Understanding Step 3: God

Understanding Step 3: God

by | Aug 20, 2024 | 12 Steps, Counselling, Finding Help, Therapeuo

“Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”

Step 3, Alcoholics Anonymous

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

2 Peter 2:18, NIV

Step 1 is very much about realizing and admitting that there is a problem. Honesty.

Step 2 is about realizing and coming to believe that there is a solution – a power (the group) and a Power (God) greater than ourselves. Hope.

Step 3 is about surrender – or on a much deeper level, FAITH.

In our secularized society we shy away from talking about God – but the fact is, as I pointed out in a previous post, that although we can start our recovery journey without God, we cannot sustain it without Him.

But here is the problem: while some of us may have a foundation to build on – perhaps from Sunday School or growing up in a Christian home, many of us have no foundation at all.

Our concept of God is that of a foreign and far-removed, almost alien being who is indifferent to our struggles and difficulties here on earth – some of us even choose to believe that there is no God at all.

If at this point of your journey you are still at odds with the idea of God, struggling with the concept of faith in Jesus, I would urge you to focus, for now, on the support structure you have in place. In twelve step fellowships some of our more agnostic brothers and sisters have often used the word ‘God’ to refer to ‘Good Orderly Direction’.

My prayer is that you will see God at work in the group you have joined and that this will ultimately lead you – direct you – to Him. Surely, if the program was rooted in Christian belief, inspired by His Spirit, then the principles at work in the program will be a reflection of His heart for you.

I therefore urge you to devote yourself to this program as the means through which you will get to know Him – as the God of our Salvation, the Mighty One who Saves.

At this point in the journey each person will have their own understanding of who God is – some more than others – but our lack of a concept of God should not become an excuse to avoid working the program.

Faith, according to the Bible, is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1).

You might not see the full picture of God at the moment – you might be relying heavily on secondhand information and the testimonies of others – relying on Good Orderly Direction on your way to a better understanding of who He is and His will for your life – but that is where faith comes in.

Faith, in this case, means putting just a little bit of trust in God – however you might understand Him at this point. Even if the only thing you understand about God right now is the fact that He has been the solution for someone else – that is a good start. “What You have done for others, Lord, please do for me!”

Step 3 urges us to surrender our will and our lives to God as we understand Him – and this is a daily step we take. Every morning when we wake up we need to make the decision again – the decision to trust that there is a God who has a better plan for my life than I have for myself.

It means letting go of ego and pride – keeping an open mind and giving Him a chance. In giving God a chance we give ourselves a chance for change.

Peter urges us (2 Peter 3:18) to grow in our understanding and knowledge of God – to grow in our relationship with Him and to start experiencing Him firsthand. To surrender your will and life is to pursue God and His will for your life. And as we grow in knowledge and understanding we will also grow in grace.

It is my prayer for you that you will give God a chance, making the decision today to turn your will and life over to Him – give Him your mess so that He might turn it into a message, let Him turn your test into a testimony.

If you have reached this point, much like I did, you will see that you really don’t have that much to lose, but actually have a lot to gain.

And in practice it is actually quite simple. There are many good Christian devotionals available, especially for those of us who are in recovery. I would recommend you find one that works for you and start a daily practice of reading, prayer and meditation. Just 15 minutes a day would be enough for anyone to start.

Your prayers don’t have to be complicated – in fact, the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book has a prayer for every step – and you can find them for free on the internet, along with many other resources for prayer.

Finally, Bible Study is a great way to learn about God and grow in your relationship with Him. Once again, there are many great resources available for free but I would recommend purchasing the Life Recovery Bible by Tyndale or downloading the free YouVersion app if you can’t afford a Bible at the moment (we’ve all been there!).

It is my conviction that God is real, that He has revealed Himself in Jesus and that He loves us! He really loves us! And this is a thought that is often difficult to reconcile with the realities of life in a broken world – but He does. His will for your life is freedom and life in abundance. Give Him a chance. You have nothing to lose.

Prayer: Lord, help me grow in my understanding of You, Your Will and Word. Help me turn my eyes away from my past and towards the future You have in store for me. Let Your Spirit convince me of Your love for me – and let Your love drive me towards a greater destiny than I could ever have in mind for myself. Help me to surrender – to give over – to the love You showed in Jesus. Help me pour out all I am for more of You. 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 3: The Wild Things (Mark 1:12-13)

Walking With Jesus 3: The Wild Things (Mark 1:12-13)

by | Aug 19, 2024 | Bible Studies, Christological Reflections, God in the Details, Walking With Jesus

“At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness,and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.”

Mark 1:12-13, NIV

After His baptism Jesus is sent to the wilderness. The other narratives found in Luke and Matthew give us a lot more detail regarding the temptations that Jesus had to face.

Mark on the other hand, strikingly keeps it short – so short that if you’re not careful you might miss it.

Mark only gives us five points in these 2 verses.

  1. Jesus is sent out by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness (Matthew 4:
  2. He spends forty days in the wilderness.
  3. He is tempted by Satan.
  4. There are wild animals.
  5. And angels attended Him.

When we look at the narratives in the other Gospels (Matt 4 and Luke 4) we find that all these points are there as well – except for one.

Mark chooses to specifically mention that Jesus was in the wilderness with the wild animals.

The word used in the Greek to describe these animals is ‘thérion’ – translated in the King James Version as ‘wild beasts’ it more properly and specifically indicates a brutal, savage and ferocious creature.

A few things come to mind.

First of all is the idea that the wilderness is a dangerous place – full of wild, feral things.

Yet Jesus makes His journey unscathed – unafraid – and victorious.

He makes it through safely and soundly.

In Isaiah 35 we read about the highway – the Way of Holiness that runs through the desolate wilderness of this life – and in verse 9: 

No lion will be there,
   nor any ravenous beast;
   they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there, (NIV)

Where Jesus is, the wild things are kept at bay.

He is our shield. He is our protection. He is the Hand of God upon our lives.

But it doesn’t stop there.

The wilderness is a desolate place, a barren place.

Isaiah 35:1-2: 

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
 the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
    the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
    the splendor of our God. (NIV)

We see, here in Isaiah, a story of transformation and change. The parched land becomes glad. The wilderness rejoices and blossoms.

In Ezekiel 34 we see a similar promise. The Lord promises the coming of ‘a second David’. We read in verse 25: “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.”

We see in the Book of Mark a compelling narrative of transformation and renewal – similar to those found in the prophetic passages above. We see exorcisms and deliverance taking place, we see healing, we see restoration – we see Jesus coming into the fray to ‘tie up the strong man’ (Mark 3) – those things that seek to attack the mind, the body and the soul. 

He does so without fear, confronting the spiritual forces of darkness and evil with boldness and power – driving the ‘wildness’ out of a man in the synagogue (Mark 1:21-26). He is found driving the ‘wildness’ out of the man in Gadara (Mark 5:1-20). 

Jesus comes to restore creation.

His creation.

This is what Mark is hinting at. He shows us a Jesus who walks amidst the feral things, the wild things – and brings them to peace. There is no bloodshed with Jesus in the wilderness. He walks through unharmed.

And He shows us the Way of Holiness: Jesus resisting the temptations that the Devil throws at Him. 

When we walk through the desolate places – the wilderness places – surrounded by the brutal, savage, wild things of this world – we are not walking alone. Jesus has gone before us. He is there with us through the indwelling of His Spirit – to guide us through, to lead us onward through the desolation upon that road where there is no lion, where the ravenous beast does not come.

And as long as we walk upon the Way – the Way He came to show us – resisting the Devil, standing firm in our faith and pursuing holiness – as long as we follow Jesus, not looking to the left or the right, our hearts set upon His Way and His Way set within our hearts – the wild things will not devour us.

The wild things of sin and shame will not devour us.

The wildness will be driven out of us by the peace that comes from His presence in our lives.

Reflect:

  1. What are some of the wild things you have encountered in your life? How has Jesus banished them from your land?
  2. Read James 4:4-10. What does it mean to walk on the Way that Jesus has prepared? What does resisting temptation look like? How do we pursue holiness in our daily coming and going in the wilderness of this life?

Prayer: Lord, You are my source and shield. Your hand rests upon me. I pray that You will be with me in the wilderness of this world today and that Your presence will keep the wild things, the brutal things, the ravenous things at a distance. Shut the mouth of the roaring lion that seeks only to devour. Quiet the growling of the enemy. Let Your Word be a light unto my feet today. Help me Lord to submit to You fully – to live a life of purity, obedience and holiness. Help me not look to the left or the right, but give me the wisdom to keep my eyes and my heart set upon You. Keep me from temptation, keep me on Your Way – strengthen me through Your presence. Give me strength to stand strong against the onslaught of the enemy. Let me enter this day boldly, knowing that You are with me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

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.

 

Tabernacle Typology Part 5: Fine Linen

Tabernacle Typology Part 5: Fine Linen

by | Aug 15, 2024 | Bible Studies, Christological Reflections, God in the Details, Tabernacle Typology, Typology

Ex. 25:1-9: (KJV)

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”

Linen, according to modern research, has been used for thousands of years and appears to be one of the oldest textiles known to man. Derived from the ancient Greek word ‘linón’ it referred to fabric woven from the fibres of the Flax plant

The Ancient Egyptians reserved linen for use by the social elite. They made everything from clothing, furnishings, decorations and sails for ships – they even used it as currency in some instances. Most famously it was used to dress their mummies for burial.

It had such a high place in the Egyptian mind that it was often referred to as ‘woven moonlight’.

It would later, in other parts of the world, become a symbol of status and refinement – often being included in the dowry of Mediaeval brides.

‘Linen’ appears more than a hundred times in the English Scriptures and was a sought-after commodity in Bible times. 

We read about the Angels appearing in robes of fine linen – Revelation 15 and 19, Ezekiel Chapters 9 and 10; Daniel Chapters 10 and 12 – representing their service, righteousness and purity.

Jeremiah (in Jeremiah 13) is instructed to purchase a linen belt, and after wearing it for a while to bury it. Many days later the Lord instructs him to dig it up. By this time it is dirty and useless. Here the belt represents the bond between Judah and God – and how that bond had been tarnished by their disobedience and wickedness. The belt of linen represented God’s bond with His people – a bond of Holiness. The linen belt represented the consecrated garb of the priests, and therefore also the priesthood of His people – the girdle of Jehovah – chosen as His Holy People.

In the book of Revelation the Bride – the saints – are clothed in fine linen as well (Revelation 15 and 19). Here it represents a separation from the world and its wickedness – the clothes kept clean and pure. 

Rabbinical tradition holds that whenever a priest’s garment had a stain that could not be removed, or if their garments had reached a point of disrepair, it would be cut into strips and recycled as candle wicks – “for there can be no display of poverty in a place of wealth.” (Klei Hamikdash, chapter 8).

Linen in the Tabernacle was used in the construction of the fence, and the ceremonial garments of the priesthood.

The pure, undecorated white fence around the Tent of Gathering made a separation between what happened within fro the world outside.

To step into the courtyard was to leave the world outside.

The fence was meant to protect and conceal what was happening inside.

Earlier we mentioned the fact that linen was used to wrap the Egyptian mummies – but it was also used in other burial ceremonies in other cultures. Jesus was also buried in fine linen.

There is a definite connection between death and linen – or rather in this case mortality and linen. As a portrait of Jesus the linen represents the humble and mortal flesh that God put on to die upon the cross for us – unblemished and pure, sinless and without blame.

It is through this mortality of Jesus, offered as a sacrifice, that we get to enter in to the courtyard of His presence – stepping out of the world as we know it and into His resurrection – ever closer to the Heart of the Father. All of the promises of the Tabernacle – the forgiveness and remission of sin – was contained within these walls of linen, just like the promise of redemption and reconciliation was hidden in the pure and unblemished linen of His Body broken for us.

For the Christian believer the linen fence represents the boundary between this world of sin and shame and the New Life in Christ.

Stepping out of the world and into His Holiness – separating ourselves from the world and drawing closer to Him. 

Reflect:

  1. In meditating on the above and the construction of the Tabernacle, in what other ways can the use of linen in the Tabernacle represent not only Christ and His Coming (as the Spotless Lamb of God – the Holy and Anointed One), but also the New Life of the believer?
  2. What is your understanding of Holiness? Is it imparted by the Holy Spirit? Is it something you work for or towards? Or is it both a gift of God, the work of the Holy Spirit – as well as a process that we are actively involved in? How would you explain this using the Tabernacle as a sort of metaphor?

Prayer: Lord, let my robes be unblemished and spotless before You. Help me, Jesus, through Your Holy Spirit to keep my garments clean. If there is any wickedness within me, remove it! I thank You Lord for Your mercy and grace! Even though my sins were as scarlet You have washed me white as snow. Show me Lord, if there is anything I have yet to surrender to Your careful, loving Hand – and give me the courage and the wisdom to act. Help me, Lord, to live a life worthy of the One You gave upon the Cross. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

Walking With Jesus: The Baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:3-11)

Walking With Jesus: The Baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:3-11)

by | Aug 12, 2024 | Bible Studies, Christological Reflections, God in the Details, Walking With Jesus

“A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.”

Isaiah 40:3, NIV

Mark begins his Gospel account by introducing us to a pretty radical, strange man, called John. 

John the Baptist.

In Mark 1:3: says that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark describes John as wearing clothing made of camel’s hair with a belt of leather. This in itself seems wild enough – but when taken in context, we see a definite parallel with the appearance of Elijah (2 Kings 1:7-8:)

In addition to this both preached a message of repentance and turning back to God for forgiveness of their sins.

There are other interesting similarities. For example the fact that both had their lives sought by wicked queens (1 Kings 19, Matthew 14), ate food provided by God in the wilderness (Mark 1:6, 1 Kings 17), confronted idolatry (1 Kings 18, Luke 3),  and both lived in the wilderness and ministered near the Jordan River.

The most important similarity between them, however, is that each in his own right was the only acting prophet of the Lord when the began their ministries.

In 1 Kings 18:22 we read: Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.”

And in Luke 1:76-79: “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him…”

John the Baptist starts his ministry after more or less 400 years of prophetic silence, following the death of Malachi. This silent period is known as the ‘Intertestamental Period’.

Suddenly, after 400 years, God anoints his servant to speak again! God anoints this wild-man prophet to prepare the way for the coming of Christ and His Kingdom.

The water baptism of John was a new thing – a unique thing. David Guzik shares the following thought: “Baptism was already practiced in the Jewish community in the form of ceremonial immersions but typically it was only among Gentiles who wished to become Jews. For a Jew in John’s day to submit to baptism was essentially to say, “I confess that I am as far away from God as a Gentile and I need to get right with Him.” This was a real work of the Holy Spirit.”

The baptism of John in the wilderness was a prophetic reflection of the new movement God was birthing in the world – a preparing of the ground – the preparation of their hearts to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The first purpose of his baptism therefore was to prepare the way for Christ.

The second purpose of the baptism was to reveal Christ. (Mark 1:9-11).

At the Baptism of Jesus we read that the Heavens were torn open. The same verb is used to describe what happens to the Temple Veil when Jesus gives His last breath upon the cross.

The author Don Juel shares his impression: “What does the tearing mean? It may mean, as interpreted in the Letter to the Hebrews (esp. chapters 9-10), that we now have access to God: We can “have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19).  Viewed from another perspective, the image may suggest that the protecting barriers are gone and that God, unwilling to be confined to sacred spaces, is on the loose in our own realm.  If characters in the story find Jesus’ ministry threatening, then they may have good reason.  The imagery has enormous power to shape imagination and to open readers to the story.  That is, Mark’s narrative is about the intrusion of God into a world that has become alien territory — An intrusion that means both life and death.” (Donald Juel, A Master of Surprise,)

It is here, in verses 9-11, that we see that God has stepped into our realm of flesh and blood. That God Himself has come to work on our behalf – to prepare a way for us towards salvation – God Himself has come to prepare the way of reconciliation – and to show us this way.

God Himself is taking action.

And He wants to take action in your life today.

Reflect:

  1. John came preaching a message of repentance. The Gospel as a whole is focused on repentance – on turning away from the world, and towards Him. Is there any area of your life that requires a turning towards God today?

  2. What do the words “God on the loose” awaken in you? What would it look like to have “God on the loose” in your life? What would it look like to have “God on the loose” through you? How will this affect and reflect in your life today?

Prayer: Lord, I want to invite you today, through Your Holy Spirit, to move in me and through me. If there is anything in my life that is out of order, anything that should be removed – any area of my life that needs to turn towards You, show me and give me the wisdom to act – let no stone be left unturned. And as I turn, wholly and fully towards You, let my life be a reflection of the life You gave – direct me in all my ways and ordain every step I take, so that the world might see You ‘on the loose’ in my life. In Jesus name. Amen.