25/06/2013 by sevennotesofgrace

The Basin and the Towel

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.
Mark 10-:29-30

When we are saved into Christ we are saved into community, a community of believers. This is a great promise from Mark 10. Even if we lose many things in order to own the name of Christ we gain so much more. We gain family! We gain relationship. We gain brothers and sisters in Christ. (And yes, we gain persecutions, though that is not the topic for today so I’ll just leave it to the side). As we serve one another, we grow relationships, we grow bridges between us – between people who would naturally be enemies of each other. Christ’s love makes it possible to serve and love one another. Songwriter Michael Card beautifully sums up this “call to community”, demonstrated by Christ in his earthly ministry. The call is now to us as his followers, to grow community in our churches by taking up the basin and the towel. I hope you have the time to chew over the lyrics below and reflect on your own attitude towards serving and growing community. (I know mine needs work.) The “servant’s bow” is a fragile bridge (see the bridge section below). Blessings! (Read more on Christian community here)

The Basin and the Towel (Michael Card)

In an upstairs room, a parable is just about to come alive.
And while they bicker about who’s best,
with a painful glance, He’ll silently rise.
Their Savior Servant must show them how
through the will of the water
and the tenderness of the towel.

Chorus:
And the call is to community,
The impoverished power that sets the soul free.
In humility, to take the vow,
that day after day we must take up the basin and the towel.

In any ordinary place,
on any ordinary day,
the parable can live again
when one will kneel and one will yield.
Our Saviour Servant must show us how
through the will of the water
and the tenderness of the towel.

bridge:
And the space between ourselves sometimes
is more than the distance between the stars.
By the fragile bridge of the Servant’s bow
we take up the basin and the towel.

(chorus)

You can look up sheet music for this song at the link below:

http://store.michaelcard.com/thebasinandthetowel-sheetmusic.aspx

13/06/2013 by sevennotesofgrace

Future Grace by John Piper The Purifying Power of the Promises of God – Desiring God

Here is a review of a book I hope to read in near future, Future Grace by John Piper. Here is a taste.
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/books/future-grace

“By future I do not merely mean the grace of heaven and the age to come. I mean the grace that begins now, this very second, and sustains your life to the end of this paragraph. By grace I do not merely mean the pardon of God in passing over your sins, but also the power and beauty of God to keep you from sinning” (p. 5).

In Future Grace, author John Piper helps readers discover the key to overcoming sin and living a life that honors God. Many men and women attempt to walk upright out of gratitude for what Christ did in the past, but Piper encourages believers to look ahead to the grace God provides for us on a day-by-day, moment-by-moment basis—putting faith into action by laying hold of God’s promises for the challenges we face.

No one sins out of duty. We sin because we want to. Sin promises happiness, and we buy the lie. So how can the root of sin be severed in our lives? The penalty of sin must be paid by the righteous blood of Christ. And the power of sin must be broken by banking on the promises of Christ.

John Piper’s meditations are rooted in rock-solid biblical reflection. Chapter by chapter—one for each day of the month—he reveals how, by cherishing the promises of God, you can break the power of anxiety, despondency, covetousness, lust, bitterness, impatience, pride, misplaced shame, and more.

First Edition 1995; Revised Edition 2012
Multnomah Books (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

11/06/2013 by sevennotesofgrace

Whatever is Lovely – Blog Award

“One of my favorite verses in the Bible is also Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” My thoughts can go in all sorts of directions, and most of them go in the course that is not in line with God’s way. What a gem this verse is to show me exactly how God wants me to love Him with all my mind! Right in the middle of this verse is the word “lovely”. It is one of the eight things mentioned in this verse that our thoughts ought to be. The original word actually has its root in the Greek word phileo, which means affection, friendship, or love (think of Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love). So, the word in this verse does not mean beautiful or something that is externally pleasing to the eye, as sometimes we use that word in English. In essence, what the verse is saying is this: whatever would encourage a love and friendship towards others, let your mind dwell on those things.” (Note: this was so good that I left it as it was written!)

Blogging can become another means to encourage love and friendship, despite many miles between us as we write, and the fact that we may not ever meet face to face. Yet because of Christ we are united, we are friends and family!

Thanks to Lessons by Heart who nominated me for this Lovely Blog award. Her posts are most encouraging and I read them just about everyday! I would like to pass this award on to 7 lovely bloggers. Here are my nominees (I’ll send you to their “About”):

An Imperfect Life made perfect by grace (http://sheensteve.wordpress.com/about/) – Mother of triplets who is learning to rest on Christ’s perfection each day.
Mere Inkling (http://mereinkling.wordpress.com/about/) is written by a wise gentleman who lifts up Christ as the heart of Christianity, with plenty of humour, history, CS Lewis and Tolkien along the way.
Revelling in the Overflowing Grace of God (http://bickleyhouse.wordpress.com/about/) is a prolific blogger who writes some great long and interesting devotional material. Most encouraging!
Blazing Center (http://www.theblazingcenter.com/about) written by father and son pastors at Sovereign Grace Ministries, who also write amazing and encouraging song lyrics. This blog is the one I have enjoyed reading for the longest time.
Sermons and Soda Water (http://sermonsandsodawater.wordpress.com/about/) is an encouraging blog written by my wise “old” uncle (ha! ha!) about living simply and enjoying life in Christ.
Worship One (https://worship1.wordpress.com/) is a blog by a vocal teacher who has lots of great resources to share, and encouragement to sing!
MGPC Pastor’s Blog (http://garyware.me/about/) is one I’ve only discovered in the last week, but have really enjoyed the reports, reviews, thoughts, news (and fun).

That was a difficult task to choose just seven!

If you would like to post about this award and pass it on to others, here are the rules.
1. Add the “One Lovely Blog Award” image to your new post (you can cut and paste the top section also)
2. Share seven things about you
3. Pass the award on to seven nominees
4. Thank the person who nominated you
5. Inform the nominees by posting on their blogs

Last and certainly least, here are 7 random things about me.
1. I have a Maremma dog named Mia – A maremma is an “Italian Shepherd” used in some countries to ward off foxes and bears. Ours minds the chickens.
2. I play too much “Words with Friends”
3. I play flute, piano, alto saxophone and sing, with some degree of success.
4. My favourite foods include almonds, ginger, avocado, mushrooms, mango and lychees.
5. My favorite “big word” to use is perspicuity – which means clarity! (ironically this word is unclear to many)
6. I love blogging about the BBC TV show DOCTOR WHO – at blueboxparables.wordpress.com
7. I grew up in the shadow of Mount Warning (which Captain Cook named), inside a volcanic crater, on a cattle farm (below is a view of the “backyard”).

05/06/2013 by sevennotesofgrace

Now Go, Be the Church

“Don’t think of church as an address or location . . .
but as something deployed.
Don’t think of it as a place you are for an hour each week, but rather WHAT YOU ARE every day of the week.
The Church is the hands and feet of Jesus. . .
Now Go, be the church.”

This comes from a great 1.5 minute clip from Igniter Media. We have used it in our church services, when plenty of people were around who don’t normally come to church, or know what it means to follow Jesus. It’s also a good reminder to all of us, of what church is, and isn’t. Hope you can find a use for it. Blessings! (Click link below to watch the clip.)

http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/2202-this-is-church#

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22/03/2013 by sevennotesofgrace

The Indispensable Need for Unity

This is a great discussion of the importance of unity in the Body of Christ, reblogged from Veritas et Lux.

The Devil’s Hatred of Unity: Make no mistake. The devil despises unity. He will do whatever it takes to divide family and friends. He will pull out all the stops to divide a church or ministry. And he will work tirelessly in order to divide a country. One of the things that Satan hates the most is a unified church family. Note several reasons for the devil’s utter antipathy of unity.

First, when God’s people are united, the body of Christ works as God intends – harmoniously. Paul speaks of this unity in 1 Cor. 12. ”But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that they may be no divisions in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (ESV). Here we see that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. God is honored and glorified when the body of Christ works in a harmonious fashion; when the people of God are mobilized and faithfully exercising their God-given spiritual gifts. Satan on the other hand, loathes the very notion of unity with a devilish passion.

Second, when God’s people are united, the gospel goes forward in great power. We see this demonstrated most vividly in the book of Acts. In Acts 1:8, the apostles receive a promise; a promise of the Holy Spirit’s power that will accompany their ministry as they faithfully proclaim the gospel to the nations. In Acts 2, the day of Pentecost arrives and Peter preaches a bold sermon that results in the conversion of 3,000 people (Acts 2:41). As the people of God devote themselves to the purposes of the church (Acts 2:42), God faithfully “added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). In Acts 4:4, we witness the conversion of 5,000 more people as they sit under the preaching ministry of Peter. This pattern occurs over and over in the book of Acts. When the people of God stand united, the gospel goes forward in great power – all the more reason for the devil to despise a united church.

Third, when God’s people are united, Christ’s agenda triumphs over people’s personal agendas. Here’s a principle to remember: Rejecting bickering results in rejoicing together. When personal agendas are set aside for kingdom purposes, Christ’s agenda prevails. So the devil will work strenuously to pit believer against believer. Woe to the church who passively sits by while the personal agendas of carnal people win the day. When personal agenda strike at the core of the local church, the devil has gained a major victory.

Fourth, when God’s people are united, God is greatly glorified. When forgiveness is at the center of a church family and grace marks the ministry, people are encouraged and God receives the glory. When selfish agendas are cast aside, God is glorified. When “pet projects” are shelved in order to defer to a higher purpose, God is glorified. Paul notes, “For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 4:15, ESV).

We have uncovered some reasons why the devil hates unity. But it does not end here. Satan not only hates unity; there is something he loves, namely, division. The devil relishes a people who are divided. He is eager to promote division, especially in the church. So notice several reasons for the devil’s love of division in the church.

The Devil’s Love of Division

First, when the church is divided, effectiveness fades. Nothing could be more plain. When people are at war, the troops lose strength and effectiveness wanes. Quite honestly, division takes work. And while the people who are engaged in division grow weak, it is the faithful efforts of shepherds that are ultimately affected. I often wonder if people who spark division really understand how pleased the devil is with their work.

Second, when the church is divided, ministry morale declines. This principle is related to the previous one. For whenever division takes root in a church, ministry morale by definition will be on the downgrade.

Third, when the church is divided, the flesh is stirred to action. I have learned from experience that when a group fosters division in a church, their sinful activity has a stunning effect. It actually brings out the worst in people. It serves, if you will, as a sin catalyst – igniting the flesh in people who moments before were faithfully serving God. It is no wonder that the devil has such a passion for division.

Fourth, when the church is divided, the gospel is tarnished. I was never much of a math student but here’s an equation I understand and have seen firsthand over the years. Gossip + division = a lack of love. And if we take John 13:35 seriously and affirm that people will recognize that we are disciples because of the love we show one another, it stands to reason that a divided church actively and aggressively tarnishes the gospel. Francis Schaeffer rightly notes that the “final apologetic” is our love for one another and the unity expressed in the context of relationships. I’m convinced that Satan is perfectly happy to see the gospel being proclaimed by a divided church – because the luster of the gospel is being adulterated which results in a weak, tepid, and ineffective message. May God help us!

Fifth, when the church is divided, the Holy Spirit is quenched and grieved. When Jesus prayed the High Priestly prayer in John 17, he said, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21, ESV). In other words the Trinity, has from all eternity been in perfect fellowship and unity. So when disunity invades a church, it strikes at the core of who God is. Division militates against what is precious to God, namely, unity. The Holy Spirit, therefore, is quenched and grieved when division puts a stranglehold on unity.

Sixth, when the church is divided, God is not glorified. Of course, whenever a church is divided, God is not honored. And when God is not honored and glorified, we find the devil grinning ear to ear. I heard a pastor say a few days ago that he “does not believe in the devil.” Now the arch-enemy of our souls is really smiling. He’s not only managed to spark division in the church; he’s convinced one of the leaders in the church that he is only an imaginary enemy.

So we come back to the primary assertion, namely, there is an indispensable need for unity in the church of Jesus Christ. A church that fails to live up to the biblical ideal is a disobedient church; a church that is marginalized; a church that is weak and ineffective. May God give us strength to obey the mandate before us. May we stand side by side in unity all for the great name sake of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Two great Keller quotes

“Christ will do everything for you, or nothing. You cannot combine merit and grace.”

“Human beings will only be drawn out of themselves into unselfish acts of service to others when they see God as supremely beautiful.”

Tim Keller

26/02/2013 by sevennotesofgrace

On being persistent, creative and sacrificial to bring people to Christ

In preparing to take a new friend through Christianity Explained I have been reading through the book of Mark in my old faithful NIV study bible. Scribbled in the margins around Mark 2 I found a wealth of challenging comments which were exactly what I needed to hear. Mark 2 is the story of the persistent men who brought the “man on the mat” to Jesus. Jesus’ concern and his actions showed all those gathered that He was the Son of God. I’ll list some of my notes here in point form for you to contemplate:

1. The greatest miracle Jesus performs is that of forgiving our sin – has He ever said to you “your sins are forgiven”?
2. This miracle authenticated Jesus’ power to forgive sin. Neither forgiving sins nor healing was an easy task – but they were ‘God tasks’ – things only God could do. Jesus was clearly the Son of God.
3. The men who carried the paralytic in were persistent, they had faith. Their love for their friend was clear – God is pleased to work where there is love.
4. The teachers of the law showed indifference to the man’s needs and criticised Jesus for healing.
5. Jesus met the man’s greatest need first – his need for forgiveness. This was most costly to Jesus – it revealed his power, his authority, and it was by revealing these that the road to the Cross was paved. It brought out the wrath of the Pharisees who charged him with blaspheming, claiming to be God.
6. We must find ways, at any cost, of bringing people face to face with Jesus. (Do we love those around us this much? Do we love them as much as the men loved the man on the mat?)
7. If we believe in Jesus then we will be persistent, creative and sacrificial in bringing others to Christ.

Please pray for me as I bring another sinner who needs forgiveness face to face with Jesus.

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23/01/2013 by sevennotesofgrace

Book Review: The Pressure’s Off by Larry Crabb

Over the holidays I chatted with a friend who was reading a great book by a favourite author of mine, Christian psychologist and all round smart guy, Dr. Larry Crabb. The theme is living by grace, and avoiding an attitude of works-based performance and perfectionism in our Christian walk. I would love to say I have read it, but only had a quick flick. Instead I will share a review from someone else. The book is definitely on my reading list this year. It would be great for any of your friends who struggle in this area. Praise be to God for his glorious grace!

Here’s the opening of the review. Click the link below to continue reading.
“Where the Protestant reformers sought to live for the glory of God, Larry Crabb contends American Christians of today seek to be blessed by God. The result is a performance based pursuit of God’s blessing that leaves the pressure on where God never intended there to be pressure in a relationship with Him. Larry Crabb suggests there is a better way, a way that leaves as his new books says, The Pressure Off.”

Book Review: The Pressure’s Off by Larry Crabb.

30/09/2012 by sevennotesofgrace

City of Angels – God’s gracious warriors and guides

The film City of Angels (1998) presents a most intriguing and unusual portrayal of angels, which in some ways lines up neatly with the Bible (though not entirely). They are far-removed from most Hollywood and Christmas card offerings, of cherub-like babes who float about on clouds. And the concept that “every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings” (from It’s a Wonderful Life) is no where to be found (thankfully). These angels are not humans who have graduated to a higher plane. Rather they are God’s unique created beings, strong warriors, men in black (coats), who carefully observe humans and work together for good. Their most important task is to calmly escort recently departed souls to the ‘hereafter’.
Like the angels we discussed last week (Angels long to understand the story of grace) they long to understand why humans think and act the way they do. The main character, Angel Seth (Nicolas Cage) is even willing to make himself human (an irreversible act, an unbiblical concept!) in order to experience the range of human emotions. Now I’m not going to give much away about the plot, or the whole impossible angel-human romance between Cage and Meg Ryan. And while I’m not sure whether angels help all humanity, or just God’s children, I do love many things this film suggests about them. The angels in this film:
* watch over us, standing closeby or keeping a watchful eye on the city from billboards and rooftops.
* move among the living, hearing their conversations.
* hear people’s thoughts – and especially enjoy hanging out in libraries so they can enjoy the literature humans are reading.
* don’t fully understand why humans act and feel the way they do, having never been human.
* calm people’s raging emotions which could cause harm or distress to others, often by a simple hand on the shoulder.
* can choose to allow themselves to be seen by people (though generally they are unseen. I wonder if this why people in real life are able to “entertain angels unaware“? Hebrews 13:2)
* gather together on the beach at dawn and dusk, to listen to heavenly music. (I would love this one to be true, but it is perhaps just creative licence.)
* experience the beauty of creation that humans rarely stop to enjoy or even notice.

Whether these features are completely accurate or not, it is comforting to be reminded that God is concerned for and constantly watching over his creation, protecting and guiding us so that his purposes might be realised. His angels are not wimps, but powerful agents who do his bidding. And they celebrate when God’s purposes are achieved.
From His Word we know that there are five things that make the angels in Heaven rejoice:
The first was when God said, “Let there be light.” (Job 38:7)
The second was on the night of the Lord’s birth. (Luke 2:13-14)
The third is whenever a sinner gives His heart to the Lord. (Luke 15:7,10)
The 4th is when the Church arrives in Heaven. (Rev. 5:11-12)
And the fifth is when the Lord defeats His enemies on Earth and returns to reign. (Rev. 19:6-7)
Comparing it to those other events, you can see how important the salvation of each believer is to our God.

Praise be to God for the provision of His men in black – or white.

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12/09/2012 by sevennotesofgrace

The great unveiling (2Corinthians 3:16)

“But whenever someone turns to the Lord the veil is taken away.” (2 Corinthians 3:16)

For this next verse in the Three Sixteen series I am going to say very little. God/Paul can speak for himself here. He does it so well.

I’ll start from a little way back, at verse 7, to give you a run-up to the standout verse, 16.
“The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. ⁸Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? ⁹If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! . . . . . ¹³We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. ¹⁴But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. ¹⁵Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
¹⁶But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

What magnificent grace! What privilege has been shown to us in Christ! We have received the grace of the knowledge of God, through the Spirit of Christ. We have had the veil lifted, unlike so many who still are stumbling in the dark. Even the Jews, who were the first recipients of God’s favour, they stumble over Christ. Both back then and now. The veil is not lifted.
Praise be to God! He has turned us around, back to himself, and removed the veil which kept him hidden from us! Now we can reflect His glory to others!

2 Corinthians 4:6 – “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

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