EMMDEV 2012-01-24 [Revelations Reassurances] Triple Triplets

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Revelation1:4-5

Many years ago, Annette Stiff, one of our elders, gave a children's address I will never forget. She brought a sprig of a bush from her garden. It had blossoms on it: mauve, lilac and white.
"What kind of bush is this?" she asked.
Eventually the right answer came out - it was a "yesterday, today and tomorrow bush" and she explained how each individual blossom transitions from purple to white, usually over a period of three days.
"We are like the blossoms," she said, "but God is like the whole bush!" He knows us at every part of our lives and He is the same - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow."

John's view is the same: He is an old man (a white blossom) but God is the One who is, was and is to come. I think it's significant that John starts with God's role in the present because it's the present that vexes us most!

But today, yesterday and tomorrow is not John's only triplet. He is also, more subtly making a reference to the Trinity. As we have seen he has described the Father as timeless and unchanging, but he also talks about the Holy Spirit and the Christ the Son.

In many translations, the phrase "Seven Spirits" is translated "Sevenfold Spirit" which is quite helpful in conveying what is meant. Seven is a number of perfection, when God's Spirit is described as "Seven Spirits", John is really saying that God's Spirit is always perfectly present and near.

And John is still "tripletting" when he describes Jesus! Here are the three introductory points John would make about Him:
* He is the faithful witness - He accurately revealed God to us.
* He is the firstborn from the dead - He finished His mission and triumphed.
* He is the ruler over the kings - and by implication He is coming to reign!

In the midst of trouble and hardship we need a big and erosion-resistant view of God. John provides this for us.
- An unchanging Father through our todays, yesterdays and tomorrows
- A Spirit is a supernaturally and amazingly always present
- The Son who reveals God, conquers our greatest fear and is our champion.

HALLELUJAH!

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/

EMMDEV 2012-01-20 [Revelations Reassurances] Pastoral Poetry

Greetings and Salutations for the New Year to you!
May God's strength and peace be your guide in 2012!
With schools re-opening on Wednesday it is time for the eDevs to start again and I must say that it is with a certain nostalgia that I am writing to you... There are two reasons for this:

Firstly, in December Calvin Cook, one of our denomination's senior ministers passed away. Calvin was a great mentor and encourager to me and I will miss his encouraging and provocative emails very much. This eDev series is dedicated to his memory.

Secondly, this year marks the tenth year of EmmDevs. Can you believe it? Thank You Lord for your faithfulness!
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9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches. Revelation1:9-10

We start a new series today: "Revelations Reassurances."

We'll be looking at some of the gems in the book of Revelation. This won't be a verse by verse commentary, or even an overview, but rather I'll be trying to use Revelation as I believe John meant it: As an encouragement to believers who face tough circumstances, who find their faith being tested and who experience opposition from the world.

Many people think that Revelation was meant to be a book about "How it will all end." But that does not make sense! How would a book about how the world would end in 2000+ years time be of great comfort to the early Christians in the first century? To limit Revelation to being a "book about the End Times" is to completely underestimate the book!

Jesus spoke about history and the end times and described it as a woman in labour: There is a contraction, then relief, a contraction and then relief, and this cycle continues until the baby comes. History is the same: It is a cycle of contractions and relief and we don't know which contraction will bring the end. (Although many have foolishly tried to guess!)

Revelation was written for the church to read during the contractions of history. It is a dramatic and colourful book that does not shrink back from trouble - it describes trouble in terms of monsters, beasts, thunderclaps, bowls of judgement and other vivid pictures. But it also describes God as our glorious champion and our ultimate victory as a complete certainty.
Eugene Peterson describes Revelation as "Pastoral Poetry."

Nearly two thousand years ago, John wrote to comfort a church experiencing trouble and opposition and today we still draw comfort, inspiration and courage for the year ahead from Revelation's Reassurances.

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/

EMMDEV 2011-12-13 [Ephesians] Conclusions

Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. Ephesians6:21-23

Ephesians has been called the "Grand Canyon" of the shorter Epistles. It is a breath-taking tour of:
* our Spiritual Blessings in Christ,
* the reconciling work of the cross in vertical and horizontal dimensions,
* prayers that me might comprehend the incredible love of God,
* the wonder of the church
* the urgency of the times we live in
* the potential of relationships that can be transformed
* and the reality of the spiritual struggle we are in.

So, how does Paul hope to end a letter of such epic proportions?

With two thoughts:
1. Community is important: Tychicus and the news he carries is a symbol of our belonging-together in Christ. Paul's assurance that he will connect the Ephesian Church with what Paul is going through is a vital aspect of our faith. We are not Christians alone.

2. Peace, Love and Grace are the most beautiful gifts we have as we understand the Gospel and understand the love of God. And as we experience Peace and Grace, we are able to love Jesus with an undying love.

What does your Christianity consist of? Do you know peace with God and do you understand that grace is free, undeserved and unencumbered by conditions? Do you have an unquenchable love for Christ?? If you do, then you have really SEEN Paul's Grand Canyon!!!
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This brings us to the end of Ephesians and the end of the devotions for the year. Thanks for reading my ramblings through the year and my only prayer is that they have helped, in some way, to clarify God's Word and inspire you to love Him more.
Thanks to those who have sent me encouraging notes through the year!
Have a blessed Christmas and may 2012 lead you to a greater commitment to our awesome God!

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/

EMMDEV 2011-12-09 [Ephesians] Struggle #3: Intercession

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians6:19-20

In the struggle to stand firm in God's will and purposes, Paul is convinced about the power of prayer.

In his second letter to the Corinthians (v.10-11) he says this: "He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

It is a mystery that God includes our prayers as part of how He works in our world. It bends our minds to try and balance Sovereignty and the human decision to pray or not to pray. But from Scripture and History we know that our prayers for one another have an impact.

When I struggle to wrap my mind around it, I remind myself to simply knuckle down and do it. All I have to do is pray. The results, mercifully, are God's problem.

David Meece wrote some powerful words about praying for others:

UNKNOWN SOLDIER
See him on the campus, as he studies with his friends,
They mean no harm, they laugh, and call him "preacher" now and then,
His words are few, he saves them 'til he's home and on his knees,
That's where he's a warrior; and he fights to see them free.

He's the unknown soldier, the unsung hero, the brother on the street,
He's the unknown soldier, the holy warrior who will never sound retreat,
He's your unseen comrade, and his triumph will be sweet,
He's the unknown soldier

There's been no bloody torture, no burning at the stake,
There'll be no published memoirs, no memorial for his sake,
And no one calls him "martyr"; his blood has not been shed,
Still, in combat he's been faithful in the little things instead.

He's the unknown soldier, the unsung hero, the brother on the street,
He's the unknown soldier, a holy warrior who will never sound retreat,
He's your unseen comrade, and his triumph will be sweet,
He's the unknown soldier

(how about being the "unknown soldier" for your pastor this weekend?)

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/

EMMDEV 2011-12-08 [Ephesians] Struggle #2: Dressed for Success

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians6:14-18

In 2003 I did a full and detailed series on the Armour of God which can be found at http://emmanuel.org.za/emmdev-archive/the-armour-of-god/ .

I'd like to consider the armour in a different way today:

Firstly, lets look at the virtues that make up the armour:
Truth, Righteousness, Readiness (to proclaim the gospel), Faith, Salvation, the Word of God and Prayer.

These are facets of our relationship with God that need to be in use and well-practised. Just as a soldier knows how to wear and use his equipment, we should be practised at speaking and living TRUTHfully. The RIGHTEOUSNESS imputed to us by Christ should assuage our guilt and inspire us to live like Him. We must understand if we are not READY and willing to share our faith, we're going to be as ineffective as a barefoot soldier, because Standing Firm is about sharing our faith. FAITH is trust and trust is like a muscle - it atrophies when not used - growing faith often means there are flaming arrows. SALVATION is the wonderful knowledge that I am saved and don't need to save myself. God's WORD and PRAYER are vital to our walk with Him.

Secondly, we must also look at the parts being protected:
The belt is the foundation of Roman Armour - all the other bits were attached to it. Integrity holds all the facets of our faith together. The heart and vital organs reflect our soul, emotions and character - these need to be immersed in the comfort of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us. The feet represent action: they are what we Stand on! The shield is how we protect ourselves and trusting in God rather than ourselves makes a great deal of sense here. The head has to do with our thoughts and we need to think as people who are in the light (saved). An offensive weapon can injure its owner or be used against him, so it makes sense that Scripture is the most balanced weapon we can use. Prayer is like breathing.

Paul's description of armour, whether we go into it in fine detail or overview it, reminds us that we should be serious in wearing the virtues or traits described because we are in a serious battle - but lets be clear: The battle is to "Stand Firm" to keep the faith and we will need all the traits and virtues described here.

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/

EMMDEV 2011-12-07 [Ephesians] Struggle #1: Stand Firm

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians6:10-13

We come to the final major section of Ephesians which has to do with the challenges of living for Christ in a hostile world. This is often called "Spiritual Warfare" but this is a term I have increasingly become uncomfortable with as it has become "Spiritual Cowboys and Crooks" where the earthly "cowboys" and "cowgirls" make the rules and have drifted away from the guidelines that Scripture provides.

Paul and the Ephesians were seasoned veterans in experiencing opposition. (Do you remember the story of the demon possessed man and the seven sons of Sceva in our introduction?) This experience translates into some common-sense principles for dealing with evil.

1. We must be strong in the Lord. Not in our supposed knowledge or our ideas of how the Spiritual Realm "works." Many people who get involved in "Spiritual Warfare" spend too much time "looking for the devil" when they ought to be looking for Christ.

2. We need God's armour - not our own ideas. God has already provided what we need. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. (More on this tomorrow...)

3. We have an enemy: Satan, his fallen angels and those who follow him. Many modern Christians feel that songs like "Onward Christian Soldiers" are not appropriate in our modern society, but the only reason that the darkness will leave us alone is if we are not shining the light of Christ! CS Lewis pointed out that the enemy has two winning strategies: Firstly that Christians ignore him - so that he can do what he likes. Secondly that we pay so much attention to him that we take our eyes of Christ.

4. Many people think that their job is to "defeat the devil." This so often leads to obsession and pride. Jesus already defeated Satan on the cross and soon He will complete His victory. Our job is to stand! Our job is to carry out our Master's call to make disciples of the nations by preaching and living a gospel of love. We are not called to "kill the crooks" but to stand firm. It means we shouldn't go beyond our Master's orders.

So, this is Paul's balanced perspective: The battle is real, but we must stay focussed on God and stand firm by staying in His will.

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/

EMMDEV 2011-12-07 [Ephesians] Struggle #1: Stand Firm

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians6:10-13

We come to the final major section of Ephesians which has to do with the challenges of living for Christ in a hostile world. This is often called "Spiritual Warfare" but this is a term I have increasingly become uncomfortable with as it has become "Spiritual Cowboys and Crooks" where the earthly "cowboys" and "cowgirls" make the rules and have drifted away from the guidelines that Scripture provides.

Paul and the Ephesians were seasoned veterans in experiencing opposition. (Do you remember the story of the demon possessed man and the seven sons of Sceva in our introduction?) This experience translates into some common-sense principles for dealing with evil.

1. We must be strong in the Lord. Not in our supposed knowledge or our ideas of how the Spiritual Realm "works." Many people who get involved in "Spiritual Warfare" spend too much time "looking for the devil" when they ought to be looking for Christ.

2. We need God's armour - not our own ideas. God has already provided what we need. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. (More on this tomorrow...)

3. We have an enemy: Satan, his fallen angels and those who follow him. Many modern Christians feel that songs like "Onward Christian Soldiers" are not appropriate in our modern society, but the only reason that the darkness will leave us alone is if we are not shining the light of Christ! CS Lewis pointed out that the enemy has two winning strategies: Firstly that Christians ignore him - so that he can do what he likes. Secondly that we pay so much attention to him that we take our eyes of Christ.

4. Many people think that their job is to "defeat the devil." This so often leads to obsession and pride. Jesus already defeated Satan on the cross and soon He will complete His victory. Our job is to stand! Our job is to carry out our Master's call to make disciples of the nations by preaching and living a gospel of love. We are not called to "kill the crooks" but to stand firm. It means we shouldn't go beyond our Master's orders.

So, this is Paul's balanced perspective: The battle is real, but we must stay focussed on God and stand firm by staying in His will.

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/

EMMDEV 2011-12-06 [Ephesians] Relationships and Submission

(Our dev is a bit longer today - but it covers a big section)

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians5:21-6:9

There is often controversy over the next section of Ephesians (5:21-6:9 (full text pasted in at the end)). It is the section about submission and most people who get stuck on it, get stuck on isolated parts of it like "Wives submit to your Husbands."

Those who get stuck on this section accuse Paul of being sexist and promoting patriarchy and other evils. But v21 puts the whole thing in perspective. We _all_ submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. In other words, we follow the example of Jesus and treat people the way He would.

Paul explores key roles in key relationships: Wife, Husband, Child, Father, Slave and Master. Submission in each of these relationships takes different forms.
- Wives need to respect and submit to their husbands.
- Husbands should love their wives and lay down their lives for them.
- Children should obey and honour their parents.
- Fathers (Parents) should not exasperate their children.
- Slaves should give of their best as though serving God.
- Masters should be fair and responsible.

It is interesting to me that the submission or respect demanded from wives, children and slaves has to be earned:
- The husband earns his wife's respect by laying down his life for her
- The parent earns the child's respect by providing good leadership
- The master earns the slave's loyalty by being just and fair.

As controversial as "wives submit to your husbands" may seem, it comes into focus when we realise that the husband is called to be Christlike toward his wife. (To earn her respect)

Also, it is interesting to me that Paul calls each group out on their greatest temptation:
- Wives: to become independent
- Husbands: to take for granted and become unloving and unprotective
- Children: to be disrespectful and rebellious
- Parents: to become draconian
- Slaves: to do the bare minimum
- Masters: to be harsh and rule by fear

In 5:21 Paul calls us ALL (not only the wives) to submit.
Even Christ submitted to the will of the Father.
Submission isn't weakness, it's about knowing that it is not always about me!
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EPH 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honour your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise-- 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him.

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/

EMMDEV 2011-12-02 [Ephesians] Godly Living #4: Wisdom, the Spirit and Thanksgiving.

Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians5:15-20

In the final part of this section (5:1-20) on Godly Living, Paul gives three practical habits that will help us to live for God's glory.

Firstly, we must learn to be wise. The world around us is overwhelming and helter-skelter. It bombards us with information, choices and peer-pressure. We must learn to be wise and make the most of every opportunity. We need to learn to cultivate a cool head in the midst of all the hustle and bustle. This means clarifying our priorities, considering our options and being brave enough to say "No." It means we learn to ask "What does God want me to do?" at every opportunity.

Secondly, we must learn to be filled (the Greek is a present continuous tense - "keep on being filled") with the Spirit. Paul uses drunkenness as an analogy. When one is full of alcohol, it controls our words, perceptions and actions. To stay drunk one must keep drinking. To be full of the Spirit is to be controlled by the Spirit. To remain that way, we must keep sipping and to sip is to say "not my will but Yours..."

Thirdly, we must cultivate an attitude of gratitude. When we are counting our blessings and choosing to praise, we stand a much better chance of staying focussed on God and making the right choices. When we brag about what God has done in our conversations and in our songs we open the doors to be filled with His Spirit and to receive wisdom. An attitude of gratitude softens our hearts and transforms our actions.

So, to sum up: Chapter 5:1-20 is a powerful section about Godly Living. It is summed up in imitating Christ and living in love, but warns us about downward spirals, calls us to live in the light and gives us three habits to master: Wisdom, Spirit-following and Gratitude.
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Have a great weekend!
Pls pray for Emmanuel and Grace congregation as we host 130 HIV orphans at a Christmas Party tomorrow and record the Christmas Day Service for SAFM on Sunday Night.

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/

EMMDEV 2011-12-01 [Ephesians] Godly Living #3: Live in light

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians5:8-14

When we become children of God we move from darkness to light (John 8:12)

Paul calls us to live out this truth.
Living as people of the light means that we try to live as people who cannot hide anything (you need darkness to hide things) If we live as people for whom everything is public, it helps us to avoid the doing things that need hiding...

Paul qualifies light-living in these three ways:
- Goodness
- Righteousness
- Truth

These are useful tests to apply to any action we are considering: "Is it good for all involved? Is it right? Is it honest and does it have integrity?"

Living in the light means we live knowing that God sees it all.

But we don't have to do it all alone!
Paul reminds us that the power of the Risen Christ is the power that raises us from our dark, dead slumber into life in the light.

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/