always a positive outcome, a testimony, where Jesus gets the glory and others are able to overcome.

A church was planted due to the teams efforts and God's grace, in the community of Borrowdale. The effects of mission Zim 2012 are going to be felt for decades to come as Jesus establishes, strengthens and encourages His church in Zimbabwe.

See the photos and captions of some of the more outstanding moments of our time in Zim in the next post.

Mission: Africa

It has finally arrived, after months of planning, training and fundraising, we are going on missions! I'll be leading a team of fourteen missionaries from GraceLife church, Stellenbosch, to the nation of Zimbabwe, where we will be based in the capital, Harare. After returning to South Africa, a day later, I depart for Mozambique as part of another expedition into the rural interior of Mozambique.

Our trip to Zimbabwe, which takes place from the 28th of June to the 9th of July, will be to primarily support and encourage our sister church Charis Ministries, Harare. Our aim is to effectively disciple members of the community which Charis ministries is already reaching and to help it leaders to effectively train and equip those around them to be effective in sharing the good news of God's unconditional love and grace. The majority of the team we are taking up have never been on a mission

trip of this nature before and so it is going to be a major faith-journey for them. We have been training and preparing them for what to expect, but we understand that it is with the guidance and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit that will ultimately determine the success of our time in Harare.

Having one days rest in Johannesburg we assemble a new team to depart for Vilankulos, Mozambique on the 10th of July. This, GraceLife is doing in conjunction with a group of businessmen in Pretoria, who have collaborated together to send aid to this impoverished part of Africa.In their wisdom these men and women have seen that giving aid is not enough, what people really need is the good news of the gospel; that's where we come in. One part of our team, which consists of students from Pretoria, will be focused on delivering the aid. The other half, made up of ministers from GraceLife, will be focused on

delivering the gospel and effectively discipling people in the areas we will be working into. This brings us to the 19th of July, where the relationships that have been formed and the lives changed will mean that the planning begins for more trips and more local leaders being raised up.

Please pray for our Zim team, for safety on the roads, favour with the local people and wisdom in delivering the gospel. For the Mozam team, much the same, but please also pray for divine relationships being formed and that the gospel of grace will grip the hearts of the people and make them hungry for the Living God!

“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” - Matthew 9:37-38

Honour and it's Implications

Honour is something that is sorely missing in our post-modern, materialistic western culture of today. In our our quest for success we pay very little attention to those around us and the role they play in making it all possible. The same mentality has crept into the church, where we just as quickly shoot someone down for making a mistake as when we don't give them credit when credit is due.

Let's start off with a working definition of honour, from a christian perspective: "Positively responding to the gifts and callings God has placed on another person. So, as to receive the continuous benefits of the different parts of the body of Christ". All honour starts and ends with God. When we look at the heavenly examples of worship as set out in the Revelation 4:8-11, we see that honour is an integral part of worshiping God. How can God get good things to you if you don't open yourself up to receiving, by honouring who He is and what He has done? He can't! God needs to hold an honorary position in our lives in order for us to receive the full benefits of relationship with Him.

God works through people though. This suggests that there are people that are anointed of God in order to do the works of the ministry. If you are born-again, then you are anointed of God, if you have received Jesus into your life then God will use you to bless other people. The problem comes in, when we don't recognise, or honour, the anointing that is on someone elses life, then we can't benefit from the good that comes from it.

In Mark chapter 6, Jesus makes the statement that "a prophet is not without honour except in his own country, among his own relatives and in his own house" What Jesus meant was, that when people feel they are familiar with you, they may not be able to acknowledge the gifts and callings God has placed on your life and thus benefit from them - familiarity breeds contempt.

Honour starts with humility (Proverbs 15:33) and we must give honour where and when it is due (Romans 13:7). God responds to honour, people respond to honour; honour is in fact the outworking of the grace God has freely given you, into the lives of other people. If we respond positively to the gifts and calling on someones life, we can receive from them, similarly, if we respond in grace when they fail, and they will, it is our opportunity to extend grace towards them, so that when they do get it right, and they will, the entire body of Christ can benefit from this. Instead of being judgmental and critical, let's extend grace and be honouring.

Some practical ways to honour those around you: Pay compliments, often. Be on time. Be prepared when asked to be prepared. Don't break people down behind their back. Be willing to help. Be outwardly focused, instead of on yourself the whole time!

Walking from East to West: God in the Shadows

Walking From East to West is without a doubt the best autobiography I have read in many months.

Ravi Zacharias is a humble, deep and passionate man, who's beginnings could never have fortold the impact he would have on so many people world wide, in the years to come!

The book itself is exceptionaly well written, it's honest, brutaly honest at times, leaving very little to the imagination. Ravi illustrates well the importance of the father figure in our lives and how deep rooted their criticism can run. He also draws on how his family overcame the immigrant status when moving to the West; one of the most difficult situations for any family to be in. In areas where some would shy away, Ravi exposes and makes no bones about the fact that he is not perfect - that it is by God's grace alone, that we can do what He calls us to do.

Walking From East to West is the story about a man's journey to follow the call of God upon His life. The challenges he faces and the victories he celebrates. It's about God's willingness to use anyone who is a willing vessel.The reality of life as an international evangelist, the bright lights and the dark moments.

From the dusty streets of India to the jet-setting lifestyle of the world's foremost Christian apologist, the contrasts are great. If you want to be inspired, read this book. If you want to be entertained, read this book. If you want God to stir something of what's on His heart, in your heart, then read this book.

StartLiving rating: 9/10

Mindless Faith

During the past few months I have really started thinking about faith. Just mentioning the fact that I have actually thought about faith, might have some hyper-charismatics up in arms; be that has it may, I have a brain and it thinks.

The assumption for many is, that faith doesn't use thought, it uses, well faith. This in itself is not wrong, but the assumption that this is true for everyone, is. What I have come to realise is this: Some people search for faith with their hearts and some people search for faith with their minds. Even though some people have searched with their hearts and found, doesn't mean that they can't reason it out with their minds. After all, revelation only makes sense with reason.

Why then are we so against reasoning out our faith, searching out the bible for any illogical conclusions it may draw or putting under scrutiny what is peddled to us by two-bit preachers? Are we too scared what we will find, that what we have believed all along may in fact be a lie? Probably, but it isn't it worth finding it out now, rather than when you get turned away at the pearly gates, I think so.

Critical thinking is not encouraged in post-modern Christianity. I say this because, in fact, most of Christianity reflects the world-view of the society it is trying to reach; scepticism and relativity. If we, in fact, thought that there was such a thing as Truth, then maybe we'd be eagerly looking for it and once we've found it, avidly defend it instead of saying something like: "Well I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just putting it out there ..." Being dogmatic has become a harsh-label we put on people, but maybe it's time we become dogmatic about issues surrounding our faith, not willing to compromise them. The Apostle Paul is one of the most uncompromising people to be found in the scriptures, still today we reap the benefits of his unwavering commitment to truth.

So, I used my brain to think further. I asked myself a few simple questions, questions that I think every Christian should settle in their hearts before someone else unsettles them for you, and they will. The first question is why. Why do I believe what I believe? What are the reasons for you putting your faith, future and eternal destiny in the hands of someone who lived over 2000 years ago? Was it an experience that you had? Experiences are good, although their impetus may not last long, they do act as catalysts for our faith. Was it maybe because you are in a community that believes this way and you have never thought of any other way to believe? If this is so, the decision to believe differently could cost you your friends and family, count the cost and continue. Do you believe because, logically, it makes the most sense and you trust your mind in making decisions of such magnitude?

I think (if you'll excuse the pun) it should be a combination of all of the above: We need to experience the love,peace joy and tangible presence that a relationship with God entails. We should be in a loving and caring community of believers that obedience to God promotes. We should think critically of how this all fits in with the real world and then live it out. Why? Because faith is not mindless and neither is it blind. If it were not for faith we wouldn't be able to see things the way God does and if it were not for our minds we would not be able to do anything about it.

Another question that arises is this, after thinking about why I believe what I believe and settling on an answer: What do I do about what I believe? This is a simple question that most Christians never ask themselves because they separate faith from thinking. Most gullible believers think that by enjoying experience after experience they will automatically know what to do with the rest of their lives. Here's the deal: God can't answer the questions about your calling and purpose if you're not asking them! This is not Inception. Yes, God places desires in our heart to desire, but if we don't ask Him for wisdom for the way forward with these dreams and desires,our hearts won't be inclined to hear an answer from Him. In other words, you need to do what God is telling you to do regarding what you believe, but you can only hear what He is telling you if you're asking the question and listening for an answer.

Faith is not mindless, it interacts very much with our reason and logic, however, never let reason get in the way of faith operating in you and through you. Sometimes, we don't understand why things happen, but does that mean we give up on what we believe? Absolutely not. It means that what we can see by faith, we may not just yet be able to understand!