EmmDev 2020-10-14 [Overcomers MoM2020] Esther: Faith in challenging times

Esther: Faith in challenging times

Theme: The Missional God for Overcomers in all times.

Introduction: The Book of Esther is about the intervention and the faithfulness of the Sovereign God for the deliverance of his people. Look at the main characters: the King/Wise persons; the Queens (Vashti/Esther), the Prime Ministers (Haman/Mordecai) and the Nations (Persians/Jews) who all revealed the heart attitude characteristic of their times. Overcomers need wisdom to discern these extraordinary times.

The Overcomer Esther (Hadassah) was equipped to the point of having the courage to say "And if I perish, I perish"(4:16), in order to fulfill her assignment in the past, the present and the future.

Past to overcome: God knows all things in human hearts: power, wealth and fame for individuals, families, tribes, and kingdoms. The authorities abused, married, impaled, honoured and appointed in the varying times of disobedience, integrity, service, royal appointments, diabolical systems and enemies and they celebrated Purim (salvation). The God of Esther is also Christ-with-us today to overcome all situations.

Present to overcome: The presence of God is still directing his people to overcome. The mission of God is rooted in the love of God. In Covid-19, God is with us to discern the times. Christians today fear evil, yet Christ is present to help us, even if powers manipulate human weaknesses. The God-man, Jesus Christ cares for us more than we care for ourselves.

Future to overcome: Humanity has no lasting solution to overcome sin. Yet Overcomers like Mordecai were looking for liberation and protection from another source. Children of God, always hope to overcome in the face of challenges, be it be spiritual or physical. Jesus Christ will provide deliverance in times of Covid-19. Pray that the Holy Spirit may help us to interpret for such a time as this!

Conclusion: Yes! Jesus Christ in the same yesterday, today and forever. We are in the loving hands of God. Indeed, humanity is facing all kinds of challenges. Yet, the Missional God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit who will give us strength in our times, to declare His Sovereignty.

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."               (Esther4:14-16)

Rev. Reuben Daka, Kaunda Square Congregation, Synod of Zambia of the UPCSA

---

EmmDev 2020-10-13 [Overcomers MoM2020] JOB: Faithful and Trusting

JOB: Faithful and Trusting

Through Job's affliction and suffering he remained faithful to God. Job trusted God in spite of his suffering. Job's friends doubted his innocence because they believed health and wealth were signs of God's blessing. They insisted that God was punishing him; Job responded that he was innocent. The disagreement between them did not bring any answers and his friends gave up.

Job did ask God to appear and give him a reason for his loss and affliction. We too are able to speak and wrestle with God about what we do not understand.

Job is an encouragement to many as we realise that God often reveals His presence through circumstances in which He appears to be absent. The age old saying is "God is working behind the scenes". We may doubt God's presence however Job knew that God would not fail him. He was willing to wait on God and while he was waiting, while suffering, he worshipped God.

What gave Job the assurance that God was present? Job had a very intimate relationship with God. He was a man without sin. "He was blameless and upright. He feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:2). He offered sacrifices to God. He was a true worshipper. After Job lost all his wealth, he also suffered physically and, after tearing his robe and shaving his head, Job chose to worship God.

During this pandemic many of us have lost their wealth and livelihood. Some have contracted covid19 and suffered as a result of it. The physical affliction and loss of life and possessions reveal to us a new depth of the words that Job spoke that this life on earth is temporary and means nothing compared to the eternal life of glory with God in Christ.

After Job's friends failed him, he knew that the only One to trust was God. How do we know that Job trusted God? Job defended God and Job waited on God. He was able to discern the true Word from the superficial words spoken by those who did not know God the way he did.

Some reflection...
Is our relationship with God enough?
What is our response to the loss and suffering we are experiencing at the moment?
Are we willing to look beyond our own circumstances and reach out to others?
What are the questions that you would like to ask God?
May it be that we too are overwhelmed with the truth of God's majesty and sovereignty and may we receive a deeper sense of God's power and splendour, trusting God more especially as we move through and beyond unprecedented times.

I have heard about you from others; now I have seen you with my own eyes. That's why I hate myself and sit here in dust and ashes to show my sorrow.      (Job42:5-6)

(Natalie Angela Barnard serves the congregation at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Cape Town. Mother to Christian, mom in law to Angela and grandmother to Isabella (4 years old), who all live in England, Mother to Natascha who works as a nurse and lives in Switzerland. She has a great passion for outdoor life including camping, hiking, sailing, swimming. Foster mom to several. Adopted mom, granny and aunt to many. She loves spending time with family, friends and her church family).

---

EmmDev 2020-10-12 [Overcomers MoM2020] JOSEPH: Trusting God by doing what is right.

For the rest of the Month of Mission we'll be looking at Overcomers in Scripture and learn from them. Today we look at Joseph.

JOSEPH: Trusting God by doing what is right.

The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favour in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.      (Genesis39:2-4 )

Do we trust God in all situations and at all times? Are we faithful even in the small things? Joseph was a godly young man who walked before his Father in absolute integrity. Some people behave differently depending on where you meet them. You meet them at church, and they are one person; meet them in town and they are someone totally different.

After Joseph was sold as a slave, an Egyptian officer named Potiphar bought him. Joseph's life seemed to have fallen apart: To begin with, he was stripped of his coat. He was separated from his beloved father. He was betrayed by the very people who should have loved him most. He was sold as a slave and carried off to a strange land to live as a slave. I can imagine the fear that must have filled his heart and the hurt that must have shattered him. He must have questioned if God still loved him. At every stage Joseph would have been feeling hopeless. Imagine the disillusionment over the shattered dreams he had shared with his family.

While the events of Joseph's life appeared to be out of control, everything that occurred was controlled by God. It is amazing to see that Joseph trusted God whether things were going badly or well. Joseph was acting as a witness to the world that the Spirit of God was within him. How do we live today?

I am fascinated by the words of Joseph when he tempted by Potiphar's wife. He said, "How then could I do such an immoral thing and sin against God?" It is amazing to note that he does not say that he cannot do such a thing because he might get caught, or because this might bring trouble for both. For Joseph, adultery with his master's wife would be a sin against God. Standing against such kinds of sin does not always guarantee success in life. In fact, it will often become a cause of trouble in our life, and that is exactly what happened to Joseph. It is however important to remember Hebrews 13:5, God reminds us, 'I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.'"

You and I have the same protection that Joseph enjoyed. We do not have to become bitter or succumb to an unforgiving spirit. We can display a sweet spirit, even during the most trying of times, with our Lord's help. And so, like Joseph, we can be patient in adversity, thankful in prosperity, and with a view to the future, we can have a firm confidence in our faithful God and Father, that no creature, no circumstance, no disaster in our life, can ever separate us from his love!

---

Tichaona Nigel Chikanya, a husband to Savior and a father to Deuel.

EmmDev 2020-10-09 [Overcomers MoM2020] Don't try too hard...

Don't try too hard...

Who would have known that in 2020 we would find ourselves in the thick of a global pandemic that no one understands? Or that the world could actually stop and people would be locked down in their homes? Or that the virus would cause other layers of suffering? Or that we would have to learn a new normal? With the way things are, it is easy to live a life of anxiety 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

But brothers and sisters, I've got good news to share with you in these times. There are three things God is able to do: God can "keep you from stumbling," God can "present you faultless," and God can bless you "with exceeding joy."

We live and operate in a world filled with stumbling blocks: uncertainty, trials, personal mistakes, temptations, opposition, burnout, abuse, sin, and the resulting guilt and shame that comes with such stumbling blocks. Therefore, we exert much effort trying to stop ourselves from stumbling or falling. We even become afraid to do things for fear of failure. We take on the burden of trying to keep our lives in order, our reputations clean, our images great, and our names good.

The truth is that this quest of ours is tiring, if not outright impossible. We are unable to keep ourselves from falling, no matter how much we try. And we end up disillusioned and bitter - because we are doing a job that is not ours, that we are not even qualified to do.

Only God can keep us from stumbling and present us as faultless. This is a work that Christ was and is qualified for - he is "able" to do it. The Greek word for "able" is dunamai which can also be translated as "powerful." God is the one who "has the power" to keep you from stumbling for he is the mighty God and the upholder of all things.

Which means you can go ahead and do a new thing! Go ahead and obey God's purpose! Go ahead and fulfil God's call upon your life! Because God is able to keep you from stumbling and to bring His work to completion through you. It's not about you anyway - it never was. It has always been about what God is doing -- through you.
So take courage, God is able.

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.      (Jude1:24-25)

Lydia Neshangwe is wife to Paul, mother to TC and Melusi, and minister to St Andrew's congregation in Bulawayo.

---

EmmDev 2020-10-08 [Overcomers MoM2020] When we are blown and tossed

When we are blown and tossed

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.      (James1:2-8)

If you're like me verse 2 is not the easiest of advice to follow. I doubt there were many people that had a huge celebration when we were told that our 3 week Lockdown had now been extended to 5 weeks with a possibility of more still to come. This year has been a particularly trying one and there will be very few who would say they have not struggled at some point and even less who would be joyful about their difficult circumstances. As much as I would struggle to consider it pure joy at the time, in hindsight, I can often look back over the circumstances and find much that is good.

While nobody particularly likes going through difficult times, if we're honest with ourselves when we look back we are mostly able to find something positive that has come out of it, we find that we have grown, our relationships have been strengthened, our faith has been strengthened or as James puts it we have persevered. It's easy to look back and see the positives that have come out of difficult circumstances but it is not always easy at the time. That's why James tells us to pray for wisdom and to really believe that God will give it to us because that wisdom allows us to see things differently. One of the things that God has taught me about getting through tough times, is to keep a Gratitude Journal, to write down the things I am grateful for on a regular basis and then when things are really tough to pull it out and read it and add to it. It's amazing when you look back through it and see all the times that God has pulled you through and the things you were grateful for in the past. It helps you to be joyful even when times are tough because there is always something to be grateful for.

If you're really struggling pray to God that he will grant you wisdom and know with all your heart that he will grant it to you, then think about all the times that God has brought you through in the past and how he has not only strengthened your faith in these times but has allowed you to grow. Even if you're not up to celebrating with great joy just yet at least give God thanks for all that he has done for you.
---------------------
Kim Brown. Serving at Elgin United Church, Western Cape. Convenor of the UPCSA Worship Committee. Enjoys baking, reading and running.

---

EmmDev 2020-10-07 [Overcomers MoM2020] When We Are Under Pressure

When We Are Under Pressure

It is an understatement to say that the world is in a crisis at the moment. The challenges brought on by covid19 have put everyone under immense pressure. The normal support systems for most Christians are unavailable. The new normal with its social distancing and masks has left a lot of believers anxious. In today's devotion we look at Paul's words of encouragement in crisis situations. There are 3 stages to Paul's approach.

1. First of all believers are encouraged to rejoice in the Lord. Being joyful when life is good and going well is an easy thing. But when the world seems to be falling apart around us the story changes. On top of rejoicing in the Lord, believers are expected to behave in a reasonable (gentle, moderate) manner. That is obviously a hard expectation in the midst of one of the biggest global challenges of our time. How are believers to remain reasonable, gentle and moderate in these strange times?

2. Paul answers our question by first of all reminding us that the Lord is near. He then clearly states the actions to be taken. Believers are not to worry about anything, but they are to pray and petition God. They are to let God know what they need. This is to be done with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a very powerful action as we approach God. As we pray with thanksgiving we remember God's faithfulness in our lives. Many have lost loved ones, jobs, businesses and homes because of the covid19 crisis. The crisis is not over yet. This might require believers to really dig deep on what to be thankful for.

Paul assures us that as we pray in this way the peace of God which is beyond human understanding will protect our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This is the peace that allows us to live with confidence as believers. All kinds of crises may come and we may be under great pressure, but God's peace will preserve us in Christ Jesus.

3. Lastly Paul gives us an instruction for maintaining this peace of God. The instruction is to focus our minds on the right things. These are things which are true, worthy, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. When we are under pressure it is easy to focus on what is not working, and on whose fault it is. There are instances when fault-finding is necessary, but when doing that causes conflict amongst believers/families/communities it is not helpful.

Therefore, bazalwane(fellow believers), in the midst of crises, let us keep our minds focused on helping those more vulnerable than us, and on sharing the good news of Christ Jesus.

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice! 5 Let your reasonableness be evident to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in all instances by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let God know your requests. 7 And the peace of God which exceeds all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, bazalwane, keep your minds on things that are true, worthy, right, pure, lovely and admirable. (Own translation)      (Philippians4:4-8)

Rev Shingi Masunda is currently a PhD candidate of the Protestant Theological University in the Netherlands. Her research is focused on the phenomenon of leadership as portrayed in the metaphors used in the Gospel of Matthew.

---

EmmDev 2020-10-06 [Overcomers MoM2020] When we despair...

When we despair...

"Great leaders help people have a larger vision of themselves" says Mark Sanborn, a motivational leader. This is who we are: ministers called to enlarge the vision of Individuals to include God in all of life. Then the rug is taken from underneath our feet - We are threatened on every side: the present pandemic squeezes the very breath of life from us: We see people losing their jobs, economy threatened, people dying from the virus in our midst, and we are called to say: "What???" Our fragility begins to show as we deal with the many sadnesses that come our way. If we are honest, our heavy hearts cry out: "Lord, Lord, despair is near."

It is in times like these Paul reminds us that "we may be pressed or squeezed on every side by troubles" yet WE WILL NOT BE CRUSHED. We may be perplexed by what is happening and struggle with the many threats of the day. We may be knocked down, and hard punches come our way to threaten and try to take our Godly breath away, but we are promised that God will not abandon us: Let us therefore not abandon God.

The Potter is ours to call upon: the One who created the beautifully, fragile, precious clay pots promises to hear our cry. When we are about to crack, it is the Potter who promises to mold us once more that we may continue to be the earthen vessels carrying the good news into dark and parched places. God asks us to carry the truth when things are not right; we are invited to cry out In lament and share God's light .

We are not called to be the Potter and solve all that is not Godly, but be the fragile clay pot molded by the Potter to do great things in difficult times. We may see darkness surrounding us, but God's light promises to shine through. Our Christian identity will never be found in succumbing to the darkness, but in receiving, carrying, and sharing the GODLY TREASURE with those in darkness. Let the strength of God's treasure be yours and may your faith be tested positive now and always.

Prayer for the Potter and the Clay
Lord in this troubling time,
We pray for the strength
To carry your treasured
Let Your light cover the darkness
Let you strength overcome
Our weakness.
let us make wise choices.
For today and tomorrow.
We pray for a vaccine.
In you, we may know light.
In you , we may be carriers
Of new life... Jesus name,
We pray.
Amen and Amen.

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.       (2Corinthians4:7-11)

Pat Baxter: "I love the passion God gives us to do mission. After 33 years of ordained ministry I am more in love with God than ever. My latest passion is to learn to paint the beauty that God has given us." (Pat serves as the Ministry Secretary of General Assembly)

---

EmmDev 2020-10-05 [Overcomers MoM2020] Attitudes for Tough Times - Discouraged?

This week we want to look at the attitudes we will need to be Overcomers...

Attitudes for Tough Times - Discouraged?

If ever there was a time when people's faith and perseverance was tested, it is during this time of Covid 19. There have been many expectations from people all over the world for someone to come up with solutions to the pandemic. The scientists, the religious people, the doctors don't seem to have an immediate explanation as to the where, why and how questions beings asked. There is a sense of despair and discouragement.

But let us consider Heb12:1-3: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith..."

When we look horizontally, we get so discouraged. When we let what others say or think and the expectations of people have of us influence us, then discouragement sets in and we easily get weary. Jesus has opened a new and living way through His body and so it is important that we "look unto Jesus" and "consider Him". When we bring our lives before the Lord, we will find encouragement. All our troubles and all our reasons for discouragement fade away, when we look up and see Him. Hebrews says, "let us draw close to God...." When we do this, we realise that the difficulties we face are just another way for us to identify with His sufferings.

Philippians 3:10 "I want to know Christ- yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participating in His suffering, becoming like Him in His death." Jesus is able to turn around our difficult situations into means through which we become Christ like.

Discouragement simply becomes a way for His treasure to shine out through the broken clay vessels that we are. In our weakness He is made strong. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me 2Corinthians 12:9.
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.

Faith by nature is based upon what we cannot see. Things happen and we can't understand why. But we can believe that God will work it out for the best. We can cling to Him in depression, hurt or sorrow knowing that these things are for a reason and that He is strong enough to carry us through. We may not know the solution yet, but He can give us peace as we trust Him to work all things together for our good, by faith we come to Him with whatever life brings, joys and sorrows knowing that He is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble (Ps46:1)
Shalom

Therefore, sisters and brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.       (Hebrews10:19-25)

Jane Nyirongo is a minister at Garden congregation in Mchinga Presbytery

---

EmmDev 2020-10-02 [Overcomers MoM2020] God has a plan for us... to do good.

God has a plan for us... to do good.

In the 1992 movie, Sister Act, two of the nuns follow Sister Mary Clarence (Whoopi Goldberg) out of the Convent over the road to a Bar. Sister Mary Clarence orders a philli-cheese steak and a beer. The other two stare around the bar wide-eyed: the smoke, the alcohol, the crystal ball hanging from the roof. Then the youngest nun says: "So this is what it feels like to be a Protestant!"

As a lifelong Protestant, I can testify that what makes the hairs on a Protestant's neck stand on end is the notion that good works have anything to do with our salvation. How then can we come to terms with Paul's words to the Ephesians: "For we are created in Christ Jesus to do goods works"? If the grace of God saves one, then what is the use of works?

Matthew 24 and 25 contain a series of sermons Jesus preached, in which he described the Kingdom in ultimate terms. The series ends in a graphic description of the last judgement (25:31-48). A close reading shows that eternity is the reward given, not to the 'right thinkers' or even the 'right talkers' but to the doers, the people who 'practice' their faith. Barbara Brown Taylor puts it this way: "The goats aren't condemned for doing bad things, but for doing nothing" although she cautions: "One thing is for sure. You cannot win this truth like a scavenger hunt, checking off one hungry person, one thirsty one, one sick one, and one in prison. You cannot toss a quarter in a cup or throw a dollar bill at a woman in the grocery store and call it done. "There! There's my good deed for the day, my ticket to eternity with the sheep!""

So we are saved by grace according to Paul (Eph 2: 8-9) but also by works, according to Jesus (Matt 25)! The evangelical writer, Dallas Willard, helps us split the hair. "The path of spiritual growth in the riches of Christ is not a passive one". Grace is not opposed to effort. It is opposed to earning. Effort is action. Earning is attitude."

So there can be no doubt. Christians don't earn their salvation but Saved Christians discover that their ultimate vocation, the way they "work out their salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil 2: 12-13) is to do good works. After all, since we are God's workmanship -- why shouldn't we do a bit of work?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.      (Ephesians2:8-8)

George Marchinkowski lives in Somerset West in the fairest Cape with his life companion, Sascha, and their daughters Leah and Zoë. He is a reader, a collaborator, and wants to be a catalyst for new ways of being Church.

---

EmmDev 2020-10-01 [Overcomers MoM2020] Our Missional God: The Call and the Promise

Our Missional God: The Call and the Promise

As we consider these challenging times, God offers us a Call, a Promise and a Mission.

• The Call: It is the Lord Yahweh, the God of Israel and the God of Judah, the God of World and the God of the Church who calls us in righteousness and who has taken hold of our hand. We are confident that we will not lose the way, as People of the Way, because it is OUR God who has made the Call. Our ministry has been wheel-aligned into God's Call and Will. We are not self-commanding soldiers, pulling in every direction we will for ourselves. We are a people who have been called, who have been led, who have been appropriately aligned.
  
• The Promise: It is the Lord Yahweh, who promises to be with us and lead us - the same God who divided the Red Sea for Israel to cross it on dry land; the same God who saved the three Hebrew boys (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) from the furnace; the same God who saved Daniel from the ravage of the lions in the den. It is the same God who expects us to live by the divine Code of Ethics, to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. The God of Promises will lead us on the missional trajectory.
  
• The Mission: To become a Covenant People and a Light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, free the captives and get back to light those who are sitting in a dark dungeon. If our God is missional God, our missional direction through the Call and the Promise is sealed. May God bless the us as we go!

This is what God the LORD says-- he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.      (Isaiah42:5-7)

Rev. Sipho Mtetwa is the Moderator-Designate of the UPCSA, married to Xoli and with three kids and numerous grandkids. He is Minister at St. David's in Pietermaritzburg with the Drakensberg Presbytery. He is a poet and jazz lover.

---