In Pursuit of Truth (3)

When we are reborn in Christ and become reborn in Spirit, where do we start? We understand that our way of life has changed, because we’ve changed. The tough question is; where do we start? Nine times out of ten we tend to start at the middle or worse even, at the end. Scripture gives us a good idea of what we should look like and how we should behave as reborn Christians, therefore we practice hard at these desired qualities – and start in the middle. You see, just like our race the other day, our Christian lives have a start, middle and end. You can’t start at the middle, because you need to see, experience and learn some things from the start first. These things will enable you to do what your supposed to do when you come to the middle and end. Does that make sense?

Imagine a 10 month old baby trying to run… how funny would that be?! It’s ridiculous to expect anything more than him/her to crawl or perhaps walk at this stage of their growth and development. A baby needs to crawl before he/she can walk and walk before he/she can run. The same principle applies to our Christian lives; we cannot start out with running – we need to crawl and walk first.

When we read the New Testament Epistles, we need to apply the same principle. There is a first, middle and final part to it. In order to understand (and apply) the middle and final part, we need to comprehend the first part (and apply it). If we don’t read Paul’s letters in this way, we will never really grasp the meaning of what he wrote. Let’s have a look at what Paul did in the book of Ephesians:

Ephesians 1:1-4 (1) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints that are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus: (2) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: (4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love:

God has blessed (past tense) you and me with all the spiritual blessings in the Heavenly Places in Christ. We need to see that we are spiritual beings with a human experience and not the other way round; we are created in the image of God and he has blessed us with all spiritual blessings. Paul then goes on:

Ephesians 1:17-21 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; (18) having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (19) and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us- who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might (20) which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Christ is sitting at the Father’s right hand in the heavenly places; the place where (Ephesians 1:3) the blessings are poured out. Then Paul goes on to include man’s history in Chapter 2, when he declares:

Ephesians 2:5-6 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), (6) and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:

Take note: God raised us up with Christ and we are seated with him in the place where we (have already) receive(d) all spiritual blessings. You see, our dilemma starts when we understand that we should resemble Christ in our words and thoughts – and then go out to fake it (we try to be different, but we just can’t keep it up, then we end up faking it anyway). We’re starting at the middle! Paul is trying to tell us (in Ephesians chapter 1 and 2) that we’re supposed to SIT first. We need to see that Christ did everything that our Holy and Righteous God expected as an offering for sin – we may now receive His gift and SIT with Him (the WORK is done). We are unconditionally accepted – no walking or working could ever change that. Isn’t it interesting to note that Adam’s (the first man) first day on earth, was the day that God chose to rest? Adam didn’t contribute to God’s work after he’d been created, God had already completed everything! He was only meant to enjoy God’s work and to REST IN HIM.

Sin brought a disturbance in this way of life and God made the perfect way: Christ would do all the work (like God in the garden of Eden) necessary, so that man can exist in a state of REST in Him. Jesus spoke about this ‘work’ in John 5:17, the work that he had completed in John 19:30.

And this is the mystery of the Gospel, that God went a step further and finished the work of salvation in Christ, so that you and I can simply receive it by faith and live our lives from within His Rest (from a seated position in the Spirit). It is not a command to ‘sit down’, but an invitation to see ourselves as ‘seated’ in Christ. That is why Paul prays for the enlightenment of our spiritual eyes; so that we may see God has finished in His Son, Jesus Christ!

In the next post, we will have a look at the middle and final parts of Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians and it’s significance to us. So, keep reading… J

Race report and...

On Sunday, 15 November 2009, my wife and I took part in the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Race in Johannesburg, and what a day! The weather was perfect for cycling, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric! There were 26 000 participants and getting to the starting line is an achievement all on its own! Fortunately we were there in time and we started to push our way through thousands of cyclists in order to get to our group. This year’s race was really something; I was not only doing this one at my wife’s side, but our friends’ 11 year old son (Wessel) joined us as well. I’ve mentioned him in some of my previous posts...

Me, Mariette and Wessel before the start

At the start

I had to slow down my pace in order to stay with Mariette, and Wessel had to slow down for both of us!! He could keep himself in check for only the first 25km, where after we only saw him again at the finish line. Well done Wessel! The little man actually called it the “94.7 easy”! (http://weaselattack.blogspot.com)

Mariette and I, however, continued to complete the race at a steady pace. We enjoyed the hundreds of spectators who were there to cheer us on and as the temperature kept rising closer to midday; we made sure to visit every water point with Coke, cold water and energy drinks. We finished the race without and flat wheels or mechanical difficulties, in 3 hours and 54 minutes. Even though I did this same race last year in less than 3 hours, I feel so blessed with this year’s race. The fact that I could participate was a miracle!

When we entered for the race, four months ago, I was not physically able to ride a bicycle. I couldn't keep my balance on the thing and frequently involuntarily steered off the road. Even though I couldn't stay on the bike (physically), I held on to what I understood as a Rhema word from God: through His wounds, I am healed (1 Peter 2:24). How amazing is God?! I was able to prepare for the race on the trainer at home a couple of weeks prior to the race.

Because I wasn’t as fit for this race as I was with last year’s; I had to decide on a new aim for this race – I couldn’t race for time. So, I raced WITH my wife. Because we weren’t pushing for any time window, we took everything as it came and enjoyed the sights of the city of Johannesburg. Wow. I say again: how amazing is God?! He gave Mariette and I such a special time together on those bikes. We just can’t wait to start training again for next year’s big race in March.

Here is just something I’d like to share with you, a little something special…

God created the water animals by speaking to the waters. God created the land animals by speaking to the earth. God created man, by speaking to Himself!

Genesis 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly and swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth in the open expanse of the heavens

Genesis 1:26 God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth.

And thus it came to pass that all the water animals are sustained by that which is of the water, the land animals are sustained by that which is of the earth AND man is sustained by God. And woman? Where do woman come into the picture? Well, how did she come into the picture in the first place? Woman was formed from the rib of the man… therefore; woman came from man. As a result, woman is sustained by man (her husband), from whom she was created (being close by his side – rib).

Genesis 2:22-23 (22) And the rib or part of his side which the Lord God had taken from the man He built up and made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. (23) Then Adam said, This [creature] is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of a man.

This is such a perfect illustration of the relationship between Christ and the Church that is explained in Ephesians 5. When a man is in relationship with God (through Jesus Christ), his relationship with his wife will be what God intended it to be. When a woman moves into her role (at the side of her husband – because they are ‘one’ after all), she will be content and fulfilled.

Dear friend, don’t waste time. Enjoy the gift God had given you in your husband/wife.

In my next post we will continue in our Pursuit of Truth.

In Pursuit of Truth (2)

Yesterday we went to the Expo that usually precedes the Momentum 94.7km Cycle Race in Johannesburg, and WOW!! So many things to see, so little time to get to all of it. As we’re walking through the Expo, you can feel the excitement building up inside… the race is a mere day away!! We just can’t wait to get on those bikes and experience the city of Johannesburg from a completely new and different perspective, to share these moments with the most precious person in one’s life. God is good!

Today we will take the first steps of our journey in the pursuit of Truth. Today we venture to SEE what exactly the Father’s Gift entails…

Once upon a time, a father gave his son the most precious gift; it had been advertised all over and kids all over dreamed of this special gift. The son was excited beyond measure about the gift and thanked the father profusely! The child went outside to play with this special gift and the father watched with a tender heart how this gift brought boundless joy to his son. After a short while the son stormed into the house with tear streaked cheeks, begging the father to please tell him how much this gift had cost. The father’s reply was only a baffled stare. The child continued to cry without end and beg to know exactly what it is that he could do in order to receive this gift. To say the least, the father was dumb-struck. He tried to explain to his son that it was a GIFT, it was his free of charge and that no compensation was expected. The father tried to explain that he only wanted his son to be grateful and enjoy the gift. Yet, the boy still continued to cry and ask the father for ways in which he could EARN this gift…

This story is yours and mine. God gave us the most precious gift: His Son, yet we struggle to accept this gift. At first, after salvation, we bask in our new found Love and Life and then we are reminded of where we come from and exactly how undeserving we are of this precious gift… Then we start to beg of the Father for ways in which to please Him, just so that we can EARN this special gift He had already given us… What’s wrong with this picture?!!

After the ‘honeymoon’ phase in our Christian walk has waned, we are left so much to DO. We realise that we are supposed to act differently now and display the character of Christ. We read countless books on how to train ourselves into new behavioural patterns and try our best at being GOOD and doing GOOD. And off course there is always the fear of ending up in Hell to speed up the ‘transformation process’ in bringing forth good fruit. Does this sound familiar?

We say thank you for the great gift of Christ, then we shift Him completely out of the picture and attempt to do the impossible: do what only Christ can do. It is only in and through Christ that transformation takes place. Wasn’t the cross enough to save? Do we really think that human effort can add anything to what Christ had already accomplished? Then we go on to justify our way of thinking, quoting the one verse after the other with their dos and don’ts. We validate our efforts by citing Scriptures from the New Testament, spelling out ‘rules to live by’. UNFORTUNATELY, IN OUR EFFORT TO FOCUS ON CERTAIN PORTIONS, WE MISSED OUT ON THE WHOLE!!!

Let’s have a look at some practical examples from the book of Ephesians:

Ephesians 4:29 Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it.

When I read this with my usual morning devotions, I am reminded to keep myself in check. I remind myself that I am a new creation in Christ – therefore I should not use any foul language or gossip about others. Unfortunately my drive to the office starts out with a massive traffic jam… there goes all my good intentions! At first I’m furious at every idiot on the road and then I proceed to tell them how unfortunate their birth was to the rest of the world population. After a while I am reminded of this morning’s portion of Scripture and I cringe. I feel so guilty, because Paul continued to say the following in the just the next verse:

Ephesians 5:8 For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [lead the lives of those native-born to the Light].

Okay, I’m dead meat! I disappointed God and I’m staring out my office window, waiting for that bolt of lightning to hit. Then it suddenly dawns on me: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!! Because Paul went on to say:

Ephesians 6:12-13 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (13) Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.

My dear friends, if this is how we interpret Scripture, it is no wonder we are exhausted and over worked. We try and we try, yet to no avail. We never seem to reach that place where we are the righteousness of God. Where is that life of abundance (John 10:10)? Through our many failed efforts it is clear that we cannot save / change ourselves… How then does this work?

Soon we will continue in our pursuit of Truth and we will look at these portions of Scripture again, but from a place where our religious traditions of the past play no role. We won’t interpret Scripture from the perspective of a certain opinion or conviction. We will allow Scripture to interpret Scripture and we will ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Truth to us…

May you be blessed this weekend. Please don’t miss out on the next post... There is a better way than our own, his name is Jesus!

In Pursuit of Truth (1)

Sooner than anticipated the week before our ‘big’ race is upon us! On Sunday 15 November, Mariette and I will be participating in the Momentum 94.7km Cycle Race in Johannesburg. We are as prepared as we can be, but not nearly as much as we were last year this time. This year there are now elaborate goals for the race, we’re not nearly fit enough for it. This year’s race has one simple goal: to enjoy it together. I really want to encourage you to spend special time with your loved ones. They are such a precious gift from God (and you are to them), enjoy them! I could keep you busy the whole day with stories about how many times God has taught me a new lesson through either one of my boys or my wife.

In our ministry things have been great! Finally we received the building plans for our new Church & Community Centre. These have now been handed in at the City Council for approval and we can hardly wait to see what God does next. We don’t know when we’ll start building or how God will provide the funds, but it’s awesome to let God be God and wait upon Him to build our church. These are such exciting times! And that’s not all! These past few weeks I’ve seen so many marriages being restored by people’s acceptance of God’s Word and the precious gift of the Son; now they endeavour on a new way of life; as ONE. God is mighty to save and heal and restore!

In the next few blogs, I am going to be completely honest about many things; some people may be offended and (I trust) many people might just be encouraged. Please bear with me and join me on this journey; a journey on finding Truth and embracing Him.

How many times have you heard The Gospel / The Good News / The Message of Salvation? Countless times I’m sure. I’m also convinced that you’ve heard it from every angle possible; “Turn or Burn”, “Heaven: the Place to be”, “Where will you end up tonight, should you die whilst you are driving home after the service?”. After such sermons people are eager to join this club, called Christianity. They are so excited to start this new life, where the retirement plan is set and they can hardly wait to start doing something for God, just so that they can feel worthy of this great Gift they have received. However, a few days down the line their enthusiasm falters and they just can’t keep up this (ever eluding) Christian life; they have repeatedly failed to be selfless and struggle to be the perfect and moral citizen (which, according to their preachers, they should be now that they are saved).

To be completely honest with you today, most of us have missed it completely. We misunderstood the Gift and we didn’t understand who we were now created (or rebirthed) to be. And I say we, because I lived under the same misconception of what the Gospel was all about. But today I want to tell you about the WHOLE TRUTH; some of the earlier christians started propagating a ‘different’ Gospel so many years ago and only now we are observing how understanding dawns on small clusters of Christians the world over. And the funny thing is; it’s the same Gospel that Paul taught. We just didn’t see it for what it was; in our effort to make sense of Paul’s writings, we taught ourselves many new tools and ended up with a diluted Gospel. Well, I say NO MORE!! It is time for the world to SEE CHRIST. It is time for the world to BE SET FREE by the new way that is presented in Christ Jesus.

Next time we will continue on our journey and we will talk about THE GIFT and OUR RESPONSE. And I am really looking forward in sharing the Good News with you!

If you have a comment or a question, please feel free to place it in the ‘comment’ box below!

BE BLESSED!