Here I Am, Send Me Part 2: Faith and Action

Here I Am, Send Me Part 2: Faith and Action

by | Aug 16, 2024 | Called, Discover Your Ministry, Here I Am, Send Me, The Pattern

In the eleventh chapter of Genesis we meet a man named Abram – whose name would later be Abraham – the son of a man named Terah.

Terah raised his family in the cosmopolitan (that is to say, without national prejudices or peculiarities) city of Ur. This city was built near the Euphrates River in what is now southern Iraq.

That means that, had he grown up in today’s world – according to our modern map, he would’ve been an Iraqi citizen. He had been born, raised and married in Ur, just across the river from the southern Iraqi town of Nasirya – which was a hard-fought holdout during the 2003 war when American and British troops ousted the dictator Saddam Hussein.

According to Stephen M. Miller, author of ‘Who’s Who and Where’s Where in the Bible’: “Ur was the New York City of four thousand years ago – the world’s hub of culture, power and wealth.”

Ur is one of the oldest cities ever discovered – estimated to be about sixty-five hundred years old. It grew to become the capital, or control centre, of the world’s first real empire – Sumer!

In Abraham’s day this city was at its peak, but a century later was destroyed by invaders. Critics have stated that Abraham’s father (Terah) might have seen the hints, signs of such an invasion, and that was his reason for moving his family six hundred miles upriver to settle in the caravan town of Haran.

We read in Genesis 11:29-32: that Abraham and his brother Nahor had taken wives – Abraham married a girl named Sarai (Sarah) whose name means ‘princess’ and she was found to be infertile. Terah, the father of Abraham then took his family – including Lot, the son of Haran, and they left for Canaan, but never made it there, instead settling in the land that bore the same name as his dead son.

They only made their way about half way and came to this village (Haran), its name an Akkadian word meaning ‘road’. Apparently he liked the wonderful pastures and plentiful water he found there and stayed until he died at the age of two hundred and five.

At that point Abraham was about seventy-five years old.

In Genesis 12:1-2: we read:

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. (NLT)

The Lord speaks to Abraham saying – I have a plan for your life! I want to use you to bless others! I have prepared a land for you, I have a gift to give you – one that will raise you up beyond the physical and worldly stature of your peers! I want to bless you and write your name in the annals of history! Abraham! I have plans for you – and all you need to do is get up and go where I lead! Answer this call and everything will be given unto you!

God calls Abraham – answering the one question we all have racing through our minds. In this series we ask – why are we here? What is the purpose of life?

God answers, using the same words He spoke unto Abraham – Leave your native country, your relatives and your father’s family – your comfort zone – and follow Me to the land that I will show you – to the place I have in mind for you! I will make you into a great nation – I will make you a part of My family, My church! I will bless you and make you famous (give you an audience – whether 5 or 5 thousand) – I will consecrate you and make you remarkable in the eyes of your peers – and you will be a blessing to others, you will glorify Me!

How do we react? How do we claim this promise? How do we make these words our own?

As we will see, throughout the duration of this workshop, God promises us many things – gifts and ministries – and we need to react to His words, each and every time, in faith. It is through faith and faith alone that we claim and apply His promises and victory!

The author of Hebrews writes the following:

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10: KJV)

What the author is saying is that Abraham, through faith – trusting that the word God had given him was true and faithful – left his old life behind and obeyed completely, going out to seek the land of promise, looking for a city which had its foundations in the Lord – whose builder and maker is God!

By faith he trusted in the Lord and went out, following but not knowing where.

He submitted wholly to the Lord God and His plan.

This reading is entitled Faith and Action.

Faith is an uncompromising trust, the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting solely and implicitly on his authority and veracity; reliance on testimony.

In this case he put his trust solely in the word of God spoken unto Him, trusting the authority and veracity of the One who spoke it.

This led to action. Action is the process or condition of acting or moving, as opposed to rest; the doing of something; exertion of power or force, as when one body acts on another; the effect of power exerted on one body by another; agency; activity; operation; as, the action of heat; a man of action.

He moved, in response to the promise of God, into the will and way of the Lord.

Everything in life is bound to these two things – faith and action.

Faith determines our expectations – and this spurs on our actions. We believe that we will see water when we turn the tap. We have faith that gravity will keep us down to earth – even though most of us can’t really explain what gravity is.

We act – and our actions have consequences and results. We walk, we talk, we think – all of these are actions.

Faith and action is a daily part of our physical lives, but how often do we apply this to the spiritual sphere that surrounds us? How often do we grasp the spiritual truth in God’s Word and act on it?

How often do we believe what we read in the Bible during our quiet time or daily reading?

How often do we believe and do?

Right now God is saying: I have plans for you – are you willing to get up and go? Are you ready to leave all your ideals and ideas behind and follow Me to the land I have prepared for you?

Are you willing to choose God’s way and stay on it wherever it may lead?

Reflect:

1. Imagine for a moment what the promised land of your calling looks like. What is it God wants to do through you and for you? What are some of the closed doors between you and fulfilling your calling? What are the two keys that will unlock the way forward for you to step into this destiny?

2. How do you define faith? What does it look like, right now, to trust God with your calling and your future?

3. Action is a physical and material response based on our faith. What action can you take today as a step towards your calling?

Prayer: Lord, help me today to have complete trust in Your Word. Let Your Word come alive in my heart and let it be a lamp unto my feet – guiding me, leading me onward through the darkness of uncertainty. Give me wisdom, Lord, give me strategies and a way forward so that Your will might be done in and through my life. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

Gratitude: A Call to Worship

Gratitude: A Call to Worship

by | Aug 8, 2024 | Kingdom Finance, Kingdom Principles, The Pattern

The American essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, once gave the following advice: “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”

In Psalm 23 David makes it clear that even though we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death we need not fear – in all our trials and tribulations Jesus remains our friend.

In the valley low, and on the mountain top – through oceans deep and rivers wide – God remains faithful. He is God in the good times and in the bad times.

Romans 5:1-5: teaches us that even in the storm God is faithful. He is always busy molding us, shaping us – in every situation He is with us. In the good times and the bad times He is faithful, and therefore in both the good times and the bad times we can praise Him for His goodness and His love.

The fact of the matter is that some days are better than others, but every day can be the best of your life when you adopt an attitude of gratitude.

As Christians we realize that through the Spirit of Adoption we have become sons and daughters of the Most High God. We are no longer enslaved by the bondage of fear and sin – but crying ‘Abba Father’. We are justified by faith and at peace with God through Christ. Through Jesus, also, we have access, by faith, to His grace – the marvelous, amazing Grace of God in which we stand, alive and rejoicing, in the hope of glory of God.

We are blessed and highly favored. We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. He is our deliverer. He is our healer. He is the provider.

In Psalm 103 David declares aloud: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The word used for soul is the Hebrew ‘nephesh’ which does not just refer to our conventional understanding of a ‘soul’ as some sort of component of being, but rather a word that encapsulates all of his life – consciousness and the whole of life itself.

He is, in essence, saying: Let others praise you with their tongues – with their words – but as for me… Everything I am, all of me will honour you. All that is withing me – physically, emotionally and intellectually – will praise you, glorify you, magnify, bless and exalt you Lord – with everything I have – every faculty and resource I have to my disposal.

In verse 2 David repeats this phrase. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

As a guitarist I have to often tune my instrument before playing. The tuning peg needs to be turned until it is in tune. Often it has to be turned more than once.

David repeats this phrase on purpose. Deliberately and with good reason. It is not vain repetition – how can it be when your pen is guided by the Spirit of God?

David is thirsty. He is hungry. He is seeking the face of God – ardently and in all earnestness. With the repetition of these words he is stirring up a chorus within himself – a chorus in which all his faculties, emotions and capacities are joined in harmonious rapture.

The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, notes the following in his beautiful exposition of this psalm: These first verses are a tuning of the harp, a screwing up of the loosened strings, that not one note may fail in the sacred harmony.

David’s repetition is deliberate – for emphasis. Our praise must never be half-hearted. Our thanksgiving must always be intentional. Although our praise is often spontaneous and emotional, it must also be intentional, and to a degree rational.

Psalm 103:2 encourages us to not forget His benefits. More than wealth or prosperity, God gives His children TRUE benefits.

The theologian, VanGemeren said: Praise is the response of awe for God, while reflecting on what the Lord has done for the people of God – throughout the history of redemption, for creation at large, for the community and for oneself.

If praise is a response to the awe of God, and David is calling his whole soul – all he is – to bless the Lord, it means that our thanksgiving is never just in word but also in deed. Our praise and thanksgiving becomes something tangible.

As author Amy Leigh Mercree said: Thanksgiving is a joyous invitation to shower the world with love and gratitude.

The vanGemeren quote expresses this as well – our praise is not just about what God has done for the individual, but extends outwards.

And as David is led in writing the Psalm, his invitation to praise, starting with himself – the stirring up of his heart and soul – extends outwards to eventually include all of creation. All the earth and even the host of heaven is invited to bless the Lord.

All of creation. All of Heaven and Earth is invited to take their place in the sacred symphony of praise.

In Psalm 103:6 we see that God’s heart beats for the oppressed, the poor – the broken, lost and in need. God’s heart beats for the sinner, outcast and orphan. From reading the Gospels and about the Apostles, we see how God wants to use us as His hands and feet. We are to advocate for and actively pursue and effect justice for the oppressed, the weak and weary, the burdened. and heavy laden – we are called to make a difference. As the light of God’s love becomes alive in us we are to become a light – a beacon of hope – for those still in darkness.

The Psalms often make mention of an offering of thanks, or a sacrifice of thanksgiving. This was always a physical offering. I would argue that all our offerings, all of our praise and thanksgiving, are to be expressed physically.

We have so much to be grateful for today. He has saved us from death itself. He has paid for our healing and restoration. He gives us joy and peace – the kind that surpasses understanding. His grace carries us. His love enfolds us. His goodness and mercy follows us. He is our Shepherd and we shall not want. He is the Good Father who cares for His children. If His eye is on the Sparrow, surely He watches over you and me as well.

Let us stir up our souls to worship God today – in Spirit and in Truth. Let us call ourselves to worship and bless the Lord with more than just words.

This is the invitation.

Someone out there needs Jesus today.

This is the invitation, an invitation to shower the world with love and gratitude.

An invitation to bless the Lord by doing something.

To bring a physical, tangible offering to the Lord, as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1-2).

What is your sacrifice of praise today?

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I would like to ask you to help us fulfill the mission by supporting our mission. Your contribution allows us to devote our time to preaching, teaching, counseling those who can’t afford it and deliverance ministry – both locally and internationally, online and in person.

It also allows us to devote our time to the creation of materials for use by individuals and groups for personal growth and discipleship – all available for free on this website. We are not asking for much – even the smallest drop in the bucket makes a huge difference. We only ask that your prayerfully go to the Lord and ask Him to guide you in your giving.

Please see this page for more information on how you can support the mission:

https://kingdomrevolution.co.za/blogs/give/

Hands and Feet

Hands and Feet

by | Aug 8, 2024 | Kingdom Finance, Kingdom Principles, The Pattern

I remember years ago, as a volunteer in Hillbrow doing urban missions, I sat at a soup kitchen listening to testimonies from the local homeless population.

An older man got up and went to the front. The room fell silent as he started sharing. “I have never seen God give me bread or shelter…” He started. And I felt my heart jump. I thought to myself – this is not a testimony.

But the older man continued.

“But I have seen His children acting as his hands and feet to provide to our needs.”

Over the years this statement has stuck with me. This idea has shaped my ministry over the last 12 years. It is as Richard Rohr so beautifully puts it. Presence over preaching…

Peter shares the same kind of thought with us in his first epistle. In 1 Peter 2:9: he tells us that we are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation – a peculiar people – called out of darkness with the purpose of proclaiming his goodness to those who have not yet seen his love.

I like how the older translations put it – to shew forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness. Not just to talk about it – but to practically demonstrate the Kingdom – to be ambassadors rather than citizens.

The old homeless man had a point. God uses us to facilitate His miracles. God uses us to provide and see to the needs of those who need Him. God uses us to care for the poor and disenfranchised. He uses us to bring about change. Gd works in us, He gives through us – and if He is present in our hearts, we will see His Kingdom present itself around us.

As believers and children of the Most High God, followers of the teachings of Christ we realize that we have a mission. This mission is given to us in Matthew 28 – in verse 16 the 11 disciples (sans Judas) go to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had instructed them to go.

Here Jesus tells them the following: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus gives us the great commission – this role is assigned to us as a body – the authority of Christ, and therefore also the responsibility that comes with it – is delegated to us.

We are to make disciples as Jesus had done.

I love the Gospel According to Mark. In the book of Mark Jesus is described as a man of action – He didn’t just preach – but came as a revolutionary. Shifting paradigms, shaking our way of thinking and showing us the way forward. We cannot simply tell the hungry man to find Christ. A roaring belly is not always open to the Gospel – we need to feed him. The naked man needs to be clothed lest he be distracted by the cold, unable to hear the good news being shared.

We need to actually do. Not just talk the talk, but actually walk as Jesus instructed us to. As Christ Himself demonstrated.

When His disciples wanted to send the crowds home to go and eat, saying: “We cannot feed them…”, Jesus rebuked them and multiplied what was there.

But God used a little boy and his lunchbox to do this.

Just like Moses was instructed to use the staff he had in his hand to demonstrate God’s power – just like David picked up 5 stones – God uses what we have at hand to change the world.

And as we give – as we pour out the oil – it is multiplied. As we fill the cups of others, our cup will be filled.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I would like to ask you to help us fulfill the mission by supporting our mission. Your contribution allows us to devote our time to preaching, teaching, counseling those who can’t afford it and deliverance ministry – both locally and internationally, online and in person.

It also allows us to devote our time to the creation of materials for use by individuals and groups for personal growth and discipleship – all available for free on this website. We are not asking for much – even the smallest drop in the bucket makes a huge difference. We only ask that your prayerfully go to the Lord and ask Him to guide you in your giving.

Please see this page for more information on how you can support the mission:

https://kingdomrevolution.co.za/blogs/give/

Giving as Worship

Giving as Worship

by | Aug 7, 2024 | Kingdom Finance, Kingdom Principles, The Pattern

In Matthew 25:35-40: Jesus describes, in parable, the corporal works of mercy.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

We are called to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty and to clothe the naked. We are called and encouraged to shelter the homeless and visit the prisoner. We are to comfort the sick and father the orphan. We are to love without condition and be a friend to the friendless.

Jesus calls us to be His hands and feet.

We are to see to the needs of those around us – regardless of who they are or where they come from.

Jesus has called us all. We are all called to care for the community.

The early church – as described in the book of Acts – gave everything to the cause of Christ. All of their possessions were shared.

I am not suggesting that we live in the same way – what I am encouraging you to do is think a little bit beyond our own materialism.

The fact of the matter is, God has blessed us with certain skills, talents and resources. Therefore giving is not only an act of obedience but also worship.

Through giving – whether it is our time or money – or whatever it is we can offer – we are contributing to the great commission.

Sowing into ministry is a way of contributing to the cause of Christ.

I once heard a minister describing the first act of worship. He said that when God breathed into Adam and Adam exhaled it was worship – it was a physical reaction to what God had done.

This is what worship is – a reaction to the goodness and grace of God.

But this reaction cannot be purely spiritual.

We worship in spirit and truth – and if the truth is present within us and the Spirit moves through us it will always have tangible results.

Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 5 to be imitators of Christ as beloved children – to live a life of love just as Christ has loved us and offered Himself as a fragrant sacrifice for our sake.

He also makes it clear in his second letter to the Corinthians that Jesus became poor for our sake so that through His poverty we might become rich.

It is in reaction to this great love that Christ showed us – this love that laid down His life for us – that we worship and lay down our own ambitions for the sake of the Cross.

God, through His grace, has provided to our needs – and enables us to give to His Kingdom. Paul describes this in 2 Corinthians 9. From verse 10 we read:

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. (2 Corinthians 9:10-14, NIV)

Paul makes an interesting point – your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

He reiterates this idea in the following verses: OTHERS will praise God for the obedience that ACCOMPANIES your confession of the Gospel of Christ.

Giving is faith in practice.

James, in the epistle that bears his name, teaches us that faith without action is dead.

If we believe that God is who He says He is – our provider, our shepherd – the one who cares for us – than we can be pro-active in our giving instead of reactive. We can give and see to the needs of others without fear because we know that God is faithful and will supply and increase our store of seed (as Paul describes in 2 Cor 9:10).

The Bible also teaches us in the book of Proverbs that whosoever gives to the poor lends to the Lord – and I don’t know anyone I would rather lend to – as God is always faithful in settling His debts.

We pray: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done…” but it has to be more than just a prayer – it has to lead to action.

What are we doing to facilitate the coming of His Kingdom?

We need to proclaim and show forth the praises of God. We need to proclaim His mercy.

Giving is a work of mercy through us. It is mercy at work in us.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I would like to ask you to help us fulfill the mission by supporting our mission. Your contribution allows us to devote our time to preaching, teaching, counseling those who can’t afford it and deliverance ministry – both locally and internationally, online and in person.

It also allows us to devote our time to the creation of materials for use by individuals and groups for personal growth and discipleship – all available for free on this website. We are not asking for much – even the smallest drop in the bucket makes a huge difference. We only ask that your prayerfully go to the Lord and ask Him to guide you in your giving.

Please see this page for more information on how you can support the mission: 

https://kingdomrevolution.co.za/blogs/give/

Giving and the Harvest

Giving and the Harvest

by | Aug 7, 2024 | Kingdom Finance, Kingdom Principles, The Pattern

Jesus said the following in Matthew 9:Then He said to His disciples, “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, NIV)

Reinhardt Bonke said the following – the day of reaping with a sickle is past. The time for the combine harvester has come.

He also said: an unpreached Gospel is no Gospel at all.

A combine harvester is an extremely versatile and dynamic machine for bringing in the harvest – but even with a well qualified driver it cannot move without fuel. In the end the person who fills the tank plays just as big a role in gathering the harvest and seeing the fruits of the labour. You can have a very dynamic church and a well qualified preacher – but without the person who fills the tank – without our contributions to the mission – the lights will go out and the doors will close. Our contributions are what keep the church running.

Every single person in the body of Christ is important – plays a role in it functioning as a vehicle for salvation.

Through faithful use of our resources – time, money, skills, etc – the gifts bestowed upon us by the grace of God, each according to our special and unique capacity – we will see increase.

On that day on which we are to give account of our lives – when we are to prove our stewardship over the many mercies God entrusted us with, those who exerted themselves dutifully will receive their reward while those who left their gifts unused will be deprived of what they were entrusted with.

On that day on which we are to give account of our live we are not going to be asked what we preached, but rather what we did.

Giving to the poor, supporting the gospel and sowing into the Kingdom is trading with what we have – and the returns will be rich.

Those who have heard and are stubborn and uncharitable will find their riches are empty and perish – eaten away by moth and age.

Another principle at work in my life is this: we keep what we have by giving it away.

If we hold on to that ‘thing’ – that finite and perishable ‘thing’ – it will be all we have.

However, as we fill the cups of those around us in faith and faithfulness to God, we will see Him fill our cups every time.

How can God fill a cup that is full? Will the water not stagnate if it does not move?

What is most important, above all, is that the things that are important to God must be the most important to us.

Beyond our desire for a full cup – a full and prosperous life – must be the desire to please God.

For our hearts to break at the sight of that which breaks His heart.

A church that does not seek the lost is lost itself.

My hope and prayer is that God will speak to you to give – to fill the cups of those around you – so that you may become a living testimony of the grace of God.

That you will see increase in your storehouse. That God will prove Himself faithful to you and that the Gospel will continue to be preached and reach the lost.

May His Kingdom come, and His will be done in us, through us and around us.

In Jesus name.

Amen.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I would like to ask you to help us fulfill the mission by supporting our mission. Your contribution allows us to devote our time to preaching, teaching, counseling those who can’t afford it and deliverance ministry – both locally and internationally, online and in person.

It also allows us to devote our time to the creation of materials for use by individuals and groups for personal growth and discipleship – all available for free on this website. We are not asking for much – even the smallest drop in the bucket makes a huge difference. We only ask that your prayerfully go to the Lord and ask Him to guide you in your giving.

Please see this page for more information on how you can support the mission: 

https://kingdomrevolution.co.za/blogs/give/

Here I Am, Send Me Part 1: God has a plan!

Here I Am, Send Me Part 1: God has a plan!

by | Aug 7, 2024 | Called, Here I Am, Send Me, The Pattern

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In Paul’s letters to the Colossians, quite a few hundred pages later, we read the following:

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Col 1:16-17: KJV)

Everything in the earth and in the heavens was created through Him – by His mighty hands – and for Him – to serve His purpose.

As human beings capable of intelligent thought as well as reasoning, we find all kinds of questions racing through our minds and, at times, our hearts.

Many of the worlds greatest thinkers, philosophers, poet, artists and scientists have looked for the meaning of life – asking, “why are we here?”

And just as many have passed on without ever getting an answer.

We as Christians, having to our advantage the very Word of God and His Holy Spirit to convince us of the right way and to lead us therein, we have the answer!

For His glory! For His glory we have been created and formed – for His glory we have been planted here.

We have been called for a place and a time such as this. You have been planted here, wherever that may be, for a reason, and not just any reason, but for God’s reason – to be the manifestation of His glorious plan, to be a part of the coming revival (which I am convinced will be coming soon), to be part of a revolution – there is more to life than just being!

Each and every one of us has been created with a purpose to fulfil in the greater ecosystem of His Kingdom.

We have been created for His glory. But what does that mean and how do we embrace it?

Sorrowfully I become aware of the great potential God has put in us and how we have the tendency to waste it. So many of us simply don’t realize that we have a purpose, that God has a plan! And

There have been many people with great potential – exceptional skill and talent, many with great minds – who have missed it completely – choosing to serve the world rather than God. Choosing death rather than life. Imagine what a force for revival they could’ve been if they had only met God on a personal, intimate level and allowed Him to use them.

Today I believe we are standing at that same crossroad. We have a choice set before us.

Do we see that which God has placed within us, that which He wants to give us, or do we turn a blind eye and ignore His great gifts? Do we ignore the voice of the Lord calling to us right now – ‘whom shall I send?’ – or do we jump head first and with wild abandon into His will for us?

The choice is yours today.

On this website you will find many resources added weekly, even daily, to help you grow in your relationship with the Lord as well as your calling and ministry.

If you need more personal guidance, or advice on which resources to use and where to find more – please reach out and send me an email: andre@adlabuschagne.co.za

Reflect:

1. We are all called to be a part of the ecosystem of God’s Kingdom. Often an ecosystem will contain many smaller ecosystems as well. This could be your workplace, your home, your school, your church or your community. Where has God planted you? What ecosystems are you a part of? How does your sphere of influence look?

2. What are some of the needs in your immediate sphere of influence? Is it food security? Mental health? Spiritual poverty?

3. Think of one or two small ways that you can make a difference and meet these needs – whether it is giving a neighbour a loaf of bread, praying with a friend, or even just offering a shoulder to cry on. What is a practical way in which you can take your first step into servanthood and ministry? How can you be a beacon of refreshment, renewal and revival in your ecosystem today?

Prayer: Lord, I give you my heart, my mind and all of my strength. Do with me as you will. Make me an instrument of Your peace, a beacon of Your love and an ambassador of Your Kingdom. Let my heart be set on your ways, and Your ways set within my heart so that I might be a faithful witness of Your Grace and Mercy. Show me, through Your Holy Spirit, how I can make a difference today. Help me make the small things count. Every gesture, every conversation – in all of my coming and my going – be glorified. Use my life to write testimonies in the lives of others. In Jesus Name. Amen.