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

Life Begins ...

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."

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 ...

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

An Ideal for which I am Prepared to die

      Nelson Mandela talking about, equality for all, in the country of his birth, South Africa. Are there any ideals which you feel strongly about? If not, why  not? I wage to say, that if we don't live by our convictions and follow our passions, that our lives stand the chance of being ordinary. This is a scary thing, as ordinary indicates a lack of thinking beyond yourself, it shows no signs of ambition and leads the person living such a life to ponder the relevance of their existence! What are you prepared to die for (if need be, that is)? Live for that!

Life Between the Lines

Life Between the Lines

Out of the corner of my eye I see a man sitting

From the edge of his beard hangs a morsel of something that was

His eyes seem to be focused on the book in his hands

It seems as old as him, but without the furrows of pain on its brow

It's pages lighten the countenace of its reader; as though to bring life

But as the light fades so does the hope it gives

Because letters are just letters, strung together to form logic

Words are just words, forged out of a neccessity to communicate

Pages are just pages that create a platform to express

But as the man turns the page, his face brightens again; hope renewed

The light shines brighter than before, darkness dispelled

Letters ar not just letters, words are not just words, pages are not what they seem

Behind the words there is hope and between the lines there is life

As the man continues to read, the light does not go out; it never will

"For your word has given me life" - Ps 119:50

09/03/2011

Love, Life and Ministry: A Love Confession

This is most probably the final installment in my Love, Life and Ministry series. Below is a compliation of my favourite love verses, from the bible. I have attempted to put them in a format that is easy to read and that has a logical flow. I hope you are blessed by this!

Photo by: Kirsti Pennels

A Love Confession:

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies (Psalm 36:5), your love is better than life (Psalm 63:3), your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth (Psalm 26:3). Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life (Psalm 23:6), because the LORD is good and his love endures forever (Psalm 100:5) and I trust in your unfailing love (Psalm 13:51). Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). It is by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35). Likewise, greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). But, God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) So, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:35) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39) So, do everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:14) For Christ’s love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14) and the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (Galatians 5:6), so whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:8). And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13) and God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (John 3:16)

What Lies Ahead: Awesomeness!

Friends! After much prayer and deliberation, I have settled on a definite direction for this blog for the year 2011. Most of my earlier posts involved my being involved with the 2010 soccer world cup and then from there, transitioning to bible school in the U.S.A. My passion for ministry is only surpassed by my passion for Jesus and this single focus will dictate future posts. "Start Living" is going to transition as well, to where I believe God is taking my ministry.

"Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." - Matthew 10:39

People, are what ministry is all about. Helping bring you to a closer, more intimate relationship with Jesus, so that you can change your generation and have a positive effect on the generations to come, is my sole purpose in life. If people can understand who they are in Christ, what the finished work of the cross actually means and how they can access grace through faith, then I believe they will stop at nothing to achieve the goals God has set before them. We will reach our potentials, start living and bring glory to God in the process. Not by our own works, but by God's grace, because if we try in our own strength Christ died in vein! (Galatians 2:20)

I say this only because, for us to reach our potential in Christ, we must come to the end of ourselves. The sooner we come to the end of ourselves, the sooner we are able to walk in purpose and understanding of what God's will is for our lives. Romans 12 speaks of God's good and perfect will for your life and mine; this means that whatever plans God has for us, they are to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a hope and a future! (Jeremiah 29:11)

These promises are ours for the taking, however, most don't walk in the fullness of what Christ has for us. Most people are satisfied with a mediocre, safe existence; but I am here to say that Jesus came to give us life and life in abundance! (John 10:10) Be encouraged, therefore, to press in to the fullness that is on offer, with an intimate relationship with Jesus and you will walk in His will more accidentally, than you ever will on purpose!