Here I Am, Send Me Part 6: A Call To Arms

Here I Am, Send Me Part 6: A Call To Arms

by | Sep 12, 2024 | Called, Discover Your Ministry, Here I Am, Send Me, The Pattern

In the last few readings we examined certain figures in the Old Testament and how their attitudes can be applied to ministry.

The goal of the previous readings was also to motivate you to start functioning in your gifts and ministry through the application of 3 specific concepts – Faith, Desire, and the Action of Total Surrender.

Everything starts with Faith.

Faith lays the foundation for all that is to follow – it is the substance, or foundation, of our expectations (the things we hope for / our desires) and thus also our actions (the way in which we work towards those things).

Just as Moses put all his trust in the Lord, in the one who says: I AM, so also we must take that which we have and lay it before the Lord, trusting that He will give us the victory necessary to overcome our situation.

Just as Abraham had faith – putting his trust in the Lord – we have to get up and start going. We have to realize that the Lord has a plan for us and that He has called us to do great things for Him – to be a blessing for others.

When we do that we will sow the seeds of change wherever we go.

Just as Isaiah was saved by the grace of God, His sins forgiven, so also we were saved. His desire to please the God of his Salvation lead him to become a prophet – an instrument of the Most High.

The question is not, what can the Lord do for me, but rather what can I do for You, my Lord?

With a heart crying out in thanksgiving and praise for the Savior, we call out to the Lord, crying: HERE I AM, SEND ME!

Willing to give it all, we fall before the Lord, crying: Here I am, send me!

Just like Joshua we need to take action – we need surrender to the Lord and go where He wants us to go, do what He wants us to do – we need to position ourselves, through obedience and trust, to see His Will for our lives unfold.

Surrender is a constant event – it needs to be re-affirmed everyday. Why? Because we’re human. Because we want to be in control.

Total Surrender is a constant fight against the world and all the forces of evil raging around us – it is also a battle with our own bodies, our minds, our desires.

Total surrender is a consistent action – an every day labor against the flesh and our natural urges – a daily decision to give up our own plans for His plans – to stop writing our own story, and an invitation for God to write His story through us.

It is to stop building a legacy which will ultimately wither and fade away, and to start building His Kingdom – eternal and glorious – here and forevermore.

If you resonate with this – if you have come to believe that God has called you, if it is your desire to see His Kingdom come, to see the lost saved and revival poured out – then this is a call to action.

A call to arms – a call to pick up the tools and the weapons you need to take ground for the Kingdom.

Just as God commanded Joshua – it is time for us to take the land. It is time for us to act – it is time for us to get equipped, to be trained up – so that we may be sent out into the field.

Now that we have taken the action of surrender – giving ourselves to the work of the Lord – our next step is to get equipped. There are two prongs to this action.

The first and most necessary is the Work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Just as the Lord, through His Spirit alive and active in David’s life taught him how to wage war – just as God, through divine impartation gave the great artisan Bezalel the wisdom necessary to construct the Tabernacle – so the Lord will equip you through the indwelling of His presence.

This requires a relationship with Him – and I would urge you to take up the necessary spiritual disciplines of Bible Study and prayer (to name but two) to build this relationship – intimacy with Him, so that you can know the Mind and Heart of God. We are equipped through the practice of His presence.

I have, in my own life, come to the conclusion that we have to be so charged in our spiritual lives, our relationship with Jesus, that the atmosphere changes when we enter a room. We have to have such an intimate relationship with God, that to enter a room is to take the manifest presence of God with you.

We have to enter into the land that God has given us, into the land He shows us. We have to go to the place He wants us to be (both spiritually and physically).

The second part of our two-prong development plan is more traditional in nature. Through theory and practice – whether academic in nature or more on the job – very real training is necessary for us to be effective in ministry. It is important for us to gain an understanding of sound doctrine – to know what we believe and to express it coherently. It is also important for us to be practical – we should know HOW to do the things we need to do.

Picking up a hammer does not make you a craftsmen. It takes hard work and dedication. So it is with ministry. Picking up the Bible does not make you a minister. A soldier learns to swing his sword properly. You need knowledge, but you also need wisdom – the correct application of that knowledge in practice.

Every ministry has its own requisite set of boxes to tick. A good preacher needs to learn to communicate effectively, a good pastor needs a heart for the people – and a good worship leader needs to know a thing or two about music.

Whatever your ministry might be – you are about to embark on a rewarding journey of discovery, learning and development as you take your next steps towards the calling God has ordained for you – by applying the concepts of faith, desire and total surrender.

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. You are called by God. What does this mean to you?

2. What does faith mean to you? How does this relate to your calling?

3. Desire is that which compels us towards either good or bad – and it is the main motivator of our actions. What is your desire? How does this relate to your calling?

4. Action is to do – more than just thinking, hearing or planning – it is to get up and act. What is the single most important next step you can take today to make a difference in the life of someone in your sphere of influence?

Prayer: Lord, my eyes are set on You. I pray that You will see my desire and increase my faith – that You will be my all and all. As I give You my heart and mind, my finances, my strength, all of my skills and talents – guide me Lord. Raise me up as a soldier in Your army, as a worker in Your field. Help me to turn my faith and desire into action – action that pleases You. Help me to lay my own thoughts down and to adopt the mind of Christ, so that You may be glorified in all I do. Help me to do Your Will rather than follow my own plans. I surrender to You and Your infinite wisdom, knowing that Your plans for me are better than the plans I have devised for my self. Be glorified in my life, Jesus, and help me on the journey ahead as I learn how to mobilize my faith and desire – as I learn practical ways in which to act – as I am equipped for Your Kingdom and Your Glory. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Tabernacle Typology 9: Spices

Tabernacle Typology 9: Spices

by | Sep 11, 2024 | Bible Studies, God in the Details, Tabernacle Typology, Typology

Exodus 30:23-25, KJV:

“Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.”

In the previous reading we looked at the use and the significance of olive oil in the Tabernacle – how it was used as fuel for the lamps – but also for the production of anointing oil.

This time we will look at the 4 spices included in the anointing oil.

The four spices are: Myrrh, Cinnamon, Calamus and Cassia.

Myrrh: Myrrh has been used throughout the ages for medicine and perfumery. It is a sweet smelling substance and bitter to the taste. It is closely related to frankincense and comes from the same family of woody, flowering plants.

It is extracted by repeatedly wounding the trees until they ‘bleed’ the myrrh gum.

In medicine it is used as an antiseptic in toothpastes, gargles and mouthwashes. It is also used in salves for abrasions and as a pain-reliever in ointments. It has also been said to be helpful in relieving the symptoms of arthritis among other things.

In ancient times myrrh was used as a tincture to alleviate the suffering of the dying. Jesus, on the cross, was offered myrrh mixed with wine for the pain, but He refused.

The trees were ‘bled’ to procure the oil, ‘wounded’ to get the healing balm. Christ was wounded for our transgressions and pierced for our iniquities – for the Healing Balm of His Blood to flow.

Fragrant Cinnamon: Cinnamon is obtained from the bark of trees belonging to the Cinnamomum family.

It is used to add flavor to both sweet and savoury dishes – breakfast, lunch and dinner – and has a lot of health benefits.

In Ancient Times it was considered very rare and costly. According to Pliny the Elder a Roman pound (more or less 327 grams) cost about 50 months of labor (or 1500 denarii). It was often given to kings and emperors as gifts, and even offered as tribute to their pagan gods.

In the body it reduces inflammation and is also good for your heart health. It is considered a heart stimulant because it increases blood flow. It can stimulate a weak heart.

Our hearts might’ve been weak before – but with the death and resurrection of our Lord we are encouraged, our hearts stimulated with hope, faith and courage. Where the myrrh symbolizes His suffering, the cinnamon embodies the sweet, fragrant nature of His sacrifice.

When we apply the sacrifice of Jesus to a discouraged heart – His death and resurrection – we find joy unspeakable and full of glory – adding flavour to our worship as our lives are transformed and we become a fragrant offer unto our Lord.

Calamus: This spice comes from a semi-aquatic, flowering plant found around marshes, next to rivers and in wetlands. It is a sweet smelling stalk which was often cut and dried to produce a type of powder which would then be used in medicines and perfumes.

It was not native to Palestine – where the Israelites were at the time – and was probably imported from Arabia Felix or India. This made it very rare and extremely costly.

It was often used in the treatment of eye infections and diseases.

It is through the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross that the eyes of our hearts are opened to see the resurrection power of God.

The Hebrew word used to describe Calamus is ‘Qaneh’ derived from ‘Qanah’ which is also translated in the Old Testament to refer to buying or redeeming.

Just like the calamus flower grows out of the marsh, rising up through and flowering above the pungent, often stagnant water, so Jesus was put in the marsh of the grave only to rise and bring New Life. Calamus therefore remains a powerful reminder of the precious, sweet resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

Cassia: This fragrant spice is closely related to the fragrant cinnamon above – the difference is the plant it is derived from. Cassia is derived from the plant Cinnamomum Cassia which, like Calamus, was an imported trade item bought from Southeast Asia.

Cassia is a type of evergreen, ‘weeping’ tree – this means that the branches are soft and limp, bending evermore downward as the grow.

The Hebrew word for Cassia, ‘qadad’ means ‘bowed down’. This speaks of the humility with which Christ approached the Cross – humbly giving His life for the ransom of many.

This is the same attitude with which we should approach the Cross. It is in us ‘bending down’ like the branches of the Cassia tree that we allow Christ to move in power and glory in our lives, in humility we go to His throne and He gives us the victory.

Reflect:

1. Besides typifying Christ, all of these precious, aromatic spices are also symbolic of our worship of Christ. What are some of the ways in which we can make a connection between these spices and our Christian walk?

2. All of these materials were exceedingly precious and costly. What is precious to you? Are you willing to give it as a sacrifice to the Lord? What would it mean if you were to give it to Him?

Prayer: Lord, I come and pour out my heart before You in gratitude and thanksgiving. As I reflect on the passage above, I pray that You would help me to start living a life worthy of the One You gave. I pray that I will become willing to bring what is costly to me as a sacrifice to You – my time, my effort and all of my strength – that my life might be a fragrant and pleasant offering unto You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Understanding Steps 6 and 7: Drop The Rock

Understanding Steps 6 and 7: Drop The Rock

by | Sep 10, 2024 | 12 Steps, Counselling, Finding Help, Therapeuo

“Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”

Step 6, Alcoholics Anonymous

“Praise the Lord, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
 who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases…”

Psalm 103:2-3, NIV

All the steps thus far have been leading up to this moment. 

We have, by now, explored the concept of a Power Greater than ourselves – both the group, and above all, God – and we have made an honest evaluation of ourselves. We come to realise that we are not just powerless over our drinking, drug-use or compulsive behaviour – but that we are powerless over all of our negative feelings, thoughts and behaviour.

Our drug use, compulsive behaviour and drinking are often just symptoms, rather than the problem itself.

Up until now we have been treating symptoms, but now it is time to start working on the root causes of our drinking and drugging.

This could include bitterness, rejection, fear, insecurity and unforgiveness – to name just a few.

We realize now, just as the insanity of addiction is starting to lift, that there are other areas, often larger areas in our lives that need some very real change.

And God is the only one who can help us do that.

Step 6 is about realizing that life change is necessary – and more importantly, that it is possible. In the sixth step we become willing to hand over our baggage to God, the only One strong enough to shoulder the burden for us.

This realization drives us towards step 7: “We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.”

Step 7 is about surrendering all of our hurt, all of our pain, wounds and scars to God – a cry for divine intervention.

Where step 6 is the motivation – the preparation of the heart – step 7 is the beginning of tangible action.

In surrendering our flaws, faults and failures to God, we also ask Him to give us the strength and wisdom to do better. 

In making a daily practice out of Step 6 and 7, in combination with step 10 (a daily inventory – which we will cover later), we see a recipe for permanent and lasting change.

In a lot of recovery groups this is called ‘drop the rock’ – because that’s what we are doing. Taking the heaviness of our fears, resentments, unforgiveness, etc – and dropping it at the feet of the Cross.

More often than not, however, we will find that we pick up new rocks, or sometimes even the old ones we dropped before – and this is why it is necessary for these steps to become a daily practice.

The hope is to get to a point where we ‘drop the rock’ almost as soon as we pick it up – and in time to leave it on the ground altogether.

These steps are about progress – not perfection. 

And God will help us. But only if we let Him.

Prayer: Lord, help me today to take a step of faith as I surrender all of my hurt, my pain, my torment to You! Have all of me, Lord, the good and the bad – as I surrender all I am to You. Start a work of restoration in me. Guide me Lord along new paths towards a brighter, better future – a future planned by You. Remove from me all my defects of character, my fear, resentment and tendency towards unforgiveness. Take my burdens. Replace it with strength and wisdom so I may grow in my relationship with You and those around me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

If you have chosen to take this leap of faith or have any questions regarding this post, please reach out to me: andre@adlabuschagne.co.za / 0653703806. We would love to journey with you!

 

Walking With Jesus Part 6: Authority (Mark 1:21-28)

Walking With Jesus Part 6: Authority (Mark 1:21-28)

by | Sep 9, 2024 | Bible Studies, God in the Details, Walking With Jesus

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 

Mark 1:21-22, NIV 

Early on in His ministry Jesus made waves in the synagogues through His radical teaching.

The teachers of the law had a lot of knowledge – they had authority over the letter – they could quote and interpret the scriptures with ease. 

But Jesus taught as one who had ‘authority’ – a different kind of authority. 

The Bible uses the word ‘Exousia’ here. Exousia refers specifically to the authority to act or do. It specifically refers to a moral authority – the liberty to do as one pleases. In most cases, in the New Testament, this refers to the spiritual authority of God delegated to believers, but is also used to refer to Pilate’s authority to choose who lives and who dies.

This is the authority that Jesus functioned in – as God made flesh – all authority was in Him.

Authority over eternal life and death – authority over the Heavens and the Earth. Authority over all things.

And it was clear in His teaching. He spoke and taught – not just as one who believed, but one who KNEW.

There was a certainty and a boldness in His teaching.

When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, it was not merely an allegory or a parable, but a vision waiting to take root. A thing that was, although not seen by mortal eyes, surely real and tangible – Jesus spoke of the Kingdom and the rule of God, not just as metaphysical ideas or philosophical constructs – but as a real and tangible thing you could touch and experience.

He spoke with the authority of one who HAD experienced eternity. He spoke with the authority of one who had seen, and touched, and lived the Kingdom – because He had!

He WAS the Kingdom made flesh.

He spoke as one who had the authority to not only choose who would live and die (like Pilate, a right reserved for kings) – but as the One who had the authority to turn dry bones into armies and crush death itself.

Even the gates of hell trembled when He spoke.

While teaching in the synagogue a man with an impure spirit cried out: “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” (v.24, NIV)

And Jesus responded simply with: “Be quiet, come out!”

And the Spirit obeyed. The people marvelled at this – “even the impure spirits obey Him…”

The authority of God was in Jesus. Not just authority to speak – but authority to DO.

This is the same authority promised to all believers. Jesus does not just teach – He demonstrates.

Paul again and again urges believers to realize that Christ is alive – not just seated in the Heavens upon His eternal throne – but within us. He works in us and through us through His Holy Spirit living in us.

Let us live every day, walking like Jesus walked. Let us learn from Him. As we explore the scriptures further we will learn more about this authority that Jesus had and how it translates into the life of the believer.

For now, I leave you with this thought: The Word is always backed up with action. Jesus did not just teach. He DID. He took action.

My prayer for you today is that God’s Word will come alive in you. That it will be more than just letters on a page, but that, through His Holy Spirit, you will be able to translate it into action.

Reflect:

  1. John calls Jesus the Word Made Flesh (John 1). Jesus is the heart and the will of God, the very Word of God made manifest in the earth. The Holy Spirit is ‘Christ in us’. How should this affect our daily lives?
  2. What is one way that you can preach the Gospel without using words? What does it mean to be, not just a hearer, but also a doer of God’s Word? What does it look like?

Prayer: Lord, help me today to not only be a hearer of Your Word, but also a doer. Be present in my understanding and in my deeds, Lord. Help me understand the authority given to all believers through the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit – and help me walk in this authority. Help me walk in this victory – and help me share this victory with others. Victory over sin and temptation, situations and circumstances – let me understand and function according to Your Word. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Here I Am, Send Me Part 5: Surrender

Here I Am, Send Me Part 5: Surrender

by | Sep 5, 2024 | Called, Discover Your Ministry, Here I Am, Send Me, The Pattern

Joshua is about action.

His name means ‘the Lord is Salvation’ or more accurately ‘Jehovah is Salvation’.

He was a military man – a mighty warrior – but also a prophet waiting on every word the Lord spoke unto him.

His job was to lead the Jewish nation of Israel back to their homeland – to the Promised Land. His job was to reclaim that which they had lost at the hands of their enemies, to take what the Lord had given them.

The author of Hebrews writes:

Hebrews 4:9-11: (KJV)
9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Rest is defined in the Webster’s Dictionary as:

A state of quiet or repose; a cessation from motion or labor; tranquillity; as, rest from mental exertion; rest of body or mind.

In Psalm 95 David speaks regarding the day of provocation in which Israel tempted God and saw His works for 40 years – and he also states – ‘if you hear His voice today, do not harden your hearts’, and this is an indication that there is hope. We can move into the rest of God – the rest of God being a cessation (an end) of our own works, of our own will, a state of quiet and response to the will of God.

Christ comes and calls us to move into the promise of restoration and salvation – the promise of a new life with God – He invites us into His rest and gives us His Spirit, our guide, our comforter and our teacher, so that we can find our rest, in His.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary states that this rest of God isn’t a Sabbath like rest, but rather a state of blessedness, and this corresponds with verse 11 where the author states – let us labor to enter into that rest!

That is exactly what Joshua did. He marched across the Jordan with absolute assurance that his God was with him – that he would not face these enemies alone. He had the faith, but now he had to react.

He made his way across the Jordan and gave himself as a living sacrifice to God, saying – Lord, have Your way in and through me.

He said, Lord, let Your will be done. Me and my house will serve You.

Surrender. He surrendered unto God, gave it all – his mind, his mouth, his heart, his physical self – everything was laid at His feet, before the throne of the Lord of Hosts.

Let us work to attain that state of blessed dependence upon God, let us work and strive for righteousness, hunger and thirst for His ways so that we can move into His rest!

Let us seek the true will of God, let us labor to have that assurance that what every step we take has been ordained by God, that we are fully and completely on His straight and narrow way.

If rest means the cessation of our works, our own works, it also means the start of His work in us.

Ceasing our labor (once we are in Him) allows Him to work in us.

This is another of those rather elusive key concepts we don’t always think about.

Absolute surrender.

If you want to be a success story in the Kingdom of God, stop writing your own story and let Him finish it. Cease your works and let Him work through you.

In Hebrews 4:11: we read:

16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Let us seek God with all boldness, just as He commanded Joshua – without fear.

Take action – surrender to Him.

Reflect:

1. What would it look like if you were surrendered to the call of God on your life? Where might it lead? What sacrifices would you have to make? What is hindering you – what obstacles are there between you and surrender to God?

2. Our labor (work) is to enter the rest of God – a place where our work stops and His work starts – what does this mean to you? How do we get to that place of absolute surrender?

3. What steps can you take today to step into the will of God for your life? What is the next step you have to take?

Prayer: Lord, You are the One who turns oceans into highways – You flatten the walls of the enemy to make the way straight before me – You move mountains to give me clear passage. I pray that You will show me the desires that I have put above You, that You will show me, through Your Spirit, the doubts and fears holding me back – and that You will help me give them to You. Remove these obstacles, oh Lord, and help me surrender all I have and all I am to You and Your Will for my life. In Jesus Name. Amen.