Shalom

Countries around the world are known for their slang and special phrases they use in their context.

What are some of Australia’s? I like the phrase, “No worries,” meaning - do not worry about a thing or it is Okay. My favorite one is “fair dinkum,” meaning - good, genuine, and true, and many other expressions.

In Africa, we have the word ubuntu - it describes the wholeness of life, and life in community. Ubuntu involves the sharing of life as a gift from God. One poet describes it this way: “The individual’s identity is inseparable from identity within the wider community, which includes past, present, and future generations, flora and fauna, the physical environment and the spiritual realm.”  In short: I exist because you exist, and you exist because I exist.

The weaving together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfilment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. Peace or Shalom is the breadth, depth, the height, everything of the kingdom of God. It is the opposite-story of this world, with nothing missing and nothing lost for everyone who are part of it.

Shalom is what happens when the love of God meets our most tender places. We then become the peacemakers, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and as we catch glimpses of shalom, we see the beauty of God’s kingdom here on earth. Therefore, we can all be peacemakers, because we can all seek and access the love of God to heal the broken places. Broken places such as:

✓        The conflict between Israel and Palestine!

✓        The yes and no vote!

In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight. Shalom is one of the richest words in the Bible. You can not define shalom by looking in the dictionary any more than you can define a person by their passport number. Shalom gathers all aspects of wholeness that result from God’s purpose being completed in us.

Shalom, in other words, is the way things are in God’s kingdom. It is the work of God that, when complete, releases streams of living water in us. Here is the thing - Christian peace is not about the absence of trouble. Christian peace is about the presence and nearness of God, who is greater than even the most overwhelming of circumstances. We can face any circumstance and be able to say, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”  We say this not because we are free from troubles, but because we have Peace/Shalom in the One who has already overcome the greatest trouble of all.

Peace is also not the absence of fear, it is the presence of something greater than fear. Because of Jesus, we can know peace/shalom as we hold on to Him and reflect on who He is. Jesus is the perfect example, because every time Jesus healed, forgave, or called someone, he demonstrated shalom.

Rev. Willie Liebenberg

Encouragement

I wonder how often God when He looks at us, says, “What shall I do with this people?” But that is not what I want to look at.  As I looked at this passage, I also realised that often I look to the wrong things, in the same way as the people of Israel did in verse 3, “But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?" They were looking at Moses as their deliverer – instead of God. How often do we look at other things instead of God for help? Sometimes, do I forget my Identity or who I am? Romans 8: 28 says it is in Jesus, “So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together for good, for we are [God’s] lovers, who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose”.

How many of you have heard someone say, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me"? Our words can hurt people. Most of us can remember something that was said to us that really hurt us. In the same way that words have the power to hurt, they also have the power to help and make us feel good. I looked up the word "encourage" in the dictionary, and it means to "give courage, hope and confidence, to give support and help." It’s time for you and me to encourage other people.

But what is in a name? Have you ever thought what the meaning of God’s name might be? From the passage in Exodus I picked up three meanings which we can see throughout Scripture:

          First – we know the Lord is omniscient. He knows everything – He is all-knowing. He knows our needs better than we do. Matthew 6: 8 states: “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

          Second – God is omnipotent, or all-powerful. He has all the power to supply you with everything you need. Psalm 81: 10 says, “I'm God, your God, the very God who rescued you from [oppression] in Egypt, then [I] fed you all you could eat.”

          Third – He is omnipresent, meaning that He is everywhere and at work for us. Psalm 34: 7 – 8 states: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him!”

So, I encourage us to keep looking to Him in all our situations and circumstances. 1 Thessalonians 5: 18 says, Let us “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” When we are thankful in all our situations, we are trusting in the Lord with our lives.

Rev. Willie Liebenberg

IS IT FAIR? (Matthew 20:1-16)

I am sure we all had the feeling that something was unfair. Perhaps you remember when your older sibling got to see a movie and you had to stay home. Perhaps you think about the person that got the job promotion over you. You see, we humans, like things to be fair. In our Gospel story, Jesus shares a parable that seems highly unfair. If you believe it or not – God has no “inner circle” of favourites but gives each person who turns to Him His gift of salvation. And hear me out, we cannot earn God’s gift – He gives it to us, and then out of gratitude, we respond and serve Him – not because we owe Him. You know, you and I can very often look at things the wrong way round. We can look at the many years that someone has served the Lord or been part of the church community and think that they must be much more precious to God than someone who has just walked in through the door for the first time, or someone who has not yet come to faith. The truth is that God does not have an inner circle of favourite people. Every single person here is equally precious to Him, however old or young you are; however long you have known Him for. Every single person here receives the same gift of salvation when they turn to God - we are all His favourite people. Another way that we can look at things the wrong way round is that we can think that we can earn God’s amazing gift of salvation by serving Him.  

The truth is that we cannot earn God’s gift. David Platt says, “God doesn’t owe us salvation for something we have done; He gives us salvation despite everything we have done.” God gives us His gift freely because of His generous love. Once we have received God’s gift, then we serve Him out of gratitude and love – not because we receive medals or praise from people. God gives us unearned, unwarranted, and unfair grace. We do not deserve it. Ephesians 2: 8 – 9 reminds us, “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast.” God’s ways and our ways are often very different. Isaiah 55: 8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. I would like to encourage you today that you look at things differently. God is the giver of all good things, grace, mercy, blessings, reward, forgiveness, eternal life, love, all that is good.

This week I want to challenge you to capture the meaning of this passage:

1.          Make a list of all the things God owes you. I guess this should be quick – He does not owe us anything.

2.          Make a list of all the things that you owe God. Take some time and list all the ways that He has blessed you beyond what you deserve. 

If you have experienced God’s grace, live in gratitude, celebration, and faithfulness.  If you have not experienced God’s grace, He is extending that unfair offer of grace to you today.

Rev. Willie Liebenberg

What Unites Us

Romans 14: 13 – 23; Matthew 22: 36 – 40; Galations 5: 8 – 13.

We have all seen how we can have division in the Church. We all tend to take sides in some of these debates. So I ask myself and I am preaching to myself here.

What does Scripture say we do in these times?

And this is basically what I have found and what I believe that God is telling us.

Let’s have a look.’Who is weak in faith and who is strong? We are all weak in some areas and strong in others. Our faith is strong in an area if we can survive contact with worldly people without falling into their patterns. It is weak in an area if we must avoid certain activities, people, or places in order to protect our spiritual life. It is important to take self-inventory in order to find out our strengths and weaknesses.

Whenever in doubt, we should ask, Can I do that without sinning?

Can I influence others for good, rather than being influenced by them?

In areas of strength, we should not fear being defiled by the world; rather we should go and serve God. In areas of weakness, we need to be cautious. If we believe we have a strong faith but shelter it, we are not doing Christ's work in the world. If we have a weak faith but expose it, we are being extremely foolish.

Romans 14 assumes there will be differences of opinion in the church about what is right or wrong. Paul says we are not to quarrel about issues that are matters of opinion. Differences should not be feared or avoided but accepted and handled with love. Don't expect everyone, even in the best possible church, to agree on every subject.  Through sharing ideas we can come to a fuller understanding of what the Bible teaches. Accept, listen to, and respect others. Differences of opinion need not cause division. They can be a source of learning and richness in our relationships.

What is weak faith?

Paul is speaking about immature faith that has not yet developed the muscle it needs to stand against external pressures. For example, if a person who once worshiped idols became a Christian, he might understand perfectly well that Christ saved him through faith and that idols have no real power. Still, because of his past associations, he might be badly shaken if he unknowingly ate meat that had been used in idol worship. If a person who once worshiped God on the required Jewish holy days became a Christian, he might well know that Christ saved him through faith, not through his keeping of the law. Still, when the festival days came, he might feel empty and unfaithful if he didn't dedicate those days to God. Paul responds to both weak brothers in love. Both are acting according to their consciences, but their honest convictions do not need to be made into rules for the church.

Certainly some issues are central to the faith and worth fighting for, but many are based on individual differences and should not be legislated. Our principle should be: In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in everything, love. Each person is accountable to Christ, not to others.

While the church must be uncompromising in its stand against activities that are expressly forbidden by Scripture, it should not create additional rules and regulations and give them equal standing with God's law. Many times Christians base their moral judgments on opinion, personal dislikes, or cultural bias rather than on the Word of God. When they do this, they show that their own faith is weak; they do not think that God is powerful enough to guide his children.

When we stand before God and give a personal account of our life, we won't be worried about what our Christian neighbour has done. While eternal life is a free gift given on the basis of God's grace (Eph_2:8-9), each of us will still be judged by Christ. He will reward us for how we have lived.

God's gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience. All Christians must give account on the day of judgment of how they have lived.

Pat Forrest

Matthew 16: 21 – 28.

Jesus Has No Part-Time Disciples

We have just come through the FIFA Women's World Cup Soccer tournament. For four years the Matilda team worked hard and sacrificed a lot of things to do their best to be crowned as the world champions – unfortunately, it did not happen. They left their loved ones, families, and their lives behind and pushed through injuries, pain, and disappointments. Gigantic sacrifice.

When we speak of the Christian life, there is an element of sacrifice. Jesus spoke to His disciples of this fact, warning them not to be concerned with things of this world, but to focus on lasting things that matter. He told Peter that it isn’t worth it to “gain the whole world but lose your soul.” People are always seeking after something. It might not be success in sport, but people work hard for that something. Some search for more money, a prestigious job, good grades in school, a nice house, or the perfect family. Hear me, it is not wrong to want things like that. But we can’t let those “things” take precedence over worshipping God. God needs be the number one spot in our hearts.

Being a Christian is easy but to be a disciple of Jesus isn’t easy. In fact, we are promised that it will be tough. Sometimes we must make sacrifices. We might not do the same things as some of our friends, and it may seem like we are missing out on certain fun and opportunities because we choose to follow God. But it’s worth it. Do you know why? Jesus made the biggest sacrifice possible. He gave up His Heavenly throne and His life so that we could be saved and have eternal life - eternal life means, when life ends here, it continues somewhere else. It lasts forever; without end or beginning.

NOW – Compare that, with the minor discomforts of life or the sacrifice of missing out on certain “things” here and there, and suddenly “things” seem pretty insignificant. But there is a BIG gap between what Jesus wants from His disciples and our own lives as part-time volunteers for the Gospel. Yes, part-time. Often our discipleship is only part-time – Yeah for Sunday - only an hour - and that’s it. Not many Christians abandon everything for the Gospel's sake. Most of us simply fit our Christianity into the open spots on our calendars.

But in this passage, Jesus links the life of discipleship with his own path – a fully sacrificed path – to take up your cross. Denying yourself and taking up your cross is something we are called to do as disciples of Christ. What “taking up your cross” meant for Christ and many of his followers was making God's goal their goal, despite the cost. Jesus and his early disciples didn't consider their own lives more important than testifying to the gospel.

There is no place for players on the Matilda’s team that want to do it part-time - it’s a 100% commitment. It is the same for our disciple journey.

Rev. Willie Liebenberg