If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers - most of which are never even seen - don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew6:30-33
This is the same passage we looked at yesterday, but in the "Message" which is a paraphrase* Bible Translation by Eugene Peterson.
What I really like about this translation of this passage is the way in which Peterson unpacks the idea of "seeking first the Kingdom of God" because he's really linking into what I've been trying to say with "Reality Bytes":
1. Move from the pursuit of "getting" and respond to God's giving.
2. Understand the way God works: "Every good and perfect gift comes from Him." (James 1)
3. "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions."
- Life each day secure that Christ is Risen and interested in you.
- Know that God has loved you long before you thought of loving Him.
- Understand that He provides our needs and not our wants.
The Greek word for "seek" (which Peterson translates "steep"**) implies making a careful search, doing a thorough investigation or research, it means "get immersed in your subject."
Jesus is calling us to become quiet enough to observe and experience the God of all creation and to live our lives under His care. When His Reality becomes our way of life (our bytes) then the shadow-reality of materialism will stop "biting" us.
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This brings us to the end of our "reality bytes" series.
I hope you have found it meaningful!
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(* Just a quick note on paraphrases: While one should never use a paraphrase translation (like "the Message" or "the Living Bible") in isolation, there is a lot of value in using the freer translations to give us a better perspective on the more literal translations. While "the Message" is a lovely translation, it is still the work of one person (albeit that he is a very gifted scholar and a very pious God-follower) and should always be compared with other translations for balance.)
(** The English word "steep" is a cooking word - it means to: imbue, immerse, infuse, ingrain, invest, marinate, permeate, saturate, soak, submerge)
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-25 [Reality Bytes] Materialism#1
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew6:28-33
True Reality is a combination of physical, spiritual and emotional needs. In this Reality we are a combination of Body, Soul and Spirit. Many people get "bitten" when they separate these areas and emphasise one above and beyond everything else.
The Greek Culture (in which the New Testament was born) was Analytical - they were the ones who divided Body, Soul and Spirit. This distinction is often UNhelpful because we have used it to divide life into separate compartments and "never the twain shall meet!" The Hebrew Culture (of the Old Testament) tended more toward Synthesis. They saw life as an integrated whole. (They understood that if our feet are sore, our soul feels it too!)
When it comes to this text, many people move from one extreme to the other. Our so-called "real world" is an overly-materialistic world where people are gripped by possession-obsession and wealth-craving. Many people interpret Jesus' words as a call to completely abandon the physical world (and call it bad) and to live purely in the spiritual realm. This is to misunderstand Jesus words.
Jesus is not saying that working for a living is bad or that clothes and food are bad. He is calling us to balance. Materialism is bad when we become obsessed by and define ourselves according to the things of the material world.
Jesus is calling us to well-prioritised simplicity - his example of lilies, grass (and the sparrows in another passage) - is about simplicity. The lily still photosynthesises, the grass still puts down roots to get water, and the sparrow still forages for food.
His point is that we need to recognise what is temporary and what is eternal. And get the sequence of importance right.
(More tomorrow...)
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--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
True Reality is a combination of physical, spiritual and emotional needs. In this Reality we are a combination of Body, Soul and Spirit. Many people get "bitten" when they separate these areas and emphasise one above and beyond everything else.
The Greek Culture (in which the New Testament was born) was Analytical - they were the ones who divided Body, Soul and Spirit. This distinction is often UNhelpful because we have used it to divide life into separate compartments and "never the twain shall meet!" The Hebrew Culture (of the Old Testament) tended more toward Synthesis. They saw life as an integrated whole. (They understood that if our feet are sore, our soul feels it too!)
When it comes to this text, many people move from one extreme to the other. Our so-called "real world" is an overly-materialistic world where people are gripped by possession-obsession and wealth-craving. Many people interpret Jesus' words as a call to completely abandon the physical world (and call it bad) and to live purely in the spiritual realm. This is to misunderstand Jesus words.
Jesus is not saying that working for a living is bad or that clothes and food are bad. He is calling us to balance. Materialism is bad when we become obsessed by and define ourselves according to the things of the material world.
Jesus is calling us to well-prioritised simplicity - his example of lilies, grass (and the sparrows in another passage) - is about simplicity. The lily still photosynthesises, the grass still puts down roots to get water, and the sparrow still forages for food.
His point is that we need to recognise what is temporary and what is eternal. And get the sequence of importance right.
(More tomorrow...)
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-24 [Reality Bytes] Grow
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians2:6-7
Many of us stagnate spiritually. When we receive Christ we are filled with gratitude for all He has done for us, and we are enthusiastic and highly motivated. But then the "feelings" wear off and our edge is blunted by the hurly burly of life.
Paul urges us to continue the rest of our lives with the same joy and energy that we had when we first came to know Christ. But how can we do this?
1. Put down roots into Christ:
This means that we develop daily routines to push our roots down into the reality of His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and the glorious comfort that He is currently our high priest, praying for us and preparing to return for us. Without roots going ever deeper into the incredible truth of His coming into our world to save us, the tree of our relationship with Him will just whither.
2. Strengthen your faith according to your teaching:
The secret to growth in the early church (see Jerusalem, Antioch, Berea and many others in the book of Acts) was that they were devoted to good Biblical teaching. There is no escape from the importance of solid Bible-based learning - but this teaching must be followed up by internal application and putting into practice.
3. A permeating attitude of gratitude:
Pessimism, dissatisfaction and a sense of "waiting for your ship to come in" are fatal to a healthy spiritual life. Too many of us are pessimistic of the present, dissatisfied with the past and waiting for tomorrow to be a better day. A gratitude-attitude has us looking up instead of looking down. A gratitude-attitude points us toward Christ. A gratitude-attitude counts our blessings and waters the roots.
(Deepening roots + teaching-strengthened faith) x gratitude = growth
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Many of us stagnate spiritually. When we receive Christ we are filled with gratitude for all He has done for us, and we are enthusiastic and highly motivated. But then the "feelings" wear off and our edge is blunted by the hurly burly of life.
Paul urges us to continue the rest of our lives with the same joy and energy that we had when we first came to know Christ. But how can we do this?
1. Put down roots into Christ:
This means that we develop daily routines to push our roots down into the reality of His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and the glorious comfort that He is currently our high priest, praying for us and preparing to return for us. Without roots going ever deeper into the incredible truth of His coming into our world to save us, the tree of our relationship with Him will just whither.
2. Strengthen your faith according to your teaching:
The secret to growth in the early church (see Jerusalem, Antioch, Berea and many others in the book of Acts) was that they were devoted to good Biblical teaching. There is no escape from the importance of solid Bible-based learning - but this teaching must be followed up by internal application and putting into practice.
3. A permeating attitude of gratitude:
Pessimism, dissatisfaction and a sense of "waiting for your ship to come in" are fatal to a healthy spiritual life. Too many of us are pessimistic of the present, dissatisfied with the past and waiting for tomorrow to be a better day. A gratitude-attitude has us looking up instead of looking down. A gratitude-attitude points us toward Christ. A gratitude-attitude counts our blessings and waters the roots.
(Deepening roots + teaching-strengthened faith) x gratitude = growth
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--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-23 [Reality Bytes] Thoughts
And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 1Chronicles28:9
David is nearing the end of his life and is passing the baton on to his son Solomon. There is a surprising clarity of thought that comes at the end of our lives, and so this admonition from David is worth paying attention to.
There are three important aspects to David's life-advice:
1. Acknowledge the God of your father: I was going to write "Acknowledge God" but that is more theoretical, more philosophical while David's statement refers to something more experiential. For all his faults, David had lived a life close to God - he was called a "man after God's heart." By acknowledging his father's God, Solomon would be acknowledging the God David worshipped in song and dance, the God David heard from, the God who gave David victory and the God who guided David's steps.
2. Serve Him with wholehearted devotion: Just one story from David's life illustrates this. When David buys the threshing field that will become the temple site, the owner of the land, Araunah offers the land and his cattle and firewood to David as a gift because he is, after all, the king and it is for the worship of God. But David responds "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." (2Sam24:24)
3. Serve Him with a willing mind: Many people have a faith that is purely observing tradition. For others faith is purely an emotional crutch. But when we engage our minds, we are reformatting the the operating system of our minds. We take faith into our day to day life experiences. When our minds are willing, we are at a place where we are ready to allow the implications our our faith in a loving, holy God to affect and impact the way we live, speak and do.
To live well we need to acknowledge a God who wants to be part of our lives, we need to serve Him with all we have and we need to engage (thought)FULLy.
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--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
David is nearing the end of his life and is passing the baton on to his son Solomon. There is a surprising clarity of thought that comes at the end of our lives, and so this admonition from David is worth paying attention to.
There are three important aspects to David's life-advice:
1. Acknowledge the God of your father: I was going to write "Acknowledge God" but that is more theoretical, more philosophical while David's statement refers to something more experiential. For all his faults, David had lived a life close to God - he was called a "man after God's heart." By acknowledging his father's God, Solomon would be acknowledging the God David worshipped in song and dance, the God David heard from, the God who gave David victory and the God who guided David's steps.
2. Serve Him with wholehearted devotion: Just one story from David's life illustrates this. When David buys the threshing field that will become the temple site, the owner of the land, Araunah offers the land and his cattle and firewood to David as a gift because he is, after all, the king and it is for the worship of God. But David responds "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." (2Sam24:24)
3. Serve Him with a willing mind: Many people have a faith that is purely observing tradition. For others faith is purely an emotional crutch. But when we engage our minds, we are reformatting the the operating system of our minds. We take faith into our day to day life experiences. When our minds are willing, we are at a place where we are ready to allow the implications our our faith in a loving, holy God to affect and impact the way we live, speak and do.
To live well we need to acknowledge a God who wants to be part of our lives, we need to serve Him with all we have and we need to engage (thought)FULLy.
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Friday, February 19, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-19 [Reality Bytes] Forgive!
This is a repeat-and-modify of an old devotion because I felt prompted to pick up this thought again.
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"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Matthew18:35
Jesus told a parable about a slave who was pardoned from a huge debt he owed his master. Having been forgiven he went and prosecuted a fellow slave who owed him a small debt. Their friends were appalled at his behaviour and told the master who immediately had the hard-hearted servant thrown into prison. Our verse is Jesus' summation of the story.
Forgiveness is a very difficult relational skill. We talk about "forgive and forget" and this is where the trouble comes in! To make me forget a hurtful thing that someone has done, you would have to hit me on the head with a hammer to give me amnesia!
People think that forgiving is a once-off process and that we will then magically forget and life will go on. The reality about forgiveness is that it is a _process_. We keep choosing to forgive until we can remember without pain.
When someone we love and trust hurts us, we struggle to come to terms with that. Sometimes they know that they have hurt us and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they are sorry for what they have done, sometimes they are not.
Choosing to forgive is choosing to let go of the feelings of pain, disappointment and betrayal that someone's actions have caused us. Every time someone's failure comes up like bile in my throat I choose to forgive. I can't forget, but I can choose to let go, again and again and again until those failures don't have power over me anymore. I keep choosing to pardon someone because I have been pardoned and I know what it is like to have been set free by God!
The interesting thing about unforgiveness is that it mostly bites the one who won't forgive, and not the one who isn't forgiven. Very often the people we are angry with don't even know it!
The Reality is that people fail. You can go through life picking at the scabs that people's failures have caused you and infection, sepsis and big horrible scars will be the result, or you can choose to dress those wounds with daily applications of the ointment of forgiveness until the wounds are healed and only small scars remain.
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
======================================
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Matthew18:35
Jesus told a parable about a slave who was pardoned from a huge debt he owed his master. Having been forgiven he went and prosecuted a fellow slave who owed him a small debt. Their friends were appalled at his behaviour and told the master who immediately had the hard-hearted servant thrown into prison. Our verse is Jesus' summation of the story.
Forgiveness is a very difficult relational skill. We talk about "forgive and forget" and this is where the trouble comes in! To make me forget a hurtful thing that someone has done, you would have to hit me on the head with a hammer to give me amnesia!
People think that forgiving is a once-off process and that we will then magically forget and life will go on. The reality about forgiveness is that it is a _process_. We keep choosing to forgive until we can remember without pain.
When someone we love and trust hurts us, we struggle to come to terms with that. Sometimes they know that they have hurt us and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they are sorry for what they have done, sometimes they are not.
Choosing to forgive is choosing to let go of the feelings of pain, disappointment and betrayal that someone's actions have caused us. Every time someone's failure comes up like bile in my throat I choose to forgive. I can't forget, but I can choose to let go, again and again and again until those failures don't have power over me anymore. I keep choosing to pardon someone because I have been pardoned and I know what it is like to have been set free by God!
The interesting thing about unforgiveness is that it mostly bites the one who won't forgive, and not the one who isn't forgiven. Very often the people we are angry with don't even know it!
The Reality is that people fail. You can go through life picking at the scabs that people's failures have caused you and infection, sepsis and big horrible scars will be the result, or you can choose to dress those wounds with daily applications of the ointment of forgiveness until the wounds are healed and only small scars remain.
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--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-17 [Reality Bytes] Priorities
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew6:33
There's the story about the college professor who demonstrated the value of setting priorities to his students by putting sand, stones and rocks into a jar. If you put the sand in first, it fills a third of the jar and then the stones fill another two thirds and there is not enough space for the rocks. If however, you put the rocks in first, the stones and the sand fit into the spaces between the rocks.
So, if putting the rocks in first is important then it is probably essential to figure out what the Rock-Priorities in our lives are.
Here's my take on a priority list.
1. God: My personal relationship with Him - my Quiet Time and day to day obedience to His promptings and guidance.
2. My Family: My spouse (first) and then my children if I am married. My parents and siblings if I am not.
3. My Job or my Studies: If we believe that work is a calling (and God created us to work!), then our job or our studies are the key area where God can use me in my life. (But I have to draw boundaries to prevent this part of my life from destroying others)
4. My Church: God and church are not the same thing and very often people confuse being involved at church with their relationship with God. Preparing a Sunday School lesson or a Bible Study does not replace my Quiet Time with God. But the church (in spite of historical failures and human imperfections) is God's chosen vehicle to change the world. Most of what I do for God (apart from sharing my faith with those I come into contact with) should ideally happen in the context of the church. (But I have to draw boundaries too)
5. My Health: Exercise and Relaxation are critical - they "sharpen the saw" and preserve our energy and vitality for the rest of our lives. (But I must avoid the trap of being self-obsessed)
6. Friends: Friends are in two groups: Those who help me get closer to God and those who I am trying to get closer to God. There should be balance in this too.
If you're anything like me, reading a list like this often leaves one feeling convicted. The danger is that the conviction leads to paralysis instead of action. We feel: "My life is so out of balance that I'm not even going to try and turn it around." My advice is don't try and fix it all at once, because those efforts often fail. Go for small, incremental wins that change those ingrained habits one little victory at a time.
God's glory and your sense of value and worth are what's at stake!
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
There's the story about the college professor who demonstrated the value of setting priorities to his students by putting sand, stones and rocks into a jar. If you put the sand in first, it fills a third of the jar and then the stones fill another two thirds and there is not enough space for the rocks. If however, you put the rocks in first, the stones and the sand fit into the spaces between the rocks.
So, if putting the rocks in first is important then it is probably essential to figure out what the Rock-Priorities in our lives are.
Here's my take on a priority list.
1. God: My personal relationship with Him - my Quiet Time and day to day obedience to His promptings and guidance.
2. My Family: My spouse (first) and then my children if I am married. My parents and siblings if I am not.
3. My Job or my Studies: If we believe that work is a calling (and God created us to work!), then our job or our studies are the key area where God can use me in my life. (But I have to draw boundaries to prevent this part of my life from destroying others)
4. My Church: God and church are not the same thing and very often people confuse being involved at church with their relationship with God. Preparing a Sunday School lesson or a Bible Study does not replace my Quiet Time with God. But the church (in spite of historical failures and human imperfections) is God's chosen vehicle to change the world. Most of what I do for God (apart from sharing my faith with those I come into contact with) should ideally happen in the context of the church. (But I have to draw boundaries too)
5. My Health: Exercise and Relaxation are critical - they "sharpen the saw" and preserve our energy and vitality for the rest of our lives. (But I must avoid the trap of being self-obsessed)
6. Friends: Friends are in two groups: Those who help me get closer to God and those who I am trying to get closer to God. There should be balance in this too.
If you're anything like me, reading a list like this often leaves one feeling convicted. The danger is that the conviction leads to paralysis instead of action. We feel: "My life is so out of balance that I'm not even going to try and turn it around." My advice is don't try and fix it all at once, because those efforts often fail. Go for small, incremental wins that change those ingrained habits one little victory at a time.
God's glory and your sense of value and worth are what's at stake!
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-16 [Reality Bytes] Time
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes3:1-8
(Just a disclaimer: I have not mastered this one yet, so I'm talking to myself more than anyone else!)
If our diary entries were decided by the voices that shout the loudest, our lives would be a continuous run of meetings and work commitments.
We live in a society that is rush rush rush and we easily get sucked into this helter-skelter. The famous saying "time is money" is rather scary if we apply it to Jesus' comment "wherever your treasure is, there is your heart..." What would people conclude about my priorities if they audited my diary?
Ecclesiastes (the word means "Wise Teacher") offers another perspective: Balance.
While there is a lot we can say about the poetry of the passage and the perspectives it gives of Providence, I want to reflect on the aspect of variety and balance that the poem gives us.
The saying "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" is just one of the perspectives that the Ecclesiastes poem gives us. But there is more: The poet is saying that life is a rich tapestry of many colours and all of these colours are necessary for a meaningful and complete life.
When we fail to appreciate the simple things of life like a family meal together,
when we rush through the sad times of life to avoid too much pain,
when we duck the home challenges in exchange for the work challenges,
when we avoid the silent times with too much chatter or social networking,
when we give in to the demands of the urgent instead of the important
we lose balance and life becomes an unreal chaos that bites us.
Today's reality byte: How balanced is your diary? Is there time for God, your family and you?
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--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes3:1-8
(Just a disclaimer: I have not mastered this one yet, so I'm talking to myself more than anyone else!)
If our diary entries were decided by the voices that shout the loudest, our lives would be a continuous run of meetings and work commitments.
We live in a society that is rush rush rush and we easily get sucked into this helter-skelter. The famous saying "time is money" is rather scary if we apply it to Jesus' comment "wherever your treasure is, there is your heart..." What would people conclude about my priorities if they audited my diary?
Ecclesiastes (the word means "Wise Teacher") offers another perspective: Balance.
While there is a lot we can say about the poetry of the passage and the perspectives it gives of Providence, I want to reflect on the aspect of variety and balance that the poem gives us.
The saying "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" is just one of the perspectives that the Ecclesiastes poem gives us. But there is more: The poet is saying that life is a rich tapestry of many colours and all of these colours are necessary for a meaningful and complete life.
When we fail to appreciate the simple things of life like a family meal together,
when we rush through the sad times of life to avoid too much pain,
when we duck the home challenges in exchange for the work challenges,
when we avoid the silent times with too much chatter or social networking,
when we give in to the demands of the urgent instead of the important
we lose balance and life becomes an unreal chaos that bites us.
Today's reality byte: How balanced is your diary? Is there time for God, your family and you?
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Friday, February 12, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-12 [Reality Bytes] Wet Paint
...confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians1:6
We spoke yesterday about being God's workmanship (masterpieces).
Here's another bit of reality:
- The paint is still wet
- The clay is still soft
- The instrument is still being tuned
And the Master Artist is still working on us...
We are not left to struggle through life on our own. We are not stuck with a "final version" of our talents and character and left to fend for ourselves - trying to get to heaven by keeping our painting clean and our frame shiny. Instead, our talents and characters are a starting point and God is on an upgrade path with us!
We are works-in-progress, we have "L-Plates" in our rear windows. And the best way to travel when we have Learner Plates is to have our Driving Coach in the car with us...
God promises that He is at work in us. Through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit in us and our communion with Him in prayer, Bible Study and Fellowship, we are being guided along a road that brings us closer to Him and makes us more and more like Jesus!
And all of heaven is determined to get us to the destination.
So: There's good work going on in you and God is making it happen!
Look at what Paul writes later in Philippians:
"for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (2:13)
Thank You Lord that You are working on us!
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--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
We spoke yesterday about being God's workmanship (masterpieces).
Here's another bit of reality:
- The paint is still wet
- The clay is still soft
- The instrument is still being tuned
And the Master Artist is still working on us...
We are not left to struggle through life on our own. We are not stuck with a "final version" of our talents and character and left to fend for ourselves - trying to get to heaven by keeping our painting clean and our frame shiny. Instead, our talents and characters are a starting point and God is on an upgrade path with us!
We are works-in-progress, we have "L-Plates" in our rear windows. And the best way to travel when we have Learner Plates is to have our Driving Coach in the car with us...
God promises that He is at work in us. Through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit in us and our communion with Him in prayer, Bible Study and Fellowship, we are being guided along a road that brings us closer to Him and makes us more and more like Jesus!
And all of heaven is determined to get us to the destination.
So: There's good work going on in you and God is making it happen!
Look at what Paul writes later in Philippians:
"for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (2:13)
Thank You Lord that You are working on us!
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Thursday, February 11, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-11 [Reality Bytes] Sacred
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians2:10
You only have to move one letter to turn "SACRED" into "SCARED."
Life has many of us SCARED. There are the fears we have of physical dangers - crime, accidents, disease, natural disasters etc. But there are the deeper fears that have us awake at 4am in the morning:
- "Is it worth it? Is there any purpose to this life?"
- "Am I up to scratch? Do I have anything to offer?"
- "How can I forgive myself for the ways I have failed?"
Most of us go through life insecure and intimidated. We measure ourselves by the airbrushed models, plastic celebrities and the hyped-up tycoons and conclude that we're failures. This "so-called reality" comes along and "bites" us and we live SCARED lives.
Scripture has a different perspective: We are Masterpieces (that's what the Greek word for "workmanship" implies) and life is purposeful and we are valuable. Life is SACRED!!!
Nancy Guthrie points out that we are not masterpieces like the Mona Lisa which hangs passively behind glass. We are masterpieces like a Stradivarius Violin which is best appreciated when it is played by a Master Musician.
The _reality_ is that God has created us and even though the decay of sin has dirtied our body and rusted our strings, the Master Musician can clean me and restore me and make beautiful music with my life.
It's about understanding that even giving a cup of water can be an act that glorifies Him. So stop being SCARED, cease trying to be someone else, embrace who God has made you to be and listen to Him in the small stuff and you will find that life is SACRED.
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Ephesians2:10
You only have to move one letter to turn "SACRED" into "SCARED."
Life has many of us SCARED. There are the fears we have of physical dangers - crime, accidents, disease, natural disasters etc. But there are the deeper fears that have us awake at 4am in the morning:
- "Is it worth it? Is there any purpose to this life?"
- "Am I up to scratch? Do I have anything to offer?"
- "How can I forgive myself for the ways I have failed?"
Most of us go through life insecure and intimidated. We measure ourselves by the airbrushed models, plastic celebrities and the hyped-up tycoons and conclude that we're failures. This "so-called reality" comes along and "bites" us and we live SCARED lives.
Scripture has a different perspective: We are Masterpieces (that's what the Greek word for "workmanship" implies) and life is purposeful and we are valuable. Life is SACRED!!!
Nancy Guthrie points out that we are not masterpieces like the Mona Lisa which hangs passively behind glass. We are masterpieces like a Stradivarius Violin which is best appreciated when it is played by a Master Musician.
The _reality_ is that God has created us and even though the decay of sin has dirtied our body and rusted our strings, the Master Musician can clean me and restore me and make beautiful music with my life.
It's about understanding that even giving a cup of water can be an act that glorifies Him. So stop being SCARED, cease trying to be someone else, embrace who God has made you to be and listen to Him in the small stuff and you will find that life is SACRED.
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-10 [Reality Bytes] Watersports
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. Acts16:13
(Analogies are not everyone's cup-of-tea, but they can be evocative and memorable, so even if you're not the analogy type, bear with me!)
In the New Testament, rivers were where people were baptised (See Mark1:5) and in Gentile cities where there were no synagogues, the Jews would meet by the river to pray.
Now we don't gather at a physical river, but the imagery is valuable nevertheless.
- The river is where we can be washed
- The restfulness of the river flowing gently by is conducive to prayer
- The river provides us with cool water and if it is moving water it is safe to drink
- When we learn how to swim, the water can carry us
If we imagine life as a "Dr Livingstone" push through the jungle then these are useful analogies to remind us of our relationship with God:
(It is "a jungle out there" after all!)
1. When we confess our sins, Jesus forgives us completely, but it is only as we stay close to the still small voice of the Spirit that our sense of being forgiven remains and we are emboldened to resist temptation. This means we must follow the course of the river carefully - it is so easy to wander away from it and get lost in a forest of business were the bird-and-beetle sounds drown out the sound of the river and we struggle to get back to it. Sometimes the best way to find the river again is to turn around and retrace our steps (which is what repentance is.)
2. If we would become quiet enough to listen to the still small voice of the Spirit, we will find prayer to be as calming as the gentle sound of a big river flowing slowly past us. (The thing about big rivers is that the power of the water is enormous! And so is the power of quiet prayer!)
3. The water of the Spirit's river is best drunk from the cup of His Word. When we are regularly, systematically and humbly connecting with Scripture, we are in the best position to drink from the river.
4. One of the secrets to learning how to swim is to understand that we don't fight the water, but use it to carry us. But we have to take the risks. In the same way, the Spirit will ask us to reach out to others and to serve Him in the world. This will be scary, but if we work with His promptings and trust Him to carry us, we will swim.
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
(Analogies are not everyone's cup-of-tea, but they can be evocative and memorable, so even if you're not the analogy type, bear with me!)
In the New Testament, rivers were where people were baptised (See Mark1:5) and in Gentile cities where there were no synagogues, the Jews would meet by the river to pray.
Now we don't gather at a physical river, but the imagery is valuable nevertheless.
- The river is where we can be washed
- The restfulness of the river flowing gently by is conducive to prayer
- The river provides us with cool water and if it is moving water it is safe to drink
- When we learn how to swim, the water can carry us
If we imagine life as a "Dr Livingstone" push through the jungle then these are useful analogies to remind us of our relationship with God:
(It is "a jungle out there" after all!)
1. When we confess our sins, Jesus forgives us completely, but it is only as we stay close to the still small voice of the Spirit that our sense of being forgiven remains and we are emboldened to resist temptation. This means we must follow the course of the river carefully - it is so easy to wander away from it and get lost in a forest of business were the bird-and-beetle sounds drown out the sound of the river and we struggle to get back to it. Sometimes the best way to find the river again is to turn around and retrace our steps (which is what repentance is.)
2. If we would become quiet enough to listen to the still small voice of the Spirit, we will find prayer to be as calming as the gentle sound of a big river flowing slowly past us. (The thing about big rivers is that the power of the water is enormous! And so is the power of quiet prayer!)
3. The water of the Spirit's river is best drunk from the cup of His Word. When we are regularly, systematically and humbly connecting with Scripture, we are in the best position to drink from the river.
4. One of the secrets to learning how to swim is to understand that we don't fight the water, but use it to carry us. But we have to take the risks. In the same way, the Spirit will ask us to reach out to others and to serve Him in the world. This will be scary, but if we work with His promptings and trust Him to carry us, we will swim.
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-09 [Reality Bytes] Dry?
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John7:37-38
Back in the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel had two pictures that reflected contemporary society:
* A valley of dry bones that could be brought to life by the preaching of the Word and the infilling of the Spirit.
* The wastelands of the Dead Sea brought to life by a river flowing from the temple.
The New Testament makes it clear that _we_ are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we are dry and thirsty, He invites us to come to Him.
When we:
1- come to Christ in repentant humility.
2- bow our hearts before Him and embrace Him as our Saviour.
3- surrender to His Lordship and appoint Him as King over our lives.
Then we:
1- receive the unconditional love and forgiveness of the Father
2- know the security of adoption by grace as sons and daughters of God
3- experience the transforming power of the Spirit to heal and transform us and those around us.
The River is the Holy Spirit who will flow in and from us, and, in line with Ezekiel's vision, that river can flow into the deserts and wastelands of contemporary society and bring gracious abundant life.
But in Ezekiel's vision the river gets deeper and we can stand by the side, paddle, wade or swim in it. It's not MY river, it's the river of the Spirit and we can choose to what extent we will paddle, wade or swim in it.
So, if you're thirsty...
- Come to Jesus - get _real_ with Him.
- He'll start a river in you and you have a choice:
- Stay on the bank or take off your shoes and start paddling, wading and swimming. (Something on the "How?" of this tomorrow...)
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Back in the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel had two pictures that reflected contemporary society:
* A valley of dry bones that could be brought to life by the preaching of the Word and the infilling of the Spirit.
* The wastelands of the Dead Sea brought to life by a river flowing from the temple.
The New Testament makes it clear that _we_ are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we are dry and thirsty, He invites us to come to Him.
When we:
1- come to Christ in repentant humility.
2- bow our hearts before Him and embrace Him as our Saviour.
3- surrender to His Lordship and appoint Him as King over our lives.
Then we:
1- receive the unconditional love and forgiveness of the Father
2- know the security of adoption by grace as sons and daughters of God
3- experience the transforming power of the Spirit to heal and transform us and those around us.
The River is the Holy Spirit who will flow in and from us, and, in line with Ezekiel's vision, that river can flow into the deserts and wastelands of contemporary society and bring gracious abundant life.
But in Ezekiel's vision the river gets deeper and we can stand by the side, paddle, wade or swim in it. It's not MY river, it's the river of the Spirit and we can choose to what extent we will paddle, wade or swim in it.
So, if you're thirsty...
- Come to Jesus - get _real_ with Him.
- He'll start a river in you and you have a choice:
- Stay on the bank or take off your shoes and start paddling, wading and swimming. (Something on the "How?" of this tomorrow...)
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Friday, February 5, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-05 [Reality Bytes] Steam: Prayer
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans12:11-12
Reality bites us and we think that we are too busy too pray.
If we want to avoid running out of steam, the final reality byte we need to download is this: "Be faithful in prayer."
I have an over-busy mind and always seem to be over-run with things that must be done. When it comes to maintaining spiritual fervour through prayer, I am still learning.
Here are some quotes from people who have mastered the truths that I am still learning:
Martin Luther said: "I have so much to do today that I _need_ to spend the first hour in prayer."
Someone else said: "Seven days without prayer makes one weak!"
What about this one? "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go." -- Abraham Lincoln
"One can believe intellectually in the efficacy of prayer and never do any praying." --Catherine Marshall
"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"-- Corrie Ten Boom
Fredrik Wisloff said: "You may pray for an hour and still not pray. You may meet God for a moment and then be in touch with Him all day."
And this awesome one: "Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan" --John Bunyan
What I'm learning is to stop making excuses about being busy, about not knowing how to pray and just not quite managing to make time to pray, and I am simply grabbing moments to connect deeply and intimately with God.
And whenever I do, it's like taking a huge breath of fresh oxygen and realising that I've been holding my breath and that I actually _want_ to breathe more often.
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Reality bites us and we think that we are too busy too pray.
If we want to avoid running out of steam, the final reality byte we need to download is this: "Be faithful in prayer."
I have an over-busy mind and always seem to be over-run with things that must be done. When it comes to maintaining spiritual fervour through prayer, I am still learning.
Here are some quotes from people who have mastered the truths that I am still learning:
Martin Luther said: "I have so much to do today that I _need_ to spend the first hour in prayer."
Someone else said: "Seven days without prayer makes one weak!"
What about this one? "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go." -- Abraham Lincoln
"One can believe intellectually in the efficacy of prayer and never do any praying." --Catherine Marshall
"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"-- Corrie Ten Boom
Fredrik Wisloff said: "You may pray for an hour and still not pray. You may meet God for a moment and then be in touch with Him all day."
And this awesome one: "Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan" --John Bunyan
What I'm learning is to stop making excuses about being busy, about not knowing how to pray and just not quite managing to make time to pray, and I am simply grabbing moments to connect deeply and intimately with God.
And whenever I do, it's like taking a huge breath of fresh oxygen and realising that I've been holding my breath and that I actually _want_ to breathe more often.
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Thursday, February 4, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-04 [Reality Bytes] Steam: Patience and joyful Hope
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans12:12
If we're going to keep up our spiritual momentum and not run out of steam then we will need to realise that life is not always fair and that problems can and will come our way.
These adversities are the result of being broken people living in a broken world and knowing God does not guarantee us a pain-free life. When we assume that we have a _right_ to a life that is always fair and without trials and tribulations, we set ourselves up for disappointment.
Maybe that sounds a bit morbid to you. Am I saying that our lot is to have trouble in life and that we will just have to "suck it up"?
No.
Paul reminds us of two important character traits that we can draw on, namely, Hope and Patience. As we face the trials of life, hope and patience help us to see past the trials to the greater reality: God's love for us is stronger than the storms of life!
I spoke at length about hope earlier in this series (See "Fuel") and so, for now, this definition will suffice: Hope is the confidence that God is with us and life is not pointless. Hope is what gets us out of bed in the morning and hope paves the way for faith and love.
But Paul takes it further: Not only should we nurture and protect hope, but we can learn to be content, peaceful, assured and satisfied in this hope. Another word for these qualities is Joy. Joy is not the emotion of happiness but the peaceful contentment and assurance that comes from knowing I am not alone.
Patience is about having a long-term view. Patience allows us to see beyond the pain and frustration of the moment. Patience is the runner who endures the burning lungs and pushes aching legs up the hill in the race because they are looking towards the Finish Line. Lack of patience is often a lack of vision.
Both these qualities are given to us by God. They are gifts poured out in our lives by the Holy Spirit. We just receive them and nurture them.
----------------------------
* Romans15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
* Galatians5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
If we're going to keep up our spiritual momentum and not run out of steam then we will need to realise that life is not always fair and that problems can and will come our way.
These adversities are the result of being broken people living in a broken world and knowing God does not guarantee us a pain-free life. When we assume that we have a _right_ to a life that is always fair and without trials and tribulations, we set ourselves up for disappointment.
Maybe that sounds a bit morbid to you. Am I saying that our lot is to have trouble in life and that we will just have to "suck it up"?
No.
Paul reminds us of two important character traits that we can draw on, namely, Hope and Patience. As we face the trials of life, hope and patience help us to see past the trials to the greater reality: God's love for us is stronger than the storms of life!
I spoke at length about hope earlier in this series (See "Fuel") and so, for now, this definition will suffice: Hope is the confidence that God is with us and life is not pointless. Hope is what gets us out of bed in the morning and hope paves the way for faith and love.
But Paul takes it further: Not only should we nurture and protect hope, but we can learn to be content, peaceful, assured and satisfied in this hope. Another word for these qualities is Joy. Joy is not the emotion of happiness but the peaceful contentment and assurance that comes from knowing I am not alone.
Patience is about having a long-term view. Patience allows us to see beyond the pain and frustration of the moment. Patience is the runner who endures the burning lungs and pushes aching legs up the hill in the race because they are looking towards the Finish Line. Lack of patience is often a lack of vision.
Both these qualities are given to us by God. They are gifts poured out in our lives by the Holy Spirit. We just receive them and nurture them.
----------------------------
* Romans15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
* Galatians5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-03 [Reality Bytes] Steam: Serve
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving
the Lord. Romans12:11
Many people are dissatisfied with the depth of their relationship with
God. They are aware that their spiritual lives need a kick-start. They
say to themselves: "I need to sort myself out first and _then_ I can do
something in the church."
But sometimes the best way to grow closer to God is to jump in and begin
to serve.
- How spiritual do you have to be to pour a cup of tea?
- How good a hotline to heaven do you need before you can hug a child?
- How much Bible knowledge do you need to greet people at the door?
Jesus indicated that the road to greatness begins with serving others.
There is a "Copernican Shift" that takes place when we begin to serve.
(Copernicus was the first one to suggest that the sun and not the earth
was the centre of everything.) When we serve, it moves our focus from
ourselves to others.
When we get involved in service for God, we deliberately place ourselves
amongst the things and people of God and this greatly increases our
chances of: -being inspired from the example of others
-having our hearts softened
-getting our priorities clarified
-growing in confidence
Couch-potatoes and Pew-warmers grow more slowly than those who actively
seek ways to serve God in practical ways. It takes courage to take the
plunge, but it is worth it!
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
the Lord. Romans12:11
Many people are dissatisfied with the depth of their relationship with
God. They are aware that their spiritual lives need a kick-start. They
say to themselves: "I need to sort myself out first and _then_ I can do
something in the church."
But sometimes the best way to grow closer to God is to jump in and begin
to serve.
- How spiritual do you have to be to pour a cup of tea?
- How good a hotline to heaven do you need before you can hug a child?
- How much Bible knowledge do you need to greet people at the door?
Jesus indicated that the road to greatness begins with serving others.
There is a "Copernican Shift" that takes place when we begin to serve.
(Copernicus was the first one to suggest that the sun and not the earth
was the centre of everything.) When we serve, it moves our focus from
ourselves to others.
When we get involved in service for God, we deliberately place ourselves
amongst the things and people of God and this greatly increases our
chances of: -being inspired from the example of others
-having our hearts softened
-getting our priorities clarified
-growing in confidence
Couch-potatoes and Pew-warmers grow more slowly than those who actively
seek ways to serve God in practical ways. It takes courage to take the
plunge, but it is worth it!
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
EMMDEV 2010-02-02 [Reality Bytes] Steam: Fervour
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour...
Romans12:11-12
On Friday I wrote about how we're on fire for God when faith is new and
then, all too often, our passion fades. We're looking at how we can keep
our momentum and not run out of steam...
Paul reminds us that it is all "In view of God's mercy (Rom12:1). It's
all because we realise how much we have been forgiven and how Christ
came and suffered for us.
Here are a couple of possible translations of the first part of v.11:
- Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit. (RSV)
- Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit (ESV)
- Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame (MSG)
- Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit (CEV)
- Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive (NIRV)
The original Greek that Paul wrote, if one translates in a very blunt,
literal fashion, reads something like this: "Be zealous (earnest, eager
and diligent)
Don't be lazy or troublesome
Boil over with an enthusiastic heart filled by the Spirit."
A new believer _feels_ excited with the recent discovery that Jesus has
died for them. Those of us who have believed for a long time are in
danger taking it for granted.
We have to be deliberate in our fervour. We must make a decision to be
determined. We must _decide_ to be zealous. There are three key parts to
this determination:
1.We should strive to be earnest, eager and diligent.
2.We must avoid the temptation to be slothful.
3.We must realise that only the Spirit working in our hearts can make
our lives "aglow", "boiling over" and "aflame." Obedience to His
promptings is what fuels the fire!
The word "enthusiasm" comes from two words: "in" and "God"
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
Romans12:11-12
On Friday I wrote about how we're on fire for God when faith is new and
then, all too often, our passion fades. We're looking at how we can keep
our momentum and not run out of steam...
Paul reminds us that it is all "In view of God's mercy (Rom12:1). It's
all because we realise how much we have been forgiven and how Christ
came and suffered for us.
Here are a couple of possible translations of the first part of v.11:
- Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit. (RSV)
- Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit (ESV)
- Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame (MSG)
- Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit (CEV)
- Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive (NIRV)
The original Greek that Paul wrote, if one translates in a very blunt,
literal fashion, reads something like this: "Be zealous (earnest, eager
and diligent)
Don't be lazy or troublesome
Boil over with an enthusiastic heart filled by the Spirit."
A new believer _feels_ excited with the recent discovery that Jesus has
died for them. Those of us who have believed for a long time are in
danger taking it for granted.
We have to be deliberate in our fervour. We must make a decision to be
determined. We must _decide_ to be zealous. There are three key parts to
this determination:
1.We should strive to be earnest, eager and diligent.
2.We must avoid the temptation to be slothful.
3.We must realise that only the Spirit working in our hearts can make
our lives "aglow", "boiling over" and "aflame." Obedience to His
promptings is what fuels the fire!
The word "enthusiasm" comes from two words: "in" and "God"
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
EMMDEV 2010-02-02 [Reality Bytes] Steam: Fervour
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour... Romans12:11-12
On Friday I wrote about how we're on fire for God when faith is new and then, all too often, our passion fades. We're looking at how we can keep our momentum and not run out of steam...
Paul reminds us that it is all "In view of God's mercy (Rom12:1). It's all because we realise how much we have been forgiven and how Christ came and suffered for us.
Here are a couple of possible translations of the first part of v.11:
- Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit. (RSV)
- Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit (ESV)
- Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame (MSG)
- Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit (CEV)
- Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive (NIRV)
The original Greek that Paul wrote, if one translates in a very blunt, literal fashion, reads something like this:
"Be zealous (earnest, eager and diligent)
Don't be lazy or troublesome
Boil over with an enthusiastic heart filled by the Spirit."
A new believer _feels_ excited with the recent discovery that Jesus has died for them. Those of us who have believed for a long time are in danger taking it for granted.
We have to be deliberate in our fervour. We must make a decision to be determined. We must _decide_ to be zealous. There are three key parts to this determination:
1.We should strive to be earnest, eager and diligent.
2.We must avoid the temptation to be slothful.
3.We must realise that only the Spirit working in our hearts can make our lives "aglow", "boiling over" and "aflame." Obedience to His promptings is what fuels the fire!
The word "enthusiasm" comes from two words: "in" and "God"
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
On Friday I wrote about how we're on fire for God when faith is new and then, all too often, our passion fades. We're looking at how we can keep our momentum and not run out of steam...
Paul reminds us that it is all "In view of God's mercy (Rom12:1). It's all because we realise how much we have been forgiven and how Christ came and suffered for us.
Here are a couple of possible translations of the first part of v.11:
- Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit. (RSV)
- Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit (ESV)
- Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame (MSG)
- Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit (CEV)
- Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive (NIRV)
The original Greek that Paul wrote, if one translates in a very blunt, literal fashion, reads something like this:
"Be zealous (earnest, eager and diligent)
Don't be lazy or troublesome
Boil over with an enthusiastic heart filled by the Spirit."
A new believer _feels_ excited with the recent discovery that Jesus has died for them. Those of us who have believed for a long time are in danger taking it for granted.
We have to be deliberate in our fervour. We must make a decision to be determined. We must _decide_ to be zealous. There are three key parts to this determination:
1.We should strive to be earnest, eager and diligent.
2.We must avoid the temptation to be slothful.
3.We must realise that only the Spirit working in our hearts can make our lives "aglow", "boiling over" and "aflame." Obedience to His promptings is what fuels the fire!
The word "enthusiasm" comes from two words: "in" and "God"
---
--------------------------
Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
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