Saturday, October 7, 2017

2017-10-07 [Month of Mission 2017] Keys of the Kingdom

Keys of the Kingdom

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hade will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew16:13-19)

He is Christ, the anointed and the greatest.
Caesarea Philippi was at the boundary of the Gentile world, He chose this Gentile place to reveal himself for a good reason, that He is Christ for all with an inclusive agenda. He asked His disciples, what people were saying as to His identity. The replies ran from John the Baptist, to Elijah, to Jeremiah, to one of the other prophets. To the average person this meant that he was like any good leader, good but not the best, great, but not the greatest, a prophet, but the "the Prophet" this response meant he was just the ordinary not the extra ordinary. When he asked Peter who they believed He was, Peter replied "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God". In other words, He was that divine, promised and long-awaited Messiah. This brings a challenge to us even today: how do we know Christ Jesus? As our saviour or another historical character in the book called the "Bible".
Jesus Christ promised that "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" here the rock is Peter's confession that Christ is the Son of the living God, the truth on which the church is founded. If we have this same kind of confession, we may confidently conclude that in him we are elect as God's children and sharers in the kingdom of heaven.
Reformation and the keys to the kingdom of heaven
Jesus Christ also said to Peter "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" That didn't mean that Peter was given authority to admit men and women in heaven, because we are saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ - Sola Fide, and we are saved by grace of God alone -- Sola Gratia. The kingdom of heaven on earth, was brought by Jesus to his disciples in a new wineskin. These keys were not given to Peter exclusively, but as a representative of all disciples (Matthew 18:18) where this promise was given to them all. Therefore let us go out there and lead others to the Kingdom of heaven.

Conclusion
Let us remember that during Martin Luther's time in the Indulgence Controversy some religious leaders thought they had the keys of the kingdom and created the impression that they can keep others away. If we share in the grace of Christ Jesus, we will be united with him, Christ will live in us, and little by little we will be renewed through Christ living in us.
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Thembinkosi Nopapaza, husband to Bulelwa, serving at Johannesburg Presbyterian Church.

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Friday, October 6, 2017

2017-10-06 [Month of Mission 2017] The proclamation of the kingdom

The proclamation of the kingdom

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep. 11 "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (Matthew10:5-16)

Reformed theology teaches us that Christians are in the world to make a difference through building a community of believers. This month we celebrate 500 years of God' love in action.

In his book Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict tells us that "the phrase 'Kingdom of God' occurs 122 times in the New Testament" and that 99 of these are found in the the three Synoptic Gospel and 90 of the 99 texts report the words of Jesus.

Our text for today helps us to understand what it means to proclaim the Kingdom of God as we watch the Commander in Chief give orders to the twelve. It is clear from this command that they were not on their own. This was not their mission. This was God's mission and they were God's men. The Church of God is on a mission of proclaiming God's Kingdom.

One of the "Reformation solas", Solus Christus (Christ alone), helps us to understand that the Kingdom is not a thing, it is not a geographical dominion. It is a person and that person is Christ. On this interpretation the term "Kingdom" is itself a veiled Christology. Jesus leads men and women to realise the overwhelming fact that in him God himself is present among them, that he is God's presence. As the church we are sent to the world to be ambassadors of his missional work. This is exactly what happened with the twelve. The Kingdom of God resides in the heart of men and women who he calls.

Daniel 2:44 tells us that the "the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed". In this text in Matthew we learn that Jesus called disciples and sent them to the word to build God's Kingdom. As the church we are called build this Kingdom amongst the nations.

We also learn in this text that the Kingdom of God is a spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of those who willing submit to God's authority. Those who defy God's authority and refuse to submit to him are not part of the Kingdom of God. In contrast are those who acknowledge the Lordship of Christ, who gladly surrender to God's rule in their hearts and who are part of the Kingdom God. Let's surrender all and follow him to build his Kingdom.
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Madoda Mfene is the Minister at Tiyo Soga Memorial in Langa Cape Town. He's married to Noxolo Mfene and is the father of two boys Chulumanco and Liyema, one daughter Lihle. He enjoys sport, reading and travelling.

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Thursday, October 5, 2017

2017-10-05 [Month of Mission 2017] Kingdom activities, compassion, urgency and call

Kingdom activities, compassion, urgency and call

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. (Matthew9:35-10:1)

Often this passage is used to emphasise the kingdom rule of God as characterised by signs and wonders. A significant display of power, some might say. And it's not hard to see how this can be the main focal point of our text for today. After all, Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom, "healing every disease and sickness". Then, in chapter 10:1, he sends out his disciples with great "authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness."

On the other hand, some find the focus in verse 38 and 39: The harvest is great, but the workers are few. "So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields." There could not be a more mission-focussed statement. I think we can all agree that the Gospel needs to be proclaimed far and wide.

However, our attention is drawn to what could easily be read as a passing thought sandwiched between the perceived need for power and personnel: Jesus saw that the crowds: "were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

Nothing about the world in which they lived offered security or a sense of peace. The presence of the Roman occupiers certainly didn't help. Neither was there any comfort or guidance to be found in the religious leadership of the day. In a community where care was high on God's agenda, very little could be found.

It seems that as we respond to the call to tell others about Jesus, that power and authority will be trumped by the desperate need in people to know that someone genuinely cares.

As Jesus ministered in great power and glory, it was always with compassion. When he saw them harassed and helpless, floundering without someone to provide real, lasting, spiritual and practical care, he had compassion on them.

Yes, we should pray for needs as we encounter the lost. Yes, we must take the opportunities that present themselves to tell the gospel story. But more than that, it always needs to be done with compassion. And Compassion is rooted in a genuine love for God and our fellow human beings.

May God help us to remember that old adage: "People won't care how much we know (dare we add, how much we pray for them and tell them the gospel), until they know how much we care."
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Mike Muller, husband to Louise, Dad to Jethro and Jessica and scuba diving enthusiast, serving at St Kiaran's Presbyterian Church in Fish Hoek, Cape Town.

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Wednesday, October 4, 2017

EmmDev 2017-10-04 [Month of Mission 2017] A really surprising Kingdom and its King.

A really surprising Kingdom and its King.

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
He said:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew5:1-10)

This is the Month of Mission, where the Church (UPCSA) is reminded of God's Mission to the world. This Mission of God cannot be carried outside his will, we all have to be in line with the will of God, to be able to reach the world for Christ.

Jesus re-establishes the standard of God's Kingdom and calls us to measure up. The world says going up the ladder is the most important aspect of life, no matter how you get there, and God in the beatitudes says being victimised as a child of God is a Divine Kingdoms ideal. Every kingdom has values and principles that guide its people. God bestows his richest blessings on those who are poor; on those who mourn; on the meek; on those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; on the merciful, the pure at heart, the peacemakers, and all those who are persecuted because of their faithful witness. Jesus is saying putting other people first is vital for the Kingdom of God. For us, who are in the Kingdom by Grace (Sola Gratia), we are called to see other people as better than ourselves, to attract them to the Kingdom of God.

When a person is on a Mission, everything stops and the journey to complete the mission becomes a priority. Mission is priority for the saints, for the world is waiting to receive Christ. Being poor in the spirit means a person who relies on God wholeheartedly. Mission begins with God and is about God and it ends with a relationship with God.

What are the qualities needed to strive for righteousness of God? We need to be poor in spirit, allow God's will to lead our way. We need to mourn for those who do not yet know Christ for we shall be comforted. We need to be humble and kind toward one another and the world, for us to inherit the world by having communion with God through Jesus (Solus Christus). Our goal should be righteousness. The world no longer wants to (only) hear about the Kingdom, they want to see it.

The Kingdom of God reforms our lives for the benefit of the Kingdom. Humility is the key.
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Lentikile Mashoko is a husband to Tumi, a father to Koketso, Rorisang and Bohlale. He serves at Mabopane Presbyterian Church.

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Tuesday, October 3, 2017

2017-10-03 [Month of Mission 2017] The power and reach of the King His Kingdom.

The power and reach of the King His Kingdom.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralysed, and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. (Matthew4:23-25)

The Gospel writers differ slightly when they tell us about how Jesus' ministry began. Matthews says that it is after Jesus was baptised and after he spent a month and a bit on spiritual retreat in the wilderness. Mark agrees with him while Luke inserts the Nazareth rejection before Jesus' ministry begins proper. John marks the start at the wedding at Cana of Galilee.

Whatever the start was, the healing of the sick and the preaching of Good News was what Jesus did right from the start and that's what he was doing pretty much up to the time he was arrested. Healing and telling the Kingdom's story - that's what Jesus did.

Whenever I read the Gospel stories, I can't help wondering if the healings Jesus did were not simply his way of pushing back the fall (of Genesis 3), showing us the health and vitality we would have had if only we'd not strayed from Grace. It was the healings and the Good News he brought that drew the crowds.

500 years after the Reformation Revival, we find ourselves at a Spiritual crossroads again. The Good News is still powerful and healing is just waiting to break through. But the Reformation Church has become just as cumbersome as the Medieval Catholic Church and, again, the faithful long to be reformed.

Today, discipleship is what we hunger to experience and the Spirit is turning us toward the people of the world who have found no home inside the church.

When Pope Francis was a bishop in Brazil he addressed a workshop of priests:
So I then told the priests: "If you can, rent a garage and, if you find some willing layman, let him go there! Let him be with those people a bit, do a little catechesis and even give communion if they ask him". A parish priest said to me: "But Father, if we do this the people then won't come to church". "But why?" I asked him: "Do they come to mass now?" "No", he answered.
And so! Coming out of oneself is also coming out from the fenced garden of one's own convictions.
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(George Marchinkowski serves St Mungo's United Church in Bryanston, is married to Sascha and father to Leah (12) and Zoe (9). George enjoys helping the UPCSA explore how to be a Missional through the Project for Missional Congregations.)

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Monday, October 2, 2017

2017-10-02 [Month of Mission 2017] Levi's unique outreach programme

Levi's unique outreach programme

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." 14 Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" 15 Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. 16 "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." (Matthew9:9-17)

When Matthew gets called to follow Jesus, he immediately throws a party and he invites all his friends. As a tax collector, your friends are few and certainly not going to come from the righteous, pious, upright citizens of society. Tax collectors were outcasts in their own community, considered turn-coats and extortionists. So as we are told Jesus and his disciples are invited to this party filled with other "tax collectors and sinners".

This -- unsurprisingly -- throws off a number of people. Firstly the Pharisees bent on being seen as righteous and honourable cannot understand how Jesus can be publicly seen eating with this riff-raff. And then John's disciples also cannot understand the partying... where is the religious fasting?

Jesus finally tells a parable of wineskins in the hope of creating understanding. He tells them of something they would all have understood in the culture of the day. Wineskins were made of animal skins, skins that would become brittle and hard as they aged. New wine ferments and expands -- and so if you put new wine into old wineskins, the wine ferments, expands, puts pressure on the skin and it breaks. New wine skins are needed for new wine.

But what is he really saying?

The new wine is the gospel. The gospel of Grace that requires trust and faith in Christ as Lord, trust in His saving power and a realisation that we cannot in our own strength save ourselves. The wineskin is how this message is carried into the world. The legalism displayed by both the comments of the Pharisees and John's disciples are old wineskins -- they cannot carry this good news in the format of laws and moral behaviour.

The mission of Jesus was to be the doctor to those who needed new and he brought it to them in the wineskin of grace and acceptance: Eating and drinking with the outcasts and misfits of society.

This is what Luther recognised as well as he nailed his 95 theses to that door five hundred years ago. The wineskin of the church had gotten old. The message of Grace had been lost and new wineskins were needed.

Today the challenge for us is -- how are we bringing wine to the world? What do our wineskins look like? Are we reaching out like Jesus did? Do we meet with and connect with people who look different and act different to us? Do we extend love and grace and acceptance even where it isn't earned?

I pray that this mission month God may open our eyes to see possibilities and places where this beautiful wine of the gospel may be shared.
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Jackie Barker is a wife to Tim and mom to her sunshine daughter Christine (3) and her gorgeous son Jesse (1). She is blessed to minister to the congregations of Emmanuel and Grace Presby in Pretoria East.

Sunday, October 1, 2017

2017-10-01 [Month of Mission 2017] Sola Gratia

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Welcome to the devotions for the Month of Mission 2017.

The preaching series and Daily Readings for our 2017 October Month of Mission concentrate on Jesus' teachings about the Kingdom of God, particularly the parables of the kingdom and, in particular, the image of wine and wineskins.

The Gospel is always "new wine" - the love and grace it reveals are so transcendent that it can speak to all times and cultures. We need new wineskins to bring this wine to our rapidly changing world. The Kingdom Jesus describes and that is demonstrated in the the New Testament is a vibrant missional vehicle -- it is the new wineskin.

All of this points towards the significance of the Reformation and the 500th anniversary of Luther's significant act at Wittenburg -- a new wineskin was needed -- which is why the Sundays will focus on the "five Sola's" of the Reformation -- they represent the wine and the Kingdom is the wineskin.
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Sola Gratia

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1John4:9-12)

"Sola Gratia" means "by grace alone".

I use this passage when I do marriage prep with couples. For me, the well-loved 1 Corinthians 13 tells us how to love, but 1 John 4, tells us what love is.

According to John, God is love, and He always makes the first move.

When we were far away - He brought us near (Eph2:13)
While we were still sinners - Christ died for us (Rom5:8)
When we were dead - He made us alive (Eph2:4-5)
When we were lost - He came to find us (Luke 15:4)
When we were blind - He opened our eyes (John 9:25)
(And I could go on...

God makes the first move - He takes the initiative again and again. The Old Testament is a story of God looking for Adam and Eve, rescuing Noah, calling Abraham, calling Moses, rescuing Israel from Egypt, calling David, sending the prophets and promising the Messiah.

And we don't deserve it - God owes us nothing - but He gives us grace. The Hebrew word -- chêsed - "loving-kindness" is the word that most consistently reflects God's grace.

Norman Snaith, a famous OT theologian, said this about chêsed: "The word stands for the wonder of his unfailing love for the people of his choice, and the solving of the problem of the relation between his righteousness and his loving-kindness passes beyond human comprehension."

John uses the Greek word "agape" to describe God's love but I can't help but wonder if he would have used chêsed instead of agape if he could have mixed his languages.
Look at what God's Love -- Loving-Kindness -- Grace does:

It takes the initiative -- God shows His love to us long before we do anything for Him (We are undeserving)
It gives -- God sent His Son into the world so that we could live (He showed us what God is like -- John 10:10)
It sacrifices -- God sent His Son to be an atoning sacrifice. (at-one-ment is how God makes us one with Him)
It transforms us -- We can love and become agents of grace.

500 years ago Martin Luther nailed a letter to a church door in Wittenburg. He had tried to get near to God by good works and failed. When he read the Bible he discovered that God had already made the first move: He offered us grace.

He took the initiative
He sent His Son
He died for our sin
He makes us new.

It is by grace alone that we are saved.

(Theo Groeneveld serves at Emmanuel and Grace Presby in Pretoria East. He is hubby to Brenda and Dad to Caleb. He enjoys the outdoors, cycling and playing with technology.)

Theo Groeneveld

Moreleta Park

Pretoria, Gauteng 0044

South Africa

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Friday, September 29, 2017

EmmDev 2017-09-29 [Lessons from Samuel] Another example of integrity

Another example of integrity

(This is a piece I wrote a while ago - it echoes the message from yesterday.)

6 David then asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, 'Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?' 'I'll go with you,' said Abishai. 7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. 8 Abishai said to David, 'Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won't strike him twice.' 9 But David said to Abishai, 'Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless? 10 As surely as the LORD lives,' he said, 'the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD's anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let's go.' (1Samuel26:6-11)

Significance has to do with character, and character has to do with who we are when no-one is looking. Character is about choosing the road less travelled.

David had been anointed as King - he knew that Saul was simply keeping the throne warm for him. Saul however was insanely jealous of David and had hunted and pursued David, killing those who showed any kind of support for him. It was clear to almost everyone that Saul was clutching at straws and that David was God's choice.

As David and Abishai snuck into Saul's encampment, a golden opportunity presented itself: Everyone was asleep and Saul (who should have been protected and who himself should have been more careful) lay defenceless. Abishai, and we cannot blame him - Saul had made their lives miserable - saw this as an opportunity. He even saw it as God's hand. 'Kill him - and your problems are over, and you can become king in peace.'

David saw the temptation. Although he did not necessarily respect the man, he respected the office. He knew that to become King by treachery and bloodshed was not God's way. He made a character decision to wait and to skip the shortcut. In doing so he taught Abishai and all who would have heard the story ('We were in his tent - he was snoring away!') all about loyalty, uprightness, character, and dignity.

The temptation to take the easy road, or grab what looks like the most convenient solution, especially if it requires only a small compromise, is a very real issue. But it is our characters and our reputation that is at stake. It is easy to pass on a piece of gossip that will damage our competitors in the office. It is easy to piggyback on someone else's work and not acknowledge them. But our lack of respect for our own and other people's dignity will find us out.

David made the right call in a very tempting place - may we too!

Thursday, September 28, 2017

EmmDev 2017-09-28 [Lessons from Samuel] Integrity

Integrity

After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." 2 So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.
3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.' " Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.
5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD." (1Samuel24:1-6)

This is a powerful picture of David's integrity.

Let's not forget that David has been anointed as King by Samuel.
Samuel has already told Saul that God had rejected him as King and chosen another.

David could have justified killing Saul as expediting God's will.

But David has integrity:

Towards God - He trusts God's timing instead of creating his own.
Towards Saul - He respects the office of the king and even though the person has failed repeatedly David believes that God can still use him
Towards his men - He sets them a good example.
Towards himself - He refuses to take a short-cut.

This is a beautiful picture of mental and spiritual health, balance and coherence.
David's principles, motives and actions are aligned around God's will and glory and not his own.

We can learn a lot from him...