Easter prayers

A number of our men sense they are being called by God to pray deeply as we head into the wonder of Easter. There is something special about quieting ones spirit and allowing God to draw us into the miracle of the Easter events that are central to our faith.

Our Easter services start with a Thursday night service that is heavy, quiet and dark reminding us of some of that happened as Jesus prepared to go to the cross. You can read the biblical account in Matthew 26 where we see the weight of those final hours on Jesus. Some men are going to be praying at the church the whole night through on hour shifts and I'd like to encourage you to join them as they seek God's face and allow the Holy Spirit to renew them and their love for Jesus.

Come spend some time in quiet reflection before God. There will be men on duty from after the 7:00 pm service right through till 6:00 am and then we will be gathering for a 9:00 am Good Friday service.

May it be said of us that we're a people of prayer.

I don't want to be either of these

By Dave Kraft

I only heard it once, but it has fastened itself in my brain for 43 years. Susan and I were at a Navigator training program in our first year of marriage and Jack Mayhall, one of our regional leaders, said it. Before he described these two kinds of people, I whispered a prayer telling the Lord I didn't ever want to be who he was about to describe.

Now, 43 years later, I would put this on a short list of the most memorable statements I have heard and which has had a significant impact on decisions I’ve made and fruit I have experienced.

“There are two kinds of people God can’t use,” Jack said.

1) Those Who Won't Do What They're Told!

This has to do with obedience. John 2:5 comes to mind, “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.‘”The longer I live as a Christian, the more I understand what a significant role simple and immediate spirit-led and spirit-filled obedience plays in Christian growth and fruitfulness.

We live in a culture that values independence and rebellion…doing your own thing. When Susan and I lived in Sweden as missionaries in the 70’s, I saw “Ain’t nobody going to tell me what to do” scribbled on the wall of a subway in English. Things haven’t changed much in 40-plus years. Oh, the power of followers of Jesus saying yes to whatever the Lord is showing them and telling them he wants them to do. 

Years ago I memorized Psalm 119:33-38 in the Living Bible:

“Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I’ll wholeheartedly obey. Make me walk along the right paths for I know how delightful they really are. Help me to prefer obedience to making money! Turn me away form wanting any other plan than yours. Revive my heart toward you. Reassure me that your promises are for me, for I trust and revere you.”

There is authority and spiritual power in the memorized Word of God. Through the years I have come to the conclusion that delayed obedience is, in actuality, disobedience. That is why one of my core values is “To immediately respond to God’s revealed truth,” regardless of who it comes through or what it may be.

2) Those Who Only Do What They're Told!

This has to do with initiative! Don’t you just love it when people are always thinking of what could be done next…what needs to be done next, rather than sitting around waiting for someone in authority to tell them what to do.

I so appreciate growing disciples and potential leaders who are looking around and looking ahead to discern what needs to happen and then doing something to move the ball down the field. In the military they give out medals for “going above and beyond the call of duty.”

Jesus referred to this as “going the second mile” in Matthew 5:38-41:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” 

The last statement in this passages means doing more than is expected of you--above and beyond the call of duty!

Going a second mile came out of old Persia and refers to the authority given by the king to those sent to do his bidding. If a courier or soldier needed assistance in fulfilling the king’s mission, he could commandeer any man or horse or wagon with no questions asked. Later the armies of the Greeks and the Romans adopted the practice.

Roman law required a Jew to carry a soldier’s pack one mile. A Jew could be forced away from his own concerns to help a legionnaire who may or may not have really needed him. In the same way, Simon of Cyrene was compelled to bear the cross of Jesus (Matthew 27:32).

Jews marked a mile in all directions from their home and would not go a step further. Jesus said they should go another mile.

The Jews of Jesus’ day, of course, deeply resented this humiliating law and saw it as a symbol of foreign domination. You can imagine, then, their surprise when Jesus said, "go with him two miles."

This saying is hard on us because we, like the Jews of the first century, live in a “one-mile world.” It’s a world of our rights and benefits. It’s a world of “What’s in it for me.”

There are at least three kinds of people in the world:

Those Who Don’t Know What’s Happening - They have tunnel vision and are always and only thinking of themselves--wrapped up in their own world.

Those Who Watch Things Happen - They are not fully engaged and are willing to let other people take initiative while they passively observe, not being willing to do more than they absolutely have to do.
Those Who Make Things Happen - They do this by always thinking, always being aware, always being sensitive and alert to the Holy Spirit. They’re proactive rather than reactive--willing to go beyond what they’ve been asked or what is expected. These are the “Second Milers” in the Kingdom of God.

By his grace, and for his honor, let’s all focus on becoming the kind of people God can use. Becoming people who do what we’re told and becoming people who do more than we’re told!

Originally posted at leadership by the heart.
I Don’t Want To Be Either Of These!

How are we to deal with those who oppose us?

Most of us will know very little about the story of Chick-fil-A, a US restaurant and the opposition to them by the LGBT community, you can get yourself up to speed on the full story here. In short, Chick-fil-A have supported anti LGBT organizations because they are a company with traditional views on sexuality and marriage, like Jesus and the Bible he inspired.

Because we've been talking about how to witness to Jesus over the last two Sundays, the story really caught my eye. Here is a real world example of how we can speak truth to those who oppose us and Jesus message, but yet still bring glory to Jesus. We're reminded to let our speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6. I've got a lot to learn from the story of Dan Cathy, the COO of Chik-fil-A who does exactly that.

Cathy is a devoted follower of Jesus and he has recently reached out to one of the people leading the charge against his company, Shane L. Windmeyer director of Campus Pride. The way that Cathy has dealt with Windmeyer  as become a powerful story of how we're called to speak with people outside of the faith, with grace and truth. It's created a powerful witness to Jesus and has built bridges towards people rather than alienating them. If only all those who follow Jesus could get this right!

Here is an excerpt from the piece Windmeyer wrote, the full article is available at The Huffington Post

Throughout the conversations Dan expressed a sincere interest in my life, wanting to get to know me on a personal level. He wanted to know about where I grew up, my faith, my family, even my husband, Tommy. In return, I learned about his wife and kids and gained an appreciation for his devout belief in Jesus Christ and his commitment to being "a follower of Christ" more than a "Christian." Dan expressed regret and genuine sadness when he heard of people being treated unkindly in the name of Chick-fil-a -- but he offered no apologies for his genuine beliefs about marriage.

Here is what Windmeyer writes as they later stand on the sidelines of a major college football event.

Instead, he stood next to me most of the night, putting respect ahead of fear. There we were on the sidelines, Dan, his wife, his family and friends and I, all enjoying the game. And that is why building a relationship with someone I thought I would never understand mattered. Our worlds, different as they can be, could coexist peacefully. The millions of college football fans watching the game never could have imagined what was playing out right in front of them. Gay and straight, liberal and conservative, activist and evangelist -- we could stand together in our difference and in our respect. How much better would our world be if more could do the same? 

May the same kinds of things be said of us as we deal truthfully and graciously with those around us who do not yet follow Jesus.

Fasting over Lent?

Lent starts today. It is a season where we allow ourselves to be carried back to the cross of Jesus and to remember all that was done on our behalf.

Lent is the season of forty days before Easter where we reflect on what Jesus gave up to serve us, and to save us and to open up to us the way to God. One of the ways we remember what Jesus did is by fasting. Jesus says to us in Matthew 6 'when we fast...' so it seems that fasting is not something we might do, and or even should do. It is instead something we will do as we follow Christ.

Of course our modern consumer culture would think it strange to give up anything. Ever. But the culture of the Bible is replete with ideas of sacrifice, emptying, losing and laying down. These ideas are sometimes practically displayed by us kneeling or bowing in worship.

It might be helpful to reflect that the point of lent then is not about us, that we might get anything out it. It is instead a season to bless and serve Jesus. Lent is a season where we put ourselves and our agendas onto the back burner. It is a season where we fast not to get anything ourselves but to give everything in worship to Jesus: lord, saviour and king!

Jesus reminds us that we are to fast without telling others. It is something done for His glory not ours and so we do it quietly and inwardly as an exercise of personal reflection and worship. Smile as you crave, grin as you hunger and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. What is our reward? To see Jesus glorified!

May this season bring to you little, but may it give much glory and worship to Jesus!

‘All sin is equal.’ Is that true?'

When we believe that all sins are equal, it often causes us to not take the problem of sin seriously.
Have you heard this said? Maybe you’ve said it yourself—it’s a common refrain among people, Christians and non-Christians alike.
But is it true?

WHY DO PEOPLE SAY THIS?

People may use the statement for one of the following motivations:
They don’t want to be like the Pharisee in Luke 18.
They want to find common ground with non-Christians.
They don’t want to be labeled “legalistic” or “judgmental” by others.
These motivations are understandable, but the question still remains whether all sins are equal before God.

DEADLY SIN, DEADLIER SIN

Sin is the great equalizer. Whether a beggar on the streets or a king in a palace, every single person is—apart from Christ—a sinner both by nature and by choice (Rom. 3:23). Sometimes the sin is obvious and we know what it is, and other times, the wool is totally over our eyes and we have no idea.
All sin is deadly, but there are many passages in the Bible where different types of sin are spoken of as being particularly grievous:

Numbers 15. This chapter differentiates between sins that are unintentional and sins “of the high hand,” meaning sins that are intentional and rebellious. (Think: middle finger to the sky.)

Deuteronomy 18:12, 27:15. In the Mosaic Law, certain sins are listed as being abominations, meaning these sins are an offense to God (e.g. sexual sin, improper worship, idolatry).

Proverbs 6:16–19. Seven things are listed as sins that God hates (and they’re not the seven deadly sins as most people know them).

Matthew 12:31, Mark 3:29. Blasphemy against the Spirit is said to be an unforgivable sin. (For a good treatment of this subject, listen to Acts 29 pastor Sam Storms’ sermon “So close, yet so very far away.”)

Luke 20:47. Jesus says that the Pharisees will receive a “greater condemnation” for their sins of religious pride (yikes!).

John 19:11. Jesus tells Pilate that Judas has committed the “greater sin.”

1 John 5:16–17. John differentiates between sin that leads to death and sin that does not lead to death.

In one particularly striking New Testament passage, Paul speaks of sexual sin as being different from all other sin because, “Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (1 Cor. 6:18). Bible commentators are fuzzy on what the phrase “against his own body” means exactly, but it doesn’t take a Bible degree to see that Paul is urgently, passionately warning his hearers to avoid sexual sin at all costs.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

All sin is deadly, but there are some types of sin that are so serious that they warrant an extra-impassioned warning, a sterner rebuke, a more drastic plan to avoid temptation. Additionally, some sins are worse than others in terms of their immediate effects. If someone steals a candy bar, sinful as that may be, it does not have the same effect as when someone molests a child.

I am convinced that use of the claim “all sin is equal in the eyes of God” is inaccurate and unhelpful. It is inaccurate because it does not line up with what the whole of the Bible teaches. It is unhelpful because it downplays just how serious the problem of sin really is. Sin, by its very nature, is never satisfied. It grows from bad to worse and leads to death (James 1:15). As the great English preacher John Owen put it: “Every rise of lust, if it has its way reaches the height of villainy; it is like the grave that is never satisfied. The deceitfulness of sin is seen in that it is modest in its first proposals but when it prevails it hardens mens’ hearts, and brings them to ruin.”

When we believe that all sins are equal, it often causes us to not take the problem of sin seriously. This attitude then leads us to not take seriously the biblical command to put our sin to death by the power of the Spirit.

THE CROSS, THE CROSS, THE CROSS

The good news is that regardless of what sin we have committed, forgiveness is found at the cross of Jesus Christ. And when someone sins against us, we can find cleansing and redemption in Jesus. On the cross, Jesus took the beating that we all deserve for our sins. It might not be truthful to tell someone that all sins are equal in God’s sight, but it is very truthful to tell them that all sins can be forgiven because of Jesus’ death on the cross. We can confidently proclaim forgiveness for any type of sin because Jesus rose again on the third day to prove that he was God and that he was able and willing to forgive sinners. What an amazing Savior!

Are you in Christ? Then God has forgiven you for all of your sins—past, present, and future. Jesus Christ shouted from the cross as his final words in triumphant victory, “It is finished!” At that moment, sin was atoned for and sinners were forgiven.

Originally posted @ ‘All sin is equal.’ Is that true? | Mars Hill Church:

A Hymn To God The Father

by tULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN

The hymn below by English poet and cleric John Donne (1572-1631) says it all: God meets my ongoing sin with his inexhaustible forgiveness. 70 times 7.

My friend Shane Rosenthal sent me a note explaining that, according to some commentators, there is double meaning in the line, “Thou hast done” which repeats throughout the poem. It obviously refers to that which God has done for Donne in contrast to that which Donne has done (and continues to do). But the other meaning, especially clear in the last stanza, is a play on the poet’s own name: “Thou hast Donne.” It is his realization that despite his weak grip on God, God’s grip on him is perfect and forever, that finally ends his fears.

It never ceases to amaze me that, if you are in Christ, you can never, ever, ever outsin the coverage of God’s forgiveness. Amazing love…how can it be?

WILT Thou forgive that sin where I begun,
Which was my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt Thou forgive that sin, through which I run,
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done,
For I have more.

Wilt Thou forgive that sin which I have won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt Thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallowed in a score?
When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done,
For I have more.

I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore ;
But swear by Thyself, that at my death Thy Son
Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;
And having done that, Thou hast Donne ;
I fear no more.

originally posted @ A Hymn To God The Father

How NT Wright Stole Christmas » Peter Leithart | A First Things Blog

Christmas is an interesting time of year with most people revelling in the sentimentality of the season. But Jesus himself was not sentimental at all. Peter Leithart makes the point that so much of what we see and hear about Jesus in popular culture, Christmas hymns, movies and even Christian ethos is not really that much like the real Jesus of the scriptures.

In particular he makes reference to the excellent NT theologian NT Wright and some of the deeply challenging things he has written that force us back to the gospels to find the Jesus we've often missed. Often Wright has 'spoiled' our commonly held ideas of Jesus - but he has replaced them with far deeper, more truthful and powerful themes from the scriptures.

Liethart makes the following observation:

Several years ago, when The Passion of the Christ was making headlines, I realized that N. T. Wright has spoiled every Jesus film. Once you’ve read Wright, you realize that none of the movies get Jesus right. Pharisees and scribes are reduced stock villains with caricatured Jewish features. Pilate has to make an appearance, and Herod, but we are given no sense that first-century Israel was the powder keg that it actually was.

No film ever gives us what Wright says we should be looking for: a “crucifiable” Jesus, a Jesus who does something so provocative to make the Jews murderously hostile. In the movies, Jesus is a hippy peace-child, a delicate flower of a man, a dew-eyed first-century Jewish Gandhi. Why would anyone want to hurt Him? Maybe because He’s so annoyingly precious; but that’s not the story of the gospels.

It's an interesting comment and in many ways true. So much of what we believe about Jesus is more flavoured by culture rather than scripture. May we keep turning back to the text of the gospels this season to allow our preconceived ideas of Jesus to be undone, that this Christmas we may again meet the saviour of the world and not simply an empty caricature.

Liethart's full article is here: How NT Wright Stole Christmas 

Ten signs of a healthy team

This is wirth reading whether you lead a church, a business or even a family.

Ten Signs of a Healthy Team

Inclusive/exclusive

One of the common accusations by those outside the faith against Christianity is our claim to exclusiveness. Our claim that we have the only means by which people might be saved: Jesus. Of course this is not simply something we've pushed on to Jesus, he made the claim himself repeatedly and so Jesus church is simply working within the boundaries of being saved that Jesus himself gave to us.

There is one way to come to the father - Jesus.

Of course those kinds of statements are politically incorrect.

But they are not all of the story. Whilst Jesus makes the claim to exclusivley be the door to everything of God's kingdom, his call to people to come to him is deeply inclusive. More so than any other offer we might find in this life. Jesus calls all people to himself that he might save them, redeem them and draw them into the kingdom of God.

“The angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’”Luke 2:10–11

The angel reminds us of this good news from the very beginning of Jesus coming. Good news. Great Joy. for all the people. Jesus calls people to come to him irrespective of ethnicity, culture, language or background. It matters little whether you have a long history of dark sin or whether you've been mostly good all your life. Jesus does not care whether you are immensely wealthy or desperately poor. He cares little whether you come from a Christian home or are an atheist. It does not bother him whether you have multiple degrees behind your name or a basic primary school education.  Jesus calls all people to come to him and to find rest for their souls a profoundly unique, exclusive call but extensively inclusive in its breadth. This is why we're called to tell people the good news - because there is life and Jesus wants all to find it.

This is a challenge to the church. The challenge is that we'd be a community that has that kind of heart for the world, that we'd call all people irrespective of who they are to come follow him. That we'd not draw inwards in holy huddles but that we'd take the unbelievable and liberating news of Jesus into the world.

Because Christmas is the season of good news for all people.

How shall we live?

Over the past two Sundays, Brent preached two powerful sermons which should have made us all sit up and take notice. He spoke about how we were saved from our previous way of life and how we made a decision to follow Jesus and how we are now looking forward to eternal life with him.

But what about the time in between? How are we going to live our new life in the present, in the here and now when we have received such a gift of grace? So I went and read again Col 3:1-17 and together with it Matt 25:32-46, and asked myself 'What is God’s will for me in 2013?”

The question however, is not 'What is God’s will?' It is rather this 'will we obey God’s will?' The Bible tells us in so many places what God's will for us is. Jesus said 'whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake, will find it.' Jesus clearly acknowledged that following him involves taking lots of risks, but in the end leads to a great reward. This begs a question from each of us; do we believe the reward found in Jesus is worth the risk of following him? The changes in our lives will always increase in proportion to the depth of our relationship with Jesus.

We need to commit to believe whatever Jesus says in the scriptures but as importantly we need to commit to obey what we have heard (Jas 1:22-25).

The gospel does not merely prompt us to reflection. Instead the gospel calls us to respond.  In the process of hearing Jesus, we are compelled to take an honest look at our lives, our families, our church and not just ask “What is he saying?” but also “What shall I do?”

So, when we draw up our list of resolutions for 2013, let’s keep Sunday’s challenge in mind.

-Leon Huisamen

Worshipping Jesus this Christmas

Well proud of our team leading at a community carols event!

Unto us a saviour has been born, a saviour whose kingdom knows no end. May we never forget the reason for the season.

Understanding Sin

Tim Keller pastor and preacher at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan has written some outstanding books and is one of the great thinkers of our day in terms of helping those outside the faith understand Jesus.

Our aim is to be on gospel centred mission - but what does that mission look like, and how do we explain gospel to someone who does not understand anything about Jesus. So often Christians assume others understand what sin is, how Jesus saves us and how the Holy Spirit transforms us. Sadly most people are very ignorant about these things and often assume we are saying things that we are not.

Keller has written an good article on sin and how to understand in ways that are very helpful. You can see it here. He makes some really good points on how properly understanding sin will make us humble:

The biblical teaching on sin shows us the complete
pervasiveness of sin and the ultimate impossibility
of dividing the world neatly into sinful people and
good people. It eliminates our attitudes of superiority
toward others and our practices of shunning or
excluding those with whom we differ.

The Shepherd - Part three

We're unpacking some thoughts based upon ideas from Tim Laniak who writes about the primary biblical image of a leader being a shepherd. He make the point that we have three key roles: leading, feeding and protecting those under our care.

The shepherd leads and feeds. But a good shepherd also protects the flock from outside attack and sometimes even from themselves.

The shepherd as protector

A shepherd in Jesus day was well trained in the things that were a threat to the flock he was caring for. He'd have a good idea of what wild animals were around and how they behaved and where they hid. He'd also be good at reading the weather to get his flock out of harms way should a storm come in.

The Jericho road

Jesus was once asked by an expert in the law, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan. It seems that Jesus sees care for the wounded like the needy, the poor and downtrodden as part of the essence of following him.

Helping someone along a dangerous, dark and lonely road is not everyone’s cup of tea and whilst we are not expected to expose ourselves to danger unnecessarily, the further we remove ourselves from personal connections with people in need, the further we stray from the ministry Jesus modelled for us in this parable.

In Matt 25:31 on, we see Jesus judging people on the basis of their ministry to the hungry, naked, homeless, sick and imprisoned. The ministry of mercy appears to be central to the very definition of being a Christian.

...the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.

In his excellent book Ministries of Mercy, Tim Keller concludes:

• All Christians live on that road to Jericho whether we understand it or not
• It is the responsibility of us all to care for the neighbour lying in the road
• There are times when we need God most, yet he seems strangely inaccessible. At this moment of apparent abandonment, the Body of Christ can rise to perhaps it’s highest calling 

Our church has a Care Team whose aim is to care for the wounded in our church and in the community in which we serve. The team consists of people who are passionate about coming alongside those who are going through hard times and their aim is to assist in practical ways where needed.

Whilst we have this team, ultimately the responsibility lies with each and every one of us to care for others as Jesus calls. It's sometimes difficult work, and the problems can seem insurmountable. But then we serve a God who specialises in the impossible!

For more info contact info@pvfc.co.za 

The Shepherd - part two

We're unpacking some thoughts based upon ideas from Tim Laniak who writes about the primary biblical image of a leader being a shepherd. He make the point that we have three key roles: leading, feeding and protecting those under our care.

The shepherd as feeder

A shepherd must lead the flock but he must also feed the flock. Whatever our role of leadership from the preaching pastor to a volunteer team leader we're feeding those under our care. Sometimes that feeding is direct teaching from the scriptures if that is our calling and gift, but there is also teaching that comes through the way we lead our teams and the way that we interact with others. Jesus leads us to green pastures and we should be doing likewise with those under our care.

We're called to feed the hearts of our teams by being gracious, kind and affirming in our dealings with them. We feed our teams by reminding them that when they fail there is grace in Jesus more than enough for their failure. We can feed our teams by leading them in prayer and dependence on God's deliverance. We feed our teams when we point them to Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith.

Someone once quipped 'You are the only bible some people will read' Hopefully our teams are reading the bible too, but they will learn a lot from how you respond in high stress situations, how you treat your spouse, kids, colleagues and also the so-called 'unimportant' people in life. This is why we're encouraged to be Christ like in the way that we live.

People learn by watching. As as your sheep watch you, may they learn what the heart of the true shepherd, Jesus, is like.