WELCOME to our Month of Missions Devotions.
Every year in the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, we set aside October as the "Month of Mission" and we choose a theme which guides us through the month. This theme is used by our ministers in their sermons on Sunday Mornings and on Monday to Friday we send out daily devotions by email and whatsapp. These devotions are written by ministers from all over Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa and reflect the variety and vitality of our church.The Month of Mission is not only about foreign missions i.e. mission "out there", but rather about being missional in our thinking and living. One of the aspects of this missionality is that Jesus commissioned us to "make disciples" (not "collect converts"). A disciple is someone who is a follower of Jesus. We believe there need to be five core habits in a disciple of Jesus: Scripture, Prayer, Fellowship, Witness and Obedience.
We will be covering these "Five Keys to Discipleship" this month and we kick off with a week of reflecting on the importance of reading, reflecting and applying God's Word.
We pray that you will be stretched, inspired and blessed by our Month of Mission.
God bless and Love,
Richard Mkandawire, Matshidiso Piroe, Brian Mazanhi, Stewart Gordon, Wayne van Heerden and Theo Groeneveld
(Your Mission and Discipleship Month of Mission Team)
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SCALPEL
| For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews4:12-13) |
As we begin our mission month, it becomes important to point out that maintaining our flavour as salt and light of the world will rise and fall on our spiritual discipline of scripture reading. Kickstarting therefore our devotional series for this mission month with reflection on the word of God as scalpel is so significant.
The author describes the word of God as double-edged sword, living and active. This brings to mind the scalpel that the surgeons use in the theatre room's operating table. Depending on how it's utilised, the word of God, like an operating scalpel can either cause harm or be an instrument of healing. What becomes of the one lying on the operating table remains in the surgeon's skillful hands. Like the sharp-bladed scalpel, the word of God has power to penetrate and expose our inner thoughts, it has power to separate our thoughts and our motives even if they are closely linked as soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it uncovers the hidden secrets of human heart (vs.12).
God wants to heal and transform us through His Word, and not to harm us. Whenever we come to the Bible with our hearts and minds open to hear what the Lord has to say to us, it is like laying ourselves on the operating table, making ourselves vulnerable and ready for the Master Surgeon's expert blade. God alone knows where scalpel should go, His word zooms to the troubled parts to bring about healing and transformation.
The Word of God judges our thoughts and motives by cutting through to the bones, and penetrates deep into the recesses of our spiritual being. It stops at nothing until it brings our sin out into the open to be dealt with. Then, God our skillful and faithful Physician doesn't just leave us on the operating table, open and exposed. He cuts and removes the bad, and puts us back together again for complete healing -- the word of God will infuse us with life, thus making us whole again (restoration).
God longs to heal us through His Word, not harm us. If we do get hurt in the process, like the wounds we get during surgery it's for our own good and healing. When we faithfully immerse ourselves on the word of God, we die to our self-interest, self-promotion, self-preservation, self-aggrandizement, and self-exaltation. Disciplined reading of the scripture is an acknowledgement of our need of God and our total dependence on Him. We grow spiritually and maintain our flavour of being salt and light of the world by continually consuming the word of God.
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Written by Zolani Makalima
Married to Vuyelwa, and father to Oscar, Unathi and Siseko, and grand father to Yololwam and Litha
- Seconded to the Bible Society of Southern Africa as Relationship Ambassador
- Interim Moderator at Centurion West Presbyterian Church
- Registered Ethics Officer
- Governance of Ethics Practitioner for Public and Private Sector Entities.
