EmmDev 2026-09-01 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Seasoned Words #1 - De-escalation

Seasoned Words #1 - De-escalation

In the sixth week of our Wisdom Series we look at "Seasoned Words" which is all about conflict resolution, de-escalation and peace-making in a world where outrage, conflict and vilification is the order of the day.

The book of Proverbs lays a great foundation by recognising the importance of the tongue. The tongue is a box of matches that can start great fires. We need to learn to use it well.

1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. 4 The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. 18 A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. 23 A man finds joy in giving an apt reply-- and how good is a timely word! (Proverbs15:1-23)

We have some modern-day proverbs too. My favourite two are:
"Words are like toothpaste, once they've been squeezed out you can't put them back."
"Make sure your brain is engaged before putting your mouth into gear."

But let's reflect on the proverbs we've read...

• vs.1 We all know that it is not only the words, but the tone with which they are delivered. Spouses know the subtleties of this one... "What's wrong honey?" "Nothing..." (When "Nothing" is spoken with folded arms, averted eyes and monotone you know trouble is brewing!) When harsh words are countered with harsh words, tempers flare quickly. But when harsh words are met with an even and reasonable tone, it calms the conversation.
  
  
• vs.2 Jesus warned that whatever fills the heart will flow from the mouth. When we feed our hearts and minds garbage, the mouth will echo that. It's amazing how people who didn't swear and cuss will eventually begin to do that if everyone around them and the movies that they watch do that. Wholesome talk (output) flows from wholesome input.
  
  
• vs.4 I find it so interesting that in this proverb, deceit functions as the opposite of healing. This is a very sobering thought. When our words are constructive, uplifting and affirming, we bring healing and this healing is a tree of life. Look at environments where this kind of speaking is the norm. People flourish, laughter abounds and self-images are solid. Look at environments where deceit, division and manipulation are the norm. What do you find there? Crushed spirits. (I can't imagine a greater sadness.)
  
  
• vs.7 The contrast here is striking. The wise spread knowledge with their LIPS, but although fools spread folly through their words, it is their HEARTS that the proverb writer sees. This should give us serious pause for thought.
  
  
• vs.18 The hot-tempered man stirs dissension, the patient man calms a quarrel. This speaks of an inner state. The hot-tempered person lives with anger that is ready to emerge at any point. Dissension gives them a place to vent. The opposite is patience, someone who is more at rest in themselves. Their peace is contagious.
  
  
• v.23 All our other verses have contrasted the positive and the negative. This verse dwells on the powerful benefit of a constructive and thoughtful tongue. It celebrates the apt reply and the timely word. Choosing the right tone, the appropriate words at the right time yields a result that is good and brings joy to the speaker. This should be our goal.

As we go into this week of seasoned words, may our words be constructive and timely and reflect a wholeness and patience within us that we nurture and protect.

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EmmDev 2026-08-28 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Sober Thinking #4 - The Importance of Love

Sober Thinking #4 - The Importance of Love

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1Peter3:15-16)

Although Peter is talking about sharing our faith, I think the same principles apply to our sober-thinking in the midst of a confused world where outrage, manipulation and vilifying of people who have different views are the order of the day.

We are not called to win arguments, but to win people.

Paul warns Titus: "But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless." (Titus 3:4)

Love needs to determine what we fight for and how we engage our world and the challenges it poses.
We must combine:
- Rootedness in Christ and His Community
- Discernment that is based on God's standards revealed in Christ and His Word
- Love that is sincere and genuine - wanting to do the best for those around us.

Whatever we discern, should be tempered, expressed and implemented with love.

• Before we draw our conclusions we need to be sure we are not operating out of fear, pride, or hate.
• When we communicate our views we need to be able to say: "I don't agree with you" or "My understanding of God's plan is different from the view you are expressing" without sounding holier-than-thou, condemnatory or arrogant.
• When we implement our decisions, we should do our very best not to alienate, humiliate or denigrate others.

Rootedness gives us something solid to stand on. Our roots are in Christ.
Discernment helps us understand what is true and what is best.
Love determines how we treat the people involved.

Let me say it again:
We are not called to win arguments, but to win people.

---

EmmDev 2026-08-27 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Sober Thinking #3 - Discerning

 

Sober Thinking #3 - Discerning

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians1:9-11)

Paul is praying for the church in Philippi.

Philippi was a Roman colony with a strong Roman identity. Paul planted the church there with a remarkable collection of early members: Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth; a slave girl freed from demonic possession; and the Philippian jailer and his family. It was a diverse congregation - and not always harmonious. (Paul had to urge Euodia and Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.)

Discernment, the ability to understand the situation, to find the best way, and to make the right choices was a very necessary skill for the fledgling church in Philippi and so Paul prayed for it.

What is so interesting is how Paul prays for a chain reaction to happen in them.
There are a number of links in the chain.
Each link is important and, without each link, the rest of the chain falls away.

The first link is love, and we'll talk about love in detail tomorrow, but Paul prays that love will abound in two particular ways: Knowledge and Depth of Insight. Knowledge without love can be clinical and even cruel. Knowledge can be a dagger that kills or a scalpel that saves. Love makes the difference. Similarly, facts need interpretation or deep insight. Without love it is possible to come to harsh conclusions from facts. Love gives a generosity and sensitivity to our interpretations and insights.

The next links are discernment of what is best, pure and blameless.
Discernment, means that a choice, a determination, a judgement has to be made.
It needs to be what is best for all,
it needs to be pure, coming from the best of motives,
and it should be blameless without the baggage of corruption or compromise.

Our eighth link there should be a sense of focus and longevity to to our journey, that our characters are being shaped and ready for Christ's coming.
The next link is that our decisions bear the good fruit of righteousness
and the final, tenth link, is that the glory and praise goes to God.

These links give us the chain of discernment.
It starts with love and ends with the glory of God.
Paul prayed that this would be a quality of the Philippian Church.
We pray the same for ourselves...

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EmmDev 2026-08-26 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Sober Thinking #2 Wisdom AKA Rooted

Sober Thinking #2 Wisdom AKA Rooted

Yesterday I talked about the three legs of the table of Sober-Thinking which I listed as Wisdom, Discernment and Love.
The diagram showed "Rooted" instead of "Wisdom".

"Rooted" is a better description than Wisdom...
Our reading for today comes from a list of soldiers who came to help transition David into kingship after Saul's death. It's a formidable list of brave warriors and heroes, from various but the one of the tribes stands out...

These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul's kingdom over to him, as the Lord had said: - from Judah, carrying shield and spear -- 6,800 armed for battle; - from Simeon, warriors ready for battle -- 7,100; - from Levi -- 4,600, including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men, and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family; - from Benjamin, Saul's tribe -- 3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to Saul's house until then; - from Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans -- 20,800; - from half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make David king -- 18,000; - from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do -- 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command. (1Chronicles12:23-32)

The tribe of Issachar is described differently from the others.

Firstly, they are described, not in terms of battle-skills, but in terms of "understanding the times and knowing what Israel (the people of God) should do." This is striking: these are people who are ready in season and out of season. They had their finger on the pulse and they could make wise decisions about what to do. To have this kind of wisdom requires more than observation. It requires principles, experience and a framework for interpreting what we see. For God's people, that framework is the Word and ways of God. Observation and knowledge is useful to a point, but one needs a set of principles and depth of experience to know what to do. The tribe of Issachar didn't just have good observation and interpretive skills, they also combined principle and experience to "know what to do."

Secondly, where all the other tribes are listed by headcount, Issachar is listed as "200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command." This is striking. Where as the other tribes are listed as individuals, Issachar are listed as a groups, clans, or units. There is a sense of community about them which conveys a powerful sense of belonging and connection.

Issachar was rooted.
- They functioned as a community and not individuals.
- They had a clear perception and understanding.
- They knew what to do because they drew on principles and experience.
- They knew what Israel (the people of God) should do - they walked closely with God.

We're called to be rooted in the same way:
- We need to walk closely with God.
- We need to be part of a healthy vibrant community.
- We need to have clear perception and understanding.
- We should spend time in God's Word (Principles) and learn from our experiences and the experiences of others.

These roots take time to develop, but they are important.
When the wind blows, the question isn't:
"How strong is the tree today?"
It's: "How deep are its roots?"

When the world is blowing hard, we can't suddenly grow roots.
We need to discover that we already have them...

---

EmmDev 2026-08-25 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Sober Thinking #1 - The Three Legged Table

Sober Thinking #1 - The Three Legged Table

This week we review the fifth sermon in the "Wisdom for Everyday Life" series which was "Sober Thinking in an Opinionated World."
In the sermon I introduced the idea of a three legged table (three legged tables and chairs don't wobble easily.)
The three legs to sober thinking are: Wisdom, Discernment and Love.

In an opinionated world where rage, aggression, outrage and winning at all costs are the order of the day, these three legs are crucial.

Here's a striking Old Testament example from the early days of King Solomon who was renowned for his wisdom.

Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. One of them said, "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. "During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son--and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne." The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours." But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued before the king. The king said, "This one says, My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.' " Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other." The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!" But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!" Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother." (1Kings3:16-27)

Solomon did not have DNA testing available to him. The only knowledge that he had of this situation was the conflicting testimonies of these two women. But while knowledge was not useful in this situation, WISDOM understood the protective nature of the a true mother.

Solomon couldn't rely on investigation or deduction here. He had to be DISCERNING. It seems that his discernment was that one of the mothers had a hardness to her. She was not grieving the loss of her child, nor was there any sign of remorse about causing her child's death. Her claim on the living child was that she would not lose face as a bad mother, and that she would not be be childless while the other woman had a child. She was operating from a mindset that could be summarised as "Either I win, or we must both lose."

Solomon's discernment led him to use the test of LOVE and so he decreed that the baby should be cut in two and each mother be given a half. This command revealed the lovelessness of the lying mother and it revealed the love of the true mother. The bad mother was only interested in not losing, whereas the good mother would rather lose the fight than see her baby die.

Solomon applied wisdom, discernment and love to this very difficult scenario.

In an opinionated world, sober thinking requires all three.
- Wisdom asks what is true and looks for meaning.
- Discernment asks what is really going on.
- Love asks what will protect and bless the people involved.

Without Wisdom we can be confidently wrong.
Without Discernment we can be easily manipulated.
Without Love we can win the argument and lose the person.

May God give us all three

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Forgiveness vs Bitterness #4 - Receiving Forgiveness

 Forgiveness vs Bitterness #4 - Receiving Forgiveness

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Hebrews9:14)

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews knew something important: Sometimes we struggle to believe that God really can forgive us.

Some people say that our consciences are actually the Holy Spirit whispering His truth into our hearts. This is not entirely accurate. We all have a conscience - a God-given capacity to recognise and evaluate right and wrong. Our consciences are a place where God can and does speak to us powerfully through the Holy Spirit.

But our consciences can be damaged in two ways:
1. They can be seared or corrupted (1Tim4:2 and Titus1:15). When this happens, we care less and less about the things we have done wrong.

2. But our consciences can fail to grasp the forgiveness of God.

In a pastoral context I hear this quite often.
- "I don't know how God can possibly forgive me for the terrible thing I did."
- "I keep doing it over and over again. I can't see how God can forgive me."
- "I promised God that I would not do that and then I did. I don't deserve forgiveness."

But the letter to the Hebrews gives us GOOD NEWS:
- Jesus' death does not only cancel the legal debt of our sins and brokenness,
- but His blood will also cleanse our consciences
So that we can serve the living God.

Paul says: ""Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom.8:1)

So here's the conversation that should be happening inside us.
Conscience: "I did a bad thing."
Gospel: "Yes. And Christ died for it."
Conscience: "But I don't deserve forgiveness."
Gospel: "That's why it's called grace."
Conscience: "But I still feel guilty."
Gospel: "Christ's blood cleanses even the conscience."

This does not mean that we treat sin lightly. When we confess our sin it should be accompanied by repentance which may require restitution, apology and changed behaviour, but when the guilt-trip in our conscience tries to overshadow the forgiveness God offers then we need to bring our consciences back to the cross.

Christ's blood is sufficient not only to forgive our sin, but to cleanse our consciences so that we can stop looking backwards and begin serving the living God.

God is the Judge,
Christ is the Redeemer,
and we don't need to appoint ourselves as a second judge over sins God has already forgiven.

What God has forgiven, we do not need to keep condemning.

---

Forgiveness vs Bitterness #3 - As we forgive others

 

Forgiveness vs Bitterness #3 - As we forgive others

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew6:12)

Here's a profoundly uncomfortable truth and principle:
Our experience of being forgiven by God and our track-record with regard to forgiving others are linked.

It always remains true that Christ's death is sufficient to forgive all sins.
There is no question about His ability to forgive and wash away our sins.
Jesus died to pay the price of your and my sin, past, present and future.

But what good is a gift of a billion rand if it is in my bank account and I never withdraw a cent?

If I have a deep sense of forgiven-ness, it is a deep well that I can draw from and I can offer some of that living water to those around me. I can draw from that well when someone hurts me. I don't have to manufacture forgiveness from nothing. I can draw on the mercy that God has already shown me and extend some of that mercy to someone else. If I am unwilling or unable to forgive, then the implication is that my well has a locked lid on it and even I can't drink from it.

Understand the principle: we don't forgive others to earn forgiveness - that would be the cart before the horse - we forgive others because we ourselves have been forgiven. This is the point of the parable about the slave who was pardoned a huge debt by the king and was thrown into prison when he would not forgive a tiny debt incurred by another slave.

If we are persistently UNABLE to forgive, it may be because we have not completely understood how great a debt God has released us from.
If we are persistently UNWILLING to forgive, it may be because we have hardened our hearts to the reality of our own sin and the grace that sets us free.

In short, complete forgiveness is available to us in Christ, but if we have not fully embraced and connected to that forgiveness it manifests in us being unwilling or unable to forgive. Not forgiving others may be a symptom of not connecting to and experiencing God's forgiveness. The more deeply we understand the grace we have received, the more freely we can extend grace to others.

Those who have genuinely received God's mercy become merciful people.

---

Forgiveness vs Bitterness #2 - Why and How should I forgive?

 Forgiveness vs Bitterness #2 - Why and How should I forgive?

Why should we forgive? And how can we forgive when the hurt is so deep?
- Some people have been through incredible pain. Pain that seems impossible to forgive.
- Some people feel they just don't have the strength, and sometimes even the desire, to forgive.
- Some people are evil and unrepentant and don't seem worthy of forgiveness.
- Some differences just seem to be too great.

Paul is writing the the church in Ephesus talking to them about how to live transformed and Spirit-filled lives in the world.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians4:29-32)

In this passage Paul tells us WHY we forgive and HOW we can do it.

Let's start with the WHY.
Paul states it simply: we forgive because that's what God, in Christ, did for us.
This is powerful.
We sinned against God. We couldn't make it right.
So God sent Jesus. Jesus did nothing wrong, but we cruelly crucified Him.
Jesus modeled forgiveness in His prayer and desires: "Father forgive them..."
And He secured our forgiveness by laying down His life for us.
If we're children of God, if we're forgiven, then we should forgive.

And, to borrow from the parable of the unforgiving servant, which I examined when I preached on this subject, the debt from which we have been forgiven is much greater than the debt of forgiveness we owe. If God has forgiven me for so much, how can I withhold forgiveness from another soul for whom Jesus died? This does not diminish the seriousness of the sin committed against us or the pain we experience because of it, but it does place it in perspective.

Let's talk about the HOW.
The good news is that we don't have to do this all by ourselves.
Paul talks about the using our words for good and not harm and as he talks about dealing with aggressive desires like bitterness, rage, anger and such like. As he does so, he reminds us not to "grieve the Holy Spirit with whom we are sealed..."

The Holy Spirit is our helper. He will prompt, convict, empower, guide, strengthen and empower us to become more like Jesus. He will help us control our tongues. He will help us deal with malicious desires and tendencies and He will grow kindness and compassion in us, enabling us to forgive each other.

The problem is that we grieve the Spirit
- we do our own thing and push ahead in our own strength.
- we harden our hearts to His prompting.
- we resist His work of grace in us.
... and then we find it hard to forgive...

But when we answer the Spirit's promptings and walk closer to Jesus daily, we'll discover that He is transforming us and making us able to forgive.

---

 Forgiveness vs Bitterness #1 - The Power of Restoration.

This week we explore the fourth idea in our journey of Wisdom in Every Day Life:
"Forgiveness instead of Bitterness."

Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. ... Esau asked, "What do you mean by all these droves I met?" "To find favor in your eyes, my lord," he said. But Esau said, "I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself." "No, please!" said Jacob. "If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably." (Genesis33:1-10)

Jacob had wronged his twin brother, twice over, and not in small ways:
- He took advantage of his brother's hunger to swindle him out of his birthright
- He deceived his father, by disguising himself as Esau to get the blessing of the first-born.

Then Jacob fled back to his father's home country to his uncle Laban who deceived him by giving him Leah (the eldest) in marriage when Jacob loved Rachel (the youngest). So Jacob deceived Laban by manipulating the breeding of the goats he looked after to his advantage and, when Jacob fled back to Canaan, Rachel deceived her father by stealing the household idol.

So far the story is of deception leading to broken relationships and more deception. It's a vicious cycle.
And now, as Jacob nears Canaan, he's told his brother and a large entourage is coming out to meet him.
Fearing retribution and wrath he sends a string of gifts and his family to meet Esau.
Jacob is afraid - very afraid.

But two important things happen:

• Jacob has an encounter with God that leaves him limping and gives him a new name - Israel, "he struggles with God."
• When he meets Esau, he is welcomed graciously and with kindness.

It seems Esau has been on his own journey.
He wasn't perfect, but in this moment he models generosity, grace and reconciliation, where he could have defaulted to bitterness, rage and vengefulness.
Esau doesn't merely refrain from hurting Jacob.
He runs to him. He embraces him. He kisses him. He weeps with him.
He breaks the cycle and it's powerful.

Jacob took things from Esau.
Esau now gives Jacob something Jacob cannot buy: peace.
Jacob says: "It's like seeing the face of God."

Restoration is powerful thing.
It sets us and others free.
It discombobulates and liberates.

It's what we are called to do.
And when we do it, others will see the face of God.

---

EmmDev 2026-08-14 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Faith vs Fear #4 - Shush!

Faith vs Fear #4 - Shush!

Psalm 46 can be read as three stanzas, and each stanza ends with the word "Selah" which some scholars believe indicates a musical interlude where the musicians play, but the singing is paused giving the congregation time to think about what has been sung. Where we find this word in various psalms seems to confirm the idea that "Selah" invites us to "pause and think about that..."

Each stanza also contains a doctrinal affirmation about God.
In the first stanza we read "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
In the second and third we read "The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

We can summarise the stanzas as follows:

1. God is our refuge in trouble of all kinds....
   SELAH (Stop and think about that!)
2. God has a city with a life-giving river for us and He will defend us
   SELAH (Stop and think about that!)
3. God is more powerful than the agents of chaos and we have to turn from them and trust in Him.
   SELAH (Stop and think about that!)

Let's read the Psalm.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations He has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear, He burns the shields with fire. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah (Psalms46:1-11)

While there is a lot we can say about the Psalm, I want to focus on the last few verses.
People often read the verses "Be Still and Know that I am God..." quite sentimentally and see them as a gentle pastoral injunction to quieten our souls for a gentle and contemplative time with God. We often see the words on a poster with someone sitting in quietly in an idyllically calm and peaceful situation in an attitude of quiet, devotional prayer and reflection.

The truth of these verses are that they are spoken by a powerful and holy God who is addressing the nations and the forces of chaos and darkness in the world. He's addressing fear, chaos, darkness and uncertainty. He's talking to the nations, the storms and the earthquakes (and us!) and effectively He's saying: "Shush. Enough. Stop. I am God."

He's in charge of the chaos, He's in charge of the storm, He will reign.
And as Elijah learned - sometimes God calms the storm, and sometimes He calms His child.

---

EmmDev 2026-08-13 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Faith vs Fear #3 - Do not be dis-couraged

Faith vs Fear #3 - Do not be dis-couraged

King Jehoshaphat faced a huge invasion. He calls the people to fast and pray, and he himself prays a beautiful prayer which he ends with "Lord, we don't know what to do but our eyes are on You."

Soon after, God brings an encouraging word through Jahaziel:

He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' " (2Chronicles20:15-17)

In English encouragement is all about giving, boosting and nurturing courage in ("en") people. Discouragement is about stealing, removing and negating courage in people.

A quick Bible search reveals that, when it comes to discouragement, it is used most often as a negative instruction - "Do NOT be discouraged!"

Even more interestingly, it is most often addressed to fledgling Israel and her greatest leaders. Joshua, David, Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah are the ones who are told: "Do not be discouraged!"

Discouragement's greatest ally is fear.
In almost all the passages talking about discouragement, the other phrase found is "do not be afraid."

Fear leeches courage from us.
Fear paralyses us.
Fear makes us doubt God's promises.
Fear causes us to see the worst scenarios.
Fear blinds us to the possibility of what courage could achieve.

So what does it mean when we're told "Do not be afraid or discouraged"?
On the one hand we're being asked to stand up to the bullying of fear. On the other we are being asked to make sure that there are no "disses" to our encouragements. In other words, we're being asked to hold on to the experiences, promises, dreams, visions and hopes that once encouraged us.

Today's teenagers talk about being "dissed"... When someone "disses" you, they stomp all over your character, reputation, hopes and dreams. This is what Goliath did to David. He tried to "diss" David by mocking and reviling him. He needed to - because David's sling was a more accurate and ranged weapon than Goliath's spear. Goliath had to rattle David's cage. He had to "diss"courage him. David held on to God's faithfulness... and he didn't miss.

In the same way, Jehoshaphat faced a vast army.
He overcame fear and "diss"couragement by trusting God.
The passage later tells us that he trusted God so much that he put the singers and praisers in front of the army. Their praises disempowered their fear and encouraged the people.

And a mighty victory was won.
The enemy was not the vast army but "disencouragement."
And it was defeated.
How are you at facing fear and discouragement in your life?

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EmmDev 2026-08-12 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] - Faith vs Fear #2 - What does F.E.A.R. mean?

Faith vs Fear #2 - What does F.E.A.R. mean?

A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus.  When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. (Mark14:51-52)

Some early Christian writers suggested that this young man was Mark himself. If that tradition is right, Mark's own story begins with fear and failure.

FEAR can mean
Forget Everything And Run
or Fear Ends At Reverence.

John-Mark's early life was marked by the first meaning of FEAR.

In Acts 15:37-39 we read: "Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company."

I think we can all identify with that desire to run away.
- When a tough confrontation is coming...
- When we have messed up and need to "fess up"...
- When our day looms large and starts badly...
- When that dreaded phone call comes...
- When the diagnosis is not good...

Along the way, Mark grew from the young man who ran away into the trusted co-worker to Paul and Peter.
Peter calls him "my son Mark" and we think that Mark wrote his gospel based on Peter's sermons.
Paul mentions him twice, once in connection to an assignment given to him and the other is a wish that Timothy will bring him along on his next visit to Paul.

It seems that Mark learned to overcome his fear...

His gospel presents Jesus as a tireless healer, preacher, teacher who faced the cross with simple dignity and grace.

It would seem he learned to trust in the power and love of God.
And realised that Christ was greater than his fears.

When we say Fear Ends At Reverence, it doesn't mean that scary things suddenly stop being scary. It means that our fear is put into perspective by our reverence for God. We see the frightening thing... but we see God as greater. Our trust in Him gives us the courage to face what frightened us.

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EmmDev 2026-08-11 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Faith vs Fear #1 - Waves and Wind

This week we look at Faith vs Fear....

Faith vs Fear #1 - Waves and Wind

"Lord, if it's You," Peter replied, "tell me to come to You on the water." "Come," He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. "You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." (Matthew14:28-33)

Our relationship with God is personal and intimate - and it is based on faith.

But faith is a tough word to define.
Our gospel account of Peter's Galilee-stroll is a very valuable lesson in the nature of faith.

It's the fourth watch of the morning (3AM-6AM).
The disciples have been pulling against the oars all night.
Their body clocks are at their lowest ebb.
They're exhausted and jumpy.
Then a scary apparition comes across the water.
They're terrified.
He calls to them and they hear His reassurance,
But it's Jesus and He says "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Peter calls and is invited to do what he asked to do.
And so he hoists his leg over the gunwale...
and plants his first foot on the water...
and takes his first step...
Towards Jesus...

Maybe Peter's faith is best described as his trust in Jesus.
Maybe faith is not merely a complex set of beliefs.
Or just the tight set of a determined jaw.
It's not simple mind over water.
Maybe it's that Peter sees Jesus and wants to be with Him.

Faith is a relationship with One who is Trustworthy.
Faith is trust. It's wanting to be where He is.

Peter is fine while he's moving toward Jesus.
It's when He looks elsewhere that he sinks.
But even then Jesus has him - because Jesus is trustworthy.

There will always be wind.
Fear will always try to overpower, sabotage or undermine our faith.
The longer we look in fear's direction the faster we will sink.

Faith is not a cranial mindset - it's a trusting relationship where we move toward Him. It's taking another step closer to Him and knowing that no matter where He's standing - on water, in the fire, or in the tomb - He is able to catch us.

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EmmDev 2026-08-07 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Time #4 - Eternity

Time #4 - Eternity

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes3:11)

We started the week with the Ecclesiastes' poem on the times and seasons of our lives.
It reminded us that along with the steady march of time, we have moments and opportunities that we should not miss.

The writer of Ecclesiastes calls himself "the Teacher", and throughout the book he reflects on life's deepest questions.
From the clues we find in the text, most scholars conclude that:

• he was probably wealthy, maybe a king or of a royal family
• he had become disillusioned with wealth, power and the rat-race of life
• he rejected simplistic cause-and-effect morality, because sometimes the righteous suffered and the wicked prospered.
• and although he comes across cynical and negative, there is a real search for God in his journey

The Teacher concludes his poem about the times and seasons of life with three powerful conclusions:

1. He makes everything beautiful in its time. God is at work in all the moments of our lives and, as we trust and follow Him, He is able to bring beauty even out of painful experiences. This echoes Romans 8:28: "God works in all things for the good of those who love Him."
2. Although our lives are moments and seasons lived in the relentless march of chronos, God has set eternity in our hearts. We are eternal beings living in a temporary world, and the choices we make today are shaping us for eternity. Deep within us is a longing for more than this temporary world can offer. Augustine prayed, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee," and Blaise Pascal spoke of a "God-shaped vacuum" within every person.
3. We can't fathom it all, because our perspective is limited, but we need to trust God who sees the whole Story from beginning to end.

Our passages this week have taught us that time keeps moving, but God is preparing us for eternity. We are urged to recognise the moments, grab the moment, number our days and remember that we are shaping our eternal souls. Time marches along but there are moments to grab and a God who sees it all and made us to spend eternity with Him.
Time passes. Eternity doesn't. Live today with and Eternal perspective. And trust the One who knows the whole Story.

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EmmDev 2026-08-06 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Time #3 - Number our Days

Time #3 - Number our Days

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalms90:12)

This is probably the oldest Psalm we have and it's the only one ascribed to Moses.
We think he wrote it during their 40 year wandering in the desert after the Israelites rejected the advice of Caleb and Joshua to trust God and enter the Promised Land.

The outcome of that rebellion was that the Israelites would wander the desert for 40 years so that the current generation would pass away and a new generation would enter Canaan. So Moses leads and guides for 40 years, attending many funerals of people who had died without reaching their destination.

Psalm 90 is a reflection on God's eternal nature and justice and humanity's temporariness.
At the heart of his Psalm is his prayer.
"Teach us to number our days aright: that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Notice that Moses isn't asking for more time.
He's asking that they will use their time well.
He doesn't pray for a longer life. He prays for a wiser one.

If he were writing in Greek maybe he would write: "While chronos ticks by help me to recognise the kairos.

This is so important.
Even when things are busy, we need to notice those moments where we need to appreciate beauty, have a significant relational interaction, reach out a helping hand, or hear God's voice.

We all get 24 hours and seven days a week.
We all have bills to pay, work to do, commutes to make, and to-do lists that tap their toes.

But Moses prays that we'll see eternity in the kairos moments that pop up in the relentless march of chronos and make good choices...

As I reflected on this passage in the sermon, five simple truths emerged that help us number our days wisely
1. I cannot do everything.
2. I cannot be everywhere.
3. I cannot say yes to every request.
4. I should make the right choices in the key moments
5. I mustn't postpone what truly matters forever.

Remember: It's not how much time we have, but how we use it.

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EmmDev 2026-08-05 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Time #2 - Grab Them

Time #2 - Grab Them

Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit... (Ephesians5:15-18)

You guessed it...
The word Paul uses for opportunity is "kairos".

He's been talking to the Ephesians about being light in the darkness - that they have to recognise that even though there is brokenness all around, the resurrection light of Christ shines on us, in us, and through us.

So we need to seize the day, grasp the moment, and grab the opportunity.
The word he uses for "making the most of" is fascinating. If you pull it apart its very literal meaning is "out of the marketplace." Imagine yourself going through the market place and spotting an item you've really wanted at a bargain price and there's only one left. What do you do? You pounce! You grab it! You don't miss a moment.

This word is used four times in the New Testament, all of them by Paul. In Galatians he uses it twice to talk about how Jesus redeemed us (think of a desperate slave on sale in the market place being bought and set free by Christ). Then he uses it here in Ephesians and also in Colossians, and both times he uses it in relation to "kairos" and how we must buy back, redeem, rescue or deliver those moments God gives us. Do you sense the urgency?

The point he makes is this: Our world is broken, "the days are evil", but there are moments that can be "bought out" of brokenness and infused with the resurrection light of Christ:
A moment to show appreciation to someone who is taken for granted...
A window to be kind to someone who has experienced harshness...
An opportunity to share our hope with someone who needs it...
A moment to right an injustice...

We come across these moments every day. We can be distracted and miss them, we can be foolish and waste the moment or we can buy them out of the marketplace of brokenness. Sometimes we think that it will cost us too much, but it is God who places the opportunity there and He will provide.

How can we do this well and not miss the moments?
Paul gives us four bits of guidance:

1. Don't be dumb - be wise. Stupidity is freely available, it's populist, comfortable, and egocentric. 
   Wisdom takes work to get to. It requires reflection, consultation with wise people and sources and sees beyond self.
2. Understand the Lord's will - this means spending time with Him and in His Word.
3. Don't anesthetize yourself either with alcohol, drugs, you-tube, social media or other distractions.
4. Be filled with the Spirit - ask the Holy Spirit to move in you and guide and prompt you.

One last thought: Paul isn't asking us to squeeze more into the day. He's just asking us to grab what's there.
Don't fill your diary - fill your moments.
God puts the moments there, and, armed with the light of the resurrected Christ and filled with the Spirit, we can buy them back!

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EmmDev 2026-08-04 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Time #1 - Moments

Time #1 - Moments

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes3:1-8)

When I preached on this passage, I borrowed two useful Greek words from the New Testament: chronos and kairos. Chronos is clock time: minutes, hours and days. Kairos is the significant moment, the opportune occasion. While Ecclesiastes was written in Hebrew rather than Greek, these two words provide a helpful way of thinking about time.

Ecclesiastes was written by someone in search of truth and meaning. His exploration is sharp and critical - he is disillusioned with much of the fluff of life. He has explored work, hedonism, power and wealth and found them all wanting. While he is dismissive of many things, he finds some truths along the way.

One of the truths he finds is that while life has many "chronos" times,
what gives time meaning is the "kairos" moments...
A time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant...
So the significance of time is not the hours and dates, it's the moments.

How often do we find ourselves rushing for "deadlines", frantically keeping schedules and packing life full of appointments and events, but missing the moments?

Meaning is not found in how many hours we spend at work.
Purpose is not found in a full calendar.
Sometimes we just need to be late so that we can watch our toddler take their first steps.
Sometimes we need to replace the whistle stop tour of Europe for a slow holiday on a quiet beach where we can bond with our kids instead of chasing them from train to bus to plane.

The saddest thing is when a moment happens and we rush past it.
We need to learn how to escape the tyranny of the "chronos" to embrace the "kairos."

Jesus did this very well. He never seemed hurried. He had time for interruptions because He recognised moments. A blind beggar's cry, a woman touching His cloak, children climbing into His lap, a conversation beside a well. He never allowed the schedule to rob Him of the moment.

Life happens in the moments.
And in those moments the clock keeps ticking, but our hearts realise that something eternal is happening.

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EmmDev 2026-07-31 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Priorities and Balance #4 - A New Perspective

Priorities and Balance #4 - A New Perspective

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians3:1-4)

A perspective is a vantage point - it's your point of view.
It's where you look at the world from.
It's the lens you look through.
It's the underlying reality that informs what you see and how you respond.
It's the compass that guides the direction of our steps.

Paul doesn't begin with a command - he begins with an identity.
Paul is clear about what our perspective should be.
- We were dead, but Christ has raised us to life.
- Our destination is with Christ who is seated at God's right hand.
- Our desire, longing and focus should be on "things above" not temporary earthly things.
- Christ will return and we will be with Him, leaving this world behind.

This should surely change our priorities from things that have temporal value to things that have eternal value. It should surely help us to be less trapped by the "stuff" of this world. And it will surely help us to find the balance between meeting temporary needs and making eternal investments.

I love Paul's phrasing:
"You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

It speaks of rescue and intimacy and safety.
The world around us doesn't understand it.
Our eternal hope is "hidden" for now, but it is certain because the tomb is empty and Christ is risen, ascended and returning.

What is your current perspective?
Maybe you've been looking down too much.
It's time to remember and look up:
You were broken, sinful and unsure
and you were spiritually dead.
BUT Jesus took your life and wrapped it in His Death and Resurrection.
And you are forgiven and are destined for eternity with Him!

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EmmDev 2026-07-30 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Priorities and Balance #3 - Presence over Protocol

Priorities and Balance #3 - Presence over Protocol

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke10:38-43)

This is a powerful parable-in-real-life.
It doesn't need a lot of explaining, but here's a few thoughts...

Hospitality was very highly valued in the Ancient Near East. So Martha's choice to focus on the meal and being a good hostess is understandable and even commendable.

And that's the problem with priorities.
They are sometimes hard to call.
Sometimes two things can look almost equally important and it's hard to decide which one counts most.
The catch with Martha is not that she was being hospitable but that she had made too much of it. The text tells us that she was "distracted with much serving." And, when we look at her complaint to Jesus, it is the language of a victim. There's the strong sense that her focus was more about the task than about delighting in Jesus.

Mary sits at Jesus feet. She enjoys the moment - we'll talk about time next week.
She chooses presence over protocol, connection over impressions.
I'm sure that, if it were needed, she would have whipped up a quick meal, but she avoids Martha's vortex of activity and chooses to be with Jesus.

Jesus' answer to Martha is very telling.
Although some translations put it differently, in the original Greek the wording is that Mary has chosen the good portion and it's a clever pun about Martha's choice. Martha is preoccupied with serving a portion of food. Mary has chosen the good portion: Jesus Himself. One meal will soon be forgotten. The portion Mary received "will not be taken away from her".

Every day we are faced with good choices and better ones.
There is work to do, meals to prepare and responsibilities to fulfill.
But before we do anything for Jesus, we must first spend time with Jesus.
The good portion is still available to everyone who will sit at His feet.

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EmmDev 2026-07-29 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Priorities and Balance#2 - First

Priorities and Balance#2 - First

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew6:31-33)

Few things rob us of balance more quickly than worry, and few things restore it more effectively than putting God first.

The balance lies in not being dominated by stress and worry. We do need to eat and drink but we should not be become obsessed about what we eat and wear. Earlier in this chapter Jesus spoke about the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and how God provides for them. The birds forage diligently and plants sink their roots deep and turn sunlight into food but there is joy and beauty in what they do. Obsession turns labour and housework into slavery. Balancing gratitude, trust and diligence is the key to a balanced life. We have gratitude for God's provision both through opportunity and ability, we trust God to watch over us and give us strength and then we bring our best efforts to the table.

But Jesus also calls us to have the right priorities and we have to get the top one right. First and foremost, our most important priority should be to ensure that we are seeking God's Kingdom and righteousness.

The Greek verb Jesus uses for "seek" is "zēteite" and it is significant because Jesus uses it in a positive and a negative sense in this passage. The pagans run after all the wrong things, but Jesus calls His followers to seek the Kingdom of God first. The verb means to seek, pursue, strive after, aim for and desire. Jesus uses it in a present, continuous and imperative tense - "keep on seeking". We are being commanded to have a deep desire and longing for God's kingdom and righteousness. What makes it striking is that Jesus isn't asking us to perform an action - He's asking us to cultivate a passion. If it were an action then we could tick the box and move on, but we're being asked to have a continuous longing that permeates all we do.

And it needs to be FIRST. Above all else. Above ambition. Above earthly affections. Above all.

And what do we long for? God's kingdom and righteousness. Longing for His kingdom means continually asking: "If God were King of this situation, how would it go down? How would He want me to behave? What outcomes would God want us to pursue? What are the priorities and principles that would apply here?" Pursuing God's righteousness adds moral depth to the idea of "kingdom." Sometimes people will cut corners because they argue that the end justifies the means, but in pursuing the kingdom we must also do things the right way.

Our balance comes from doing our part without becoming obsessed with the results. Our priority is to nurture a deep and growing passion to see God crowned as King in every part of our lives.

When the Kingdom comes first, everything else finds its proper place.

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EmmDev 2026-07-28 [Wisdom for Every Day Life] Priorities and Balance #1 - The Foundation

Priorities and Balance #1 - The Foundation

After a long winter break, EmmDevs are back.
I've been busy with a sermon series entitled "Wisdom for Everyday Life"
You can watch the sermons on https://bit.ly/WisdomSermonPlaylist
The eight sermons were:

1. Priorities and Finding Balance
2. Time: Rejuvenation and Distraction (Serving Without Burning Out)
3. Faith vs Fear (Anxiety, Ignorance or Sober Faith)
4. Forgiveness vs Bitterness
5. Sober thinking in an opinionated world
6. Seasoned Words (De-escalating in a world that ramps up quickly)
7. Contentment vs Comparison
8. Faithful Witness: Strong Convictions, Gentle Hearts

The plan is to devote 3 or 4 EmmDevs to each theme...

We start with Priorities and Balance

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your true and proper worship. (Romans12:1)

In a series that deals with many practical qualities (wisdoms) that should be present in mature believers' lives, it is vital to make sure that the starting point is not human effort.

Paul is crystal clear about that. He spends 11 chapters laying a foundation.
- We were dead in our sins and only Christ could save us.
- By ourselves we can't do good or avoid evil, only the Holy Spirit can do that.
- Even the fates of nations are in God's hands and not a matter of self-determination.

The starting point is not our effort, but God's mercy.
God has rescued us. God has redeemed us, saved us, chosen us.
He loved us first and saved us when we were powerless.

And anything we do is a response.

And the response to which Romans 12 calls us is a life of WORSHIP.
This is life's great priority.
The Westminster Confession (paraphrased) states:
"Humankind's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever."

Worship is not something that we do only on Sundays.
It's offering our bodies as "living sacrifices."
Dead sacrifices cannot climb off the altar. A living sacrifice can - but chooses not to.
A living sacrifice learns to ask "In this situation what would Jesus do? What glorifies God?"

And, strangely enough, counter-intuitively, this worship is not onerous.
We discover that when God is at the centre, we have come home.
And we enjoy God.

Paul uses an interesting word for "proper."
In Greek it is "logikos".
It can mean "reasonable", "logical", "spiritual", "rational", "fitting", "appropriate", or "considered."

Paul is saying:
When you consider the vastness of God's Mercy then worship: is a reasonable, logical, rational and appropriate response and is the most spiritually congruent thing we can do.

We prioritise God because He prioritised us...

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EmmDev 2026-06-03 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #9 The Abrupt Ending points to Resurrection Hope

Concluding Mark #9 The Abrupt Ending points to Resurrection Hope

"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.' " Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (Mark16:6-8)

Most scholars agree that this was the original ending to Mark's Gospel.
It is abrupt and a little disturbing because it leaves things hanging in the air.

But think about it for a moment...
We think this account was written around 60AD some 30 years after the Ascension.
By now the gospel has reached Rome, Asia Minor and beyond.

Anyone reading the cliff-hanger ending would know how it actually turned out.
They would know that:
- the women did speak.
- the tomb remained empty,
- Jesus met with Peter
- Jesus met with the disciples
- He ascended and the disciples were filled with the Spirit
- the Church had spread like wildfire, in spite of persecution.

Resurrection had triumphed.
What looked like defeat and a sputtering wick had burst into glorious flame.

In many ways this is typical of Mark.
He portrays human weakness with simple honesty but never hopelessly.

Considering what I have just written, it is then unsurprising and quite ironic that the "footnote" or "longer ending" that was later attached to Mark reflects all these thoughts:
- Fear and unbelief addressed
- Great Commission and the Power of the Holy Spirit affirmed
- The Ascension and the disciples' missionary obedience recorded.

The abrupt ending naturally invites readers to ask what happened next.
The "longer ending" tries to do that for their generation, but I think the abrupt ending invites every reader to respond personally.

But we need to answer it too.
In the light of the Risen Christ who speaks to His Church and the Peter in you and me.
What will we do?
Will we, like the Early Church, overcome our initial fears and spread the gospel?
Mark leaves us to to add our response...
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That brings us, at long last, to the end of our marathon series on Mark.
I hope you have found it meaningful.
I'll be taking a break from EmmDevs for the rest of June.

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EmmDev 2026-05-29 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #8 The cross is not defeat, but victory.

Concluding Mark #8 The cross is not defeat, but victory.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard His cry and saw how He died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" (Mark15:37-39)

Mark records numerous moments where Jesus made it clear that He heading for the cross.
In chapter 10 Mark remembers how Jesus was striding ahead of the disciples and how His disciples are astonished and afraid.

Throughout his gospel, Mark paints a picture of Jesus serving, loving, healing and teaching and heading towards a sacrificial destiny.
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

So it is understandable that we might begin to see the cross as a low-point.
A place of tragedy, heartbreak and sacrifice.

But when we get to the cross, Mark surprises us because he writes briefly about the crucifixion (only 17 verses). There's a quiet dignity in his brevity instead of a Hollywood-like morbid fascination with the violence and suffering.

He recounts the criminals and the sign.
He dwells on the insults but this only strengthens the Centurion's response later.
He only notes one of the "seven words", but it is in God-Forsakenness that He atones for our sin.
He describes that wine-vinegar - the drink of the poor
and the crowd's misunderstanding that he was calling Elijah.

And then comes the climax...

• A loud cry and Jesus breathes His last - a clear indication that Jesus was not the victim who's life was taken,
  but the King who gives His life.
• The temple curtain torn in two. The atonement sacrifice was sufficient and our sin-debt was paid in full.
• The gentile Centurion, a man of authority, recognises Him as the Son of God.

This makes the cross a place of VICTORY.
Sometimes preachers and movie-makers use the violence and suffering of the cross to pull at the heart-strings.
Sometimes we tend to preach "BAD Friday" and "Resurrection Sunday"
but it is called "GOOD Friday" for a reason.
The victory was won at the cross - and the resurrection vindicates that victory

Do I hear a HALLELUJAH?

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EmmDev 2026-05-28 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #7 Reaching out to the Broken

Concluding Mark #7 Reaching out to the Broken

A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. "I am willing," He said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. (Mark1:40-42)

Mark's Gospel is filled with broken people:
- lepers,
- paralytics,
- demoniacs,
- grieving parents,
- outcasts, failures,
- doubters,
- and fearful disciples.

Our passage records the first healing miracle in Mark and it is most certainly not the last!

The man has leprosy. It is highly contagious.
People recoiled from those who had leprosy.
They chased them with literal and verbal sticks and stones.
The man comes and begs from his knees.
The disciples and crowd probably gasped and retreated.
All of a sudden Jesus isn't being mobbed or crowded.
They're all ten steps back.

The man is begging and Jesus is standing there.
"If you are willing... " the man implores
Jesus is filled with compassion. (In Greek the word implies an intense emotion)
Instead of stepping away - Jesus steps in.
Instead of recoiling - Jesus touches - probably embraces.
And the man is immediately clean.

This is what love is.

Throughout Mark Jesus consistently moves toward broken, not away from them.
We see it again and again:
- Jesus touches the untouchable.
- Jesus forgives the guilty.
- Jesus restores the ashamed.
- Jesus calls the unlikely.

Jesus' church needs to be like this too.
Church is not a display cabinet for saints
but a hospital for the broken.

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EmmDev 2026-05-27 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #6 The Tragic Hardness of Heart

Concluding Mark #6 The Tragic Hardness of Heart

Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. (Mark3:3-6)

One of the saddest themes in Mark's Gospel is the ongoing hardness of people's hearts. This passage reveals it powerfully...

It's a Sabbath and the Pharisees are more concerned about observing the Sabbath than about the plight of a fellow human being. If the Law of Moses allowed one to get a cow out of a pit on the Sabbath, surely the healing of the precious human being would matter too?

Throughout Mark's Gospel we see people being helped by Jesus and trusting in Him:

• desperate people come to Him
• broken people trust Him
• outsiders welcome Him
• women follow faithfully
• children respond naturally
• sinners eat at His table

But the Pharisees remained hard and stubborn of heart.
Their hearts are so hard, that the Pharisees and Herodians who were polar opposites theologically and idealogically, begin to plot murder. Strange bedfellows indeed.

What's striking in this passage is that Jesus' response to this hardness was not indignation or antipathy but deep distress. He is grieving with the hot angry grief that one feels when there is a sense of a life wasted. He sees the hardness of their hearts and it vexes Him.

Right into Holy Week Jesus interacts with Pharisees, Saducees, Herodians, Teachers of the Law. They continue to resist Him and He faces them with truth, logic, Scripture and even outright rebuke, but they refuse to see...

May we never harden our hearts in this way.

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EmmDev 2026-05-22 [Moments with Mark] Mark's Pentecost #4 - In our weakness

Mark's Pentecost #4 - In our weakness

Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," He said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Mark14:37-38)

One would think that a Gospel account that formed the basis of the Early Church would attempt to paint the disciples in the best possible light. They were the ones chosen and trained by Jesus and they would have played a key role in the wonderful growth of the church. One might expect that a gospel account would portray them a bit like swashbuckling pioneers of the early church.

But Mark didn't do that. He portrayed them very humanly. They misunderstood Jesus, bickered over who was the greatest; fell asleep in Gethsemane when Jesus needed them; ran away when He was arrested; some even denied knowing Him; and they struggled to believe when faced with an empty tomb.

This doesn't inspire a huge amount of confidence in the first disciples...
But I think this is one of Mark's subtle points.

Jesus comment to Peter says it all. "The spirit is willing, but the body (flesh) is weak."

Jesus isn't talking about the Holy Spirit.
He's talking about the human spirit which, although willing, is hindered by our frailty and humanity.

But the Good News is that Mark starts His Gospel with the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 1:8: "I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

So Mark's Gospel is a true reflection of what happened.
Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth to "give His life as a ransom for many."
He called disciples, but they were not superheroes, they were everyday people.
They made mistakes, they got it wrong, they were not strong enough by themselves.
But there was a promise - "He will baptise with the Holy Spirit..."

And it was fulfilled at Pentecost!
The church was never built on human strength, but on Spirit-empowered weakness surrendered to Christ.
Pentecost was not God choosing the impressive - it was God empowering the weak.
And that gives you and me hope!

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EmmDev 2026-05-21 [Moments with Mark] Mark's Pentecost #3 Inspiration under Pressure

Mark's Pentecost #3 Inspiration under Pressure

You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. (Mark13:9-11)

Today's reading comes from the challenging chapter 13 where Mark unpacks Jesus' teaching on the "end times."

To set the scene, the key points of this chapter are:

• The "end times" extend from Jesus' ascension to the Second Coming.
• The church will experience persecution and hardship cyclically, like the contractions of a woman in labour
• Some parts of the chapter apply to the persecution of the church by Rome, culminating in the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD.
• Other parts of the chapter are applicable any time or anywhere that the church is suffering or is being persecuted.

Our reading is a reassurance that Jesus gives the disciples, but it is also applicable to the whole church. It is a powerful reassurance and a comforting promise: "Whenever you're in a tough place, whenever you're being persecuted, whenever you're being threatened, and whenever you might be lost for words, the Holy Spirit will give you the words.

Throughout the history of the Church, there have been "contractions" - times that the whole or part of the church has experienced suffering and persecution. In the book of Acts and in the annals of church history we have story upon story of believers who have responded with love, grace and profound wisdom in the face of trouble.

This is a beautiful gift from God's Spirit.
He will be with us and He will give us the words we need.

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EmmDev 2026-05-20 [Moments with Mark] Mark's Pentecost #2 Misunderstanding the Spirit

Mark's Pentecost #2 Misunderstanding the Spirit

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat. When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind." And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons." So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit." (Mark3:20-31)

Today's passage is challenging.

There are two issues at stake here.
1. The Holy Spirit is the powerful One by whom Jesus "binds the strong man".
2. There are consequences to ignoring, resisting and maligning the Spirit's work.

As Mark portrays Jesus as tirelessly proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom in word and action. But the extent and effect of His ministry attracts attention and causes sensation. His family are embarrassed by the attention He is getting and those who are threatened by His popularity criticise and malign.

Their key argument is that His spiritual power has an evil source.
They need to do this, because otherwise they have to admit that "the Spirit of the Lord is upon Him."
This would be tantamount to admitting that He was the Messiah.

Jesus easily exposes their faulty thinking - A house divided against itself cannot stand.

But this leads Him to make a statement about blasphemy against the Spirit that has worried many sincere Christians. Over the years many people have consulted with me, worried that they have committed the unforgivable sin.

To understand what this is all about, we need to remember that one of the main activities of the Holy Spirit is to bring us to the place where we can recognise Christ as Lord. The Spirit is always drawing us closer to Jesus. He reveals, convicts, prompts, illuminates and works in our circumstances to open our eyes to Christ. He wants us to recognise Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

Jesus talks about "blasphemy against the Spirit" in Matthew, Mark and Luke. In each case He is confronting the hard-hearted Pharisees and Sadducees who persistently refuse to recognise who Jesus is:
- In Matthew they argue that Jesus does His miracles by demonic power
- In Mark they say that Jesus has an evil spirit
- In Luke the context is God's provision on the one hand and disowning Christ on the other and Luke puts it into the context of the final judgment.

So "blasphemy against the Spirit" is to reject the Spirit's "core business" which is to help us recognise Jesus for who He is.

Many Theologians understand that this is a process and not an event. We don't commit blasphemy against the Spirit by accident or as a once-off. This is something that is a stubborn hard-heartedness and that we don't care about. To "blaspheme against the Spirit" is to stubbornly resist the "seed-planting" work of the Holy Spirit to the end of our lives or to the point that our hearts are so hard that we will never change. Elsewhere Scripture talks about a "hardened heart" or a "seared conscience."

The point: If we are resisting the working of the Spirit, then we won't care whether this is forgivable or not. And so I say to folk: "If you're worried that you have committed unforgivable blasphemy against the Spirit, then you haven't!"

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EmmDev 2026-05-19 [Moments with Mark] Mark's Pentecost #1 Jesus and the Spirit

Mark's Pentecost #1 Jesus and the Spirit

It's Pentecost Week and so I'm interrupting the conclusion of Mark with four devotions on Mark's view of the Holy Spirit. (Mark just doesn't want to let go of me!)

John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: "After me will come One more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, He saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased." At once the Spirit sent Him out into the desert, and He was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended Him. (Mark1:6-12)

Mark only makes a few specific references to the Holy Spirit, but from these references we get a clear implication of the Spirit's work, effect and influence.

In the opening verses of the Gospel, Mark highlights the way John the Baptist characterises the ministry of Jesus as Spirit-filled-and-empowered. Then he shows the coming of the Spirit paired with the Father's affirmation of Jesus. Then he shows Jesus being led by the Spirit into the desert for a period of preparation.

There are a couple of insights that come with Mark's descriptions of the Spirit's work and presence in Jesus.

• The presence of the Spirit implies worthiness and power.
  Jesus receives the Spirit by worth - we receive the Spirit by grace.
• The Spirit comes as a dove along with the affirmation of the Father's love.
  This is beautiful and profound: belovedness precedes mission and identity precedes ministry.
• The Spirit guides Jesus in preparation and accompanies Him in temptation and hardship.
  Many who focus on the Spirit's gifts and empowerment neglect the fact that He will sometimes lead us into and through tough spaces.
• Mark uses his signature "at once" and we have a sense of the dynamic and vibrant nature of the Spirit's guidance.

From the very outset it is clear that Mark fully understands that Jesus' vibrant ministry as the "Son of Man who came to serve and not to be served" was guided, empowered, shaped and validated by the presence, indwelling, and work of the Holy Spirit.

The empowering of the Spirit, depicted by a dove and accompanied by an affirmation of love and approval, is significant. Sadly, many people reduce the Spirit to a source of power. The Spirit is more than Popeye's Spinach, Asterix's magic potion or a super-soldier-serum.
The Spirit isn't our power-pack, He's the affirming presence of God with us in Mission.

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EmmDev 2026-05-14 [Treasure Cupboard] Ascension Day

Ascension Day

 

It's Ascension Day today. It used to be recognised as a public holiday, but now the responsibility lies especially with the Church to remember and celebrate it well.

Even in the Old Testament, God's Sovereignty and Majesty were recognised by the Israelites. Psalm 47 was written by the "Sons of Korah" who were a family line of Levites (temple servants) descended from Korah. Although Korah himself rebelled against God in Moses' time and died in judgment, his descendants were spared and later became faithful worship leaders and musicians in Israel.

Psalm 47 sits in the middle of three Psalms that assert God's victory and celebrate God reigning over nations, wars, fear, and every force of chaos. We're most familiar with Psalm 46 which starts off with "God is our refuge and strength - a very present help in trouble" and ends with "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 48 celebrates Zion - the city of God - as a place of peace and refuge.

Psalm 47 - the psalm in the middle - is marked with great joy and celebration. It starts with "Clap your hands" and "Shout for joy" and continues to celebrate God's victory and our deliverance and inheritance.

The Psalm evokes an Old Testament image: a king riding up to Jerusalem and taking his place on the throne. It would be a time of great joy: "God has ascended amid shouts of joy... sing praises... sing praises."

Today we celebrate Jesus' Ascension.
It is not merely about Christ departing, but of Christ reigning.
- He is the Messiah - God's chosen one - God's only Son.
- He made the ultimate sacrifice - His life for our sin
- The sacrifice was sufficient - and so God raised Him from the dead
- He ascends now - Having conquered Sin, Death and Satan.
- He reigns at the Father's right hand - interceding for us.
- And we have the hope of His return.

We have two tasks or callings to do in the meantime.
1. Celebrate who He is and what He has done through worship.
2. Tell others about His love and victory and doing it in word and deed.

Read the Psalm below and clap your hands, sing praises to God, and proclaim His victory to the world!

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loved. [Selah] God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted. (Psalms47:1-9)

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EmmDev 2026-05-13 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #5 Parables about the Kingdom

Concluding Mark #5 Parables about the Kingdom

He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come. (Mark4:26-29)

Mark recounts Jesus' parables.
Most of these parables are about the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God grows quietly but powerfully
-Seeds.
-Lamps.
-Mustard trees.
-Soil.

Mark's parables remind us that God's Kingdom often looks small, hidden and unimpressive at first.
-But the seed is powerful.
-The gospel changes lives.
-Truth grows.
-Love multiplies.
-Grace bears fruit.
-And often the growth happens quietly:

"All by itself the soil produces grain..."
God is at work even when we cannot see it.

In my life God worked like that:
- I was baptised by believing parents
- I had a Sunday School teacher in a conservative Afrikaans church whose sincerity impressed me
- I heard our high school Students' Christian Association (SCA) singing worship songs and it drew me
- I joined the music team
- I went on a camp
- I started reading the Bible
- I started helping out at a youth group
- And the rest is history

There's a lot of "I's" there, but I was just responding, God made all the first moves.

How has He been at work in you??

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EmmDev 2026-05-12 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #4 Movement, Trust and Surrender

Concluding Mark #4 Movement, Trust and Surrender

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of people." At once they left their nets and followed Him. (Mark1:17)

Mark's gospel is a gospel of movement and calling.
Jesus is portrayed as "the One who came to serve and not be served."
He is constantly on the move: teaching, healing, praying and calling.

When it comes to calling, the first disciples quickly learned that following Jesus means movement, trust and surrender.

In Mark, discipleship is never passive.

Again and again people must:
- leave their nets
- leave comfort
- leave pride
- leave old identities
- leave fear

When you add people to a quiet life, it stops being quiet. Jesus called the disciples to be fishers of people. Previously they would have talked about nets, techniques and the best way to cook a fish. Now they would talk about connection, contact and their need for God. Their lives would be filled with:
- jostling crowds,
- moms bringing snotty babies,
- hungry crowds,
- and going wherever Jesus took them.

And the disciples often fail spectacularly.
- They misunderstand.
- They argue.
- They panic.
- They sleep in Gethsemane.
- Peter denies Jesus.

And yet Jesus keeps calling them back.

That is deeply encouraging.
Mark reminds us that discipleship is not about flawless performance, but about continuing to follow Jesus in the helter-skelter --> even after failure.

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EmmDev 2026-05-08 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #3 More on "Son of Man"

Concluding Mark #3 More on "Son of Man"

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans5:7)

The Biblical Book that uses the phrase "Son of Man" even more than the gospels do is Ezekiel. There it means "Mortal Man" as some of the older translations put it. I think this is part of the reason that Jesus used the phrase. He was emphasising the incarnation. He was the "Word made Flesh".

But in His trial Jesus brings another emphasis when He quotes from Daniel 7: "You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." This powerfully brings together the idea of "Mortal Man" and "Messiah"

Other Messianic titles like Messiah, King, Son of David were politically loaded - Jesus chooses a title that is Messianic, but conveys His mission. "The Son of man came not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom to many."

Paul develops a similar thought using a different analogy. He talks about Jesus as a kind of "Second Adam" and in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15 he talks about how Jesus' death and resurrection open a new way for us.

When we combine this with John's idea of the "Word became flesh and dwelt among us" we start to see the huge significance of the Incarnation.

We have a God who came to live among us and rescue us.
HALLELUJAH!

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EmmDev 2026-05-07 [Moments with Mark] Concluding Mark #2 Son of God, Son of Man

Concluding Mark #2 Son of God, Son of Man

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark1:1)

Mark explores a profound contrast in his gospel.
He identifies Jesus as the "Son of God."
But He also calls Him the "Son of Man."

Interestingly, Mark uses "Son of God" three times.
- At the opening of the Gospel
- In the mouth of the demons in ch.3 so that even ultimate evil knows His authority
- In the mouth of the Centurion at His death

We see glimpses of His glory:
-Demons recognise Him.
-Storms obey Him.
-Disease flees from Him.
-Food multiplies
-Fig trees wither
-Death is defeated (but in Mark's ending we get just a glimpse of resurrection)


But for Mark the "Son of God" reveals His glory through servanthood.
He uses "Son of Man" fourteen times.
Jesus truly is a "man of the people" and His glory is often hidden beneath humility.
He walks dusty roads, touches lepers, eats with sinners, grows tired, sleeps in boats and finally hangs on a cross.

Mark's great revelation is this:
Jesus is not less glorious because He serves and suffers.
His humility is His glory.

Once again we come to one of the major points in the Gospel of Mark:
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."

Jesus, the Son of God, is also the Son of Man.

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