Great Are You Lord: Breath In Our Lungs

Great Are You Lord: Breath In Our Lungs

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“It’s Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only”

Great Are You Lord, All Sons And Daughters

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 150:6: NKJV

I have often heard it said that time is money. Time is precious – and while it doesn’t really always equate to ‘cash money’ – it is very much a type of currency. A type of Kingdom Currency with which we can buy eternal treasures.

In writing these devotional pieces I have come to realise that even though it seems like each has its own theme there is a central line. Worship is not about music – it is not simply the songs we sing – it is very much how we live our lives.

Worship is a lifestyle.

An idea I have used often in sermons is that the first act of worship was Adam exhaling.

God blew breath into Adam and he RESPONDED.

Worship is our response to the goodness, the glory and the beauty of God.

Worship is not just our response to what He does (in this case, giving life) but also a response to who He is (the Lifegiver).

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 139, the fact that God knew me even before I was woven in the secret place of my mother’s womb. David puts it beautifully:

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.”

(Psalm 139:16, NKJV)

All the days fashioned for me. God had a plan from the get go. A plan for me.

As I ponder the passing on of some of the dear people in my life over the last few years I come to realize that the time we have here really is not ours at all.

We are all living on borrowed time.

The breath in my lungs belongs to God. It is His and will return to Him when my time here is said and done.

This breath in my lungs is borrowed. It is borrowed time in which I get to make up my mind – do I return with this breath to the One who gave it, or do I return to dust?

The choice for many of us is clear – for others not so.

So how should we then look at the time we have here on Earth?

Jonathan Edwards said the following: “Christians should not only study to improve the opportunities they enjoy, for their own advantage, as those who would make a good bargain; but also labour to reclaim others from their evil courses; that so God might defer his anger, and time might be redeemed from that terrible destruction, which, when it should come, would put an end to the time of divine patience.”

We are to labour – to invest this Kingdom Currency – and see the returns and fruit thereof.

The time we have here on Earth, the breath in our lungs is borrowed. It is very much like a talent given to a worker (Matthew 25), property entrusted to us so that we might properly steward it towards an increase.

One Talent was equal to about twenty years worth of wages.

And so it is that one might be given 80 years, another 60 – and yet another 20 years – but it is not what you are given but what you do with it that matters.

Let us not waste the time we have been given. Let us do as Edwards recommends and redeem the time. Let us use it wisely. Let every breath be used in the worship – the reverence, adoration, pursuit and proper service – of our God and King.

Let us not waste time in seeking Him today – let us not procrastinate, let us not wait – but let us be wholly in pursuit of Him.

Let us not waste time in seeking our neighbour. Let us use our time wisely so that we may reclaim others from their evil courses of self-destruction and damnation.

Let us redeem our time and worship Him with every step and every breath we take.

Prayer: Oh Lord, help me redeem my time. Let me spend every waking moment in pursuit of Your Will and Purpose, Your Heart and Mind for my life. Lord, help me use my time wisely and labour to save others from their evil courses. Give me discernment, give me wisdom Lord, so that I might see revival here in my lifetime. Give me strength Lord, lead me in discipline and righteousness for Your Name’s sake. Let my life glorify You. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

This is our God

This is our God

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Freely you gave it all for us
Surrendered your life upon that cross
Great is the love poured out for all
This is our God”

This Is Our God, Rueben Morgan

“7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

Matthew 10:7-8:

The Sending of the Twelve in Matthew 10 has always been one of my favourite ministry passages.

It puts things into perspective.

Over decades, centuries and millennia the church has grown – so much that it has become a multi-million dollar industry world wide. It has become very much a kind of kingdom on its own.

I remember reading a story about a cardinal and a monk walking through the Vatican. The Cardinal points out the lavish surrounds and says: “No longer does the church, like Simon Peter, have to say ‘silver and gold I do not have…’”

The monk took all of this in and replied, “nor can you say ‘rise and walk.’”

The truth of the matter is that we have lost sight of certain principles – we have started building our church instead of letting God build His church. Our desires and measures of success have become more important than seeking God and having Him seen by others.

In an effort to become a more effective Christian I’ve attended courses and workshops, listened to sermons and teachings, and read books and articles about church growth and revival for the last 10 years – and although there is a lot of valuable information in there it can also become a distraction as we overcomplicate the ministry of reconciliation – which in the end is the ministry of ‘servanthood’ and compassionate community.

The power of the Early Church was this: they lived the simple and unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ.

They talked the talk – preaching what Jesus preached – “repent for the Kingdom is at hand”.

They walked the walk – demonstrating the power of the Kingdom, not only through signs, miracles and wonders performed through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, but also through corporal acts of mercy – practical acts of love and compassion like breaking bread with the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty.

They believed and taught a simple and unadulterated Gospel.

They lived a life that demonstrated – cut through the noise and with a clear and defiant voice declared: “This is our God!”

There were no concerts, no conferences and no retreats…

Just a family of believers who broke bread together, worked together, laughed together and cried together.

There were no dvd’s or bestseller lists.

Just the truth freely proclaimed in word and deed.

“Freely you have received, freely give…”

We have turned the Gospel into a commodity. We need to get back to community.

We need to get back to the basics of the Gospel.

One of the most frequent complaints I get about church leaders – powerful teachers and preachers with big churches – as I help their congregants get over their ‘church hurt’ is that the leaders, as powerful as they are, do not reflect Christ in their personal lives. And this is not a sin issue – it is an attitude issue. The heart of Christ is not reflected.

Yes, we can read all the books we want about ‘deliverance’ and ‘prophecy’ and ‘growing in your gifts and calling’ – but if we have no vision of Jesus, and if we can’t even apply the basics of His Kingdom – loving God and loving neighbour – to our lives then it is all for nought.

You can buy as many tickets to as many seminars about church building and church growth as you want – but today I will give you the ‘secret’ for free. How will we see revival in our lives and awakening in our communities:

Love Jesus with all your heart – seek Him, see Him – let the vision of His glory permeate Your soul.

And then…

Go and show the world.

Not shill and sell – but show and tell.

And it is the duty of every Christian – we have ALL been given the ministry of reconciliation.

Jesus, the Servant and King who saved the world, gave His life – freely – upon the Cross. He paid for our salvation with sweat, tears and blood.

The secret to revival is this: LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF THE LIFE HE GAVE.

A life that testifies of His love and grace and mercy. A renewed life that shouts out in the midst of the crowd: THIS IS OUR GOD!

Let us get back to basics. Let us get back to the Bible. Let us see Jesus rightly and in doing so let our lives help others see Him living and active in our lives!

Prayer: Lord, Your grace is enough for me. Be the center of my life. Where I have over complicated things help me go back to basics. As I seek You Lord, come alive in the Scriptures. Come alive in my prayers. Come alive in my life – in the midst of my family, friends and colleagues. Lord, help me realise that I also carry the call to build Your Kingdom in my personal mission field. Help me realize that my actions – the life I live and the way I treat those around me – speak louder than any sermon I could preach. Help me Lord to live a life worthy of the life You gave. Help me live a life that shows You to the world. Help me live a life that shouts: THIS IS MY GOD! In the Name of Jesus. 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.

Holy Forever

Holy Forever

by | Apr 24, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“A thousand generations
Falling down in worship
To sing the song of
Ages to the Lamb
And all who’ve gone before us
And all who will believe
Will sing the song of
Ages to the Lamb”

Holy Forever, Chris Tomlin

“So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever;
We will show forth Your praise to all generations.”

Psalm 79:13

Asaph, or more likely one of the sons of Asaph – the author of numerous Psalms, a chief among the Levites and a prominent singer and seer in David’s court – pours out his heart for his people and his country in the patriotic and prophetic Psalm 79.

Spurgeon notes that the Psalm has three distinct divisions – the complaint (verse 1-4), the petition (5-12) and the praise (v13).

Describing the invasion of Judah and destruction of Jerusalem – strangers have come into the city, enemies have defiled the holy place – the enemy has brought death and destruction.

The Psalmist asks, as many prophets and poets before and after him – “How long will you remain angry?” – followed by an earnest petition for the tender mercy and lovingkindness of the Father’s heart, forgiveness, deliverance and atonement for their sins.

We most definitely find ourselves – pre-grace – in this same state. The Holy City of our hearts invaded by the nations, the Temple defiled by the enemy. We find ourselves in this same state: OH Lord, let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, for we have been brought low!

But God, in His infinite wisdom and providence, provided for us – through Christ Jesus – salvation and reconciliation with the Father.

I once was lost, but now I am found!

A theme I find quite often in the Psalms, but seldom in Christianity today is the promise of praise.

I pray for and with a lot of people on a daily basis and in the last year or so I have started encouraging those I intercede with to testify about the goodness of God when their prayers are answered.

We have to become a people of praise.

God is unchanging and eternal. He does not change. He has always been in the business of answering prayer, of touching hearts and turning lives around. He has always been and will always be the One who sees us, loves us, heals us, restores us, provides for us – He has always been and will always be worthy of our praise and our adoration.

Even if He didn’t do any of the things He does for us daily – all the millions of little miracles and blessings He pours out day after day – He has always been and will always be worthy of our praise and adoration!

My pastor, growing up, used to say: “even if God provided nothing more than just Jesus on the cross – just His grace and mercy – that would be more than enough for me to sing His praise forever!”

Jesus paid the ultimate price – He is worthy of the ultimate praise!

And your praise today has the potential to minister intergenerationally.

As a teenager in church I would marvel at the testimonies of the more mature Christians in the congregation. I spent a lot of time in prayer meetings as a young man – and was often the only youth attending. I spent a lot of time drinking tea and eating biscuits with my elders listening with wide eyes and a burning heart to the stories they told of revival way back when.

I remember doing hospital outreach where we used to pray for the sick and hand out tracts at a local hospital. I did this for four years – and the only other consistent members of the group were two older ladies who had seen the ups and downs of life.

The woman who headed up this prayer outreach had a real passion for this kind of ministry – she had been told that she only had a few months left to live – but here she was more than a decade later praying for the dying in intensive care and seeing them leave healed a few days later! Sharing the love of her Saviour and the Lover of her soul with any and all she encountered!

Many of these brothers and sisters have since passed on to be with the Lord – but their testimonies, their song of praise lives on in me.

They weren’t preachers, prophets or apostles – just everyday people who had seen God move and had made known His praise – and in this way they have touched generations, touched hearts, and will continue to do so for generations to come as their children, their grandchildren and so forth continue to recount these stories and add their own to this genealogy of grace.

Perhaps this is what Asaph meant in the closing lines of Psalm 79:

“So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever;
We will show forth Your praise to all generations.”

Prayer: Lord, let me be a faithful steward of the grace and the mercy that You pour out and into my life. You have delivered me, picked me up and out of the miry clay again and again – let my life be a blessing and a testimony to those around me. Give me boldness and an excitement to share who You are and what You mean to me with everyone I come across. Help me see opportunities to share Your love with others. Help me show forth Your praise and see not only nations but also generations come to You! In the Mighty Name of Jesus! Amen!