Godly people

There is a famous quote from Marcus Aurelius:

"Waste no time arguing what a good person should be. Be one."

Often we spend lots of time arguing what a 'godly' person should look like, but we forget that the Lord has called us to be Christ-like. So, here is a challenge for the week...

Seek to be Christ-like before you start arguing why others aren't godly enough.
Just a thought.
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

You can't do it alone

We live in a world where we are told to be self-reliant and independent. The trouble with living like this, all the time, is that when we need help we don't find it easy to ask for it. People are willing to come to our assistance and to help, but they never know that we are in need.

Taken to the ultimate extreme, our self-reliance teaches us never to ask God for help. Either we feel we can cope by ourselves or we may question whether God even wants to help us.

I believe that God desires to be by our side. What about you? Are you willing to ask for help?

2 Chronicles 14:11 - "Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone."
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Lifeprint

With this weekend focusing on Earth Hour, where we get a chance to analyse our carbon footprint, it is also a good time to ask ourselves another question:

"What Lifeprint am I leaving behind?"

I feel that the way we live our lives and express our faith leaves a 'Lifeprint' behind. So, what does it look like right now?
It's worth thinking about.

"Leave this world a little better than you found it." - Robert Baden-Powell's last message before he died in 1941.
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Uncomplicated

Many of us are balancing a number of things in our lives. Family, friends, church, health, work and the list goes on. So why don't we follow Paul's advice and keep things simple? Our relationship with Christ can start in a very uncomplicated place:

"I deliberately kept it plain and simple:
first Jesus and who he is;
then Jesus and what he did - Jesus crucified." - 1 Corinthians 2:2 (The Message)

May your day with Christ be amazing and real, but may it also remain uncomplicated!
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Incomplete

Everyday on my way to the church, I pass a house that is doing external alterations. I always wonder when the job will be finished. The thing is, they have been working on this building for 4 years now - the work seems slow! Or maybe there is no more money for building. I would love to know the real reason for the delay, but this image reminds me of this verse in Scripture.

Luke 14:28 - “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?"

Often we start something because it seems a good idea, but we soon realise that we can't follow through with it. Some people do the same with their faith - they are excited about following Jesus, but soon they grow tired and give up. Is this us?

May God strengthen you and help you to finish the task at hand.
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

117

The shortest Psalm in the Scriptures is Psalm 117. There is so much truth wrapped up in these 2 verses.

Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord.

God's faithfulness is not just for an hour, a day or even for a year. God's faithfulness endures forever.
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Turning to ...

Repentance is referred to as the 'about turn' (metanoia) we make when we realise that we aren't following God's ways. In changing direction, repentance takes us away from our sins and brings us 'back on track' with God.

What is equally as important, for me, is where we turn and to whom we turn. If I turn away from a destructive lifestyle, is it because I realise it will destroy me, or is it in order to surrender to Christ? Turning away from sin needs to be matched with turning to the Grace of Jesus. This is part of what Lent reminds us of - Jesus brings us life.

Don't just blindly turn away from sin, without turning into the arms of Jesus.
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Out of the ashes

With the horrifying scenes unfolding from the earthquakes in New Zealand and in Japan, one wonders if life, for those nations, will ever be the same again. However, if one looks at the history of humanity, people are extremely resilient - they will rise again.

This is the underlying truth of Lent. With God we can have the victory. With God on our side we believe that our lives are never destroyed, even if we are rocked by many disasters. God's love for us allows us to be like the Phoenix - rising out of the ashes of despair.


"Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You." - Chris Tomlin

Let's pray for the people of Japan and New Zealand.
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Above all else

Thomas a Kempis was an inspired man. In one of his writings he wrote these words:

"Above all else, and in everything,
my soul must rest in God.
Let me, O Living Jesus, rest in you,
above every created thing,
above health and beauty,
above glory and honour,
above power and dignity,
above wisdom and cunning,
above riches and arts,
above joy and gladness,
above fame and praise,
above pleasure and comfort,
above hope and promise,
above things earned and things desired,
above gifts and favours,
above mirth and merrymaking."

May we trust in Jesus today, above all else.
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Grace and Gratitude

Knowing that the season of Lent moves us through to Easter is one thing, but there is another question which is worth asking, "What do we reflect on during Lent?"

Here is where I am heading over the next 46 days until Resurrection Sunday...
Grace and Gratitude. You may be asking why these two words in particular? Well, my answer comes from these words, written by Karl Barth:

"Charis always demands the answer eucharistia (that is, grace always demands the answer of gratitude). Grace and gratitude belong together like heaven and earth. Grace evokes gratitude like the voice an echo. Gratitude follows grace as thunder follows lightning." - Karl Barth

The Grace of God, portrayed through the life of Jesus, demands my Gratitude. Now, for me, that is worth spending many days reflecting on.
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Ash Wednesday

By the time most of us read this post it will be Wednesday. However, it is not just any Wednesday in 2011, it is Ash Wednesday. This marks the beginning of Lent, which is our journey and preparation for Resurrection Sunday.

For many people this is the day we think about giving up things (like chocolate, coke, coffee - all the good stuff) as a sign of love for Christ. While I think it is a good practise to do this, I think it is equally valuable to 'take up' certain habits during this period. Some good habits could include, praying at a particular time in the day, reading the Scriptures, serving the poor etc.

For me, I am praying that Lent will be a reminder of these few things:

1. My life is interwoven with the grace and mercy of Jesus.
2. I need to bring every part of my life into the light of Christ - even the skeletons in the dark places of my life.
3. I need to consciously turn towards Jesus, when I am tempted to turn away from Him.

May the Spirit of Christ be real to you this Lent.
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Love at home

"Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do ... but how much love we put in that action." - Mother Teresa

Our love for family, and others who are close to us, needs to be sincere. It is not just about getting the job done, but to remember to do the action with LOVE. Jesus didn't just wash his disciple feet to get the job done - he deeply loved them as he washed the dirt off their feet.

Who can we love today? What's stopping us from loving with devotion and sincerity?
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Choked by worry

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells an amazing parable about the Sower who graciously sows seeds everywhere. Some of the seed falls near the weeds and never gets to grow properly. This is Jesus' explanation for this sad truth...

"The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it." - Matthew 13:22

If we are seeking 'more' of the things that aren't eternal, then we must expect more worry and less peace. Sadly, we must also expect that we will not grow into the people God has created us to be.

God has sown the seed. Now the choice is ours.

Any thoughts on this parable?
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Faith in the fast lane

In reading a chapter entitled 'Faith in the Fast lane', my eyes were drawn to these words:

"Keep in mind that usually problems can wait a few minutes while you put first things first." - Blaine Smith

This is exactly the opposite of what we tend to do. When we face a difficult problem our human reaction is to sort it out before we take it to God. Blaine Smith challenges me to 'put God first' (i.e. pray about things) and then see how God helps to sort out the situation.

Worth thinking about? You tell me ...
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za

Too busy?

In an interesting article on "Why people leave the Church?" the following statistic comes up.

"Thousands of people are leaving the Church every month because they are too busy!" Many of these people have no issues with Jesus, the Church or even the Pastor, but they are simply too exhausted to attend Church on Sundays. I found this article to be very challenging and if I am honest there are some weeks where I can relate 100% - life is hectic!

The difficulty I have with this 'fact' is what it says about our priorities and our growth in the Faith. Sure, we don't have to be in Church 52 weeks a year to grow in our Christian journey, but being part of the 'body of Christ' means connecting with other believers - 'iron sharpens iron', as they say.

The other thing that troubles me is what it says about how we view God. Perhaps we have softened our image of God to allow ourselves to believe that He will understand if I am too tired to go to Church - He loves me all the same. While, God's love for us is unquestionable, we mustn't think that God is a fool. Jesus was often challenging people to 'count the cost' of being a disciple. God does forgive us and God doesn't want our faith to become 'religious' (like the Pharisees), but Jesus would also challenge us about our priorities.

If I say I am too tired for Church, but I have energy for everything else, what am I subtly saying about my relationship with Jesus? If we applied the same principle with our families, we wouldn't get away with it (well, I wouldn't!) - What if I said to Kim or the kids?: "I'd love to chat with you or catch up, but I am too tired after working a long week!" This response clearly shows what has my greater attention.

What do you feel about being too tired to go to Church? I'd love to know your thoughts?
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Living in Grace is written by Delme Linscott, a minister and author. Delme's first book was 'Living Oceans Apart’ and he has just completed his second which is called 'Now: Refuse to let the moment pass.' You can find out more on www.livingingrace.co.za