In Christ Alone

In Christ Alone

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my all in all,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.’

In Christ Alone, Stuart Townsend

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.”

Psalm 62:5-8:

Oh, the gift of love and righteousness in Christ.

I remember when I was a child – eight or nine years old – and at night I would pray for two things. Every night I would pray that my parents would live forever and that I would grow up to be a millionaire.

Earnestly I prayed – and diligently – night after night.

But those were the prayers of a child.

And for many of us these are also the kind of prayers we tend to pray when we first come to Christ.

Prayers influenced more by our carnality than anything else – our fears and our insecurities drive our earliest prayers as we seek to just ‘fill the need’ – but this should change over time.

The more we set our eyes on Jesus and grow in our understanding of Him the more things like money and immortality start to lose their value.

When we start to see Jesus for who He is we realize that there is nothing that compares to Him. No amount of money, no amount of success, esteem or anything else that we could try and fill the God-shaped hole in our hearts with will ever be enough.

All these things are meaningless. I am grateful to have learned this lesson early in my life – for there are many who chase the things of this world well into old age. There are many who are old and frail but still praying the prayers of a child… And not childlike prayers of faith, but childish prayers based in fear, insecurity and self-seeking.

I don’t need to be a millionaire – there are things that are way more important than wealth.

I understand now that this life is just a passing thing – and that we will indeed live forever – if we are in Christ!

When we start seeing Jesus for who He is we will find ourselves gravitating towards prayer and worship – not to ask from but to give unto the Lord – our love, our praise and our adoration!

Having been a drug addict, having survived the life associated with it – guns and overdoses, incarceration and insanity – I know that I have much to be grateful for. Nothing compares to knowing Jesus.

And we all had a rock bottom from which Christ had to stoop down and save us…

Oh the Love of Jesus poured out upon that lonely cross for me!

How can we not love Him!

John Calvin said the following: Whoever is not satisfied with Christ alone, strives after something beyond absolute perfection.

Christ is the All-Sufficient One!

In Him we have the hope of heaven. The realization that all of our troubles and all our trials only persist for a little while before giving way to glory.

In Him our every need is satisfied. If we walk in His will for our lives – in faith and obedience – we will never be disappointed.

Prayer: Lord, today I thank you for pulling me out of the miry clay of my past. You are my foundation, my cornerstone – my hope, my refuge, my now and forever. Help me Lord to grow in my understanding of You, so that my prayers can be childlike rather than childish. Oh Lord, if I have one request today let it be for more of You in my life. Always more of You. Open the eyes of my heart and help me see You rightly, as You are – let everything in my life give way to Your glory. I give You the highest place in my life today Lord. Be enthroned in every situation, in all of my circumstances. Let me be hidden in the Rock of my Salvation – tucked away safely in Your embrace.. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

There Was Jesus

There Was Jesus

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“In the waiting, in the searching
In the healing and the hurting
Like a blessing buried in the broken pieces
Every minute, every moment
Where I’ve been and where I’m going
Even when I didn’t know it or couldn’t see it
There was Jesus”

There Was Jesus, Zach Williams and Dolly Parton

“Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-9: CEV

Have you ever stood in the snack aisle of your local grocery store, unable to make up your mind?

So many options… And they are constantly adding new ones.

Or perhaps you are buying new running shoes and can’t decide what will look better with your track suit…

Life is full of choices. Many of them are mundane and really don’t matter much – but then there are the bigger ones – should you perhaps stop drinking – even if it means the ‘embarrassment’ of admitting you have a problem? Is this the right job or should you stay in this toxic environment? Should you leave or stay with your abusive husband? Should you confess to cheating on your spouse?

Over the last decade I have counseled many people, and the questions – these tough questions – are just the tip of the iceberg…

Paul says the following in 2 Corinthians 4: 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Perplexed in this case (looking at the Greek) implies a situation where it feels like you have no way out. The dilemma is such that you FEEL stuck in indecision, unable to move – but Paul continues and says: but we are not in despair!

You might be walking through the slow of despondency – but you are not sinking.

There is hope. There is a way out.

The situation is perplexing. The solution is simple.

When the storms of life surround us and trouble is all around we run to the Rock of our Salvation – our Solid Ground – our Strong Tower.

We draw near to Him in prayer and through His Word.

In prayer we draw near in petition and supplication – and He answers. Sometimes it’s not the answer we expected – but He answers – by giving us wisdom, discernment and above all peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

We speak to Him in prayer and He answers through His Word as well as the wise counsel and support of mature and Spirit-led brothers and sisters in Christ.

When our situations and circumstances perplex us I urge you to draw near to God in prayer – as an individual – but also with trusted brothers and sisters. There is power in praying together.

Reach out to mature Christians in your life and let them help you in the difficulty you are facing.

And above all, let God speak to you through your conscience, but above all through His Word – which really does have all the answers.

Finally, trust in God!

And if you persevere you will make it through the other side and realize that He was with you all along! Every step of the way!

He is near to those who are discouraged and saves those who have lost all hope! (Psalm 34:18). He is our strength and refuge! Our ever-present help in times of trouble! (Psalm 46). He wipes away our tears and binds up the broken hearted! He sets the captives free! He picks us up, dusts us off and puts us back on Solid Ground!

He never leaves us. He never forsakes us.

We are just sometimes blinded by what is in front of us – looking at the waves rather than Jesus walking on the water.

But He is with you. There is a way out. There is a solution. There is hope.

There is always Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, I need You. Your Word says that You are an ever-present help in times of trouble. Your Word promises that You are near to those who are discouraged – our Strong Tower and Refuge. Be my Refuge today, Lord. Be my Shelter in the storm. Be the Light upon my path. Grant me wisdom and discernment and help me see that You are busy making the way where there seems to be no way. Guide my decisions. Guide my words. Guide my actions. Help me see Your hand in my situation today and lead me to find rest in You. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

Run to the Father

Run to the Father

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“My heart has been in Your sights
Long before my first breath
Running into Your arms
Is running to life from death
And I feel this rush deep in my chest
Your mercy is calling out
Just as I am You pull me in
And I know I need You now”

Run to the Father, Cody Carnes

“4 For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love 5 He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will— “

Ephesians 1:4-5:

From before the creation of the world – before the foundations of the Earth was laid – God in His infinite wisdom knew you.

Not only did He know you – all of your flaws, faults and failures included – but He loved you.

Not only did He lay the foundations of the Earth – but from the very beginning He was laying the foundation for our redemption and salvation. He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.

I faced a lot of rejection as a kid. Not at home – but at school definitely. Being born with a clubfoot and walking with a limp, unable to participate in the activities that many of the other kids participated in – I was a bit of a pariah on my good days and prey for the piranhas on every other day.

There would be more rejection as I grew older.

We all face rejection – some of us more than others – but all of us feel the sting of being pushed aside, all of us face the burden of not feeling good enough and all of us carry our insecurities – often on our sleeves.

Whether this rejection is in the context of family, sports teams, career opportunities, romantic relationships, social groups – we realise that it is not realistic to believe that we will be celebrated or even accepted everywhere. We all face rejection in varying degrees of severity.

I would, later in life, become a drug addict. I would embrace my outcast status and separate myself even more from my community, my family and even myself.

I had a very strange relationship with Jesus during this time. I kicked against God and His plan for my life – I tested His love and His grace like a rebellious teenager tests his parents. I could not understand or comprehend this kind of love – this love that would see me at my worst and still choose me.

Yet, as much as I rebelled and as much as I was kicking against His love and His will – I did not let go of Him either. Whenever it seemed like I was slipping too far I would reach out – and like a child grabbing the leg of his fathers pants or the seam of his mothers dress in a crowd – in the midst of the chaos and the noise of my life I would grab onto the hem of His mercy and His grace.

Like Saul I kicked against the goads. Like Jacob I wrestled with God during this time.

But thank God He never separated Himself from me.

Jesus hung on the Cross with open arms welcoming the sinner, the downtrodden, the weary and the lost – “come to me and I will give You rest!”

With arms wide open He hung on that Cross.

The face, the grace and the embrace of God is found in Jesus Christ.

Today I beg you to come to this conclusion – that no matter what rejection you have faced – no matter what mistakes you made and no matter what your burden of insecurity looks like – God chose you!

Before He said “let there be light” the light of His love was shining on your future.

We just have to open our eyes and see it.

Today I beg you to come to this conclusion – to realize that people might have pushed you aside in the past, but God calls you closer. People might have disappointed you, hurt you – even hated you – but Jesus is the love of God made manifest. God chose you from before the heavens were imagined, since before the creation of the Earth – He knew you. He loved you. He chose you.

Flaws and all.

You might have fallen from grace. Circumstances, situations and the storms of life might have you feeling broken, battered and unloved – you might be at the bottom of your rock bottom right now – but God is calling you to get back up and to start running from death to life.

He is waiting with open arms.

It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done – it doesn’t change His love for you – what matters is where you go from here.

Run towards freedom. Run towards healing. Run towards restoration.

Run to the Father today.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for Your great and unfailing love. I thank You for the mercy and grace You poured out upon the Cross for me. I thank You Lord that when I come to You my sins are washed away, my shortcomings are cast into the deepest depths and my iniquity removed as far as the East is from West. I thank You Lord that in Your presence there is freedom from addiction, healing from hurt and deliverance from insecurity and fear. Open the eyes of my heart today Lord so that I might see Your love shine here in my life today. I might have felt uncared for, unloved and pushed aside by people and through situations in my life – but You will never leave me or forsake me. Flood my life with Your presence today. In Jesus Name. Amen.

I Lift Your Name on High

I Lift Your Name on High

by | Apr 24, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“You came from heaven to earth to show the way
From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay
From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky
Lord I lift Your name on high”

Lift Your Name On High. Maranatha! Praise Band

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Hebrews 1:1-4:

In Afrikaans we have a beautiful word for incarnation: “vleeswording”.

“Vleeswording” is the combination of two words: “vlees” (flesh) and “wording” (becoming).

Incarnation can sound so mystical at times – “vleeswording” feels way more practical but doesn’t translate very well.

In Colossians 1:15: Paul writes and explains that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

What Paul is saying here in verse 15 is that Jesus is the “flesh-becoming” / “flesh-coming” of God.

He is God revealed – unveiled – in the flesh.

In John chapter 1 we read that in the beginning there was the Word (LOGOS), and that the Word was with God and the Word was God.

“Logos” was originally a Greek word invented by heathen philosophers to describe the greater scheme of things – the bigger picture – the plan and will and design of the universe.

What John is saying, in context and in plain English is this: “In the beginning was the Plan, and the Plan was with God, and the Plan WAS GOD!”

God’s plan for us, from the very beginning, was Himself.

He showed the plan to Moses when He said, “build me a Tabernacle so that I may dwell in Your midst!”

The Israelites did it and God tabernacled in their midst – but they didn’t get it. All they saw was the Curtain.

God showed His plan through the Law – so that His Word may be engraved upon our hearts through our diligent reading, studying and meditation of His expressed Will, that we would then live His Heart – be His presence in the midst of our neighbours.

But all they saw was the Letter and not the Spirit.

So God gave His plan through the Prophets – spoke to His people bluntly and earnestly, expressing His desire for His people to turn to Him and be restored – but the people didn’t get it.

Finally, Jesus comes – He comes to demonstrate the pattern as the Word made flesh!

Jesus comes to show us the way – the way we should live and treat our neighbours, but also the way back to the heart of the Father.

He is the Door, the Truth, the Light, the Way – He is the plan of God – Immanuel: God with us!

And through His death and resurrection He invites us to become a part of the Plan. To become a part of the LOGOS of God.

As we are reconciled with God we are filled with His Holy Spirit and called to the ministry of reconciliation – that is – living a life that testifies of His grace and mercy. His Law becomes engraved upon our hearts and we become the expressed Will of the Father as He makes His habitation in us as the Holy Spirit.

We are called to the ministry of reconciliation. As God tabernacles in us – in these tents of flesh and bone – His desire, the desire expressed through the prophets, becomes our desire and we take God to our family, our friends, our neighbours and countrymen – and from there – the nations.

We are called to the ministry of reconciliation. As God tabernacles in us through the Holy Spirit the Gospel of Jesus comes alive in our minds and in our hearts – Jesus comes alive in us.

We start walking as He walked. We die to self and the resurrection comes alive in us – and we seek to see others come alive as well: becoming the ‘flesh-becoming’ of Jesus, living a life becoming of the life He lived – in a hurting and broken world.

Prayer: Lord, as I look to You today let me be transformed by the vision of Your grace. Come flood my life! Come live in me! Come alive in my heart and mind! And in doing so, Lord, let me live a life becoming of the life Your lived. Lord, let my life be so full of You that it overflows into the lives of those around me. Let my life be so full of You that people can see it from afar. Come alive in me today. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

I’ll Fly Away

I’ll Fly Away

by | Apr 24, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Some glad morning when this life is over
I’ll fly away
To a home on God’s celestial shore
I’ll fly away”

I’ll Fly Away, Alan Jackson

““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

John 14:1-4:

I have always loved country and folk music. As long as I can remember it has been a part of my life.

The churches I grew up in – the music that accompanied their worship – was also heavily influenced by these styles.

One of my favourite songs is and will probably always be “I’ll Fly Away”. It has that bounce to it, you know? You can do a lot with it rhythmically but you can also get all deep when you slow it down. It really is a very fun song to sing, to play and to listen to.

Reflecting on the content today I can identify a few other reasons why I love it. Besides the more technical reasons, personal preference as well as the nostalgia attached to it – theologically it has a message I don’t hear often anymore.

I grew up in Afrikaans Pentecostal churches that very much preached Heaven and Hell – and the importance of knowing for certain that you were right with God and living accordingly.

We sang a lot of songs about our longing for ‘home’.

For a long time I have been very unsatisfied listening to the preaching of the ‘modern’ church – we have started focusing more on sermons and motivational messages about ‘living your best life now!’. And yes, these messages are necessary – they have their value and they help a lot of people – but because our preachers and pastors have become politicians, ‘pop’-psychologists and life coaches the church has lost a lot of its fire.

As a first year seminary student I fell in love with the Poetry and Prophecy of the Bible – how often psalmists, prophets, priests and kings would put pen to paper and express their longing and desire for a Kingdom not of this Earth…

Perhaps this is why revival tarries…

Again and again in the Psalms and the Prophets we see a vision of the Heavenly Kingdom being painted for us.

1 Peter 2:11-12: 11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Peter calls us sojourners – pilgrims – travellers.

I’ve had the privilege to know and meet people from all over the world. And the best part about people visiting South Africa from somewhere else is the fact that I get to share my culture with them, and they in turn share their culture with me.

We are called to minister Cross-culturaly. I am meant to share the culture of the Cross with those dear individuals I meet on the pilgrimage of this life.

I remember a conversation with a musician friend of mine from Jamaica – and the way he described his home country with so much love made me want to visit.

Kailie lived in Ireland for a while, and her conversations have made me think – quite often – about moving there.

Just like these conversations, on this pilgrimage – in our travels – we are called to build the Kingdom.

We should live in such a way – our conduct honorable, our works good and our lives a testimony to the glory of God – that as many people want to come with us as we journey home.

Our culture – the culture of the Cross – should become evident in our lives, so much so that all can see the ‘otherness’ of our lives – the victory, the peace, the love, the mercy and the grace… So much so that they pick up their own mat and cross and follow Christ.

Let us live with our minds set on Home – not just the here and now. Let us journey, and as we travel through this life let us pick up as many hitchhikers as possible. Let us plant seeds of hope – plantations of righteousness as a trail for those who lag behind to follow. Let us not build for the here and now with sticks and stones – but let us build the Eternal Kingdom with Living Stones moulded and shaped along the way.

Prayer: Lord, fill me with a vision of Your Kingdom. Fill me with the joy of this salvation found in You. I am not just redeemed for this life but for eternity – I was not designed just for the here and now – but for forever in Your presence. I thank You Lord that this life is only the beginning and not the final destination. You are the beginning. You are my present. And You are my final destination. Let me live a life worthy of You while I am here and help me bring my friends and family with me into Your Kingdom. In Jesus Name. Amen.